Document Document Title
US09799823B1 High temperature endurable MTJ stack
Techniques relate to forming a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ). A magnetic reference layer is formed adjacent to a tunnel barrier layer. The magnetic reference layer includes a pinned layer, a spacer layer adjacent to the pinned layer, and a polarizing enhancement layer adjacent to the spacer layer. A magnetic free layer is formed adjacent to the tunnel barrier layer so as to be opposite the magnetic reference layer.
US09799822B2 Magnetic memory element and magnetic memory
A disclosed magnetic memory element includes: a magnetization free layer formed of a ferromagnetic substance having perpendicular magnetic anisotropy; a response layer provided so as to be opposed to the magnetization free layer and formed of a ferromagnetic substance having perpendicular magnetic anisotropy; a non-magnetic layer provided so as to be opposed to the response layer on a side opposite to the magnetization free layer and formed of a non-magnetic substance; and a reference layer provided so as to be opposed to the non-magnetic layer on a side opposite to the response layer and formed of a ferromagnetic substance having perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. The magnetization free layer includes a first magnetization fixed region and a second magnetization fixed region which have magnetization fixed in directions antiparallel to each other, and a magnetization free region in which a magnetization direction is variable.
US09799821B2 Silicon substrate having ferroelectric film attached thereto
A residual stress in a PZT type ferroelectric film 12 formed on a substrate body 11 by a sol-gel process is −14 MPa to −31 MPa, and the ferroelectric film 12 is crystal oriented in a (100) plane.
US09799820B2 Liquid-ejecting head, liquid-ejecting apparatus, piezoelectric element, and piezoelectric material
A liquid-ejecting head includes a pressure-generating chamber communicating with a nozzle opening, and a piezoelectric element. The piezoelectric layer contains a perovskite complex oxide containing Bi, La, Fe, and Mn and is ferroelectric.
US09799813B2 Lead frame and semiconductor package including the lead frame
A lead frame includes a bonding part to bond to a semiconductor chip, a first trench in the bonding part along a first central axis, the first central axis dividing the bonding part into two parts, and second trenches in the bonding part along a second central axis, the second central axis dividing the bonding part into two parts, and the first and second central axes vertically intersecting each other.
US09799811B2 Light emitting device
A light emitting device of an embodiment includes first and second light transmissive support bodies, and a light emitting diode is disposed between the bases. The light emitting diode includes a first semiconductor layer provided on a first surface (area S1) of a substrate, a light emitting layer (area S2), and a second semiconductor layer. A first electrode in a pad shape is formed on the second semiconductor layer. The light emitting diode has a shape satisfying a relation of “1≦S1/S2≦−(3.46/H)+2.73”, where H is a distance from the first surface of the substrate to a surface of the first electrode.
US09799803B2 LED module with multi-layer resist
A light emitting diode (LED) module including: a substrate; a resist including a plurality of layers, above the substrate; and an LED element mounted above the resist via an adhesive. The adhesive includes an addition-reaction type silicone resin. In the resist, a higher positioned layer of the plurality of layers is lower in at least one of sulfur content, phosphorus content, and nitrogen content than a lower positioned layer of the plurality of layers.
US09799800B2 Light emitting device and method of fabricating the same
A light emitting device is provided to include an n-type semiconductor layer, a p-type semiconductor layer, an active layer, and an electron blocking layer disposed between the p-type semiconductor layer and the active layer. The p-type semiconductor layer includes a hole injection layer, a p-type contact layer, and a hole transport layer. The hole transport layer includes a plurality of undoped layers and at least one intermediate doped layer disposed between the undoped layers. At least one of the undoped layers includes a zone in which hole concentration decreases with increasing distance from the hole injection layer or the p-type contact layer, and the intermediate doped layer is disposed to be at least partially overlapped with a region of the hole transport layer, the region having the hole concentration of 62% to 87% of the hole concentration of the p-type contact layer.
US09799799B2 Light emitting device and method of manufacturing the same
A light emitting device includes: a light emitting element that includes a light extracting surface, an electrode formed surface opposite to the light extracting surface, one or more lateral surfaces, and a pair of electrodes positioned on the electrode formed surface; a light-transmissive member that includes a light entering surface, a light exiting surface opposite to the light entering surface, and one or more lateral surfaces, the light entering surface being disposed on the light extracting surface; an insulating member that covers the lateral surfaces and the electrode formed surface of the light emitting element, and is disposed to expose at least part of the pair of electrodes; a first metal layer that covers the lateral surfaces of the light-transmissive member; and a second metal layer that covers the lateral surfaces of the light emitting element interposing the insulating member.
US09799798B1 Thermal emitter comprising near-zero permittivity materials
A novel thermal source comprising a semiconductor hyperbolic metamaterial provides control of the emission spectrum and the angular emission pattern. These properties arise because of epsilon-near-zero conditions in the semiconductor hyperbolic metamaterial. In particular, the thermal emission is dominated by the epsilon-near-zero effect in the doped quantum wells composing the semiconductor hyperbolic metamaterial. Furthermore, different properties are observed for s and p polarizations, following the characteristics of the strong anisotropy of hyperbolic metamaterials.
US09799797B2 Light-emitting semiconductor chip
A semiconductor chip includes a semiconductor body with a semiconductor layer sequence. An active region intended for generating radiation is arranged between an n-conductive multilayer structure and a p-conductive semiconductor layer. A doping profile is formed in the n-conductive multilayer structure which includes at least one doping peak.
US09799796B2 Nanowire sized opto-electronic structure and method for modifying selected portions of same
A method for treating a LED structure with a substance, the LED structure includes an array of nanowires on a planar support. The method includes producing the substance at a source and causing it to move to the array along a line. The angle between the line followed by the substance and the plane of the support is less than 90° when measured from the center of the support. The substance is capable of rendering a portion of the nanowires nonconductive or less conductive compared to before being treated by the substance.
US09799792B2 Substrate-free thin-film flexible photovoltaic device and fabrication method
A method for thermal exfoliation includes providing a target layer on a substrate to form a structure. A stressor layer is deposited on the target layer. The structure is placed in a temperature controlled environment to induce differential thermal expansion between the target layer and the substrate. The target layer is exfoliated from the substrate when a critical temperature is achieved such that the target layer is separated from the substrate to produce a standalone, thin film device.
US09799790B2 Mesoscopic solar cell based on perovskite light absorption material and method for making the same
A method for preparing a mesoscopic solar cell based on perovskite light absorption materials, the method including 1) preparing a hole blocking layer on a conductive substrate; 2) preparing and sintering a mesoporous nanocrystalline layer, an insulation separating layer, and a hole collecting layer on the hole blocking layer in order; and 3) drop-coating a precursor solution on the hole collecting layer, and allowing the precursor solution to penetrate pores of the mesoporous nanocrystalline layer via the hole collecting layer from top to bottom, and drying a resulting product to obtain a mesoscopic solar cell.
US09799784B2 High efficiency photovoltaic device employing cadmium sulfide telluride and method of manufacture
A photovoltaic device is disclosed including at least one Cadmium Sulfide Telluride (CdSxTe1−x) layer as are methods of forming such a photovoltaic device.
US09799783B2 Dopant ink composition and method of fabricating a solar cell there from
Dopant ink compositions and methods of fabricating solar cells there from are described. A dopant ink composition may include a cross-linkable matrix precursor, a bound dopant species, and a solvent. A method of fabricating a solar cell may include delivering a dopant ink composition to a region above a substrate. The dopant ink composition includes a cross-linkable matrix precursor, a bound dopant species, and a solvent. The method also includes baking the dopant ink composition to remove a substantial portion of the solvent of the dopant ink composition, curing the baked dopant ink composition to cross-link a substantial portion of the cross-linkable matrix precursor of the dopant ink composition, and driving dopants from the cured dopant ink composition toward the substrate.
US09799782B2 Solar cell module and method for manufacturing the same
A solar cell module and a method for manufacturing the same are disclosed. The solar cell module includes a first solar cell and a second solar cell each including a plurality of first electrodes formed on a back surface of a semiconductor substrate, a plurality of second electrodes which are formed in parallel with the plurality of first electrodes on the back surface of the semiconductor substrate, a first auxiliary electrode connected to the plurality of first electrodes, and a second auxiliary electrode connected to the plurality of second electrodes, and an interconnector for electrically connecting the first auxiliary electrode of the first solar cell to the second auxiliary electrode of the second solar cell.
US09799781B2 Solar cell
A solar cell is discussed. The solar cell according to an embodiment includes a photoelectric conversion unit including a first conductive type region and a second conductive type region formed on the same side of the photoelectric conversion unit; and an electrode formed on the photoelectric conversion unit and including an adhesive layer formed on the photoelectric conversion unit and an electrode layer formed on the adhesive layer, wherein the adhesive layer has a coefficient of thermal expansion that is greater than a coefficient of thermal expansion of the photoelectric conversion unit and is less than a coefficient of thermal expansion of the electrode layer.
US09799780B2 Solar cell and manufacture method thereof
A solar cell is provided, including a substrate, a doped emitter layer, a composite anti-reflective layer, a first electrode, a second electrode, a third electrode and a rear electric field layer, the substrate has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the first surface is a light incident surface, the doped emitter layer includes a plurality of convexities disposed on the first surface, the composite anti-reflective layer is formed by combination of a plurality of membranous layers and disposed on the doped emitter layer, the first electrode is disposed on a side of the first surface, the second electrode and the third electrode are disposed on a side of the second surface, the second electrode is a bus electrode, the third electrode is a rear electrode, the rear electric field layer is disposed on the second surface and coupled electrically with the third electrode.
US09799779B2 Systems and methods for photovoltaic string protection
A system and method includes a circuit for protecting a photovoltaic string. A bypass switch connects in parallel to the photovoltaic string and a hot spot protection switch connects in series with the photovoltaic string. A first control signal controls opening and closing of the bypass switch and a second control signal controls opening and closing of the hot spot protection switch. Upon detection of a hot spot condition the first control signal closes the bypass switch and after the bypass switch is closed the second control signal opens the hot spot protection switch.
US09799777B1 Floating gate memory in a channel last vertical FET flow
A floating gate memory cell is provided on a surface of a base semiconductor substrate utilizing a vertical FET processing flow. The floating gate memory cell contains a bottom source/drain region located beneath one end of an epitaxial semiconductor channel material and a top source/drain region located above a second end of the epitaxial semiconductor channel material. A floating gate structure including an inner dielectric material portion, a floating gate portion, an outer dielectric material portion, and a control gate portion is present on each side of the epitaxial semiconductor channel material.
US09799776B2 Semi-floating gate FET
A semi-floating gate transistor is implemented as a vertical FET built on a silicon substrate, wherein the source, drain, and channel are vertically aligned, on top of one another. Current flow between the source and the drain is influenced by a control gate and a semi-floating gate. Front side contacts can be made to each one of the source, drain, and control gate terminals of the vertical semi-floating gate transistor. The vertical semi-floating gate FET further includes a vertical tunneling FET and a vertical diode. Fabrication of the vertical semi-floating gate FET is compatible with conventional CMOS manufacturing processes, including a replacement metal gate process. Low-power operation allows the vertical semi-floating gate FET to provide a high current density compared with conventional planar devices.
US09799775B2 Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device having stable electric characteristics is provided. The transistor includes first to third oxide semiconductor layers, a gate electrode, and a gate insulating layer. The second oxide semiconductor layer has a portion positioned between the first and third oxide semiconductor layers. The gate insulating layer has a region in contact with a top surface of the third oxide semiconductor layer. The gate electrode overlaps with a top surface of the portion with the gate insulating layer positioned therebetween. The gate electrode faces a side surface of the portion in a channel width direction with the gate insulating layer positioned therebetween. The second oxide semiconductor layer includes a region having a thickness greater than or equal to 2 nm and less than 8 nm. The length in the channel width direction of the second oxide semiconductor layer is less than 60 nm.
US09799772B2 Thin film transistor device, method for manufacturing same and display device
A TFT device including: a gate electrode; a channel layer above the gate electrode; a channel protection layer on the channel layer; an electrode pair on the channel protection layer composed of a source electrode and a drain electrode that are spaced away from one another, a part of each of the source electrode and the drain electrode in contact with the channel layer through the channel protection layer; and a passivation layer extending over the gate electrode, the channel layer, the electrode pair, and the channel protection layer. The channel layer is made of an oxide semiconductor. The TFT device has a first sub-layer made of one of silicon nitride and silicon oxynitride and in which Si—H density is no greater than 2.3×1021 cm−3. The first sub-layer is included in at least one of the channel protection layer and the passivation layer.
US09799770B2 FinFET structure device
The present invention provides a FinFET device, including at least one fin structure, wherein the fin structure has a first-type well region, and a second-type well region adjacent to the first-type well region, a trench located in the fin structure and disposed between the first-type well region and the second-type well region, an insulating layer disposed in the trench, and a metal gate crossing over and disposed on the insulating layer.
US09799769B2 Semiconductor device and method for fabricating the same
A semiconductor device includes: a substrate having a first fin-shaped structure and a second fin-shaped structure thereon, a shallow trench isolation (STI) around the first fin-shaped structure and the second fin-shaped structure, a gate isolation directly on the second fin-shaped structure, and a gate line on the STI and the first fin-shaped structure. Preferably, the gate line includes a L-shaped structure.
US09799767B2 Methods of forming PMOS and NMOS FinFET devices on CMOS based integrated circuit products
One illustrative method disclosed herein includes, among other things, forming first and second fins, respectively, for a PMOS device and an NMOS device, each of the first and second fins comprising a lower substrate fin portion made of the substrate material and an upper fin portion that is made of a second semiconductor material that is different from the substrate material, exposing at least a portion of the upper fin portion of both the first and second fins, masking the PMOS device and forming a semiconductor material cladding on the exposed upper portion of the second fin for the NMOS device, wherein the semiconductor material cladding is a different semiconductor material than that of the second semiconductor material. The method also including forming gate structures for the PMOS FinFET device and the NMOS FinFET device.
US09799761B2 3DIC based system with memory cells and transistors
A 3D IC based system, the system including: a first layer including first memory cells including first transistors, where the first transistors include first transistor channels; a second layer overlying the first layer, the second layer including second memory cells including second transistors, where the second transistors include second transistor channels, where the second layer includes vertically oriented doped regions, where the second layer includes at least one through second layer via having a diameter of less than 400 nm, and where at least one of the first transistor channels and at least one of the second transistor channels are directly coupled to at least one of the vertically oriented doped region.
US09799760B2 Semiconductor device with selectively etched surface passivation
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate configured to include a channel, first and second ohmic contacts supported by the semiconductor substrate, in ohmic contact with the semiconductor substrate, and spaced from one another for current flow between the first and second ohmic contacts through the channel, and first and second dielectric layers supported by the semiconductor substrate. At least one of the first and second ohmic contacts extends through respective openings in the first and second dielectric layers. The second dielectric layer is disposed between the first dielectric layer and a surface of the semiconductor substrate, and the second dielectric layer includes a wet etchable material having an etch selectivity to a dry etchant of the first dielectric layer.
US09799759B2 Techniques for forming non-planar germanium quantum well devices
Techniques are disclosed for forming a non-planar germanium quantum well structure. In particular, the quantum well structure can be implemented with group IV or III-V semiconductor materials and includes a germanium fin structure. In one example case, a non-planar quantum well device is provided, which includes a quantum well structure having a substrate (e.g. SiGe or GaAs buffer on silicon), a IV or III-V material barrier layer (e.g., SiGe or GaAs or AlGaAs), a doping layer (e.g., delta/modulation doped), and an undoped germanium quantum well layer. An undoped germanium fin structure is formed in the quantum well structure, and a top barrier layer deposited over the fin structure. A gate metal can be deposited across the fin structure. Drain/source regions can be formed at respective ends of the fin structure.
US09799757B2 PN junction chemical sensor
A sensor device (100, 2800) for detecting particles, the sensor device (100, 2800) comprising a substrate (102), a first doped region (104) formed in the substrate (102) by a first dopant of a first type of conductivity, a second doped region (106, 150) formed in the substrate (102) by a second dopant of a second type of conductivity which differs from the first type of conductivity, a depletion region (108) at a junction between the first doped region (104) and the second doped region (106, 150), a sensor active region (110) adapted to influence a property of the depletion region (108) in the presence of the particles, and a detection unit (112) adapted to detect the particles based on an electric measurement performed upon application of a predetermined reference voltage between the first doped region (104) and the second doped region (106, 150), the electric measurement being indicative of the presence of the particles in the sensor active region (110).
US09799754B2 Contact structure and extension formation for III-V nFET
FinFET devices including III-V fin structures and silicon-based source/drain regions are formed on a semiconductor substrate. Silicon is diffused into the III-V fin structures to form n-type junctions. Leakage through the substrate is addressed by forming p-n junctions adjoining the source/drain regions and isolating the III-V fin structures under the channel regions.
US09799751B1 Methods of forming a gate structure on a vertical transistor device
One illustrative method disclosed herein includes forming a multi-layered sidewall spacer (MLSS) around a vertically oriented channel semiconductor structure, wherein the MLSS comprises a non-sacrificial innermost first spacer (a high-k insulating material), a sacrificial outermost spacer and at least one non-sacrificial second spacer (a metal-containing material) positioned between the innermost spacer and the outermost spacer, removing at least a portion of the sacrificial outermost spacer from the MLSS while leaving the at least one non-sacrificial second spacer and the non-sacrificial innermost first spacer in position and forming a final conductive gate electrode in place of the removed sacrificial outermost spacer.
US09799750B2 Semiconductor device and fabrication method thereof
A semiconductor device and a method for fabricating the semiconductor device are disclosed. An isolation structure is formed in a substrate and a gate stack is formed atop the isolation structure. A spacer is formed adjoining a sidewall of the gate stack and extends beyond an edge of the isolation structure. The disclosed method provides an improved method for protecting the isolation structure by using the spacer. The spacer can prevent the isolation structure from being damaged by chemicals, therefor, to enhance contact landing and upgrade the device performance.
US09799745B2 Atomic layer deposition methods and structures thereof
A method and structure for providing a pre-deposition treatment (e.g., of a work-function layer) to accomplish work function tuning. In various embodiments, a gate dielectric layer is formed over a substrate and a work-function metal layer is deposited over the gate dielectric layer. Thereafter, a fluorine-based treatment of the work-function metal layer is performed, where the fluorine-based treatment removes an oxidized layer from a top surface of the work-function metal layer to form a treated work-function metal layer. In some embodiments, after performing the fluorine-based treatment, another metal layer is deposited over the treated work-function metal layer.
US09799743B1 Trenched power semiconductor element
A trenched power semiconductor element, a trenched-gate structure thereof being in an element trench of an epitaxial layer and including at least a shielding electrode, a shielding dielectric layer, a gate electrode, an insulating separation layer, and a gate insulating layer. The shielding electrode is disposed at the bottom of the element trench, the shielding dielectric layer is disposed at a lower portion of the element trench, surrounding the shielding electrode to separate the shielding electrode from the epitaxial layer, wherein the top portion of the shielding dielectric layer includes a hole. The gate electrode is disposed above the shielding electrode, being separated from the hole at a predetermined distance through the insulating separation layer. The insulating separation layer is disposed between the shielding dielectric layer and the gate electrode layer to seal the hole.
US09799739B2 Semiconductor device having air gap and method for manufacturing the same, memory cell having the same and electronic device having the same
A semiconductor device including a semiconductor substrate including a plurality of active regions and a device isolation region for isolating the plurality of active regions; and a buried bit line and a buried gate electrode which are formed in the semiconductor substrate. The device isolation region includes a first device isolation region extending in a first direction and a second device isolation region extending in a second direction crossing with the first direction and having a shield pillar formed therein.
US09799737B2 Method for forming group III/V conformal layers on silicon substrates
A method for forming a conformal group III/V layer on a silicon substrate and the resulting substrate with the group III/V layers formed thereon. The method includes removing the native oxide from the substrate, positioning a substrate within a processing chamber, heating the substrate to a first temperature, cooling the substrate to a second temperature, flowing a group III precursor into the processing chamber, maintaining the second temperature while flowing a group III precursor and a group V precursor into the processing chamber until a conformal layer is formed, heating the processing chamber to an annealing temperature, while stopping the flow of the group III precursor, and cooling the processing chamber to the second temperature. Deposition of the III/V layer may be made selective through the use of halide gas etching which preferentially etches dielectric regions.
US09799736B1 High acceptor level doping in silicon germanium
A gallium-doped sacrificial epitaxial or polycrystalline germanium layer is formed on a silicon germanium substrate having a high percentage of germanium followed by annealing to diffuse the gallium into the silicon germanium substrate. The germanium layer is selectively removed to expose the surface of a gallium-doped silicon germanium region within the silicon germanium substrate. The process has application to the formation of electrically conductive regions within integrated circuits such as source/drain regions and junctions without the introduction of carbon into such regions.
US09799732B2 Silicon carbide semiconductor device and fabrication method of silicon carbide semiconductor device
A P+ type region, a p-type region, and a P− type region are disposed in a surface layer of a silicon carbide substrate base and are disposed in a breakdown voltage structure portion surrounding an active region to make up an element structure of Schottky junction. The p− type region surrounds the P+ type region and the p-type region to form a junction termination structure. A Schottky electrode forms a Schottky junction with an n-type silicon carbide epitaxial layer. The Schottky electrode and an electrode pad have end portions positioned on the P+ type region and the end portion of the Schottky electrode is exposed from the end portion of the electrode pad. As a result, the region of the breakdown voltage structure portion can be made smaller while the active region can be made larger, and a semiconductor device is easily fabricated.
US09799730B2 FINFETs with high quality source/drain structures
A semiconductor structure is provided that includes a silicon germanium alloy fin located on a portion of a topmost surface of an insulator layer. A functional gate structure straddles a portion of the silicon germanium alloy fin and is located on other portions of the topmost surface of the insulator layer. A source structure is located on one side of the functional gate structure and a drain structure is located on another side of the functional gate structure. The source structure and the drain structure surround the other portions of the silicon germanium alloy fin and are located on a germanium graded silicon-containing region that is present at a footprint of the other portions of the silicon germanium alloy fin.
US09799729B2 Method of manufacturing a semiconductor device with field electrode structures, gate structures and auxiliary diode structures
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes: forming field electrode structures extending in a direction vertical to a first surface in a semiconductor body; forming cell mesas from portions of the semiconductor body between the field electrode structures, including body zones forming first pn junctions with a drift zone; forming gate structures between the field electrode structures and configured to control a current flow through the body zones; and forming auxiliary diode structures with a forward voltage lower than the first pn junctions and electrically connected in parallel with the first pn junctions, wherein semiconducting portions of the auxiliary diode structures are formed in the cell mesas.
US09799728B2 Three-dimensional transistor and fabrication method thereof
The disclosed subject matter provides a method for fabricating a three-dimensional transistor. The method includes forming an active region and two isolation structures on a semiconductor substrate. The active region is formed between the two isolation structures. The method further includes forming a photoresist layer on the active region and the isolation structures, forming an opening in the photoresist layer to expose a top surface of the active region and a portion of a top surface of each isolation structure, and then forming a trench on each side of the active region by removing a portion of the corresponding isolation structure exposed in the opening through an etching process using the photoresist layer as an etch mask. After the etching process, the portion of the active region between the two trenches becomes a three-dimensional fin structure. The disclosed method simplifies fabrication process for three-dimensional transistors and reduces product cost.
US09799720B2 Inductor heat dissipation in an integrated circuit
The present invention relates generally to semiconductor structures and methods of manufacturing and, more particularly, to improving heat dissipation of devices, such as active devices like inductors, by filling portions of the semiconductor structure with thermally conductive and electrical isolating material that may serve as a heat sink to a base substrate. In an embodiment, an inductor may be formed above a cavity region in which the thermally conductive and electrical isolating material has been formed. Heat may then be dissipated from the inductor to the cavity, and eventually to the base substrate, through trenches filled with the thermally conductive and electrical isolating material.
US09799719B2 Active-matrix touchscreen
An active-matrix touchscreen includes a substrate, a system controller, and a plurality of spatially separated independent touch elements disposed on the substrate. Each touch element includes a touch sensor and a touch controller circuit that provides one or more sensor-control signals to the touch sensor and receives a sense signal responsive to the sensor-control signals from the touch sensor. Each touch sensor operates independently of any other touch sensor.
US09799715B2 Display panel, manufacturing method therefor, and display apparatus
A display panel, comprising an array substrate (1) having a plurality of sub pixels (15), wherein the array substrate (1) comprises: a thin film transistor (11), a passivation layer (12) disposed on the thin film transistor, and a color filter layer (13) disposed on the passivation layer, the array substrate further comprises a protection layer (14) which is disposed on the color filter layer (13) and is made of a mixture of metal oxide and resin. In the display panel, the problem that ultraviolet light irradiation onto a thin film transistor affects the transistor performance is solved, the characteristic drift of the thin film transistor is reduced, and the on-off ratio of the thin film transistor is increased, thereby the performance of the thin film transistor is improved. The manufacturing method of the display panel and a display apparatus comprising the display panel are also disclosed.
US09799713B2 Organic light-emitting diode display with barrier layer
A display may have an array of pixels formed from organic light-emitting diodes and thin-film transistor circuitry. A planarization layer may be interposed between the thin-film transistor circuitry and the organic light-emitting diodes. To protect the organic light-emitting diodes from photoactive compounds that may be outgassed from the planarization layer, an inorganic barrier layer may be interposed between the planarization layer and the organic light-emitting diodes. The inorganic barrier layer may be formed on top of and/or below a pixel definition layer that defines light-emitting zones for the organic light-emitting diodes. In another suitable arrangement, the inorganic barrier layer may itself define light-emitting zones and may be used in place of a polymer-based pixel definition layer. The inorganic barrier layer may include trenches in which the emissive material of the light-emitting diodes is formed.
US09799710B2 Organic light emitting display device and method for fabricating the same
An organic light emitting display device, and a method for manufacturing the organic light emitting display device are discussed. The organic light emitting display device according to one embodiment includes a substrate; a first auxiliary electrode formed on the substrate and in a non-light emitting region; a bank layer formed on the substrate and having an opening exposing the first auxiliary electrode; an organic light emitting layer formed on the bank layer; an upper electrode formed on the organic light emitting layer and the first auxiliary electrode; and a second auxiliary electrode formed on the upper electrode. The first auxiliary electrode and the second auxiliary electrode come into contact with the upper electrode in the opening exposing the first auxiliary electrode.
US09799709B2 Pixel unit, method of manufacturing the same and display device
The present invention discloses a pixel unit, a method of manufacturing the same and a display device. The pixel unit comprises an anode layer, a pixel definition layer, an organic light-emitting layer and a cathode layer, wherein the anode layer includes a plurality of pixel anodes in an array arrangement, and the pixel definition layer is disposed on the anode layer and includes a plurality of spaced pixel definition units, wherein the pixel definition units correspond to the pixel anodes one by one, and each pixel definition unit delimits a light-emitting region on the corresponding pixel anode, and the organic light-emitting layer is provided within the light-emitting regions, and the cathode layer is provided on the organic light-emitting layer. The present invention remarkably increases light extraction efficiency by improving the structure of the pixel unit.
US09799708B2 Organic light emitting diode display
An organic light emitting diode display includes a stretchable substrate, a plurality of pixel forming plates, first and second pixels, and a cut-out groove. The pixel forming plates are on the substrate and spaced apart from each other. The first and second pixels are on respective first and second pixel forming plates of the plurality of the pixel forming plates adjacent in a first direction. The first and second pixel forming plates are connected by a first bridge. The cut-out groove are in the first and second pixel forming plates and adjacent to an area connected to the first bridge.
US09799707B2 Memory structures and arrays
Some embodiments include memory structures having a diode over a memory cell. The memory cell can include programmable material between a pair of electrodes, with the programmable material containing a multivalent metal oxide directly against a high-k dielectric. The diode can include a first diode electrode directly over one of the memory cell electrodes and electrically coupled with the memory cell electrode, and can include a second diode electrode laterally outward of the first diode electrode and not directly over the memory cell. Some embodiments include memory arrays comprising the memory structures, and some embodiments include methods of making the memory structures.
US09799704B2 Electronic device and method for fabricating the same
An electronic device with improved variable resistance characteristics and a method for fabricating the same are provided. In an embodiment of the disclosed technology, a method for forming an electronic device with a semiconductor memory includes forming a crystalized doped layer over a substrate; forming a barrier layer over the doped layer; forming a metal layer over the barrier layer; and reacting the barrier layer with a portion of the metal layer. The electronic device and the method of fabricating the same according to embodiments of the disclosed technology may have improved variable resistance characteristics.
US09799703B2 Linear LED lighting fixture with improved viewing angle
Disclosed is an LED lighting fixture that includes a linear lighting mounting member having a first longitudinal axis and a plurality of adjacent multicolor LEDs, such as RGB LEDs, operably connected to the linear mounting member along the first axis. Each multicolor LED has a first end portion, a first LED diode configured to emit light having a first color mounted on the first end portion, an opposing second end portion, and a second LED diode configured to emit light having a second color disposed at the second, the first LED diode spaced apart from the second LED diode along a second longitudinal axis, and the orientation of each multicolor LED rotated 180° in relation to the orientation of the adjacent multicolor LED.
US09799700B2 Infrared sensor
An infrared sensor according to an embodiment includes a housing, a detector, a lid, and a light shielding film. The detector is mounted on the bottom surface of the housing and includes a heat-sensitive pixel region and a reference pixel region. The lid seals the housing and includes a support member and a window member. The support member is bonded to the side surfaces of the housing and has an opening positioned above the heat-sensitive pixel region. The window member is bonded to a surface of the support member on a side of the detector so as to cover the opening. The light shielding film is formed on a surface of the window member on a side of the detector and arranged on an optical path of the infrared rays entering the reference pixel region.
US09799697B2 Back side illuminated image sensor with deep trench isolation structures and self-aligned color filters
A semiconductor image sensor includes a substrate having a first side and a second side that is opposite the first side. An interconnect structure is disposed over the first side of the substrate. A plurality of radiation-sensing regions is located in the substrate. The radiation-sensing regions are configured to sense radiation that enters the substrate from the second side. A plurality of isolation structures are each disposed between two respective radiation-sensing regions. The isolation structures protrude out of the second side of the substrate.
US09799692B2 Solid-state imaging apparatus
A solid-state imaging apparatus includes: a solid-state imaging device photoelectrically converting light taken by a lens; and a light shielding member shielding part of light incident on the solid-state imaging device from the lens, wherein an angle made between an edge surface of the light shielding member and an optical axis direction of the lens is larger than an incident angle of light to be incident on an edge portion of the light shielding member.
US09799676B2 Semiconductor device, FinFET transistor and fabrication method thereof
The present disclosure provides semiconductor devices, fin field-effect transistors and fabrication methods thereof. An exemplary fin field-effect transistor includes a semiconductor substrate; an insulation layer configured for inhibiting a short channel effect and increasing a heat dissipation efficiency of the fin field-effect transistor formed over the semiconductor substrate; at least one fin formed over the insulation layer; a gate structure crossing over at least one fin and covering top and side surfaces of the fin formed over the semiconductor substrate; and a source formed in the fin at one side of the gate structure and a drain formed in the fin at the other side of the gate structure.
US09799672B2 Memory device having cell over periphery (COP) structure, memory package and method of manufacturing the same
A memory device includes a semiconductor substrate, a peripheral circuit formed on a top surface of the semiconductor substrate, a lower insulation layer covering the peripheral circuit, a base layer formed on the lower insulation layer, a memory cell array formed on the base layer, an upper insulation layer covering the memory cell array and a plurality of input-output pads formed on a bottom surface of the semiconductor substrate. At least one of the input-output pads is disposed to be overlapped with a portion of the memory cell array in a vertical direction. The sizes of the memory device and the memory package including the memory device may be reduced through the COP structure and efficient arrangement of the input-output pads.
US09799666B2 Semiconductor device
At least one of a plurality of transistors which are highly integrated in an element is provided with a back gate without increasing the number of manufacturing steps. In an element including a plurality of transistors which are longitudinally stacked, at least a transistor in an upper portion includes a metal oxide having semiconductor characteristics, a same layer as a gate electrode of a transistor in a lower portion is provided to overlap with a channel formation region of the transistor in an upper portion, and part of the same layer as the gate electrode functions as a back gate of the transistor in an upper portion. The transistor in a lower portion which is covered with an insulating layer is subjected to planarization treatment, whereby the gate electrode is exposed and connected to a layer functioning as source and drain electrodes of the transistor in an upper portion.
US09799665B2 Method for forming semiconductor device structure
A method for forming a semiconductor device structure is provided. The method includes forming a mask layer over a substrate. The method includes forming a first isolation structure and a second isolation structure passing through the mask layer and penetrating into the substrate. The method includes thinning the mask layer to expose a first portion of the first isolation structure and a second portion of the second isolation structure. The method includes partially removing the first portion, the second portion, the third portion, and the fourth portion. The method includes removing the thinned mask layer. The method includes forming a first gate over the substrate and between the first isolation structure and the second isolation structure. The method includes forming a dielectric layer over the first gate. The method includes forming a second gate over the dielectric layer and above the first gate.
US09799662B2 Antifuse-type one time programming memory cell and array structure with same
An antifuse-type OTP memory cell has following structures. A first doped region, a second doped region, a third doped region and a fourth doped region are formed in a well region. A gate oxide layer covers the surface of the well region. A first gate is formed on the gate oxide layer and spanned over the first doped region and the second doped region. The first gate is connected with a word line. A second gate is formed on the gate oxide layer and spanned over the second doped region and the third doped region. The second gate is connected with an antifuse control line. A third gate is formed on the gate oxide layer and spanned over the third doped region and the fourth doped region. The third gate is connected with an isolation control line.
US09799661B1 SRAM bitcell structures facilitating biasing of pull-down transistors
Static random access memory (SRAM) bitcell structures with improved minimum operation voltage (Vmin) and yield are provided. The structures may include a silicon substrate, a deep n-well (DNW) layer, p-well (PW) regions, doped back-plate (BP) regions, a buried oxide (BOX) layer, and/or active regions formed on the BOX layer and over portions of the BP regions. At least one BP region may extend below at least one shallow trench isolation (STI) region, at least one contact to back plate (CBP), at least one active region and at least one PC construct overlapping the at least one active region forming a channel of at least one of a first pull-down (PD1) transistor and a second pull-down (PD2) transistor. The at least one CBP facilitates biasing at least one of the PD1 and PD2 transistors during at least one of a read, write or standby operation of the structures.
US09799654B2 FET trench dipole formation
A semiconductor structure includes a layered dipole structure formed upon a fin sidewall within a fin trench. The layered dipole structure includes a dipole layer of opposite polarity relative to the polarity of the fin and reduces source to drain leakage. A semiconductor structure may include a first layered dipole structure formed within a gate trench within a first polarity region of the semiconductor structure. A second layered dipole structure is formed within a gate trench within a second polarity region of the semiconductor structure and formed upon the first layered dipole structure. The layered dipole structure nearest to the bottom of the gate trench includes a dipole layer of opposite polarity relative to the polarity region of the semiconductor structure where the gate trench is located and reduces source to drain leakage.
US09799646B2 Cascode configured semiconductor component
In accordance with an embodiment, semiconductor component includes a compound semiconductor material based semiconductor device coupled to a silicon based semiconductor device and a protection element, wherein the silicon based semiconductor device is a transistor. The protection element is coupled in parallel across the silicon based semiconductor device and may be a resistor, a diode, or a transistor. In accordance with another embodiment, the silicon based semiconductor device is a diode. The compound semiconductor material may be shorted to a source of potential such as, for example, ground, with a shorting element.
US09799645B2 Field effect transistor (FET) structure with integrated gate connected diodes
A structure having: a plurality of field effect transistors (FETs) connected between a common input and a common output, each one of the field effect transistors comprises: a source region, a drain region, and a gate electrode for controlling carriers through a channel region of a transistor region of the structure between the source region and the drain region; a plurality of diodes, each one of the diodes being associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of FETs, each one of the diodes having an electrode in Schottky contact with a diode region of the corresponding one of the FETs. The gate electrode and the diode electrode extend along parallel lines. The source region, the drain region, the channel region, and a diode region having therein the diode are disposed along a common line.
US09799643B2 Gate voltage control for III-nitride transistors
A semiconductor die includes a III-nitride semiconductor substrate, a power HEMT (high-electron-mobility transistor) disposed in the III-nitride semiconductor substrate, and a first gate driver HEMT monolithically integrated with the power HEMT in the III-nitride semiconductor substrate. The power HEMT and the first gate driver HEMT each have a gate, a source and a drain. The first gate driver HEMT logically forms part of a driver, and is electrically connected to the gate of the power HEMT. The first gate driver HEMT is operable to turn the power HEMT off or on responsive to an externally-generated control signal received from the driver or other device. Additional embodiments of semiconductor dies and methods of manufacturing are also described.
US09799640B1 Integrated circuit containing first and second DOEs of standard cell compatible, NCEM-enabled fill cells, with the first DOE including chamfer short configured fill cells, and the second DOE including corner short configured fill cells
An IC includes first and second designs of experiments (DOES), each comprised of at least two fill cells. The fill cells contain structures configured to obtain in-line data via non-contact electrical measurements (“NCEM”). The first DOE contains fill cells configured to enable non-contact (NC) detection of chamfer shorts, and the second DOE contains fill cells configured to enable NC detection of corner shorts.
US09799639B2 Power gating for three dimensional integrated circuits (3DIC)
Embodiments of mechanisms for forming power gating cells and virtual power circuits on multiple active device layers are described in the current disclosure. Power gating cells and virtual power circuits are formed on separate active device layers to allow interconnect structure for connecting with the power source be formed on a separate level from the interconnect structure for connecting the power gating cells and the virtual power circuits. Such separation prevents these two types of interconnect structures from competing for the same space. Routings for both types of interconnect structures become easier. As a result, metal lengths of interconnect structures are reduced and the metal widths are increased. Reduced metal lengths and increased metal widths reduce resistance, improves resistance-capacitance (RC) delay and electrical performance, and improves interconnect reliability, such as reducing electro-migration.
US09799637B2 Semiconductor package with lid having lid conductive structure
The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor package with a lid that includes a lid conductive structure. The semiconductor package includes a substrate with a top surface, a lid over the top surface of the substrate, and at least one substrate-mounted component mounted on the top surface of the substrate. Herein, a cavity is defined within the lid and over the top surface of the substrate. The substrate includes a metal pad over the top surface of the substrate. The lid includes a lid conductive structure, a lid body, and a perimeter wall that extends from a perimeter of the lid body toward the top surface of the substrate. The lid conductive structure includes a body conductor that extends through a portion of the lid body and a wall conductor that is coupled to the body conductor, extends through the perimeter wall, and is electronically coupled to the metal pad.
US09799632B2 Method for aligning micro-electronic components
Alignment of a first micro-electronic component to a receiving surface of a second micro-electronic component is realized by a capillary force-induced self-alignment, combined with an electrostatic alignment. The latter is accomplished by providing at least one first electrical conductor line along the periphery of the first component, and at least one second electrical conductor along the periphery of the location on the receiving surface of the second component onto which the component is to be placed. The contact areas surrounded by the conductor lines are covered with a wetting layer. The electrical conductor lines may be embedded in a strip of anti-wetting material that runs along the peripheries to create a wettability contrast. The wettability contrast helps to maintain a drop of alignment liquid between the contact areas so as to obtain self-alignment by capillary force. By applying appropriate charges on the conductor lines, electrostatic self-alignment is realized, which improves the alignment obtained through capillary force and maintains the alignment during evaporation of the liquid.
US09799627B2 Semiconductor package structure and method
In one embodiment, a semiconductor package structure includes a substrate having a well region extending from a major surface. An interposer structure is attached to the substrate within the well region. The interposer structure has a major surface that is substantially co-planar with the major surface of the substrate. An electrical device is directly attached to the substrate and the interposer structure. The interposer structure can be an active device, such as a gate driver integrated circuit, or passive device structure, such as an impedance matching network.
US09799626B2 Semiconductor packages and other circuit modules with porous and non-porous stabilizing layers
Integrated circuits (ICs 110) are attached to a wafer (120W). A stabilization layer (404) is formed over the wafer to strengthen the structure for further processing. Unlike a conventional mold compound, the stabilization layer is separated from at least some wafer areas around the ICs by one or more gap regions (450) to reduce the thermo-mechanical stress on the wafer and hence the wafer warpage. Alternatively or in addition, the stabilization layer can be a porous material having a low horizontal elastic modulus to reduce the wafer warpage, but having a high flexural modulus to reduce warpage and otherwise strengthen the structure for further processing. Other features and advantages are also provided.
US09799625B2 Semiconductor structure and manufacturing method thereof
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor structure, comprising: receiving a first substrate including a first surface, a second surface opposite to the first surface and a plurality of conductive bumps disposed over the first surface; receiving a second substrate; disposing an adhesive over the first substrate or the second substrate; heating the adhesive in a first ambiance; bonding the first substrate with the second substrate by applying a force of less than about 10,000N upon the first substrate or the second substrate and heating the adhesive in a second ambiance; and thinning down a thickness of the first substrate from the second surface.
US09799624B1 Wire bonding method and wire bonding structure
A wire bonding method includes steps of: forming a Free Air Ball (FAB) at an end of a metal wire; pressing the FAB onto a flat surface of a workpiece to deform the FAB; contacting the deformed FAB to a metal pad, wherein the metal pad is made of a first material and the metal wire is made of a second material, and a hardness of the first material is smaller than a hardness of the second material; and bonding the deformed FAB on the metal pad.
US09799621B2 Semiconductor device and method of forming duplex plated bump-on-lead pad over substrate for finer pitch between adjacent traces
A semiconductor device has a substrate. A conductive layer is formed over the substrate. A duplex plated bump on lead pad is formed over the substrate. An insulating layer is formed over the conductive layer and the substrate. A portion of the insulating over the duplex plated bump on lead pad is removed using a laser direct ablation process. The insulating layer is a lamination layer. The duplex plated bump on lead pad has a wide bump on lead pad. A semiconductor die is mounted over the substrate. The semiconductor die has a composite conductive interconnect structure. The semiconductor die has a first bump and a second bump with a pitch ranging from 90-150 micrometers between the first bump and the second bump. A duplex plated contact pad is formed on a surface of the substrate opposite the duplex plated bump-on-lead pad.
US09799616B2 Package substrate with double sided fine line RDL
A package substrate has a sandwiched redistribution layers is disclosed. A middle redistribution layer functions as a core redistribution layer sandwiched by a top redistribution layer and a bottom redistribution layer. A top surface of the top redistribution layer is made adaptive for at least one chip to mount, and a bottom surface of the bottom redistribution layer is made adaptive for at least one chip to mount. A line width of each circuit of the middle redistribution layer is wider than a circuit of either the top redistribution layer or the bottom redistribution layer.
US09799615B1 Package structures having height-adjusted molding members and methods of forming the same
Package structures and methods of forming the same are disclosed. A package structure includes a die, a molding member and a redistribution circuit structure. The die includes a semiconductor substrate, a connector and a passivation layer. The semiconductor substrate has a top surface. The connector is disposed over the top surface of the semiconductor substrate. The passivation layer is disposed over the top surface of the semiconductor substrate and exposes a portion of the connector. The molding member laterally surrounds the semiconductor substrate, wherein a top surface of the molding member is higher than the top surface of the semiconductor substrate and the molding member forms a hooking structure that embraces over an edge portion of the semiconductor substrate. The redistribution circuit structure extends over the passivation layer and the molding member, and is electrically connected to the connector.
US09799612B2 Semiconductor device and manufacturing method of the same
A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a laminated wiring layer unit, a nitride film disposed on the laminated wiring layer unit, a semiconductor element portion, a sealing portion surrounding the element portion. In the sealing portion, multiple wiring layers are connected with a sealing layer to configure a sealing structure which surrounds the element portion. The laminated wiring layer unit includes an uppermost layer which is made of material having higher adhesion to an uppermost wiring layer, and a protection insulating film made of material having higher adhesion to the sealing layer than the nitride film is disposed on the nitride film. In the sealing portion, a via-hole is defined in the protection insulating film, the nitride film, and the uppermost insulating film to partially expose the uppermost wiring layer. The sealing layer is embedded into the via-hole and is also disposed on a protection insulating film around the via-hole.
US09799611B2 Semiconductor device including semiconductor chips mounted over both surfaces of substrate
A semiconductor chip 10 flip-chip mounted on a first surface 32 of a wiring substrate 30, a semiconductor chip 20 flip-chip mounted on a second surface 33 of the wiring substrate 30, a sealing resin 71 covering the semiconductor chip 10, a sealing resin 72 covering the semiconductor chip 20, a plurality of conductive posts provided to penetrate through the sealing resin 72, and a plurality of solder balls mounted on second ends of the plurality of conductive posts exposed from the sealing resin 72 are provided; and the mounting directions of the semiconductor chips 10 and 20 are mutually different by 90°. Both of the planar shapes of the semiconductor chips 10 and 20 are rectangular shapes, the semiconductor chip 10 is mounted so that the long sides thereof are parallel to the long sides of the wiring substrate 30, and the semiconductor chip 20 is mounted so that the long sides thereof are perpendicular to the long sides of the wiring substrate 30.
US09799610B2 Plurality of stiffeners with thickness variation
Creating surface variations on a stiffener in a stack reduces inter-stiffener sticking and stiffener stack tilt in pick and place media. The surface variations provide one or more airgaps that reduce inter-stiffener surface contact, provide space for contaminants and/or provide an averaged surface height due to surface roughness.
US09799606B2 Semiconductor device and method of fabricating the same
A semiconductor device includes a first conductive pattern on a substrate, an insulating diffusion barrier layer conformally covering a surface of the first conductive pattern, the insulation diffusion barrier layer exposed by an air gap region adjacent to a sidewall of the first conductive pattern, and a second conductive pattern on the first conductive pattern, the second conductive pattern penetrating the insulating diffusion barrier layer so as to be in contact with the first conductive pattern.
US09799604B2 Semiconductor device having structure for improving voltage drop and device including the same
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate and a plurality of metal layers above the semiconductor substrate. A first of the metal layers includes a plurality of first power rails which extend in a first direction and provide a first voltage, a plurality of second power rails which extend in the first direction and provide a second voltage, and a first conductor which is integral with one end of each of the first power rails and extends in a second direction. The first direction is perpendicular to the second direction. The first voltage is one of a ground voltage and a power source voltage and the second voltage is the other voltage.
US09799600B1 Nickel-silicon fuse for FinFET structures
Semiconductor fuses and methods of forming the same include forming a dummy gate on a semiconductor fin. A dielectric layer is formed around the dummy gate. The dummy gate is removed to expose a region of the semiconductor fin. The exposed region is metallized.
US09799599B2 Matching techniques for wide-bandgap power transistors
There are disclosed impedance matching networks and technique for impedance matching to microwave power transistors. Distributed capacitor inductor networks are used so as to provide a high degree of control and accuracy, especially in terms of inductance values, in comparison to existing lumped capacitor arrangements. The use of bond wires is reduced, with inductance being provided primarily by microstrip transmission lines on the capacitors.
US09799598B2 Method for producing an electronic chip support, chip support and set of such supports
Method for producing at least one electronic chip support, from a plate that includes a first face intended to be in contact with a chip reader, a second face, covered with a first layer of electrically conductive material and intended to be linked to a radio antenna, and a core made from an electrically insulating material separating the first face from the second face. This method includes steps of drilling at least one through hole through the plate, depositing a layer of electrically conductive material on the first face and chemically etching a first electric circuit and a second electric circuit on the first face and the second face respectively. Prior to the chemical etching step, a step of depositing a third layer of electrically conductive material in the hole or holes, which covers the electrically insulating material in the corresponding hole or holes.
US09799597B2 Semiconductor package
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor package includes a first substrate, first conductive layers, first semiconductor chips, a second conductive layer, a first terminal, and a second terminal. The first substrate has a first surface. The first conductive layers are provided on the first surface. Each of the first semiconductor chips includes a first electrode and a second electrode. Each of the first conductive layers is connected to at least one of the first electrodes. The second conductive layer is provided on the first surface to be separated from the first conductive layers. The second conductive layer is connected to a plurality of the second electrodes. The first terminal is connected to the first conductive layers. Inductances between the first extension unit and each of the first conductive layers are substantially equal to each other. The second terminal is connected to the second conductive layer.
US09799595B2 Careless wiring substrate having an insulation layer with a bulged covering portion and semiconductor device thereof
A wiring substrate is provided with a wiring pattern including a pad and a circuit pattern. The pad is formed in a mounting region where an electronic component is mounted, and the circuit pattern extends in a planar direction from the pad. An insulation layer covers a lower surface of the wiring pattern and a side surface of the wiring pattern and partially exposes an upper surface of the wiring pattern. The insulation layer includes a covering portion that continuously covers an entire peripheral portion of the upper surface of the wiring pattern. The insulation layer includes an upper surface located upward from the upper surface of the wiring pattern.
US09799591B2 Semiconductor packages including thermal blocks
A semiconductor package includes a package substrate including a first region, a thermal block penetrating the first region and exposed at top and bottom surfaces of the package substrate, a semiconductor chip on the package substrate, bumps disposed between the package substrate and the semiconductor chip and including first bumps being in contact with the thermal block, and terminals disposed on the bottom surface of the package substrate and including first terminals being in contact with the thermal block. The thermal block is one of a power path and a ground path.
US09799588B2 Chip package and manufacturing method thereof
A chip package and a fabrication method thereof are provided according to an embodiment of the invention. The chip package includes a semiconductor substrate containing a chip and having a device area and a peripheral bonding pad area. A plurality of conductive pads is disposed at the peripheral bonding pad area and a passivation layer is formed over the semiconductor substrate to expose the conductive pads. An insulating protective layer is formed on the passivation layer at the device area. A packaging layer is disposed over the insulating protective layer to expose the conductive pads and the passivation layer at the peripheral bonding pad area. The method includes forming an insulating protective layer to cover a plurality of conductive pads during a cutting process and removing the insulating protective layer on the conductive pads through an opening of a packaging layer.
US09799587B2 Semiconductor device
A first semiconductor device includes: a first wiring layer including a first interlayer insulating film, a first electrode pad, and a first dummy electrode, the first electrode pad being embedded in the first interlayer insulating film and having one surface located on same plane as one surface of the first interlayer insulating film, and the first dummy electrode being embedded in the first interlayer insulating film, having one surface located on same plane as the one surface of the first interlayer insulating film, and being disposed around the first electrode pad; and a second wiring layer including a second interlayer insulating film, a second electrode pad, and a second dummy electrode, the second electrode pad being embedded in the second interlayer insulating film, having one surface located on same surface as one surface of the second interlayer insulating film, and being bonded to the first electrode pad, and the second dummy electrode having one surface located on same plane as the surface located closer to the first interlayer insulating film of the second interlayer insulating film, being disposed around the second electrode pad, and being bonded to the first dummy electrode. A second semiconductor device includes: a first semiconductor section including a first electrode, the first electrode being formed on a surface located closer to a bonding interface and extending in a first direction; and a second semiconductor section including a second electrode and disposed to be bonded to the first semiconductor section at the bonding interface, the second electrode being bonded to the first electrode and extending in a second direction that intersects with the first direction.
US09799586B2 Dual power converter package
A dual power converter package is disclosed. The package includes a leadframe having a first control FET paddle configured to support a drain of a first control FET, and a second control FET paddle configured to support a drain of a second control FET. The leadframe further includes a sync FET paddle configured to support a source of a first sync FET and a source of a second sync FET, and a first plurality of contacts configured to receive control signals for each of the control FETs and each of the sync FETs from a driver integrated circuit (IC) external to the leadframe. The leadframe may additionally include first and second switched nodes, configured for electrical connection to the first control FET and the first sync FET via a first clip, and to the second control FET and the second sync FET via a second clip, respectively.
US09799584B2 Heat spreaders with integrated preforms
Embodiments of heat spreaders with integrated preforms, and related devices and methods, are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a heat spreader may include: a frame formed of a metal material, wherein the metal material is a zinc alloy or an aluminum alloy; a preform secured in the frame, wherein the preform has a thermal conductivity higher than a thermal conductivity of the metal material; and a recess having at least one sidewall formed by the frame. The metal material may have an equiaxed grain structure. In some embodiments, the equiaxed grain structure may be formed by squeeze-casting or rheocasting the metal material.
US09799582B2 Bump structure design for stress reduction
Low stress bumps can be used to reduce stress and strain on bumps bonded to a substrate with different coefficients of thermal expansion (CTEs) from the die. The low stress bumps include multiple polymer layers. More than one type of bump is coupled to a die, with low stress bumps placed on areas subjected to high stress.
US09799578B2 Peak-based endpointing for chemical mechanical polishing
A method of polishing includes storing a predetermined location and a predetermined number as criteria for detecting an end point, polishing a substrate, measuring a sequence of current spectra of light reflected from the substrate while the substrate is being polished, identifying a plurality of peaks or valleys that persist with an evolving location through at least some of the sequence of current spectra, counting a number of peaks or valleys that were identified that pass the predetermined location as polishing progresses, and ceasing to polish the substrate when the number counted reaches the predetermined number.
US09799569B2 Method of forming field effect transistors (FETs) with abrupt junctions and integrated circuit chips with the FETs
A method of forming field effect transistors (FETs) and on Integrated Circuit (IC) chips with the FETs. Channel placeholders at FET locations are undercut at each end of FET channels. Source/drain regions adjacent to each channel placeholder extend into and fill the undercut. The channel placeholder is opened to expose channel surface under each channel placeholder. Source/drain extensions are formed under each channel placeholder, adjacent to each source/drain region. After removing the channel placeholders metal gates are formed over each said FET channel.
US09799566B1 Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof
A semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor channel, a second semiconductor channel, a first gate stack and a second gate stack. The first gate stack is present on the first semiconductor channel. The first gate stack includes a first work function layer and a first interposing layer present between the first semiconductor channel and the first work function layer. The second gate stack is present on the second semiconductor channel. The second gate stack includes a second work function layer and a second interposing layer present between the second semiconductor channel and the second work function layer. The first interposing layer and the second interposing layer are different at least in tantalum nitride amount.
US09799565B2 Method for forming semiconductor device structure with gate
A method for forming a semiconductor device structure is provided. The method includes forming a dielectric layer over a substrate. The substrate has a fin structure, and the dielectric layer has a trench exposing a portion of the fin structure. The method includes forming a gate material layer in the trench. The method includes forming a planarization layer over the gate material layer. The planarization layer includes a first material that is different from a second material of the gate material layer and a third material of the dielectric layer. The method includes performing an etching process to remove the planarization layer and a first upper portion of the gate material layer so as to form a gate in the trench.
US09799564B2 Semiconductor structure having contact holes between sidewall spacers and fabrication method there of
The disclosed subject matter provides a semiconductor structure and fabrication method thereof. In a semiconductor structure, a dielectric layer, a plurality of discrete gate structures, and a plurality of sidewall spacers are formed on a semiconductor substrate. The plurality of discrete gate structures and sidewall spacers are formed in the dielectric layer, and a sidewall spacer is formed on each side of each gate structure. A top portion of each gate structure and a top portion of the dielectric layer between neighboring sidewall spacers of neighboring gate structures are removed. A protective layer is formed on each of the remaining dielectric layer and the remaining gate structures. Contact holes are formed on the semiconductor substrate, between neighboring sidewall spacers, and on opposite sides of the protective layer on the remaining dielectric layer. A metal plug is formed in each contact hole.
US09799558B2 Method for forming conductive structure in semiconductor structure
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor structure is provided. The method includes forming a first dielectric layer over a substrate and forming a sacrificial layer over the first dielectric layer. The method further includes forming an opening in the sacrificial layer and etching the first dielectric layer to form a via hole through the opening. The method further includes forming a conductive structure in the via hole and the opening and removing the sacrificial layer to expose an upper portion of the conductive structure. The method further includes forming a second dielectric layer around the upper portion of the conductive material.
US09799556B2 Land side and die side cavities to reduce package z-height
A package structure including a capacitor mounted within a cavity in the package substrate is disclosed. The package structure may additionally include a die mounted to a die side surface of the package substrate, and the opposing land side surface of the package substrate may be mounted to a printed circuit board (PCB). The capacitor may be mounted within a cavity formed in the die side surface of the package substrate or the land side surface of the package substrate. Mounting a capacitor within a cavity may reduce the form factor of the package. The die may be mounted within a cavity formed in the die side surface of the package substrate. Solder balls connecting the package to the PCB may be mounted within one or more cavities formed in one or both of the package substrate and the PCB.
US09799547B2 Compliant bipolar micro device transfer head with silicon electrodes
A compliant bipolar micro device transfer head array and method of forming a compliant bipolar micro device transfer array from an SOI substrate are described. In an embodiment, a compliant bipolar micro device transfer head array includes a base substrate and a patterned silicon layer over the base substrate. The patterned silicon layer may include first and second silicon interconnects, and first and second arrays of silicon electrodes electrically connected with the first and second silicon interconnects and deflectable into one or more cavities between the base substrate and the silicon electrodes.
US09799546B2 Semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and method of operating the same
In one embodiment, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes an electrostatic chuck that includes a base and a first electrode provided on the base and is configured to electrostatically adsorb a wafer on the first electrode. The apparatus further includes a measurement module configured to measure potential of the wafer. The apparatus further includes a controller configured to adjust potential of the base based on the potential of the wafer and to adjust potential of the first electrode based on the potential of the wafer or the base, when the potential of the wafer measured by the measurement module changes.
US09799545B2 Electrostatic chuck and method of manufacturing electrostatic chuck
An electrostatic chuck and a manufacturing method are disclosed in which drawbacks of using an adhesive are not existent and a freedom degree of design is high. The electrostatic chuck includes a substrate part constituting a main chuck body, a first insulating layer of a spray coating formed to the surface of the substrate part, a heater part of an electric conductor formed by applying a conductive paste to the surface of the first insulating layer, a second insulating layer of a spray coating formed to the surface of the first insulating layer so as to cover the heater part, an electrode part formed by thermal spraying to the surface of the second insulating layer and a dielectric layer of a spray coating formed to the surface of the second layer so as to cover the electrode part and lowers a volume resistivity without using an adhesive.
US09799538B2 Substrate cleaning system
A substrate cleaning system has a first processing apparatus including a first holding device for holding a substrate, and a treatment solution supply device for supplying onto the entire portion of the front surface of the substrate a treatment solution which includes a volatile component and solidifies or is cured to form a treatment film, and a second processing apparatus including a second holding device for holding the substrate, and a removal-solution supply device for supplying onto the substrate a removal solution which removes the treatment film formed on the front surface of the substrate after the treatment solution supplied by the treatment solution supply device solidifies or is cured.
US09799537B2 Processing assembly for semiconductor workpiece and methods of processing same
A processing assembly for a semiconductor workpiece generally includes a rotor assembly capable of spinning a workpiece, a chemistry delivery assembly for delivering chemistry to the workpiece, and a chemistry collection assembly for collecting spent chemistry from the workpiece. The chemistry collection assembly may include a weir that is configured to spin with the rotor assembly. A method of processing a semiconductor workpiece is also provided.
US09799536B2 Apparatus and method for cleaning flat objects in a vertical orientation with pulsed liquid jet
An apparatus for cleaning flat objects such as semiconductor wafers with a pulsed liquid jet emitted from a group of nozzles that may be installed on one or on both sides of the wafer installed in a vertically arranged rotating chuck. The apparatus is comprised of a series of individual processing units, such as a loading unit, cleaning units, drying unit, and an unloading unit arranged circumferentially around a universal industrial robot capable of reaching any of the units and transferring the wafers between the units. Drying is carried out in a horizontal position of the wafer and may combine spin-dry with chemical treatment for accelerating the drying process and for improving quality of the drying process. All units are located in a sealed enclosure with a controlled purity of the atmosphere inside the enclosure. Method of cleaning is also disclosed.
US09799529B2 Method of planarizing a film layer
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device is disclosed. The method includes forming a first flowable-material (FM) layer over a substrate. A top surface of the first FM layer in a first region is higher than a top surface of the first FM layer in a second region. The method also includes forming a sacrificial plug to cover the first FM layer in the first region, forming a second FM layer over the sacrificial plug in the first region and over the first FM layer in the second region, performing a first recessing process such that the second FM layer is removed in the first region and performing a second recessing process on the second FM layer in the second region while the first FM layer is protected by the sacrificial plug in the first region.
US09799523B2 Methods of forming a semiconductor device by thermally treating a cleaned surface of a semiconductor substrate in a non-oxidizing ambient
The present disclosure relates to methods for forming a high-k gate dielectric, the methods comprising the steps of providing a semiconductor substrate, cleaning the substrate, performing a thermal treatment, and performing a high-k dielectric material deposition, wherein said thermal treatment step is performed in a non-oxidizing ambient, leading to the formation of a thin interfacial layer between said semiconductor substrate and said high-k dielectric material and wherein the thickness of said thin interfacial layer is less than 10 Å.
US09799521B2 Semiconductor device having areas with different conductivity types and different doping
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate includes a plurality of first doping regions of a first doping structure arranged at a main surface of the semiconductor substrate and a plurality of second doping regions of the first doping structure arranged at the main surface of the semiconductor substrate. The first doping regions of the plurality of first doping regions of the first doping structure include dopants of a first conductivity type with different doping concentrations. Further, the second doping regions of the plurality of second doping regions of the first doping structure include dopants of a second conductivity type with different doping concentrations. At least one first doping region of the plurality of first doping regions of the first doping structure partly overlaps at least one second doping region of the plurality of second doping regions of the first doping structure causing an overlap region arranged at the main surface.
US09799515B2 Silicon carbide semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same
A silicon carbide semiconductor device includes a silicon carbide layer having a first main surface and a second main surface opposite to the first main surface. In the second main surface of the silicon carbide layer, a trench having a depth in a direction from the second main surface toward the first main surface is provided, and the trench has a sidewall portion where a second layer and a third layer are exposed and a bottom portion, where a first layer is exposed. A position of the bottom portion of the trench in a direction of depth of the trench is located on a side of the second main surface relative to a site located closest to the first main surface in a region where the second layer and the first layer are in contact with each other, or located as deep as the site in the direction of depth.
US09799511B2 Methods for depositing low k and low wet etch rate dielectric thin films
Methods for the formation of SiCN, SiCO and SiCON films comprising cyclical exposure of a substrate surface to a silicon-containing gas, a carbon-containing gas and a plasma. Some embodiments further comprise the addition of an oxidizing agent prior to at least the plasma exposure.
US09799509B2 Cyclic aluminum oxynitride deposition
A process for depositing aluminum oxynitride (AlON) is disclosed. The process comprises subjecting a substrate to temporally separated exposures to an aluminum precursor and a nitrogen precursor to form an aluminum and nitrogen-containing compound on the substrate. The aluminum and nitrogen-containing compound is subsequently exposed to an oxygen precursor to form AlON. The temporally separated exposures to an aluminum precursor and a nitrogen precursor, and the subsequent exposure to an oxygen precursor together constitute an AlON deposition cycle. A plurality of AlON deposition cycles may be performed to deposit an AlON film of a desired thickness. The deposition may be performed in a batch process chamber, which may accommodate batches of 25 or more substrates. The deposition may be performed without exposure to plasma.
US09799505B2 Method and a processing device for processing at least one carrier
According to various embodiments, a method may include: filling a chamber and a tube coupled to the chamber with a first liquid, the tube extending upwards from the chamber; introducing a portion of a second liquid into the first liquid in the tube; and at least partially removing the first liquid from the chamber to empty the tube into the chamber so that a continuous surface layer from the introduced second liquid is provided on the first liquid in the chamber.
US09799504B2 Ion source, quadrupole mass spectrometer and residual gas analyzing method
In order to attain a main objective of the present invention to provide an ion source capable of efficiently extracting ions, the ion source is configured to include: a conductive tubular body having an ion emitting aperture in a tip surface thereof and a penetration portion in a side wall thereof allowing thermo-electrons to pass through from an outside toward an inside; a mesh surrounding an outer periphery of the penetration portion; and a thermionic emission filament surrounding an outer periphery of the mesh, such that the thermo-electrons emitted from the thermionic emission filament pass through the mesh and reach the inside of the conductive tubular body through the penetration portion.
US09799500B2 Tandem mass spectrometer and tandem mass spectrometry method
The invention relates to a tandem mass spectrometer comprising an ionization source that can produce ions; a mass analyzer comprising an ion trap arranged in such a way as to receive ions from the ion source and a detector that can detect ions leaving the ion trap according to the mass to charge (m/z) ratio thereof; ion activation means for activating ions that can fragment at least some of the ions trapped in the ion trap; and coupling means arranged between the ion trap and said ion activation means. According to the invention, the ion activation means consists of a glow discharge lamp that can generate a light beam oriented towards the ion trap, said light beam being electromagnetic radiation in the vacuum ultraviolet wavelength range with photon energies of between 8 eV and 41 eV in such a way as to fragment at least some of the ions trapped in the ion trap.
US09799498B2 Magnetron sputtering coating device, a nano-multilayer film, and the preparation method thereof
A magnetron sputtering coating device includes a deposition chamber, sputtering cathodes, a rotating stand within the deposition chamber, a support platform on the rotating stand, a first rotation system for driving the rotating stand to rotate around a central axis of the rotating stand, and a baffle fixed on the rotating stand. The sputtering cathodes are arranged around and perpendicular to the rotating stand.
US09799497B2 Patterned processing kits for material processing
Systems and methods are provided for material processing. An example apparatus includes a process-kit component containing a first groove and a second groove. The first groove and the second groove are disposed to form a pattern on a surface of the process-kit component. The process-kit component is configured to be placed into a chamber to reduce material deposition on one or more parts of the chamber during material processing.
US09799495B2 Plasma processing apparatus and plasma processing method
A plasma processing apparatus that performs plasma processing on a substrate held on a transport carrier including an annular frame and a holding sheet. The apparatus includes a process chamber; a process gas supply unit that supplies process gas to the process chamber; a decompressing mechanism that decompresses the process chamber; a plasma excitation device that generates plasma in the process chamber; a stage in the chamber, on which the transport carrier is loaded; a cooling mechanism for cooling the stage; a cover that partly covers the holding sheet and the frame and that has a window section through which the substrate is partly exposed to plasma; a correction member that presses the frame onto the stage and corrects warpage of the frame; and a movement device that moves the correction member. The correction member is provided separately from the cover to be covered by the cover.
US09799486B2 Charged particle beam apparatus for measuring surface potential of a sample
In a charged particle beam apparatus that applies a retarding voltage to a sample through a contact terminal and executes measurement or inspection of a surface of the sample, potential variation of the sample when changing the retarding voltage applied to the contact terminal is measured by a surface potential meter, a time constant of the potential variation of the sample is obtained, and it is determined whether execution of measurement or inspection by a charged particle beam continues or stops based on the time constant, or a conduction ensuring process between the sample and the contact terminal is executed.
US09799485B2 Particle beam system and method for operating a particle optical unit
A method for operating a multi-beam particle optical unit comprises includes providing a first setting of effects of particle-optical components, wherein a particle-optical imaging is characterizable by at least two parameters. The method also includes determining a matrix A, and determining a matrix S. The method further includes defining values of parameters which characterize a desired imaging, and providing a second setting of the effects of the components in such a way that the particle-optical imaging is characterizable by the parameters having the defined values.
US09799484B2 Charged particle source
This invention provides a charged particle source, which comprises an emitter and means of generating a magnetic field distribution. The magnetic field distribution is minimum, about zero, or preferred zero at the tip of the emitter, and along the optical axis is maximum away from the tip immediately. In a preferred embodiment, the magnetic field distribution is provided by dual magnetic lens which provides an anti-symmetric magnetic field at the tip, such that magnetic field at the tip is zero.
US09799478B2 Fuse unit
A fusible link having a high-rated terminal group and a low-rated fuse box are provided. The low-rated fuse box has a power-source-side terminal connected to an auxiliary terminal of the fusible link, a load-side connection terminal to be connected to a load side, a holder configured to hold the power-source-side terminal and the load-side connection terminals, and a low-current fuse configured to electrically connect, when attached to the holder in a detachable manner, the power-source-side terminal and the load-side connection terminals to each other.
US09799475B2 Magnetic latching relay
A magnetic latching relay includes a casing containing a coil assembly, an electrically conductive plate and a static plate. A reed assembly is installed on surfaces opposite to the electrically conductive plate and the static plate and includes a reed, a pull-to-disconnect plate installed onto the reed, and a contact formed on the pull-to-disconnect plate. The casing includes a pushing latch latched to the coil assembly. If the relay is connected, the contacts of the reed assemblies of the electrically conductive plate and the static plate will touch each other, or else the pushing latch will be moved axially along the static plate and inserted between the pull-to-disconnect plates of the reed assemblies of the electrically conductive plate and the static plate to separate the contacts, so as to monitor the connected/disconnected status of the relay. An external display device is provided for displaying the connected/disconnected status.
US09799474B2 Contactor and electromagnetic relay
A contactor includes a pair of fixed contacts, a movable contact element configured to contact the pair of fixed contacts and to be separated from the pair of fixed contacts, a movable shaft configured to move in an axial direction as to cause the movable contact element to contact the pair of fixed contacts and to be separated from the pair of fixed contacts, and a partition-wall component disposed opposite to the pair of fixed contacts with respect to the movable contact element. The first partition-wall component includes a partition wall provided around the movable shaft. The first partition wall is configured to move synchronously with at least one of the movable contact element and the movable shaft.
US09799473B2 Bypass switch for HVDC transmission
A bypass switch for high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission is provided. The bypass switch includes a housing, a fixed contactor disposed in the housing and electrically connected to a first portion of a HVDC transmission circuit, a movable contactor movably disposed in the housing at a position spaced apart from the fixed contactor and electrically connected to a second portion of the HVDC transmission circuit, an insulation member coupled to a side of the movable contactor, an explosive actuator disposed at one side of the insulation member and exploded according to an electrical signal, and a piston mechanism which is moved by the force of gas generated due to the explosion of the explosive actuator, applies force to move the insulation member, and allows the fixed contactor and movable contactor to be electrically connected to each other.
US09799471B2 Multipolar power contactor
Disclosed is multipolar power contactor with an electromagnetic drive having an armature, and at least two movable contacts arranged next to one another and connected to the armature. The armature is movable from an open position, where the movable contacts and the fixed contacts are not in contact with one another, into a closed position where the movable contacts come into contact with the fixed contacts. Each movable contact and a corresponding fixed contact, is assigned an arc quenching device, and a plasma barrier having a first and a second barrier is provided between the two movable contacts, whereby one of the two barriers is connected to the armature and the other of the two barriers to a stationary part of the power contactor. The first and the second barrier overlap with one another at least partially in each position of the armature between the open and the closed positions.
US09799469B2 Remote controlled light switch cover assembly
A remote controlled light switch cover assembly is described for converting a standard rocker switch into a remote controlled switch. In one embodiment, a method is described, performed by the remote controlled light switch cover, comprising receiving a wireless signal to actuate the standard rocker switch, activating an electric motor that causes a wiper to move along a surface of the standard rocker switch, detecting when the wiper has actuated the standard rocker switch, causing the electric motor to rotate in a reverse direction from the first direction, which causes the wiper to move back towards a valley of the standard rocker switch, detecting when the wiper is positioned over the valley, and in response to detecting when the wiper is positioned over the valley, causing the electric motor to stop rotating, causing the wiper to remain positioned over the valley.
US09799468B2 Support assembly for a micro-switch of a switching device
A support-assembly suitable for a micro-switch of a switching device, including bracket-support-means suitable for being connected, in a stationary position, to a frame portion of the switching-device, coupling-protrusion-component shaped for being provided at an end of an operating-shaft of the micro-switch and for movably engaging with the bracket-support-component. The coupling-protrusion-component and the bracket-support-component being configured for enabling a rotation of the operating-shaft around a rotation-axis and for preventing a movement of the operating-shaft transversely to the rotation-axis.
US09799463B2 Automatic control device for padlock
The present invention relates to an automatic control device for a padlock which enables automatic control of the padlock connected to a circuit breaker installed in a distribution board of semiconductor or LCD equipment. In the present invention, a pair of cylinders, which can supply and cut off electric power to and from a load terminal, is directly installed on top of the circuit breaker installed in the distribution board, so that a switch of the circuit breaker is turned on/off as the pair of cylinders selectively operates according to an external control signal. As a result, it is unnecessary to separately install the padlock for switching on/off the circuit breaker.
US09799461B2 Power storage device and method for manufacturing electrode
As an electrode for a power storage device, an electrode including a current collector, a first active material layer over the current collector, and a second active material layer that is over the first active material layer and includes a particle containing niobium oxide and a granular active material is used, whereby the charge-discharge cycle characteristics and rate characteristics of the power storage device can be improved. Moreover, contact between the granular active material and the particle containing niobium oxide makes the granular active material physically fixed; accordingly, deterioration due to expansion and contraction of the active material which occur along with charge and discharge of the power storage device, such as powdering of the active material or its separation from the current collector, can be suppressed.
US09799450B2 Ceramic green sheet, method for manufacturing multilayer ceramic capacitor, and multilayer ceramic capacitor
A ceramic green sheet where the proportion of a Si-containing constituent coating the surface of barium titanate-based ceramic particles is 95% or higher, and the proportion of a rare-earth element-containing constituent coating the surface of the barium titanate-based ceramic particle is 85% or higher.
US09799446B2 Production method for anisotropic bonded magnet and production apparatus for same
A production method for an anisotropic bonded magnet includes: filling the annular cavity with a magnet raw material including one or more types of rare-earth anisotropic magnet powder and a binder resin; applying aligning magnetic fields to the magnet raw material being aligned in the softened or molten binder resin, the aligning magnetic fields are applied from an even number of aligning magnetic pole bodies arranged around outer periphery of the annular cavity such that directions of magnetic fields are alternated; subjecting the magnet raw material to a molding to form a compact; rotating the aligning magnetic pole bodies in circumferential direction for a predetermined angle; and applying demagnetization magnetic fields to the compact from the aligning magnetic pole bodies during the alignment step. The demagnetization magnetic fields are in directions for cancelling magnetization of the compact caused by the aligning magnetic fields.
US09799440B2 Coupled inductor
A coupled inductor comprises an annular core 1 and coils 2a, 2b wound around the core. The annular core 1 includes a sendust core having a maximum differential permeability that is equal to or greater than 30.
US09799439B2 Electrical power component containing an insulating fluid and a condenser core
An electrical power component, such as a bushing. The power component includes a housing, a condenser core arranged in the housing and including an electrical insulation, a space formed between the condenser core and the housing, an expansion vessel positioned adjacent and in open communication with the space between the condenser core and the housing, and an electrically insulating fluid, such as oil, contained in the space between the condenser core and the. The power component further includes one or more filler elements having a higher density and lower thermal expansion coefficient than the fluid, and the one or more filler elements are movably arranged in the expansion vessel.
US09799438B2 Method for producing magnet of magnetic encoder
A magnetization apparatus for a magnet of a magnetic encoder. The magnetization apparatus is configured to alternately form a positive and a negative magnetization areas by moving a magnetic member along a route penetrating a gap of a magnetization yoke while alternately generating positive and negative magnetic fields in the gap of the magnetization yoke. The magnetization apparatus includes a power supply part configured to supply electric power to a coil wound around the magnetization yoke; an area setting part configured to receive magnetization pattern information specifying arrangement of the magnetization areas relative to the magnetic member; a positional information generation part configured to output positional information of the magnetic member moving along the route; and a control part configured to control the power supply part in such a manner that each portion of the magnetic member corresponding to the magnetization area specified in the magnetization pattern information receives corresponding positive or negative magnetic field based on the positional information outputted from the positional information generation part.
US09799430B2 Method for heat treatment of an electric power cable
A method for heat treatment of an electric power cable, the electric power cable including a polymer-based electrical insulation system with a polymer composition. The method steps include placing the electric power cable having the polymer-based electrical insulation system into a heating chamber and exposing the polymer-based electrical insulation system to a heat treatment procedure when the electric power cable is located in the heating chamber. The step of placing the electric power cable into the heating chamber includes winding the electric power cable about a substantially vertical center axis to form a substantially horizontal first layer of a plurality of substantially horizontal turns of the electric power cable, winding the electric power cable about the center axis to form a plurality of substantially horizontal second layers, each second layer being formed by a plurality of substantially horizontal turns of the electric power cable and stacking the plurality of horizontal second layers above the first layer. An apparatus is provided for performing the method.
US09799426B2 Ribbed high density electrical cable
An electrical ribbon cable (110) includes an insulated conductor (114) extending along a longitudinal axis of the cable. The cable also includes a shielding film (116) that carries the insulated conductor (114). The shielding film (116) has a variable thickness defining a thickened rib portion (117) and a thinned connecting portion (118), these portions being electrically conductive and extending along the longitudinal axis. The insulated conductor (114) is disposed proximate the rib portion (117). The insulated conductor (114) may be one of multiple insulated conductors that are organized into multiple conductor sets (112) including at least a first and second conductor set, each conductor set (112) including one or more of the insulated conductors (114), and the rib portion (117) may be disposed between the first and second conductor sets.
US09799416B2 Methods and systems for migrating fuel assemblies in a nuclear fission reactor
Illustrative embodiments provide methods and systems for migrating fuel assemblies in a nuclear fission reactor, methods of operating a nuclear fission traveling wave reactor, methods of controlling a nuclear fission traveling wave reactor, systems for controlling a nuclear fission traveling wave reactor, computer software program products for controlling a nuclear fission traveling wave reactor, and nuclear fission traveling wave reactors with systems for migrating fuel assemblies.
US09799414B2 Nuclear fuel bundle containing thorium and nuclear reactor comprising same
Fuel bundles for a nuclear reactor are disclosed, and in some embodiments include a first fuel element including thorium dioxide; a second fuel element including uranium having a first fissile content; and a third fuel element including uranium having a second fissile content different from the first fissile content. Nuclear reactors using such fuel bundles are also disclosed, including pressurized heavy water nuclear reactors. The uranium having the different fissile contents can include combinations of natural uranium, depleted uranium, recycled uranium, slightly enriched uranium, and low enriched uranium.
US09799413B2 Multi-domain fuse management
A fuse controller comprises: a fuse bay, a bus, an engine, and an interface. The fuse bay stores repair and setting information for a plurality of fuse domains in a linked-list data structure. The engine manages the linked-list data structure. The engine also is coupled to the fuse domains via the bus. The interface is coupled to the engine and receives commands and data for operating the engine.
US09799412B2 Memory having a plurality of memory cells and a plurality of word lines
A memory includes a plurality of replacement word lines interspersed among the plurality of word lines. The memory also includes a word line control circuit configured to apply different voltages to different word lines of the plurality of word lines based on positions of the word lines, and to replace a defective word line of the plurality of word lines with a replacement word line.
US09799404B2 Memory device, memory system and method of operating memory device
A memory device is provided as follows. A memory cell region includes a plurality of blocks, each block including a plurality of NAND strings. A control logic divides the plurality of blocks into a plurality of block regions based on a smaller distance of a first distance with respect to a first edge of the memory cell region and a second distance with respect to a second edge of the memory cell region and controls an operation performed on the memory cell region using a plurality of bias sets of operation parameters for the operation. Each bias set is associated with one of the block regions.
US09799400B2 Three-dimensional nonvolatile memory and related read method designed to reduce read disturbance
A nonvolatile memory device performs a read operation comprising first and second intervals. In the first interval the device applies a turn-on voltage to string selection lines and ground selection lines connected to the string selection transistors and the ground selection transistors, respectively. In the second interval, the device applies a turn-off voltage to unselected string selection lines and unselected ground selection lines while continuing to apply the turn-on voltage to a selected string selection line and a selected ground selection line. In both the first and second intervals, the device applies a first read voltage to a selected wordline connected to memory cells to be read by the read operation and applying a second read voltage to unselected wordlines among connected to memory cells not to be read by the read operation.
US09799397B2 Management of data storage in memory cells using a non-integer number of bits per cell
A method for data storage includes storing data in a group of memory cells, by encoding the data using at least an outer code and an inner code, and optionally inverting the encoded data prior to storing the encoded data in the memory cells. The encoded data is read from the memory cells, and inner code decoding is applied to the read encoded data to produce a decoding result. At least part of the read data is conditionally inverted, depending on the decoding result of the inner code.
US09799390B2 Memory for storing the number of activations of a wordline, and memory systems including the same
A memory includes a first cell array configured to include a plurality of first memory cells connected to a plurality of word lines, a second cell array configured to include a plurality of second memory cells connected to the plurality of word lines, wherein a group of the plurality of second memory cells which are connected to a corresponding word line stores the number of activations for the corresponding word line, and an activation number update unit configured to update a value stored in the corresponding group of the plurality of second memory cells connected to the activated word line of the plurality of word lines.
US09799383B2 Magnetic memory device
According to one embodiment, the magnetic memory device includes a first magnetoresistive element and a second magnetoresistive element which are adjacent to each other. Each of the first and second magnetoresistive elements includes a first magnetic layer, a first non-magnetic later on the first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer on the first non-magnetic layer, a second non-magnetic layer on the second magnetic layer, and a third magnetic layer on the second non-magnetic layer. Furthermore, the magnetic memory device further includes a fourth magnetic layer being in contact with the first and second magnetoresistive elements or in contact with conductive layers on the first and second magnetoresistive elements.
US09799380B2 Managing open tabs of an application
Systems and methods for managing open tabs of an application are provided. In some aspects, a page is presented in a first tab from among multiple tabs open in an application at a computing device. That a content of the page presented in the first tab is different from a default content of the page stored at a web server is determined. Contents of the multiple tabs are retained in a random access memory (RAM). A request is received to reduce an amount of the RAM used by the application. The content of the page presented in the first tab is stored. In response to the request to reduce the amount of the RAM used by the application, a content presented in a second tab from among the plurality of tabs is removed from the RAM.
US09799373B2 Computerized system and method for automatically extracting GIFs from videos
Disclosed are systems and methods for improving interactions with and between computers in content generating, searching, hosting and/or providing systems supported by or configured with personal computing devices, servers and/or platforms. The systems interact to identify and retrieve data within or across platforms, which can be used to improve the quality of data used in processing interactions between or among processors in such systems. The disclosed systems and methods provide systems and methods for automatically extracting and creating an animated Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) file from a media file. The disclosed systems and methods identify a number of GIF candidates from a video file, and based on analysis of each candidate's attributes, features and/or qualities, as well as determinations related to an optimal playback setting for the content of each GIF candidate, at least one GIF candidate is automatically provided to a user for rendering.
US09799372B2 System and method for embedding supplementary data into digital media files
A novel process and system for flexibly adding supplemental digital program content such as, for example, transactional advertising content, games, polls, contests, interactive music videos, and e-commerce content generally and the like, into pre-prepared digital media files, such as an MP3 audio file or the like, for playback by digital playback apparatus, wherein the pre-prepared media file is modified by embedding therein executable code representing such supplemental program content, and enabling the playback apparatus to decode and execute the presentation of the supplemental program material as an addition to the playback of the pre-prepared media file content.
US09799367B1 Multiple disk loader apparatus
A multiple disk loader apparatus includes a plurality of rods. Each rod has a pair of pins extending radially from a side of the rod. The pair of pins are spaced circumferentially around the rod with respect to each other. Each pin has a top surface wherein the top surface of a first pin is longitudinally separated from the top surface of a second pin by a predetermined gap. A rotation device is coupled to the plurality of rods. The rotation device rotates the plurality of rods individually through a respective predetermined arc and in a respective rotational direction in order to extract a disk stack from storage and to separate a disk from the stack to load into a drive.
US09799366B2 Management of robotics assembly and cartridge access port of media element storage library
Utilities that increase the volume of media elements that can be simultaneously loaded and/or unloaded into or from a storage library, facilitate mounting of media element magazines into a storage library, and limit access to an interior of a storage library by users during operation of robotics assemblies of the storage library. One disclosed utility includes a cartridge access port for use with a storage library that has a storage container that is pivotable (e.g., swingable) between at least first and second positions. In the first position, the storage container is adjacent an opening in the housing of the library for loading and unloading of media elements by a user into or from the container via the opening. After the storage container has swung into the second position, the storage container is spaced from the opening and faces the interior of the library for access by a robotics assembly.
US09799365B2 Magnetic tape appliance with selectably always-leading head assemblies
A tape appliance includes first and second tape head modules, and a guide surface with first and second slots. The guide surface is configured such that the as the tape moves in first and reverse directions of longitudinal tape travel, the tape wraps about the guide surface, and at least two non-overlapping wrap positions of the tape engage the first slot, and at least one wrap position of the tape engages the second slot. When the tape travel is in the first longitudinal direction, the first and second tape head modules are positioned within the first and second slots, respectively, such that the first tape head module is the leading module. When the tape travel is in the reverse longitudinal direction, the first and second tape head modules are positioned within the first and second slots, respectively, such that the first tape head module remains the leading module.
US09799364B2 Enlarged substrate for magnetic recording medium
An enlarged substrate configuration for magnetic recording media. In some embodiments, an apparatus comprises a disc shaped member of metal or glass configured as a substrate for a magnetic data recording disc for a 2½ inch form factor data storage device or a 3½ inch form factor data storage device. The disc shaped member has a top planar surface, an opposing bottom planar surface, an outermost annular sidewall that extends between the top planar surface and the bottom planar surface at an outermost diameter of nominally 67 or 97 millimeters, respectively, and an inner annular sidewall that extends between the top planar surface and the bottom planar surface to define a central aperture.
US09799363B2 Damping controlled composite magnetic media for heat assisted magnetic recording
A magnetic stack includes a substrate and a magnetic recording layer disposed over the substrate. The magnetic recording layer comprises magnetic crystalline grains and a segregant disposed between grain boundaries of the crystalline grains. One or both of the magnetic crystalline grains and the segregant are doped with a rare earth or transition metal dopant in an amount that provides the magnetic recording layer with a magnetic damping value, α, between about 0.1 to about 1.
US09799362B1 Three dimensional data storage medium with a tuned recording layer
A three dimensional magnetic recording medium can consist of a first recording layer vertically stacked with a second recording layer. The first stacked recording layer may be tuned with at least one discrete track physically separating multiple data tracks in the first recording layer or tuned by being configured as a bit patterned media.
US09799358B2 Detection and remediation of head contamination
A heat generating component of a slider is energized at a predetermined frequency. The heat generating component changes a spacing between a medium and the slider. A temperature response proximate a media-facing surface of the slider is measured while the heating element is energized. Based on the measured temperature response, a determination is made as to whether the media-facing surface is contaminated. In response to determining that the media-facing surface is contaminated, remedial action is taken.
US09799350B2 Apparatus and method for verifying utterance in speech recognition system
An apparatus and method for verifying an utterance based on multi-event detection information in a natural language speech recognition system. The apparatus includes a noise processor configured to process noise of an input speech signal, a feature extractor configured to extract features of speech data obtained through the noise processing, an event detector configured to detect events of the plurality of speech features occurring in the speech data using the noise-processed data and data of the extracted features, a decoder configured to perform speech recognition using a plurality of preset speech recognition models for the extracted feature data, and an utterance verifier configured to calculate confidence measurement values in units of words and sentences using information on the plurality of events detected by the event detector and a preset utterance verification model and perform utterance verification according to the calculated confidence measurement values.
US09799347B2 Method and system for a headset with profanity filter
A gaming headset receives a plurality of audio channels comprising game audio channels and a chat audio channel during play of a particular game. The gaming headset monitors the received audio channels for predefined words that are associated with particular sounds in a data structure, and in response to detecting predefined words, filters out at least a portion of the detected predefined words from the received plurality of audio channels. The monitoring compares sounds on the received audio channels with the particular sounds in the data structure and also performs signal analysis on the audio channels during game play to detect the occurrence of the predefined words. The filtering mutes one or more of the plurality of audio channels so that the detected occurrence of the one of the predefined words is not output via speakers of the gaming headset.
US09799342B2 Bandwidth extension method, bandwidth extension apparatus, program, integrated circuit, and audio decoding apparatus
To provide a bandwidth extension method which allows reduction of computation amount in bandwidth extension and suppression of deterioration of quality in the bandwidth to be extended. In the bandwidth extension method: a low frequency bandwidth signal is transformed into a QMF domain to generate a first low frequency QMF spectrum; pitch-shifted signals are generated by applying different shifting factors on the low frequency bandwidth signal; a high frequency QMF spectrum is generated by time-stretching the pitch-shifted signals in the QMF domain; the high frequency QMF spectrum is modified; and the modified high frequency QMF spectrum is combined with the first low frequency QMF spectrum.
US09799341B2 Efficient and scalable parametric stereo coding for low bitrate applications
The present invention provides improvements to prior art audio codecs that generate a stereo-illusion through post-processing of a received mono signal. These improvements are accomplished by extraction of stereo-image describing parameters at the encoder side, which are transmitted and subsequently used for control of a stereo generator at the decoder side. Furthermore, the invention bridges the gap between simple pseudo-stereo methods, and current methods of true stereo-coding, by using a new form of parametric stereo coding. A stereo-balance parameter is introduced, which enables more advanced stereo modes, and in addition forms the basis of a new method of stereo-coding of spectral envelopes, of particular use in systems where guided HFR (High Frequency Reconstruction) is employed. As a special case, the application of this stereo-coding scheme in scalable HFR-based codecs is described.
US09799339B2 Stereo audio signal encoder
An apparatus comprising a mapper configured to map an instance of a parameter according to a first mapping to generate a first mapped instance; a remapper configured to remap the first mapped instance dependent on the frequency distribution of mapped instances to generate a remapped instance with an associated order position; and an encoder configured to encode the remapped instance dependent on an order position of the remapped instance.
US09799338B2 Voice print identification portal
Systems and methods providing for secure voice print authentication over a network are disclosed herein. During an enrollment stage, a client's voice is recorded and characteristics of the recording are used to create and store a voice print. When an enrolled client seeks access to secure information over a network, a sample voice recording is created. The sample voice recording is compared to at least one voice print. If a match is found, the client is authenticated and granted access to secure information.Systems and methods providing for a dual use voice analysis system are disclosed herein. Speech recognition is achieved by comparing characteristics of words spoken by a speaker to one or more templates of human language words. Speaker identification is achieved by comparing characteristics of a speaker's speech to one or more templates, or voice prints. The system is adapted to increase or decrease matching constraints depending on whether speaker identification or speaker recognition is desired.
US09799336B2 Identifying corresponding regions of content
A content alignment service may generate content synchronization information to facilitate the synchronous presentation of audio content and textual content. In some embodiments, a region of the textual content whose correspondence to the audio content is uncertain may be analyzed to determine whether the region of textual content corresponds to one or more words that are audibly presented in the audio content, or whether the region of textual content is a mismatch with respect to the audio content. In some embodiments, words in the textual content that correspond to words in the audio content are synchronously presented, while mismatched words in the textual content may be skipped to maintain synchronous presentation. Accordingly, in one example application, an audiobook is synchronized with an electronic book, so that as the electronic book is displayed, corresponding words of the audiobook are audibly presented.
US09799335B2 Method and device for speech recognition
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method and device for speech recognition. The solution comprises: receiving a first speech signal issued by a user; performing analog to digital conversion on the first speech signal to generate a first digital signal after the analog to digital conversion; extracting a first speech parameter from the first digital signal, the first speech parameter describing a speech feature of the first speech signal; if the first speech parameter coincides with a first prestored speech parameter in a sample library, executing control signalling instructed by the first digital signal, the sample library prestoring prestored speech parameters of N users, N≧1. The solution can be applied in a speech recognition process and can improve the accuracy of speech recognition.
US09799333B2 System and method for processing speech to identify keywords or other information
A system and method are provided for performing speech processing. A system includes an audio detection system configured to receive a signal including speech and a memory having stored therein a database of keyword models forming an ensemble of filters associated with each keyword in the database. A processor is configured to receive the signal including speech from the audio detection system, decompose the signal including speech into a sparse set of phonetic impulses, and access the database of keywords and convolve the sparse set of phonetic impulses with the ensemble of filters. The processor is further configured to identify keywords within the signal including speech based a result of the convolution and control operation the electronic system based on the keywords identified.
US09799330B2 Multi-sourced noise suppression
Systems and methods for multi-sourced noise suppression are provided. An example system may receive streams of audio data including a voice signal and noise, the voice signal including a spoken word. The streams of audio data are provided by distributed audio devices. The system can assign weights to the audio streams based at least partially on quality of the audio streams. The weights of audio streams can be determined based on signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). The system may further process, based on the weights, the audio stream to generate cleaned speech. Each audio device comprises microphone(s) and can be associated with the Internet of Things (IoT), such that the audio devices are Internet of Things devices. The processing can include noise suppression and reduction and echo cancellation. The cleaned speech can be provided to a remote device for further processing which may include Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR).
US09799329B1 Removing recurring environmental sounds
This disclosure describes, in part, techniques and devices for identifying recurring environmental sounds in an environment such that these sounds may be canceled out of corresponding audio signals to increase signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) of the signals and, hence, improve automatic speech recognition (ASR) on the signals. Recurring environmental sounds may include the ringing of a mobile phone, the beeping sound of a microphone, the buzzing of a washing machine, or the like.
US09799328B2 Method for using pauses detected in speech input to assist in interpreting the input during conversational interaction for information retrieval
A method for using speech disfluencies detected in speech input to assist in interpreting the input is provided. The method includes providing access to a set of content items with metadata describing the content items, and receiving a speech input intended to identify a desired content item. The method further includes detecting a speech disfluency in the speech input and determining a measure of confidence of a user in a portion of the speech input following the speech disfluency. If the confidence measure is lower than a threshold value, the method includes determining an alternative query input based on replacing the portion of the speech input following the speech disfluency with another word or phrase. The method further includes selecting content items based on comparing the speech input, the alternative query input (when the confidence measure is low), and the metadata associated with the content items.
US09799322B2 Reverberation estimator
Provided are methods and systems for generating Direct-to-Reverberant Ratio (DRR) estimates. The methods and systems use a null-steered beamformer to produce accurate DRR estimates across a variety of room sizes, reverberation times, and source-receiver distances. The DRR estimation algorithm uses spatial selectivity to separate direct and reverberant energy and account for noise separately. The formulation considers the response of the beamformer to reverberant sound and the effect of noise. The DRR estimation algorithm is more robust to background noise than existing approaches, and is applicable where a signal is recorded with two or more microphones, such as with mobile communications devices, laptop computers, and the like.
US09799319B1 Reducing radio frequency susceptibility in headsets
A headset includes a microphone that detects an acoustic signal, and converts the acoustic signal into a microphone signal, an audio processor that receives the microphone signal, and a twisted pair conductor element coupling the microphone and the audio processor. The twisted pair conductor element self-cancels a radio frequency (RF) field to prevent the RF field from entering the microphone.
US09799318B2 Methods and systems for far-field denoise and dereverberation
Method and system for use with audible signals that analyzes the signals into time-frequency frames over first and second time periods. Estimates of the noise and/or reverberation are derived from the frames. Gains are derived from the estimates and raised to a power to create modified gains. The modified gains are applied to the frames in the appropriate time periods. Modified audible signals are output after being processed by the modified gains.
US09799317B2 Acoustic chamber with low frequency transparency
An acoustic chamber with low frequency outer wall transmissivity is provided. According to one aspect, an acoustic chamber has an inner wall encompassing an interior of the acoustic chamber and configured to allow acoustic energy to penetrate the inner wall. The acoustic chamber also has an outer wall configured to allow low frequency acoustic energy that penetrates the inner wall to penetrate the outer wall and leave the acoustic chamber.
US09799313B2 Electronic musical instrument, storage medium and note selecting method
One or more assigners selecting a note to be sounded according to operation state of plural controls corresponding respectively to notes are provided, it is decided for each of the assigners whether or not to select a note to be sounded in response to a key-off operation of any of the controls, and when a key-off operation of any of the controls is detected, the assigner which is decided to select a note to be sounded, is instructed to select a note to be sounded according to operation state of the controls after the detection of the key-off operation.
US09799309B2 Dynamic fret
A mechanical device is described, integrated in a fret board of a cord-type music instrument as replacement of a fret adapted to cross the fret board from the front surface to the rear surface of the fret board; the mechanical device comprises: a bridge element arranged on the rear surface of the fret board; a rider means, adapted to vertically cross the fret board of the cord-type music instrument and to be connected with the bridge element; an elastic means, equipped with a first end connected to the bridge element, and with a second end strictly connected to at least one room obtained in the fret board.
US09799305B2 Perceptually optimised color calibration method and system
Methods, devices, controllers and systems for color calibration of displays, non-volatile (non-transient) memory, controllers, display devices or display systems including a color calibration transform, operation of such controllers, display devices or systems and software for color calibration of a display are described are described that make use of a color transform having a distribution of color points across a full display gamut (hence optionally preserving full contrast and color saturation in the calibrated display) in an at least substantially perceptually uniform manner suitable for use as a color display calibration adapted for medical applications. A perceptually uniform spread of color points can be in terms of a distance metric such as deltaE2000 for color or JND for gray.
US09799303B2 Display device
An object of the invention is to convert input RGB data to R′G′B′W data without suffering loss of gradations of the input RGB data. A display panel 12 is configured having unit pixels made up of subpixels of RGBW (red, green, blue, white). In an RGB→R′G′B′W conversion section 10, conversion is carried out under conditions that usage rate of W is less than 100%, and a bit width of input RGB data us larger than a bit width of R′G′B′W data after conversion. In the RGB→R′G′B′W conversion section 10, R1G1B1values and W values are determined so that an absolute value of a sum of values obtained by multiplying differences between respective RGB data input and respective RGB components in R′G′B′W data after conversion by a weight, becomes minimum.
US09799302B2 Systems and methods for transmitting video, network, and USB signals over extension media
In some embodiments, systems, devices, and methods are provided that allow a host device to communicate video information, network information, and USB information over USB via a USB host controller. The video information and the network information are encapsulated within USB and communicated by the USB host controller. In some embodiments, the USB information communicated by the USB host controller is further communicated over a non-USB extension medium by an upstream facing port device and one or more downstream facing port devices.
US09799299B2 Gamma voltage generation circuit, method and data driver
The present invention provides a Gamma voltage generation circuit and method and a data driver. The circuit includes multiple resistors connected in series, configured to generate multiple candidate voltages corresponding to non-linear regions of a voltage-light transmissivity curve, the number of the multiple candidate voltages being more than the number of Gamma voltages corresponding to the non-linear regions of the voltage-light transmissivity curve; and voltage selectors connected to common ends of every two adjacent resistors of the multiple resistors, configured to select at least one candidate voltage from the multiple candidate voltages as the Gamma voltage(s) corresponding to the non-linear regions of the voltage-light transmissivity curve so that an actual Gamma curve coincides with an ideal Gamma curve, each common end corresponding to a candidate voltage. The Gamma voltage generation circuit according to the present invention is applicable to display panels with different voltage-light transmissivity curves.
US09799297B2 Display panel and driving method for the same
A driving method for a display panel is disclosed. The method comprises: when the display panel is under a power-on initialization stage, controlling the pixel unit and the data driver to be disconnected, and after the display panel finishes the power-on initialization stage, controlling the pixel unit and the data driver to be connected such that the data driver provides the data signal to drive the display panel. A display panel is also disclosed. Through above way, the preset invention can avoid a flicker phenomenon generated at a power-on moment of the display panel.
US09799292B2 Liquid crystal display driving circuit
A liquid crystal display driving circuit comprising a scan control module, a gate driving signal output module and a stage transmission module. A voltage for controlling forward and reverse scan is inputted to the voltage level control input terminal of the scan control module; an output terminal of the scan control module outputs a scan control signal to the output control signal of the gate driving signal output module and the stage transmission module; the gate driving signal output module comprises first gate driving signal output submodule, a second gate driving signal output submodule and a first inverter; a CK1 signal is inputted to a clock input terminal of the first gate driving signal output submodule; a CK2 signal is inputted to a clock input terminal of the second gate driving signal output submodule; a CKV signal is inputted to a clock input terminal of the stage transmission module.
US09799291B2 Pixel driving circuit and driving method thereof
A pixel driving circuit includes a first capacitor, a data input unit, a liquid crystal capacitor, a control unit and a driving unit. The first capacitor has a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal is configured for receiving a first reference voltage. The data input unit is configured for inputting a data signal to the second terminal of the first capacitor according to a first scanning signal. The liquid crystal capacitor has a first terminal and a second terminal. The first terminal receives a first operating signal. The control unit is configured to control a voltage of the second terminal of the liquid crystal capacitor according to a second scanning signal. The driving unit is configured to control the voltage of the second terminal of the liquid crystal capacitor in response to the data input unit is disabled by the first scanning signal.
US09799289B2 Liquid crystal panels and voltage adjusting methods
The present invention discloses a liquid crystal panel and a voltage adjusting method. The liquid crystal panel includes a display area and a non-display area. The display area includes a plurality of TFTs for driving the sub-pixels connected with the TFTs to display images. The non-display area is an area having a predetermined dimension configured along a rim of the display area. The non-display area includes a predetermined number of TFTs, a predetermined number of data lines along a vertical direction, a target gate line extending from at least one gate line within the display area along a horizontal direction, wherein each of the data lines connects to one TFT. Each of the target gate line connects to at least one TFT, and each of the data lines is configured for detecting leakage current of the TFTs connected with the data line.
US09799288B2 Driving circuit and liquid crystal display device
The present invention discloses a driving circuit and a liquid crystal display device. An anode of a first diode is employed for inputting a voltage, and a cathode of the first diode is coupled to an anode of a second diode, and a cathode of the second diode is coupled to an anode of a third diode, and a cathode of the third diode is coupled to an anode of a fourth diode, and a cathode of the fourth diode is employed for outputting the voltage.
US09799285B2 Display apparatus and method of driving the same
A display apparatus includes a display panel which displays an image, a compensation area determiner which divides a display area of the display panel into a compensation area and a normal area, a compensation coefficient determiner which determines a compensation coefficient corresponding to input data of the compensation area, a compensation look up table which stores a noise compensation data which compensates a luminance difference of the compensation area by an interference noise of a light-source driving signal, and a correction data calculator which calculates a correction data corresponding to the input data of the compensation area using the compensation coefficient and the noise compensation data.
US09799282B2 Liquid crystal display device and method for driving the same
A liquid crystal display device includes a plurality of pixels arranged substantially in a matrix form, where a part of the plurality of pixels defines a pixel column block, a first scan signal is simultaneously applied to an n-th row pixel and an (n+2)-th row pixel of the pixel column block, a second scan signal, which is applied prior to the first scan signal, is simultaneously applied to an (n+1)-th row pixel and an (n+3)-th row pixel of the pixel column block, a first data voltage is applied to the n-th row pixel and the (n+1)-th row pixel, a second data voltage having a polarity different from a polarity of the first data voltage is applied to the (n+2)-th row pixel and the (n+3)-th row pixel, and the polarities of the first data voltage and the second data voltage are inverted on a frame-by-frame basis.
US09799278B2 Display system and method
A display system includes a plurality of light emitting units configured to float in a fluid medium such that each light emitting unit is movable, each light emitting unit including a light emitting element configured to selectively emit light, a communication element operable to receive instruction data to control operation of the light emitting element; and a power element configured to provide power to at least the light emitting element, and an image capture element configured to receive light emitted by at least one light emitting unit and to generate image data based on the light received and a controller configured to generate the instruction data based at least on a comparison of the image data to a desired image and transmit the instruction data to the communication element to control the light emitting element such that the display system provides the desired image.
US09799276B2 Display panel and mobile terminal
A display panel comprising a light guide plate; a main light source configured to emit light from a first lateral surface of the light guide plate in a first direction; a sub-light source configured to emit light from a second lateral surface vertical to the first lateral surface of the light guide plate in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and a liquid crystal panel provided in a front surface of the light guide plate and configured to output image information.
US09799274B2 Method of controlling medical fluid therapy machine brightness
A method of controlling a medical fluid therapy machine display brightness includes: performing a medical fluid therapy using the medical fluid therapy machine, the medical fluid therapy machine including a display; sensing an amount of ambient light impinging the display without receiving light directly from the display; controlling a level of backlight brightness for the display based on the amount of ambient light sensed; and displaying information relating to the medical fluid therapy on the display using the controlled level of backlight brightness.
US09799271B2 Gate driver, display apparatus and gate driving method of outputting a multi-pulse waveform
The present disclosure discloses a gate driver, a display apparatus and a gate driving method, to achieve a function of outputting a multi-pulse waveform by the gate driver. The gate driver according to the present disclosure comprises multiple groups of driving units, each group of driving units comprising N driving units each of which comprises a shift register and a logic circuit, wherein N is an integer larger than 1, and an output of a shift register is connected to a logic circuit in each driving unit. The shift registers multiplex multiple clock signals with different timings. Each of the shift registers outputs an output signal to a corresponding logic circuit. A part of a clock signal is selected by the logic circuit for output. In this way, a function of outputting a multi-pulse waveform by the gate driver is achieved, which prepares for a shift register having a function of threshold voltage compensation, to make a shift register capable of multi-row scanning become feasible on a display panel.
US09799268B2 Active matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) pixel driving circuit, array substrate and display apparatus
A pixel driving circuit, an array substrate and a display apparatus, the pixel driving circuit includes a driving transistor and an organic light-emitting diode, it further comprises: a charging compensation module, for receiving a data voltage signal, charging the driving transistor and compensating for a threshold voltage of the driving transistor, under the control of a scan voltage signal; and a light-emitting control module, for receiving a reference voltage and a power supply voltage, and controlling the organic light-emitting diode to emit lights, under the control of a light-emitting control signal. The problem of the non-uniformity of threshold voltages is eliminated by compensating for the threshold voltages of driving transistors thereby enhancing the display effect of the display apparatus.
US09799264B2 Method and apparatus for reducing image sticking event on graphical user interface
A method and an apparatus for providing a Graphical User Interface (GUI) on an Active Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode (AMOLED) display of a device for reducing an image sticking effect are provided. The method includes displaying at least one item at an initial position on a screen of the display device, turning off the screen according to a predefined condition, receiving a display-on input command, and shifting the at least one item as much as a predefined distance from the initial position on the screen.
US09799263B2 Power supply circuit and organic light-emitting diode display device
The present invention provides a power supply circuit and an OLED display device, belongs to the field of OLED display technology, and can solve the problem that existing power supply circuits have low efficiency when brightness of the OLED display panel is low. The power supply circuit is used for proving an anode voltage and a cathode voltage for an OLED display panel, a difference between the anode voltage and the cathode voltage being a driving voltage, and the power supply circuit includes: a current detection unit for generating a control signal according to a driving current of the OLED display panel; and a driving voltage unit for generating, according to the control signal, a driving voltage positively correlated with the driving current, and including an anode voltage unit for generating an anode voltage and a cathode voltage unit for generating a cathode voltage.
US09799261B2 Self-compensating circuit for faulty display pixels
A self-compensating circuit for controlling pixels in a display includes a plurality of light-emitter circuits. Each light-emitter circuit includes a light emitter, a drive transistor, and a compensation circuit. The compensation circuit is connected to the light emitter of one or more different light-emitter circuits.
US09799260B2 Display device with improved display quality
A display device includes a display panel, a dither table memory device, a dithering processor, and a display panel driver. The display panel includes a plurality of pixels. Dither tables are stored in the dither table memory device. The dithering processor selects a target dither table corresponding to a grayscale level of input data from among the plurality of dither tables and performs a dithering operation on the input data using the target dither table to generate dither data. The display panel driver drives the display panel based on the generated dither data.
US09799257B2 Hierarchical prediction for pixel parameter compression
A method for compensating pixel luminance of a display panel which includes receiving pixel parameters corresponding to sub-pixels of the display panel, receiving an input image, adjusting the input image according to the pixel parameters, and displaying the adjusted input image at the display panel. The pixel parameters include a first pixel parameter of a base luminance level of a base color channel, a first residual determined from performing inter-channel prediction, a second residual determined from performing inter-level prediction, and parameters used in the performing of the inter-level prediction.
US09799255B2 Display device and method of driving the same
A display device includes a signal receiver, a signal generator, and a signal corrector. The signal receiver receives an image signal. The signal generator generates a data signal for each of a first color pixel and a second color pixel based on the image signal. The signal corrector generates corrected data for the first color pixel based on the data signal for the second color pixel in a single driving mode. The first color pixel and the second color pixel emit light of different grayscale values of a same color. The first color pixel is driven and the second color pixel is not driven in the single driving mode.
US09799253B2 Pixel structure, display substrate and display device
A pixel structure, a display substrate and a display device are disclosed. The pixel structure includes a plurality of reduplicated units, wherein each of the reduplicated units includes: a red sub-pixel (A1), a green sub-pixel (A2), a blue sub-pixel (A3) and a central sub-pixel (W) all in a shape of a triangle, wherein a color of the central sub-pixel (W) is different from that of any of the red sub-pixel (A1), the green sub-pixel (A2) and the blue sub-pixel (A3), and the three sides of the central sub-pixel (W) respectively coincide with one side of the red sub-pixel (A1), one side of the green sub-pixel (A2) and one side of the blue sub-pixel (A3). By designing the shape of the sub-pixel unit to be a triangle, it is possible to allow the red, green and blue sub-pixels (A1, A2, A3) surrounding the three sides of the central sub-pixel (W) and to guarantee the central sub-pixel (W) to be adjacent to the other three sub-pixels (A1, A2, A3), thus increasing the luminance while realizing homogeneous color mixing of different colors of sub-pixels, thereby improving the display quality.
US09799247B2 Display panel
The present invention provides a display panel, which includes a plurality of scanning lines extending along a first direction, a plurality of data lines extending along a second direction and intersecting with the scanning lines, common electrode lines are disposed between two adjacent scanning lines and being parallel to the scanning lines, a wiring area covers the scanning lines, the data lines and the common electrode lines and a plurality of test pins for testing, pixel electrodes connected to corresponding data lines being disposed in each pixel cell, the pixel electrodes of the display pixels and the common electrode lines are separated and insulated, the pixel electrode of the virtual pixels being connected with the common electrode line by a connecting hole, the scanning lines, the data lines and the common electrode lines being connected respectively with a corresponding test pin by a connecting line in the wring area.
US09799245B2 Vehicle projection systems and method
A system for displaying visually sensible patterns onto a surface of a vehicle including a display control subsystem responsive to an operational state of the vehicle, and a display device, operative in response to an input from the display control subsystem, to display a visually sensible pattern onto the surface. Preferably, the visually sensible pattern is visible from the exterior of the vehicle.
US09799242B2 Personal digital assistant apparatus
An information processing apparatus including a display portion; a backlight unit configured to irradiate light from a rear face side of the display portion; a rear frame having height equivalent to at least a thickness of the backlight unit, and configured to protect the backlight unit; and an outer circumference casing attached to the rear frame, or formed integrally with the rear frame, and provided along an outer circumference of the display portion.
US09799236B2 Lockout tag
A lockout tag having an elongate flag; a fastener proximate one end of the elongate flag; a seam proximate an end opposite the fastener; a warning indicia between the fastener end and the seam end of the elongate flag; and the elongate flag formed of a reflective and fluorescent material. The flag further comprising a pouch for additional information regarding the owner and purpose of the flag.
US09799233B2 Apparatus and method for operating a flight simulator with a special impression of reality
An apparatus for operating a simulator with a special impression of reality is provided. The apparatus is configured for learning how to control a vehicle moving in three-dimensional reality. Controllable systems for detecting human stress reactions are provided. The controllable systems may be configured for sensing the resistance of the skin and for detecting movements of persons and physiognomy.
US09799231B2 Apparatus and methods for corrective guidance of eating behavior
A method for modifying the eating behavior of a patient equipped with a gastric restriction apparatus includes the steps of: a. providing an adjustable gastric band (AGB); b. providing a pressure sensor to measure pressure within the AGB; c. providing a processing unit containing instructions to collect a set of pressure measurement and to analyze the set pressure measurement; d. providing a data base comprising data concerning pressure exerted within the AGB by a bolus of liquid food, a bolus of semiliquid food, and a bolus of solid food; e. recording the sets of pressure measurements; f. recording the results; g. communicating the results; h. placing the AGB in position; i. measuring the pressure within the AGB; j. using the distinction of the current eating pattern to modify the eating behavior of the patient.
US09799230B2 Creating workout routine and nutritional choices in an online environment
A system for creating user-defined workout routine and one or more nutritional choices in an online environment is provided. The system may include a processor configured to receive, from a user, data associated with one or more user personal metrics, based on which the user may be provided with a plurality of workout video segments for selection. The system may then combine the user-selected workout video segments into a single customized workout video. The system may further compile one or more nutritional choices based on the one more user personal metrics. The nutritional choices may be associated with the user video selection and may include meals that meet a user nutritional goal.
US09799226B2 Route point setting device and route point setting program
A route point setting device sets route points on a flight route from a first point to a second point. The device includes: a grid divider that divides map information, including the first and second points, into cells in grid form on a horizontal plane; a cell route setter that sets a cell route including consecutive cells between the first and second points; a calculator that calculates a bending angle of the cell route at each cell on the cell route; and a route point setter that performs comparing the bending angle at any cell calculated by the calculator, with the bending angles at two cells adjacent to the any cell and respectively ahead of and behind the any cell on the cell route, and setting the any cell as a cell route point according to a predetermined expression.
US09799224B2 Platoon travel system
A platoon travel system organizes a platoon having plural platoon vehicles traveling in two vehicle groups, in which a preset inter-vehicle distance is reserved between each of the platoon vehicles. When a new vehicle joins in the platoon, the platoon travel system adjusts the inter-vehicle distance by decelerating, among all platoon vehicles, deceleration target vehicles that are the platoon vehicles behind a join position in the platoon, which are included in a latter one of the two vehicle groups.
US09799223B2 Systems and methods for alerting drivers that they have encroached a safety zone of another vehicle
Methods and systems for a subject vehicle to alert a driver of a secondary vehicle that the secondary vehicle has encroached a safety zone of the subject vehicle or another secondary vehicle. Sensors are configured to identify the location of the secondary vehicle. A controller is in receipt of inputs from the sensors and is configured to determine whether the secondary vehicle has encroached the safety zone of the subject vehicle or another secondary vehicle. A warning system is configured to warn the driver of the secondary vehicle that the secondary vehicle has encroached the safety zone of the subject vehicle or another secondary vehicle. The controller activates the warning system when the controller determines that the secondary vehicle has encroached the safety zone of the subject vehicle or another secondary vehicle.
US09799221B2 Trip determination for managing transit vehicle schedules
Approaches for managing transit vehicle schedules. The method includes determining a current location and current heading of a transit vehicle by a global positioning system (GPS) module aboard the transit vehicle and communicating the current location and current heading to a computer processor. The computer processor determines a current time and current day, and a trip schedule is selected from a plurality of trip schedules in a database. The selected trip schedule has attributes consistent with the current location, current heading, current time, and current day. The method determines whether the transit vehicle is ahead of the selected trip schedule or behind the selected trip schedule. An output signal indicates whether the transit vehicle is ahead of or behind schedule.
US09799214B2 Systems and methods for multi-device interaction
Systems, devices and methods are provided for multi-device interactions. For example, a transmitting device detects a media content control command input by a user for operation of a first application client, wherein the media content control command includes media content identification; the transmitting device encodes the media content control command into an audio identifier string; and the transmitting device transmits the audio identifier string through first sound waves. A receiving device is configured to detect the first sound waves using a second application client, extract the audio identifier string from the first sound waves, decode the audio identifier string to acquire the media content control command, and operate on first media content corresponding to the media content identification included in the media content control command.
US09799210B2 Apparatus and method for improving the audibility of specific sounds to a user
There is provided a method of operating a device to generate a target sound that is audible to a user of the device, the method comprising measuring background noise in an environment in which the device is located; using a perceptual loudness model to predict an audibility of the target sound to the user of the device based on the measured background noise; using the output of the perceptual loudness model to determine a gain value that is to be applied to a source signal used to generate the target sound in order to provide at least a desired level of audibility of the target sound to the user; applying the determined gain value to the source signal to produce a modified source signal; and generating the target sound using the modified source signal.
US09799207B1 Preference based mass notification system
An event notification system is configured with a record for each one of a plurality of individual responders to a mass notification event. Each record can have preference information that is specified by an individual responder associated with the record, and the event notification system can use the preference information to generate, for each of the individual responders, a single mass notification message that is formatted according to the preferences of each individual responder.
US09799202B2 Wearable computing system with temporal feedback
Aspects include a system for providing feedback to a user with a wearable device. The system including a wearable device and a feedback mechanism disposed within the wearable device. The feedback mechanism configured to vibrate the wearable device. A memory is provided having computer readable instructions. One or more processors are provided for executing the computer readable instructions, the one or more processors being coupled to communicate with the feedback mechanism. The computer readable instructions include defining at least one prompt point that is associated with a first time parameter. The instructions further include determining when the current time is equal to the first time parameter. The instructions provide for actuating the feedback mechanism in response to the current time being equal to the first time period.
US09799198B2 System and method for communicating with an operator of the system
Method includes executing a dynamic decision-making process that includes (a) receiving environmental data and (b) determining a fused ensemble based on the environmental data and a state parameters of a current state of a machine assembly. The fused ensemble includes communications from a system interface to the operator for the state parameters. The communications inform an operator about the state parameters and includes at least one of a visual signal, an audible signal, or a tactile signal from the system interface. The decision-making process also includes (c) communicating the fused ensemble to the operator through the system interface and (d) repeating (a)-(c) while the machine assembly is in the current state. The fused ensemble is configured to change based on changes in the environmental data.
US09799197B2 Fall protection harness with damage indicator
A fall protection harness or fall protection static line includes one or more straps, an electrical sensing device coupled to the one or more straps, a computer processor coupled to the electrical sensing device, and a transmitter coupled to the computer processor. The one or more straps are made up of an electrically non-conducting thread and an electrically conducting thread. The electrically non-conducting thread and the electrically conducting thread are intertwined, or the electrically conductive thread is intertwined with itself. The electrical sensing device detects a disruption in current in the electrically conducting thread, a disruption in voltage in the electrically conducting thread, or a change in resistance in the electrically conducting thread, which indicates damage to the fall protection harness or a fall by a person wearing the fall protection harness.
US09799196B1 Integrated gas detection and vehicle telematics system
Systems and methods for detecting chemical substance levels in surrounding environments using an integrated system are provided. A vehicle is equipped with a system comprising a detector component, a vehicle telematics component, and mobile gateway component. The detector component monitors a level of one or more chemical substances and determines that a threshold level of the one or more chemical substances has been detected. The vehicle telematics component generates an alert signaling detection of the threshold level of the one or more chemical substances. The alert may be communicated to one or more recipients including a command center. The alert may include, among other things, the level of the one or more chemical substances and the location of the vehicle. Communication of the alert and additional communications with the one or more recipients is facilitated by a mobile gateway component that provides access to a wireless communications network.
US09799193B2 Shock detector systems
A shock detector system for determining the existence of a harmful electrical condition in a body of water proximate a first shock detector or a second shock detector with the first shock detector providing a danger signal if the harmful electrical condition proximate the first shock detector could injure or kill a person coming into contact with the body of water proximate the first shock detector and the second shock detector providing a caution signal if there is no harmful electrical condition detected by the second shock detector even though there is a harmful electrical condition proximate the first shock detector.
US09799191B2 Electrical plug device for monitoring personal activity
A method of operating a server for remotely monitoring personal activity, the method comprising: generating and sending a message to at least one user equipment, UE, if one of the following conditions is met: the server receives a signal from an electrical plug device and the received signal is in accordance with an expected pattern of signals; or the server receives a signal from an electrical plug device and the received signal is not in accordance with an expected pattern of signals; or the server does not receive a signal from an electrical plug device when a signal is expected in accordance with an expected pattern of signals.
US09799189B2 Tracking device and tracking system and tracking device control method
A tracking device, a tracking system, and a tracking device control method with safe-zone demarcation based on the usually detected WiFi access points are provided. The tracking device includes a telecommunication transceiver, a WiFi receiver and a microcontroller. The microcontroller is configured to operate the telecommunication transceiver to transmit WiFi information to a server during a data-collection period for behavior analysis of a tracked object equipped with the tracking device and for safe-zone demarcation of the tracking device. The WiFi information indicates WiFi access points detected by the WiFi receiver. The safe-zone demarcation of the tracking device is adaptive to habitual behaviors, obtained from the behavior analysis, of the tracked object.
US09799186B2 Thermal event detection and notification system
A thermal event detection and notification system detects a thermal event, a control unit receives information from, the information being indicative of the detected thermal event. The control unit determines, based on the information received, a location of said thermal event.
US09799183B2 Doorbell package detection systems and methods
Delivery parcel detection systems can include a doorbell having a first wireless communication system and a floor covering configured for placement on an entryway floor. The doorbell can be communicatively coupled to the floor covering. The floor covering can comprise a sensor configured to detect a delivery parcel located on the floor covering. Systems can include a first communication sent from the floor covering to the doorbell in response to the floor covering detecting an arrival, a movement, or a removal of the delivery parcel. Systems can also include a second communication sent from the doorbell to a remote computing device in response to the doorbell receiving the first communication.
US09799177B2 Apparatus and methods for haptic covert communication
Embodiments described herein relate generally to providing information through tactility. A computer system may receive an input from a user. The computer system may identify one or more locations associated with haptic elements disposed on a wearable haptic apparatus. The computer system may generate a message that includes an indication of the one or more locations. The computer system may transmit this message to the wearable haptic apparatus. The wearable haptic apparatus may actuate one or more haptic elements disposed thereon based on the indication of the one or more locations included in the message. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.
US09799176B1 Accessibility-layered communication service using lighthouse
Methods, computer program products, and systems are presented. The methods include, for instance: providing social media feed cognizant lighthouse display service for communicating to spectators, information in regard to social response to an event, the lighthouse display service by use of a lighthouse structure further including a private display for subscribed data for an accessibility-layered communication service as encoded with a private key to make inaccessible to the spectators but to be decoded on a user device with the private key.
US09799174B2 Electronic system sharing power of doorbell, power supply device thereof, and power supply method thereof
A power supply device sharing power of a doorbell includes two power contacts, an AC switch, an AC/DC conversion circuit, a doorbell actuator, a supply node, an enabling node, and a control node. When the AC switch is off, the AC/DC conversion circuit receives AC power through the two power contacts, generates DC power according to the AC power, and then outputs the generated DC power through the supply node to supply a post-stage circuit for operating. The doorbell actuator is configured to generate an enabling signal and outputting the generated enabling signal through the enabling node. The control node is configured to receive a control signal relative to the enabling signal, to have the AC switch turned on in response to the control signal to ring the doorbell.
US09799173B2 List based shopping cart inspection process
A computer-implemented process is useful for inspecting a shopping cart in preparation for a rapid checkout from a retail store, the shopping cart including items scanned for purchase by the customer during a shopping trip in the retail store. The process includes monitoring, within a computerized server, an initiation of a rapid checkout by the customer and generating, within a computerized processor, an inspection list for a store employee based upon the initiation. The inspection list includes a summary of items scanned by the customer.
US09799172B2 System and method of allowing a player to play gaming machines having dual symbol game functionality
The game machine comprising a display and a controller is provided. The display is configured to display a plurality of symbol cells displayed in a grid. The grid defines a plurality of columns, each with an associated reel, an associated reel strip, a plurality of symbol positions, and each symbol position populated by a game symbol. The controller is configured to initiate a game and detect a trigger condition. In response the trigger condition the control then establishes a number of symbols in a set of symbols, selects a set of symbols based on the established number of symbols, with the set of symbols including a plurality of game symbols, and replaces each of the symbols in a plurality of symbol positions on at least one of the reel strips with the selected set of symbols. The controller then establishes a predetermined combination of symbols within the grid.
US09799171B2 Techniques for providing a roulette game
A system comprises a client operable to communicate a bet regarding a spin of a virtual roulette wheel. The system further comprises a controller communicably coupled to the client and operable to determine a result of the spin of the virtual roulette wheel, the result based at least in part upon one or more digits of at least one financial market indicator at a configurable point in time. The system is further operable to determine an outcome of the bet based at least in part on the determined result.
US09799164B2 Systems and methods for determining a level of reward
A gaming system and method which includes enabling a player to initiate a play of a game, for the initiated play of the game: (i) randomly generating a game outcome, (ii) displaying to the player the randomly generated game outcome, (iii) determining any award associated with the displayed game outcome, and (iv) displaying to the player any determined award, enabling the player to invite a quantity of other players to each initiate a play of at least one game, the quantity of other players being greater than zero, and if the player invited the quantity of other players, providing the player a benefit, an amount of the benefit being based on the quantity of other players invited.
US09799163B1 System and method for providing a currency multiplier item in an online game with a value based on a user's assets
A system and method for providing currency multiplier items to one or more users of an online game is described. A user of an online game may obtain a currency multiplier item by purchase, by award, responsive to one or more actions taken in the online game, and/or by other methods. Use of the currency multiplier item may enable the user to adjust the amount of virtual currency in the inventory in the user's user account, wherein the adjustment to the amount of currency is not provided to the first user prior to use of the currency multiplier item.
US09799160B2 Method and apparatus for providing a complimentary service to a player
Systems and methods are provided for providing a service to a player using a player device. A indication of a player identifier which corresponds to a player of a gaming device is received. A player device is provided to the player. A service to provide the player is determined based on a gaming activity of the player, and the service is then provided to the player using the player device.
US09799154B2 Electronic key, electronic closure system and a method for allowing an access authorization
The invention relates to an electronic key (32) having at least two contacts (324, 325, 326) for the transmission of data and/or energy to an electronic lock (16). In accordance with the invention, the housing (321) of the electronic key (32) comprises an input device (33) for the entry of an authorization code (36). The invention also relates to an electronic closure system with an electronic key (32) and an electronic lock (16) as well as to a method for secure acquisition of an access authorization or for secure delivery of a key to at least one user (22) by means of an electronic lock (16) and at least one electronic key (32) carried by the user (22).
US09799141B2 Display device, control system, and control program
According to one of aspects, a display device includes: a display unit configured to stereoscopically display an aggregation configured from a plurality of regular hexahedrons arrayed along mutually perpendicular three directions, in a display space, by displaying images respectively corresponding to both eyes of a user by being worn; a detection unit configured to detect movement of a body in the display space; and a control unit configured to change positions of the regular hexahedrons of the aggregation according to a detection result of the detection unit. Each of six faces of the aggregation includes external faces of the regular hexahedrons as elements, and notations with which whether all of the elements on the same face of the aggregation belong to a same group is discriminative are provided to the respective elements.
US09799136B2 System, method and apparatus for rapid film pre-visualization
A system, method and apparatus for rapid film pre-visualization are provided, including a motion capture component interfacing with wearable motion capture sensors; a virtual digital rendering component configured to receive the captured motion and re-create such motion in a three dimensional virtual space; a display component configured to display an output of the virtual digital rendering component; and a controller component, configured to interface with the virtual digital rendering component and allow a user to navigate within the three dimensional virtual space to control the visual aspects of one or more shots within the three dimensional virtual space.
US09799135B2 Semantic cinematic volume rendering
The present embodiments relate to cinematic volume renderings and volumetric Monte-Carlo path tracing. The present embodiments include systems and methods for integrating semantic information into cinematic volume renderings. Scan data of a volume is captured by a scanner and transmitted to a server or workstation for rendering. The scan data is received by a server or workstation. The server or workstation extracts semantic information and/or applies semantic processing to the scan data. A cinematic volume rendering is generated from the scan data and the extracted semantic information.
US09799134B2 Method and system for high-performance real-time adjustment of one or more elements in a playing video, interactive 360° content or image
A method and system for high-performance real-time adjustment of colors and patterns on one or more pre-selected elements in a playing video, interactive 360° content, or other image, using graphics processing unit (“GPU”) shader code to process the asset per-pixel and blend in a target color or pattern based on prepared masks and special metadata lookup tables encoded visually in the video file. The method and system can generate asset-specific optimized GPU code that is generated from templates. Pixels are blended into the target asset using the source image for shadows and highlights, one or more masks, and various metadata lookup-tables, such as a texture lookup-table that allows for changing or adding patterns, z-depth to displace parts of the image, or normals to calculate light reflection and refraction.
US09799129B2 Electronic device which displays and outputs function formula data, data output method, and computer readable medium
According to an embodiment, an electronic device includes a processor. The processor is configured to perform: formula input process of inputting a plurality of pieces of formula data in association with respective formula numbers through a user operation; a formula setting process of setting formula data in the pieces of formula data input by the formula input process as an output target by the user operation; cited formula extraction process of extracting another formula data in the pieces of formula data when the formula data set by the formula setting process cites a formula number of the another formula data; and a data output process of outputting the set formula data with the extracted another formula data.
US09799126B2 Apparatus and method for robust non-local means filtering of tomographic images
An apparatus for performing a non-local means (NLM) filter is described. The pixel of the NLM-filtered image are weighted averages of pixels from a noisy image, where the weights are a measure of the similarity between patches of the noisy image. The similarity weights can be calculated using a Kullback-Leibler or a Euclidean distance measure. The similarity weights can be based on filtered patches of the noisy image. The similarity weights can be based on a similarity measure between patches of an anatomical image corresponding to the noisy image. The similarity weights can be calculated using a time series of noisy images to increase the statistical sample size of the patches. The similarity weights can be calculated using a weighted sum of channel similarity weights calculated between patches of noisy image that have been band-pass filtered. The NLM-filtered image can also be blended with a non-NLM-filtered image.
US09799119B2 Detecting specified image identifiers on objects
Embodiments of the present application relate to a method, apparatus, and system for detecting a specified image identifier. The method includes retrieving a target image to be detected from a predetermined area, binarizing the target image to be detected to obtain a target binary image to be detected, calibrating connected domains of the target binary image to be detected, successively retrieving image features of candidate connected domains, and comparing the image features corresponding to the candidate connected domains to image features of a standard specified identifier image, wherein the candidate connected domains are determined based at least in part on the calibration of the connected domains, and determining a candidate connected domain as the location of the specified identifier image based at least in part on the comparison of the image features corresponding to the candidate connected domains to image features of the standard specified identifier image.
US09799116B2 Drawing apparatus and method for acquiring inclination of nail
A drawing apparatus includes a mounting section where an object having a nail is mounted, and an inclination detection unit that detects a degree of an inclination of the nail in a width direction of the nail with respect to a reference state of the nail based on a shape of at least one target image along the width direction of the object, the target image being formed on the object.
US09799114B2 Method, system and apparatus for quantitative surgical image registration
A method in a computing device for quantitative surgical image registration includes: prior to a surgical procedure, obtaining, using a first imaging modality, a preoperative image of patient tissue and a plurality of preoperative measurements of a material property of the patient tissue. The preoperative measurements correspond to respective points in the preoperative image. The method includes storing the preoperative image and the preoperative measurements, and during the surgical procedure, using a second imaging modality, capturing an intraoperative image of the patient tissue and a second plurality of intraoperative measurements of the material property of the patient tissue. The intraoperative measurements correspond to respective points in the intraoperative image. The method includes comparing the first and second pluralities of measurements to determine a transformation for registering the preoperative image and the intraoperative image; and storing the transformation in association with one of the intraoperative image and the preoperative image.
US09799110B2 Abnormality detection method and blast furnace operation method
An abnormality detection method of detecting abnormality of a blast furnace from tuyere images shot by cameras installed in vicinities of a plurality of tuyeres of the blast furnace includes: collecting, in a time-series manner, representative brightness vectors defined by representative brightnesses determined based on brightness values of respective pixels for each of the tuyeres image previously shot by the cameras at a same time; extracting a principal component vector by performing principal component analysis on the representative brightness vectors collected in the time-series manner; calculating, as an evaluation value, a length of a normal line drawn in a direction of the principal component vector from the representative brightness vector collected from the tuyere images shot by the cameras at the same time during an operation; and detecting the abnormality of the blast furnace by comparing the evaluation value with a predetermined threshold.
US09799108B2 Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and storage medium
An image processing apparatus can correct the influence of contrast caused by a difference between a photopic vision and a scotopic vision to provide an image excellent in image quality. An averaged within-visual-field luminance calculation unit calculates a luminance value in the visual field based on at least one of environmental luminance in the visual field and luminance in a screen on which image data can be displayed. A reverse gamma conversion processing unit corrects the contrast of the image data based on the obtained luminance value in the visual field.
US09799107B2 Image brightness adjusting method, object tracking method and object tracking apparatus
An image brightness information adjusting method, which comprises: computing background brightness information of an image; computing a first brightness information difference between brightness information for at least one pixel of a first image line of the image and background brightness information corresponding to the first image line; and adjusting brightness information for at least one pixel of a second image line according to the first brightness information difference.
US09799103B2 Image processing method, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and electrical device
An image processing method is applied to an electrical device. The image processing method includes the following steps: reading a first image; defining a motion blur center-point on the first image; receiving a dragging track executed on the first image; and executing a motion blur process according to the motion blur center-point and the dragging track to generate a second image. A motion blur level and a motion blur type of the second image are determined according to a related parameter between the dragging track and the motion blur center-point.
US09799090B2 Memory control device, mobile terminal, and computer-readable recording medium
A memory control device of the present invention comprises a determination section (34) for determining whether a time point of start of a writing operation falls within a risky period; and a delay control section (32) for delaying, in a case where the determination section (34) determines that the time point of the start of the writing operation falls within the risky period, a time point of the start of one of the writing operation and the reading operation which one is higher in operation rate, said one of the writing operation and the reading operation being delayed by a predetermined delay period.
US09799087B2 Shader program profiler
Systems, methods, and computer readable media to improve the development of image processing intensive programs are described. In general, techniques are disclosed to non-intrusively monitor the run-time performance of shader programs on a graphics processing unit (GPU)—that is, to profile shader program execution. More particularly, GPU-based hardware threads may be configured to run in parallel too, and not interfere with, the execution environment of a GPU during shader program execution. When so configured, GPU hardware threads may be used to accurately characterize the run-time behavior of an application program's shader operations.
US09799085B2 Method for producing electronic contracts certified by a user of a telecommunications operator
The object of the invention is a certification method of contracts in an electronic format wherein a telecommunication operator certifies sending a contract by a user customer of said operator to another user which is not a customer of the telecommunication operator by means of an electronic mail and/or SMS; and this can sign by means of the response to the electronic mail or to the SMS the acceptance or rejection of the contract in a reliable way, generating proof of the transaction in every moment, so that it can be considered a legally binding contract since the entire process is certified by a telecommunication operator.
US09799081B1 Content recommendation platform
A method for recommending content is disclosed. The method includes identifying social relationship data for a user, the social relationship data including a set of associated users, determining a subset of the set of associated users based on similarity of content item interaction on a content sharing server, and providing the subset of associated users as recommended users to follow by the user. The method also includes receiving an indication of a selection of users from the subset of associated users, originating a social content item recommendation list for the user based on the selected users, and providing the social content item recommendation list to the user.
US09799080B2 Method and apparatus for providing a contact address
An apparatus and method for providing a contact address based on context information and an indication of a recommended contact and a preferred communication channel for reaching the recommended contact. The indication is based on pre-stored context information that matches the current context information. The communication channel may be one of a social networking service (SNS), a mobile phone number, a home phone number, a business phone number, a short message services (SMS), and a multimedia message service (MMS). The method may include: detecting, by an electronic device, current context information of the electronic device; comparing the current context information with prestored context information; and outputting an indication of a recommended contact and a preferred communication channel for reaching the recommended contact, wherein the indication is output based on the prestored context information matching the current context information.
US09799079B2 Generating a multi-dimensional social network identifier
Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for generating a multi-dimensional social network identifier are provided herein. A method includes capturing one or more items of web information pertaining to past activity associated with a given individual; determining one or more user metrics associated with the given individual based on the one or more items of web information; quantifying a measure of similarity of the one or more user metrics associated with the given individual and the one or more user metrics associated with one or more additional individuals; and generating an identifier for the given individual based on the measure of similarity, and wherein said identifier differs from identification information attributable to the given individual on a social network.
US09799076B1 Systems and methods for hit and run detection based on intelligent micro devices
A system, method, and computer-usable medium are disclosed for providing information relating to damage incurred by a vehicle in an accident. A first plurality of markers with a first set of identifiers is embedded in a coating applied to a component of a first vehicle and a second plurality of markers with a second set of identifiers is embedded in a coating applied to a component of a second vehicle. Markers from the first vehicle are transferred to the second vehicle upon impact during an accident. The transferred markers are read by a marker reader and then processed to determine the identity of the first vehicle.
US09799072B2 Enhanced quote and order integration system and method
An enhanced system and method for executing options trades are disclosed. The order book and quote book are maintained separately to make quote and order processing more efficient, but the order book and quote book are integrated, as needed, to determine the marketability of incoming quotes and, where necessary, so that incoming quotes can execute against resting quotes or orders.
US09799070B1 System and method for aggregating and presenting financial information
Disclosed herein is a system and method for managing financial information. According to an embodiment, electronic purchase data is received from an electronic payment source. The received electronic purchase data is generated into one or more visual representation formats using a transformation server. Once the visual representation has been generated, the visual representation format is rendered using a display device.
US09799069B2 Graphical dining interface
Systems, methods, and apparatus for a graphical dining interface are disclosed. In one aspect, a device comprises a component image processor configured to generate a representation of at least one component of an item. The device further comprises an input device configured to receive an input from a user, where the input comprises a selection of a first component. The device further comprises an item image processor configured to generate a representation of the item, where the representation of the item comprises the representation of the first component.
US09799065B1 Associating items based at least in part on physical location information
Systems and methods are provided for associating items based at least in part on physical location information that includes a physical location of at least two items. By associating items based at least in part on physical location information, associations among items may be identified that would otherwise be difficult to determine without usage of physical location information. In one embodiment, physical location information of various items may be collected by electronically recording the physical location of the items in a physical retail store. A degree of association may be derived from an analysis of the physical proximity between the items. The determined association information may later be used to recommend items to a user or for other purposes.
US09799063B2 Purchase good or service based upon detected activity and user preferences in wireless communication device
Systems, apparatus, and methods are disclosed for accurately identifying one or more mobile thing motion activity (MTMAs; e.g., stationary, walking, running, biking, driving, etc.) associated with a mobile thing (MT; e.g., a person) using sensor data from one or more sensors associated with a wireless communication device (WCD) transported by the MT and for facilitating purchase of a good or service based at least in part upon the one or more MTMAs and one or more predefined user preferences. The sensor data from the one or more sensors (e.g., accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, etc.) is designed to produce data indicative of physical movement of the WCD in three dimensions of a three dimensional (3D) space. In some embodiments, the one or more MTMAs are a plurality of instances of the same MTMA (e.g., a plurality of running sessions) and the purchase of the good or service (e.g., new running shoes) is initiated when a total time duration or total travel distance exceeds a predefined threshold (e.g., 300 hours or 500 miles, respectively), as defined by the WCD user in a predefined preference.
US09799062B2 Providing information related to a product unique to a geographical region
Generally discussed herein are systems, apparatuses, and methods for providing information regarding a product that is unique to a geographical region. In one or more embodiments a method may include determining a location of a user, receiving information indicative of one or more products unique to a particular geographical region corresponding to the determined location of the user, wherein each of the one or more products are offered for sale in the particular region by one or more merchants, and providing information about at least one of the products and about a merchant, from the one or more merchants, offering that product for sale in the geographical region.
US09799060B2 Content access with handheld document data capture devices
Embodiments of the disclosed innovations provide systems and methods for automatically locating and retrieving digital supplemental materials and counterparts of rendered documents. These systems and methods are especially useful when the provider or copyright holder of the digital document charges a fee for access to the digital materials. Some embodiments solve the technical problem of allowing a user to access restricted digital content associated with a rendered document via a search string captured from the rendered document. Some embodiments further provide automatic intermediation to gain access to protected digital materials.
US09799058B2 Vehicle valuation system and method
A method comprising steps (a) a vehicle comprising telemetric equipment is provided; (b) driving data is collected, wherein the driving data is collected using the telemetric equipment; (c) environmental data is collected; (d) vehicle original equipment manufacturer data comprising vehicle recall data and vehicle warranty claim data is collected; (e) vehicle pricing data is collected, wherein the pricing data is collected from external sources; and (f) a vehicle valuation is generated.
US09799057B2 Systems and methods for creating and managing marketing applications, events, promotions, and publications
Certain embodiments provide systems and methods for creation and management of marketing applications, events, promotions and publications. The system includes a user input device configured to provide a user input for one or more applications. The system includes a display configured to display information from the one or more applications. The system includes a processing unit communicatively coupled to the user input device and the display. The processing unit is configured to execute one or more application to create the promotional activity, configure the promotional activity, and associate an offer with the configured promotional activity.
US09799056B2 Media enrichment system and method
Disclosed herein are aspects associated with contextual, or related, media enrichment presentation item of a media object served via the internet. A request to annotate a media object in connection with the media object's presentation is received, and a media object identifier and a profile identifier are obtained. The media object's information is retrieved using the media object identifier, and a profile is retrieved using the profile identifier. A response including one or more references to one or more media enrichment presentation items is transmitted, each reference to a media enrichment presentation item comprising information for use in retrieving the media enrichment presentation item for presentation in connection with presentation of the media object.
US09799055B1 Personalizing content for users
Systems and methods are provided for creating personalized programs. In one implementation, a computer-implemented method is provided. According to the method, content is assembled into a personalized program. The method includes maintaining, in a storage device, transaction history information and preference information for a user. The method selects a plurality of content components based on at least one of the transaction history information and the preference information. The method then determines a sequence of the selected content components and assembles the selected content components according to the sequence as the personalized program.
US09799054B2 Motion and gesture-based mobile advertising activation
The presentation of advertisements to a user on a mobile communications device is disclosed. A first external input corresponding to a triggering of an advertisement delivery is received on a first input modality. An advertisement overlay is displayed in a graphical user interface in response to receiving the external input. Advertisement invocation instructions are displayed within the advertisement overlay. A second external input is received on a second input modality different from the first input modality. The second external input is translated to a set of quantified values. An advertisement is then displayed within the advertisement overlay in response to a substantial match between the set of quantified values translated from the received second external input to the set of predefined values corresponding to the advertisement invocation instructions.
US09799052B2 Methods and apparatus for serving relevant advertisements
The relevance of advertisements to a user's interests is improved. In one implementation, the content of a web page is analyzed to determine a list of one or more topics associated with that web page. An advertisement is considered to be relevant to that web page if it is associated with keywords belonging to the list of one or more topics. One or more of these relevant advertisements may be provided for rendering in conjunction with the web page or related web pages.
US09799049B2 Enhancing a message by providing supplemental content in the message
The present technology relates to enhancing a message with supplemental content. The system may enhance a message based on topics identified in past correspondence messages or topics anticipated based on an intended recipient of a correspondence message being drafted. The system can operate in combination or conjunction with a language prediction system, an optimizing language model, and a text input method. The systems and methods provide users with supplemental content at a time and in a specific situation, which allows for effective targeting of content.
US09799047B2 Apparatus and method for collecting and manipulating transaction data
Described herein are apparatus and methods for collecting and manipulating transaction data. For example, presented herein is an apparatus including: a first I/O port; a second I/O port of a same type as the first I/O port, wherein the second I/O port is connected to the first I/O port such that data passed into the first I/O port is allowed to pass through the apparatus to the second I/O port unimpeded in at least a first operating mode; a processor; and a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions thereon wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to: collect information passed from a first computing device connected to the first I/O port to a second computing device connected to the second I/O port, identify, from the information, transaction data; and provide, to a third computing device, the transaction data.
US09799045B2 Method and system for determining the vertical alignment of an infrastructure corridor
Methods, systems, and techniques for determining the vertical alignment of an infrastructure corridor having a certain horizontal alignment involve using a processor to model the cost of constructing the infrastructure corridor as a function of cost variables that vary with the vertical alignment of the infrastructure corridor. The processor looks up the cost variables at vertical offsets corresponding to certain vertical alignments of the infrastructure corridor and determines the cost of constructing the length of road at elevations located between pairs of the vertical offsets by interpolating from the cost variables at the vertical offsets; the interpolation may be linear. The processor determines, subject to infrastructure corridor design constraints, the vertical alignment of the infrastructure corridor from the cost of constructing the infrastructure corridor at the vertical offsets.
US09799038B2 Method for tracking procedures performed on personal protection equipment and actions of individuals
A method for tracking procedures performed on personal protection equipment (PPE) and actions of individuals includes the following steps. An article of PPE configured with a smart tag is provided to an individual prior to performance of a task. After the individual performs the task, the article of PPE is processed. Information is retrieved from the smart tag during at least one of: before, during and after processing the article of PPE. After the performance of the task, the individual's data is read and the individual enters into a designated area.
US09799031B2 Intelligent authentication
Systems and methods for intelligently authenticating payment transactions are disclosed. A user initiates a payment transaction to purchases goods or services from a merchant. The merchant sends a payment initiation request to a server computer in communication with a payment processing network and an issuer. The server computer queries various databases to determine one or more available communication channels that may be used as authentication channels by the issuer. The server computer also determines one or more communication channels, available for use by a mobile device of the user, that may be used as authentication channels to authenticate the payment transaction. The user is provided with a list of available/eligible authentication channels. User selects one of the authentication channels and the issuer is notified of the selection. The issuer uses the selected authentication channel to communicate with the user and authenticate the payment transaction.
US09799030B2 Methods and systems for verifying customer supplied financial account information using debit and credit transactions
Embodiment of the invention describe methods and systems for verifying customer supplied financial account information verification using debit and credit transactions. These methods include electronically transmitting an electronic debit and credit transaction to the customer financial account, based on the customer supplied financial account information. The method also includes electronically transmitting a first statement descriptor, as part of at least one of the electronic debit transaction and the electronic credit transaction, that includes a first verification code. The method also includes electronically receiving, from the customer, a second verification code, and comparing, by the computer system, the transmitted first verification code with the received second verification code with respect to each other. The method also includes verifying, by the computer system, the customer supplied financial account information based on the comparison of the verification codes.
US09799026B1 Direct payment method using gateway exception handling
A system and method for straight through payment processing when the merchant is known but the merchant's payment card acquirer is unknown. Payment instructions from a payee to the merchant are normalized for a target acquirer system which is selected either at random, based on business logic and data, or based on successful past straight through payments. Payments are attempted for each acquirer successively until a successful payment notification is received. The link to the merchant and acquirer is then saved for subsequent straight through payments to that merchant.
US09799025B2 Energy harvesting bidirectional audio interface
A payment card reader connected to an audio port of a mobile computing device may include a card interface, the card interface configured to read data from a payment card; a TRRS connector to couple the payment card reader with the mobile computing device; and an audio interface circuit coupled with the TRRS connector. The audio interface circuit may include a communication circuit configured to transmit data to and receive data from the mobile computing device via the TRRS connector and an energy harvesting circuit configured to receive an audio signal via the TRRS connector, to harvest energy from the audio signal, and to provide energy to other components of the card reader.
US09799024B2 Online purchase processing system and method
A system and method to use quick response (QR) codes encoded with merchant website identification codes and session GUID to register a user or code scanner with a merchant server, login the user or code scanner with the merchant server, and complete a purchase of an item or service within a virtual shopping cart of the merchant server. A code scanner can scan a QR code displayed on a device connected to the internet. An application server can receive an identification code from the code scanner and then transmit data indicating form fields to be filled in on a merchant webpage. A user profile can include data regarding the user and a payment instrument. The user profile data can prepopulate the form fields and the form field data can be transmitted to the merchant server to use for logging in the user and completing the purchase.
US09799022B2 Portable settlement terminal device
In an information processing device (settlement terminal device), a first main body that accommodates a first information processing unit in a first housing including a first input display unit (first touch panel), and a second main body that includes a second housing from which a seat unit for detachably attaching the first main body extends, and accommodates a secure second information processing unit which includes a second input display unit (second touch panel) disposed in the second housing to be on the same plane as that of the first input display unit of the first main body attached to the seat unit, and which has tamper resistance, are provided. In the information processing device, the first input display unit and the second input display unit are preferably arranged on the same plane. A secure portion can secure physically high tamper-resistance performance and the high robustness of the entire device.
US09799021B1 Tip processing at a point-of-sale system
Disclosed are method and apparatus that enable a cardless payment transaction to be executed from a merchant point-of-sale (POS) system. A user is enabled to check in at a merchant by using a mobile device of the user and then to pay by simply appearing at the merchant and mentioning his name. By emulating card read events and intercepting receipt printer outputs, the technique cleanly integrates into a conventional merchant POS system, without the need for customized software or hardware to accommodate individual POS vendor-proprietary application programming interfaces (APIs).
US09799018B2 Systems and methods for activation and deactivation of appliances
Systems and methods are provided for an appliance system. The system includes an appliance, and a processor connected to the appliance such that the processor places the appliance in one of an enabled state and a disabled state. The processor is configured to track usage of the appliance and to place the appliance in a disabled state when the usage of the appliance exceeds a threshold amount. The system also includes a data receiving device configured to receive a code, wherein upon receipt of a valid code, the processor is configured to adjust the threshold amount to allow additional usage of the appliance.
US09799015B2 Automated vehicle loan payment reminders
A payment reminder may be received by a payment reminder application executed by a computing device. The payment reminder may request payment of a vehicle loan associated with a registered combination of a vehicle identification number and an occupant identifier associated with the vehicle loan. The payment reminder application may verify appropriate vehicle occupants are available to receive the payment reminder, and may deliver the received payment reminder to the appropriate vehicle occupants at an appropriate time for occupant safety and privacy. The payment reminder application may also provide other types of reminders or messages targeted to the vehicle occupants.
US09799011B2 Electronic payment clearing and check image exchange systems and methods
A system and corresponding method are provided. The system includes a plurality of first entities (such as banks), each first entity communicatively connected to at least one distributed traffic agent (DTA), a second entity (such as a central facility) communicatively connected to a DTA, and a communication network communicatively connecting the DTAs. A payload containing a data file (such as electronic check presentment data, electronic payment data, or any other data type) is communicated from one first entity to another through their respective DTAs via the communication network. In addition, a transmittal containing control information corresponding to the payload is communicated from the one first entity to the second entity through their respective DTAs via the communication network.
US09799009B2 Method and system for determining exposures presented by an orchestrated process
The present invention provides a system and method to dynamically identify, assemble, or otherwise simulate the availability of resources for an orchestrated service or application, thereby allowing for strategic changes in scheduling, purchasing, hiring, and the like to ensure that the resources needed to deliver the desired outcome during a particular time period are present. In particular, the system includes an orchestration module storing a plurality of resource parameters, correlating a predetermined criterion for one or more resources with an event, and simulating the event, where the simulation includes comparing the stored plurality of parameters with the predetermined criterion. The system further determines whether the stored plurality of parameters satisfy the predetermined criterion, and may store the determination for subsequent evaluation.
US09799007B2 Method of collaborative software development
A method of collaboratively developing software includes recording a plurality of developers' tasks relating to a collection of software development files via software executing on a computer. The method further includes calculating a proximity score between a plurality of tasks based on the overlap of the developers' activities via software executing on a computer. The method further includes selecting and capturing a group of task properties that along with the proximity score can be used to select a group of task pairings that require coordination. The method further includes notifying the developers assigned to the task pairings selected that they may need to coordinate their development efforts.
US09798996B2 System and method for generating commodity flow information
This invention provides a global strategic picture of commodity movements generated by tracking ships from satellite and other sources and then combining ship location and movement information with at least one other data set, such as vessel, port, cargo, weather, or market data. Ship positions are integrated with other data, such as vessel, port, cargo, weather, and market information, to create a global strategic picture of commodity flows. A global strategic picture may then be generated by combining (i) ship movements gathered by satellite and other sources, with (ii) vessel, port, cargo, weather, market, and other data from existing sources, and (iii) a time history of these data sets.
US09798995B1 Mobile delivery receptacle
Improving automated package delivery to mobile delivery receptacles to allow accurate and reliable package deliveries comprises a delivery receptacle for an automated package delivery via an unmanned aerial delivery device. The delivery receptacle is notified of a pending delivery and travels to a receiving location. The delivery receptacle emits infrared (“IR”) beacons from one or more IR beacon transmitters. An aerial delivery device detects the IR beacon and uses the beacons to navigate to the delivery receptacle. The delivery receptacle receives IR beacon responses from the aerial delivery device and continually or periodically directs the IR beacons in the direction of the aerial delivery device. The aerial delivery device deposits the package in the delivery receptacle. After receiving the package, the delivery receptacle transports the package to a secure location, such as into a garage.
US09798991B2 Revenue and productivity optimization system with environmental sensor-connected smart bell
A revenue and productivity optimization system includes a service request device, also called a “smart bell,” an environmental sensor near or incased in the service request device, a service request reception device, and a cloud-computing server operating software components for the revenue and productivity optimization system. In one embodiment, one or more environmental variables, such as ambient temperature, humidity, noise levels, brightness, and ambient gas compositions, are measured by one or more environmental sensors, and relevant sensor data are transmitted to the cloud-computing server. The revenue and productivity optimization system correlates the sensor data to bell button press frequencies and intervals from the service request device, and analyzes and determines an optimal threshold or range for those environmental variables for higher revenue and/or productivity of an organization. The revenue and productivity optimization system then creates and transmits recommended actions to a supervising entity of the organization.
US09798990B2 Material management and control system
An embodiment of the present invention discloses a material management and control system, which comprises: a code scanner, which performs code scanning operation on any material to be warehoused with respect to the material to be warehoused to obtain code scanning parameter information of the material to be warehoused, wherein the code scanning parameter information comprises at least a date when a life of the material to be warehoused is exhausted; and a processor, which determines whether a remaining life of the material to be warehoused is not less than a set life value or not according to the code scanning parameter information obtained by the code scanner, and if a result is yes, then perform warehousing operation on the material to be warehoused, and monitor whether the warehoused material arrives at its corresponding life exhausting date or not, and if the result is not, then perform subsequent material processing operation on the warehoused material according to a set operation procedure. The embodiment of the present invention can greatly avoid the problems of low management and control efficiency and relatively high error rate caused by manual material management, achieve computerization of material management and control during the ODF process, and improve the processing efficiency and accuracy of the material management and control.
US09798989B2 Selecting collaborators for projects
A method, computer program product, and system for selecting collaborators is described. A set of candidates for collaboration with an initiator is received. Initial contact scores for one or more member of the set of candidates are determined based upon, at least in part, one or more of initial availability and initial willingness. An initial ranking order for the set of candidates is determined. A member is selected from the set based upon, at least in part, the initial ranking order. An invitation to collaborate is provided to the selected member. If the invitation is accepted, a communication channel connection is established between the initiator and the selected member.
US09798980B2 Method for inferring latent user interests based on image metadata
Techniques disclosed herein describe inferring user interests based on metadata of a plurality of multimedia objects captured by a plurality of users. An analysis tool receives, for each of the users, metadata describing each multimedia object in the plurality of objects associated with that user. Each multimedia object includes one or more attributes imputed to that object based on the metadata. The analysis tool identifies one or more concepts from the one or more attributes. Each concept includes at least a first attribute that co-occurs with a second attribute imputed to a first multimedia object. The analysis tool associates a first one of the plurality of users with at least one of the concepts based on the attributes imputed to multimedia objects associated with the first one of the plurality of users.
US09798975B2 Production rule engine
A production rules engine comprises: a class loader for loading a production rule ontology into a rule engine; a class loader for loading production rules into the rule engine, wherein a production rule comprises a rule and an action defined in the production rule ontology; instance creation logic for creating instances of production rules; a reasoner for executing the production rules and for locating an instance of a production rule having an inconsistency between an action to change the ontology and the existing ontology and for executing the production rules after inconsistencies have been fixed; a constraint engine for locating a solution to an inconsistent ontology; and a fixer for updating the inconsistent ontology with the located solution.
US09798973B2 Efficient rule execution in decision services
A method, system, and/or computer program product performs rule execution in decision services. One or more specialized rulesets classified by decision partitions are based on defined clustering predicates of decision service signatures for business rules. A decision request is received from a client, and one or more parameters of the decision request are input to a clustering predicate based on decision service signatures to produce a decision category. A specialized ruleset for the decision request is determined based on the decision category, and the decision request is forwarded for processing to the specialized ruleset. A decision input is then returned from the specialized ruleset.
US09798971B2 Visual cortical circuit apparatus, visual cortical imitation system and object search system using visual cortical circuit apparatus
Provided us a visual cortical circuit apparatus comprising: a current mirror unit which uses a transistor as a current source to generate a current having the same size as that of a reaction; a transconductance unit which takes, as an input, the current generated by the current mirror unit and outputs a voltage using a transconductance; and a buffer unit for converting the voltage output from the transconductance unit into a current and buffering the current.
US09798967B2 Systems, methods, and devices for commissioning wireless sensors
In one embodiment the present invention comprises a smartphone and encoders for commissioning RFID transponders. The present invention further includes novel systems, devices, and methods for commissioning RFID transponders with unique object class instance numbers without requiring a realtime connection to a serialization database.
US09798959B2 Method and system for recognizing faces
A method and a system for recognizing faces have been disclosed. The method may comprise: retrieving a pair of face images; segmenting each of the retrieved face images into a plurality of image patches, wherein each patch in one image and a corresponding one in the other image form a pair of patches; determining a first similarity of each pair of patches; determining, from all pair of patches, a second similarity of the pair of face images; and fusing the first similarity determined for the each pair of patches and the second similarity determined for the pair of face images.
US09798958B2 Biometric information registration device and method
A biometric information registration device includes: a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to: collect a plurality of biometric information extracted from a plurality of images of a subject, classify a posture of the subject in each of the plurality of images into one of a plurality of classes, count a number of postures that corresponds to each of the plurality of classes, and store biometric information, from among the plurality of biometric information, associated with a certain class for which the number exceeds a threshold.
US09798957B2 Robot cleaner and control method thereof
A control method for a robot cleaner includes acquiring a plurality of images of surroundings during travel of the robot cleaner in a cleaning area, estimating a plurality of room-specific feature distributions according to a rule defined for each of a plurality of rooms, based on the images acquired while acquiring the plurality of images, acquiring an image of surroundings at a current position of the robot cleaner, obtaining a comparison reference group including a plurality of room feature distributions by applying the rule for each of the plurality of rooms to the image acquired while acquiring the image at the current position, comparing the obtained comparison reference group with the estimated room-specific feature distributions, and determining a room from the plurality of rooms having the robot cleaner currently located therein.
US09798947B2 Method and system for splitting scheduling problems into sub-problems
A computing system receives user input of scheduling problem data. The scheduling problem data relates to a scheduling problem and includes one or more stations and tasks to be performed by at least one station. The computing system constructs a graph problem using the scheduling problem data. The graph problem includes a graph. The computing system cuts the graph into sub-graphs using a cut algorithm to create a cut result that satisfies a threshold and identifies one or more task exceptions from the sub-graphs in the cut result. The one or more task exceptions are tasks that can be assigned to more than one sub-graph. The computing system creates scheduling sub-problems pertaining to the one or more task exceptions using the cut result.
US09798946B2 Systems and methods for optical recognition of tire specification
Provided are a method and an apparatus for recognizing a tire by using an image of a tire captured by using a terminal. The apparatus recognizes a tire by converting an image of a round tire included in the image into a linear image, extracting an area of a character to be recognized from the linear image, and determining a character for learning, which is most similar to the extracted area of the character to be recognized from among a pre-constructed group of characters for learning, as a character in the area of the character to be recognized.
US09798942B2 Biometric recognition method with speed and security feature suitable for POS/ATM applications
A method quickly recognizes a person by identification codes derivable from biometric data includes registering and recognizing at least one user from multiple registered users by a recognition event. Each user registration event includes acquiring from biometric data correlated to a configuration of the user's blood vessels. Acquired biometric data is encoded into a respective registration identification code associated to the user. The user is registered the associated registration identification code is registered. Each recognition event includes acquiring the biometric data correlated to the user's blood vessels. The acquired biometric data is coded into a respective recognition identification user code. Based on the registered identification codes, a comparison set of comparison identification codes is prepared. Then the recognition identification code is compared with each comparison identification code. A respective matching level for each comparison is estimated. The user is recognized or refused recognition based on the estimated matching levels.
US09798941B2 Driver visual sensor behavior study device
A sensor test system may include a controller coupled to at least one test device and a sensor, the controller configured to receive test instructions including a plurality of test sequences, instruct at least one display unit to display an item based on the test sequences, receive response data from the test device indicative of a driver behavior, the response data including timing information and test device information, compile the response data based on the timing information and the test device information, receive sensor data acquired by the sensor during the test sequences, compare the compiled response data to the sensor data, and determine an accuracy of the sensor based on the comparison.
US09798940B2 Vehicular image processing apparatus
There are provided an image capture portion, a luminance acquisition section, a luminance estimation section, and a capture mode setup section. The image capture portion cyclically captures a vehicle compartment. The luminance acquisition section acquires the luminance of a captured image captured by the image capture portion. The luminance estimation section estimates a cyclic change in the luminance of captured images to be captured subsequently. The capture mode setup section settles a capture mode for the image capture portion based on a result of estimating the cyclic change in the luminance of captured images.
US09798939B2 Detecting device, detecting method, and program
To detect a distant object that may become an obstacle to a traveling destination of a moving vehicle or the like more accurately than the conventional, there is provided a detecting device, a program used in the detecting device, and a detecting method using the detecting device, where the detecting device includes: an acquisition section for acquiring two or more images captured in two or more imaging devices provided at different heights; and a detection section for detecting a rising portion of an identical object toward the imaging devices based on a difference between the lengths of the identical object in the height direction in the two or more images.
US09798936B2 System and method for detecting obstacles using a single camera
The present application provides an obstacle detection system and method thereof. The obstacle detection method comprises: obtaining a first image captured by a camera at a first time point; identifying a vertical edge candidate in the first image, and measuring a first length of the vertical edge candidate based on the first image; obtaining a second image captured by the camera at a second time point; measuring a second length of the vertical edge candidate based on the second image; calculating a difference between the first length and the second length; and comparing the difference with a predetermined length difference threshold, if the difference is greater than the length difference threshold, outputting a message that an obstacle is found.
US09798935B2 Method for determining a body parameter of a person
A method is described for determining a body parameter of a person outside a vehicle. The method may include capturing a first set of data of the person by a first data capturing device of the vehicle, the captured first set of data representative of a first body posture of the person, capturing a second set of data of the person by a second data capturing device of the vehicle, the captured second set of data representative of a second body posture of the person different from the first body posture, and using the first and second sets of data as input for estimation of the body parameter of the person. Use of a data capturing device of a vehicle is also described, and optionally a distance measurement system of the vehicle, for determining a body parameter of a person according to the method.
US09798931B2 Entrance detection from street-level imagery
Architecture that detects entrances on building facades. In a first stage, scene geometry is exploited and the multi-dimensional problem is reduced down to a one-dimensional (1D) problem. Entrance hypotheses are generated by considering pairs of locations along lines exhibiting strong gradients in the transverse direction. In a second stage, a rich set of discriminative image features for entrances is explored according to constructed designs, specifically focusing on properties such as symmetry and color consistency, for example. Classifiers (e.g., random forest) are utilized to perform automatic feature selection and entrance classification. In another stage, a joint model is formulated in three dimensions (3D) for entrances on a given facade, which enables the exploitation of physical constraints between different entrances on the same facade in a systematic manner to prune false positives, and thereby select an optimum set of entrances on a given facade.
US09798927B2 Mobile terminal iris recognition method and device having human-computer interaction mechanism
A mobile terminal iris recognition device having a human-computer interaction mechanism, the device includes a human-computer interaction module, an image acquisition module, an iris image analysis and processing module, a feedback control module and a power supply module. Also provided is an iris recognition method utilizing the device. Compared with the related art, the method has great improvement in such aspects as miniaturization, mobility and usability, is provided with a mobile terminal iris recognition function with an active visual, tactile and auditory interaction mechanism, and also has the advantages of high accuracy of iris recognition, low power consumption, reasonable structural layout, strong interaction functions and the like.
US09798926B2 Dynamic vector map tiles
The present disclosure relates to systems and processes for providing vector map data for generating a view of a map in a mapping application. In one example process, a request for a vector map sub-tile can be received by a map server. The map server can identify a pre-generated vector map tile corresponding to the requested vector map sub-tile and can generate the requested vector map sub-tile from the identified vector map tile by dividing the vector map tile into two or more vector map sub-tiles. In some examples, dividing the vector map tile into multiple vector map sub-tiles can include identifying features and attributes of the vector map tile that should be included in the requested vector map sub-tile and generating the requested vector map sub-tile to include these features and attributes. The map server can then transmit the requested vector map sub-tile to the requesting electronic device.
US09798921B2 Wrinkle care support device and method for supporting wrinkle care
A wrinkle care support device includes: a wrinkle change detector that detects a change made in a wrinkle after occurrence of the wrinkle, the wrinkle having occurred in skin by provision of predetermined stimulation; a wrinkle care information determiner that determines, based on the detected change, user presentation information relating to wrinkle care; and an information outputter that outputs the determined user presentation information. Note that the wrinkle care support device may further include: an image obtainer that obtains an image where the skin is photographed; and a wrinkle detector that detects the wrinkle from the obtained image. The detection of the change may include a detection of a wrinkle disappearing time starting from when the predetermined stimulation is provided until the wrinkle is no longer detected.
US09798919B2 Method and apparatus for estimating image motion using disparity information of a multi-view image
A method and apparatus for processing a multi-view image is provided. The method includes: extracting disparity information between an image of a first point of view and an image of a second point of view; and estimating a motion between two sequential images of the first point of view or the second point of view using the extracted disparity information. The apparatus may include a processor which is configured to extract disparity information between an image of a first point of view and an image of a second point of view in the multi-view image and is further configured to estimate a motion using the extracted disparity information between two sequential images of the first point of view or the second point of view.
US09798913B2 ID reading device
A device includes a recording medium housed in each of cells; an optically readable ID display part provided on a surface of the recording medium; an accessor that is movable to a position, which faces the ID display part, in an arrangement direction of the cells, and has an optical reading unit which optically reads an ID displayed in the ID display part; and a control unit that controls the optical reading unit. If the ID has not been read while the reading is tried a predetermined number of times, the control unit replaces the exposure value with another value to retry the reading. If the ID has not been read even though the exposure value was replaced a predetermined number of times, the control unit relatively moves the optical reading unit and the target cell and makes the optical reading unit read the ID again.
US09798912B1 Imaging module and reader for, and method of, reading targets by image capture with a substantially constant resolution over an extended range of working distances
Targets are read by image capture with a substantially constant resolution over an extended range of working distances. Return light returning from a far-out target located at a far-out working distance is sensed by an array of pixels over a relatively narrow field of view, and over a relatively wide field of view when a close-in target is located at a close-in working distance. A controller processes the sensed return light from the far-out target only from a set of the pixels located in a central region of the array. For the close-in target, the controller groups all the pixels into bins, each bin having a plurality of the pixels, and processes the sensed return light from the close-in target from each of the bins.
US09798911B1 Imaging module and reader for, and method of, reading a target by image capture through a window in direct, sealed contact with the module
A light-transmissive window is positioned in direct, sealing contact with a chassis of an imaging module for reading a target by image capture. The chassis has a plurality of interior compartments, each having an opening. An imager, an aiming light source, and an illuminating light source are mounted on a common printed circuit board and individually contained in the compartments. The window covers each opening and environmentally seals, optically isolates, and resists entry of the light from the aiming and/or illuminating light sources into, the interior compartment.
US09798907B2 Register for counting and tracking items in a bag
A register for counting and tracking items in a bag comprises a manifest and an RFID reader. The RFID reader is used to query a plurality of RFID tags attached to items contained in the bag. The register creates reports counting and/or identifying changes to items contained in the bag while the bag is routed and/or items in the bag are processed for a customer.
US09798900B2 Flexible counter system for memory protection
The present disclosure is directed to a flexible counter system for memory protection. In general, a counter system for supporting memory protection operations in a device may be made more efficient utilizing flexible counter structures. A device may comprise a processing module and a memory module. A flexible counter system in the memory module may comprise at least one data line including a plurality of counters. The bit-size of the counters may be reduced and/or varied from existing implementations through an overflow counter that may account for smaller counters entering an overflow state. Counters that utilize the overflow counter may be identified using a bit indicator. In at least one embodiment selectors corresponding to each of the plurality of counters may be able to map particular memory locations to particular counters.
US09798894B2 Secure computer display using inverse computational light field displays
A system and method to secure information displayed on the screen of a computing device is provided in which an image to be displayed is algorithmically distorted and thereafter displayed on a display device. To properly view the image, a user must use decoding eyewear which will correct for the applied distortion. The displayed image is thereby rendered unviewable to casual observers and passers-by.
US09798892B2 Prioritized link establishment for data transfer using task scheduling
A system and method for scheduling data transfers between systems. One or more data requesting systems may request access to particular data. The request for access to the particular data may correspond to a request that a task to be performed. The task may be to exchange the particular data between a data accessing system having access to the particular data and a data requesting system requesting access to the particular data. The communication exchange may be scheduled for processing. In some embodiments, the communication exchange may be initiated based on a parameter included in the request that the task be performed.
US09798890B2 Abstractions and automation for enhanced sharing and collaboration
The present invention provides methods for using abstractions of people, including dynamic and static groups of people, to enhance the efficiency of the specification and automation of policies for sharing information between users with a “need-to-know.” An instance of the present invention can also provide these users information based on a “time-to-know.” By providing access to information based on group affiliation and properties of the content of the information, the present invention maintains optimal information privacy while minimizing encumbrances to sharing data with appropriate users and even at appropriate times. The present invention can be integrated with other communication technologies to facilitate access to information in a time appropriate manner. Other instances of the present invention employ automated and semi-automated, mixed-initiative techniques, to make information-sharing decisions. Additional instances of the present invention include the employment of machine-learning techniques to facilitate construction of access policies from the actions or profile of a single user or a community of users, including the construction of automated sharing agents that work in an automated or mixed-initiative manner to respond to real-time requests for information.
US09798889B1 Spreadsheet shared region and cell permissions
A system for spreadsheet region and cell sharing permissions includes an interface and a processor. An interface is to receive a request to display a subset of a spreadsheet document. A processor is to: determine whether to enable display access to the subset of the spreadsheet document based at least in part on a set of user access descriptors; in the event that display access is enabled, provide data associated with the subset of the spreadsheet document for display; and in the event that display access is not enabled, provide an indication of access denial for display.
US09798884B1 Systems and methods for identifying insider threats in code
In a system for detecting composite vulnerabilities associated with a process or a context, individual defects/vulnerabilities in a software system/application are identified and clustered into two or more classes of defects, where each class includes one or more defects of related types. Given a pattern of defects of different types, where the pattern represents a composite vulnerability, it is determined by searching in the clusters, if the software system/application includes all of the defects/vulnerabilities associated with that pattern.
US09798874B2 Device and method for processing data
A device for processing data includes: an input interface receiving input data; a processing unit processing data; and an encoding unit encoding data words which are obtained as input data at the input interface data in order to obtain encoded data words, the data words being encoded in such a way that a predefined portion of measured values which characterize the encoded data words and/or their processing by the device and which are ascertainable as a function of at least one physical variable of the device has a difference from a default value, the difference being less than or equal to a predefinable threshold value. The encoding unit executes an encoding rule for encoding the data words as a function of at least one encoding parameter, and the processing unit processes the encoded data words.
US09798870B2 Biometric data apparatus
The present disclosure provides a cover for an electronic device and a biometric data apparatus for communication with an electronic device, wherein the biometric data apparatus comprises: a body; and a biometric data input element formed on the body; wherein at least part of the body is configured such that the biometric data apparatus may be releasably coupled to the electronic device when the cover for the electronic device is fitted to the electronic device.
US09798869B2 Processing apparatus, method for controlling processing apparatus, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium
Provided is a processing apparatus that authenticates a requestor in response to a request for performing predetermined processing. The processing apparatus executes the predetermined processing upon the authentication succeeding. Whether or not authentication is performed is set individually for each of the processing apparatus and an external apparatus of the processing apparatus that serve as the requestor. The authentication is performed in the case where authentication is set to be performed on the requestor that made the request.
US09798868B2 Image processing apparatus, access control method, and storage medium
An image processing apparatus includes a request determining unit receiving an operation event indicating a request to use an image processing function and determining whether the request is from a guest user based on the received operation event; a guest login processing unit generating guest login information including a guest user identifier and access right information of the guest user if the request is from the guest user and sending a login request to request a login process for the guest user based on the guest login information; an access control unit disabling access control on the image processing function in response to the login request based on the access right information in the guest login information; and a usage history recording unit recording a usage history of the image processing function in association with the guest user based on the guest user identifier in the guest login information.
US09798866B2 Network information system with license registration and method of operation thereof
A network information system, and a method of operation thereof, includes: an extraction module for extracting a unique device identification for sending to an e-commerce server, wherein the unique device identification is extracted from a network-connected device with a software application installed and not activated on the network-connected device; a settlement process module, coupled to the extraction module, for generating a notification based on the unique device identification for sending to a license server; and a key generation module, coupled to the settlement process module, for generating a product key for the unique device identification based on the notification for activating the software application to run on a computing device.
US09798865B2 Systems and methods for binding content playback to the pairing of a playback device and removable memory storage device
Systems and methods for binding content to pairing of a playback device and removable memory storage device are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method for requesting authorization to play content using a playback device and a removable memory storage device includes retrieving a coupon identifier from a removable memory storage device while it is attached to the playback device, generating a coupon code using the coupon identifier, sending a request for storefront token that includes a device match data token and an application identifier, receiving a storefront token associated with a storefront identifier where the storefront identifier identifies a storefront application, sending a request for ticket token that includes the coupon code, the storefront identifier, and a content identifier that identifies the content, sending a request for license file that includes the ticket token, and receiving a license file that grants playback rights to the piece of content.
US09798864B2 Embedded integrated component governance policy
A computer program product, a method, and an information handling system is provided to track and retrieve licensing agreements of features integrated into an application by detecting during development of an application installation of one or more features having a licensing agreement associated with using the one or more features; storing in a database a mapping between the one more installed features to a corresponding licensing agreement for each of the one or more installed features; and providing support to retrieve for the each installed features, the corresponding licensing agreement.
US09798860B1 Methods and systems for remotely determining levels of healthcare interventions
The present subject matter relates to methods and systems utilizing wearable sensor technology to determine when a patient's health may be degrading to trigger progressively higher levels of care and involvement, from “free” hands and eyes to skilled clinicians, in order to keep patients in the lowest cost setting of care, the home, for as long as possible.
US09798857B2 Method and apparatus for providing an integrated display of clinical data
A method, apparatus and computer program product therefore provide an integrated display of clinical data. In this regard, the method, apparatus and computer program product may provide access to patient clinical data during a medical study. The relevant clinical data may be obtained from patient medical records, and displayed along with information from the medical study. An interface may be provided, allowing for selection of one or more portions of the relevant clinical data by a user. The portion of relevant clinical data associated with the particular interface element may be displayed. The method, apparatus, and computer program product may also incorporate adaptive learning techniques, monitoring user input during various study operations to identify particular relevant clinical data and/or interface elements that are selected by the user during the study.
US09798852B2 Methods of design rule checking of circuit designs
Methods for performing design rule checking of a circuit design are provided. The methods include, for instance: providing a circuit design for an integrated circuit layer, in which the circuit design includes a plurality of design lines oriented in a particular direction; and automatically performing a design rule check of the circuit design, which may include forming a verification pattern for the circuit design, the verification pattern comprising a plurality of verification lines and a plurality of verification regions, wherein one or more verification regions are associated with and connected to one verification line of the plurality of verification lines, and checking the verification pattern for any verification line overlapping a verification region. The circuit design may be considered to fail the design rule check if an end of one verification line overlaps any verification region associated with another verification line of the verification pattern.
US09798849B2 Methods of detecting stresses, methods of training compact models, methods of relaxing stresses, and computing systems
A method of detecting stress of an integrated circuit including first and second patterns formed from different materials may comprise: determining one or more stress detection points of the first pattern; dividing a region including a first stress detection point of the one or more stress detection points into a plurality of divided regions; calculating areas of the second pattern at the divided regions; and/or detecting a stress level applied to the first stress detection point of the first pattern by the second pattern based on the areas of the second pattern at the divided regions.
US09798846B2 Dynamic weighting and ranking of circuit designs for analog circuit design optimization
A method for analog circuit design includes the steps of (A) simulating a plurality of initial designs of an analog circuit with a computer to generate a search space that contains a plurality of parameter values, (B) allocating to each of the parameter values (i) a respective designer weight and (i) a respective dynamic weight, (C) adjusting one or more of the dynamic weights of the parameter values in response to a failure to convert the initial designs of the analog circuit into a final design of the analog circuit to generate adjusted dynamic weights, and (D) ranking the initial designs of the analog circuit in response to said parameter values as weighted by the adjusted dynamic weights to identify a subset of the initial designs. The final design of the analog circuit is based on the subset of the initial designs of the analog circuit.
US09798844B2 Phase algebra for analysis of hierarchical designs
A design tool can implement phase algebra based design evaluation to evaluate a circuit design with a compact representation of waveforms without simulating the individual waveforms. The tool can determine whether module instances of a register level circuit design share a common usage, each instance being associated with a mapping. Two instances share a common usage if a sequence of signal transition representations received by the first instance can be mapped using a first mapping to the same common sequence of signal transition representations as a mapping of another sequence of signal transition representations received by the second instance using a second mapping. A result sequence of signal transition representations was generated by a previous propagation of the common sequence through the common usage. If the two instances share the common usage, the result sequence is mapped to an output sequence for the second instance using the second mapping.
US09798843B2 Statistical timing using macro-model considering statistical timing value entry
A statistical timing analysis using statistical timing macro-models considering statistical timing value entries such as input slew and output load is disclosed. That statistical timing analysis calculates a statistical timing quantity based on statistical timing value entries based on a statistical timing (ST) macro-model of a selected macro of an integrated circuit (IC) design that includes statistical timing quantities as a function of deterministic timing value entries.
US09798842B1 Circuit design instrumentation for state visualization
An integrated circuit may include observable storage circuits and unobservable or non-observable storage circuits. Among values stored in the observable and the non-observable storage circuits, only the values stored in the observable storage circuits are accessible for read-back and/or write-back operations during hardware emulation. A computer system may receive a circuit design that includes a design-under-test and implement at least a portion of the circuit design in the integrated circuit. The computer system may insert observable storage circuits into the circuit design and couple the observable storage circuits to the non-observable storage circuits such that the data stored in the non-observable storage circuits may be accessed during read-back operations using the inserted observable storage circuits.
US09798828B2 Concepts for providing an enhanced media presentation
Computer program products, methods, systems, apparatus, and computing entities are provided for providing an enhanced media presentation. In one embodiment, an enhanced media presentation is provided. To provide the enhanced media presentation, one or more content items associated with subject matter associated with a segment of an enhanced media presentation are identified. Each content item may be associated with at least one uniform resource identifier. Then, a content object based at least in part on at least one content item is created. The content object is an abstract representation of the content item. The content object can be associated with the segment and provided for simultaneous displayed simultaneously with at least a portion of the segment.
US09798820B1 Classification of keywords
A computer-implemented method of classifying a keyword in a network comprises: identifying a plurality of candidate categories, comprising: converting a plurality of search results related to the keyword into a plurality of search vectors, wherein each of the plurality of search results indicates a related resource in the network; converting a plurality of resources into a plurality of category vectors, wherein each of the plurality of resources is classified in one or more categories of a set of categories; and determining, for the plurality of category vectors, a plurality of similarity values indicating similarity to the plurality of search vectors; processing the plurality of candidate categories; and classifying the keyword by selecting the candidate category having a highest similarity value within the plurality of similarity values, a corresponding system, computing device and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.
US09798817B1 Activity assistant
Disclosed herein are methods and systems that relate to an “activity assistant” that provides users with dynamically-selected “activities” that are intelligently tailored to the user's world. The subject technology receives the one or more global parameters of one or more selected activities. The subject technology further receives the one or more account-specific parameters of a selected user account. For the selected user account, and for each of the one or more selected activities, the subject technology: (a) determines one or more signals based at least in part on one or more of the global parameters of the selected activity and one or more of the account-specific parameters of the selected user account, and (b) uses the determined signals as a basis for determining an importance of the selected activity for the selected user.
US09798809B2 System, method, and computer program product for crawling a website based on a scheme of the website
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for crawling a website based on a scheme of the website. In use, a difference between a first content and second content of a website is identified. Additionally, a scheme of the website is identified based on the difference. Furthermore, the website is crawled based on the scheme.
US09798807B2 Algorithmically generated topic pages
A method and system for generating a topic page for a search query on a search webpage includes receiving a query at the search webpage on a client. The query is transmitted from the search webpage on the client to a search engine on a server. A topic page generator available to the search engine analyzes the query to identify a plurality of dimensions. One or more content modules that match one or more of the dimensions are selected from a plurality of sources based on a weight associated with each of the content modules. The weight defines the ranking of a content module. The content modules for the plurality of dimensions are glued together and presented on the topic page in the order of the corresponding weight of the content modules. The order of presentation identifies the relevancy of the content modules to the query. The presented topic page provides the most relevant content modules for the query, and for a user located in a specific geo location.
US09798805B2 Device, system and method for generating an accompaniment of input music data
A device for automatically generating a real time accompaniment of input music data includes a music input that receives music data. A music analyzer analyzes received music data to obtain a music data description including one or more characteristics of the analyzed music data. A query generator generates a query to a music database including music patterns and associated metadata including one or more characteristics of the music patterns, the query being generated from the music data description and from an accompaniment description describing preferences of the real time accompaniment and/or music rules describing general rules of music. A query interface queries the music database using a generated query and receives a music pattern selected from the music database by use of the query. A music output outputs the received music pattern.
US09798803B2 Security system operator efficiency
Systems and methods for increasing an efficiency of an operator of a security system are discussed generally herein. A system can include a memory including ontology data saved thereon, the ontology data can define interrelationships between a scanner associated with access to a room of an area under surveillance, a camera with a field of view at least partially overlapping a footprint of the room, an identifier configured to be scanned by the scanner and associated with a person, and a security policy including one or more predefined conditions, which when satisfied, indicate when a security threat exists, the security policy includes a response an operator can perform if the conditions are satisfied, and the system can include a query module configured to receive a query and search the ontology data and temporal and spatial data associated with the area under surveillance in response to receiving the query.
US09798802B2 Systems and methods for extraction of policy information
In a system for extracting policy information from text, a processor analyzes if the text is relevant to a top-level category, and then determines if at least a portion of the text is relevant to categories and subcategories within a taxonomy of categories and subcategories related to the top-level category. If at least a portion of the text is determined to be relevant to the category/subcategory, a classifier extracts policy information associated with the category/subcategory. Using text that includes a known policy the classifiers can be trained to correctly recognize categories/subcategories, and the values associated therewith.
US09798800B2 Providing question and answers with deferred type evaluation using text with limited structure
A system, method and computer program product for conducting questions and answers with deferred type evaluation based on any corpus of data. The method includes processing a query including waiting until a “Type” (i.e. a descriptor) is determined AND a candidate answer is provided. Then, a search is conducted to look (search) for evidence that the candidate answer has the required Lexical Answer Type (e.g., as determined by a matching function that can leverage a parser, a semantic interpreter and/or a simple pattern matcher). Prior to or during candidate answer evaluation, a process is provided for extracting and storing collections of entity-type pairs from semi-structured text documents. During QA processing and candidate answer scoring, a process is implemented to match the query LAT against the lexical type of each provided candidate answer and generate a score judging a degree of match.
US09798799B2 Vehicle personal assistant that interprets spoken natural language input based upon vehicle context
A vehicle personal assistant to engage a user in a conversational dialog about vehicle-related topics, such as those commonly found in a vehicle owner's manual, includes modules to interpret spoken natural language input, search a vehicle knowledge base and/or other data sources for pertinent information, and respond to the user's input in a conversational fashion. The dialog may be initiated by the user or more proactively by the vehicle personal assistant based on events that may be currently happening in relation to the vehicle. The vehicle personal assistant may use real-time inputs obtained from the vehicle and/or non-verbal inputs from the user to enhance its understanding of the dialog and assist the user in a variety of ways.
US09798798B2 Computer-implemented system and method for selecting documents for review
A computer-implemented system and method for selecting documents for review is provided. A master array of messages and topics for the messages is generated. The messages in the master array are sorted by the topics and the sorted messages are processed. During processing, each message in the master array is identified as unique, duplicate, or near duplicate. The unique messages are extracted from the duplicate and near duplicate messages, and entered into a log by creating a log entry for each of the unique messages. Each log entry includes a source of and identification information for one of the unique messages. The unique messages are then provided for document review.
US09798796B2 Ranking device, ranking method, and program
A device, a system, a method, and a program are realized which are capable of predicting the order of the feeling and the preference of a subject to products which are the research objects, for marketing research and others. The images of a plurality of research objects are presented a plurality of times as visual stimuli in order to measure the brain wave. A brain wave data of an event related electrical potential for the research objects which the subject has selected as a target immediately after the stimulus presentation, is processed by a linear discriminant analysis to quantitatively represent with a single index, in order to rank the research objects.
US09798790B1 System and method for integrating data across different enterprise systems
A method and system for integrating data across different systems is disclosed. Data in a plurality of databases are integrated by identifying the common data elements with equivalent semantics and selecting a preferred syntax for the data. A new record including the common data elements and data with preferred syntax is made available to users.
US09798789B2 Method and system for tracking changes to user content in an online social network
Content maintained in an online social network or other online communities is tracked for changes and updates. The content may include user profiles, digital photos, digital audio and video files, testimonials, and identification of users who are friends. When such change or update occurs, users of the online social network or online community are notified according to various criteria that they have set. The notification may be provided by e-mail, an RSS feed, or a web page when accessed. With this feature, users can browse through content of other users with efficiency.
US09798788B1 Holistic methodology for big data analytics
Example embodiments of the present invention include a method, a system, and a computer program product for provisioning a computing system in accordance with an automated data analytics lifecycle. The method includes defining a holistic context of an analytics lifecycle for an analytic problem. One or more data sets for solving the analytic problem and at least a portion of original data in the one or more data sets may be conditioned to generate conditioned data. The method also includes selecting a model to analyze at least one of the original data and the conditioned data and executing the selected model on at least one of a portion of the original data and a portion of the conditioned data to confirm an adequacy of the selected model. Results of execution may be communicated to at least one entity for provisioning computing resources to implement the selected model.
US09798787B1 System and user interfaces for searching resources and related documents using data structures
Various systems and methods are provided for accessing and traversing one or more data structures and generating a functional user interface that can enable non-technical users to quickly and dynamically search for resources of an organization and/or associated documents, events, entities, and/or other data. The user interfaces are interactive such that a user may make selections, provide inputs, and/or manipulate outputs. In response to various user inputs, the system automatically accesses and traverses data structures relating to resources, documents, events, entities, and other data, identifies resources, documents, events, entities, and/or other data that meet search criteria, and returns search results including resources that meet the search criteria and/or resources that are associated with documents, events, entities, and/or other data that meet the search criteria. Resources, documents, events, entities, and other data can be represented by respective types of data structures, which may be associated with other types of data structures. Properties or fields of data structures can have security settings and permissions associated with them.
US09798775B2 Database statistical histogram forecasting
A method and system for forecasting a histogram in a database system is provided. The method includes determining that database table statistics and historical statistical histograms associated with specified subject matter have been previously retrieved. The database table statistics and historical statistical histograms are retrieved and determined to be frequency based histograms. Historical target values associated with the historical statistical histograms are identified and new target values associated with the historical target values are identified. A value identifying a number of occurrences for identified target values comprising the new target values and the historical target values is forecast and database table histograms comprising the identified target values are stored.
US09798774B1 Graph data search method and apparatus
A graph data search method and apparatus, where the method includes obtaining a query request including a query condition that carries a start graph node, the query request queries a first to-be-queried graph node matching the query condition from a graph data set, and the graph data set includes the start graph node, a plurality of to-be-queried graph nodes, an association relationship between the start graph node and the plurality of graph nodes, and an association relationship between each to-be-queried graph node and another graph node, filtering out, according to the query condition and a preset available resource condition, a second to-be-queried graph node that does not meet the query condition and an association relationship in the graph data set that includes the second to-be-queried graph node, and performing a query in the reduction subgraph using the query condition.
US09798772B2 Using persistent data samples and query-time statistics for query optimization
Techniques for storing and querying graph data in a key-value store are provided. A graph statement (e.g., an RDF graph statement) includes a plurality of values, at least two of which correspond to nodes in a graph. A key is generated based on the graph statement. The key may be generated based on concatenating hash values that are generated based on the plurality of values. The key-value store stores the key. The value that corresponds to the key may be a null or empty value. In response to a graph query (e.g., in SPARQL) that includes one or more query patterns, each of which includes one or more values, a key is generated based on the one or more values and sent to the key-value store, which returns one or more other keys, each of which is a superset of the generated key.
US09798765B2 Updating object attributes in a lock-coupled namespace traversal
A deferred mechanism of rolling attribute changes to objects at transaction commit time is described. To support rolling updates, attributes are categorized into three types—increment, decrement or replace. Since transactions are committed in order, the update process uses a notification list of dependent transactions to propagate attribute changes as a function of attribute category or type. Shadow based file-systems (with or without object versioning) realize efficiency gains by employing the deferred mechanism.
US09798764B2 Identifying recurring sequences of user interactions with an application
Disclosed are database systems, computing devices, methods, and computer program products for identifying recurring sequences of user interactions with an application. In some implementations, a server of a database system provides a user interface of the application for display at a computing device. The database system stores data objects identifying a first plurality of user interactions with the application. The server receives information representing a second plurality of user interactions with the application. The server updates the database system to further identify the second user interactions. The server identifies a recurring sequence of user interactions from the first and second user interactions as resulting in a first target state of the application. The server updates the database system to associate the recurring sequence of user interactions with the first target state of the application.
US09798763B2 Method for using tags to manage client software across a life cycle
A computer-implemented method for using tags to manage software across a product life cycle, including storing by a server computer (i) a tag prototype database and (ii) a tag instance database, the method including the steps of creating a tag for a client software component, storing the tag in the tag instance database, receiving, by a client computer, the tag and the client software component, from an electronic software distribution computer, receiving a request from the client computer to initiate a session of the client software component, obtaining the tag, by the server computer, from the client computer, verifying the tag obtained from the client computer, updating the tag to include information about the session, and replacing the tag in the client computer with the updated tag.
US09798762B2 Real time big data master data management
Methods, computer program products, and systems for real time processing of large data sets are disclosed. A large data set from a plurality of sources can be imported to a batch layer by one or more processors of a computer system comprising the batch layer, a view layer, and a cache layer. These methods, computer program products, and systems can be used to create a view in the view layer depicting a subset of the imported large data set and responsive to receiving a user request to change at least a portion of the subset depicted in the view, copying the view to the cache layer and changing the copy of the view at the cache layer according to the received user request and can then synchronize the changed copy of the view with the view at the view layer.
US09798761B2 Apparatus and method for fsync system call processing using ordered mode journaling with file unit
A computing device supporting ordered mode journaling. The computing device includes a memory that stores a program for operating a file system supporting ordered mode journaling; and a processor that operates the program stored in the memory. Wherein during execution of the program, when ordered mode journaling for a transaction including one or more files is implemented, the processor stores the transaction in a data area of the memory, and implements the journaling by storing a common journal including metadata of the transaction in a journal area of the memory.
US09798754B1 Method to efficiently track I/O access history using efficient memory data structures
An embodiment is described in which a memory device stores a record of I/O accesses to data blocks. And each access record indicates which data block was accessed and during which time period the access occurred. A memory-efficient data structure (MEDS) may be generated and stored in a cache or storage device and the access data moved from the memory device into the MEDS. The MEDS represents blocks that were accessed during a particular time period. When a second data block is accessed, a query function is applied to the second block's identifier to return a value based on data stored in the MEDS. The return value from the query function indicates whether the second data block was accessed during the particular time period associated with the MEDS. A storage management action is performed based on whether the second data block was accessed during the particular time period.
US09798749B2 Multiple user profile cleaner
A cleaning application that can clean, for one or more user profiles, at least one of one or more files of a computer or a registry of the computer is provided. The cleaning application can include a cleaning module. The cleaning module can select a plurality of user profiles of the computer. The cleaning module can further select at least one of a file location or a user profile hive for each user profile of the plurality of user profiles. The cleaning module can further clean at least one of one or more files stored within the file location or a registry stored within the user profile hive for each user profile of the plurality of user profiles.
US09798748B2 Database query builder
A schema parser may determine one or more datasets of a database schema, wherein the datasets include one or more fields from a data source and represents data corresponding to the one or more fields. An input handler may receive a selection of one or more of the datasets via an interface. A translation engine may provide operations for refining the data of the selected datasets into a result set via a query, wherein the operations may be determined based on metadata defining relationships amongst the data sources and fields. A query engine may provide a graphical query including operational flow indicators indicating a directional flow of the query from the selected datasets with the selected operation to the result set.
US09798744B2 Interactive image thumbnails
A computer-implemented method includes displaying, within a user interface, a view pane having a vertical direction and a horizontal direction, displaying, within the view pane, a plurality of poster frames, each poster frame representing a corresponding media item, a first poster frame being displayed as positioned in a first row extending across the event view pane in the horizontal direction such that the first poster frame is displayed substantially adjacent to a first vertical edge of the event view pane and subsequent poster frames are displayed substantially adjacent to one another in the first row until a poster frame in the first row is displayed substantially adjacent to a second vertical edge of the event view pane, and displaying a next poster frame in a second row vertically displaced from the first row. Photographs in a poster frame can be previewed by moving a cursor across the poster frame.
US09798743B2 Mapping décor accessories to a color palette
The disclosure is related to a décor harmony service (DHS) that facilitates mapping of colors from a color palette to decor accessories in a setting, e.g., a room, such that the décor accessories, when arranged together, appear harmonious to a user. For example, using harmony-distribution rules, the DHS maps a set of décor accessories occupying “60%” of the area of a room to a main color of a color palette, a second set of décor accessories occupying “30%” to a feature color and a third set of décor accessories occupying “10%” to an accent color. The DHS generates a representation of the room, e.g., an image of the room, with the décor accessories having the assigned colors. The DHS facilitates a user to use the generated image for finding and purchasing décor products that match with a décor accessory in the generated image.
US09798740B2 Updates for navigational map data organized in lists
A geographic database may include binary data including list portions and/or non-list portions. A computing device may identify a list in a first binary large object (BLOB) for navigation data including road segments and road attributes. The first BLOB is segmented based on the byte list portion into a plurality of elements each having a predetermined size. The computing device may define a series of operations for the multiple elements to transform the first BLOB to a second BLOB.
US09798739B2 IC card and IC card control method
An IC card includes a communication unit, a storage unit that stores a file, and a controller that interprets and executes a command instruction. The controller judges, when a command that instructs to select a dedicated file is input from an external apparatus, whether a certain fixed value is inserted at a predetermined position of the command, starts, when judged that the certain fixed value is inserted in a non-transaction state, transaction processing after accepting the command as a transaction start instruction simultaneous with the selection of the dedicated file, accepts, when judged that the certain fixed value is inserted during the transaction processing.
US09798736B2 Dynamic discovery of storage resource topology
In one aspect, dynamic determination generates a storage resource graph corresponding to a storage topology. The generating may comprise iterating through storage resources in the storage topology and using a discovery handler to generate a node in the storage resource graph corresponding to each of the iterated storage resources. Dynamic determination generates an operation graph by iterating through nodes in the storage resource graph and using an operating handler to generate operation-specific metadata corresponding to each iterated node of the storage resource graph. Dynamic generating executes the operation graph in a way specific to the operation.
US09798735B2 Map-reduce ready distributed file system
A map-reduce compatible distributed file system that consists of successive component layers that each provide the basis on which the next layer is built provides transactional read-write-update semantics with file chunk replication and huge file-create rates. Containers provide the fundamental basis for data replication, relocation, and transactional updates. A container location database allows containers to be found among all file servers, as well as defining precedence among replicas of containers to organize transactional updates of container contents. Volumes facilitate control of data placement, creation of snapshots and mirrors, and retention of a variety of control and policy information. Also addressed is the use of distributed transactions in a map-reduce system; the use of local and distributed snapshots; replication, including techniques for reconciling the divergence of replicated data after a crash; and mirroring.
US09798733B1 Reducing file space through the degradation of file content
Disclosed are various embodiments for a storage optimizer executable in the at least one computing device for degradation files. The storage optimizer comprises logic that facilitates receiving a file from a user for storage in a memory and logic that generates network content to be presented in at least one user interface for receiving at least one selection for degrading the file. The at least one selection includes a degradation scheme and a degradation schedule. The storage optimizer further comprises logic that implements the at least one selection for degrading the file according to the degradation scheme and the degradation schedule.
US09798730B2 Systems and methods for folder redirection
A method for redirecting, to a second machine, without user intervention, a request for access to a folder on a first machine, the request made by a resource executing within a remote access session on the first machine, includes receiving, by a component on a first machine, folder mapping information associated with a folder provided by a shell namespace on a second machine. The component intercepts a request by a resource executing on the first machine for access to file system data on the first machine. The component redirects the request to the second machine responsive to the received folder mapping information.
US09798728B2 System performing data deduplication using a dense tree data structure
In one embodiment, as new blocks of data are written to storage devices of a storage system, fingerprints are generated for those new blocks and inserted as entries into a top level (L0) of a dense tree data structure. When L0 is filled, the contents from L0 may be merged with level 1 (L1). After the initial merge, new fingerprints are added to L0 until L0 fills up again, which triggers a new merge. Duplicate fingerprints in L0 and L1 are identified which, in turn, indicates duplicate data blocks. A post-processing deduplication operation is then performed to remove duplicate data blocks corresponding to the duplicate fingerprints. In a different embodiment, as new fingerprint entries are loaded into L0, those new fingerprints may be compared with existing fingerprints loaded into L0 and/or other levels to facilitate inline deduplication to identify duplicate fingerprints and subsequently perform the deduplication operation.
US09798723B2 Method and system for handling locale and language in a cloud management system
Provided are a method, system, and computer program product for handling locale and language in a cloud management system, in which a first composite values list of applicable locales and matching languages combinations is generated from at least one language installed on a service management system and at least one locale supported by said service management system. A second composite values list of applicable locales and matching languages combinations is generated as a fall back list based on at least one base language of said service management system and at least one matching locale formed from said at least one base language, if said first composite values list of applicable locales and matching languages is empty. A resulting composite values list of valid locales and languages combinations is provided for further processing.
US09798722B2 System and method for transmitting multiple text streams of a communication in different languages
A communication, such as a voice communication, is established between a communication device and a media application. The media application may be, for example, a voice conferencing system or a media server. Some or all of the communication is translated into a plurality of text streams that are in different languages. The plurality of text streams are transmitted to the communication device along with the stream of the communication. The communication device receives the text streams in the different languages and the stream of the communication. A user of the communication device can select a language for displaying one or more of the text streams in the different languages. The text stream associated with the selected language is then displayed to the user in conjunction with the stream of the communication.
US09798721B2 Innovative method for text encodation in quick response code
An approach includes a method implemented in a computer infrastructure having computer executable code tangibly embodied in a computer readable storage medium having programming instructions. The approach further includes the programming instructions configured to receive a bilingual text which comprises a first set of characters in a Latin-based language and a second set of characters in a non Latin-based language. The approach further includes the programming instructions configured to convert the second set of characters in the non Latin-based language in the bilingual text to a third set of characters in the Latin-based language based on a lookup table. The approach further includes the programming instructions configured to add a prefix character and a postfix character to each converted word in the third set of characters. The approach further includes the programming instructions configured to output an encoded representation of the bilingual text.
US09798720B2 Hybrid machine translation
A system and method for hybrid machine translation approach is based on a statistical transfer approach using statistical and linguistic features. The system and method may be used to translate from one language into another. The system may include at least one database, a rule based translation module, a statistical translation module and a hybrid machine translation engine. The database(s) store source and target text and rule based language models and statistical language models. The rule based translation module translates source text based on the rule based language models. The statistical translation module translates source text based on the statistical language models. A hybrid machine translation engine, having a maximum entropy algorithm, is coupled to the rule based translation module and the statistical translation module and is capable of translating source text into target text based on the rule based and statistical language models.
US09798718B2 Incremental multi-word recognition
In one example, a computing device includes at least one processor that is operatively coupled to a presence-sensitive display and a gesture module operable by the at least one processor. The gesture module may be operable by the at least one processor to output, for display at the presence-sensitive display, a graphical keyboard comprising a plurality of keys and receive an indication of a continuous gesture detected at the presence-sensitive display, the continuous gesture to select a group of keys of the plurality of keys. The gesture module may be further operable to determine, in response to receiving the indication of the continuous gesture and based at least in part on the group of keys of the plurality of keys, a candidate phrase comprising a group of candidate words.
US09798705B2 Multimedia aggregation in an online social network
Multimedia content is featured on user pages of an online social network using embed codes that are generated using a configuration file associated with the source ID for the multimedia content and a content ID for the multimedia content. The configuration file, the source ID and the content ID are stored locally by the online social network so that any changes to the embed codes can be made by changing the configuration file associated with the source and regenerating the embed codes. By managing multimedia content in this manner, greater control can be exercised by the online social network over the multimedia content that are featured on its user pages.
US09798701B2 Matrix processing apparatus
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including a system for transforming sparse elements to a dense matrix. The system is configured to receive a request for an output matrix based on sparse elements including sparse elements associated with a first dense matrix and sparse elements associated with a second dense matrix; obtain the sparse elements associated with the first dense matrix fetched by a first group of sparse element access units; obtain the sparse elements associated with the second dense matrix fetched by a second group of sparse element access units; and transform the sparse elements associated with the first dense matrix and the sparse elements associated with the second dense matrix to generate the output dense matrix that includes the sparse elements associated with the first dense matrix and the sparse elements associated with the second dense matrix.
US09798700B2 System and method for evaluating decisions using multiple dimensions
A system and method for evaluating sequential decision problems that have multidimensional states. The system and method maximizes the value, as defined by the value functional equation, received by the user, for both finite and infinite horizon decision problems and provides decision making advice to the user based upon input actions, states, rewards and transition probabilities.
US09798696B2 Computer system, method, and program
Traffic data while the system is in operation is collected for a certain time as a preprocess. Typical patterns are extracted from the collected traffic data. Next, stream programs are created for the individual typical patterns and stored for the future reference. Next, the IDs of alternative tasks for transition among different stream programs are stored. In actual system operation, the system measures traffic data regularly or at any time, compares the resultant patterns with the typical patterns, and selects a stream program corresponding to the closest typical pattern as the next phase. Program shutdown time when shifting from the stream program in the present phase to the next phase can be reduced by gradually shifting empty tasks in the present phase to the next stream program as alternative tasks in consideration of the cost of switching between tasks, the cost of transferring data among resources, and so on.
US09798694B2 Interface circuit for high speed communication, and semiconductor apparatus and system including the same
A semiconductor apparatus may include a burst operation sensing unit and the interface circuit. The burst operation sensing unit may be configured to generate operation mode conversion signals based on current operation state information and a level variation of at least one signal transmission line. The interface circuit may include one or more analog circuits enabled according to the operation mode conversion signals.
US09798693B2 Data bus inversion (DBI) encoding based on the speed of operation
A method for data transmission is described. A signaling speed of operation of an electronic device is determined. A data bus inversion algorithm is selected based on the signaling speed of operation. The selected data bus inversion algorithm is used to encode data. The encoded data and a data bus inversion flag are sent to a receiver over a transmission medium.
US09798690B2 Connection equipment and a field device control system
A connection equipment (IJB 200) for connected to a control system (205) via a cable (206) and a field device (201) via a terminal port (306), comprising: a processor (300) configured to determine the terminal port corresponding to the field device reference included in a communication signal received from the control system and to instruct a transmitter/receiver (304) to transmit the communication signal to the terminal port determined, and an isolator (305B) configured to electrically isolate the communication signal to be transmitted to the field device via the terminal port and the electric power signal to be provided to the field device via the terminal port, from the other terminal ports.
US09798689B2 Systems and methods for enabling communication between USB type-C connections and legacy connections over an extension medium
Techniques for supporting USB and video communication over an extension medium are provided. In some embodiments, an upstream facing port device (UFP device) is coupled to legacy connectors of a host device, and a downstream facing port device (DFP device) is coupled to a USB Type-C receptacle of the sink device that may provide both USB and DisplayPort information. The UFP device and DFP device communicate to properly configure the USB Type-C connection for use in the extension environment. In some embodiments, a source device is coupled to the UFP device via a USB Type-C connection, and legacy video and USB devices are coupled to the DFP device. The UFP device and DFP device again communicate to cause the source device to properly configure the USB Type-C connection for use in the extension environment.
US09798686B2 Slave side bus arbitration
A method includes, in response to a master port requesting bus access for a bus transfer with a slave port, selecting the master port to allow a master device that is coupled to the master port to perform a bus transfer with a slave device that is coupled to the slave port. The bus transfer is associated with at least one bus cycle. The method includes, in response to an end of the bus transfer, maintaining selection of the master port for at least one additional bus cycle.
US09798684B2 Bus communications with multi-device messaging
Methods and systems are described for reading from or writing to a plurality of slave devices connected to a communications bus having a common data line. The slave devices are mapped to a virtual device address and the communication is initiated by the master by signaling a start condition and the virtual device address. Each of the slave devices mapped to the virtual device address identifies a register in that slave device associated with the virtual device address and, in sequence, performs a read or write operation on the bus with regard to its identified register in a respective predetermined time slot within the communication or to a corresponding virtual register address assigned to the slave device previously.
US09798665B1 Cache eviction according to data hit ratio and service level agreement
A method that may include determining, for each user of a group of users, a time difference between an event of a first type that is related to a storage of a user data unit of the user within a cache of a storage system and to an eviction of the user data unit from the cache, in response to (a) a service-level agreement (SLA) associated with the user and to (b) multiple data hit ratios associated with multiple different values of a time difference between events of the first type and evictions, from the cache, of multiple user data units of the user; and evicting from the cache, based upon the determination, one or more user data units associated with one or more users of the group.
US09798662B2 System and method for performing system memory save in Tiered/Cached storage
In accordance with the present disclosure, a system and method for performing a system memory save in tiered or cached storage during transition to a decreased power state is disclosed. As disclosed herein, the system incorporating aspects of the present invention may include a solid-state drive, volatile memory, and at least one alternate storage media. Upon transition to a decreased power state, at least some of the data in the solid-state drive may be transferred to the at least one alternate storage media. After the SSD data is transferred, data stored in volatile system memory, such as a system context, may be transferred to the SSD memory. With the system context saved in SSD memory, power to the volatile system memory may be turned off.
US09798659B2 Address scheduling methods for non-volatile memory devices with three-dimensional memory cell arrays
At least one address scheduling method includes selecting a first bit line, selecting a first string connected to the first bit line, performing address scheduling on N pages of each of multi-level cells in the first string sequentially from a bottom word line to a top word line, and after completing the address scheduling on all word lines in the first string, performing address scheduling on second to k-th strings sequentially in the same manner as performed with respect to the first string, where “k” is 2 or a natural number greater than 2.
US09798642B2 Method for allocating a server amongst a network of hybrid storage devices
Methods for reducing power consumption and power leakage in hybrid storage clusters is provided. More specifically, the method is for allocating an appropriate server amongst a plurality of servers in a network by identifying an application to be executed in a network, wherein the network comprises a plurality of servers configured to execute the applications, and each server further comprising a hybrid memory system; based on the application to be executed, dynamically identifying resources to execute the application based on the hybrid memory system available and the power consumption for executing the application; and dynamically allocating the application to the identified resource for execution.
US09798637B2 Information processing apparatus and control method of information processing apparatus with access to storage device based on communication with storage device
An information processing apparatus including a removable storage device for storing data includes a control unit that determines whether communication is possible with the storage device and, if communication with the storage device is determined not to be possible, prohibit data from being written to the storage device. When the information processing apparatus is started up, the control unit again determines whether communication is possible with the storage device to which the control unit prohibits data writing and permits data writing to the storage device if communication with the storage device is determined to be possible.
US09798635B2 Service level agreement-based resource allocation for failure recovery
Allocating resources during failure recovery is provided. A set of one or more service level agreement tiers are identified corresponding to a client workload that was being processed by a failed computing environment. A highest level tier is selected in the set of one or more service level agreement tiers. Recovery resources are allocated in a failover computing environment to the highest level tier sufficient to meet a service level agreement associated with the highest level tier. The highest level tier is recovered in the set of one or more service level agreement tiers using the recovery resources in the failover computing environment. In response to recovering the highest level tier, tier resources of the highest level tier are reduced to a steady state level of processing in the failover computing environment.
US09798634B2 Distributed failover for multi-tenant server farms based on load times of replicated tenants
A failover manager may be configured to determine a plurality of tenants executable on a server of a plurality of servers, each tenant being a virtual machine executable on the server in communication with at least one corresponding user. The failover manager may include a replicated tenant placement selector configured to dispatch a first replicated tenant for a first tenant of the plurality of tenants to a first standby server of the plurality of servers, and configured to dispatch a second replicated tenant for a second tenant of the plurality of tenants to a second standby server of the plurality of servers. The failover manager also may include a replicated tenant loader configured to activate, based on a failure of the server, the first replicated tenant on the first standby server to replace the first tenant, and the second replicated tenant on the second standby server to replace the second tenant.
US09798630B2 Hardware-supported memory temporal copy
Providing a snapshot of a physical memory region as of a specified time includes: sending, from a first processor to a second processor, a request to generate a snapshot of the physical memory region as of the specified time; and generating, using the second processor, the snapshot of the physical memory region based at least in part on a known state of the physical memory region and log information about update activity of the physical memory region.
US09798628B2 Memory mirroring
Memory system enabling memory mirroring in single write operations. The memory system includes a memory channel which can store duplicate copies of a data element into multiple locations in the memory channel. The multiple locations are disposed in different memory modules and have different propagation times with respect to a data signal transmitted from the memory controller. In a write operation, the relative timings of the chip select, command and address signals among the multiple locations are adjusted according to the data propagation delay. As a result, a data element can be written into the multiple locations responsive to a data signal transmitted from the memory controller in a single transmission event.
US09798623B2 Using cache to manage errors in primary storage
An occurrence of at least one storage error is determined in an addressable portion of a primary storage storing a block of data. In response to determining the occurrence of the at least one storage error, it is determined whether the block of data is available in cache storage. In response to determining the block of data is cached, the cached block of data is used rather than the block of data from the addressable portion of the primary storage.
US09798621B2 Dispersed storage network with slice rebuilding and methods for use therewith
In a dispersed storage network where slices of secure user data are stored on geographically separated storage units (44), a managing unit (18) connected to the network (20) may seek to broadcast and update secure access control list information across the network (20). Upon a target device (e.g., devices 12, 14, 16, 18, or 44) receiving the broadcast the target device creates and sends an access control list change notification message to all other system devices that should have received the same broadcast if the broadcast is a valid request to update access control list information. The target device waits for responses from the other system devices to validate that the broadcast has been properly sent to a threshold number of other system devices before taking action to operationally change local data in accordance with the broadcast.
US09798620B2 Systems and methods for non-blocking solid-state memory
Techniques are disclosed relating to writing data across multiple storage blocks in a storage device. In one embodiment, physical erase blocks in a bank of a storage device are erasable. Ones of the physical erase blocks may be associated with different respective communication channels. In such an embodiment, a data stripe may be written across a set of physical erase blocks such that the set of physical erase blocks includes physical erase blocks of different banks and includes physical erase blocks associated with different communication channels. In some embodiments, a request to read a portion of the data stripe may be received. In response to the request, a determination may be made that one of the set of physical erase blocks is unavailable to service the request. The request may then be serviced by reassembling data of the unavailable physical erase block.
US09798618B2 Data placement for loss protection in a storage system
Data placement for loss protection in a storage system includes constructing multiple logical compartments. Each logical compartment includes a placement policy including a set of storage placement rules for determining permitted placement of storage symbols, and a balancing policy for balancing placement of the storage symbols for each volume among physical storage containers. A first logical compartment of the multiple logical compartments is data loss independent with respect to a second logical compartment.
US09798612B1 Artifact correction using neural networks
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for correcting a corrupted data sample using a trained deep neural network, the method including obtaining a feature representation of a corrupted data sample; and modifying the feature representation of the corrupted data sample to generate a feature representation of a corrected data sample by iteratively processing a current version of the feature representation of the corrupted data sample using the trained deep neural network to generate a current corruption score for the current version of the feature representation of the corrupted data sample and generating a less-corrupted version of the feature representation by performing an iteration of gradient descent against the current version of the feature representation of the corrupted data sample to reduce the current corruption score.
US09798611B2 Programmable logic controller
A programmable logic controller includes an error detection unit, a data memory storing error occurrence information indicating, for each error kind, whether the error detection unit has detected an error, an error automatic cancellation processing unit determining whether an error factor of each error has been eliminated and, when the error factor has been eliminated, performing an error cancellation process including a process to change the error occurrence information to error non-occurrence, and an error-automatic-cancellation-permission determination unit referring to an error automatic cancellation permission setting and determining, when the error detection unit detects an error, whether the error is canceled by the error automatic cancellation processing unit on the basis of the error automatic cancellation permission setting, wherein the error automatic cancellation processing unit performs the error cancellation process on the error that the error-automatic-cancellation-permission determination unit has determined that the error automatic cancellation processing unit is to cancel.
US09798599B2 Apparatus for monitoring operating conditions of a logic circuit to determine failure of one or more latches
An embodiment of a circuit includes a data latch and a plurality of cascaded latches, wherein a first of the plurality of cascaded latches is configured to receive a first signal from the data latch and each subsequent cascaded latch is configured to receive a data output signal of a preceding cascaded latch, and an error-detection circuit configured to receive the respective data output signals and detect error in operation of the cascaded latches based thereon.
US09798594B2 Shared memory eigensolver
Disclosed herein is a shared memory systems that use a combination of SBR and MRRR techniques to calculate eigenpairs for dense matrices having very large numbers of rows and columns. The disclosed system allows for the use of a highly scalable tridiagonal eigensolver. The disclosed system likewise allows for allocating a different number of threads to each of the different computational stages of the eigensolver.
US09798583B2 Onboarding of a service based on automated supervision of task completion
Described herein are techniques and systems for onboarding a service from client-managed computing infrastructure to network computing infrastructure. As part of the onboarding, a database that stores onboarding information is accessed and a set of tasks is identified. A state diagram is generated based on the onboarding information. The techniques and systems are configured to calculate, within the state diagram, a task execution path that is associated with a highest probability of success for moving the client organization from a current environment associated with the client-managed computing infrastructure to a target environment associated with the network computing infrastructure. The task execution path can be used to identify and provide subsets of tasks as part of an autonomously guided onboarding process. The task execution path can be re-calculated based on a determination that an individual task has not been completed within an expected amount of time to complete the individual task.
US09798581B2 Multi-threaded processing of user interfaces for an application
A method performed at an electronic device with a display includes: processing tasks in an application program; at least partially processing a plurality of layout objects in the application program; in accordance with a determination that one or more predefined control criteria are satisfied, pausing the processing of the plurality of layout objects in the application program; while the processing of the plurality of layout objects in the application program is paused, processing system tasks; and, after processing the system tasks while the processing of the plurality of layout objects in the application program is paused, resuming the processing of the plurality of layout objects.
US09798579B2 Method and apparatus for switching tasks using a displayed task stack
A multitasking method and apparatus of a user device are provided in which an interaction requesting task-switching is received in a state where an execution screen of a certain application is displayed. A stack of tasks that are currently running are displayed. A task selected from the stack is switched to a foreground task. An execution window of the foreground task is presented.
US09798575B2 Techniques to manage virtual classes for statistical tests
Techniques to manage virtual classes for statistical tests are described. An apparatus may comprise a simulated data component to generate simulated data for a statistical test, statistics of the statistical test based on parameter vectors to follow a probability distribution, a statistic simulator component to simulate statistics for the parameter vectors from the simulated data with a distributed computing system comprising multiple nodes each having one or more processors capable of executing multiple threads, the simulation to occur by distribution of portions of the simulated data across the multiple nodes of the distributed computing system, and a distributed control engine to control task execution on the distributed portions of the simulated data on each node of the distributed computing system with a virtual software class arranged to coordinate task and sub-task operations across the nodes of the distributed computing system. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09798574B2 Techniques to compose memory resources across devices
Examples are disclosed for composing memory resources across devices. In some examples, memory resources associated with executing one or more applications by circuitry at two separate devices may be composed across the two devices. The circuitry may be capable of executing the one or more applications using a two-level memory (2LM) architecture including a near memory and a far memory. In some examples, the near memory may include near memories separately located at the two devices and a far memory located at one of the two devices. The far memory may be used to migrate one or more copies of memory content between the separately located near memories in a manner transparent to an operating system for the first device or the second device. Other examples are described and claimed.
US09798570B2 System and method for nested hypervisors and layer 2 interconnection
Provided is a system and method for a multi-tenant datacenter with nested hypervisors. This is provided by at least two physical computing systems each having at least one processor and memory store adapted to provide a first level Hypervisors, each providing a First Virtual Computing Environment with a plurality of inactive Virtual Hypervisors nested therein. The multi tenant data center is structured and arranged to activate a Virtual Hypervisor on one of the at least two Hypervisors and automatically migrate the at least one Customer VM from a Customer Hypervisor to the Active Virtual Hypervisor; and evacuate the remaining inactive Virtual Hypervisors from the Hypervisor supporting the Active Hypervisor to another of the at least two Hypervisors supporting inactive Virtual Hypervisors. Further, each Customer Virtual Machine in the Active Virtual Hypervisor is coupled to the second physical computing system by OSI Layer 2, prior to an OSI Layer 3 connection, for the transfer of data frames, each frame having a plurality of OSI Layer 2 tags permitting the segregation of each Virtual Machine independent of Layer 3 communication. An associated method of use is also provided.
US09798566B2 Metadata-based virtual machine configuration
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for associating one or more of a plurality of metadata collections with one or more respective identifiers, wherein each metadata collection includes one or more pairings of metadata attributes with metadata values, and wherein each identifier is one of a project identifier, a tag identifier or an instance identifier; identifying, based on identifier information associated with a virtual machine instance, one or more metadata values to be provided to the virtual machine instance, wherein the identifier information specifies one or more of a project identifier, a tag identifier and an instance identifier, and wherein each identified metadata value belongs to a metadata collection associated with an identifier that is specified in the identifier information; and providing, to the virtual machine instance, the identified one or more metadata values.
US09798565B2 Data processing system and method having an operating system that communicates with an accelerator independently of a hypervisor
A data processing system includes one or more processors that each execute one or more operating systems. Each operating system includes one or more applications. An accelerator provides a shared resource for a plurality of the applications and has one or more input/output interfaces for the submission of tasks to the accelerator from an application. A hypervisor manages the allocation of the input/output interfaces to the one or more operating systems and a hypervisor interface enables communication between the hypervisor and the accelerator. The system is capable of being configured such that an operating system that has been allocated an input/output interface is capable of communicating with the accelerator via the input/output interface independently of the hypervisor. A memory management unit is capable of providing an isolated region of a memory for use by the operating system while the operating system retains its allocated input/output interface.
US09798560B1 Automated system and method for extracting and adapting system configurations
Some embodiments provide a method for extracting and adapting system configuration. The method extracts a first configuration from a first node of a first hosting system. The first node includes several resources for hosting the first configuration. The method analyzes the first configuration in order to determine attributes of the first configuration. The determined attributes are relevant to hosting the first configuration on a second node of a second hosting system having several nodes. The method generates a second configuration based on the determined attributes. The method hosts the second configuration at the second node of the second hosting system.
US09798559B2 Trusted binary translation
In an example, a computing device may include a trusted execution environment (TEE) for executing signed and verified code. The device may receive a trusted binary object in a first form, but the object may need to be converted to a second format, either on-the-fly, or in advance. This may include, for example, a bytecode interpreter, script interpreter, runtime engine, compiler, just-in-time compiler, or other species of binary translator. The binary translator may be run from the TEE, and the output may then be signed by the TEE and treated as a new trusted binary.
US09798556B2 Method, system, and apparatus for dynamic reconfiguration of resources
A dynamic reconfiguration to include on-line addition, deletion, and replacement of individual modules of to support dynamic partitioning of a system, interconnect (link) reconfiguration, memory RAS to allow migration and mirroring without OS intervention, dynamic memory reinterleaving, CPU and socket migration, and support for global shared memory across partitions is described. To facilitate the on-line addition or deletion, the firmware is able to quiesce and de-quiesce the domain of interest so that many system resources, such as routing tables and address decoders, can be updated in what essentially appears to be an atomic operation to the software layer above the firmware.
US09798548B2 Methods and apparatus for scheduling instructions using pre-decode data
Systems and methods for scheduling instructions using pre-decode data corresponding to each instruction. In one embodiment, a multi-core processor includes a scheduling unit in each core for selecting instructions from two or more threads each scheduling cycle for execution on that particular core. As threads are scheduled for execution on the core, instructions from the threads are fetched into a buffer without being decoded. The pre-decode data is determined by a compiler and is extracted by the scheduling unit during runtime and used to control selection of threads for execution. The pre-decode data may specify a number of scheduling cycles to wait before scheduling the instruction. The pre-decode data may also specify a scheduling priority for the instruction. Once the scheduling unit selects an instruction to issue for execution, a decode unit fully decodes the instruction.
US09798546B2 Space reduction in processor stressmark generation
An aspect includes pruning a design space when generating a maximum power stressmark. A multi-stage design space search process is performed. Each stage includes calculating a number of instructions per cycle (IPC) for each instruction sequence in a set of instruction sequences that place a power stress on a system under analysis, removing one or more of the instruction sequences having an IPC lower than a pruning threshold from the set, evaluating at least one power metric of the remaining instruction sequences in the set, removing one or more of the instruction sequences having at least one power metric evaluated outside of one or more pruning ranges from the set, and passing the remaining instruction sequences in the set to a next stage. A maximum power stressmark is generated based on the evaluating of the at least one power metric from a final stage.
US09798544B2 Reordering buffer for memory access locality
Systems and methods for scheduling instructions for execution on a multi-core processor reorder the execution of different threads to ensure that instructions specified as having localized memory access behavior are executed over one or more sequential clock cycles to benefit from memory access locality. At compile time, code sequences including memory access instructions that may be localized are delineated into separate batches. A scheduling unit ensures that multiple parallel threads are processed over one or more sequential scheduling cycles to execute the batched instructions. The scheduling unit waits to schedule execution of instructions that are not included in the particular batch until execution of the batched instructions is done so that memory access locality is maintained for the particular batch. In between the separate batches, instructions that are not included in a batch are scheduled so that threads executing non-batched instructions are also processed and not starved.
US09798541B2 Apparatus and method for propagating conditionally evaluated values in SIMD/vector execution using an input mask register
An apparatus and method for propagating conditionally evaluated values are disclosed. For example, a method according to one embodiment comprises: reading each value contained in an input mask register, each value being a true value or a false value and having a bit position associated therewith; for each true value read from the input mask register, generating a first result containing the bit position of the true value; for each false value read from the input mask register following the first true value, adding the vector length of the input mask register to a bit position of the last true value read from the input mask register to generate a second result; and storing each of the first results and second results in bit positions of an output register corresponding to the bit positions read from the input mask register.
US09798540B1 Classification of anomalous static analysis rules
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for automatically classifying static analysis rules as being anomalous or not. One of the methods includes receiving alerts generated by a particular static analysis rule for a plurality of different software projects analyzed by a static analysis system. For each project, a respective alert proportion metric value is computed. Each of the plurality of different software projects is classified according to the alert proportion metric values as being one non-outlier projects or outlier projects. If more than a threshold number of projects were classified as being outlier projects for the particular static analysis rule, the particular static analysis rule is classified as an anomalous static analysis rule.
US09798539B2 Comment linkage and display across the review cycle of an artifact
A record of comments made in previous artifact versions is displayed in the latest artifact version. Comment and reply chains are maintained in the latest artifact version, linking them with the artifact versions where they were introduced. The comment/reply history of an artifact, is viewable in a single latest version of the artifact.
US09798538B2 System and method for providing supplemental functionalities to a computer program
Supplemental functionalities may be provided for an executable program. In some embodiments, a computer program (e.g., an executable program or other computer program) associated with an ontology may be caused to be run. The ontology may include information indicating attributes for a set of applications. Based on the ontology, supplemental information may be generated for the computer program. The supplemental information may be related to one or more functionalities of an application (of the set of applications) to be added to the executable program. The supplemental information may be provided as input to the computer program. The supplemental information may cause the one or more functionalities of the application to be made available via the executable program.
US09798537B2 Isolating applications with a segmented architecture
An operationally monolithic application is provided, where the application resides in a first program address space of an application server. The application calls to an application component residing in a second program address space of the application server, the application component being built upon a framework of the operationally monolithic application. The operationally monolithic application loads at least a first library upon which it depends to invoke a first method, and the application component loads at least a second library upon which it depends to invoke a second method. The first and second libraries can co-exist on the application server despite being different versions of the same libraries.
US09798536B2 System and method for tracking suspicion across application boundaries
A method, computer program product, and computer system for receiving, from a first and second application by a computing device, shapes of artifacts and components of the first and second application. The shapes of the artifacts and components of the first and second application are conformed to a standard format. One or more changes to the shapes of the artifacts and components of the first and second application are tracked. One or more suspicious relationships across the first and second application are displayed based upon, at least in part, the one or more changes to the shapes of the artifacts and components of the first and second application.
US09798532B1 Precompiling locally-stored instructions for a web application
Systems and methods for accessing locally-stored content for a web application are disclosed. In some aspects, a user input for requesting a web application is received at a client computing device. A network request for the web application is provided via a network. That software code for the web application is stored in local storage of the client computing device is determined. The stored software code for the web application is placed into a random access memory (RAM) of the client computing device. At least a portion of the stored software code is precompiled prior to receiving a response to the network request.
US09798531B2 Dependency-aware transformation of multi-function applications for on-demand execution
An on-demand executable system includes an application acquisition engine configured to acquire a first application that is programmed to perform a first function and a second function. An applet extractor includes a function analyzer configured to analyze the first application to identify functions that the first application is programmed to perform. The identified functions include the first function. The applet extractor includes a code analyzer configured to analyze code of the first application to identify first code segments that implement the first function. The applet extractor includes an applet packager configured to package the first code segments into a first executable. An executable request servicer is configured to, in response to a request, transmit the first executable to a user device.
US09798529B2 Java store
A computer readable medium including computer readable code for causing a computer system to perform a method. The method includes receiving an application, receiving application information for the application, and determining an access privilege for the application based, in part, on the application information. The method also includes generating a deployment package for the application using the application and the access privilege, and publishing the application.
US09798524B1 System and method for exposing the dynamic web server-side
A system and method for accessing a native platform API is disclosed herein. The method includes serving the application code as a container on the server-side and instantiating a content of the code with a plurality of JavaScript calls, which allows APIs to access and retrieve information from the code and to process the content of the code.
US09798523B2 Method for generating workflow model and method and apparatus for executing workflow model
Disclosed are a method of modeling a workflow used in the field of big data and a method and apparatus for executing a workflow model. The method of executing the workflow model according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises receiving a Unified Modeling Language (UML)-based workflow model needing at least one data storage engine and at least one data processing engine, parsing the received workflow model to generate structured information, verifying the validity of the workflow model using the structured information, and transmitting jobs included in the workflow model to data processing engines corresponding to the jobs when it is determined that the workflow model is valid. Thus, developers can be allowed to easily acquire a workflow runnable on various data storage engines and various data processing engines.
US09798519B2 Standard format intermediate result
A microprocessor comprises an instruction pipeline, a shared memory, and first and second arithmetic processing units in the instruction pipeline, each capable of reading or receiving operands from and writing or providing results to the shared memory. The first arithmetic processing unit performs a first portion of a mathematical operation to produce an intermediate result vector that is not a complete, final result of the mathematical operation. The first arithmetic processing unit generates a plurality of non-architectural calculation control indicators that indicate how subsequent calculations to generate a final result from the intermediate result vector should proceed. The second arithmetic processing unit performs a second portion of the mathematical operation, in accordance with the calculation control indicators, to produce a complete, final result of the mathematical operation.
US09798518B1 Method and apparatus for processing data based on touch events on a touch sensitive device
Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to a technique for processing data based on touch events on a touch sensitive device. A first touch event is detected indicating a selection of a value for an attribute using a touch input device from a first portion of a touch sensitive display screen of the touch sensitive device. A second touch event is detected indicating a change in position of the touch input device from the first portion to a second portion of the touch sensitive display screen of the touch sensitive device. In response to detecting the second touch event, a query is determined for searching a database based on the value for the attribute.
US09798517B2 Tap to initiate a next action for user requests
Embodiments may relate to intuitive user-interface features for a head-mountable device (HMD), in the context of a hybrid human and computer-automated response system. An illustrative method may involve a head-mountable device (HMD) that comprises a touchpad: (a) sending a speech-segment message to a hybrid response system, wherein the speech-segment message is indicative of a speech segment that is detected in audio data captured at the HMD, and wherein the speech-segment is associated with a first user-account with the hybrid response system, (b) receiving a response message that includes a response to the speech-segment message and an indication of a next action corresponding to the response to the speech-segment message, (c) displaying a screen interface that includes an indication of the response, and (d) while displaying the response, detecting a singular touch gesture and responsively initiating the at least one next action.
US09798516B2 Smart phones that support wireless printing of emails over air to a wireless printer in a wireless local area network
Smart Phones that support wireless printing of e-mails to a printer in a wireless local area network (WLAN) is disclosed and enabled. The new Smart Phone includes a touch sensitive screen, an operating system, an e-mail application, and a wireless communication unit supporting a protocol within IEEE 802.11 for WLAN communication. To print an email in an inbox of the email application, the smart phone provides a print item on the touch sensitive screen and also a list of one or more printers detected to be available in the WLAN on the touch sensitive screen, subsequent to the user having selected the print item and a selected printer from the list, a print job related to the email is transmitted to the selected printer over the WLAN. Additionally, the smart phone further supports voice activated commands, such as printing or replying to emails received at the Smart Phone.
US09798512B1 Context-based volume adjustment
In general, this disclosure is directed to techniques for adjusting various types of volumes based on audio present in a currently executing application. A computing device not currently outputting audio for playback at an audio output device operatively coupled to the computing device receives an indication of user input to adjust a volume level. Responsive to receiving the indication of the user input, the computing device determines context data based on content associated with the currently executing application. The computing device predicts, based on the context data, a type of audio that is planned to be output for playback at the audio output device. The type of audio is one of many types of audio capable of being output for playback. The computing device adjusts, based on the type of the audio, a respective volume level associated with the audio type.
US09798510B2 Connected state indicator
Embodiments provided herein involve connected states between a mobile device and one or more zones in a network media system and different interactions between the mobile device and the network media system involving the connected states. The connected states may be established between the mobile device and the one or more zones such that further actions taken on media items identified in the playlist on the mobile device may also be taken on corresponding media items in a playback queue associated with the one or more zones. The interface on the mobile device may display various graphical representations to indicate the different interactions involving the connected states, including when a connected state is established, when a connected state is lost, and when a reconnected state is reestablished. The interface may further provide selectable icons to allow a user to navigate among the different media playback options involving the connected states.
US09798509B2 Use of an anticipated travel duration as a basis to generate a playlist
An example system may include a communication interface; a processor; and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions that when executed by the processor cause the server to perform of a set of functions. The set of functions may include determining an anticipated travel duration of a user of a client device, using the anticipated travel duration of the user as a basis to generate a playlist of a personalized news program for the user, and transmitting data representing the generated playlist to the client device.
US09798504B2 Image forming apparatus, control method, and storage medium
An image forming apparatus includes a printing unit connectable to a print server system with a print service providing print data. The image forming apparatus includes a reception unit that receives a URL from the print service in response to receipt of a print instruction, the URL indicating a location where the print data is stored and receives the print data based on the received URL, and a transmission unit that transmits the received print data to the printing unit. The transmission unit starts communication with the printing unit in response to receipt of partial print data, does not disconnect communication with the printing unit before receipt of a remainder of the print data finishes, and disconnects communication with the printing unit in response to completion of transmission of all of the print data.
US09798501B2 Image forming apparatus, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing operation control program, and operation control method
Provided are an image forming apparatus, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing an operation control program and an operation control method. The image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a server processing unit, and a group management unit that manages one or more of other image forming apparatuses each including a server processing unit as a first apparatus group, and manages one or more of other image forming apparatuses chosen as a second apparatus group. The image forming apparatus further includes a judgement unit that judges whether the image forming apparatus is in a state capable of executing processing at a processing request received, and a proxy execution control unit that, on judging that the image forming apparatus is not in the state, requests an image forming apparatus belonging to the first or second apparatus group for proxy execution of the processing, according to the kind of processing request.
US09798499B2 Hybrid-device storage based on environmental state
A hybrid storage device that includes a hard-disk drive (HDD) and a flash memory is described. When control logic in the hybrid storage device receives a request from an external device to write a block of data to a logical address in a first portion of an address space that maps to the HDD, the control logic writes the block of data to the HDD. However, if there is a change in environmental state information of the hybrid storage device during the write operation, the control logic writes at least a portion of the block of data to a logical address for the block of data in a second portion of the address space which maps to the flash memory. Note that the address space may be common to the external device and the hybrid storage device.
US09798497B1 Storage area network emulation
Generating a virtual storage area network (VSAN) is disclosed. From the perspective of a customer's virtual machine, the VSAN is a logical network of storage devices that provide features that are typically associated with a physical storage access network, such as block level data storage; logical disk arrays; tape libraries; optical jukeboxes; quality of service; disk mirroring, backup and restoration services; archival and retrieval of archived data; data migration from one virtual storage device to another; sharing of data among different virtual machines in a network; and the incorporation of virtual subnetworks.
US09798496B2 Methods and systems for efficiently storing data
Methods and systems for a networked system are provided. One method includes generating an object by a processor for storing a plurality of data chunks at a storage device, where the object includes a header segment and a data segment, the header segment providing a first offset address where an uncompressed data chunk is stored within the object and a second offset address of the object indicating a beginning of a compressed group having compressed data chunks and providing an indicator of a compression group size; reading the header segment by the processor to retrieve the second offset and the compressed group size in response to a first request for a data chunk within the compressed group; and decompressing the data chunk of the compressed group by the processor and providing the uncompressed data chunk for completing the first read request.
US09798495B2 Metadata-based bypassing in a controller
Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for data unit classification in accordance with one embodiment of the present description, in which in response to a data processing command, a storage controller classifies data units of a storage unit as either allocated to a data set or as unallocated to any data set. If allocated to a data set, the storage controller can further classify data set-allocated data units as either containing client data or metadata or as empty. In accordance with one aspect of the present description, the storage controller may bypass data processing of the data units which have not been allocated to any data set or otherwise do not contain client data or metadata. Other aspects of data unit classification in accordance with the present description are described.
US09798490B1 Replication optimizated IO
A system method and program product for data replication comprising based on metadata, creating a mapping of pending IO to a logical storage medium and changing a mapping of the logical storage medium to tiered storage mediums to optimize the pending IO to the logical storage medium.
US09798487B2 Migrating pages of different sizes between heterogeneous processors
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a computer-implemented method for migrating a memory page from a first memory to a second memory. The method includes determining a first page size supported by the first memory. The method also includes determining a second page size supported by the second memory. The method further includes determining a use history of the memory page based on an entry in a page state directory associated with the memory page. The method also includes migrating the memory page between the first memory and the second memory based on the first page size, the second page size, and the use history.
US09798486B1 Method and system for file system based replication of a deduplicated storage system
A computer-implemented method of replicating a file system is disclosed. The method starts with receiving a source file system container map at a target storage system, the source file system container map including mapping between a source file system and containers containing data of the source file system. An active target file system container map is then created based on the source file system container map to map data of the source file system to containers of the target storage system storing the data of the source file system. The data corresponding to the containers mapping to the source file system are received. The active target file system container map is then populated as containers of the target storage system are populated with data from the deduplicated source storage system, wherein the source and target container maps are utilized in subsequent restoration of data of the source file system.
US09798483B2 Object storage power consumption optimization
An approach for object storage power consumption optimization in a networked storage environment is provided. In a typical embodiment, a plurality of memory devices are organized into pods into which redundantly replicated objects are intelligently placed. At least one pod is activated in a read-write configuration, such that data written to the networked storage environment is written to this pod. At least one other pod is a deactivated pod, which has at least one designated memory device in a read-only configuration and a remainder of devices in a deactivated state. Requests for data contained in this deactivated pod are serviced by the designated memory device in the read-only configuration. In some embodiments, the activated and deactivated pods are rotated based on an event.
US09798482B1 Efficient and secure memory allocation in virtualized computer systems
A system and method for efficient and secure memory allocation in virtualized systems. A hypervisor receives, from a first virtual machine (VM), a message specifying a page of memory accessible to the first VM. The hypervisor determines that the page is not accessible to other VMs, adds an identifier identifying the page to a set of free page identifiers, and associates the identifier with the first VM. The hypervisor receives a page allocation request from a second VM, and in response attempts to locate an identifier associated with the second VM in the set of free page identifiers. Responsive to a successful attempt, the hypervisor allocates to the second VM a first page of memory corresponding to the located identifier, without clearing the first page. Responsive to an unsuccessful attempt, the hypervisor clears a second page of memory and allocates the cleared second page to the second VM.
US09798481B1 Memory system includes a memory controller coupled to a non-volatile memory array configured to provide special write operation to write data in the non-volatile memory array before a board mount operation is applied and provde a regular write operation after a board mount operation is applied
A memory system and operating method thereof are provided. The non-volatile memory array is configured to store data. The controller is coupled to the non-volatile memory array. The memory controller is configured to provide a special write operation to write the data in the non-volatile memory array before a board mount operation is applied, and provide a regular write operation to write the data in the non-volatile memory array after the board mount operation is applied. A read margin provided by the special write operation is larger than a read margin provided by the regular write operation.
US09798478B2 Nonvolatile memory system for creating and updating program time stamp and operating method thereof
An operating method of a storage device and a nonvolatile memory device determine whether a nonvolatile memory device performs a program operation on at least one of a plurality of pages. Either a program time stamp table, managed with program elapsed times of the plurality of pages, or an update count of the program time stamp table is updated, based on the determination result.
US09798477B2 Scalable non-uniform storage sizes
A plurality of storage nodes cooperating as a storage cluster is provided. Each of the plurality of storage nodes has storage memory. Each storage node of the plurality of storage nodes is configurable to direct erasure coded striping of data of one of an Mode or data segment across the plurality of storage nodes of the storage cluster, with at least one storage node of the plurality of storage nodes having a differing amount of storage capacity of the storage memory from an amount of storage capacity of another storage node in the plurality of storage nodes. A method of storing data in a storage cluster is also provided.
US09798475B2 Memory system and method of controlling nonvolatile memory
According to one embodiment, a controller writes data stored in a first data group of a plurality of data groups into a first block group of the plurality of block groups and writes data stored in a second data group of the plurality of data groups into a second block group of the plurality of block groups in a case where a first condition is satisfied.
US09798474B2 Software-defined storage system monitoring tool
Methods, computing systems and computer program products implement embodiments of the present invention that include collecting, from a software-defined storage system including one or more computing nodes that are configured to provide a storage service, performance metrics for each of the computing nodes, and detecting, based on the performance metrics, a performance bottleneck in the software-defined storage system. In embodiments of the present invention, each of the computing nodes includes one or more software modules and one or more hardware components, and the performance bottleneck is either a given software module or a given hardware component. In some embodiments, detecting the performance bottleneck includes predicting the performance bottleneck. Upon detecting the performance bottleneck, a solution for the performance bottleneck can be determined, and the performance bottleneck and the solution can be presented to a user on a display.
US09798472B1 Extent level cache destaging
A System, Computer Program Product, and Computer-executable method for managing cache de-staging on a data storage system wherein the data storage system provides a Logical Unit (LU), the System, Computer Program Product, and Computer-executable method including dividing the LU into two or more extents, analyzing each of the two or more extents, creating a cache de-staging policy based on the analysis, and managing cache de-staging of the LU based the cache de-staging policy.
US09798467B2 Security checks for proxied requests
A method begins by a storage unit of a dispersed storage network (DSN) executing transitioning storage of one or more groups of encoded data slices. The method continues while transitioning storage of the one or more groups of encoded data slices with the storage unit receiving a proxied data access request regarding an encoded data slice from another storage unit of the DSN. The method continues by the storage unit determining whether the other storage unit is an authentic storage unit of the DSN based on at least one of the encoded data slice, a previous version of the distributed agreement protocol, and a new version of the distributed agreement protocol. The method continues by when the other storage unit is the authentic storage unit, processing the proxied data access request to produce a data access response and sending the data access response to the other storage unit.
US09798465B1 Interactive tiering preferences map
Described are techniques for performing data storage management operations. A graphical user interface display includes multiple each associated with a tiering preference. The graphical user interface includes multiple user interface elements representing a plurality of logical devices. Each user interface element denotes a logical device located in one of the plurality of areas to thereby indicate any of a tiering preference and a tiering requirement for the logical device. First processing is performed to modify a tiering preference for a first logical device where the first processing includes selecting the first logical device by selecting a user interface element representing the first logical device, and moving the first user interface element from a first of the areas, denoting a first tiering preference, to a second of the area, denoting a second tiering preference.
US09798464B2 Computing device
A computing device including a touch sensitive screen to display a graphical representation of a user interface and a processor module configured to control the graphical representation in response to signals representing user interaction. The user interface includes an orbital touch control to move in angular and radial directions relative to a reference point in response to signals representing user interaction with the orbital touch control. The processor module further can generate, in response to the signals representing the user interaction with the orbital touch control, control signals controlling parameters associated with data received at the computing device. The control signals include an indication of a value of a first parameter dependent on an angular position of the orbital touch control relative to the reference point and a value of a second parameter dependent on a radial position of the orbital touch control relative to the reference point.
US09798462B2 Display control apparatus, display control method, and computer program
There is provided a display control apparatus including a detection section which detects contact or proximity of a member with or to a display section which displays information, and a display control section which controls displaying of the information on the display section. In a state where the detection section detects contact with or proximity to a predetermined region of the display section continuously performed by a first member for a predetermined time period, the display control section controls scrolling display on the display section according to whether or not the detection section detects contact with or proximity to the display section performed by a second member different from the first member.
US09798456B2 Information input device and information display method
An information input device including: an indicator detection unit; a pointer position setting unit which sets a position of a pointer to be displayed on a display screen; a storage unit which obtains and stores time-sequenced positional information which indicates the set position; a first passage detection unit which detects that the pointer has passed through a first specific region which is a predetermined region on the display screen, using the time-sequenced positional information; and a direction obtainment unit which obtains a direction in which the pointer has passed through the first specific region if it is detected that the pointer has passed through the first specific region; and a first image modifying unit which modifies a displayed image, depending on the obtained direction.
US09798450B1 Multi-function graphical user interface button
Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for implementing a multi-function button in a Graphical User Interface (GUI). One method includes an operation for presenting a button in a compact state when a mouse cursor is away from the button. The button in the compact state is displayed in a first button format when options associated with the button are in an unselected state, and in a second button format when at least one option has been selected. The options are hidden when the button is presented in the compact state. The button is presented in an expanded state when the mouse cursor is over the button, where unselected options are presented in a first option format and selected options are presented in a second option format. Selection of any option is enabled while the button is in the expanded state.
US09798448B2 Full-screen heterogeneous desktop display and control
A system for full-screen heterogeneous desktop display and control is described. In one implementation, a method includes determining, by a processing device of a computing device, that a source is connecting with the computing device and is a candidate for assignment to a desktop graphical user interface (GUI) of the computing device, when the source is not assigned to an existing desktop GUI, generating, by a desktop manager of the computing device, a new desktop GUI on the computing device for the source, and assigning the new desktop GUI for the source to a scaled representation element in a desktop management interface provided by the desktop manager, the desktop management interface providing a plurality of scaled representation elements for a plurality of desktop GUIs on the computing device.
US09798446B2 Standard commands for native commands
A system and method for standardizing commands used for various application behaviors in an application regardless of the environment of the application. A client intercepts a user input standard command, retrieves a corresponding native command from a standardizing server and inputs the native command in the application.
US09798442B2 Information processing apparatus display control method and program
There is provided an information processing apparatus including a display control unit that displays a list screen of thumbnails associated with content, an execution unit that executes any application using the content associated with the thumbnails, and an image generation unit that generates an execution state image showing an execution state of the application by the execution unit, wherein the display control unit displays the execution state image generated by the image generation unit in at least a portion of an area where the list screen is displayed.
US09798439B2 Timeline view filtered by permissions and affinity to viewer
The invention provides a display interface in a social networking system that enables the presentation of information related to a user in a timeline or map view. The system accesses information about a user of a social networking system, including both data about the user and social network activities related to the user. The system then selects one or more of these pieces of data and/or activities from a certain time period and gathers them into timeline units based on whether the viewing user has permission to view them. These timeline units are ranked by relevance to the user, and are used to generate a timeline for the user containing visual representations of the timeline units organized by time. The timeline view is then provided to other users of the social networking system that wish to view information about the user.
US09798435B2 Touch-sensitive panel apparatus, control circuit and method for scanning touch event
Disclosure is related to a touch-sensitive panel apparatus, a control circuit, and a method for scanning touch event. The method is generally adapted to sensing a touch event when a touch object is used to contact a touch-sensitive panel device. The method in the beginning includes performing a time-division scanning process for separately scanning a first sensing region and a second sensing region according to a scanning timing scenario. After that, a triggering zone may be sensed when the scanning process finds a touch event. A full-time scanning process is then performed to the triggering zone. A touching position may be determined according to the scanning process. In one further embodiment, the method then verifies an operating frequency for the touch event so as to confirm a triggering event.
US09798431B2 Touch electrode structure and touch panel using the same
A touch electrode structure for defining position units includes electrodes electrically insulated from each other, in which each of the electrodes includes sub-electrodes electrically insulated from each other. Each of the sub-electrodes include sub-electrode units electrically connected to each other, in which each of the position unit is defined by the two sub-electrode units respectively belonging to the different sub-electrodes. The sub-electrode units in one of the position units of each of the electrodes have a combination corresponding to the sub-electrodes arranged therein, and each of the combinations is different from the other combinations in the each of the electrodes.
US09798428B2 Touch detecting method, touch detecting system and touch terminal for touch sensor
The present invention relates to a touch technology field, provides a touch detecting method for a touch sensor, the method comprises the following steps: putting the touch sensor into a mutual capacitance mode and a self capacitance mode alternatively, and scanning and detecting the rows and columns of a capacitance array of the touch sensor; when a touch state is preliminarily judged as a multi-touch according to a scanning and detecting result in the mutual capacitance mode, implementing envelopment analysis for data obtained by sampling in the self capacitance mode, determining whether the touch state in the mutual capacitance mode is a single touch or the multi-touch, outputting one touch coordinate if the touch state is the single touch; and outputting a plurality of touch coordinates if the touch state is the multi-touch. The present invention also provides a touch detecting system and a touch terminal for the touch sensor. The present invention improves the accuracy of a touch detection result of the touch sensor, particularly the accuracy of the detection result for distinguishing whether the touch is the single touch or the multi-touch in the case that the touch control terminal is subjected to a large area touch in a floating state.
US09798427B2 Method and device for dual-differential sensing
A method and device for dual-differential sensing is disclosed. The sensing information can be generated from signals provided by a sensing device with a plurality of sensors. Each value of the sensing information corresponds to signals of three sensors, respectively. The sensing device is flexible and configured on a display. The noise effect of the display on the signal of each sensor corresponds to the distance between the display and the sensor. Besides, the noise effect of the display on each value of the sensing information corresponds to the distances between the display and the three sensors, respectively.
US09798425B2 Capacitive in-cell touch panel and display device
Disclosed is a capacitive in-cell touch panel, which includes a substrate and a black matrix disposed on the substrate. The capacitive in-cell touch panel further includes a first capacitive touch layer, an insulation layer, and a second capacitive touch layer. The first capacitive touch layer is formed on the black matrix. The insulation layer is formed on the first capacitive touch layer. The second capacitive touch layer is formed on the second capacitive touch layer and is stacked on and intersects the first capacitive touch layer in a grid form. Also disclosed is a display device.
US09798423B2 Touch sensor
A plurality of detection patterns are formed as conductive patterns directly on a back surface of a panel substrate to which an operation object such as a finger comes in proximity from a front surface side thereof. By independently detecting a change in capacitance in the plurality of detection patterns caused by proximity of the operation object from the front surface side, proximity of the operation object to the panel substrate is detected.
US09798420B2 Electronic apparatus, control method therefor, and storage medium
An electronic apparatus includes a touch panel having a plurality of sensors each having capacitance changing in response to a touch operation performed thereon. In a case where a detected capacitance of one of a predetermined number of sensors from an outer side of a plurality of sensors exceeds detected capacitance of the other sensors, and a detected capacitance of a sensor adjacent in an inner side direction of the touch panel to the sensor with the detected capacitance exceeding the other sensors is smaller than a reference capacitance, position coordinates of a touch operation generating the detected capacitance are calculated toward an outer side direction from a center of gravity of detected capacitances generated by the touch operation from the plurality of sensors.
US09798414B2 Image display apparatus
An image display apparatus includes a display panel, a driver configured to drive the display panel, a flexible printed circuit board connecting the driver to the display panel; a buffer under the display panel and overlapping with the display panel and with a region of the flexible printed circuit board that is adjacent to a first side of the display panel in a first direction, and a first adhesive under the buffer and overlapping with a region of a first side of the buffer in the first direction.
US09798413B2 Interactive display
Information is presented on a touchscreen display. An available viewing surface area of the touchscreen is separated into a first zone and at least a second zone. The first zone is operable for presenting a critical portion of the information. The second zone is operable for receiving haptic user inputs. Usage of the first zone and the second zone are coordinated. The presentation of the critical information in the first separated zone, and/or a prompt related to at least one of the one or more haptic user inputs may be controlled based on the coordinated usage.
US09798412B2 Touch sensor device
A flexible touch sensor device with improved durability is presented. More particularly, a flexible touch sensor device that can be bent or folded with low risk of damaging the wiring is presented. The touch sensor device includes: a plurality of first touch electrodes positioned at a first side of a first reference line extending in a first direction; a plurality of second touch electrodes positioned at a second side of the first reference line; first touch wiring connected to the first touch electrodes; and second touch wiring connected to the second touch electrodes, wherein the first touch wiring and the second touch wiring extend along a second direction that is non-parallel to the first direction without crossing the first reference line.
US09798411B2 Touch display panel and touch display device capable of improving yield rate
A touch display panel and a touch display device are disclosed, and the touch display panel includes a color filter substrate, an array substrate, a liquid crystal layer, a thin film transistor array layer, a common electrode layer, a sensing layer and a pixel electrode layer. The thin film transistor array layer, the common electrode layer, the sensing layer and the pixel electrode layer are separated from each other through a dielectric layer, respectively. The touch display panel and the touch display device have a simpler production process and a higher yield rate.
US09798410B2 Input device and method for controlling input device
An input device includes a touch sensor, a pressure detection unit configured to detect pressure on the touch sensor, and a control unit that performs control to execute predetermined processing when, in a state such that the touch sensor detects contact inside a predetermined region, data based on pressure detected by the pressure detection unit satisfies a predetermined standard, and performs control not to execute the predetermined processing when, in a state such that the data based on pressure detected by the pressure detection unit satisfies a predetermined standard, the touch sensor detects contact that transitions from outside the predetermined region to inside the predetermined region.
US09798403B2 Display device
According to one embodiment, a display device includes first and second substrate units, a display function layer, and a drive element. The first substrate unit includes a first substrate, a display unit, and a control circuit unit. The first substrate has a first surface including a display region and a peripheral region. The display unit is provided in the display region, and includes first lines, second lines, switch elements, pixel electrodes, and third lines. The control circuit unit is provided in the peripheral region, and includes a first circuit unit including a third line connection line, and a third line switch. The second substrate unit includes a second substrate and fourth lines. The display function layer is provided between the first and second substrate units. The drive element is provided on the peripheral region. The first circuit unit is partially disposed between the drive element and the first substrate.
US09798400B2 Displaying device and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing instructions
A displaying device is configure to obtain a moving direction and a moving amount of the input element from a touch panel, scroll a currently displayed page in a direction same as the moving direction of the input element such that the currently displayed page is switched to a target page. When the moving amount of the input element is less than a predetermined threshold amount, the target page is set to be a next page which is next to the currently displayed page on a side opposite to the moving direction of the input element, while, when the moving amount of the input element is not less than the predetermined threshold amount, the target page is set to be a page further advanced from the next page on a side opposite to the moving direction of the input element.
US09798398B2 Operation apparatus
An example operation apparatus includes: a direction input operation section provided on a front surface of a housing of the operation apparatus and at such a position that, in a state where the operation apparatus is held with at least one hand of a user, the direction input operation section is allowed to be operated with a thumb of the hand; and a rotation operation section which is provided on a surface different from the front surface of the housing and at such a position that, in a state where the operation apparatus is held with the hand or the other hand of the user, the rotation operation section is allowed to be operated with an index finger of the hand or the other hand and which is an operation section capable of being rotationally operated.
US09798397B2 Touch panel system and electronic device
Pen pressure can be controlled in detail only by a positional detection controlling side of a touch panel. Thus, pen pressure data will not be required to be transmitted from a touch pen to the touch panel, the touch pen itself will require no batteries, and neither the touch pen nor the touch panel requires a communication apparatus, thus reducing the weight of the touch pen itself and reducing the size thereof. Comprised is a touch panel system for measuring output signals of at least two adjacent sensor lines to obtain an input position (x, y) of an indicator and information (z) of a capacitance value from a difference value therebetween; comprising a pen pressure converting section 616D for converting the information (z) of the capacitance value into pen pressure data, wherein the input position (x, y) and the pen pressure data are transmitted to a drawing controlling section.
US09798390B2 Electronic device and method of motion processing
An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a motion sensor and a processor. The motion sensor is configured to perform a sampling at a sampling rate. In each sampling, the motion sensor generates a sample by sampling an angular velocity or an acceleration of the electronic device. The motion sensor is further configured to store each sample in a buffer of the motion sensor. The processor is coupled to the motion sensor and is configured to perform a polling at a polling rate. In each polling, the processor fetches a plurality of the samples from the buffer. The processor is further configured to perform a numerical integration based on the fetched samples.
US09798388B1 Vibrotactile system to augment 3D input systems
A system and method for providing a 3D gesture based user interface with haptic feedback is disclosed. A processing system providing the 3D system provides haptic feedback by capturing image data. A gesture is then detected. The detected gesture is then used to determine an appropriate haptic feedback is determined. A signal that indicates the appropriate haptic feedback is generated and provided to a haptic feedback device. The haptic feedback devices then provides the appropriate haptic feedback.
US09798385B1 User physical attribute based device and content management system
Systems and methods for device and content management include determining a user is viewing virtual reality content from a user device, and receiving, through a network from the user device, body information associated with the user while the user is viewing the virtual reality content. A user device management configuration associated with the body information is determined. A user device management action is retrieved using the user device management configuration. A notification associated with the user device management action that causes the user device to perform the user device management action and modify the virtual reality content being viewed by the user is sent through the network to the user device.
US09798384B2 Eye gaze tracking method and apparatus and computer-readable recording medium
A method and an apparatus of tracking an eye gaze to determine where a gaze point of a user is located on a display unit of a device, based on a facial pose and a position of an iris center, are provided. The method includes detecting a facial feature in a captured initial image, three-dimensionally modeling the detected facial feature, tracking the three-dimensionally modeled facial feature in consecutively captured images, detecting an iris center in the consecutively captured images, acquiring an eye gaze vector based on the tracked three-dimensionally modeled facial feature and the detected iris center, and acquiring a gaze point on a display unit based on the eye gaze vector.
US09798381B2 Hands-free pointer system
The present invention describes a hands-free system for controlling the movement of a cursor on one or more display devices. A tracking device including a traceable marker and one or more accelerometers and gyroscopes are used to track position and acceleration of the marker relative to a target of interest. A processing means processes the motion signals from the tracking device to determine the location of the cursor on the operator's monitor, which may also be displayed on more monitors. The tracking device is worn by the operator, optimally on the operator's head. The operator's head movements determine movement of the cursor.
US09798380B2 Modular apparatus and system for reconfigurable user inputs
The present disclosure relates to a modular apparatus and system for providing customized, reconfigurable user inputs. In an aspect, there is provided a modular apparatus comprising a plurality of reconfigurable Input Modules with different types of user inputs, such as buttons, sliders, knobs, joysticks, trackballs, touch pads, touch screens, and other types of user interfaces. The Input Modules may be physically interconnected to a Master Module which is adapted to communicate with each Input Module and to a System Controller Application running on a connected computing device. The Input Modules are reconfigurable into any number of different physical layouts. The Master Module determines the physical layout of the connected Input Modules, and communicates the layout to the System Controller Application. The function of each Input Module is then programmed via the System Controller Application and the Master Module for performing specific functions in a compatible computer application.
US09798374B2 Raise gesture detection in a device with preheating of a processor
A wearable computing device can detect device-raising gestures. For example, onboard motion sensors of the device can detect movement of the device in real time and infer information about the spatial orientation of the device. Based on analysis of signals from the motion sensors, the device can detect a raise gesture, which can be a motion pattern consistent with the user moving the device's display into his line of sight. In response to detecting a raise gesture, the device can activate its display and/or other components. Detection of a raise gesture can occur in stages, and activation of different components can occur at different stages.
US09798371B2 Electronic device and content display method thereof
An electronic device and a content display method are provided. A content display method of an electronic device includes displaying an application in the electronic device; and changing a content display mode of the application, when a detected battery consumption of the application exceeds a threshold logical battery capacity assigned to the application.
US09798366B2 Heat dissipation system and electronic device using the system
A heat dissipation system and an electronic device using the heat dissipation system are disclosed. The electronic device comprises a device main body including a circuit board. The heat dissipation system comprises a heat dissipation body, a control unit and a movable fan. The heat dissipation body is disposed near the circuit board. A plurality of first thermal sensors is distributed in various areas of the heat dissipation body and is used for monitoring a working temperature of each area. The control unit is electrically coupled with each thermal sensor. The movable fan is movably disposed at the heat dissipation body and is electrically coupled with the control unit to receive a signal, thereby allowing the control unit to control the movable fan to move to an area of the heat dissipation body having a higher working temperature than those of the other areas.
US09798363B1 Computer module with double-sided memory
A computer module with double-sided memory including a module chassis and a motherboard having first and second sides mounted to the module chassis. A portion of the second side of the motherboard confronts a portion of the module chassis. A central processing unit is mounted to the first side and a first plurality of elongate memory sockets are mounted to the first side and spaced apart a first distance. A second plurality of elongate memory sockets is mounted to the second side of the motherboard and spaced apart by the first distance. The second plurality of elongate memory sockets is parallel to and laterally offset from the first plurality of elongate memory sockets by a second distance approximately half the first distance. One or more memory modules are mated with selected ones of the first and second plurality of memory sockets.
US09798362B2 Storage device storage tray with leaf spring retainers
Technology is provided for a storage device storage tray for use with one or more storage devices. The storage device storage tray includes a chassis including at least one storage region and a motherboard attached to the chassis. A storage frame is positioned in the storage region and is pivotable relative to the chassis between a storage position and an access position. The storage frame comprises first and second substantially parallel panels and a backplane extending therebetween. A data communications cable interconnects the backplane and the motherboard. A plurality of dividers extend away from the backplane between the first and second substantially parallel panels to define a plurality of drive bays configured to receive a respective storage device. A leaf spring retainer is positioned in each drive bay to urge the storage devices against the second panel to hold the storage devices in their respective drive bays.
US09798359B2 Foldable device
A foldable device includes first and second bodies that respectively support a first part and a second part of a flexible display device and are foldably connected to each other between a folded position and an unfolded position, and a movable support member that continuously near-supports a third part of the flexible display device between the first part and the second part when the first body and the second body change from the folded position to the unfolded position.
US09798358B1 Bedside clock with device receiving well
A base unit is adapted to physically and electronically engage with an electronic device. The base unit includes a well within a top surface the base unit, which is sized and shaped to receive the electronic device in a close fitting relation. The base unit includes an internal chamber and access window that permits the electrical connection between the electronic device and the base unit while the electronic device is seated in the well using a connector wire. The internal chamber obscures the connector wire so that it cannot be readily, visibly seen from a top surface of the base unit. Connections established using insulated conductive wires enable power, data, and commands to be exchanged between the electronic unit and the base unit while concurrently preventing or impeding removal of the electronic device from the base unit. Alternative arrangements seat the electronic device within base unit and employ wireless connections therebetween.
US09798356B2 Band and electronic equipment
A band, including: a device which has a part to be protected; and a protective frame which has a soft section that is easily deformed and a hard section that is less easily deformed than the soft section, the hard section being connected to the soft section and disposed at a portion where the part to be protected is disposed.
US09798354B2 Display apparatus
A display apparatus including: a display panel including a substrate and an encapsulating member and realizing an image; a circuit member arranged to overlap at least a portion of the substrate of the display panel; and a shield member arranged between a surface portion of the substrate of the display panel and the circuit member, the surface portion overlapping the circuit member.
US09798350B2 Operation pedal for vehicle
In first and second flat plates and provided in the pad mounting portion, projecting portions for locking the pedal pad are provided at positions not juxtaposed with each other in any one of first to third directions. On the other hand, the pedal pad is mounted on the pad mounting portion with an inner wall of a through hole locked by the projecting portion, and with an inner wall of a through hole locked by the projecting portion. In a mounting work, a worker inserts the pad mounting portion through an opening portion of the pedal pad and makes the pedal pad slide toward the second direction so as to complete the mounting. As a result, an operation pedal for a vehicle capable of improving assembling performances of a pedal pad to a pad mounting portion is provided.
US09798340B2 Circuit with controlled inrush current
A circuit is provided with inrush current protection through control of the output current at start-up by a current source that does not rely on the output capacitor and which provides a smooth transition from a controlled current mode during a start-up phase to a voltage regulation mode.
US09798339B2 Active-matrix substrate, display panel and display device including the same
A technique is provided that reduces dullness of a potential provided to a line such as gate line on an active-matrix substrate to enable driving the line at high speed and, at the same time, reduces the size of the picture frame region. On an active-matrix substrate (20a) are provided gate lines (13G) and source lines. On the active-matrix substrate (20a) are further provided: gate drivers (11) each including a plurality of switching elements, at least one of which is located in a pixel region, for supplying a scan signal to a gate line (13G); and lines (15L1) each for supplying a control signal to the associated gate driver (11). A control signal is supplied by a display control circuit (4) located outside the display region to the gate drivers (11) via the lines (15L1). In response to a control signal supplied, each gate driver (11) drives the gate line (13G) to which it is connected.
US09798337B2 Control system using power line communication
A control system includes a control device adapted to be connected to a live line and a neutral line that transmit a grid power, and to a load via a first power line and a second power line. The control device includes: a first switch adapted to be connected between the live line and the first power line; a second switch adapted to be connected between the neutral line and the second power line; a coupler adapted to be connected to the first power line, receiving a communication signal, and coupling the communication signal to the first power line; and a controller controlling the first and second switches to synchronously alternate between an ON state and an OFF state, and outputting the communication signal to the coupler when the first and second switches operate in the OFF state.
US09798335B2 Adaptive thermal throttling with user configuration capability
An apparatus for adaptive thermal management of a device with user configuration capability, including a secure memory configured to store a thermal management policy; thermal monitoring circuitry configured to monitor thermal states associated with one or more sensor sub-systems of the device; and policy enforcement circuitry configured to implement the stored thermal management policy in response to the monitored thermal state violating a thermal threshold.
US09798332B2 Functional element, electronic device, electronic apparatus, and moving object
There is provided a functional element capable of preventing an oblique vibration due to a vibration leakage phenomenon from propagating to degrade the detection accuracy. A gyro element as the functional element includes a support body, a detection section, a drive coupling section having a first part and a second part, and a mass section connected to the drive coupling section, and connected to the support body via the drive coupling section, and the mass section performs the drive vibration in a direction along a third axis parallel to a normal line of a plane including the first axis and the second axis perpendicular to each other.
US09798326B2 Vessel positioning system
An aquatic vessel comprising a control system for controlling the position of the vessel, the control system including one or more inputs for receiving real-time operational data in relation to flow conditions of the aquatic environment. The vessel has a dynamic positioning system and a navigational system connected to the dynamic positioning system, the navigational system comprising a data processing device and a plurality of motion sensors for continuously calculating the position, orientation and velocity of the vessel. Furthermore, a data processing device for generating data in relation to a plurality of possible failures of parts of the vessel is included, the data processing device being in communication with the control system which is thereby able to react in the event of an actual failure of a part of the vessel.
US09798325B2 Unmanned device interaction methods and systems
Structures and protocols are presented for configuring an unmanned aerial device to participate in the performance of tasks, for using data resulting from such a configuration or performance, or for facilitating other interactions with such devices.
US09798318B2 Online frequency response characterization system and method
A system may include a controller that may control operations of a device according to a control loop and characterize a frequency response of the device while the device is operating. The controller may characterize the frequency response by adding a perturbation signal to any signal in the control loop. The controller may then determine a first transformed signal by performing a first discrete Fourier transform on a first signal in the control loop at a frequency of the perturbation signal and determine a second transformed signal by performing a second discrete Fourier transform on a second signal in the control loop at the frequency of the perturbation signal. The controller may then determine the frequency response at the frequency by comparing a first amplitude and a first phase of the first transformed signal to a second amplitude and a second phase of the second transformed signal.
US09798316B2 Motion controller capable of specifying program execution pace
A motion controller is provided which allows a program to be executed in a specified time. The program is executed, and the execution time of each of the blocks of the program and the execution time of the entire program are measured. Then, a predicted time until an in-position state is established is loaded. The execution time of the entire specified program is loaded. The execution time of each bock and a moving speed for each block are calculated, then a speed for each block is substituted with the calculated moving speed.
US09798310B2 Method for searching cross-regional power supply area based on CIM model and system thereof
Disclosed are a method for searching a cross-regional power supply area based on a common information model (CIM) and a system thereof. In the method, a hash function is first created according to a size of a power grid in which a power source is located; identification numbers of all devices in the power grid are mapped to a discrete hash table according to the hash function, and a collision is solved by using separate chaining; and a hash topological graph of the power grid is formed by using the discrete hash table; and a power supply area of a designated device is searched by using the hash topological graph. According to the present invention, devices in a power supply area are located rapidly and accurately by creating a discrete hash table for all device resources, so that the amount of computation is greatly reduced, and the efficiency of searching the power supply area is significantly improved.
US09798309B2 Home automation control based on individual profiling using audio sensor data
Disclosed are methods, systems, and non-transitory, machine-readable media that facilitates home automation control based on individualized audio differentiation of carbon monoxide detectors. Audio characteristics may be determined based on first sensor data. Attributes may be defined based on the audio characteristics. Second audio characteristics may be determined based on the second sensor data. Second attributes may be defined based on the second audio characteristics. Third sensor data may be analyzed to identify a first alarm or a second alarm based on a volume and/or a directionality determined based on the third sensor data. Consequent to identifying the first alarm or the second alarm, a home automation rule may be determined. The home automation rule may include an operational setting of a home automation device. The home automation device may be instructed based on the determined home automation rule via a home automation network.