| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US09705155B2 |
Electrode for solid electrolyte secondary battery, solid electrolyte secondary battery, and battery pack
According to one embodiment, a solid electrolyte secondary battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a solid electrolyte layer, wherein at least one selected from the positive electrode and the negative electrode comprises active material particles, first solid electrolyte particles located the vicinity of a surface of the active material particles, and second solid electrolyte particles located a gap between the active material particles. A particle size ratio of a second solid electrolyte particle size D2 to a first solid electrolyte particle size D1 (D2/D1) satisfies the relation of 3 |
| US09705149B2 |
Nonaqueous electrolyte composition, nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery, and method for manufacturing nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery
A nonaqueous electrolyte composition includes an electrolyte salt, a nonaqueous solvent, a matrix polymer, and a ceramic powder, wherein the ceramic powder has an average particle size of 0.1 to 2.5 μm and a BET specific surface area of 0.5 to 11 m2/g. |
| US09705143B2 |
Electronic apparatus, control method and program thereof, and battery for operating electronic apparatus
An electronic apparatus using a fuel cell as at least one electric power source. The fuel cell has an electric power output unit for outputting an electric power through a chemical reaction between fuel gas and oxidant gas, a purge device for purging the electric power output unit and a purge control unit for issuing a purge instruction to the purge device. The electronic apparatus has a monitor unit for monitoring a consumption power, an operation state or a manipulated state of the electronic apparatus, and a purge permission unit for judging from an output of the monitor unit whether the purge control unit is permitted to issue the purge instruction, and outputting a judgment result to the purge control unit. |
| US09705136B2 |
High capacity energy storage
An energy storage device includes a nano-structured cathode. The cathode includes a conductive substrate, an underframe and an active layer. The underframe includes structures such as nano-filaments and/or aerogel. The active layer optionally includes a catalyst disposed within the active layer, the catalyst being configured to catalyze the dissociation of cathode active material. |
| US09705134B2 |
Organic negative electrode with chlorophyll and battery using the organic negative electrode
An organic negative electrode is provided in the present application. The organic negative electrode comprises a first element having conductive material, a second element formed by a high polymer solution and set on the first element, and a third element having chlorophyll and formed on the second element. A battery with said organic negative electrode is also provided. |
| US09705132B2 |
Olivine oxide-containing positive active material for rechargeable lithium battery with improved electro-conductivity, rate characteristics and capacity characteristics, method for manufacturing the same, and rechargeable lithium battery including the same
A rechargeable lithium battery with improved electro-conductivity and improved rate characteristics and capacity characteristics is disclosed. The battery includes a positive active material that includes an olivine-type composite oxide; and a metal or an alloy thereof adhered to a surface of the olivine-type composite oxide, wherein the metal or the alloy is selected from the group consisting of germanium (Ge), zinc (Zn), gallium (Ga), and a combination thereof. |
| US09705130B2 |
Antimony-based anode on aluminum current collector
An electrochemical battery is provided with an aluminum anode current collector and an antimony (Sb)-based electrochemically active material overlying the aluminum current collector. The Sb-based electrochemically active material may be pure antimony, Sb with other metal elements, or Sb with non-metal elements. For example, the Sb-based electrochemically active material may be one of the following: Sb binary or ternary alloys of sodium, silicon, tin, germanium, bismuth, selenium, tellurium, thallium, aluminum, gold, cadmium, mercury, cesium, gallium, titanium, lead, carbon, and combinations thereof. The aluminum current collector may additionally include a material such as magnesium, iron, nickel, titanium, and combinations thereof. In one aspect, the anode further composed of a coating interposed between the aluminum current collector and the Sb-based electrochemically active material. This coating may be a non-corrodible metal or a carbonaceous material. The cathode is may be composed of a number of different active materials including sodium-based Prussian Blue analogs. |
| US09705129B2 |
Process for producing an electrode for an electrochemical energy storage means and electrode
The subject matter of the present is a method for manufacturing an electrode for an electrochemical energy reservoir, in particular for a lithium-ion battery, encompassing the method steps of: a) furnishing a mixture of initial substances for formation of a lithium titanate; b) calcining the mixture of initial substances for formation of a lithium titanate; c) adding to the mixture of initial substances for formation of a lithium titanate, before and/or after calcination, a component encompassing sulfur and optionally lithium; and/or d) adding a pore former, before and/or after calcination, to the mixture of initial substances for formation of a lithium titanate; e) sintering the calcined product; and f) optionally removing the pore former from the calcined and optionally sintered product. Electrodes having a particularly defined pore structure can be generated with a method of this kind, thereby making possible particularly good capacity that is stable over the long term. A further subject is an electrode for use in a lithium-ion battery, as well as a lithium-ion battery. |
| US09705126B2 |
Battery electrode and use thereof
An objective is to reduce the sheet resistance and gas evolution in a battery electrode comprising a conductive intermediate layer capable of reducing or shutting off a current when overcharged. A battery electrode (12) comprises a conductive intermediate layer (123) being placed between a current collector (122) and an active layer (124) while comprising conductive particles (50) and a binder (60). The mass proportion of conductive particles (50) is equal to or larger than the mass proportion of the binder (60). Conductive particles (50) has a size distribution that exhibits a first peak with the maximum at a first particle diameter value and a second peak with the maximum at a second particle diameter value larger than the first particle diameter value. The intermediate layer (123) contains 10% to 60% by mass of conductive particles (52) having particle diameters that belong to the second peak. |
| US09705122B2 |
Battery terminal with unintended deformation prevention features
A battery terminal (1) includes a main body (10) with upper and lower plates (20U, 20L). The upper plate (20U) includes an upper mounting hole (23U), and upper plate fastening portions (26U, 27U). The lower plate (20L) includes a lower mounting hole (23L) and lower plate fastening portions (26L, 27L). A first receiving wall (41A) is connected to a first upper plate fastening portion (26U) and engages a first lower plate fastening portion (26L). A second receiving wall (41B) is connected to the second upper plate fastening portion (27U) and engages the second lower plate fastening portion (27L). A bracket (70) is mounted on the main body (10) and has a first pressing portion (73A) with a first tapered surface (74A) to contact the first receiving wall (41A) and a second pressing portion (73B) with a second tapered surface (74B) to contact the second receiving wall (41B). |
| US09705119B2 |
Energy storage device, energy storage apparatus, vehicle, and method for using energy storage device
An energy storage device comprises a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a separator arranged between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and a nonaqueous electrolyte. The negative electrode has a negative substrate layer, and a negative composite layer arranged on the surface of the negative substrate layer. The separator has a separator substrate layer. The negative composite layer contains a non-graphitizable carbon having a particle diameter D50 of 2.0 μm or more and 6.0 μm or less. A corrected negative electrode density, which is defined as a value obtained by dividing, by a thickness of the separator substrate layer, a value obtained by multiplying a density of the negative composite layer by a thickness of the negative composite layer, is 1.2 (g/cm3) or more and 5.1 (g/cm3) or less. |
| US09705118B2 |
Method for preparing separator of battery
A method for preparing a separator of a battery comprises the steps of: respectively stretching a first polypropylene film and a second polypropylene film in one direction at −3-7° C., and keeping at 45-60° C. to provide a first polypropylene microporous film and a second polypropylene microporous film; perpendicularly compounding the films along the stretching direction to provide a polypropylene microporous composite film; and subjecting the polypropylene microporous composite film to hydrophilic treatment to provide the separator of the battery. The through micro-pores in the first and the second polypropylene film in the invention are attached and staggered to form tortuous pores, which greatly reduce the aperture of the through pores. Therefore, the passing of fine zinc particles and zincate can be blocked without influence on the passing of organic ions and the penetration of dendritic crystals is avoided. |
| US09705101B2 |
White organic light emitting device having emission area control layer separating emission areas of at least two emission layers
Disclosed is a white organic light emitting device in which a lifetime of a device is enhanced. The white organic light emitting device includes a first emission part between a first electrode and a second electrode and a second emission part on the first emission part. At least one among the first and second emission parts includes an emission area control layer. The white organic light emitting device includes a first emission part between a first electrode and a second electrode, a second emission part on the first emission part, and a third emission part on the second emission part. At least one among the first to third emission parts includes an emission area control layer. |
| US09705100B2 |
Organic electroluminescent element and method for manufacturing the same
Organic electroluminescent element capable of conveniently and precisely establishing the emission color of the element and capable of fine-adjusting the emission color in the white region. The organic electroluminescent element includes a pair of electrodes and a light-emitting layer provided between the electrodes and presents an emission color at the coordinate Ao (Xo, Yo) in the CIE 1931 chromaticity coordinate system. The light-emitting layer contains in the same layer, a white light emitting material A1 that presents an emission color at the coordinate A1 (x1, y1) in the CIE 1931 chromaticity coordinate system and a white light emitting material A2 that presents an emission color at the coordinate A2 (x2, y2) different from the coordinate A1(x1, y1) in the CIE 1931 chromaticity coordinate system. A distance LA1-A2 between the coordinates A1 (x1, y1) and A2 (x2, y2) in the CIE 1931 chromaticity coordinate system satisfies LA1-A2<0.13. |
| US09705097B2 |
Metal complex and light-emitting device containing the metal complex
A highly stable metal complex useful for the manufacture of a light-emitting device has an excellent lifetime property, particularly in a blue region, specifically a metal complex represented by Formula (1): wherein M is a metal atom; each R0 independently represents a divalent linking group; i and j each independently represent 0 or 1; RP1, RP2, RP3, RP4, RP5 and RP6 each independently represent a hydrogen atom and the like, with a proviso that at least one of RP1, RP2, RP3, RP4, RP5 and RP6 is a dendron; m is an integer of from 1 to 3, n is an integer of from 0 to 2, and m+n is 2 or 3; and the portion represented by Formula (2): represents a bidentate ligand; wherein Rx and Ry are an atom bonding to the metal atom M, and each independently represents a carbon atom and the like. |
| US09705094B2 |
Organic semiconductor compound, organic thin film including same, and electronic device including the organic thin film
An organic semiconductor compound represented by Chemical Formula 1 is highly fused due to fusion of greater than or equal to 4 rings, and has smooth intermolecular charge transfer due to relatively high planarity. |
| US09705092B2 |
Phosphorescent organic light emitting devices combined with hole transport material having high operating stability
An improved OLED includes an emitter layer disposed between a cathode and an anode where the emitter layer includes a host material and a phosphorescent emitter material. A first hole transport layer is disposed between the emitter layer and the anode and a second hole transport layer is disposed between the first hole transport layer and the anode. The first hole transport layer includes a first hole transport material that is a carbazole type compound and the second hole transport layer includes a second hole transport material that is different from the first hole transport material. The phosphorescent emitter material includes a phosphorescent organometallic compound that is a heteroleptic compound represented by the formula L2MX, LL′MX, LL′L″M, or LMXX′, wherein L, L′, L″, X, and X′ are inequivalent, bidentate ligands and M is a metal that forms octahedral complexes, wherein L, L′, and L″ are monoanionic inequivalent bidentate ligands coordinated to M through an sp2 hybridized carbon and a heteroatom. |
| US09705091B2 |
Aromatic heterocycle derivative and organic electroluminescent element using same
An aromatic heterocyclic derivative represented by the following formula (1)-1 or (1)-2: wherein in the formula (1)-1 or (1)-2, A is a substituted or unsubstituted nitrogen-containing heterocyclic group including 2 to 30 ring carbon atoms; B is a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic hydrocarbon group including 6 to 30 ring carbon atoms or a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic heterocyclic group including 2 to 30 ring carbon atoms; n is an integer of 2 or more; and Czs are independently an aromatic heterocyclic group including a predetermined structure. |
| US09705089B2 |
Organic light emitting element
Provided is an organic light emitting element having stable performance in the air. The organic light emitting element includes: an anode; a cathode; and an emission layer placed between the anode and the cathode, in which: the organic light emitting element further includes a first organic compound layer placed between the cathode and the emission layer, and a second organic compound layer placed between the emission layer and the first organic compound layer, and contacted with the first organic compound layer; the first organic compound layer contains a first organic compound; the second organic compound layer contains a second organic compound; and the first organic compound includes a viologen compound represented by the following general formula [1] and the second organic compound includes an organic compound different from the viologen compound. |
| US09705085B2 |
Method for manufacturing organic light-emitting device
The present application relates to a method of preparing an organic light emitting device. The method of preparing the organic light emitting device according to the present application includes: 1) forming a first electrode on a substrate; 2) forming an auxiliary electrode on at least a partial region on the first electrode; 3) forming an insulating layer on the auxiliary electrode, and forming an overhang structure, in which the insulating layer has a greater width than that of the auxiliary electrode; and 4) forming a second electrode on the first electrode and the insulating layer, so that the second electrode provided on the first electrode and the second electrode provided on the insulating layer are electrically short-circuited to each other. |
| US09705081B2 |
Electric field control element for phonons
Generally discussed herein are techniques for and systems and apparatuses configured to control phonons using an electric field. In one or more embodiments, an apparatus can include electrical contacts, two quantum dots embedded in a semiconductor such that when an electrical bias is applied to the electrical contacts, the electric field produced by the electrical bias is substantially parallel to an axis through the two quantum dots, and a phononic wave guide coupled to the semiconductor, the phononic wave guide configured to transport phonons therethrough. |
| US09705080B2 |
Forming self-aligned conductive lines for resistive random access memories
Resistive random access memory elements, such as phase change memory elements, may be defined using a plurality of parallel conductive lines over a stack of layers, at least one of which includes a resistive switching material. The stack may be etched using the conductive lines as a mask. As a result, memory elements may be self-aligned to the conductive lines. |
| US09705079B2 |
Tunable voltage margin access diodes
The present invention relates generally to high current density access devices (ADs), and more particularly, to a structure and method of forming tunable voltage margin access diodes in phase change memory (PCM) blocks using layers of copper-containing mixed ionic-electronic conduction (MIEC) materials. Embodiments of the present invention may use layers MIEC material to form an access device that can supply high current-densities and operate reliably while being fabricated at temperatures that are compatible with standard BEOL processing. By varying the deposition technique and amount of MIEC material used, the voltage margin (i.e. the voltage at which the device turns on and the current is above the noise floor) of the access device may be tuned to specific operating conditions of different memory devices. |
| US09705077B2 |
Spin torque MRAM fabrication using negative tone lithography and ion beam etching
A method for forming a memory device includes masking a photoresist material using a reticle and a developer having a polarity opposite that of the photoresist to provide an island of photoresist material. A planarizing layer is etched to establish a pillar of planarizing material defined by the island of photoresist material. A metal layer is etched to form a metal pillar having a diameter about the same as the pillar of planarizing material. A memory stack is etched to form a memory stack pillar having a diameter about the same as the metal pillar. A magnetoresistive memory cell includes a magnetic tunnel junction pillar having a circular cross section. The pillar has a pinned magnetic layer, a tunnel barrier layer, and a free magnetic layer. A first conductive contact is disposed above the magnetic tunnel junction pillar. A second conductive contact is disposed below the magnetic tunnel junction pillar. |
| US09705076B2 |
Magnetoresistive element and manufacturing method of the same
According to one embodiment, there is provided a magnetoresistive element, including a lower electrode having crystallinity on a substrate, a first conductive layer including an amorphous state on the lower electrode, a buffer layer on the first conductive layer, and an MTJ element on the buffer layer. |
| US09705073B2 |
Magnetic memory element and magnetic memory
According to one embodiment, a magnetic memory element includes a first magnetic unit, a second magnetic unit, a nonmagnetic unit, and a controller. The second magnetic unit includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion includes a first region and a second region. The controller performs a first operation and a second operation. In the first operation, the controller changes a direction of a magnetization of the first region by causing a first current to flow through the first portion in a first current direction. The first current has a first current value. In the second operation, the controller changes a direction of a magnetization of the second region by causing a second current to flow through the first portion in a second current direction. The second current has a second current value. The second current value is less than the first current value. |
| US09705072B2 |
Spin transfer torque tunneling magnetoresistive device having a laminated free layer with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy
A spin transfer torque magnetic junction includes a magnetic reference layer structure with magnetic anisotropy perpendicular to a substrate plane. A laminated magnetic free layer comprises at least three sublayers (e.g. sub-layers of CoFeB, CoPt, FePt, or CoPd) having magnetic anisotropy perpendicular to the substrate plane. Each such sublayer is separated from an adjacent one by a dusting layer (e.g. tantalum). An insulative barrier layer (e.g. MgO) is disposed between the laminated free layer and the magnetic reference layer structure. The spin transfer torque magnetic junction includes conductive base and top electrodes, and a current polarizing structure that has magnetic anisotropy parallel to the substrate plane. In certain embodiments, the current polarizing structure may also include a non-magnetic spacer layer (e.g. MgO, copper, etc). |
| US09705070B2 |
Ferroelectric thin film, method of manufacturing same and method of manufacturing piezoelectric element
In order to obtain a ferroelectric thin film that is formed to have a predetermined thickness on a substrate, that have satisfactory crystallization and that achieves a high piezoelectric property, a method of manufacturing such a ferroelectric thin film and a method of manufacturing a piezoelectric element having such a ferroelectric thin film, when a dielectric material of a perovskite structure is formed into a film on the substrate, a predetermined amount of additive is mixed with PZT, and the concentration of the additive mixed is varied in the thickness direction of the thin film. |
| US09705069B2 |
Sensor device, force detecting device, robot, electronic component conveying apparatus, electronic component inspecting apparatus, and component machining apparatus
A sensor device includes a charge output element including a plurality of piezoelectric bodies and an internal electrode formed between the piezoelectric bodies, a package that houses the charge output element, first conductive paste electrically connected to a plurality of the internal electrodes, and second conductive paste that electrically connects the first conductive paste and an output terminal and has a modulus of elasticity lower than a modulus of elasticity of the first conductive paste. A Young's modulus of the first conductive paste is equal to or higher than 3.4 GPa and equal to or lower than 5.0 GPa and a Young's modulus of the second conductive paste is equal to or higher than 0.1 GPa and equal to or lower than 0.2 GPa. |
| US09705067B2 |
Piezoelectric actuator
A piezoelectric fan includes a vibration sheet, piezoelectric elements, a reinforcing sheet bonded to at least one of principal surfaces of the piezoelectric element, a reinforcing sheet bonded to at least one of principal surfaces of the piezoelectric element, and a fixing sheet. The vibration sheet is fixed to the inside of an electronic device by the fixing sheet disposed at one end of the vibration sheet. The total thickness of the reinforcing sheets and a region of the vibration sheet adjacent to the piezoelectric elements is greater than the average thickness of a region of the vibration sheet in which the piezoelectric elements are not disposed. The piezoelectric elements are disposed symmetrically to the center plane of the thickness direction of the vibration sheet. The reinforcing sheets are disposed symmetrically to the center plane of the thickness direction of the vibration sheet. |
| US09705066B2 |
Head and liquid ejecting apparatus
A head includes a channel formation substrate having two piezoelectric actuator rows formed thereon, a driving circuit, and a driving circuit board which is provided with a first bump and a second bump, in which the first bump is provided on the outside of the piezoelectric actuator row, an adhesive layer is provided on both sides of the first bump and the second bump, a first through hole and a second through hole are provided on the driving circuit board, a first connection wiring and a second connection wiring are provided in the first through hole and the second through hole, and a first electrode of the piezoelectric actuator is electrically connected to a first connection wiring via the first bump and a second electrode is electrically connected to a second connection wiring via the second bump. |
| US09705064B2 |
Circuit assembly and method for controlling a piezoelectric transformer
A circuit assembly is used for controlling a piezoelectric transformer having an input capacitance in a first circuit branch. The circuit assembly also includes a second circuit branch for compensating for the input capacitance, preferably by means of a capacitive element, and a differential amplifier having two inputs. The first input is coupled to the first circuit branch and the second input is coupled to the second circuit branch. |
| US09705063B2 |
Sacrificial shorting straps for superconducting qubits
A technique relates to protecting a tunnel junction. A first electrode paddle and a second electrode paddle are on a substrate. The first and second electrode paddles oppose one another. A sacrificial shorting strap is formed on the substrate. The sacrificial shorting strap connects the first electrode paddle and the second electrode paddle; The tunnel junction is formed connecting the first electrode paddle and the second electrode paddle, after forming the sacrificial shorting strap. The substrate is mounted on a portion of a quantum cavity. The portion of the quantum cavity is placed in a vacuum chamber. The sacrificial shorting strap is etched away in the vacuum chamber while the substrate is mounted to the portion of the quantum cavity, such that the sacrificial shorting strap no longer connects the first and second electrode paddles. The tunnel junction has been protected from electrostatic discharge by the sacrificial shorting strap. |
| US09705060B2 |
Thermoelectric materials
Disclosed is a thermoelectric conversion material having excellent performance. The thermoelectric material according to the present disclosure includes Cu and Se, and has a plurality of different crystal structures together, in which Cu atoms and Se atoms are arranged in the crystal, at a predetermined temperature. |
| US09705057B2 |
Method for producing a laser diode, mount and laser diode
In a method for producing a laser diode, a number of laser diodes are produced on a wafer. The wafer is broken down into wafer pieces, each wafer piece having a plurality of laser diodes being arranged side by side. One wafer piece is inserted into a first mount that includes a first covering element overlapping a front face of the wafer piece and shadowing a bottom area of the front face of the wafer piece. A minor layer is deposited on an unshadowed upper area of the wafer piece's front face. The wafer piece is inserted into a second mount, which includes a second covering element that shadows the minor layer of the upper area of the front face. An electrically conductive contact layer is deposited on an unshadowed bottom area of the wafer piece's front face. The wafer piece is subsequently broken down into individual laser diodes. |
| US09705055B2 |
Light emitting diodes
An LED comprises a first semiconductor layer, an active layer, a second semiconductor layer, a first electrode and a second electrode. The first semiconductor layer, the active layer, and the second semiconductor layer are stacked in that order and located on a surface of the first electrode. The second electrode is electrically connected with the second semiconductor layer. A number of first three-dimensional nano-structures are located on a surface of the second semiconductor layer away from the active layer. The first three-dimensional nano-structures are linear protruding structures, a cross-section of each linear protruding structure is an arc. |
| US09705052B1 |
LED package structure
An LED package structure includes a substrate, a circuit layer and an insulating layer both disposed on the substrate, a light-emitting unit, and a reflective housing integrally formed with the insulating layer. The light-emitting unit includes an LED chip and a fluorescent body encapsulating the LED chip. The light-emitting unit is mounted on the insulating layer and the circuit layer. The fluorescent body of the light emitting unit is spaced apart from the circuit layer with a gap in a range of 3˜10 μm. The reflective housing is formed on the insulating layer and the circuit layer and is further filled within the gap. A top plane of the reflective housing arranged away from the substrate is lower than or equal to that of the light-emitting unit, and a distance between the two top planes is in a range of 0˜30 μm. |
| US09705051B2 |
Light emitting device
A light emitting device includes an epitaxial structure and a sheet-shaped wavelength converting layer. The sheet-shaped wavelength converting layer is disposed on the epitaxial structure and at least includes a first wavelength converting unit layer and a second wavelength converting unit layer. The first wavelength converting unit layer is disposed between the second wavelength converting unit layer and the epitaxial structure. An emission peak wavelength of the first wavelength converting unit layer is greater than an emission peak wavelength of the second wavelength converting unit layer. A full width half magnitude of the second wavelength converting unit layer is greater than a full width half magnitude of the first wavelength converting unit layer. |
| US09705050B2 |
Phosphor sheet, light-emitting device having the phosphor sheet and method of manufacturing the same
A light-emitting device includes a substrate including a first electrode and a second electrode, a light-emitting diode (LED) chip electrically connected to the first and the second electrodes, and a phosphor sheet disposed on an upper surface of the LED chip, a first transparent part disposed under the phosphor sheet, and a second transparent part disposed between the phosphor sheet and the LED chip. The first transparent part contacts the second transparent part. |
| US09705049B2 |
Phosphor, light-emitting apparatus including the same, and phosphor production method
A phosphor is provided which is represented by the general formula MxCeySi6-zBzN8+w. M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of La, Y, Tb and Lu. And w, x, y, and z satisfy 2.0 |
| US09705044B2 |
Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing same
To suppress or prevent erosion (decrease in film thickness), water absorption, or cracking of a DBR film surface in washing or etching treatment in a downstream process. The DBR film structure of a DBR film 7D includes a pair of or a plurality of pairs of a deposited SiO2 film and a deposited TiO2 film. Such a top layer of DBR film structures has hitherto been a deposited SiO2 film that provides high reflectance. In order to prevent erosion while maintaining high reflectance, the top layer herein is a high-refractive-index thin film (for example, a deposited TiO2 film) having a thickness in the range of 1 to 13 nm, and a tapered DBR end portion (a slope having a taper angle in the range of 15 to 45 degrees) is formed by vapor deposition in a lift-off process. The high-refractive-index thin film is overlaid with a reflective metal film 8D serving as a first layer. |
| US09705042B2 |
Micro assembled LED displays and lighting elements
The disclosed technology provides micro-assembled micro-LED displays and lighting elements using arrays of micro-LEDs that are too small (e.g., micro-LEDs with a width or diameter of 10 μm to 50 μm), numerous, or fragile to assemble by conventional means. The disclosed technology provides for micro-LED displays and lighting elements assembled using micro-transfer printing technology. The micro-LEDs can be prepared on a native substrate and printed to a display substrate (e.g., plastic, metal, glass, or other materials), thereby obviating the manufacture of the micro-LEDs on the display substrate. In certain embodiments, the display substrate is transparent and/or flexible. |
| US09705040B2 |
Light-emitting device
A light-emitting device includes: a substrate; a light-emitting structure including first and second nitride-based semiconductor layers on the substrate and an active layer between the first and second nitride-based semiconductor layers; an insulating layer on a top surface of the light-emitting structure; a protrusion on the insulating layer, a top surface of the protrusion being larger than a bottom surface thereof, the protrusion having a trapezoidal cross-section; a transparent conductive layer covering a top surface of the light-emitting structure, a top surface of the insulating layer, and the top surface of the protrusion and having a constant thickness along the top surface of the light-emitting structure, the top surface of the insulating layer, and the top surface of the protrusion; and an electrode covering at least one of inclined surfaces of the protrusion on the transparent conductive layer. |
| US09705038B2 |
Engineered substrate assemblies with epitaxial templates and related systems, methods, and devices
Engineered substrates having epitaxial templates for forming epitaxial semiconductor materials and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. In several embodiments, for example, an engineered substrate can be manufactured by forming a first semiconductor material at a front surface of a donor substrate. The first semiconductor material is transferred to first handle substrate to define a first formation structure. A second formation structure is formed to further include a second semiconductor material homoepitaxial to the first formation structure. The method can further include transferring the first portion of the second formation structure to a second handle substrate such that a second portion of the second formation structure remains at the first handle substrate. |
| US09705037B2 |
Light emitting device, light emitting device package and lighting system including the same
Provided are a light emitting device, a light emitting device package and a lighting system including the same. The light emitting device (LED) comprises a substrate, a 5 second conductive type semiconductor layer, an active layer, a first conductive type semiconductor layer and a first electrode. The vertical distances between the first conductive type semiconductor layer and the second conductive type semiconductor layer are varied. |
| US09705036B2 |
Light emitting device and light emitting device package
Disclosed are a light emitting device and a light emitting device package. The light emitting device includes a light emitting structure including a first conductive semiconductor layer, an active layer on the first conductive semiconductor layer and a second conductive semiconductor layer on the active layer; a first electrode pad on the first conductive semiconductor layer; a second electrode pad on the second conductive semiconductor layer; and a current blocking pattern overlapping an edge of at least one of the first and second electrode pads. |
| US09705034B2 |
Light-emitting diode, method for manufacturing light-emitting diode, light-emitting diode lamp and illumination device
A light-emitting diode, a method of manufacturing the same, a lamp and an illumination device. A light-emitting diode (100) is provided with a compound semiconductor layer (10) including a light-emitting layer (24) provided on a substrate (1); an ohmic contact electrode (7) provided between the substrate and compound semiconductor layer; an ohmic electrode (11) provided on the side of the compound semiconductor layer opposite the substrate; a surface electrode (12) including a branch section (12b) provided so as to cover the surface of the ohmic electrode and a pad section (12a) coupled to the branch section; and a current-blocking portion (13) provided between an under-pad light-emitting layer (24a) arranged in an area of the light-emitting layer that overlaps the pad section (12a) and a light-emitting layer arranged in an area except the area that overlaps the pad section, to prevent current from being supplied to the under-pad light-emitting layer. |
| US09705030B2 |
UV LED with tunnel-injection layer
An ultraviolet (UV) light emitting structure, a UV light emitting device, and a method of making a UV light emitting structure or device, wherein the UV light emitting structure or device has an AlN or AlGaN injection layer with high aluminum content between the light emitting active region and the p-doped layers and wherein the injection layer has a thickness such that holes can tunnel from the p-side of the semiconductor-based ultraviolet light emitting diode structure through the injection layer in the active zone and also reducing leakage electrons out of the active zone. |
| US09705028B2 |
Light emitting diodes with N-polarity and associated methods of manufacturing
Light emitting diodes (“LEDs”) with N-polarity and associated methods of manufacturing are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method for forming a light emitting diode on a substrate having a substrate material includes forming a nitrogen-rich environment at least proximate a surface of the substrate without forming a nitrodizing product of the substrate material on the surface of the substrate. The method also includes forming an LED structure with a nitrogen polarity on the surface of the substrate with a nitrogen-rich environment. |
| US09705023B2 |
Avalanche photodiode and manufacturing method thereof
An avalanche photodiode includes a GeOI substrate; an I—Ge absorption layer configured to absorb an optical signal and generate a photo-generated carrier; a first p-type SiGe layer, a second p-type SiGe layer, a first SiGe layer, and a second SiGe layer, where a Si content in any one of the SiGe layers is less than or equal to 20%; a first SiO2 oxidation layer and a second SiO2 oxidation layer; a first taper type silicon Si waveguide layer and a second taper type silicon Si waveguide layer; a heavily-doped n-type silicon Si multiplication layer; and anode electrodes and a cathode electrode. |
| US09705020B2 |
Sheet and module structure
A module structure is provided, which includes a front sheet, a back sheet opposite the front sheet, and a solar cell disposed between the front sheet and the back sheet. A first encapsulate film is disposed between the solar cell and the front sheet, and a second encapsulate film disposed between the solar cell and the back sheet. One or both of the front sheet and the second sheet includes a support layer and a light conversion layer on the support layer, wherein the light conversion layer includes a fluorescent molecule and hydrogenated styrene elastomer resin. The light conversion layer is disposed between the support layer and the solar cell. |
| US09705019B2 |
Solar cell module and method of fabricating the same
Disclosed are a solar cell module and a method of fabricating the same. The solar cell module includes a back electrode layer disposed on a support substrate and having a first separation pattern, a light absorbing layer disposed on the back electrode layer and having a second separation pattern, and a plurality of solar cells disposed on the light absorbing layer and formed with a front electrode layer including an insulator. |
| US09705015B2 |
Component for the detection of electromagnetic radiation in a range of wavelengths and method for manufacturing such a component
A component intended for the detecting and/or the measuring of an electromagnetic radiation in a first range of wavelengths. The component includes a support including at least one first structure and a reception face in order to receive the electromagnetic radiation; an optical filter of the band-pass type in the first range of wavelengths arranged on the reception face of the support. The optical filter includes an adaptation zone covering the reception face of the support and with a refractive index less than 2; a first metal layer covering the adaptation zone and including regularly distributed through-holes. Each one of the through-holes contains a filling material. |
| US09705009B2 |
Semiconductor device
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, and the semiconductor layer having a first and a second surfaces; a first conductive layer penetrating from the first surface side to the second surface side of the semiconductor layer; a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type surrounding part of the first conductive layer on the second surface side of the semiconductor layer, a portion other than a front surface of the first semiconductor region being surrounded by the semiconductor layer; and a first insulating film provided between the first conductive layer and the semiconductor layer and between the first conductive layer and the first semiconductor region, a concentration of an impurity element contained in the first semiconductor region being higher than a concentration of an impurity element contained in the semiconductor layer. |
| US09705008B2 |
Manufacturing method and structure of oxide semiconductor TFT substrate
The present invention provides a manufacturing method and a structure of an oxide semiconductor TFT substrate, in which an oxide conductor layer is used to define a channel of an oxide semiconductor TFT substrate. Since the oxide conductor layer is relatively thin and compared to the known techniques, the width of the channel can be made smaller and the width of the channel can be controlled precisely, the difficult of the manufacturing process of the oxide semiconductor TFT substrate can be reduced and the performance of the oxide semiconductor TFT substrate can be enhanced and the yield rate of manufacture can be increased. In a structure of an oxide semiconductor TFT substrate manufactured with the present invention, since the oxide conductor layer and the oxide semiconductor layer are similar in structural composition, excellent ohmic contact can be formed; the oxide conductor does not cause metal ion contamination in the oxide semiconductor layer; and the oxide conductor layer is transparent so as to help increase aperture ratio. |
| US09705006B2 |
Semiconductor device and manufacturing method of the same
A semiconductor device with high aperture ratio is provided. The semiconductor device includes a nitride insulating film, a transistor over the nitride insulating film, and a capacitor including a pair of electrodes over the nitride insulating film. An oxide semiconductor layer is used for a channel formation region of the transistor and one of the electrodes of the capacitor. A transparent conductive film is used for the other electrode of the capacitor. One electrode of the capacitor is in contact with the nitride insulating film, and the other electrode of the capacitor is electrically connected to one of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the transistor. |
| US09705004B2 |
Semiconductor device
A transistor whose channel is formed in a semiconductor having dielectric anisotropy is provided. A transistor having a small subthreshold swing value is provided. A transistor having normally-off electrical characteristics is provided. A transistor having a low leakage current in an off state is provided. A semiconductor device includes an insulator, a semiconductor, and a conductor. In the semiconductor device, the semiconductor includes a region overlapping with the conductor with the insulator positioned therebetween, and a dielectric constant of the region in a direction perpendicular to a top surface of the region is higher than a dielectric constant of the region in a direction parallel to the top surface. |
| US09705001B2 |
Semiconductor device
The semiconductor device includes an oxide semiconductor layer including a plurality of channel formation regions arranged in the channel width direction and parallel to each other and a gate electrode layer covering a side surface and a top surface of each channel formation region with a gate insulating layer placed between the gate electrode layer and the channel formation regions. With this structure, an electric field is applied to each channel formation region from the side surface direction and the top surface direction. This makes it possible to favorably control the threshold voltage of the transistor and improve the S value thereof. Moreover, with the plurality of channel formation regions, the transistor can have increased effective channel width; thus, a decrease in on-state current can be prevented. |
| US09705000B2 |
III-V layers for n-type and p-type MOS source-drain contacts
Techniques are disclosed for forming transistor devices having reduced parasitic contact resistance relative to conventional devices. In some example embodiments, the techniques can be used to implement the contacts of MOS transistors of a CMOS device, where an intermediate III-V semiconductor material layer is provided between the p-type and n-type source/drain regions and their respective contact metals to significantly reduce contact resistance. The intermediate III-V semiconductor material layer may have a small bandgap (e.g., lower than 0.5 eV) and/or otherwise be doped to provide the desired conductivity. The techniques can be used on numerous transistor architectures (e.g., planar, finned, and nanowire transistors), including strained and unstrained channel structures. |
| US09704999B2 |
Thin film transistors with trench-defined nanoscale channel lengths
Thin film transistors (TFTs), including radiofrequency TFTs, with submicron-scale channel lengths and methods for making the TFTs are provided. The transistors include a trench cut into the layer of semiconductor that makes up the body of the transistors. Trench separates the source and drain regions and determines the channel length of the transistor. |
| US09704996B2 |
Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor film and a gate electrode with a gate insulating film interposed therebetween, a conductive film, an insulating film over the gate electrode and the conductive film, and a gate wiring over the insulating film. The gate wiring extends across the conductive film. |
| US09704994B1 |
Different shallow trench isolation fill in fin and non-fin regions of finFET
A fin field effect transistor (finFET) and a method of fabricating the finFET. The method includes forming one or more fins above a substrate in a channel region, depositing a first insulating material conformally on the one or more fins and the substrate, and depositing a second insulating material over the first insulating material in non-channel regions adjacent to the channel region. A selective etch of the first insulating material in the channel region is performed to form a trench. The trench is filled with the second insulating material. The second insulating material in the channel region is adjacent to the first insulating material in the non-channel regions. |
| US09704993B2 |
Method of preventing epitaxy creeping under the spacer
After forming a gate spacer on each sidewall of a sacrificial gate structure, portions of each dielectric fin cap portion underneath the gate spacer is intentionally etched and undercut regions that are formed are filled and pinched off with a dielectric material of a conformal dielectric liner. Portions of the conformal dielectric liner in the undercut regions are not subject to the undercut during an epitaxial pre-clean process performed prior to forming an epitaxial source region and an epitaxial drain region on opposite sides of the sacrificial gate structure and remain in the undercut regions after forming the epitaxial source region and the epitaxial drain region. |
| US09704990B1 |
Vertical FET with strained channel
A transistor in an integrated circuit device is formed using fabrication processes that include techniques to create a strain in the channel material, thereby improving the performance of the transistor. In one or more embodiments, an initial transistor structure is formed including a substrate, a dummy fin, and a hard mask. The dummy fin structure is narrowed. A channel is epitaxially grown on the dummy fin structure to create a strain on the channel. A first gate stack is formed over the channel. The hard mask and dummy fin are removed. A second gate stack is formed over the channel. Excess material is removed from the second gate stack. The formation of the transistor is finalized using a variety of techniques. |
| US09704989B2 |
Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the same
A semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the same are disclosed, which include a gate electrode material in a recess or a buried gate cell structure, a polysilicon material doped with impurities over a sidewall of a recess located over the gate electrode material, and a junction formed by an annealing or a rapid thermal annealing (RTA) process, thereby establishing a degree overlap between a gate electrode material of a buried gate and a junction. |
| US09704988B2 |
Dual work function buried gate type transistor and method for fabricating the same
A transistor may include a source region and a drain region separately formed in a substrate, a trench defined in the substrate between the source region and the drain region, and a buried gate electrode formed. The buried gate electrode includes a high work function liner layer having a bottom portion which is positioned over a bottom of the trench and sidewall portions which are positioned on lower sidewalls of the trench; a low work function liner layer positioned on upper sidewalls of the trench, and overlapping with the source region and the drain region; and a low resistance layer contacting the high work function liner layer and the low work function liner layer, and partially filling the trench. |
| US09704980B2 |
Insulated gate bipolar transistor and method for manufacturing same
An insulated gate bipolar transistor includes: a drift layer having a semiconductor substrate with N-type conductivity; a collector layer having P-type conductivity at a surface layer of the semiconductor substrate at a back surface side; and a field stop layer between the drift layer and the collector layer that has a higher impurity concentration than the drift layer. In a thickness direction of the semiconductor substrate, a lifetime control layer is arranged with a predetermined half value width by helium ion implantation; and the field stop layer is arranged with a predetermined half value width by hydrogen ion implantation. Further, a half value width region of the lifetime control layer and a half value width region of the field stop layer overlap each other. |
| US09704978B2 |
Integrated circuit heat dissipation using nanostructures
An approach for heat dissipation in integrated circuit devices is provided. A method includes forming an isolation layer on an electrically conductive feature of an integrated circuit device. The method also includes forming an electrically conductive layer on the isolation layer. The method additionally includes forming a plurality of nanowire structures on a surface of the electrically conductive layer. |
| US09704977B2 |
Energy-filtered cold electron devices and methods
Energy-filtered cold electron devices use electron energy filtering through discrete energy levels of quantum wells or quantum dots that are formed through band bending of tunneling barrier conduction band. These devices can obtain low effective electron temperatures of less than or equal to 45K at room temperature, steep electrical current turn-on/turn-off capabilities with a steepness of less than or equal to 10 mV/decade at room temperature, subthreshold swings of less than or equal to 10 mV/decade at room temperature, and/or supply voltages of less than or equal to 0.1 V. |
| US09704975B2 |
Method of manufacturing non volatile memory device
A non-volatile memory device includes a semiconductor substrate, a well region situated on the semiconductor substrate, a floating gate situated on the well region, a floating gate channel region, a control gate situated on both sides of the floating gate, a control gate channel region, and an ion implantation area for regulating a program threshold voltage integrally formed between an area underneath of the floating gate and the control gate and a foreside of the well region, wherein a doping concentration of the ion implantation area for regulating a program threshold voltage is greater than a doping concentration of the well region. Therefore, the non-volatile memory device of examples integrally forms an ion implantation area for regulating a program threshold voltage irrespective of a channel region of a floating gate and a control gate so as to guarantee durability of a non-volatile memory device. |
| US09704974B2 |
Process of manufacturing Fin-FET device
A process of manufacturing a Fin-FET device, and the process includes following steps. An active fin structure and a dummy fin structure are formed from a substrate, and an isolation layer is covered over the active fin structure and the dummy fin structure. Then, the isolation layer above the dummy fin structure is removed, and the dummy fin structure is selectively etched, which a selective ratio of the dummy fin structure to the isolation layer is over 8. |
| US09704969B1 |
Fin semiconductor device having multiple gate width structures
A semiconductor device including a substrate, a plurality of insulators, a dielectric layer and a plurality of gates is provided. The substrate includes a plurality of trenches and a semiconductor fin between trenches. The insulators are disposed in the trenches. The dielectric layer covers the semiconductor fin and the insulators. A lengthwise direction of the gates is different from a lengthwise direction of the semiconductor fin. The gates comprise at least one first gate that is penetrated by the semiconductor fin and at least one second gate that is not penetrated through by the semiconductor fin. The second gate comprises a broadened portion disposed on the dielectric layer and a top portion disposed on the broadened portion, wherein a bottom width of the broadened portion is greater than a width of the top portion. |
| US09704966B1 |
Fin-based RF diodes
Methods for forming a fin-based RF diode with improved performance characteristics and the resulting devices are disclosed. Embodiments include forming fins over a substrate, separated from each other, each fin having a lower portion and an upper portion; forming STI regions over the substrate, between the lower portions of adjacent fins; implanting the lower portion of each fin with a first-type dopant; implanting the upper portion of each fin, above the STI region, with the first-type dopant; forming a junction region around a depletion region and along exposed sidewalls and a top surface of the upper portion of each fin; and forming a contact on exposed sidewalls and a top surface of each junction region. |
| US09704956B2 |
Electrical devices with graphene on boron nitride
Methods of forming and resulting devices are described that include graphene devices on boron nitride. Selected methods of forming and resulting devices include graphene field effect transistors (GFETs) including boron nitride. |
| US09704954B2 |
Semiconductor device and a method for forming a semiconductor device
A semiconductor device comprises at least one strip-shaped cell compensation region of a vertical electrical element arrangement, at least one strip-shaped edge compensation region and a bridge structure. The at least one strip-shaped cell compensation regions extends into a semiconductor substrate and comprises a first conductivity type. Further, the at least one strip-shaped cell compensation region is connected to a first electrode structure of the vertical electrical element arrangement. The at least one strip-shaped edge compensation region extends into the semiconductor substrate within an edge termination region of the semiconductor device and outside the cell region. Further, the at least one strip-shaped edge compensation region comprises the first conductivity type. The bridge structure electrically connects the at least one strip-shaped edge compensation region with the at least one strip-shaped cell compensation region within the edge termination region. |
| US09704952B2 |
Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing semiconductor device
An object is to provide a technique that suppresses decrease in the breakdown voltage of a protective element. There is provided a semiconductor device that comprises a vertical MOS transistor and a protective element. A first nitride semiconductor layer has a convex that is protruded toward a second nitride semiconductor layer. The convex has a top face placed at a position to overlap with at least part of an ohmic electrode of a second conductive type when viewed from a stacking direction of a stacked body. The thickness of the second nitride semiconductor layer in a portion which a bottom face of a trench is in contact with is greater than the thickness of the second nitride semiconductor layer in a portion which the top face of the convex is in contact with. |
| US09704950B2 |
Method to form SOI fins on a bulk substrate with suspended anchoring
A method of fabricating non-tilted, electrically isolated fins from a bulk substrate is provided. A plurality of semiconductor fins is formed extending upwards from a remaining portion of a bulk semiconductor substrate. Each semiconductor fin includes a hard mask cap. A sacrificial dielectric material portion is formed between each semiconductor fin, wherein each sacrificial dielectric material portion has a topmost surface that is vertically offset and located below a topmost surface of each hard mask cap. An anchoring structure having an opening is then formed atop each sacrificial dielectric material portion and each hard mask cap. Next, an entirety of each sacrificial dielectric material portion is removed by etching through the opening. An oxide layer is then formed within an upper portion of the remaining portion of the bulk semiconductor substrate, wherein a portion of the oxide layer extends beneath each semiconductor fin. Next, the anchoring structure is removed. |
| US09704948B2 |
Power trench MOSFET with improved unclamped inductive switching (UIS) performance and preparation method thereof
A trench type power semiconductor device with improved breakdown voltage and UIS performance and a method for preparation the device are disclosed. The trench type power semiconductor device includes a first contact hole formed in a mesa in the active area and a second contact hole formed in a mesa in an active to termination intermediate area, where the first contact hole is deeper and wider than the second contact hole. |
| US09704944B2 |
Three precision resistors of different sheet resistance at same level
An integrated circuit contains three thin film resistors over a dielectric layer. The first resistor body includes only a bottom thin film layer and the first resistor heads include the bottom thin film layer, a middle thin film layer and a top thin film layer. The second resistor body and heads include all three thin film layers. The third resistor body does not include the middle thin film layer. The three resistors are formed using two etch masks. |
| US09704943B2 |
Inductor structure and manufacturing method thereof
A manufacturing method of an inductor structure includes the following steps. A protection layer is formed on a substrate, such that bond pads of the substrate are respectively exposed form protection layer openings of the protection layer. A conductive layer is formed on the bond pads and the protection layer. A patterned first photoresist layer is formed on the conductive layer. Copper bumps are respectively formed on the conductive layer located in the first photoresist layer openings. A patterned second photoresist layer is formed on the first photoresist layer, such that at least one of the copper bumps is exposed through second photoresist layer opening and the corresponding first photoresist layer opening. A diffusion barrier layer and an oxidation barrier layer are formed on the copper bump. The first and second photoresist layers, and the conductive layer not covered by the copper bumps are removed. |
| US09704942B2 |
OLED lighting device with short tolerant structure
A first device that may include a short tolerant structure, and methods for fabricating embodiments of the first device, are provided. A first device may include a substrate and a plurality of OLED circuit elements disposed on the substrate. Each OLED circuit element may include a fuse that is adapted to open an electrical connection in response to an electrical short in the pixel. Each OLED circuit element may comprise a pixel that may include a first electrode, a second electrode, and an organic electroluminescent (EL) material disposed between the first and the second electrodes. Each of the OLED circuit elements may not be electrically connected in series with any other of the OLED circuit elements. |
| US09704937B2 |
Pixel structure having high aperture ratio and circuit
A pixel circuit and a pixel structure having high aperture ratio are provided. A first gate electrode, a layer including a first source electrode and a first drain electrode, and an etching stopper layer, a first semiconductor layer, and a gate isolation layer sandwiched between the first gate electrode and the layer of the first source electrode and the first drain electrode construct a first thin film transistor. A second gate electrode, a layer including a second source electrode and a second drain electrode, and an etching stopper layer, a second semiconductor layer, and the gate isolation layer sandwiched between the second gate electrode and the layer of the second source electrode and the second drain electrode construct a second thin film transistor. A transparent electrode, a pixel electrode and a flat isolation layer sandwiched between the transparent electrode and the pixel electrode construct a transparent capacitor. |
| US09704930B2 |
OLED display panel and fabrication method thereof, and display device
An OLED display panel and a fabrication method thereof, and a display device are disclosed. The OLED display panel comprises: an array substrate and a package cover plate disposed opposite to each other, and an OLED layer which is formed on a surface of the array substrate facing the package cover plate and comprises a plurality of OLEDs. The OLED display panel further comprises: a first thin film packaging layer, covering the OLED layer and bonded to the array substrate; a color filter layer, provided on a side of the first thin film packaging layer facing the package cover plate; and a bonding adhesive, filled between the array substrate and the package cover plate to bond the array substrate and the package cover plate, the bonding adhesive covering the color filter layer and the first thin film packaging layer. |
| US09704928B2 |
Organic light emitting diode display
An organic light emitting diode display including a substrate, a thin film transistor on the substrate, a first electrode connected to the thin film transistor, a first layer on the first electrode, an emission layer on the first layer, a second layer on the emission layer, and a second electrode on the second layer. |
| US09704926B2 |
Organic light-emitting display apparatus
An organic light-emitting display apparatus is provided. The organic light-emitting display apparatus includes: a display substrate including a non-pixel area and a plurality of pixel areas including a first pixel and a second pixel having a shortest distance from the first pixel among pixels of the plurality of pixel areas; an encapsulation substrate facing the display substrate; and a spacer in the non-pixel area of the display substrate to maintain a space between the display substrate and the encapsulation substrate, wherein the spacer is between the first pixel and the second pixel. |
| US09704918B2 |
Semiconductor storage device
A semiconductor storage device includes a cell array including resistance change elements formed above a semiconductor substrate; first cell transistors formed on the semiconductor substrate and provided in association with the resistance change elements; first gate electrodes included in the first cell transistor and extending in a first direction; a first bit lines electrically connected to the resistance change elements respectively and extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; a second bit lines electrically connected to one end of a current path of the first cell transistors respectively and extending in the second direction; and first active areas in which the first cell transistors are formed, and which extend in a direction crossing the first direction at a first angle. |
| US09704913B2 |
Manufacturing of an imager device and imager device
Embodiments related to the manufacturing of an imager device and an imager device are disclosed. Embodiments associated with methods of an imager device are also disclosed. |
| US09704908B2 |
Methods and applications of non-planar imaging arrays
System, devices and methods are presented that provide an imaging array fabrication process method, comprising fabricating an array of semiconductor imaging elements, interconnecting the elements with stretchable interconnections, and transfer printing the array with a pre-strained elastomeric stamp to a secondary non-planar surface. |
| US09704906B2 |
Manufacturing method of semiconductor device and semiconductor device
The performance of a solid state image sensor which is formed by performing divided exposure that exposes the entire chip by a plurality of times of exposure and in which each of a plurality of pixels arranged in a pixel array portion has a plurality of photodiodes is improved.In the divided exposure performed when the solid state image sensor is manufactured, a dividing line that divides an exposure region is defined to be located between a first photodiode and a second photodiode aligned in a first direction in an active region in a pixel and is defined to be along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. |
| US09704905B2 |
Solid-state image sensor and method of manufacturing the same
A method of manufacturing a solid-state image sensor, includes forming a first isolation region of a first conductivity type in a semiconductor layer having first and second surfaces, the forming the first isolation region including first implantation for implanting ions into the semiconductor layer through the first surface, forming charge accumulation regions of a second conductivity type in the semiconductor layer, performing first annealing, forming an interconnection on a side of the first surface of the semiconductor layer after the first annealing, and forming a second isolation region of the first conductivity type in the semiconductor layer, the forming the second isolation region including second implantation for implanting ions into the semiconductor layer through the second surface. The first and second isolation regions are arranged between the adjacent charge accumulation regions. |
| US09704902B2 |
Backside illumination image sensor and image-capturing device
A backside illumination image sensor that includes a semiconductor substrate with a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements and a read circuit formed on a front surface side of the semiconductor substrate, and captures an image by outputting, via the read circuit, electrical signals generated as incident light having reached a back surface side of the semiconductor substrate is received at the photoelectric conversion elements includes: a light shielding film formed on a side where incident light enters the photoelectric conversion elements, with an opening formed therein in correspondence to each photoelectric conversion element; and an on-chip lens formed at a position set apart from the light shielding film by a predetermined distance in correspondence to each photoelectric conversion element. The light shielding film and an exit pupil plane of the image forming optical system achieve a conjugate relation to each other with regard to the on-chip lens. |
| US09704900B1 |
Systems and methods for forming microchannel plate (MCP) photodetector assemblies
A MCP photodetector assembly includes an anode plate including a plurality of electrical traces positioned thereon, a plurality of MCPs and a plurality of grid spacers. The MCPs are positioned between the grid spacers. The grid spacers have a grid spacer shape defining at least one aperture. A plurality of shims are positioned between the grid spacers and the MCPs so as to form a stack positioned on the anode plate. Each of the plurality of shims have a shim shape which is the same as the grid spacer shape such that each of the plurality of shims and each of the plurality of grid spacers overlap so as to define at least one MCP aperture. At least a portion of the plurality of MCPs are positioned within the MCP aperture. The shims are structured to electrically couple the MCPs to the anode plate. |
| US09704895B2 |
Display device and method for manufacturing the same
A display device and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. The display device includes a first substrate, a second substrate and a light curable sealant. The first substrate has a displaying area and a non-displaying area, in which the displaying area includes a pixel array, and the non-displaying area includes a driving circuit. The driving circuit includes at least a capacitor which is made of transparent conductive material. The second substrate has an opaque area. The light curable sealant is located between the first substrate and the second substrate. When viewing from a normal vector of the first substrate or the second substrate, the light curable sealant, the capacitor and the opaque area are at least partially overlapped with each other. |
| US09704893B2 |
Semiconductor device and electronic device
A low-power-consumption semiconductor device or the like is provided. Charge is accumulated in a node connected to a capacitor for a certain period to perform a current-voltage conversion. A gate of a transistor is connected to the node and the potential of one of a source and a drain of the transistor is changed gradually or continuously so that the potential is read when the transistor is turned on. The threshold voltage of the transistor and the capacitance value of the node are measured, so that the current-voltage conversion is performed more precisely. |
| US09704891B2 |
Thin film transistor having germanium thin film and manufacturing method thereof, array substrate, display device
A thin film transistor and manufacturing method thereof, an array substrate and a display device are provided. In the manufacturing method of the thin film transistor, manufacturing an active layer includes: forming a germanium thin film, and forming pattern of the active layer through a patterning process; conducting a topological treatment on the germanium thin film with a functionalized element, so as to obtain the active layer (4) with topological semiconductor characteristics. The resultant thin film transistor has a higher carrier mobility and a better performance. |
| US09704888B2 |
Display circuitry with reduced metal routing resistance
A display may have a color filter layer and a thin-film transistor layer. A layer of liquid crystal material may be located between the color filter layer and the thin-film transistor (TFT) layer. The TFT layer may include thin-film transistors formed on top of a glass substrate. A passivation layer may be formed on the thin-film transistor layers. An oxide liner may be formed on the passivation layer. A first low-k dielectric layer may be formed on the oxide liner. A second low-k dielectric layer may be formed on the first low-k dielectric layer. A common voltage electrode and associated storage capacitance may be formed on the second low-k dielectric layer. Thin-film transistor gate structures may be formed in the passivation layer. Conductive routing structures may be formed on the oxide liner, on the first low-k dielectric layer, and on the second low-k dielectric layer. The use of routing structures on the oxide liner reduces overall routing resistance and enables interlaced metal routing, which can help reduce the inactive border area outside the active display regions. |
| US09704886B2 |
Signal processing device
A plurality of writing transistors are connected in series, and a gate of a pass transistor, an input terminal of an inverter, or the like is directly or indirectly connected to each connection portion of the writing transistors. For example, a signal processing device includes first to third pass transistors, one semiconductor layer, and first to third wirings that overlap with the semiconductor layer and do not overlap with each other. Potentials of the first to third wirings can each change conductivities of at least portions of the semiconductor layer that overlap with the respective wirings. Gates of the first to third pass transistors are electrically connected to the semiconductor layer and are brought into a floating state depending on the conductivities of the portions of the semiconductor layer. Conduction between sources and drains of the pass transistors is controlled by potentials of the gates in the floating state. |
| US09704885B2 |
Pixel structure, array substrate and display device
A pixel structure, an array substrate and a display device. The pixel substrate comprises a first pixel electrode and a second pixel electrode arranged in a first direction, and a thin film transistor (TFT) disposed between the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode. The TFT includes a comb-shaped source, a comb-shaped first drain and a comb-shaped second drain; and a channel region of the TFT is defined by the comb-shaped source respectively and the comb-shaped first drain and the comb-shaped second drain. The channel region has a greater ratio of width to length, thus improving the driving capability of the TFT for driving the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode. |
| US09704884B2 |
Low temperature poly-silicon (LTPS) thin film transistor based liquid crystal display
An array substrate comprises a substrate, a common electrode formed on the substrate, a light shielding layer disposed on the common electrode, an insulating layer disposed on the light shielding layer and the common electrode, a poly-silicon layer, a gate insulating layer, a gate connected with the common electrode by a hole, a medium layer and a source drain. A method for manufacturing the array substrate comprises forming a transparent conductive layer and a first metallic layer on the substrate, forming patterned common electrode and light shielding layer by multiple steps of etching so that a process of photomask can be saved, and forming holes connecting with the common electrode and the gate by a photomask etching process, then manufacturing a medium layer and a source drain. The method adopts seven processes of photomask so that the process is simplified, and the cost is lowered. |
| US09704883B2 |
FETS and methods of forming FETS
A fin structure on a substrate can have a lower portion formed from the substrate, a middle portion, and an upper portion. The middle portion can include a dielectric region having a dielectric composition and a concentrated region of a first material. The first material can be an element of the dielectric composition. The concentrated region can be located at an interface of the middle portion and lower portion. The structure can also include isolation regions in the substrate on opposing sides of the fin. The structure can also include a gate structure over the upper portion of the fin that are exposed from the isolation regions. The gate structure can include a gate dielectric and gate material over the gate dielectric. The structure can also include source/drain regions extending laterally from the upper portion and the middle portion of the fin. |
| US09704882B2 |
Logic circuit, processing unit, electronic component, and electronic device
A retention circuit provided in a logic circuit enables power gating. The retention circuit includes a first terminal, a node, a capacitor, and first to third transistors. The first transistor controls electrical connection between the first terminal and an input terminal of the logic circuit. The second transistor controls electrical connection between an output terminal of the logic circuit and the node. The third transistor controls electrical connection between the node and the input terminal of the logic circuit. A gate of the first transistor is electrically connected to a gate of the second transistor. In a data retention period, the node becomes electrically floating. The voltage of the node is held by the capacitor. |
| US09704881B2 |
Semiconductor device with reduced poly spacing effect
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device is provided including providing a semiconductor substrate with a semiconductor layer, forming a first gate electrode over the semiconductor layer, forming a second gate electrode over the semiconductor layer, forming a mask layer between the first and second gate electrodes, etching a cavity into the semiconductor layer between the first and second gate electrodes using the mask layer as an etching mask, and forming a semiconductor material in the etched cavities. |
| US09704880B2 |
Systems and methods for a semiconductor structure having multiple semiconductor-device layers
A semiconductor structure having multiple semiconductor-device layers is provided. The semiconductor structure comprises a first buried oxide and a first semiconductor device layer fabricated above the first buried oxide. The first semiconductor device layer comprises a patterned top surface. A blanket layer comprising insulator material is fabricated over the patterned surface. The semiconductor structure further comprises a second buried oxide bonded to the blanket layer and a second semiconductor device layer fabricated above the second buried oxide. |
| US09704879B2 |
Integrated circuitry components, switches, and memory cells
A switch includes a graphene structure extending longitudinally between a pair of electrodes and being conductively connected to both electrodes of said pair. First and second electrically conductive structures are laterally outward of the graphene structure and on opposing sides of the graphene structure from one another. Ferroelectric material is laterally between the graphene structure and at least one of the first and second electrically conductive structures. The first and second electrically conductive structures are configured to provide the switch into “on” and “off” states by application of an electric field across the graphene structure and the ferroelectric material. Other embodiments are disclosed, including components of integrated circuitry which may not be switches. |
| US09704873B2 |
Semiconductor device including memory cell array with transistors disposed in different active regions
A semiconductor device having an SRAM which includes: a monolithic first active region in which a first transistor and a fifth transistor are disposed; a second active region separated from the first active region, in which a second transistor is disposed; a monolithic third active region in which a third transistor and a sixth transistor are disposed; and a fourth active region separated from the third active region, in which a fourth transistor is disposed. Each driver transistor is divided into a first transistor and a second transistor (or a third transistor and a fourth transistor) and these driver transistors are disposed over different active regions. |
| US09704870B2 |
Compact semiconductor memory device having reduced number of contacts, methods of operating and methods of making
An integrated circuit including a link or string of semiconductor memory cells, wherein each memory cell includes a floating body region for storing data. The link or siring includes at least one contact configured to electrically connect the memory cells to at least one control line, and the number of contacts in the string or link is the same as or less than the number of memory cells in the string or link. |
| US09704865B2 |
Semiconductor devices having silicide and methods of manufacturing the same
Semiconductor devices, having dual silicides, include a first fin, having N-type impurities, and a second fin, having P-type impurities, on a substrate. A first gate electrode and a first source/drain area are on the first fin. A second gate electrode and a second source/drain area are on the second fin. An etch stop layer is on the first source/drain area and the second source/drain area. An insulating layer is on the etch stop layer. A first plug connected to the first source/drain area and a second plug connected to the second source/drain area are formed through the insulating layer and the etch stop layer. A first metal silicide layer is in the first source/drain area. A second metal silicide layer having a material different from the first metal silicide layer and having a thickness smaller than the first metal silicide layer is in the second source/drain area. |
| US09704862B2 |
Semiconductor devices and methods for manufacturing the same
According to example embodiments, a semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the same are provided, the semiconductor device includes a substrate including a PMOSFET region and an NMOSFET region, a first gate electrode and a second gate electrode on the PMOSFET region, a third gate electrode and a fourth gate electrode on the NMOSFET region, and a first contact and a second contact connected to the first gate electrode and the fourth gate electrode, respectively. The first to fourth gate cut electrodes define a gate cut region that passes between the first and third gate electrodes and between the second and fourth gate electrodes. A portion of each of the first and second contacts overlaps with the gate cut region when viewed from a plan view. |
| US09704858B2 |
Integrated device having multiple transistors
An integrated device includes a semiconductor well formed in an epitaxial layer, and a guard ring formed in the epitaxial layer and surrounding the semiconductor well. The semiconductor well and the guard ring include a type of semiconductor different from that of the epitaxial layer. The integrated device also includes an insulating layer formed atop the guard ring, and multiple gate electrodes formed on a top surface of the insulating layer, overlapping the guard ring and surrounding the semiconductor well. The gate electrodes include a first gate electrode and a second gate electrode separated by a gap. An intersecting line between the top surface of the insulating layer and a side wall of the first gate electrode partially overlaps an area that is defined based on an intersecting line between the top surface of the insulating layer and a side wall of the second gate electrode above the guard ring. |
| US09704857B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of forming RF FEM with LC filter and IPD filter over substrate
A semiconductor device has a substrate and RF FEM formed over the substrate. The RF FEM includes an LC low-pass filter having an input coupled for receiving a transmit signal. A Tx/Rx switch has a first terminal coupled to an output of the LC filter. A diplexer has a first terminal coupled to a second terminal of the Tx/Rx switch and a second terminal for providing an RF signal. An IPD band-pass filter has an input coupled to a third terminal of the Tx/Rx switch and an output providing a receive signal. The LC filter includes conductive traces wound to exhibit inductive and mutual inductive properties and capacitors coupled to the conductive traces. The IPD filter includes conductive traces wound to exhibit inductive and mutual inductive properties and capacitors coupled to the conductive traces. The RF FEM substrate can be stacked over a semiconductor package containing an RF transceiver. |
| US09704855B2 |
Integration of active power device with passive components
A method of integrating at least one passive component and at least one active power device on a same substrate includes: forming a substrate having a first resistivity value associated therewith; forming a low-resistivity region having a second resistivity value associated therewith in the substrate, the second resistivity value being lower than the first resistivity value; forming the at least one active power device in the low-resistivity region; forming an insulating layer over at least a portion of the at least one active power device; and forming the at least one passive component on an upper surface of the insulating layer above the substrate having the first resistivity value, the at least one passive component being disposed laterally relative to the at least one active power device and electrically connected with the at least one active power device. |
| US09704849B2 |
Electrostatic discharge protection device structures and methods of manufacture
An ESD protection device comprising an SCR-type circuit including a PNP transistor and NPN transistor incorporates a Zener diode which permits the circuit to operate at comparatively low trigger voltage thresholds. Zener diode breakdown voltage is controlled by doping levels in a doped area of an N-type well. One or more diodes connected in series between the SCR circuit and the input/output terminal of the device advantageously raises the snapback voltage of the SCR circuit. The use of nitride spacers between doped regions instead of gate oxide technology significantly reduces unwanted leakage currents. |
| US09704848B2 |
Electrostatic discharge devices and methods of manufacture
Electrostatic discharge (ESD) devices and methods of manufacture are provided. The method includes forming a plurality of fin structures and a mesa structure from semiconductor material. The method further includes forming an epitaxial material with doped regions on the mesa structure and forming gate material over at least the plurality of fin structures. The method further includes planarizing at least the gate material such that the gate material and the epitaxial material are of a same height. The method further includes forming contacts in electrical connection with respective ones of the doped regions of the epitaxial material. |
| US09704846B1 |
IC chips containing a mixture of standard cells obtained from an original set of design rules and enhanced standard cells that are a substantially uniform variant of the original set of design rules and methods for making the same
The present invention relates to IC chips containing a mixture of standard cells obtained from an original set of design rules and enhanced standard cells that are a variant of the original set of design rules and methods for making the same. |
| US09704843B2 |
Integrated system and method of making the integrated system
A system and method of manufacturing a system are disclosed. An embodiment of the system includes a first packaged component comprising a first component and a first redistribution layer (RDL) disposed on a first main surface of the first packaged component, wherein the first RDL includes first pads. The system further includes a second packaged component having a second component disposed at a first main surface of the second packaged component, the first main surface having second pads and a connection layer between the first packaged component and the second packaged component, wherein the connection layer connects a first plurality of the first pads with the second pads. |
| US09704830B1 |
Semiconductor structure and method of making
A semiconductor structure in the form of a die comprises a silicon-containing core having a first surface, an opposite second surface and a peripheral edge surface. A circuit structure on the first surface is circumscribed by a peripheral crackstop structure which stops short of the second surface, thereby leaving an accessible portion of the peripheral edge surface free of the crackstop structure. One or more angular or orthogonal edge connector through-silicon conductive vias (“edge connector TSVs”) connect the circuit structure to the accessible portion of the peripheral edge surface without penetrating the crackstop structure. A method of making the structure includes forming the edge connector TSVs in the silicon wafer from which the semiconductor structures, i.e., dies, are cut. |
| US09704825B2 |
Chip packages and methods of manufacture thereof
Chip packages and method of manufacturing the same are disclosed. In an embodiment, a chip package may include: a redistribution layer (RDL); a first chip including a plurality of first contact pads, the plurality of first contact pads facing the RDL; a second chip disposed between the first chip and the redistribution layer (RDL) wherein a portion of the first chip is disposed outside a lateral extent of the second chip; and a conductive via laterally separated from the second chip, the conductive via extending between the RDL and a first contact pad of the plurality of first contact pads, the first contact pad located in the portion of the first chip disposed outside the lateral extent of the second chip. |
| US09704824B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of forming embedded wafer level chip scale packages
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor die and an encapsulant deposited over and around the semiconductor die. A semiconductor wafer includes a plurality of semiconductor die and a base semiconductor material. A groove is formed in the base semiconductor material. The semiconductor wafer is singulated through the groove to separate the semiconductor die. The semiconductor die are disposed over a carrier with a distance of 500 micrometers (μm) or less between semiconductor die. The encapsulant covers a sidewall of the semiconductor die. A fan-in interconnect structure is formed over the semiconductor die while the encapsulant remains devoid of the fan-in interconnect structure. A portion of the encapsulant is removed from a non-active surface of the semiconductor die. The device is singulated through the encapsulant while leaving encapsulant disposed covering a sidewall of the semiconductor die. The encapsulant covering the sidewall includes a thickness of 50 μm or less. |
| US09704819B1 |
Three dimensional fully molded power electronics module having a plurality of spacers for high power applications
A power electronic package includes a first substrate, a second substrate oppositely disposed from the first substrate, one or more chips disposed between the substrates, and at least three spacers. The spacers control a height variation of the power electronic package and protect the chips and other electronics from experiencing excessive stress. The height of the spacers is determined based on a height of the chips, on a height of solder blocks that connect the chips to the top substrate, and on a height of solder blocks that connect the chips to the bottom substrate. |
| US09704810B2 |
Method and apparatus for determining an overlay error
A method of, and associated apparatuses for, determining an overlay error resultant from structure defects such as asymmetry. The method comprises measuring scattering properties of a first target comprising a first structure and a second structure, constructing a model of the first structure using the measured scattering properties, the model comprising a first model structure corresponding to the first structure, modifying the model by overlaying the first model structure with an intermediate model structure, further modifying the model by replacing the intermediate model structure with a second model structure, corresponding to the second structure, calculating a second defect-induced overlay error between the first model structure and the second model structure, the first and second model structures being overlaid with respect to each other in the further modified model and determining an overlay error in a second target using the calculated second defect-induced overlay error. |
| US09704809B2 |
Fan-out and heterogeneous packaging of electronic components
Aspects of the disclosure pertain to a packaging structure configured for providing heterogeneous packaging of electronic components and a process for making same. The packaging structure includes a carrier substrate having a plurality of cavities formed therein. The packaging structure further includes a first die and a second die. The first die is at least substantially contained within a first cavity included in the plurality of cavities. The second die is at least substantially contained within a second cavity included in the plurality of cavities. The first die is fabricated via a first fabrication technology, and the second die is fabricated via a second fabrication technology, the second fabrication technology being different than the first fabrication technology. The packaging structure also includes electrical interconnect circuitry connected to (e.g., for electrically connecting) the first die, the second die and/or the carrier substrate. |
| US09704808B2 |
Semiconductor device and wafer level package including such semiconductor device
An RDL structure on a passivation layer includes a first landing pad disposed directly above a first on-chip metal pad; a first via in a passivation layer to electrically connect the first landing pad with the first on-chip metal pad; a second landing pad disposed directly above the second on-chip metal pad; a second via in the passivation layer to electrically connect the second landing pad with the second on-chip metal pad; and at least five traces being disposed on the passivation layer and passing through a space between the first landing pad and the second landing pad. |
| US09704807B2 |
Pattern placement error compensation layer
A method includes forming a first conductive feature positioned in a first dielectric layer. A conductive polymer layer is formed above the first dielectric layer and the first conductive feature. The conductive polymer layer has a conductive path length. A second dielectric layer is formed above the first dielectric layer. A first via opening is formed in the second dielectric layer and the conductive polymer layer to expose the first conductive feature. A conductive via is formed in the first via opening. The conductive via contacts the first conductive feature and the conductive polymer layer. |
| US09704805B2 |
Semiconductor device and manufacturing method of same
To provide a semiconductor device having improved reliability by improving a coupling property between a semiconductor chip and a bonding wire. A redistribution layer is comprised of a Cu film, an Ni film, and a Pd film which have been formed successively from the side of a semiconductor substrate. The Pd film on the uppermost surface is used as an electrode pad and a bonding wire made of Cu is coupled to the upper surface of the Pd film. The thickness of the Pd film is made smaller than that of the Ni film and the thickness of the Ni film is made smaller than that of the Cu film. The Cu film, the Ni film, and the Pd film have the same pattern shape in a plan view. |
| US09704804B1 |
Oxidation resistant barrier metal process for semiconductor devices
An integrated circuit and method comprising an underlying metal geometry, a dielectric layer on the underlying metal geometry, a contact opening through the dielectric layer, an overlying metal geometry wherein a portion of the overlying metal geometry fills a portion of the contact opening, and an oxidation resistant barrier layer disposed between the underlying metal geometry and overlying metal geometry. The oxidation resistant barrier layer is formed of TaN or TiN with a nitrogen content of at least 20 atomic % and a thickness of at least 5 nm. |
| US09704801B1 |
Semiconductor memory device
A semiconductor memory device includes first and second stacked bodies and a conductive body. The first and second stacked bodies are disposed side by side on the conductive layer. The conductive body is provided between the first and second stacked bodies. The first and second stacked bodies each includes a plurality of electrode layers stacked on the conductive layer, a first insulating layer between adjacent electrode layers, a second insulating layer including a first portion and a second portion, and a semiconductor layer extending through the plurality of electrode layers. The first portion is provided between the first insulating layer and one of the adjacent electrode layers. The second portion is separated from the first portion and provided on an end surface of the first insulating layer facing the conductive body. The second insulating layer has a dielectric constant higher than a dielectric constant of the first insulating layer. |
| US09704797B2 |
Waterfall wire bonding
A wire bonded structure for a semiconductor device is disclosed. The wire bonded structure comprises a bonding pad; and a continuous length of wire mutually diffused with the bonding pad, the wire electrically coupling the bonding pad with a first electrical contact and a second electrical contact different from the first electrical contact. |
| US09704794B2 |
Electronic device with die being sunk in substrate
An electronic device includes a circuit integrated on a die having front and back surfaces with die terminals on the front surface. The die is embedded in a package including substrate of thermally conductive material with front and back surfaces and a through-hole. The die is sunk in the through-hole. A first insulating material layer covers the die front surface and the package front surface with first windows for accessing die terminals. Package terminals and package track are arranged on the first insulating layer. A second insulating material layer covers the first insulating layer and the package tracks with second windows for accessing the package terminals. |
| US09704793B2 |
Substrate for electronic device and electronic device
A substrate includes a plurality of through electrodes. The through electrode has a nanocomposite structure including a nm-sized carbon nanotube and is a casting formed by using a via formed in the substrate as a mold. |
| US09704790B1 |
Method of fabricating a wafer level package
A semiconductor package includes a redistribution layer (RDL) interposer having a first side, a second side, opposite to the first side. The RDL interposer comprises a first passivation layer, at least one dielectric layer on the first passivation layer, a metal layer in the at least one dielectric layer, a second passivation layer on the at least one dielectric layer, and a plurality of ball pads in the first passivation layer. At least one semiconductor die is mounted on the first side of the RDL interposer. A solder mask covers a lower surface of the first passivation layer and exposes the plurality of ball pads through a plurality of openings in the solder mask. An under-bump mettalization (UBM) layer is disposed at a bottom of each of the plurality of openings. A solder bump or solder ball is disposed on the UBM layer in each of the plurality of openings. |
| US09704788B2 |
Power overlay structure and method of making same
A power overlay (POL) structure includes a POL sub-module. The POL sub-module includes a dielectric layer and a semiconductor device having a top surface attached to the dielectric layer. The top surface of the semiconductor device has at least one contact pad formed thereon. The POL sub-module also includes a metal interconnect structure that extends through the dielectric layer and is electrically coupled to the at least one contact pad of the semiconductor device. A conducting shim is coupled to a bottom surface of the semiconductor device and a first side of a thermal interface is coupled to the conducting shim. A heat sink is coupled to a second side of the electrically insulating thermal interface. |
| US09704787B2 |
Compact single-die power semiconductor package
Disclosed is a power semiconductor package including a power transistor having a first power electrode and a gate electrode on its top surface and a second power electrode on its bottom surface. The second power electrode is configured for attachment to a partially etched leadframe segment, where the partially etched leadframe segment is attached to a substrate. A conductive clip is situated over the first power electrode and extends to the substrate in order to couple the first power electrode to the substrate without using a leadframe. |
| US09704782B2 |
Three-dimensional integrated circuit and TSV repairing method thereof
A three-dimensional (3D) integrated circuit (IC) includes a plurality of through silicon vias (TSVs) configured to provide paths via which digital signals are transmitted or received; at least one redundant TSV configured to provide a path via which a digital signal to be transmitted or received via a failed TSV with a defect among the plurality of TSVs is transmitted or received; a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) configured to convert a digital signal transmitted via the at least one redundant TSV into an analog signal; an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to convert an analog signal received via the at least one redundant TSV into a digital signal; and a multilevel modulator configured to perform multilevel modulation on a digital signal transmitted via the at least one redundant TSV. |
| US09704780B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of forming low profile fan-out package with vertical interconnection units
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor die. A first interconnect structure is disposed over a peripheral region of the semiconductor die. A semiconductor component is disposed over the semiconductor die. The semiconductor component includes a second interconnect structure. The semiconductor component is disposed over the semiconductor die to align the second interconnect structure with the first interconnect structure. The first interconnect structure includes a plurality of interconnection units disposed around first and second adjacent sides of the semiconductor die to form an L-shape border of the interconnection units around the semiconductor die. A third interconnect structure is formed over the semiconductor die perpendicular to the first interconnect structure. An insulating layer is formed over the semiconductor die and first interconnect structure. A plurality of vias is formed through the insulating layer and into the first interconnect structure with the second interconnect structure disposed within the vias. |
| US09704774B2 |
Thermal management structure with integrated heat sink
A thermal management structure for a device is provided. The thermal management structure includes electroplated metal, which connects multiple contact regions for a first contact of a first type located on a first side of the device. The electroplated metal can form a bridge structure over a contact region for a second contact of a second type without contacting the second contact. The thermal management structure also can include a layer of insulating material located on the contact region of the second type, below the bridge structure. |
| US09704772B2 |
Chip package and method for forming the same
A chip package includes a chip, a dam layer, a permanent adhesive layer, a support, a buffer layer, a redistribution layer, a passivation layer, and a conducting structure. A conducting pad and a sensing device of the chip are located on a first surface of a substrate of the chip, and the conducting pad protrudes from the side surface of the substrate. The dam layer surrounds the sensing device. The permanent adhesive layer is between the support and the substrate. The support and the permanent adhesive layer have a trench to expose the conducting pad. The buffer layer is located on the support. The redistribution layer is located on the buffer layer and on the support, the permanent adhesive layer, and the conducting pad facing the trench. The passivation layer covers the redistribution layer, the buffer layer, and the conducting pad. |
| US09704762B2 |
Application of in-line glass edge-inspection and alignment check in display manufacturing
Methods and apparatus for determining substrate integrity and alignment are described. Devices as described herein can include a transfer chamber, one or more process chambers, a loadlock chamber a first optical device, a second optical device and a radiation source positioned outside and above an opening for the loadlock chamber. Methods as described herein can include delivering a substrate to an opening in a process chamber, activating the optical device and the radiation source and capturing a plurality of images, extracting a substrate edge pattern from the plurality of images, comparing the substrate edge pattern to an expected edge pattern to determine a level of edge variance and adjusting or stopping a process if the level of edge variance is outside of an edge variation range. |
| US09704753B2 |
Minimizing shorting between FinFET epitaxial regions
The present invention relates generally to semiconductors, and more particularly, to a structure and method of minimizing shorting between epitaxial regions in small pitch fin field effect transistors (FinFETs). In an embodiment, a dielectric region may be formed in a middle portion of a gate structure. The gate structure be formed using a gate replacement process, and may cover a middle portion of a first fin group, a middle portion of a second fin group and an intermediate region of the substrate between the first fin group and the second fin group. The dielectric region may be surrounded by the gate structure in the intermediate region. The gate structure and the dielectric region may physically separate epitaxial regions formed on the first fin group and the second fin group from one another. |
| US09704746B1 |
Advanced self-aligned patterning process with sit spacer as a final dielectric etch hardmask
A method of forming a metallization layer by ASAP is provided. Embodiments include forming an ULK layer; forming a SAC SiN layer over the ULK layer; forming mandrels directly on the SAC SiN layer; cutting the mandrels; selectively etching the SAC SiN layer across the cut mandrels, forming first trenches; filling the first trenches with a metal oxide; forming a conformal metal oxide layer over the cut mandrels, the metal oxide, and the SAC SiN layer; removing horizontal portions of the conformal metal oxide layer over the cut mandrels and the SAC SiN layer; removing the cut mandrels; removing exposed portions of the SAC SiN layer and etching the underlying ULK layer, forming second trenches; and stripping a remainder of the metal oxide, conformal metal oxide layer, and SAC SiN layer. |
| US09704738B2 |
Bulk layer transfer wafer with multiple etch stop layers
Bonded semiconductor device structures and device structure fabrication processes to obviate the need for SOI wafers in many device fabrication applications are disclosed. In some examples, multiple etch stop layers are formed in situ during fabrication of an active device structure on a bulk semiconductor wafer. The etch stop layers are incorporated into in a layer transfer process to enable very thin high quality active device layers of substantially uniform across-wafer thickness to be separated from bulk semiconductor wafers and bonded to handle wafers. As a result, these examples can produce high-performance and low-power semiconductor devices while avoiding the high cost of SOI wafers. |
| US09704736B2 |
Method of forming a flexible semiconductor layer and devices on a flexible carrier
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device comprises providing a preformed spalled structure comprising a stressor layer stack on a first surface of a semiconductor substrate; forming an interfacial release layer on an exposed second surface of the semiconductor substrate; adhesively bonding the interfacial release layer to a rigid handle substrate using an epoxy; removing at least a portion of the stressor layer stack from the first surface of the semiconductor substrate; processing the semiconductor substrate; and removing the semiconductor substrate from the interfacial release layer to impart flexibility to the semiconductor substrate. |
| US09704731B2 |
Plasma processing apparatus and plasma processing method
A plasma processing method is provided for a plasma processing apparatus which includes a plurality of upstream-side expansion valves and a plurality of downstream-side expansion valves connected to respective refrigerant inlets and respective refrigerant outlets to adjust a flow rate or a pressure of a refrigerant flowing into the respective refrigerant inlets and a flow rate or a pressure of a refrigerant flowing out from the respective refrigerant outlets. The method includes adjusting openings of the upstream-side expansion valves and openings of the downstream-side expansion valves so that no change in flow rate of the refrigerant occurs in a plurality of refrigerant channels between the plurality of upstream-side expansion valves and the plurality of downstream-side expansion valves via the plurality of refrigerant channels in a refrigeration cycle allowing the refrigerant to flow therein. |
| US09704730B2 |
Substrate cleaning apparatus, substrate cleaning method and non-transitory storage medium
A cleaning liquid and a gas are discharged in sequence to a central portion of a substrate while the substrate is being rotated, and after nozzles that discharge them are moved to a peripheral edge side of the substrate, discharge of the cleaning liquid is switched to a second cleaning liquid nozzle set at a position deviated from a movement locus of the first cleaning liquid nozzle. Both of the nozzles are moved toward the peripheral edge side of the substrate while discharging the cleaning liquid and discharging the gas so that a difference between a distance from the discharge position of the second cleaning liquid nozzle to the central portion of the substrate and a distance from the discharge position of the gas nozzle to the central portion of the substrate gradually decreases. |
| US09704728B2 |
Substrate cleaning apparatus and substrate cleaning method
A substrate cleaning apparatus performs scrub cleaning of a surface of a substrate with an elongated cylindrical roll cleaning member. The substrate cleaning apparatus includes a roll holder for supporting the cleaning member and rotate the roll cleaning member, a vertical movement mechanism for vertically moving the roll holder so that the roll cleaning member applies a roll load to the substrate at the time of cleaning the substrate by actuation of an actuator having a regulating device, a load cell for measuring the roll load, and a controller for performing feedback control of the roll load through the regulating device based on the measured value of the load cell. The substrate cleaning apparatus further includes a monitor unit for monitoring whether an operation amount of the regulating device falls outside an allowable range of a preset reference value of an operation amount corresponding to a preset roll load. |
| US09704727B2 |
EFEM
An EFEM includes a housing 3 that constitutes a wafer transport chamber 9 that is substantially closed by connecting load ports 4 to an opening 31a provided on a wall 31, and connecting a processing apparatus 6; a wafer transport apparatus 2, and transports a wafer between the processing apparatus 6 and the FOUPs 7 mounted on the load ports 4; a gas delivery port 11; a gas suction port 12; a gas feedback path 10; and a FFU 13 that includes a filter 13b that is provided in the gas delivery port 11, and eliminates particles contained in the delivered gas, wherein the gas in the wafer transport chamber 9 is circulated by generating a downward gasflow in the wafer transport chamber 9 and feeding back the gas through the gas feedback path 10. |
| US09704724B2 |
Photosensitive resin composition and method for producing semiconductor device
Disclosed is a photosensitive resin composition which exhibits positive or negative photosensitivity and is used as a mask in an ion implantation step, the photosensitive resin composition including, as a resin, (A) a polysiloxane. The photosensitive resin composition of the present invention has high heat resistance and is capable of controlling a pattern shape, and also has excellent ion implantation mask performance, thus enabling application to a low-cost high-temperature ion implantation process. |
| US09704719B2 |
Systems and methods to mitigate nitride precipitates
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device is disclosed. A substrate having an oxide layer is provided. At least a portion of the oxide layer is removed and forms a nitride layer. The nitride layer is removed, leaving nitride precipitates. The nitride precipitates are removed using phosphoric acid. |
| US09704717B2 |
Electrochemical plating methods
An electrochemical process for applying a conductive film onto a substrate having a seed layer includes placing the substrate into contact with an electrochemical plating bath containing cobalt or nickel, with the plating bath having pH of 4.0 to 9.0. Electric current is conducted through the bath to the substrate. The cobalt or nickel ions in the bath deposit onto the seed layer. The plating bath may contain cobalt chloride and glycine. The electric current may range from 1-50 milli-ampere per square cm. After completion of the electrochemical process, the substrate may be removed from the plating bath, rinsed and dried, and then annealed at a temperature of 200 to 400 C to improve the material properties and reduce seam line defects. The plating and anneal process may be performed through multiple cycles. |
| US09704716B2 |
Deposition of smooth metal nitride films
In one aspect, methods of forming smooth ternary metal nitride films, such as TixWyNz films, are provided. In some embodiments, the films are formed by an ALD process comprising multiple super-cycles, each super-cycle comprising two deposition sub-cycles. In one sub-cycle a metal nitride, such as TiN is deposited, for example from TiCl4 and NH3, and in the other sub-cycle an elemental metal, such as W, is deposited, for example from WF6 and Si2H6. The ratio of the numbers of each sub-cycle carried out within each super-cycle can be selected to achieve a film of the desired composition and having desired properties. |
| US09704713B1 |
Siloxanes, doped siloxanes, methods for their synthesis, compositions containing the same, and films formed therefrom
In one aspect, the present invention provides undoped and doped siloxanes, germoxanes, and silagermoxanes that are substantially free from carbon and other undesired contaminants. In a second aspect, the present invention provides methods for making such undoped and doped siloxanes, germoxanes, and silagermoxanes. In still another aspect, the present invention provides compositions comprising undoped and/or doped siloxanes, germoxanes, and silagermoxanes and a solvent, and methods for forming undoped and doped dielectric films from such compositions. Undoped and/or doped siloxane compositions as described advantageously provide undoped and/or doped dielectric precursor inks that may be employed in forming substantially carbon-free undoped and/or doped dielectric films. |
| US09704712B1 |
Method of making a semiconductor device formed by thermal annealing
According to various embodiments, a method may include: structuring a semiconductor region to form a structured surface of the semiconductor region; disposing a dopant in the semiconductor region; and activating the dopant at least partially by irradiating the structured surface at least partially with electromagnetic radiation having at least one discrete wavelength to heat the semiconductor region at least partially. |
| US09704710B2 |
Photocured product and method for producing the same
It is intended to provide a photocured product that is prepared using the photo-imprint method and has favorable pattern precision and improvement in pattern defects. The present invention provides a photocured product obtained by irradiating a coating film in contact with a mold with light, the photocured product containing a fluorine atom-containing surfactant, wherein of secondary ion signals obtained by the surface analysis of the photocured product based on time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry, the intensity of a C2H5O+ ion signal is higher than that of a C3H7O+ ion signal. |
| US09704706B2 |
Ultra long lifetime gallium arsenide
A novel bulk GaAs with an increased carrier lifetime of at least 10 microseconds has been produced. This novel GaAs has many uses to improve optical and electrical devices. The method of producing the GaAs crystal involves using a technique called low pressure hydride vapor phase epitaxy (LP-HVPE). In this technique, a gas containing Ga (typically GaCl) is reacted with a gas containing As (typically AsH3) at the surface of a GaAs substrate. When grown under the proper conditions, the epitaxial, vapor grown GaAs crystal has ultra-long free carrier lifetimes of at least one order of magnitude greater than that of the previous art of 1 microsecond. This very long free carrier lifetime GaAs will be particularly useful as a semiconductor radiation detector material and is also expected to be useful for many other applications than include medical imaging, solar cells, diode lasers, and optical limiters and other applications. |
| US09704705B2 |
Parasitic channel mitigation via reaction with active species
III-nitride materials are generally described herein, including material structures comprising III-nitride material regions and silicon-containing substrates. Certain embodiments are related to gallium nitride materials and material structures comprising gallium nitride material regions and silicon-containing substrates. |
| US09704701B2 |
Method and device for ion mobility separations
Methods and devices for ion separations or manipulations in gas phase are disclosed. The device includes a single non-planar surface. Arrays of electrodes are coupled to the surface. A combination of RF and DC voltages are applied to the arrays of electrodes to create confining and driving fields that move ions through the device. The DC voltages are static DC voltages or time-dependent DC potentials or waveforms. |
| US09704699B2 |
Hybrid ion source and mass spectrometric device
In order to provide an ion source that can be easily switched with high sensitivity and in a short time, the ion source includes an ionization probe for spraying a sample, a heating chamber for heating and vaporizing a sample; and driving portions and for changing the distance between an outlet end (i.e., an end on the spray side) of the ionization probe and an inlet end (i.e., an end on the ionization probe side) of the heating chamber. The positions of the ionization probe and the heating chamber are controlled by the driving portions so that an ionization region that uses the ionization probe or an ionization region that uses the heating chamber is positioned near the ion inlet port of the mass spectrometer. |
| US09704695B2 |
Sputtering target and manufacturing method therefor
A backing plate integrated sputtering target includes a flange part having a Vicker's hardness (Hv) of 90 or more and a 0.2% yield stress of 6.98×107 N/m2 or more. Enhancing the mechanical strength of only the flange part of the target inhibits the target from being deformed during sputtering, and further, does not vary the original sputtering characteristics. Consequently, the target can form a thin film having excellent uniformity. This can improve the yield and the reliability of semiconductor products, which have been progressing in miniaturization and integration. |
| US09704691B2 |
Plasma generator
The invention relates to devices intended for treatment of materials in gas discharge plasma of low temperature, namely the induction plasma generator, placed inside the process volume (working chamber). The technical problem to be solved by the proposed invention is to increase the efficiency of the device; to improve the reliability of the device, increase purity of plasma environment and increase density of plasma generated; increase the life of device; reduce the level of noise; reduce the size of the device. |
| US09704684B2 |
Circuit breaker crossbar assembly
A circuit breaker crossbar assembly includes an elongate crossbar having a longitudinal axis, a first end and a second end, and having at least one support portion disposed therebetween. The crossbar is rotatable with respect to the longitudinal axis between a first rotational position and a second rotational position. The crossbar is coupleable to a plurality of moveable contacts of the circuit breaker. The support portion includes a first stop wall and a second stop wall defining a recess therebetween. A support structure is disposed in the recess, and comprises a support end pivotally coupled to the crossbar. The support structure has a first wall arranged to engage the first stop wall upon rotation of the crossbar toward the first rotational position, and a second wall arranged to engage the second stop wall upon rotation of the crossbar toward the second rotational position. |
| US09704677B2 |
Contact contacting structure
Provided is a contact contacting structure that reliably prevents the development of arc discharge in a simple configuration regardless of the magnitude of electric energy accumulated between a pair of contacts that are connected and disconnected. An intermediate contact body disposed continuously with a first contact along a movement path of a second contact is formed from material with higher electric resistivity than the first contact in a shape such that the cross sectional area of a transverse section perpendicular to the movement path is gradually decreased in a separating direction along the movement path. |
| US09704676B1 |
Slot motor assembly and arc plate assembly combination
A modular slot motor assembly and arc plate assembly combination for a circuit breaker is disclosed. The modular slot motor assembly is positioned proximate the arc plate assembly by lockingly securing it to a subcomponent housing in order to better provide an enhanced separation of the contact arms. During a short circuit event the modular slot motor assembly provides added acceleration to a moving contact arm. To protect the modular slot motor assembly from damage, an insulating casing is applied to at least a portion of the modular slot motor assembly. |
| US09704673B2 |
Circuit breaker
A circuit breaker includes a main body case, an operating handle having a base portion and a knob portion protruding outwardly through a handle window frame opened in a cover of the main body case; a first shutter arranged between the base portion of the operating handle and the handle window frame, and disposed on the base portion, the first shutter being formed with a loose-fit hole to loosely fit the knob portion therethrough; and a second shutter disposed on the first shutter to move along with the knob portion. At ON and OFF positions of the operating handle, the first shutter extends beyond a front/rear edge of the handle window frame in a front-back direction to close the handle window frame, and the second shutter extends beyond a front/rear edge of the loose-fit hole in the front-back direction to close the loose-fit hole. |
| US09704670B2 |
Keycaps having reduced thickness
An illuminated glass keycap having a glyph diffuser layer that may diffuse light through a glyph window opened in a background layer. The background layer may be opaque and the glyph window may be transparent. The keycap is adhered to a scissor mechanism positioned above electrical switch circuitry. Included within, below, or adjacent to the scissor mechanism may be one or more light sources positioned to emit light through the keycap, around the perimeter of the keycap, and/or through the background layer. |
| US09704669B2 |
Key input device for multifunction peripheral equipment
A key input device includes: keys each including a contact portion provided on its back surface; a holder holding the keys movably; a conductive member opposed to the holder; and a circuit board having a switch surface and switches arranged on the switch surface and each contactable with the contact portion of a corresponding key. The conductive member is interposed between the switch surface and the holder. The holder has first through holes, and the conductive member has second through holes. At least one of the contact portion and the switch is inserted in a corresponding one of the first through holes, and at least one of the contact portion and the switch is inserted in a corresponding one of the second through holes. |
| US09704667B2 |
Method of manufacturing a switch
A switch includes a case, fixed electrodes, a movable electrode and a pressing member. The fixed electrodes and the movable electrode are arranged inside the recess. The pressing member is arranged so as to cover at least a part of the recess, and displaces the movable electrode from the second position to the first position by a pressing force from the outside. The pressing member includes a first bent part and a second bent part, and a deforming part disposed therebetween. The deforming part is opposed to the movable electrode with a gap in a state where the movable electrode is in the second position. The deforming part is configured to be flexibly deformed toward the outside of the case in a state where the movable electrode is in the first position in which the fixed electrodes are in a conductive state. |
| US09704665B2 |
Backlit keyboard including reflective component
A backlit keyboard including a reflective component. The backlit keyboard may include a top case forming a top portion of an exterior surface of the keyboard. The backlit keyboard may further include a set of keys positioned within the top case and a membrane positioned below the set of keys. The backlit keyboard may further include a light guide positioned below the membrane and a light source positioned on a portion of the light guide. The light source may be configured to emit light coupled into the light guide and emit stray light not coupled into the light guide. The backlit keyboard may further include a bottom case attached to the top case and forming a bottom portion of the exterior surface of the keyboard. Additionally, the backlit keyboard may include a reflector positioned on an interior surface of the bottom case below the light guide and separated from the light guide by a gap. In some embodiments, the reflector may be configured to redirect the stray light towards the set of keys and provide structural support for the light guide. |
| US09704662B2 |
Switch system with high temperature operating plunger
A switch system includes a snap action switch, an operating plunger, and an actuator. The snap action switch is configured to move, with snap-action, from a first switch position to a second switch position. The operating plunger is disposed adjacent to the snap action switch and is coupled to selectively receive an actuating force. The operating plunger is configured, upon receipt of the actuating force, to retain the snap action switch in the first switch position. The operating plunger is further configured, upon removal of the actuating force, to allow the switch to move from the first switch position to the second switch position. The actuator contacts the operating plunger and is configured to selectively supply the actuating force to, and remove the actuating force from, the operating plunger. The operating plunger comprises a dielectric material having low thermal conductivity. |
| US09704659B2 |
Device for operating multiple functions in a motor vehicle
A device for operating multiple functions includes an operating element and a base. The base has side bearings and pins. The operating element has rotational axle end sections mounted in guide slots of the side bearings, respectively, to pivotably be mounted to the base about an axis of rotation to thereby be movable between at least two positions. At least one of the positions is assigned to a switching function. The operating element is further mounted to the base on a centered bearing between the side bearings of the base, and the operating element is supported on the pins of the base. |
| US09704644B2 |
Flexible circuit assembly and method therof
An embedded device 105 is assembled within a flexible circuit assembly 30 with the embedded device mid-plane intentionally located in proximity to the flexible circuit assembly central plane 115 to minimize stress effects on the embedded device. The opening 18, for the embedded device, is enlarged in an intermediate layer 10 to enhance flexibility of the flexible circuit assembly. |
| US09704639B2 |
Non-planar inductive electrical elements in semiconductor package lead frame
The present disclosure relates to non-planar inductive electrical elements in semiconductor package lead frames. A non-planar inductive element is formed from a lead frame in a semiconductor package. The semiconductor package also includes at least one semiconductor die coupled to the lead frame. The non-planar inductive element could be formed by deforming portions of a patterned planar lead frame blank to form the non-planar inductive element in a deformed lead frame blank. The deformed lead frame blank and the at least one semiconductor die could then be packaged into a semiconductor package. A setting tool could be used to deform the lead frame blank. A configurable lead frame blank could be configurable into any of a variety of inductive elements, through interconnection of lead frame segments using wire bonds, for example. |
| US09704638B2 |
Output noise reducing device
One end of a bus bar for leading an output voltage output from a switching power supply to the outside is a connection terminal connected to an output end associated with the switching power supply, while the other end is an output terminal VO. A ferrite core has a through-hole through which the bus bar is disposed. Electromagnetic coupling from the switching power supply is suppressed between the output terminal VO of the bus bar and at least a part of the ferrite core on the output terminal VO side along the bus bar. In this way, electromagnetic coupling of a part of a choke coil including the ferrite core with the bus bar penetrating therethrough on the output terminal VO side and the switching power supply is suppressed, whereby propagation of noise to the output terminal VO is suppressed. |
| US09704636B2 |
Solenoid apparatus
An apparatus may include a ferromagnetic housing defining a housing cavity, an electrically-conductive coil disposed in the housing cavity and defining a coil cavity, a ferromagnetic core piece disposed in the coil cavity, a ferromagnetic pole piece comprising a first face in contact with the core piece and a projection extending from a second face of the pole piece opposite the first face, a flexible element defining an opening, where the projection is disposed within the opening and the flexible element is disposed between a portion of the projection and the first face of the pole piece, and a ferromagnetic armature coupled to the flexible element, where the flexible element is disposed between at least a portion of the armature and the first face of the pole piece. |
| US09704629B2 |
Coupled inductors with non-uniform winding terminal distributions
A coupled inductor includes a ladder magnetic core including two opposing rails extending in a lengthwise direction and joined by a plurality of rungs. The coupled inductor further includes a respective winding wound around each of the plurality of rungs. The plurality of rungs are divided into at least two groups of rungs, and a lengthwise separation distance between adjacent rungs in each group of rungs is less than a lengthwise separation distance between adjacent rungs of different groups of rungs. |
| US09704628B2 |
Ferrofluid-MWCNT hybrid nanocomposite in liquid state
A water based double surfacted ferrofluid having magnetite nanoparticles (2-18 nm) coated with primary and secondary surfactants is synthesized. On the other hand, an aqueous dispersion of functionalized MWCNT (diameter=14-18 μm, length=1.6-2.5 μm) is prepared by acid treatment. A hybrid solutions in different v/v ratios yielded stable dispersions having both nanoparticles and nanotubes in itself behave as one system. The synthesized hybrid fluid show magnetic response and self-sustained homogeneity of in presence of magnetic field. In addition, the hybrid fluids exhibits a long term sedimentation and magnetic stability which enables one to use them for various applications like MRI, EMI shielding, energy conversion etc. |
| US09704627B2 |
Metal powder core comprising copper powder, coil component, and fabrication method for metal powder core
In a metal powder core constructed from soft magnetic material powder and a coil component employing this, a configuration suitable for reduction of a core loss is provided. The metal powder core constructed from soft magnetic material powder is characterized in that Cu is dispersed among the soft magnetic material powder. It is characterized in that, preferably, the soft magnetic material powder is pulverized powder of soft magnetic alloy ribbon and that Cu is dispersed among the pulverized powder of soft magnetic alloy ribbon. Further, it is characterized in that, preferably, the soft magnetic alloy ribbon is a Fe-based nano crystal alloy ribbon or a Fe-based alloy ribbon showing a Fe-based nano crystalline structure and that the pulverized powder has a nano crystalline structure. |
| US09704625B2 |
Magnetic nanoparticles, bulk nanocomposite magnets, and production thereof
Provided herein are systems, methods, and compositions for magnetic nanoparticles and bulk nanocomposite magnets. |
| US09704616B2 |
Fluorinated elastomer composition and method for its production, molded product, cross-linked product, and covered electric wire
To provide a fluorinated elastomer composition which is excellent in flexibility and oil resistance to lubricant oil such as automatic transmission oil, is less susceptible to heat discoloration and is excellent also in moldability, and a molded product, cross-linked product and covered electric wire, using such a fluorinated elastomer composition. A fluorinated elastomer composition comprising a tetrafluoroethylene/propylene copolymer (a), an ethylene/tetrafluoroethylene copolymer (b) and an ethylene copolymer (c) containing epoxy groups, wherein the mass ratio [(a)/(b)] of the tetrafluoroethylene/propylene copolymer (a) to the ethylene/tetrafluoroethylene copolymer (b) is from 70/30 to 40/60, and the mass ratio [(b)/(c)] of the ethylene/tetrafluoroethylene copolymer (b) to the ethylene copolymer (c) containing epoxy groups is from 100/0.1 to 100/10. |
| US09704615B2 |
Shielded cable
A shielded cable comprising two insulated wire covered with first and second metal clad resin tapes each of which has a laminated metal layer and a resin layer. The first metal clad resin tape covers the circumference of the two insulated wires by open-wrapping and the second metal clad resin tape is spirally wrapped around the circumference of the first metal clad resin tape. The first and second metal clad resin tapes are disposed while the metal layers face each other and, in the portion where the second metal clad resin tape is overlapped by wrapping, the metal layer of the overlapped one second metal clad resin tape and the metal layer of the other second metal clad resin tape are in contact with the first metal clad resin tape. The shielded cable can prevent sharp signal attenuation in a high frequency region and is easy to bend and flexible. |
| US09704612B2 |
Composition of silver-conjugated compound composite
A composition of a silver-conjugated compound composite containing (1) a silver-conjugated compound composite containing a silver particle with a Feret diameter of 1,000 nm or less and a conjugated compound having a weight average molecular weight of 3.0×102 or more being adsorbed to the silver particles and (2) an ionic compound. The ionic compound may be a compound having a structure represented by the following Formula (hh-1): [Chem. 1] Mm′+aX′n′−b (hh-1) wherein Mm′+ represents a metal cation, X′n′− represents an anion, a and b each independently represent an integer of 1 or more, and when Mm′+ and X′n′− are each plurally present, they may be the same as or different from each other. |
| US09704606B2 |
Closure device for containers for transporting radioactive substances
A closure device for containers for transporting radioactive substances, having a first and a second component each with a comb-like portion, wherein the comb-like portions, with the closure device locked, has a bolt element passing through them. The bolt element has a head with an accommodating recess running transversally to the longitudinal axis of the bolt element, that one of the components has a through-opening which, with the bolt passing through the comb-like portions, is aligned with an accommodating recess. |
| US09704604B2 |
Nuclear fission reactor fuel assembly and system configured for controlled removal of a volatile fission product and heat released by a burn wave in a traveling wave nuclear fission reactor and method for same
A nuclear fission reactor fuel assembly and system configured for controlled removal of a volatile fission product and heat released by a burn wave in a traveling wave nuclear fission reactor and method for same. The fuel assembly comprises an enclosure adapted to enclose a porous nuclear fuel body having the volatile fission product therein. A fluid control subassembly is coupled to the enclosure and adapted to control removal of at least a portion of the volatile fission product from the porous nuclear fuel body. In addition, the fluid control subassembly is capable of circulating a heat removal fluid through the porous nuclear fuel body in order to remove heat generated by the nuclear fuel body. |
| US09704598B2 |
Use of in-field programmable fuses in the PCH dye
A processor has a limited set of guard bands that the processor uses, and when a certain amount of stress is accumulated as indicated by the cumulative stress counters (Seff), and the threshold for the current guard is about to be exceeded, the processor switches to the next wider guard band with this technique occurring until all the guard bands are used and end of life settings are reached. This data that can be stored in the FPFs, and in accordance with one exemplary embodiment, the guard band index itself is also stored in the FPFs and used to ensure the most accurate guard band is used by the processor/device. |
| US09704585B2 |
High voltage architecture for non-volatile memory
A method of erasing, during an erase operation, a non-volatile memory (NVM) cell of a memory device is disclosed. The erasing includes applying a first HV signal (VPOS) to a common source line (CSL). The CSL is shared among NVM cells of a sector of NVM cells. The first HV signal is above a highest voltage of a power supply. The erasing also includes applying the first HV signal to a local bit line (BL). |
| US09704583B2 |
Memory system and operating method thereof
A memory system includes a memory device including a plurality of memory chips, each of which includes a plurality of planes suitable for storing data and a plurality of page buffers respectively corresponding to the planes; and a controller suitable for transferring write data stored in a write buffer thereof to a first page buffer of a first chip, releasing the write buffer and a first plane corresponding to the first page buffer in the first chip after the transfer to the first page buffer, and programming the write data in the first planes after the release from the first plane. |
| US09704579B1 |
Non-valatile semiconductor memory device and location based erasure methods
A non-volatile semiconductor memory device comprising a control circuit is provided, the control circuit performing a data erasure by applying predetermined erase voltages to predetermined blocks of a memory cell array including memory cells disposed on each intersection of a plurality of word lines and a plurality of bit lines, and the control circuit applying the erase voltages to the memory cells to erase data by applying word line voltages different to each other to even-numbered word lines and odd-numbered word lines of the memory cell array except to an edge part thereof, and by applying a voltage different to the word line voltages to the word line in the edge part of the memory cell array. |
| US09704577B2 |
Two transistor SONOS flash memory
A two transistor SONOS flash memory is disclosed. In one aspect, an apparatus, includes a control gate transistor having source and drain diffusions deposited in an N-well, a charge-trapping region formed on the N-well that overlaps the source and drain diffusions, and a control gate formed on the charge-trapping region. A channel region of the N-well between the source and drain diffusions is less than 90 nm in length. The apparatus also includes a select gate transistor having a select source diffusion deposited in the N-well. A drain side of the select gate transistor shares the source diffusion. A channel region of the N-well between the select source diffusion and the source diffusion also is less than 90 nm in length. |
| US09704574B1 |
Method and apparatus for pattern matching
Aspects of the disclosure provide an apparatus that includes a key generator, a first memory, a second memory, and a controller. The key generator is configured to generate a first search key, and one or more second search keys in response to a pattern. The first memory is configured to compare the first search key to a plurality of entries populated in the first memory, and determine an index of a matching entry to the first search key. The second memory is configured to respectively retrieve one or more exact match indexes of the one or more second search keys from one or more exact match pattern groups populated in the second memory. The controller is configured to select a search result for the pattern from among the index output from the first memory and the one or more exact match indexes output from the second memory. |
| US09704572B2 |
Sense amplifier with integrating capacitor and methods of operation
A non-volatile memory is described that includes a sense amplifier that maintains a bit line voltage and output of the sense amplifier at a substantially constant voltage during read operations. During a preset phase, an output of the sense amplifier that is coupled to a selected bit line is grounded. At least one capacitor is precharged during the preset phase. During a sense phase, the sense amplifier output is disconnected from ground while the memory array is biased for reading a selected memory cell. A resulting cell current is integrated by the at least one capacitor. The integrated cell current discharges a sense node from the precharge level to an accurate voltage level based on the resulting cell current. |
| US09704569B1 |
One time programmable read-only memory (ROM) in SOI CMOS
A programmable read-only-memory (ROM) cell and method of operating. The ROM cell comprises: a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate having a bottom substrate layer, an insulating layer formed over said bottom substrate layer, and a top semiconductor substrate layer. A series coupled CMOS NFET and PFET device is formed at said semiconductor substrate layer, each NFET and PFET device having a respective gate, drain and source terminals, wherein a source terminal of said PFET device is electrically shorted to a drain terminal of said NFET device. An injected charge storage layer is provided at an interface between a channel formed beneath a gate terminal of said PFET and the insulating layer. The charge storage layer having trapped charge carriers representative of a logic bit value. The stored bit value is physically undetectable data. Biasing conditions established at the substrate and PFET device enable injection of charge carriers into the charge storage layer. |
| US09704568B1 |
Reducing SRAM power using strategic data pattern storage
Embodiments herein describe a SRAM that selectively flips received chunks of data from a high power state to a low power state before storing the chunks of data. The SRAM generates a flip bit for each of the data chunks stored in memory. The state of the flip bit varies depending on whether the corresponding data chunk was flipped before being stored in the SRAM. In one embodiment, the SRAM flips the bits in a data chunk before storing the bits only if all the bits are in the high power state. If so, the SRAM sets the flip bit for the data chunk to a first state and changes all the bits to the low power state before storing the data chunk. If not, the SRAM sets the flip bit to a second state and stores the data chunk without changing the states of the bits. |
| US09704564B2 |
SRAM structure with reduced capacitance and resistance
A structure includes an SRAM cell includes a first and a second pull-up MOS device, and a first and a second pull-down MOS device forming cross-latched inverters with the first pull-up MOS device and the second pull-up MOS device. A first metal layer is over the gate electrodes of the MOS devices in the SRAM cell. The structure further includes a first metal layer, and a CVss landing pad, wherein the CVss landing pad has a portion in the SRAM cell. The CVss landing pas is in a second metal layer over the first metal layer. A word-line is in the second metal layer. A CVss line is in a third metal layer over the second metal layer. The CVss line is electrically coupled to the CVss landing pad. |
| US09704562B2 |
Semiconductor device with stacked structure of memory cells over sensing amplifiers, circuit board, and electronic device
A semiconductor device with low power consumption or a semiconductor device with a reduced area is provided. The semiconductor device includes a cell array including a first memory cell and a second memory cell; and a sense amplifier circuit including a first sense amplifier and a second sense amplifier. The cell array is over the sense amplifier circuit. The first sense amplifier is electrically connected to the first memory cell through a first wiring BL. The second sense amplifier is electrically connected to the second memory cell through a second wiring BL. The first sense amplifier and the second sense amplifier are electrically connected to a wiring GBL. The sense amplifier circuit is configured to select one of a potential of the first wiring BL and a potential of the second wiring BL and output the selected potential to the wiring GBL. |
| US09704560B2 |
Memory component with staggered power-down exit
An integrated circuit includes a physical layer interface having a control timing domain and a data timing domain, and circuits that enable the control timing domain during a change in power conservation mode in response to a first event, and that enable the data timing domain in response to a second event. The control timing domain can include interface circuits coupled to a command and address path, and the data timing domain can include interface circuits coupled to a data path. |
| US09704559B2 |
Electronic device
An electronic device includes a mounting substrate, a first semiconductor component including a first semiconductor chip that operates in synchronization with a first clock signal and being mounted on a first semiconductor component mounting area of the mounting substrate, a second semiconductor component including a second semiconductor chip that operates in synchronization with a second clock signal and being mounted on a second semiconductor component mounting area of the mounting substrate, the second semiconductor component mounting area being next to the first semiconductor component mounting area, and a third semiconductor component including a third semiconductor chip that controls the first and second semiconductor chips and being mounted on a third semiconductor component mounting area of the mounting substrate, the third semiconductor component mounting area being next to the first and the second semiconductor component mounting areas. |
| US09704557B2 |
Method and apparatus for storing retention time profile information based on retention time and temperature
Memory devices may send information related to refresh rates to a memory controller. The memory controller may instruct the memory devices to refresh based on the received information. |
| US09704554B2 |
Sense amplifier with offset compensation
An amplifier circuit is disclosed having an amplifier with first and second input terminals coupled to receive an input signal. A first compensation circuit is coupled to the first input terminal, and a second compensation circuit is coupled to the second input terminal. A programmable latch circuit is arranged to select one of the first and second compensation circuits. |
| US09704543B2 |
Channel controlling device for improving data reading efficiency
A channel controlling device includes: a multiplexing circuit coupled to a plurality of channels for selecting a specific channel from the channels to output a channel data according to a selecting signal, wherein the channels correspond to a plurality of predetermined digital numbers; a sorting circuit arranged to queue the predetermined digital numbers to form a plurality of queued digital numbers according to a data output order of the channels; and an arbitration circuit, arranged to determine the selecting signal according to the plurality of queued digital numbers. |
| US09704540B2 |
Apparatuses and methods for parity determination using sensing circuitry
The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods related to parity determinations using sensing circuitry. An example method can include protecting, using sensing circuitry, a number of data values stored in a respective number of memory cells coupled to a sense line of an array by determining a parity value corresponding to the number of data values without transferring data from the array via an input/output line. The parity value can be determined by a number of XOR operations, for instance. The method can include storing the parity value in another memory cell coupled to the sense line. |
| US09704538B2 |
Environmentally controlling an enclosure
An apparatus and associated method contemplating a sealed container operably enclosing a storage device in an operating environment. A storage device controller is operably coupled to the storage device and configured to monitor operational parametric values of the storage device. An environment modifier is operably coupled to the container and configured to selectively alter the operating environment. A container controller is configured to selectively activate the environment modifier in response to parametric values from the storage device controller. |
| US09704531B2 |
Creating composition of content captured using plurality of electronic devices
Disclosed is a master electronic device configured to create a composition based on content captured using a plurality of client electronic devices. The master electronic device may include each of a communication module, a playback module, a touch-enabled input module and a composition module. The communication module may be configured to receive a plurality of content streams from a plurality of client electronic devices. The playback module may be configured to synchronously playback the plurality of content streams. The touch-enabled input module may be configured to receive one or more composition-inputs during the playback of the content. The one or more composition-inputs may correspond to a selection of a content stream to be included in a composition. Accordingly, the composition module may be configured to create the composition based on the one or more composition-inputs. |
| US09704522B2 |
Magnetic disk, method of track following on a magnetic disk, and method of writing a servo pattern in a dedicated servo layer of a magnetic disk
Magnetic disk, method of track following on a magnetic disk, and method of writing a servo pattern in a dedicated servo layer of a magnetic disk. The magnetic disk comprises a servo pattern in a dedicated servo layer of the magnetic disk, the servo pattern having a first burst A and a second burst B arranged to be within one period of a servo sample, each of burst A and burst B comprising DC+ and DC− magnetic bursts; wherein a center of the DC+/DC− bursts of burst B is shifted relative to the DC+/DC− bursts of burst A in a substantially radial direction of the magnetic disk. |
| US09704519B1 |
Sorting of HAMR read/write heads based on reader and writer widths
For each head in a collection of heat-assisted magnetic recording read/write heads, a reader width and a writer width is measured. A predicted life is determined for each head based on the respective reader width and writer width. In a first set of drives having relatively fewer heads per drive, a first subset of the heads having a higher value of the predicted life are used. In a second set of drives having relatively more heads per drive, a second subset of the heads having a lower value of the predicted life are used. |
| US09704517B2 |
Magnetoresistive sensor with SAF structure having amorphous alloy layer
A magnetoresistive (MR) sensor including a synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) structure that is magnetically coupled to a side shield element. The SAF structure includes at least one magnetic amorphous layer that is an alloy of a ferromagnetic material and a refractory material. The amorphous magnetic layer may be in contact with a non-magnetic layer and antiferromagnetically coupled to a layer in contact with an opposite surface of the non-magnetic layer. |
| US09704513B2 |
Magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording with a coil including a first winding portion of one turn and a second winding portion of less than one turn
A magnetic head includes a coil, a main pole and a return path section. The return path section is located on the trailing side relative to the main pole so that a space is defined between the main pole and itself. The coil includes a first winding portion and a second winding portion connected in series. The first winding portion extends to pass through the aforementioned space, and extends once around the entire perimeter of the main pole as viewed from the medium facing surface. The second winding portion does not pass through the aforementioned space, and surrounds only a part of the entire perimeter of the main pole as viewed from the medium facing surface. |
| US09704512B2 |
Electromagnetic data storage devices having improved magnetic structure
The present invention relates to an electromagnetic data storage device comprising a data storage medium including a magnetic material, and a write head including an electromagnetic element operable to generate a magnetic field that impinges on a selected portion of the magnetic material of the data storage medium adjacent the write head, so as to affect the magnetization direction of the selected portion of magnetic material. The electromagnetic element includes a magnetic structure including a matrix material, and a plurality of magnetic nanoparticles held in the matrix material. |
| US09704508B2 |
Drone detection and classification methods and apparatus
A system, method, and apparatus for drone detection and classification are disclosed. An example method includes receiving a sound signal in a microphone and recording, via a sound card, a digital sound sample of the sound signal, the digital sound sample having a predetermined duration. The method also includes processing, via a processor, the digital sound sample into a feature frequency spectrum. The method further includes applying, via the processor, broad spectrum matching to compare the feature frequency spectrum to at least one drone sound signature stored in a database, the at least one drone sound signature corresponding to a flight characteristic of a drone model. The method moreover includes, conditioned on matching the feature frequency spectrum to one of the drone sound signatures, transmitting, via the processor, an alert. |
| US09704504B2 |
Voice analysis device and voice analysis system
The voice analysis device includes: a voice information acquiring unit that acquires a voice signal generated by plural voice acquiring units disposed at different distances from a speaking section of a speaker and acquiring voice of the speaker; and an identification unit that identifies the speaker corresponding to the voice having been acquired, on the basis of intensities of respective peaks in a frequency spectrum of a first enhanced waveform and a frequency spectrum of a second enhanced waveform. The first enhanced waveform is a waveform where a voice signal of a predetermined target speaker has been enhanced, and the second enhanced waveform is a waveform where a voice signal of a speaker other than the target speaker has been enhanced. |
| US09704497B2 |
Method and system of audio power reduction and thermal mitigation using psychoacoustic techniques
Method of audio power reduction and thermal mitigation using psychoacoustic techniques starts by receiving a decoded audio signal in a reproduction system. Decoded audio signal is a signal that is decompressed and to be played back by a speaker. A masking curve is generated based on psychoacoustic models and the decoded audio signal. The masking curve is applied to the decoded audio signal to remove unheard frequencies and to generate a power-reduced audio signal. Other embodiments are also described. |
| US09704496B2 |
High frequency regeneration of an audio signal with phase adjustment
According to an aspect of the present invention, a method for reconstructing an audio signal having a baseband portion and a highband portion is disclosed. The method includes obtaining a decoded baseband audio signal by decoding an encoded audio signal and obtaining a plurality of subband signals by filtering the decoded baseband audio signal. The method further includes generating a high-frequency reconstructed signal by copying a number of consecutive subband signals of the plurality of subband signals and obtaining an envelope adjusted high-frequency signal. The method further includes generating a noise component based on a noise parameter. Finally, the method includes adjusting a phase of the high-frequency reconstructed signal and obtaining a time-domain reconstructed audio signal by combining the decoded baseband audio signal and the combined high-frequency signal to obtain a time-domain reconstructed audio signal. |
| US09704489B2 |
Portable acoustical unit for voice recognition
A portable acoustic unit is adapted for insertion into an electrical receptacle. The portable acoustic unit has an integrated microphone and a wireless network interface to an automation controller. The portable acoustic unit detects spoken voice commands from users in the vicinity of the electrical receptacle. The portable acoustic unit merely plugs into a conventional electrical outlet to provide an extremely simple means of voice control through a home or business. |
| US09704487B2 |
Speech recognition solution based on comparison of multiple different speech inputs
Disclosed herein are speech recognition apparatuses, vehicles having the speech recognition apparatuses, and methods for controlling vehicles. According to an aspect, a speech recognition apparatus includes a speech input unit configured to receive a speech command from a user, a communication unit configured to receive the result of processing for speech recognition acquired by at least one user terminal located near the user, and a controller configured to compare the result of processing for speech recognition acquired from the speech command received by the speech input unit to the result of processing for speech recognition acquired by the at least one user terminal, thus processing the speech command according to the result of the comparison. |
| US09704484B2 |
Speech recognition method and speech recognition device
Provided is a speech recognition device that executes a speech recognition method capable of improving speech recognition accuracy. The speech recognition device includes a trigger generation unit for generating a trigger signal on the basis of at least mouth movement and a speech recognition unit which extracts a sound signal on the basis of the trigger signal and starts speech recognition for speech in the extracted sound signal. When the trigger generation unit is generating a trigger signal solely on the basis of opening of the mouth, the trigger generation unit generates the trigger signal so as to precede the opening of the mouth by a predetermined period. Alternatively, when the trigger generation unit is generating a trigger signal on the basis of opening of the mouth and changes in eye orientation, the trigger generation unit generates the trigger signal from the moment any of the above occurs. |
| US09704482B2 |
Method and system for order-free spoken term detection
A method for spoken term detection, comprising generating a time-marked word list, wherein the time-marked word list is an output of an automatic speech recognition system, generating an index from the time-marked word list, wherein generating the index comprises creating a word loop weighted finite state transducer for each utterance, i, receiving a plurality of keyword queries, and searching the index for a plurality of keyword hits. |
| US09704478B1 |
Audio output masking for improved automatic speech recognition
Features are disclosed for filtering portions of an output audio signal in order to improve automatic speech recognition on an input signal which may include a representation of the output signal. A signal that includes audio content can be received, and a frequency or band of frequencies can be selected to be filtered from the signal. The frequency band may correspond to a desired frequency band for speech recognition. An input signal can be obtained comprising audio data corresponding to a user utterance and presentation of the output signal. Automatic speech recognition can be performed on the input signal. In some cases, an acoustic model trained for use with such frequency band filtering may be used to perform speech recognition. |
| US09704470B2 |
Method and apparatus for nonlinear compensation in an active noise control system
A self tuned apparatus (100) for active noise control includes a first transducer (105) and a second transducer (110), a noise controlling module (115), a power amplifier (120) and a first loudspeaker (125) and a second loudspeaker (130) coupled to the power amplifier (120). The noise controlling module (115) is coupled to the first transducer (105) and the second transducer (110). The power amplifier (120) is coupled to the noise controlling module (115). Particularly, the noise controlling module (115) employs at least one control algorithm. |
| US09704468B2 |
Apparatus and method for cancelling, reducing and modulating noise signal and for signal enhancing and signal proofing
The embodiments herein provide an apparatus and method for cancelling signal noise. According to one embodiment, an apparatus for cancelling signal noise has a sensor or receiver to capture the undesirable signals. A transducer converts the energy of the captured signals and modulates the captured undesirable signals. A signal inverting circuit is connected to the transducer to generate the inverse of the captured undesirable signals by inverting the amplitude of the undesirable signal while maintain the frequency at the same level. The generated inverse of the undesirable signal transmitted by a transmitter is received by a receiver and output through a speaker so that the output inverse of the undesirable signal is combined with the undesirable signal to produce a desired signal environment. |
| US09704466B2 |
Sound control apparatus
A sound control apparatus capable of improving the quality of the reproduction sound output from an electronic apparatus includes a sound control mat, and a support unit for supporting an electronic device having a speaker on the sound control mat. The sound control mat has a sound controlling structure configured to control the resonance of sound output from the speaker of the electronic apparatus when it is supported by the sound control mat. With this sound control apparatus, it is possible to enjoy a good tone directly output from a television, a stereo system or any other device having a small speaker without needing a special devising. |
| US09704463B2 |
Musical sound control apparatus, electric musical instrument, musical sound control method, and program storage medium
A musical sound control apparatus includes: an operator which as an index portion and changes values of a plurality of kinds of parameters by moving a position of the index portion; and a parameter control unit which executes processing of changing the values of the plurality of kinds of parameters according to an operated position as a position at which the index portion was moved from a standard position by an operation and processing of, when changing an assignment to the operator from a first parameter among the plurality of kinds of parameters to a second parameter among the plurality of kinds of parameters in a state in which the index portion is positioned at a position other than the standard position, setting a value of the second parameter assigned to a value which does not correspond to the position of the index portion. |
| US09704456B2 |
Keyboard positioning apparatus and method for retrofitting onto an existing piano assembly
An apparatus is provided comprising a frame; an enclosure; a keyboard including a plurality of black and white keys; the plurality of black and white keys each having a top surface and a bottom surface; the enclosure having a surface finish; the enclosure encloses the frame and the keyboard, such each top surface of the plurality of black and white keys is exposed; the frame comprises a first beam, a second beam, a first keyboard support bar, a second keyboard support bar, a third keyboard support bar, a first guide pin rail, a second guide pin rail, and a third guide pin rail; the first, second, and third keyboard supports bars are perpendicular to the first and second beams. |
| US09704455B2 |
Information display apparatus and information display method for superimposing additional information on an image
An information display apparatus includes an image pick-up unit configured to picking up an image, a display unit configured to display the image picked up by the image pick-up unit, a first correcting unit configured to correct the image picked up by the image pick-up unit to generate a first image, a second correcting unit configured to correct the image picked up by the image pick-up unit to generate a second image, a recognizing unit configured to recognize the second image generated by the second correcting unit, and a display control unit configured to display an additional information according to a result of the recognition performed by the recognizing unit with superimposing the additional information on the first image generated by the first correcting unit on the display unit. |
| US09704450B2 |
Driver IC for display panel
For each display line cycle, inputs to a pair of differential input terminals of a driving circuit are alternately switched in a cycle shorter than the display line cycle between a gradation voltage and a reference voltage. According to this, a chopping operation of switching polarities of offset appearing at the output of the driving circuit within one display line is performed for a plurality of times, and accordingly, a pixel of each display line maintains brightness information in which the chopping operation is already performed. As a result, although a frame cycle is lengthened, it is difficult to visually recognize a brightness difference caused by the offset. |
| US09704448B2 |
Array substrate, display panel and repairing method thereof
An array substrate, a display panel and a repairing method thereof are provided. In the array substrate, except the last gate line, both ends of each of the remaining gate lines are provided respectively with first leads connected to the gate line; in each group of gate integrated drive circuits, except a first level shift register, an input terminal of every other shift register is provided with a second lead connected to the input terminal; the first lead connected to one of the gate lines and the second lead connected to an input terminal of the shift register at the next level adjacent thereto have an overlapping area (A) therebetween, and are insulated from each other. |
| US09704446B2 |
Display device and driving method
An object is to reduce power consumption of a display device and to suppress deterioration of display quality. As a transistor provided for each pixel, a transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer is used. Note that off-state current of the transistor can be decreased when the oxide semiconductor layer is highly purified. Therefore, variation in the value of a data signal due to the off-state current of the transistor can be suppressed. That is, display deterioration (change) which occurs when writing frequency of the data signal to the pixel including the transistor is reduced (when a break period is lengthened) can be suppressed. In addition, flickers in display which generates when the frequency of an alternating-current driving signal supplied to a signal line in the break period is reduced can be suppressed. |
| US09704443B2 |
Liquid crystal display apparatus and display method
The liquid crystal display apparatus include a control unit controlling so that a first difference is smaller than a second difference, which the first difference is a difference between an intermediate value between any high gradation value and low gradation value and a gradation value in which a gradation value during a transition from the high gradation value to the low gradation value is equal to a gradation value during a transition from the low gradation value to the high gradation value, when a frame of the converted image is switched, and the second difference is a difference between the intermediate value between the high gradation value and the low gradation value and the gradation value in which the gradation value during the transition from the high gradation value to the low gradation value is equal to the gradation value during the transition from the low gradation value to the high gradation value, when the frame of the acquired image is switched. |
| US09704439B2 |
Automatic luminance correction system, optical gray scale measurement device and automatic luminance correction method
The present invention discloses an automatic luminance correction system, a optical gray scale measurement device and an automatic luminance correction method. The automatic luminance correction system comprises a computing unit for computing correction parameters according to the luminance-gray scale linear equation; a collecting unit for collecting the current luminance value; and a correcting unit for calculating the target luminance value according to the correction parameter and the current luminance value. By this way, the luminance of the lamp can be corrected automatically. |
| US09704436B2 |
Pixel circuit, driving method thereof, array substrate, and display device
The present invention provides a pixel circuit, a driving method thereof, an array substrate, and a display device. The pixel circuit comprises: a reset unit, configured to output a reference signal; a data writing unit, configured to output a data signal; a compensation unit, which is connected to the reset unit and the data writing unit as well as an output node, and receives a power voltage signal, and a light-emitting unit, which is connected to the output node and a cathode of a power supply and configured to emit light under the drive of the light emission drive signal in a light emission phase. |
| US09704434B2 |
Display device and driving method thereof
A display device includes a plurality of pixel rows including a plurality of pixel circuits; a scan driver supplying scan signals to the plurality of pixel rows; and a data driver supplying a data voltage to the plurality of pixel circuits of the plurality of pixel rows, wherein the plurality of pixel circuits each include driving transistors and an organic light emitting diode which emit light depending on a current flowing in the driving transistors, the plurality of pixel rows are divided into a plurality of blocks, each of the blocks including at least one pixel row, and a period for which the data voltage is written in the plurality of pixel circuits in a first block among the plurality of blocks and a period for which a threshold voltage of the driving transistors of the plurality of pixel circuits in a second block temporally close to the first block is compensated partially overlap each other. |
| US09704433B2 |
Organic light emitting display and method for driving the same
An organic light emitting display and associated method includes: initializing a first node of a storage capacitor, connected between the first node and a second node, with a first driving voltage that is provided from a first power terminal; applying a sustain voltage to the first node and placing a driving transistor in a diode connection state, wherein the driving transistor comprises a gate electrode connected to the second node, an electrode connected to the first power terminal, and another electrode connected to an organic light emitting diode through a third node; applying a data signal, provided from the data line through a switching transistor comprising a gate electrode connected to a scan line, an electrode connected to the data line, and another electrode connected to a first node, to the first node; and generating a compensation voltage by applying the first driving voltage to the first node. |
| US09704426B2 |
Display device, display system, and image processing circuit
A display device includes a first processing circuit mounted on a substrate separate from a translucent substrate constituting a display panel, and a second processing circuit mounted on the translucent substrate. The first and the second processing circuits receive the same image data. The first processing circuit includes a determination unit that uses color values of a plurality of pixels constituting an image based on the image data to determine an expansion coefficient value serving as a value for improving luminance of the image, and outputs the expansion coefficient value to the second processing circuit. The second processing circuit includes an expansion processing unit that uses the expansion coefficient value to provide expansion processing for improving the luminance of the image for the image based on the image data. |
| US09704424B2 |
Array substrate and display device
The disclosure relates to a field of display technology and discloses an array substrate and a display device, which improves quality of a displaying picture of a display device. The array substrate includes a plurality of pixel units arranged in an array, sub-pixels of each pixel unit are arranged in an ACBC-type array or a Delta-type array. The array substrate further includes a set of data lines configured to output data signals to the sub-pixels of the plurality of pixel units, the set of data lines each drives the sub-pixels of the same color. Compared with the prior art, the technical solution of the present disclosure avoids displaying errors caused by different corresponding relationship curves between the data output signals and the pixel grey levels for different colors, thereby improving quality of a displaying picture of a display device including the array substrate. |
| US09704422B2 |
Manipulation of color illumination using light diffusing fiber
An illuminated color displaying device having at least one light diffusing waveguide coupled to a plurality of different light sources emitting light at different wavelengths, to provide color modulation. |
| US09704419B2 |
Magnetic label-stock systems
A magnetic label stock tape that is less prone to damage during handling in labeling machines, storage, shipping, etc. |
| US09704417B2 |
Breadboard
A breadboard includes a panel having a top side and a bottom side, a first and second plurality of spaced component receiving openings extend through the top side surface and communicate with a larger first and second terminal receiving open surfaces extending from the bottom side surface which are configured to receive a first and second conductive terminals, respectively, and on a side of at least one of the first and second plurality of spaced openings in the top side surface is formed a raised surface and spanning a length approximate the larger terminal receiving open surfaces and parallel thereto and which forms part of the top side surface thereby defining a row of said plurality of spaced component receiving openings in which the conductive terminals lie. |
| US09704409B2 |
Piggybacking unmanned aerial vehicle
Various embodiments include methods for piggybacking an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on a vehicle (e.g., motor vehicles and trailers coupled to motor vehicles) to reach a destination. Various embodiments may include determining whether to dock on a vehicle. One or more candidate vehicles may be identified for docking. Travel profile characteristics of the one or more candidate vehicles may be identified. A first vehicle may be selected from the one or more candidate vehicles based on one or more travel profile characteristics that assist the UAV in reaching the UAV destination. The UAV may dock with the first vehicle. While docked to the first vehicle the UAV may charge an onboard battery via an electrical connection in a docking structure or by harvesting energy in the wind caused by movement of the vehicle by configuring the UAV rotors to charge the battery. |
| US09704408B2 |
Flight control for flight-restricted regions
Systems, methods, and devices are provided for providing flight response to flight-restricted regions. The location of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) may be compared with a location of a flight-restricted region. If needed a flight-response measure may be taken by the UAV to prevent the UAV from flying in a no-fly zone. Different flight-response measures may be taken based on the distance between the UAV and the flight-restricted region and the rules of a jurisdiction within which the UAV falls. |
| US09704398B2 |
Method and apparatus for enhancing driver situational awareness
Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, determining, by a system comprising a processor, a driver profile according to a driver identity for a driver of a vehicle, selecting a driver-specific enforcement scenario for the vehicle according to the driver profile and traffic enforcement information that is associated with a vehicle location, and presenting an in-vehicle alert to convey the driver-specific enforcement scenario to the driver. Other embodiments are disclosed. |
| US09704395B2 |
Traffic sign determination device
A traffic sign determination device includes: an image recognition section which detects a first traffic regulation sign by performing an image recognition process on an image of an area in front of a vehicle picked up by an imaging section provided on the vehicle; a map information acquisition section which, using a position of the vehicle, acquires a road link, including a second road at the position of the vehicle, from a storage section; and a traffic sign determination section which, upon detection of a current first traffic regulation sign on a current road link, determines, until the vehicle passes an end point of the current road link, that a current traffic regulation sign to be notified to an occupant of the vehicle is the current first traffic regulation sign detected on the current road link. |
| US09704386B2 |
Mobile terminal and controlling method thereof
A mobile terminal and controlling method thereof are disclosed, by which a mobile terminal of a watch type or an external device can be remotely controlled. The present invention includes a display unit configured to display information, a wireless communication unit configured to communicate with an external device as a target of a remote control, a sensing unit configured to sense a motion of the mobile terminal and a variation according to a muscle movement of a part having the mobile terminal worn thereon, and a controller creating a control command for remotely controlling either the mobile terminal and the external device based on a sensing signal of the sensing unit. |
| US09704385B2 |
Implantable medical device adapted for radio frequency telemetry with frequency hopping
An implantable medical device has a broadband RF receiver operating within an RF band and having stored information of a characteristic receiver frequency representing the RF within the RF band at which the broadband RF receiver has sufficient receiver sensitivity. The stored information is retrieved in response to a message from an external communication device and is included in a response generated by the implantable medical device and transmitted to the communication device. The information enables the communication device to select its transmission frequency at a subsequent transmission instance to the relevant implantable medical device. The chances of successful reception at the subsequent transmission instance are thereby increased. |
| US09704383B2 |
Calibration system for equipment
A method of and apparatus for calibration of instrumentation and provision of calibration certificates comprises a portable field operable communication device and a remote information management device in wireless communication with one another, a data store comprising information related to each instrument to be calibrated, the portable device being operable to receive calibration requests from the management device and to facilitate input of data from an instrument the subject of calibration, and the management device being operable to facilitate generation of a calibration certificate or error report subsequent to receipt of input data from the portable device. |
| US09704382B2 |
Method for calculating error rate of alarm
Disclosed is a method for calculating an error rate of alarm that reports a failure of facility, calculating a true probability and a false probability of alarms generated for each time zone by a past failure record data and calculating the error rate of the alarm at a rate of the false probability to the true probability of the alarms generated for each time zone. |
| US09704381B2 |
Method for implementing quality alarms in an energy management system remote terminal
Methods for creating high quality alarms raise EMS operator awareness to abnormal conditions in monitored assets across multiple sites in a single EMS software platform. An embodiment includes steps for accessing an alarm designer software tool that contains a library of alarm definitions and the ability to create new alarm definitions, clone and edit existing alarm definitions, lock alarm definitions and delete alarm definitions. Applicable data is defined using channel attributes identifying which channel or channels associated with the multiple monitored sites are to be evaluated for alarming conditions. The alarm frequency, trigger conditions, pending open duration, close conditions, and pending close duration are also defined. Alarms can trigger upon one or more channels' behavior over periods of time and conditional relationships between multiple channels. Close conditions for an alarm can be, but are not required to be, the resolution of the trigger conditions. |
| US09704379B2 |
Sensor-containing electronic device button with optimized tactile characteristics
According to one embodiment, a displacement control member may be operationally coupled with a selectable button of a hazard detector so that axial depression of the selectable button effects pivoting of the selectable button and the displacement control member into contact with a switch of the hazard detector. The displacement control member may be coupled with the selectable button so that a ratio of a distance from the switch to a point of user contact with the selectable button and a distance from the switch to a pivot point of the displacement control member is similar regardless of where the user contacts the selectable button. The displacement control member may equalize a user input force that is required to activate the hazard detector's switch. |
| US09704373B2 |
Smart lug system
A device includes a device body that further includes a first attachment mechanism for attaching to another object, structure, or item of equipment. The device also includes wireless communication circuitry affixed to the device body, and one or more sensor components affixed to the device body, coupled to the wireless communication circuitry, and configured to sense environmental parameters associated with the device or with the object, structure or item of equipment. The device may further include powering circuitry, affixed to the device body, and configured to provide electrical power to the wireless communication circuitry and/or the one or more sensor components. The device may include a lug, connector or terminal. |
| US09704369B2 |
Autonomous fall monitor using an altimeter with opposed sensing ports
A system, a method and an apparatus for autonomous monitoring, detecting and tracking of at least one of movement and orientation of a body or portion of a body. The apparatus comprises a device configured to monitor the translational movement and/or rotational movement of the body; and an altimeter including at least one pair of opposed high sensitivity sensors configured to measure changes in height of the body. An alert condition is determined based on the translational and/or rotational movement of the body and changes in height of the body or portion of the body. The alert condition may comprise a hard fall event, a soft fall event, a susceptibility to a fall, or a near fall event. |
| US09704368B2 |
Personal alarm system
A personal alarm system includes an electronic device that may be carried. The electronic device has an output port. An alarm is removably coupled to the electronic device and the alarm may be manipulated. The alarm is selectively turned on such that the alarm emits an audible alarm. Thus, the alarm may alert an observer to provide assistance. The alarm is turned on when the alarm is removed from the electronic device. |
| US09704367B2 |
Clean-room monitoring device and method for monitoring clean-room
A clean-room monitoring device for monitoring the interior of a clean-room having a floor in which a removable cover such as a grating or a non-porous cover is disposed, includes: a monitoring camera which captures an image of the removable cover; a monitor which detects the existence of an opening exposed when the removable cover is removed, based on an image signal obtained from the monitoring camera, detects the presence of a workman approaching the opening if it is detected that the opening exists, and outputs a warning signal if the workman is detected; and a warning generator which receives the warning signal from monitor and issues a warning. |
| US09704364B2 |
Notification appliance
A notification appliance is disclosed. The notification appliance may be a strobe notification appliance, such as an LED strobe notification appliance. The notification appliance may be wall-mounted or ceiling-mounted. Further, the notification appliance may include an optic that is configured to shape the light output from the notification appliance. For example, in a wall-mount, the optic may be mounted off-axis of a plane defined by a back plate of the notification appliance. Further, the notification appliance may be composed of a back plate, a driver board, and a front housing, with the front housing being attached to one or both of the back plate and the driver board. Moreover, the notification appliance may be used with an adapter bracket, which may be used to connect the notification appliance with one or more types of junction boxes. |
| US09704363B2 |
Human identification detection system, method and device
The invention provides a system, device and method designed to detect, alert and identify unwanted entry into areas by intruders. The invention is also designed to prevent escape from secured facilities. If escape from such a secured facility is realized, the system will identify and mark the intruder or escapee for immediate or later capture by local and or federal law enforcement authorities. The system will accomplish this by mechanical, electronic and chemical means. The system is also designed to be a territory denial system. Although the system will accomplish its means by clandestine deployment, the unseen but known presence of the device will cause a profound psychological block to any would be intruder to a given area that it is deployed in. The devices are deployed below ground just below the surface as a non-lethal landmine and subterranean several feet below ground as an anti-tunneling device. |
| US09704361B1 |
Projecting content within an environment
A user may input one or more messages (e.g., visual or audio content) with respect to a projection device that is to project the messages to users within an environment. The user may additionally input related information that dictates a context and manner in which the messages are to be projected. The projection device may monitor the environment to identify users, events or actions within the environment. Upon detecting and identifying a particular user, the projection device may visually project the messages onto a surface within the environment, or may audibly output the messages within the environment, which may convey a particular meaning to that user. Optionally, the projection device may authenticate the user in order to determine that the user is the intended recipient of the messages. |
| US09704359B2 |
Lighting control for location finding
Lighting control for location finding is disclosed. According to embodiments, lighting control can include determining, using a group of location detectors, a first location of a computing device of a user, and obtaining, from the computing device, a target location for the user. Lighting control can include determining a path from the first location to the target location, the path determined at least based on a lighting system including a group of light emitting diode (LED) arrays, and indicating, using a first LED array of the group of LED arrays, a first portion of the path to the target location. The first portion of the path can be indicated by determining, for the plurality of LEDs of the first LED array, at least one LED that is visible at the first location, and outputting light from the at least one LED that is visible at the first location. |
| US09704357B2 |
Transport goods monitoring device
There is disclosed inter alia a transport goods monitoring device having a cover which is configured to cover transport goods received by a transport goods receptacle, the cover comprising a conductor arrangement, the conductor arrangement being in a first state when the cover is intact, the conductor arrangement being transformable from the first state into a second state by damage of the cover and the conductor arrangement being connectable to a detector which is configured to detect the existence of the second state. Furthermore, there is disclosed an arrangement comprising a transport goods receptacle which is configured to receive transport goods, and such a transport goods monitoring device, the cover of the transport goods monitoring device covering the transport goods receptacle and optionally transport goods arranged thereon. Also disclosed is the use of such a transport goods monitoring device for safeguarding transport goods received by a transport goods receptacle. |
| US09704350B1 |
Musical combat game
A computerized technique for use with a game console, the technique including providing, using the game console, a combat video game that includes a weapon, providing, using the game console and an audiovisual system, music as a player plays the video game, analyzing, using the game console, at least one of i) the music, and ii) metadata relating to the music, to determine a property, and controlling the operation of the weapon, using the game console, as a function of the property. |
| US09704345B1 |
Single action betting system and method
A method and system are disclosed for placing a bet via the Internet on a computing device. The bet is placed by a player using the computing device and received by a backend system over a link using a single action methodology. |
| US09704343B2 |
Transient or persistent game play in wagering games
In at least some aspects, a method includes the acts of operating a wagering game with a player on a first game platform, suspending the wagering game operating on the first game platform at a game state, automatically authenticating the player at a second game platform different than the first game platform, resuming the wagering game from the game state on the second game platform, and operating the resumed wagering game with the player differently on the second game platform than on the first game platform, the second game platform having one or more different components than the first game platform to cause the wagering game to be operated differently on the second game platform than the first game platform. |
| US09704339B2 |
Slot machine game and system with improved jackpot feature
A system for awarding a progressive prize includes a bank of gaming machines accepting different bets per play as selected by a player. A random number is selected from a predetermined fixed range of numbers that does not change during play of a gaming machine. The player is allotted one or more numbers for each credit bet. The allotted numbers represent a subset of the predetermined fixed range of numbers. A feature game is triggered for the progressive prize based on a numerical comparison between the selected random number and the number(s) allotted to the player. Certain embodiments provide a trigger condition for a feature outcome based on an event having a probability related to credits bet per game at a gaming machine. A probability of success in the feature game may be higher than a probability of success in the base game. |
| US09704334B2 |
Lottery ring, lottery ring unit with lottery ring, game machine with lottery ring unit, control method of controlling computer used in game machine, and computer program
A lottery ring includes a first ring and a second ring that have a ring shape and are concentrically arranged so as to form a layer; and a constraining device that operates between a constraint state for constraining the first ring and the second ring such that the first ring and the second ring integrally rotate on the same center and a release state for releasing the constraint state such that the first ring and the second ring relatively rotate, wherein accommodating units that accommodate a physical lottery medium are provided at the first ring along a rotation direction, and information providing units that are arranged along the rotation direction so as to respectively correspond to the accommodating units through the layer, and associated respectively with predetermined information is provided at the second ring. |
| US09704333B2 |
Method of gaming, a game controller and a gaming system
A method of gaming at a gaming machine. The method includes designating a symbol display position of a plurality of symbol display positions as having a bonus symbol set applying to it for a game round, and selecting and displaying a symbol from the bonus symbol set at the designated symbol display position. The method also includes selecting symbols for display at the other symbol display positions from a base symbol set independently of the selection of the symbol from the bonus symbol set, and evaluating the symbols displayed at the plurality of symbol display positions to determine whether to make an award for the game round. |
| US09704331B2 |
Means for controlling payback percentage of gaming device
Embodiments of the present concept provide means to control the payback percentage of games being played on gaming devices. In one example, a gaming device includes a processor configured to initiate a payback-controlling event and determine a game outcome to display on the game display in response to a gaming event being initiated. Here, the determined game outcome is a payback-controlling outcome when the payback-controlling event satisfies the payback-controlling criterion, and the determined game outcome is a game outcome determined from the base-game paytable when the payback-controlling event does not satisfy the payback-controlling criterion. |
| US09704325B2 |
Cashbox with latch arrangement
A cashbox is provided with a movable latch that is driven by a banknote to a blocking position if an attempt to ‘phish’ a stacked banknote from the cashbox occurs. The latch arrangement is easily pivoted in one direction from a neutral position to a clear position during stacking of a banknote. If an attempt is made to ‘phish’ a stacked banknote, the banknote being “phished” causes rotation of the latch arrangement from the neutral position to a banknote inlet blocking position retaining the banknote in the cashbox. |
| US09704323B2 |
Coin discrimination apparatus
A coin discrimination apparatus capable of discriminating the denomination and authenticity of coins including bimetallic coins. A first coin detection sensor, located near a guide, obtains a physical characteristic of a peripheral part of a coin moved on a carrying path. A second coin detection sensor, located apart from the guide, obtains a physical characteristic about a central part of the coin. A third coin detection sensor, located on a downstream side of respect to the first sensor, obtains a physical characteristic about the peripheral part of a coin. A fourth coin detection sensor, located downstream of the second sensor and apart from the guide, obtains a physical characteristic about a central part of the coin. An additional physical characteristic about the peripheral part of the coin is obtained by cooperation of the second and third sensors when the coin reaches the third sensor. |
| US09704322B2 |
Money handling apparatus, money managing system, and money managing method
The present disclosure relates to a money handling apparatus including: a money storage unit configured to store money; a locking unit configured to limit access to the money storage unit; and a control unit configured to give unlock permission to unlock the locking unit to at least one of a plurality of qualified persons who are qualified to unlock the locking unit, and to perform a process involving change of the qualified person. |
| US09704321B1 |
Key device and associated method, computer program and computer program product
It is presented a key device comprising: a mechanical interface for mechanically maneuvering a lock device upon successful access control. The mechanical interface comprises a connector for powering the lock device and for communication with the lock device such that the lock device is able to perform electronic access control using the key device. The key device further comprises a clock; a memory; a radio communication module; and a controller arranged to, using the radio communication module communicate online with an access control device and use the memory as temporary storage for offline communication between the access control device and one or more lock devices. A corresponding method, computer program and computer program product are also presented. |
| US09704320B2 |
Intelligent door lock system with encryption
An intelligent door lock system is provided at a dwelling by a designated dwelling user. An intelligent door lock system has a remotely operable lock at a dwelling accessible by a user. A server is in communication with the intelligent door lock system. The server has a handshake key (Kh) with a key exchange that provides for a communication session between a mobile device and the intelligent door lock system, wherein the mobile device does not have the (Kh). A user mobile device is in communication with the server and uses a cipher to provide a secured communication between the mobile device and the intelligent door lock system. |
| US09704319B2 |
Real estate wireless lockbox
A system and method are described regarding a wireless lockbox that can be used to manage real estate sales tours. A system can include various owners and buyers that create a searchable real estate listing. Buyers can review the list via computing device, such as a smartphone, and request home tours. Owners can review requests and approve potential buyers to tour their property. When the potential buyer approaches the property, software on their computing device can communicate via Bluetooth, or another wireless network, and unlock the wireless lockbox. |
| US09704315B2 |
Contextual data delivery to other users at an electronic lockbox
An electronic lockbox system allows both sales agents and sales prospects to communicate either with the lockbox, or with the central clearinghouse computer. Contextual data then is provided to the sales prospect while the prospect is visiting a specific property that is the site of a lockbox installation. Both the agent and the prospect use smart devices, such as smart phones, that have both wide area network capability and low power radio capability. In other situations, contextual data can be sent to a user having a smart device, in which that contextual data pertains to at least one human occupant of the specific property where that lockbox has been installed, which can be useful where a medical caregiver arrives to visit a human occupant of a specific property that is protected by the electronic lockbox. |
| US09704312B2 |
Apparatus and methods for identity verification
An identity verification device comprises a cellular telecommunications modem and a fingerprint scanner coupled to the modem, the verification device being configured for storing first fingerprint data in an enrolment process and being operable, in response to the modem receiving a verification command via a cellular telecommunications network, to perform a verification process in which the fingerprint scanner scans a fingerprint to obtain second fingerprint data, the first and second fingerprint data are compared with each other, and in the event of a match between the first and second fingerprint data, the modem transmits a response signal to a predetermined destination via the telecommunications network. The device may be used in a networked telecommunications system in which the electronic transactions may be initiated by smart cards and other devices. |
| US09704310B2 |
Multi-mode vehicle computing device supporting in-cab and stand-alone operation
Techniques involving connecting an in-cab computing device to an onboard computing device mounted in a vehicle. Vehicle-related information may be communicated between the in-cab computing device and onboard computing device while the in-cab computing device is connected to the onboard computing device. Techniques involve facilitating disconnection of the in-cab computing device from the onboard computing device and operating the in-cab computing device in a stand-alone mode, and facilitating reconnection of the in-cab computing device to the onboard computing device to resume operations between the in-cab computing device and onboard computing device. |
| US09704307B2 |
Vehicle diagnostics apparatus, diagnostics unit and methods
A diagnostics unit (10) for detecting a noise, vibration, harshness (NVH) type fault observed by a user of a vehicle (90). The diagnostics unit (10) comprising: a stud type attachment means (20) for rigidly attaching the diagnostics unit (10) to a test component (30) of the vehicle (90), for example a transfer case (30). The diagnostics unit (10) also comprises an accelerometer (28a, 28b) for detecting a force of acceleration in at least one axial direction (‘X’). A power source (27) is provided within the diagnostics unit (10) along with a Bluetooth® data transmitter (25) for transmitting data gathered by the accelerometer (28a, 28b) of the diagnostics unit (10) to a computing device (50), such as a lap-top disposed within the vehicle (90). The data is analysed by the lap-top (50) to identify which component of the transfer case (30) (for example, gear, chain, bearing) is faulty. |
| US09704305B2 |
Method of predicting the future operation of a vehicle
A method for predicting the future operation of a vehicle is disclosed which uses stored data representative of commonly followed routes to predict the future operation of the vehicle for the current trip. By establishing that the route currently being followed is comparable to one of the commonly followed routes, information relating to that “common route” is then used to predict the future operation of the vehicle for the current trip. |
| US09704304B2 |
System for managing mining machinery, method for managing mining machinery, and dump truck
A management system for a mining machine on which tires are mounted and which travels in a mine by operation performed by a driver includes: a determination unit configured to determine whether or not a damaging operation damaging the tires has been carried out; a data acquisition unit configured to acquire damaging operation data indicating carrying out of the damaging operation, and one or both of driver identification data indicating a driver who has carried out the damaging operation and position data indicating a position of the mining machine on which the damaging operation has been carried out; and a data output unit configured to output association data containing the damaging operation data associated with one or both of the driver identification data and the position data. |
| US09704298B2 |
Systems and methods for generating 360 degree mixed reality environments
Systems and methods for generating a 360 degree mixed virtual reality environment that provides a 360 degree view of an environment in accordance with embodiments of the invention are described. In a number of embodiments, the 360 degree mixed virtual reality environment is obtained by (1) combining one or more real world videos that capture images of an environment with (2) a virtual world environment that includes various synthetic objects that may be placed within the real world clips. Furthermore, the virtual objects embedded within the 360 degree mixed reality environment interact with the real world objects depicted in the real world environment to provide a realistic mixed reality experience. |
| US09704292B2 |
Virtualized site survey systems and methods for cell sites
A virtual site survey method at a cell site utilizing three-dimensional (3D) models for remote performance includes obtaining a plurality of photographs of a cell site comprising one or more of a cell tower and one or more buildings and interiors thereof; subsequent to the obtaining, processing the plurality of photographs to define a three dimensional (3D) model of the cell site based on one or more objects of interest in the plurality of photographs; and remotely performing a site survey of the cell site utilizing a Graphical User Interface (GUI) of the 3D model to collect and obtain information about the cell site, the cell tower, the one or more buildings, and the interiors thereof. |
| US09704286B2 |
Information processing apparatus, method, and storage medium for generating a viewpoint independent map
An information processing apparatus acquires viewpoint information indicating a viewpoint for which rendering of a 3D scene is performed and generates, by a predetermined calculation, a viewpoint independent map for an object included in a rendering scope based on the acquired viewpoint information. And then the apparatus stores each pixel of the generated viewpoint independent map in association with a distance between an object corresponding to the pixel and the viewpoint indicated by the acquired viewpoint information. The apparatus does not perform the predetermined calculation in a case where a pixel of the viewpoint independent map for the object included in the rendering scope corresponding to the distance from the viewpoint indicated by the acquired viewpoint information is already stored. |
| US09704285B2 |
Detection of partially obscured objects in three dimensional stereoscopic scenes
System and methods for user interface elements for use within a 3D scene. The 3D scene may be presented by at least one display, which includes displaying at least one stereoscopic image of the 3D scene by the display(s). The 3D scene may be presented according to a first viewpoint. One or more user interface elements may be used. The 3D scene may be updated in response to the use of the user interface elements. |
| US09704282B1 |
Texture blending between view-dependent texture and base texture in a geographic information system
Systems and methods for rendering a view-dependent texture in conjunction with a three-dimensional model of a geographic area are provided. A view-dependent texture can be rendered in conjunction with at least portions of the three-dimensional model. A base texture can be rendered for portions of the three-dimensional model in the same field of view that are viewed from a slightly different perspective than a reference direction associated with the view-dependent texture. For instance, a stretching factor can be determined for each portion of the three-dimensional model based on the reference direction and a viewpoint direction associated with the portion of the three-dimensional model. A base texture, a view-dependent texture, or a blended texture can be selected for rendering at the portion of the three-dimensional model based on the stretching factor. |
| US09704281B2 |
Systems and methods for creation and sharing of selectively animated digital photos
A method of generating distributable and/or shareable selectively animated images comprising the steps of: (a) opening a client computer program, implemented as client computer program loaded on a mobile device; (b) capturing or accessing a video content; (c) using a user interface of the client computer program, a user drawing a path or region on an image frame from the video content to be animated (“animated region”), wherein the client computer program generated based on the animated region a mask, wherein the mask represents the static portion of a selectively animated image, and the mask is operable to mask underlying animated regions; and (d) the client computer program initiating, at the mobile device or via a server linked to the mobile device, the composition of a series of images including user selected animated regions, by rendering an animated image based on mask and the underlying masked animated regions. A computer program is provided for implementing the steps of the method, which may consist of a mobile application. The computer program may include a server application that cooperates with the mobile application for enabling the animated image composition processes and/or distribution and sharing of the animated images. A computer system is provided that includes a mobile device implementing the mobile application and optionally a server implementing the server application. |
| US09704277B2 |
Vectorized graph processing
An input graph is decomposed into a graph topology component and a graph properties component. A matrix representation is generated for each of the graph topology component and the graph properties component. Each of the graph topology matrix representation and graph properties matrix representation are partitioned into one or more sub-matrices. A forward pass comprising one or more vectorized operations is performed over the one or more sub-matrices. An output matrix is generated in response to the performing step. |
| US09704276B1 |
Enhancement and display methods for intuitively read three-dimensional visual representations of digital audio files
The proposed method creates a detailed, accurate, frequency and amplitude-based three-dimensional moving display of digital audio files. It adds timestamps, used later in the process to achieve accurate synchronization between a moving display and playback of the analyzed audio file. It details how the analyzed data is processed and enhanced to prominently show the most fundamental elements in the audio file. The method proposes different layouts for displays and ways of showing separate elements of the audio simultaneously. Upcoming audio is displayed in locations that allow viewers to anticipate and react to events about to happen. It introduces the temporal plane of playback for clearly showing the part of the moving display that corresponds to the exact part of the analyzed audio that is playing. The temporal plane of playback demonstrates the direct correlation with the audio and accurate synchronization between sound and picture. |
| US09704275B2 |
Dielectric encoding of medical images
Microwave imaging apparatus and method for completely imaging the human body (or portions thereof) in sufficient detail to render a timely and accurate medical diagnosis by trained medical professionals. The data conversion processes presented will not require physicians and radiologists to learn to use image data in a format they are not familiar with. Hounsfield encoded and/or MRI intensity encoded medical images in the DICOM format are provided from reconstructed dielectric images obtained from raw scattering data. This allows for the exchange of information created from microwave imaging techniques to be implemented with existing diagnostic tools and analysis techniques. Furthermore, methods are presented for converting image data with Hounsfield encoded units to an image with dielectric encoded units. |
| US09704273B2 |
Image processing device, method, and imaging device
An image processing device including: a color correction section that is input with an RGB signal, and performs color correction on the RGB signal; a YC conversion section that converts the color corrected RGB signal to a first brightness signal and a color difference signal; a Y conversion section that is input with the RGB signal, and generates a second brightness signal from the RGB signal; a processor configured to execute a process, the process including computing a ratio at which to combine the first brightness signal and the second brightness signal based on the RGB signal; and a combining section that combines the first brightness signal and the second brightness signal at the computed ratio. |
| US09704263B2 |
Methods of and apparatuses for identifying geological characteristics in boreholes
A method of detecting an edge of a geological characteristic in a borehole comprises, in respect of an image log of a length of a borehole, carrying out the steps of a gradient-based edge detection method, a phase congruence-based edge detection method or a combination of such methods as preliminary, pre-processing stages. Subsequent steps of the method may include operating a relatively computationally simple process to identify sinusoids among detected edge features; and a relatively computationally complex process for parameterizing the thus-identified sinusoids. |
| US09704261B2 |
Image segmentation processing method and apparatus
Embodiments of the present invention provide an image processing method and apparatus, where the method includes: determining a Gaussian mixture model of a first area in a first image, where the first area belongs to a background area of the first image, and the first image is a first frame of image in a video; determining a distance from a first pixel in a second image to the Gaussian mixture model; and when the distance from the first pixel to the Gaussian mixture model is less than or equal to a first preset threshold, determining that the first pixel belongs to a background area of the second image. In the embodiments of the present invention, an area to which a pixel belongs can be directly determined according to a distance from the pixel to a Gaussian mixture model, so that image foreground segmentation can be completed efficiently. |
| US09704259B2 |
People counting device and people counting method
A people counting device includes an edge extracting unit configured to extract an edge from a planar image of a target area, and a circle candidate detecting unit configured to detect a circle candidate included in the planar image based on the edge extracted by the edge extracting unit. The people counting device further includes a person determining unit configured to calculate a brightness gradient for each edge pixel constituting an edge of each circle candidate detected by the circle candidate detecting unit and determine that a circle candidate whose uniformity of brightness gradients for the edge pixels of the circle candidate is higher than a reference is a person's head portion, and a people counting unit configured to count the number of circle candidates determined to be a person's head portion by the person determining unit. |
| US09704252B2 |
Method and apparatus for disparity estimation
A method for hierarchical disparity estimation on an image pair, wherein image pyramids are created by successively downscaling each image of the image pair, and an apparatus configured to perform the method are described. An initial disparity estimator applies a full search on a highest level of the image pyramids to determine initial disparity estimates, the highest level having the lowest resolution. A disparity propagator passes the initial disparity estimates to a next lower level of the image pyramids. An allocator then partitions the pixels of each remaining hierarchy level of the image pyramids into two or more groups of pixels, where each pixel in a group of pixels can be processed independently from remaining pixels of that group of pixels. A disparity estimator estimates disparity values for the pixels of a first group of pixels utilizing disparity estimates from a next higher level of the image pyramids. The disparity estimator further estimates disparity values for the pixels of remaining groups of pixels utilizing disparity estimates from a previously processed group of pixels in that hierarchy level. |
| US09704249B2 |
Method and system for object reconstruction
A system for object reconstruction includes an illuminating unit, comprising a coherent light source and a generator of a non-periodic pattern. A diffractive optical element (DOE) is disposed in an optical path of illuminating light propagating from the illuminating unit toward an object, thereby projecting the non-periodic pattern onto an object. An imaging unit detects a light response of an illuminated region and generating image data indicative of the object within the projected pattern. A processor reconstructs a three-dimensional (3D) map of the object responsively to a shift of the pattern in the image data relative to a reference image of the pattern. |
| US09704247B2 |
Information processing method and system
An identification code-based three-dimensional interactive technique includes acquiring an image including an identification-coded real object, the image being taken by video-capable equipment, identifying an identification code from the identification-coded real object, obtaining object information corresponding to the identification code, acquiring a reference image associated with the identification code and feature points of the reference image, obtaining a position, an orientation, or a combination thereof on the video-capable equipment relative to the identification-coded real object based on the reference image and the feature points of the reference image, and conducting a three-dimensional interaction based on the position, the orientation, or a combination thereof of the video-capable equipment relative to the identification-coded real object and the object information corresponding to the identification code. |
| US09704244B2 |
Localisation and mapping
A method generates a three-dimensional map of a region from successive images captured from different camera poses. The method includes a camera capturing images of the region; designating a subset of captured images as a set of keyframes each having respective sets of image position data representing image positions of landmark points detected as feature points in that image; for a newly captured image, generating a camera pose prediction; selecting an ordering of the landmark points; detecting whether an image region of the new image approximately matches an expected image position of a landmark point based on the predicted camera pose by detecting whether the image region is substantially identical to the image information associated with that landmark point; and refining the pose prediction from the detecting step. The selecting includes performing a statistical test on the landmark points and selecting the ordering according to the statistical test results. |
| US09704243B2 |
Matching patient images and images of an anatomical atlas
A matching transformation is determined for matching a patient image set of images of an anatomical body structure of a patient with an atlas image set of images of a general anatomical structure including anatomical atlas elements. Atlas spatial information containing spatial information on the general anatomical structure, and element representation information are obtained. The element representation information describes representation data sets which contain information on representations of the plurality of atlas elements in the atlas images to be determined are obtained, and also describes a determination rule for determining respective representation data sets for respective atlas elements in accordance with different respective parameter sets. Patient data is acquired by acquiring the patient image set and the parameter sets which are respectively associated with the images of the patient image set. The matching transformation is determined by matching images associated with the same parameter set to each other. |
| US09704242B2 |
Dynamic image processing apparatus and computer-readable recording medium for providing diagnosis support
An image processing apparatus includes: a storage unit configured to store corresponding information in which one or more images of one or more frame images included in a dynamic image and one or more calculation middle images generated from two or more frame images included in the dynamic image relative to the single pixel region for each pixel region including one or more pixels in a calculation result image having the statistic obtained by the calculation for a medical dynamic image as each pixel value; a specification unit configured to specify the one or more pixel regions in the calculation result image; and a determination unit configured to determine one or more output images based on one or more images corresponding to the one or more pixel regions specified by the specification unit in the corresponding information. |
| US09704238B2 |
Method for correcting position measurements for optical errors and method for determining mask writer errors
A method for correcting optical errors occurring in coordinates of positions of a plurality of targets measured via an imaging system comprising a field of view. The plurality of targets includes a first array of targets and a second array of targets overlapping the first array of targets, and a portion of the plurality of targets are outside of the field of view. The method broadly includes the following steps: a) placing the first array of targets in the field of view of the imaging system; b) measuring coordinates of each target within the first array of targets repeatedly via the imaging system; c) placing the second array of targets in the field of view of the imaging system; d) measuring coordinates of each target within the second array of targets repeatedly via the imaging system; e) determining an alignment function from the measurement results of step b, step d, or steps b and d, the alignment function being a function of coordinates of the field of view of the imaging system and giving an additive correction for optical errors of the coordinates of positions of the plurality of targets measured by the imaging system; f) correcting the coordinates of the positions of the plurality of targets measured by the imaging system by adding the respective value of the alignment function at the field-of-view coordinates at which the coordinates of the position of the respective target were measured; and, g) obtaining a final result for the position of each target of the plurality of targets by averaging over the corrected coordinates found in step f for the respective target at each relative position of the plurality of targets and field of view of the imaging system. |
| US09704237B2 |
Measuring method and measuring device
A measuring unit (301) acquires measurement data for a plurality of lines by repeatedly executing, on a reference tire, a measurement process to acquire measurement data for one line. A first acquisition unit (311) generates height data for one line for each of the plurality of sets of measurement data measured by the measuring unit (301), arranges the generated plurality of values of one-dimensional height data into a matrix form, generates two-dimensional height data for the measured face, and generates reference shape data. A second acquisition unit (314) acquires object one-dimensional height data from one-line shape data measured by the measuring unit (301) for the object tire. The measuring method and measuring device are characterized in that a removal unit (315) compares the object one-dimensional height data and the one-dimensional height data of the reference shape data at the same position in the sub-scan direction for the object one-dimensional height data, and removes, from the object one-dimensional height data, the height component of the projection. |
| US09704236B2 |
Detecting printing effects
A method for detecting printing defects includes, with a physical computing system, creating a matched reference image from a digital image, colors of said matched reference image being closer matched to a scanned image of said digital image. The method further includes, with said physical computing system, determining a color difference between corresponding points on said matched reference image and said scanned image; and with said physical computing system, identifying points that have said color distance greater than a predefined threshold as potential defects. |
| US09704235B2 |
Semiconductor inspection system
When the lengths of FEM wafers are automatically measured, not only the sizes of targets, the lengths of which are to be measured, are often varied from those in registration, but also the patterns of the targets are often deformed. Therefore, it is difficult to automatically determine whether the length measurement is possible or not. Therefore, the following are executed with a semiconductor inspection system: (1) a process of identifying the position of the contour line of an inspected image using a distance image calculated from a reference image, (2) a process of calculating a defect size image based on the position of the contour line with respect to the identified distance image, and detecting a defect candidate from the defect size image, and (3-1) a process of, upon detection of the defect candidate, calculating the size of the detected defect candidate, or (3-2) a process of detecting a portion different between the first and second contour lines as the defect candidate. |
| US09704234B2 |
Adaptive local threshold and color filtering
Methods and systems for detecting defects on a wafer using adaptive local thresholding and color filtering are provided. One method includes determining local statistics of pixels in output for a wafer generated using an inspection system, determining which of the pixels are outliers based on the local statistics, and comparing the outliers to the pixels surrounding the outliers to identify the outliers that do not belong to a cluster of outliers as defect candidates. The method also includes determining a value for a difference in color between the pixels of the defect candidates and the pixels surrounding the defect candidates. The method further includes identifying the defect candidates that have a value for the difference in color greater than or equal to a predetermined value as nuisance defects and the defect candidates that have a value for the difference in color less than the predetermined value as real defects. |
| US09704232B2 |
Stereo vision measurement system and method
A method for automatic, stereo vision based, in-line solder ball height and substrate coplanarity inspection includes providing an imaging setup together with an imaging processor for reliable, in-line solder ball height measurement. The imaging set up includes a pair of cameras mounted at two opposing angles with ring lighting around each camera lens, which allows the capture of two images of an electronics package in parallel. The lighting generates features on solder balls located on a substrate of the electronics package, which are then used to determine height. Specifically, points with the same intensity on each solder ball surface are grouped, which allows for the formation of curves, also known as iso-contours, which are then matched between the two views. An optimized triangulation is then performed to determine the height of each one of the solder balls. |
| US09704231B1 |
Measuring and visualizing impact of image modifications
Implementations relate to visualizing and measuring impact of image modifications. In some implementations, a method to measure and indicate impact of image modification includes applying an edit operation to a first image, including modifying one or more pixels of the first image to provide a modified image. The method determines an impact score associated with the edit operation and indicative of a degree of visual impact of the edit operation to the first image. The method provides, based on the impact score, the modified image in a visualization of image modification for the first image, and provides the visualization for display by a display device. |
| US09704221B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing method
An image processing apparatus includes an input unit to input image data. A first correction unit performs a first type of correction for the input image data, based on a result of analysis of the image data. A storage unit stores the corrected image data. A second correction unit performs a first type of manual correction for the stored image data using a correction parameter in accordance with a user instruction. A third correction unit performs a second type of correction for the input image data, based on a result of analysis of the image data in a case when a second type of correction instruction based on an image analysis is input, after the first type of manual correction is performed by the second correction unit. The second type of correction is different from the first type of correction. |
| US09704217B2 |
Apparatus and method for non-uniform frame buffer rasterization
An apparatus and method are described for a non-uniform rasterizer. For example, one embodiment of an apparatus comprises: a graphics processor to process graphics data and render images using the graphics data; and a non-uniform rasterizer within the graphics processor to determine different resolutions to be used for different regions of an image, the non-uniform rasterizer to receive a plurality of polygons to be rasterized and to responsively rasterize the polygons in accordance with the different resolutions. |
| US09704216B1 |
Dynamic size adjustment of rendered information on a display screen
Provided herein in some embodiments is an apparatus including a rendered information-adjustment module configured to cooperate with a display interface to dynamically size-adjust rendered information displayed on the display screen, a distance module, a vision properties module, and a display modification module. The distance module can be configured to periodically determine a facial proximity to the display screen for the user in accordance with a periodic algorithm. The vision properties module can be configured to collect vision properties and store the vision properties in a vision record for the user. The display modification module can be configured to determine a direction and a magnitude for adjusting the rendered information to a new size. The periodic algorithm conserves the battery power by periodically invoking the one or more facial proximity sensors, which, in turn, reduces otherwise continuous battery power-draining size adjustments to the rendered information on the display screen. |
| US09704215B2 |
Display device and method for controlling panel self refresh operation thereof
A display device includes a source unit; and a sink unit connected with the source unit via an embedded display port interface for signal transmission between the source and sink units and to enable a panel self refresh (PSR) mode for reducing power, wherein, for an input still image, the source unit applies power to a frame buffer of the sink unit and transmits the still image to the sink unit, wherein the sink unit determines whether the still image can be losslessly compressed and stored in the frame buffer, outputs a first control signal if the still image can be losslessly compressed and stored in the frame buffer, and outputs a second control signal if the still image cannot be losslessly compressed and stored, and wherein the source unit activates the PSR mode for the first control signal, and deactivates the PSR mode for the second control signal. |
| US09704208B2 |
System and method for accessing healthcare appointments from multiple disparate sources
Healthcare appointment information system and method enabling a patient to manage multiple accounts with third party sources through a single account. A user account is created for storing individual user healthcare data such as user preferences (e.g., Monday morning appointments or willingness to be placed on waiting lists), user names and passwords (for accessing third-party sources), contact information (phone, email, text), insurance plans, gender, age, medications, existing appointments and other healthcare information enabling the system to book an appointment on behalf of the patient on one or more availability sources. In addition to booking on the patient's behalf, the account information also enables patient communications with the various sources to be conducted through the system. For example, notifications from other availability sources can be transmitted through the system, which may reformat the message and communicate the reformatted message to the patient. The patient response may then be transmitted via the system to the source. These communications or their content may also be used to update the user account information. |
| US09704207B2 |
Administering medical digital images in a distributed medical digital image computing environment with medical image caching
Administering medical digital images including receiving a request for an image processing transaction to process the medical digital image; storing the medical image in one or more medical image caches; creating a medical image business object representing the business transaction; storing the medical image business object in the medical image metadata database; selecting, in dependence upon workflow selection rules and the attributes of the medical image business object, one or more clinical workflows to process the medical image; processing the medical image of the request with the clinical workflows, thereby creating a resultant business object and resultant medical image; routing the resultant medical image to a destination. |
| US09704206B2 |
System, method, and apparatus for settlement for participation in an electric power grid
Systems, methods, and apparatus embodiments for electric power grid and network registration and management of physical and financial settlement for participation of active grid elements in supply and/or curtailment of power, wherein Internet Protocol (IP)-based messages including IP packets are generated by transforming raw data content into settlement grade content. Settlement is provided for grid elements that participate in the electric power grid following initial registration of each grid element with the system, preferably through network-based communication between the grid elements and a coordinator, either in coordination with or outside of an IP-based communications network router. Messaging related to settlement is managed through a network by a Coordinator using IP messaging for communication with the grid elements, with the energy management system (EMS), and with the utilities, market participants, and/or grid operators. |
| US09704204B2 |
Methods and systems for tagging data in a network
Methods and systems for automatically tagging data are disclosed. A method includes capturing, by using an image capturing device, an image for processing. The method also includes extracting, by a data extraction device, data from the image by applying predefined rules. The method further includes determining, by a tagging device, a first identifier based on the extracted data. The method also includes associating, by a tagging device, the first identifier with the image for uniquely identifying the image. The method includes publishing, by a data publishing device, the image and the first identifier through a social media website being accessed computing device(s) based on a publishing setting defined by the user. |
| US09704202B1 |
Blending device-based recommendations
A method is provided for blending device-based recommendations. A request is received from a device to recommend a group activity for a plurality of individuals. A plurality of device user profiles is accessed, each device user profile associated with one of the individuals. At least one group activity is recommended based on applying a plurality of rules to the device user profiles. The at least one recommended group activity is output to the device. |
| US09704201B2 |
Method and system for detecting uninsured motor vehicles
A video sequence can be continuously acquired at a predetermined frame rate and resolution by an image capturing unit installed at a location. A video frame can be extracted from the video sequence when a vehicle is detected at an optimal position for license plate recognition by detecting a blob corresponding to the vehicle and a virtual line on an image plane. The video frame can be pruned to eliminate a false positive and multiple frames with respect to a similar vehicle before transmitting the frame via a network. A license plate detection/localization can be performed on the extracted video frame to identify a sub-region with respect to the video frame that are most likely to contain a license plate. A license plate recognition operation can be performed and an overall confidence assigned to the license plate recognition result. |
| US09704200B2 |
Itemization system with automated photography
Systems and methods for implementing itemization systems with automated photography are disclosed. An itemization task may include an itemization process and a photography process that uses a first camera set to a first field of view and a second camera set to a second field of view to take a first and second photo of an item undergoing itemization. The first and second cameras automatically take photos of the item based on user input during an itemization process. The first and second cameras remain stationary and do not require repositioning or refocusing when a new item is itemized. The itemization process may be performed using 10-key input. |
| US09704199B1 |
Insurance premium gap analysis
A method and apparatus for determining the amount of premium, policies, or quotations needed to improve market share in various geographic locations based on user selected criteria. The method comprises calculating a total estimated expenditure on insurance by zip code, an estimated market share for an insurance provider by zip code, a year-to-date sale-to-quote ratio by zip code, and finally the amount of premiums, policies, or quotations needed to achieve a market share in a zip code. The method and apparatus will also display or output demographic data, market data, insurance provider information, and calculated amounts of premiums, policies, or quotations needed to achieve a market share in a given zip code. |
| US09704194B2 |
Method and system to generate a listing in a network-based commerce system
Generating a listing in a network-based commerce system Listing identification data is received from a user, and listing data associated with the listing, based on the listing identification data, is retrieved. Thereafter, a listing is generated that is at least partially based on the listing data tier posting on the network-based commerce system. In one embodiment, the user may edit the listing data prior to the listing being posted. The network-based commerce system may include a database of listing data associated with at least one of movies, music, games, books and motor vehicles. In one embodiment, the proposed listing comprises a plurality of check boxes each of which is associated with an attribute of the listing and the system automatically, without human intervention, checks attributes based on the listing data. The editing by the user may include the user selecting one or more of the check boxes. |
| US09704188B1 |
Method and apparatus of creating electronic forms to include internet list data
A method and apparatus are disclosed that create an electronic form based on table data provided by Internet searching operations. One example may include determining at least one search term, querying, via a server, information provided by at least one network based on the search term, and copying at least one data table resulting from the information discovered during the querying operation. Additional operations may include parsing the at least one data table and storing the information in the server, displaying the data table to an end user so that the end user may select whether the data table should be included in the electronic form, and providing the user with the option to select and edit the contents of the data table. Upon the user's approval the data table may be copied into the electronic form. |
| US09704186B1 |
Aggregator application app for a mobile electronic device
A mobile electronic device is described that is configured to upload a commercial application to a centralized server. In an implementation, the mobile electronic device includes a memory, and a processor communicatively coupled to the memory. The mobile electronic device also includes an aggregator module stored in memory and executable by the processor. The module is also configured to instruct the processor to aggregates the product information with applicant information to generate a commercial application relating to the product, the commercial application comprising an application for services from at least one a lending entity, an insurance entity, or a third-party service entity. The module is also configured to instruct the processor to cause transmission of the commercial application to a central server. The commercial application is accessible to the at least one of the lending entity, the insurance entity, or the third-party service entity. |
| US09704185B2 |
Product recommendation using sentiment and semantic analysis
In an approach to determine a product rating a computer receives a user request for a product rating. The computer retrieves from on-line sources, product information on the product and analyzes the product information to determine a first product rating. The analysis includes at least a sentiment, and a trend of the sentiment. The approach includes a computer identifying products similar to the product and retrieving from on-line sources product information on similar products. A computer extracts comments on the product from the similar product information and determines an adjustment to the first product rating based on an analysis of the comments and references to the product in the similar product information. The adjustment to the first product rating includes using a sentiment, a trend of the sentiment over time, and a frequency of comments and references to the product over time in the retrieved plurality of similar product information. |
| US09704180B2 |
Distribution device, terminal device, distribution method, and non-transitory computer readable storage medium
A distribution device according to the present application includes a distribution unit. The distribution unit distributes control information to a terminal device. The control information causes the terminal device to execute a detection procedure of detecting a position where a moving operation to move first content being displayed by the terminal device has been performed, and a display procedure of superimposing and displaying second content on the first content, based on the position detected by the detection procedure. For example, the display procedure causes the terminal device to execute processing of displaying, as second content, advertising content that allows an access to a web page provided by an advertiser, when the advertising content is selected by a user of the terminal device. |
| US09704178B2 |
Customizable sequence of content
A request for customized content may be received. Which content portion in a sequence of the customized content to provide may be determined based on state information regarding previous content interactions by a user of the client device. A next content portion in the sequence may then be provided based on that determination. Multiple different sequences may exist such that one of the sequences may be selected to be provided for a given user and/or client device. An effectiveness of the different sequences may be evaluated. |
| US09704176B2 |
Methods and apparatus to determine efficiencies of media delivery across platforms
Methods and apparatus to determine efficiencies of media delivery across platforms are disclosed. An example method includes measuring, with a sensor, first neuro-response data from a person when exposed to media output via a first media delivery platform type. Measuring second neuro-response data from the person when exposed to media output via a second media delivery platform type, different than the first media delivery platform type. Accessing a first and second performance metric for the respective media delivery platform type, the performance metrics based on a first and second reach of the respective media delivery platform types with respect to a target group of audience members. Accessing a first and second effectiveness metric for the respective media delivery platform types, the effectiveness metric based on the respective neuro-response data. Rating at least one of the first or second media delivery platform types based on the first and the second platform metrics. |
| US09704174B1 |
Conversion of loyalty program points to commerce partner points per terms of a mutual agreement
A computer converts a first quantity of loyalty program points of a loyalty program possessed by a member held in a first account to a second quantity of different loyalty program points possessed by the member held in a second account in accordance with a fixed ratio. The loyalty program points and the different loyalty program points are non-fungible, non-negotiable units of exchange. A mutual agreement exists between program operators to permit the conversion. Responsive to the converting: the first quantity of loyalty program points is subtracted from the first account; the second quantity of different loyalty program points is added to the second account; and the entity compensates the commerce partner in accordance with mutual agreement. A transformation results in the different loyalty program points that are subject to terms, conditions, or restrictions of the different loyalty program and not of the loyalty program. |
| US09704171B2 |
Methods and systems for quantifying and tracking software application quality
A computer-implemented method and system for quantifying and tracking software application quality based on aggregated user reviews. |
| US09704169B2 |
Digital publication monitoring by geo-location
A digital publication monitoring by geo-location is disclosed. A server system obtains publication information from one or more server devices of one or more publication data providers, for example, via respective APIs of the publication data providers. The publication information includes geo-location data. The server system stores the publication information in a database in association with the geo-location data. The server system authenticates a client and receives a query initiated by the client. The query indicates a geo-location or a geo-region of interest. The server system references the database to retrieve applicable publication information based on and responsive to the query for the geo-location or geo-region of interest. The server system responds to the query by initiating a response to the client containing response information that includes or is based on the retrieved publications for the geo-location or geo-region of interest. |
| US09704168B2 |
Method and system for implementing profiles for an enterprise business application
Methods and systems for implementing extensible profiles for enterprise applications. Users of the system are able to continuously extend their contact model by adding additional attributes or by adding related custom objects over a period of time. This permits the users of the system to adapt to changing circumstances and needs. Web services are able to perform operations on the extended attributes and objects through the use of profile adapters. Some embodiments also provide the ability to capture data from various sources, such as web surveys, data imports, and web services and write it to the extended attributes/objects. |
| US09704165B2 |
Systems and methods for determining value of social media pages
Systems and methods for evaluating the effectiveness of social media pages. Users of social media systems review and publish various kinds of content on social media pages, including various messages, audio clips, video clips, polls, web links, etc. A social media page evaluation system hosted on a physical server or a cloud receives a social media page that is to be evaluated, and provides results of an evaluation process. The evaluation process involves processing of various criteria and parameters that characterize engagements and interactions between users of social media pages. Results of an evaluation process include qualitative and quantitative attributes in connection with evaluating the effectiveness of published content on social media pages. Such results are useful for purposes of enriching content in social media pages, resulting in greater network traffic due to increased engagements and interaction among users of social media pages. |
| US09704163B2 |
Secondary market for gift cards where secondary market transactions do not physically transfer the same gift card between a seller and a purchaser
A secondary entity can purchase a gift card from a card holder. The secondary entity can extract complete information including identification and access information from the gift card and store this information on a database. The physical artifact of the gift card can then be optionally discarded or recycled. This information including the credit value can then be sold independent of the physical artifact (e.g., original gift card object) within the secondary market. When sold, the specific information for the original gift card is extracted from the database and programmed into a new artifact (i.e., blank gift card), which may be at a different location as the original gift card. For example, the credit value can be made accessible from a different physical artifact, which can be physically conveyed to a value purchaser. This different physical artifact can be utilized in the same manner as the original gift card. In one embodiment, the secondary entity can be remunerated for facilitating the transactions between the card holder and the value purchaser. |
| US09704160B2 |
Trusted execution environment for transport layer security key pair associated with electronic commerce and card not present transactions
According to some embodiments, a requesting application executing on a mobile device may request a transport layer security key pair in connection with a payment transaction. Responsive to the request, a trusted execution environment client of the mobile device may route a request to a payment application executing in a secure trusted execution environment of the mobile device. It may then be arranged, within the secure trusted execution environment, to create the transport layer security key pair and provide key pair to the requesting application. Moreover, in some embodiments, the mobile device may transmit payment transaction information to an access control server and receive a request for biometric authentication. It may then be arranged for hardware within the mobile device to biometrically authenticate a user of the mobile device. |
| US09704159B2 |
Purchase transaction system with encrypted transaction information
Systems and methods are provided for securing payment card information. A user may present a payment card such as a credit card to point-of-sale equipment. The point-of-sale equipment may use a symmetric key to encrypt payment card information associated with the payment card. The symmetric key may be encrypted at the point-of-sale equipment using the identity-based-encryption (IBE) public key of a purchase transaction processor to produce a key transfer block. The key transfer block and the encrypted payment card information may be conveyed from the point-of-sale equipment to the purchase transaction processor over a communications network. At the purchase transaction processor, an IBE private key may be used to recover the symmetric key from the key transfer block. The symmetric key can be used to decrypt the encrypted payment card information for processing and re-encryption using a key associated with the purchase transaction processor. |
| US09704157B1 |
System and method for a mobile wallet
A computer-implemented method includes receiving a request for a code to provide to a merchant, the code being generated for the merchant to display to an account holder, generating the code, including embedding in the code a transaction identification number, a geographic location of the merchant, a timestamp, sending the code to the merchant for displaying to a mobile device to scan, receiving an amended code from the mobile device to transfer funds to the merchant from an account held by the account holder, and sending the requested funds to the merchant upon verifying a geographic location of the mobile device is within a predetermined distance of the geographic location of the merchant. |
| US09704156B2 |
Mobile secure element based shared cardholder verification
In a payment-enabled smartphone, a shared cardholder verification method (CVM) applet serves a number of mobile payment cardlets. The shared CVM applet validates CVM information input by a user of the smartphone and in response issues a CVM token. The CVM token is passed to a particular one of the mobile payment cardlets that is selected for a current transaction. The selected mobile payment cardlet submits the CVM token back to the shared CVM applet for verification. Upon verifying the CVM token, the shared CVM applet enables the selected mobile payment cardlet to perform the current transaction. |
| US09704151B2 |
Systems and methods for mobile application, wearable application, transactional messaging, calling, digital multimedia capture and payment transactions
A method for facilitating mobile device payments, multimedia capture, calling, and messaging may include providing a payment, multimedia capture, calling, and messaging interface on a display of a mobile and wearable device and sensing a haptic input of the user via the haptic control. In response to the haptic input, a cloud-based application associated with the mobile and wearable device may be activated. The haptic input may be analyzed to determine a duration of the haptic input. Based on the duration of the haptic input, an operation may be selected from the list of predetermined operations to be performed by the cloud-based application. The predetermined operations include at least a payment operation, a multimedia capture operation, a calling operation, and a messaging operation. The method may include operably connecting the mobile and wearable device to a cloud storage. Upon selection of the predetermined operation, the predetermined operation may be performed. |
| US09704150B2 |
Automatic gain control sub-circuit management
Aspects of the subject disclosure provide a reader device for managing operation of an automatic gain control (AGC) sub-circuit on a host device computing device. In some implementations, a reader device of the subject technology can include a controller, a noise generator, noise coupling circuitry, and a 3.5 mm audio plug including an audio bus that is configured for insertion into a headphone port of a host device, such as a smart phone or tablet computer. Upon connection of the reader device to the host computing device, the reader device can provide an intentional noise signal to the host device via a signal path where the intentional noise signal is configured to establish a substantially stable gain amount at the AGC sub-circuit. |
| US09704147B2 |
Method and system for authorizing access to goods and/or services and corresponding access voucher
A method for authorizing access to goods and services, including issuing an access voucher by a voucher issuing device, the access voucher having identification of the goods and services and an identification of the point of sale, presenting the access voucher to a reading device of the point of sale, transferring the identification of the goods and services and the identification of the point of sale by the reading device to a processing device of the point of sale, the processing device having access to a database with stored identification of goods and services and to a database with stored identification of the point of sale, comparing the transferred identification of goods and services and the transferred identification of the point of sale by the processing device with the stored identification of the goods and services and the stored identification of the point of sale, and authorizing access to the goods if the identification matches. |
| US09704146B1 |
Generating an online storefront
Method, systems, and apparatus for generating a storefront for a merchant, comprising: receiving a single indication to generate an online storefront for a point of sale system of the merchant, where the point of sale system includes inventory data of a plurality of items for sale; identifying the plurality of items for sale from the inventory data from point of sale system; and generating one or more resources for each item of the plurality of items for sale, where the one or more resources include details of the item, where the details are obtained from the inventory data, where the one or more resources are accessible from a web domain. |
| US09704143B2 |
Cryptographic currency for securities settlement
The present disclosure is directed to security settlement in financial markets and cryptographic currencies. Particular portions of the present disclosure are directed to a cryptographic currency protocol and to a cryptographic currency that includes a positional item. The cryptographic currency protocol supports a virtual wallet that, in various embodiments, is a security and cash account for storing and managing the cryptographic currency. Opening a transaction via the virtual wallet to transfer the cryptographic currency is a strong guarantee of the availability of funds in the virtual wallet because, e.g., funds are not transacted unless the commit phase is successful. |
| US09704136B2 |
Identifying subsets of signifiers to analyze
Identifying a subset of signifiers to analyze can include determining a set of distance metrics between a first signifier and each of a plurality of second signifiers, identifying a subset of the plurality of second signifiers to analyze based on the set of distance metrics using a computing device, and determining a relation between the subset of the plurality of second signifiers and the first signifier based a subset of the set of distance metrics. |
| US09704133B2 |
System and method for evaluating journal
A system and a method for objectively evaluating qualitative levels of academic journals in the field of science and engineering are disclosed. The system for evaluating journals includes: a winner or member's paper database which includes information of papers published by a researcher who is awarded a prize or elected to a member of the academy in the field of science and engineering; a journal database which includes information of papers published in journals to be evaluated; a winner or member's paper ratio evaluation section which calculates a winner or member's paper ratio for the journals by using the information of papers of the journal database and the information of papers of the winner or member's paper database; and a journal evaluation section which evaluates a degree of contribution of the journals in awarding the prize or electing to the member of the academy from the winner or member's paper ratio calculated by the winner or member's paper ratio evaluation section. |
| US09704130B2 |
Standard based mapping of industry vertical model to legacy environments
A standard based mapping of industry vertical models to legacy environments to suggest points of enterprise application integration. A representation of a first domain comprising industry model instance data is generated in a standard-based format from an enterprise industry model. A representation in the standard-based format of a second domain comprising legacy data is generated from the legacy environment. A set of inference rules is applied against the representation of enterprise industry model instance data and the representation of legacy data. One or more candidate legacy assets in the representation of legacy data capable of implementing an aspect of the enterprise industry model are identified. The identified one or candidate legacy assets for implementing the aspect of the enterprise industry model are then recommended to a user. |
| US09704125B2 |
Multi-level distribution planning
Systems and methods are described herein that provide multi-level distribution planning utilizing simplified inventory movements to simplify the distribution planning process for inventory movements that include cross-docking while identifying cross-docked inventory to the cross-dock locations to prevent unnecessary handling. A simplified inventory movement is constructed that represents a multi-level route as a single movement from source to destination with an associated lead time that includes all time-related factors that arise in moving the inventory from the source through the cross-dock locations to the destination. The simplified inventory movement is provided to distribution planning solutions and the distribution planning solutions treat the multi-level route in the same manner as a single level route having the same source, destination, and lead time. This simplifies the distribution planning process and prevents the inventory from being re-allocated by the distribution planning solutions. |
| US09704114B1 |
Systems and methods for recording defects
Disclosed are various systems, methods, and other embodiments for processing and recording defects. In one embodiment, an application is executed in a server that processes and records defects detected by a user at a receiving station client. Based on a retrieved vendor profile, the application selects an inspection sequence for a user to execute. The inspection sequence is selected based on a history of defects specified in the vendor profile. The application also determines whether supervision is needed based on the performance of the user. |
| US09704111B1 |
Electronic transcription job market
A system for transcription is controlled and optimized by computer software which implements a competitive market for jobs is presented. Jobs are characterized by type, deadline, domain, difficulty, pay rate, customer and other factors. Editors are given credentials to perform jobs based on a complex of editor and job characteristics, and all editors qualified for a given job may then perform actions to preview and to claim the job. Job characteristics are adjusted dynamically to ensure that they are completed accurately and according to schedule. |
| US09704109B2 |
Community travel booking
A community travel booking operation includes a collaborative or common portion or phase during which multiple travelers in a community are permitted to collaboratively search for travel recommendations and select a travel recommendation for the community, as well as an individual portion or phase during which travelers in the community individually purchase, book or otherwise complete individual reservations for the community's selected travel recommendation. By separating the booking operation into collaborative and individual portions or phases, travelers are permitted to collaborate on the selection of a travel recommendation, yet each traveler is then able to complete the booking of their own respective reservation without necessarily having to share personal or payment information with the other travelers in the community. |
| US09704106B2 |
Systems and methods for labeling source data using confidence labels
Systems and methods for the annotation of source data using confidence labels in accordance embodiments of the invention are disclosed. In one embodiment of the invention, a method for determining confidence labels for crowdsourced annotations includes obtaining a set of source data, obtaining a set of training data representative of the set of source data, determining the ground truth for each piece of training data, obtaining a set of training data annotations including a confidence label, measuring annotator accuracy data for at least one piece of training data, and automatically generating a set of confidence labels for the set of unlabeled data based on the measured annotator accuracy data and the set of annotator labels used. |
| US09704105B2 |
Transductive lasso for high-dimensional data regression problems
Various embodiments select features from a feature space. In one embodiment, a set of training samples and a set of test samples are received. A first centered Gram matrix of a given dimension is determined for each of a set of feature vectors that include at least one of the set of training samples and at least one of the set of test samples. A second centered Gram matrix of the given dimension is determined for a target value vector that includes target values from the set of training samples. A set of columns and rows associated with the at least one of the test samples in the second centered Gram matrix is set to 0. A subset of features is selected from a set of features based on the first and second centered Gram matrices. |
| US09704101B2 |
Method for operating an electronic state device by perturbating dangling bond electronic states
A quantum device is provided that includes controllably quantum mechanically coupled dangling bonds extending from a surface of a semiconductor material. Each of the controllably quantum mechanically coupled dangling bonds has a separation of at least one atom of the semiconductor material. At least one electrode is provided for selectively modifying an electronic state of the controllably quantum mechanically coupled dangling bonds. By providing at least one additional electron within the controllably quantum mechanically coupled dangling bonds with the proviso that there exists at least one unoccupied dangling bond for each one additional electron present, the inventive device is operable at least to 293 degrees Kelvin and is largely immune to stray electrostatic perturbations. Room temperature operable quantum cellular automata and qubits are constructed therefrom. |
| US09704098B2 |
Generating a classifier for performing a query to a given knowledge base
A computer device for generating a classifier for performing a query to a given knowledge base is provided. The given knowledge base includes predicates, subjects and objects related to each other. The computer device includes a selection entity for selecting one of the predicates, and a triple generation entity for generating, based on the given knowledge base, triples. Each of the triples includes the one selected predicate, and a subject and an object related to the one selected predicate. The computer device also includes a candidate generation entity for generating a list of properties. Each property of the list of properties is correlated to the subject and the object of one of the triples by performing a context-based query within the given knowledge base. The computer device includes a classifier generation entity for generating a classifier having the list of properties related to the selected predicate. |
| US09704094B2 |
Mapping of algorithms to neurosynaptic hardware
One embodiment of the invention provides a method comprising defining a brainlet representing a platform-agnostic network of neurons, synapses, and axons. The method further comprises compiling the brainlet into a corelet for mapping onto neurosynaptic substrate, and mapping the corelet onto the neurosynaptic substrate. The corelet is compatible with one or more conditions related to the neurosynaptic substrate. |
| US09704091B2 |
Wireless tag units
A wireless tag unit containing an antenna connected to a semiconductor element including communication and memory functions, a dielectric layer and a metal layer structured to be opposed with the antenna via the dielectric layer, the wireless tag unit having: a first conductive element electro-magnetically coupled with a metal surface of the metal layer; and a second conductive element electro-magnetically coupled with the first conductive element, the second conductive element being structured to be branched from the first conductive element; wherein a part of the second conductive element is structured above the antenna so as to keep a predetermined distance from the first conductive element, an open structure being provided with said a part of the second conductive element not to fully shield an area above the antenna. |
| US09704089B2 |
Systems and methods for programmable payment cards and devices with loyalty-based payment applications
A payment card (e.g., credit and/or debit card) or other device (e.g., mobile telephone) is provided with a magnetic emulator operable to communicate data to a magnetic stripe read-head. Data may include the type of reward that a user would like to earn as a result of making a purchase or the type of reward that a user would like to utilize to at least partially pay for a purchase. |
| US09704088B2 |
Cards and devices with multifunction magnetic emulators and methods for using same
A payment card (e.g., credit and/or debit card) is provided with a magnetic emulator operable of communicating information to a magnetic stripe reader. Information used in validating a financial transaction is encrypted based on time such that a validating server requires receipt of the appropriate encrypted information for a period of time to validate a transaction for that period of time. Such dynamic information may be communicated using such an emulator such that a card may be swiped through a magnetic stripe reader—yet communicate different information based on time. An emulator may receive information as well as communicate information to a variety of receivers (e.g., an RFID receiver). |
| US09704087B2 |
Apparatus and method to electromagnetically shield portable consumer devices
An apparatus and method is provided to shield contactless portable electronic consumer devices such as radio frequency identification devices (RFID), tokens, mini-cards, key fobs, cellular phones, smartcards, etc. from wireless interrogation. In one embodiment, a contactless portable consumer device which includes a first antenna is shielded from unauthorized wireless interrogation with a radio frequency (RF) shield. The RF shield includes electrically conductive, non-ferromagnetic material and is configured to prevent unauthorized data transfer between a second antenna external to the portable consumer device and the first antenna. |
| US09704085B2 |
Method and apparatus for detecting RF field strength
A method and apparatus for detecting RF field strength. A field strength reference generator develops a field strength reference current as a function of a field strength of a received RF signal; and a field strength quantizer develops a digital field-strength value indicative of the field strength reference current. In one embodiment, detected field strength is used to dynamically vary the impedance of a tank circuit whereby, over time, induced current is maximized. In another embodiment, using the quantized field strength to sense changes to the environment to which the RFID tag is exposed. |
| US09704083B2 |
Optical communication using differential images
Techniques related to optical communication including techniques for communicating barcodes using differential images. |
| US09704081B2 |
Information code, information code producing method, information code reader, and system which uses information code
An information code producing apparatus produces a free space inside the code region of an information code arranged on a medium such as sheets of paper. The free space is arranged at a position other than specification pattern regions. Data being interpreted, which are expressed by cells, are not recorded in the free space. The free space has a preset size which is larger than that of a single cell. The information code producing apparatus detects the size of this free space by, at least, either selection from a plurality of candidate shapes prepared in advance or input of shape designating information provided from the outside. |
| US09704079B2 |
Method for producing a radio-frequency identification tag
The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a radio-frequency identification tag comprising a textile material backing intended to receive a radio-frequency identification module coupled with an electrical antenna. The method comprises the following steps: a) depositing (E1) a thermosetting adhesive on an area of the textile backing, b) depositing (E2) said electrical antenna (12) on the adhesive layer; c) depositing (E3) said radio-frequency identification module on the antenna and the adhesive layer, the radio-frequency identification module being positioned so as to be coupled with the antenna and at least partially in contact with the adhesive layer; d) folding (E4) the textile backing so as to cover said antenna and said radio-frequency identification module; and e) hot-pressing (E5) the folded textile backing so as to embed at least partially the antenna and the radio-frequency identification module in the adhesive layer and polymerise at least partially said adhesive layer. |
| US09704076B2 |
Rotary encoder correcting method for a transport apparatus, and a transport apparatus using same
A rotary encoder correcting method for a transport apparatus having a rotary encoder for outputting output signals in response to rotation of a transport roller. The method includes the steps of setting beforehand the number of n-divided output signals obtained by dividing, by n, the number of output signals outputted from the rotary encoder with one rotation of the transport roller; measuring a divided area shift time for each divided area when a printing medium is transported at constant speed and each time the number of output signals agrees with the number of n-divided output signals; and calculating a correction coefficient for each divided area based on the divided area shift time. The divided area shift time is corrected for each divided area of the rotary encoder based on each correction coefficient when a process is carried out on the printing medium. |
| US09704075B2 |
Image processing system, process execution control apparatus, and image generation-output control apparatus, configured to exclude designated item from execution process to generate drawing information
An image processing system for sequentially executing processes includes a process execution control apparatus to control an execution of the processes, and an image generation-output control apparatus to control an execution of image generation-output operation. The process execution control apparatus includes a control-side drawing information generator to generate drawing information to be referred when an image forming apparatus performs the image generation-output operation. The image generation-output control apparatus includes an output-side drawing information generator corresponding to the control-side drawing information generator. The control-side drawing information generator excludes an execution result of a designated process item from execution results of a plurality of process items, to be executed for generating the drawing information, to generate designated-information-excluded image information. When process contents of the designated process item is set at the image generation-output control apparatus, the output-side drawing information generator executes the plurality of process items based on the designated-information-excluded image information. |
| US09704069B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing method
The present invention discloses an image processing evaluating apparatus and image processing method. The processing apparatus comprising: a confidence generation means for generating a classification confidence for each region in the image, the classification confidence represents the probability of an region belonging to a predefined class; and a classification means for classifying the regions in the image, which are obvious to be classified by their classification confidences, to respective classes based on the calculated confidences. The image processing apparatus further comprising: a fuzzy region extraction means for extracting one or more regions, which are not obvious to be classified by their classification confidences, as fuzzy regions; and a confidence update means for updating the classification confidence for each fuzzy region based on the classification confidences of adjacent regions thereof, wherein the classification means further classifies the fuzzy regions to respective classes based on the updated classification confidences. |
| US09704059B2 |
Anomaly detection in medical imagery
A method comprising using at least one hardware processor for computing a patch distinctiveness score for each of multiple patches of a medical image, computing a shape distinctiveness score for each of multiple regions of the medical image, and computing a saliency map of the medical image, by combining the patch distinctiveness score and the shape distinctiveness score. |
| US09704053B2 |
Method and magnetic resonance apparatus for planning a spectroscopy measurement
In a method for planning a spectroscopy measurement of an examination object by operation of a magnetic resonance apparatus, an image data record is selected that includes at least two images of a magnetic resonance measurement of the examination object, an isometric and/or isogonal region is determined in a first image of the at least two images, a region of interest is selected according to the isometric and/or isogonal region determined on the first image, and the first image is displayed, at least one further, second image of the image data record is displayed according to the selected region of interest, and the spectroscopy measurement is planned according to the displayed images. |
| US09704052B2 |
Image processing method for character recognition, character recognition apparatus using this method, and program
An image processing method of processing a gray-scale image of character strings arranged in a plurality of lines of text, for character recognition, includes setting at least a part of a range, in which the character strings in the gray-scale image area are distributed, as a search area, and setting, for each of a plurality of points arranged along one of two axes, representing coordinates in the image, corresponding to an arrangement of the line of text, a plurality of lines extending across the search area, with the point as a starting point, and accumulating, for each of the lines, pixel data in the line within the search area. |
| US09704051B2 |
Method and system for verifying identities
Verifying identities includes obtaining feature point information based at least in part on biometric information collected from a to-be-verified user to form a to-be-verified feature point information set, the to-be-verified feature point information set identifying the to-be-verified user, comparing the to-be-verified feature point information set with preset feature point information sets that were stored in advance, and in the event that a degree of match between the to-be-verified feature point information set and a preset feature point information set is less than a first predetermined threshold value, and is greater than a second predetermined threshold value: receiving verification data entered by the to-be-verified user, comparing the verification data with preset data corresponding to the preset feature point information set, and in the event that the verification data and the preset data are the same, verifying the to-be-verified user. |
| US09704042B2 |
Predicting tree species from aerial imagery
Embodiments determine the species of trees present in an aerial image. Tree crowns are detected in a received image, and represented as histograms of their color, texture and entropy features. Similar trees are clustered together. Using classification techniques, each cluster is assigned the closest species. The species information for each tree may be used in a rendering of the tree in geographical information systems. |
| US09704040B2 |
Image processing apparatus for dividing an image based on markers, method thereof and program therefor
An image processing method includes: retaining marker information including markers, each of the markers having a type which is shape, pattern or color; acquiring images in which at least one of the markers is caught; referring the marker information to detect the type and a position of the marker caught in the image; and dividing the image into a plurality of divided areas on the basis of the positions of one or more markers in the image, the plurality of divided areas having no common area and each including at least one type of the marker. |
| US09704037B2 |
Method for detecting face direction of a person
A method for detecting face direction of a person includes receiving a face image of the person. The method further includes determining whether the person is wearing glasses, based on the face image. The method also includes determining whether the number of reflection points of light in a glasses region of the face image is four or more at the time of detecting the glasses region. The method also includes aligning the reflection points of light in order of size, upon determining that the number of reflection points of light is four or more. The method also includes detecting two virtual images of the light, based on the aligning. The method also includes detecting a face direction vector based on the two virtual images of the light. |
| US09704033B2 |
Visual search utilizing color descriptors
Various embodiments provide a method for computing color descriptors of product images. For example, a number of fine color representatives can be determined to describe color variation in an image as a histogram by assigning a saturation value and a brightness value to a plurality of color hues. For each pixel of the image, the closest color among a defined fine color representative set is computed. In this example, each of the pixels is assigned a color ID corresponding to their closest matching fine color representative and at least one family color ID corresponding one or more pure color families. In this example, a histogram of the color representatives and a histogram for the color families are computed. A single color vector descriptor for the image is then determined by combining the family histogram with the color representative histogram. |
| US09704032B2 |
System and method of detecting a blocked aperture in letter or flat mail image sensor
Embodiments include systems and methods of detecting a blocked aperture in an image device. In certain embodiments, the system and method is used in mail processing of letters and flats. In certain embodiments, the image sensor captures an image of the front of an item. If the aperture of the image sensor is obstructed, a void will appear on the image of the item. The system can detect the void and increment an alarm count until a pre-defined threshold is reached wherein the system signals an alarm so that the blockage can be removed and the affected items can be re-introduced for correct processing. In another embodiment, images obtained when the aperture is expected to be clear of any items. |
| US09704018B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing system, information processing method, program, and recording medium
The present invention provides an information processing apparatus capable of selecting a region of cancer cells in any tissue sample image and easily and accurately counting the number of the cancer cells. The information processing apparatus is an information processing apparatus 100 including: an acquisition unit 110 for acquiring image data obtained by reading a tissue sample image 150 obtained by putting a mark 151 specifying a selected area 152 on an image obtained by immunostaining and then imaging a biological tissue; and a counting unit 120 for counting the number of cancer cells in the selected area 152 specified by the mark 151 based on the image data of the tissue sample image 150 acquired by the acquisition unit 110, wherein a diagnosis based on the tissue sample image 150 is supported. |
| US09704017B2 |
Image processing device, program, image processing method, computer-readable medium, and image processing system
An image processing device 20 acquires a plurality of captured images obtained by imaging a sample including a target cell at a plurality of different focal distances, sets an object region for detecting the target cell in at least two of the plurality of captured images, and performs determination about whether or not the target cell is included in the object region based on whether or not an image feature quantity based on change in image information in an image in-plane direction and a focal distance direction of an image in the object region in the plurality of captured images satisfies conditions defined for the target cell. |
| US09704016B2 |
Display device, server, and method of controlling the display device
A display device is provided. The display device includes an outputter configured to output a content including a plurality of content parts, a signal processor configured to extract a first fingerprint corresponding to a first content part among the plurality of content parts of the content from at least one of a video signal and an audio signal constituting the content while the content is output, a communicator configured to transmit the first fingerprint to a server, and receive a second fingerprint corresponding to a second content part among the plurality of content parts of the content and first event information corresponding to the second fingerprint from the server, a storage configured to store the second fingerprint and the first event information, and a controller configured to control the outputter to output the first event information in coordination with the second content part of the content being output. |
| US09704015B2 |
Fingerprint image processing method and device
Fingerprint image processing method and device are provided, and the fingerprint image processing method includes following steps. A plurality of first fingerprint features are extracted from a fingerprint image by a first search algorithm. An inverse process is performed on the fingerprint image to obtain an inverse fingerprint image. A plurality of reference features are extracted from the inverse fingerprint image by the first search algorithm. A plurality of second fingerprint features are obtained from the fingerprint image based on coordinates of the reference features. |
| US09704013B2 |
Electronic device with display-based fingerprint reader
A display and finger print reader assembly for an electronic device includes a display having an arrangement of light emitting pixels, a light guide juxtaposed the arrangement of pixels of the display, and light sensors disposed at different locations around a periphery of the light guide. Light is sequentially emitted from the pixels to illuminate a user's finger that is placed against the display and finger print reader assembly. The emitted light that is reflected by the user's finger propagates in the light guide to one or more of the light sensors and indicates a fingerprint characteristic of a portion of the user's finger adjacent the pixel or pixels from which the light is emitted. |
| US09704007B2 |
Illumination with wedge-shaped optical element
A machine-readable symbol reader can include a housing, a window, an illumination source, a wedge-shaped optical element, and a sensor array. Illumination can be coupled into the optical element through a base surface of the optical element and out of the optical element through a leg surface of the optical element. Illumination beams coupled out of the optical element through the leg surface can be parallel or substantially parallel to one another, and can exit the machine-readable symbol reader at a grazing angle to illuminate a machine-readable symbol at a grazing angle. |
| US09704004B1 |
Systems and methods of real-time assignment of items to preregistered individuals
Systems and methods of assigning an RFID chip and/or a participant number to an event participant who has preregistered for the event. The assignment of the RFID chip and/or participant number to the participant occurs in real-time while the event participant or a designated representative thereof is present at a designated pick-up location to pick up the RFID chip and/or participant number. |
| US09704003B1 |
Position determination and control with radio frequency identification tags
Control of an apparatus is provided according to determination of positioning of information pieces with radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. In embodiments, an apparatus may include one or more pieces, wherein each piece may be positionable in one or more piece positions of a region and may include a passive RFID tag that stores information relating to a characteristic of the piece. An arrangement of RFID antennas may be positioned proximal to the region, and a RFID reader may provide reads of the pieces near the RFID antennas. One or more processors may determine the piece positions of the one or more pieces from the reads and may provide control of the apparatus according to the one or more pieces and their piece positions. |
| US09704002B2 |
Utilization of motion and spatial identification in RFID systems
In one aspect where a load or a subset of one or more tags is in motion relative to an RFID reader system, the RFID system obtains tag readings and derives tag scalar or vector motional data e.g. tag velocity, tag acceleration, and/or rate of change of tag acceleration which can be compared to known tag motional information to distinguish true tags of interest from false positives which are unavoidably also within the field of the reader system. An antenna system may also make readings during distinctive movement patterns of true tags, such as vertical or arcuate movement and utilize computed tag motional data based on the tag readings to distinguish true tags from false positives. Two components of the RFID system may communicate information on identified tags, and/or interact (e.g. by silencing tags), so as to cooperate in identifying true positive tags. |
| US09704001B2 |
File searching system and file searching method thereof
A file searching system includes a file storage device and a terminal device. The file storage device defines a plurality of slots for storing files having radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, the file storage device has a plurality of antennas and associated indicators mounted to a corresponding slot one to one. The terminal device wirelessly communicates with a first transceiver of the file storage device. The terminal device includes a user interface (UI) unit. Each antenna receives RFID tag self-identifying information from an RFID tag stored in the corresponding slot and transmit the RFID tag self-identifying information along with antenna self-identifying information to the first transceiver for transmission to the terminal. The first transceiver receives control commands from the terminal and the file storage device actuates one of the plurality of indicators based on a received control command. A file searching method of the file searching device is also provided. |
| US09704000B2 |
Mobile RFID container and distribution method
A transportable container is enabled with radio frequency identification (“RFID”) technologies to maintain automated inventory levels of those items that are inside the container. The inventory data is communicated via wireless methods, such as cellular or Wi-Fi, to a remote device such as enterprise resource planning (“ERP”) system. The ERP system may use the inventory data received from the remote device to automatically update appropriately and generate appropriate records (e.g., container inventory, restocking, invoicing, etc.). In some embodiments, automated RFID scans are triggered when the container is opened and subsequently closed. The container may include RF containment/screening to prevent inadvertent scanning of RFID tags outside of the container. The container may also include a location device to allow the location of the container to be readily determined. |
| US09703996B2 |
Method for managing communication between an electronic device, for example a contactless chip card, and a communication apparatus, for example a reader, and corresponding electronic device
The device is equipped with several protocol decoding means (DCDi) corresponding respectively to various communication protocols so as to be capable of dialoguing with the said communication apparatus during transactions selectively according to one of these communication protocols; the method comprises an automatic protocol detection comprising a) an activation (40) of all the decoding means at the start of a transaction, b) a delivery of the signal received by the electronic device to all the decoding means, c) an analysis (41) of at least one signal delivered by at least one of the decoding means and d) a selection (42) of one of the decoding means on the basis of the result of the said analysis, and a conducting of the said transaction with the selected decoding means. |
| US09703993B2 |
System and method for testing performance of mobile radio frequency identification tag
A system for testing performance of mobile Radio Frequency Identification tags, comprising: a test device including a mobile car and a test channel; the test channel comprises a magnetic label on a ground for labeling a test driving route of the mobile car and a framework fixed on to the ground and provided with a reading device for the RFID tags; a magnetic recognition device is provided at a bottom of the mobile car to identify to the magnetic label and the mobile car is driven along the test driving route; the plurality of RFID tags are fixed on under-test goods loaded on the mobile car; a testing equipment configured to control the reading device to identify the RFID tags fixed on under-test goods; wherein the RFID tags are fixed on to under-test goods which are loaded on the mobile car. The performance test experiment of identifying RFID tags is repeated to get the best recognition rate by adjusting the status of the reader and reader antennas and the speed of the mobile car. According to the present disclosure, individual customization on the position and angle of the reader antennas placed with and the moving speed of under-test goods may be obtained to identify all the RFID tags on the fixed position of the goods so as to provide a reference for using the RFID tags in the manufacturing lines and the logistics systems. |
| US09703992B2 |
Dual card reader for mobile device
A card reader for use with a mobile phone includes a flat body having an upper side, a lower side and at least one side wall, a connector for connecting the card reader to a mobile phone, a chip card reader, including an elongated opening in a side wall of the card reader, adapted to read a chip card, positioned in a first plane, in the opening; and a magnet stripe reader including a slot in a side wall of the card reader, the slot being adapted to read a magnet stripe slid in the slot along a second plane; wherein the first plane and the second plane intersect. |
| US09703988B1 |
Internet privacy tool for mitigating third party transaction tracking
The present disclosure relates to systems, methods and apparatus for helping keep a user's personally identifiable information private, and to mitigate the efforts of third party vendors from compiling and reselling said data. According to some embodiments, a suite of privacy tools are disclosed that can be downloaded and installed as a browser plugin. The browser plugin can detect when the user has navigated to a page that requires the user to input personal information, such as a login name, login password, email address, phone number, or credit card number. At the user's request, the browser plugin can communicate with a masked information server to generate and provide masked information that corresponds to but is different from the user's actual personal information. Masked emails, phone numbers and credit cards can be disabled in the future. |
| US09703985B1 |
Concealing a personal number
A method includes receiving information about a person at a server, the information including a name and a personal number; storing the name and a portion of the personal number in a database in the server, such that the name and portion of the personal number are searchable; converting the personal number to an image that is designed to not be easily readable by optical character recognition, and storing the image; receiving, at the server, a request for a search of the database from a client device including a graphical user interface that has a movable pointer capable of hovering over a spot on the graphical user interface; displaying the name and the portion of the personal number, at a user client device in communication with the server, in response to results of the search matching information about the person; and displaying the image at the user client device in response to the pointer hovering over the portion of the personal number. Other systems and methods are provided. |
| US09703983B2 |
Methods and apparatus for securely displaying digital images
The invention provides methods and apparatus for securing personalized or sensitive information appearing in digital images. Digital images containing information to be secured is processed and divided into a plurality of image cells. At least one image cell from the plurality of image cells is selected and redacted or altered to render the information to be secured with the selected image cells indecipherable. The invention also provides methods and apparatus for transmitting or streaming unredacted image cells alone or in combination with redacted image cells for secured viewing on a user browser or computer. |
| US09703980B2 |
Centralized throttling service
A method and system are provided that may centralize the management of applications that access the data of social networks via API calls. A central service may generate tokens at a generation rate that permit an application to access an API. The tokens may be distributed to queues associated with certain content types. The relative distribution of tokens to each queue may be determined by rules. A queue may release tokens to applications that function to access the content type associated with the queue. The token generation rate and rules may be selected to prevent violation of the rate limits for the API. |
| US09703978B2 |
Transforming policies to enforce control in an information management system
In an information management system, policies are deployed to targets and targets can evaluate the policies whether they are connected or disconnected to the system. The policies may be transferred to the target, which may be a device or user. Relevant policies may be transferred while not relevant policies are not. The policies may have policy abstractions. |
| US09703974B1 |
Coordinated file system security via rules
A method and system are disclosed for coordinated file system security via rules. A file system condition rule can specify any of a wide variety of file system conditions related to security risks, such as sensitive information in impermissible locations, impermissible file permissions, stray files, and the like. The rules can be administered at a central location and distributed across machines. The machines can then execute the rules against their local file systems. The rules can further specify actions to be taken, including deleting files, sanitizing files, sending an alert, or the like. Violations can be tracked and analyzed to determine what is causing recurring scenarios. A web service can expose the technologies to cloud service consumers. |
| US09703968B2 |
Mechanisms for controlling tag personalization
A tag and a method of writing data to memory of a tag are provided. The tag includes memory that stores data elements as well as an access control list that maps access keys to the data elements. An authentication protocol is employed by the tag to determine whether a data element received from a writing device will be written to the memory. |
| US09703966B2 |
Cryptographic support instructions
A data processing system includes a single instruction multiple data register file and single instruction multiple processing circuitry. The single instruction multiple data processing circuitry supports execution of cryptographic processing instructions for performing parts of a hash algorithm. The operands are stored within the single instruction multiple data register file. The cryptographic support instructions do not follow normal lane-based processing and generate output operands in which the different portions of the output operand depend upon multiple different elements within the input operand. |
| US09703965B1 |
Secure containers for flexible credential protection in devices
Techniques are provided for protecting encryption key(s) and other protected material on devices, such as mobile devices. A device stores an encrypted container received from an online authentication service, wherein the encrypted container is encrypted using a first key stored by the online authentication service, wherein the encrypted container comprises a data item stored on the device. The device transmits the encrypted container using an online connection to the online authentication service to decrypt the encrypted container using the first key, wherein the encrypted container is decrypted by the online authentication service to provide a decrypted container only if the online connection satisfies one or more predefined online connection criteria. The device then receives the decrypted container from the online authentication service and obtains the data item from the decrypted container. Online secure containers are also disclosed that are optionally protected using a multi-layer encryption scheme. |
| US09703963B2 |
Trusted and privacy-preserving mechanism for electricity usage data disclosure using verifiable noise
A method of energy usage data privacy preservation is described. The method includes downloading energy usage data and a signature from a repository. The method includes determining whether the signature is that of a utility. When the signature is not that of the utility, the method includes rejecting the energy usage data. When the signature is that of the utility, the method includes generating noisy data, encrypting a message-signature pair, constructing a proof, and communicating the noisy data, the encrypted message-signature pair, and the proof to a third party. The noisy data is generated by adding random noise to the energy usage data. The message-signature pair includes the energy usage data and a verified signature. The proof is configured to establish that the encrypted message-signature pair and the noisy data are members of a corresponding proof language. |
| US09703961B2 |
Process risk classification
In one implementation, a computer-implemented method includes receiving, at a process risk classifier running on a computer system, a request to determine a risk level for a particular process; accessing one or more signatures that provide one or more snapshots of characteristics of the particular process at one or more previous times; identifying one or more differences between the particular process in its current form and the one or more signatures; accessing information identifying previous usage of the computer system's resources by the particular process; determining a current risk score for the particular process based, at least in part, on (i) the one or more signatures for the particular process, (ii) the one or more differences between the particular process in its current form and the one or more signatures, and (iii) the previous usage of the resources; and providing the current risk score for the particular process. |
| US09703956B1 |
Systems and methods for categorizing virtual-machine-aware applications for further analysis
The disclosed computer-implemented method for categorizing virtual-machine-aware applications for further analysis may include (1) identifying a plurality of virtual-machine-aware applications, where each of the plurality of virtual-machine-aware applications exhibits different behavior when the virtual-machine-aware application detects that the virtual-machine-aware application is executing in a physical computing environment rather than in a virtual computing environment, (2) identifying a plurality of non-virtual-machine-aware applications that do not exhibit different behavior when executed in the physical computing environment rather than in the virtual computing environment, (3) determining at least one characteristic that differentiates the virtual-machine-aware applications from the non-virtual-machine-aware applications, (4) analyzing an uncategorized application to determine whether the uncategorized application includes the characteristic, and (5) preventing the uncategorized application from evading complete analysis by sending the uncategorized application to the physical computing environment for further analysis. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed. |
| US09703950B2 |
Method and system for preventing and detecting security threats
A system and method is provided for implementing platform security on a consumer electronic device having an open development platform. The device is of the type which includes an abstraction layer operable between device hardware and application software. A secured software agent is provided for embedding within the abstraction layer forming the operating system. The secured software agent is configured to limit access to the abstraction layer by either blocking loadable kernel modules from loading, blocking writing to the system call table or blocking requests to attach debug utilities to certified applications or kernel components. |
| US09703948B2 |
Return-target restrictive return from procedure instructions, processors, methods, and systems
A processor includes a decode unit to decode a return target restrictive return from procedure (RTR return) instruction. A return target restriction unit is responsive to the RTR return instruction to determine whether to restrict an attempt by the RTR return instruction to make a control flow transfer to an instruction at a return address corresponding to the RTR return instruction. The determination is based on compatibility of a type of the instruction at the return address with the RTR return instruction and based on compatibility of first return target restrictive information (RTR information) of the RTR return instruction with second RTR information of the instruction at the return address. A control flow transfer unit is responsive to the RTR return instruction to transfer control flow to the instruction at the return address when the return target restriction unit determines not to restrict the attempt. |
| US09703947B2 |
Relevancy improvement through targeting of information based on data gathered from a networked device associated with a security sandbox of a client device
A method, apparatus, and system related to relevancy improvement through targeting of information based on data gathered from a networked device associated with a security sandbox of a client device are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system may comprise a networked device, a relevancy-matching server, and a client device. The networked device may be configured to generate a preliminary data and/or a primary data associated with a user and automatically announce a sandbox-reachable service of the networked device to a discovery module. The relevancy-matching server may be configured to match a targeted data with the primary data based on a relevancy factor associated with the user. The client device may be configured to automatically process an identification data of the networked device and/or the sandbox-reachable service of the networked device from the discovery module and to automatically associate with the networked device based on the identification data. |
| US09703943B2 |
Pre-authenticated calling for voice applications
Architecture for providing pre-authenticated information from an endpoint for subsequently authenticating a device and/or user associated with the previously-authenticated information. A pre-authentication module of the architecture can be a trust component as part of an application that facilitates the utilization of user information and/or endpoint information in a media session protocol message to replace information that would otherwise be gathered via a dialog. In the context of IP-based voice communications, a call can be made from a client that is pre-authenticable, and no longer requires that an IP-based telephone interact with the phone user to facilitate sign-on. |
| US09703941B2 |
Electronic device with touch screen for fingerprint recognition
An electronic device includes a touch screen having a sensing array with a plurality of sensors, a display panel having a displaying area and a processor. The sensing area of the sensing array is smaller than or equal to the displaying area. The processor determines whether a user's finger touches an icon displayed on the display panel, and the icon corresponds to an application. When the processor determines that the user's finger touches the icon, the electronic device controls a first sensing area of the sensing array corresponding to a first displaying area of the icon to enter a fingerprint sensing mode to capture a fingerprint image of the user's finger for fingerprint recognition. When the processor determines that fingerprint recognition is approved, the processor activates the application corresponding to the icon. |
| US09703940B2 |
Managed biometric identity
A computing system such as a game console maintains and updates a biometric profile of a user. In one aspect, biometric data of the user is continuously obtained from a sensor such as an infrared and visible light camera, and used to update the biometric profile using a machine learning process. In another aspect, a user is prompted to confirm his or her identify when multiple users are detected at the same time and/or when the user is detected with a confidence level which is below a threshold. A real-time image of the user being identified can be displayed on a user interface with user images associated with one or more accounts. In another aspect, the biometric profile is managed by a shell on the computing system, where the shell makes the biometric profile available to any of a number of applications on the computing system. |
| US09703936B2 |
Database system for dynamic retrieval of nested data items over a network
A database processing system is disclosed for accessing databases, updating nested data items and generating nth generation data items. The database processing system can include a server can retrieve and store data items in the databases. The server can receive a first HTTP request from a first computer over a network, the first HTTP request including a first instruction to store a digital object including a first derivative copyright content. The server can identify a first reused content in the first derivative copyright content. The server can query the databases to identify the first reused content. The server can map the first reused content with the stored identification data associated with the digital object and transmit, over a network, a message to an owner of the first reused content. |
| US09703935B1 |
Usage licence
A system is configured to receive a task. The task is received over a first network, includes authentication credentials, and is processed using an application. The system is further configured to send the authentication credentials to a licensing server. The authentication credentials are sent over a second network, and are sent prior to processing the task using the application. The system is also configured to receive an authorization. The authorization is received over the second network, and authorizes the application to process the task. |
| US09703932B2 |
Continuous content identification of broadcast content
The present disclosure provides identification and continuous monitoring of content, such as broadcast content, in real time, using a hierarchical, distributed approach to content identification. Identification, synchronization and verification are provided. Identification may be performed by an identification server using a reference database of fingerprints. The same or another computing device may be used perform synchronization, such that at least some portion of each fingerprint generated by client devices that form a verification group are synchronized for verification. Verification used to determine whether a client device continues to receive the same content identified during identification compares at least a portion of each fingerprint generated by each client device of a verification group. If a mismatch occurs, identification may be repeated to identify the new content being received by a client device. |
| US09703927B2 |
System and method for optimizing and routing health information
A method is disclosed to receive health information request (HIR), including health information request query (HIRQ) and health information request data (HIRD), and to metatag the received HIR. The metatagged HIR is reconciled based on a semantic concept and HIRS is returned. |
| US09703922B2 |
Fragmentation point and simulation site adjustment for resolution enhancement techniques
A method of performing a resolution enhancement technique such as OPC on an initial layout description involves fragmenting a polygon that represents a feature to be created into a number of edge fragments. One or more of the edge fragments is assigned an initial simulation site at which the image intensity is calculated. Upon calculation of the image intensity, the position and/or number of initial simulation sites is varied. New calculations are made of the image intensity with the revised placement or number of simulation sites in order to calculate an OPC correction for the edge fragment. In other embodiments, fragmentation of a polygon is adjusted based on the image intensities calculated at the simulation sites. In one embodiment, the image intensity gradient vector calculated at the initial simulation sites is used to adjust the simulation sites and/or fragmentation of the polygon. |
| US09703919B2 |
System and method of filtering actual defects from defect information for a wafer
A method of generating a set of defect candidates for a wafer is disclosed. The wafer comprises at least one die manufactured according to a mask, and the mask being prepared by combining a plurality of layout areas. The method includes receiving an initial defect information from a wafer scanning device indicating potential defects of a semiconductor wafer and determining a boundary region on the semiconductor wafer. The method further includes creating an exclusion region from the boundary region, the exclusion region having a first set of defects in the potential defects of the semiconductor wafer, and creating filtered defect information by removing the first set of defects from the initial defect information. |
| US09703918B2 |
Two-dimensional process window improvement
A method of optimizing a semiconductor mask layout is provided. The method includes accessing a digital file comprising the semiconductor mask layout, accessing processing condition parameters describing process conditions, receiving a request from a user of a mask layout system to initiate a semiconductor mask layout optimization process, applying a set of rules to insert an array of assist features into the semiconductor mask layout, and updating the digital file. The semiconductor mask layout includes a plurality of parallel mask features, wherein pairs of the parallel mask features share an end-to-end region between the parallel mask features of each pair, with an imaginary axis bisecting the end-to-end regions. Each assist feature is located proximate to at least one end-to-end region, and the imaginary axis intersects each assist feature. Related photomasks, design layout systems, and computer-readable media are also provided. |
| US09703916B2 |
Streaming, at-speed debug and validation architecture
This application discloses a computing system implementing tools and mechanisms that can incorporate a validation system into a circuit design. The validation system can be configured to monitor at least a portion of an electronic device described in the circuit design. The tools and mechanisms can identify one or more trace signals associated with the electronic device to route to the validation system, and identify one or more trigger signals associated with the electronic device to route to the validation system. The tools and mechanisms can configure the validation system to detect a conditional event corresponding a state of the one or more trigger signals, and to transmit the trace signals associated with the electronic device for debugging in response to the detected conditional event. |
| US09703915B2 |
Method for determining a sequence for drilling holes according to a pattern using global and local optimization
A method determines a sequence for drilling holes in a workpiece according to a pattern by first partitioning the holes in the pattern into packets. A global sequence of the packets is determined by solving a global traveling salesman problem (TSP), and a local sequence of the holes in each packet is determined by solving a local TSP for each packet. Then, the local sequences of the holes are joined according to the global sequence of the packets to determine a complete sequence for drilling the holes. |
| US09703911B2 |
Method for library having base cell and VT-related
A method includes converting a first threshold voltage related (VT-related) cell of a first standard cell library to a first modified VT-related cell. The first standard cell library includes the first VT-related cell and a first base cell. The first VT-related cell and the first base cell each include different portions of a layout design of a first standard cell corresponding to a first performance setting. The method includes generating a second standard cell library based on the first base cell and the first modified VT-related cell. The first modified VT-related cell and the first base cell each include different portions of a layout design of a second standard cell corresponding to a second performance setting. The method further includes generating a layout design for an integrated circuit based on the second standard cell library; and forming a set of masks based on the layout design. |
| US09703910B2 |
Control path power adjustment for chip design
Embodiments relate to power down processing including control path power adjustment. An aspect includes receiving, by a power down engine, chip layout data corresponding to a chip design. Another aspect includes determining a confluence point of a data path and a control path in the chip layout data. Another aspect includes determining the presence of a positive slack window in the control path of the confluence point. Yet another aspect includes powering up the control path to reduce the positive slack window. |
| US09703908B2 |
Spice circuit model for twinaxial cable
A method to generate a reduced delay twinaxial SPICE model is provided. The method may include measuring near-end S-parameter components and far-end S-parameter components of a twinaxial cable, reducing an original time delay of the far-end S-parameter components by multiplying each of the far-end S-parameter components by a complex exponential based on an equivalent delay length, a signal frequency, and an effective dielectric constant, simulating a signal transmitted across a twinaxial cable by running a 4-port SPICE model using the near-end S-parameter components and the multiplied far-end S-parameter components, and recording a magnitude and a phase of the transmitted signal with respect to frequency as outputs of the reduced delay twinaxial SPICE model. |
| US09703907B2 |
RAS evaluation for circuit element
A computer-implemented method includes identifying an electronic circuit, which includes a plurality of circuit elements and is based on a circuit design. The circuit design includes structural information and logical information. The method generates a first verification model for the circuit design. The verification model includes a plurality of error report signal paths for each of the plurality of circuit elements. The method identifies a first circuit element output based on the plurality of error report signal paths. The method sets output for at least one of the first plurality of circuit elements to a fixed value. The method generates a second circuit element output based on the plurality of error report signal paths and setting output for at least one of the first plurality of circuit elements to a fixed value. The method determines a difference between the first circuit element output and the second circuit element output. |
| US09703904B2 |
Systems and methods for co-production of geothermal energy and fluids
Systems include a well having a production casing and a production tubing positioned therein, forming an annulus there between. A packer is positioned in the annulus at a position sufficient to separate the annulus into a first portion and a second portion. The well further includes a tie-back conduit positioned in the first portion of the annulus and configured to allow heat transfer between a working fluid flowing through the first portion of the annulus and a production fluid flowing through the production tubing, thus separating the circulating working fluid from fluids in the second portion of the annulus. A working fluid loop is fluidly connected to the first portion of the annulus. Co-production methods, methods of modeling, and computer-readable media including the methods of modeling are disclosed. |
| US09703903B2 |
Designing a folded sheet object
It is provided a computer-implemented method for designing a folded sheet object, comprising the steps of providing (S10) panels separated by bend lines, including at least four adjacent panels forming a cycle and separated by concurrent bend lines, with predetermined angles between successive bend lines; and determining (S20) a control law linking the angles between the adjacent panels of the cycle, as a function of the predetermined angles between successive bend lines. Such a method improves the design of a folded sheet object. |
| US09703902B2 |
Using cloud-based data for industrial simulation
A cloud-based simulation generation service collects industrial data from multiple industrial customers for storage and analysis on a cloud platform. The service employs a simulation generator component that analyzes data to facilitate generating a simulation model that simulates an industrial automation system, including simulating or emulating industrial devices, industrial processes, other industrial assets, or network-related assets or devices, and their respective interrelationships with each other. The simulation generator component also analyzes modification data to facilitate generating a modified simulation model that simulates the industrial automation system based on the modification. The simulation generator component performs operation simulations using the simulation model or modified simulation model to facilitate determining whether making the modification is appropriate, determining or predicting performance of a modified industrial automation system, determining compatibility of a modification with an industrial automation system, or determining or predicting performance of the industrial automation system when processing a work order. |
| US09703898B2 |
Method for producing a three-dimensional object by means of a stereolithography process, including a computer graphic design of said object
A three-dimensional object (1) made by way of a stereolithography process, includes a plurality of supports (3) that are connected to the body (2) of the object through joining elements (4) in each one of which it is possible to identify a shaped area (5), recessed with respect to the external surface of the joining element (4) and having the bottom corner (6) that delimits a pre-established fracture area (7) for the detachment of the support (3). Each one of the joining elements (4) includes a first body (8) projecting from the external surface that delimits the body (2) of the object and a second body (9) projecting from the support (3), the bodies (8) and (9) being connected to each other so as to define the shaped area (5) whose bottom corner (6) delimits the pre-established fracture area (7). Each one of the bodies (8, 9) has its convex curved external surface that constitutes part of the external surface of a sphere or an ellipsoid. |
| US09703897B2 |
Modular design of complex tensegrity structures
There is provided a tensegrity design system and a method for use in designing a complex tensegrity structure. In one implementation, such a method includes providing virtual building blocks selectable by a user for assembly of a desired tensegrity structure, receive user-selected building blocks from among the plurality of virtual building blocks from the user, and identifying connections among the user-selected building blocks based on user inputs to the tensegrity design system. The method also includes determining a network of forces for stabilizing a tensegrity structure corresponding to the desired tensegrity structure, based on the user-selected building blocks and their connections, and generating a simulation of the tensegrity structure corresponding to the desired tensegrity structure for display to the user. |
| US09703896B2 |
Generation of custom modular objects
A system for generating custom modular objects is described. The custom modules form part of a modular construction set from which an object can be created by a user. The object acts as a user input device for an interactive software experience. To generate a custom (i.e. non-standard) module, a virtual 3D shape is received by a module generation service. The service converts this shape into a derived 3D shape for the module, for example, ensuring that the module is shaped such that it is compatible with other modules from the modular construction set to which it will be connected for form an object and/or by adding an aperture for receiving a connector and/or electronics core. Once generated, the derived 3D shape is sent to the user in physical form or virtual form and a virtual representation of the module is provided to the interactive software experience. |
| US09703893B2 |
Search tool using multiple different search engine types across different data sets
Various embodiments provide for use of multiple different search engines. The individual search engines are configured to conduct searches in different ways across a search space that includes different types of data sets. In at least some embodiments, the type of search engine that is utilized is selected to due characteristics of the data set(s) that is (are) to be searched. In search spaces that include different types of data sets, combining and mixing different search engines to collectively search the search space can provide a desirably fast and robust user experience. |
| US09703888B2 |
Component obsolescence registry
An electronic obsolescence registry holds network user-searchable obsolescence information. End users and component manufacturers can post obsolescence information using hashtags to it. The registry has different entries for different pieces of component obsolescence information. Each entry employs a respective component specific hashtag. End-users search the registry for component obsolescence information relating to a certain component by using one or more hashtags associated with the certain component. |
| US09703887B2 |
Automatically grouping browser tabs based on a pattern of usage
A computer implemented method and system for managing browser tabs includes identifying a plurality of URLs (Uniform Resource Locator(s)) in response to detecting the URLs in a web browser running on a computer. The plurality of URLs are organized based on each of the URLs, and each of the plurality of URLs correspond to a tab opened by the web browser. The tabs of the web browser are grouped based on the URLs. |
| US09703883B2 |
Social bookmarking of resources exposed in web pages
A system for social bookmarking of a resource provided through a Web application that doesn't follow the representational state transfer architectural style (REST). When processing a request for a social bookmarking operation, the system searches for a URL and potentially other resource information within the document object model of a currently loaded Web page. If such resource information is found, it is used to process the requested social bookmarking operation. Otherwise, if such resource information is not found in the document object model, the system uses the URL stored in the location bar of the Web browser to process the requested social bookmarking operation. The system includes semantic information in the DOM of a Web page that is used to identify subsets of content within the Web page that can be socially bookmarked. The semantic information may be stored in what is generally referred to as “microformatting”. |
| US09703882B2 |
Generating search results containing state links to applications
A mobile computing device includes a touchscreen, a transceiver, a non-transitory memory, and a computing processor. The memory stores an installed, native first application associated with an operator of a search engine. Upon executing the computer-readable instructions, the processor displays a first graphical user interface (GUI) on the touchscreen via the first application. The processor receives a search query via the first GUI, including one or more search terms. The processor transmits the search query to the search engine via the transceiver. The processor receives search results from the search engine in response to transmitting the search query to the search engine. At least one of the search results includes a post-execution view of a second native application. The processor displays the post-execution view on the touchscreen. The post-execution view includes a second GUI that provides access to a function associated with the second native application. |
| US09703879B2 |
Graph server querying for managing social network information flow
An online social network is managed using one server for database management tasks and another server, preferably in a distributed configuration, for CPU-intensive computational tasks, such as finding a shortest path between two members or a degree of separation between two members. The additional server has a memory device containing relationship information between members of the online social network and carries out the CPU-intensive computational tasks using this memory device. With this configuration, the number of database lookups is decreased and processing speed is thereby increased. |
| US09703877B2 |
Computer-based evaluation tool for selecting personalized content for users
The invention relates to a method and system for selecting personalized content for a user, the method being performed by an evaluation tool instantiated on a computing device and comprising the evaluation tool. The evaluation tool creates a content selection rule for the user for finding and filtering content items, such as advertising content. The tool generates a content selection algorithm from the content selection rule for determining which content items to present to the user and presents the content item to the user based on the content selection algorithm and allows the user to interact with the presented content item. |
| US09703869B2 |
Stream recognition and filtering
A method obtains a first data item signature for a first data item, the first data item signature comprising an association between a plurality of synch points in the first data item and a corresponding plurality of block signatures. The process attempts to find one of the plurality of synch points in a second data item; and, if such a synch point is found, then a block signature of a corresponding block of bits in the second data item is determined by applying a hash function to the corresponding block of bits in the second data item. The process ascertains whether the synch point and corresponding block signature from the second data item correspond to a synch point and block signature in the first data item signature. If a predetermined number of synch points and corresponding block signatures match, the first and second data items are considered to match. |
| US09703866B2 |
Music system managing method
A management software process establishes management sessions with DAW processes and controllers on a network. Further, control sessions are established between the DAW processes and controllers, respectively. Thus, the control sessions between DAW processes and controllers included in one music system can be managed together by the management software process via a dedicated management session. |
| US09703862B2 |
Engagement summary generation
A method and system for generating summary details is provided. The method includes retrieving event data of associated with a user. Attributes are extracted from the event data and the event data is segmented into logical groups of related activities performed by the user. Key information and associated attributes of each logical group are identified and in response the user is evaluated. The logical groups of related activities are ranked and presented to the user. In response, an engagement summary associated with the user and the logical groups is generated. |
| US09703857B2 |
Digital catalogue raisoneé platform
A content management system for creating a digital catalog raisonné includes at least one computer, a public user interface, a private catalog raisonné manager, and a private user interface. The private catalog raisonné manager is configured to instruct at least one object-oriented database to store first digital data for at least one artist, the first digital data including at least one of an image of an artwork of the at least one artist and a description of the artwork. The private user interface is configured to receive the first digital data, transmit information permitting a user to provide a command to the content management system to make available, at the public user interface, a public catalog raisonné including the first digital data, and receive the command to make available the public catalog raisonné. |
| US09703856B2 |
Hilbert curve partitioning for parallelization of DBSCAN
DBSCAN clustering analyses can be improved by pre-processing of a data set using a Hilbert curve to intelligently identify the centers for initial partitional analysis by a partitional clustering algorithm such as CLARANS. Partitions output by the partitional clustering algorithm can be process by DBSCAN running in parallel before intermediate cluster results are merged. |
| US09703855B1 |
System and method for classifying content with a web service
A method includes receiving a classification request from a client. The request includes a content identifier indicative of a data repository. The request also includes authorization credentials. The method further includes, in response to receiving the classification request, sending a data request to the data repository. The data request includes an authorization object based on the authorization credentials. The method also includes receiving a plurality of documents from the data repository in response to the data request. The method additionally includes classifying the plurality of documents using a classification engine. The classification engine is operable to determine respective classifications for the plurality of documents. The method still further includes transmitting a response to the client. The response includes the classifications. |
| US09703845B2 |
Representing identity data relationships using graphs
Identity data collected from network flows is managed and graphed according to a hierarchical schema that reduces data storage requirements and enhance database querying efficiencies. Preferably, the schema comprises a set of objects, such as a “source” object, a “time” object, and an “identity” object. A source object represents a source of an identity, namely, where an identity comes from. A time object represents a time bucket along a particular time frame corresponding to when an identity appears on the network. An identity object represents the actual identity itself. As each distinctive identity data is detected, it is added to the graph, preferably just once, and relationships between particular pairs of identities are identified. The resulting graph has significantly-reduced storage requirements, and it facilitates the discovery of linked identities much more efficiently, even when the identities are not directly connected. |
| US09703841B1 |
Context-based notifications in multi-application based systems
A computer-implemented method to coordinate output of an application over a single computing device, according to one embodiment, includes receiving a feed of importance scores for each of the plurality of applications, and normalizing the importance scores of each feed for each of the plurality of applications. At least some applications with feeds of importance scores are selected. A prioritization score is assigned to the selected applications based on a function of the normalized importance scores of the selected applications. The normalized importance scores of the selected applications are combined into a single feed, and the single feed of normalized importance scores of selected applications is provided in order of priority to a subscribing application. An output of the subscribing application is coordinated based on the normalized importance scores of selected applications with a high priority in the single feed. |
| US09703838B1 |
Multi sender and source recommendation aggregation and prompting system
This disclosure generally relates to systems and methods that facilitate aggregating received recommendations from a plurality of sources from a plurality of users into a recommendation playlist, and generating additional respective playlists from the recommendation playlist from specific users based upon specified criteria. Additionally, respective feedback is provided to users who provided recommendations on the quality of their recommendations, and based upon specified criteria users are prompted to provide additional recommendations. |
| US09703837B1 |
Predicting interest of a user of a social networking service in a content item
The subject matter of this specification can be implemented in, among other things, a computer-implemented method including determining an affinity score representing an affinity of a user with respect to a contact of the user, wherein the affinity score is an indication of a strength of a relationship between the user and the contact, determining an engagement score of the user with respect to the contact, wherein the engagement score in an indication of a probability of the user engaging with a content item associated with the contact, determining an interest score of the user with respect to the contact based on the affinity score and the engagement score and providing a plurality of content items posted by the contact display in an activity stream, the content items being ordered based on the interest score. Other aspects can include corresponding systems, apparatus and computer program products. |
| US09703836B2 |
Tactical query to continuous query conversion
Techniques for managing tactical query to continuous query conversion are provided. In some examples, a tactical query configured to enable the pulling of business event data from a database to a query engine may be determined. For example, a query engine may be configured with the tactical query. The configuration may be based at least in part on an indication of the business event data to be displayed. Further, in some examples, a conversion of the tactical query to a continuous query may be enabled. The conversion or enablement of the conversion may be based at least in part on a request. |
| US09703834B2 |
Topological query in multi-tenancy environment
Each node of a topological database that represents an information technology environment with multi-tenancy capability represents a configuration item within the environment and is characterized by a tenant authorization rule that indicates a list of tenants that are authorized to access the corresponding configuration. An unrestricted result to an unrestricted query is obtained, the unrestricted query being representable as a sub-graph isomorphism. The unrestricted result includes groups of nodes of the database that satisfy the isomorphism. A tenant query is applied to the unrestricted result to obtain an authorized result, the tenant query being representable by the same sub-graph isomorphism as the unrestricted query. The authorized result includes identification of any of the groups whose component nodes are each characterized by a TAR that authorizes access by the querying tenant. A notification is issued to the querying tenant on the basis of the obtained authorized result. |
| US09703832B2 |
Method, system and computer program to provide fares detection from rules attributes
In one aspect thereof the exemplary embodiments provide a data processing system that includes at least one data processor; at least one memory connected with the data processor and that stores computer software that is executable by the at least one data processor; at least one database storing a plurality of fares and rules establishing conditions under which at least one of the fares can be applied; and an interface to at least one user and configured to receive from the user a fare inquiry. The data processor is configured with the computer software to cause the data processing system to receive a fare inquiry that contains at least one rule attribute, to perform a first search to determine rule data applicable to the at least one rule attribute, and to perform a second search using the rule data to retrieve a list of fares that are applicable to the rule data. |
| US09703818B1 |
Automatic comparison of enterprise profile analytics
A method includes storing, in a memory, a first Systems, Applications, Products (SAP) profile including first information. The method further includes storing, in the memory, a second SAP profile including second information. A processor compares the first information with the second information on a line-by-line basis. A reporting data structure is generated that includes a visual line-by-line result of the comparing. |
| US09703816B2 |
Method and system for forward reference logging in a persistent datastore
The embodiments described herein are methods and systems to enhance the reliability and performance of a persistent datastore (e.g., non-volatile memory such as flash memory). The method includes generating a log entry associated with first write data. The method also includes generating a first record including the log entry, the first write data, and pointer to a second record different from the first record. The method further includes performing a single write operation that includes writing the first record to the persistent datastore. |
| US09703815B2 |
Third party files in an on-demand database service
Disclosed are methods, apparatus, systems, and computer readable storage media for providing a reference to a content object in a user interface using an on-demand database service. A computing device can receive data regarding identification of a content object, where the content object is stored in a data repository external to the on-demand database service. The data regarding the content object can be stored in a persistent object in a database of the on-demand database service. A reference can be provided representing the persistent object to a display device operable to display the reference in a user interface when the display device accesses the on-demand database service. One or more graphical representations can be exposed regarding the content object for display in the user interface by the display device, where the exposed graphical representations depend at least in part on the data repository. |
| US09703814B1 |
Local key-value database synchronization
A remote distributed data store may be configured to process data updates received through invocation of a common API with reference to a common schema. A local data store may also be configured to process updates through the common API with reference to the common schema. Updates to the local data store may be mapped from the local data store schema to the common schema, and applied to the distributed data store. Updates to the distributed data store may be mapped from the common schema to the local data store schema. User identity may be verified to limit data synchronization to authorized users. |
| US09703813B2 |
Data aging in hana using grading attributes
According to an embodiment of the present disclosures, systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable mediums having program instructions thereon, provide for process of segregating data from database tables into different layers depending on the frequency of access to the data—so that each layer of the data can be stored in an appropriate storage mechanism. For example, infrequently-accessed data can be stored in a hard disk drive (HDD) and frequently-accessed can be stored in random-access memory (RAM). Further, the data can also be stored in a sold-state drive (SSD) or other memory-storing devices. In an embodiment, grading attributes are used to layer the data and, accordingly, segregate the data into appropriate storage mechanisms. |
| US09703811B2 |
Assessing database migrations to cloud computing systems
This disclosure relates to assessing database migrations to cloud computing systems. On example method includes determining, by a migration server including one or more hardware processors, a set of possible transactions associated with a database application based at least in part on a set of application attributes associated with the database application; generating, by the migration server, a set of application requirements associated with the set of possible transactions; and creating, by the migration server, a set of migration recommendations associated with the database application based on the set of application requirements, the set of migration recommendations configured to allow the database application to be migrated to a cloud computing system and to allow the database application to comply with the set of application requirements when executed in the cloud computing system. |
| US09703810B2 |
Managing record location lookup caching in a relational database
In managing a relational database, a relational manager sets a foreign key lookup value to an unavailable state in a source table row containing each of a foreign key value and the foreign key lookup value in a source table in a relational database, wherein the foreign key value references a primary key value in a referenced row in a separate destination table in the relational database. The relational manager, responsive to looking up, for the foreign key value, in a data structure separate from the source table, a location of the referenced row in the relational database, when the foreign key lookup value is set to the unavailable state, updating the foreign key lookup value with the location, wherein the foreign key lookup value in the source table is looked up for identifying the location of the referenced row for subsequent retrievals of the referenced row for the foreign key value. |
| US09703807B2 |
Method and system for wide area motion imagery discovery using KML
A method and a computer system for WAMI discovery are provided. The method includes issuing a request to a WAMI collection service in one or more WAMI collection services to retrieve an entire collection tree metadata at said WAMI collection service; receiving a response from the WAMI collection service, the response comprising the entire collection tree metadata, the response being in a first format; and translating the response from the first format into KML format, wherein the translating includes mapping a one-to-one of WAMI collection tree nodes from the first format into KML nodes. |
| US09703798B2 |
System and method for file sharing and updating
Embodiments of the present invention include a method and system for sharing changes made by an application to a file on one computer, coherently with other computers, over the Internet. If the application changes multiple files (also referred to as a file group), changes made to all the files are shared together coherently with other computers over the Internet. Coherence over multiple file copies and file group copies is maintained whether users work on files online or offline. A ‘File Upload Lock’ is maintained on a Cloud Server for ensuring coherent sharing of changes made to files. Embodiments include two file syncing processes, variously described as ‘Incremental File Upload’ or ‘Incremental File Download’ and ‘Delta File Upload’ or ‘Delta File Download’. Embodiments also encompass an ‘Explorer’ software tool and user interface that displays folders and files on user devices with pertinent details from the device and the Cloud Server. |
| US09703796B2 |
Shared dictionary between devices
In one embodiment, a system and method for managing a network deduplication dictionary is disclosed. According to the method, the dictionary is divided between available deduplication engines (DDE) in deduplication devices that support shared dictionaries. The fingerprints are distributed to different DDEs based on a hash function. The hash function takes the fingerprint and hashes it and based on the hash result, it selects one of the DDEs. The hash function could select a few bits from the fingerprint and use those bits to select a DDE. |
| US09703794B2 |
Reducing fragmentation in compressed journal storage
While discharging a data chunk, the chunk is compressed into a storage block. If the chunk is found to be too large to be able to be completely compressed into the storage block, certain characteristics of the data chunk are examined to determine whether or not the data chunk should be split. If the data chunk should be split, a remaining portion of the data chunk is compressed to a storage block that is next in chronological order to the original storage block. If the data chunk should not be split, all of the data chunk is moved to the next chronological storage block while leaving any remaining space in the storage block as unused. |
| US09703793B1 |
Data aggregation and caching
Systems and methods aggregate data and use caching techniques. In one implementation, a computer-implemented method aggregates data. A server receives a request for data that includes one or more identifiers. Based on at least one of the one or more identifiers, at least one template defining a view of the data is retrieved. One or more modules are identified based on the at least one template and one or more services are invoked to obtain the one or more modules. The one or more modules are received and processing by applying one or more business logic rules. At least a portion of the one or more processed modules are stored in a data store. The view of the data is generated based on the processed one or more modules and a response is transmitted to a client that includes the view of the data. |
| US09703791B2 |
Method and apparatus for managing files in an online account
An approach is provided for managing files in an online account. A file access platform causes, at least in part, retrieval of a file associated with a first communication stored in an online account. Next, the file access platform determines whether the file is modified after the retrieval and generates a second communication including a modified version of the file based, at least in part, on the determination. Then, the file access platform causes, at least in part, transmission of the second communication including the modified version to the online account. |
| US09703787B2 |
Data storage management apparatus and data storage management method
A data storage management apparatus in an industrial plant is configured to communicate with a first data storage location which is configured to be a primary data storage location. The apparatus is further configured to communicate with a storage parameter configuration database, and a storage data configuration database. The apparatus is configured to determine if a utilization parameter in the primary data storage location is the same as or greater than a utilization limit. When the utilization parameter is determined to be the same as or greater than the utilization limit, the apparatus is configured to identify from the primary data storage location stored data having a storage duration which is the same as or greater than a retrieved data retention policy. The identified stored data is deleted. |
| US09703786B2 |
Systems and methods of reclaiming storage space
Systems and methods for reclaiming storage space are described, including detecting a user input indicating removing a corresponding copy of each media file of a group of one or more media files; selecting the group of one or more media files; identifying the corresponding copy of each media file of the group of one or more media files; and removing from storage space the corresponding copy of each media file of the group of one or more media files. |
| US09703783B2 |
Customized news stream utilizing dwelltime-based machine learning
Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for selecting news articles for presentation to a user. One method includes an operation for measuring dwelltimes for a first set of news items, where the dwelltime for a news item is based on the amount of time that the news item is displayed to a viewer. Further, the method includes an operation for training a classifier of news items based on the measured dwelltimes and based on features associated with the first set of news items. Additionally, the method includes an operation for ranking with the classifier a second set of news items for presentation to the user, the ranking also using the profile of the user for delivery of customized news to the user. The ranked second set of news item is then presented to the user. |
| US09703779B2 |
Method of and system for enhanced local-device content discovery
A method of and system for enhanced local-device content discovery is disclosed. A method includes providing a local collection of content items and associated metacontent on a device. The metacontent describes the informational content of the corresponding content items. A remote catalog of metacontent items and information describing relationships between the metacontent items is provided. Input is received from the user for finding at least one desired content item and a search query is formed including at least one metacontent item of the remote catalog based on matching the input from the user with metacontent items of the catalog and further based on the information describing relationships between the metacontent items. A subset of content items of the local collection associated with metacontent that at least partially matches the search query is selected and presented on a display device based on at least one ranking criterion. |
| US09703773B2 |
Pattern identification and correction of document misinterpretations in a natural language processing system
An approach is provided in which a knowledge manager analyzes multiple document phrases using a natural language processing model and generates multiple interpretations based upon the analysis. The knowledge manager identifies misinterpretation patterns by comparing the multiple interpretations with multiple corrections that include corrections to the multiple interpretations. In turn, the knowledge manager generates interpretation rules based upon the identified patterns and applies the interpretation rules to the natural language processing model. |
| US09703771B2 |
Automatic capture of information from audio data and computer operating context
A computer system provides an automated tool that processes audio data and data about computer operating context to automatically capture information, such as information from conversations and meetings. The computer operating context can include, for example, environmental data sensed, or other contextual information maintained or tracked, by the computer. The audio data and computer operating context are processed by the computer to detect starting conditions for data extraction. After detecting a starting condition, the processor initiates speech processing on the audio information to generate corresponding text data. The processor processes the text data using text filters that define salient patterns in the text data. Such salient patterns can correspond to, for example, tasks to be performed, follow-up appointments and other events, messages to be sent, important points or notes, and the like. Such automatic processing improves user productivity in tracking valuable information from meetings and other conversations. |
| US09703770B2 |
Automated validation of the appearance of graphical user interfaces
According to embodiments of the present invention, a first metadata defining how a user interface associated with an application under test should appear is generated using one or more computer processors. An image of the user interface associated with the application under test that is invoked during a test run is captured using one or more one or more computer processors. The captured image is converted, using one or more computer processors, into one or more of a second metadata and text. The first metadata is compared, using one or more computer processors, to the second metadata and the text. In response to the comparison resulting in a difference between the first metadata and the second metadata, the image is stored, using one or more computer processors, and an assessment request is generated using one or more computer processors. |
| US09703768B1 |
Object metadata query
An object storage system having object metadata query capability. Clients can pose queries to the object system in a high-level, declarative language. A query is evaluated against stored object metadata, and only objects satisfying the query's predicates are returned. The object storage system can evaluate alternative logical and physical query plans using a cost model. Queries can be posed using familiar REST-based APIs. |
| US09703763B1 |
Automatic document citations by utilizing copied content for candidate sources
A method for automatic document citations includes outputting, by one or more computing devices and for display, a first interface area in which an editable document is displayed and a second interface area outside of the first interface area. The method also includes, in response to a paste command, inserting copied content into the editable document and defining, in the second interface area, an interface element that includes source information regarding the copied content. |
| US09703760B2 |
Presenting external information related to preselected terms in ebook
Systems and methods for rendering an annotation graphic user interface (GUI) that encompasses external information related to a book term in a structured frame. An ebook includes pre-selected terms embedded with hyperlinks directing to an article contained by an external information source. Upon a user interaction with such a pre-selected term, raw information from the one or more articles is accessed and fed to a wireframe. The raw information is mapped to respective sections of the wireframe based on the field identifications attached to different segments of the raw information. As a result, an annotation GUI including the external information can be displayed in a consistent and orderly format. |
| US09703759B2 |
Footnote zone detection in a fixed format document using number of paragraphs in footnote description
Footnote detection is provided. When converting a fixed format document to a flow format document, footnotes, which may include a footnote description and a footnote reference mark, may be detected and linked with a corresponding footnote reference mark in a main document flow on a page. Additionally, a footnote numbering scheme may be determined and applied to detected footnotes. By providing footnote detection when converting a fixed format document to a flow format document, footnotes may be statically positioned at the end of a page containing the corresponding footnote reference mark. |
| US09703755B2 |
Generating and partitioning polynomials
A non-transitory storage device containing software than, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to generate a projection set of polynomials based on a projection of a space linear combination of candidate polynomials of degree d on polynomials of degree less than d that do not evaluate to less than a threshold on a set of points. The software also causes the processor to compute the singular value decomposition of a matrix containing the difference between candidate polynomials evaluated on the points and the projection set of polynomials evaluated on the points, and to partition the polynomials resulting from the singular value decomposition based on a threshold. |
| US09703751B2 |
Apparatus and sensors for attachment to the apparatus
An apparatus and plurality of sensors where the apparatus includes a plurality of coupling elements; a plurality of attachment portions configured to enable a plurality of sensors to be removably attached to the apparatus; at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program instructions; wherein the at least one memory and the computer program instructions are configured to, with the at least one processor, enable the apparatus to individually address each of the plurality of coupling elements to obtain a reading from each of the plurality of sensors attached to the apparatus. |
| US09703748B2 |
Method and apparatus of emulating interfaces using FIFOs
An interface emulator for an IC is disclosed. An interface emulator includes a first first-in, first-out memory (FIFO) and a second FIFO. The first FIFO is coupled to receive data from an access port and a second FIFO coupled to receive data from at least one functional unit in the IC. The access port may be coupled to a device that is external to the IC. The external device may write information into the first FIFO, and this information may subsequently be read by a functional unit in the IC. Similarly, the functional unit may write information into the second FIFO, with the external device subsequently reading the information. Information may be written into the FIFOs in accordance with a predefined protocol. Thus, a particular type of interface may be emulated even though the physical connection and supporting circuitry for that interface is not otherwise implemented in the IC. |
| US09703745B2 |
Storage device and motherboard able to support the storage device
A motherboard assembly able to use a PCI slot either to expand system function or for the installation of additional memory includes a motherboard and a storage device. The motherboard includes a PCI expansion slot, a platform controller hub (PCH), and a power circuit. The PCI expansion slot includes a protrusion, four idle pins and first signal pins connected to the PCH, and first power pins connected to the power circuit. A control chip, a number of storage chips connected to the control chip, and a power unit are arranged on the storage device. A non-central notch is included in an edge connector arranged on a bottom edge of the storage device and the edge connector allows for power pins connected to the power unit and signal pins connected to the control chip. |
| US09703743B2 |
PCIe-based host network accelerators (HNAS) for data center overlay network
A high-performance, scalable and drop-free data center switch fabric and infrastructure is described. The data center switch fabric may leverage low cost, off-the-shelf packet-based switching components (e.g., IP over Ethernet (IPoE)) and overlay forwarding technologies rather than proprietary switch fabric. In one example, host network accelerators (HNAs) are positioned between servers (e.g., virtual machines or dedicated servers) of the data center and an IPoE core network that provides point-to-point connectivity between the servers. The HNAs are hardware devices that embed virtual routers on one or more integrated circuits, where the virtual router are configured to extend the one or more virtual networks to the virtual machines and to seamlessly transport packets over the switch fabric using an overlay network. In other words, the HNAs provide hardware-based, seamless access interfaces to overlay technologies used for communicating packet flows through the core switching network of the data center. |
| US09703740B2 |
Opaque bridge for peripheral component interconnect express bus systems
A host system may couple to a PCIe subsystem. During setup of the PCIe subsystem, the BIOS in the host system may first be informed that the devices to be coupled are not PCIe devices, and certain amount of memory is required for these devices. The BIOS may therefore not attempt to configure the devices, and may instead allocate the required memory space. When the operating system boots up, it may not attempt to configure the devices, loading a custom driver instead of an existing PCI driver to configure the bus. Once loaded, the custom driver may configure the devices, then inform the OS that there are PCIe devices in the system at the specified addresses, which may cause the OS to load and execute existing PCIe device drivers to operate/use the devices. The proprietary driver may also be used to handle traffic between the PCIe drivers and the OS. |
| US09703739B2 |
Return available PPI credits command
In response to receiving a novel “Return Available PPI Credits” command from a credit-aware device, a packet engine sends a “Credit To Be Returned” (CTBR) value it maintains for that device back to the credit-aware device, and zeroes out its stored CTBR value. The credit-aware device adds the credits returned to a “Credits Available” value it maintains. The credit-aware device uses the “Credits Available” value to determine whether it can issue a PPI allocation request. The “Return Available PPI Credits” command does not result in any PPI allocation or de-allocation. In another novel aspect, the credit-aware device is permitted to issue one PPI allocation request to the packet engine when its recorded “Credits Available” value is zero or negative. If the PPI allocation request cannot be granted, then it is buffered in the packet engine, and is resubmitted within the packet engine, until the packet engine makes the PPI allocation. |
| US09703738B2 |
Computing system framework with unified storage, processing, and network switching fabrics incorporating network switches and method for making and using the same
A system and method for making and using a computing system framework with unified storage, processing, and network switching fabrics are provided. Processing nodes, either physical or virtual, are associated with intra-module ports, inter-module ports, and local storage spaces. A plurality of processing nodes are linked through intra-module ports to form processing modules. A plurality of the processing modules are connected through inter-module ports to form the computing system. Network switch can be incorporated into intra-module or inter-module connections. Several inter-module connection schemes, which can be adapted to use with existing network packet routing algorithms, are disclosed. Each processing node needs only to keep track of the states of its directly connected neighbors, obviating the need for a high-speed connection to the rest processing nodes within the system. Dedicated network switching equipment can be flexibly employed and network capacity grows naturally as processing nodes are added. |
| US09703737B2 |
Method, apparatus, and system for improving inter-chip and single-wire communication for a serial interface
A system and method consistent with the present disclosure includes a master device, bus interface link, and slave device. The master device includes a power supply and a detection unit to detect an impedance of the power supply. The inverter provides a first path to the power supply on a first stage of a clock signal and. Further, the inverter provides a second path to a first ground line on a second stage of a clock signal. The bus interface link couples the master device to a slave device. Additionally, a bi-directional communications line is coupled to the bus interface link. A gating component provides a second ground line to the power supply through the first path. Furthermore, a receiver determines bit values from a plurality of clock data signals transmitted from the master device. |
| US09703733B2 |
Instructions and logic to interrupt and resume paging in a secure enclave page cache
Instructions and logic interrupt and resume paging in secure enclaves. Embodiments include instructions, specify page addresses allocated to a secure enclave, the instructions are decoded for execution by a processor. The processor includes an enclave page cache to store secure data in a first cache line and in a last cache line for a page corresponding to the page address. A page state is read from the first or last cache line for the page when an entry in an enclave page cache mapping for the page indicates only a partial page is stored in the enclave page cache. The entry for a partial page may be set, and a new page state may be recorded in the first cache line when writing-back, or in the last cache line when loading the page when the instruction's execution is being interrupted. Thus the writing-back, or loading can be resumed. |
| US09703732B2 |
Interface apparatus and memory bus system
An exemplary interface apparatus according to the present disclosure connects together an initiator and a packet exchange type bus network formed on the integrated circuit. In the bus network, if the initiator has submitted request data with a deadline time specified, the initiator receives, by the deadline time, response data to be issued by a node in response to the request data. The interface apparatus includes: a correcting circuit which corrects the deadline time of the request data according to the timing when the request data has been submitted, thereby generating corrected deadline time information; a header generator which generates a packet header that stores the corrected deadline time information; and a packetizing processor which generates a request packet based on the request data and the packet header. |
| US09703720B2 |
Method and apparatus to allow secure guest access to extended page tables
An apparatus and method for efficient guest EPT manipulation. For example, one embodiment of a apparatus comprises: a hypervisor to create extended page table (EPT) mappings between a guest physical address (GPA) space and a host physical address (HPA) space; the hypervisor to create an EPT edit table and populate the EPT edit table with information related to permitted mappings between the GPA space and HPA space; a guest to read the EPT edit table to determine information related to the permitted mappings between the GPA space and HPA space, the guest to use the information to map one or more pages in the GPA space to one or more pages in the HPA space. |
| US09703717B2 |
Computer system and control method
A computer system according to the present invention is composed of a server 200 having a flash memory drive 204 for cache, a storage system 260 having storage tiers composed of an SSD 267 and an HDD 268, and a management server having a page tier determination program 503 for determining the storage tier to which data is to be stored. The page tier determination program 503 migrates data having a high read access rate out of the pages having a high cache rate to the flash memory drive 204 to a storage tier of the HDD 268, and confirms so that data is not stored in a duplicated manner to the flash memory drive 204 and the SSD 267. Further, the data having a relatively high write access rate is migrated to the storage tier of the SSD 267 so as to prevent deterioration of write process performance. |
| US09703713B2 |
Singleton cache management protocol for hierarchical virtualized storage systems
Methods and arrangements for providing cache management in a hierarchical virtualized storage system. A contemplated method includes: for each layer in the storage system, designating a relative position with respect to at least one other layer in the storage system; imparting a caching policy to be applied collectively to all layers, the caching policy being based on the relative position of each layer with respect to at least one other layer in the storage system; and upon an attempt to cache data in at least one of the layers, maintaining communication between the layers to permit application of the caching policy. Other variants and embodiments are broadly contemplated herein. |
| US09703712B2 |
Satisfying memory ordering requirements between partial reads and non-snoop accesses
A method and apparatus for preserving memory ordering in a cache coherent link based interconnect in light of partial and non-coherent memory accesses is herein described. In one embodiment, partial memory accesses, such as a partial read, is implemented utilizing a Read Invalidate and/or Snoop Invalidate message. When a peer node receives a Snoop Invalidate message referencing data from a requesting node, the peer node is to invalidate a cache line associated with the data and is not to directly forward the data to the requesting node. In one embodiment, when the peer node holds the referenced cache line in a Modified coherency state, in response to receiving the Snoop Invalidate message, the peer node is to writeback the data to a home node associated with the data. |
| US09703710B2 |
Managing cache coherence for memory caches
A computer system has a plurality of processors with non-blocking memory caches. A controller sets an upper limit of allowed snoop commands for the computer system. The controller adjusts, using real-time bandwidth data of the computing system, the limit of snoop commands to a new numerical value. The controller detects that the snoop limit is being adjusted between snoop rates more than a threshold number of times. The controller designates an overriding limit of snoop commands in response to detecting the snoop limit being adjusted more than the threshold number of times. The overriding limit of snoop commands is fixed for a period of time. The controller delays snoop commands which exceed the overriding limit of snoop commands during the period of time. |
| US09703709B2 |
Method and apparatus for ensuring data cache coherency
A multithreaded processor can concurrently execute a plurality of threads in a processor core. The threads can access a shared main memory through a memory interface; the threads can generate read and write transactions that cause shared main memory access. An incoherency detection module prevents incoherency by maintaining a record of outstanding global writes, and detecting a conflicting global read. A barrier is sequenced with the conflicting global write. The conflicting global read is allowed to proceed after the sequence of the conflicting global write and the barrier are cleared. The sequence can be maintained by a separate queue for each thread of the plurality. |
| US09703707B2 |
Network-on-chip using request and reply trees for low-latency processor-memory communication
A NOC comprises a die having a cache and a core area, a plurality of core tiles arranged in the core area in a plurality of subsets, at least one cache memory bank arranged in the cache area, whereby the at least one cache memory bank is distinct from each of the plurality of core files. The NOC further comprises an interconnect fabric comprising a request tree to connect to a first cache memory bank of the at least one cache memory bank, each core tile of a first one of the subsets, the first subset corresponding to the first cache memory bank, such that each core tile is connected to the first cache memory bank only, and a reply tree to connect the first cache memory bank to each core tile of the first subset. |
| US09703706B2 |
Universal cache management system
Techniques for universal cache management are described. In an example embodiment, a plurality of caches are allocated, in volatile memory of a computing device, to a plurality of data-processing instances, where each one of the plurality of caches is exclusively allocated to a separate one of the plurality of data-processing instances. A common cache is allocated in the volatile memory of the computing device, where the common cache is shared by the plurality of data-processing instances. Each instance of the plurality of data-processing instances is configured to: identify a data block in the particular cache allocated to that instance, where the data block has not been changed since the data block was last persistently written to one or more storage devices; cause the data block to be stored in the common cache; and remove the data block from the particular cache. Data blocks in the common cache are maintained without being persistently written to the one or more storage devices. |
| US09703703B2 |
Control of entry into protected memory views
Generally, this disclosure provides systems, devices, methods and computer readable media for controlled memory view switching. The system may include a memory module comprising a shared address space between a first memory view and a second memory view. The system may also include a virtual machine monitor (VMM) to maintain a list of Controlled View Switch (CVS) descriptors. The system may further include a processor to receive a memory view switch request and to execute an instruction to save processor state information and switch from the first memory view to the second memory view, wherein the second memory view is specified by an extended page table pointer (EPTP) provided by one of the CVS descriptors. |
| US09703701B2 |
Address range transfer from first node to second node
A group address range is mapped to a memory address range of a nonvolatile memory. A first memory address of the memory address range is to be copied to a volatile memory if the first memory address is mapped to the group address range and a write access is requested for the first memory address. The group address range is transferred from a first node to a second node in response to a synch command. The copied address is to be written the NVM after the group address range is transferred. |
| US09703700B2 |
Efficient buffering for a system having non-volatile memory
Systems and methods are disclosed for efficient buffering for a system having non-volatile memory (“NVM”). In some embodiments, a control circuitry of a system can use heuristics to determine whether to perform buffering of one or more write commands received from a file system. In other embodiments, the control circuitry can minimize read energy and buffering overhead by efficiently re-ordering write commands in a queue along page-aligned boundaries of a buffer. In further embodiments, the control circuitry can optimally combine write commands from a buffer with write commands from a queue. After combining the commands, the control circuitry can dispatch the commands in a single transaction. |
| US09703698B2 |
Data writing method, memory controller and memory storage apparatus
A data writing method for writing data into a physical erasing unit and a memory controller and a memory storage apparatus using the data writing method are provided. The method includes dividing the data into a plurality of information frames in a unit of one physical programming unit. The method also includes writing the information frames in sequence into at least one physical programming unit constituted by memory cells disposed on at least one first word line and programming the storage state of memory cells disposed on at least one second word line following the first word line to an auxiliary pattern. Accordingly, the method effectively prevents data stored in the physical erasing unit, which is not full of data, from being lost due to a high temperature. |
| US09703697B2 |
Sharing serial peripheral interface flash memory in a multi-node server system on chip platform environment
Methods and apparatus related to sharing Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) flash memory in a multi-node server SoC (System on Chip) platform environment are described. In one embodiment, multi-port non-volatile memory is shared by a plurality of System on Chip (SoC) devices. Each of the plurality of SoC devices comprises controller logic to control access to the multi-port non-volatile memory and/or to translate a host referenced address of a memory access request to a linear address space and a physical address space of the multi-port non-volatile memory. Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed. |
| US09703694B2 |
Techniques for testing software
A technique for testing software includes monitoring whether a predefined event occurs in a software test instance. In response to occurrence of the predefined event, different types of snapshots of the software test instance are generated according to a property of the event. The snapshots are used to record a state of the software test instance when the predefined event occurs. The different types of snapshots are stored in information related to the predefined event. |
| US09703692B2 |
Development supporting system
Provided is a development supporting system that extracts important test cases in accordance with development statuses of a program, test statuses, etc. The development supporting system according to a representative embodiment includes a configuration managing unit that retains and manages the program and each of the test cases in a repository, and a test executing unit that executes the test case and stores a test result in the repository. The test case is managed in the repository in association with information of a type thereof, the configuration managing unit judges a development status of the program and sets a priority for each of the test cases based on the development status, and the test executing unit extracts the test case to be executed based on the priority. |
| US09703691B1 |
Testing application software using virtual or physical devices
A method includes receiving an application package for a software application and determining a test compatibility of the software application on virtual devices and on physical devices based on the application package. The method further includes selecting a test device based on the test compatibility of the software application. The test device includes one of a test virtual device or a test physical device. The method routes the software application to the test device and executes the software application on the test device. |
| US09703690B2 |
Determining test case efficiency
A computer-implemented method, computer program product, and system is provided for determining test case efficiency. In an implementation, a method may include determining each code unit executed by a test case in a test suite including a plurality of test cases, wherein a product-under-test includes a plurality of code units. The method may also include determining an execution time for the test case. The method may further include calculating an efficiency rating of the test case based upon, at least in part, a number of code units executed by the test case and the execution time for the test case. |
| US09703689B2 |
Defect detection using test cases generated from test models
Detection of defects in an online system includes, for example, receiving, by one or more processor, a plurality of search conditions regarding a search screen of the online system, generating, by the one or more processor, a plurality of test models having factors based on the plurality of search conditions and levels having one or more of the search conditions, generating, by the one or more processor, a plurality of test cases based on the generated plurality of test models having the factors based on the plurality of search conditions and the levels having one or more of the search conditions, and executing, by the one or more processor, the plurality of test cases on the online system to detect defects in the online system. |
| US09703688B2 |
Progress metric for combinatorial models
Techniques for monitoring computer program test design are described herein. The techniques include a method that specifies a subset of tuples in a combinatorial test model as supervised. At least some of the supervised tuples are confirmed using expert data. The method may include determining a metric indicating progress of the combinatorial test modeling process based on the supervised tuples and the confirmed tuples. |
| US09703686B2 |
Software testing optimizer
In an approach for testing software, a computer receives a series of two or more revisions to a set of software code. The computer identifies modifications between the series of two or more revisions. The computer categorizes the series of two or more revisions into one or more categories of revisions based on the identified modifications. The computer tests at least one of the series of two or more revisions from at least one of the one or more categories of revisions. |
| US09703685B2 |
Orthogonal experimentation in a computing environment
Various embodiments include at least one of systems, methods, and software to receive input configuring tests within a computing environment to expose users to standard application or website experiences or test experiences. In some embodiments, multiple tests may be configured to run orthogonally within user experiences without affecting the results of one another. Some such embodiments preserve the ability to execute certain tests in anon-orthogonal manner while other tests are allowed to execute orthogonally. |
| US09703684B1 |
Unified user element information provisioning
Embodiments of methods, systems and storage media associated with a unified UI element query interface (“UEI”) configured to facilitate provisioning of UI element information are described. A view server may be configured to respond to queries made using the UEI to provide indications of UI elements that are being rendered by one or more rendering engines. The view server may also be configured to respond to queries about specific UI elements to provide properties for the UI elements. The UEI may provide a single point of interaction for an application that wishes to interact with UI elements rendered by different rendering engines. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed. |
| US09703682B2 |
Generating production server load activity for a test server
Replicating on a test server a production load of a production server. The production load can be created on the production server by processing client requests received from clients. While the client requests are processed, in real time, the production load can be replicated to generate a replicated production load that represents the client requests and defines state information representing unique states formed between the production server and the respective clients. In real time, the replicated production load can be communicated in order to replicate the production load on the test server. |
| US09703680B1 |
System and method for automatic software development kit configuration and distribution
A developer analytic module executing on an integrated development environment provides location tracing of a software development toolkit and automatic updates of the SDK. The developer analytic module further provides a user interface that enables a developer to select one or more functional modules to be included in a SDK to be installed at the developer's IDE. |
| US09703678B2 |
Debugging pipeline for debugging code
A debugging pipeline may be developed to create a debugging experience for computer code operating in an execution environment, using a debugging tool outside of the execution environment. A producer can publish a debugging pipeline, configured to link the producer to a consumer (e.g., a debugging tool) by exposing a debugging pipeline interface object to a consumer. The debugging pipeline can implement a set of debugging protocols, comprising: protocol for processing of debugging requests for computer code in at least one of at least two computer languages; a protocol configured for processing of computer code language types in respective signatures without exposing operating system specific constructs; and a protocol for a first debugging pipeline to be isolated from one or more second debugging pipelines. Additionally, a consumer component can provide debugging of the computer code in the execution environment. |
| US09703677B2 |
Code coverage plugin
A method for starting a level of testing on a first package file is disclosed. The method receives, via an application programming interface, at a plugin, a request to start the level of testing on the first package file. The method further modifies, by the plugin, the memory data structure utilized for the testing in middleware, to register a code coverage tool used to perform the testing at the level on the first package file. The method further launches the code coverage tool to start the level of testing by replacing the first package file with the second package file that has been modified and instrumented by the code coverage tool. The method further adds the code coverage tool as a dependency for the second package file. |
| US09703675B2 |
Structured logging and instrumentation framework
A structured logging and instrumentation framework may include a structured logging service that interacts with one or more instrumentation points of an application at runtime. The structured logging service may expose a structured logging application programming interface that may be called by an instrumentation point for passing structured trace event information. The structured logging service may be implemented as a source of structured trace event information for one or more consumers and may output structured trace event information as a serialized string or as one or more strongly-typed key-value pairs. |
| US09703670B2 |
Performance state machine control with aggregation insertion
A performance state machine is controlled in part by identifying notifications from an execution trace of an application program, through rapid automatic comparison of trace events to notification events for notification categories. Some notification categories include application startup, page outline load, page data load start, page data load finish, page to page transition, application input, window size change, media query, binding update, page background task start, page background task finish, developer-defined scenario start, and developer-defined scenario finish. Notifications may reflect heuristics such as the time from startup to first frame submission. A state is placed in the performance state machine for each identified notification, with aggregate application performance data for each transition between identified notifications. Some performance data categories include network activity, disk activity, memory usage, parse time, frame time, dropped frames, component or overall frame rates, and thread utilization. Timelines and other visual representations aid application performance optimization. |
| US09703665B1 |
Data center design process and system
The present disclosure generally provides a design system and process to improve the traditional ways of determining the requirements for, and estimated costs of, building a new data center from the ground up or retrofitting an existing facility. The design system and process automates the conceptual design phase for a data center facility. Requirements associated with a proposed data facility may be determined based on current and future needs of an organization, and from those requirements, various feasibility and financial scenarios may be explored. This system and design more easily enable users to evaluate the feasibility, complexity, as well as cost of the proposed data center design. |
| US09703661B2 |
Eliminate corrupted portions of cache during runtime
In an approach for taking corrupt portions of cache offline during runtime, a notification of a section of a cache to be taken offline is received, wherein the section includes one or more sets in one or more indexes of the cache. An indication is associated with each set of the one or more sets in a first index of the one or more indexes, wherein the indication marks the respective set as unusable for future operations. Data is purged from the one or more sets in the first index of the cache. Each set of the one or more sets in the first index is marked as invalid. |
| US09703660B2 |
Testing a virtualized network function in a network
A method and system for testing a Virtualized Network Function (VNF) in a network. Metadata including test parameters pertaining to a network environment specific to the VNF is retrieved. At least one Virtualized Network Tester (VNT) for testing the VNF is created and stored in the network. The metadata is mapped to a test list to define a test suite of test cases based on the test parameters in the metadata. The VNF is tested by the at least one VNT according to the test suite to enable the at least one VNT to emulate the network environment specific to the VNF. The VNF is disconnected from the network and from virtual networks during the testing. If the testing is successful, the VNF is attached to the network and to virtual networks to enable the VNF to be deployed in the network. If the testing is unsuccessful, the method ends. |