最新美国发明专利
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US09818881B2 Semiconductor device and manufacturing method of semiconductor device
A semiconductor device includes an oxide semiconductor layer, a gate electrode facing the oxide semiconductor layer, a gate insulating layer between the oxide semiconductor layer and the gate electrode, a first barrier layer below the oxide semiconductor layer, and a second barrier layer above the oxide semiconductor layer, the second barrier layer covering a top surface and side surfaces of the oxide semiconductor layer and being in contact with the first barrier layer in a region around the oxide semiconductor layer.
US09818877B2 Embedded source/drain structure for tall finFET and method of formation
A shallow trench isolation layer is formed on a structure comprising semiconductor fins. Portions of the fins are recessed to a level below the shallow trench isolation layer. Epitaxial stressor regions are then formed on the recessed fin areas. A bottom portion of the epitaxial stressor regions are contained by the shallow trench isolation layer, which delays formation of the diamond shape as the epitaxial region is grown. Once the epitaxial stressor regions exceed the level of the shallow trench isolation layer, the diamond shape starts to form. The result of delaying the start of the diamond growth pattern is that the epitaxial regions are narrower for a given fin height. This allows for taller fins, which provide more current handling capacity, while the narrower epitaxial stressor regions enable a smaller fin pitch, allowing for increased circuit density.
US09818868B2 Metal oxide semiconductor and method of making
A drain extended metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) includes a substrate having a semiconductor. A gate is located on the semiconductor, a source is located on the semiconductor and on one side of the gate, and a drain is located on the semiconductor and on another side of said gate. The MOS includes least one first finger having a first finger drain component located adjacent the drain, the first finger drain component has a silicide layer. At least one second finger has a second finger drain component located adjacent the drain, the second finger drain component has less silicide than the first finger drain component.
US09818867B2 Simple and cost-free MTP structure
Non-volatile (NV) Multi-time programmable (MTP) memory cells are presented. The memory cell includes a substrate and first and second wells in the substrate. The memory cell includes first transistor having a select gate, second transistor having a floating gate adjacent to one another and on the second well, and third transistor having a control gate on the first well. The control gate is coupled to the floating gate and the control and floating gates include the same gate layer extending across the first and second wells. The transistors include first and second diffusion regions disposed adjacent to sides of the gates. The first and second diffusion regions include base lightly doped drain (LDD) and halo regions. One of the first and second diffusion regions of one of the second and third transistors includes second LDD and halo regions having higher dopant concentrations than the base LDD and halo regions.
US09818862B2 Semiconductor device with floating field plates
A semiconductor device with a current terminal region located in a device active area of a substrate of the device. A guard region is located in a termination area of the device. A plurality of floating field plates are located in the termination area and are ohmically coupled to the guard region. The floating field plates and guard region act in some embodiments to “smooth” the electrical field distribution along the termination area.
US09818860B2 Silicon carbide semiconductor device and method for producing the same
An SiC semiconductor device has a p type region including a low concentration region and a high concentration region filled in a trench formed in a cell region. A p type column is provided by the low concentration region, and a p+ type deep layer is provided by the high concentration region. Thus, since a SJ structure can be made by the p type column and the n type column provided by the n type drift layer, an on-state resistance can be reduced. As a drain potential can be blocked by the p+ type deep layer, at turnoff, an electric field applied to the gate insulation film can be alleviated and thus breakage of the gate insulation film can be restricted. Therefore, the SiC semiconductor device can realize the reduction of the on-state resistance and the restriction of breakage of the gate insulation film.
US09818855B2 Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device according to an embodiment includes a first nitride semiconductor layer; a source electrode provided on the first nitride semiconductor layer; a drain electrode provided on the first nitride semiconductor layer; a gate electrode provided between the source electrode and the drain electrode; a first film provided between the source electrode and the gate electrode and between the gate electrode and the drain electrode; and a second film provided on the first film. The first film is provided on the first nitride semiconductor layer. The first film has a lower hydrogen diffusion coefficient than a hydrogen diffusion coefficient of a silicon oxide film.
US09818853B2 Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof
The surface of an interlayer insulating film formed over an emitter coupling portion and the surface of an emitter electrode formed over the interlayer insulating film are caused to have a gentle shape, in particular, at the end of the emitter coupling portion, by forming the emitter coupling portion over a main surface of a semiconductor substrate and integrally with trench gate electrodes in order to form a spacer over the sidewall of the emitter coupling portion. Thereby, stress is dispersed, not concentrated in an acute angle portion of the emitter coupling portion when an emitter wire is coupled to the emitter electrode (emitter pad), and hence occurrence of a crack can be suppressed. Further, by forming the spacer, the concavities and convexities to be formed in the surface of the emitter electrode can be reduced, whereby the adhesiveness between the emitter electrode and the emitter wire can be improved.
US09818852B2 Semiconductor device and semiconductor device manufacturing method
In some aspects of the invention, an n-type field-stop layer can have a total impurity of such an extent that a depletion layer spreading in response to an application of a rated voltage stops inside the n-type field-stop layer together with the total impurity of an n− type drift layer. Also, the n-type field-stop layer can have a concentration gradient such that the impurity concentration of the n-type field-stop layer decreases from a p+ type collector layer toward a p-type base layer, and the diffusion depth is 20 μm or more. Furthermore, an n+ type buffer layer of which the peak impurity concentration can be higher than that of the n-type field-stop layer at 6×1015 cm−3 or more, and one-tenth or less of the peak impurity concentration of the p+ type collector layer, can be included between the n-type field-stop layer and p+ type collector layer.
US09818846B2 Selectively deposited spacer film for metal gate sidewall protection
A method of fabricating a fin field-effect transistor (FinFET) device is provided. The method includes forming a carbon-based layer on a plurality of gate structures formed on a semiconductor substrate. Each gate structure overlies at least one fin formed on the semiconductor substrate. The carbon-based layer covers sidewalls of the gate structures. A metal silicide layer overlies the carbon-based layer. The metal silicide layer and carbon-based layer are removed, and a metal layer is formed between adjacent gate structures.
US09818843B2 Transistor having dual work function buried gate electrode and method for fabricating the same
A transistor having a source region and a drain region which are separately formed in a substrate, a trench which is defined in the substrate between the source region and the drain region, and a gate electrode which is formed in the trench. The gate electrode includes a first electrode buried over a bottom of the trench; a second electrode formed over the first electrode; and a liner electrode having an interface part which is positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode and a side part, which is positioned on sidewalls of the second electrode and overlaps with the source region and the drain region.
US09818839B2 Method of forming metal contacts in the barrier layer of a group III-N HEMT
Metal contact openings are etched in the barrier layer of a group III-N HEMT with a first gas combination that etches down into the barrier layer, and a second gas combination that etches further down into the barrier layer to a depth that lies above the top surface of a channel layer that touches and lies below the barrier layer.
US09818838B2 Semiconductor device
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes: forming a silicon nitride film having a refractive index equal to or larger than 2.2 on a nitride semiconductor layer; and introducing at least one of elements that are oxygen, nitrogen, fluorine, phosphorus, sulfur and selenium into the silicon nitride film, the silicon nitride film including the at least one of elements remaining on the nitride semiconductor layer. The at least one of elements is introduced by a process of exposing the silicon nitride film to plasma including the at least one of elements, a process of ion-implanting the at least one of elements into the silicon nitride film, or a process of thermally diffusing the at least one of elements into the silicon nitride film. The silicon nitride film is formed in contact with a surface of the nitride semiconductor layer.
US09818829B2 Split poly connection via through-poly-contact (TPC) in split-gate based power MOSFETs
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a contact structure in a split-gate trench transistor device for electrically connecting the top electrode to the bottom electrode inside the trench. The transistor device comprises a semiconductor substrate and one or more trenches formed in the semiconductor substrate. The trenches are lined with insulating materials along the sidewalls inside the trenches. Each trench has a bottom electrode in lower portions of the trench and a top electrode in its upper portions. The bottom electrode and the top electrode are separated by an insulating material. A contact structure filled with conductive materials is formed in each trench in an area outside of an active region of the device to connect the top electrode and the bottom electrode. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
US09818825B2 Semiconductor device and method of fabricating the same
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device is provided as follows. A channel layer is formed on a strain relaxed buffer (SRB) layer. A first etching process is performed on the channel layer and the SRB layer to form a plurality of trenches. The trenches penetrate through the channel layer and into the SRB layer to a first depth. First liners are formed on first sidewalls of the trenches having the first depth. The first liners cover the first sidewalls. A second etching process is performed on the SRB layer exposed through the trenches. The second etching process is performed on the SRB layer using a gas etchant having etch selectivity with respect to the first liners so that after the performing of the second etching process, the first liners remain on the first sidewalls.
US09818823B2 Stacked nanowire device width adjustment by gas cluster ion beam (GCIB)
A method of making a nanowire device includes disposing a first nanowire stack over a substrate, the first nanowire stack including alternating layers of a first and second semiconducting material, the first semiconducting material contacting the substrate and the second semiconducting material being an exposed surface; disposing a second nanowire stack over the substrate, the second nanowire stack including alternating layers of the first and second semiconducting materials, the first semiconducting material contacting the substrate and the second semiconducting material being an exposed surface; forming a first gate spacer along a sidewall of a first gate region on the first nanowire stack and a second gate spacer along a sidewall of a second gate region on the second nanowire stack; oxidizing a portion of the first nanowire stack within the first gate spacer; and removing the first semiconducting material from the first nanowire stack and the second nanowire stack.
US09818822B2 System for glass sheet semiconductor coating and resultant product
A glass sheet semiconductor deposition system (20) for coating semiconductor material on glass sheets is performed by conveying the glass sheets vertically suspended at upper extremities thereof by a pair of conveyors (38) through a housing (22) including a vacuum chamber (24). The glass sheets are conveyed on shuttles (42) through an entry load station (26) into the housing vacuum chamber (24), through a heating station (30) and at least one semiconductor deposition station (32, 34) in the housing (22), and to a cooling station (36) prior to exiting of the system through an exit load lock station (28). The semiconductor deposition station construction includes a deposition module (102) and a radiant heater (104) between which the vertical glass sheets are conveyed for the semiconductor deposition.
US09818813B2 Method for producing array substrate and array substrate
Embodiments of the present application provide a method for producing an array substrate. The array substrate includes a planarization layer provided on a layer of thin film transistors and a first electrode provided on the planarization layer for a light emitting device. The method includes the steps of: forming a pixel definition layer for placing the first electrode, a via hole for the first electrode and a spacer on the planarization layer by a single patterning process with a single mask. The array substrate is produced by the method provided by the present embodiment, so that the number of the used patterning processes and the number of the used masks are reduced.
US09818810B2 OLED and fabrication method thereof, and display apparatus
An OLED and a fabrication method thereof, and a display apparatus are provided. The OLED comprises: a base substrate; a first electrode, an organic functional layer and a transparent or semi-transparent second electrode sequentially disposed on the base substrate; and a covering layer provided on a side of the second electrode away from the base substrate. A surface of the covering layer away from the base substrate is uneven.
US09818802B2 Electroluminescent device comprising channels, its manufacturing method, and display device
The present disclosure provides an electroluminescent device, its manufacturing method, a display substrate and a display device. The electroluminescent device includes a substrate, and a pixel defining layer arranged on the substrate. A pixel aperture matrix is formed in the pixel defining layer, at least one connection channel is formed on the pixel defining layer, an electroluminescent layer in a predetermined color is formed in each pixel aperture of the pixel aperture matrix, and the connection channel is configured to connect at least two pixel apertures of the pixel aperture matrix in an identical row or column and corresponding to the electroluminescent layers in an identical color.
US09818800B2 Self aligned semiconductor device and structure
A device, including: a first layer including first transistors and a second layer including second transistors, where at least one of the first transistors is self-aligned to one of the second transistors, where the second transistors are horizontally oriented transistors, and where the second layer includes a plurality of resistive-random-access memory (RRAM) cells, the memory cells including the second transistors.
US09818796B2 Planar qubits having increased coherence times
An interdigitated capacitor includes a substrate and a pair of comb-like electrodes both formed on the semiconductor substrate and horizontally arranged thereon, each of the pair of comb-like electrodes including finger electrodes having a curved profile.
US09818793B2 Photoelectric conversion device and method for producing photoelectric conversion device
A photoelectric conversion device according to the present invention has a plurality of photoreceiving portions provided in a substrate, an interlayer film overlying the photoreceiving portion, a large refraction index region which is provided so as to correspond to the photoreceiving portion and has a higher refractive index than the interlayer film, and a layer which is provided in between the photoreceiving portion and the large refraction index region, and has a lower etching rate than the interlayer film, wherein the layer of the lower etching rate is formed so as to cover at least the whole surface of the photoreceiving portion. In addition, the layer of the lower etching rate has a refractive index in between the refractive indices of the large refraction index region and the substrate. Such a configuration can provide the photoelectric conversion device which inhibits the lowering of the sensitivity and the variation of the sensitivity among picture elements.
US09818791B1 Stacked image sensor
A stacked image sensor includes a first plurality of photodiodes, including a first photodiode and a second photodiode, disposed in a first semiconductor material. A thickness of the first semiconductor material proximate to the first photodiode is less than the thickness of the first semiconductor material proximate to the second photodiode. A second plurality of photodiodes is disposed in a second semiconductor material. The second plurality of photodiodes is optically aligned with the first plurality of photodiodes. An interconnect layer is disposed between the first semiconductor material and the second semiconductor material. The interconnect layer includes an optical shield disposed between the second photodiode and a third photodiode included in the second plurality of photodiodes. The optical shield prevents a first portion of image light from reaching the third photodiode.
US09818787B2 Imaging element and method of manufacturing the same
A solid-state image sensor including a substrate having a photoelectric conversion element disposed therein, the photoelectric conversion element converting an amount of incident light into a charge amount, a memory unit disposed at a side of the photoelectric conversion element, the memory unit receiving the charge amount from the photoelectric conversion element, a first light-shielding section formed at a first side of the memory unit and disposed between the charge accumulation region and the photoelectric conversion element, and a second light-shielding section formed at a second side of the memory unit such that the second side is opposite the first side.
US09818786B2 Imaging device including wirings that overlap photoelectric conversions units
A solid-state imaging device including a semiconductor substrate; plural photoelectric conversion units formed side by side on the semiconductor substrate to form a light receiving unit; a peripheral circuit formed in a portion on an outside of the light receiving unit on the semiconductor substrate; a wiring section formed on the light receiving unit and formed for connecting the plural photoelectric conversion units and the peripheral circuit; and a dummy wiring section formed on an opposite side of the wiring section for at least one photoelectric conversion unit among the plural photoelectric conversion units on the light receiving unit and formed for functioning as a non-connected wiring section not connected to the photoelectric conversion units and the peripheral circuit, wherein the dummy wiring section has a predetermined potential.
US09818783B2 Solid-state image pickup apparatus and electronic apparatus
Provided is a solid-state image pickup apparatus including a crosstalk suppression mechanism included in each pixel arranged in a pixel array, the crosstalk suppression mechanism of a part of the pixels differing from that of other pixels in an effective area of the pixel array.
US09818781B2 Image pixel including a plurality of trenches, image sensor including the same, and image processing system including the same
An image pixel includes a plurality of photodiodes formed in a semiconductor substrate, and a plurality of trenches. Each photodiode is configured to accumulate a plurality of photocharges corresponding to the intensity of light received at each photodiode through a microlens. The plurality of trenches is configured to electrically isolate the photodiodes from one another.
US09818780B2 Camera module
In a camera module, a planar part, which is for mitigating deformation of the surface of a second insulating portion on which an imaging device is mounted, is embedded in the second insulating portion of a substrate so as to face the imaging device mounted on the surface (top surface) of the second insulating portion.
US09818775B2 Array substrate, manufacturing method thereof, display device, thin-film transistor (TFT) and manufacturing method thereof
An array substrate, a manufacturing method thereof, a display device, a thin-film transistor (TFT) and a manufacturing method thereof are disclosed. The method for manufacturing the TFT comprises: forming a pattern of an active layer and a gate insulating layer provided with a metal film on a base substrate; patterning the metal film by one patterning process, and forming patterns of a gate electrode, a source electrode, a drain electrode, a gate line and a data line; forming a passivation layer on the base substrate; patterning the passivation layer by one patterning process, and forming a source contact hole, a drain contact hole and a bridge structure contact hole; and forming a transparent conductive film on the base substrate, and removing partial transparent conductive film to form a source contact portion, a drain contact portion (214), a pixel electrode and a bridge structure. The manufacturing method can reduce the number of the patterning processes.
US09818774B2 Fabrication method of pixel structure
A fabrication method of a pixel structure is provided. The fabrication method includes: forming a gate electrode, a gate insulating layer, an active layer, a pixel electrode layer and a source-drain electrode layer on a substrate, and etching the source-drain electrode layer by using a photoresist pattern to form a source electrode and a drain electrode; ashing the photoresist pattern, so as to align edges of the ashed photoresist pattern with edges of the source electrode and the drain electrode; etching a silicon oxide generated in ashing the photoresist pattern; and etching a semiconductor layer between the source electrode and the drain electrode by an etching process to form a channel. The fabrication method can remove indium-containing material remained on both sides of a source electrode and a drain electrode, and can resolve a problem that a width of a channel between the source electrode and the drain electrode is small.
US09818770B2 Flexible micro-electronics circuits with crack mitigation
An electronic circuit device that includes a plurality of electrical circuits disposed on a support substrate, such as an electronic display device, includes one or more primary electrodes that extend along a trace on the support substrate, wherein the primary electrodes form one or more primary electrical pathways of or to one or more of the electrical circuits. One or more secondary electrodes are disposed along and in electrical contact with the primary electrodes. The secondary electrodes extend along the trace substantially parallel with the primary electrodes and form secondary electrical pathways adjacent the primary electrical pathways. The secondary electrodes are formed of a secondary conductor that is electrically conductive and has a higher strain limit than the primary electrodes. The secondary electrodes are able to handle a higher amount of strain than the primary electrode without breaking the secondary electrical pathway and thereby are arranged to complete the electrical circuits when a gap in a primary electrode interrupts the electrical circuit through the primary electrode.
US09818760B1 Memory structure, method of operating the same, and method of manufacturing the same
A memory structure includes stacks, memory layers, channel layers, dielectric layers, and first conductive lines. Each stack includes a group of alternating conductive strips and insulating strips. The memory layers are conformally disposed on the stacks. The channel layers are conformally disposed on the memory layers. The dielectric layers are disposed on portions of the channel layers at first sides of the stacks and portions of the channel layers at second sides of the stacks. The first conductive lines are disposed along sidewalls of the stacks. The first conductive lines are isolated from the channel layers by the dielectric layers. One first conductive line disposed at the first side of one stack is isolated from one first conductive line disposed at the second side of the same stack and isolated from one first conductive line disposed at the second side of an adjacent stack.
US09818758B2 Three-dimensional semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof
There are provided a 3-D semiconductor device and a manufacturing method thereof. The 3-D semiconductor device includes a substrate extending along a first plane defined by first and second x and y directions, the substrate having a pipe transistor formed therein, a plurality of word lines spaced apart at regular intervals along a third direction z perpendicular to the first and second x and y directions; a first vertical plug connected to a first end of the pipe transistor by passing vertically through the word lines; a second vertical plug, connected to a second end of the pipe transistor by passing vertically through the word lines; a bit line connected to a top surface of the first vertical plug; and a source line connected to a top surface of the second vertical plug, wherein the first and second vertical plugs have different size.
US09818756B2 Methods of forming a charge-retaining transistor having selectively-formed islands of charge-trapping material within a lateral recess
A charge-retaining transistor includes a control gate and an inter-gate dielectric alongside the control gate. A charge-storage node of the transistor includes first semiconductor material alongside the inter-gate dielectric. Islands of charge-trapping material are alongside the first semiconductor material. An oxidation-protective material is alongside the islands. Second semiconductor material is alongside the oxidation-protective material, and is of some different composition from that of the oxidation-protective material. Tunnel dielectric is alongside the charge-storage node. Channel material is alongside the tunnel dielectric. Additional embodiments, including methods, are disclosed.
US09818754B2 Semiconductor memory device and method for manufacturing same
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory device includes a substrate, a stacked body, and a columnar portion. The stacked body includes a first insulating layer provided on the substrate, a first electrode layer provided on the first insulating layer and including polycrystalline silicon, a second insulating layer provided on the first electrode layer, and a second electrode layer provided on the second insulating layer. The columnar portion includes a semiconductor layer extending in a stacking direction of the stacked body and a memory layer provided between the semiconductor layer and the stacked body. The first and second electrode layers respectively have a first thickness and a second thickness in the stacking direction, and the first thickness of the first electrode layer is thicker than the second thickness of the second electrode layer.
US09818750B2 Semiconductor device
Provided is a semiconductor device capable of holding data for a long period. The semiconductor device includes first to third transistors, a capacitor, and a circuit. The third transistor includes a first gate and a second gate. A gate of the first transistor is electrically connected to a first terminal of the capacitor. A first terminal of the first transistor is electrically connected to the second gate. A second terminal of the first transistor is electrically connected to the circuit. A gate of second transistor is electrically connected to a first terminal of the second transistor. A first terminal of the second transistor is electrically connected to the second gate. A second terminal of the second transistor is electrically connected to a first terminal of the capacitor. The circuit is configured to generate a negative potential. A channel formation region of the first transistor preferably includes an oxide semiconductor.
US09818747B2 Super-self-aligned contacts and method for making the same
A number of first hard mask portions are formed on a dielectric layer to vertically shadow a respective one of a number of underlying gate structures. A number of second hard mask filaments are formed adjacent to each side surface of each first hard mask portion. A width of each second hard mask filament is set to define an active area contact-to-gate structure spacing. A first passage is etched between facing exposed side surfaces of a given pair of neighboring second hard mask filaments and through a depth of the semiconductor wafer to an active area. A second passage is etched through a given first hard mask portion and through a depth of the semiconductor wafer to a top surface of the underlying gate structure. An electrically conductive material is deposited within both the first and second passages to respectively form an active area contact and a gate contact.
US09818740B2 Method of improving bipolar device signal to noise performance by reducing the effect of oxide interface trapping centers
An integrated circuit includes an NMOS transistor, a PMOS transistor and a vertical bipolar transistor. The vertical bipolar transistor has an intrinsic base with a band barrier at least 25 meV high at a surface boundary of the intrinsic base, except at an emitter-base junction with an emitter, and except at a base-collector junction with a collector. The intrinsic base may be laterally surrounded by an extrinsic base with a higher dopant density than the intrinsic base, wherein a higher dopant density provides the band barrier at lateral surfaces of the intrinsic base. A gate may be disposed on a gate dielectric layer over a top surface boundary of the intrinsic base adjacent to the emitter. The gate is configured to accumulate the intrinsic base immediately under the gate dielectric layer, providing the band barrier at the top surface boundary of the intrinsic base.
US09818735B2 Method of manufacturing a semiconductor device
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes providing a first semiconductor chip comprising a first metallic structure, a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; providing a second semiconductor chip comprising a second metallic structure; bonding the first semiconductor chip with the second semiconductor chip on the second surface; forming a first recessed portion including a first sidewall and a first bottom surface coplanar with a top surface of the first metallic structure; forming a second recessed portion including a second sidewall and a second bottom surface coplanar with a top surface of the second metallic structure; forming a dielectric layer over the first sidewall and the second sidewall; and forming a conductive material over the dielectric layer, the top surface of the first metallic structure and the top surface of the second metallic structure.
US09818734B2 Semiconductor device and method of forming build-up interconnect structures over a temporary substrate
A semiconductor device has a first build-up interconnect structure formed over a substrate. The first build-up interconnect structure includes an insulating layer and conductive layer formed over the insulating layer. A vertical interconnect structure and semiconductor die are disposed over the first build-up interconnect structure. The semiconductor die, first build-up interconnect structure, and substrate are disposed over a carrier. An encapsulant is deposited over the semiconductor die, first build-up interconnect structure, and substrate. A second build-up interconnect structure is formed over the encapsulant. The second build-up interconnect structure electrically connects to the first build-up interconnect structure through the vertical interconnect structure. The substrate provides structural support and prevents warpage during formation of the first and second build-up interconnect structures. The substrate is removed after forming the second build-up interconnect structure. A portion of the insulating layer is removed exposing the conductive layer for electrical interconnect with subsequently stacked semiconductor devices.
US09818733B2 Power converters having capacitive energy transfer elements and arrangements of energy storage elements for power converters
A power converter includes a PCB and a semiconductor die coupled to the PCB. The semiconductor die includes first through fourth switching devices. The power converter further includes a first energy storage element electrically connected to the first and second switching devices and a second energy storage element electrically connected to the third and fourth switching devices. The first energy storage element is mounted over the first and second switching devices and the second energy storage element is mounted over the third and fourth switching devices.
US09818730B2 Semiconductor arrangement, method for producing a number of chip assemblies, method for producing a semiconductor arrangement and method for operating a semiconductor arrangement
A semiconductor arrangement includes top and bottom contact plates, a plurality of chip assemblies, a dielectric embedding compound, and a control electrode interconnection structure. Each chip assembly has a semiconductor chip having a semiconductor body. The semiconductor body has a top side and an opposing underside. The top side is spaced apart from the underside in a vertical direction. Each semiconductor chip has a top main electrode arranged on the top side, a bottom main electrode arranged on the underside, a control electrode arranged at the top side, and an electrically conductive top compensation die, arranged on the side of the top main electrode facing away from the semiconductor body and cohesively and electrically conductively connected to the top main electrode by means of a top connecting layer. An electric current between the top main electrode and the bottom main electrode can be controlled by means of the control electrode.
US09818729B1 Package-on-package structure and method
A method includes attaching a first semiconductor package on a carrier, wherein the first semiconductor package comprises a plurality of stacked semiconductor dies and a plurality of contact pads, depositing a first molding compound layer over the carrier, wherein the first semiconductor package is embedded in the first molding compound layer, forming a plurality of vias over the plurality of contact pads, attaching a semiconductor die on the first molding compound layer, depositing a second molding compound layer over the carrier, wherein the semiconductor die and the plurality of vias are embedded in the second molding compound layer, forming an interconnect structure over the second molding compound layer and forming a plurality of bumps over the interconnect structure.
US09818724B2 Interposer-chip-arrangement for dense packaging of chips
The interposer-chip-arrangement comprises an interposer (1), metal layers arranged above a main surface (10), a further metal layer arranged above a further main surface (11) opposite the main surface, an electrically conductive interconnection (7) through the interposer, the interconnection connecting one of the metal layers and the further metal layer, a chip (12) arranged at the main surface or at the further main surface, the chip having a contact pad (15), which is electrically conductively connected with the interconnection, a dielectric layer (2) arranged above the main surface with the metal layers embedded in the dielectric layer, a further dielectric layer (3) arranged above the further main surface with the further metal layer embedded in the further dielectric layer, and an integrated circuit (25) in the interposer, the integrated circuit being connected with at least one of the metal layers (5).
US09818722B1 Package structure and method for manufacturing thereof
A package structure includes a package, at least one first molding material, and at least one second semiconductor device. The package includes at least one first semiconductor device therein. The package has a top surface. The first molding material is present on the top surface of the package and has at least one opening therein, in which at least a region of the top surface of the package is exposed by the opening of the first molding material. The second semiconductor device is present on the top surface of the package and is molded in the first molding material.
US09818721B2 Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof
An electronic device and a method of making an electronic device. As non-limiting examples, various aspects of this disclosure provide various electronic devices, and methods of making thereof, that comprise a permanently coupled carrier that enhances reliability of the electronic devices.
US09818719B2 Bumpless build-up layer package design with an interposer
The present disclosure relates to the field of integrated circuit package design and, more particularly, to packages using a bumpless build-up layer (BBUL) designs. Embodiments of the present description relate to the field of fabricating microelectronic packages, wherein an interposer, such as a through-silicon via interposer, may be used in a bumpless build-up layer package to facilitate stacked microelectronic components.
US09818716B2 Power module
A power module is fabricated, employing a clad metal that is formed by pressure-laminating aluminum and copper, in such a manner that the aluminum layer of the clad metal is bonded such as by ultrasonic bonding to the surface electrode of the power semiconductor chip and a wire is bonded to the copper layer thereof to establish electrical circuit. The clad metal is thermally treated in advance at a temperature higher than the operating temperature of the power semiconductor chip to sufficiently form intermetallic compounds at the interface between the aluminum layer and the copper layer for the intermetallic compounds so as not to grow in thickness after the bonding processes.
US09818711B2 Post-passivation interconnect structure and methods thereof
The semiconductor device includes a die that contains a substrate and a bond pad. A connective layer is disposed over the die. The connective layer includes a supporting pad and a conductive channel. A portion of the conductive channel passes at least partially through the supporting pad. At least one dielectric region is interposed between the supporting pad and the portion of the conductive channel.
US09818705B1 Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device includes at least one semiconductor element having a first terminal side and a second terminal side connected by an outer periphery portion, a first terminal on the first terminal side, and a second terminal on the second terminal side. The device includes a frame surrounding the outer periphery portion of the semiconductor element. A first electrode is on the first terminal side and is electrically connected to the first terminal. The first electrode includes a first body portion and a first projection protruding outwardly therefrom around the circumference of the first body portion. A second electrode is on the second terminal side and is electrically connected to the second terminal, and a metal plate is over the first electrode. The first projection of the first electrode is spaced from and extends along a peripheral portion of the metal plate.
US09818704B2 Stress tuning for reducing wafer warpage
A method includes forming a low-k dielectric layer over a substrate of a wafer, forming a first dielectric layer over the low-k dielectric layer, forming a second dielectric layer over the first dielectric layer, forming a stress tuning dielectric layer over the second dielectric layer, forming an opening in the stress tuning dielectric layer to expose a top surface of the second dielectric layer, and etching the stress tuning dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer to form a trench. The formation of the opening and the etching of the stress tuning dielectric layer are performed in separate etching steps. The method further includes etching the first dielectric layer to form a via opening connected to the trench, and filling the trench and the via opening to form a metal line and a via, respectively.
US09818703B2 Printed circuit board
A printed circuit board includes chip regions on which semiconductor chips are mounted, and a scribe region surrounding each of the chip regions. The scribe region includes first vent holes that are configured to receive a flow of molding resin and are arranged along a first direction corresponding to a flow direction of the molding resin.
US09818702B2 Wiring substrate and semiconductor device
A wiring substrate includes a first reinforcement pattern stacked on a lower surface of a first insulation layer at a peripheral region located at an outer side of a wiring formation region. A first reinforcement via extends through a second insulation layer in the thickness-wise direction and contacts the first reinforcement pattern. A second reinforcement pattern is stacked on a lower surface of the second insulation layer and connected to the first reinforcement pattern by the first reinforcement via. The first reinforcement via includes a top that partially extends into the first insulation layer.
US09818699B2 Semiconductor packages and methods of fabricating the same
Provided is a method of fabricating a semiconductor package. The method includes providing a substrate including a plurality of semiconductor chips; forming a mold layer covering the semiconductor chips; forming a first shielding layer on the mold layer; cutting the mold layer and the first shielding layer to form trenches between the semiconductor chips; and forming a second shielding layer to fill the trenches.
US09818697B2 Semiconductor package manufacturing method
The present disclosure provides a manufacturing method of a semiconductor packaging, including forming a redistribution layer (RDL) on a carrier, defining an active portion and a dummy portion of the RDL, and placing a semiconductor die over the dummy portion of the RDL. The present disclosure also provides a manufacturing method of a package-on-package (PoP) semiconductor structure, including forming a first redistribution layer (RDL) on a polymer-based layer of a carrier, defining an active portion and a dummy portion of the first RDL, placing a semiconductor die over the dummy portion of the first RDL, a back side of the semiconductor die facing the first RDL, forming a second RDL over a front side of the semiconductor die, the front side having at least one contact pad, and attaching a semiconductor package at the back side of the semiconductor die.
US09818696B1 Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device includes: a trench; a first electrode is formed in the trench; a first impurity region, which has a first conductivity type and is formed to abut on the trench; a second impurity region, which has a second conductivity type and is formed to abut the trench; an insulating film, which is formed on the front surface of the semiconductor substrate; a conductive plug, which is formed to penetrate through the insulating film and is electrically connected to the first impurity region and the second impurity region; wherein the conductive plug includes: a silicon layer made of silicon other than a single crystal; a silicide crystallite contained in the silicon layer; and a blocking layer that is formed to cover sides of the silicon layer and is made of a material that is impervious to the silicide crystallites.
US09818695B2 Material and process for copper barrier layer
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device comprises forming a first dielectric material layer on a semiconductor substrate. The first dielectric material layer is patterned to form a plurality of vias therein. A metal layer is formed on the first dielectric material layer, wherein the metal layer fills the plurality of vias. The metal layer is etched such that portions of the metal layer above the first dielectric material layer are patterned to form a plurality of metal features aligned with the plurality of vias respectively. A self-assembled monolayer film is formed on surfaces of the plurality of metal features.
US09818694B2 Active atomic reservoir for enhancing electromigration reliability in integrated circuits
An integrated circuit (IC) comprises a first conductor in one layer of the IC, a second conductor in another layer of the IC, and a first metal plug connecting the first and second conductors. The IC further comprises an atomic source conductor (ASC) in the one layer of the IC and joined to the first conductor, and a second metal plug connecting the ASC to a voltage source of the IC. The first conductor and the ASC are configured to be biased to different voltages so as to establish an electron path from the second metal plug to the first metal plug such that the ASC acts as an active atomic source for the first conductor.
US09818690B2 Self-aligned interconnection structure and method
The present disclosure provides a method that includes providing a substrate having a first dielectric material layer and first conductive features that are laterally separated from each other by segments of the first dielectric material layer; depositing a first etch stop layer on the first dielectric material layer and the first conductive features, thereby forming the first etch stop layer having oxygen-rich portions self-aligned with the segments of the first dielectric material layer and oxygen-poor portions self-aligned with the first conductive features; performing a selective removal process to selectively remove the oxygen-poor portions of the first etch stop layer; forming a second etch stop layer on the first conductive features and the oxygen-rich portions of the first etch stop layer; forming a second dielectric material layer on the second etch stop layer; and forming a conductive structure in the second dielectric material layer.
US09818687B2 Semiconductor module and method of manufacturing semiconductor module
A semiconductor module includes an insulated circuit board that includes an insulating substrate, a first conductive plate arranged on a first principal surface of the insulating substrate and within the outer edges of the insulating substrate, and a second conductive plate arranged within the outer edges of the insulating substrate on a second principal surface of the insulating substrate that faces the first principal surface. Furthermore, boundary edges between the first principal surface of the insulating substrate and the side faces of the first conductive plate are covered by an ion gel that contains an ionic liquid.
US09818684B2 Electronic device with a plurality of redistribution structures having different respective sizes
A semiconductor device with enhanced interposer quality, and method of manufacturing thereof. For example and without limitation, various aspects of the present disclosure provide an interposer die that comprises a first signal distribution structure comprising at least a first dielectric layer and a first conductive layer, wherein the signal distribution structure is protected at lateral edges by a protective layer. Also for example, various aspects of the present disclosure provide a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising such an interposer die.
US09818676B2 Singulation method for semiconductor package with plating on side of connectors
A method of singulating semiconductor packages, the method comprising: providing a plurality of semiconductor dies coupled to a single common leadframe, wherein a molding compound at least partially encases the semiconductor dies and the leadframe; singulating the plurality of semiconductor dies, wherein the leadframe is at least partially cut between adjacent semiconductor dies, thereby forming exposed side surfaces on leads of the leadframe; and plating the exposed side surfaces of the leads with a plating material, wherein the plating material is a different material than the leads. In some embodiments, singulating the plurality of semiconductor dies comprises performing a full cut of the leadframe. In some embodiments, singulating the plurality of semiconductor dies comprises performing separate partial cuts of the leadframe.
US09818675B2 Semiconductor device including conductive clip with flexible leads and related methods
An integrated circuit (IC) device may include a leadframe and an IC die having a first surface coupled to the lead frame and a second surface opposite the first surface. The IC device may further include a conductive clip including a first portion coupled to the second surface of the IC die, a second portion coupled to the first portion and extending laterally away from the IC die, and at least one flexible lead coupled to the second portion and looping back under the second portion toward the leadframe. Furthermore, a package may be over the leadframe, IC die, and conductive clip and have an opening therein exposing the at least one flexible lead.
US09818672B2 Flow diversion devices
Embodiments of flow diversion devices (FDDs) are disclosed herein. An FDD may include a body formed of a body material and a plurality of thermally deformable fins arranged along the body. Individual fins of the plurality of fins may include first and second materials having different coefficients of thermal expansion (CTEs). Other embodiments may be disclosed and/or claimed.
US09818669B2 Printed circuit board assembly including conductive heat transfer
A printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) may include a printed circuit board (PCB), a socket mechanically and electrically coupled to the PCB, and an integrated circuit package electrically coupled to the socket. The PCBA also may include a thermal cover comprising a thermally conductive material and a thermal strap thermally coupled to the thermal cover. The thermal cover may be thermally coupled to the integrated circuit package and mechanically urge the integrated circuit package in contact with the socket, and the thermal strap may include a thermally conductive material.
US09818667B2 Compute intensive module packaging
A package for a multi-chip module includes a top cold plate and a bottom plate whose perimeters are in thermal communication so the plates together completely encase the module except for a connector passing through the bottom plate. The cold plate has copper tubing pressed into a groove formed in a serpentine pattern. The perimeter of the cold plate has thermal conduction fins which mate with thermal conduction slots in the perimeter of the bottom plate. Thermal interface material is disposed in gaps between the plates and chips on the module, the gaps having dimensions controlled by support ribs of plates which abut the module substrate. The cold plate is used on the hottest side of the module, e.g., the side having computationally-intensive chips such as ASICs. A densely packed array of these packages can be used in a central electronic complex drawer with a shared coolant circulation system.
US09818666B2 Interconnect arrangement with stress-reducing structure and method of fabricating the same
A semiconductor device structure and a method of fabricating the same are provided. The semiconductor device structure includes a gate structure embedded in a first dielectric layer over a substrate and a second dielectric layer formed over the first dielectric layer. The semiconductor device structure includes a conductive feature formed in the second dielectric layer over the gate structure and a first structure formed at least two sides of the conductive feature in the second dielectric layer. The first dielectric layer is made of a compressive material and the first structure is made of a tensile material or wherein the first dielectric layer is made of a compressive material and the first structure is made of a tensile material.
US09818663B2 Silicone composition with protection against pollutants
Addition-curable encapsulants for electrical and electronic components contain amorphous glass particles doped with silver, and are efficient scavengers of sulfur and sulfur compounds.
US09818659B2 Multi-die package comprising unit specific alignment and unit specific routing
A method of making a semiconductor device can include forming an embedded die panel by encapsulating a first semiconductor die and a second semiconductor die with conductive interconnects in a single step. An actual position of the first semiconductor die and second semiconductor die can be measured within the embedded die panel. The first semiconductor die and the second semiconductor die can be interconnected by a build-up interconnect structure comprising a first unit specific alignment portion aligned with the first semiconductor die, a second unit specific alignment portion aligned with the second semiconductor die, unit specific routing connecting the first unit specific alignment portion and the second unit specific alignment portion, and a fixed portion aligned with outline of embedded die panel and coupled to the unit specific routing.
US09818658B2 Semiconductor wafer processing methods and apparatus
A semiconductor wafer processing method comprising controlling the temperature of a semiconductor wafer to be within a predetermined processing temperature range by: causing a first temperature change of the semiconductor wafer using a first temperature changing unit; and subsequently causing a second temperature change using a second temperature changing unit; wherein the first change is greater than the second change; and subsequently loading the semiconductor wafer on a processing area of a semiconductor wafer processing apparatus. Also, a semiconductor wafer processing method comprising controlling the temperature of a semiconductor wafer to be within a predetermined processing temperature range by causing a temperature change of the semiconductor wafer using a temperature changing unit; transporting the semiconductor wafer from the temperature changing unit to a processing area of a semiconductor wafer processing apparatus; and controlling the temperature of the semiconductor wafer during the transporting step.
US09818657B2 Dry etching method and method of manufacturing semiconductor device
A first etching rate of the first conductive film is calculated by acquiring correlation between an opening ratio of an etching mask and an etching rate of an etching target film, and then, performing a first dry etching to a first conductive film formed on a first wafer. Next, a second etching mask is formed on a second conductive film formed on a second wafer, and an etching time of the second conductive film is determined from the correlation between the opening ratio and the etching rate, the first etching rate, and a film thickness of the second conductive film when the second conductive film is subjected to a second dry etching in time-controlled etching.
US09818653B2 Semiconductor TSV device package to which other semiconductor device package can be later attached
A first package includes a laminate layer, an overmold layer above and in direct contact with the laminate layer, and a logic circuit-through-silicon via (TSV) layer including a first logic die and TSVs. The logic circuit-TSV layer is within the overmold layer, and the TSVs are electrically exposed at a top surface of the overmold layer. The first package may be fabricated and tested by a first party prior to being provided to a second party. A second package includes a second logic die. The second party may attach the second package to the first package at the electrically exposed TSVs of the first package to realize a complete and functional semiconductor device.
US09818651B2 Methods, apparatus and system for a passthrough-based architecture
At least one method, apparatus and system disclosed herein for forming a finFET device having a pass-through structure. A first gate structure and a second gate structure are formed on a semiconductor wafer. A first active area is formed on one end of the first and second gate structures. A second active area is formed on the other end of the first and second gate structures. A trench silicide (TS) structure self-aligned to the first and second gate structures is formed. The TS structure is configured to operatively couple the first active area to the second active area.
US09818642B2 Method of forming inter-level dielectric structures on semiconductor devices
A semiconductor device and a method for making the semiconductor device are provided. The method of making the semiconductor device may include patterning a layer for a first conductor and a second conductor, plating patterned portions of the layer to form the first conductor and the second conductor, removing patterned material to form an air gap between the first conductor and the second conductor, applying a self-supporting film on top of the first conductor and the second conductor to enclose the air gap, and reacting the self-supporting film causing the self-supporting film to be substantially non-conductive.
US09818641B1 Apparatus and method of forming self-aligned cuts in mandrel and a non-mandrel lines of an array of metal lines
A method includes providing a structure having a first, second and third hardmask layer and a mandrel layer disposed respectively over a dielectric stack. An array of mandrels, a beta trench and a gamma trench are patterned into the structure. First inner spacers are formed on sidewalls of the beta trench and second inner spacers are formed on sidewalls of the gamma trench. The first and second inner spacers form a portion of a pattern. The pattern is etched into the dielectric stack to form an array of mandrel and non-mandrel metal lines extending in a Y direction and being self-aligned in an X direction. The portion of the pattern formed by the first and second inner spacers forms a first pair of cuts in a mandrel line and a second pair of cuts in a non-mandrel line respectively. The cuts are self-aligned in the Y direction.
US09818639B2 Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof
The reliability of wirings, each of which includes a main conductive film containing copper as a primary component, is improved. On an insulating film including the upper surface of a wiring serving as a lower layer wiring, an insulating film formed of a silicon carbonitride film having excellent barrier properties to copper is formed; on the insulating film, an insulating film formed of a silicon carbide film having excellent adhesiveness to a low dielectric constant material film is formed; on the insulating film, an insulating film formed of a low dielectric constant material as an interlayer insulating film is formed; and thereafter a wiring as an upper layer wiring is formed.
US09818638B1 Manufacturing method of semiconductor device
A method of forming a semiconductor device includes forming a low-k dielectric layer over a substrate and forming a first dielectric layer on the low-k dielectric layer. A first metal hard mask layer is formed on the first dielectric layer, and a second dielectric layer is formed on the first metal hard mask layer. A second metal hard mask layer is formed on the second dielectric layer, and a first trench opening is formed in the second metal hard mask layer and the second dielectric layer exposing the first metal hard mask layer. A first via opening is formed in the exposed first metal hard mask layer in the first trench opening, and the first trench opening and first via opening are extended into the low-k dielectric layer to form a first trench and a first via.
US09818633B2 Equipment front end module for transferring wafers and method of transferring wafers
An EFEM useful for transferring wafers to and from wafer processing modules comprises an enclosure having a controlled environment therein bounded by a front wall, a back wall, first and second side walls, a top wall, and a bottom wall. The first side wall and the second side wall include two or more wafer load ports wherein each wafer load port is adapted to receive a FOUP. The front wall includes wafer ports configured to attach to respective load locks operable to allow a wafer to be transferred to a front wall cluster processing tool. The back wall includes a wafer port adapted to be in operational relationship with a back wall cluster processing tool. A robot in the EFEM enclosure is operable to transfer wafers through the wafer load ports, the first front wall wafer port, the second front wall wafer port, and the back wall wafer port.
US09818631B2 Semiconductor device handler throughput optimization
A method and system are provided for optimizing operational throughput for a semiconductor device handler having multiple stages. The method includes receiving semiconductor devices for testing at an input carrier buffer, and operating the handler in the testing of semiconductor devices. The method also includes recording operational throughput characteristics for each operational stage of the handler, and analyzing recorded operational throughput characteristics for each operational stage of the handler. Additionally, the method includes determining which operational stage of the handler has the most limiting constraint causing a lowest operational drumbeat, and adjusting operational parameters of the operational stage of the handler that has the lowest operational drumbeat to increase the operational drumbeat. The method further includes repeating the method until an operational state is achieved such that further adjustments to operational parameters result in a decrease in the operational throughput for the semiconductor device handler.
US09818629B2 Substrate processing apparatus and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium
Provided is a substrate processing apparatus capable of efficiently resuming processing of unprocessed substrates after an error occurs during processing of substrates. In the substrate processing apparatus that executes a recipe defining an order of processing substrates and manages process status of the substrates, the process status are changed to a processing state so as to execute the recipe, are changed to a paused state when unprocessed substrates are present among the substrates to be processed according to the recipe, due to an error occurring during the execution of the recipe, and are changed from the paused state to the processing state to resume the execution of the recipe so as to process the unprocessed substrates when the error is canceled and a operation is performed to resume the execution of the recipe.
US09818621B2 Cyclic oxide spacer etch process
Embodiments described herein relate to methods for etching a substrate. Patterning processes, such as double patterning and quadruple patterning processes, may benefit from the embodiments described herein which include performing an inert plasma treatment to implant ions into a spacer material, performing an etching process on an implanted region of the spacer material, and repeating the inert plasma treatment and the etching process to form a predominantly flat top spacer profile. The inert plasma treatment process may be a biased process and the etching process may be an unbiased process. Various processing parameters, such as pressure, may be controlled to influence a desired spacer profile.
US09818617B2 Method of electroless plating using a solution with at least two borane containing reducing agents
A solution for providing electroless deposition of a metal layer on a substrate is provided. A solvent is provided. A metal precursor is provided to the solvent. A first borane containing reducing agent is provided to the solvent. A second borane containing reducing agent is provided to the solvent, wherein the first borane containing reducing agent has a deposition rate of at least five times a deposition rate of the second borane containing reducing agent, and wherein the solution is free of nonborane reducing agents.
US09818614B2 Apparatus for molecular adhesion bonding with compensation for radial misalignment
A method for bonding a first wafer onto a second wafer by molecular adhesion where the wafers have an initial radial misalignment between them. The method includes bringing the two wafers into contact so as to initiate the propagation of a bonding wave between the two wafers while a predefined bonding curvature is imposed on at least one of the two wafers during the contacting step as a function of the initial radial misalignment.
US09818612B2 Method for manufacturing semiconductor device
Disclosed is a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device. The method includes: a first pattern forming step of forming, on a pattern forming target film, a first film that is patterned to have a first pattern that includes lines which are aligned with each other with spaces of a predetermined interval being interposed therebetween, and include a portion separated by using a first cut mask; a step of forming a second film to cover a surface of the first film; and a second pattern forming step of forming a pattern forming target film that is patterned to have a second pattern, by separating a portion of the space of the first step using a second cut mask. The first and second cut mask includes a plurality of openings or light shielding portions that have equal shapes, respectively.
US09818611B2 Methods of forming etch masks for sub-resolution substrate patterning
Techniques disclosed herein provide a method for pitch reduction (increasing pitch/feature density) for creating high-resolution features and also for cutting on pitch of sub-resolution features. Techniques include using multiple materials having different etch characteristics to selectively etch features and create cuts where specified. A sequence of materials or repeating pattern of lines of materials is used that provides selective self-alignment based on different etch resistivities. Combined with an underlying transfer or memorization layer, multiple different etch selectivities can be accessed. An etch mask defines which regions of the lines of multiple materials can be etched.
US09818606B2 Amorphous silicon thickness uniformity improved by process diluted with hydrogen and argon gas mixture
The embodiments described herein generally relate to methods for forming an amorphous silicon structure that may be used in thin film transistor devices. In embodiments disclosed herein, the amorphous silicon layer is deposited using a silicon-based gas with an activation gas comprising a high concentration of inert gas and a low concentration of hydrogen-based gas. The activation gas combination allows for a good deposition profile of the amorphous silicon layer from the edge of the shadow frame which is translated to the polycrystalline silicon layer post-annealing.
US09818586B2 Arc evaporation source
Provided is an arc evaporation source equipped with a target, a ring-shaped magnetic field guide magnet and a back side magnetic field generation source. The magnetic field guide magnet is aligned in a direction perpendicular to the evaporation face of the target and has a polarity that is the magnetization direction facing forward or backward. The back side magnetic field generation source is disposed at the rear of the magnetic field guide magnet, which is at the side of the back side of the target, and forms magnetic force lines running in the direction of magnetization of the magnetic field guide magnet. The target is disposed such that the evaporation face is positioned in front of the magnetic field guide magnet.
US09818584B2 Internal split faraday shield for a plasma source
An inductively coupled plasma source for a focused charged particle beam system includes a conductive shield within the plasma chamber in order to reduce capacitative coupling to the plasma. The internal conductive shield is maintained at substantially the same potential as the plasma source by a biasing electrode or by the plasma. The internal shield allows for a wider variety of cooling methods on the exterior of the plasma chamber.
US09818582B2 Plasma processing method
Disclosed is a plasma processing method. The method includes forming a protective film on an inner wall surface of a processing container of a plasma processing apparatus; and executing a processing on a workpiece within the processing container. When forming the protective film, a protective film forming gas is supplied from an upper side of the space between the mounting table and the side wall of the processing container so that plasma is generated. When executing the processing, a workpiece processing gas is supplied from an upper side of the mounting table so that plasma is generated.
US09818579B2 Reducing stored electrical energy in a lead inductance
According to a first aspect of the present invention, reducing electrical energy stored in a load or in one or more leads for connecting a power supply with the load is achieved by plasma process power circuitry including a switch in operative connection with at least one of the leads for enabling/interrupting power to the load; a first electrical nonlinear device; an energy storing device arranged in series with the first electrical nonlinear device; and a pre-charging circuit in operative connection with the energy storing device, the pre-charging circuit configured to charge the energy storing device to a pre-determined energy level while power to the load is enabled.
US09818574B2 Beam transmission system and method thereof
A beam current transmission system and method are disclosed. The beam current transmission system comprises an extraction device, a mass analyzer, a divergent element, a collimation element and a speed change and turning element, wherein an analysis plane of the mass analyzer is perpendicular to a convergent plane of the extracted beam, and after entering an entrance, the beam is converged on a convergent point in a plane perpendicular to the analysis plane, and then is diverged from the convergent point and transmitted to the divergent element from an exit; the collimation element is used for parallelizing the beam in a transmission plane of the beam; and the speed change and turning element is used for enabling the beam to change speed so as to achieve a target energy while the beam is deflected so that the transmission direction of the beam changes by a first pre-set angle. Through the coordinated cooperation among a plurality of beam current optical elements, a relatively wider distribution can be formed in a vertical plane, so the invention is suitable to the processing of a wafer with a large size and also ensure better injection uniformity on the premise of avoiding energy contamination.
US09818569B2 High dose output, through transmission target X-ray system and methods of use
A high dose output, through transmission target X-ray tube and methods of use includes, in general an X-ray tube for accelerating electrons under a high voltage potential having an evacuated high voltage housing, a hemispherical shaped through transmission target anode disposed in said housing, a cathode structure to deflect the electrons toward the hemispherical anode disposed in said housing, a filament located in the geometric center of the anode hemisphere disposed in said housing, a power supply connected to said cathode to provide accelerating voltage to the electrons.
US09818567B1 Apparatus and method of reducing arcing between a circuit breaker line terminal and a panel board terminal
An apparatus and a method are provided to reduce arcing between a circuit breaker having a breaker line terminal and a panel board terminal of an electrical panel board during installation and/or removal. The apparatus has an auto tripping mechanism including an auto trip lever having an end and a spring disposed at or near the end of the auto trip lever. The auto trip lever is configured to interface with an armature in a module one that houses a cradle of a breaker mechanism. The breaker mechanism is prevented from latching until the circuit breaker has been installed in the electrical panel board by keeping a breaker handle in a tripped position when the breaker line terminal and the panel board terminal are connected. The spring is configured to force the auto trip lever to rotate for providing a force and a deflection to automatically trip the circuit breaker as the circuit breaker is being removed from the electrical panel board and before the breaker line terminal and the panel board terminal separate.
US09818557B2 Key structure
A key structure includes, from top to bottom in sequence: at least one key main body, made of light transmissible material; a key frame, adapted to mount the key main body; an elastic supporting portion, allowing the key main bodies to move back and forth vertically; at least one bump, formed on one side of the elastic supporting portion; a detection module, sensing the action of the key main body and allowing the bump to be in touch therewith selectively; and a display screen, configured on one side of the detection module. A user can see the bottom display screen through the key main body directly, and the elastic supporting portion drives the bumps to move downward to touch the detection module after the user presses the key main body down. Whereby, the applicable range of the present invention is increased by changing the contents of the display screen.
US09818555B1 Encapsulating protective cover for a switch
Methods and devices related to preventing accidental operation of a switch are disclosed. An example device includes a main body, and a latch element rotatably connected to the main body and is configured to move relative to the main body between an unlatched position and a latched position. In the latched position, the main body and the latch element encapsulate the switch. Also, in the latched position, the main body and the latch element form a cavity configured to accommodate wiring to the switch. Further, the main body is configured with a cutout to reveal a status of the switch. The switch has Lock Out Tag Out (LOTO) index pin compatibility.
US09818554B2 Switch-operation-determining device
A switch-operation-determining device provided with a determination circuit for determining whether a switch has been operated, wherein the determination circuit is provided with: a first resistor, a first diode, and a second diode serially connected in the stated order from the power-source side, such that current flows from the power source toward a ground; and a control unit for comparing the anode potential of the first diode and a threshold potential, and determining that the switch has been operated when the anode potential of the first diode is lower. Of the first diode and the second diode, it is the second diode that is connected in parallel with the switch.
US09818551B2 Additive for electrolytic composition, electrolytic composition using this additive, and dye-sensitized solar cell
Provided are an additive for an electrolytic composition which can suppress the decrease of a short-circuit current and improve an open circuit voltage as compared to the case when conventional 4-TBpy is used as an additive for an electrolytic composition, and an electrolytic composition using this additive and a dye-sensitized solar cell. The additive for an electrolytic composition for use in a dye-sensitized solar cell contains a pyridine derivative having a pyridine ring into which an alkylsilyl group is introduced, and it is preferable that this pyridine derivative has an alkylsilyl group at the 4-position of the pyridine ring, and it is more preferable that the pyridine derivative is 4-(trimethylsilyl) pyridine.
US09818549B2 Conductive polymer dispersions for solid electrolytic capacitors
A capacitor with an anode and a dielectric over the anode. A first conductive polymer layer is over the dielectric wherein the first conductive polymer layer comprises a polyanion and a first binder. A second conductive polymer layer is over the first conductive polymer layer wherein the second conductive polymer layer comprises a polyanion and a second binder and wherein the first binder is more hydrophilic than the second binder.
US09818545B2 Ceramic electronic component
A ceramic electronic component includes a dielectric layer and an electrode layer. The dielectric layer contains a plurality of ceramic particles and grain boundary phases present therebetween. A main component of the ceramic particles is barium titanate. An average thickness of the grain boundary phases is 1.0 nm or more. A thickness variation σ of the grain boundary phases is 0.1 nm or less.
US09818544B2 Monolithic ceramic capacitor, monolithic ceramic capacitor array, and monolithic ceramic capacitor mounting structure
A monolithic ceramic capacitor includes a plurality of first and second inner electrodes in a ceramic body. A direction in which the first and second inner electrodes are stacked is a stacking direction, a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the stacking direction in the ceramic body is a length direction, and a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the stacking direction and the first direction is a width direction. The ceramic body includes an effective portion, a first outer layer portion, a second outer layer portion, a first side portion, and a second side portion. A ratio A/B is about 0.04 or less when a dimension of each of the first side portion and the second side portion in the width direction is A and a dimension of the effective portion in the stacking direction is B.
US09818542B2 Gate-all-around fin device
A gate-all around fin double diffused metal oxide semiconductor (DMOS) devices and methods of manufacture are disclosed. The method includes forming a plurality of fin structures from a substrate. The method further includes forming a well of a first conductivity type and a second conductivity type within the substrate and corresponding fin structures of the plurality of fin structures. The method further includes forming a source contact on an exposed portion of a first fin structure. The method further comprises forming drain contacts on exposed portions of adjacent fin structures to the first fin structure. The method further includes forming a gate structure in a dielectric fill material about the first fin structure and extending over the well of the first conductivity type.
US09818538B2 Multilayer ceramic electronic component and board for mounting thereof
A multilayer ceramic electronic component may include a ceramic body including an active part in which dielectric layers and internal electrodes are alternately disposed, an upper cover part disposed on the active part, and a lower cover part disposed below the active part, a buffer layer disposed in at least one of the upper and lower cover parts, and external electrodes disposed on end surfaces of the ceramic body. The buffer layer may contain a conductive metal in a content of 1 to 40 vol %.
US09818536B2 Multilayer ceramic capacitor and method of manufacturing multilayer ceramic capacitor
A multilayer ceramic capacitor that includes an internal electrode containing at least one kind of metal A selected from the group consisting of In, Ga, Zn, Bi, and Pb and dissolved in Ni to form a solid solution. The internal electrode has a ratio of A of 1.4 atomic percent or more to a total amount of A and Ni in a near-interface region located to a depth of 2 nm from a surface of the internal electrode facing a corresponding ceramic dielectric layer. A relation between a value X of atomic percent representing the ratio of A in the near-interface region and a value Y of atomic percent representing the ratio of A in a central region in a thickness direction of the internal electrode is X−Y≧1.0. Such a multilayer capacitor is formed by annealing a ceramic stack under a predetermined condition to increase the ratio of metal A in the near-interface region of the internal electrode.
US09818532B2 Method of forming electromagnetic space
By supplying power from the power-supplying resonator to the power-receiving resonator by means of resonance, an electromagnetic space having a relatively low magnetic field strength is formed between the power-supplying resonator and the power-receiving resonator. In so doing, the position where the electromagnetic space is formed is changed by setting the frequency of the AC power supplied from an AC power source to the power-supplying module to an antiphase resonance mode or an inphase resonance mode, and the size of the electromagnetic space is changed by changing the distance between the power-supplying coil and the power-supplying resonator and the distance between the power-receiving resonator and the power-receiving coil.
US09818531B2 Method of magnetic core
A magnetic core including a winding core portion; and a flange portion provided on the axial end side of at least one of the winding core portion, wherein the flange portion is formed such that contour line OL1 of cross-section P, of the flange portion, which becomes perpendicular with respect to the axis line of the winding core portion forms a shape of a first irregular convex polygon which is substantially a non-regular polygon and also a convex polygon, and the contour line OL1 contacts with respect to all of sides Sb1, Sb2, Sb3 and Sb4 which are the four sides of a first circumscribed rectangle which becomes minimum within imaginary rectangles circumscribed with the contour line OL1 and also, the contour line OL1 includes side Sa1 and side Sa2 which respectively overlap with portions of respective ones of the side Sb1 and the side Sb2.
US09818529B2 Welding type power supply with weld transformer
A method and apparatus for providing welding type power supply includes a power circuit and a control circuit. The power circuit receives input power and provides welding type power to a welding output. The power circuit includes a transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding. The secondary winding is in electrical communication with the welding output. The control circuit is connected to control the power circuit. The transformer includes a bobbin with the primary winding and the secondary winding wound thereon. The bobbin can includes vents to allow air flow into the bobbin. A winding separator can be disposed between the primary and secondary windings.
US09818528B2 Transformer circuit and manufacturing method thereof
A transformer circuit and a manufacturing method thereof are proposed. The transformer circuit includes plural input modules and output modules. Each of the input modules includes a first primary coil and a second primary coil, and each of the primary coils has a first positive input terminal and a negative input terminal. The first primary coil and the second primary coil of each of the input modules are inductively coupled with each other. Each of the output modules includes a secondary coil. Each of the secondary coils includes a first terminal and a second terminal. The first terminal and the second terminal of each of the secondary coils are electrically connected to a first output port and a second output port, respectively. The first primary coil and the second primary coil of each of the input modules are inductively coupled to the secondary coil of the corresponding output module, respectively.
US09818527B2 High current, low equivalent series resistance printed circuit board coil for power transfer application
An apparatus for a multilayer printed circuit board (PCB) coil, comprising: a first coil layer of a PCB; a plurality of vias coupled to and distributed to cover substantially the surface of the first coil layer within the PCB; and a second coil layer of the PCB and coupled to the vias to cover substantially the surface of the second coil layer, wherein the vias are positioned between the first coil layer and the second coil layer and enable substantially high current and low equivalent series resistance (ESR) for the multilayer PCB coil.
US09818526B2 Wound core for stationary induction apparatus
A wound core for stationary induction apparatus is provided that includes a wound core body, the core body being configured with laminated metal ribbons and provided in an upright manner, and a uniting binder provided on the outer circumference of the wound core body more sparsely toward the upper portion of the core body.
US09818525B2 Cooling device of power transformer
In some embodiments, a cooling device of a power transformer is presented and, more particularly, to a cooling device of a power transformer which may include a heat pipe and a heat sink to improve cooling performance, and to attenuate noise by eliminating a cooling fan.
US09818523B2 Electromagnet, tester and method of manufacturing magnetic memory
According to one embodiment, an electromagnet includes a first electromagnet coil having a first portion and a second portion. The first portion of the first electromagnet coil extends in a direction in parallel with a first plane. The second portion of the first electromagnet coil extends in a direction in parallel with a second plane. The first and second planes intersect at a predetermined angle.
US09818522B2 Magnet arrays
Method and device for self-regulated flux transfer from a source of magnetic energy into one or more ferromagnetic work pieces, wherein a plurality of magnets, each having at least one N-S pole pair defining a magnetization axis, are disposed in a medium having a first relative permeability, the magnets being arranged in an array in which gaps of predetermined distance are maintained between neighboring magnets in the array and in which the magnetization axes of the magnets are oriented such that immediately neighboring magnets face one another with opposite polarities, such arrangement representing a magnetic tank circuit in which internal flux paths through the medium exist between neighboring magnets and magnetic flux access portals are defined between oppositely polarized pole pieces of such neighboring magnets, and wherein at least one working circuit is created which has a reluctance that is lower than that of the magnetic tank circuit by bringing one or more of the magnetic flux access portals into close vicinity to or contact with a surface of a ferromagnetic body having a second relative permeability that is higher than the first relative permeability, whereby a limit of effective flux transfer from the magnetic tank circuit into the working circuit will be reached when the work piece approaches magnetic saturation and the reluctance of the work circuit substantially equals the reluctance of the tank circuit.
US09818517B2 Hexagonal ferrite magnetic particles, magnetic recording powder, and magnetic recording medium
Hexagonal ferrite magnetic particles have an activation volume ranging from 1,000 nm3 to 1,500 nm3, and ΔE10%/kT, thermal stability at 10% magnetization reversal, is equal to or greater than 40.
US09818510B2 Electronic component and method for manufacturing the same
In an electronic component, an outer electrode includes a sintered layer containing a sintered metal, an insulation layer containing an electric insulation material, and a Sn-containing layer containing Sn. The sintered layer extends from each of end surfaces of an element assembly onto at least one main surface thereof so as to cover each of the end surfaces of the element assembly. The insulation layer is directly provided on the sintered layer at each of the end surfaces of the element assembly so as to extend in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a side surface of the element assembly, and defines a portion of a surface of the outer electrode. The Sn-containing layer covers the sintered layer except for a portion of the sintered layer that is covered by the insulation layer, and constitutes another portion of the surface of the outer electrode.
US09818509B2 Method of manufacture of porcelain insulator structures and method and assembly for affixing metal flanges to porcelain insulators
A manufacturing process for a structure having a porcelain body and a flange includes: inserting an end portion of the body into a flange opening, providing a gap between the body end portion and a metal surface of the flange, filling the gap with adhesive to create a bond between the surfaces, installing an electrically active subassembly in the porcelain body and placing the structure in a heated environment to simultaneously dry the subassembly and fully cure the adhesive to provide the bond.
US09818508B2 Traceable and theft deterrent reclaimable product
A theft deterrent product may be provided. First, a plurality of unique codes may be created. Then a plurality of indicia may be placed periodically and longitudinally on the product. The plurality of indicia may respectively correspond to the plurality of unique codes. The product may have an outer layer and into an portion. Placing the plurality of indicia may comprise etching through the outer layer and into the inner portion. In a database, the plurality of unique codes may be assigned to an organizational entity. The organizational entity may comprise a first enterprise.
US09818505B2 Electric cable
An electric cable for improving flexibility of an insulating resin portion of the electric cable expressed by a secant modulus value is provided. In an electric cable 10a in which an outer periphery of a conductor 11 made of wires with diameters from 0.15 to 0.5 mm and having a cross-sectional area of 20 mm2 or more is covered with an insulating resin 12 including a flame retardant, a ratio of an electric cable diameter to a conductor diameter is from 1.15 to 1.40, and a secant modulus of the insulating resin 12 is from 10 to 50 MPa.
US09818504B2 Wire harness, electrical wire protector, and electrical wire holder
A wire harness including: an electrically conducting path including an electrical wire having a front end portion to which a terminal fitting is fixed; a corrugated tube configured to enclose the electrical wire; a rubber boot that is attached to a front end portion of the corrugated tube and is configured to enclose the electrical wire; and an electrical wire holder that is provided with: a holding part configured to hold the electrical wire; and a locking part configured to be locked to a circumferential surface of the corrugated tube. It is possible to stabilize the positional relationship between the front end portion of the electrically conducting path and the front end portion of the rubber boot by holding the electrical wire with the electrical wire holder and locking the electrical wire holder to the circumferential surface of the corrugated tube.
US09818503B2 Electrical harness connector
An electrical connection between two electrical harnesses is provided. The electrical harnesses include flexible printed circuits with embedded conductive tracks, each of which terminates in a receiving hole in a respective terminating region The terminating regions are connected together using conductive pins. The connection formation is then encapsulated by an encapsulating body formed of an insulating. The encapsulating body seals and protects the electrical connection, which is thus reliable and robust.
US09818500B2 Feed-through element for harsh environments
A feed-through element for harsh environments is provided that includes a support body with at least one access opening, in which at least one functional element is arranged in an electrically insulating fixing material. The electrically insulating fixing material contains a glass or a glass ceramic with a volume resistivity of greater than 1.0×1010 Ωcm at the temperature of 350° C. The glass or a glass ceramic has a defined composition range in the system SiO2—B2O3-MO.
US09818499B2 Electrically conductive materials formed by electrophoresis
A method of forming an electrically conductive composite is disclosed that includes the steps of providing a first dielectric material and a second conductive material that is substantially dispersed within the first dielectric material; and applying an electric field through at least a portion of the combined first dielectric material and second conductive material such that the second conductive material undergoes electrophoresis and forms at least one electrically conductive path through the electrically conductive composite along the direction of the applied electric field.
US09818497B2 Method of manufacturing an elongated electrically conducting element
A method of manufacturing an elongated electrically conducting element having functionalized carbon nanotubes and at least one metal, includes the steps of mixing functionalized carbon nanotubes with at least one metal, to obtain a composite mixture, and forming a solid mass from the composite mixture from step (i). A solid element obtained from the solid mass from step (ii) is inserted into a metal tube, and the metal tube from step (iii) is deformed, to obtain an elongated electrically conducting element.
US09818496B2 Method for treating tritium-water-containing raw water
The present invention relates to a method for treating tritium water-containing raw water, the method including supplying a part of raw water containing tritium water and alkali water to a circulation tank, mixing the raw water with alkali water in the circulation tank to obtain an electrolyte adjusted so as to have a desired alkali concentration, and continuously electrolyzing the electrolyte while circulating the electrolyte, thereby subjecting the raw water stored in the storage tank to alkali water electrolysis and thus gasifying the raw water.According to the invention, by gasifying tritium water-containing raw water by alkali water electrolysis, the tritium concentration in a tritium-containing hydrogen gas is diluted to 1/1,244 and the tritium water-containing raw water can be reduced in volume.
US09818494B2 Operation recording circuit and operation method thereof
An operation recording circuit and an operation method thereof are provided. The operation recording circuit includes a pin monitor unit, a memory unit, a data writing unit, a mode verification unit and a data dumping unit. The pin monitor unit monitors at least one first type pin of an integrated circuit (IC) to correspondingly provide a monitor signal. The data writing unit writes at least one monitor records into the memory unit according the monitor signal. When receiving a test dump command through at least one second type pin of the IC, the mode verification unit correspondingly provides a dump control signal. The data dumping unit determines whether to output the at least one monitor records from the memory unit through the at least one second type pin or not according to the dump control signal.
US09818492B2 Method for testing a memory and memory system
A method for testing a memory includes performing an error correction code check (ECC check) on user data stored in the memory, inverting the user data stored in the memory, performing a further ECC check on the inverted user data stored in the memory, and inverting the inverted user data stored in the memory for restoring the user data in the memory.
US09818487B2 Semiconductor memory device
A semiconductor memory device has a memory block including memory strings with first and second selection transistors at opposite ends of the memory strings. A bit line is connected to the first selection transistor of each memory string and a sense amplifier is connected to the bit line. The memory block includes word lines connected to each memory cell transistor in the memory strings. The memory device also includes a controller to control an erase operation that includes applying an erase voltage to the word lines, addressing a first memory string by applying a selection voltage to a gate electrode of first and second selection transistors of the first memory string, then applying an erase verify voltage to the word lines and using the sense amplifier to read data of memory cell transistors in the first memory string, then addressing a second memory string without first discharging the word lines.
US09818486B2 Fast secure erase in a flash system
A flash memory controller is configured to provide a first erase mode for erasing one or more groups of flash memory cells in a flash memory device using a plurality of erase pulses and a second erase mode for erasing the one or more groups of flash memory cells using a single erase pulse. The controller may receive a fast erase signal to erase the one or more groups of flash memory cells and, in response to the signal, switch operating parameters of the flash memory device from first parameters corresponding to the first erase mode to second parameters corresponding to the second erase mode, and instruct the flash memory device to perform an erase operation on the one or more groups of flash memory cells according to the second parameters. The controller may then verify that the erase operation was completed using the single erase pulse.
US09818485B2 Nonvolatle memory device and memory system having the same, and related memory management, erase and programming methods
An erase method of a nonvolatile memory device includes setting an erase mode, and performing one of a normal erase operation and a quick erase operation according to the set erase mode. The normal erase operation is performed to set a threshold voltage of a memory cell to an erase state which is lower than a first erase verification level. The quick erase operation is performed to set a threshold voltage of a memory cell to a pseudo erase state which is lower than a second erase verification level. The second erase verification level is higher than the first erase verification level.
US09818484B2 Systems, methods, and apparatus for memory cells with common source lines
Systems, methods, and apparatus are disclosed for implementing memory cells having common source lines. The methods may include receiving a first voltage at a first transistor. The first transistor may be coupled to a second transistor and included in a first memory cell. The methods include receiving a second voltage at a third transistor. The third transistor may be coupled to a fourth transistor and included in a second memory cell. The first and second memory cells may be coupled to a common source line. The methods include receiving a third voltage at a gate of the second transistor and a gate of the fourth transistor that may cause them to operate in cutoff mode. The methods may include receiving a fourth voltage at a gate of the first transistor. The fourth voltage may cause a change in a charge storage layer included in the first transistor.
US09818477B2 Methods of programming memory cells in non-volatile memory devices
A method of operating a non-volatile memory device includes receiving program data and a program address. Memory cells that correspond to the program address are selected from among memory cells in an erased state. The selected memory cells are programmed based on the program data such that each of the selected memory cells is programmed to one of a plurality of programmed states, where threshold voltage distributions of the programmed states are different from each other and are higher than a threshold voltage distribution associated with the erased state. By programming all or a portion of the memory cells corresponding to the erased state to have positive threshold voltages, degradation of the data retention capability of the memory cells may be reduced.
US09818474B2 Memory with keeper circuit
A memory device with a keeper circuit is disclosed herein. The memory device (i) improves current tracking between the device's memory cells and the keeper circuit, (ii) improves Vccmin for memory operations, and (iii) has an efficient circuit layout. The memory device includes a memory array with a plurality of bitlines coupled to the memory cells. The keeper circuit includes a plurality of switches and a current mirror circuit. The plurality of switches is respectively coupled to the plurality of bitlines. The current mirror circuit mirrors a bias current to a plurality of current mirror transistors respectively coupled to the plurality of switches.
US09818472B2 Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device includes a plurality of memory cells being disposed in a matrix in a memory cell array area, each of the memory cells includes a capacitive element including a cell plate electrode, a capacitive insulating film, and a storage node electrode, and a switch transistor coupled between the storage node electrode and a bit line and being controlled based on a potential of a word line, a peripheral circuit disposed in a peripheral circuit area adjacent to the memory cell array area, and a signal line formed at a boundary between the memory cell array area and the peripheral circuit area. The capacitive element has a cylinder shape. The storage node electrode is formed on inner wall of a hole which penetrates through a first insulating film layer and a second insulating film layer.
US09818471B1 Circuitry and methods for measuring and correcting duty-cycle distortion
A method of measuring duty-cycle distortion in a signal (e.g., flowing between an operating circuit and a memory circuit), where the signal has a known period, the signal being measured is in a first state during a first portion of the period, and is in a different state during a second portion of the period, includes advancing or retarding the signal until an edge of the signal intersects an edge of the other signal. From the amount of the advancing or retarding, the duty cycle and the magnitude of duty-cycle distortion are determined. This may be used to control correction of the duty-cycle distortion. An interpolator circuit may be used to advance or retard the signal. A processor may be used to keep track of the amount of advancing or retarding, to determine the duration of the duty cycle, and control correction of the duty-cycle distortion.
US09818470B2 Multi-die memory device
A memory is disclosed that includes a logic die having first and second memory interface circuits. A first memory die is stacked with the logic die, and includes first and second memory arrays. The first memory array couples to the first memory interface circuit. The second memory array couples to the second interface circuit. A second memory die is stacked with the logic die and the first memory die. The second memory die includes third and fourth memory arrays. The third memory array couples to the first memory interface circuit. The fourth memory array couples to the second memory interface circuit. Accesses to the first and third memory arrays are carried out independently from accesses to the second and fourth memory arrays.
US09818468B2 Charge storage ferroelectric memory hybrid and erase scheme
A technique for erasing a ferroelectric field effect transistor (FeFET) memory circuit comprising a plurality memory cells comprising FeFETs is described. Each FeFET comprises a gate stack, a source, a drain, a channel and a bulk substrate region, where the gate stack comprises a gate and a ferroelectric layer disposed between the gate and the channel. A positive or a negative voltage is applied to the source and drain regions of at least one FeFET memory cell depending on the channel type. The gate and bulk substrate regions are held at a ground state during said applying of the positive voltage to the source and drain regions of the FeFET memory cell to cause erasure of the at least one FeFET memory cell. In addition, a FeFET is described with a charge storage layer disposed adjacently to the ferroelectric layer within the gate stack.
US09818464B2 Magnetic memory element and memory device
According to one embodiment, a magnetic memory element includes a stacked structure. The stacked structure includes a first and a second stacked member. The first stacked member includes a first and second ferromagnetic layer. A magnetic resonance frequency of the second ferromagnetic layer is a first frequency. A direction of a magnetization of the second ferromagnetic layer is settable to a direction of a first current when a magnetic field of the first frequency is applied to the first stacked member and the first current flows in the first stacked member. The direction of the magnetization of the second ferromagnetic layer does not change when the second current smaller than the first current flows in the first stacked member. The second stacked member includes a third ferromagnetic layer. A magnetization of the third ferromagnetic layer can generate a magnetic field of the first frequency by the second current.
US09818463B2 Memory control component with inter-rank skew tolerance
In a multirank memory system in which the clock distribution trees of each rank are permitted to drift over a wide range (e.g., low power memory systems), the fine-interleaving of commands between ranks is facilitated through the use of techniques that cause each addressed rank to properly sample commands intended for that rank, notwithstanding the drift. The ability to perform such “microthreading” provides for substantially enhanced memory capacity without sacrificing the performance of single rank systems. This disclosure provides methods, memory controllers, memory devices and system designs adapted to these ends.
US09818462B1 Apparatuses and methods for providing internal clock signals of different clock frequencies in a memory device
Apparatuses and methods for providing internal clock signals of different clock frequencies in a semiconductor device are described in the present application. An example apparatus includes a read command buffer and a read data output circuit. The read command buffer buffers a read command responsive to a first clock signal and provides the read command responsive to a second clock signal. The read data output circuit receives a plurality of bits of data in parallel when activated by the read command from the read command buffer, and provides the plurality of bits of data serially responsive to input/output (IO) clock signals. A data clock timing circuit provides the IO clock signals having a first clock frequency in a first mode and having a second clock frequency in a second mode, and further provides the second clock signal having the first clock frequency in the first and second modes.
US09818458B1 Techniques for entry to a lower power state for a memory device
Examples are given for techniques for entry to a lower power state for a memory device or die. The examples to include delaying transitions of the memory device or die from a first higher consuming power state to a second relatively lower power state using one or more programmable counters maintained at or with the memory device.
US09818457B1 Extended platform with additional memory module slots per CPU socket
Electronic devices and methods including a printed circuit board configured to accept CPUs and memory modules are described. One apparatus includes a printed circuit board that includes a first row of elements including a first CPU positioned between first and second groups of dual in-line memory modules (DIMMs). The printed circuit board also includes a second row of elements including a second CPU positioned between third and fourth groups of DIMMs. The apparatus also includes a third row of elements including a fifth group of DIMMs, wherein the second row of elements is positioned between the first row of elements and the third row of elements. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09818456B1 Storage module installed with multiple M.2 SSDs
A storage module installed with multiple M.2 SSDs includes a frame, at least one circuit assembly, and plural M.2 SSDs. The circuit assembly is fixed to the frame along a direction. The circuit assembly includes plural circuit modules and a power connector. The circuit modules are electrically connected to each other in series. Each of the circuit modules includes a circuit board, a M.2 slot, and a signal connector. The circuit board is fixed to the frame. The M.2 slot is fixed to the circuit board. The signal connector is electrically connected to the circuit board and located outside the frame. The power connector is electrically connected to the circuit board of a corresponding one of the circuit modules. The M.2 SSDs plug into the M.2 slots of the circuit modules respectively.
US09818455B2 Query operations for stacked-die memory device
An integrated circuit (IC) package includes a stacked-die memory device. The stacked-die memory device includes a set of one or more stacked memory dies implementing memory cell circuitry. The stacked-die memory device further includes a set of one or more logic dies electrically coupled to the memory cell circuitry. The set of one or more logic dies includes a query controller and a memory controller. The memory controller is coupleable to at least one device external to the stacked-die memory device. The query controller is to perform a query operation on data stored in the memory cell circuitry responsive to a query command received from the external device.
US09818452B2 Rear pluggable hard disk drive with floating connecting mechanism
A hard disk drive carrier assembly includes a back panel, and a connection mechanism in physical communication with the back panel of the hard disk drive carrier assembly along a first surface of the connection mechanism. The connection mechanism includes guide pin extending away from a second surface of the connection mechanism. The guide pin to align the hard disk drive carrier assembly with a mid-plane module of an information handling system when the hard disk drive carrier assembly is inserted into a bay of the information handling system. A screw is in physical communication with the connection module to mount the connection mechanism onto the back panel. The screw includes a post, and is inserted through a hole in the connection mechanism and is connected to the back panel. A first diameter of the post is smaller than a second diameter of the hole.
US09818446B2 File producing method, file producing device, and recording medium
A method according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes the steps of: acquiring a play list including identification information indicating each of a plurality of elementary streams; selecting an elementary stream indicated by predetermined identification information from the acquired play list; acquiring a difference file including data that is not included in the selected elementary stream; and converting the selected elementary stream into an MP4 file format by combining data included in the difference file and data included in the selected elementary stream based on a manifest file corresponding to the selected elementary stream, the manifest file being necessary for the conversion of a file format based on a predetermined rule.
US09818435B1 Tunnel magnetoresistive sensor having stabilized magnetic shield and dielectric gap sensor
One general embodiment includes an array of magnetic transducers each having: a current-perpendicular-to-plane sensor, magnetic shields on opposite sides of the sensor, and a stabilizing layered structure between at least one of the magnetic shields and the sensor. The stabilizing layered structure includes an antiferromagnetic layer, a first ferromagnetic layer adjacent the antiferromagnetic layer, a second ferromagnetic layer, and an antiparallel coupling layer between the ferromagnetic layers. The antiferromagnetic layer pins a magnetization direction in the first ferromagnetic layer along an antiferromagnetic polarized direction of the antiferromagnetic layer. A magnetization direction in the second ferromagnetic layer is opposite the magnetization direction in the first ferromagnetic layer. Each transducer also includes spacers on opposite sides of the sensor, at least one of the spacers being positioned between the sensor and the stabilizing layered structure. At least one of the spacers includes an electrically conductive ceramic layer.
US09818434B2 Estimation of background noise in audio signals
The invention relates to a background noise estimator and a method therein, for supporting sound activity detection in an audio signal segment. The method comprises reducing a current background noise estimate when the audio signal segment is determined to comprise music and the current background noise estimate exceeds a minimum value. This is to be performed when an energy level of an audio signal segment is more than a threshold higher than a long term minimum energy level, lt_min, which is determined over a plurality of preceding audio signal segments, or, when the energy level of the audio signal segment is less than a threshold higher than lt_min, but no pause is detected in the audio signal segment.
US09818433B2 Voice activity detector for audio signals
According to one aspect, a method for detecting voice activity is disclosed, the method including receiving a frame of an input audio signal, the input audio signal having an sample rate; dividing the frame into a plurality of subbands based on the sample rate, the plurality of subbands including at least a lowest subband and a highest subband; filtering the lowest subband with a moving average filter to reduce an energy of the lowest subband; estimating a noise level for each of the plurality of subbands; calculating a signal to noise ratio value for each of the plurality of subbands; and determining a speech activity level of the frame based on an average of the calculated signal to noise ratio values and a weighted average of an energy of each of the plurality of subbands. Other aspects include audio decoders that decode audio that was encoded using the methods described herein.
US09818431B2 Multi-speaker speech separation
The technology described herein uses a multiple-output layer RNN to process an acoustic signal comprising speech from multiple speakers to trace an individual speaker's speech. The multiple-output layer RNN has multiple output layers, each of which is meant to trace one speaker (or noise) and represent the mask for that speaker (or noise). The output layer for each speaker (or noise) can have the same dimensions and can be normalized for each output unit across all output layers. The rest of the layers in the multiple-output layer RNN are shared across all the output layers. The result from the previous frame is used as input to the output layer or to one of the hidden layers of the RNN to calculate results for the current frame. This pass back of results allows the model to carry information from previous frames to future frames to trace the same speaker.
US09818428B2 Extraction of target speeches
Methods and systems are provided for separating a target speech from a plurality of other speeches having different directions of arrival. One of the methods includes obtaining speech signals from speech input devices disposed apart in predetermined distances from one another, calculating a direction of arrival of target speeches and directions of arrival of other speeches other than the target speeches for each of at least one pair of speech input devices, calculating an aliasing metric, wherein the aliasing metric indicates which frequency band of speeches is susceptible to spatial aliasing, enhancing speech signals arrived from the direction of arrival of the target speech signals, based on the speech signals and the direction of arrival of the target speeches, to generate the enhanced speech signals, reading a probability model, and inputting the enhanced speech signals and the aliasing metric to the probability model to output target speeches.
US09818424B2 Method and apparatus for suppression of unwanted audio signals
A method, and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions, and a device for removal of unwanted components in an audio signal, the device comprising a processor, coupled to memory, configured to receive reference and processed inputs into memory where the processed input is a result of a reduction process of unwanted components of the audio signal, estimate envelope values for processed and reference inputs at a plurality of time and frequency instances, for each time and frequency instance: compute a first gain in relation to a ratio of the estimated envelope value of the processed input to the estimated envelope value of the reference input, apply a nonlinear process to said first gain to produce a second gain, compute an output gain as the ratio between second gain and first gain and, apply the output gain to processed input, thereby producing a filtered output with unwanted components suppressed.
US09818422B2 Method and apparatus for layered compression of multimedia signals for storage and transmission over heterogeneous networks
A method and apparatus provide the ability to code signals in a layered manner for compression and networking applications. The solution involves a relaxed hierarchical structure of layers, wherein only an optimal subset of information from lower quality levels is transmitted to higher level decoders. This framework is complemented with a design method to optimize system parameters. Specialization may include techniques for employing irregular quantizers and/or estimation theoretic optimal parameter selection and/or content specific optimization (e.g., exploiting harmonic structure in audio, adaptive transform coding and enhanced motion compensated prediction for video) and/or optimization of the structure of the layers, where the potential of exploiting all the common information is realized to improve overall system performance for that application. One specific technique provides improved compression of signals with multiple quality levels with or without prediction. Another specific technique provides improved compression of signals with multiple heterogeneous quality-levels with or without prediction.
US09818421B2 Apparatus and method for selecting one of a first encoding algorithm and a second encoding algorithm using harmonics reduction
An apparatus for selecting one of a first encoding algorithm and a second encoding algorithm includes a filter configured to receive the audio signal, to reduce the amplitude of harmonics in the audio signal and to output a filtered version of the audio signal. First and second estimators are provided for estimating first and second quality measures in the form of SNRs of segmented SNRs associated with the first and second encoding algorithms without actually encoding and decoding the portion of the audio signal using the first and second encoding algorithms. A controller is provided for selecting the first encoding algorithm or the second encoding algorithm based on a comparison between the first quality measure and the second quality measure.
US09818420B2 Encoder for encoding an audio signal, audio transmission system and method for determining correction values
An encoder for encoding an audio signal includes an analyzer for analyzing the audio signal and for determining analysis prediction coefficients from the audio signal. The encoder includes a converter for deriving converted prediction coefficients from the analysis prediction coefficients, a memory for storing a multitude of correction values and a calculator. The calculator includes a processor for processing the converted prediction coefficients to obtain spectral weighting factors. The calculator includes a combiner for combining the spectral weighting factors and the multitude of correction values to obtain corrected weighting factors. A quantizer of the calculator is configured for quantizing the converted prediction coefficients using the corrected weighting factors to obtain a quantized representation of the converted prediction coefficients. The encoder includes a bitstream former for forming an output signal based on the quantized representation of the converted prediction coefficients and based on the audio signal.
US09818417B2 High frequency regeneration of an audio signal with synthetic sinusoid addition
A method performed in an audio decoder for reconstructing an original audio signal having a lowband portion and a highband portion is disclosed. The method includes receiving an encoded audio signal and extracting reconstruction parameters from the encoded audio signal. The method further includes decoding the encoded audio signal with a core audio decoder to obtain a decoded lowband portion and regenerating the highband portion based at least in part on a cross over frequency and the decoded lowband portion to obtain a regenerated highband portion. The method also includes creating a synthetic sinusoid with a level based at least in part on a spectral envelope value for the particular subband and a noise floor value for the particular subband and adding the synthetic sinusoid to the regenerated highband portion in the particular frequency band specified by the location information. Finally, the method includes combining the lowband portion and the regenerated highband portion to obtain a full bandwidth audio signal.
US09818415B2 Selective watermarking of channels of multichannel audio
A method for selecting a subset of channels of (e.g., determined from) at least a segment of a multichannel audio program for watermarking and watermarking the selected subset of channels, and a system or device configured to implement any embodiment of the method, or including a buffer which stores at least one frame or other segment of a multichannel audio program generated by any embodiment of the method or steps thereof. Some embodiments generate watermarking metadata during program creation including by analyzing audio content to be included in segments of a multichannel program, determining at least one watermark suitability value for each channel of each of the segments, and including the watermark suitability values (or watermarking data determined therefrom) as metadata in the program. Some embodiments are implemented by a playback system which determines the selected subset of channels to be watermarked.
US09818412B2 Methods for audio encoding and decoding, corresponding computer-readable media and corresponding audio encoder and decoder
The present disclosure provides methods, devices and computer program products which provide less complex and more flexible control of the introduced decorrelation in an audio coding system. According to the disclosure, this is achieved by calculating and using two weighting factors, one for an approximated audio object and one for a decorrelated audio object, for introduction of decorrelation of audio objects in the audio coding system.
US09818411B2 Apparatus for encoding and decoding of integrated speech and audio
Provided is an encoding apparatus for integrally encoding and decoding a speech signal and a audio signal, and may include: an input signal analyzer to analyze a characteristic of an input signal; a stereo encoder to down mix the input signal to a mono signal when the input signal is a stereo signal, and to extract stereo sound image information; a frequency band expander to expand a frequency band of the input signal; a sampling rate converter to convert a sampling rate; a speech signal encoder to encode the input signal using a speech encoding module when the input signal is a speech characteristics signal; a audio signal encoder to encode the input signal using a audio encoding module when the input signal is a audio characteristic signal; and a bitstream generator to generate a bitstream.
US09818409B2 Context-dependent modeling of phonemes
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media for modeling phonemes. One method includes receiving an acoustic sequence, the acoustic sequence representing an utterance, and the acoustic sequence comprising a respective acoustic feature representation at each of a plurality of time steps; for each of the plurality of time steps: processing the acoustic feature representation through each of one or more recurrent neural network layers to generate a recurrent output; processing the recurrent output using a softmax output layer to generate a set of scores, the set of scores comprising a respective score for each of a plurality of context dependent vocabulary phonemes, the score for each context dependent vocabulary phoneme representing a likelihood that the context dependent vocabulary phoneme represents the utterance at the time step; and determining, from the scores for the plurality of time steps, a context dependent phoneme representation of the sequence.
US09818408B2 Techniques to provide a standard interface to a speech recognition platform
Techniques and systems to provide speech recognition services over a network using a standard interface are described. In an embodiment, a technique includes accepting a speech recognition request that includes at least audio input, via an application program interface (API). The speech recognition request may also include additional parameters. The technique further includes performing speech recognition on the audio according to the request and any specified parameters; and returning a speech recognition result as a hypertext protocol (HTTP) response. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09818407B1 Distributed endpointing for speech recognition
An efficient audio streaming method and apparatus includes a client process implemented on a client or local device and a server process implemented on a remote server or server(s). The client process and server process each have speech recognition components and communicate over a network, and together efficiently manage the detection of speech in an audio signal streamed by the local device to the server for speech recognition and potentially further processing at the server. The client process monitors audio input and in a first detection stage, implements endpointing on the local device to determine when speech is detected. The client process may further determine if a “wakeword” is detected, and then the client process opens a connection and begins streaming audio to the server process via the network. The server process receives the speech audio stream and monitors the audio, implementing endpointing in the server process, to determine when to tell the client process to close the connection and stop streaming audio. The client process continues streaming audio to the server until the server process determines disconnect criteria have been met and tells the client process to stop streaming audio.
US09818403B2 Speech recognition method and speech recognition device
A speech recognition method is provided that recognizes speech for causing equipment to operate. The method includes acquiring a speech signal from a microphone disposed in a designated space. The method also includes detecting a spatial sound pressure distribution indicating a distribution of sound pressure in the space, on the basis of the acquired speech signal, and detecting a point sound source in the space on the basis of the detected spatial sound pressure distribution. The method further includes judging to conduct a speech recognition process on the acquired speech signal when the point sound source is detected.
US09818401B2 Systems and methods for adaptive proper name entity recognition and understanding
Various embodiments contemplate systems and methods for performing automatic speech recognition (ASR) and natural language understanding (NLU) that enable high accuracy recognition and understanding of freely spoken utterances which may contain proper names and similar entities. The proper name entities may contain or be comprised wholly of words that are not present in the vocabularies of these systems as normally constituted. Recognition of the other words in the utterances in question, e.g. words that are not part of the proper name entities, may occur at regular, high recognition accuracy. Various embodiments provide as output not only accurately transcribed running text of the complete utterance, but also a symbolic representation of the meaning of the input, including appropriate symbolic representations of proper name entities, adequate to allow a computer system to respond appropriately to the spoken request without further analysis of the user's input.
US09818399B1 Performing speech recognition over a network and using speech recognition results based on determining that a network connection exists
Systems, methods and apparatus for generating, distributing, and using speech recognition models. A request including a speech data representation of an utterance or feature data extracted from the speech data representation of the utterance is received at a computing device. A transcription of the utterance by applying a speech recognition model to the speech data representation of the utterance or the feature data extracted from the speech data representation of the utterance is obtained by the computing device. A keyword that occurs in the transcription of the utterance is identified by the computing device. Communication between communication devices based at least on identifying the keyword is initiated initiating by the computing device.
US09818396B2 Method and device for editing singing voice synthesis data, and method for analyzing singing
A singing voice synthesis data editing method includes adding, to singing voice synthesis data, a piece of virtual note data placed immediately before a piece of note data having no contiguous preceding piece of note data, the singing voice synthesis data including: multiple pieces of note data for specifying a duration and a pitch at which each note that is in a time series, representative of a melody to be sung, is voiced; multiple pieces of lyric data associated with at least one of the multiple pieces of note data; and a sequence of sound control data that directs sound control over a singing voice synthesized from the multiple pieces of lyric data, and obtaining the sound control data that directs sound control over the singing voice synthesized from the multiple pieces of lyric data, and that is associated with the piece of virtual note data.
US09818382B2 Top mounted tremolo and tuning apparatus
A tremolo and tuning apparatus is provided for a stringed musical instrument having a body, a neck extending from the body, a nut on an end of the neck remote from the body, and a string extending over the neck. The string makes a first critical contact at a point on the nut of the instrument and a second critical contact at a point on the apparatus. The apparatus includes a mounting frame configured for mounting on the surface of the body, an attachment post secured to the body, a base plate pivotally mounted with respect to the attachment post and having a surface adapted to receive a force, a string mounting assembly mounted on the base plate for holding the string, and a resilient member assembly for engagement with the mounting frame outside the body of the instrument and supplying a force to the base plate surface.
US09818376B2 Stable fast programming scheme for displays
A technique for improving the spatial and/or temporal uniformity of a light-emitting display by providing a faster calibration of reference current sources and reducing the noise effect by improving the dynamic range, despite instability and non-uniformity of the transistor devices. A calibration circuit for a display panel having an active area having a plurality of light emitting devices arranged on a substrate, and a peripheral area of the display panel separate from the active area is provided. The calibration circuit includes a first row of calibration current source or sink circuits and a second row of calibration current source or sink circuits. A first calibration control line is configured to cause the first row of calibration current source or sink circuits to calibrate the display panel with a bias current while the second row of calibration current source or sink circuits is being calibrated by a reference current. A second calibration control line is configured to cause the second row of calibration current source or sink circuits to calibrate the display panel with the bias current while the first row of calibration current source or sink circuits is being calibrated by the reference current.
US09818374B2 Light source unit, projection apparatus, projection method and a program medium
Disclosed is a light source unit which emits fluorescence light to a display element which displays an image by using the fluorescence light including an excitation light source which emits excitation light, a fluorescent plate including a fluorescence emission region on a surface of a circular substrate which emits the fluorescence light by the fluorescence emission region being irradiated with the excitation light from the excitation light source, a drive unit which rotates the fluorescent plate in a circumferential direction and a control unit which controls the excitation light source and the drive unit. And the control unit controls the drive unit so that a display frequency of the display element and a rotation frequency of the fluorescent plate fulfill formula (1) j×display frequency=k×rotation frequency (j, k are integers, j>k)  (1).
US09818369B1 Environmental display
Briefly stated, embodiments are directed towards providing a smart sign that utilizes third-party environmental data to modify its displayed content and display settings. The environmental data includes a current position of the sun, the smart sign's position, weather conditions, and positional data of objects that are in proximity of the smart sign. Positional relationships of the sun and the objects relative to the smart sign are determined based on the positional data of the smart sign, the position of the sun, and the position of the proximity objects. A display change condition is generated based on a combination of the third-party weather conditions and the determined positional relationships of the smart sign, the sun, and the objects in the proximity of the smart sign. The displayed content and at least one display setting of the smart sign are modified based on the display change conditions.
US09818366B2 Display apparatus and method of driving the display apparatus
A display apparatus comprises a display panel including a plurality of data lines and a plurality of gate lines, a data driver circuit configured to convert image data to a grayscale voltage and to output the grayscale voltage to a data line, a voltage generator configured to provide the data driver circuit to a driving voltage, and a heat blocking circuit configured to compare a load current voltage with a reference voltage and to output a control signal for controlling the data driver circuit, the load current voltage being proportionate to a load current flowing toward the data driver circuit.
US09818365B2 Method and device for adjusting a display picture
The present invention discloses a method and a device for adjusting a display picture to solve a problem in the prior art that when Greenish phenomenon of a liquid crystal display screen is alleviated, aperture ratio of the display panel is decreased so that power consumption of the screen is increased. The method for adjusting the display picture includes the steps of: receiving a first clock signal for controlling a data line voltage signal for a pixel of the first color in the display picture and receiving a second clock signal for controlling data line voltage signals for pixels of the other colors; and making a pulse width at high level of the first clock signal smaller than a high level pulse width of the second clock signal, wherein the first color is closer to green than other colors.
US09818364B2 Display apparatus and method of driving display panel using the same
A display apparatus includes a timing controller, a data driver and a display panel. The timing controller receives input image data at a first frequency substantially equal to a frame rate of an input image. The timing controller generates a data signal having the first frequency based on the input image data having the first frequency. The data driver converts the data signal into a data voltage. The display panel displays an image based on the data voltage.
US09818360B2 Liquid crystal display and control method for the same
An LCD and a control method for the same are disclosed. The LCD includes a first frequency division unit for receiving a first control signal, performing a frequency division to the first control signal to obtain a first clock signal; a second frequency division unit for receiving a second control signal, performing a frequency division to the second control signal to obtain a second clock signal; a GOA unit for generating a scanning signal according to the first and the second clock signal; and a control unit for receiving the first and the second control signal, and when the scanning signal is effective, controlling a first pixel and a second pixel to be charged in a time-division manner according to the first and the second control signal. Accordingly, reducing the number of inputted signals, the time for adjusting timing sequence of the inputted signals and improving the production efficiency.
US09818359B2 Scanning-driving circuit and liquid crystal display device having the same
A scanning-driving circuit and a liquid crystal display device are disclosed. The scanning-driving circuit has a forward-backward scanning module to output a forward and backward scanning-driving signals; a pull-up holding module connected to the forward-backward scanning module to receive a selecting signal of the forward-backward scanning module and to pull up a voltage level of a pull-down control signal node; an input module connected to the forward-backward scanning module and the pull-up holding module to receive a previous-stage clock signal and to charge a pull-up control signal node; a control module connected to the pull-up holding module to receive a present-stage clock signal and to control the pull-up holding module; an output module connected to the pull-up holding module and the control module to output a scanning-driving signal to a scanning line, and to transmit the scanning-driving signal to a pixel unit to ensure a stability of the scanning-driving circuit.
US09818354B2 Liquid crystal display including connector overlapping common electrode cutout
A liquid crystal display includes first and second substrates. The first substrate includes a gate line, data lines, a first reference voltage line, a second reference voltage line, a pixel electrode having a first subpixel electrode and a second subpixel electrode in a pixel area, and switch circuits connected to these lines and electrodes. The first and second reference voltage lines respectively apply a first and second reference voltages having different polarities. The second substrate includes a common electrode with a cutout. The first and second reference voltage lines include a first connector and a second connector parallel to the data line, and the first connector and the second connector overlap the cutout of the common electrode.
US09818345B2 Organic light emitting display device and method of driving thereof
Disclosed is an organic light emitting display device. The organic light emitting display includes a display panel including a plurality of pixels, which are respectively formed in a plurality of pixel areas defined by crossings of a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines, a plurality of sensing lines, and a plurality of second gate voltage lines connected to the plurality of pixels, a panel driver to drive the display panel in a display mode or a sensing mode, to sense a threshold voltage of at least one transistor to generate a sensing data in the sensing mode, and generate a second gate voltage data in the display mode, and a voltage supply unit to generate a second gate electrode voltage corresponding to the second gate voltage data, and apply a second gate electrode voltage to a second gate electrode of the transistor.
US09818344B2 Display with light-emitting diodes
A display may have an array of pixels each of which has a light-emitting diode such as an organic light-emitting diode. A drive transistor and an emission transistor may be coupled in series with the light-emitting diode of each pixel between a positive power supply and a ground power supply. The pixels may include first and second switching transistors. A data storage capacitor may be coupled between a gate and source of the drive transistor in each pixel. Signal lines may be provided in columns of pixels to route signals such as data signals, sensed drive currents from the drive transistors, and predetermined voltages between display driver circuitry and the pixels. The switching transistors, emission transistors, and drive transistors may include semiconducting-oxide transistors and silicon transistors and may be n-channel transistors or p-channel transistors.
US09818343B2 Organic light emitting diode display and method for repairing the same
An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display includes a substrate, OLEDs disposed on the substrate and separated from each other, pixel circuits, data lines extending in a first direction on the substrate and separated from each other in a second direction crossing the first direction, connecting lines neighboring the data lines and extending in the first direction, and a wire directly connecting one portion of one of the data lines to one portion of one of the connecting lines neighboring the one data line. Each pixel circuit includes a plurality of thin film transistors and each pixel circuit is connected to one of the OLEDs. The data lines and the connecting lines are connected to the pixel circuits, and one or more surfaces of the one portion of the one data line and the one portion of the one connecting line that contact the wire are curved.
US09818341B2 Organic light-emitting display device and method of driving the same
An organic light-emitting display device includes: pixels; and a data driver including a plurality of current measurers connected to the pixels via at least one data line, each of the current measurers including: a first measurement circuit including: a first operational amplifier including a non-inverted input terminal to which a first reference voltage is applied, and an inverted input terminal connected to a first pixel from among the pixels; and a first feedback capacitor connected between the inverted input terminal and an output terminal of the first operational amplifier; and a second measurement circuit including: a second operational amplifier including a non-inverted input terminal to which a second reference voltage is applied, and an inverted input terminal connected to a second pixel from among the pixels; and a second feedback capacitor connected between the inverted input terminal and an output terminal of the second operational amplifier.
US09818340B2 Image display device and electronic appliance
An image display device includes: a pixel array part formed of first to fourth scanning lines arranged in rows, signal lines arranged in columns, pixel circuits in a matrix connected to the scanning lines and signal lines, and a plurality of power source lines which supplies first to third potentials necessary for the operations of pixel circuit; a signal part which supplies a video signal to the signal lines; and a scanner part which supplies a control signal to the first to fourth scanning lines, and in turn scans the pixel circuit for every row, wherein the pixel circuits include a sampling transistor, a drive transistor, first to third switching transistors, a pixel capacitance, and a light emitting device, and a channel length of the drive transistor is made longer than a channel length of the switching transistors to suppress fluctuations in threshold voltage.
US09818337B2 LED display control circuit with PWM circuit for driving a plurality of LED channels
The current disclosure provides an LED display control circuit. The control circuit has a device configured to separate a first PWM data into LSB data and MSB data. The control circuit also comprises a LSB circuit coupled to a plurality of LED channels. The LSB circuit is configured to supply LSB data to each of the plurality of LED channels.
US09818336B2 Vector dithering for displays employing subfields having unevenly spaced gray scale values
This disclosure provides systems, methods, apparatus, and computer readable media for generating images on a display using a dithering process that takes into account an uneven spacing of available gray scale values in at least one color subfield used to generate the images. The dithering process includes generating a set of initial color subfields, a set of quantized color subfields, and a set of final color subfields, which are then output on the display. The quantized color subfields an the final color subfields are derived based at least in part on the uneven spacing of gray scale values in at least one of the final color subfields.
US09818335B2 Display with apparatus for compensating image and display assembly
A display comprises a display panel and an image compensating portion. The display panel comprises a main display region and a periphery display region outside the main display region. Each of the main display region and the periphery display region respectively comprises a plurality of pixels. When a pixel of the main display region and a pixel of the periphery display region have the same original gray scale, an intensity of lights from the pixels in the periphery display region is greater than an intensity of lights from the pixels in the main display region.
US09818330B2 Display apparatus
Disclosed is a display apparatus, including a display region and a peripheral region outside of the display region. The display region includes a plurality of pixels arranged on a substrate. The peripheral region includes a plurality of first circuit areas and second circuit areas on the substrate. The first circuit areas drive the pixels in a first direction, and the second circuit areas drive the pixels in a second direction. At least one of the first circuit area and the second circuit area has the shape of a pentagon with sequentially connected sides including a first side, a second side, a third side, a fourth side, and a fifth side.
US09818327B2 Display device
A display device includes a display panel including sub-pixels, a first driver adjacent to a first side of the display panel to generate first signals, and a second driver adjacent to the first side to generate second signals. The display panel includes vertical lines including one ends disposed at the first side to apply the first signals to the sub-pixels, diagonal lines crossing the vertical lines to apply the second signals to the sub-pixels, and crossing lines crossing the vertical and diagonal lines. The diagonal lines include first diagonal lines including one ends at the first side and second diagonal lines including one ends at a second side adjacent to the first side. The crossing lines include one ends at the first side and the other ends at the second side. The crossing lines receive the second signals and apply the second signals to the second diagonal lines.
US09818324B2 Transmission device, display device, and display system
Provided is a display system, including: a display device configured to display an image; and a transmission device configured to simultaneously transmit, to the display device, first image data of a first frame and second image data of a second frame that is one frame before the first frame, the display device including: an overdrive processing unit configured to receive the first image data and the second image data transmitted from the transmission device, and to execute overdrive processing on the first image data based on the received first image data and the received second image data, to thereby generate display data; and a display panel configured to display an image based on the display data generated by the overdrive processing unit.
US09818323B2 Re-interpolation with edge detection for extracting an aging pattern for AMOLED displays
A method that includes an initial uniform pixel measurement and interpolation followed by an edge detection algorithm to recognize the areas that contribute mostly to the estimation error due to the interpolation. The pixels on the detected edges and around their vicinity are also measured, and an aging pattern of the entire display is obtained by re-interpolating the entire measured set of data for the initially measured pixels as well as the pixels around the detected edges. The estimation error is reduced particularly in the presence of aging patterns having highly spatially correlated areas with distinctive edges.
US09818318B2 Method of driving a display device
A method of driving a display device includes a preliminary frame charging step and a main frame charging step. The method comprises a preliminary frame charging step of simultaneously charging liquid crystal cells in a pixel line group having a selected pixel row and a unselected pixel row with pixel data of the selected pixel row of the pixel line group and a main frame charging step of charging liquid crystal cells in the unselected pixel line group with pixel data of the unselected pixel line group.
US09818316B2 Movable information device and method for the manufacture thereof
A sliding information device for placement and sliding on an even and flat supporting surface wherein the device comprises a baseplate with a flat and even bottom surface and an upright element, fastened to its top surface by means of a base that enables elastic bending of the element back and forth from an unloaded rest position A to a loaded oblique position B and a method for manufacturing it comprising the cutting of a series of segments from an elastically bendable substrate.
US09818314B2 Lighting arrangement for magnification device
Disclosed is a magnification device for use by blind and/or low vision individuals. The device includes an X-Y table upon which an item to be magnified can be placed. A stationary camera arm and a pivotal monitor arm are oriented over the X-Y table. The monitor arm includes a video monitor pivotally mounted at its distal end. The camera arm also includes two laterally disposed lighting arms. A series of controls are provided along a lower edge of the monitor via a mounting bracket.
US09818309B2 Hydration level measurement system and method
A hydration level measurement system and method comprising a technology embedded scale that rewards individuals for drinking an appropriate amount of liquid throughout the day. In an example embodiment, a reusable water bottle is equipped with an RFID tag and assigned to an individual so that the user's hydration level may be tracked. The RFID tag logs the individual's access as well as “before-filling” and “after-filling” weights of the bottle when placed on the scale. A computer screen acknowledges the bottle's owner, and then indicates the increased weight and how many points will be awarded to the user using an ounces-to-points conversion. Data may be transferred from the scale computer to a web server and aggregated at the server from multiple scales for multiple “hydration challenges.” A web application receives and processes user requests to display data related to each hydration challenge such as the current scores of the participants.
US09818305B2 Method and apparatus for monitoring compliance with a non-transgression zone between aircraft approach corridors
A method, computing system and computer program product are provided to monitor compliance with a non-transgression zone between aircraft approach corridors, thereby facilitating simultaneous instrument approaches. In the context of a method, a predicted path of an aircraft is determined during a flight based upon at least a representation of a roll angle of the aircraft and a cross-track component of the velocity of the aircraft. The method also includes identifying an instance in which the predicted path of the aircraft during the flight intersects a non-transgression zone. The method further includes causing an alert to be issued in the instance in which the predicted path of the aircraft during the flight intersects the non-transgression zone.
US09818304B2 Method and apparatus for representing an aerial delivery path
An approach is provided for constructing a delivery path that enables a UAV to safely access a delivery surface and avoids restricted access surfaces from the open sky. The approach involves determining at least one delivery path to at least one delivery surface, wherein the delivery path represents at least one three-dimensional variable width path along which an aerial delivery vehicle can access the at least one delivery surface. The approach also involves transecting the delivery path with one or more planar surfaces. The approach further involves determining one or more shapes on the one or more planar surfaces, wherein the one or more shapes represent one or more intersections of the delivery path and the one or more planar surfaces. The approach also involves constructing at least one delivery path data object comprising at least one ordered list of the one or more shapes to represent the delivery path.
US09818303B2 Dynamic navigation of UAVs using three dimensional network coverage information
Flight path determination for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in which three-dimensional coverage information, corresponding to a wireless network, is used to optimize the flight path to ensure that the UAVs maintain network coverage throughout the flight. The flight path information may be provided as a service to UAV operators. In one implementation, network coverage for a cellular network may be mapped in a three-dimensional manner. That is, the radio signal strength of the network may be mapped at various heights that correspond to heights at which UAVs are likely to fly.
US09818302B2 Vehicle fleet work order management system
Vehicle management systems and associated processes can monitor the progress of assets, such as vehicle, along predetermined routes and report the progress to user. The system can compare the actual status of the vehicle to the expected status of the vehicle and to report any difference between the actual status and expected status to a user. Further, the system can receive a predetermined threshold value of the difference from a user and report to the user if the predetermined threshold has been exceeded.
US09818299B1 Vehicle-to-vehicle intersection navigation control
A host vehicle computer is programmed to receive intersection arrival data via vehicle-to-vehicle communications from one or more secondary vehicles. The computer assigns priority to each of the secondary vehicles based on the intersection arrival data and identifies one of the secondary vehicles as an immediately preceding vehicle. Upon receiving a ready signal clearance from the immediately preceding vehicle, the computer actuates a powertrain of the host vehicle, causing the host vehicle to proceed into, and through, the intersection.
US09818297B2 Multi-agent reinforcement learning for integrated and networked adaptive traffic signal control
A system and method of multi-agent reinforcement learning for integrated and networked adaptive traffic controllers (MARLIN-ATC). Agents linked to traffic signals generate control actions for an optimal control policy based on traffic conditions at the intersection and one or more other intersections. The agent provides a control action considering the control policy for the intersection and one or more neighboring intersections. Due to the cascading effect of the system, each agent implicitly considers the whole traffic environment, which results in an overall optimized control policy.
US09818296B2 System for providing a city planning tool
A system and method for generating traffic reports is described. The system receives a set of inputs specifying at least a geographical region, a first period of time, and a second period of time. The system then identifies one or more streets within at least a threshold proximity of the specified geographical region and aggregates traffic information for the one or more streets over the first period of time and the second period of time, respectively. Further, the system generates a traffic report for the geographical region based at least in part on a comparison of the aggregated traffic information for the first period of time with the aggregated traffic information for the second period of time.
US09818294B2 System for indicating vehicle presence and method thereof
A vehicle can detect a presence of a remote device. The vehicle can activate a sound source array that generates at least one ultrasound wave providing haptic feedback indicative of the presence of the vehicle to an operator of the vehicle, based on detecting the presence of the remote device.
US09818293B2 System and method for automatically setting up a universal remote control
A system and method for configuring a remote control to command the operation of appliances, to capture demographic data, and to provide services, such as automated warranty registration, instructions, viewing guides, etc., relevant to the appliances is provided. The system includes a database and associated server that are located remotely from the remote control and accessible via a network connection. Command codes, graphical user interface elements, and services are accessed and downloaded to the remote control, as appropriate, using data supplied to the server that identifies the appliances and/or functional capabilities of the appliances. This data can be supplied by the appliances directly or can be obtained from other sources such as barcode labels, network devices, etc.
US09818291B2 System arm notification based on BLE position
A system is provided that includes a control panel of a security system that detects threats within a secured geographic area, a least one Bluetooth low energy (BLE) device located within the secured area that transmits a wireless location identification signal, a portable wireless device of the security system that detects the wireless location identification signal, and a processor of the security system that displays a screen used to arm the security system in response to the wireless location identification signal detected by the portable wireless device.
US09818290B2 Security system and method for verifying the merits of an alert signal
A security system and method verifies the merits of an alert signal generated by an alarm device. The alarm device is integrated into a premise of a user, and emits an alert signal when an irregular event occurs. The security system and method verifies the merit of the alert signal, so as to differentiate between a false alarm and a true alarm. To achieve the verification, upon detecting and recognizing an alert signal, a remote alarm center attempts to communicate with the end-user through simultaneous channels of communication. The simultaneous use of a plurality of channels of communication enables the remote alarm center to expedite communications with the end-user regarding the triggered alert signal. Upon receiving communication about the triggered alert signal, the end-user may indicate to the remote alarm center, through transmission of a code and within a predetermined duration, the merits of the triggered alert signal.
US09818289B2 Method, device and storage medium for reminding in shutdown state
The present disclosure relates to controlling a mobile device to provide a reminder even when the mobile device experiences a shutdown state. By controlling the mobile device to provide the reminder even when the mobile device experiences a shutdown state, the reminder may still be presented on the mobile device when an operating system of the mobile device has not been initiated.
US09818287B1 Load-indicative alarm
A load-indicative alarm system alerts an operator as to a load. The load-indicative alarm system includes a load-measuring device, a controller, and an alerting device. The load-measuring device for provides a load indication. The controller determines a load level by acquiring the first load indication from the load-measuring device. The alerting device is configured to alert the operator. The controller is configured to instruct the alerting device to alert the operator if the current load level is above a minimum threshold. The alerting device provides a load-indicative alert that informs the operator of the load level being above the minimum threshold.
US09818285B2 Method and apparatus for moving while receiving information
A method and apparatus to facilitate learning while moving, efficient multitasking involving movement while the user processes or responds to different stimuli. The stimuli may include but are not limited to information related to education or entertainment or feedback concerning the user's movement. More specifically this movement may be related to coordination, exercise or physiotherapy. The methods and apparatuses of the disclosure involve the user conducting movement, while simultaneously processing information (via: learning; creating through typing, moving, or talking; or being entertained) and receiving feedback or assistance related to that movement, processing, or any combination thereof.
US09818283B2 Alert generation correlating between head mounted imaging data and external device
A method of alerting a vehicle's driver. The method comprises receiving an azimuth value indicating a gazing direction of a head of the driver from a primary device placed on the driver, receiving a vehicle bearing value indicating a vehicle moving direction of the vehicle driven by the driver, calculating an angular difference between the azimuth value and the vehicle bearing value, generating an alert when the angular difference deviates from an angular threshold, and automatically presenting the alert to the driver in response to the angular difference.
US09818279B2 Blast sensor and mobile communication device
A device includes an interface adapter configured to physically couple to a corresponding interface adapter of a mobile communication device. The device includes a blast sensor configured to generate blast data based on one or more measurements and to communicate the blast data to the mobile communication device via the interface adapter. The device further includes a housing at least partially enclosing the blast sensor and at least partially enclosing the mobile communication device.
US09818278B2 Intelligent household controller
An intelligent household controller includes a communication unit, a central controller, an alarm unit, and a button. The communication unit is configured to receive information collected by at least one sensor, and can forward control commands to the at least one sensor. The central controller is electrically connected to the communication unit for receiving and processing information received by the communication unit and can output processed information and control commands to the communication unit and to a terminal device in user possession. The alarm unit is electrically connected to the central controller and can output audible alarm. The button is electrically connected to the central controller for switching between modes of operation according to user's desire.
US09818275B2 Mobile apparatus for neutralizing anti-theft devices
Invention provides a wearable neutralizer apparatus for neutralizing anti-theft devices.
US09818274B2 Merchandise security system with optical communication
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to security systems and methods for securing an item of merchandise from theft or unauthorized removal. For example, the security system may include a sensor configured to be coupled to the item of merchandise and a charging circuit for providing power to the sensor and/or the item of merchandise. The security system may also include a cable connected to the sensor and at least one optical transceiver for defining a sense loop between the cable and the sensor.
US09818273B2 Secure passive RFID tag with seal
A secure passive RFID tag system comprises at least one base station and at least one passive RFID tag. The tag includes a fiber optic cable with the cable ends sealed within the tag and the middle portion forming an external loop. The loop may be secured to at least portions of an object. The tag transmits and receives an optical signal through the fiber optic cable, and the cable is configured to be damaged or broken in response to removal or tampering attempts, wherein the optical signal is significantly altered if the cable is damaged or broken. The tag transmits the optical signal in response to receiving a radio signal from the base station and compares the transmitted optical signal to the received optical signal. If the transmitted optical signal and the received optical signal are identical, the tag transmits an affirmative radio signal to the base station.
US09818272B2 Electronic device including sound level based driving of haptic actuator and related methods
An electronic device may include a device housing, a haptic actuator carried by the device housing, and an audio input transducer carried by the device housing. The electronic device may also include a controller coupled to the audio input transducer and the haptic actuator. The controller may be capable of determining a sound level of the haptic actuator, attempting to drive the haptic actuator to operate within a desired sound level range, and when unable to drive the haptic actuator within the desired sound level range, then generating a warning indication.
US09818271B2 Sound to haptic effect conversion system using mapping
A system generates a haptic signal. The system receives an audio signal, pre-processes the audio signal by modifying the audio signal to create a modified audio signal, and maps the modified audio signal to a haptic signal. The system then sends the haptic signal to an actuator to generate one or more haptic effects.
US09818269B1 Status light data transmission
To transmit information, a status light is located on a device. Information is broadcast from the device by controlled blinking of the status light. A computing device captures a video stream of the blinking status light utilizing a camera. The computing device decodes the video stream to extract the information.
US09818268B2 Motor vehicle with indication of a state of charge of an energy storage device
A motor vehicle includes an energy storage device which can be charged by connecting a charge cable to a vehicle-sided terminal device, and an optical lighting device which indicates the ongoing charging process or at least the complete charge status of the energy storage device. A blinker light provided on the side of the vehicle on which the terminal device is located, is used as lighting device.
US09818266B2 Remote disabling of target point-of-sale (“POS”) terminals
In response to detecting imposition of an erroneous surcharge, a point-of-sale (“POS”) terminal used to impose that surcharge may be disabled. A remote server may be programmed to power down the POS terminal. For example, in response to detecting a surcharge violation, a remote server may transmit a disable signal to the POS terminal that triggered the surcharge violation. The disable signal may power down the POS terminal. The remote server may be programmed to power up a POS terminal or otherwise bring the POS terminal back online. A payment instrument that includes a chip may programmed such that when the chip is inserted into the POS terminal or an associated card reader, it triggers a disabling of the POS terminal. Servers that process transactions may be programmed to ignore or reject transactions received from a POS terminal that triggers a surcharge violation.
US09818265B1 Camera guided arcade game
An arcade game with that allows a player to control the game using a video feedback plus a tactile response is provided. A player must use the video feed for controlling the game, and the video feed can be altered to vary the difficulty of the game. The tactile response can also be controlled to provide a more realistic game experience to the player.
US09818262B2 Game world server driven triggering for gambling hybrid gaming system
A gambling hybrid game that provides game world engine driven triggering of gambling events is disclosed. The gambling hybrid game includes an entertainment system engine that provides an entertainment game to a user, a real world engine that provides gambling games to users, and a game world engine that monitors the entertainment game and provides gambling games when appropriate. The entertainment system engine provides an entertainment games that provides values for a set of entertainment game variables. The game world engine receive the values of set of entertainment game variables and determined whether a gambling event in a gambling game is triggered based upon the values one or more entertainment game variables in the set.
US09818260B2 Delayed wagering interleaved wagering system
A delayed wager interleaved wagering system is disclosed including an interactive processing device constructed to: provide an interactive application display; request wager actuator data; automatically configure the display to provide a wager actuator; communicate wager actuator activation data; receive wagering telemetry data and application resource data; responsive to receiving the wagering telemetry data, automatically configure the display; a wager server constructed to: receive wager request data; automatically determine and communicate a wager outcome; and the process controller operatively connecting the interactive processing device and the wager server, and constructed to: provide the wager actuator data; communicate the wager actuator data; receive the wager actuator activation data; generate wager request data; communicate the wager request data; receive the wager outcome data; automatically determine and communicate the wagering telemetry data and the application resource data.
US09818259B2 Casino games
Apparatus and methods related to multi-player casino games are described. An electronic gaming device is provided that allows a live player to compete against a virtual player in a multi-player wager-based game using playing cards derived from the insertion of a physical denomination of currency. The electronic gaming device can be configured to simulate the decision making of a virtual player and associated behaviors of the virtual player during game play. In some instances, the simulated behaviors of the virtual player output at the electronic gaming device can be learned by a live player so that the live player can make better or more advantageous game play decisions. The simulated behaviors of the virtual player can be conveyed to the live player via visual images, such as simulated facial expressions of the virtual player.
US09818258B2 Gaming system and method for enabling a player to accept or reject a progressive award
A gaming system which enables a player to exchange progressive awards of corresponding progressive award levels of different multi-level progressive award (“MLP”) configurations. Following the gaming system determining a progressive award of a specific progressive award level of a specific MLP configuration, the gaming system enables the player to accept that determined progressive award or forfeit that determined progressive award for another progressive award of a corresponding progressive award level of a different MLP configuration. The gaming system thus enables a player to swap or replace one progressive award of one progressive award level of one MLP configuration for a different progressive award of a corresponding progressive award level of a different MLP configuration. Such a configuration provides an increased level of excitement and enjoyment for certain players because the player's individual decisions regarding which progressive award offers to accept or reject determine which progressive award the player is ultimately provided.
US09818257B2 Gaming activity awarding subsequent plays using results of previous plays
Techniques involving awarding subsequent plays using results of previous plays. One representative technique includes dealing a first poker hand to a player, and enabling cards of the first poker hand to be held. Replacement cards are presented for any of the cards that were not held in the first poker hand, thereby creating a first resulting poker hand. All of the cards of the first resulting poker hand are duplicated into a second poker hand, where cards in the second poker hand may again be held/discarded. Replacement cards are presented for any of the cards that were not held in the second poker hand, thereby creating a second resulting poker hand. Duplication into additional hands may also be provided.
US09818256B2 Techniques of synchronizing gaming devices for shared gaming activities
A method for synchronizing a casino game playable at a plurality of gaming devices is provided. The method includes receiving, by a server having at least one processor, an indication of a wager from at least one of the plurality of gaming devices, determining, by the server, a schedule for at least one jackpot of the casino game based at least in part on the received indication of the wager, and sending, by the server, the schedule for the at least one jackpot of the casino game to at least a first gaming device and a second gaming device, the sending including sending the schedule to the first gaming device through wired communication channels, and sending the schedule to the second gaming device through at least one wireless communication channel.
US09818254B2 System for managing promotions
In various embodiments, promotions are featured on mobile gaming devices.
US09818252B2 Product discharging device
A product discharging device includes: a lower pedal that is swingably disposed in a base to move forward to and backward from a product storage passage storing input products in a vertical direction; an upper pedal that is swingably disposed in a base to move forward to and backward from the product storage passage in an area above the lower pedal; and a pedal link that links the lower pedal and the upper pedal. The upper pedal moves backward by causing the pedal link to move downward and the lower pedal moves forward to regulate downward movement of the product in a standby state, and the upper pedal moves forward to come in contact with a second lowest product and the lower pedal moves backward to discharge a lowest product downward by causing the pedal link to move upward, in an activated state.
US09818246B2 System and method for gesture-based control of a vehicle door
A control system for a vehicle door includes a power assist device coupled between a door and a door opening of the vehicle and a sensor. The system further includes a controller that receives a signal from the sensor, identifies a recognized user from image data within the signal, interprets a control gesture by the recognized user from video data within the signal, and causes the power assist device to move the door in response to the control gesture.
US09818240B1 Comparing vehicle performance
A computing device-implemented method includes receiving data representative of one or more travel parameters for distribution ranges for a vehicle that includes a first propulsion system, and, receiving data representative of one or more travel parameters for distribution ranges for a vehicle that includes a second propulsion system. The distribution ranges for the vehicle that includes the first propulsion system are equivalent to the distribution ranges for the vehicle that includes the second propulsion system. The method also includes receiving data representative of one or more travel parameters for distribution ranges for a collection of vehicles. The distribution ranges for the collection of vehicles are equivalent to the distribution ranges for the vehicle that includes the second propulsion system.
US09818237B2 Information collection system, on-vehicle device and server
An information collection system includes an on-vehicle device and a server, wherein the on-vehicle device includes a first transmission signal transmitting part configured to transmit a first transmission signal to the server when the vehicle event is detected, and an upload executing part configured to transmit the vehicle event data to the server when the upload demand is received. The server includes a determining part configured to determine, based on the determination purposes information, when the first transmission is received, whether the information acquisition condition is met, an upload demanding part configured to transmit the upload demand to the on-vehicle device when it is determined that the information acquisition condition is met, and a vehicle event data receiving part configured to receive the vehicle event data transmitted from the on-vehicle device.
US09818236B2 Production line monitoring device
A production line monitoring device that identifies a cause of a production defect, reduces the amount of analysis data and computation, and performs real-time processing, is provided. The production line monitoring device includes a defect indication detection unit that detects an indication of a production defect of a production line, and a defect cause identification unit that identifies a cause of the production defect. The defect indication detection unit collects measurement information measured by an inspection apparatus for each reference that identifies a position on products, and detects an indication of the production defect from the change with time of the measurement information at the references. The defect cause identification unit performs stratified analysis based on production information related to the reference when the defect indication detection unit detects an indication of a production defect, and identifies a cause of a production defect from a result of the analysis.
US09818235B1 Item dimension verification at packing
This disclosure describes systems and methods for automatically verifying stored item dimension values and package utilization at packing. In some implementations, an image(s) of a package that includes items of a shipment set is captured at a pack station and analyzed to determine an actual package utilization. The actual package utilization is compared to an expected package utilization. If a difference between the expected package utilization and the actual package utilization is identified, it may be determined that the stored item dimension values may be inaccurate.
US09818233B2 Method and apparatus for automatically splitting object and method, apparatus, and system for registering file
Provided are a method and apparatus for automatically splitting an object and a method, apparatus, and system for registering a file. The method for splitting an object includes receiving the data of a stereolithography (STL) file representing a 3D image, tagging vertex coordinates corresponding to objects included in the 3D image so that the vertex coordinates are classified for each object, and splitting each of the objects included in the 3D image based on the tagged vertex coordinates.
US09818232B2 Color-based depth smoothing of scanned 3D model to enhance geometry in 3D printing
Methods and systems for correcting depth irregularities in a three-dimensional scanned model. In particular, one or more embodiments obtain depth data and color data for an object using a depth scanner and a color scanner, respectively. One or more embodiments identify, based on edge information in the color data, regions that have no depth data that are part of the object. One or more embodiments then correct the depth frame by assigning depth data to the identified regions based on a gradient of depth data from areas near the identified regions. The methods and systems use the corrected depth data to generate a corrected three-dimensional model of the object.
US09818230B2 Environmental interrupt in a head-mounted display and utilization of non field of view real estate
A wearable computing device includes a head-mounted display (HMD) that generates a virtual reality environment. Through the generation and tracking of positional data, a the virtual environment may be interrupted or paused. Upon pausing the environment, a user may access a number of ancillary menus and controls not otherwise available during normal operation of the virtual environment.
US09818229B2 Anchors for location-based navigation and augmented reality applications
A method for encoding information includes specifying a digital value and providing a symbol (28, 70, 80, 90, 100) comprising a plurality of polygons (72, 82, 92, 94, 102) meeting at a common vertex (74, 84, 96, 98, 104) and having different, respective colors selected so as to encode the specified digital value.
US09818226B2 Method for optimizing occlusion in augmented reality based on depth camera
A method for optimizing occlusion occurring in an augmented reality system comprising a depth camera and a two-dimensional camera comprises the steps of: capturing, by a depth camera, a scene and an object in the scene to obtain initial depth data, and capturing, by the two-dimensional camera, the scene and the object to obtain two-dimensional image data; in-painting the initial depth data to obtain in-painted depth data; performing a depth buffer calculation according to the in-painted depth data and a virtual model to obtain an occlusion relationship between the object and the virtual model, and generating an occluded partial image according to the two-dimensional image data and the virtual model; estimating partially approximated polygon according to the occluded partial image; and generating an occluded result according to the partially approximated polygon, the two-dimensional image data and the virtual model.
US09818220B2 Method and system for indicating light direction for a volume-rendered image
A method and system for volume-rendering. The method and system include generating a volume-rendered image that is shaded from a light direction, displaying the volume-rendered image, displaying a model of a solid at the same time as the volume-rendered image, and displaying a light direction indicator with respect to the model of the solid, wherein the position of the light direction indicator corresponds to the light direction used for shading the volume-rendered image.
US09818218B2 Graphics processing
A graphics processor includes a vertex shader 20 that processes input attribute values from a vertex buffer 26 to generate output vertex shaded attribute values 28 to be used by a rasterizer/fragment shader 22 of the graphics processor when processing an image for display. The system recognizes when a vertex shader output attribute value to be generated from a vertex shader input attribute value by the vertex shader 20 will be a copy of the vertex shader input attribute value from which it is to be generated. In this event, the vertex shader 20 does not generate the copy vertex shader output attribute value, but the rasterizer/fragment shader 22 instead processes the corresponding vertex shader input attribute value in place of the copy vertex shader output attribute value that would otherwise have been generated by the vertex shader 20.
US09818217B2 Data driven design and animation of animatronics
There is provided a method for use by a system including a hardware processor and a memory storing a three-dimensional (3D) character data having a topology mesh describing a character. The method includes stabilizing the 3D character data by removing a translational motion and a rotational motion from the 3D character data, determining a range of motion of a plurality of points of the topology mesh describing the character, identifying a plurality of poses for generating an animation, where each of the plurality of poses includes a unique configuration of the plurality of points of the topology mesh, and creating an animatronic including a plurality of actuators configured to instantiate the plurality of poses for generating the animation.
US09818216B2 Audio-based caricature exaggeration
Computerized, audio-based caricature exaggeration which includes: receiving a three-dimensional model of an object; receiving an audio sequence; generating a video frame sequence, said generating comprising computing a caricature of the object, wherein (a) the computing is with a different exaggeration factor for each of multiple ones of the video frames, and (b) the different exaggeration factor is based on one or more parameters of the audio sequence; and synthesizing the audio sequence and the video frame sequence into an audiovisual clip.
US09818211B1 Automated combination of multiple data visualizations
A visualization combination engine may be used to combine a first data visualization based on a first data set with a second data visualization based on a second data set. The combination process may be initiated by, for example, clicking and dragging the first data visualization onto the second data visualization. The visualization combination engine may create the combined data visualization without requiring the user to manually combine the first and second data sets. The combination may be carried out by identifying a key that is common between the two data sets and combining the first and second data sets into a combined data set based on the key, and then creating the combined data visualization based on the combined data set. One or more cues may be used during the process to provide helpful information and/or allow user selection of the properties of the combined data visualization.
US09818203B2 Methods and apparatuses for monitoring objects of interest in area with activity maps
An apparatus for monitoring movement of objects of interest in an area includes an activity map generation circuit and a unified activity map generation circuit. The activity map generation circuit is configured to: generate a plurality of activity maps based on video content from a plurality of cameras, each of the plurality of activity maps being indicative of relative activity of the objects of interest over time within a field of view of a camera among the plurality of cameras, and each of the plurality of cameras having a different corresponding field of view in the area; and standardize the plurality of activity maps with regard to a single common point of view. The unified spatial activity map generation circuit is configured to combine the plurality of standardized activity maps into a unified activity map.
US09818201B2 Efficient lens re-distortion
Methods and systems efficiently apply known distortion, such as of a camera and lens, to source image data to produce data of an output image with the distortion. In an embodiment, an output image field is segmented into regions so that on each segment the distortion function is approximately linear, and segmentation data is stored in a quadtree. The distortion function is applied to the segmented image field to produce a segmented rendered distortion image (SRDI) and a corresponding look-up table. To distort a source image, a location in the output image field is selected, and the uniquely colored segment at the same location in the SRDI is found. The look-up table provides the local linear inverse of the distortion function, which is applied to determine from where in the source image to take image texture data for the distorted output image.
US09818199B2 Method and apparatus for estimating depth of focused plenoptic data
Method and apparatus for estimating the depth of focused plenoptic data are suggested. The method includes: estimating the inherent shift of in-focus pixels of the focused plenoptic data; calculating a level of homogeneity of the pixels of the focused plenoptic data; determining the pixels of the focused plenoptic data which either have disparities equal to the inherent shift or belong to homogeneous areas, as a function of the level of homogeneity of the pixels of the focused plenoptic data; and estimating the depth of the focused plenoptic data by a disparity estimation without considering the determined pixels. According to the disclosure, the pixels of the focused plenoptic data which either have a disparity equal to the inherent shift or belong to a homogeneous area will not be considered for the estimation of the depth, which can reduce computational costs and at the same time increase accuracy of estimations for in-focus parts of the scene.
US09818198B2 Method for near-realtime workspace mapping
Motorized machinery, such as overhead cranes, are widely used in industries all over the world. It is not easy to move crane payloads without oscillation, increasing the likelihood of obstacle collisions and other accidents. One possible solution to such problems could be aiding the operator with a dynamic map of the workspace that shows the current position of obstacles. This method discloses the use of a camera to take images of the workspace, using imaging blurring to smooth the obtained images, and drawing contours to produce an individual, near real-time map of the workspace. In one or more embodiments, known obstacles may be tagged in a manner which is readable by the camera. This image and historical images of the same workspace are layered on top of one another to produce a map of obstacles on the workspace floor. This imaging and layering can produce a near real-time map of obstacles that can be used to guide heavy motorized machinery around a workspace without incident.
US09818191B2 Covariate modulate atlas
The disclosed technology relates generally to medical imaging, and more particularly, some embodiments relate to systems and methods for creating and using a covariate modulated or “dynamic” atlas. Some embodiments of the disclosure provide a method for predicting an alas using General Additive Model (GAM) parameters, wherein the GAM parameters are derived by registering (and optionally segmenting) a plurality of image data sets from a plurality of different subjects to an initial atlas estimate (e.g., a seed atlas), and analyzing the resulting registration, segmentation, and intensity parameters as correlated with input covariates.
US09818189B2 Method of classification of organs from a tomographic image
The present invention relates to a method for classification of an organ in a tomographic image. The method comprises the steps of receiving (102) a 3-dimensional anatomical tomographic target image comprising a water image data set and a fat image data set, each with a plurality of volume elements, providing (104) a prototype image comprising a 3-dimensional image data set with a plurality of volume elements, wherein a sub-set of the volume elements are given an organ label, transforming (106) the prototype image by applying a deformation field onto the volume elements of the prototype image such that each labeled volume element for a current organ is determined to be equivalent to a location for a volume element in a corresponding organ in the target image, and transferring (108) the labels of the labeled volume elements of the prototype image to corresponding volume elements of the target image.
US09818185B2 Ultrasonic imaging method and apparatus
Disclosed is an ultrasonic imaging method. The method includes: on a basis of performing fuzzy segmentation of a membership function on an echo signal, sequentially dividing an input image into a plurality of fuzzy segments according to a strength of an echo; dividing the image into a plurality of layers accordingly; and performing a spatial neighborhood operation on a membership degree value in the plurality of layers, so as to obtain a space fuzzy segmentation array; in another aspect, determining a manipulated variable vector of the image according to image content-based self-adaptive calculation or user-based input, flexibly weighting and stretching space fuzzy segmentation arrays at the layers according to the manipulated variable vector finally, and adjusting and compounding the input image by using obtained echo increment and brightness compensation, so as to obtain a final output image. Also disclosed is a corresponding ultrasonic imaging apparatus.
US09818177B2 Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and computer-readable recording medium
The image processing apparatus is configured by including a palm luminance estimation unit and a surface reflected component enhancement unit that separate low-frequency components from a signal indicating luminance values of pixels of an input image, a denoising processing unit that executes a denoising process for the signal from which the low-frequency components have been separated, and a merging unit that generates an image by merging the signal after the denoising process and the low-frequency components.
US09818171B2 Device input and display stabilization
One embodiment provides a method, involving: displaying, on a display device, display data; sensing, using a device sensor, movement of the display device; determining, based on the movement sensed, one or more responsive actions; executing, using a processor, the one or more responsive actions to adjust a user interface element. Other aspects are described and claimed.
US09818169B2 On-chip upscaling and downscaling in a camera architecture
An image capture accelerator performs accelerated processing of image data. In one embodiment, the image capture accelerator includes accelerator circuitry including a pre-processing engine and a compression engine. The pre-processing engine is configured to perform accelerated processing on received image data, and the compression engine is configured to compress processed image data received from the pre-processing engine. In one embodiment, the image capture accelerator further includes a demultiplexer configured to receive image data captured by an image sensor array implemented within, for example, an image sensor chip. The demultiplexer may output the received image data to an image signal processor when the image data is captured by the image sensor array in a standard capture mode, and may output the received image data to the accelerator circuitry when the image data is captured by the image sensor array in an accelerated capture mode.
US09818165B2 Birth registration
A system for registering a birth includes a processor and storage device. A location of a user is determined, using a first location detection method. The location of the user is verified, using a second location detection method. A security key is established with a registration authority according to the location. A birth registration report is generated in compliance with the birth registration requirements according to the location. The birth registration report comprises identification of the location, a picture of the newborn child, and a time stamp that identifies a time and date of the birth. The birth registration report is encrypted according to the security key, which prevents altering the birth registration report. The birth registration report is transmitted in encrypted format to a registrar of birth records for the location. The birth registration report is stored in encrypted format on a computerized device.
US09818164B2 Facilitating and tracking clinician-assignment status
Subject matter described herein is related to assigning a healthcare clinician to provide care to a patient. For example, a GUI is provided that includes contextual information relevant to the assignment and that allows a user to electronically create the assignment. Relevant information includes a list of clinicians, a list of patients, and an estimate of the amount of resources required to provide care to a patient. In addition, this disclosure describes tracking the status of a healthcare clinician, such as primary provider, secondary provider, and on-break. Status might be tracked by capturing an image of a display board, which supports clinician barcodes that are movable to desired locations within a depiction of a healthcare facility (e.g., floor plan laid out using barcodes).
US09818160B2 Kiosk for recycling electronic devices
A recycling kiosk for recycling and financial remuneration for submission of an electronic device such as a mobile phone is disclosed herein. The recycling kiosk includes electrical connectors and an inspection area with an upper chamber, a lower chamber, a transparent plate and at least one camera in order to perform a visual analysis and an electrical analysis of the electronic device for determination of a value of the electronic device. The recycling kiosk also includes a processor and a display for user interaction.
US09818155B2 Method and apparatus for a fair exchange
A fair exchange is disclosed to reduce potential inequities in an electronic trading environment. Market data is sent from a host system to client devices through one or more synchronized local communication servers such that the data can be displayed simultaneously or nearly simultaneously at each client device. Market data sent to client devices might include price information. Likewise, a host system may transaction data sent from client devices via the local communication servers. The ordering of transaction data is based, at least in part, on when the local communication servers received the transaction data from the client devices. Transaction data sent to a host system might include order information.
US09818153B1 Systems and methods for tagging real-time financial transactions
A system, method, and computer-usable medium are disclosed for the automated management of financial resources. Manufacturer item data is received and processed to parse a manufacturer item identifier and any associated product item identifiers, which are then added to a repository of budget category, manufacturer item, and purchase item data if they are not already present. Purchase item transaction data is received and processed to parse individual purchase item identifiers (IDs) and their associated purchase item data. The purchase item data corresponding to the purchase item identifier, which in turn corresponds to a manufacturer item identifier, is then associated with a default or user-defined budget category identifier. If a user decides to modify existing purchase item ID and budget category ID associations, then a purchase item ID association is selected, followed by the selection of a target budget category ID. The association between the budget category ID and purchase item ID is then modified as either one-time or default association. A budget category ID is selected and its associated budget category allowance amount, budget category expenditure amount, and budget category variance amount are displayed.
US09818152B2 System and method for allowing forward-sold goods purchased via credit/debit card to be resold
A system and a method for the resale of one or more forward-sold goods and/or services allows a transaction to be specified as one in which the goods or services may be resold by the purchaser until a time close to actual delivery. The merchant maintains control of the conditions of the resale. If a resale occurs, the merchant receives a commission. The account of the original purchaser is credited with the resale price minus the commission. The availability of goods for resale can be determined by searching a web site for such goods.
US09818150B2 Imagery and annotations
A decade from now, a visit to the supermarket will be a very different experience than the familiar experiences of decades past. Product packaging will come alive with interactivity—each object a portal into a rich tapestry of experiences, with contributions authored by the product brand, by the store selling the product, and by other shoppers. The present technology concerns arrangements for authoring and delivering such experiences. A great variety of other features and technologies are also detailed.
US09818149B1 Automated electronic commerce site migration
Disclosed are various embodiments for a service that retrieves network content from an electronic commerce system and identifies items and associated data within the network content. The information identified may be modified and/or made available for use in another electronic commerce system. Modifications made to the information may be used by the service to further improve the identification accuracy and/or capabilities.
US09818148B2 In-store item alert architecture
A method and apparatus for alerting an individual is described. A determination as to whether an individual is within a sensing area of a first device is made. The first device may be configured to provide information about a product on a shelf on which the first device is attached. In response to determining that the individual is within the sensing area, a determination as to whether to notify an occurrence of the determination that the individual is within the sensing area of the first device to at least one second device is made. In response to determining to notify, a notification may be transmitted to the at least one second device that the individual is within the sensing area of the first device. An alert may be triggered at the at least one second device based upon the transmitted notification.
US09818146B2 Systems and methods for generating location-based group recommendations
Methods and systems for generating location-aware group recommendations are discussed. For example, a method can include operations for receiving a group recommendation request, accessing user profile data associated with members of the group, and generating a group recommendation. The group recommendation request can be received at a network-based system and include identification of a first and second user as well as information identifying a current location associated with the first and second users. Accessing the user profile information can include accessing user profile information for both the first and second users. The group recommendation can be generated based on the current location data and a combination of at least a portion of the user profile data from the first and second users.
US09818144B2 Visual product feedback
According to various embodiments, user goal information describing a user goal is accessed. The user goal may be assigned a target date, and the user goal may be a health-related goal or a finance-related goal. It is determined whether the purchase or consumption of a given product item either contributes or does not contribute to achieving the user goal. Thereafter, visual product feedback information indicating whether procurement of the product item contributes or does not contribute to achieving the user goal is displayed.
US09818140B2 System and method for sales generation in conjunction with a vehicle data system
Embodiments of sales generation, including sales generation employing reverse lead generation using vehicle data systems and methods, are presented herein. In particular, in certain embodiments a user may utilize the vehicle data system to obtain pricing data corresponding to a desired vehicle configuration. When the user is presented with the pricing data associated with the specified vehicle configuration the user may additionally be presented with an upfront price offered by a dealer, where by providing their personal information the user may obtain the name of the dealer offering the upfront price and may additionally be offered the opportunity to purchase the desired, or similar, vehicle at the upfront price.
US09818134B2 Systems and methods for dynamic ad selection of multiple ads or ad campaigns on devices
Methods and systems are described for dynamic ad selection of ads stored on a device. In one embodiment, a device includes a storage medium to store software programs including advertising services software and software applications. Processing logic is coupled to the storage medium and a display device. The processing logic is configured to execute instructions of at least one of the software programs to receive user input for initiating a software application on the device, determine attributes for the device including software applications currently operating in the storage medium and placement information for the initiated software application, and dynamically select one of the video ads stored on the device based on the attributes including software applications currently operating in the storage medium and placement information for the initiated software application.
US09818133B1 Method for consumer profile consolidation using mobile network identification
A method of consolidating consumer profiles based on mapping an external identifier of a mobile communication device to a mobile network identification by an authentication network element computer. The method comprises receiving, by an advertisement (ad) bidder server computer, an ad bid request with an external consumer identifier and consumer profile information of a mobile communication device, and receiving, by a mobile communication network, a pixel tag request from the mobile communication device with the external consumer identifier embedded in the pixel tag request, wherein the mobile communication network is maintained by a mobile network carrier that maintains the ad bidder. The method further comprises identifying a mobile network identification of the mobile communication device by the mobile communication network, and storing a mapping between the external consumer identifier and the mobile network identification.
US09818132B2 Advertisement delivery management apparatus and advertisement delivery management method
An advertisement delivery management apparatus according to an embodiment includes an allocation unit and an advertisement delivery unit. The allocation unit selects delivery target users who have the user attribute designated by each of order requests and whose number corresponds to the number of deliveries designated by each of order requests, from a plurality of delivery target users predicted as future advertisement delivery destinations, and allocates the selected delivery target users to the order requests. The advertisement delivery unit selects the advertising information of the order request corresponding to a user attribute of a user of a user terminal on the basis of the allocation result of the allocation unit and transmits the selected advertising information to the user terminal.
US09818130B1 Systems and methods for near real-time merging of multiple streams of data
Systems and methods for performing near real-time merging of distributed data streams are described. For example, streams of ad impressions, ad clicks, and conversions are sorted by user id into virtual buckets. The buckets of data are distributed across multiple servers, so that each server can process their respective buckets of data independently. Each server uses synchronization logic to determine a running delay distribution of the data streams. Based on the delay distributions, merge processing of the streams is appropriately delayed to ensure that the ad impression and ad click stream information needed for correlating with the conversion stream information is likely to be available in real time.
US09818127B2 Implementing comparison of cloud service provider package offerings
A computer-implemented method of implementing comparison of cloud service provider package offerings comprises a plurality of operations. An operation of creating a cloud services architecture specification defining a cloud infrastructure that supports deployment of an application thereto is performed. An operation of determining a cloud services offering price for each one of the plurality of cloud service offerings to characterize implementation of the cloud infrastructure using cloud services thereof on a basis of pricing of such cloud services is performed. Determining the cloud services offering price for a particular one of the cloud service offerings includes mapping the cloud services architecture specification to cloud service pricing information for the particular one of the cloud service offerings.
US09818124B2 Methods for sales call data management and processing
Sales Tool and methodology for field representatives of products or services records the dates of site visits with customers, acquires sales data concerning consumption of a product or service in a region which is attributable to the customer, generates a chart that depicts the acquired sales data and superimposes on the chart the site visit information so as to coordinate sales data and site visit information into a unified presentation to the representative. Software implementations can permit the representative to interact with the superimposed site visit information and cause additional information to be retrieved from the local database or elsewhere and be presented. Site visits can include other points-of-contact between the customer and the representative, his or her company, or his or her company's materials.
US09818123B2 Method and system for replaying a voice message and displaying a signed digital photograph contemporaneously
Disclosed are methods and systems for generating digital memorabilia including: providing a digital memorabilia signor with a digital photograph, a digital sports jersey, or a combination thereof; receiving at least one of an electronic signature or an electronic written message from the digital memorabilia signor to be embedded in the digital photograph, the digital sports jersey, or the combination thereof; embedding the at least one of an electronic signature or an electronic written message from the digital memorabilia signor into the digital photograph, the digital sports jersey, or a combination thereof to form the generated digital memorabilia; sending the generated digital memorabilia including the electronic signature and the electronic written message to a verification service to verify authenticity of the electronic signature and electronic written message in the generated digital memorabilia; and delivering the generated memorabilia to a digital receiver.
US09818111B2 Merchant-based token sharing
One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a system and associated processes for sharing cardholder data (CHD) between a merchant that utilizes tokenization and a second merchant that may or may not utilize tokenization. In one embodiment, the merchant, or an employee of the merchant, can use the system and associated processes to reacquire CHD from a tokenization provider system. In one embodiment, the merchant identifies to the tokenization provider system a desire to share CHD, which is associated with a token, with a second merchant. The merchant and/or the tokenization provider system can then invite the second merchant to register with the tokenization provider system. Once registered with the tokenization provider system, the second merchant can access any CHD that the merchant associated with the second merchant.
US09818110B2 Method, medium, and system for facilitating online transactions
Methods and systems for facilitating online transactions are disclosed. One method includes supplying content for display in a frame of a website, the website hosted by a third-party. The method also includes receiving transaction information from the third-party, and returning a token to the frame, the token including state information based on the transaction information. The method further includes passing the token from the frame to the third-party. The method optionally also includes receiving the token from the third-party and transferring funds from a first account to a second account based on the transaction information and the state information.
US09818108B2 System and method for updating a transactional device
Systems and methods for updating a transactional device having a reader is provided. In one embodiment, the method includes: reading data on a command token, wherein the data is stored in a memory device; identifying the token as a command token based on the data; generating transaction data that include an instruction based on the token data and a code identifying the instruction as a command data; and transmitting the transaction data to a remote device for command execution.
US09818107B2 Apparatus and method for commercial transactions using a communication device
An apparatus for effecting commercial transactions with a server using a transaction card via a communication device is provided. The apparatus includes a transaction device coupled with the communication device for capturing information from the transaction card and a controller for converting the captured card information into an encrypted audio signal and for transmitting the audio signal to the communication device. The communication device delivers the audio signal to the server for processing the commercial transaction.
US09818105B2 Guaranty provisioning via wireless service purveyance
Disclosed herein are example embodiments for guaranty provisioning via wireless service purveyance. For certain example embodiments, at least one device, such as a server device of a wireless service provider: (i) may detect at least one proffered guaranty transaction that is associated with at least one product transaction; or (ii) may proffer at least one guaranty based at least partially on at least one wireless service data stream.
US09818104B1 Secure online credit card transactions
Embodiments relate generally to systems and methods for enabling and/or completing secure online credit card transactions. Transactions may involve the use of mobile devices wherein credit card information may be stored on the mobile device. The credit card information may be accessed and used to generate proxy credit card information, wherein the proxy information may be communicated during a transaction. The proxy credit card information may be generated by an application on the mobile device and may be communicated to and/or generated by the issuer/network of the original credit card.
US09818102B2 Secure exchange of indicia of value and associated information
Secure exchange of value and associated information in financial transactions involving beneficial offers available for customers is provided. Various offers, including discounts, prepaid amounts, and the like may be purchased by customers for use with various merchants. A third party issuer obtains information from the customer in selling the offers and issues some kind of indicium of value having a representation of the value of the offer associated therein. Record of the indicia are maintained and either transmitted to the merchant or kept by the issuer or associated financial institutions. When the customer redeems the offer by presenting the indicium to the merchant, the merchant may either authenticate the indicium using the records received by the issuer, or establish communication with the issuer for the issuer to authenticate the indicium, either by itself or in cooperation with one or more related financial institutions.
US09818099B2 Self-authenticating peer to peer transaction
A system and method of transaction processing is provided. The system includes a central server, which, after receiving transaction and recipient information from an initiator, sends a verification code to the initiator. The server also sends instructions for the initiator to send the code to a recipient via an outside communication channel. The server receives the verification code from the recipient, and verifies the transaction. In this manner, security may be maintained.
US09818097B2 Method to activate electronic payment unit in mobile terminal and activity server thereof
The present invention relates to an electronic payment means activating method and an activating server thereof. In the electronic payment means activating method, a usage approval of the inactive electronic payment means is requested by using first identification information of the inactive electronic payment means and personal user information of the user terminal, the first identification information is authenticated to determine usage approval of the active electronic payment means, a class of a user is detected by using the personal user information, a first parameter value corresponding to the detected class of the user and a usage approval message are provided to the user terminal, the first parameter value is established in the user terminal, the electronic payment means is activated, and a fare according to the first parameter value is paid by the electronic payment means.
US09818093B1 Third party check-in associations with cloud wallet
A cloud wallet system may receive an indication from a third party system that a user has checked-in at a merchant. The cloud wallet system then determines whether the merchant has an account with the cloud wallet system so that a point-of-sale (POS) purchase can be processed via the user check-in. If the merchant has an account with the cloud wallet system, a user profile corresponding to the user is sent to the merchant and a point-of-sale transaction based on a third party user check-in may be processed by the merchant through the cloud wallet system.
US09818091B2 Barcode transferring receipt data to a computing device of a customer
A method is disclosed for transferring receipt data to a computing device corresponding to a customer. The method may include initiating a transaction at a point-of-sale system. During the transaction, a computer system comprising the point-of-sale system, may collect receipt data documenting the transaction. The computer system may generate a barcode unique to the transaction and comprising encoded data. Once the transaction has been completed, the computer system may present the barcode to the customer. This may be done via a printed receipt, a customer-facing display, or the like. Using the encoded data, the computer system may deliver the receipt data to a computing device in the possession of the customer. For example, the encoded data may comprise the receipt data. Alternatively, the encoded data may comprise a URL directing the computing device to a resource system from which the receipt data may be downloaded.
US09818087B2 Querying an effective dated benefits administration domain model
In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for a human resource management platform that includes applications targeted to solve a variety of human resource and benefits administration management problems. Applications of the human resource management platform include business applications such as benefits administration that may provide a single solution for facilitating employee benefits management and organizational efficiencies through automation of benefit management functions, measurement of benefit provider effectiveness, and the like.
US09818086B2 Methods and systems for providing predictive metrics in a talent management application
Techniques for providing predictive metrics relating to employment positions are provided. A method may include receiving, by a computing device, data relating to a plurality of employment positions, wherein the data is received from a plurality of customers. The computing device may aggregate the data received from the plurality of customers and may determine statistics using the aggregated data, which are based on each of the plurality of employment positions. The computing device may generate one or more predictive metrics relating to the plurality of employment positions using one or more of the statistics.
US09818085B2 Late constraint management
A method and system for integrating restrictions in an identity management system is provided. The method includes generating a role/account attribute table storage from static and dynamic rule defined values. A role request for a first role associated with a user is received and a set of attributes comprising a result of the role request are calculated. The set of attributes are transmitted to a target system for evaluation and a result is received.
US09818084B1 RFID loss-prevention based on transition risk
An RFID loss-prevention system (LPS) may monitor RFID-tagged items in a facility. An RFID reader transmits a first inventory command configured to cause tags in a first state to respond, receive a reply from a first tag, determine that the first tag has a low transition risk, and cause the first tag to switch to a second state. The reader may also receive a reply from a second tag, determine that the second tag has a high transition risk, and cause the second tag to remain in the first state. The reader may then transmit a second inventory command configured to cause tags in the first state to respond, receive a reply from the second tag in response to the second inventory command, determine that the second tag has inappropriately exited the facility, and issue an alert.
US09818083B1 Association of item identifiers
A reader system and an imaging device are provided. The reader system is configured to read a tag attached to an item at a location relative to a barcode. The barcode is associated with the item. Once the reader system identifies the tag, the imaging device uses the placement of the tag and/or features of the tag to identify and read the barcode. The imaging device may also identify the tag. Once the barcode is identified, the barcode and the tag are associated.
US09818082B1 Managing a removal channel based on inventory capacity
Techniques for managing a removal channel may be described. In an example, a first estimate may be generated. The first estimate may be associated with removing a volume of items from an inventory space within a planning horizon through a removal channel. A decision to remove the volume of items may be accessed. The decision may be based on the first estimate and a second estimate associated with adding a capacity for inventorying an equivalent volume of items. Based on the decision, a constraint may be generated and imposed on an inventory level of an item during a time period of the planning horizon. A quantity of the item to remove within the time period through the removal channel may be estimated based on the constraint. Usage of the removal channel during the time period may be set based on the quantity of the item to remove.
US09818081B2 Smart hook for retail inventory tracking
A smart hook system for a store display including a hook configured to hang smart items having a resistor and a capacitor for display in a store. The hook at least one resistive electrical contact configured to come into electrical circuit contact with the resistor of the smart items hanging on the hook, and at least one capacitive electrical contact configured to come into electrical contact with the capacitor of the smart items that are hanging on hook. The smart hook also includes a processor configured to measure the resistance and capacitance of the smart items that are hanging on hook, and determine a quantity of the smart items hanging on the hook and identity of the smart items hanging on the hook based on the measured resistance and capacitance.
US09818077B2 Arranging functional elements into a workflow
Visual representations of gadgets, each of which is configured to perform a different function, are displayed by an electronic device. The gadgets are arranged in a sequence to build a workflow. The gadgets are executed in the sequence to execute the workflow on a project.
US09818070B2 Tiling production of packaging materials
The present invention extends to methods, machines, systems, and computer program products for producing multiple packaging products in a tiled configuration within source production material, enabling production of multiple packaging products in parallel. Embodiments include accessing item data identifying items that are to be packaged, and determining packaging requirements for each item. A pair of box sizes that satisfy the packaging requirements are selected for tiled production. A packaging production machine to be used is also selected. Selection of the box sizes and/or the packaging production machine is based on a collective analysis of packaging requirements, packing system characteristics, and packaging machine characteristics. Based on the collective analysis, it is determined how to allocate box production to the production machine, and the pair of box sizes is matched to the production machine. Box production instructions are generated and sent to the packaging production machine.
US09818069B2 Systems and methods for queue management
A queue management scheme whereby a system-wide status is considered together with a status of each and every specific or particular queue and associated device within the system, in order to efficiently and effectively balance the needs and desires of customers with the needs and desires of an entity that provides services to the customers.
US09818068B2 Metrics based design method and system
A metrics based design method and system is disclosed. The method includes receiving by a computer processor, an informational model comprising data objects, attributes, and relationships associated with a service. The data objects comprise sub-objects. The computer processor receives business affinity (BA) band data associated with the data objects, threshold levels associated with the business affinity (BA) band data, business affinity (BA) levels associated with the business affinity (BA) band data, and service interface operation parameters. The computer processor computes a business affinity (BA) for the informational model based on the business affinity (BA) band data, the threshold levels, the business affinity (BA) levels, and the service interface operation parameters. The computer processor computes a data variation percentage and a reusability count. The computer processor performs: a nested level computation for service valency, a factorization process for computing service valency, and a data element count.
US09818066B1 Automated development and utilization of machine-learning generated classifiers
Technologies are disclosed herein for generating and utilizing machine-learning generated classifiers configured to identify document relationships. Manually-generated data is captured that indicates if documents in a document corpus have a relationship with one another, such as duplicates or variations. A determination may then be made as to whether a classifier is to be generated based on the duplicate decision data. If a classifier is to be generated, machine learning may be performed using training documents from the document corpus and the duplicate decision data to generate a classifier. The machine-learning generated classifier may then be utilized in a production environment to determine whether a new document is a duplicate of documents in the document corpus and/or to identify other relationships between documents in the document corpus, such as documents that are similar or are variations of one another.
US09818065B2 Attribution of activity in multi-user settings
The claimed subject matter includes a system and method for attribution of search activity in multi-user settings. The method includes training a classifier to distinguish between machines that are single-user and multi-user based on activity logs of an identified machine. The identified machine is determined to be multi-user based on the classifier. A number of users is estimated for the identified machine. Activity of the users is clustered based on the number of users estimated. A similarity function is learned for the number of users estimated. The method also includes assigning new activity to one of the users based on the clustering, and the similarity function.
US09818064B1 High fidelity threshold detection of single microwave photons using a quantum non-demolition photon detector
A technique relates to a microwave detection device. A quantum non-demolition microwave photon detector is connected to a quadrature microwave hybrid coupler connected. A dispersive nonlinear element is coupled to the quadrature microwave hybrid coupler.
US09818062B2 Using cohorts to infer attributes for an input case in a question answering system
A cohort analysis mechanism analyzes cohorts to infer one or more additional attributes for an input case to provide a refined input case to answer a question in a question answering system. The refined input case is then used to answer a question in the question answering system. The refined input case can be used in a traditional question answering flow or in a flow that again uses cohort analysis to extract relevant data to answer the question. The cohort analysis mechanism analyzes cohorts to find common attributes in the cohorts and then determines whether to infer the common attributes into the refined input case. The cohort analysis mechanism may determine to dialog with a user to confirm an inferred attribute.
US09818057B2 Neural network circuit and learning method thereof
In a neural network circuit element, a neuron circuit includes a waveform generating circuit for generating an analog pulse voltage, and a switching pulse voltage which is input as a first input signal to another neural network circuit element; a synapse circuit is configured such that the analog pulse voltage generated in the neuron circuit of the neural network circuit element including the synapse circuit is input to a third terminal of a variable resistance element of the synapse circuit, for a permissible input period, in the first input signal from another neural network circuit element; and the synapse circuit is configured such that the resistance value of the variable resistance element is changed in response to an electric potential difference between a first terminal and the third terminal, which occurs depending on a magnitude of the analog pulse voltage for the permissible input period.
US09818045B2 Apparatus and method for detecting a feature in an image
An apparatus for detecting a feature in an image includes an image input section for receiving at least part of the image in the form of image data having a plurality of pixels, the plurality of pixels comprising a plurality of non-border pixels, a feature detection module adapted to attribute a feature probability value to each of the pixels of the image data, and an extremum determination module for determining at least one local extremum among the feature probability values, wherein the extremum determination module is adapted to output, for each of the plurality of pixels, a final indication if the feature probability value of the pixel in question is a local extremum. The extremum determination module is adapted to use, for each of the plurality of non-border pixels, comparison results of at least two comparison operations, with each comparison operation including a comparison of the feature probability value of the non-border pixel in question with the feature probability values of a respective subset of neighboring pixels, with the respective subsets of neighboring pixels being different subsets.
US09818044B2 Content update suggestions
Content update and suggestion techniques are described. In one or more implementations, techniques are implemented to generate suggestions that are usable to guide creative professionals in updating content such as images, video, sound, multimedia, and so forth. A variety of techniques are usable to generate suggestions for the content professionals. In one example, suggestions are based on shared characteristics of images licensed by users of a content sharing service, e.g., licensed by the users. In another example, suggestions are based on metadata of the images licensed by the users, the metadata describing characteristics of how the images are created. These suggestions are then used to guide transformation of a user's image such that the image exhibits these characteristics and thus has an increased likelihood of being desired for licensing by customers of the service.
US09818037B2 Estimating heading misalignment between a device and a person using optical sensor
This disclosure is about a method and apparatus for estimating heading misalignment between a device and a person, where the device/apparatus comprises an optical sensor, the optical sensor capable of capturing an image of the person. At least one physical feature of the person is extracted from the image. A misalignment angle is estimated using the at least one physical feature of the person extracted from the image.
US09818036B2 Apparatus and method for reproducing handwritten message by using handwriting data
A method including generating position information and time information of a handwriting inputted on a device; generating pixel values of an image capturing the handwriting; generating an image file for facilitating a sequential reproduction of the handwriting by storing the position information and the time information of the handwriting in a first field of the image file and storing the pixel values in a second field of the image file; and transmitting the generated image file to another device.
US09818034B1 System and method for pattern detection and camera calibration
Detecting a pattern in an image by receiving the image of a pattern and storing the image in a memory, where the pattern is composed of shapes that have geometrical properties that are invariant under near projective transforms. In some embodiments the process detects shapes in the image using the geometrical properties of the shapes, determines the alignment of the various shapes, and, corresponds or matches the shapes in the image with the shapes in the pattern. This pattern detection process may be used for calibration or distortion correction in optical devices.
US09818032B2 Automatic video summarization
System and techniques for automatic video summarization are described herein. A video may be obtained and a semantic model of the video may be generated from frames of the video. Respective relevancy scores may be assigned to the frames. The semantic model may be initialized with the respective relevancy scores. The semantic model may then be iteratively processed to produce sub-scenes of the video, the collection of sub-scenes being the video summarization.
US09818031B2 Crowd-sourced vision-based information collection
A wearable apparatus is provided for capturing and processing images from an environment of a user. In one implementation, a server-based system includes a data interface for receiving a data stream including image-based information. The image based information may include images captured by a camera present on a particular wearable apparatus from among the plurality of wearable apparatuses worn by different users. The server-based system also includes at least one processing device programmed to receive the data stream from each of the plurality of wearable apparatuses using the data interface, and analyze the data streams to determine at least one trait common to two or more of the different users of the plurality of wearable apparatuses. The at least one processing device may also be programmed to store in a database information relating to the determined at least one trait.
US09818030B2 Ophthalmic device and method for controlling the same
An ophthalmic device capable of obtaining B-scan graphical images at high speed while eliminating positional displacement due to movement of a subject eye. The device includes: anterior eye image obtaining means configured to obtain an image of an anterior eye of a subject eye; eye fundus image obtaining means configured to obtain an image of an eye fundus of the subject eye; and control means configured to detect a moving distance of the subject eye in the anterior eye image using means configured to calculate correlation between a moving distance of the subject eye in the anterior eye image and a moving distance in the eye fundus image, and to control a position for imaging of the eye fundus image based on the detected moving distance of the subject eye and the calculated correlation.
US09818026B2 People counter using TOF camera and counting method thereof
The present invention relates to a people counter using a TOF camera and a method of counting people, and more particularly, to a people counter using a TOF camera that can easily check and count objects corresponding to people by filtering objects moving in an image on the basis of depth information obtained by the TOF camera, and a method of counting people. According to the present invention, it is possible to easily revise depth information and size information of an object, which are obtained by a TOF camera disposed on a ceiling, into actual depth and size information, and to ensure reliability in counting people without complicated setup and operation by providing the information so that an object corresponding to a person can be easily recognized and counted from image information obtained by filtering the information into depth information of a person.
US09818021B2 Method for determining a local refractive power and device therefor
A method for determining a local refractive power in a volume element of a transparent object using a pattern includes observing the pattern through the transparent object by a first camera, determining, using the observed pattern, a three-dimensional (3-D) shape and position of a surface of a particular volume element of the transparent object facing the pattern and using the determined 3-D shape and surface position of the particular volume element, determining a local refractive power for the particular volume element.
US09818009B2 Multi-spectral enhancements for scan cameras
A multi-spectral scan camera and methods are presented. Light beams are emitted from a plurality of light sources comprising a plurality of spectral wavelengths respectively. The light beams from the light sources are scanned across a field of view at a plurality of respective angles using a scan mirror, and each of the spectral wavelengths are received at respective detectors.
US09818007B1 Electronic care and content clothing label
The technology disclosed here encodes a clothing item ID as an alphanumeric code within the clothing item, such as within a radio-frequency identification tag. A clothing item cleaning appliance, such as a cell phone, or a washing machine reads the clothing item ID from the clothing item, and retrieves the care and content information from a database maintained on a cloud. For example, the care and content information can include operating settings of the washing machine. The washing machine can adjust its settings and wash the clothing item in accordance with the care and content information of the clothing item. The care and content information stored in the database can be organized in optimized data structures enabling efficient responses to received queries, and efficient updates to the information stored in the data structures.
US09818005B2 Zero-power wireless device programming
The present disclosure provides methods and apparatuses for loading program data on to an unpowered electronic device, such as an RFID tag that includes volatile memory. Initially, the tag is unpowered. Thus, the volatile memory in the tag will not have any stored data. In order to load data into the memory of the tag, a reader can power the tag wirelessly. The reader includes an antenna configured to transmit electromagnetic radiation and receive backscatter electromagnetic radiation. The reader also includes a processing unit. The processing unit is configured to analyze the backscatter electromagnetic radiation. The processing unit may analyze the backscatter radiation to determine a supply voltage induced in the tag. In response to the induced voltage being greater than a threshold, the processing unit may alter the transmitted electromagnetic radiation to communicate tag data.
US09818003B2 Diagnostic tag for an industrial vehicle tag reader
An industrial vehicle comprising a tag reader, a reader module, and a diagnostic tag, wherein the diagnostic tag is coupled to the industrial truck within a read range of the tag reader. The reader module and the tag reader cooperate to identify the diagnostic tag and individual tags of a tag layout and the reader module discriminates between the individual tags of the tag layout and the diagnostic tag and the individual tags of the tag layout, correlates an identified individual tag of the tag layout with tag data, correlates an identified diagnostic tag with operation of the tag reader, and generates a missing tag signal if the diagnostic tag is not identified or the operation of the tag reader is not within specified operating parameters.
US09818001B2 Electronic equipment security device
An apparatus for securing a component to prevent unauthorized removal of the component, the apparatus comprising a security device for securing the component, the security device having: a first corner engagement member pivotally mounted to a first arm for engaging a first corner of the component; a second corner engagement member pivotally mounted to a second arm for engaging a second corner of the component that is diagonal to the first corner; and a locking assembly to secure the first arm relative to the second arm.
US09818000B2 Protecting hidden content in integrated circuits
An integrated circuit has a first scan cell segment, a second scan cell segment connected to one or more hidden content, and a scan cell circuit connected to the first scan cell segment and the second scan cell segment. The scan cell circuit alternatively provides access to the first scan cell segment and the second scan cell segment based on a state of the scan cell circuit.
US09817999B2 Performing demand reset in a secure mobile network environment
Techniques are discussed for performing a demand reset in a wireless meter reading environment, in a manner such that demand data may not be lost. In response to receiving a command from a mobile device of a requester, a meter may store demand value(s) in a log, reset register(s) that store the demand value(s) and wirelessly provide the demand value(s) to the mobile device of the requester. Due to the lack of reliability associated with wireless communications between the meter and a requestor, the requestor may not actually receive the demand value(s). Upon receiving a subsequent command for the demand value(s), the meter may determine that the command is a replay, and provide the demand value(s) without resetting the register(s). Techniques are also discussed for generating the commands, securing the commands, and providing the commands to mobile devices in route packages.
US09817995B2 Protecting personal information upon sharing a personal computing device
In particular embodiments, a temporary user is able to use another's personal computing device in shared mode for a short period of time while experiencing a personalized user interface. An indication is detected that a personal computing device associated with a primary user is to be shared with a temporary user. Access to local personal information associated with the primary user is disabled if it is stored on the personal computing device. Access to remote personal information of the primary user that is accessible from the personal computing device is disabled. A personalized user interface incorporating personal information associated with the temporary user is presented on the personal computing device for the temporary user. Personal information of the primary user is not accessible by the temporary user, and vice versa. When shared mode is to be terminated, all personal information of the temporary user is deleted.
US09817992B1 System and method for secure USIM wireless network access
A user equipment (UE). The UE comprises a memory module, wherein the memory module is one of a subscriber identity module (SIM), a universal integrated circuit card (UICC), a universal subscriber identity module (USIM), or a removable user identity module (R-UIM), wherein clock signals from a second clock component are input to the memory module. The memory module comprises an application stored in a trusted security zone in the second non-transitory memory, that when executed by the second processor in the trusted security zone, wherein the second operating system accesses the second processor to implement instructions for applications in the second operating system, wherein the trusted security zone provides hardware assisted trust, compares a first mobile equipment identifier (MEID) stored in the first non-transitory memory with a second MEID stored in the memory module.
US09817991B2 System and method for a cloud based solution to track notes against business records
Systems, apparatuses, and methods for creating, editing and using notes within the context of a records database. In an embodiment, a user may create a virtual sticky note that is associated with an underlying record such that the note is displayed with the record but extraneous from any field in the business record. Further, not all notes may be seen by all users as various levels of privacy may be established for different users. Embodiments enable users to efficiently and effectively associate their comments or other inputs with a record or file that is maintained on a cloud-based or multi-tenant platform. The notes may be implemented is a cloud-based solution to track notes/comments against business records maintained on a multi-tenant platform. In one embodiment, a note creator may permit other users to specify rules or criteria that determine who or what portions of an organization may view the created notes.
US09817988B2 System and method to provide document management on a public document system
A system and method for document management are provided in which documents are managed in a file/document sharing system.
US09817987B2 Restricting access to content
Various embodiments restrict or enable access to content items of an account based on login information or content request properties. For example, a synchronized online content management system can receive a request including one or more content request properties from a client device to access a user account. Access rules for the user account can be obtained and applied based on the content request properties to generate an access status. In one instance, the client device is provided with full account access if the access status indicates that the client device is an authorized device. In another instance, if the client device is an unauthorized device, at least one aspect of access to the user account is restricted.
US09817986B1 Discovering availability of digital media from multiple sources
Disclosed are various embodiments for discovering availability of digital media titles from multiple digital media service providers. For each of a plurality of digital media service providers, a computing device determines the availability of a digital media title for viewing by a user. The computing device presents to the user information about access to the digital media title. The information describes access by the user and from those of the digital media service providers for which the digital media title is available for viewing.
US09817984B2 Providing access to application data
Disclosed are various embodiments for providing access to application data associated with multiple applications of a user. A request to store application data is obtained by a data storage service from an application associated with a user. The application is executed in a client computing device, and the request is obtained by way of a network. The application data is stored by the data storage service in response to the request to store. The data storage service may be configured to store data for multiple applications associated with the user.
US09817980B2 System, method and computer-accessible medium for facilitating logic encryption
Exemplary systems, methods and computer-accessible mediums for encrypting at least one integrated circuit (IC) can include determining, using an interference graph, at least one location for a proposed insertion of at least one gate in or at the at least one IC, and inserting the gate(s) into the IC(s) at the location(s). The interference graph can be constructed based at least in part on an effect of the location(s) on at least one further location of the IC(s).
US09817976B2 Techniques for detecting malware with minimal performance degradation
Various embodiments are generally directed to techniques for detecting malware in a manner that mitigates the consumption of processing and/or storage resources of a processing device. An apparatus may include a first processor component of a processing device to generate entries in a chronological order within a first page modification log maintained within a first storage divided into multiple pages, each entry to indicate a write access made by the first processor component to a page of the multiple pages; a retrieval component of a graphics controller of the processing device to recurringly retrieve indications from the first page modification log of at least one recently written page of the multiple pages; and a scan component of the graphics controller to recurringly scan the at least one recently written page to detect malware within the at least one recently written page.
US09817974B1 Anti-malware program with stalling code detection
Execution of a sample program being evaluated for malware is initiated and then suspended to set breakpoints on timing operations of the sample program. Execution of the sample program is suspended again when a breakpoint is hit, at which time a loop is identified in the sample program and evaluated for presence of stalling code. Execution flow of the sample program is changed to exit the loop when the loop is determined to include the stalling code.
US09817973B2 Method and device for monitoring virus trend abnormality
A method and device for monitoring virus trend abnormality are provided which may enable timely and effective monitoring of computer viruses. The method may include measuring a frequency of hits of a virus being found and/or removed. The frequency may be used for calculating an M-day moving average value of the number of hits of the virus. Method may also involve calculating a standardized residual of the number of hits of the virus. When the standardized residual is larger than a first preset threshold, the time at which the virus was encounter the last may be identified as an abnormality point on a trendline of the virus.
US09817971B2 Using call stack snapshots to detect anomalous computer behavior
Detecting computer anomalies by determining probabilities of encountering call stack configurations at various depths, the call stacks being associated with software application instances on computers having the same operating system, where snapshots of the call stacks are recorded on the computers responsive to detecting predefined software application events, determining entropies of call stack configurations at various call stack depths using their associated probabilities, determining stack frame rarity scores of call stack configurations at various depths based on their associated stack frame entropies in accordance with a predefined rarity function, determining a call stack rarity score of any given call stack configuration as the maximum stack frame rarity score of the given configuration, and detecting an anomaly associated with any given one of the computers where any of the snapshots recorded on the given computer is of a call stack whose call stack rarity score meets a predefined anomaly condition.
US09817957B1 Access management based on active environment comprising dynamically reconfigurable sets of smart objects
A processing device comprises a processor coupled to a memory and is configured to predict or otherwise determine that a user will utilize a target application on a user device in involvement with a particular set of smart objects, to request cryptographic material for activating the smart objects of the set, to receive the cryptographic material responsive to the request, and to utilize the cryptographic material to activate the smart objects. Each of the activated smart objects provides a verifier with a proof of involvement with the user device. The verifier controls user access to the target application based at least in part on the proofs provided by the activated smart objects. The determining, requesting, receiving and utilizing operations in some embodiments are performed by a learning agent running on the processing device. The learning agent illustratively includes functionality for learning target application access behavior of the user over time.
US09817955B2 Authorising use of a computer program
A method of authorizing use of a computer program only able to be used when an authorized message is received from an authorizing system includes providing an authorization system, making a request to use a computer program, signalling the request to the authorization system, the authorization system recording the use of the computer program and providing the authorization message to the computer program upon receipt of the authorization message the computer program may be used.
US09817953B2 Systems and methods for establishing and using distributed key servers
Systems and methods in which multiple key servers operate cooperatively to securely provide authorization codes to requesting devices. In one embodiment, a server cloud receives a device authorization code request and selects an “A server”. The “A server” requests authorization from one or more “B servers” and authorizes the “B servers” to respond. The “B servers” provide authorization to the “A server”, and may provide threshold key inputs to enable decryption of device authorization codes. The “A server” cannot provide the requested device authorization code without authorization from the “B server(s)”, and the “B server(s)” cannot provide the requested server authorization code and threshold inputs without a valid request from the “A server”. After the “A server” receives authorization from the “B server(s)”, it can provide the initially requested device authorization code to the requesting device.
US09817952B2 Apparatus and methods for rights-managed content and data delivery
Methods and apparatus for providing access to content across a plurality of devices and environments. In one embodiment, a downloadable rights profile is utilized in order for a user device to determine whether to provide content to a subscriber. The user device is first registered to content delivery the network; the device then requests a rights profile indicating the rights of the subscriber associated with the device to access content. The rights profile is transmitted to the device. The rights profile may be configured to be valid only for a pre-determined time, thus enabling a subscriber's rights to be updated (including revoked). Security mechanisms may also be utilized to ensure access to content is limited only to authorized subscribers. In another embodiment, a user-based authentication procedure is utilized, thereby making the rights determination and content provision process completely agnostic to the underlying hardware.
US09817946B2 Graphic representations of health-related status
Methods, computer systems, and computer-readable storage media for generating graphical representations of health-related variables are provided. The graphical representations include a first body-image representation of a user at a current period of time. The graphical representations also include a second body-image representation that represents the user at a future period of time, the user in a simulated clinical “what-if” scenario, or members of the population-at-large that share similar demographic traits with the user.
US09817945B2 Systems and methods to optimize radiology exam distribution
Example methods, systems, and computer readable media are disclosed to allocate a medical exam. An example method includes identifying an exam characteristic associated with the medical exam. The example method includes determining a plurality of allocation scores for a plurality of radiologists by comparing the exam characteristic to a radiologist characteristic for each of the plurality of radiologists. The example method includes determining one of the plurality of allocation scores with a highest value. The example method includes allocating the medical exam to one of the plurality of radiologists associated with the one of the plurality of allocation scores with the highest value. The example method includes marking the medical exam as allocated to the one of the plurality of radiologists associated with the one of the plurality of allocation scores with the highest value. The example method includes providing an indication that the medical exam is allocated via a graphical user interface.
US09817943B2 Cumulative differential chemical assay identification
An apparatus comprising: a value receiver, configured to receive fluorescence values measured during a chemical reaction involving a test sample, each value pertaining to a respective physical parameter value, a difference calculator, configured to calculate differences, each difference being between respective one of the measured fluorescence values and one of reference fluorescence values of a reference sample, each reference fluorescence value pertaining to a respective physical parameter value, a cumulative index calculator, configured to calculate a cumulative index, by selecting a first difference among the calculated differences, and selecting and adding to the first difference differences, each one of the added differences being selected according to a proximity standard applied on each two differences selected in a sequence, the proximity standard being based on proximity of physical parameter values and difference size, and a similarity determiner, configured to determine similarity between the samples, using the calculated cumulative index.
US09817942B2 System for creating universal mating cables and related testing program
The present document describes a method for building a part for use with a test equipment in the performance of a test of electrical equipment. The part comprises at least one of a connector, an interface cable, and a test program. The method comprises accessing a database comprising data about the part, building the part based on the data, and providing the part with a unique identifier. The data is sufficient for at least one of determining an availability of the part and allowing building the part.
US09817936B2 Methods for minimizing layout area of IC
A method for minimizing layout area of IC is provided. A plurality of first tiles of an initial floor plan are obtained according to a plurality of partitions and channels of the initial floor plan. Each first tile between the partition and the channel has a fixed tile property being the partition or the channel. Each second tile between at least one of the partitions and at least one of the channels has a changeable tile property which can be changed between the at least one partition and the at least one channel. A specific area path of the layout area is obtained according to the partitions, the channels and the routing densities corresponding to the channels. The changeable tile properties of the second tiles are changed according to the specific area path, to re-shape the partitions and re-route the nets within the channels.
US09817934B2 Multi-FPGA prototyping of an ASIC circuit
The invention concerns a method of designing a prototype comprising a plurality of programmable chips, such as FPGA chips, for modelling an ASIC circuit, said ASIC circuit being intended to implement a logic design comprising a hierarchy of logic modules communicating together. The method according to the invention comprises steps of: —partitioning the hierarchy of logic modules into regions each comprising one or a plurality of programmable chips, while minimising: —inter-region communications in a manner correlated to the physical connections available between each pair of programmable chips; —and the number of crossings of programmable chips of a critical combinatorial path; —establishing a routing of the signals between programmable chips using the physical resources available.
US09817932B2 Recognizing and utilizing circuit topology in an electronic circuit design
This application discloses tools to build a topology library including one or more topologies, each of which includes a description of multiple transistors, their parameters, and associated connectivity, and also includes rules or criteria to be utilized in downstream design flow processes. The tools can analyze a circuit design describing an electronic device to recognize a subset of transistors in the electronic device has a pre-defined circuit topology, and identify layout rules or simulation criteria for the transistors in the recognized circuit topology. The tools can utilize the layout rules to automatically generate a portion of a physical design layout corresponding to the recognized topology in the circuit design. The tools also can compare results from a simulation of the circuit design that correspond to the transistors in the recognized circuit topology to the simulation criteria to determine whether the transistors in the recognized circuit topology meet design specifications.
US09817929B1 Formal verification using microtransactions
Disclosed herein are representative embodiments of methods, apparatus, and systems for performing formal verification of circuit descriptions. In certain example embodiments, the disclosed technology involves the formal verification of a register-transfer-level (“RTL”) circuit description produced from a high level synthesis tool (e.g., a C++ or SystemC synthesis tool) relative to the original high level code from which the RTL description was synthesized (e.g., the original C++ or SystemC description) using sub-functional-call-level transactions.
US09817914B2 Extensible markup language (XML) performance optimization on a multi-core central processing unit (CPU) through core assignment
Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to XML schema validation and provide a method, system and computer program product for optimized XML schema validation and XML document parsing. In one embodiment, an XML data processing system can include shared memory; an XML co-processing proxy comprising program code enabled to receive at least one of XML document schema validation and XML document parsing requests from client applications, and at least one XML processing element coupled to the shared memory. In particular, the XML processing element can be configured to perform the at least one of the XML schema validation and XML document parsing on XML documents provided by the XML co-processing proxy. The XML processing element further can be configured to place results of XML schema validation or the XML document parsing in the shared memory.
US09817913B2 Method and apparatus for collecting, merging and presenting content
A method and apparatus for collecting, merging, and presenting content is disclosed. The method includes collecting a plurality of selected content from a plurality of different content sources. The method further involves storing the selected content in a temporary file. Additionally, the method involves merging the collected content into a cohesive document.
US09817912B2 Method and system for managing a virtual meeting
A computer-implemented method, computer-readable medium and system for managing a virtual meeting are disclosed. Invitees for a virtual meeting may be automatically determined based upon a selection of one or more groups made using a graphical user interface. Each invitee may be notified of the virtual meeting. Users may conveniently attend the virtual meeting. A recording of the virtual meeting may then be made accessible to members of one or more groups selected using the graphical user interface. In this manner, the setup of a virtual meeting and the distribution of a recording of the virtual meeting can be improved.
US09817911B2 Method and system for displaying content relating to a subject matter of a displayed media program
Disclosed is a system and method for analyzing, by a server computer, closed captioning text associated with a media program being experienced by a user having a client device. The server computer obtains, based on the analyzing, a subject matter of a portion of the media program from the closed captioning text. The server computer constructs a query associated with the determined subject matter and submits the query to a computer network as a search query. The server computer receives, in response to the submitting of the query, content relating to the subject matter and measures an elapsed time period between the receiving of the content and the obtaining of the subject matter. If the elapsed time period is less than a predetermined period of time, the server computer communicates, to the client device, information related to the content.
US09817906B2 System for knowledge discovery
An augmentation system configured to present global and local context sensitive augmented content in accordance with multiple criteria, including one or more user's preferences, and present the augmented content via a display layer on top of the original content. The augmentation system provides an efficient browsing, knowledge discovery and exploration experience. The original content remains visible to the user while the augmented content is being viewed and/or interacted with. The global context sensitive augmented content is generated using metrics based on the overall document or content being viewed, while the local context sensitive augmented content is generated using metrics based on the currently viewed or selected object within the document or content being viewed. Real-time and theme based augmentation are used to further enhance the user's experience. The local and global augmentation includes user customized augmented network of concepts and relationships that are of interest to knowledge discovery of the topic at hand.
US09817904B2 Method and system for generating augmented product specifications
The present invention provides a method for providing augmented product specifications based on user reviews. The method obtains input data of specifications and user reviews on a plurality of products, each specification including at least a pair of a feature and a feature-value of the product. The method concatenates the user reviews of the products to form product-documents, each product-document corresponding to the concatenated user reviews of a product. The method further employs a topic model to process the input data and learn topic distributions in the product-documents and word distributions in topics. The topics include specifications of the products. The topic model is a type of statistical model for discovering topics that occur in a collection of product-documents. Based on the topic model, the method can provide augmented specifications including one or more of relevant sentences of the feature-value, feature importance information, and product-specific words of the product.
US09817899B2 Searching for secret data through an untrusted searcher
Embodiments of the present invention relate to searching for secret data through an untrusted searcher without exposing the secret data. In one embodiment, a method of and computer program product for searching for secret data through an untrusted searcher is provided. A secret value is read from a storage medium. The secret value is divided into a plurality of portions. Each of the plurality of portions is ranked. A subset of the secret value is determined from the ranking of the plurality of portions. A search string is constructed from the subset. The search string is transmitted to a searcher via a network. Search results are received from the searcher via the network. The search results are compared to the secret value to determine whether the searcher found the secret value.
US09817898B2 Locating relevant content items across multiple disparate content sources
Technologies are described herein for locating relevant content items across multiple disparate content sources. Query parameters are received from a user interface for defining a query for searching a number of content sources located on multiple, disparate content servers. A native search is executed on each of the content servers based on the received query parameters, and query statistics and other data regarding content items in the content sources matching the query parameters are received. The query statistics are aggregated across the content servers and presented in the user interface. The presentation of the query statistics may be broken out by each content source, by each query phrase segmented from the query, and the like. In addition, a preview of a number of content items matching the query parameters is presented based on the data received.
US09817897B1 Content-dependent processing of questions and answers
The disclosed embodiments relate to a computer system that facilitates the providing of an answer to a question. During operation, the computer system receives the question from a user, where the question is related to income taxes. Then, the computer system performs content-dependent processing of the question based on a tax-information data structure to produce the answer to the question. Note that the tax-information data structure includes: tax phrases, context information associated with the tax phrases, tax concepts that encompass multiple tax phrases, and/or statistical association metrics between the tax phrases and the tax concepts. Next, the computer system provides the answer to the user.
US09817893B2 Tracking changes in user-generated textual content on social media computing platforms
Social media posts related to a topic are analyzed over time by parsing the posts to identify terms and by statistically analyzing occurrences and co-occurrences of the terms in the posts to derive metrics. A relationship-based structure is updated over time based on the metrics. A relationship-based structure is updated over time based on the metrics. In an example, the relationship-based structure includes weighted nodes and edges. The nodes represent terms in the posts and the edges represent co-occurrences of the terms. The weights of the nodes depend on frequencies of the occurrences, while as the weights of the edges depend on frequencies of the co-occurrences. A trend in the social media posts is detected by identifying a change over time in the relationship-based data structure.
US09817891B1 System, method, and computer program for creating metadata-based search queries
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for creating metadata-based search queries. In use, a plurality of data objects in one or more databases are identified. Additionally, a plurality of attributes associated with each of the plurality of data objects are identified (e.g. attributes from a table, derived attributes, etc.). Further, a plurality of relationships associated with each of the plurality of data objects are identified. In addition, at least one of the plurality of data objects, the plurality of attributes, or the plurality of relationships are filtered to generate a first subset of data objects, a first subset of attributes, and a first subset of relationships. At least a metadata representation of at least a portion of the first subset of data objects, the first subset of attributes, or the first subset of relationships is displayed utilizing a user interface. Furthermore, a selection is received from the user interface, the selection including data associated with one or more of the first subset of data objects, one or more of the first subset of attributes, or one or more of the first subset of relationships. Moreover, a search query is automatically generated based on the selection. Additionally, the one or more databases are searched utilizing the search query. Still yet, results of the search query are displayed utilizing the user interface.
US09817885B2 Method and apparatus for grouping network service users
A method for grouping network service users includes acquiring attribute and/or behavior data of multiple users within a current period, and converting the attribute and/or behavior data into standardized data; determining multiple group central points according to the standardized data, and placing the standardized data in a group where a group central point having a shortest distance is located; determining group features of groups according to standardized data in the groups; and separately pushing corresponding service push information to users in the groups according to the group features of the groups. In addition, an apparatus for grouping network service users is further described.
US09817884B2 Method and system for real-time, false positive resistant, load independent and self-learning anomaly detection of measured transaction execution parameters like response times
A combined transaction execution monitoring, transaction classification and transaction execution performance anomaly detection system is disclosed. The system receives and analyzes transaction tracing data which may be provided by monitoring agents deployed to transaction executing entities like processes. In a first classification stage, parameters are extracted from received transaction tracing data, and the transaction tracing data is tagged with the extracted classification data. A subsequent measure extraction stage analyzes the classified transaction tracing data and creates corresponding measurements which are tagged with the transaction classifier. A following statistical analysis process maintains statistical data describing the long term statistical behavior of classified measures as a baseline, and also calculates corresponding statistical data describing the current statistical behavior of the classified measures. The statistical analysis process detects and notifies significant deviations between the statistical distribution of baseline and current measure data. A subsequent anomaly alerting and visualization stage processes those notifications.
US09817882B2 Dynamic distributed generation of data representations from highly condensed data
An apparatus includes a processor and a storage storing instructions causing the processor to receive representation metadata indicating features of representation data to be generated from a plurality of representation portions, receive a command to generate at least one row of the representation data, determine a subset of data blocks of a data blob required to generate the at least one row, and a subset of node devices that store the subset of data blocks, for each node device of the subset of node devices, derive a node block map identifying at least one data item of a data block for generating a representation portion, transmit the node block maps to the subset of node devices; and transmit a command to the subset of node devices to each generate at least one row of one of the plurality of representation portions.
US09817881B2 Hidden markov model processing engine
A method, apparatus, and tangible computer readable medium for processing a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) structure are disclosed herein. For example, the method includes receiving Hidden Markov Model (HMM) information from an external system. The method also includes processing back pointer data and first HMM states scores for one or more NULL states in the HMM information. Second HMM state scores are processed for one or more non-NULL states in the HMM information based on at least one predecessor state. Further, the method includes transferring the second HMM state scores to the external system.
US09817880B1 Social-aware resource allocation for large-scale distributed systems
A system and method for social-aware clustering of user data replicas in a large-scale distributed computing system is disclosed. An exemplary system finds at least one user's connected users based on communications between the user and other users. The datacenters that contain the user replicas of the user's connected users are found. Connections and connection weights between the user and the user's connected users' datacenters are computed. The preferred datacenters for the user's current user data replica is computed based on the location of the connected datacenters and the weights of the connections. An optimization model minimizes the distance between the user's current datacenter and the user's preferred datacenter to reduce network traffic and central processing unit usage and determines the user's datacenter. The user's current datacenter is updated to the datacenter determined by running the optimization model.
US09817878B2 Storage constrained synchronization of shared content items
A content management system synchronizes content items across client computing systems connected by a network. Each client device has a storage allocation for synchronized shared content items. If the storage allocation for shared content items on a client device is exceeded by the request to add or edit a content item such that it is enlarged, or open a large content item remote to the client device, a client application or the host of content management system selects content items to remove from residence on the client device but keep remotely on content management system. Upon removal of the selected content items, the client application creates shadow items, representing the content item but only containing the metadata of the content item. This creates sufficient space for the initial request to be completed while maintaining user access to all synchronized shared content items.
US09817876B2 Enhanced mechanisms for managing multidimensional data
An enhanced multidimensional data management system significantly reduces the resources required to convert a spreadsheet into an enterprise collaborative system. A spreadsheet may be imported as is without modifications. Additional information that cannot be automatically inferred about the data model used in the spreadsheet is obtained. Dimensions, timescale, and measure data are clearly defined and located. The spreadsheet is kept in the system in the form of both a spreadsheet and as a multidimensional data structure such as an online analytical processing (OLAP) cube or structure. This duality allows the spreadsheet to be manipulated as if it was an OLAP cube, modifying iterations within the dimensions, and the OLAP cube to be computed as if it was a spreadsheet.
US09817873B2 Method and apparatus for mining community users
The present disclosure discloses a method and apparatus for mining community users, belonging to the field of Internet communications. The method includes: acquiring original community data of a community user; calculating intimacy scores of the community user with respect to other community users according to the original community data of the community user, the intimacy scores being used for indicating degrees of intimacy of the community user with respect to the other community users; clustering the community users according to the intimacy scores of the community user with respect to the other community users, and forming a community user circle; and displaying the community user circle to community users in the community user circle, so that the community users in the community user circle communicate with each other. The apparatus includes: a first acquiring module, a calculation module, a clustering module, and a display module.
US09817867B2 Dynamically processing an event using an extensible data model
Systems and methods of dynamically processing an event using an extensible data model are disclosed. One embodiment includes, specifying attributes of the event in a data model; the data model being extensible to add properties to the event as the dataset is streamed from the source to the sink.
US09817866B1 Lossless compression of client read data
A read is aligned to a reference data set. It is determined whether the read includes any identifier distinction, the determination being performed using the alignment. If so, positional data corresponding to the identifier distinction(s) are defined. Compressed read data is stored in association with a read identifier of the read. The compressed read data includes alignment information (e.g., a start and/or stop position of the alignment). When the read includes an identifier distinction, the compressed read data further includes the positional data and deviation data characterizing the distinction.
US09817863B1 Attribute category enhanced search
Performing a user initiated search query is disclosed and comprises receiving user input comprising description details of at least one desired object, retrieving a plurality of objects from a database sharing one or more of the description details of the user input, constructing a tree data structure based on the description details of the plurality of objects, the tree data structure comprising one or more attributes related to each of the plurality of objects retrieved, displaying visual images associated with the retrieved plurality of objects, the visual images matching at least one of the attributes related to the plurality of objects, and receiving a user selection of one or more of the visual images.
US09817860B2 Generation and application of correctness-enforced executable filters
Methods of generating filters automatically from data processing jobs are described. In an embodiment, these filters are automatically generated from a compiled version of the data processing job using static analysis which is applied to a high-level representation of the job. The executable filter is arranged to suppress rows and/or columns within the data to which the job is applied and which do not affect the output of the job. The filters are generated by a filter generator and then stored and applied dynamically at a filtering proxy that may be co-located with the storage node that holds the data. In another embodiment, the filtered data may be cached close to a compute node which runs the job and data may be provided to the compute node from the local cache rather than from the filtering proxy.
US09817847B2 Neural network image curation control
Neural network image curation techniques are described. In one or more implementations, curation is controlled of images that represent a repository of images. A plurality of images of the repository are curated by one or more computing devices to select representative images of the repository. The curation includes calculating a score based on image and face aesthetics, jointly, for each of the plurality of images through processing by a neural network, ranking the plurality of images based on respective said scores, and selecting one or more of the plurality of images as one of the representative images of the repository based on the ranking and a determination that the one or more said images are not visually similar to images that have already been selected as one of the representative images of the repository.
US09817841B2 Scheduled synchronization
The described technologies can be used for scheduled synchronization of documents. In one example, a method of controlling synchronization according to a stored update schedule can comprise locally storing a document comprising one or more visualizations based on at least one or more datasets. The update schedule can be stored in association with the document. The update schedule can indicate a periodic interval for synchronizing the document. Login credentials for a remote server can be stored. An upload of the document to the remote server can be initiated without user interaction and according to the update schedule. Uploading can comprise logging into the remote server using the stored login credentials and transmitting the document to the remote server, whereby the locally stored document and the uploaded document are synchronized at periodic intervals.
US09817839B2 Managing information at a construction site
A method for managing information at a construction site is disclosed. In one embodiment, task data is received from a handheld tool at a construction site. A database is populated with the task data such that the task data can be retrieved from the database. The task data is then used to generate at least one report.
US09817838B2 Purging user data from vehicle memory
A communication system and a method for purging user data stored in a vehicle. The method carried out by the system includes: (a) receiving an input associated with a future time for performing a purge of user data in a vehicle module; (b) determining a first expiration threshold associated with the input; (c) determining one or more additional expiration thresholds based on the first expiration threshold; (d) monitoring vehicle parameter values associated with the first and additional expiration thresholds; (e) based on the parameter values and the first and additional expiration thresholds, determining to initiate a user data purge event; and (f) purging the user data based on the determination of step (e).
US09817837B2 Method and system for file storage and access
Disclosed embodiments relate to storing and accessing files. In an embodiment, a method includes writing a file to a writing a file to a storage device having a file system having a file allocation table (FAT). Writing the file includes allocating a plurality of clusters of the file system to the file, wherein at least a portion of the allocated clusters is contiguous. The FAT includes a plurality of cluster addresses corresponding to the allocated clusters. A signature value is stored in a cluster address corresponding to a first cluster of the contiguous clusters to indicate the presence of the contiguous clusters. In each of a set of consecutive cluster addresses succeeding the cluster address corresponding to the first cluster, a value that partially represents the number of the contiguous clusters is stored. The number of contiguous clusters is determinable by combining the values stored in the consecutive cluster addresses.
US09817836B2 Virtual database system
Information from multiple databases is retrieved and stored on a database storage system. Multiple point-in-time copies are obtained for each database. A point-in-time copy retrieves data changed in the database since the retrieval of a previous point-in-time copy. A virtual database (VDB) is created by creating a set of files in the data storage system. Each file in the set of files created for a VDB is linked to the database blocks on the database storage system associated with a point-in-time copy of the source database. The set of files associated with the VDB are mounted on a database server allowing the database server to read from and write to the set of files. Workflows based on VDBs allow various usage scenarios based on databases to be implemented efficiently, for example, testing and development, backup and recovery, and data warehouse building.
US09817835B2 Efficient data synchronization for storage containers
Performing data synchronization is disclosed, including: receiving an indication to synchronize a container to a snapshot, wherein the container has a first data state and an identity, wherein the snapshot corresponds to a second data state; causing the container to have the second data state corresponding to the snapshot; and maintaining the identity of the container.
US09817831B2 Monetization of multimedia queries
A method to monetize multimedia queries is provided. The method includes receiving a multimedia query from a client device. In response, to the multimedia query a collection of thumbnails representing multimedia files is created. Position information for advertisement information is generated based on multimedia content included in the multimedia files. The position information specifies where the advertisement information should be displayed. Accordingly, advertisement information associated with advertisers that pay above a specified threshold is displayed with thumbnails of the multimedia content or with the actual multimedia content.
US09817829B2 Systems and methods for prioritizing textual metadata
A priority for one or more source components can be determined for use in providing metadata for a composite media presentation. For example, an audio component containing or associated with a text transcript may be prioritized based on a gain value, gain differential, and/or frequency range associated with the audio component, with data indicating the priority stored in a computer-readable medium. When transcript or other metadata is provided for the composite media presentation, the priority information can be used to select how (or whether) data or metadata associated with each component will be used in providing transcript metadata for the presentation as a whole.
US09817823B2 Active knowledge guidance based on deep document analysis
An approach is provided for an information handling system to present knowledge-based information. In the approach, a semantic analysis is performed on the document with the analysis resulting in various sets of semantic content. Each of the sets of semantic content corresponds to an area in the document. The areas of the document are visually highlighted using visual indicators that show the availability of the sets of semantic content to a user via a user interface. In response to a user selection, such as a selection using the user interface or a user specified configuration setting, a selected set of semantic content is displayed to the user using the interface.
US09817818B2 Method and system for translating sentence between languages based on semantic structure of the sentence
A method and computer system for translating sentences between languages from an intermediate language-independent semantic representation is provided. On the basis of comprehensive understanding about languages and semantics, exhaustive linguistic descriptions are used to analyze sentences, to build syntactic structures and language independent semantic structures and representations, and to synthesize one or more sentences in a natural or artificial language. A computer system is also provided to analyze and synthesize various linguistic structures and to perform translation of a wide spectrum of various sentence types. As result, a generalized data structure, such as a semantic structure, is generated from a sentence of an input language and can be transformed into a natural sentence expressing its meaning correctly in an output language. The method and computer system can be applied to in automated abstracting, machine translation, natural language processing, control systems, Internet information retrieval, etc.
US09817815B2 Techniques for graph based natural language processing
Techniques for graph based natural language processing are described. In one embodiment an apparatus may comprise a client service component operative on the processor circuit to receive a natural language user request from a device and to execute the natural language user request based on matched one or more objects and a social object relation component operative on the processor circuit to match the natural language user request to the one or more objects in an object graph, the object graph comprising token mappings for objects within the object graph, the token mappings based on data extracted from a plurality of interactions by a plurality of users of the network system, wherein the one or more objects are matched with the natural language user request based on the token mappings. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09817812B2 Identifying word collocations in natural language texts
Systems and methods for identifying word collocations in natural language texts. An example method comprises: performing, by a computing device, semantico-syntactic analysis of a natural language text to produce a plurality of semantic structures; generating, in view of relationships defined by the semantic structures, a raw list of word combinations; producing a list of collocations by applying a heuristic filter to the raw list of word combinations; and using the list of collocations to perform a natural language processing operation.
US09817803B2 System and method for generating a digital edition
A system for compiling pages of a digital edition while some of the pages of the digital edition are concurrently being edited is provided. The system comprises an assembler system including a parser being configured to parse page edition data for each page of the digital edition and determine whether any pages of the digital edition are error-generating pages. The parser is further configured to provide parsed edition data for error-free pages and replacement page edition data for each one of the error-generating pages. The system also comprises a compiler being configured to compile the parsed and replacement page edition data for each of the pages in the digital edition and generate therefrom compiled page edition data in the form of a data-interchange format, and to store the compiled page edition data in a compilation database.
US09817795B2 Document layout for electronic displays
A method of operating a device having a screen with a display size, including: obtaining an electronic document (ED) having a text flow, multiple graphics, and a page size; calculating, during a first layout of the ED, locations for the multiple graphics on a page having the page size specified in the ED; generating a scaled version of the page having the display size by scaling the graphics and the locations, where scaling the graphics results in scaled graphics and scaling the locations results in scaled locations; placing, during a second layout of the ED, the text flow on the scaled version of the page with the scaled graphics at the scaled locations; and displaying, by the device, the scaled version of the page with the text flow and the scaled graphics at the scaled locations on the screen.
US09817790B2 Multi-processor with selectively interconnected memory units
A multi-processor having a plurality of data processing units and memory units has a bus system that selectively interconnects the processing units and the memory units.
US09817789B2 Systems and methods for caching SNMP data in multi-core and cluster systems
The SNMP cache of the present solution supports multi-core/multi-node environment by recalculating the SNMP ordering of the entities in the response from multiple cores/nodes at insertion time. The most significant gain is achieved by prefetching or augmenting the cache, wherein while requesting an entity and its stat information, next few entities in SNMP order are requested from the owner processes. SNMP Management systems extensively utilize repeated GETNEXT (such as via a SNMP WALK) and few next responses may be served from the cache directly. Further performance improvements are obtained by introducing another level of cache on top of the existing cache. This auxiliary cache ensures a high hit ratio for repeated SNMP GETNEXT request (SNMP WALK operation) by caching last accessed entity within the main cache. This auxiliary cache also aids in insertion in the larger main cache by maintaining pointers to last accessed entity before the main cache miss. Cache implements other features like new stat inclusion/updating of the already cached entity.
US09817784B2 Multi-port transmitter device for transmitting at least partly redundant data, an associated control system, an associated method and an associated computer program product
A multi-port transmitter device for transmitting at least partly redundant data is described. The multi-port transmitter device comprises at least two transmitters comprising respective transmitter buffers. One transmitter is a master transmitter that issues a request to the processor to provide a data block when the transmitter buffer of the master transmitter has free space to store a data block. The processor is arranged to copy at least one data block of data stored in an external memory from the external memory to respective positions in a local buffer. The processor is arranged to, in accordance with a predefined sequence, sequentially initiate transfer of the data block from the respective position of the data block in the local buffer to the transmitter buffers of the at least two transmitters in response to a request from the master transmitter to provide a data block.
US09817782B2 System and method for a bus interface
In accordance with an embodiment, a method of operating a bus interface circuit includes detecting a start sequence on a plurality of input terminals, determining whether a first input terminal and a second input terminal is a data terminal and a clock terminal, respectively, or whether the first input terminal and the second terminal is a clock terminal and a data terminal, respectively. The method also includes routing the first input terminal to a data terminal and the second input terminal to a clock terminal if first input terminal and the second input terminal are determined to be a data terminal and a clock terminal, respectively, and routing the first input terminal to the clock terminal and the second input terminal to the data terminal if first input terminal and the second input terminal are determined to be a clock terminal and a data terminal, respectively.
US09817781B2 Device and method for addressing, and converter
It is provided to implement a different number of logical slaves in a field device for use in an AS interface network as a function of the assigned address, which slaves may be addressed using the assigned address in the standard or in the expanded addressing mode. Thus, in a field device, it is possible to provide slaves having different profiles, via which different data types may be exchanged. Furthermore, a method is provided, with which a field device having different slaves is able to be addressed in a simple manner while avoiding double addressing.
US09817778B2 Electronic device and method for communicating with USB device
According to one embodiment, an electronic device includes a USB host controller, and a wireless transceiver connected to the USB host controller through a USB bus. When it is detected that a USB device is present in a communication range of the wireless transceiver, a load is connected to the USB bus. When the USB host controller enters a compliance mode after connecting the load to the USB bus, the electronic device executes a process for directing the USB host controller to issue a Warm Reset for the USB host controller to exit the compliance mode.
US09817777B2 Multi-operating state serial ATA devices and methods of operation therefor
Methods and SATA devices having more than one operating state suitable for providing efficient command and data transfers over a SATA bus. A SATA device is provided for communicating with a host. The host sends commands to the SATA device and the SATA device sends data to the host in response to the commands being received by the SATA device. The SATA device has a queue of commands received from the host. The SATA device is configured to operate in a first operating state wherein the commands are received by the SATA device and the data are not sent to the host, and a second operating state wherein the commands are received by the SATA device and the data are sent to the host wherein data being sent to the host has priority over receiving commands by the SATA device.
US09817775B2 Control system for hard disk
A control system for a plurality of hard disks includes a chip unit, a first storage unit, and a second storage unit. The chip unit includes a first, second, and third GPIO pin and a firmware. The first storage unit is coupled to the chip unit and a plurality of hard disks. The second storage unit is coupled to the chip unit and a plurality of hard disks. When the first GPIO of the chip unit receives a power on signal, the firmware carries out a staggered spin-up function, the second GPIO of the chip unit outputs a first signal to the first storage unit, the hard disks of the first storage unit execute spin up, after a preset delay time, the third GPIO of the chip unit outputs a second signal to the second storage unit, and the hard disks of the second storage unit execute spin up.
US09817772B2 Systems and methods for exchanging USB information with selected remote devices
Devices, systems, and methods for selectively pairing an upstream facing USB port device (UFP device) and a downstream facing USB port device (DFP device) over a network are disclosed. A controller device sends pairing commands to a selected UFP device and a selected DFP device, which then establish a connection with each other over a network. The controller device may subsequently cause the UFP device and/or the DFP device to remove the existing pairing and to instead pair with a different UFP device or DFP device. A pairing between a UFP device and a DFP device allows a host device coupled to the UFP device and a USB device coupled to the DFP device to communicate via a USB-compatible protocol.
US09817768B2 Storage system and data storing method
Provided is a storage system including: a storage medium including a plurality of physical storage areas having an upper limit number of rewrites, and a medium controller that controls I/O (input/output) of data to/from the plurality of physical storage areas; and a storage controller connected to the storage medium, wherein when any of the physical storage areas is not allocated to a write destination logical storage area among a plurality of logical storage areas, the medium controller allocates a vacant physical storage area among the plurality of physical storage areas to the write destination logical storage area and writes write target data to the allocated vacant physical storage area, and the plurality of logical storage areas includes an available logical area group determined based on a relationship between an available capacity of a logical storage capacity and a rewrite frequency of the plurality of physical storage areas.
US09817766B1 Managing relocation of slices in storage systems
A method is used in managing data relocation in storage systems. Metadata of a slice of a storage tier in a data storage system is evaluated for migrating the slice from the storage tier to another storage tier. The data storage system includes a first storage tier and a second storage tier configured such that performance characteristics associated with the first storage tier is superior to the second storage tier. Based on the evaluation, relocation of the slice of the storage tier is effected. The metadata of the slice indicates whether the slice includes user data.
US09817765B2 Dynamic hierarchical memory cache awareness within a storage system
A computing device-implemented method for implementing dynamic hierarchical memory cache (HMC) awareness within a storage system is described. Specifically, when performing dynamic read operations within a storage system, a data module evaluates a data prefetch policy according to a strategy of determining if data exists in a hierarchical memory cache and thereafter amending the data prefetch policy, if warranted. The system then uses the data prefetch policy to perform a read operation from the storage device to minimize future data retrievals from the storage device. Further, in a distributed storage environment that include multiple storage nodes cooperating to satisfy data retrieval requests, dynamic hierarchical memory cache awareness can be implemented for every storage node without degrading the overall performance of the distributed storage environment.
US09817762B2 Facilitating efficient prefetching for scatter/gather operations
The disclosed embodiments relate to a computing system that facilitates performing prefetching for scatter/gather operations. During operation, the system receives a scatter/gather prefetch instruction at a processor core, wherein the scatter/gather prefetch instruction specifies a virtual base address, and a plurality of offsets. Next, the system performs a lookup in a translation-lookaside buffer (TLB) using the virtual base address to obtain a physical base address that identifies a physical page for the base address. The system then sends the physical base address and the plurality of offsets to a cache. This enables the cache to perform prefetching operations for the scatter/gather instruction by adding the physical base address to the plurality of offsets to produce a plurality of physical addresses, and then prefetching cache lines for the plurality of physical addresses into the cache.
US09817758B2 Instructions to mark beginning and end of non transactional code region requiring write back to persistent storage
A processor in described having an interface to non-volatile random access memory and logic circuitry. The logic circuitry is to identify cache lines modified by a transaction which views the non-volatile random access memory as the transaction's persistence storage. The logic circuitry is also to identify cache lines modified by a software process other than a transaction that also views said non-volatile random access memory as persistence storage.
US09817749B2 Apparatus and method of offloading processing from a data storage device to a host device
A storage device includes non-volatile memory and a controller. A method performed in the data storage device includes sending an instruction to a host device to cause the host device to perform one or more specified computations. The method further includes receiving a response from the host device. The response is based on execution of the one or more specified computations.
US09817746B2 Testing implementation parameters of a computer program in a distributed environment
A method of testing implementation parameters of a computer program in a distributed environment, the method comprising; testing of alternative implementation parameters in parallel in the distributed environment, and providing a time-out mechanism that aborts testing processes when one of the following abort conditions is satisfied: a time allowed for testing has expired; and testing processes for a predefined number of alternative implementations are complete; wherein the time-out mechanism includes a hardware interface, which is arranged to cause a hardware supported abort.
US09817744B2 Method and apparatus for tracing memory accesses
Apparatus, computer-readable storage medium and a method executed by a computer for tracing the memory accesses of an object-oriented program comprises assigning a unique identification to each class object created from at least one class in the object-oriented program by modifying a class definition of the at least one class. In response to an unloading of one of the class objects, obtaining class unloading related information from a runtime environment of the object-oriented program and obtaining the unique identification of the unloaded class object according to the returned information. Then releasing memory space assigned to the unloaded class object for storing the memory access information of the unloaded class object.
US09817741B2 Method for monitoring an apparatus connected to a communication channel
Method for monitoring an apparatus connected to a communication channel wherein the method is connected to a communication channel in a vehicle. When an interval of time between two messages that are output by the apparatus is shorter than or the same as a determined period, the method determines is the apparatus is in a correct state. The apparatus can output a monitoring sign-out message to the communication channel. When a message recently output by the apparatus includes the monitoring sign-out message, it is determined that the apparatus is in a correct state.
US09817740B2 Remote monitoring system for handheld electronic devices
A remote monitoring system for handheld electronic devices includes a multi-port hub, and a port visualizer connected to one of the ports of the multi-port hub. The port visualizer is configured to provide a host with mapping information correlating USB hub ports with physical storage bays within the storage system. A USB controller monitors the charge status of the ports and reports the charge status information both locally and to a HED status application. The port visualizer obtains device status information from the host and reports device status information to the HED status application. A client application obtains charge status information and device status information from the HED status application to enable remote monitoring of devices connected to the storage system.
US09817734B2 Virtual machine recovery on non-shared storage in a single virtual infrastructure management instance
Techniques for enabling virtual machine (VM) recovery on non-shared storage in a single virtual infrastructure management server (VIMS) instance are provided. In one set of embodiments, a VIMS instance can receive an indication that a VM in a first cluster of the VIMS instance has failed, and can determine whether the VM's files were being replicated to a storage component of the VIMS instance at the time of the VM's failure. If the VM's files were being replicated at the time of the failure, the VIMS instance can search for and identify a cluster of the VIMS instance and a host system within the cluster that (1) are compatible with the VM, and (2) have access to the storage component. The VIMS instance can then cause the VM to be restarted on the identified host system of the identified cluster.
US09817730B1 Storing request properties to block future requests
The following description is directed to storing properties of requests to potentially block future requests having similar properties. In one example, a request can be received. A property of the request can be stored so that the property persists across an initialization sequence of a computer system. At least the property can be used to determine whether to block any future requests having similar properties.
US09817726B2 Delta replication of index fragments to enhance disaster recovery
In an example embodiment, a disaster is detected at a primary data center and, in response to the detection, a system switches over from the primary data center to a secondary data center such that searches from one or more client applications are routed to the secondary data center. Then, for each document stored in a search core of the secondary data center: a count is requested for the document from a first client application, it is determined whether the count for the document from the first client application matches a count for the document from the search core of the secondary data center, and, in response to a determination that the count for the document from the first client application does not match a count for the document from the search core of the secondary data center, a full publish for the document is requested from the first client application.
US09817723B2 Efficient FlashCopy backup and mount, clone, or restore collision avoidance using dynamic volume allocation with reuse
For efficient Flashcopy backup and mount, clone, or restore collision avoidance with reuse using dynamic volume allocation, performing at least one attempt to reuse an existing FlashCopy target volume that is not currently being used for at least one of a mount task, a clone task, and a restore task at the same time for a FlashCopy backup. If the at least one attempt to reuse the existing FlashCopy target volume fails, dynamically allocate a new Flashcopy target volume for the Flashcopy backup.
US09817717B2 Stripe reconstituting method performed in storage system, method of performing garbage collection by using the stripe reconstituting method, and storage system performing the stripe reconstituting method
A stripe reconstituting method in a storage system, a garbage collection method employing the stripe reconstituting method, and the storage system performing the stripe reconstituting method are provided. The stripe reconstituting method includes the operations of selecting a target stripe in which an imbalance between valid page ratios of memory blocks included in the target stripe exceeds an initially-set threshold value, from among stripes produced in a log-structured storage system; and reconstituting a stripe by regrouping the memory blocks included in the target stripe such that the imbalance between the valid page ratios of the memory blocks included in the target stripe is reduced.
US09817716B2 Systems and methods for retaining non-converged data sets for additional processing
Embodiments are related to systems and methods for data processing, and more particularly to systems and methods for multiple codeword processing in a data processing system. An illustrative data processing system includes a processing circuit that processes unprocessed codewords, and provides failed codewords when the processing fails to converge. The system may further include an input buffer circuit that selectively stores a combination of at least one of the unprocessed codewords and at least one of the failed codewords. The input buffer circuit includes a first portion that maintains any of the unprocessed codewords and the failed codewords, and a second portion that maintains only the failed codewords.
US09817715B2 Resiliency fragment tiering
Technology is disclosed for a data storage architecture for providing enhanced storage resiliency for a data object. The data storage architecture can be implemented in a single-tier configuration and/or a multi-tier configuration. In the single-tier configuration, a data object is encoded, e.g., based on an erasure coding method, to generate many data fragments, which are stored across many storage devices. In the multi-tier configuration, a data object is encoded, e.g., based on an erasure coding method, to generate many data segments, which are sent to one or more tiers of storage nodes and at least one latent storage. Each of the storage nodes further encodes the data segment to generate many data fragments representing the data segment, which are stored across many storage devices associated with the storage node. The I/O operations for rebuilding the data in case of device failures is spread across many storage devices, which minimizes the wear of a given storage device.
US09817712B2 Storage control apparatus, storage apparatus, information processing system, and storage control method
A storage control apparatus including a first error detection block and a second error detection block is provided. The first error detection block is configured to execute error detection in accordance with a first data unit read from a memory and a first error detection code corresponding to the first data unit. The second error detection block is configured, if a second error detection code corresponding to a second data unit smaller than the first data unit is held in an error detection code hold block different from the memory, to execute error detection in accordance with the second data unit read from the memory and the second error detection code held in the error detection code hold block.
US09817711B2 Memory controller
An ECC circuit can operate in a plurality of error correction modes with different correcting capabilities for data stored in a memory. The ECC circuit calculates a syndrome with respect to information data in accordance with an error correction mode set by a control part and adds a syndrome of a fixed length in which dummy bits are added to the calculated syndrome, to the information data. When code data is read out, the ECC circuit performs a correction process on the code data by using the syndrome included in the code data.
US09817704B2 Information processing apparatus, method, and program
An information processing apparatus is provided including a first operating system incapable of adding or deleting an application and a second operating system capable of adding and deleting an application; and determines whether a received command is a command directed to the first operating system or a command directed to the second operating system by referencing a table in which the command and an operating system for processing the command are associated with each other; retains the table; controls a memory so that the first operating system or the second operating system can start processing based on a result of the determining by the means for determining; and transfers the received command to the first operating system or the second operating system based on the result of the determining.
US09817702B2 System resource management moderator protocol
A method, system, and computer program product for managing system resources within a data processing system. A resource management moderator (RMM) utility assigns a priority to each application within a group of management applications, facilitated by a RMM protocol. When a request for control of a particular resource is received, the RMM utility compares the priority of the requesting application with the priority of the controlling application. Control of the resource is ultimately given to the management application with the greater priority. If the resource is not under control of an application, control of the resource may be automatically granted to the requester. Additionally, the RMM utility provides support for legacy applications via a “manager of managers” application. The RMM utility registers the “manager of managers” application with the protocol and enables interactions (to reconfigure and enable legacy applications) between the “manager of managers” application and legacy applications.
US09817698B2 Scheduling execution requests to allow partial results
The subject disclosure is directed towards scheduling requests using quality values that are defined for partial responses to the requests. For each request in a queue, an associated processing time is determined using a system load and/or the quality values. The associated processing time is less than or equal to a service demand, which represents an amount of time to produce a complete response.
US09817697B2 Thermal-and spatial-aware task scheduling
A method, apparatus, and computer program product are provided for thermal- and spatial-aware task scheduling. The method may include monitoring a temperature for each core of a central processing unit having a plurality of cores; determining, from the monitoring, a set of hotspot cores from the plurality of cores determining temperature information and distance information for each hotspot core in the set of hotspot cores relative to each of the other cores on the central processing unit; calculating a placement metric for each core of the central processing unit based at least on the determined distance information and the determined temperature information; and scheduling a task by allocating the task to one or more cores of the central processing unit according to the placement metric.
US09817693B2 Coherence protocol augmentation to indicate transaction status
Embodiments relate to implementing a coherence protocol. An aspect includes sending a request for data to a remote processor and receiving by a processor a response from the remote processor. The response has a transaction status of a remote transaction on the remote processor. The processor adds the transaction status of the remote transaction on the remote processor in a local transaction interference tracking table.
US09817690B2 Predictively provisioning cloud computing resources for virtual machines
Methods, computer program products, and systems are presented. The methods include, for instance: predictively provisioning, by one or more processor, cloud computing resources of a cloud computing environment for at least one virtual machine; and initializing, by the one or more processor, the at least one virtual machine with the provisioned cloud computing resources of the cloud computing environment. In one embodiment, the predictively provisioning may include: receiving historical utilization information of multiple virtual machines of the cloud computing environment, the multiple virtual machines having similar characteristics to the at least one virtual machine; and determining the cloud computing resources for the at least one virtual machine using the historical utilization information of the multiple virtual machines. In another embodiment, the predictively may include updating a provisioning database with the historical utilization information of the multiple virtual machines of the cloud computing environment.
US09817687B2 System and method for isolated virtual image and appliance communication within a cloud environment
Provided herein are systems and methods for providing isolated virtual image communication in a virtual computing environment. Initially, a guest virtual machine that is activated in a virtual computing environment may be isolated into a private network. A service request may then be formulated at the guest virtual machine and addressed to a predetermined non-existent address. The request is then ostensibly sent to the predetermined address, whereupon the service request is actually transmitted to a shared resource with a security appliance machine in the virtual computing environment. The request is then forwarded to the security appliance machine and a reply formulated. The reply is sent back to the guest virtual machine via the shared resource.
US09817686B2 Systems and methods for securing virtual machines
A system includes a first computing device comprising a virtual machine (VM), a second computing device, and a third computing device coupled to the first and second computing devices. The third computing device includes a management module configured to migrate the VM from the first computing device to the second computing device. The management module is also configured to create a first signature of data associated with the VM stored by the first computing device over a first period of time and create a second signature of data associated with the VM stored by the first computing device over a second period of time. The management module is further configured to compare the first signature and the second signature throughout the migration process to determine whether the data has been altered and generate an alert when a difference between the first signature and the second signature is detected.
US09817682B2 System architecture for machine vision on moving platforms
A computer system for processing machine vision data and performing active control of a mobile platform includes a plurality of sensors configured to acquire inertial and positional data. The system further includes a first plurality of co-processors having a hardware logic configured to control the acquisition of the inertial data. A second plurality of sensors is configured to acquire image data related to the mobile platform. The system further includes a second plurality of co-processors having a hardware logic configured to control the acquisition of the image data. The system further includes state management logic to perform state management operations for the acquired inertial and positional data in a computer-readable memory. The state management is performed using a state vector. The state management logic coordinates sharing and updating the acquired machine vision data in a parallel fashion between the first and second co-processors.
US09817681B2 Real-time device settings using knowledge base
Methods, systems, and computer program products relate to recommending settings include collecting operating parameter and usage condition data for a plurality of electronic devices from one or more databases, analyzing the data to create a predictive model to estimate predicted operating parameters based on usage conditions, applying current device usage conditions from a current device to the predictive model to determine recommended device settings, and changing current device settings based on the recommended device settings.
US09817679B1 Technique for collecting financial information
A technique for collecting financial information is described. During this technique, a customer request to a financial institution to access a financial-software application is used to initiate an exchange of financial information between the financial institution and a provider of the financial-software application. In particular, in response to the forwarded customer request, the provider of the financial-software application may request, and then receive, financial information associated with the customer's account from the financial institution. Subsequently, the provider of the financial-software application may provide a document that facilitates access to the financial-software application to the customer. This document may include at least some of the received financial information. Note that in all of the communication between the provider of the financial-software application and the financial institution, credential information for the customer, such as a password associated with the account, may be excluded.
US09817676B2 Cognitive protection of critical industrial solutions using IoT sensor fusion
A technique for cognitive protection of a system can include digital and analog sensors to measure or calculate operational parameters of a system. Digital sensors may be used to determine measured or primary operational parameters. The analog sensors are used to measure analog sensor information related to operation of the system. Analog sensor information that is measured may be used to calculate secondary operational parameters that includes the same operating parameters as the primary operational parameters. Lockstep analysis may be used to compare the primary operational parameters with the secondary operational parameters so as to determine a discrepancy in the operational parameters in the system.
US09817675B1 Methods and systems for attaching an encrypted data partition during the startup of an operating system
During the startup of an operating system of a computing system, a monitoring process of the operating system is used to detect an entry point of a daemon manager process. In response to detecting the entry point, the startup process is paused, and an early attach process is launched so as to attach one or more encrypted data partitions to the operating system. As part of the early attach process, the network stack of the computing system may be initialized, which allows the early attach process to retrieve one or more decryption keys corresponding to the one or more encrypted data partitions from an external key management server. The one or more decryption keys may be transmitted to a disk filter driver of the operating system, which provides the operating system with access to the one or more encrypted data partitions. Upon the conclusion of the early attach process, the operating system startup process resumes with the one or more encrypted data partitions now accessible to the operating system.
US09817667B2 Techniques for scheduling operations at an instruction pipeline
A dispatch stage of a processor core dispatches designated operations (e.g. load/store operations) to a temporary queue when the resources to execute the designated operations are not available. Once the resources become available to execute an operation at the temporary queue, the operation is transferred to a scheduler queue where it can be picked for execution. By dispatching the designated operations to the temporary queue, other operations behind the designated operations in a program order are made available for dispatch to the scheduler queue, thereby improving instruction throughput at the processor core.
US09817666B2 Method for a delayed branch implementation by using a front end track table
A method for a delayed branch implementation by using a front end track table. The method includes receiving an incoming instruction sequence using a global front end, wherein the instruction sequence includes at least one branch, creating a delayed branch in response to receiving the one branch, and using a front end track table to track both the delayed branch the one branch.
US09817660B2 Method for reducing execution jitter in multi-core processors within an information handling system
A method of reducing execution jitter includes a processor having several cores and control logic that receives core configuration parameters. Control logic determines if a first set of cores are selected to be disabled. If none of the cores is selected to be disabled, the control logic determines if a second set of cores is selected to be jitter controlled. If the second set of cores is selected to be jitter controlled, the second set of cores is set to a first operating state. If the first set of cores is selected to be disabled, the control logic determines a second operating state for a third set of enabled cores. The control logic determines if the third set of enabled cores is jitter controlled, and if the third set of enabled cores is jitter controlled, the control logic sets the third set of enabled cores to the second operating state.
US09817657B2 Integrated software development and deployment architecture and high availability client-server systems generated using the architecture
An integrated software development and deployment architecture includes an application server/operating environment component that implements business intelligence to provide client-server based software solutions, a messaging component that connects the application server/operating environment component with client applications, and a rapid application development component that permits fast, efficient development of application software for deployment in the application server/operating environment using the integrated messaging component.
US09817643B2 Incremental interprocedural dataflow analysis during compilation
Instead of performing local dataflow analyses on all procedures during a multi-file optimized code generation, those dataflow analyses are done only on a generally much smaller set of procedures that were actually impacted by source code edits. Incremental inter-procedural dataflow analysis (IIPDA) code identifies a set of procedures to be recompiled due to impact from one or more edits and does local dataflow analyses only on them. Results of the incremental approach for use in generating optimized code match the results of a more expensive exhaustive interprocedural dataflow analysis of all procedures, even when call graph structure has been changed by the edits. The impacted procedures are identified based on which procedures were edited, dataflow values, intermediate language representations, and a portion of the call graph.
US09817641B1 Facilitating application development using protected components
A method, system, and medium are provided for facilitating development of an application by a user for a mobile communications device. A portion of programmatic code provided by the user is retrieved and a classification corresponding to the code is determined. A set of rules comprising a use restriction associated with a protected application component is referenced to determine whether the code classification corresponds to a use restriction. Incident to identifying an associated use restriction, feedback is presented to the user that indicates that the portion of code corresponds to a use restriction.
US09817640B2 System, method and platform of establishing application program having capability of dynamically linking external dynamic link function
The present invention relates to a platform of establishing an application program for a mobile device providing a user to autonomously establish the application program having a capability of dynamically calling and loading a dynamic link function (DLF) library during execution. The platform includes a user interface shown by an internet browser; and a DLF module shown by the user interface and configured to provide the user to set in the application program a call and a linkage to the DLF library during the establishing process, wherein a user accesses to the platform to operate the DLF module to establish the application program through operating on the internet browser showing the user interface.
US09817636B2 Generating an entropy signal
A method includes using an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) to provide an entropy signal at an output of the ADC. The method includes controlling a reference signal to the ADC to cause an internal noise level of the ADC to correspond to more than one least significant bit (LSB) of the ADC.
US09817634B2 Distinguishing speech from multiple users in a computer interaction
Speech from multiple users is distinguished. In one example, an apparatus has a sensor to determine a position of a speaker, a microphone array to receive audio from the speaker and from other simultaneous audio sources, and a processor to select a pre-determined filter based on the determined position and to apply the selected filter to the received audio to separate the audio from the speaker from the audio from the other simultaneous audio sources.
US09817632B2 Custom narration of a control list via data binding
In one embodiment, a user interface narrator may use data binding to associate an item control label 404 with a control list item 402. The user interface narrator may use a narration control 212 of an operating system 210 to vocalize a user interface 222 of an application module 220. The user interface narrator may receive from the application module 220 a control list item 402 associated with an item control label 404 via an item data binding. The user interface narrator may vocalize the item control label 404 with the narration control 212.
US09817630B2 Server and client terminal for providing a result based on zoom operation
There is provided a server including a reception section which receives, from a client terminal, present position information showing a position of the client terminal, and direction information showing an orientation of the client terminal, a retrieval section which retrieves sensory data to which detection position information is added corresponding to a position in a vicinity of an axial line extending in a direction shown by the direction information from the position of the client terminal, and a transmission section which transmits the sensory data retrieved by the retrieval section to the client terminal.
US09817624B2 Function executing device with two types of wireless communication interfaces
In a case where a first information including an execution request of a specific function via a first type of interface is received, a function executing device may execute a change process for changing an interface for communicating with a terminal device from the first type of interface to a second type of interface in a case where a state of the function executing device is determined as a non-error state. The function executing device may not execute the change process in a case where the state of the function executing device is determined as an error state. The specific function may include a communication process for communicating object data with the terminal device. The function executing device may execute the specific function including the communication process via the second type of interface in a case where the change process is being executed.
US09817621B2 Image forming apparatus and image forming system
In order to make it possible to recognize the status in which job processing is disabled, by checking a job queue; printer 110 includes print-job obtaining unit 114 that obtains print job from a cloud server, image forming related unit 113 that is involved in image forming according to the print job obtained by print-job obtaining unit 114, and monitoring unit 115 that monitors a status of image forming related unit 113 and notifies the cloud server of status information on the status of image forming related unit 113, as information indicating a status of the print job obtained by print-job obtaining unit 114.
US09817620B2 Predictive object-sequence caching from prior page content
A reusable sequence of display list objects is determined, by extending the repeated sequence to further consecutive display list objects, each occurrence of the reusable sequence being associated with a z-order position in a corresponding display list. At least one display list is divided, at the z-order position of the reusable sequence in the display list, into a plurality of z-bands including a reusable z-band for the determined reusable sequence. A reusable intermediate graphical representation is generated for the determined reusable sequence and a further intermediate graphical representation for at least one other z-band. The further intermediate graphical representation is merged with the reusable intermediate graphical representation in accordance with an order of the z-bands. The page description language (PDL) document is rendered using the merged representations.
US09817616B2 Serverless image processing system with a plurality of apparatus groups and image formation apparatus for mediating communication between apparatus groups
When an image formation apparatus included in an image processing system including a plurality of apparatus groups each consisting of a plurality of image formation apparatuses accepts a request for an inquiry about an image formation apparatus which has stored a print job associated with a designated user from another image formation apparatus belonging to an apparatus group to which the image formation apparatus belongs, the image formation apparatus requests, in response to the request, of an image formation apparatus which belongs to another apparatus group and is saved in advance, for the inquiry. When the request originates from another image formation apparatus belonging to another apparatus group, the image formation apparatus inquires of a management image formation apparatus within that apparatus group.
US09817614B2 Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and storage medium
According to an embodiment of this invention, an information processing apparatus that executes, by a processor, a program including a first program layer with an instruction set to be interpreted and executed by the processor and a second program layer with an instruction set interpreted in advance by a unit other than the processor has the following arrangement. That is, the first program layer holds image data to be processed in a first format. On the other hand, the second program layer holds it in a second format. When transferring image data between the first program layer and the second program layer, the format of the image data is converted between the first format and the second format.
US09817611B2 Resolving write request conflicts in a dispersed storage network
A method includes issuing, by a first computing device, first write requests for a first version of the data object. The method further includes issuing, by a second computing device, second write requests for a second version of the data object. The method further includes sending, by each of a first group of storage units, a first write response to the first and second computing devices. The method further includes sending, by each of a second group of storage units, a second write response to the first and second computing devices. The method further includes determining, by the first and second computing devices, whether a threshold number of first or second write responses were received. When the threshold number of the first write responses were received, the method further includes continuing, by the first computing device, the first write operation and establishing, by the second computing device, a write retry.
US09817609B2 System and method for encrypted disk drive sanitizing
A system and method for first changing the encryption key on a self-encrypting disk drive followed by a complete disk wipe. Either process can be separately performed, and they can be performed in any order. In fact, one embodiment of the invention, resets the symmetric key, wipes the disk a predetermined number of times with different predetermined data patterns, and then resets the key a second time. This assures that there is absolutely no way to recover the original key or to read the original plain text data, even if some of it's encrypted values remain on unallocated tracks after wiping. A user can be assured that in milliseconds after starting the wiping process, the entire disk is rendered unreadable and unrecoverable.
US09817607B1 Optimizations to avoid intersocket links
Described are techniques for processing read and write requests in a system having a NUMA (non-uniform memory access) configuration. Such techniques may include receiving, at a front end adapter of the system, a write request, to write first data to a first storage device, storing a first copy of the first data in first memory local to a first domain, copying, using a first inter-storage processor communication connection, the first data from the first memory to a third memory of a third domain thereby creating a second copy of the first data in the third memory; and determining, in accordance with a first heuristic and first criteria, whether to use the first copy of the first data stored in the first memory or the second copy of the first data stored in the third memory as a source when writing the first data to the first storage device.
US09817603B1 Data migration in a storage array that includes a plurality of storage devices
Migrating data in a storage array that includes a plurality of storage devices and a plurality of write buffer devices, including: detecting, by the storage array, an occurrence of a write buffer device evacuation event associated with one or more source write buffer devices; responsive to detecting the occurrence of the write buffer device evacuation event, determining, by the storage array, whether the storage array includes at least a predetermined amount of write buffer resources in addition to the one or more source write buffer devices; and responsive to determining that the storage array includes at least a predetermined amount of write buffer resources in addition to the one or more source write buffer devices, reducing, by the storage array, write access to the one or more source write buffer devices.
US09817601B1 Method and apparatus for determining feasibility of memory operating condition change using different back bias voltages
A memory device having at least one output predicting a feasibility of whether the memory device will work properly at a different operating condition including a different supply voltage and/or a different operating frequency than the current supply voltage and/or the current operating frequency. A semiconductor device (e.g. a SoC chip) provides a test to either validate or invalidate the feasibility for the memory device to enter such a different operating condition based on read and write operations of the memory device in normal access cycles. The memory device is partitioned with at least a first memory unit and a second memory unit, which can be coupled to different back-bias voltages. This operating condition predicting function can be enabled or disabled by the semiconductor device in real time operation depending on the feasibility test results.
US09817599B2 Storing indicators of unreferenced memory addresses in volatile memory
In example implementations, unreferenced memory addresses in a segment of a storage volume may be identified. Access to the segment of the storage volume may be controlled by one of a plurality of storage volume controllers (SVCs). The plurality of SVCs may control access to respective segments of the storage volume. Indicators of the identified unreferenced memory addresses may be stored in a volatile memory in the one of the plurality of SVCs. In response to an input/output (I/O) command from a host, data may be written to one of the identified unreferenced memory addresses corresponding to one of the indicators stored in the volatile memory. After the data has been written, the one of the indicators may be deleted from the volatile memory. The one of the identified unreferenced memory addresses may not have been made available to other SVCs after being identified.
US09817595B2 Management of peak power consumed by multiple memory devices
A controller includes an interface and a processor. The interface is configured to communicate with one or more memory devices that include multiple memory blocks. The processor is configured to hold information regarding power consumption of the memory blocks, to group at least some of the memory blocks into one or more storage groups, based on the information, such that the memory blocks in each storage group jointly consume less than a predefined power limit when the memory blocks in the storage group are applied a storage operation in parallel, and to apply the storage operation, in parallel, to the memory blocks in a selected storage group.
US09817592B1 Using an intermediate virtual disk format for virtual disk conversion
A virtual disk conversion system determines location ranges for data on a storage device that are found in files representing a virtual disk in a source format. An intermediate virtual disk data structure containing the location ranges for the data is generated, and the intermediate virtual disk data structure is used to associate data at the location ranges with a new file on the storage device that represents a virtual disk in a destination format.
US09817591B2 Storage device and storage system storing data based on reliability of memory area
A storage device communicating with a host includes a plurality of memory devices and a memory controller. Each of the memory devices includes at least one of a plurality of memory areas that have different storage reliability levels. The memory controller controls the memory devices such that data and required level data associated with a required reliability level of the data are stored in some or all of the memory areas. The data and the required level data are provided from the host. The data is stored in a memory area having a storage reliability level corresponding to the required reliability level from among the memory areas, according to a control of the memory controller.
US09817590B2 PLC data log module with backup function
A PLC data log module with backup function is proposed, the module including an internal memory configured to store the log data and to transmit the stored log data to the external memory, a backup memory configured to back-up the log data transmitted from the internal memory to the external memory and to store the backup data, and a controller configured to transmit the backup data stored in the backup memory to the external memory by controlling the backup memory when the PLC is turned off or reset.
US09817583B2 Storage system and method for allocating virtual volumes based on access frequency
An information processing device includes a processor. The processor is configured to allocate a plurality of allocation unit areas to a virtual volume from a first storage device and a second storage device. The processor is configured to generate evaluation information related to access for each of a plurality of divided areas into which each of the plurality of allocation unit areas is divided. The processor is configured to determine based on the generated evaluation information, when allocation to the virtual volume is changed from a first allocation unit area of the first storage device to a second allocation unit area of the second storage device, a first data transfer order of transferring data in divided area units from the first allocation unit area to the second allocation unit area. The processor is configured to transfer the data in accordance with the first data transfer order.
US09817582B2 Offload read and write offload provider
Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to an offload provider. In aspects, an offload provider may provide a token that represents data. The offload provider may be expected to ensure that the data the token represents will not change while the token is valid. The offload provider may take actions to ensure the immutability of the data. The actions may be taken, for example, in conjunction with receiving an offload read and/or offload write, and/or in conjunction with receiving another write that, if allowed to proceed, would otherwise change the data represented by the token.
US09817580B2 Secure migratable architecture having improved performance features
Methods and systems for implementing a secure migratable architecture having improved performance features over existing virtualization systems are disclosed. One method includes allocating a portion of a memory for use by a process, the process including a firmware environment representing a virtual computing system having a second computing architecture different from a first computing architecture of a computing system on which the process is executed. The method includes associating area descriptors with each of a plurality of memory areas within the portion of the memory used by the process, and receiving a request within the firmware environment to store data within a first memory area of the plurality of memory areas, the first memory area defined by a first area descriptor of the area descriptors, the request being associated with a plurality of memory addresses within the first memory area. The method includes, in response to the request, performing a check on a tag associated with the first memory area and stored in the first area descriptor. The method further includes, upon completion of the check, storing the data within the first memory area without performing a separate tag check for each of the plurality of memory addresses within the first memory area.
US09817563B1 System and method of generating data points from one or more data stores of data items for chart creation and manipulation
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a data analysis system configured to implement cross-application coordination between a chart creation tool and a data analysis workspace, in order to create one or more charts from customized sets of data points, synchronize chart manipulations between charts, and drill down into the metadata of data points in the created charts. The user uses the data analysis workspace to select, remove, or cherry-pick data items to be used to create a chart, which may be transmitted from the workspace to the chart creation tool as data points. In addition, the user may select the data points in the chart to retrieve one or more identifiers to be transmitted back to the workspace, where they are used to identify the data items associated with the data points, and retrieve the full metadata of the data items.
US09817562B2 Methods and apparatus for managing and exchanging information using information objects
A computer-implemented method of interacting with at least one data item includes configuring each of the data items into a distinct information object by extracting, from each data item, extracted data including a heading, a source, graphical and textual material, and a hyperlink. The method additionally uses the extracted data to make available for display a representation of each of the information objects in a uniform format, wherein the format includes a card, and, within the card, an icon area for graphical and textual material, the heading, the source, a set of indicators, and a mechanism giving graphical access to a set of functions.
US09817561B2 Proposing visual display components for processing data
A pattern of visual interactivity may be automatically proposed for processing a data set that exhibits dimensions of variability. A visual display component may be analyzed to assess whether it is capable of receiving user input representing changes that correspond to types of changes of the identified dimensions of the data set. A suitable visual display component may be provided as a suggestion on a user interface for potentially using the visual display component to allow a user to interact with the data. In some embodiments, a visual display component includes a number of visual objects and/or visually interactive components for use within a graphical user interface. A visual display component may include one or more analytic patterns having at least one of an equation, rule, constraint, expression or combination thereof that represents the analytic pattern. Alternatively, a visual display component may involve a visual display representation of data through visual characteristics of a graphical object.
US09817560B2 Method for managing documents on a mobile device
A method for managing a document at a mobile device having a user interface screen, the mobile device being arranged for a wireless connection to a reproduction unit and loaded with a mobile application for sending documents to the reproduction unit, includes opening the document by the mobile application at most a complete desktop area on the user interface screen, storing the document in memory of the mobile device, closing the document by the mobile application at the user interface screen, and automatically showing the document stored by the mobile application at the desktop area by means of a representation after the document is closed. A mobile device is provided for performing the method.
US09817558B1 Methods, systems, and computer program products for coordinating playing of media streams
Methods and systems are described for coordinating playing of media streams. In one aspect, an access by a media player to a presentation device to play a media stream is detected. Additionally, presentation focus information is accessed for determining whether the media player has presentation focus for playing the media stream. Further, it is determined, based on the presentation focus information, that the media player has presentation focus for playing the media stream. Still further, in response to determining the media player has presentation focus, it is indicated that the media player is allowed to play the media stream via the presentation device.
US09817556B2 Federated commenting for digital content
Systems and methods are disclosed to share comments regarding a content item presented among via different Internet services. For example, a method for sharing comments among Internet services may include presenting a first content item to a plurality of users over the Internet via a first Internet service; receiving at the first Internet service a first comment that is related to the first content item and is received from a user through the Internet; presenting the first comment in conjunction with the first content item via the first Internet service; sending the first comment from the first Internet service to a second Internet service; receiving at the first Internet service a second comment from the second Internet service, wherein the second comment is different than the first comment; and presenting the second comment in conjunction with the first content item via the first Internet service.
US09817552B2 Method and system for communicating user interfaces between first and second users over a network
A search result set is communicated to a first user as hypertext descriptions of data items constituting the result search set. A check box is displayed adjacent each hypertext description, utilizing which the first user may select a subset of the search result set. This subset is then communicated to a second user, again as hypertext descriptions of the subset. Check boxes are furthermore displayed to the second user so as to enable the second user to select a further and narrower subset of the search result set. Selected items of a result set of an Internet-based search may in this way conveniently be communicated between first and second users. Each of a number of interfaces provides the hypertext descriptions of the data items of the search result set.
US09817550B2 System for providing cloud streaming-based service menu and method for same
A system for providing a cloud streaming-based service menu, a method and a terminal device. The terminal device selects a particular step in a step-by-step service menu to make a request for driving a content and the service device, in response to the request, provides content access information and menu step information corresponding to the particular step selected and initializes a step in the step-by-step service menu provided to the terminal device for switching a state of the service menu to a state in which an additional access of another terminal device is possible, so as to provide the initialized step-by-step service menu to another initially accessed terminal device. When the terminal device re-accesses, the service device will provide the service menu of the particular step corresponding to the menu step information to another accessed terminal device.
US09817544B2 Device, method, and storage medium storing program
According to an aspect, a device includes a touch screen display and a controller. The touch screen display displays a home screen where an icon is arranged. When hen a first gesture is performed on a partial area of the home screen displayed on the touch screen display, the controller enlarges or reduces the area of the home screen to be displayed on the touch screen display.
US09817543B2 Information surfacing with visual cues indicative of relevance
A user interface through which information is proactively provided utilizes visual cues indicative of the relevance of the information that is being proactively provided. Such visual cues include sizing, color, intensity, movement, and other like visual attributes. A single discrete visual element proactively presents information to the user. The user is provided with the opportunity to define discrete events, whereby information associated with such events is presented through other discrete elements. The physical orientation of such discrete elements indicates relationships between elements. Ranking functionality identifies more immediately relevant information and the rankings of related elements are increased based upon other, contextual information with which such information is associated, and on which the importance of such information is based. Information is surfaced to provide a vector through which the user responds or utilizes such surfaced information independently of specific application programs having discrete informational focus.
US09817542B2 Relative touch user interface enhancements
Some embodiments provide a meta touch interface (MTI) with multiple position indicators with each position indicator operating as a separate pointing tool that can be activated (i) using taps on a touchpad or other touch sensitive surface or (ii) by pressing certain keyboard keys. The MT pointer allows for adjacent UI elements to be selected without having to reposition the MT pointer for each selection or activation. Some embodiments provide a multi-device UI that comprises at least two UIs, wherein the first UI is presented on an essentially horizontal plane that is aligned with operational focus and the second UI that is presented on an essentially vertical plane that is aligned with visual focus of the user. Some embodiments provide a precision pointer that includes an adjustable magnified region to better present underlying on-screen content, thereby allowing the user to more precisely position the pointer.
US09817541B2 Managing hierarchically related windows in a single display
The present disclosure is directed to methodologies and devices for handling the display of hierarchically related windows in a single-screen communication device.
US09817536B2 Touch panel
To provide a thin touch panel, a touch panel with high visibility, a lightweight touch panel, or a touch panel with low power consumption. A pair of conductive layers included in a capacitive touch sensor have a mesh shape including a plurality of openings. Furthermore, a material blocking visible light is provided to overlap with a region between two display elements in a plan view; thus, a light-blocking layer can be obtained. Furthermore, the pair of conductive layers included in the touch sensor are provided between a pair of substrates included in the touch panel, and a conductive layer capable of supplying a constant potential is provided between a circuit which drives a display element and the pair of conductive layers.
US09817535B2 Mitigating spatially correlated noise in data from capacitive sensors
This disclosure generally provides an input device with a matrix sensor that includes a plurality of sensor electrodes arranged on a common surface or plane. Moreover, the input device includes routing traces that electrically couple the sensor electrodes to analog front ends (AFEs). Because of the spatial relationships between these electrical components, the sensor electrodes can be categorized into groups where each of the sensors in the group is affected by a common noise source. The capacitive measurements for the sensor electrodes in each of the groups are compared to a touch threshold to determine if an input object (e.g., finger or stylus) is proximate to the sensor electrodes. If the capacitive measurements are below the touch threshold, the input device calculates an offset value that compensates for the noise. After the offset is applied, the compensated capacitive measurements are used to generate a capacitive image.
US09817532B2 Touch panel and display device
The present disclosure provides a touch panel and a display device. The touch panel includes a conductive layer which includes first electrode layers parallel arranged in columns in a Y-axis direction and second electrode layers parallel arranged in rows in an X-axis direction. Each first electrode layer includes first pattern electrodes sequentially connected, and each second electrode layer includes second pattern electrodes sequentially connected. Each first pattern electrode is of a hexagonal shape. The second pattern electrodes are arranged at a region between two adjacent columns of the first electrode layers. A projection of a connection end between two adjacent second pattern electrodes in an identical row onto a plane parallel to the conductive layer partially overlaps a projection of a connection end between two adjacent first pattern electrodes in an identical column which are arranged adjacent to the two adjacent second pattern electrodes in an identical row.
US09817529B2 Flexible touch panel
Provided is a flexible touch panel, including: a flexible substrate; and a touch sensor unit positioned on the flexible substrate and including a transparent conductive oxide pattern and a transparent conductive polymer pattern which are stacked while being connected to each other.
US09817527B2 Touch sensing device
A touch sensing device includes an external interconnection region, patch electrodes, and internal interconnections. External interconnections are disposed in the external interconnection region. The patch electrodes are arranged in a first direction away from the external interconnection region. The patch electrodes include a first patch electrode and a second patch electrode. The internal interconnections have first ends connected to the patch electrodes, respectively, and second ends connected to one of the external interconnections. Each of the internal interconnections includes a detour portion, at least one of which at least partially extends away from the external interconnection region, and a main portion, which extends toward the external interconnection region. The detour portion of a first internal interconnection connected to the first patch electrode is longer than the detour portion of a second internal interconnection connected to the second patch electrode.
US09817524B1 Touch accuracy of an electronic device
An electronic device improves touch accuracy and prevents false or missed touches on a capacitive touch display by monitoring contextual events or environments unrelated to user input. When a capacitance change occurs, the device dynamically evaluates whether it may have been caused by the contextual events or environments. The device intelligently adjusts one or more parameters to account for the change in capacitance caused by the contextual events or environments to thereby prevent detection of the capacitance event as a false touch and/or prevent a missed true and legitimate user input.
US09817523B2 Capacitive touch panel for mitigating and/or exaggerating floating condition effects
A capacitive touch panel includes elongated drive electrodes arranged next to one another and elongated sensor electrodes arranged next to one another across the drive electrodes. Together, the drive electrodes and the sensor electrodes define a coordinate system where each coordinate location comprises a capacitor formed at an intersection between one of the drive electrodes and one of the sensor electrodes. In implementations, the drive electrodes and/or the sensor electrodes are configured to block capacitance between a touch at a coordinate location and the drive electrodes during a floating condition for the panel. In other implementations, the drive electrodes and/or the sensor electrodes are configured to exaggerate capacitance between a touch at a coordinate location and the drive electrodes during a floating condition for the panel.
US09817515B2 Method for correcting touch input position error and device for same
Disclosed is a method for determining a touch input position, comprising the steps of: receiving a table including possible combinations, which can be formed with capacitance change values at a plurality of touch nodes, and information mapped to the possible combinations; acquiring a first combination related to capacitance change values at the plurality of touch nodes, which are generated by a touch input; acquiring first information mapped to the first combination by searching the table on the basis of the first combination among the possible combinations; and determining an input position of the touch input by using the acquired first information.
US09817513B2 Sense amplifier stabilization with switched series resistor
A sense amplifier can be designed with a series variable resistance circuit to dynamically adjust an input resistance in series with the sense amplifier for stability during the different operating modes. In some examples, a switchable resistor can be switched into the input path of the sense amplifier for stability when required by increased capacitive loading of the sense electrodes, and can be switched out of the input path of the sense amplifier when unnecessary for stability. In some examples, an adjustable resistor can be coupled to and in series with the input of the sense amplifier. The resistance of the adjustable resistor can be tuned to stabilize the sense amplifier during operating modes having increased capacitive loading from the sense electrodes and can be minimized when additional input resistance is unnecessary for stability.
US09817512B1 Driving chip, circuit film, chip-on-film type driving circuit, and display device having built-in touchscreen
A display device having a built-in touchscreen and a driving chip, a circuit film, and a chip-on-film (COF) type driving circuit included in the display device. The COF type driving circuit performs data driving and touch driving in a combined manner. A source driving circuit outputs image data voltages through data channels. At least one touch driving circuit outputs touch driving signals through touch channels. The source driving circuit and the at least one touch driving circuit are mounted on an integrated circuit film. Data channel lines electrically connected to the data channels and touch channel lines electrically connected to the touch channels are disposed on the integrated circuit film. The noise avoidance line disposed on the integrated circuit film is located outward of an at least one outermost touch channel line.
US09817507B2 Method and apparatus for detecting movement of object based on event
A method and apparatus for detecting a movement of an object based on an event are provided. The apparatus may detect a movement of an object, for example, based on time difference information of a pixel corresponding to an event detected using an event-based vision sensor.
US09817497B2 Flexible touch window with reduced thickness mesh electrode layer
A touch window includes a substrate, and an electrode part on the substrate. The sensing electrode includes a base substrate formed with a pattern part, and an electrode layer on the pattern part, where the electrode layer has a thickness in a range of 0.03 μm to 3 μm.
US09817490B2 Presenting user interface based on location of input from body part
In one aspect, a device includes a touch-enabled display, a processor, and a memory accessible to the processor. The memory bears instructions executable by the processor to receive first input from a body part of a user at a first location of the touch-enabled display and receive second input from a stylus at a second location of the touch-enabled display, where the second input is identified as a request to present a window on the touch-enabled display. The instructions are also executable to, at least in part based on the first location and the second location, present the window on the touch-enabled display at a third location on the touch-enabled display, where the third location is different from the first and second locations.
US09817488B2 Optical navigation device and related automatic magnification adjusting method
An automatic magnification adjusting method is applied to an optical navigation device. The optical navigation device has an illumination channel, a reference channel and an imaging channel. The reference channel has a reference feature with a known parameter. The automatic magnification adjusting method includes driving the illumination channel and the reference channel to alternatively output a detecting image and a reference image, capturing a series of navigation images consisting of the detecting image and the reference image by the imaging channel, analyzing the reference image to recognize the reference feature, calculating a compensating factor according to a detected parameter of the reference feature, and adjusting magnification of the detecting image by the compensating factor to output corresponding coordinate displacement.
US09817484B2 Method for capturing screen content of mobile terminal and device thereof
A method for capturing screen content of a mobile terminal and a device thereof are provided. The method comprises: detecting a DOWN event of a specified key of the mobile terminal and recording the time of occurrence of the DOWN event as a first time stamp; detecting an UP event of the specified key and recording the time of occurrence of the UP event as a second time stamp; and comparing a difference between the second time stamp and the first time stamp with a preset time threshold, performing a full screen capturing or a regional screen capturing on the screen content of the mobile terminal if the difference is less than the preset time threshold, or performing a regional screen capturing or a full screen capturing on the screen content of the mobile terminal if the difference is greater than the preset time threshold.
US09817481B2 Methods, systems, and apparatuses to display visibility changes responsive to user gestures
In one embodiment, an electronic device to be worn on a user's forearm includes a display and a set of one or more sensors that provide sensor data. In one aspect, a device may detect, using sensor data obtained from a set of sensors, that a first activity state of a user is active. The device may determine, while the first activity state is active, that the sensor data matches a watch check rule associated with the first activity state. Responsive to the detected match, the device may cause a change in visibility of the display.
US09817479B2 Method and apparatus for interpreting a gesture
A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided to facilitate user interaction with a display that is capable of presenting at least portions of the user interfaces of multiple devices, such as by recognizing and interpreting a gesture as providing input to one of the devices. In the context of a method, an identification of one or more valid gestures of at least a first device is received in an instance in which a plurality of devices interact such that portions of the respective user interfaces are capable of being presented upon a display. The method also includes receiving information indicative of a gesture and determining whether the gesture is valid. Depending upon whether the gesture is a valid gesture, the method also includes causing an indication of the gesture to be provided to the first device.
US09817478B2 Vibration device and electronic device
A vibration device includes a touch panel, a vibrator that is arranged on the touch panel, a frame that is separated from at least a part of the touch panel and is arranged to surround the touch panel in a planar view, and a first connecting member that is arranged on the touch panel and the frame to cover a space between a part of the touch panel and the frame in a planar view and that connects the touch panel and the frame. Furthermore the first connecting member includes a first member positioned on the operation panel, a second member positioned on the frame, and a third member covering a space in a planar view. The thickness of the third member is smaller than those of the first and second members.
US09817477B1 Eye event detection for electronic documents
Techniques and systems described herein locate possibly-significant portions of electronic documents. In some examples, gaze movements, e.g., of users' eyes, are tracked while the users read a formatted version of an electronic document. The gaze movement may be analyzed to determine if a reading interruption occurs (e.g., a reading pause or irregularity in a regular reading rate for the user). The reading interruption may occur when the user, while reading, encounters or notices a problem or point of interest in the text. A reading location associated with the reading interruption may be determined in text that is currently displayed. The reading location may be mapped to a location in a standard version of the document. The location may be reported to a centralized entity where statistical analysis can be performed to determine if there is a problem in the document.
US09817476B2 Customized near-eye electronic display device
An augmented reality device includes a frame assembly including a nose piece and a pair of temple pads configured to accommodate a plurality of fit points of a user. A set of mountings on the frame assembly is configured to mount to the frame assembly any of a plurality of different see-through display modules having different exit pupil distances. A see-through display module is coupled to the frame assembly via the set of mountings. The see-through display module is selected from among the plurality of different see-through display modules to match an exit pupil distance of the see-through display module to an inter-pupillary distance of the user.
US09817475B2 Method for tracking a user's eye to control an indicator on a touch screen and electronic device thereof
A method includes detecting a movement of an eye pupil in an eye tracking mode, moving an indicator on the screen according to the movement of the eye pupil, detecting a touch on a touch area, and in response to detecting the touch on the touch area, selecting an object on which the indicator is located, among the plurality of the objects on the screen. An electronic device includes a display configured to display displaying a plurality of objects on a screen, and a processor configured to detect a movement of an eye pupil through a camera in an eye tracking mode, move an indicator on the screen according to the movement of the eye pupil, detect a touch on the electronic device, and in response to detecting the touch, select an object on which the indicator is located, among the plurality of the objects on the screen.
US09817471B2 Method for adding information and server apparatus
An image transmitted, through a network, from any of at least one terminal having a function of capturing an image or obtaining an image from another device is obtained. A probability that the obtained image includes a certain imaging target is calculated. If the probability is higher than a first threshold, information indicating the certain imaging target is added to the image. If the probability is lower than a second threshold, the information indicating the certain imaging target is not to the image. If the probability is equal to or higher than the second threshold and if the probability is equal to or lower than the first threshold, the image and request reception information for requesting addition of the information is transmitted to the image to any of the at least one terminal through the network.
US09817469B2 Digital power estimator to control processor power consumption
In an embodiment, a digital power estimator (DPE) may be provided that may monitor the processors to estimate the amount of power being consumed. If the estimate exceeds a power threshold, the DPE may throttle one or more of the processors. Additionally, throttling events may be monitored to determine if a change in the operating point is desired. In one embodiment, the DPE throttling events may be counted, and if the counts exceed a count threshold, a change in the operating point to a reduced operation point may be requested. Additionally, if the DPE estimate is below the power threshold (or a second power threshold), a second count of events may be maintained. If the second count exceeds a threshold and the operating point is the reduced operating point, a return to the original operating point may be requested.
US09817468B2 System and method for automatic detection and switching between USB host and device rolls on a type-A connector
An information handling system includes a system processor including a first Universal Serial Bus (USB) host interface, a service processor including a second USB host interface and a USB device interface, and a USB socket. The service processor couples a first USB device that is plugged into the USB socket to the first USB host interface, couples a second USB device that is plugged into the USB socket to the second USB host interface, and couples a third USB device that is plugged into the USB socket to the USB device interface.
US09817466B2 Power saving by reusing results of identical micro-operations
A data processing apparatus has control circuitry for detecting whether a current micro-operation to be processed by a processing pipeline would give the same result as an earlier micro-operation. If so, then the current micro-operation is passed through the processing pipeline, with at least one pipeline stage passed by the current micro-operation being placed in a power saving state during a processing cycle in which the current micro-operation is at that pipeline stage. The result of the earlier micro-operation is then output as a result of said current micro-operation. This allows power consumption to be reduced by not repeating the same computation.
US09817464B2 Portable device control method using an electric pen and portable device thereof
The present disclosure relates to a method of controlling a portable device using an electric pen, and a portable device thereof, and more particularly, to a method of controlling a portable device using an electric pen capable of controlling the portable device based on an interrupt event generated by a manipulation of the electric pen, and a portable device thereof.The method includes controlling a portable device using an electric pen, including sensing an interrupt event by manipulation of the electric pen positioned in a area within a sensible distance of the electric pen, sensing separation of the electric pen from the area within the sensible distance, and performing a control operation of the portable device in response to the separation.
US09817460B2 Testing method for a smart wristband and testing system thereof
A testing method for a smart wristband and a testing system thereof are provided. The Bluetooth function of the smart wristband is put into a sleep state through presetting of the system software before the test, and the testing method comprises the following steps of: carrying out electrical connection operations on the smart wristband under test during the test so that the Bluetooth function of the smart wristband is activated; completing pairing between the smart wristband and the testing apparatus, and synchronously displaying a corresponding function of the smart wristband on a screen of the testing apparatus so as to be tested, wherein the testing apparatus is a smartphone, and the testing of the corresponding function includes at least one of Bluetooth power testing, writing of the mainboard serial number, charging testing and motor vibration controlling.
US09817458B2 Adaptive USB port controller
An adaptive USB port controller is disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, a system comprises a source, a power adapter, a USB port controller, a USB plug and cable, and a device. In one example, the device includes a rechargeable battery. After connecting the device to the USB port controller via the USB plug and cable, a reconfigurable module within the USB port controller sets a power mode by: (1) configuring an impedance network to present impedance modes that indicate available power modes, (2) detecting voltages on one or more of the USB conductors in response to each impedance mode, and (3) comparing the detected voltages to reference voltage levels to set one of multiple power modes. The reconfigurable module then controls the power adapter to transfer power according to the determined power mode.
US09817450B2 Electronic apparatus
The present invention relates to an electronic apparatus, the back plate, the I/O module, the power supply, the node module and the like are reasonably and neatly laid out in the case, so that more modules can be laid out in a limited case space, thus having a high utilization rate and a low cost. Besides, the I/O module, the power supply module and the node module are separately designed, and the modules cooperate with each other; the modules are snap structures, and can be assembled and disassembled by hand, which increases operation and maintenance efficiency. Moreover, the completion of the signal transmission among different modules mainly depends on the golden finger or the high-speed back plate connector, thus the case is clean and neat inside.
US09817443B2 Display apparatus
A display apparatus is provided. The display apparatus includes a housing having an opening, a first roll and a second roll rotatably provided within the housing, a display configured to be wound on the first roll, and to be retracted and withdrawn through the opening according to a rotation direction of the first roll, a protection member configured to be wound on the first roll together with the display or to be wound in the second roll as the display is withdrawn from the housing, and a moveable component mounting part which is disposed between the first roll and the second roll and on which various components are mounted within the housing. The component mounting part moves within the housing to selectively provide space and utilize space according to a retraction operation and a withdrawal operation of the display.
US09817441B1 Dock
A dock includes a base, a fixing switch, a release component, a connector, and a connection component. When an electronic device is mounted on the base, the release component must be pressed in order for the fixing switch to be operable, allowing the connection component to drive the connector to connect with the electronic device. When no electronic device is mounted on the base, the connector is received in the base to protect the connector against damage while the dock is being carried around. That the release component must be pressed in order for the fixing switch to be movable protects the connector against damage in a situation where, while the dock is being carried around, the fixing switch is inadvertently pushed, causing the connector to protrude from the dock.
US09817440B2 Garments having stretchable and conductive ink
Methods of forming garments having one or more stretchable conductive ink patterns. Described herein are method of making garments (including compression garments) having one or more highly stretchable conductive ink pattern formed of a composite of an insulative adhesive, a conductive ink, and an intermediate gradient zone between the adhesive and conductive ink. The conductive ink typically includes between about 40-60% conductive particles, between about 30-50% binder; between about 3-7% solvent; and between about 3-7% thickener. The stretchable conductive ink patterns may be stretched more than twice their length without breaking or rupturing.
US09817437B2 Stretchable display device
A stretchable display device including a stretchable display to display an image, the stretchable display having a band shape; holes on an outwardly facing surface of the stretchable display; and a stopper on an inwardly facing surface of the stretchable display, the stopper being coupleable with any one of the holes to loop the stretchable display device in a ring form, wherein a size of an image display area of the stretchable display is controllable based on a current value that depends on a position of a hole to which the stopper is coupled.
US09817434B2 Memory system controlling peak current generation for a plurality of memories by synchronizing internal clock of each memory with a processor clock at different times to avoid peak current generation period overlapping
A memory system including a controller that generates a processor clock, and a plurality of memory devices each including an internal clock generator that generates an internal clock in synchronization with the processor clock, and a memory that performs a peak current generation operation in synchronization with the internal clock, wherein at least two of the memory devices generate their respective internal clocks at different times such that the corresponding peak current generation operations are performed at different times.
US09817426B2 Low quiescent current voltage regulator with high load-current capability
Embodiments of voltage regulators and methods for operating a voltage regulator are described. In one embodiment, a voltage regulator includes a set of current mirror circuits configured to convert an input voltage into an output voltage and a voltage buffer circuit configured to buffer a reference voltage for the set of current mirror circuits. The set of current mirror circuits form a positive feedback loop. Other embodiments are also described.
US09817425B2 Semiconductor devices and semiconductor systems
A semiconductor system may include a first semiconductor device and a second semiconductor device. The first semiconductor device may output a training entry signal and a transmission signal. The second semiconductor device may generate selection codes and a control signal in response to the training entry signal. The second semiconductor device may adjust a level of a reference voltage signal for buffering the transmission signal in response to the selection codes and control a capacitance of an internal node. The reference voltage signal may be outputted from the internal node in response to the control signal.
US09817421B2 Apparatus and method for managing comfort in a demand coordination network
An apparatus, including a plurality of devices, a network operations center (NOC), and a plurality of control nodes. Each device consumes a portion of the resource when turned on, and performs a corresponding function by cycling on and off to maintain a level of comfort. The NOC generates a plurality of run time schedules that coordinates run times for the each of the plurality of devices to control the peak demand of the resource, where activation of one or more of the plurality of devices is substituted in order to maintain a level of comfort. Each of the control nodes is coupled to a corresponding one of the devices. The plurality of control nodes transmits sensor data and device status to the NOC for generation of the plurality of run time schedules, and executes selected ones of the run time schedules to cycle the plurality of devices.
US09817420B2 Apparatus and method for active modeling of non-system devices in a demand coordination network
An apparatus, including a plurality of devices, a network operations center (NOC), a facility consumption monitoring device, and a plurality of control nodes. Each device consumes a portion of the resource when turned on, and performs a corresponding function within an acceptable operational margin by cycling on and off. The NOC generates a plurality of run time schedules that is based upon modeled unmonitored consumption within the facility, and that coordinates run times for the each of the plurality of devices to control the peak demand of the resource. Each of the control nodes is coupled to a corresponding one of the devices. The plurality of control nodes transmits sensor data and device status to the NOC for generation of the plurality of run time schedules, and executes selected ones of the run time schedules to cycle the plurality of devices on and off.
US09817414B2 Undershoot reduction
Undershoot reduction circuitry includes, for example, a first comparator, a second comparator, and a controller. The first comparator is operable for comparing an indication of a power supply voltage output against a first threshold. The second comparator is operable for comparing an indication of the power supply voltage output against a second threshold. The controller is operable for generating a first power control signal to raise the power supply voltage output when the indication of the power supply voltage output has a first slope and crosses the first threshold and to lower the power supply voltage output when the indication of the power supply voltage output has an opposite slope and crosses the second threshold.
US09817412B2 Protection circuit and control circuit
A protection circuit is provided with: a suppression element that is coupled to a power source side of a main circuit and suppresses current flowing into the main circuit that drives a load; and a soft start circuit that is configured to gradually increase voltage of a control terminal of the suppression element when voltage is applied to the soft start circuit from a boosting circuit used for controlling the main circuit.
US09817406B1 Spherical pneumatic actuated robotic commuter
A spherical modular autonomous robotic traveler (SMART) is provided for rolling along a surface from a first position to a second position. The SMART includes an outer spherical shell; an inner spherical chamber disposed within the outer shell; a plurality of weight-shifters arranged within the inner chamber; and a controller therein. The chamber maintains its orientation relative to the surface by a gyroscopically homing stabilizer. Each weight-shifter includes a mass disposed in a default position, and movable to an active position in response to activation. The controller selectively activates a weight-shifter among the plurality to shift the mass from the default position to the active position. The outer shell rolls in a direction that corresponds to the weight-shifter activated by the controller. The weight-shifters for the SMART employ pneumatic actuation as a spherical pneumatic actuated robotic commuter (SPARC). Each weight-shifter in the SPARC includes a conduit containing a liquid armature and a pressure source with valves activated by the controller, with the conduits arranged in a cruciform configuration.
US09817405B2 Cargo transport system and method based on unmanned aerial vehicle
A cargo transport system includes a UAV and a vehicle for sending and receiving the UAV. The UAV has a navigation system for guiding the UAV to fly to transport cargos between the vehicle and a terminal according to first navigation position information of the vehicle and the terminal. The vehicle includes a UAV accommodating device and a UAV receiving controller for guiding the UAV to the vehicle based on wireless signal transmitted directly between them when the UAV flies into a preset range around the vehicle. The UAV receiving controller includes: an identity verification unit for providing information to the UAV in response to a request broadcasted by the UAV to determine whether the vehicle is a target vehicle where the UAV is to land; and a short distance guide unit which provides information for guiding the UAV to land when the vehicle is the target vehicle.
US09817402B1 Application of factory automation for an airline assembly and build process
Work cell and factory level automation require that an Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) achieve demanding positional accuracy and repeatability relative to a cradle fixture or workstand within a work cell. The AGV makes distance measurements of objects within the work cell using laser scanner sensors. The distance measurements are filtered of objects that are not target features on the cradle fixture or workstand. Systematic or bias errors of the laser scanner sensor are removed from the filtered distance measurements, and a mathematical filter or estimator is applied to the filtered distance measurements using random errors of the laser scanner sensor to generate estimated distance measurements. A map of the target features is then constructed using the estimated distance measurements, wherein the map is used for path planning and navigation control of the AGV relative to the cradle fixture or workstand within the work cell.
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