| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US09888068B2 |
Systems and methods for maintaining session persistence in a cluster system
The present application is directed towards systems and methods for managing ownership of one or more SSL sessions. A cluster of nodes intermediary between at least one client server may maintain a succession list for at least one session of a first client from the at least one client. The succession list may include a list of nodes within the cluster and an order of succession for the nodes to transfer ownership of the at least one session. A first node of the cluster may enter an operational state for managing one or more sessions between the at least one client and the at least one server. A second node of the cluster may initiate, based on the succession list and responsive to the first node entering the operational state, a transfer of ownership of the at least one session from the second node to the first node. |
| US09888067B1 |
Managing resources in container systems
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for managing resources in container systems, including multi-cloud systems. The use of supply chain economics alone and in combination with other techniques offers a unified platform to integrate, optimize or improve, and automate resource management in a container system. These techniques may be used to monitor and control the delivery of service level agreements and software licenses. They may also be used to monitor and control contention of computing resources in a container system, and to suspend or terminate computing resources. |
| US09888066B2 |
System and method of binding a client to a server
Systems and methods to bind a client with a server are provided. A particular method includes establishing a connection between a server and a client. A list of best-fit server IP addresses is received at the client via the connection. A determination is made whether the server is identified in the list of best-fit server IP addresses. When the server is not identified in the list of best-fit server IP addresses, the connection to the server is terminated. |
| US09888061B2 |
Method for organizing home screen and electronic device implementing the same
An electronic device and a method for constructing a home screen thereof are provided. the method includes recognizing an editing gesture input with regard to a selected application icon, activating an editing mode in response to the editing gesture input, displaying an application list corresponding to the selected application icon in the editing mode, recognizing a selection of at least one of graphical components including widgets and icons, arranged in the displayed application list, and displaying the at least one selected graphical component on at least one page of the home screen. |
| US09888060B2 |
Control method, communications terminal, and control system
A control method includes receiving setting information containing a first property representing a property of an operation performed by one or more target appliances and a setting of the first property, obtaining correspondence information between device information identifying each of the appliances and a second property representing a property of an operation performed by the appliance, extracting the device information items of the target appliances from among the device information items in the correspondence information, the device information items each having a second property that is the same as the first property, generating a plurality of control information items each associated with each of the extracted device information items of one or more target appliances, containing the setting information and a predetermined information corresponding to the first property and each of the device information items, transmitting the control information to the target appliance through wireless communication. |
| US09888058B2 |
Sending files from one device to another device over a network
Techniques are provided for causing a file to be sent from a source device over a network to one or more destination devices. An intermediary receives a notification of a file and determines which destination device(s) are to retrieve the file. The intermediary may determine the destination device(s) based on one or more attributes of the file. The intermediary may cause the file to be stored in persistent storage that is maintained by a separate storage service. The intermediary may cause the file to be deleted after a particular period of time. The source device may send multiple versions of a file to the intermediary, which determines which destination device is to receive which version. The file may be a digital image and a destination device may be a device that displays a slideshow of digital images while the destination device receives the digital image over a network. |
| US09888057B2 |
Application bundle management across mixed file system types
Disclosed aspects include managing a file system having a cluster of compute nodes to process a stream of tuples using an application bundle. A cluster bundle directory is established on the cluster of compute nodes. A host bundle library is established on a first compute node of the cluster of compute nodes. The stream of tuples to be processed by a plurality of processing elements operating on the cluster of compute nodes including the first compute node is received. Using the cluster bundle directory, it is detected that the application bundle is not installed on the first compute node. Using both the cluster bundle directory and the host bundle library, a determination is made to initiate a sourcing operation with respect to the application bundle. In response to initiating the sourcing operation, the stream of tuples is processed using the application bundle. |
| US09888055B2 |
Firewall for a virtual network and related techniques
A system for filtering traffic in virtual networks includes a first virtual machine executed by a first physical server connected to a physical network and a second virtual machine executed by a second physical server connected to the physical network. The first and second virtual machines are connected to a same virtual network. A first firewall module is executed by the first physical server and a second firewall module is executed by the second physical server. The firewall modules are configured to filter network traffic received by the physical servers and addressed to the virtual servers. |
| US09888049B2 |
Transmission apparatus, instruction apparatus, transmission method, instruction method, and storage medium
The present invention can determine whether to enable or disable a restriction function of viewing an image to be transmitted, for each video stream. There is provided a transmission apparatus configured to transmit a video stream including an image of a part of or a whole of a captured image to a plurality of destinations, and performs a first setting about whether to ON or OFF a viewing restriction function of a first video stream. Further, the transmission apparatus performs a second setting, independently from the first setting, for setting ON or OFF the viewing restriction function for a second video stream different from the first video stream. |
| US09888044B2 |
Extending communication services to a consumption device using a proxy device
A system for data communications comprising a handset having a processor, a wireless communications device, a speaker and a microphone and one or more software applications operating on the processor that are configured to interface with a voice over long-term evolution (VoLTE) service. A wireless access point coupled to the handset through a local wireless communications media and the wireless communications device, the wireless access point further coupled to a long range wireless communications media and configured to interface with a server that provides VoLTE calling functionality. |
| US09888043B2 |
Method for providing voice communication service and electronic device thereof
An apparatus and a method for providing a voice communication service using a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network in an electronic device are provided. A method includes providing a first Voice over LTE (VoLTE) service in a first LTE area, handing over to a second LTE area during the first VoLTE service, when the first VoLTE service ends, determining whether the second LTE area provides a VoLTE service, and when the second VoLTE area does not provide the VoLTE service, limiting the VoLTE service of the electronic device. |
| US09888042B2 |
Systems and methods for multipath transmission control protocol connection management
The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for multipath transmission control protocol connection (MPTCP) management. A first device, intermediary between a second device and a third device, may establish a protocol control structure responsive to establishment of a MPTCP session between the first device and the second device. The first device may maintain, via the protocol control structure, an identification of a plurality of subflows comprising transmission control protocol (TCP) connections in the MPTCP session between the first device and the second device. The first device may convert or translate, via the protocol control structure, subflow-specific sequence identifiers of packets transmitted via each of the plurality of subflows, to sequence identifiers unique across the plurality of subflows and identifying related packets from each subflows to be processed at the third device. The third device may receive the packets with the converted sequence identifiers in a single TCP connection. |
| US09888038B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing mobile and social services via virtual individual servers
A method, computer readable medium and apparatus for providing a virtual individual server service within a communications network are disclosed. For example, the method receives a request from a subscriber of the communications network to subscribe to the virtual individual server service, provides a virtual individual server to the subscriber in response to the request and executes at least one application via the virtual individual server using at least one piece of personal information associated with the subscriber. |
| US09888037B1 |
Cipher suite negotiation
A client and a server negotiate a cipher suite as part of establishing a TLS connection. Cipher suites are rated with an associated level of security. In one example, the client and the server maintain a historical record that identifies the cipher suites used in previous TLS connections between the client and the server. The client and the server determine a minimally acceptable cipher suite rating based at least in part on the historical record of previously used cipher suites. If the negotiated cipher suite has a rating less than the determined minimally acceptable cipher suite rating, the TLS connection may be terminated, the cipher suite may be renegotiated, or other corrective action may be taken. In another example, the client and the server exchange digital certificates, and the digital certificates identify cipher suites for use with a TLS connection that are acceptable to the certificate owner. |
| US09888036B2 |
Message sending device, message receiving device, message checking method, and recording medium
A message sending device includes a processor that executes a process. The process includes: obtaining an operation characteristic during creating a message; adding, to the message, the operation characteristic obtained at the obtaining; and sending the message, to which the operation characteristic has been added at the adding, to a destination of the message. |
| US09888034B2 |
Pluggable API firewall filter
A web server includes a servlet and a pluggable API firewall filter coupled to the servlet. The pluggable filter protects the web server from content based attacks by rejecting messages received from a client device. The pluggable filter includes a .jar, and the .jar is placed into a class path of the web server or packaged into a target web application archive (WAR). |
| US09888033B1 |
Methods and apparatus for detecting and/or dealing with denial of service attacks
Methods and apparatus for detecting and minimizing the effects of Denial Of Service (DOS) attacks in high-speed networks in which packet processing is carried out by multiple processing cores. In one embodiment of the invention a communications method and apparatus detects and deletes denial of service attack packets in a multi-core distributed packet processing system using a lightweight DOS attack packet detection and deletion process. |
| US09888031B2 |
System and method thereof for identifying and responding to security incidents based on preemptive forensics
A system is connected to a plurality of user devices coupled to an enterprise's network. The system continuously collects, stores, and analyzes forensic data related to the enterprise's network. Based on the analysis, the system is able to determine normal behavior of the network and portions thereof and thereby identify abnormal behaviors within the network. Upon identification of an abnormal behavior, the system determines whether the abnormal behavior relates to a security incident. Upon determining a security incident in any portion of the enterprise's network, the system extracts forensic data respective of the security incident and enables further assessment of the security incident as well as identification of the source of the security incident. The system provides real-time damage assessment respective of the security incident as well as the security incident's attributions. |
| US09888029B2 |
Classifying kill-chains for security incidents
Systems, methods, and software described herein provide security actions based on the current state of a security threat. In one example, a method of operating an advisement system in a computing environment with a plurality of computing assets includes identifying a security threat within the computing environment. The method further includes, in response to identifying the security threat, obtaining state information for the security threat within the computing environment, and determining a current state for the security threat within the computing environment. The method also provides obtaining enrichment information for the security threat and determining one or more security actions for the security threat based on the enrichment information and the current state for the security threat. |
| US09888027B2 |
Security risk mapping of potential targets
A method comprising: receiving an identification of the target assets at risk of being attacked and of the technology layers of the organization, wherein each of the target assets may instantiate in multiple ones of the technology layers; constructing multiple attack vectors for each of at least a portion of said target assets, by determining for each attack vector three target dimensions, each of a category of: method of achieving a malicious objective, method of attack enablement and method of initial penetration; and estimating the security risk of each of said multiple attack vectors, wherein the estimating of the security risk of an attack vector of said multiple attack vectors is based on probabilities of success of the combinations of a technology layer and an attack method characterizing each of the target dimensions of the attack vector. |
| US09888024B2 |
Detection of security incidents with low confidence security events
Techniques are disclosed for detecting security incidents based on low confidence security events. A security management server aggregates a collection of security events received from logs from one or more devices. The security management server evaluates the collection of security events based on a confidence score assigned to each distinct type of security event. Each confidence score indicates a likelihood that a security incident has occurred. The security management server determines, based on the confidence scores, at least one threshold for determining when to report an occurrence of a security incident from the collection of security events. Upon determining that at least one security event of the collection has crossed the at least one threshold, the security management server reports the occurrence of the security incident to an analyst. |
| US09888020B2 |
Global clustering of incidents based on malware similarity and online trustfulness
In an embodiment, a method, performed by processors of a computing device for creating and storing clusters of incident data records based on behavioral characteristic values in the records and origin characteristic values in the records, the method comprising: receiving a plurality of input incident data records comprising sets of attribute values; identifying two or more first incident data records that have a particular behavioral characteristic value; using a malicious incident behavioral data table that maps sets of behavioral characteristic values to identifiers of malicious acts in the network, and a plurality of comparison operations using the malicious incident behavioral data table and the two or more first incident data records, determining whether any of the two or more first incident data records are malicious; and if so, creating a similarity behavioral cluster record that includes the two or more first incident data records. |
| US09888014B2 |
Enforcing security for sensitive data on database client hosts
A restriction agent resides on a database client host, the database client host receiving first data from a database secured by a database access control system, the first data comprising sensitive information authorized by the database access control system for access by an authorized user requesting access to the database through a database client resident on the database client host. The restriction agent receives one or more instructions from a database access control system relative to the first data. The restriction agent enforces the one or more instructions on the database client host to restrict access to the first data to the authorized user only from among multiple users of the database client host. |
| US09888012B2 |
Determining virtual adapter access controls in a computing environment
A control component of a computing environment initiates sending of request(s) over a network of the computing environment by an activated virtual adapter. The activated virtual adapter is hosted on a physical adapter of a host system coupled to the network, and is for use by a guest, hosted by the host system, in performing data input and output. The request(s) retrieve access control information from the network indicative of access control(s) enforced in controlling access by the activated virtual adapter to network component(s). The initiating provides indication(s) to the physical adapter, absent involvement of the guest, that the request(s) be sent by the virtual adapter. Based on the initiating, the control component obtains the access control information from the physical adapter, and determines, based on that information, the access control(s) being enforced by the network in controlling access by the activated virtual adapter to the network component(s). |
| US09888011B2 |
Social media login and interaction management
A hardware or software firewall may be installed within a private network. The firewall may intercept a first set of login credentials entered into a login interface of a social media platform. The firewall then checks that the first set of login credentials are correct against a first set of reference login credentials stored in a firewall memory, and sends a second set of login credentials to the login interface of the social media platform. This allows business employees to access a corporate social media profile from a private network but not outside the private network. The firewall can also limit social media interactions using the firewall by limiting the other profiles that a user's profile can interact with (e.g., using a whitelist, blacklist, or reputation score), by limiting communication types (e.g., using a whitelist or blacklist), by imposing firewall policies, or some combination thereof. |
| US09888007B2 |
Systems and methods to authenticate users and/or control access made by users on a computer network using identity services
A controller for user authentication and access control, configured to: store data representing a graph having: nodes representing data elements associated with accesses made using an access token; and links among the nodes representing connections between the data elements identified in details of the accesses. In response to receiving details of an access made using the access token, the controller updates the graph according to the details and identifies a new connection in the graph resulting from update. The controller communicates with an identity service to verify the association of data elements corresponding to the new connection in the graph. Based on a result of the verification, the controller authenticates the user of the access and/or controls the access. |
| US09888004B2 |
Processing apparatus, authority setting method, and storage medium storing program
A processing apparatus performs: in response to reception of first information by one of the network interface and the user interface, identifying, as a first function, a function corresponding to the first information out of a plurality of functions relating to image data; setting a first authority corresponding to the first information, the first authority being authority to use the first function; after setting the first authority, when one of the network interface and the user interface receives second information different from the first information and when functions identified by the second information out of the plurality of functions include at least part of the first function and a function other than the first function, identifying the function other than the first function as a second function; and setting a second authority corresponding to the second information, the second authority being authority to use the second function. |
| US09888001B2 |
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for negotiating diameter capabilities
According to one method, the method occurs at a Diameter relay agent including at least one processor and a memory. The method includes receiving first Diameter capabilities information associated with a first Diameter node. The method also includes sending, to at least a second Diameter node, the first Diameter capabilities information. |
| US09887999B2 |
Login method and apparatus
A login method and a login apparatus are provided. A third party server receives a login request of a first client and returns an identification code, the first client displays the identification code, and the third party server receives an authentication request of a second client to obtain a user unique identifier of the second client, wherein, the authentication request is sent by the second client according to an address of the third party server contained in the identification code after performing image acquisition to the identification code, and the third party server performs login authentication to corresponding third party account information bound to the user unique identifier and returns a login authentication result. The third party account information bound to the user unique identifier varies depending on the difference in the address information of the third party server contained in the identification code. |
| US09887994B2 |
Data processing based on two-dimensional code
The present disclosure provides example methods and apparatuses of data processing based on a two-dimensional code. The two-dimensional code is generated upon receiving a data processing request from a user of a first communication device. Information relating to the data processing request obtained through scanning the two-dimensional code by a second communication device is received. A user interface for data processing is generated at the second communication device based on the information relating to the data processing request. The present techniques for data processing based on the two-dimensional code use the two-dimensional code to complete logging-in and avoid the tedious logging-in process, thereby conveniently, efficiently, and securely implements data output processing. |
| US09887990B2 |
Protection of application passwords using a secure proxy
A computer-implemented method, computer program product, and system for tagging and replacing tagged credentials with target credentials unknown to a client. The method includes; receiving an access request from a client to access a protected resource on a target server, injecting credential field tags into a credential form used to access the protected resource, auto-submitting the credential form on the client computer, replace tagged credentials with target credentials, submitting the target credentials to the target server, and updating the target credentials if the target credentials are invalid or expired without intervention by the client. |
| US09887985B2 |
Management of certificate authority (CA) certificates
Systems and methods for automatically installing CA certificates received from a network security appliance by a client security manager to make the CA certificate become a trusted CA certificate to a client machine are provided. In one embodiment, a client security manager establishes a connection with a network security appliance through a network, wherein the client security manager is configured for managing security of a client at the client side and the network security appliance is configured for managing the security of traffic pass through the network. The client security manager downloads from the network security appliance a certificate authority (CA) certificate to be used for signing a server certificate of a secure connection between the network security appliance and the client and automatically installs the CA certificate into a certificate store of the client. |
| US09887984B2 |
Autonomous system for secure electric system access
Secure electronic access may be provided by receiving at least one electronic certificate from an electronic device seeking to access a secure resource at a device under protection including at least one security processor, the at least one certificate providing device information related to the security of the electronic device, and comparing with at least one autonomous processor of an autonomous system the device information to the security requirement information. The at least one autonomous processor may instruct the at least one security processor to provide the secure resource to the device when the device information meets the security requirement information. The device under protection may provide the secure resource to the electronic device in response to the instruction. |
| US09887983B2 |
Apparatus and method for implementing composite authenticators
A system, apparatus, method, and machine readable medium are described for implementing a composite authenticator. For example, an apparatus in accordance with one embodiment comprises: an authenticator for authenticating a user of the apparatus with a relying party, the authenticator comprising a plurality of authentication components; and component authentication logic to attest to the model and/or integrity of at least one authentication component to one or more of the other authentication components prior to allowing the authentication components to form the authenticator. |
| US09887979B1 |
Systems and methods for enabling users to launch applications without entering authentication credentials
The disclosed computer-implemented method for enabling users to launch applications without entering authentication credentials may include (1) receiving, at a server that hosts an application that requests authentication credentials from users before allowing the users to access the application, a request from an endpoint device to download the application, the request including a user token that identifies a user of the endpoint device, (2) in response to receiving the request, authenticating the user token within the request, (3) creating an authenticated version of the application by adding, to the application, an indication that the user token has been authenticated, (4) distributing the authenticated version of the application to the endpoint device, where the endpoint device (A) identifies, within the authenticated version of the application, the indication that the user token has been authenticated and (B) launches the authenticated version of the application without requiring the user to enter authentication credentials. |
| US09887977B2 |
Displaying the accessibility of hyperlinked files
The accessibility of a hyperlinked files is displayed. A hyperlink that references a resource is extracted from a target file. An attempt to acquire the resource is made by performing a first authentication operation. A first object is received in response to performing the authentication operation. A second object is acquired by performing a second authentication operation using pre-determined authentication information. The first object and the second object are compared to determine if the first object is the same as the second object. Information indicating the accessibility of the resource is presented via a display apparatus. |
| US09887975B1 |
Systems and methods for delegated cryptography
In some embodiments, an authentication method comprises receiving a request for a digital signature of data from a delegate computer over a secure channel using cryptography to provide authentication, wherein the secure channel comprises at least one wireless communications link; displaying information derived from the data; prompting a user for approval of the request with information derived from the data; in response to receiving approval from the user, creating the digital signature of the data using one or more private keys stored in a key enclave; and sending the digital signature to the delegate computer over the secure channel. |
| US09887969B1 |
Methods for obfuscating javascript and devices thereof
A method, non-transitory computer readable medium and device that assists obfuscating JavaScript includes obtaining a webpage requested by a client computing device. A determination of when javascript code is in the source code of the obtained webpage is made. A stored obfuscated javascript code is obtained when the javascript code is determined to be in the source code of the obtained webpage. The obtained obfuscated javascript code is embedded into the obtained webpage and the obtained webpage with the embedded obfuscated javascript code is sent to the requesting client computing device. |
| US09887965B2 |
Method and system for browser identity
A browser application programming interface is exposed to a web application to verify an identify of a user using user-specific identity information stored by the browser. Cryptographic information associated with the user is transmitted from the browser application programming interface to the web application. User-specific content is provided to the user through the web application if the web application verifies an identify of the user via the browser application programming interface using the cryptographic information. |
| US09887964B2 |
Method and system for dynamic de-identification of data sets
A method for combining disparate data sets using dynamic de-identifiers includes: receiving a first data set from a first external entity, the data set including first data entries including attribute values, and wherein the first data set does not include any personally identifiable information; receiving a second data set from a second external entity, the data set including second data entries including attribute values, and wherein the second data set does not include any personally identifiable information; identifying a dynamic de-identifier (DDID) for each first data entry and second data entry; matching each second data entry to a first data entry based on a correspondence between the associated attribute values; identifying insights for at least one first data entry based on at least the attribute values included in the corresponding matched second data entry; and transmitting at least the identified insights to the first external entity. |
| US09887961B2 |
Multi-tenant aware dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) mechanism for cloud networking
An approach includes providing support multi-tenancy support on a DHCP protocol. The approach includes receiving a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) packet, inserting a tenant-specific option information within the DHCP packet, and transmitting the DHCP packet with the tenant-specific option information. |
| US09887960B2 |
Providing services for logical networks
Some embodiments provide a method for a network controller that manages several logical networks. The method receives a specification of a logical network that includes at least one logical forwarding element attached to a logical service (e.g., DHCP). The method selects at least one host machine to host the specified logical service from several host machines designated for hosting logical services. The method generates logical service configuration information for distribution to the selected host machine. In some embodiments, the method selects a master host machine and a backup host machine for hosting logical service. In some embodiments, a particular one of the designated host machines hosts at least two DHCP services for two different logical networks as separate processes operating on the particular host machine. |
| US09887959B2 |
Methods and system for allocating an IP address for an instance in a network function virtualization (NFV) system
A method for allocating an IP address for an instance in a NFV system includes obtaining a first requirement of IP address allocation from VNFD by a first node in the NFV system. A second requirement of IP address allocation for the instance is determined according to the first requirement. Then the second requirement is sent to a second node in the NFV system that allocates the IP address for the instance. |
| US09887957B2 |
Systems and methods for localization based on internet terminal location
Methods and systems for providing sourcing Internet access requests from ISP subscribers serviced by a gateway not physically located near the subscribers. As the localization needs of all subscribers are not necessarily the same, the gateway determines an appropriate source IP address to use to ensure that the IP protocol localization features work efficiently. In addition, the gateway can help enforce rules related to the governing law of the geographic area of the subscriber and/or rules based on the content providers licensing. Through determination of the context of a request, the gateway may also determine whether localized sourcing of a request is necessary based on the type of content being requested. |
| US09887956B2 |
Remote purge of DNS cache
Various techniques for purging resource records stored in a cache of domain name system servers are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, at a caching server, a DNS query via a computer network. In response to receiving the DNS query, the caching server determines if the received DNS query indicates a request to purge the one or more resource records stored in the DNS cache on the caching server. In response to determining that the received DNS query indicates a request to purge the one or more resource records stored in the DNS cache on the caching server, the caching server purges the one or more resource records from the DNS cache on the caching server. |
| US09887955B1 |
Message queues for rapid re-hosting of client devices
Connected gateway servers relay an electronic message from a first client device to a second client device by storing the message in respective user message queues associated with the sender and/or recipient of the message and then sending the message along a sequence of gateway servers to a gateway server that hosts the second client device. Upon receiving the electronic message at a first gateway server, a second gateway server that is hosting the second client device is identified and a sequence of gateway servers starting at the first gateway server and ending at the second gateway server is determined. Each gateway server in the sequence relays the message to the following gateway server in the sequence while maintaining user message queues. Failure of the last gateway server in the sequence results in the penultimate gateway server in the sequence assuming the responsibility of hosting the second client device. |
| US09887953B2 |
System and method for displaying micro-blog message, micro-blog terminal and server
The present disclosure relates to a system for displaying micro-blog messages, which includes: when the users look up the list roster, the micro-blog terminal sends an obtaining request to the micro-blog server, receives and display the list roster fed back by the micro-blog server; when any one of the micro-blog list is selected from the list roster, the micro-blog terminal writes a name of the chosen micro-blog list into a new displaying page, and sending a message list request to the micro-blog server; the micro-blog terminal receives the message list of the chosen micro-blog list that is fed back from the micro-blog server, and displaying the message list of the chosen micro-blog list on the new message displaying page. It is disclosed a micro-blog terminal, server thereof. |
| US09887952B2 |
Intelligently splitting text in messages posted on social media website to be more readable and understandable for user
A method, system and computer program product for improving readability and understandability in messages posted on a social media website. The messages posted on a social media website, such as the user's social networking feed, are scanned. The scanned messages are analyzed for topics, meaning and/or tenses using natural language processing. The text in the scanned messages are split into message segments based on topic, meaning, tenses, punctuation, custom identifiers, hashtags and/or @ symbols. These message segments are then grouped based on relatedness of the topics, meaning and/or tenses. The message segments are ordered in each group of message segments, such as based on timestamps. The ordered message segments are then displayed to the user. By displaying these message segments in separate groupings in a logical order, the user will be able to view the messages posted on the user's social media website in a more readable and understandable manner. |
| US09887951B2 |
Graphing relative health of virtualization servers
In a computer-implemented method for generating a graph of relative health of virtualization management servers, performance information of virtualization management servers of a virtualization infrastructure is accessed and the performance information is aggregated. A graph of relative health of the virtualization management servers based on the aggregating of the performance information for the virtualization server is generated, and the graph is posted to a social network of members of the virtualization infrastructure. |
| US09887950B2 |
Validating E-mails using message posting services
Validation of e-mails is provided. An e-mail is received. A sender of the e-mail is determined. A message posting service account that is associated with the sender is identified. The message posting service is queried for a first hash value that corresponds to the e-mail based, at least in part, on the account. A response is received from the message posting service. Whether the account includes the first hash value is determined based, at least in part, on the response. The e-mail is or is not validated based, at least in part, on the response from the message posting service. |
| US09887948B2 |
Augmenting location of social media posts based on proximity of other posts
A method for augmenting social media posts with location information includes a processor generating a social media message without location information marking. Scanning is performed for one or more electronic devices within vicinity of the processor. Location of the electronic device is determined. The social media message is marked with location information. |
| US09887941B1 |
In-message applications in a messaging platform
Various embodiments disclose an in-message application facilitating the use of third-party application programming interfaces (APIs). In particular, these in-message applications (referred to as “cards”) may be designed by a developer to access third-party API functionality. A user may then create a message referencing, e.g., a web address associated with the developer's card. The system may receive the user's message and recognize the reference. The system may then distribute an instantiation of the card to various recipients, the instantiation including elements generated using, or providing the user access to, the third party functionality. |
| US09887937B2 |
Distributed fair allocation of shared resources to constituents of a cluster
Techniques are disclosed for allocating shared resources to nodes in a distributed computing network system. Nodes request a lock for each instance of a computing resource (e.g., a virtual IP address associated with a service provided by the distributed computing network system) from a distributed lock manager. The distributed lock manager maintains a queue of requests for each instance of the shared resource. Upon receiving a lock from the distributed lock manager, the receiving node performs a fairness allocation protocol to determine whether to accept the lock. If so determined, the shared computing resources associated with the lock is configured. |
| US09887936B2 |
Application identification and overlay provisioning as a service
In one embodiment, a first device in a network receives application traffic sent from a source device towards a destination address. The first device sends the application traffic to a traffic identification service. The first device receives an instruction to establish a network tunnel to send the application traffic from the source device towards the destination address. The instruction is based on a classification of the application traffic by the traffic identification service. The first device establishes the network tunnel to send the application traffic from the source device towards the destination address. |
| US09887934B2 |
Configurable views of context-relevant content
Providing access to content is disclosed. An indication of a context is received. Access is provided to a context-relevant subset of a body of managed content. In some cases, the context-relevant subset includes a document relevant to the content. |
| US09887932B1 |
Traffic surge management for points of presence
A system, method, and computer-readable medium for point of presence (POP) based traffic surge detection and mitigation are provided. The system detects a traffic surge for a target group of resources directed at a source POP based on the target group's rank shifts and volume changes among recent time intervals. The system mitigates the detected traffic surge by identifying destination POPs with spare capacity and routing at least a portion of incoming requests for the target group of resources to the destination POPs in accordance with their spare capacities. |
| US09887931B1 |
Traffic surge management for points of presence
A system, method, and computer-readable medium for point of presence (POP) based traffic surge detection and mitigation are provided. The system detects a traffic surge for a target group of resources directed at a source POP based on the target group's rank shifts and volume changes among recent time intervals. The system mitigates the detected traffic surge by identifying destination POPs with spare capacity and routing at least a portion of incoming requests for the target group of resources to the destination POPs in accordance with their spare capacities. |
| US09887929B2 |
Flexible queues in a network switch
In an apparatus for receiving and forwarding data packets on a network, a network device includes a plurality of ports for coupling to the network and for transmitting packets to devices disposed in or coupled to the network. At least one processor configured to process packets received via the network processes packets by selectively forwarding processed packets to one or more of the ports. A plurality of queues are defined in a memory, each configured to store packets to be transmitted by ports in the plurality of ports. A queue manager is configured to selectively assign a subset of the plurality of queues to a subset of the plurality of ports. |
| US09887928B2 |
System and method for identifying performance characteristics in asynchronous networks
A system for determining a worst case latency for a specific information flow that is part of a plurality of information flows and a worst case backlog for a specific queue that is part of a plurality of queues is disclosed. The plurality of information flows and plurality of queues are part of a configuration. The system performs operations including determining a maximum busy period length for the configuration. The operations include determining a set of candidate starting times for the configuration based on the maximum busy period length. The operations further include determining a maximum layout for a plurality of information flows within the configuration. The operations include updating the worst case latency and the worst case backlog based on the maximum layout. Finally, the operations include determining the worst case latency for the specific information flow and the worst case backlog for a specific queue. |
| US09887927B2 |
End-to-end credit recovery
Packets or data units and their related credit returns each include an assigned phase value. When a credit test is desired, the phase value of outgoing data units is changed, for example from 0 to 1, and a new counter is set to a value of the outstanding credits having the original phase value. With each original phase credit received, the counter value is decremented. When a credit having the new phase value is received, the counter value indicates the amount of any credit error and appropriate corrections may be made. |
| US09887926B2 |
Wireless communication system
A data signal is transmitted in a wireless communication system from a primary station to a secondary station. The data signal comprising a medium access control header (MAC-hs header) and a protocol data unit associated with the medium access control header. The medium access control header comprising a set at least one field (e.g. TSN, SEG, LI, FMT, LCid), wherein a size allocated to at least one field of the set is determined based on a length of the protocol data unit. For example, the size allocated to a segmentation indication field (SEG) determined for a protocol data unit of a first length is less than the size determined for a protocol data unit of a second length, the second length being higher than the first length, the segmentation indication depending on a number of segments that the protocol data unit is subdivided into. |
| US09887920B2 |
Terminal, control device, communication method, communication system, communication module, program, and information processing device
A terminal communicating with a network including a forwarding device for forwarding a packet and a control device for controlling the forwarding device in accordance with a request from the forwarding device, includes a communication unit that receives a processing rule indicating that a packet for communicating with a first destination is changed so as to communicate with a second destination, from the control device, a storage unit that stores the received processing rule, and a processing unit that in a case of communicating with the network, changes a destination of a packet in accordance with a processing rule that corresponds to the packet by referring to the processing rule stored in the storage unit. |
| US09887919B2 |
Techniques and systems for logical mesh networks
Various embodiments are described wherein a set of devices are configured to be a logical mesh network. Each device has a logical mesh network address. Further, the set of logical mesh network addresses form a sequence from a first address to a last address, and intermediate addresses having both a preceding and a next address. The devices store forwarding information used to determine how to forward a received logical mesh network packet. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US09887914B2 |
Communication path selection for content delivery
Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and software for modifying a communication path based on latency. In one example, a method of operating a content node to alter a communication path includes identifying latency data for a plurality of end user devices communicating with the content node, and identifying that the one or more end user devices in the plurality of end user devices exceed a latency threshold based on the latency data. The method further includes, in response to identifying that the one or more end user devices in the plurality of end user devices exceed the latency threshold, modifying the communication path between the content node and the one or more end user devices by modifying a domain name system (DNS) configuration for the content node. |
| US09887913B2 |
CCN name chaining
A method provides route transforming by a network device implementing a content centric networking (CCN) gateway or CCN router, where the CCN gateway or CCN router is part of a CCN network. The method transforms a CCN Name in a CCN request before forwarding in the CCN network. The method includes receiving a first CCN request including a first CCN Name, the first CCN Name including a route transformer identifier, generating a modified first CCN Name by removing the route transformer identifier from the first CCN Name, generating a second CCN Name from the modified first CCN Name; and generating a second CCN request including the second CCN Name. |
| US09887910B2 |
Method for retransmitting packet, data server using the same, and packet retransmitting system
A method for retransmitting packet, a data server using the same and a packet retransmitting system are provided. The packet retransmitting system includes a control server, a network switch, a plurality of upper nodes, and the data server. Terminal nodes download data packets provided by the data server through the upper nodes, respectively. The data server receives missing packet reports in which the data packets correspond to the terminal nodes via the network switch, obtains network topology information related to the terminal nodes from the control server, encodes missing packets in the data packets according to the missing packet reports and the network topology information, and transmits encoded packets encoded from the missing packets to the terminal nodes via the network switch and each of the upper nodes. |
| US09887903B2 |
Comparison between different descriptions of a web service
In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method for comparing first and second descriptions of a web service includes computing a distance between each type used as a parameter in the first description and each type used as a parameter in the second description. A distance is calculated between methods in each of two or more pairs of methods. Each pair includes a method in the first description and a method in the second description. The calculating is performed by comparing the parameters of the first set of methods and the second set of methods using the computed distances between types. To the calculated distance between each pair of methods is added the distance between the names of the compared methods and the distance between the returned types of the compared methods. For each method in the first description, the method in the second description with the lowest calculated distance is output. |
| US09887900B2 |
Method and system for data transmission
Embodiments as disclosed provided methods or systems for sending data over a network. Specifically, in certain embodiments, data is received and a datagram comprising at least a portion of the data can be created and sent to a terminal. Control data can be received from the terminal and the sending of the data to the terminal adjusted based on the received control data. In certain embodiments both the datagram and the control data may be sent over an unreliable protocol. Thus, embodiments as disclosed may provide an increased level of reliability and adaptability to differing network conditions in conjunction with the use of an unreliable protocol. |
| US09887897B2 |
Bitrate selection for network usage control
A user device may receive bitrate availability information identifying one or more bitrates associated with content; receive, from a user of the user device, a selection of a particular bitrate of the one or more bitrates; request segment files associated with the particular bitrate; and receive the segment files. |
| US09887895B2 |
Dynamically adjusting a data usage plan based on data usage statistics
Embodiments enable data usage plans and data usage statistics to be shared among user computing devices. In some embodiments, a web service receives a schema populated with data describing the data usage plan from a mobile operator. The web service distributes the populated schema to the user computing devices, and subsequently distributes updated portions of the schema as the data usage plan is updated by the mobile operator. The web service may also collect the data usage statistics from the user computing devices and the mobile operator, reconcile any differences, and send synchronization notifications to the user computing devices based on the reconciliation. In some embodiments, users are able to view bandwidth consumption by a plurality of user computing devices sharing the same data usage plan. |
| US09887894B2 |
Recommendations for reducing data consumption based on data usage profiles
Embodiments profile users based on data usage of installed applications and provide recommendations for reducing data usage. A computing device or cloud service determines a plurality of applications installed on the computing device. Data usage patterns associated with each of the determined plurality of applications are identified. The data usage patterns describe data usage over a network for at least one of the determined plurality of applications. One or more recommendations for reducing data usage are defined based on the identified data usage patterns. Some embodiments recommend switching applications, uninstalling applications, or disabling particular network connections. |
| US09887891B2 |
Graph segment representing a gist of an online social network conversation
A method for generating a graph segment providing a gist or summary of an online social network conversation may include generating a graph of the online social network conversation. The graph of the online social network conversation may include a plurality of nodes and each node may be connected to at least one other node by an edge. Each node may represent a message of the online social network conversation and each edge may correspond to an action by a participant in the online social network conversation. The method may also include determining an edge weight for each edge and analyzing the graph of the online social network conversation using at least the edge weight of at least some edges. The method may additionally include generating a graph segment that provides a gist or summary of the online social network conversation based on the analysis. |
| US09887889B1 |
State reconciliation using event tracking and polling
Methods and apparatus for state reconciliation using event tracking and polling are disclosed. Occurrences of events that may result in a state change of an entity of a provider network are monitored. An indication of an expected state of the entity is transmitted to a reconciler. The reconciler determines whether a discrepancy exists between the expected state and a detected state, obtained using a polling mechanism, of the entity. In response to determining that a discrepancy exists, one or more actions are initiated. |
| US09887883B2 |
Systems and methods of discovering and controlling devices without explicit addressing
A method of discovering a device in a communication network having multiple interconnected nodes includes continuously monitoring, by a device to be discovered, any IP packets sent by a discoverer. The method further includes transmitting, by the discoverer, an IP packet destined for a downstream device and receiving, by the device to be discovered, the IP packet. The method further includes determining, by the device to be discovered, whether the IP packet is intended for the device to be discovered. If the IP packet is not intended for the device to be discovered, retransmitting, by the device to be discovered, the IP packet to the downstream device via an egress port of the device to be discovered. |
| US09887882B2 |
Referent system for devices of an NFV network
A network functions virtualization (NFV) network can be configured to operate according to NFV protocols that decouple software functionality from specific hardware elements. A referent system can be provided that identifies a precise physical location of devices associated with the NFV network relative to other equipment or devices associated with the NFV network. |
| US09887879B2 |
Monitoring apparatus and method
A management server receives selection of a setting item to be a monitoring target from setting information that can be set for a device, extracts, as monitoring data, setting information corresponding to the selected setting item, generates a monitoring task in which a device to be a monitoring target using the monitoring data, a monitoring setting, and a monitoring schedule are set, and saves the monitoring data corresponding to the monitoring task. Meanwhile, when the setting of a device is monitored using a security policy, not monitoring data but a policy version corresponding to setting information for use in monitoring is selected to generate a monitoring task. |
| US09887876B2 |
Interconnection platform for real-time configuration and management of a cloud-based services exchange
In one example, a cloud-based services exchange comprises a plurality of interconnection assets configured to connect a customer of the cloud-based services exchange to one or more cloud service providers, the plurality of interconnection assets including a virtual circuit by which the customer accesses a cloud service from the one or more cloud service providers; and an orchestration engine configured to modify the plurality of interconnection assets. |
| US09887874B2 |
Soft rerouting in a network using predictive reliability metrics
In one embodiment, a plurality of paths in a network from a source device to a destination device is identified. A predicted performance for packet delivery along a primary path from the plurality of paths is determined. The predicted performance for packet delivery along the primary path is then compared to a performance threshold. Traffic sent along the primary path may be duplicated onto a backup path selected from the plurality of paths based on a determination that the predicted performance along the primary path is below the performance threshold. |
| US09887870B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for signaling with geometric constellations
Communication systems are described that use signal constellations, which have unequally spaced (i.e. ‘geometrically’ shaped) points. In many embodiments, the communication systems use specific geometric constellations that are capacity optimized at a specific SNR. In addition, ranges within which the constellation points of a capacity optimized constellation can be perturbed and are still likely to achieve a given percentage of the optimal capacity increase compared to a constellation that maximizes dmin, are also described. Capacity measures that are used in the selection of the location of constellation points include, but are not limited to, parallel decode (PD) capacity and joint capacity. |
| US09887869B2 |
Method of compensating carrier frequency offset in receivers
A method to compensate a carrier frequency offset (CFO) in a receiver is disclosed. The method includes receiving discrete time samples, obtaining a sample vector from the received discrete time samples, obtaining tentative CFO estimates based on the sample vector, selecting a CFO having a greatest compensation coefficient from the tentative CFO estimates, and compensating the CFO in the received discrete time samples. |
| US09887868B2 |
Techniques using a first band of communication to determine frequency synchronization for communication on a second band
Various embodiments are generally directed to an apparatus, method and other techniques to determine a first frequency offset for a first band of communication based on one or more packets communicated by a first transceiver, determine a second frequency offset for a second band of communication based on the first frequency offset, and process one or more packets of information communicated on the second band of communication via a second transceiver based on the second frequency offset. |
| US09887864B1 |
Methods, devices and systems of heterogeneous time-reversal paradigm enabling direct connectivity in internet of things
A method of connecting heterogeneous devices to a network is provided. The method includes providing base stations connected to a network, and at each of the base stations, receiving probe signals from terminal devices working on different frequency bands. For each of the terminal devices, the base station calculates a signature waveform based on a time-reversed waveform of a channel response signal derived from the corresponding probe signal. For each of the terminal devices, the base station determines a downlink transmit signal for the terminal device based on the downlink data and the corresponding signature waveform, and transmits the downlink signals to the heterogeneous terminal devices using a single radio-frequency front-end. Besides supporting heterogeneous terminal devices simultaneously, the heterogeneous time-reversal system has features such as asymmetric complexity architecture, which is better for the low-complexity and energy-efficiency requirements of terminal devices in the Internet of Things. |
| US09887863B2 |
Transceiver group and associated router
A transceiver group includes a plurality of transceivers; wherein the transceiver group performs transmission and receiving through a wire, and each of the transceivers includes a transmitter and a receiver, and the transmitter includes: a carrier generator arranged to generate a plurality of carriers having different frequencies for a plurality of data streams to be transmitted; a modulator, coupled to the data streams to be transmitted and the carrier generator, to generate a plurality of modulated data streams carried on the plurality of carriers; and a summer arranged to merge the plurality of modulated data streams to an output signal to the wire; and the receiver includes: a carrier generator arranged to generate a plurality of carriers having different frequencies for an input signal received from the wire; and a demodulator, coupled to the input signal and the carrier generator, to generate a plurality of demodulated data streams. |
| US09887851B2 |
Distributed multicast by endpoints
A novel method of conducting multicast traffic in a network is provided. The network includes multiple endpoints that receive messages from the network and generate messages for the network. The endpoints are located in different segments of the network, each segment including one or more of the endpoints. For a source endpoint to replicate a particular message (e.g., a data packet) for all endpoints belonging to a particular replication group (i.e., multicast group) within the network, the source endpoint replicates the particular message to each endpoint within the source endpoint's own segment and to a proxy endpoint in each of the other segments. Each proxy endpoint in turn replicates the particular message to all endpoints belonging to the particular replication group within the proxy endpoint's own segment. |
| US09887849B2 |
Reduced wake up delay for on-die routers
Techniques for power gating. A first on-die router has an output port to receive data from a switching fabric. The output port is placed in a power-gated state if there is no activity in the output port for a current cycle and no messages are to be received by the output port during a subsequent cycle. A second on-die router has an input port coupled with the output port of the first on-die router. The input port is placed in a power-gated state if an input port buffer is empty and the output port is not active. Power-gating of the input port and the output port are independent of each other. |
| US09887846B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing method, information processing program and information processing system
An information processing apparatus according to the present application includes a first application allowed to access the IC chip, including an IC chip in which predetermined data is recorded, an IC chip reading unit that reads the data recorded in the IC chip, and a signature data generation unit that generates signature data by performing encryption processing on the recorded data read by the IC chip reading unit and a second application not allowed to access the IC chip, including a server access unit that requests acquisition of content from an information providing server by receiving the signature data and the recorded data from the first application and transmitting the signature data and the recorded data to the information providing server that provides predetermined content. |
| US09887845B2 |
Cryptographic watermarking of content in fuel dispensing environments
Systems and methods for watermarking content and authenticating watermarked content are provided. Content is rendered on a display while watermarking information embedded in portions of the content are obtained. The watermarking information is verified to authenticate the content. If the content is not authentic, or is not authenticated within a period of time, the content can be terminated or otherwise blocked from rendering on the display. |
| US09887844B2 |
Method for safeguarding a system-on-a-chip
A method for safeguarding a system-on-a-chip includes a hardware-programmable logic unit. In the course of a programming process, a public PUF key and a private PUF key are generated in the hardware-programmable logic unit with the aid of a physical unclonable function, and the public PUF key is signed with the aid of a second private key. The public PUF key and its signature are stored in an external memory of the system-on-a-chip, a security module is signed with the aid of a third private key, the security module and its signature are stored in the external memory of the system-on-a-chip, and the security module includes software which is used for safeguarding the system-on-a-chip. |
| US09887840B2 |
Scrambling bit transmissions
A bus communicates bits in parallel between a transmitter and receiver. A selected set of bits has its bits scrambled. Scrambling the bits includes assigning two or more bits of the selected set of bits to atypical lanes of the bus. By scrambling the bits, the order in which the bits of the selected set of bits are ready by a processer are obscured. The set of bits is transmitted to the receiver with one or more delays. The delays are on one or more of the lanes of the bus. The delays indicate the order of the bits. The receiver is configured to use the delays to identify the order of the bits and unscramble the set of bits. |
| US09887837B2 |
System and method for synchronized key derivation across multiple conditional access servers
Systems and methods for synchronized key derivation across multiple conditional access servers are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method for synchronized key derivation to provide playback devices with derived keys for decrypting content includes receiving a request for a first derived key that includes a first asset identifier than identifies a piece of content and a first playback position within the content, determining a first content key starting position and first derived key starting position within the content using the first playback position, where the key starting positions precede the first playback position, determining whether a first content key associated with the first asset identifier and first content key starting position is stored, retrieving the first content key using the first asset identifier and first content key starting position, generating a first derived key using the first content key and first derived key starting position, and sending the derived key. |
| US09887836B1 |
Unified management of cryptographic keys using virtual keys and referrals
A cryptography service allows for management of cryptographic keys in multiple environments. The service allows for specification of policies applicable to cryptographic keys, such as what cryptographic algorithms should be used in which contexts. In some contexts, the cryptography service, upon receiving a request for a key, provides a referral to another system to obtain the key. |
| US09887835B2 |
Symmetric stream cipher
A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for symmetric stream encryption are provided. An encryption chain is obtained from a real random number generator (RRNG) and stored in memory. A vector key is identified based on numbers obtained from a fast, large period pseudo-random number generator. A set of encryption keys are identified from the encryption chain using the vector key. Strings of clear text are encrypted using the encryption keys. |
| US09887831B2 |
Clock data recovery circuit, integrated circuit including the same, and clock data recovery method
A clock data recovery circuit may include: a phase comparison unit suitable for comparing input data with a phase of a multi-phase clock, and for generating an up/down signal corresponding to the comparison result; a filtering unit suitable for counting the up/down signal based on an upper threshold value and a lower threshold value, for setting, when an overflow occurs, the lower threshold value to an initial value for the count of the up/down signal, or when a underflow occurs, the upper threshold value to the initial value for the count of the up/down signal, and for generating a control code corresponding to one of the underflow and the overflow; and a phase rotating unit suitable for adjusting the phase of the multi-phase clock in response to the control code outputted from the filtering unit. |
| US09887829B2 |
Information processing method and apparatus
The present invention discloses an information processing method and apparatus, including: obtaining a local to-be-transmitted signal by using a local transmitter, and inserting first pilots and second pilots, where the first pilots are inserted from a first position of the local to-be-transmitted signal, the second pilots are inserted from a second position of the local to-be-transmitted signal; obtaining a local transmit signal; obtaining a peer transmit signal, where the peer transmit signal is sent after third pilots and fourth pilots are inserted, the third pilots are inserted from a third position of the peer transmit signal, the fourth pilots are inserted from a fourth position of the peer transmit signal, the first pilot is orthogonal to the fourth pilot, and the second pilot is orthogonal to the third pilot; and parsing the local transmit signal and the peer transmit signal by using the local receiver. |
| US09887828B2 |
Component carrier activation/deactivation in multi carrier systems
Methods and apparatus for addressing wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) behavior in response to configuration, configuration parameters and access issues related to the activation/deactivation process when the WTRU may be configured with multiple serving cells or carrier aggregation. |
| US09887827B2 |
Secondary cell activation/deactivation in carrier aggregation
In one embodiment, a method of operating a radio access node is provided. The method comprises determining whether support from a secondary cell is required for a wireless device to communicate with the radio access node, and, in response to determining that support from the secondary cell is required, calculating a modified channel condition outer-loop value for the secondary cell; and using the modified channel condition outer-loop value in an initial activation decision step for the secondary cell. The initial activation decision step may comprise activating the secondary cell in response to determining that the sum of a device reported channel condition value and the modified channel condition outer-loop value is above an activation threshold. Corresponding devices, computer programs and radio access nodes adapted to carry out the methods provided are also disclosed. |
| US09887824B2 |
Method and apparatus for reporting channel state information for supporting 256QAM in wireless access system
The present invention relates to a wireless access system, more particularly, to methods for transceiving channel state information (CSI) for supporting 256 quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) scheme and apparatuses for supporting the methods. A method by which a terminal capable of supporting 256 QAM in a wireless access system reports CSI, according to one embodiment of the present invention, comprises the steps of: receiving a higher-layer signal for configuring a first rank indicator (RI) reference process in the terminal; measuring a channel quality for one or more CSI processes associated with the first RI reference process configured in the terminal; selecting a channel quality indication (CQI) index by using only a first CQI table or a second CQI table for the one or more CSI processes; and reporting the CSI including the CQI index. Here, the first CQI table can support up to 64 QAM and the second CQI table can support up to 256 QAM, and only the same CQI table can be applied to the one or more CSI processes associated with the first RI reference process. |
| US09887822B2 |
System and method to address resource collision for asymmetric region allocation
Embodiments described herein relate generally to a communication between a user equipment (UE) and an evolved Node B (eNB). An eNB may allocated uplink and downlink regions associated with machine-type communication (MTC) to a UE. The allocation of uplink and downlink regions may be asymmetric. The eNB may identify parameters based on this asymmetric region allocation to avoid resource collision during communication of hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) acknowledgement (ACK) or negative acknowledgement (NACK) feedback between the eNB and the UE. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed. |
| US09887821B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving feedback trigger frames in wireless LAN systems
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system and, in particular, to a method and apparatus for transmitting/receiving a feedback trigger frame in a wireless LAN system. The method for transmitting a feedback trigger frame by means of a request station (STA) in a wireless communication system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of: transmitting the feedback trigger frame including an acknowledgement (ACK) indication field to a response STA; and receiving a feedback frame from the response STA, wherein the ACK indication field can be set as a value indicating a first type associated with ACK, a second type associated with block ACK (BA), a third type associated with no ACK, or a fourth type associated with an ACK other than those of the first, second, and third types. |
| US09887816B2 |
Transceiver reconfiguration mechanism
Embodiments of the invention include a method and apparatus for causing transmission of a signal providing at least one information related to a requirement for a reconfiguration period in which a reconfiguration procedure for reconfiguring a setting of a transceiver system is conducted, receiving and processing a signal which includes information related to a decision whether or not a reconfiguration period is scheduled, and executing a reconfiguration procedure for the transceiver system on the basis of a result of the processing of the received information. |
| US09887815B2 |
Phase sector based signal charge acquisition
A method and system for extracting values representative of modulation signal components from a modulated signal, the modulated signal containing a modulation signal, including developing a local clock signal which correlates in time to the modulated signal and includes a number of phase sectors per cycle and converting the modulated signal into a current that is representative of the signal and routing the current to the inverting input of an amplifier and charging one of a plurality of capacitive devices during each phase sector and sequentially connecting the capacitive devices between the output of the amplifier and the inverting input of the amplifier in non-overlapping sequences, the total of sequences being equal to one full cycle of the clock. |
| US09887813B2 |
Protocol data unit recovery
Information can transfer from a transmitter to a receiver; however, the transmission can consume valuable resources. Therefore, a number of times a transmission is attempted can be tracked and compared against a threshold value. If the transmission occurs too many times—based upon the comparison—then a reset can occur. Tracking can occur for a protocol data unit and/or a control protocol data unit to determine if a reset should occur. |
| US09887811B2 |
Framing scheme and method for digital communication overhead and latency reduction
A data communication framing scheme of a bit stream that is divided among a plurality of discrete physical frames, each physical frame is of a definite number of symbols in duration, each symbol is associated with at least one sub-carrier in a plurality of sub-carriers, the physical frame is partitioned in time into at least an uplink zone and a downlink zone, the data framing scheme comprising a logical frame having a logical frame start position that is offset by a rational number of said symbols from a reference symbol, said reference symbol is selected from said definite number of symbols, wherein said logical frame extends in time to coincide with at least part of the duration of said physical frame and at least part of the duration of another physical frame in said plurality of discrete physical frames. |
| US09887810B2 |
Terminal, base station, and communication method
A terminal includes a transmission unit which transmits HARQ response information to transmission of a downlink-shared channel in one or more predetermined subframes based on resources of one or more uplink control channels. When a certain subframe in the predetermined subframes is a first subframe, a resource of an uplink control channel is given by an arithmetic operation using at least an initial value of a control channel element for use in transmitting a physical downlink control channel in the certain subframe and a first value configured by a higher layer. When a certain subframe in the predetermined subframes is a second subframe, a resource of an uplink control channel is given by an arithmetic operation using at least an initial value of a control channel element for use in transmitting a physical downlink control channel in the certain subframe and a second value configured by a higher layer. |
| US09887809B2 |
Method for reporting a radio link control re-transmission failure and a device therefor
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and a device for reporting an RLC (Radio Link Control) re-transmission failure in the wireless communication system, the method comprising: communicating with both the first BS and the second BS, wherein the first BS has a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection with the UE; and reporting to the first BS, a Radio Link Control (RLC) retransmission error without RRC connection re-establishment for the first BS if the RLC retransmission error occurs in an RLC entity transmitting RLC PDU (Protocol Data Unit) to the second BS. |
| US09887803B2 |
Error correction coding scheme on a frequency band comprising sub-bands
Improved adaptation to a frequency band comprising sub-bands is provided by receiving a coding rate of an error correction coding scheme for encoding modulation symbols to be transmitted on sub-bands of a frequency band in radio communications, determining relative radio channel qualities of the sub-bands of the frequency band, and allocating transmission power between the sub-bands at least on the basis of the relative radio channel qualities of the sub-bands and the received coding rate. |
| US09887802B2 |
Method and apparatus for controlling transmission rate of physical layer
Method and apparatus for controlling a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) transmission rate of a physical layer in a first terminal are provided. The method includes: obtaining a media access control protocol data unit (MPDU) retransmission frequency of the first terminal in a first period, where the first terminal is a station or an access point in a wireless network; if the MPDU retransmission frequency is less than a frequency threshold, promoting the PPDU transmission rate in a second period; and else, suppressing the PPDU transmission rate in the second period, where the second period is following and adjacent to the first period along a time axis. The PPDU transmission rate may be adjusted adaptively according to a channel's practical transmission state, the physical layer rate may be prevented from decreasing continuously in noisy channel environment, and a throughput rate may be improved in real time. |
| US09887801B2 |
Resource allocation for repetitions of transmissions in a communication system
Methods and apparatus are provided to define sub-bands within a downlink (DL) system bandwidth or within an uplink (UL) system bandwidth, to configure sub-bands for DL signaling or for UL signaling, and to transmit or receive DL signaling or UL signaling with repetitions in the configured sub-bands. |
| US09887800B2 |
Integration of cellular phone detection and reporting into a prison telephone system
The present subject matter is directed to an apparatus and methodology for monitoring for the occurrence of use of unauthorized telecommunications equipment within a designated area. The present subject matter has particular utility to the corrections environment in that it discloses a methodology for detecting and reporting the unauthorized operation of cellular telephones within a corrections facility. The present technology may be used advantageously in combination with inmate telephone systems to transmit information to appropriate personnel in the form of email messages and/or voice communications by way of telephone local or corrections facility external telephone lines. The present technology also provides for recordation and storage of time, date and location information for detected events. |
| US09887798B2 |
Transmission apparatus, reception apparatus and modulation method
There is provided a transmission apparatus configured to transmit an optical signal by using a plurality of subcarriers, the transmission apparatus includes: a plurality of modulators, a modulator of the plurality of modulators configured to be capable of changing a modulation format corresponding to a subcarrier of the plurality of subcarriers; a controller configured to control the modulation format for the modulator so as to use a first modulation format and a second modulation format for two or more subcarriers among the plurality of subcarriers and include subcarriers that are different in at least one of a first timing and a second timing of the first modulation format; and a multiplexer configured to multiplex signals modulated by the plurality of modulators. |
| US09887796B2 |
Method for configuring a node, device and system
The present disclosure discloses a method for configuring a node, device and system. The method includes that: a sending node encapsulates configuration information in a wavelength label information frame, wherein the configuration information is configured to configure a downstream node; and the sending node loads the wavelength label information frame to an optical signal, and sends the wavelength label information frame and the optical signal. |
| US09887795B2 |
System and method for performing high-speed communications over fiber optical networks
Processing a received optical signal in an optical communication network includes equalizing a received optical signal to provide an equalized signal, demodulating the equalized signal according to an m-ary modulation format to provide a demodulated signal, decoding the demodulated signal according to an inner code to provide an inner-decoded signal, and decoding the inner-decoded signal according to an outer code. Other aspects include other features such as equalizing an optical channel including storing channel characteristics for the optical channel associated with a client, loading the stored channel characteristics during a waiting period between bursts on the channel, and equalizing a received burst from the client using the loaded channel characteristics. |
| US09887793B2 |
Method, apparatus, and computer program product for selecting weather stations
A method is provided herein for selecting a combination of a subset of weather stations from among a plurality of weather stations for estimating the weather at a specific location. The method may include: receiving an indication of a plurality of weather stations within a predefined area, where the predefined area includes a first location; determining, for each of the plurality of weather stations, a distance of the weather station from the first location; calculating, for a plurality of different combinations of subsets of the plurality of weather stations, an average distance of the weather stations of each of the plurality of different combinations from the first location; calculating, for each of the different combinations of subsets, an average location relative to the first location; and selecting a combination of a subset of the plurality of weather stations based on the average distance and the average location. |
| US09887784B1 |
Compensation of a frequency disturbance in a digital phase lock loop
A user equipment (UE) to compensating for the frequency disturbance. The apparatus may include baseband circuitry and radio frequency (RF) circuitry. The baseband circuitry may detect a request for connectivity circuitry to perform an operation that generates a signal creating a frequency disturbance at the RF circuitry and send operation information indicating a type of the operation to radio frequency (RF) circuitry. The RF circuitry may include a processor and a phase lock loop (PLL) subsystem. The processor may receive the operation information; determine timing information correlating to the operation information; and send the timing information to a phase lock loop (PLL) subsystem indicating the type of the operation and a time of the operation. The PLL subsystem may generate an inverse signal to compensate for the frequency disturbance. |
| US09887779B2 |
Methods and systems for reducing noise in optoelectronic oscillators
Optoelectronic oscillator systems and an optoelectronic oscillator noise reduction method. One example of an optoelectronic oscillator system includes an optical source positioned at a first end of a fiber-optic path, the optical source being configured to transmit an optical signal along the fiber-optic path, an optical modulator positioned to receive and modulate the optical signal based on at least a reference signal, a retro-reflector positioned at a second end of the fiber-optic path, the retro-reflector being configured to receive and retro-reflect the optical signal, the retro-reflected optical signal having at least a frequency range of inherent fiber noise canceled, and an optical circulator positioned along the fiber-optic path between the optical modulator and the retro-reflector, the optical circulator being configured to direct the optical signal to the retro-reflector and direct the retro-reflected optical signal along a feedback path to a first photodetector to generate the reference signal. |
| US09887777B2 |
Affinity modeling in a data center network
Systems and methods of affinity modeling in data center networks that allow bandwidth to be efficiently allocated with the data center networks, while reducing the physical interconnectivity requirements of the data center networks. Such systems and methods of affinity modeling in data center networks further allow computing resources within the data center networks to be controlled and provisioned based at least in part on the network topology and an application component topology, thereby enhancing overall application program performance. |
| US09887775B2 |
Synchronized infrared beacon / infrared detection system
A synchronized infrared beacon/infrared detector system. The system may include (A) an infrared beacon module configured to generate a time-varying encoded infrared signal, (B) an infrared detector module configured to capture the encoded infrared signal generated by the beacon module, (C) a synchronizer configured to generate a synchronization signal that controls timing of the beacon module and the detector module, and (D) a processor, in communication with the detector module, configured to analyze the infrared signal captured by the detector module. The infrared signal may be modulated at frequencies undetectable by human vision. The synchronizer signal may be produced independent of the capture of, and without input from, the infrared signal. |
| US09887774B2 |
Device and method for monitoring transmission characteristics
A transmission characteristics monitoring device monitors transmission characteristics of an optical transmission path between nodes. The device detects an average power of the frequency modulated optical signal and a slope of the transmission characteristics; generates a slope function that represents a slope of the transmission characteristics between first and second frequencies; generates a corrected power value by adding an integral of the slope function to a first power measurement value detected at the first frequency; calculates the transmission characteristics at the second frequency based on a second power measurement value detected at the second frequency when the difference between the second power measurement value and the corrected power value is smaller than a specified threshold; and calculates the transmission characteristics at the second frequency based on the corrected power value when the difference is greater than the specified threshold. |
| US09887772B2 |
Transmission device, transmission network system, and path delay measuring method
A transmission device includes: a code generator configured to generate delay measurement information; an insertion unit configured to sequentially insert the delay measurement information generated by the code generator, in each of delay measurement signals in a plurality of frames, and to sequentially transmit the plurality of frames sequentially inserted with the delay measurement information to a counterpart device on a transmission path whose path delay time is to be measured; and a detector configured to receive a plurality of frames transmitted from the counterpart device and to detect the delay measurement information included in each of delay measurement signals in the plurality of received frames. |
| US09887768B1 |
Tactical spectrum harvesting
The present invention is a method for tactical spectrum harvesting via a cognitive communication device. The method may include monitoring a wireless communication frequency spectrum. The method may further include detecting active net communication transmissions. The active net communication transmissions may be transmitted via the monitored communication frequency spectrum by a plurality of active transmitting nets. The method may further include determining an identity of/identifying at least one active transmitting net included in the plurality of active transmitting nets. The method may further include synchronizing an internal time reference of the cognitive communication device with a time reference(s) of the identified active transmitting net(s). The method may further include determining an estimated future spectral occupancy for the identified active transmitting net(s) based on time data for the active net communication transmissions, cryptographic key data for the active transmitting nets, and algorithm data for the active transmitting nets. |
| US09887767B2 |
Hot-swappable hardware for wireless microwave links
Methods and systems are provided for hot-swappable hardware for communication links (e.g., wireless microwave links). A communication assembly that comprises processing circuitry may be configured to allow replacing a circuitry element during active operation of the communication assembly. The replacing may comprise configuring the communication assembly to communicate signals based on a first configuration, using the circuitry element being replaced; receiving addition of a replacement circuitry element; configuring the communication assembly to communicate signals based on a second configuration, using the replacement circuitry element; and after the communication assembly is fully configured to communicate signals based on the second configuration, removing the circuitry element being replaced. |
| US09887766B2 |
Layer-2 extension services
Methods, apparatuses, and systems for providing layer-2 extension services through a non-routed ground segment network, are described. The method includes providing a Layer-2 (L2) interface between a node of the non-routed ground segment network and a service provider, assigning a virtual tagging tuple to the service provider and receiving service provider traffic at a node of the non-routed ground segment network. The method further includes tagging the service provider traffic with the virtual tagging tuple, and switching the tagged service provider traffic through the non-routed ground segment network according to the virtual tagging tuple. |
| US09887765B1 |
Satellite processor operating system
A request from a client to generate a beam plan for a satellite may be received. In response to receiving a request from the client to generate the beam plan for the satellite, a beam plan for the satellite that satisfies the request may be obtained. The beam plan may be provided to a protection module. The beam plan may be determined to satisfy the protection module. In response to determining that the beam plan satisfies the protection module, the beam plan may be transmitted to the satellite. |
| US09887760B1 |
Amplitude and phase calibration at a receiver chip in an antenna array
A calibration system, in a receiver chip, receives a plurality of receive signals at a plurality of receive paths. A first receive path and a second receive path is selected for a first receive signal and a second receive signal, respectively. A first signal parameter of the second receive signal is adjusted relative to the first signal parameter of the first receive signal to maximize a first signal strength value of an added signal or minimize a second signal strength value of a subtracted signal. Based on the adjusted first signal parameter, an offset of the first signal parameter is calibrated. Further, based on a matching of the second signal parameter in the second receive path relative to the second signal parameter in the first receive path, value of the second signal parameter is calibrated. |
| US09887759B2 |
System and method for receiving and processing array antenna signals
A system for receiving signals from an array antenna that includes a first number of antenna elements, including an orthogonal signals generator module configured to generate the first number of orthogonal signals. Plurality of multipliers configured to receive array antenna element analog signals and the first number of orthogonal signals and generate a corresponding multiplied analog signal, giving rise to a first number of multiplied analog signals. A second number of summation modules configured to receive the first number of multiplied analog signals from the multipliers and generate a second number of summed analog signals. A second number of analog to digital converters configured to receive the summed analog signals and generate the second number of summed digital signals. The summed digital signals are capable of being fed to a digital processor for generating a processed signal of the array antenna, wherein the second number falls in the range of 1 to less than the first number. |
| US09887757B2 |
Method and apparatus for efficient channel state information dissemination for MU-MIMO transmission schemes based on outdated channel state information
A method and apparatus is disclosed herein for channel state information dissemination for multi-user (MU) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) (MU-MIMO) transmission schemes based on outdated channel state information. In one embodiment, a method for disseminating channel state information (CSI) coefficients from a first user terminal, where each CSI coefficient corresponds to the CSI previously observed by the first user terminal during transmission resource blocks used by a base station to communicate information to a second set comprising at least one user terminal and not including the first user terminal, comprises: broadcasting by the base station the channel state information (CSI) of each user terminal in the second set of user terminals, on the subset of transmission resources used by the base station to communicate information to each user terminal in the second set; receiving observations of these transmissions by the first user terminal; performing, at first user terminal, eavesdropper channel selection of a subset of CSI coefficients between the base station and the eavesdropping first-user terminal for uplink CSI feedback, the subset chosen out of the set of CSI coefficients between base station and the first user-terminal on the transmission resources used by the base station to communicate information to each user terminal in the second set; scheduling the subset of the selected CSI coefficients for uplink transmission; and transmitting the subset of the selected CSI coefficients via the uplink transmission. |
| US09887756B2 |
Apparatus, system and method of beamforming
Some demonstrative embodiments include apparatuses, devices, systems and methods of beamforming. For example, a first station may be configured to transmit to a second station a plurality of sector sweep (SSW) frames of a first beamforming transmission of a beamforming procedure, a SSW frame of the first beamforming transmission including a duration value to indicate a time until at least a beginning of a second beamforming transmission subsequent to the first beamforming transmission; and to receive from the second station one or more SSW frames of the second beamforming transmission. |
| US09887751B2 |
Channel quality indication compensation for kronecker precoding
A communications system has a cellular structure and the communications system includes a base station that is located within a cell of the cellular structure and employs a Kronecker product of azimuth and elevation precoding vectors for beamforming. Additionally, the communications system includes user equipment that is located within the cell and coupled to the base station to receive a reference channel state information process employing a reference precoding vector for use in a non-reference channel state information process to derive a compensated channel quality indication. A method of operating a communications system is also included. |
| US09887748B2 |
Interference suppression method and apparatus
Embodiments of the present invention provide an interference suppression method and apparatus. The method includes: determining a precoding matrix according to a channel fading matrix, where the channel fading matrix is an N×M matrix, M is a quantity of antennas of a transmit end candidate device, N is a quantity of antennas of a receive end device, and each element in the channel fading matrix represents channel fading that occurs when each antenna of the transmit end candidate device transmits a signal to each antenna of the receive end device; acquiring a receiving base vector according to the precoding matrix, signal power of the transmit end candidate device, and a channel fading matrix from a signal to the receive end device; and determining receiving subspace according to the receiving base vector and receiving, in the receiving subspace, a signal sent by a transmit end selected device. |
| US09887739B2 |
Systems and methods for wireless power transmission by comparing voltage levels associated with power waves transmitted by antennas of a plurality of antennas of a transmitter to determine appropriate phase adjustments for the power waves
The embodiments described herein include a transmitter that transmits a power transmission signal (e.g., radio frequency (RF) signal waves) to create a three-dimensional pocket of energy. At least one receiver can be connected to or integrated into electronic devices and receive power from the pocket of energy. The transmitter can locate the at least one receiver in a three-dimensional space using a communication medium (e.g., Bluetooth technology). The transmitter generates a waveform to create a pocket of energy around each of the at least one receiver. The transmitter uses an algorithm to direct, focus, and control the waveform in three dimensions. The receiver can convert the transmission signals (e.g., RF signals) into electricity for powering an electronic device. Accordingly, the embodiments for wireless power transmission can allow powering and charging a plurality of electrical devices without wires. |
| US09887738B2 |
Electrical system adapted to transfer data and power between devices on a network
This invention relates to an electrical system which enables peripheral devices to communicate exclusively of other AC and power transceivers which provide to the electrical system and receive from the electrical system power and signals. The invention is an electrical system that comprises network channels (1000, 2000) connected by circuits (100, 200). Peripheral devices plugged into the network channels communicate with each other. AC and power transceivers connected to the circuits communicate with each other and distribute power through the network channels. |
| US09887737B2 |
Radio frequency signal fault signature isolation in cable network environments
An example method for radio frequency (RF) signal fault signature isolation in cable network environments is provided and includes searching in phase domain for an echo in a channel response characterizing a channel in a cable network, the channel facilitating communication of a multi-tone signal in the cable network; identifying a phase in which the echo is found; calculating a tap amplitude corresponding to the identified phase, the calculated tap amplitude being indicative of group delay in the channel; correcting for the group delay in the multi-tone signal, for example, by subtracting the calculated tap amplitude from the multi-tone signal; and identifying a fault signature when amplitude of the corrected signal is greater than a threshold and the identified fault signature triggers operational maintenance of the cable network. |
| US09887735B2 |
Method and arrangement for signal transmission and compensation of back reflections in optical access PON systems
In a network terminal (ONU) of an optical network near end crosstalk (NEC) is compensated by a digital generated cancellation signal. To establish a connection with another terminal (OLT) signals avoiding NEC are transmitted and the compensation is performed while the power of the transmitted signal is increased in steps. |
| US09887734B2 |
Outbound interference reduction in a broadband powerline system
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for reducing outbound interference in a broadband powerline communication system. Data is modulated on first and second carrier frequencies and is transmitted via respective first and second lines of the powerline system. A characteristic of at least one of the carrier signals (e.g., phase or amplitude) is adjusted in order to improve the electrical balance of the lines of the transmission system. This improvement in electrical balance reduces the radiated interference of the powerline system. Also disclosed is the use of a line balancing element on or more lines of the powerline system for altering the characteristics of at least one of the power lines in order to compensate for a known imbalance of the transmission system. |
| US09887730B2 |
Timing estimation in communication systems
Apparatus and methods for symbol timing synchronization in a direct-sequence spread-spectrum receiver may use non-coherent integration, thresholding, peak selection, and curve fitting to determine appropriate timing instants at which to select despread samples for further processing, such as demodulation and decoding. The curve fitting may be used to search backwards and/or forwards in time to obtain the timing instants. |
| US09887727B1 |
Transmit-and-receive module and communication device
A transmit-and-receive module includes a duplexer, a power amplifier, and a low-noise amplifier. The duplexer includes a transmit filter and a receive filter. The power amplifier and the low-noise amplifier are integrated with each other. In a Smith chart, impedance in a receive band of the receive filter seen from a receive terminal intersects a line connecting a center point of noise figure circles and a center point of gain circles. The center point of the noise figure circles represents the impedance at which the noise figure of the low-noise amplifier is minimized. The center point of the gain circles represents the impedance at which the gain of the low-noise amplifier is maximized. |
| US09887726B1 |
Magnetic utility case
A magnetic utility case for a cell phone has an exterior case, a magnet, a housing, a plate, an insert, and an interior case. The exterior case has a lock assembly at an interior face. The lock assembly has a containing wall inner side. The containing wall inner side has a canal. The lock assembly has an interior edge, a containing wall interior face, and at least one post. The housing has a locking face, an outer sidewall having a ridge, at least one hole extending from the locking face to an inner face, and a lip defined at the locking face. The canal receives the ridge and the at least one hole receives a respective at least post when the housing is placed onto the lock assembly. The housing is positioned in between the interior case and the exterior case when the housing is placed onto the lock assembly. |
| US09887723B2 |
Communications device mounting assembly
A communications device mounting assembly (40). The assembly (40) includes a first mounting part (42), a second mounting part (44) and a pivotable connection (46, 48). The first mounting part (42) is adapted for magnetic engagement with a magnetically attractable part (162) affixed to, or forming part of, a communications device (160). The second mounting part (44) is adapted for magnetic engagement with a surface or component (60) affixed to, or forming part of, the surface or component (60). The pivotable connection (46, 48) between the first mounting part (42) and the second mounting part (44) is adapted to allow the first mounting part (42) to be angularly moveable relative to the second mounting part (44). The strength of magnetic engagement between the first mounting part (42) and the magnetically attractable part (162) is less than the strength of magnetic engagement between the second mounting part (44) and the surface or component (60), such that during the application of a sufficiently large separating force between the magnetically attractable part (162) and the surface or component (60), the magnetic engagement between the first mounting part (42) and the magnetically attractable part (162) will release preferentially ahead of the engagement between the second mounting part (44) and the surface or component (60). |
| US09887722B2 |
Electronic device
An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a foldable housing configured to be folded in a first direction or a second direction opposite to the first direction about a connection part, wherein the foldable housing includes a first housing part including a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, a second housing part including a first surface facing the first surface of the first housing part in a state folded in the first direction and a second surface facing the second surface of the first housing part in a state folded in the second direction, and a flexible connection part that connects at least a portion of one side of the first housing part and at least a portion of one side of the second housing part; a first display configured at the first surface of the first housing part; and a second display configured at the first surface of the second housing part, wherein the connection part includes at least one polymer layer in which the first surface of the first housing part and the first surface of the second housing part are formed to maintain at least one angle of a selected range in a state in which an external force to the foldable housing is not applied. |
| US09887718B2 |
Radio-frequency module and communication device
A radio-frequency module includes a multilayer substrate, an input switch, an output switch, and filters. A switch IC is disposed on a main surface of the multilayer substrate. The input switch is disposed in the switch IC and includes a first input terminal and first output terminals. The output switch is disposed in the switch IC and includes second input terminals and a second output terminal. The filters are disposed outside the switch IC and are connected to the first output terminals and the second input terminals. In a plan view of the multilayer substrate, the first input terminal and the first output terminals are disposed close to a first side of an exterior of the switch IC, and the second input terminals and the second output terminal are disposed close to a second side different from the first side of the exterior of the switch IC. |
| US09887717B2 |
Methods and systems for processing received signals for a wireless network receiver
There is provided systems and methods for mitigating foreign interference by complementing a receiver of a wireless network, comprising: using antennas for reception of desired signals and interference signals; determining the presence of an interference signal originating from at least one foreign transmitting source in the received signals, and for determining a termination of the interference signal; determining the presence of a desired signal originating from the wireless communication network in the received signals; calculating a suitable combination of the received signals, wherein the effect induced by the interference signal is reduced and the impact of an interference cancellation on the desired signals is reduced; and providing the suitable combination to a receiver of a wireless communication network; wherein the method is performed complementary to the receiver of the wireless network and the antennas. |
| US09887714B2 |
Remote radio head and associated method
It is provided a remote radio head configured to provide a radio interface for a network node. The remote radio head comprising an antenna, an analog interface for connecting with the network node, radio frequency (RF) circuitry configured to convert between intermediate frequency signals of the analog interface and RF signals of the antenna, digital circuitry configured to process transmission and/or reception signals, a first analog to digital converter (ADC) connected to the digital circuitry, and a first digital to analog converter (DAC) connected to the digital circuitry. The first ADC, the digital circuitry, and the first DAC are connected between the antenna and the analog interface for receiving or transmitting radio signals. A corresponding method is also presented. |
| US09887713B2 |
Filter of repeater for mobile communication system
Provided is an intermediate frequency (IF) filter of a repeater for a mobile communication system that enables the use of a normal cyclic prefix (CP) of 4.7 usec as much as possible by minimizing a delay caused by the IF filter of a radio frequency (RF) repeater for the mobile communication system, such as a long-term evolution (LTE) orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) system. |
| US09887712B2 |
Wideband front-end device and RF signal filtering method thereof
A wideband front-end device comprises a wideband amplifying module and a plurality of narrow band filters. The wideband amplifying module comprises an input end, a plurality connecting ends and at least one receiving end. A wideband transmitting RF signal can be transmitted to one of the connecting ends from the input end according to the frequency band thereof. Thus, the wideband transmitting RF signal can be divided into several narrow band signals with different frequency bands. Each narrow band signal with different frequency bands is transmitted to different connecting ends and narrow band filters respectively. Therefore, each narrow band filter can be used to filter wideband transmitting RF signal or narrow band signals with different frequency bands respectively to reduce production costs of the wideband front-end device. |
| US09887711B2 |
Energy self-sufficient radiofrequency transmitter
The energy self-sufficient radiofrequency transmitter has at least one electromechanical transducer with a rectifier circuit connected downstream and with a voltage converter circuit. A logic circuit configuration is connected to the voltage converter circuit. The logic circuit configuration has a sequence controller a memory in which an identification code is stored. The energy self-sufficient radiofrequency transmitter also has a radiofrequency transmission stage that is connected to the logic circuit configuration and a transmission antenna. |
| US09887708B2 |
Antenna switching circuitry of a mesh network device
Network hardware devices organized in a Wireless mesh network (WMN) in which the network hardware devices cooperate in distribution of content files to client consumption devices in an environment of limited connectivity to broadband Internet infrastructure are described. One mesh network device includes a micro controller, RF radios, and antenna switching circuitry. The antenna switching circuitry, in response to the control signals from a micro controller, selectively couples individual ones of a first set of antennas to individual channels of the set of RF radios to communicate content data with client consumption devices and selectively couples individual ones of a second set of antennas to other individual channels of the set of RF radios to communicate content data with other mesh network devices in a WMN. |
| US09887700B2 |
Phase-mode based superconducting logic
A device including Josephson junctions, and a terminal for receiving a sinusoidal clock signal for providing power to the Josephson junctions, is provided. The device further includes a terminal for receiving an input signal, a clock terminal for receiving a return-to-zero clock signal, and at least one latch. The device also includes at least one logic gate including at least a subset of the Josephson junctions, for processing the input signal and the return-to-zero clock signal to generate a first signal for the at least one latch. Additionally, the device includes at least one phase-mode logic inverter for processing the return-to-zero clock signal to generate a second signal for the at least one latch. The device also includes an output terminal for providing an output of the at least one latch by processing the first signal and the second signal. |
| US09887698B2 |
Internal clock gated cell
A circuit is disclosed that includes a latch and a logic circuit. The latch includes is configured to generate a gating control signal in response to a latch enable signal and an input clock signal. The latch includes a pair of logic gates each configured to perform multi-level compound logic function. The logic circuit is configured to receive the gating control signal and the input clock signal, and generate an output clock signal in response to the gating control signal and the input clock signal. |
| US09887695B2 |
Circuit and method for controlling charge injection in radio frequency switches
A circuit and method for controlling charge injection in a circuit are disclosed. In one embodiment, the circuit and method are employed in a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) Radio Frequency (RF) switch. In one embodiment, an SOI RF switch comprises a plurality of switching transistors coupled in series, referred to as “stacked” transistors, and implemented as a monolithic integrated circuit on an SOI substrate. Charge injection control elements are coupled to receive injected charge from resistively-isolated nodes located between the switching transistors, and to convey the injected charge to at least one node that is not resistively-isolated. In one embodiment, the charge injection control elements comprise resistors. In another embodiment, the charge injection control elements comprise transistors. A method for controlling charge injection in a switch circuit is disclosed whereby injected charge is generated at resistively-isolated nodes between series coupled switching transistors, and the injected charge is conveyed to at least one node of the switch circuit that is not resistively-isolated. |
| US09887690B2 |
Inductive isolation of voltage sources of an inductive voltage adder by individual coupled coils
A transformer including a coaxial transmission line and a series circuit of discrete stages of voltage sources arranged along a main axis of wave propagation. Electromagnetic waves are propagated along the coaxial transmission line in each stage and are coupled in the coaxial transmission line by pulse currents. Each stage has a coupling-in inductance formed by discrete inductances that generate the pulse currents. The discrete inductances are magnetically coupled to each other such that magnetic fluxes of the discrete inductances are superimposed on one another and added to one another along a circular line that is rotationally symmetrical to the main axis of wave propagation. |
| US09887686B2 |
Acoustic wave device, transceiver device, and mobile communication device
An acoustic wave device includes: an acoustic wave chip including an acoustic wave element formed therein; a multilayered substrate including the acoustic wave chip mounted on an upper surface thereof; a first ground terminal formed on a lower surface of the multilayered substrate and electrically coupled to a ground electrode of the acoustic wave chip; a second ground terminal formed on the lower surface; a signal terminal formed on the lower surface and electrically coupled to a signal electrode of the acoustic wave chip; and a shield layer formed at least on the upper surface, on the lower surface, or between the lower surface and the upper surface of the multilayered substrate so as to overlap with at least a part of the acoustic wave chip, not electrically coupled to the first ground terminal in the multilayered substrate, and electrically coupled to the second ground terminal. |
| US09887684B2 |
Isolator
An isolator includes a core isolator, a main substrate and a circuit-defining section. The main substrate includes a first wiring portion, a second wiring portion and a third wiring portion and has the core isolator and the circuit-defining section mounted thereon. An input port of the core isolator is connected to the first wiring portion. An output port of the core isolator is connected to the second wiring portion. A ground port of the core isolator is connected to the third wiring portion. In the circuit-defining section, a conductor pattern includes a capacitor that is connected in parallel with the core isolator via the first wiring portion and the second wiring portion, and an impedance element that is connected to at least either of the first wiring portion and the second wiring portion. |
| US09887683B2 |
Balance-unbalance converter
A balance-unbalance converter includes a low pass filter including a first inductor and a first capacitor and a high pass filter including a second inductor and a second capacitor. A via continuous portion of the first inductor penetrates a helix of a helical portion of the second inductor, and a via continuous portion of the second inductor penetrates a helix of a helical portion of the first inductor. |
| US09887676B2 |
High frequency semiconductor amplifier
A high frequency semiconductor amplifier includes a package base part, and a monolithic microwave integrated circuit. The package base part includes a metal plate provided with an attachment hole, a frame body bonded to the metal plate and provided with an opening, a first lead part, and a second lead part. The monolithic microwave integrated circuit is provided with a first amplification element and a second amplification element. An output electrode of the second amplification element is connected to the second lead part via an output combiner. Each finger electrode of the second amplification element is generally orthogonal to the first line. Each finger electrode of the first amplification element is generally parallel to the first line. The attachment hole of the metal plate is provided in a region lying along a second line generally orthogonal to the first line and protruding outside the frame body. |
| US09887674B2 |
Multi-stage amplifier with improved operating efficiency
A multi-stage amplifier, comprising a first amplifier stage is presented. The output of the first amplifier stage is coupled to a first terminal of a capacitor having a controllable capacitance. The input of a second amplifier stage is coupled to the output of the first amplifier stage and the first terminal of the capacitor. The output of the second amplifier stage is coupled to a second terminal of the capacitor and an output of the multi-stage amplifier. The input of a current sensing circuit is coupled with the output of the multi-stage amplifier. A control signal generator is coupled between the output of the current sensing circuit and a control terminal of the capacitor. The control signal generator provides a control signal to the capacitor in order to control or vary the capacitance of the capacitor. |
| US09887672B1 |
Distortion compensation method for class-D audio amplifier
A distortion compensation method for a class-D audio amplifier has the steps of connecting a compensation circuit to the class-D audio amplifier; providing a feed-forward signal from the compensation circuit to the loop filter, wherein the feed-forward signal contains replicate high-frequency components replicated from original high-frequency components of the class-D audio amplifier; and adding the feed-forward signal to those of the class-D audio amplifier. By adding the feed-forward signal, PWM-intermodulated distortion resulted from the high-frequency components is reduced. The class-D audio amplifier still maintains loop stability without affecting its phase margin. |
| US09887668B2 |
Power amplifier modules with power amplifier and transmission line and related systems, devices, and methods
One aspect of this disclosure is a power amplifier module that includes a power amplifier configured to amplify a radio frequency (RF) signal and an RF transmission line electrically coupled to an output of the power amplifier. The power amplifier includes a heterojunction bipolar transistor and a p-type field effect transistor, in which a semiconductor portion of the p-type field effect transistor corresponds to a channel includes the same type of semiconductor material as a collector layer of the heterojunction bipolar transistor. The RF transmission line includes a nickel layer with a thickness that is less than 0.5 um, a conductive layer under the nickel layer, a palladium layer over the nickel layer, and a gold layer over the palladium layer. Other embodiments of the module are provided along with related methods and components thereof. |
| US09887667B2 |
Clock generation circuitry
There is disclosed herein clock generation circuitry, in particular rotary travelling wave oscillator circuitry. Such circuitry comprises a pair of signal lines connected together to form a closed loop and arranged such that they define at least one transition section where both said lines in a first portion of the pair cross from one lateral side of both said lines in a second portion of the pair to the other lateral side of both said lines in the second portion of the pair. |
| US09887666B2 |
Junction box for solar cell
The present invention discloses a junction box for a solar cell. The junction box includes a box body, wherein the box body is provided with a plurality of conducting pieces for connecting solar cell pieces; two adjacent conducting pieces are connected by a diode; the conducting pieces at both ends are connected to the outside parts via a guide line respectively; and the forward dissipation power of the diode in the middle is less than that of the diodes at both sides. According to the invention, the diode with lower forward dissipation power is employed in parts where the temperature rise is easily produced to reduce the temperature rise; while the diode with higher forward dissipation power is employed in parts where the temperature rise is not easily produced to control cost. |
| US09887664B2 |
Solar panel module with increased volume of solar production
A solar panel module that provides increased efficiency solar production within a volume of a two-dimensional space's square footage. The module may include at least two solar panels within the same volume of space. A light guide directs ambient light onto at least a second of the two solar panels. Embodiments may include two or more solar panels lying parallel to one another so that light is guided to photocells of at least one obstructed panel. Other embodiments may include polygonal arrangements so that a plurality of solar panels have light guided to them within the same frame's volume. |
| US09887663B2 |
Vehicle and electric motor control method for vehicle
A vehicle includes an electric motor to move the vehicle. A motor driver is configured to convert direct-current power supplied from a voltage converter to an alternating-current power and to convert the alternating-current power supplied from the electric motor to direct-current power. Circuitry is configured to drive the electric motor with a first current value to generate a drive force to consume excess electric power. The first current value is different from a minimum current value to generate the same drive force. The circuitry is configured to drive the electric motor with a second current value smaller than the first current value to decrease the electric power consumption of the electric motor when a temperature of the electric motor exceeds a first threshold temperature or a temperature of the motor driver exceeds a second threshold temperature. |
| US09887662B2 |
Motor control device
A device including: a command-generator outputting a drive command signal to a drive unit; a detector outputting a position-detection signal of the drive unit; a drive-current detector outputting a drive-current detection value; a controller receiving the drive command and position-detection signals to generate a drive-force command signal, and supplying the drive current according to the drive-force command signal and the drive-current detection value; a friction-characteristics-estimator receiving a drive force signal and the position-detection signal to output a friction-characteristics estimate value; a temperature-information acquirer outputting a temperature information value; a friction modeling unit having a set reference friction model having temperature-dependent characteristics, and outputting reference friction characteristics based on the temperature information value; and a friction-variation analyzer outputting a friction variation value based on variation of the friction-characteristics estimate value from the reference friction characteristics. |
| US09887657B2 |
Method of operating a switched reluctance machine
A controller for a switched reluctance machine is operated to close a switch which would otherwise be open so as to connect a phase winding to the DC link to which the winding is connected during other parts of the electrical cycle. This produces a condition which allows the insulation of the system to be monitored by applying a voltage between the DC link and ground. |
| US09887654B2 |
Apparatus employing coil inductance determination and method for operating the apparatus
The invention relates to an apparatus having an electric motor with a stator, an armature, especially a rotor, and at least one coil, wherein the apparatus further comprises detection means configured to determine the inductance L of the coil by measuring at least one electrical quantity related to the coil during operation of the motor. The invention further relates to a method for operating such an apparatus, wherein the detection means of the apparatus determine the inductance L of the coil and/or the position of the armature as a function of the inductance L of the coil by measuring at least one electrical quantity related to the coil during operation of the motor. |
| US09887653B2 |
Sensorless brushless direct current (BLDC) motor position control
Described embodiments provide circuits, systems and methods for controlling operation of brushless direct current motors that include a plurality of windings. A gate driver provides control signals to switching elements that control a voltage applied to each of the windings of the motor. A zero crossing detector detects zero crossings of a voltage applied to the windings and transitions a zero crossing signal between a first logic level and a second logic level based on the detected zero crossings. A position estimator estimates an angular position of the motor, and counts in a first direction based on the first logic level of the zero crossing signal, and in a second direction based on the second logic level of the zero crossing signal. An observer determines a value of the counter after an elapsed time, and generates an angular position signal based upon the value of the counter. |
| US09887652B2 |
Controlling lead angle using a single motor integrated circuit pin
A system, in some embodiments, comprises: an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to receive a discrete analog voltage and to generate a digital bit value representing said analog voltage; control logic, coupled to the ADC, configured to identify a target intercept and a target slope for a lead angle curve based on the digital bit value; and a motor, coupled to the control logic, configured to operate based on a lead angle identified using said lead angle curve, wherein the ADC receives the analog voltage via a single integrated circuit pin. |
| US09887648B2 |
Motor speed control with speed foldback for phase imbalance protection
A variable frequency motor drive comprises a converter including a rectifier having an input for connection to an AC power source and converting the AC power to DC power. A DC bus is connected to the rectifier circuit. At least one bus capacitor is across the DC bus. An inverter receives DC power from the DC bus and converts the DC power to AC power to drive a motor. A controller is operatively connected to the converter. The controller comprises a speed control controlling the inverter responsive to a speed command to maintain a desired motor speed. A speed foldback control measures DC bus ripple voltage and regulates the speed command responsive to the measured DC bus ripple voltage. |
| US09887647B2 |
Method for checking out-of-step of synchronous motor
A method for checking an out-of-step of a synchronous motor includes detecting three-phase currents of the synchronous motor; determining whether a relationship between the three-phase currents satisfies a preset requirement; and if no, determining that the synchronous motor is out of step. It is determined that the synchronous motor is out of step when amplitudes of each current of the three-phase currents are not equal or when the phase difference between the three-phase currents is not 120°. |
| US09887646B2 |
Method for checking out-of-step of synchronous motor
A method for checking an out-of-step of a synchronous motor includes detecting electric degrees of the synchronous motor, in which the electric degrees comprise at least a first electric degree and a second electric degree detected at a preset interval, and the second electric degree is detected after the first electric degree; comparing the first electric degree with the second electric degree to obtain a comparing result; and determining that the synchronous motor is out of step when the comparing result satisfies a preset requirement. It is determined that the synchronous motor is out of step when the electric degree keeps unchanged or decreases progressively, or an increment of the electric degree is very small. |
| US09887642B2 |
Method and apparatus for estimated inductance and current feedback control of a grid-connected inverter with nonlinear inductor
An inverter output current passes from an inverter phase output, through a non-linear inverter side inductor, and into a line that connects through a grid side inductor to a grid phase. An inductance of the inverter side non-linear inductor is estimated, a current passing through the grid side inductor is estimated, and a current through the inverter side inductor is measured. An inverter feeding the inverter output is controlled using a weighted average of the estimated current through the grid side inductor and the inverter side inductor current measurement, applying a weighting using the estimated inductance. |
| US09887640B2 |
DC-eliminating current controller for grid-connected DC/AC converters
Systems, methods, and devices which eliminate the DC current from the output of grid-connected inverters. A current controller is provided which interfaces with a grid-connected DC/AC inverter. The current controller uses a nonlinear adaptive filter which receives, as input, the output current of the inverter along with grid current frequency. The nonlinear adaptive filter estimates the DC value of the grid current and, in conjunction with an integrator, removes this DC current component. This is done by adjusting the duty cycle of the grid-connected inverter. |
| US09887633B2 |
Resonant converter control techniques to manage negative SR current
This disclosure provides control techniques for a resonant converter. In one embodiment, a resonant converter controller includes predictive gate drive circuitry configured to generate a predictive gate drive signal indicative of a time duration from a rising edge of a first drive signal for controlling a conduction state of a first inverter switch of a resonant converter system to a synchronous rectifier (SR) current zero crossing instant of a first SR switch of the resonant converter system, wherein the first tracking signal is based on at least the first drive signal and a voltage drop across the first SR switch. The resonant converter controller may also include SR gate drive shrink circuitry configured to generate an SR gate drive turn on delay signal to increase delay of SR on times in response to detection of a decrease in load current demand of the resonant converter system. |
| US09887625B2 |
Output current monitor circuit for switching regulator
A circuit and method for providing an improved current monitoring circuit for a switching regulator. A circuit providing switching regulation with an improved current monitor, comprising a pulse width modulation (PWM) controller configured to provide P- and N-drive signals, an output stage connected to said PWM controller and configured to provide switching, comprising a high-side and low-side transistor, driven by said P- and N-drive signals, respectively, a sense circuit configured to provide output current sensing from the output stage during a sampling period when the N-drive signal is active, and a sampling timing generator configured to provide a an n-sampling signal, nsample, to the sense circuit, wherein a start of the n-sampling signal is delayed by a first delay after the sampling period and the n-sampling signal is ended prior to an end of the sampling period by a second delay. |
| US09887622B2 |
Charge pump stability control
An apparatus for power conversion includes a switching network that controls interconnections between pump capacitors in a capacitor network that has a terminal coupled to a current source, and a charge-management subsystem. In operation, the switching network causes the capacitor network to execute charge-pump operating cycles during each of which the capacitor network adopts different configurations in response to different configurations of the switching network. At the start of a first charge-pump operating cycle, each pump capacitor assumes a corresponding initial state. The charge-management subsystem restores each pump capacitor to the initial state by the start of a second charge-pump operating cycle that follows the first charge-pump operating cycle. |
| US09887620B2 |
Power converter
The present disclosure illustrates a power converter electrically connected between an external power supply and an electronic device. The electronic device has a first power-inputted terminal. The power converter includes a capacitor, a switch and an inrush-current-limit circuit. The capacitor is electrically connected to the external power supply. The switch has an input terminal electrically connected to an output terminal of the capacitor, and an output terminal electrically connected to the first power-inputted terminal A first voltage detector has an output terminal electrically connected to the switch and configured to detect an output voltage of the capacitor.When the first voltage detector detects that an input voltage of the switch is higher than a first preset voltage, the switch is set in a conductive status. |
| US09887615B1 |
Bidirectional insulated DC-DC converter
A bidirectional insulated DC-DC converter includes a transformer, a secondary circuit, and a control circuit. When electric power is transferred from the secondary side to the primary side of the transformer, the control circuit measures a first voltage on a high voltage side of the transformer and a second voltage on a low voltage side of the transformer in each cycle time. When the voltage ratio is a reference value or larger, the control circuit calculates a first period during which the control circuit turns ON the first switching element and a second period during which the control circuit turns ON the second switching element after the first period of the cycle time so that a period ratio is larger than a reference value and controls the first switching element and the second switching element based on the first period and the second period. |
| US09887609B2 |
Shaftless fan structure having axial air slit
A shaftless fan structure having an axial air slit includes: a base, including a bottom plate connected with a fasten post; a rotor set, including a impeller sleeved on the fasten post and a magnetic member, wherein the impeller is formed with a bottom surface oppositely arranged with respect to the bottom plate, and the magnetic member is disposed on the bottom surface; a rolling bearing, fastened between the fasten post and the rotor set; and a stator set, disposed on the bottom plate and including a magnetic inducing portion oppositely arranged with respect to the magnetic member, wherein an axial air slit is formed between the magnetic inducing portion and the magnetic member. Accordingly, an objective of being shaftless is achieved, and the total height can be reduced through altering the arrangement of the magnetic member and the stator set. |
| US09887604B2 |
Apparatus for kinetic energy storage having a flywheel with pump-active surfaces
An apparatus for kinetic energy storage includes an electrical machine operable at least in one of motor mode and generator mode, and at least one energy recovery system for an intermediate storage of a produced kinetic energy and which converts the kinetic energy into an electrical energy, with, the at least one energy recovery system having at least one flywheel body formed as a rotor, and a stator and with at least one of the rotor and the stator being formed as at least one vacuum pump stage. |
| US09887602B2 |
Fan bearing cup connection structure
A fan bearing cup connection structure includes a bearing cup, a bottom board and a connection member. The bearing cup has a receiving space, a connected section and a shaft hole. The shaft hole is formed at a top end of the bearing cup in communication with the receiving space. The connected section is disposed on outer circumference of the other end of the bearing cup opposite to the shaft hole. The bottom board has an opening. The connected section of the bearing cup is disposed in the opening. The connection member is connected between the bearing cup and the bottom board by means of injection molding. By means of the connection member, the bearing cup and the bottom board can be more securely connected with each other to greatly enhance the concentricity of the bearing cup and the bottom board. |
| US09887601B2 |
Stator of rotary electric machine
First convexities and second convexities are formed in opposing first wall surfaces and second wall surfaces of lead wire end portion holding grooves, and in holding coil ends that are housed in the lead wire end portion holding grooves with the first convexities and the second convexities, the first convexities and the second convexities are formed at positions that are offset with respect to each other in a circumferential direction and one end portions of the coil ends of the same phase that are connection portions are drawn out towards an outer diameter side from between the first convexities and the second convexities. |
| US09887591B2 |
Electric ring with external power source
Embodiments of the present invention may relate generally to electrical systems, and more particularly, to a structure, system, and method of powering an electric ring with an external power source. An energy storage ring may be used to store energy and transmit energy to the electric ring. The energy storage ring may include an energy storage device and an energy transmission device. The electric ring may include an energy receiver device and one or more energy consuming devices. The energy transmission device of the energy storage ring may be configured to transmit energy to energy receiver device of the electric ring. Utilizing the energy storage ring to store energy may increase energy available for use by the electric ring, thus substantially increasing types and number of devices that may be included in the electric ring. |
| US09887589B2 |
Systems and methods for improved phase determinations in wireless power delivery environments
Systems and methods for improvement in transmission antenna design and, more particularly, for rapid determine phase determination of incoming signals are described herein. In some embodiments, a phase detection system is described. The phase detection system includes a phase detection apparatus and a control system. The phase detection apparatus includes a phase shifting element and a phase detector element. The phase shifting element is configured to phase-shift a reference signal multiple times per detection cycle. The phase detector element is configured to compare an incoming signal to multiple phases of the phase-shifted reference signal during the detection cycle, and generate an output indicating a relative phase difference between the incoming signal and the phase-shifted reference signal for each of the multiple phases. The control system is configured to determine a relative phase of the incoming signal based, at least in part, on the outputs. |
| US09887587B2 |
Variable frequency receivers for guided surface wave transmissions
Disclosed herein are various embodiments for a guided surface wave receiver, comprising circuitry that identifies at least one frequency from a plurality of available frequencies associated with a transmission of a plurality of guided surface waves along a terrestrial medium; and circuitry that adjusts a frequency at which the guided surface wave receiver receives the transmission to the at least one frequency via the terrestrial medium. |
| US09887585B2 |
Changing guided surface wave transmissions to follow load conditions
Disclosed are various embodiments of a guided surface waveguide transmit system. One embodiment of the guided surface waveguide transmit system includes a guided surface waveguide probe configured to transmit a guided surface wave along a lossy conducting medium. The system further includes a controller device configured to receive load status data and signal for the guided surface waveguide probe to adjust transmission of the guided surface wave based at least in part on the load status data. |
| US09887578B2 |
Charging control system and device
A charging control system for charging a secondary battery from a solar battery, including a first path for transmitting power from the solar battery to the secondary battery, a second path for sensing the voltage of the secondary battery, and a comparison unit for comparing the solar battery voltage with the sensed voltage of the secondary battery. The first path includes a first interrupter, controlled by the comparison unit, which interrupts the first path to prevent discharge of the secondary battery through the solar battery when the solar battery voltage falls below the secondary battery voltage. The second path includes a second interrupter that interrupts the second path after the first path is interrupted, to prevent the secondary battery from discharging through the second path when not being charged through the first path. |
| US09887573B2 |
Determining and forecasting end of life for an implantable medical device having a rechargeable battery
An algorithm programmed into the control circuitry of a rechargeable-battery Implantable Medical Device (IMD) is disclosed that can quantitatively forecast and determine the timing of an early replacement indicator (tEOLi) and an IMD End of Life (tEOL). These forecasts and determinations of tEOLi and tEOL occur in accordance with one or more parameters having an effect on rechargeable battery capacity, such as number of charging cycles, charging current, discharge depth, load current, and battery calendar age. The algorithm consults such parameters as stored over the history of the operation of the IMD in a parameter log, and in conjunction with a battery capacity database reflective of the effect of these parameters on battery capacity, determines and forecasts tEOLi and tEOL. Such forecasted or determined values may also be used by a shutdown algorithm to suspend therapeutic operation of the IMD. |
| US09887567B2 |
Viral distribution of battery management parameters
A carrier, such as a battery, that queries a memory of a charger or charging circuit, or the memory of equipment or discharging circuit powered by the battery, to determine the relative date or version of data, operating parameters and/or software on both the battery and the equipment, and either provides updated data, operating parameters and/or software to the equipment, or retrieves later dated data, operating parameters and/or software from the equipment to update the memory of the battery and/or further distribute the updated data, operating parameters and/or software to other batteries or equipment. |
| US09887566B2 |
System for charging mobile device using an ad-hoc infrastructure with energy harvesting capabilities
A system and method for charging of a mobile device in an ad hoc charging system. A plurality of mobile device users are registered in the ad hoc charging system, each with a charging profile. A plurality of charging stations are registered in the ad hoc charging system, each with a charge supply profile. A mobile device user is authenticated as an ad hoc charging system registered user with one of the plurality of registered charging stations, thereby enabling a charging connection between the authenticated user and the one registered charging station. The charging of the authenticated user's mobile device is controlled according to the authenticated user's charging profile and the one registered charging station's charge supply profile. Energy monitoring, movement tracking, energy prediction, user notification and energy allocation features are also included. |
| US09887562B2 |
Smart cart
An interactive surgical device storage and supply cart is provided and includes a top storage assembly having multiple storage containers for various size product packages, a bottom storage assembly having drawers to retain larger packages of sterilized devices and an intermediate shelf having storage trays for frequently used items. One or more batter chargers are provided on the cart to supply fully charged batteries. A docking station is provided on the cart to receive computers for inventory management and display instructional material. The docking station also can receive communication devices for consultation with outside sources in real time. Additionally, a power strip is provided to power the battery charger (s) and docking station as well as other auxiliary, powered devices and instruments. |
| US09887560B2 |
Battery management system for control of lithium power cells
An intelligent rechargeable battery pack having a battery management system for monitoring and controlling the charging and discharging of the battery pack is described. The battery management system includes primary and secondary protection circuits for monitoring the charging and discharging of the battery. Individual battery cells forming the battery pack are connected by a main bus to a connector for connection to a battery charger or a device to be powered, and the main bus may be interrupted by a switch controlled by the battery management system to prevent damage to the battery during charging or discharging of the battery. |
| US09887557B2 |
Hierarchical power distribution
Aspects of a hierarchical power distribution network are described. In some embodiments, a first guided surface waveguide probe launches a first guided surface wave along a surface of a terrestrial medium within a first power distribution region. A guided surface wave receive structure obtains electrical energy from the first guided surface wave. A second guided surface waveguide probe launches a second guided surface wave along the surface of the terrestrial medium within a second power distribution region using the electrical energy obtained from the first guided surface wave. |
| US09887551B2 |
Method for operating an energy generator with inverter operation depending on a mains voltage and circuit layout
A method for operating a first energy generator in an electric power supply system to which a plurality of electric consumers and at least the first energy generator, which is embodied as a regenerative energy generator, are connected via respectively one grid connection point each assigned thereto, wherein at least the first energy generator has an inverter of predetermined power rating, the AC voltage output of which is electrically connected to a first grid connection point assigned thereto, and wherein the operating control of the inverter regarding its reactive power feed and/or its reactive power draw into or out of the electric power supply system takes place depending on a continuously measured mains voltage value. The reactive power control in the energy grid is improved in that the mains voltage value is measured at a second grid connection point, which is different from the first grid connection point of the energy generator. |
| US09887548B2 |
Power management apparatus and power management method
A power management apparatus (EMS 200) activates an acquisition function when it is determined at each time point in a predetermined period that an integral power consumption exceeds a predetermined power consumption. |
| US09887547B2 |
Method and apparatus for decoupling the power of grid-connected inverter
A method and an apparatus for decoupling output power of an inverter are provided. The method comprises: obtaining voltage amplitude instruction E* and voltage phase instruction θ* according to an output voltage and an output current of the inverter; obtaining an amplitude feedforward amount Eff and a phase feedforward amount δff according to an amplitude U of a grid voltage of the power grid, an amplitude E of the output voltage of the inverter, and a phase difference δ between the output voltage of the inverter[0] and the grid voltage; obtaining a reference voltage amplitude Eref according to the voltage amplitude instruction E* and the amplitude feedforward amount Eff, and obtaining a reference voltage phase θref according to the voltage phase instruction θ* and the phase feedforward amount δff; and regulating the output power of the inverter using the reference voltage amplitude Eref and the reference voltage phase θref. |
| US09887546B2 |
Power management transfer system and method
A method and system for supplying electric power to a plurality of priority loads from either a utility power source or a secondary power source, such as a generator. A control unit monitors the power draw by each of a plurality of priority loads and base loads during the supply of electric power from the utility power source. When the supply of power from the utility power source is interrupted, the control unit determines the number of the priority loads that can be powered by the secondary power source based on the monitored power draw of the priority and base loads prior to power interruption. The secondary power source is activated and the determined number of priority loads is immediately connected to the secondary power source without delay. When the utility power source returns, the system and method transfers utility power back to all of the priority and base loads. |
| US09887544B2 |
System and method for mathematical predictive analytics and computational energy modeling
Mechanisms for controlling a micro electrical power grid to select the volume of electricity produced by power generation sources in order to meet demand and achieve a particular optimization goal. In one embodiment, a system operable to control a micro electrical power grid may include a plurality of intelligent power broker (IPB) units and at least one data analytics unit in communication with the IPB units. Each IPB may be associated with an electrical power source or an electrical load and may be operable to collect data relating to its associated electrical power source or electrical load. The data analytics unit may receive the data from the IPB units and may be operable to analyze the data and direct the IPB s to remove one or more of the electrical power loads from the micro electrical grid and/or increase an electrical power output from the electrical sources during time period T. |
| US09887540B2 |
Power management method, power management system, and power supply apparatus
A power management method receives, from a meter that measures the amount of surplus power, which is power supplied from a power generation apparatus to a power system, a surplus power value indicating the amount of surplus power, receives, from a first communication terminal used by a user corresponding to first user identification information, an inquiry about power supply in which the surplus power is used in a first time period that lasts a certain unit time, the inquiry being associated with the first user identification information, issues, in accordance with the inquiry, first power identification information for validating power supply performed by a power supply apparatus using the surplus power corresponding to the first time period for an accumulated value of the amount of surplus power corresponding to the first time period, transmits the first power identification information and the accumulated value of the amount of surplus power corresponding to the first time period to the first communication terminal, and causes the power supply apparatus that has received a first power supply request, which is associated with the first power identification information, indicating that power is to be supplied to the first load apparatus to supply an amount of first power equal to or smaller than the amount of surplus power to the first load apparatus as power that does not cause a charging process. |
| US09887530B2 |
Self supplied protection relay with a module to boost performance
A protection relay is disclosed that generates a trip signal to operate a circuit breaker in case of a fault condition. A first module provides measurement and analysis of power parameters of the power line connecting the power equipment that is being protected, the protection being provided by generating a first trip signal for operating a circuit breaker connected in the power line. One or more second modules can boost performance of the protection relay by measurement and analysis of power parameters-to generate a second trip signal for operating a circuit breaker connected in the power line. The first trip signal and the second trip signal are logically combined to generate a trip signal that operates the circuit breaker. |
| US09887529B2 |
Spliced shielded wire cable
A wire harness having at least wire harness assembly having a splice of at least three shielded wire cables is presented. The assembly includes a flexible insulation layer wrapped about the joined core conductors of the three cables, a flexible conductive layer wrapped about the shield conductors of the cables, and a section of dual wall heat shrink tubing enclosing the flexible conductive layer and portions of the insulative jackets of the cables. The flexible conductive layer does not include any solder. |
| US09887528B2 |
Child resistant electrical outlet and switch cover
A safety cover system for a household electrical switch or outlet is provided. A wall plate is provided having an aperture for an electrical device such as an outlet or switch. The wall plate has a rim with upper and lower locking lips. A cover plate is provided that is pivotally connected to the wall plate by hinges for covering the wall plate. There is provided upper, lower and side release mechanisms. Each release mechanism includes a release button with a portion of the release button exposed to an exterior of the cover plate through an aperture in the cover plate. The release also includes a latch connected with the button having an arm overlapping the wall plate rim lip to prevent the cover plate from being pivoted open from the wall plate. |
| US09887527B2 |
Floor box and method of installing
A floor box for housing electrical components includes a bottom and a plurality of walls extending from the bottom to at least partially define an interior and to at least partially define a central opening accessible to a user. A top plate having an inner portion at least partially defining a first wiring compartment facing the central opening and a second wiring compartment facing the central opening is connected to at least one of the plurality of walls. |
| US09887519B1 |
Spark plug
A spark plug having a center electrode and a ground electrode that form a gap therebetween. At least one of the center electrode and the ground electrode includes a portion formed of a nickel alloy containing nickel as a major component and 20% by mass or more of chromium. In the portion, formed of the nickel alloy, of the electrode, the content of silicon is 0.1% by mass or more, the total content of one or more particular elements selected from the group consisting of rare earth elements is 0.01% by mass or more, and the area percentage of voids in the total area of a cross-section parallel to a longitudinal direction is 1% or less. |
| US09887513B2 |
Laser apparatus having condensation prevention function
A laser apparatus that can reliably prevent the formation of condensation is disclosed. In the laser apparatus, the temperature of cooling water supplied into the interior of the laser apparatus is controlled within a first predetermined temperature range during laser oscillation, while at the same time, continuously performing dehumidification so that the relation (dew point of air inside laser apparatus)+(first predetermined temperature difference)≦(cooling water temperature) is maintained. The dew point of the air inside the laser apparatus can be obtained by a computing unit from the humidity and temperature of the air. |
| US09887509B2 |
Automated system for the realisation of the industrial wiring of IDC connectors
The invention concerns a production line consisting of an automated system for the realization of the industrial wiring of IDC connectors. A first station includes a selection guide accommodating a series of IDC connectors, and a series of pushers for shifting the series of connectors to a paired closure guide for closing the connectors of a second station. The closure guide has a series of mobile spacer partitions interposed between each of several seats, configured to release the connectors by moving said partitions as soon as the connectors are crimped onto cable wires. A third crimping station comprising a series of punches spaced apart from each other at a pre-set distance on a mobile support, which can move to pull each connector the pre-set distance until it brings an adjacent punch into position at an adjacent connector to be crimped. |
| US09887502B2 |
Connector structure, jack, plug, and electronic device
A connector structure includes a jack including a receiver, and a plug connectable to the jack. The jack includes a wall located around the receiver and defining a receiving region configured to receive a locking portion. The plug includes a plug body, a plug holder, and the locking portion. The receiving region includes a first region where at least a part of the locking portion is configured to enter and exit by a movement of the locking portion along the first axis, and a second region where at least a part of the locking portion is configured to enter when the locking portion is rotated about the first axis. The second region is covered by the wall when the receiver is seen from the front. |
| US09887499B2 |
Communication cable connector and communication cable with connector
A communication cable connector includes a first connector section to be connected to one end of a communication cable including at least two or more signal lines, a second connector section to be connected to an other end of the communication cable, a first voltage applying circuit mounted to the first connector section to apply a DC voltage between any signal lines of the communication cable, and a first light emitting circuit mounted to the second connector section to emit light when the DC voltage is applied between the any signal lines of the communication cable by the first voltage applying circuit. |
| US09887495B2 |
Power connector
A power connector is disclosed. The power connector has an insulation body, a ground terminal disposed on a side wall of the insulation body, and a power terminal disposed in the insulation body. The ground terminal has a resilient protrusion. A side surface of the power terminal has a recess facing the resilient protrusion, increasing a spacing between the resilient protrusion and the power terminal. |
| US09887485B2 |
Ruggedized electrical connector
A ruggedized electrical connector that includes a shell that has an interface front side and an opposite rear side for mounting on a printed circuit board. An interface sealing member is coupled to the interface front side of the shell. The interface sealing member substantially covers the interface front side of the shell for preventing contaminants from passing externally around the shell. A contact subassembly is received in the shell and includes a plurality of contacts and a housing supporting the contacts. Each of the contacts has an interface end and a tail end. The interface ends are arranged in a mating platform extending from the housing toward the front side of said shell for engaging a mating connector. An internal sealing member is coupled around the housing for preventing contaminants from passing internally though the shell. A rear shield is coupled to the rear side of the housing. |
| US09887484B1 |
Two-part floating electric connector
The present application relates to the field of electric connector, particularly to an electric connector. The electric connector comprises a fastening body, a floating body and a plurality of electric terminals. The fastening body includes stop grooves, the floating body includes stop protrusions, and the electric terminals include resilient segments. The fastening body can overlap the outside of the floating body. The two stop protrusions are respectively located at the two sides of the floating body, and are respectively clutched in the two stop grooves when the fastening body 1 overlaps the outside of the floating body. The electric terminals are divided into two sets and are plugged into the fastening body and the floating body at the same time when the fastening body overlaps the outside of the floating body. The resilient segments are respectively located at one end of the electric terminals and are made by folding each electric terminal into a two layer structure. |
| US09887481B2 |
Terminal, connector, and electrical connection apparatus
An abutting portion is provided as a portion of an edge portion of an upper wall portion, and abuts against an edge portion of a first side wall portion when the upper wall portion bends toward the inside of a tubular wall portion. The projection portion projects from the upper wall portion, and restricts insertion of the tubular wall portion toward the back of the housing by abutting against the housing when the tubular wall portion is inserted into the housing in an orientation different from a predetermined insertion orientation. The engaging portion is configured to be able to engage with an engaged portion provided on an inner side of the housing. The engaging portion is provided on the tubular wall portion at a position that shifted from or separated from the projection portion in the longitudinal direction of the tubular wall portion. |
| US09887473B2 |
Board connector assembly, receptacle connector and plug connector thereof
A board connector assembly has a receptacle connector and a plug connector. The receptacle connector has a first insulative housing, two sets of first terminals and two first metal reinforcing members mounted respectively on two opposite ends of the first insulative housing. The plug connector is detachably engaged with the receptacle connector and has a second insulative housing, two sets of second terminals and two second metal reinforcing members mounted respectively on two opposite ends of the second insulative housing. The first and second metal reinforcing members enhance structural strength and durability of the receptacle connector and the plug connector. |
| US09887469B1 |
Insulation displacement wire connector with an exterior wire guide
A wire connector for connecting and maintaining a branch wire connected to a main uncut wire during handling of the wire connector and without cutting the main wire by laterally inserting the main uncut wire into a laterally open wire port in a piston sleeve and extending a cut end of a branch wire through an offset wire guide on the exterior of the wire connector and then reversing the branch wire direction to form a slack loop in the branch wire before inserting the end of the branch wire into a further wire port in the piston sleeve. |
| US09887467B2 |
Near-field communications with multiple transmit and multiple receive antennae
Near-field communication (NFC) system provides a plurality of transmit antennae. The transmit antennae of the plurality have at least two different polarizations. A plurality of receive antennae have polarizations arranged to receive signals from respective antennae of the transmit antennae, such that each polarization of the transmit antennae has a receive antennae with a corresponding polarization. The transmitters are tuned to a transmit frequency and each have a dimension. A distance between the receive and the transmit antennae is no greater than a greater of twice a maximum dimension squared of the transmit antennae divided by a wavelength of transmission and a wavelength of transmission divided by 2π. |
| US09887465B2 |
Single-layer metalization and via-less metamaterial structures
Techniques and apparatus based on metamaterial structures provided for antenna and transmission line devices, including single-layer metallization and via-less metamaterial structures. |
| US09887461B2 |
Re-configurable built-in antenna for portable terminal
A re-reconfigurable built-in antenna of a portable terminal is provided. The antenna includes an antenna radiator having a feeding pad electrically connected to a feeding portion of a main board of the terminal and at least one ground pad disposed in a position different from that of the feeding pad for selectively establishing an electrical connection to a ground portion of the terminal, and a switching element, commonly connected to the at least one ground pad of the antenna radiator, for selectively establishing an electrical connection to the ground portion by a switching operation. The antenna radiator changes a shape of the antenna radiator by using the selective electrical connection of the ground portion so as to have various operational frequency bands and radiation properties. |
| US09887460B2 |
Near-field communication device comprising two NFC areas
A near-field communication device includes: a processing module and a first antenna arranged in a first near-field communication area and connected to the processing module; a first presence detector arranged in the first area; a second antenna arranged in a second near-field communication area, the first antenna and the second antenna being electrically in series and forming a circuit of antennae; a second presence detector arranged in the second area; and a control circuit designed to place the circuit of antennae into at least two different operating modes: a) a first mode, termed ‘functional mode’, in which the circuit of antennae allows near-field communication, and b) a second mode, termed ‘dysfunctional mode’, in which the circuit of antennae does not allow near-field communication. |
| US09887452B2 |
Artificial satellite with integrated antenna
An artificial satellite includes at least one hatch formed in a wall of the artificial satellite coming in contact with dead space of the artificial satellite, and a hatch opening and closing mechanism which opens the hatch, and the antenna is attached to the hatch. |
| US09887445B2 |
Tunable filter
A tunable filter for dynamically setting a filter center frequency includes a movable member, an upper casing, a lower casing, conductive gaskets, a cavity and a driving unit. The movable member includes a board and lugs. The upper casing includes upper openings corresponsive to the lugs respectively. The lower casing includes lower openings corresponsive to the upper openings respectively. The conductive gaskets are disposed between the upper and lower casings. The cavity is combined with the lower casing and has chambers, and the conductive gaskets are corresponsive to the upper and lower openings respectively. The driving unit is coupled to the movable member for moving the lugs in a first direction towards the chambers or in a second direction away from the chambers. The distance moved by the lugs in the first direction or the second direction is used for determining the filter center frequency. |
| US09887440B2 |
Electricity storage block and electricity storage module
An electricity storage block includes: an element stacked body in which a plurality of square electricity storage elements is stacked and arranged such that wide surfaces of the adjacent square electricity storage elements are opposed to each other; and a pressing device that presses the element stacked body toward the thermally-conductive sheet arranged on the heat transfer plate. The element stacked body includes holders having wide surface abutment parts in abutment with one of the wide surfaces in a pair in at least the predetermined square electricity storage element. The outer surfaces of the bottom plates of the square electricity storage elements are set as heat transfer surfaces thermally connected to the heat transfer plate via the thermally-conductive sheet. The heat-transfer surfaces protrude toward the heat transfer plate more than the end surfaces of the wide surface abutment parts at the heat transfer plate side. |
| US09887437B2 |
Conformal fluid-cooled heat exchanger for battery
A heat exchanger for a battery unit having at least a first battery module and a second battery module is disclosed wherein the first and second battery modules each include a plurality of battery cell containers each housing at least one battery cell. The first and second battery modules are spaced apart from each other with the heat exchanger being arranged between the spaced apart first and second battery modules. The heat exchanger is a laminated plate structure defining a plurality of fluid flow chambers each located within a respective fluid flow region for transmitting a heat exchanger fluid. Each of the fluid flow regions is dimensionally compliant independent of the other fluid flow regions to conform to the spacing of the respective battery cell containers in the first and second modules between which the specific fluid flow region is positioned when arranged between the first and second battery modules. |
| US09887435B2 |
Electrochemical cell for a lithium-ion battery including a negative electrode made of silicon and a specific electrolyte
The invention relates to an electrochemical cell for a lithium-ion battery comprising: a negative electrode comprising as an active material silicon; a positive electrode; and an electrolyte positioned between said negative electrode and said positive electrode, said electrolyte comprising at least one lithium salt, at least one carbonate solvent, at least one mononitrile compound and at least one compound fitting at least one of the following formulae (I) and (II): wherein R1 and R2 represent, independently of each other, H, Cl or F, provided that R1 and R2 do not both represent H. |
| US09887432B2 |
Battery of lithium-ion type with a cathode of varying porosity, and a corresponding method
A thin layer lithium-ion type battery comprising, on a substrate (20, 30), a cathode current collector layer (22, 36) and an active portion constituted by a stack of a cathode layer (23, 35) made of material suitable for inserting lithium ions, an electrolyte layer (24, 34), and an anode layer (25, 33), wherein the cathode layer presents, across its thickness, porosity that varies between its interface with the cathode current collector layer and its interface with the electrolyte layer, the variation in the porosity being non-zero so as to improve cohesion at both interfaces. |
| US09887431B2 |
Non-aqueous electrolytic solution, secondary battery, battery pack, electric vehicle, electric power storage system, electric power tool, and electronic apparatus
A secondary battery includes: a cathode; an anode; and non-aqueous electrolytic solution including a cyclic ether compound that includes a skeleton and one or more substituent groups introduced into the skeleton. The skeleton includes one or more four-or-more-membered oxygen-containing rings. The one or more substituent groups each are a monovalent group represented by Formula (1). —X—O—R (1) (X is one of a divalent chain saturated hydrocarbon group, a halide group thereof, and nothing. R is one of a monovalent chain saturated hydrocarbon group, etc. At least one of one or more Rs includes one or more of the monovalent chain unsaturated hydrocarbon group, the monovalent cyclic unsaturated hydrocarbon group, the monovalent oxygen-containing cyclic unsaturated hydrocarbon group, the halide group thereof, and the monovalent group obtained by bonding two or more thereof, and includes a carbon-carbon multiple bond (one of —C═C— and —C≡C—) bonded to an ether bond (—O—).) |
| US09887427B2 |
Fuel cell stack
A fuel cell stack includes a stacked body, a fluid manifold, a first terminal plate, a first insulator, a first end plate, a terminal electrode, and a heat pipe assembly. The first terminal plate is provided on a first end of the stacked body in a stacking direction. The first insulator is provided on the first terminal plate in the stacking direction. The first end plate is provided on the first insulator in the stacking direction. The terminal electrode is connected to the first terminal plate and protrudes from the first end plate in the stacking direction. The heat pipe assembly includes a heat receiving portion and a heat dissipation portion. The heat receiving portion is disposed in the fluid manifold to receive heat from a fluid. The heat dissipation portion is connected to the terminal electrode to release heat received at the heat receiving portion to the terminal electrode. |
| US09887425B2 |
Printed battery array outputting selectable voltage and current
A plurality of batteries is printed on a flexible substrate, where each battery may output the same voltage, such as about 1.5 volts. Batteries in a first subset are connectable in parallel by controllable switches to control the maximum current that can be delivered to a load. Batteries in a second subset are also connectable in parallel by additional controllable switches to control the maximum current that can be delivered to the load. Another group of switches can either connect the two subsets of batteries in series, to generate 3 volts, or connect the subsets in parallel to increase the maximum current. Additional subsets of batteries and their associated switches may be further connected to increase the voltage and current. The power supply may be standardized and configured by the user for a particular load, such as a sensor for a medical skin patch. |
| US09887424B2 |
Solid oxide fuel cell
A solid oxide fuel cell comprises a solid electrolyte layer, a barrier layer, and a cathode. The cathode includes a cathode current collecting layer and a cathode active layer. The cathode active layer includes a plurality of micro-cracks in a surface region within a predetermined distance from the interface between the barrier layer and the cathode active layer. |
| US09887418B2 |
Negative electrode material for lithium-ion secondary battery, negative electrode for lithium-ion secondary battery, lithium-ion secondary battery, and method of producing negative electrode material for lithium-ion secondary battery
The present invention provides a negative electrode material for a lithium-ion secondary battery, the negative electrode material comprising silicon active material particles containing silicon and nitrogen, the silicon active material particles being capable of occluding and emitting lithium ions, wherein an amount of the nitrogen contained in each silicon active material particle is in the range from 100 ppm to 50,000 ppm, a negative electrode and lithium-ion secondary battery using the material, and a method of producing the material. The negative electrode material is suitable for a lithium-ion secondary battery negative electrode that has high first charge and discharge efficiency and excellent cycle performance and makes the best use of high battery capacity and low volume expansion rate of a silicon material such as a silicon oxide material. |
| US09887413B2 |
Battery pack and connecting bar applied thereto
A battery pack includes a plurality of battery modules, each having at least one unit cell, a case for accommodating the unit cell and a bus bar electrically connected to the unit cell, and a connecting bar for connecting battery modules adjacent to each other among the plurality of battery modules, wherein at least one of the connecting bars includes a first metal plate, a second metal plate spaced apart from the first metal plate, and a metal bridge configured to connect the first metal plate and the second metal plate and having a lower melting point than the metal plate. In this configuration, if an overcurrent flows at the battery pack, the connecting bar is easily broken, thereby ensuring safety of the battery pack in use. |
| US09887412B2 |
Rechargeable battery having upper insulator member
A rechargeable battery includes an electrode assembly including a first electrode and a second electrode, a case to receive the electrode assembly, a cap plate coupled with the case and including a short circuit hole, a first terminal electrically connected to the first electrode, a second terminal electrically connected to the second electrode, an upper insulator member disposed between the second terminal and the cap plate, the upper insulator member having a connection hole communicating with the short circuit hole, and a terminal hole spaced apart from the connection hole, a short circuit member in the short circuit hole to electrically connect the cap plate with the second terminal when the short circuit member is modified, and a gap between the upper insulator member and the cap plate, the gap extending continuously from the connection hole toward the terminal hole. |
| US09887411B2 |
Rechargeable battery
A rechargeable battery includes a case having an electrode assembly, a cap plate to seal an opening of the case, and an electrode terminal in the cap plate. The electrode terminal includes a plate terminal at an upper area and a bent plate to electrically couple the plate terminal to the cap plate. The bent plate sets a gap between the plate terminal and the cap plate, and provides a current path from the plate terminal to the cap plate having a length greater than an interval between the plate terminal and the cap plate. |
| US09887406B2 |
Separator for non-aqueous secondary battery, method for manufacturing the same, and non-aqueous secondary battery
The present invention provides a separator for a non-aqueous secondary battery including a porous substrate and an adhesive layer that is formed on one side or both sides of the porous substrate and is an aggregate layer of particles that include a polyvinylidene fluoride resin, the adhesive layer further including a filler that includes at least one of an organic compound or an inorganic compound, the content of the filler being from 20% by mass to 80% by mass, with respect to the total mass of the mass of the particles and the mass of the filler, and the content of the particles per one adhesive layer being from 0.1 g/m2 to 6.0 g/m2. |
| US09887403B2 |
Thin film encapsulation battery systems
A battery assembly can be formed on a base layer provided on a substrate, with a thin film battery stack including an anode layer, a cathode layer, and an electrolyte layer between the anode and cathode layers. The thin film battery stack can be encapsulated, and assembled into a battery system with electrical power connections for the anode and cathode layers. |
| US09887400B2 |
Secondary battery
A secondary battery is disclosed. In one embodiment, the secondary battery includes i) an electrode assembly comprising upper and lower surfaces opposing each other, ii) a container configured to receive the electrode assembly via an opening defined at one end thereof, iii) a cap assembly configured to close the opening of the container, wherein an electrolyte injection hole is defined in the cap assembly, and wherein the electrolyte injection hole is configured to receive electrolyte and iv) an insulation case configured to be received by the container and being interposed between the cap assembly and the electrode assembly, wherein a first electrolyte permeation passage is formed between an outer surface of the insulation case and an inner surface of the container, and wherein the first electrolyte permeation passage is configured to expedite the permeation of the received electrolyte into the lower surface of the electrode assembly. |
| US09887394B2 |
Rechargeable battery including fluorescent coating layer
A rechargeable battery including an electrode assembly including a first electrode and a second electrode; electrode terminals electrically coupled to the electrode assembly; a case in which the electrode assembly is placed; a cap plate in an opening of the case to seal the case, the cap plate including a vent hole; and a fluorescent coating between the cap plate and the opening of the case. |
| US09887391B2 |
Optical member and OLED display device
The invention discloses an optical member and an OLED display including an optical member. The optical member includes: a metal electrode, a λ/4 phase-difference plate and a linear polarization plate sequentially arranged in this order. A λ/2 phase-difference plate and a brightness enhancement film are arranged between the λ/4 phase-difference plate and the linear polarization plate; there is an angle between an absorption axis of the linear polarization plate and a polarization axis of the brightness enhancement film; and there is an angle between the polarization axis of the brightness enhancement film and a slow axis of the λ/2 phase-difference plate. This arrangement can address the problem in the related art that faces the difficulty to improve the transmittivity of light in an optical member in an OLED display. |
| US09887388B2 |
Electroluminiscent element having a high effient light output
A light emitting element includes an anode, a light transmitting cathode, and a light emitting layer sandwiched therebetween, formed on a surface of a substrate. Light emitted by the light emitting layer by voltage being applied between the electrodes is output from a surface toward the side of the light transmitting electrode. A light scattering layer for scattering evanescent light generated at the surface is provided on the surface of the light transmitting electrode. The light scattering layer has a first scattering portion having an uneven structure and a lower refractive index than the light emitting layer, and second scattering portions that fill at least the bottoms of recesses of the uneven structure and has a different refractive index from the first scattering portion. The distance between the bottoms of the recesses and the surface of the light transmitting electrode is a seepage depth of the evanescent light or less. |
| US09887387B2 |
Organic EL display panel
An organic EL display panel including: a substrate; display elements over the substrate; a first sealing layer over the display elements; a buffer layer covering the first sealing layer; and a second sealing layer covering the buffer layer. The first sealing layer, the buffer layer, and the second sealing layer are each made of a silicon nitride film, and a peak amount of ammonia gas desorbing from the silicon nitride film of the buffer layer within a predetermined temperature range is greater than one hundred times and smaller than one thousand times a peak amount of ammonia gas desorbing from each of the silicon nitride film of the first sealing layer and the silicon nitride film of the second sealing layer within the predetermined temperature range. |
| US09887382B2 |
Thermosetting composition for organic light-emitting element filler and organic light-emitting element display device comprising same
The present invention relates to a thermosetting composition for an organic light-emitting element filler, which comprises (A) 100 parts by weight of an epoxy-based resin including (A1) an epoxy resin having a weight average molecular weight of around about 200 g/mol or more to less than about 1000 g/mol, (A2) an epoxy resin having a weight average molecular weight of around about 1000 g/mol or more to less than about 20000 g/mol and (A3) an epoxy resin having a weight average molecular weight of about 20000 g/mol or more to less than about 100000 g/mol, (B) about 10 parts by weight to about 40 parts by weight of a sheet-like filler and (C) about 0.1 parts by weight to about 20 parts by weight of an imidazole curing agent having a cyano group; and an organic light-emitting element display device comprising the same. |
| US09887380B2 |
Display apparatus including bonding member having a core-shell structure and method of manufacturing the same
A display apparatus, including a substrate; a display unit on the substrate; a bonding member on the substrate and surrounding at least edges of the display unit; and a barrier film on the substrate, the bonding member interposed between the substrate and the barrier film, the bonding member including a core-shell structure, including a core including an oxide, and a shell including a polymer chemically bonded to the core. |
| US09887379B2 |
Electrode and optoelectronic component and method for producing an optoelectronic component
Various embodiments may relate to an optoelectronic component, including an organic functional layer structure, and an electrode on or above the organic functional layer structure. The electrode is electrically conductively coupled to the organic functional layer structure. The electrode includes an optically transparent or translucent matrix including at least one matrix material, and particles embedded into the matrix. The particles have a refractive index that is greater than the refractive index of the at least one matrix material. A difference in refractive index between the at least one matrix material and the particles embedded into the matrix is at least 0.05. |
| US09887372B2 |
Amine-based compound and organic light-emitting device including the same
According to one or more embodiments, an organic light-emitting device may include: a first electrode; a second electrode facing the first electrode, and an organic layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, the organic layer including an emission layer, wherein the organic layer includes an amine-based compound represented by Formula 1: |
| US09887367B2 |
Heterocyclic compound, material for organic electroluminescent elements using same, organic electroluminescent element using same, and electronic device
A heterocyclic compound in which three 5-membered rings are fused to a benzene ring and a saturated or unsaturated ring is further fused to each of the 5-membered rings is a novel material, which is useful as a material for organic electroluminescence devices for the production of organic electroluminescence devices and electronic equipment. |
| US09887362B2 |
Pentacene active layer and a method for preparing the same
The present invention discloses an active layer and a method for preparing the same, an organic field-effect transistor and an array substrate. In the method for preparing an active layer according to the invention, the active layer is pentacene layer, wherein the pentacene layer is prepared by a compound of the following Formula I as a precursor of pentacene. The active layer of the invention is prepared by the preparation method of the invention; the organic field-effect transistor of the invention includes the active layer of the invention; and the array substrate of the invention includes the organic field-effect transistor according to the invention. |
| US09887358B2 |
Organic thin film transistor having aligned surfaces and method for preparing the same, array substrate and display device
Disclosed are an organic thin film transistor and a method for preparing the same, an array substrate and a display device. An organic semiconductor layer of the organic thin film transistor is formed on an anisotropic insulating layer, this guarantees that the organic semiconductor layer has a crystallization direction with a high degree of order and the organic semiconductor layer has a specific alignment, thus carrier mobility can be improved, so that the performance of the organic thin film transistor can be upgraded. Moreover, the process of preparing the insulating layer has advantages of simple process, large area and low cost, etc., and the thickness of the anisotropic insulating layer manufactured is small; since there exists no mechanical friction, there exists no badness caused by particles generated by friction. |
| US09887353B2 |
Electronic device and method for fabricating the same
An electronic device includes a semiconductor memory that includes: a first conductive pattern disposed over a substrate; a first selection element layer disposed over the first conductive pattern and having one or more first grooves therein, the first grooves overlapping the first conductive pattern; a first variable resistance layer whose sidewalls and bottom are surrounded by the first selection element layer, the first variable resistance layer being buried in the first groove; and a second conductive pattern that overlaps the first variable resistance layer and is disposed over the first variable resistance layer. |
| US09887352B2 |
Sensing device and method of production thereof
In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, a device is disclosed. The device comprises: a sensing region comprising an active material and two or more electrodes in electrical contact with the active material; and a switching region providing control over the sensing region, the switching region comprising an active material and two or more electrodes in electrical contact with the active material. The switching region and the sensing region share one electrode, and the switching region and the sensing region share at least part of the active material. A method and apparatus for producing the device are also disclosed. |
| US09887350B2 |
MTJ etching with improved uniformity and profile by adding passivation step
A hard mask stack for etching a magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) structure is described. An electrode layer is deposited on a stack of MTJ layers on a bottom electrode. A photoresist mask is formed on the electrode layer. The electrode layer is etched away where it is not covered by the photoresist mask to form a metal hard mask. The metal hard mask is passivated during or after etching to form a smooth hard mask profile. Thereafter, the photoresist mask is removed and the MTJ structure is etched using the metal hard mask wherein the metal hard mask remaining acts as a top electrode. The resulting MTJ device has smooth sidewalls and uniform device shape. |
| US09887347B2 |
Piezoelectric element, piezoelectric actuator and electronic instrument using the same
A piezoelectric element includes a substrate, a first electrode, a piezoelectric film and a second electrode that are sequentially placed in the above-mentioned order. The piezoelectric film contains oxides of Ba, Bi, Ti, Zr, Fe and Mn and has a perovskite structure, wherein the molar ratio y of Bi relative to the sum of Ba and Bi is 0.001≦y≦0.015, the molar ratio x of Zr relative to the sum of Ti, Zr, Fe and Mn is 0.010≦x≦0.060, the molar ratio z of Fe relative to the sum of Ti, Zr, Fe and Mn is 0.001≦z≦0.015, and the molar ratio m of Mn relative to the sum of Ti, Zr, Fe and Mn is 0.0020≦m≦0.0150, while the relationship between y and z is expressed by 0.90≦y/z≦1.10. |
| US09887346B2 |
Apparatus and associated methods
An apparatus comprising: —a piezoelectric convertor layer; and —a proximal first piezoresistive layer being in electrical communication with, a first face of the piezoelectric convertor layer, the apparatus being configured such that when the piezoelectric convertor layer is deformed to generate charge, the proximal piezoresistive layer is configured to control the flow of charge from the piezoelectric convertor layer. |
| US09887344B2 |
Piezoelectric element, piezoelectric actuator device, liquid ejecting head, liquid ejecting apparatus, and ultrasonic measuring apparatus
Provided is a piezoelectric element in which a first electrode, a piezoelectric layer, and a second electrode are sequentially stacked on a substrate, the piezoelectric layer being formed of composite oxide having a perovskite structure which contains at least Pb, Nb, and Ti, in which the piezoelectric layer has a tetragonal crystal structure, the crystal is oriented to {100} against the substrate, and regions are mixed in a crystal lattice, each region including a (100) plane and a (001) plane which are orthogonal to a stacking direction, and the composite oxide of the piezoelectric layer is represented by the following general expression. xPb(Ni1/3,Nb2/3)O3-yPbZrO3-zPbTiO3 (10≦x≦40, 0 |
| US09887343B2 |
Acoustic wave element
An acoustic wave element includes: a piezoelectric substrate; an IDT (Interdigital Transducer) formed on the piezoelectric substrate; and an end face of the piezoelectric substrate that is formed on at least one end of the IDT in a propagation direction of an acoustic wave; wherein when a wavelength of the acoustic wave which the IDT excites is expressed by “λ” and a metallization ratio of the IDT is expressed by “D”, a distance between an inner end of an electrode finger of the IDT nearest to the end face and the end face is equal to or more than 7λ/16+D×λ/4 and equal to or less than 3λ/4+D×λ/4. |
| US09887339B2 |
Infrared sensor, thermal imaging camera and method for producing a microstructure from thermoelectric sensor rods
An infrared sensor with a microstructure has a multiplicity of sensor rods protruding from a sensor base and arranged axially parallel to one another. Each of the sensor rods is designed as a thermocouple, in that a first rod end, arranged on the sensor base, is electrically connected to an opposite free second rod end by both a first and a second electrically conductive rod element. The two rod elements have a different Seebeck coefficient, and the first rod element is formed as a hollow profile and the second rod element is arranged in the first rod element such that each thermocouple is formed as a single rod with a small standing area on the sensor base. |
| US09887336B2 |
Optoelectronic semiconductor component and method of producing an optoelectronic semiconductor component
An optoelectronic semiconductor component includes a carrier having a carrier top side and an opposing carrier underside, wherein the carrier top sides each have a larger area than the associated carrier undersides, the carrier parts fixedly connect to one another via at least one potting body and the potting body together with the carrier parts represents a bearing component of the semiconductor component so that all carrier undersides end flush with the potting body, the light-emitting semiconductor chips electrically connect in series, the metal layer on the carrier top side is structured into conductor tracks and into electrical connection surfaces, and the electrical connection surfaces on the carrier top side are electrically insulated from the associated carrier underside so that the carrier underside of the carrier part the semiconductor chips are arranged on is potential-free and is completely covered with the metal layer. |
| US09887331B2 |
LED leadframe or LED substrate, semiconductor device, and method for manufacturing LED leadframe or LED substrate
An LED leadframe or LED substrate includes a main body portion having a mounting surface for mounting an LED element thereover. A reflection metal layer serving as a reflection layer for reflecting light from the LED element is disposed over the mounting surface of the main body portion. The reflection metal layer comprises an alloy of platinum and silver or an alloy of gold and silver. The reflection metal layer efficiently reflects light emitted from the LED element and suppresses corrosion due to the presence of a gas, thereby capable of maintaining reflection characteristics of light from the LED element. |
| US09887324B2 |
Light emitting device package
A light emitting device package is disclosed. The light emitting device package includes a package body including at least one ceramic layer, a submount disposed at the package body, a light emitting device disposed on the submount for emitting ultraviolet (UV)-wavelength light, and an anti-reflection (AR) coating layer disposed around the light emitting device, the AR coating layer being formed of an inorganic coating layer. |
| US09887318B2 |
Quantum dot for emitting light and method for synthesizing same
A quantum dot for emitting light under electrical stimulation has a center of a first composition and a surface of a second composition. The second composition is different than the first composition. An intermediate region extends between the center and surface and has a continuous composition gradient between the center and the surface. The quantum dot is synthesized in a one pot method by controlling the rate and extent of a reaction by controlling the following parameters: (i) type and quantity of reactant, (ii) reaction time, and (iii) reaction temperature. |
| US09887317B2 |
Light-emitting device and manufacturing method thereof
A light-emitting device including a substrate; a first conductivity semiconductor layer disposed on the substrate; a first barrier disposed on the first conductivity semiconductor layer; a well disposed on the first barrier and including a first region having a first energy gap and a second region having a second energy gap and closer to the semiconductor layer than the first region; a second barrier disposed on the well; and a second conductivity semiconductor layer disposed on the second barrier; wherein the first energy gap decreases along a stacking direction of the light-emitting device and has a first gradient, the second energy gap increases along the stacking direction and has a second gradient, and an absolute value of the first gradient is smaller than an absolute value of the second gradient. |
| US09887314B2 |
Method of manufacturing solar cell
Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a solar cell. The method includes forming a protective film using an insulation film over a semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor substrate including a base area of a first conductive type and formed of crystalline silicon. The forming of the protective film includes a heat treatment process performed at a heat treatment temperature of 600 degrees Celsius or more under a gas atmosphere including a halogen gas, which has a halogen element. |
| US09887312B2 |
Solar cell and solar-cell module
A solar cell wherein: an emitter layer is formed on a light-receiving-surface side of a crystalline silicon substrate, with a dopant of the opposite conductivity type from the silicon substrate added to said emitter layer; a passivation film is formed on the surface of the silicon substrate; and an extraction electrode and a collector electrode are formed. Said extraction electrode extracts photogenerated charge from the silicon substrate, and said collector electrode contacts the extraction electrode at least partially and collects the charge collected at the extraction electrode. The extraction electrode contains a first electrode that consists of a sintered conductive paste containing a dopant that makes silicon conductive. Said first electrode, at least, is formed so as to pass through the abovementioned passivation layer. The collection electrode contains a second electrode that has a higher conductivity than the aforementioned first electrode. This invention reduces contact-resistance losses between the silicon and the electrodes, resistance losses due to electrode resistance, and optical and electrical losses in the emitter layer, thereby greatly improving the characteristics of the solar cell. |
| US09887310B2 |
Semiconductor layered structure, method for producing semiconductor layered structure, and method for producing semiconductor device
A semiconductor layered structure includes a substrate formed of a III-V compound semiconductor, a buffer layer disposed on and in contact with the substrate and formed of a III-V compound semiconductor, and a quantum well layer disposed on and in contact with the buffer layer and including a plurality of component layers formed of III-V compound semiconductors. The substrate has a diameter of 55 mm or more. At least one of the component layers is formed of a mixed crystal of three or more elements. When the compound semiconductor forming the substrate has a lattice constant d1, the compound semiconductor forming the buffer layer has a lattice constant d2, and the compound semiconductors forming the quantum well layer have an average lattice constant d3, (d2−d1)/d1 is −3×10−3 or more and 3×10−3 or less, and (d3−d1)/d1 is −3×10−3 or more and 3×10−3 or less. |
| US09887309B2 |
Photovoltaic lead-salt semiconductor detectors
Disclosed is at least one embodiment of an infrared (IR) photovoltaic (PV) detector, comprising a IV-VI Lead (Pb)-salt layer disposed on a substrate and a charge-separation-junction (CSJ) structure associated with the IV-VI Pb-salt layer, wherein the CSJ structure comprises a plurality of element areas disposed upon or within the IV-VI Pb-salt layer, wherein the plurality of element areas are spaced apart from each other. Each element area may be connected to a first Ohmic contact thereby forming a plurality of interconnected first Ohmic contacts, and a second Ohmic contact may be disposed upon a portion of the IV-VI Pb-salt layer. In another non-limiting embodiment, a PV detector, comprising a heterojunction region that comprises at least one IV-VI Pb-salt material layer coupled to at least one non-Pb-salt layer, wherein the at least one IV-VI Pb-salt layer and the at least one non-Pb-salt layer form a p-n junction or Schottky junction with a type II band gap alignment. |
| US09887308B2 |
Solar cell unit
A solar cell unit having a semiconductor body formed as a solar cell, whereby the semiconductor body has a front side and a back side, and the solar cell unit has a carrier with a top side and a bottom side, whereby a first contact surface and a second contact surface are formed on the top side, and the first contact surface is spaced apart from the second contact surface and the contact surfaces are metallically conductive and the back side of the semiconductor body is non-positively connected to the top side of the carrier. The solar cell unit has a secondary optical element to guide light to the front side of the semiconductor body, whereby the secondary optical element has a bottom side and the bottom side is non-positively connected to the front side of the semiconductor body. |
| US09887305B2 |
Agglomerated precursor for manufacturing light absorption layer of solar cells and method of manufacturing the same
Disclosed are an aggregated precursor for manufacturing a light absorption layer of solar cells comprising a first phase comprising a copper (Cu)-containing chalcogenide and a second phase comprising an indium (In) and/or gallium (Ga)-containing chalcogenide wherein 30% or more aggregated precursors based on the total amount of precursors are divided into particle aggregates comprising first phases and/or second phases, or independent particles having first phases or second phases, in an ink solvent for manufacturing the light absorption layer, and a method of manufacturing the same. |
| US09887304B2 |
H2S reactive anneal to reduce carbon in nanoparticle-derived thin films
A method for preparing CIGS absorber layers using CIGS nanoparticles on a substrate comprises one or more annealing steps that involve heating the CIGS nanoparticle film(s) to dry the film and possibly to fuse the CIGS nanoparticles together to form CIGS crystals. Generally, at least the final annealing step will induce particle fusion to form CIGS crystals. Reactive gas annealing has been found to facilitate the growth of larger grains in the resulting CIGS absorber layers and lead to improved photovoltaic performance of those layers. It is suspected that the presence of carbon in CIGS nanoparticle films hinders grain growth and limits the size of crystals which can be obtained in CIGS films upon annealing. It has been discovered that exposing the CIGS nanoparticle films to a reactive atmosphere containing sulfur can decrease the amount of carbon in the film, resulting in the growth of larger CIGS crystals upon annealing. |
| US09887302B2 |
Schottky barrier diode
A Schottky barrier diode is provided, which includes a semiconductor substrate, a first well region, an isolation region, a silicide layer and a silicon oxide-containing layer. The first well region of a first conductivity type is in the semiconductor substrate. The isolation region is in the first well region. The silicide layer is laterally adjacent to the isolation region, and over and in contact with the first well region. The silicon oxide-containing layer is over and in contact with the isolation region. |
| US09887298B2 |
Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof
An embodiment is a semiconductor device which includes a first oxide semiconductor layer over a substrate having an insulating surface and including a crystalline region formed by growth from a surface of the first oxide semiconductor layer toward an inside; a second oxide semiconductor layer over the first oxide semiconductor layer; a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer which are in contact with the second oxide semiconductor layer; a gate insulating layer covering the second oxide semiconductor layer, the source electrode layer, and the drain electrode layer; and a gate electrode layer over the gate insulating layer and in a region overlapping with the second oxide semiconductor layer. The second oxide semiconductor layer is a layer including a crystal formed by growth from the crystalline region. |
| US09887295B2 |
Thin film transistor with multiple oxide semiconductor layers
A transistor having high field-effect mobility is provided. A transistor having stable electrical characteristics is provided. A transistor having small current in an off state (in a non-conductive state) is provided. A semiconductor device including such a transistor is provided. A first electrode is formed over a substrate, a first insulating layer is formed adjacent to a side surface of the first electrode, and a second insulating layer is formed to cover the first insulating layer and be in contact with at least part of a surface of the first electrode. The surface of the first electrode is formed of a conductive material that does not easily transmit an impurity element. The second insulating layer is formed of an insulating material that does not easily transmit an impurity element. An oxide semiconductor layer is formed over the first electrode with a third insulating layer provided therebetween. |
| US09887294B2 |
Display device and manufacturing method of the same
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for manufacturing a display device in which unevenness generated under a light-emitting element does not impart an adverse effect on the light-emitting element. It is another object of the invention to provide a method for manufacturing a display device in which penetration of water into the inside of the display device through a film having high moisture permeability can be suppressed without increasing processing steps considerably. A display device of the present invention comprises a thin film transistor and a light-emitting element, the light-emitting element including a light-emitting laminated body interposed between a first electrode and a second electrode; wherein the first electrode is formed over an insulating film formed over the thin film transistor; and wherein a planarizing film is formed in response to the first electrode between the first electrode and the insulating film. |
| US09887291B2 |
Semiconductor device, display device including the semiconductor device, display module including the display device, and electronic device including the semiconductor device, the display device, or the display module
A change in electrical characteristics is suppressed and reliability is improved in a semiconductor device provided with a transistor including an oxide semiconductor. A semiconductor device includes a transistor. The transistor includes a gate electrode, a first insulating film over the gate electrode, a second insulating film over the first insulating film, an oxide semiconductor film over the second insulating film, a first buffer film over the oxide semiconductor film, a second buffer film over the oxide semiconductor film, a source electrode electrically connected with the oxide semiconductor film, and a drain electrode electrically connected with the oxide semiconductor film. The source electrode is electrically connected with the oxide semiconductor film through the first buffer film. The drain electrode is electrically connected with the oxide semiconductor film through the second buffer film. |
| US09887287B1 |
Power semiconductor devices having gate trenches with implanted sidewalls and related methods
Semiconductor devices include a semiconductor layer structure having a wide band-gap semiconductor drift region having a first conductivity type. A gate trench is provided in an upper portion of the semiconductor layer structure, the gate trench having first and second opposed sidewalls that extend in a first direction in the upper portion of the semiconductor layer structure. These devices further include a deep shielding pattern having a second conductivity type that is opposite the first conductivity type in the semiconductor layer structure underneath a bottom surface of the gate trench, and a deep shielding connection pattern that has the second conductivity type in the first sidewall of the gate trench. The devices include a semiconductor channel region that has the first conductivity type in the second sidewall of the gate trench. |
| US09887283B2 |
Process method and structure for high voltage MOSFETs
This invention discloses a semiconductor power device disposed in a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor power device comprises a plurality of trenches each having a trench endpoint with an endpoint sidewall perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the trench and extends vertically downward from a top surface to a trench bottom surface. The semiconductor power device further includes a trench bottom dopant region disposed below the trench bottom surface and a sidewall dopant region disposed along the endpoint sidewall wherein the sidewall dopant region extends vertically downward along the endpoint sidewall of the trench to reach the trench bottom dopant region and pick-up the trench bottom dopant region to the top surface of the semiconductor substrate. |
| US09887276B2 |
Method for manufacturing semiconductor device having oxide semiconductor
Disclosed is a method to manufacture a thin film transistor having an oxide semiconductor as a channel formation region. The method includes; forming an oxide semiconductor layer over a gate insulating layer; forming a source and drain electrode layers over and in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer so that at least portion of the oxide semiconductor layer is exposed; and forming an oxide insulating film over and in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer. The exposed portion of the oxide semiconductor may be exposed to a gas containing oxygen in the presence of plasma before the formation of the oxide insulating film. The method allows oxygen to be diffused into the oxide semiconductor layer, which contributes to the excellent characteristics of the thin film transistor. |
| US09887274B2 |
FinFETs and methods for forming the same
A FinFET and methods for forming a FinFET are disclosed. A method includes forming trenches in a semiconductor substrate to form a fin, depositing an insulating material within the trenches, and removing a portion of the insulating material to expose sidewalls of the fin. The method also includes recessing a portion of the exposed sidewalls of the fin to form multiple recessed surfaces on the exposed sidewalls of the fin, wherein adjacent recessed surfaces of the multiple recessed surfaces are separated by a lattice shift. The method also includes depositing a gate dielectric on the recessed portion of the sidewalls of the fin and depositing a gate electrode on the gate dielectric. |
| US09887270B2 |
Silicon carbide semiconductor device and method of manufacturing silicon carbide semiconductor device
A silicon carbide semiconductor device includes an n+-type SiC substrate, a gate oxide film formed on a portion of the surface of the n+-type SiC substrate, a gate electrode formed on the gate oxide film, an interlayer insulating film formed so as to cover the gate electrode, a TiN film formed so as to cover the interlayer insulating film, and a Ni silicide layer formed on a surface of the n+-type SiC substrate not covered by the interlayer insulating film. The TiN film has two or more layers. |
| US09887269B2 |
Multi-gate device and method of fabrication thereof
A semiconductor device includes a source/drain feature disposed over a substrate. The source/drain feature includes a first nanowire, a second nanowire disposed over the first nanowire, a cladding layer disposed over the first nanowire and the second nanowire and a spacer layer extending from the first nanowire to the second nanowire. The device also includes a conductive feature disposed directly on the source/drain feature such that the conductive feature physically contacts the cladding layer and the spacer layer. |
| US09887268B2 |
Capacitively-coupled field-plate structures for semiconductor devices
Field-plate structures are disclosed for electrical field management in semiconductor devices. A field-plate semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor substrate, a first ohmic contact and a second ohmic contact disposed over the semiconductor substrate, one or more coupling capacitors, and one or more capacitively-coupled field plates disposed over the semiconductor substrate between the first ohmic contact and the second ohmic contact. Each of the capacitively-coupled field plates is capacitively coupled to the first ohmic contact through one of the coupling capacitors, the coupling capacitor having a first terminal electrically connected to the first ohmic contact and a second terminal electrically connected to the capacitively-coupled field plate. |
| US09887265B2 |
MOSFET with ultra low drain leakage
A semiconductor device includes a monocrystalline substrate configured to form a channel region between two recesses in the substrate. A gate conductor is formed on a passivation layer over the channel region. Dielectric pads are formed in a bottom of the recesses and configured to prevent leakage to the substrate. Source and drain regions are formed in the recesses on the dielectric pads from a deposited non-crystalline n-type material with the source and drain regions making contact with the channel region. |
| US09887264B2 |
Nanowire field effect transistor (FET) and method for fabricating the same
A semiconductor structure includes a plurality of semiconductor fins located on a semiconductor substrate, in which each of the semiconductor fins comprises a sequential stack of a buffered layer including a III-V semiconductor material and a channel layer including a III-V semiconductor material. The semiconductor structure further includes a gap filler material surrounding the semiconductor fins and including a plurality of trenches therein. The released portions of the channel layers of the semiconductor fins located in the trenches constitute nanowire channels of the semiconductor structure, and opposing end portions of the channel layers of the semiconductor fins located outside of the trenches constitute a source region and a drain region of the semiconductor structure, respectively. In addition, the semiconductor structure further includes a plurality of gates structures located within the trenches that surround the nanowire channels in a gate all around configuration. |
| US09887262B2 |
Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor layer and a first insulating film provided on the semiconductor layer. The first insulating film has a surface opposite to the semiconductor layer, the surface including a first portion, a second portion and a third portion between the first portion and the second portion. The device includes a first interconnection provided on a first portion and a second interconnection provided on the second portion. The first interconnection and the second interconnection extend in a first direction. The device further includes a conductor and a nitride layer. The conductor extends through the first insulating film in a second direction from each of the first interconnection and the second interconnection toward the semiconductor layer, and the conductor electrically connects the first interconnection to the semiconductor layer. The nitrided layer is provided at least on the third surface. |
| US09887261B2 |
Charge compensation device and manufacturing therefor
A charge-compensation semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body having a first surface, a lateral edge delimiting the semiconductor body in a horizontal direction substantially parallel to the first surface, an active area, and a peripheral area arranged between the active area and the lateral edge. A source metallization is arranged on the first surface. A drain metallization is arranged opposite to the source metallization. The semiconductor body further includes a drift region in Ohmic contact with the drain metallization, and a plurality of compensation regions forming respective pn-junctions with the drift region, which are arranged in the active area and in the peripheral area, and are in Ohmic contact with the source metallization via respective body regions arranged in the active area and having a higher doping concentration than the compensation regions. In a horizontal cross-section substantially parallel to the first surface the compensation regions are at least in a respective portion shaped as a strip oriented in a direction which is tilted with respect to the lateral edge by a tilt angle. |
| US09887260B2 |
Semiconductor device and semiconductor device manufacturing method
A first parallel pn layer in which first n-type regions and first p-type regions are disposed in a plan view layout of stripes in an element active portion. A second parallel pn layer has a plan view layout of stripes oriented in the same direction as that of the stripes of the first parallel pn layer in a breakdown voltage structure portion. Corner portions of the first parallel pn layer has a plan view shape where stepped regions formed by shortening the length of the first n-type and p-type regions in steps are disposed in a stepwise arrangement. The stepped regions continue with a second parallel pn layer via an intermediate region lower in average impurity concentration than the first parallel pn layer. |
| US09887256B2 |
Display device
A display device includes a display portion defining a display area and including a plurality of pixels, a scan driver disposed in a non-display area that is outside of the display area, and a plurality of scan connection lines. Each of the pixels is connected to a scan line from among a plurality of scan lines and a data line from among a plurality of data lines. The scan connection lines connect the scan driver to the scan lines. Each of the scan connection lines is connected to one of the scan lines through a contact hole disposed in at least one insulating layer, which is disposed between the scan lines and the scan connection lines in a cross-sectional view. |
| US09887254B2 |
Double-side OLED display
A double-side OLED display is disclosed. The double-side OLED display includes a base layer and an OLED layer disposed on the base layer. The OLED layer includes a first display region and a second display region. The base layer and the OLED layer are folded such that the first display region and the second display region respectively face toward opposite directions; the base layer is located at an outside. The present invention can simplify the production process, increase the production capacity, decrease the thickness of the product, and sufficiently utilizing the base layer such that the base layer can protect the OLED layer. Besides, because the displaying at both sides is emitting at a bottom, the base layer located at outside can provide a flat display surface to improve the display quality. |
| US09887246B2 |
Organic light emitting display panel and device with a black bank in a planarization layer
An organic light-emitting display panel can improve the color purity and color gamut by reducing optical interference between adjacent pixel areas.A black bank layer is disposed on a planarization layer, such that it is possible to suppress light emitted from an organic emission layer from being reflected via various paths to be scattered to adjacent pixel areas. In addition, the black bank layer comes in contact with a color filter layer via holes formed in the planarization layer to thereby reduce optical interference between adjacent pixel areas.In this manner, the color purity and color gamut of displayed images can be improved, and a display device with excellent image quality can be implemented. |
| US09887245B2 |
Image device with improved chrominance quality
An image device includes a plurality of red sub-pixels, a plurality of green sub-pixels, a plurality of blue sub-pixels, a plurality of white sub-pixels, and a plurality of yellow sub-pixels. A ratio of the total number of red sub-pixels to the total number of green sub-pixels to the total number of blue sub-pixels to the total number of white sub-pixels and to the total number of yellow sub-pixels is about 3:3:3:2:1. |
| US09887244B2 |
Organic light-emitting device
An organic light-emitting device that includes a first electrode, a second electrode facing the first electrode, an emission layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, and a hole transport region between the first electrode and the emission layer is presented. The emission layer includes a first compound represented by Formula 1, and the hole transport region includes a second compound represented by Formula 2: |
| US09887242B2 |
Complementary metal oxide semiconductor element and manufacture method thereof
Disclosed is a CMOS element. The CMOS element comprises a substrate, a first metal layer, an insulation layer and a first type metal oxide semiconductor layer; and the element further comprises a first, a second and a third metal parts which are located on the insulation layer, and the first and the second metal parts are located at two sides of the first type metal oxide semiconductor layer and both contacts therewith; a second type organic semiconductor layer, located in a gap between the second, and the third metal parts and on the second, the third metal parts where are adjacent to the gap; a passivation layer, located on the first, the second and the third metal parts, the first type metal oxide semiconductor layer and the second type organic semiconductor layer; a third metal layer located on the passivation layer corresponding to the second type organic semiconductor layer. |
| US09887239B2 |
Memory arrays
Some embodiments include memory arrays. The memory arrays can have global bitlines extending along a first horizontal direction, vertical local bitlines extending perpendicularly from the global bitlines, and wordlines extending along a second horizontal direction which is perpendicular to the first horizontal direction. The global bitlines may be subdivided into a first series at a first elevational level, and a second series at a second elevational level which is different from the first elevational level. The global bitlines of the first series can alternate with the global bitlines of the second series. There can be memory cell material directly between the wordlines and the vertical local bitlines. The memory cell material may form a plurality of memory cells uniquely addressed by wordline/global bitline combinations. Some embodiments include cross-point memory cell units that have areas of about 2F2. |
| US09887237B2 |
Magnetic storage device
According to an embodiment, a magnetic storage device includes a semiconductor region including a trench; a gate electrode disposed in the trench; an insulation film covering the gate electrode and provided in a manner to fill the trench; and a magnetoresistive effect element including at least a first ferromagnetic layer, a second ferromagnetic layer, and a non-magnetic layer provided between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer, the non-magnetic layer in a side surface of the magnetoresistive effect element including the non-magnetic layer being provided on a top surface of the insulation film. |
| US09887236B2 |
Display device and electronic device
To improve color reproduction areas in a display device having light-emitting elements. A display region has a plurality of picture elements. Each picture element includes: first and second pixels each including a light-emitting element which has a chromaticity whose x-coordinate in a CIE-XY chromaticity diagram is 0.50 or more; third and fourth pixels each including a light-emitting element which has a chromaticity whose y-coordinate in the diagram is 0.55 or more; and fifth and sixth pixels each including a light-emitting element which has a chromaticity whose x-coordinate and y-coordinate in the diagram are 0.20 or less and 0.25 or less, respectively. The light-emitting elements in the first and second pixels have different emission spectrums from each other; the light-emitting elements in the third and fourth pixels have different emission spectrums from each other; and the light-emitting elements in the fifth and sixth pixels have different emission spectrums from each other. |
| US09887233B2 |
Semiconductor device and manufacturing method therefor
Disclosed are a semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the semiconductor device that is capable of adequately reducing the influence of inter-wiring capacitance even when a photoelectric conversion element is progressively miniaturized. A plurality of transfer transistors each include a photoelectric conversion element and a signal output section. A plurality of other transistors include at least one signal input/output section that is electrically coupled to the transfer transistors. An interlayer insulating film is formed so as to cover the transfer transistors and the other transistors. A total of at least three of at least one signal output section of the transfer transistors and at least one signal input/output section of the other transistors are coupled by a coupling layer that includes a conductor filled into a groove formed in the interlayer insulating film. |
| US09887230B2 |
Separation type unit pixel of image sensor having three-dimensional structure
The present invention introduces a separation type unit pixel of an image sensor having a three-dimensional (3D) structure, which is capable of maximizing transmission efficient of a charge generated through a photodiode to a floating diffusion area. The separation type unit pixel may include a first wafer on which a photodiode and a transmission transistor are formed and a second wafer on which a reset transistor and a source follower transistor are formed. In particular, the photodiode has a positive region to which an N_ground voltage is applied, the N_ground voltage having a lower voltage level than a ground voltage used in the second wafer. |
| US09887229B2 |
Sensing chip package and a manufacturing method thereof
This present invention provides a method of manufacturing a chip scale sensing chip package, comprising the steps of: providing a sensing device wafer having a first top surface and a first bottom surface opposite to each other, whereby the sensing device wafer comprises a plurality of chip areas, and each of the chip areas comprising a sensing device and a plurality of conductive pads adjacent to the sensing chip nearby the first top surface; providing a cap wafer having a second top surface and a second bottom surface opposite to each other, and bonding the second surface of the cap wafer to the first top surface of the sensing device wafer by sandwiching a first adhesive layer therebetween; providing a temporary carrier substrate, and bonding the temporary carrier substrate to the second top surface of the cap wafer by sandwiching a second adhesive layer therebetween; forming a wiring layer connecting to each of the conductive pads on the first bottom surface of the sensing device wafer; providing a first protective layer on the wiring layer; removing the temporary carrier substrate and the second adhesive layer; forming a second protective layer on the second top surface; removing the first protective layer; scribing the chip areas to generate a plurality of individual chip scale sensing chip package; and removing the second protective layer. |
| US09887228B2 |
Image sensor with oblique pick up plug and semiconductor structure comprising the same
An image sensor includes a substrate, multiple pixel regions separately disposed in the substrate, and a pick up region including a doping region and a pick up plug obliquely disposed on the doping region and directly contacting the doping region. |
| US09887225B2 |
Pixel with spacer layer covering photodiode
A semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate. An isolation feature is disposed in the semiconductor substrate to define a pixel region and a periphery region of the semiconductor substrate. A transistor gate is formed on the semiconductor substrate in the pixel region, in which the transistor gate has a first sidewall and a second sidewall opposite to the first sidewall. A photodiode is disposed in the semiconductor substrate and adjacent to the second sidewall of the transistor gate. A patterned spacer layer is formed on the photodiode and on the transistor gate. The patterned spacer layer includes a first sidewall spacer on the first sidewall of the transistor gate, and a protective structure covering the photodiode and a top surface of the transistor gate. |
| US09887223B2 |
Solid-state imaging device, manufacturing method thereof, and electronic apparatus
Disclosed is a solid-state imaging device including: a solid-state imaging element which outputs an image signal according to an amount of light sensed on a light sensing surface; a semiconductor element which performs signal processing with respect to the image signal output from the solid-state imaging element; and a substrate which is electrically connected to the solid-state imaging element and the semiconductor element, in which the semiconductor element is sealed by a molding resin in a state of being accommodated in an accommodation area which is provided on the substrate, and in which the solid-state imaging element is layered on the semiconductor element via the molding resin. |
| US09887217B2 |
Pixels of image sensors, image sensors including the pixels, and image processing systems including the image sensors
Pixels of image sensors are provided. The pixels may include a photo diode configured to accumulate photocharges generated therein corresponding to incident light during a first period, a storage diode configured to store photocharges accumulated in the photo diode and a storage gate configured to control transfer of the photocharges accumulated in the photo diode to the storage diode. The storage gate may include a vertical gate structure extending toward the photo diode. |
| US09887215B2 |
Display module manufacturing method and display module
A display module substrate and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. The display module substrate includes a substrate body and a plurality of signal circuits. The substrate body has a supporting surface. The supporting surface includes a viewing area and a signal circuit area on one side of the viewing area. The signal circuits are disposed on the supporting surface and located at the signal circuit area. The signal circuit area has a plurality of apertures running through the substrate body, wherein the apertures are not shielded by the signal circuits. In a manufacturing thereof, the substrate body is disposed on a transparent carrier plate. When high-energy light is applied through the transparent carrier plate to etch a bottom surface of the substrate body to separate the substrate body and the transparent carrier plate, the resulting gas leaves through the apertures. |
| US09887213B2 |
Method for manufacturing thin film transistor and related active layer for thin film transistor, thin film transistor, array substrate, and display apparatus
The present disclosure provides a method for forming an active layer with a pattern. The method includes forming an amorphous silicon layer and forming a function layer on the amorphous silicon layer. The function layer has a same pattern as the active layer. The method further includes performing a crystallization process for converting the amorphous silicon layer to a poly-silicon layer. The poly-silicon layer has first portions covered by the function layer and second portions not covered by the function layer, and grain sizes of the poly-silicon in the first portions are larger than grain sizes of the poly-silicon in the second portions. |
| US09887208B2 |
Vertical memory device
A memory device may include a peripheral region and a cell region. The peripheral region may include a first substrate, a plurality of circuit elements disposed on the first substrate, a first insulating layer disposed on the plurality of circuit elements, and a first protective layer disposed in the first insulating layer. The cell region may include a second substrate disposed on the first insulating layer, wherein the cell region includes a first impurity region, a channel region extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to an upper surface of the second substrate, a plurality of gate electrode layers stacked on the second substrate and adjacent to the channel region, and a first contact electrically connected to the first impurity region, wherein the first protective layer is disposed below the first impurity region, and has a shape corresponding to a shape of the first impurity region. |
| US09887205B2 |
Ferroelectric mechanical memory and method
A method of making a memory device comprising a base; a capacitor comprising a ferroelectric layer and at least two electrically conductive layers, the ferroelectric layer being located between the at least two electrically conductive layers; each of the at least two conductive layers being operatively connected to a current source; a cantilever attached to the base at first end and movable at a second end, the ferroelectric capacitor being mounted to the cantilever such that the second end of the cantilever moves a predetermined displacement upon application of a current to the ferroelectric layer which induces deformation of the ferroelectric layer thereby causing displacement of the cantilever which is operatively associated with a contact so that an electrical connection is enabled with the contact upon the predetermined displacement of the cantilever. The presence or absence of a connection forms two states of a memory cell. |
| US09887203B2 |
3D semiconductor device and structure
A 3D semiconductor device including: a first layer including a first monocrystalline layer, the first layer including first logic cells; a second layer including a monocrystalline semiconductor layer, the second layer overlying the first layer, the second layer including second transistors, where the logic cells include a Look-Up-Table logic cell, and where the second transistors are aligned to the first logic cells with less than 200 nm alignment error. |
| US09887194B2 |
Semiconductor devices and methods of fabricating the same
A semiconductor device and a method of fabricating the same are provided. The semiconductor device includes a fin which comprises long sides and a first short side, a first trench which is immediately adjacent the first short side of the fin and has a first depth, a second trench which is immediately adjacent the first trench and has a second depth greater than the first depth, a first protrusion structure which protrudes from a bottom of the first trench and extends side by side with the first short side, and a gate which is formed on the first protrusion structure to extend side by side with the first short side. |
| US09887188B2 |
Electro-static discharge structure, circuit including the same and method of using the same
An electro-static discharge (ESD) structure includes an input pad, and a first switching device electrically connected to the input pad. The ESD structure further includes a first diode, wherein the first switching device is configured to selectively connect the first diode to the input pad, and the first diode is configured to provide a first dissipation path for an ESD event at the input pad. The ESD structure further includes a second diode selectively connectable to the input pad, wherein the second diode is configured to provide a second dissipation path for the ESD event at the input pad. |
| US09887187B2 |
Semiconductor device for preventing field inversion
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor layer having an element formation region in which a semiconductor element is formed. An element isolation well is formed in a surface portion of the semiconductor layer to isolate the element formation region. A field insulating film is formed on a surface of the semiconductor layer. The field insulating film surrounds the element formation region in an annular shape when viewed from a top. An interlayer insulating film is formed on the semiconductor layer. A wiring is formed on the interlayer insulating film. A conductive film is formed on the field insulating film. |
| US09887173B2 |
Method for producing structured sintered connection layers, and semiconductor element having a structured sintered connection layer
A method for producing a sinter layer connection between a substrate and a chip resulting in an electric and thermal connection therebetween and in reduced mechanical tensions within the chip. The method produces a sinter layer by applying a multitude of sinter elements of a base material forming the sinter layer in structured manner on a contact area of a main surface of a substrate; placing a chip to be joined to the substrate on the sinter elements; and heating and compressing the sinter elements to produce a structured sinter layer connecting the substrate and chip and extending within the contact area, the surface coverage density of the sinter elements on the substrate in a center region of the contact area being greater than the surface coverage density of the sinter elements in an edge region of the contact area, and at least one through channel, extending laterally as to the substrate's main surface being provided towards the contact area's edge. A large-area sinter element is situated in the contact area's center region, and circular sinter elements is situated in a contact area edge region. The sinter elements may also have notches. Also described is a related device. |
| US09887171B2 |
Semiconductor device having semiconductor chip with large and small irregularities on upper and lower side surface portions thereof
A semiconductor device has a semiconductor chip adhesively bonded to a die pad. An area having large irregularities is formed on an upper side surface of the semiconductor chip to be covered by an encapsulating resin, and an area having small irregularities is formed on a lower side surface of the semiconductor chip, thereby improving adhesive strength between the semiconductor chip and the encapsulating resin and preventing penetration of moisture from outside. |
| US09887167B1 |
Embedded component package structure and method of manufacturing the same
A package structure includes a carrier defining a cavity in which a die is disposed. A dielectric material fills the cavity around the die. A first conductive layer is disposed over a first surface of the carrier. A first dielectric layer is disposed over an active surface of the die, the first conductive layer and the first surface of the carrier. A first conductive pattern is disposed over the first dielectric layer, and is electrically connected to the first conductive layer and to the active surface of the die. A second dielectric layer is disposed over the second surface of the carrier and defines a hole having a wall aligned with a sidewall of the cavity. A second conductive layer is disposed over the second dielectric layer. A third conductive layer is disposed on the sidewall of the cavity and the wall of the second dielectric layer. |
| US09887166B2 |
Integrated circuit assemblies with reinforcement frames, and methods of manufacture
An assembly with modules (110, 1310) containing integrated circuits and attached to a wiring substrate (120) is reinforced by one or more reinforcement frames (410) attached to the wiring substrate. The modules are located in openings (e.g. cavities and/or through-holes 414) in the reinforcement frame. Other features are also provided. |
| US09887160B2 |
Multiple pre-clean processes for interconnect fabrication
A method of making an interconnect structure includes forming an opening within a dielectric material layer disposed on a substrate including a conductive material, the opening extending from a first surface to a second surface of the dielectric material layer and being in contact with a portion of the substrate; performing a plasma treatment process to chemically enrich exposed surfaces of the dielectric material that line the opening to form a chemically-enriched dielectric surface layer that included an element in a higher concentration than a remaining portion of the dielectric material layer; performing a chemical treatment process to remove a metal contact product from the portion of the substrate that is in contact with the opening; and disposing a conductive material in the opening to substantially fill the opening and form the interconnect structure. |
| US09887159B1 |
Semiconductor device and method for fabricating the same
A method for fabricating semiconductor device includes the steps of: providing a substrate having a first semiconductor layer, an insulating layer, and a second semiconductor layer; forming an active device on the substrate; forming an interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer on the substrate and the active device; forming a mask layer on the ILD layer; removing part of the mask layer, part of the ILD layer, and part of the insulating layer to form a first contact hole; forming a patterned mask on the mask layer and into the first contact hole; and removing part of the mask layer and part of the ILD layer to form a second contact hole exposing part of the active device. |
| US09887158B1 |
Conductive structure having an entrenched high resistive layer
A conductive structure includes a substrate including a first dielectric layer formed thereon, a first trench formed in the first dielectric layer, a first barrier layer formed in the first trench, a first nucleation layer formed on the first barrier layer, a first metal layer formed on the first nucleation layer, and a first high resistive layer sandwiched in between the first barrier layer and the first metal layer. |
| US09887157B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same
A semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The semiconductor device includes a substrate on which a contact region and a cell region are defined, sub-patterns formed in the contact region, on the substrate, and insulating patterns and conductive patterns stacked alternately along the sub-patterns. |
| US09887156B2 |
Backside device contact
A back-side device structure with a silicon-on-insulator substrate that includes a device layer, a buried insulator layer, a trench that extends through the device layer and that partially extends through the buried insulator layer, at least one dielectric layer that is formed on the device layer and includes a first opening that communicates with the trench and a contact plug that fills the trench. A final substrate is connected to the buried insulator layer such that the contact plug contacts metallization of the final substrate. The contact plug is externally connected with a source to provide signals to the back-side device structure through a wire formed in the at least one dielectric layer. |
| US09887155B2 |
Multiple metal layer semiconductor device and low temperature stacking method of fabricating the same
A semiconductor device including a conductive element and an interface surface fabricated atop the conductive element, and a method for fabricating such a device are described. An exemplary device includes a substrate having a conductive element and a metal layer fabricated atop the conductive element. An oxide layer is fabricated atop the metal layer, thus forming an interface surface. During polishing (e.g., planarization), in which an upper portion of the interface surface is removed, the presence of the interface surface greatly reduces the loading on the conductive element. A second substrate fabricated using the same process may be stacked atop the first substrate and bonded using a hybrid bonding process. |
| US09887154B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the semiconductor device
A semiconductor device includes an insulating substrate including a substrate, a metal pattern formed on an upper surface of the substrate, and a metal film formed on a lower surface of the substrate, a semiconductor element fixed on the metal pattern, a case surrounding the metal pattern and having a contact portion maintained in contact with the upper surface of the substrate, and an adhesive with which the case and a portion of the upper surface of the substrate outside a portion maintained in contact with the contact portion are bonded together, wherein a plurality of through holes are formed in a peripheral portion of the case, the through holes extending vertically through the case, and wherein the metal film exists in at least part of a place right below the contact portion. |
| US09887153B2 |
Circuit redistribution structure unit and method for manufacturing circuit redistribution structure
A method for manufacturing a circuit redistribution structure includes the following steps. A first dielectric is formed on a carrier. Conductive blind vias are formed in the first dielectric. A first circuit redistribution layer is formed on the first dielectric. A second dielectric is formed on the first dielectric. First and second holes are formed on the second dielectric. A trench is formed in the second dielectric to divide the second dielectric into first and second portions. A first portion of the first circuit redistribution layer and the first hole are disposed in the first portion of the second dielectric, and a second portion of the first circuit redistribution layer and the second hole are disposed in the second portion of the second dielectric. Conductive blind vias are formed in the first and second holes, and a second circuit redistribution layer is formed on the second dielectric. |
| US09887151B2 |
Semiconductor device
To improve the reliability of a semiconductor device. A chip mounting portion TAB5 is arranged to be shifted to the +x direction side. Further, a gate electrode pad of a semiconductor chip CHP1 (LV) and a pad of a semiconductor chip CHP3 are electrically coupled by a wire W1a and a wire W1b through a relay lead RL1. Likewise, a gate electrode pad of a semiconductor chip CHP1 (LW) and the pad of the semiconductor chip CHP3 are electrically coupled by a wire W1c and a wire W1d through a relay lead RL2. At this time, the structures of parts of the relay leads RL1 and RL2, which are exposed from a sealing body MR are different from the structures of respective parts exposed from the sealing body MR, of a plurality of leads LD1 and LD2 which function as external terminals. |
| US09887149B2 |
Cavity package with die attach pad
A cavity package is provided. The package can include a metal leadframe and a substrate attached to an interposer formed as part of the leadframe. The substrate typically has a coefficient of thermal expansion matched to the coefficient of thermal expansion of a semiconductor device to be affixed to the substrate. The semiconductor device is typically attached to an exposed top surface of the substrate. The cavity package also includes a plastic portion molded to the leadframe forming a substrate cavity. The substrate cavity allows access to the exposed top surface of the substrate for affixing the semiconductor device. The cavity package also include a connective element for grounding a lid through an electrical path from the lid to the interposer. |
| US09887146B2 |
Method and apparatus for chip cooling
In one embodiment, the invention is a method and apparatus for chip cooling. One embodiment of an apparatus for cooling a heat-generating device includes an inlet for receiving a fluid, a manifold comprising a plurality of apertures formed therein for decreasing the pressure of the fluid from a first pressure by adiabatic expansion for impinging the fluid on the heat-generating device once the pressure of the fluid is decreased from the first pressure. |
| US09887144B2 |
Ring structure for chip packaging
A ring structure for chip packaging comprises a frame portion adaptable to bond to a substrate and at least one corner portion. The frame portion surrounds a semiconductor chip and defines an inside opening, and the inside opening exposes a portion of a surface of the substrate. The at least one corner portion extends from a corner of the frame portion toward the chip, and the corner portion is free of a sharp corner. |
| US09887143B2 |
Surface mount device package having improved reliability
A semiconductor package for mounting to a printed circuit board (PCB) includes a case comprising a ceramic base, a semiconductor die in the case, a mounting pad under the ceramic base and coupled to the semiconductor die through at least one opening in the ceramic base. The mounting pad includes at least one layer having a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) approximately matching a CTE of the ceramic base. The mounting pad includes at least one layer having a low-yield strength of equal to or less than 200 MPa. The mounting pad includes at least one copper layer and at least one molybdenum layer. The semiconductor package also includes a bond pad coupled to another mounting pad under the ceramic base through a conductive slug in the ceramic base. |
| US09887140B2 |
Wafer processing method
There is provided a wafer processing method for dividing a wafer having a plurality of devices formed in regions partitioned by a plurality of crossing division lines on a front surface of a substrate having a birefringent crystal structure, into individual device chips. The wafer processing method includes a detection step of detecting the division line formed on the front surface of the wafer by an imaging unit from the back side of the wafer. In the detection step, a polarizer disposed on an optical axis connecting an imaging element and an image forming lens provided in the imaging unit intercepts extraordinary light appearing due to birefringence in the substrate and guides ordinary light to the imaging element. |
| US09887132B2 |
Method for forming semiconductor structure
A semiconductor structure and a method for forming the semiconductor structure are provided. In various embodiments, the method for forming a semiconductor structure includes following steps. A structure on a semiconductor substrate is received, which the structure includes at least two conductive lines and a shorting bridge, and the conductive lines electrically connected to each other through the shorting bridge. The shorting bridge is insulated to make the conductive lines electrically isolated to each other. |
| US09887130B2 |
FinFET device and method of forming the same
Provided is a FinFET device including a substrate having at least one fin, a gate stack, a spacer, a strained layer and a composite etching stop layer. The gate stack is across the at least one fin. The spacer is on a sidewall of the gate stack. The strained layer is in the substrate aside the gate stack. The composite etching stop layer is on the spacer and on the strained layer. Besides, the composite etching stop layer is thicker on the spacer but thinner on the strained layer. |
| US09887128B2 |
Method and structure for interconnection
The present disclosure provides a method of fabricating a semiconductor structure in accordance with some embodiments. The method includes forming a first low-k dielectric layer over a substrate; forming a first and second metal features in the first low-k dielectric layer; forming a first trench in the first low-k dielectric layer, the first trench spanning between the first and second metal features; performing a ultraviolet (UV) treatment to sidewalls of the first low-k dielectric layer in the first trench; forming a first etch stop layer in the first trench; and depositing a second low-k dielectric layer on the first etch stop layer, thereby forming an air gap in the first trench. |
| US09887126B2 |
Structure of dual damascene structures having via hole and trench
A structure and a formation method of a semiconductor device structure are provided. The semiconductor device structure includes a semiconductor substrate and a conductive feature over the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor device structure also includes a dielectric layer over the conductive feature and the semiconductor substrate and a via hole in the dielectric layer. The via hole has an oval cross section. The semiconductor device structure further includes a trench in the dielectric layer, and the via hole extends from a bottom portion of the trench. The trench has a trench width wider than a hole width of the via hole. In addition, the semiconductor device structure includes one or more conductive materials filling the via hole and the trench and electrically connected to the conductive feature. |
| US09887121B2 |
Protective cover for electrostatic chuck
A protective cover for an electrostatic chuck may include a conductive wafer and a plasma resistant ceramic layer on at least one surface of the conductive wafer. The plasma resistant ceramic layer covers a top surface of the conductive wafer, side walls of the conductive wafer and an outer perimeter of a bottom surface of the conductive wafer. Alternatively, a protective cover for an electrostatic chuck may include a plasma resistant bulk sintered ceramic wafer and a conductive layer on a portion of a bottom surface of the plasma resistant bulk sintered ceramic wafer, wherein a perimeter of the bottom surface is not covered. |
| US09887120B2 |
Apparatus for treating surfaces of wafer-shaped articles
A rotary chuck for processing wafer-shaped articles comprises a chuck body having a series of gripping pins that are movable by sliding horizontally and in unison relative to the chuck body from a first position in which the gripping pins are relatively more retracted into the chuck body to a second position in which the gripping pins are relatively more extended from the chuck body and in which the gripping pins are positioned so as to support a wafer-shaped article of a predetermined diameter. |
| US09887118B2 |
Wafer processing laminate, temporary adhesive material for wafer processing, and method for manufacturing thin wafer
A wafer processing laminate including a support, a temporary adhesive material layer formed on the support, and a wafer laminated on the temporary adhesive material layer, the wafer having a circuit-forming front surface and back surface to be processed, wherein the temporary adhesive material layer includes a complex temporary adhesive material layer having two-layered structure including a first temporary adhesive layer composed of a thermoplastic organopolysiloxane polymer layer (A) having a film thickness of less than 100 nm and a second temporary adhesive layer composed of a thermosetting siloxane-modified polymer layer (B), the first temporary adhesive layer being releasably laminated to the front surface of the wafer, the second temporary adhesive layer being releasably laminated to the first temporary adhesive layer and the support. A temporary adhesive material for a wafer processing which withstand a thermal process at high temperature exceeding 300° C., facilitating temporary adhesion and delamination. |
| US09887113B2 |
Semiconductor chip tray
A semiconductor chip tray is provided that includes a support plate, a first protruding portion, a second protruding portion and a recess. The first protruding portion forms a housing space for a semiconductor chip by being provided on a top surface of the support plate. The second protruding portion is provided on a bottom surface of the support plate, and is fitted to an outer periphery of the first protruding portion of another semiconductor chip tray when the tray is stacked so as to overlap the other tray. The recess is provided on the bottom surface of the support plate. The recess faces a part of the first protruding portion of another chip tray when the tray is stacked so as to overlap the other tray. The recess is formed extending up to an outside of the first protruding portion from the housing space formed by the first protruding portion. |
| US09887108B2 |
Gas supply device and substrate processing apparatus
A shower head 13 (gas supply device) of supplying a processing gas and an additional gas from a processing gas supply source and an additional gas source, respectively, into a processing space S includes multiple gas distribution plates 28 to 31, the cooling plate 32, and the cover plate 33 stacked in sequence. A peripheral gas diffusion space 35 and an outermost gas diffusion space 36 are formed in the undermost gas distribution plate 28. At least one gas supply path for supplying the processing gas and additional gas into any one of the peripheral gas diffusion space and the outermost gas diffusion space is formed at each of the gas distribution plates. The gas supply path is branched into multiple lines and distances from the processing gas supply source to front ends of the respective branch lines are set to be all the same. |
| US09887105B2 |
Manufacturing method of semiconductor device
An object of the present invention is to improve the reliability and productivity of a semiconductor device by suppressing generation of a resin burr in a molding process. In a mold die, a tip-end surface of each push-up pin provided on the rear surface side of a lower die cavity block and a part of the rear surface of the lower die cavity block with which the tip-end surface of each push-up pin is contacted are inclined in such a manner that a distance to a top surface of the lower die cavity block becomes longer towards the pot side where mold resin is supplied. Accordingly, when the lower die cavity block is returned to the initial position, the lower die cavity block is lifted while being slightly moved towards the pot block side. Thus, no gap is formed between a side surface of the pot block and a side surface of the lower die cavity block. |
| US09887099B2 |
Pattern forming method capable of minimizing deviation of an inversion pattern
A method includes: forming a metal oxide film on a substrate including an etching target film and a metal pattern formed thereon, and forming an oxide film having a relatively strong oxygen bond on the metal pattern; performing a reduction treatment such that the metal oxide film formed on the metal pattern is defined as a first metal-containing film and the metal oxide film formed on the etching target film is defined as a second metal-containing film whose surface is reduced into metal; selectively forming a metal film on only the second metal-containing film formed on the etching target film, the metal film having such a property that it is easy to be formed on metal and is hard to be formed on an oxide; and obtaining an inversion pattern composed of the inversion material by etching away the metal pattern and leaving the inversion material and the metal film. |
| US09887096B2 |
Differential silicon oxide etch
A method of etching exposed silicon oxide on patterned heterogeneous structures is described and includes a gas phase etch created from a remote plasma etch. The remote plasma excites a fluorine-containing precursor. Plasma effluents from the remote plasma are flowed into a substrate processing region where the plasma effluents combine with water vapor. Reactants thereby produced etch the patterned heterogeneous structures to remove two separate regions of differing silicon oxide at different etch rates. The methods may be used to remove low density silicon oxide while removing less high density silicon oxide. |
| US09887095B2 |
System and method for an etch process with silicon concentration control
The present disclosure provides one embodiment of an etch system. The etch system includes a tank designed to hold an etch solution for etching; a silicon monitor configured to measure silicon concentration of the etch solution; a drain module coupled to the tank and being operable to drain the etch solution; and a supply module being operable to fill in the tank with a fresh etch solution. |
| US09887084B2 |
Semiconductor devices and methods of manufacture thereof
A method includes depositing an insulating layer over a substrate, the substrate including a first semiconductor material. The method also includes forming an opening in the insulating layer, the opening exposing a surface of the substrate. The method also includes growing a nanowire over the exposed surface of the substrate, the nanowire extending out of the opening away from the substrate, the nanowire including a second semiconductor material different from the first semiconductor material. The method also includes laterally growing the second semiconductor material on exposed sidewalls of the nanowire. |
| US09887082B1 |
Method and apparatus for filling a gap
There is provided a method of filling one or more gaps by providing the substrate in a reaction chamber and introducing a first reactant to the substrate with a first dose, thereby forming no more than about one monolayer by the first reactant on a first area; introducing a second reactant to the substrate with a second dose, thereby forming no more than about one monolayer by the second reactant on a second area of the surface, wherein the first and the second areas overlap in an overlap area where the first and second reactants react and leave an initially unreacted area where the first and the second areas do not overlap; and, introducing a third reactant to the substrate with a third dose, the third reactant reacting with the first or second reactant remaining on the initially unreacted area. |
| US09887079B2 |
Supply apparatus and supply method for supplying fluid carbon dioxide
Provided are a supply apparatus and a supply method for supplying fluid carbon dioxide that are energy-saving and efficient. The supply apparatus for supplying fluid carbon dioxide includes: a circulation system including a purifying unit that removes impurities and contaminants from the carbon dioxide, a storage unit that includes a condenser for changing gaseous carbon dioxide passed through the purifying unit into liquid carbon dioxide, a supply unit that includes a first pump for supplying the liquid carbon dioxide in the storage unit to a use point, and a return line through which excess carbon dioxide supplied from the supply unit but not used at the use point is returned to the storage unit; and a carbon dioxide introduction unit that introduces carbon dioxide, as a starting material or recovered gas, to the circulation system. The carbon dioxide introduction unit includes a second pump for increasing the pressure of the carbon dioxide and the second pump introduces the carbon dioxide to the circulation system. |
| US09887064B2 |
Stage device and charged particle beam device using the same
To provide a stage device and a charged particle beam device using the same capable of effectively suppressing thermal deformation of a stage generated by temperature increase caused by heat generated by a linear motor. The stage device including a table, a linear motor driving the table in a prescribed direction, in which the table and a moving part of the linear motor are connected by components, a slide unit is attached to the component, movement of which is constrained by a rail fixed to a base, and at the same time, the slide unit is positioned vertically below a place where the component is joined to the table, thereby suppressing thermal deformation of the table. |
| US09887058B2 |
Power supply circuit
A power supply circuit for electronic equipment that might be affected by overheating or by a fire, the power supply circuit including a bistable switch switchable between a first state in which the input terminal is connected to the output terminal, and a second state in which the input terminal is not connected to the output terminal, a first coil, and a second coil, the bistable switch being configured to switch to the first state when the magnetic field induced by the second coil is greater than the magnetic field induced by the first coil, and to switch to the second state when the magnetic field induced by the first coil is greater than the magnetic field induced by the second coil. |
| US09887055B2 |
Mechanical fuse device
Disclosed herein are efficient mechanical fuse devices that are capable of functioning at high current levels. These devices comprise mechanical features configured such that the fuse devices have a non-triggered state, which allows current to flow through the device, and a triggered state, which does not allow current to flow through the device. In some embodiments, the devices are configured such that a certain pre-determined current level flowing through the device will generate a sufficient electromagnetic field to cause the mechanical elements to transition the fuse device into the triggered state and thus interrupt a connected electrical circuit, device or system. In some embodiments, these devices can also comprise hermetically sealed components. |
| US09887052B1 |
Light guide plate and light emitting keyboard having the same
A light guide plate includes a light shielding plate body, a light guide plate body and a plurality of light source receiving spaces. The light shielding plate body includes a peripheral frame, a plurality of longitudinal and transverse partition strips provided in the peripheral frame, and a plurality of light guide regions cooperatively defined by the peripheral frame and the longitudinal and transverse partition strips. The light guide regions are configured to respectively align with the keys. The light guide plate body includes a plurality of light guide blocks embedded in the light guide regions, respectively. The light source receiving spaces correspond to the light guide blocks. |
| US09887049B2 |
Magnetic modular assembly for behavioral studies
A modular assembly set system for use in modular constructions suitable for behavioral research made of a polycarbonate, acrylic or other material walls with magnetic edges, joints and parts with a support base (floor) made of magnetically active metal sheet glued over a plastic inert polymer surface (or one of similar inert properties). The system comprises a multi-piece set that allows the building of different mazes or structures for use in behavioral, memory and health sciences studies. The magnetic edges of the walls along with joints and other pieces attaches to the metal base (floor) and permits to modularly build any configuration. The use of this device can be extended to virtually any kind of modular construction (toys, provisional constructions, stands and other low weight assemblies). The walls and floor set can be used many times, and assemble and disassemble as required. |
| US09887046B2 |
Graphene composites and methods of making and using the same
An graphene composites have reduced graphene oxide and a layered double-hydroxide distributed on the reduced graphene oxide. The composites may also include nanopores formed within the reduced graphene oxide and micropores that may be formed by the reduced graphene oxide. The composites may exhibit superior electrical and/or absorbent properties. Capacitor devices and electrodes containing the composites are also disclosed, as well as methods and systems configured to make and use the composites. |
| US09887044B2 |
Textured current collector foil
The invention relates to a current collector foil for batteries, accumulators or capacitors, comprising a carrier material and at least one electrically conductive layer made from a metal. Moreover, the invention relates to a method for producing a corresponding current collector foil as well as to the advantageous use thereof. The object of providing a current collector foil for batteries, accumulators or capacitors, which is optimized in relation to the contact surface and the adhesive properties and which results in an improved service life, is achieved as a result of the fact that the at least one electrically conductive layer is produced at least partially by electrodepositing a metal and has a texture. |
| US09887043B2 |
Method of manufacturing dye-sensitized solar cell having light absorption increase means and the solar cell
A dye-sensitized solar cell is provided. The solar cell includes a transparent substrate; a conductive transparent electrode formed on a surface of the transparent substrate; a metal oxide particle electrode layer in which a photosensitive dye capable of absorbing light is adsorbed; a counter electrode, and an electrolyte injected between the metal oxide particle electrode layer and the counter electrode. The metal oxide particle electrode layer comprises a first electrode layer comprising metal oxide particles and having a predetermined pattern formed thereon and a second electrode layer comprising metal oxide particles and formed on the first electrode layer. Refractive indexes of the first and second electrode layers are different from each other. |
| US09887042B1 |
Dielectric material, capacitor and method
A dielectric comprises a matrix and a plurality of isolated, ionomeric domains, defined as micelles herein, distributed within the matrix. A capacitor is comprised of the dielectric and two electrodes. A method incorporates the capacitor into a circuit for an energy storage device, especially for applications requiring both high energy density and high power density. The method includes both rapid charging and rapid discharging of the energy storage device. |
| US09887041B2 |
Anode body for solid electrolytic capacitor elements and method for producing same
An anode body for a solid electrolytic capacitor element, which is an anode body for a solid electrolytic capacitor element having a dielectric layer on the surface of a sintered body, wherein at least a part of the surface of the valve-acting metal particles constituting the sintered body is covered with a dielectric layer, and a part of the dielectric layer on the particle surface has a larger thickness than the other part; and a method for producing the same, in which a sintered body of a valve-acting metal is immersed in an aqueous solution of an oxidizing agent after being subjected to chemical formation, the resulting sintered body is then immersed in water-soluble alcohol and dried, and the oxidizing agent is removed by water washing. |
| US09887038B2 |
Blanking die apparatus and method for manufacturing laminated iron core
A blanking die apparatus includes a lower die in which a plurality of working stations are arranged, and an upper the which moves upward and downward with respect to the lower die. A progressively fed sheet is sequentially blanked or stamped out respectively in the working stations to form iron core pieces, and then to laminate the iron core pieces to form a laminated iron core. The lower die includes a lifter part which lifts the sheet from the lower die when the sheet is progressively fed. The lifter part first lifters installed in an outer peripheral area in each of the working stations, and second lifters installed on an upper surface of a blank die which has a blanking hole formed for blanking the iron core pieces in an external form, or on an upper surface of a blank die holder. |
| US09887030B2 |
Wireless power receiver, terminal and wireless power transmitter
A wireless power receiver includes a coil to receive the power; and a magnet to generate an intensity of a magnetic flux density sensed by a sensor of the wireless power transmitter. The coil has an empty central region. The magnet is disposed in the empty central region of the coil. The magnet includes an electric steel sheet. |
| US09887029B2 |
Conductive cooling-type persistent current switch, MRI apparatus and NMR apparatus
A technical problem is to turn a persistent current switch on and off at high speed with less heat input. The invention relates to a conductive cooling-type persistent current switch, including: a superconductive wire 1 through which a current is passed; a cooling stage 9 which cools the superconductive wire; and a heater 8 which heats the superconductive wire, wherein the superconductive wire is placed between faces which are each formed by the cooling stage and the heater, a core of the superconductive wire is magnesium diboride 6, and a base material 5 placed around an outer periphery of the core is a material having a resistivity of 10 μΩcm or more at 40 K. |
| US09887024B1 |
Cable and connector placement fixture and method for fabricating cable assemblies
An adjustable fixture used in the fabrication of cable assemblies including a base, an adjustable frame, and a cable support arrangement attached to the frame. The cable support arrangement configured to house a cable position template, and a plurality of cable fasteners for attaching a plurality of cables into positions indicated by the cable position template. |
| US09887021B2 |
Tensile conducting monofilament and conducting wire and manufacturing method thereof
The present disclosure relates to a tensile conducting monofilament and a conducting wire and a manufacturing method thereof. The tensile conducting monofilament is composed of a conducting filament and at least one tensile thread. The conducting filament is a flat conducting filament. The flat conducting filament is wound on the tensile thread. The conducting wire includes a circular conducting monofilament, at least one tensile conducting monofilament, and an insulation cover. The tensile conducting monofilament and the circular conducting monofilament are wrapped in the insulation cover. The method to manufacture a tensile conducting monofilament includes the steps of flattening a circular conducting monofilament to a flat conducting filament; and winding the flat conducting filament on at least one tensile thread. The method to manufacture a conducting wire includes the steps of stranding the tensile conducting monofilament and a circular conducting monofilament to be disposed in an insulation cover. |
| US09887017B2 |
Nuclear facility comprising an anchor device
A nuclear facility comprising an anchor device is provided. This anchor device comprises a female part and a male part. The female part includes a groove extending along a longitudinal axis. The groove has a width which decreases longitudinally and a transverse section. The male part includes a slider with a shape mating that of the groove and is able to be longitudinally inserted into the groove. The transverse section of the groove is configured so as to prevent the extraction of the slider out of the groove transversely to the longitudinal axis. The anchor device includes a locking device able to prevent the slider from longitudinally sliding out of the groove. |
| US09887015B2 |
Suspended upper internals with tie rod couplings for compact nuclear reactor
A suspended basket includes a plurality of plates, tie rods, and adjustable length threaded tie rod couplings connecting threaded ends of the tie rods with threaded features of the plates. Control rod drive mechanisms (CRDMs) with CRDM motors are mounted in the suspended basket, which is suspended in a pressure vessel above a nuclear reactor core to control insertion of control rods into the reactor core. In one embodiment each adjustable length threaded tie rod coupling is a turnbuckle coupling that includes a sleeve threaded onto the threaded end of the tie rod and onto the threaded feature of the plate, and the sleeve is rotatable to adjust the position of the tie rod respective to the plate. Guide frames may be mounted in the suspended basket between the CRDMs and the nuclear reactor core to guide portions of the control rods withdrawn from the nuclear reactor core. |
| US09887010B2 |
Semiconductor device, memory device, and driving method thereof
Provided is a highly integrated semiconductor device which can hold data and includes a NAND cell array. Each of the plurality of memory cells of the NAND cell array includes a first transistor, a second transistor, a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, and a fourth terminal. The first terminal is electrically connected to one electrode connected to a channel region of the first transistor. The second terminal is electrically connected to the other electrode connected to the channel region of the first transistor. The third terminal is electrically connected to a gate electrode of the second transistor. The fourth terminal is electrically connected to one electrode connected to a channel region of the second transistor. A gate electrode of the first transistor is in contact with the other electrode connected to the channel region of the second transistor. A string of the plurality of memory cells is formed by connecting the first terminals and the second terminals. |
| US09887006B1 |
Nonvolatile memory device
A nonvolatile memory device having a first resistive element coupled between a common node and a bit line; a second resistive element coupled between the common node and a word line, wherein the first and second resistive elements are coupled between different metal layers; and a pass transistor having a gate coupled to the common node, a first node coupled to a reference voltage, and a second node coupled to an output, wherein the word line is orthogonal to the bit line. |
| US09887005B2 |
Devices and methods to program a memory cell
Subject matter disclosed herein relates to memory devices and, more particularly, to programming a memory cell. |
| US09887004B2 |
Bi-directional RRAM decoder-driver
The present disclosure generally relates to the fabrication of and methods for creating a reversible tri-state memory device which provides both forward and reverse write and read drive to a bi-directional RRAM cell, thus allowing writing in the forward and reverse directions. The memory device, however, utilizes a single transistor “on pitch” which fits between two metal lines traversing the array tile. |
| US09887000B1 |
System and method for cryogenic hybrid technology computing and memory
A system and method for high-speed, low-power cryogenic computing are presented, comprising ultrafast energy-efficient RSFQ superconducting computing circuits, and hybrid magnetic/superconducting memory arrays and interface circuits, operating together in the same cryogenic environment. An arithmetic logic unit and register file with an ultrafast asynchronous wave-pipelined datapath is also provided. The superconducting circuits may comprise inductive elements fabricated using both a high-inductance layer and a low-inductance layer. The memory cells may comprise superconducting tunnel junctions that incorporate magnetic layers. Alternatively, the memory cells may comprise superconducting spin transfer magnetic devices (such as orthogonal spin transfer and spin-Hall effect devices). Together, these technologies may enable the production of an advanced superconducting computer that operates at clock speeds up to 100 GHz. |
| US09886996B2 |
SRAM cell for interleaved wordline scheme
In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to a static random access memory (SRAM) device. The SRAM device includes a plurality of SRAM cells arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, wherein respective SRAM cells include respective pairs of complementary data storage nodes to store respective data states. A first pair of access transistors is coupled to the complementary data storage nodes of an SRAM cell and is configured to selectively couple the complementary data storage nodes to a first pair of complementary bitlines, respectively. A second pair of access transistors is coupled to the complementary data storage nodes of the SRAM cell and is configured to selectively couple the complementary data storage nodes to a second pair of complementary bitlines, respectively. |
| US09886995B2 |
Semiconductor device and driving method thereof
A semiconductor device includes a sense amplification unit suitable for sensing and amplifying data loaded on a data line pair; a pull-up driving unit suitable for supplying a first voltage to a pull-up power line of the sense amplification unit as a pull-up driving voltage in an active mode, and supplying second voltage higher than the first voltage to the pull-up power line as the pull-up driving voltage during an initial period of a precharge mode; a pull-down driving unit suitable for supplying a third voltage to a pull-down power line of the sense amplification unit as a pull-down driving voltage during the active mode and the initial period of the precharge mode; and a post over-driving control unit suitable for adjusting the initial period of the precharge mode by detecting a voltage level of the pull-up power line. |
| US09886994B2 |
Semiconductor device having CAL latency function
One semiconductor device includes a command receiver receiving the command signal to generate a first internal command signal, and a latency control circuit activating a second internal chip select signal after elapse of first cycles of a clock signal since a first internal chip select signal is activated. The latency control circuit activates a second control signal when the chip select signal is maintained in an inactive state during second cycles of the clock signal that is larger than the first cycles. The command receiver is activated based on a first control signal. The first control signal is activated in response to the first internal chip select signal. The first control signal is deactivated in response to the second control signal. |
| US09886993B2 |
Protocol for memory power-mode control
In one embodiment, a memory device includes a memory core and input receivers to receive commands and data. The memory device also includes a register to store a value that indicates whether a subset of the input receivers are powered down in response to a control signal. A memory controller transmits commands and data to the memory device. The memory controller also transmits the value to indicate whether a subset of the input receivers of the memory device are powered down in response to the control signal. In addition, in response to a self-fresh command, the memory device defers entry into a self-refresh operation until receipt of the control signal that is received after receiving the self-refresh command. |
| US09886989B2 |
Low power magnetic random access memory cell
The present disclosure concerns a magnetic random access memory (MRAM) cell suitable for performing a thermally assisted write operation or a spin torque transfer (STT) based write operation, comprising a magnetic tunnel junction comprising a top electrode; a tunnel barrier layer comprised between a first ferromagnetic layer having a first magnetization direction, and a second ferromagnetic layer having a second magnetization direction adjustable with respect to the first magnetization direction; a front-end layer; and a magnetic or metallic layer on which the second ferromagnetic layer is deposited; the second ferromagnetic layer being comprised between the front-end layer and the tunnel barrier layer and having a thickness comprised between about 0.5 nm and about 2 nm, such that magnetic tunnel junction has a magnetoresistance larger than about 100%. The MRAM cell disclosed herein has lower power consumption compared to conventional MRAM cells. |
| US09886987B1 |
System and method for data-mask training in non-provisioned random access memory
A system and method providing timing alignment of a data mask (DM) signal with respect to a data strobe (DQS) signal for memory devices not designed for adjusting such alignment is provided. Alignment between data signals (DQ) and a DQS signal is first achieved during a first write training procedure where a data delay value is optimized for one of the DQS or DQ signals. Subsequently, using the optimum delay value from the first write training procedure, a second write training procedure is initiated. In the second write training procedure, timing alignment between the DM signal and the DQ signals is achieved by determining an optimal delay value of the DM signal relative to the DQS signal. |
| US09886980B2 |
Method for synchronizing A/V streams
A device may communicate a delay request value to downstream devices in order to synchronize A/V streams. For example, rather than adding the delay required to synchronize audio and video streams, an A/V splitter may instead communicate to downstream devices, asking them to add the amount of delay desired. |
| US09886979B1 |
Implementing BER-list modulation code for hard disk drives
A method, apparatus, and system are provided for implementing an enhanced modulation code for hard disk drives (HDDs). A modulation code directly uses Bit Error Rate (BER) information for different user patterns to construct a coded word minimizing possible error rate. The modulation code has a flexible code rate that simplifies code optimization relative to Coded Bit Density (CBD), signal to noise ratio (SNR) and noise color. |
| US09886975B2 |
Hard disk drive and pivot assembly bearing device
A hard disk drive according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a pivot assembly bearing device with a shaft, rolling bearings and a sleeve, a cylindrical convex portion formed in a cover member at the upper side, protruding inward, and fixed to an upper end surface of the shaft, a convex portion formed on a base member at the lower side, protruding inward, and fixed to a lower end surface of the shaft, and a labyrinth gap formed by opposing an outer peripheral surface of the convex portion to an inner peripheral surface of a sleeve in a radial direction and/or by opposing an outer peripheral surface of the convex portion to the inner peripheral surface of the sleeve in a radial direction. |
| US09886974B2 |
Read head free layer having front and rear portions biased at different levels
A reader having a bearing surface, a free layer, and a free layer biasing structure. The free layer biasing structure includes at least one side shield that applies a first bias field level to a front portion of the free layer that is nearest to the bearing surface and applies a second bias field level to a rear portion of the free layer that is farthest from the bearing surface. The second bias field level is greater than the first bias field level. |
| US09886966B2 |
System and method for improving noise suppression using logistic function and a suppression target value for automatic speech recognition
Method for improving noise suppression for ASR starts with a microphone receiving an audio signal including speech signal and noise signal. In each frame for frequency band of audio signal, a noise estimator detects ambient noise level and generates noise estimate value based on estimated ambient noise level, variable noise suppression target controller generates suppression target value using noise estimate value and logistic function, a gain value calculator generates a gain value based on suppression target value and noise estimate value, and combiner enhances the audio signal by the gain value to generate a clean audio signal in each frame for all frequency bands. Logistic function models desired noise suppression level that varies based on ambient noise level. Variable level of noise suppression includes low attenuation for low noise levels and progressively higher attenuation for higher noise level. Other embodiments are also described. |
| US09886965B1 |
Systems and methods for psychoacoustic processing of audio material
Systems and methods herein utilize psychoacoustic principles to process audio signals to achieve a desired result. In some embodiments, an exemplary process utilizes a combination of re-harmonization and auditory processing techniques in which a plurality of filtered audio cues are sampled, created and down-mixed into a final music file output, which may be designed to trigger specific effects on the function of the body and the brain. In some embodiments, enhanced audio material may be altered during the stream or fixed for a desired result at the beginning of the stream. In some embodiments, a signal enhancement process may be embedded into silicon or a media player, decoder or device with software. In other embodiments, audio or video material may be encoded or finalized into the media file. |
| US09886959B2 |
Method and system for low bit rate voice encoding and decoding applicable for any reduced bandwidth requirements including wireless
A voice encoder/decoder (vocoder) may provide receiving a voice sample and generating zero crossings of the voice sample in response to voice excitation in a first formant and creating a corresponding output signal. Additional operations may include dividing the output signal by two, and sampling the output signal at a predefined frequency such that a resulting combination uses half of a bit rate for an excitation and a remainder for short term spectrum analysis. |
| US09886951B2 |
Analysis of professional-client interactions
One or more processors receive recording data of a meeting between a professional and a client. One or more processors analyze the recording data to make one or more determinations. One or more processors identify one or more characteristics of the professional based on the one or more determinations. One or more processors match the one or more characteristics of the professional to one or more preferences of an individual seeking one or more professionals. One or more processors build a profile of the professional based on the one or more characteristics and store the profile in a database. One or more processors search the database for one or more profiles that provide a match of the one or more preferences of the individual seeking one or more professionals and display the one or more profiles. |
| US09886943B2 |
Using word confidence score, insertion and substitution thresholds for selected words in speech recognition
A method and system for improving the accuracy of a speech recognition system using word confidence score (WCS) processing is introduced. Parameters in a decoder are selected to minimize a weighted total error rate, such that deletion errors are weighted more heavily than substitution and insertion errors. The occurrence distribution in WCS is different depending on whether the word was correctly identified and based on the type of error. This is used to determine thresholds in WCS for insertion and substitution errors. By processing the hypothetical word (HYP) (output of the decoder), a mHYP (modified HYP) is determined. In some circumstances, depending on the WCS's value in relation to insertion and substitution threshold values, mHYP is set equal to: null, a substituted HYP, or HYP. |
| US09886942B2 |
Adaptive text-to-speech outputs
In some implementations, a language proficiency of a user of a client device is determined by one or more computers. The one or more computers then determines a text segment for output by a text-to-speech module based on the determined language proficiency of the user. After determining the text segment for output, the one or more computers generates audio data including a synthesized utterance of the text segment. The audio data including the synthesized utterance of the text segment is then provided to the client device for output. |
| US09886941B2 |
Portable electronic device directed audio targeted user system and method
A computationally implemented system and method that is designed to, but is not limited to: electronically conditioning one or more information signals accessed at least in part through one or more portions of a portable electronic device to be transmitted from one or more portable electronic device emitters through one or more modulated acoustic ultrasonic signals; and electronically governing for output of one or more beams of said one or more modulated acoustic ultrasonic signals for demodulation of said one or more modulated acoustic ultrasonic signals into one or more acoustic audio signals containing said one or more information signals at a first location spaced away from said portable electronic device and spaced away from a second location. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure. |
| US09886940B2 |
Transmit/receive channel for ultrasound applications
A device voltage shifter includes a first voltage reference node, a second voltage reference node, an output node and a clamp node. A first high-voltage switching transistor of the voltage shifter has a first conduction terminal coupled to the first voltage reference node and a second conduction terminal coupled to the clamp node. A second high-voltage switching transistor of the voltage shifter has a first conduction terminal coupled to the clamp node and a second conduction terminal coupled to the second voltage reference node. A third high-voltage switching transistor of the voltage shifter has a first conduction terminal coupled to the first voltage reference node, a control terminal coupled to the clamp node, and a second conduction terminal coupled to the output node. A voltage regulator of the voltage shifter is coupled between the output node and the clamp node. |
| US09886936B2 |
Presenting panels and sub-panels of a document
Systems, methods, and media for presenting panel-based electronic documents are provided. In accordance with some embodiments, systems for presenting panel-based electronic documents are provided, the systems comprising: at least one processor programmed to: receive an electronic document, a definition of a first panel on a page in the electronic document, and a definition of a second panel on the page in the electronic document; control a display of the first panel based on the definition of the first panel; and transition from the display of the first panel to a display of the second panel by re-scaling the display and panning from the first panel to the second panel. |
| US09886933B2 |
Brightness adjustment system and method, and mobile terminal
Discloses is a brightness adjustment system and method, and a mobile terminal. The brightness adjustment system is used for a display device, and comprises: a distance measurement module configured to measure a perpendicular viewing distance from user's eyes to a display surface of the display device; and a brightness adjustment module configured to adjust the brightness of the display device to desired brightness based on the measured perpendicular viewing distance. The brightness adjustment system renders the display device, such as mobile terminal, etc., to automatically adjust the brightness based on the perpendicular viewing distance between the user's eyes and the display surface of the display device, satisfying requirements for display brightness. |
| US09886930B2 |
Control circuit and display device
Disclosed is a drive control circuit, comprising a driver, a pixel array and a resistor, and the pixel array comprises M×N pixels, and M is a natural number larger than 1, and N is a natural number, and the driver is coupled to the N columns pixels through the resistor, and the resistor comprises a first resistor and a second resistor, and a resistance of the first resistor is larger than a resistance of the second resistor, and an area surrounded by the pixel array is divided into a first area and a second area, and the first area and the second area comprise at least one row pixels, and a length of a connection line of the driver with any row pixels in the first area is smaller than a length of a connection line of the driver with any row pixels in the second area. |
| US09886924B2 |
Liquid crystal display panel, liquid crystal display device, and pixel array
A pixel array for a liquid crystal display device is provided. The liquid crystal display device includes a plurality of scanning lines and a plurality of data lines. The pixel array includes a plurality of pixels. The plurality of pixels are respectively coupled to the plurality of data lines. The plurality of pixels are arranged in a plurality of pixel row pairs, and each pixel row pair includes two pixel rows. A N-th data line of the plurality of data lines is coupled to the pixels in a first side or a second side of the N-th data line in a M-th pixel row pair of the plurality of pixel row pairs, where N and M are positive integers. Stripes, flickers, and grid issues after applying two pixel rendering (TPR) are thereby solved. |
| US09886923B2 |
Driving circuit for source driving chips and liquid crystal display panel
The present disclosure discloses a driving circuit for a source driving chip. In the driving circuit for a source driving chip, an output terminal of the blanking timer is connected to a control terminal of the switching unit; an input terminal of the switching unit is connected to a power supply source; an output terminal of the switching unit is connected to a supply terminal of the buffer amplifier. The blanking timer is used to generate a control signal; wherein, the control signal is a first voltage level during a row blanking interval or a frame blanking interval; the control signal is a second voltage level during the row non-blanking interval or the frame non-blanking interval. The driving circuit for a source driving chip of the present disclosure can effectively reduce the power consumption. |
| US09886917B2 |
Liquid crystal display device and control method for the same
An LCD device includes: multiple data lines, scanning lines, pixel units and switching elements. Wherein, first terminals of the switching elements are connected together for receiving a control signal. Second terminals of the switching elements are connected together for receiving a reference voltage signal. Third terminal of each switching element is connected to a corresponding data line. When the control signal is a first control signal, each switching element is turned off, grayscale voltage signals are applied on corresponding pixel units, and a normal image frame is displayed. When the control signal is a second control signal, each switching element is turned on, the reference voltage signal is applied on the pixel units, an inserted black frame is displayed. A simple and power-saving way for an inserted black frame is realized to solve the cross talk in 3D display or a serious image smear problem in low refresh rate. |
| US09886910B2 |
Display device and method of driving display device
A display device including a pixel, a drive transistor including a first and a second terminal and a gate, a first switching element controlling a connection between the second terminal and the gate, a storage capacitor of a second terminal connected to the gate, a second switching element controlling a connection between the storage capacitor and a first signal line, a third switching element arranged in parallel with the second switching element and controlling a connection between the storage capacitor and a second signal line, a fourth switching element controlling a connection between the drive transistor and a first power supply line, a light emitting element connected with the drive transistor and a second power supply line, a fifth switching element controlling a connection between the drive transistor and the light emitting element, a sixth switching element controlling a connection between the drive transistor and a third power supply line. |
| US09886908B2 |
Timing controller of operating selective sensing and organic light emitting display device comprising the same
There are provided a timing controller of operating selective sensing and an organic light emitting display device comprising the same, the timing controller being configured to selectively perform a sensing when a display panel operates in an ON state. The timing controller performs a sensing to the display panel on the basis of a temperature of the display panel, a time difference in operation of the display panel, and a degree of need for sensing of representative sub-pixels. |
| US09886905B2 |
Display device
A display device includes a plurality of pulse output circuits each of which outputs signals to one of the two kinds of scan lines and a plurality of inverted pulse output circuits each of which outputs, to the other of the two kinds of scan lines, inverted or substantially inverted signals of the signals output from the pulse output circuits. Each of the plurality of inverted pulse output circuits operates with at least two kinds of signals used for the operation of the plurality of pulse output circuits. Thus, through current generated in the inverted pulse output circuits can be reduced. |
| US09886902B2 |
Organic light emitting display device
An organic light emitting display device, includes: pixels connected to scan lines, light emission lines, and data lines crossing the scan lines and the light emission lines, and including organic light emitting diodes, and pixel driving circuits to output a driving current to the organic light emitting diodes, respectively; a plurality of dummy driving circuits to output a dummy driving current; a dummy data line to apply a dummy data voltage to the plurality of dummy driving circuits; and a plurality of repair lines to electrically connect each of the organic light emitting diodes to at least one of the plurality of dummy driving circuits, wherein each of the dummy driving circuits corresponds to at least two of the repair lines, and each of the organic light emitting diodes is to be electrically connected to corresponding ones of the dummy driving circuits through corresponding ones of the repair lines. |
| US09886899B2 |
Pixel Circuits for AMOLED displays
A system for driving a display that includes a plurality of pixel circuits arranged in an array, each of the pixel circuits including a light emitting device and a driving transistor for conveying a driving current through the light emitting device. Each of a first plurality of supply lines is associated with at least one pixel circuit in a preselected segment of the array, the first plurality of supply lines providing driving currents to the at least one pixel circuit in the preselected segment. Each of a plurality of voltage supplies is configured to provide a supply voltage to the at least one pixel circuit in the preselected segment of the array, the voltage supplies being controllably coupled to the pixel circuits in the preselected segment of the array. A controller determines which of the plurality of voltage supplies to connect to the preselected segment of the array. |
| US09886894B2 |
Display device and method for driving same
A drive circuit classifies frame periods as a drive period and a pause period, and applies a selection voltage to scanning lines in turn and applies voltages according to a video signal (a measurement voltage in the case of measurement targets) to data lines in turn during the drive period. During the pause period, the drive circuit applies the selection voltage to one scanning line corresponding to measurement target pixel circuits, and a measurement circuit measures drive currents outputted to the data lines from the measurement target pixel circuits. The drive circuit may set a write period and a measurement period in the pause period. During the write period, the drive circuit may apply the measurement voltage to the data lines. During the measurement period, the measurement circuit may measure drive currents outputted to the data lines from the measurement target pixel circuits. |
| US09886886B2 |
Methods for driving electro-optic displays
An electro-optic display, having at least one pixel capable of achieving any one of at least four different gray levels including two extreme optical states, is driven by displaying a first image on the display, and rewriting the display to display a second image thereon, wherein, during the rewriting of the display, any pixel which has undergone a number of transitions exceeding a predetermined value without touching an extreme optical state, is driven to at least one extreme optical state before driving that pixel to its final optical state in the second image. |
| US09886878B2 |
Pixel array, display driving method, display driving device and display device
A pixel array, a display driving method, a display driving device and a display device are described. The pixel array comprises a plurality of columns of subpixel groups. Each column of subpixel group comprises M×N subpixels, where N is the number of colors of subpixels, and M is an integer equal or greater than 3. Directions in which subpixels of the subpixel groups in odd columns and subpixels of the subpixel groups in even columns are twisted respectively being opposite in a column direction. The pixel array is suitable for application of Pentile technologies under 2D/3D display mode. |
| US09886874B2 |
Medical device and procedure simulation and training
A healthcare simulation system including a mannequin with active physiological characteristics, a display monitor adapted for displaying physiological parameters, and a computer for controlling the mannequin and the monitor. A healthcare simulation method including the steps of programming the computer with healthcare scenarios, operating active characteristics of the mannequin, and dynamically displaying physiological parameters corresponding to patient vital signs. Alternative aspects of the invention include tools, such as computers and other equipment, for obtaining and displaying information and for interconnecting and interfacing participants, subjects and controllers in training systems and methods. Additional aspects of the invention include systems and methods for glucometer simulation and training. |
| US09886871B1 |
Fitness and wellness system with dynamically adjusting guidance
A system is provided that provides guidance (e.g., audio content) to a user while exercising. This audio content is tailored to the particular user and is aimed at increasing the effectiveness of the exercising. In some cases, the audio content conveyed to the user can be based on one or more sensors providing various metrics (e.g., heart rate, cadence, breathing rate, galvanic skin response, temperature etc.) regarding the real-time performance of the user. In some cases, the guidance to a user may be downloaded dynamically to the device by a specialized server or wireless connection. In addition, the guidance can be dynamically adjusted based on a variety of factors including data obtained from the sensors. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described. |
| US09886864B1 |
Methods for aerial avoidance
A method is disclosed where an airborne wind turbine (AWT) is prevented from coming into contact with airborne objects such as birds and bats. The AWT determines the location and characteristics of the incoming airborne objects, and depending on the determined risk value, may shift the location of the aerial vehicle of the AWT in order to avoid the risk of colliding with the airborne objects. Other considerations used by the AWT's determination may include whether the aerial vehicle can continue to generate electricity while performing the avoidance maneuver. |
| US09886859B2 |
Parking assistance device
A parking assistance device includes: a route determination unit determining a route from an initial position of a vehicle to a target position at a time of assisting the vehicle to be parked in a parking area, wherein the route determination unit includes a first generation unit generating a first circumference being tangent to a line passing through the target position and extending along the forward direction, a second generation unit generating a second circumference being tangent to a line passing through the initial position and extending along a forward direction and to the first circumference, and a recalculation determination unit generating a third circumference having a center at the position on an obstacle in the front direction nearest to the route, and determining whether the recalculation of the route is necessary based on the first and third circumferences. |
| US09886857B2 |
Organized intelligent merging
A method is provided for organized intelligent merge notifications. The method includes identifying a merge aperture using a processor. Merging vehicle parameters for a merging vehicle approaching the merge aperture are received over a network. Simulations of traffic moving through the merge aperture is performed by the processor based on the received merging vehicle parameters. The simulations are optimized by the processor to determine a merge distance for the merging vehicle. A merge notification is generated by the processor for the merging vehicle based on the merge distance. |
| US09886853B2 |
System for transmitting information when a motor vehicle driving in the wrong direction has been detected, corresponding transmitting and receiving devices and corresponding transmitting and receiving methods
A system for transferring information upon detection of wrong-way driving of a motor vehicle includes a transmitting device and a receiving device. The transmitting device encompasses a light source that is embodied to emit a light-coded signal, as well as a recognition unit that is embodied to detect wrong-way driving of a motor vehicle. The transmitting device is configured to emit the light-coded signal by way of the light source as soon as the recognition unit detects wrong-way driving of a motor vehicle, the light-coded signal containing an information item regarding wrong-way driving of the motor vehicle. The receiving device is configured to execute a row-by-row and/or column-by-column image scan, and to receive and evaluate a light-coded signal completely within one image. |
| US09886848B2 |
Mobile terminal and control system
A mobile terminal includes a wireless communication unit; a camera; a display; an ultrasound transmission unit; and a controller configured to control the wireless communication unit, the camera, the display, and the ultrasound transmission unit. The mobile terminal is configured to: transmit a first detection prepare request signal to allow a plurality of external devices located within a control area to switch to a prepare state; acquire an image including at least one of the plurality of external devices that switches to the prepare state; selectively transmit an ultrasound signal to the at least one of the plurality of external devices included in the image; receive associated control information from each of the at least one of the plurality of external devices; and display a graphic image related to the associated control information from each of the at least one of the plurality of external devices. |
| US09886844B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program
Disclosed herein is an information processing apparatus including: a storage block configured to store information about a combination of devices being selected to be controlled by a function of a first application and devices being selected to be controlled by a function of a second application; and a selection block configured to select, among the devices controllable by the function of the second application, a device in the same combination being selected to be controlled by the function of the first application on the basis of the above-mentioned information stored in the storage block. |
| US09886842B2 |
Wearable device and method for providing message of wearable device
A wearable device is provided. The device includes a stimulus generator configured to transmit a stimulus to a user's body when the wearable device is worn on the user's body, and a controller configured to control the stimulus generator to vary a transfer pattern of the stimulus according to an operation state of the wearable device. |
| US09886838B2 |
Touchless management system
A touchless management method and system can include: a server beacon, the server beacon including a gesture sensor, a motion sensor, a managed sensor, a server beacon mass storage, and a server beacon power transceiver; detecting gesture data from the gesture sensor; recording sensor data with the managed sensor; a power station including a power station power transceiver, a station control unit, upload coordinator, and a station storage unit; sending a packet from the server beacon to the power station; prioritizing the packet; uploading a message including the sensor data to the power station; and uploading the message to a database server. |
| US09886825B2 |
Money processing apparatus
A money processing apparatus that performs input/output processing of money in a money unit configured to be pulled out from a casing and opened includes an actuator provided in the money unit; and an engagement portion provided in the actuator, configured to engage with the casing to lock pulling out or opening of the money unit in a stopped state due to power cut. |
| US09886816B2 |
Method of gaming, a game controller and a gaming system with symbol groups sharing borders
A method of gaming in a gaming system comprise selecting a plurality of symbols for display on a display of the gaming system at a plurality of display positions, each display position comprising a plurality of borders, each display position having a least one common border with at least two other display positions. The method involves determining with the gaming system, whether there are one or more groups of at least three symbols corresponding to a designated winning symbol combination displayed at respective ones of a plurality of display positions linked in a contiguous group, the determination being based on the display positions sharing a common border. An award corresponding to a determined group is made. |
| US09886812B2 |
Antenna combining for massive MIMO scheme
In this disclosure, methods for antenna combining to meet the pilot requirement of the massive MIMO system, and apparatuses for the same are provided. In a user equipment (UE) perspective of view, the UE transmits first pilot signals via each of multiple antennas of the UE, and receives antenna combining information from a base station. Here, the antenna combining information combines the multiple antennas into one or more antenna groups based on the first pilot signals, and each of orthogonal sequences is allocated to each of the antenna groups. The UE transmits second pilot signals using the allocated orthogonal sequences for each of the antenna groups. The second pilot signals can be used for estimating downlink channel from the base station to the UE. |
| US09886807B2 |
Money handling apparatus and money handling method
A money handling apparatus (for example, a money depositing and dispensing machine (100)) includes a reading unit (129) that reads change machine information that is information stored in a recording medium (304) about a money change machine (200) provided separately from the money handling apparatus; a dispensing unit that dispenses money; and a controlling unit (102) that controls the dispensing unit to cause the dispensing unit to dispense money that is to be replenished in the money change machine (200) based on the change machine information read by the reading unit (129). |
| US09886804B2 |
Zone detection in a GNSS system
Method and system for zone based detection of vehicles passing into and out from a geographical zone using polygons to define the border of said zone, wherein a first polygon (32) defines a virtual border against which vehicles passing into the zone is compared by use of a GNSS system (10) comprising an OBU (2) in every vehicle to be surveyed by the method. A second polygon (31) larger than the first polygon (32) and completely enveloping said first polygon is defined as a virtual border against which objects passing out from the zone is compared by use of the GNSS system. |
| US09886798B2 |
Display control device, display control method, and recording medium
There is provided a display control device including a display controller configured to place a virtual object within an augmented reality space corresponding to a real space in accordance with a recognition result of a real object shown in an image captured by an imaging part, and an operation acquisition part configured to acquire a user operation. When the user operation is a first operation, the display controller causes the virtual object to move within the augmented reality space. |
| US09886796B2 |
Display device, head mounted display, display system, and control method for display device
A transmission type head mounted display which allows a user to visually recognize a display screen as a virtual image and to visually recognize the display screen at a focal length matching a convergence angle of the user, includes an image analysis portion that recognizes a real object within a view field of the user, a distance sensor that detects a distance from the user to the real object, a display control portion that displays the display screen in which an AR image for the real object is disposed, and a display section that displays the display screen, in which the display control portion displays a screen effect which guides a convergence angle of the user to a convergence angle matching the detected distance, on the display screen. |
| US09886793B1 |
Dynamic video visualization
A method and system for improving three dimensional video visualization is provided. The method includes receiving a video file and extracting metadata and contextual analysis data of the video file. Dimensions describing attributes associated with the video file are identified and use case data comprising text data and associated metadata describing activities occurring is the video file is retrieved. The dimensions are associated with the use case data and a group of relevant dimensions are extracted from the use case data. The dimensions are correlated with the group of relevant dimensions and a group of common dimensions is extracted from the dimensions and group of relevant dimensions. Three dimensions are selected from the group of common dimensions and a three dimensional block structure illustrating the three dimensions and the remaining dimensions is generated and presented to a user via a graphical user interface. |
| US09886786B2 |
Using augmented reality for electronic commerce transactions
Systems, methods, and computer program products for identifying objects of interest and providing relevant information about the objects of interest using augmented reality devices are disclosed. For example, a computer-implemented method may include identifying an object of interest among a plurality of objects present in an image view, determining real-time information for the object of interest based on the identifying, presenting the determined real-time information for the object of interest as part of the image view, and processing a transaction involving the object of interest based on a user selection associated with the image view. |
| US09886780B2 |
Volume visualization
A volume visualization, i.e volume rendering, system comprising a feature detector for detecting a feature like a border between body and air (e.g. skin) in an image volume dataset. A distance computing subsystem is arranged for computing a distance from the feature, e.g. a border, a boundary or skin to an image element of the image volume dataset. A weighting subsystem is arranged for weighting an image element value of the image element, based on the distance, to obtain a weighted image element value. A view generator is arranged for generating a view of the image volume dataset, based on the weighted image element value, wherein a view element value of the view is based on the weighted image element value. The view comprises a two-dimensional image view, and the view element value comprises a pixel value. |
| US09886777B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing method
An image processing apparatus includes a determiner that determines an array state of plural pixels to be collectively processed with a processing frame being a processing unit of image processing; and a matching unit that causes the plural pixels of image data to be in a data format matching with the processing frame by correction in accordance with the array state. |
| US09886769B1 |
Use of 3D depth map with low and high resolution 2D images for gesture recognition and object tracking systems
Disclosed herein according to one embodiment is an object tracker for tracking an object. The object tracker includes a depth camera for acquiring a 3D depth map and a low-resolution 2D image of the object, and an image camera for acquiring a high-resolution 2D image of the object. A processor is in communication with the depth camera and the image camera. The processor is configured to: identify a region of interest within the 3D depth map; identify an approximate object silhouette within the low-resolution 2D image using information about the region of interest from the 3D depth map; identify the approximate object silhouette in the high-resolution 2D image using information about the approximate object silhouette from the low-resolution 2D image; generate a refined object silhouette within the high-resolution 2D image using a region segmentation process; and track the object using the refined object silhouette. |
| US09886768B2 |
Visual tracking of an object
Method for visual tracking of at least one object represented by a cluster of points with which information is associated, characterized in that it includes steps to: receive (E1) data representing a set of space-time events, determine (E2) the probability that an event in the set belongs to the cluster of points representing the at least one object, for each event in the received set, determine (E3) whether or not an event belongs to the cluster of points as a function of the determined probability for the event considered, for each event in the received set, update (E4) information associated with the cluster of points for at least one object, for each event for which it was determined in the previous step that it belongs to the cluster of points, calculate (E4, E5) the position, size and orientation of the at least one object as a function of the updated information. |
| US09886767B2 |
Method, apparatus and computer program product for segmentation of objects in images
In an example embodiment a method, apparatus and computer program product are provided. The method includes grouping pixels of an image into a plurality of pixel groups. The method includes determining representative descriptors for the plurality of pixel groups and further grouping the plurality of pixel groups into a set of pixel groups based at least on similarity between the representative descriptors for the plurality of pixel groups. The method also includes receiving a selection of at least one region of the image. The method includes segmenting at least one object of the image based at least on an overlap between the at least one region and the set of pixel groups, wherein the at least one object is associated with one or more pixel groups of the set of pixel groups that overlap with the at least one region. |
| US09886766B2 |
Electronic device and method for adding data to image and extracting added data from image
A method and apparatus are provided for adding data to an image and extracting the added data from the image. The method of adding the data to the image includes dividing an area of the image into a plurality of regions; identifying each of the plurality of divided regions as a focused region or a non-focused region; and adding the data in at least one of the plurality of divided regions, based on a result of the identifying. |
| US09886765B2 |
Radiographic image analysis device and method, and storage medium having stored therein program
A subject image is acquired. A virtual model of the subject having a predetermined body thickness distribution is acquired. A composite image of an estimated primary X-ray image, which is obtained by estimating a primary X-ray image of the virtual model obtained by radiography from the virtual model, and an estimated scattered X-ray image, which is obtained by estimating a scattered X-ray image of the virtual model obtained by radiography from the virtual model, is generated as an estimated image which is obtained by estimating a radiographic image of the subject obtained by radiography. The body thickness distribution of the virtual model is corrected such that a difference between the estimated image and the subject image is reduced. The corrected body thickness distribution of the virtual model is determined as the body thickness distribution of the subject. |
| US09886764B2 |
Image acquisition system, image acquisition method, and inspection system
The invention relates to an image acquisition system and an image acquisition method, as well as to an inspection system having at least one such image acquisition system. A projector projects a pattern on a surface of a sample, a camera records light intensity information from within at least two detection fields defined by the camera on the surface of the sample. A relative motion between the sample on the one hand and the camera and projector on the other hand is generated. From the acquired at least one image a height profile of the surface of the sample may be inferred. The pattern may comprise a number of sub-patterns related to each other by a phase shift. Alternatively, the pattern may be a fringe pattern. |
| US09886763B2 |
Visual navigation method, visual navigation device and robot
The present disclosure provides a visual navigation method and a visual navigation device. The method may include steps of: obtaining a plurality of ambient sub-images for a collected ambient image based on the collected ambient image; performing a region-matching process on each of the ambient sub-images to determine a disparity between at least two of the ambient sub-images; and determining coordinates of an object in the ambient image based on the determined disparity, and performing a navigation based on the determined coordinates. In the present disclosure, the ambient image is collected by a single camera, the plurality of ambient sub-images is obtained by the micro-lens array based on the collected ambient image, and then stereo matching and three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction are implemented based on the ambient sub-images to perform the visual navigation. In addition, since the ambient image is collected by the single camera, the amount of the data being gathered is smaller, the processing speed is easy to be controlled, and thus it is good in real-time processing. Furthermore, depth information of an object may be determined in a more accurate manner based on information on a vertical disparity and information on a horizontal disparity of the object that may be obtained simultaneously, so that an accuracy of the navigation is effectively improved. |
| US09886761B2 |
Information processing to display existing position of object on map
In a system that displays the existing position of an object caught by a camera on a map, the load on a user are reduced, and user-friendliness is increased.The position of an object in a camera image is converted into a position on a map with the use of conversion equations. The existing position of the object based on a result of the conversion is displayed on the map based on results of the conversion. The existence allowed region of the object on the map is set through a designation by the user. The parameters of the conversion equations are determined based on results of the conversion at respective times within a predetermined period of time and the set existence allowed region of the object so that trajectories of the object on the map fall within the existence allowed region. |
| US09886753B2 |
Verification of circuit structures including sub-structure variants
A method for controlling the functional output of a verification tool upon receipt of a circuit description comprises searching for a predetermined base pattern in the circuit description. The method further comprises searching for predetermined sub-patterns that are assigned to the base pattern, in the circuit description. The method further comprises the validation of each found sub-pattern based on a predetermined rule to minimize the set of reported errors that based on verification of the circuit description. |
| US09886752B2 |
Vision-based grading with automatic weight calibration
Method and apparatus for grading food items, such as shrimps and chicken parts, with an automatically calibrated imaging system. Singulated food items are individually imaged. An estimated weight for each food item is computed from its image and an image-to-weight function. Calibration weighers weigh the food item individually or in batches before or after imaging. The actual weights are compared to the estimated weights to fine-tune the image-to-weight function and improve weight estimation. |
| US09886746B2 |
System and method for image inpainting
This disclosure relates generally to image processing, and more particularly to system and method for image inpainting. In one embodiment, a method for image inpainting includes aligning a plurality of multi-view images of a scene with respect to a reference image to obtain a plurality of aligned multi-view images. A region of interest (ROI) representing a region to be removed from the reference image for image inpainting is selected. A dictionary is created by selecting image-patches from the reference image and the plurality of aligned multi-view images, and 3D rotations thereof. A priority value of each of a plurality of pixels of the ROI is created. The ROI is systematically reconstructed in the reference image based at least on the priority values of the plurality of pixels and the dictionary by computing a linear combination of two or more image-patches selected from the plurality of image-patches of the dictionary. |
| US09886745B2 |
Multi-shot scan protocols for high-resolution MRI incorporating multiplexed sensitivity-encoding (MUSE)
Multi-shot DWI with multiplexed sensitivity-encoding (MUSE) inherently corrects nonlinear shot-to-shot phase variations without requiring the use of navigator echoes. The multi-shot DWI can use interleaved echo-planar imaging or other scan protocols. This new technique should prove highly valuable for mapping brain structures and connectivities at high spatial resolution for neuroscience studies. |
| US09886744B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and storage medium with image quality improvement processing
To remove components, such as fog, from a captured image while suppressing a reduction in image quality. An image processing apparatus includes a unit configured to derive parameters for image quality improving processing based on the transmittance of light incident on each pixel of captured image data including a fine particle component and a unit configured to generate corrected image data of the captured image data by performing image quality improving processing to improve image quality of the captured image data using the parameters and removal processing to remove the fine particle component from the captured image data on the captured image data. |
| US09886743B2 |
Method for inputting data and an electronic device thereof
An apparatus and method for inputting an object of an electronic device are provided. The electronic device includes a display; and a processor configured to control display of an object input screen on the display, and to change a configuration for the output object input screen on a basis of an input received on the display. |
| US09886742B2 |
Electro-optic beam steering for super-resolution/lightfield imagery
A near-eye display system includes a display panel, a beam steering assembly facing the display panel, a display controller, and a beam steering controller. The beam steering assembly imparts one of a plurality of net deflection angles to incident light. The display controller drives the display panel to display a sequence of images, and the beam steering controller controls the beam steering assembly to impart a different net deflection angle for each displayed image of the sequence. The sequence of images, when displayed within the visual perception interval, may be perceived as a single image having a resolution greater than the resolution of the display panel or having larger apparent pixel sizes that conceal the black space between pixels of the display, or the sequence of images may represent a lightfield with the angular information represented in the net deflection angles imparted into the images as they are projected. |
| US09886741B2 |
Method and apparatus for displaying images in touchscreen-based devices
A method for displaying an image is provided, the method including: displaying, on a touchscreen of an electronic device, a plurality of items; selecting a first item from the plurality in response to an input received at the electronic device; detecting whether a condition for displaying an auxiliary area is satisfied; and responsive to the condition being satisfied, displaying the auxiliary area on the touchscreen. |
| US09886738B2 |
Data processing apparatus and data processing method
A data processing apparatus includes a circuit selector and a data processor. The circuit selector makes a selection, in data processing in which multiple unit processes are each selected and repeated, from a generalized circuit that executes the multiple unit processes and one of dedicated circuits that are each dedicated to a corresponding one of the unit processes, the selection being made repeatedly on a basis of a judgment made using continuous repeat counts each of which indicates how many times a corresponding one of the unit processes is continuously repeated. The data processor selectively configures one of the generalized circuit and the dedicated circuit that corresponds to one of results serially obtained from the selection repeatedly made by the circuit selector, the data processor performing the data processing. |
| US09886736B2 |
Selectively killing trapped multi-process service clients sharing the same hardware context
A method for handling parallel processing clients associated with a server in a GPU, the method comprising: receiving a failure indication for at least client running a thread in the GPU; determining threads in the GPU associated with the failing client; exiting threads in the GPU associated with the failing client; and continuing to execute remaining threads in the GPU for other clients running threads in the GPU. |
| US09886732B2 |
Systems and methods for pixel-based watermarking
Systems and methods for pixel-based watermarking are disclosed. An online advertising platform, at a first time, receives information identifying a creative that is associated with an advertiser or publisher, and associates a unique identifier with the creative. The color of one or more pixels in the creative image are modified based on the unique identifier by, for example, converting the unique identifier to a corresponding color value and setting the pixels to the color. At a second, later time, the platform receives a second image comprising at least a portion of the creative image. One or more pixels are identified in the second image that correspond to pixels in the first image that were modified in color, and the unique identifier is derived based on the color of the identified pixels in the second image. Information associated with the advertiser or publisher is then retrieved based on the determined identifier. |
| US09886729B2 |
Computational systems and methods for health services planning and matching
Systems and methods are described relating to accepting an indication of at least one attribute of an individual; activating at least one sensor at least partially based on the accepting an indication of at least one attribute of the individual; accepting sensor data from the at least one sensor; and presenting a set of health care options at least partially based on the accepting sensor data from the at least one sensor. |
| US09886721B2 |
Non-repudiation process for credit approval and identity theft prevention
Embodiments are directed towards employing a non-repudiation process for consumer credit requests based on an affirmative authentication of a one-time-pin (“OTP”) generated from a consumer biometric smartcard. The biometric smartcard may authenticate biometric information (e.g. fingerprint, facial image, iris image, or the like) of the consumer based on biometric templates stored on the biometric smartcard. In at least some of the various embodiments, the OTP may be authenticated by an identity authority, such that an associated credit request to a provider may be authenticated. In some embodiments, the provider may request and utilize a credit report for an authentic credit request to determine whether or not the consumer has an acceptable credit rating. If the consumer has an acceptable credit rating, then the provider may provide credit to the consumer. |
| US09886720B2 |
Platform for providing customizable user brand experiences, sponsorship junctions, and conversion attribution
A computer-implemented method of providing a brand sponsorship environment includes providing a computer-implemented platform establishing a sponsorship junction involving, in case 1, a first set of trigger-monitorable activities defined by a set of audience providers or, in case 2, a second set of trigger-monitorable activities defined by a set of sponsoring brands, or, in case 3, both the first set and the second set of trigger-monitorable activities. |
| US09886719B1 |
Electronic withdrawal and/or bid switch requests for computer-based auctioning of basic generation services
A system and method of conducting a computer-based, simultaneous, multiple round, descending clock auction for basic generation services (BGS) includes receiving bids by an application server host application for processing bids according to auction rules, for tranche units of BGS products, calculating next round prices, and sending round results to bidders, the subsequent round prices and a notice of the number of tranches bid during the previous round and/or the amount of excess supply offered. Subsequently, an electronic withdrawal request to remove tranches from a product and reduce a maximum number bids the bidder can make in future rounds, and/or an electronic switch request to switch a bid to another product, is received. When the number of tranches bid are equal to or less than a certain threshold for each of the products, the auction may end. |
| US09886718B2 |
Auction for each individual ad impression
In one aspect, there is provided a method for polling, by a script at a browser, one or more servers by sending messages to the one or more servers. The one or more messages may solicit one or more bids for presenting an ad at the browser. The one or more messages may also enable access to information at the browser. The information may be relevant to the one or more servers making the one or more bids. The script may receive one or more responses from the one or more servers. The one or more responses include the one or more bids. The script may also evaluate the one or more bids, and select one of the bids based on the evaluation. |
| US09886713B2 |
Enhanced shopping and merchandising methodology
An enhanced shopping system for facilitating grocery shopping and in-store advertising is disclosed. The system uniquely changes (1) the way grocery retail industry captures and retains customers, (2) how customers organize their shopping efforts in grocery stores, (3) the approach to advertising and reaching customers, and (4) the information available to retailers and merchandisers related to customer (a) shopping patterns, (b) responses to merchandising and advertising, and (c) specific impact of discounting/coupons. |
| US09886702B2 |
Method of creating and joining social group, user device for executing the method, server, and storage medium
A method, user device, server, and storage medium for creating and joining a social group performed by a user device are provided. The method for creating the social group includes receiving information corresponding to a current location of the user device; receiving at least one social group condition information item; and sending a request to create a social group based on the information corresponding to the current location and the at least one social group condition information item to an external device. |
| US09886699B2 |
Performance based approval in CMS workflow process
A method for testing a new workflowed item associated with a workflow process in a content management system (CMS) is provided. The method may include adding a workflow stage to the workflow process in the content management system (CMS). The method may also include adding a test associated with the workflow stage. The method may further include determining if a criteria threshold is met based on the test associated with the workflow stage. Additionally, the method may include publishing the new workflowed item based on the criteria threshold being met. |
| US09886698B2 |
Augmented reality product brochure application
A method for viewing an augmented reality product brochure for a mattress product on a computing device is provided. The method includes capturing an image corresponding to the mattress product with a camera of the computing device and retrieving the augmented reality product brochure corresponding to the image from a memory of the computing device. The method also includes displaying the augmented reality product brochure on a user interface of the computing device, wherein the augmented reality product brochure includes a representation of the mattress product and modifying the representation of the mattress product based on receiving one or more instructions from the user. |
| US09886696B2 |
Method and system for presence detection
The transmission system transmits an encrypted identifier ultrasonically in an open-air environment using an ultrasonic transmitter. The ultrasonic identifier is associated with a location, which may be a store or a department within a store, and may be received by a microphone on a mobile phone. The identifier may be used to infer presence of the mobile phone user at the location associated with the identifier. The transmitter may include an ultrasonic transducer. The system may further provide a reward, responsive to inferring presence at the location. |
| US09886688B2 |
System and method for secure transaction process via mobile device
A secure element with a user security domain thereon, the user security domain constituted of: a security domain control circuitry; an encoder/decoder functionality responsive to the security domain control circuitry; and a secured keys storage in communication with the security domain control circuitry, the encoder/decoder functionality arranged to: encode data responsive to at least one first key stored on the secured keys storage, and output an encoded data; and decode received data responsive to at least one second key stored on the secured keys storage, and output a decoded data. |
| US09886683B2 |
Calendaring location-based events and associated travel
A user interface for an electronic calendar represents different locations or different users or different user calendars in different portions of the display. Calendar entries can be associated with one or more locations, one or more users, and with one or more user calendars. The different locations may reside in different time zones and a timeline for each time zone is displayed. The position of the calendar entry provides a visual identifier of the timeline with which the event is associated. Travel time to and from events in the calendar are calculated for calendared events and shown adjacent to the beginning and end of the event. A user's future location at a point in time is inferred from patterns in the user's locations and by analyzing the user's calendared events and correspondence in order to calculate travel time to calendared events. |
| US09886682B2 |
Generation of a three-dimensional virtual reality environment from a business process model
A method and computer program product for generating a three-dimensional virtual reality environment from a business process model in a computer system are provided. The method includes analyzing a business process model to identify a plurality of activities and at least one transition criterion between the plurality of activities, where the business process model is unbounded to a physical implementation. The method also includes transforming the business process model into a three-dimensional virtual reality environment with virtual physical constraints, including a plurality of virtual rooms representing the plurality of activities and one or more virtual access points to the virtual rooms representing the at least one transition criterion. The method further includes outputting the three-dimensional virtual reality environment. |
| US09886681B2 |
Creating an aggregate report of a presence of a user on a network
A physical network presence management system includes a processor; and a memory communicatively coupled to the processor. The memory includes executable code stored thereon such that the executable code, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to implement a network browser; in which the processor is configured to: track content uploaded to a network through the network browser; periodically search the network for content related to the user authored by a source other than the user; the searching being based on a unique set of identifiers associated with the user; dynamically update the set of unique identifiers based on contextual trends within content returned as a result of the searching; and aggregate content published by the user with the content returned as a result of the searching to create an aggregate report of the presence of the user on the network. |
| US09886678B2 |
Graphic representations of planograms
Systems and methods for generating and distributing graphic representations of planograms used for the configuration, maintenance, and compliance confirmation in the display of merchandise and advertisements, are disclosed. Based on predefined merchandizing agreements, planograms are designed to define specific configurations of products and advertising collateral in specific locations. By referencing an identifier associated with a location, a corresponding planogram can be retrieved and used to generate a graphic representation of the planogram. The graphic representation of the planogram can be adjusted and superimposed onto a live or captured image of the location to indicate where objects should be placed or rearranged. Each object specified in the planogram can be visually represented as a picture superimposed in a position over an image or live view of the location captured by a client computing device by a user. The user can reference the graphic representation to stock, rearrange, or maintain the location. |
| US09886667B2 |
Performance of predicted actions
Embodiments of techniques and systems for performance of predicted actions are described. In embodiments, a predicted action performance engine (“PAE”) may receive one or probabilities of potential actions that may be performed on a computing device. The PAE may also receive a system context for the computing device describing available resources on the computing device, workload, etc. Based on these probabilities and the system context, the PAE may determine one or more predicted actions and/or resource utilizations which are likely to occur and which may be performed ahead of time. The PAE may then facilitate performance of these actions and/or resource utilizations. Other embodiments may be described and claimed. |
| US09886664B2 |
System and method of message thread management
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer-readable storage device for managing message threads. An example system configured to practice this method can first identify a usage pattern of a user interacting with a message thread. Next, based on that usage pattern, the system can analyze messages in the message thread to identify a high-priority message. Then the system highlights the high-priority message when the system renders the message thread on a display. The messages can be email messages, text messages, instant messages, etc. The system can further associate the high-priority message with a repository, and grant a repository user, access to the high-priority message. |
| US09886662B2 |
Converting spike event data to digital numeric data
One embodiment of the invention provides a system comprising at least one spike-to-data converter unit for converting spike event data generated by neurons to output numeric data. Each spike-to-data converter unit is configured to support one or more spike codes. |
| US09886657B2 |
System for data card emulation
An improved system and method for data card emulation involves a portable electronic device that can emulate any one of multiple data cards corresponding to multiple entities. The portable electronic device includes a memory for storing bar code information corresponding to data cards of the multiple entities. It provides a touch screen for identifying an entity and displaying a bar code corresponding to a data card of the entity. |
| US09886650B2 |
Method and device for determining similarity between sequences
A method and a device for determining similarity between sequences are provided. The method includes obtaining a first sequence of frames and a second sequence of frames, determining a descriptor of a first frame of the first sequence based on luma information of blocks in the first frame, the descriptor of the first frame including luma difference information that is determined based on the luma information of the blocks in the first frame, determining a descriptor of a second frame of the second sequence based on luma information of blocks in the second frame, the descriptor of the second frame including luma difference information that is determined based on the luma information of the blocks in the second frame, and determining a similarity between the first sequence and the second sequence based on the descriptor of the first frame and the descriptor of the second frame. |
| US09886643B2 |
Character segmentation device, character recognition device and character segmentation method
A character recognition device may include an image sensor to acquire image and a data processor configured to segment a character string from the image data. The data processor may be configured to detect positions to segment the characters; set an area to detect a position for segmenting characters; create a first projection of pixel values arranged in the character arrangement direction along which characters are arranged and a second projection of pixel values arranged in an orthogonal to said character arrangement direction; calculate a synthetic threshold value of a first threshold, acquired by applying a discriminant analysis method on said first, X-axis projection, and a second threshold, acquired by applying said discriminant analysis method on said second, Y-axis projection, and take it as a binary threshold for said setting area; and acquire character segmenting positions based on said binary threshold. |
| US09886642B1 |
Vehicle identification number capture
An image processing system may process an image of indicia positioned behind a reflective surface. The indicia may be a vehicle identification number and the reflective surface may be a windshield of a vehicle. The image processing system may receive an initial image of the indicia positioned behind a reflective surface and process the initial image to produce a resulting image. In processing the initial image, the image processing system may identify an interest region of the initial image, where the interest region identifies a portion of the initial image affected by glare caused by the reflective surface, texturize the interest region to account for the glare, and remove a defocusing effect from the initial image to account for blur, reflection, or both, caused by the reflective surface. Then, the image processing system may extract data, such as the vehicle identification number, from the resulting image. |
| US09886640B1 |
Method and apparatus to identify a live face image using a thermal radiation sensor and a visual radiation sensor
A method, system and computer program product are disclosed that comprise capturing first image data of a person's face using at least one sensor responsive in a band of infrared wavelengths and capturing second image data of the person's face using the at least one sensor responsive in a band of visible wavelengths; extracting image features in the image data and detecting face regions; applying a similarity analysis to image feature edge maps extracted from the first and the second image data; and recognizing a presence of a live face image after regions found in the first image data pass a facial features classifier. Upon recognizing the presence of the live face image, additional operations can include verifying the identity of the person as an authorized person and granting the person access to a resource. |
| US09886639B2 |
Detecting facial liveliness
Methods, systems, and computer-readable storage mediums for detecting facial liveliness are provided. Implementations include actions of processing a facial image of a subject to determine a corneal reflection of an illuminator adjacent to the subject, the facial image being captured at a time point, determining an expected corneal reflection of the illuminator based on an illumination of the illuminator at the time point, comparing the determined corneal reflection of the illuminator to the expected corneal reflection of the illuminator to obtain a comparison result, and determining facial liveliness of the subject based on the comparison result. |
| US09886637B1 |
Apparatuses, systems and methods for acquiring images of occupants inside a vehicle
The present disclosure is directed to apparatuses, systems and methods for acquiring images of occupants inside a vehicle. More particularly, the present disclosure is directed to apparatuses, systems and methods for acquiring images of occupants inside a vehicle using a vehicle in-cabin device that automatically determines a location of the device inside the vehicle. |
| US09886636B2 |
Enhanced top-down view generation in a front curb viewing system
A system and method for creating an enhanced virtual top-down view of an area in front of a vehicle, using images from left-front and right-front cameras. The enhanced virtual top-down view not only provides the driver with a top-down view perspective which is not directly available from raw camera images, but also removes the distortion and exaggerated perspective effects which are inherent in wide-angle lens images. The enhanced virtual top-down view also includes corrections for three types of problems which are typically present in de-warped images—including artificial protrusion of vehicle body parts into the image, low resolution and noise around the edges of the image, and a “double vision” effect for objects above ground level. |
| US09886635B2 |
System and method for detecting a region of interest about tilted line
The present invention relates to a system for detecting a region of interest about a tilted line including: an image acquisition unit configured to acquire a front image by photographing a front of a vehicle; an image processing unit configured to divide the front image in a pixel unit of a row and a column and shift the front image by one pixel in a left or right direction in each row or in an upper or lower direction in each column until a region of interest (ROI) appears in a straight line in one direction; and a control unit configured to calculate coordinate values of the pixels forming the straight line in one direction to determine the tilted line of the region of interest, when the straight line in one direction appears in the region of interest as the shifted result. |
| US09886633B2 |
Techniques for identifying and indexing distinguishing features in a video feed
A method for security and/or automation systems is described. In one embodiment, the method may include receiving a plurality of video footage at a home automation system from at least one video monitor. The method may further include reviewing the plurality of video footage recorded over a predetermined period of time. The method may further include automatically identifying at least one distinguishing feature in the video footage over the predetermined period of time, and automatically indexing the video footage based, at least in part, on identifying the at least one distinguishing feature in the video footage. |
| US09886632B1 |
Systems and methods for autonomous perpendicular imaging of test squares
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) assessment and reporting system may utilize one or more scanning techniques to provide useful assessments and/or reports for structures and other objects. The scanning techniques may be performed in sequence and optionally used to further fine tune each subsequent scan. The system may include shadow elimination, annotation, and/or reduction for the UAV itself and/or other objects. A UAV may be used to determine a pitch of roof of a structure. The pitch of the roof may be used to fine tune subsequent scanning and data capture to capture perpendicular images at target fields of view and/or target distances to capture images of sample regions having defined square footage. |
| US09886629B2 |
Techniques for restoring content from a torn document
Disclosed are various embodiments for digitally restoring content from a torn document. A computing device obtains an image of a document that has a tear. The computing device identifies portions of the image separated by a gap region representing the tear in the document. Content in the portions of the image adjacent to the gap region is then identified. The position of a portion of the image is incrementally adjusted to reduce the gap region without overlapping the portions. The position of the portion is adjusted to align the content along a boundary between the portions of the image. |
| US09886628B2 |
Systems and methods for mobile image capture and content processing
Systems and methods are provided for processing and extracting content from an image captured using a mobile device. In one embodiment, an image is captured by a mobile device and corrected to improve the quality of the image. The corrected image is then further processed by adjusting the image, identifying the format and layout of the DL, binarizing the image and extracting the content using optical character recognition (OCR). Multiple methods of image adjusting may be implemented to accurately assess features of the DL, and a secondary layout identification process may be performed to ensure that the content being extracted is properly classified. |
| US09886624B1 |
Systems and methods for tracking dribbling in sporting environments
Systems and methods are provided for tracking a dribbling motion associated with a person engaged in either a training session for a sporting event or the live play of the sporting event. In sporting events, a dribbling motion can be associated with a repetitive movement or a short trajectory sequence between changes of direction of a ball, puck or other object used in the sporting event. The repetitive movement or short trajectory sequence used for dribbling can involve an up-and-down movement such as in basketball or a back-and-forth movement such as in soccer or hockey. The system can use one or more cameras to capture images of a person dribbling an object and at least one processor to analyze the images to determine and evaluate one or more characteristics associated with the dribbling motion. |
| US09886617B2 |
Miniaturized optical biometric sensing
Systems and methods are described for providing reliable biometric access control using an optical biometric sensor in a miniaturized form factor. Some implementations include multiple light sources that can illuminate skin or other tissue at multiple locations during a single measurement session. An imaging array can be arranged to form images of the light exiting the tissue only after undergoing diffuse reflectance in the tissue. Some implementations use the images to perform biometric functions. For example, the images can be used to identify an individual, verify identity of an individual, estimate demographic characteristics of an individual, etc. Such biometric functions can further be used to determine and affect access to secured assets. |
| US09886616B2 |
Method and apparatus for fingerprint recognition and authentication
According to one embodiment of the present invention, provided is a method for fingerprint recognition and authentication, comprising: a step for sequentially acquiring a plurality of slice images including a fingerprint pattern via a fingerprint sensor; a slice dividing unit for dividing the slice images into block images; a step for converting spatial domain information of the block images into frequency domain information, and eliminating information of a high-frequency component by using a low-pass filter; and a step for forming a fingerprint pattern template by matching the block images, from which the information of the high-frequency component has been eliminated. |
| US09886613B2 |
Integration of touch screen and fingerprint sensor assembly
Devices, systems, and techniques are provided for integrating a touch screen with a fingerprint detection module as an assembly for a mobile device. The integrated touch screen/fingerprint sensor assembly includes at least two glass layers bonded together to provide overall mechanical strength for the touch screen display. The upper glass layer is a toughened/hardened cover glass that does not have an opening for fitting the fingerprint detection module through this glass layer. The lower glass layer is a support glass layer underneath the hardened cover glass to provide additional mechanical strength and to include an opening at a location close to an end of the support glass layer. The integrated touch screen/fingerprint sensor assembly also includes a fingerprint detection module positioned within the opening of the support glass layer and directly underneath the hardened cover glass. |
| US09886606B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing method, program, and information processing system
An information processing apparatus includes processing circuits that have respective identification information and that perform processing corresponding to a request from another information processing apparatus, and a reporting circuit that stores the respective identification information of the processing circuits and, instead of the processing circuits, that reports the identification information to the another information processing apparatus in response to a request for reporting the identification information, the request being issued from the another information processing apparatus. |
| US09886604B2 |
Method of discriminating RFID tags in motion from static RFID tags
Some embodiments are directed to a method and a system allowing moving tags to be discriminated from stationary tags, which can be used in the field of tracking merchandise or objects provided with RFID tags. |
| US09886602B2 |
Magnetic head for payment terminal
The invention relates to a magnetic reading head to be mounted in a terminal, said head having a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape and comprising a face for reading data coming from a magnetic stripe, said face comprising at least one component for reading data coming from a magnetic stripe.According to the invention, such a magnetic reading head comprises at least one flexible printed circuit board for protection against electromagnetic disturbances, said flexible printed circuit board being positioned on at least one face different from said reading face. |
| US09886600B2 |
Smart card reader with electrostatic discharge protection
Various embodiments provide a smart card reader that includes a smart card reader body and smart card contacts. The smart card reader body is a single, contiguous piece of electrically dissipative material. As a smart card is inserted in to the smart card reader body and makes contact with portions of the smart card reader body, any electrostatic charge that has accumulated on plastic portions of the smart card is discharged through the smart card reader body itself, and to ground. As a result, damage to circuitry coupled to the smart card reader and an embedded circuit housed in the smart card is avoided. |
| US09886581B2 |
Automated intelligence graph construction and countermeasure deployment
Techniques for providing information security threat assessment and amelioration are disclosed. The techniques may include obtaining fundamental data, obtaining document data, preparing fundamental instance nodes from the fundamental data, preparing document nodes from the document data, preparing edges between at least some of the nodes, storing the nodes and the edges in a manner that reflects a graph structure, and causing to be displayed at least a portion of a graph defined by at least one node and at least one edge. |
| US09886571B2 |
Security enhancement of customer replaceable unit monitor (CRUM)
A component subsystem and a method for authenticating the component subsystem. The component subsystem may be installed in a host device. The method can include an authentication protocol, wherein the host device sends a test voltage value to the component subsystem which, in turn, generates a test voltage based on the test voltage value. The test voltage is applied to a test cell that includes a wordline, a bitline, and a memory film. A response voltage is read from the bitline and compared to an expected value. If the response voltage matches the expected value, host device and/or component subsystem functionality is enabled. If the response voltage does not match the expected value, the host device and/or component subsystem functionality is disabled. |
| US09886569B1 |
Credential tracking
In one implementation, a credential associated with a user identifier and a location is stored at a client device. A request to output a representation of the credential in a manner that enables a credential authority to validate the representation is received. Responsive to receiving the request to render the representation of the credential, a location of the client device is obtained and a determination that the location of the client device is within a predefined distance of the location associated with the credential is made. Responsive to determining that the location of the client device is within the predefined distance of the location associated with the credential, data indicating that the user has entered the location associated with the credential is stored in a memory of the client device. |
| US09886566B2 |
Digital content distribution and subscription system
Digital content distribution systems and methods are provided for distributing for digital data files, such as digital audio and video data files. In accordance with one implementation, a token-based authentication system is provided that does not require knowledge of the individual user requesting the download of digital content data or real-time access to user account information. Instead, the token-based authentication system embeds the authentication information, or token, in the download request information itself. In this way, the download or content server authenticates the download request using the token contained in the download request information and therefore does not require any additional information to carry out this authentication, such as access to user account information. |
| US09886557B2 |
Safety ensuring system of exercise machine and method of ensuring safety while using an exercise machine
A safety ensuring system of exercise machine and a related method includes a physiological detection device and an exercise machine. The physiological detection device is used to detect a physiological state of a human body and save the physiological state. Before a user using the exercise machine, the physiological state of the user is detected by the physiological detection device first. The exercise machine includes a control device and a working device, wherein the control device determines whether the working device is allowed to be used according to the physiological state saved in the physiological detection device. The working device is allowed to be used if the physiological state is normal, and it is prohibited from being used otherwise. Whereby, the user in poor physiological state is prevented from doing exercise, which effectively ensures the safety at using the exercise machine. |
| US09886556B2 |
Diabetes management therapy advisor
A method includes obtaining training data for a plurality of patients of a patient population. The training data includes training blood glucose history data including treatment doses of insulin administered by the patients of the patient population and one or more outcome attributes associated with each treatment dose. The method also includes identifying, for each patient of the patient population, one or more optimum treatment doses of insulin from the treatment doses yielding favorable outcome attributes. The method also includes receiving patient-state information for the treated patient, determining a next recommended treatment dose of insulin for the treated patient based on one or more of the identified optimum treatment doses associated with the patients of the patient population having training patient-state information similar to the patient-state information for the treated patient, and transmitting the next recommended treatment dose to a portable device associated with the treated patient. |
| US09886555B2 |
Method and apparatus for dispensing medicaments
A pharmacy workflow platform and prescription checking and medicament dispensing station and method comprising (a) script display means; (b) scanning means for providing script data and stock bottle label data in electronic format from the prescription and a stock bottle label; (c) CPU means comprising i) means for receiving and storing the script data and stock bottle data in electronic format; ii) means for transferring the script data to the script display means to effect display of the script; iii) means cooperable with medicament dispensing weighing and counting means; (d) medicament-dispensing weighing means in communication with the CPU means; and (e) control means for controlling the CPU means. Medication is dispensed in a more safe, efficient and cost-effective manner. |
| US09886553B2 |
Predicting risk of major adverse cardiac events
Measurement of circulating ST2 and natriuretic peptide (e.g., NT-proBNP) concentrations is useful for the prognostic evaluation of subjects, in particular for the prediction of adverse clinical outcomes, e.g., mortality, transplantation, and heart failure. |
| US09886552B2 |
System and method for image registration of multiple video streams
Provided herein are methods and systems for image registration from multiple sources. A method for image registration includes rendering a common field of interest that reflects a presence of a plurality of elements, wherein at least one of the elements is a remote element located remotely from another of the elements and updating the common field of interest such that the presence of the at least one of the elements is registered relative to another of the elements. |
| US09886550B2 |
Medical pump with operator-authorization awareness
A medical pump for delivering medicament through an IV line to a patient may provide for awareness of the operator and operator authority limiting access by any individual to particular tasks of procedure review, pump programming, pump loading, patient set up, pump operation, and the like associated with the treatment provided by the medical pump. Identifying the operator allows the assignment of particular authority levels to the operators to ensure proper operation of the medical pump, and/or proper operators have made the necessary review to perform the necessary set up of the medical pump facilitating collaborative healthcare delivery. A record of operator intervention and authority levels may be logged to permit an automatic checklist process by the medical pump. Authentication process and pump operation parameters can be communicated through Near Field Communication (NFC). |
| US09886547B2 |
Method and system for automated healthcare care coordination and care transitions
A system and method configured for coordinating healthcare services is disclosed. The method can comprise selecting a patient for care coordination based in part on a patient diagnosis and data analytics, assigning a predetermined patient care flow plan to a patient based in part on the patient diagnosis, modifying the predetermined patient care flow plan in response to input from at least one of a healthcare provider and the patient, and generating a customized patient care flow plan for the patient, executing the customized care flow, and engaging the patient by providing to the patient at least one of patient scheduling, notifications, a personal health record, patient home monitoring, and patient education and medication information materials. The present disclosure further includes computer program product of a computer-readable medium usable with a programmable computer and having computer-readable code embodied therein for coordinating healthcare services. |
| US09886546B2 |
Methods and apparatus to label radiology images
Methods and apparatus are disclosed to label radiology images. An example system includes a processor and a database. In response to receiving a first user input via a data input, the processor is to generate first annotations on a spinal image. The processor is to cause the spinal image having the first annotations to be displayed at a user interface. The processor is to prompt a user to provide second user input identifying an error in the first annotations. In response to receiving the second user input, the processor is to generate second annotations on the spinal image. The second annotations is to correct the error in the first annotations. |
| US09886545B2 |
Interrogatory cell-based assays and uses thereof
Described herein is a discovery Platform Technology for analyzing a biological system or process (e.g., a disease condition, such as cancer) via model building. |
| US09886544B2 |
Layout checking system and method
A method includes the operation below. Groups, indicating layout patterns of interconnection layers, are assigned to a circuit, to determine layout constraints of the circuit. Layout patterns are extracted from a layout design for the circuit. The layout patterns are compared with the layout constraints. Data, indicating the layout design, for fabrication of the circuit are generated in a condition that the layout patterns meet the layout constraints. |
| US09886542B2 |
Modeling TSV interposer considering depletion capacitance and substrate effects
In a method for modeling electromagnetic effects in a planar circuit that employs a plurality of through-silicon vias in a domain, a region around each through-silicon via is described in terms of a cylindrical accumulation mode basis function. The cylindrical accumulation mode basis function is incorporated into an equivalent circuit that describes selected electrical characteristics of each through-silicon via. A plurality of localized intervals around each through-silicon via is selected. A multilayer Green's function is approximated for IMNzz′ (wherein M and N identify selected layers and wherein zz′ designates layer boundaries in a layer through which the through-silicon via passes) in each localized interval without approximating the Green's function over the entire domain. Coefficients IMNzz′ are approximated over a predetermined range of frequencies (ω). Admittance parameters based on of IMNzz′ are calculated over a frequency sweep. |
| US09886541B2 |
Process for improving capacitance extraction performance
Disclosed is a method for improving capacitance extraction performance in a circuit, the method including mapping, via a computing resource, a first layout including a plurality of wiring paths, selecting at least one target wire from the plurality of wiring paths, selecting at least one group of wires running orthogonally to the at least one target wire, identifying and selecting within the at least one group at least one set of two or more wires that are combinable for representation as a single merged wire, mapping a second layout, via the computing resource, and representing the at least one set of two or more wires as the single merged wire in said second layout, analyzing parasitic capacitance between the at least one target wire and the at least one group of wires using the second layout, and manufacturing the circuit using information from the analyzing of parasitic capacitance. |
| US09886536B2 |
System and method for passive verification
Passive verification, comprising, receiving a representation of an electronic design comprised at least in part of at least system having at least one subsystem which is analog, collecting at least one input subsystem level data, having at least one input subsystem signal marker, collecting at least one output subsystem level data, having at least one output subsystem signal marker and analyzing at least one measure of at least one of the at least one input subsystem signal marker and at least one output subsystem signal marker. |
| US09886535B2 |
Method for predicting symmetric, automated, real-time ARC flash energy within a real-time monitoring system
Systems and methods for making real-time predictions about an arc flash event on an electrical system are disclosed. An analytics server is communicatively connected to a data acquisition component. The analytics server comprises a virtual system modeling engine configured to create a virtual system model reflecting current network topology of the electrical system; an analytics engine configured to monitor predicted output data from the virtual system model and real-time output data from the electrical system acquired by the data acquisition component and update the virtual system model when a difference between the real-time output data and the predicted output data exceeds a threshold; and an arc flash simulation engine configured to forecast at least one aspect of and arc flash event based on the virtual system model. |
| US09886534B2 |
System and method for collision avoidance in medical systems
A method of detecting a possible collision in a medical procedure that involves a medical system, includes: obtaining an image of a patient that is supported on a patient support; determining a first model using a processing unit based at least in part on the image, at least a part of the first model representing a surface of the patient; determining a second model using the processing unit, the second model representing a first component of the medical system; virtually moving the first model, the second model, or both, using a collision prediction mechanism to simulate a movement of the first component of the medical system to determine whether there is a possible collision between the first component and the patient; and generating an output to indicate the possible collision or an absence of the possible collision. |
| US09886527B2 |
Determining feasible splines with engineering constraints using projection methods
A method, apparatus, system, and computer program product provide the ability to modify a spline (e.g., a civil engineering spline). The spline, defined by a set of connected points, is obtained/acquired. A design constraint set is determined and may include an interpolation constraint (specifying a fixed elevation for a connected point), a slope constraint (specifying a bound on a slope between two of the connected points), and a curvature constraint (specifying; a maximum slope difference of a first slope and a second slope between three connected points). The spline is projected onto the design constraint set thereby modifying the spline by changing elevations of the connected points. The modified spline is then projected onto the design constraint set iteratively until the spline satisfies all constraints in the design constraint set. |
| US09886523B2 |
Intelligent search and service customization
An intelligent search and interface customization system including innovative methods of processing user requests and optimizing search results is disclosed. |
| US09886521B2 |
Adaptive sampling schemes for clustering streaming graphs
A method for clustering vertices of streaming graphs includes: maintaining one or more clusters, assigning a random number to an incoming edge, computing a sampling threshold based on the current clusters, and adjusting the current clusters based on the random number and the sampling threshold. |
| US09886512B2 |
Software recommending method and recommending system
Disclosed are a software recommending method and a software recommending system. The method comprises: detecting software already installed and/or web application already run on a client (101); analyzing software already installed and/or web application already run on the client, and obtaining personalization data of the client user, wherein the personalization data include age data, and/or personality data, and/or gender data (102); providing a corresponding software recommending mechanism according to the personalization data of the client user (103). This solution makes software recommendations for different personalities of different users, so that the recommendations are more targeted; and a user also does not need to search a variety of software for desired software through complicated operations. |
| US09886505B2 |
Interacting with phone numbers and other contact information contained in browser content
The present invention discloses a method for handling contact information in a communication device. The method can include a step of presenting content within a visual interface of the communication device. A contact detection algorithm can execute to detect contact items included in the content. A visual indication can be presented next to each detected contact item. User input can be received, which causes the communication device to perform a contact action relating to one of the contact items. The contact action can add contact information to an address book, can initiate a communication session, and/or can place the contact item in a memory space for later use by an application other than one in which the content was presented. |
| US09886504B2 |
Audio file management method, device and storage medium
The embodiments of the disclosure provide a method and device for audio file management and a storage medium. The method may include that: an album image corresponding to an audio file to be managed is acquired (S101); color analysis is performed on the album image to obtain a characteristic color of the album image (S102); a color label is set for the audio file according to the characteristic color of the album image (S103); and the audio file is managed according to the color label of the audio file (S104). According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the audio file may be managed on the basis of colors, so that diversity and intelligence of the means of audio file management are improved. |
| US09886502B2 |
Providing similar content with similar playback rates
A system and method in which metadata associated with content data received from an information processing apparatus is used in determining related content data that includes a similar feature as the content data. The related content data may be determined from a channel in which the content data belongs according to a playback rate determination by the information processing apparatus of give content data used in determining the similar feature as the feature in the content data. The related content data may then be transmitted to the information apparatus, which may selectively playback the content data and the related content data. |
| US09886500B2 |
System and method for providing technology assisted data review with optimizing features
The invention provided is a system configured to use a topic-related generative model to build a document map from a plurality of documents in a storage medium and generate a control set from the plurality of documents including at least two stratified document sets. The system then receives a set of control set metrics regarding the control set from a user. The system selects a machine call responsive document from a document map based on a determined predictive responsiveness for that document. The system receives a responsiveness call from a user through the task/queue framework regarding a machine call document. Finally, the system compares the responsiveness of the machine call document to the control set metrics and rebuilds the document map based on the results of the comparison between the machine call document responsiveness and the control set metrics. |
| US09886499B2 |
Identifying and classifying non-functional requirements in text
A device may obtain text to be categorized, and may determine rules for categorizing portions of the text. A rule may specify text patterns to be used to categorize the portions of the text into a category, and may specify a relationship, between at least two text patterns, to be used to categorize the portions of the text into the category. The device may determine that the text patterns and the relationship between the at least two text patterns exist in a text portion. The device may categorize the text portion into the category based on determining that the text patterns and the relationship between the at least two text patterns exist in the text portion. The device may provide an indication of an association between the text portion and the category based on categorizing the text portion into the category. |