| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US10172270B2 |
Pick-and-place feeder module assembly
A pick-and-place machine and method includes use of a passive component feeder cartridge including a feeder gear. Rotation of the feeder gear causes a component-bearing tape to be fed through the feeder cartridge. A pickup head includes a vacuum nozzle to pick up the components from the tape and a rack gear to engage and drive the feeder gear of the feeder cartridge via translational motion of the pickup head when operatively disposed with respect to a selected feeder cartridge. |
| US10172265B2 |
Board level shield including an integrated heat sink
A shielding assembly is disclosed, the assembly including at least a board level shield and a heat sink. The assembly may include a board level shield that includes both a lid and a fence, and may also include a thermal interface material, where the assembly may be mounted on a printed circuit board to provide both EMI shielding and thermal management of heat-generating electronic components or heat sources on the circuit board. The heat sink includes at least one pin, and the shield includes at least one complementary perforation relative to the pin, such that an assembled device of the disclosure provides both EMI shielding and thermal management while permitting the transfer of thermal energy via the heat sink pin through the board level shield perforation. |
| US10172263B1 |
Electronic assembly having a conductive shield and grounding contacts
Electronic assembly includes a printed circuit having a plurality of thru-holes. The electronic assembly also includes a conductive shield having a plurality of sidewalls. The sidewalls define a cavity. Edges of at least some of the sidewalls interface with the printed circuit along a perimeter line. The perimeter line intersects the thru-holes or extends immediately adjacent to the thru-holes. The electronic assembly also includes a plurality of grounding contacts that are each discrete with respect to the conductive shield. Each of the grounding contacts of said plurality includes a pin segment and a wall-engaging segment. The pin segments include compliant pins that are insertable into the thru-holes. The wall-engaging segments are connected to respective sidewalls. The grounding contacts are distributed along the perimeter line and electrically couple the conductive shield to the ground conductor of the printed circuit. |
| US10172246B2 |
Universal mount for a mobile hand-holdable electronic device
A universal mount is able to accommodate mobile hand-holdable electronic devices of various sizes having a device lower edge spaced from a device upper edge. The universal mount has a housing sub-assembly having a housing sub-assembly base-plate with a lower mount attached thereto and configured to releaseably receive the device lower edge. A movable latch-plate sub-assembly, having an upper mount attached thereto, is disposed in and slideably attached to the housing sub-assembly. The upper mount, aligned with the lower mount at an adjustable position above and relative to the lower mount, is configured to releaseably receive the device upper edge. A support-plate sub-assembly is fixedly disposed in the housing. The movable latch-plate sub-assembly is slideably attached to the support-plate sub-assembly. A back-plate sub-assembly is attached to the housing sub-assembly and encloses the movable latch-plate sub-assembly and the support-plate sub-assembly in the housing sub-assembly. |
| US10172243B2 |
Printed circuit board and methods to enhance reliability
In some embodiments, methods include drilling one or a plurality of PTHs with any industrial grade drill to fabricate holes with positive etch back, flooding the PTHs with a dilute solution of an acrylate monomer/oligomer containing an appropriate level of peroxide initiator, polymerizing the acrylate, and then rising the PTHs with the solvent used in the formulation of the acrylate material. In one embodiment, the printed circuit board may include a substrate comprising a plurality of metal layers separated by a plurality of insulating layers; a plurality of plated through holes formed in the substrate, each plated through hole comprising: recesses formed at each insulating layer, copper lands between the recesses, a polymer coating in each recess, and a metal layer lining the plated through hole. |
| US10172238B2 |
Multilayer capacitor and board having the same
A multilayer capacitor includes a capacitor body including first and second internal electrodes alternately stacked with dielectric layers interposed therebetween. The first and second internal electrodes are exposed at a mounting surface of the capacitor body. The capacitor body includes first and second groove parts at the mounting surface, spaced apart in a length direction of the capacitor body, and contacting exposed portions of the first and second internal electrodes, respectively. The multilayer capacitor includes first and second external electrodes in the first and second groove parts, respectively, and electrically connected to the exposed portions of the first and second internal electrodes, respectively. |
| US10172236B2 |
Narrow frame display panel and display
The embodiment of the present invention discloses a narrow frame display panel, comprising: an integrated circuit input pad, being located on a lower side of the display panel and comprising a plurality of input terminals; a flexible printed circuit bonding pad, being located on a lower edge of the display panel and below the integrated circuit input pad, and the flexible printed circuit bonding pad comprising a plurality of bonding terminals, and bonding terminals of at least one end of the flexible printed circuit bonding pad are first bonding terminals, wherein each of the first bonding terminals comprising at least one three-side bracketing structure extending outward in a horizontal direction; wires, electrically connecting the integrated circuit input pad with the flexible printed circuit bonding pad. The embodiment of the present invention further discloses a display. By utilizing the present invention, being advantageous for narrow frame design is achieved. |
| US10172233B2 |
Display device and manufacturing method thereof
A display device includes: a flexible substrate including a display unit and a plurality of peripheral units which surrounds the display unit and are bent to overlap a part of the display unit; a display member positioned at the display unit and which displays an image; and a signal line positioned at the plurality of peripheral units, where the plurality of peripheral units is bent in a way such that parts of the signal line, which are respectively positioned at adjacent peripheral units, are in contact with each other. |
| US10172231B2 |
Methods and apparatus for reducing RF crossover coupling
Systems, methods, and apparatus for reducing crossover coupling of two or more RF signals are described. In one case, a crossover structure is described where RF signals are routed through coplanar waveguides having a specific characteristic impedance and crossing at a central point of the crossover structure by way of a bridge. A ground shield having a geometry adapted to reduce the crossover coupling while minimally affecting capacitive coupling between the RF signals and the ground shield is introduced in-between a region comprising the central point. Further described is a multi-port rotary RF switch fitted with the crossover structure which allows substantially balanced electrical performance across all the operational states of the rotary RF switch at RF signal frequencies up to 40 GHz and beyond. |
| US10172222B2 |
Utility light malfunction determination
A method and system for automatically determining a utility light malfunction is provided. The method includes receiving, from a first hardware device, luminance data specifying current luminance levels associated with utility light apparatuses. Location data specifying a geographical location for each utility light apparatus is retrieved and the luminance data and location data are analyzed with respect to historical luminance data and historical location data associated with the utility light apparatuses. The analysis results in determining that a group of utility light apparatuses include first current luminance levels differing from previous luminance levels of the group. A list and associated map specifying a group of geographical locations associated with the group is generated. A control signal enabling control of a vehicle is transmitted to the vehicle and associated video data is retrieved via the vehicle during travel in accordance with the map. |
| US10172221B2 |
Method of controlling lighting sources, corresponding system and computer program product
According to the present disclosure, lighting sources having operating parameter(s), which is controllable in lighting sequence(s) as a function of a time code data set coupled with the sequence, are controlled as a function of a videogame played on display(s): by providing a repository of operating data files for the sources coupled with the lighting sources with each data file including time code data set(s) for lighting sequence(s) for one of the lighting sources, by retrieving in the data repository operating data file(s) coupled with a source selected among the lighting sources, and by detecting from the display a videogame signal indicative of the development of a videogame, and by operating the selected lighting source by controlling the operating parameter(s) as a function of the operating data included in the operating data file retrieved and as a function of the videogame signal detected. |
| US10172219B2 |
Wireless lighting control system
A networked lighting control system includes a variety of lighting control devices, including intelligent luminaires, standalone intelligent control nodes, plug load controllers, and power packs that communicate over a wireless control network and a commissioning network. Each lighting control device includes a dual-band wireless radio communication interface system. The dual-band wireless radio communication interface system is configured for unicast and multicast communication over a first of two different wireless communication bands as well as point-to-point communication over a second wireless communication band. The standalone intelligence control node can be a wall switch or detector. Commissioning and provisioning of the lighting control system is performed over the second communication band via communications with a mobile device and lighting controls are carried out over the first communication band. The lighting control devices may be divided into light control groups or zones. |
| US10172217B2 |
Method for configuring an electronic element in a lighting system, electronic element and configuring system
A method for configuring an electronic element (e.g., a ballast) in a lighting system prior to powering up the lighting system uses a wireless communication interface in the electronic element based on near field communication or radio frequency identification communication. An external configuring device, such as a programmed smartphone or tablet, is equipped with a wireless communication module and transmits configuration data to the wireless communication interface which in turn writes the data to memory in the electronic element without power being supplied to the electronic element. The control for the electronic element reads the configuration when it is powered up. |
| US10172208B1 |
Method for adjusting color temperature of LED in single light fixture
Disclosed in the present invention is a method for adjusting a color temperature of an LED in a single light fixture. In the method, at least two light-emitting modules in a single light fixture are respectively electrically connected to a switch, each light-emitting module is independently adjusted by a switch corresponding to the light-emitting module, and the light-emitting modules have different color temperatures. Therefore, the brightness of each light-emitting module can be respectively controlled by using each switch, so that emitted light of the single light fixture has more than three color temperatures. |
| US10172207B1 |
Adjustable light color temperature switching circuit
An adjustable light color temperature switching circuit includes an input module, a drive power supply connected with the input module, a regulating switch module connected with the drive power supply, a control module connected with the drive power supply and the regulating switch module, and an LED module connected with the regulating switch module. The control module includes a control chip. The LED module includes at least one first LED, at least one second LED and at least one third LED. Thus, the control chip of the control module is connected with the regulating switch module, to regulate the state of the regulating switch module, so that the at least one first LED, the at least one second LED and the at least one third LED are combined freely according to the practical requirement. |
| US10172201B2 |
Electronic converter and lighting system comprising such a converter
An electronic converter allows a power transfer from an AC voltage source, connected between an input terminal and a common terminal, to a load connected between an output terminal and a reference terminal, the AC voltage including positive alternations interspersed with negative alternations at a first frequency. The converter includes an input inductance connected to the input terminal; an output inductance connected to the output terminal; a storage capacitor between the inductances; a chopper circuit that: in a first state, charges the input inductance via the AC voltage source and discharges the storage capacitance in the output inductance by supplying the load; in a second state, discharges the input inductance in the storage capacitance and discharges the output inductance by supplying the load; and a device for controlling the chopper circuit to activate, during each alternations, consecutive operating cycles at a second frequency higher than the first frequency. |
| US10172198B2 |
Lighting system, related electronic converter and method of designing a lighting system
A lighting system includes an electronic converter, a lighting module and a switching stage. The electronic converter includes a transformer, a rectifier circuit and an output filter circuit. A capacitance is connected between the primary winding and the secondary winding. The lighting module includes a chain of LEDs and a current regulator, wherein the chain of LEDs is mounted onto a substrate of a metallic material, so that a parasitic capacitance is present between the lighting module and the substrate of a metallic material.The switching stage includes a field-effect transistor interposed in the negative line which connects the lighting module to the electronic converter, and a control unit configured to drive the gate terminal of the transistor as a function of a dimming signal.The switching stage includes a diode connected to negative output terminal of the switching stage and to positive output terminal of the switching stage. |
| US10172193B2 |
DC power supply and its LED lamp and control system
A DC power supply for preventing output from being misconnected to a power supply and its LED lamp and control system, comprise a DC power supply and an anti-misconnection module. The DC power supply comprises a positive output terminal and a negative output terminal. The anti-misconnection module comprises a positive access terminal and a negative access terminal which are electrically connected to the positive and negative output terminals of the DC power supply respectively, a NMOS transistor controlling on-off of the negative access terminal, a load access unit performing a turn-on operation of the NMOS transistor, a forward-blocking unit performing a turn-off operation of the NMOS transistor, and a backward access unit performing a turn-off operation of the NMOS transistor. The present invention prevents the DC power supply from being damaged even if the positive access terminal and the negative access terminal of the DC power supply are mis-connected to the external power supply, such as the electric supply or the dry battery. As long as the external power supply is removed and the normal load is connected, such as LED lamps, the DC power supply of the present invention can work normally, so that it can not only improve the reliability of power supply products, but also can reduce the corresponding maintenance workload. |
| US10172191B2 |
Driver circuit with LLC start-up control
A driver circuit is provided for lighting means, in particular for one or more LEDs, having an LLC circuit with an inverter which is clocked by means of at least two switches and is designed to supply a resonant circuit, wherein the resonant circuit is coupled to a primary winding of a transformer for transforming electrical energy from the primary winding to a secondary winding, and the lighting means can be supplied with current starting from the secondary winding, having a control unit which is designed to control the switch of the inverter after an activation of the driver circuit during a start phase, in such a way that after a single or after multiple alternating cycles of the switch, the cycling of the switch is suspended for the duration of at least one alternating cycling of the switch until a criterion for ending the start phase is satisfied. |
| US10172190B2 |
Light emitting diode having improved current spreading efficiency, improved mechanical reliability, or some combination thereof
A light emitting diode including a first semiconductor layer and a plurality of mesas including a second semiconductor layer and an active layer interposed between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer, the first semiconductor layer including an exposed region between the plurality of mesas, a current blocking layer disposed on a portion of the plurality of mesas and a portion of the exposed region, a transparent electrode layer covering the second semiconductor layer and the current blocking layer, and a second electrode disposed on the current blocking layer and the transparent electrode layer and electrically connected to the second semiconductor layer. The current blocking layer includes a connecting portion extending from a first mesa to a second mesa adjacent to the first mesa and a protruding portion protruding from the connecting portion and disposed on the exposed region. |
| US10172189B2 |
Method and apparatus for microwave treatment of dielectric films
An apparatus for thermal treatment of dielectric films on substrates includes: a microwave applicator cavity and microwave power source; a workpiece to be heated in the cavity, having a porous coating on a selected substrate; and, an apparatus for introducing a controlled amount of a polar species into the porous coating immediately before heating by the microwave power. The interaction of the polar species with the microwaves enhances the efficiency of the process, to shorten process time and reduce thermal budget. A related method includes: depositing a porous film on a substrate; soft baking the film to a selected state of dryness; introducing a controlled amount of a polar species into the soft baked film; and, applying microwave energy to heat the film via interaction with the polar species. |
| US10172188B2 |
Cooking heater
A cooking heater (1) of the present invention includes a cooking heater body (2) which includes a heating chamber; a drawing body (3) which is configured to be allowed to be pulled out of the cooking heater body (2) and pushed into the cooking heater body (2); a rotating tray (22) which is arranged inside the drawing body (3) and which is configured to be allowed to be mounted to the drawing body and removed from the drawing body; a rotating tray drive motor (25) which is provided in the cooking heater body (2); and a rotation transmission mechanism (29) which, with the drawing body (3) being pushed into the cooking heater body (2), transmits rotational force from the rotating tray drive motor (25) to the rotating tray (22) and, with the drawing body (3) being pulled out of the cooking heater body (2), blocks the transmission of the rotational force to the rotating tray (22). |
| US10172177B2 |
UE initiated SCell connection establishment
Methods, systems, devices, and apparatuses are described for wireless communications in which a wireless device may identify a small cell (e.g., SCell) and establish an independent connection with the small cell based at least in part on selection parameters received from a macro cell (e.g., PCell). The selection parameters may include power and/or quality parameters, as wells as a set of candidate cells from which to make the selection. The macro and small cells may be in communication with each other but need not be associated with the same base station (i.e., are not collocated). Once the small cell connection is established, the device may communicate with both cells concurrently. Available uplink data and/or downlink data may trigger the need for the device to connect with the small cell. For example, the small cell connection may be used to communicate uplink/downlink data associated with certain quality-of-service (QoS) and/or bearer identifier. |
| US10172175B2 |
Method and apparatus for interworking between electronic devices
A method and apparatus capable of enhancing the usability of an electronic device through interworking between the electronic devices are disclosed. The electronic device includes a 1st wireless communication interface configured to perform 1st wireless communication with another electronic device, a 2nd wireless communication interface configured to perform 2nd wireless communication with another electronic device, and a processor operatively coupled with the 1st wireless communication interface and the 2nd wireless communication interface. The processor is configured to connect with another electronic device by the 1st wireless communication, using the 1st wireless communication interface, execute a 1st process with another electronic device on the basis of the 1st wireless communication, sense a 2nd process during the execution of the 1st process, allocate a resource for processing the 1st process and the 2nd process, in accordance with a corresponding profile, and process at least one process among the 1st process or the 2nd process on the basis of the allocated resource. |
| US10172172B2 |
Device-to-device capability signaling
Methods, systems, and devices are described for signaling device-to-device (D2D) capability information. A user equipment (UE) may determine a frequency band list of frequency bands supported for D2D proximity service communications. Based on the frequency band list, the UE may determine a proximity service record for a frequency band combination parameter, the frequency band combination parameter associated with non-D2D communications. The proximity service record may include a reduced capabilities record for the frequency band combination parameter that indicates reduced capabilities for non-D2D communications when D2D proximity service communications are active. |
| US10172169B2 |
Method and device for controlling device by using bluetooth technology
Disclosed is a method for controlling connection between a first device and a second device using Bluetooth by a control device including obtaining a first device information related to the first device from the first device, obtaining a second device information related to the second device from the second device, transmitting a connection request message for requesting connection with the second device to the first device based on the first device information and the second device information, and receiving a first response message including a result of connection with the second device in response to the connection request message. |
| US10172166B2 |
Method and apparatus for handling E-RAB switch problem for dual connectivity in wireless communication system
A method and apparatus for handling evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN) radio access bearer (E-RAB) switch failure for dual connectivity in a wireless communication system is provided. A master evolved NodeB (MeNB) in dual connectivity receives an E-RAB modification confirm message including a list of E-RABs failed to be modified from a mobility management entity (MME). The MeNB may keep old general packet ratio service (GPRS) tunneling protocol (GTP) tunnels for the failed E-RABs, and trigger a secondary eNB (SeNB) release procedure or a SeNB modification procedure for releasing the failed E-RABs. Alternatively, the MeNB may trigger an E-RAB release procedure for releasing the failed E-RABs. |
| US10172164B2 |
Spatial reuse with training in RTS-CTS
Computing readable media, apparatuses, and methods for spatial reuse with training in RTS-CTS are disclosed. An apparatus comprising processing circuitry is disclosed. The processing circuitry configured to: decode a received frame, the frame including either a request to send (RTS) frame or a clear to send (CTS) frame, with an initial portion of the frame indicating a plurality of training fields (TRN-R) at an end of the frame. The processing circuitry further configured to perform a clear channel assessment (CCA) for each receive (Rx) sector of a plurality of Rx sectors using the plurality of TRN-Rs. |
| US10172162B2 |
Method for performing a random access procedure in wireless communication system 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 performing a random access procedure in wireless communication system, the method comprising: transmitting a random access preamble (RAP) on a physical random access channel (PRACH) resource in a radio frame; calculating a random access-radio network temporary identifier (RA-RNTI) by considering time-frequency resource associated with the PRACH resource and an index of a first radio frame of the PRACH resource; and monitoring a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) identified by the calculated RA-RNTI for RAR reception during a RAR window. |
| US10172156B2 |
Method and apparatus for scheduling uplink transmissions with reduced latency
A method and apparatus schedule uplink transmissions with reduced latency. A number of symbols used for UL transmissions in a TTI can be compared to a threshold value of symbols. An indication can be sent from a device on a sidelink channel. The indication can indicate the location of symbols used for an UL transmission when the UL transmission occupies a number of symbols less than the threshold value. Both a sidelink transmission and the UL transmission can be transmitted in the TTI when the UL transmission occupies the number of symbols less than the threshold value. Only the UL transmission can be transmitted in the TTI when the UL signal occupies a number of symbols that are at least the threshold value. |
| US10172148B2 |
Communication terminal, communication method, storage medium on which communication program is stored, and communication system
A data-storing-terminal counting unit counts the number of communication terminals in which each of a number of data are stored. Based on the results of the counts, a communication terminal count estimation unit estimates the number of communication terminals that will transmit data with the same timing. An adjustment reference value calculation unit computes an adjustment reference value for constraining the number of communication terminals estimated by the communication terminal count estimation unit to be less than or equal to a preset allowable number. On the basis of the adjustment reference value computed by the adjustment reference value calculation unit, a determination unit determines whether or not to permit transmission of data stored by a storing means. If the determination unit permits the transmission of said data, a data transmission unit transmits the data to a communication terminal in which said data is not stored. |
| US10172147B2 |
Method and system for allocating radio resources for uplink transmission in cellular networks
A method is proposed for selecting an allocation group comprising an ordered succession of radio resources from a first radio resource to a last radio resource, iterating the following operations: selecting the last radio resource of the allocation group, each last radio resource taking, at each iteration, a position in the ordered succession lower than the position taken in the ordered succession by the last radio resource at the respective previous iteration, estimating a signal to interference-plus-noise ratio per radio resource of the allocation group according to a number of radio resources of the allocation group, from the first to the last radio resources of the allocation group, and according to history transmissions information, and until the signal to interference-plus-noise ratio per radio resource is higher than a predetermined signal to interference-plus-noise ratio, allocating the radio resources from said first to said last radio resources of the allocation group. |
| US10172146B2 |
Wi-Fi and bluetooth coexistence
In embodiments, one or more wireless stations operate to configure direct communication with neighboring mobile stations, i.e., direct communication between the wireless stations without utilizing an intermediate access point. Embodiments of the disclosure relate a mechanism for coexistence of various radio access technologies during peer-to-peer communications. In some embodiments, a first communication may be scheduled in one or more time slots with a peer station according to a first radio access technology (RAT), an end time of the first communication during a first time slot of the one or more time slots may be determined, and a second communication according to a second RAT may be transmitted. At least a portion of the second communication may be performed during the first time slot. In some embodiments, the first and second communications may be transmitted on the same channel. |
| US10172145B2 |
Phone-as-a-key localization based on object detection
Method and apparatus are disclosed for phone-as-a-key localization based on object detection. An example disclosed vehicle includes sensors, wireless nodes, and a phone key unit. The example sensors detect objects around the vehicle. The example wireless nodes receive RSSI values from a mobile device. The example phone key unit determines a quantity of the objects around the vehicle. The example phone key unit also determines a first RSSI threshold based on the quantity. Additionally, in response to an average of a portion of the RSSI values satisfying the first RSSI threshold, the phone key unit primes a door of the vehicle. |
| US10172144B2 |
User equipment, band balancing controller and RS-SINR reporting method
A user apparatus in a mobile communication system supporting carrier aggregation includes a measurement unit configured to measure an rs-sinr (reference signal-signal to interference and noise ratio) for a reference signal in a physical downlink control channel transmitted from a base station; and a reporting unit configured to report the measured rs-sinr to the base station in accordance with a predefined reporting trigger. |
| US10172143B2 |
Second order intermodulation cancelation for RF transceivers
A method includes estimating a transmit leakage signal for a duplexer, where the duplexer is included in a transceiver that includes a transmit chain and a receive chain; squaring an envelope of the estimated transmit leakage signal; generating a replica signal based at least on the squared envelope of the estimated transmit leakage signal; and subtracting the replica signal from a total received signal in the receive chain to generate a wanted received baseband signal. |
| US10172140B2 |
Method and radio network for managing precoder reports
A method and a radio network node (110) for managing precoder reports from a set of user equipments (120) are disclosed. Each of the precoder reports indicates a precoder selected, by a respective user equipment (121, 122, 123) of the set of user equipments (120), to be used by the radio network node (110) for transmission to the respective user equipment (121, 122, 123). The radio network node (110) receives (202), in a first time interval, a first set of precoder reports from the set of user equipments (120). The radio network node (110) receives (204), in a second time interval, a second set of precoder reports from the set of user equipments (120). The radio network node (110) determines (209) a first distribution of precoders for the set of user equipments and a second distribution of precoders for the set of user equipments, wherein the precoders in the first distribution are indicated by the first set of precoder reports and the precoders in the second distribution are indicated by the second set of precoder reports, whereby a change in distribution of precoders for the set of user equipments (120) is detected. A corresponding computer program and a carrier therefor are also disclosed. |
| US10172133B2 |
Managed access to multiple wireless carriers
Systems, methods, apparatus, and computer program products are provided for managing access of mobile stations to a plurality of wireless carriers. For example, in one embodiment, a central system can provide configuration files to mobile stations. The mobile stations can use the configuration files to access a plurality of different wireless carriers, with the different wireless carriers potentially implementing distinct technologies and communication standards and protocols. |
| US10172128B2 |
Method for transmitting and receiving downlink control information in wireless communication system and device therefor
A method for determining a starting symbol of a downlink control channel in a subframe including a plurality of symbols at a user equipment in a wireless communication system, the method includes receiving a parameter via a Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer signaling; and determining the starting symbol of the downlink control channel according to a type of the downlink control channel, wherein, if the downlink control channel is a first type, the starting symbol of the downlink control channel is determined to a first symbol of the subframe, and wherein, if the downlink control channel is a second type, the starting symbol of the downlink control channel is determined based on the parameter. |
| US10172124B2 |
Carrier selection in a multi-carrier wireless network
A wireless device receives a downlink control information (DCI) on a primary cell. The DCI may comprise a field instructing a wireless device to activate a secondary cell. The wireless device activates the secondary cell in response to receiving the DCI. |
| US10172120B2 |
Communication system
A communications system is described in which user devices are allocated sub-carriers on which to transmit uplink data to a base station. ACK/NACK messages for the data transmitted on the uplink are then transmitted by the base station on sub-carriers that depend on the sub-carriers used to carry the uplink data. A direct mapping function is preferably used to determine the sub-carriers to be used for the ACK/NACK messages from the uplink sub-carriers. In another embodiment, the ACK/NACK messages are transmitted to the user devices on sub-carriers that are previously identified to the user devices, preferably by transmitting one or more index values to the user device in a control channel thereof. |
| US10172119B2 |
Uplink control signaling in cellular telecommunication system
A method, apparatus, and computer program for controlling allocation of control message fields in uplink transmission in a cellular telecommunication system are presented. Uplink control message fields are allocated to the resources of a physical uplink shared traffic channel according to an uplink transmission scheme selected for a user terminal. The control message fields are allocated so that transmission performance of the control messages is optimized for the selected uplink transmission scheme. |
| US10172118B2 |
Decoupled mode for a common uplink burst transmission in a time division duplex subframe structure
Various aspects of the present disclosure provide for methods, apparatus, and computer software for transmitting a common uplink burst in time division duplex (TDD) carriers. The common uplink burst includes a sounding reference signal (SRS) transmitted separate from (e.g., decoupled from) a demodulation reference signal (DM-RS). At least one symbol in the common uplink burst includes a control region for carrying control information and a data region for carrying data information. The SRS may be precoded separately from precoding of the control and data regions, so that the control and/or data information may be transmitted utilizing multiple input multiple output (MIMO). |
| US10172113B2 |
Target cell selection for multimedia broadcast multicast service continuity
Transfer of Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Services (MBMS) over a Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) service and idle mode unicast service for a mobile entity from a source base station to a target base station may be managed by a base station or mobile entity of a cellular wireless communications system (WCS). Operations related to the transfer may include obtaining an MBMS status of the mobile entity, and/or obtaining MBMS support information for the base station. A network entity may facilitate MBMS discovery by a mobile entity, by transmitting a data element to the mobile entity including service identifiers mapped to corresponding cell identifiers to indicate respective MBMS services to be broadcast in an WCS area on adjacent cells identified by respective ones of the cell identifiers. The MBMS services may be broadcast within the WCS area using the adjacent cells previously indicated in the data element. |
| US10172110B2 |
User equipment assisted indoor small cell location determination
Performing user equipment (UE) assisted indoor small cell location determination is presented herein. A method can include in response to sending, by an access point device, a request directed to a mobile device to obtain mobile device location data representing a user equipment location of the mobile device, receiving, by the access point device, the mobile device location data from the mobile device; and based on the mobile device location data, determining, by the access point device, access point location data representing an access point location of the access point device. In an example, the mobile device location data can include coordinates of the mobile device comprising latitude of the mobile device and longitude of the mobile device, and a time stamp representing a time of generation of the coordinates. In another example, the mobile device location data can include an altitude of the mobile device. |
| US10172102B2 |
Method for power headroom reporting and device therefor
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and a device for transmitting a power headroom reporting in the wireless communication system, the method comprising: generating a PHR MAC CE (Power Headroom Reporting MAC Control Element) to be transmitted to the first BS; and transmitting a power headroom reporting through the PHR MAC CE to the first BS, wherein the PHR MAC CE includes only first PH (Power Headroom) information for activated cells served by the first BS such that second PH information for activated cells served by the second BS is not included. |
| US10172101B2 |
Network nodes, a wireless device and methods therein for enabling transmissions in a wireless communications network
Embodiments herein relate to a method performed by a first network node for enabling at least one second network node to perform a transmission in a wireless communications network. The first network node and the at least one second network node performs transmissions using contention-based transmission resources of the same frequency. The first network node determines an indication of a maximum transmit power for the transmission by the at least one second network node to be used by the at least one second network node when the contention-based transmission resources of the same frequency is available for transmissions by the first network node in the wireless communications network. Then, the network node transmits the determined indication of a maximum transmit power to the at least one second network node. Embodiments of the first network node are also described. |
| US10172100B2 |
Wireless device and power control method
The present disclosure provides a power control method and a wireless device, in a cluster comprised of wireless devices including a first wireless device and a second wireless device, comprising: receiving power control information including a second data channel transmission power, from the second wireless device; determining a first data channel transmission power based on the second data channel transmission power; and controlling data channel transmission power of the first wireless device according to the first data channel transmission power; wherein, the first data channel transmission power is a power allowing the first wireless device to reach all wireless devices in the cluster, and the second data channel transmission power is a power allowing the second wireless device to reach all wireless devices in the cluster. |
| US10172094B2 |
Broadband modem AC power monitor for low power mode
An apparatus, system and method for monitoring power to a communication device and switching operation modes. The system is monitored in order to detect a power interruption to the communication device. A first signal is supplied to the communication device to indicate the occurrence of a power interruption and/or activation of a backup power supply. The communication device is then switched to a low power mode which limits one or more operating functions. |
| US10172090B1 |
Sensor headroom control circuit
A sensor headroom control circuit includes a front end analog circuit, a digital compensation circuit, and a headroom state selection circuit. The front end analog circuit has configurable headroom and is configured to receive a sensor input signal and output a sensor digital signal. The digital compensation circuit is configured to adjust the sensor digital signal to compensate for an active headroom state of the front end analog circuit and produce a compensated sensor signal. The headroom state selection circuit is configured to select the active headroom state of the front end analog circuit responsive to a detected level of the compensated sensor signal. |
| US10172084B2 |
Provision of time information to a wireless device
There is provided provision of timing information of a first timing information source using timing information of a second timing information source to a wireless device. A network node determines that second timing information from the second timing information source is available and that timing information from the first timing information source is derivable from the second timing information. The network node instructs the wireless device to use the second timing information as a source for deriving first timing information of the first timing information source. |
| US10172083B2 |
Radio communication system, radio station, radio terminal, communication control method, and non-transitory computer readable medium
A radio terminal (3) can perform carrier aggregation using a first cell (10) of a first radio station (1) and a second cell (20) of a second radio station (2). The first radio station (1) or the second radio station (2) transmits constraint information to the radio terminal (3). The constraint information contains an information element necessary to specify a reception constraint and/or transmission constraint related to the first cell (10) and/or the second cell (20) when the carrier aggregation is performed. The reception/transmission constraint is a constraint related to downlink signal reception/uplink signal transmission by the radio terminal over one or more subframe periods of the primary cell (10) and the secondary cell (20). It is thus, for example, possible to contribute to reduction in wasteful power consumption in the radio terminal in the carrier aggregation of a plurality of cells served by different radio stations. |
| US10172081B2 |
Information processing system and information processing method
An information processing system transmits, via a first network, connection information for a second network that is different from the first network to a plurality of terminal apparatuses; carries out communications with the terminal apparatuses via the second network based on the transmitted connection information; stores respective items of terminal identification information for the terminal apparatuses, with which the communications are carried out via the second network; determines whether the terminal apparatuses that are identified by the stored items of terminal identification information can carry out communications via the second network; and, when determining that the terminal apparatuses cannot carry out communications via the second network, carries out such control as to prevent the second network from being used to carry out communications. |
| US10172076B2 |
Unified in-vehicle Wi-Fi service
A system and method of providing a plurality of services through a plurality of vehicle-generated Wi-Fi channels includes: generating at a first Wi-Fi module a first Wi-Fi channel that includes a master list of services provided by the first Wi-Fi module as well as one or more other Wi-Fi modules; receiving a request for a service included on the master list at the first Wi-Fi module from a wireless device communicating; determining that the service is not available through the first Wi-Fi module; identifying a second Wi-Fi module that provides the service; and transmitting a message to the wireless device identifying the second Wi-Fi module that provides the service identified in the request. |
| US10172072B2 |
Connectionless modes for wireless machine to machine communications in wireless communication networks
Techniques, devices, and systems that include mechanisms for connectionless communications in wireless communication networks or systems include using a connectionless reverse link (RL) channel that is identified by a public long code mask. Power for the RL connectionless channel is adjusted by open loop power control under the control or a wireless device or by closed loop power control. The RL connectionless channel supports different transmission rates. |
| US10172071B2 |
Directional synchronization in assisted millimeter wave systems
Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for assisted power control for an uplink signal transmitted during a RACH procedure. A UE may determine a transmit power for transmitting a message during a RACH procedure with a secondary BS, based at least in part, on communication between the UE and a primary BS. The UE may transmit the message to the second BS during the RACH procedure based, at least in part, on the determined transmit power. |
| US10172069B2 |
Paired smart device theft deterrent
A request to pair a first device with a second device is received. An indication is sent from the second device to the first device. The indication confirms that the second device is paired with the first device. One or more actions are received from the first device. The one or more actions may be taken on the second device. |
| US10172067B2 |
Bypassing external packet data networks in mobile-to-mobile communication
A first gateway receives, from a source user equipment, an uplink packet addressed to a target user equipment and identifies a pairing between the source user equipment and the target user equipment. The first gateway routes the received uplink packet to the target user equipment on a communication path that bypasses an Internet. A first mobility management entity (MME) receives, from a source user equipment, a first request to pair the source user equipment with a target user equipment and transmits a second request to a gateway to pair the source user equipment with the target user equipment. The first MME transmits messages to the source user equipment and the target user equipment including an identifier of the pairing received from the gateway in response to the second request. |
| US10172066B2 |
Flexible bearer handling
Embodiments presented herein relate to bearer handling, and particularly to a method, a network node, a computer program, and a computer program product for flexible bearer handling in a communications network. Packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) protocol data units (PDUs) are acquired. Individual PDCP PDUs are encapsulated into individual frames at at least one protocol layer above a bottom-most protocol layer. The individual frames are switched towards a packet switched network. |
| US10172062B2 |
Methods and devices for managing video sessions in a network based on network performance information
Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, receiving network information for a group of video sessions. Embodiments include calculating an overall video traffic metric for the group of video sessions for each cell based on the network information and include determining a first overall video traffic metric of a first cell is above a first predetermined threshold and a second overall video traffic metric of a second cell is below the first predetermined threshold. Also, embodiments include generating a graphical map that indicates the overall video traffic metric for each cell in the cellular network and sending the graphical map to a mobile device in the first cell showing first overall video traffic metric and the second overall video traffic metric relative to the first predetermined threshold. Other embodiments are disclosed. |
| US10172060B2 |
Reselection failure detection and prevention in multi-SIM wireless communication devices
Examples described herein relate to managing reselection for a wireless communication device having a first subscription associated with a first Radio Access Technology (RAT) and a second subscription associated with a second RAT, including determining an occurrence of a barring procedure that bars a target cell or a target frequency for the first subscription for a barring duration and deprioritizing the target cell or the target frequency for the barring duration on the second subscription. |
| US10172058B1 |
Data gateway alignment in a wireless communication network
A wireless communication network aligns gateways for wireless user devices. A mobility controller detects attachment of a wireless user device in a source Tracking Area (TA). The mobility manager transfers a message to a policy engine indicating the source TA. The wireless user device exchanges user data over a source access gateway and a source network gateway in the source TA. The mobility controller detects a handover of the wireless user device from the source access gateway to a target access gateway in a target TA. The mobility manager transfers a message to the policy engine indicating the target TA for the wireless user device. The policy engine transfers a reattach message to the source network gateway for delivery to the wireless user device. The wireless user device reattaches in the target TA and exchanges additional user data over the target access gateway and the target network gateway. |
| US10172057B2 |
Handling of radio access network re-selection
A system, method, node and computer program for handling re-selection of a RAN (120, 130, 140) by a UE (100) is described. The UE (100) is attached via a first RAN (120, 130) to a CS control node (110) for execution of a CS service. The method comprises that the CS control node (110) receives an indication that the execution of the CS service shall be terminated. The CS control node (110) then determines whether the UE (100) shall perform re-selection of the RAN (120, 130, 140). If so, the CS control node (110) determines selection criteria for the re-selection of the RAN (120, 130, 140) and sends them to the UE (100) using Non-Access Stratum related signaling. The UE (100) receives the determined selection criteria from the CS control node (110) and re-selects the RAN (120, 130, 140), considering the received selection criteria. |
| US10172055B2 |
Controlling wireless access point handover and/or transmissions mode based on person proximity
An in-flight entertainment system including wireless access points (WAPs) spaced apart within an aircraft and connected to antennas, proximity sensors adjacent to the antennas, and a controller. The controller controls transmissions from WAPs of traffic in communication sessions. The controller performs operations that include receiving a proximity alert signal from a first proximity sensor indicating that a passenger is proximately located to a first antenna used by a first WAP for transmission of a communication session, and identifying a remedial action responsive to evaluating a rule based on the proximity alert signal and characteristics of the communication session. The operations include performing the remedial action as one of: 1) initiating handover of the communication session from the first WAP to a second WAP; and 2) initiating a change in transmission mode that will be used by the first WAP for continued transmission of the communication session. |
| US10172050B2 |
User anchor controller communication within a network environment
According to one embodiment of the invention, a non-transitory computer readable medium for improving the scalability and redundancy of a wireless communications network. One embodiment of the non-transitory computer readable medium comprises instructions that configure, by a first controller, a first access point, responsive to a client device associating with the first access point, identify a second controller configured for maintaining information corresponding to the client device, wherein the second controller is different than the first controller that configures the first access point, obtain, by the first access point from the second controller, information corresponding to the client device, and communicate, by the first access point with the client device, based on the information corresponding to the client device. |
| US10172049B2 |
Network node and method therein for handover in wireless communication network
A network node and method therein for assisting a communication device to perform handover from a serving cell to a target cell in a communication network are disclosed. The network node is configured to obtain a first round trip time between the network node and a server and obtain a second round trip time between a target node in the target cell and the server. The network node is further configured to instruct the communication device to perform handover from the serving cell to the target cell based on at least the first round trip time and the second round trip time. |
| US10172048B2 |
System for efficient recovery of node-B buffered data following MAC layer reset
A method and system for the UE and RNC to reduce transmission latency and potentially prevent loss of PDUs upon a MAC-hs layer reset. The RNC generates a radio resource control (RRC) message with a MAC-hs reset indication. The MAC reset indication requires the UE to flush buffers for configured HARQ processes, disassemble MAC protocol data units (PDUs) in the reordering buffers, deliver MAC-d PDUs to a MAC-d layer, and configure the MAC-hs to receive new data. |
| US10172047B2 |
Wireless network handover method, base station, and user equipment
Embodiments of the present invention relates to a wireless network handover method, a base station and a user equipment. The wireless network handover method includes: sending, by a source base station, a handover request to a target base station, where the handover request includes information about a candidate wireless fidelity access point Wi-Fi AP; and sending, by the source base station, a wireless resource control RRC connection reconfiguration message to a user equipment UE, where the RRC connection reconfiguration message is used to instruct the UE to hand over from the source base station to the target base station, and the RRC connection reconfiguration message includes information that is about a target Wi-Fi AP and obtained by the target base station according to the information about the candidate Wi-Fi AP. |
| US10172042B2 |
Method, apparatus and system for establishing signaling
A method, apparatus and system for establishing S1 signaling connections in an evolved network are disclosed. A source evolved NodeB (eNodeB) sends a handover request message to a target eNodeB to initiate a handover procedure during that a user equipment (UE) is handed over from the source eNodeB to the target eNodeB. The handover request message includes information about an original S1 signaling connection parameter. When the UE enters the target cell, the target eNodeB allocates a new S1 signaling connection parameter and sends a handover complete message to an evolved packet core (EPC). The handover complete messages carries the original S1 signaling connection parameter received from the source eNodeB and the allocated new S1 signaling connection parameter about the target eNodeB. With the present disclosure, the inability of the target eNodeB to establish an S1 signaling connection with the EPC in the related art is effectively solved. |
| US10172029B1 |
Controlling TTI bundling based on whether device provides wireless relay backhaul connectivity
A method and system for a base station to manage air interface communications with a wireless client device (WCD) served by the base station, taking into account whether the WCD is a relay-WCD that provides wireless backhaul connectivity for a relay base station. The base station will determine whether the served WCD is a relay-WCD, and based on a determination that the served WCD is a relay-WCD, the base station will responsively invoke a process to help expedite air interface communications with the served WCD, in an effort to reduce the total delay resulting from the wireless relay arrangement. In particular, based on the served WCD being a relay-WCD, and perhaps based on the relay-WCD facilitating a threshold extent of delay-sensitive communication, the base station will invoke transmission time interval (TTI) bundling, to help expedite the air interface communications between the base station and the relay-WCD. |
| US10172024B2 |
Technique for operating a movable radio base station
A movable radio base station, M-RBS, configured to provide to a plurality of user equipments wireless access to a telecommunications network is changed from a first mode to a second mode that is different from the first mode. Each of the first mode and the second mode specifies a set of parameter values for operating parameters of the M-RBS. |
| US10172022B1 |
Diagnostic analyzer for content receiver using wireless execution device
Techniques described herein relate to performing wireless diagnostic analyses including execution and evaluations of interactive content resources executed by execution devices on and/or for separate content receiver devices. A multi-phrase diagnostic session may proceed with an execution of an initial set of diagnostic modules on an execution device, during which interactive content is transmitted/received from a connected receiver device. The results of the diagnostic modules may be evaluated in real-time and transmitted to a diagnostic analyzer server to select additional diagnostic modules for execution during the diagnostic session. The diagnostic analyzer server may select the additional diagnostic modules based on based on response data received via the content execution device to the interactive content of the previously executed diagnostic modules, and/or data received from additional data sources related to the content receiver. |
| US10172021B2 |
Communication method, non-transitory computer-readable recording medium, and communication system
A first node included in a first layer determines whether there has occurred a failure in a sink node included in a second layer subordinate to the first layer. The first node requests a second node included in the second layer to collect information of a third node included in a third layer subordinate to the second layer when the first node determines that there has occurred a failure in the sink node. The first node determines a fourth node serving as a substitute for the failed sink node included in the second layer on a basis of the information of the third node collected by the second node. |
| US10172016B2 |
Generation of access point configuration change based on a generated coverage monitor
At least one example disclosed herein relates to determining if a change to a wireless network configuration should be determined. If it is determined that the change to the wireless network should be determined, a plurality of coverage monitors are generated within a site model, each coverage monitor specifying at least one coverage parameter for an associated region of the site model. The change to the wireless network may be determined by identifying a change to a configuration of a wireless access point. |
| US10172012B2 |
Apparatus and method that notify frequency usage control systems with discovery signal
There is provided an apparatus that acquires information indicating a result of detection of a communication node managed by a second frequency usage control system; and notifies the second frequency usage control system of first sharable information generated from first frequency usage information related to a first communication node managed by a first frequency usage control system. The first sharable information being held by a first database included in the first frequency usage control system. |
| US10172011B2 |
System and method for control channel determination and detection in an opportunistic wireless network environment
An example apparatus for control channel determination and detection in an opportunistic wireless network environment is provided and includes a processor; and a memory in communication with the processor. The processor configured is to send, by a first device, a request for a whitespace map, the whitespace map including a list of whitespace frequency channels available for use within a particular geographical area. The processor is further configured to receive the whitespace map by the first device, and determine, by the first device, a control channel map from the whitespace map using a probability algorithm. The control channel map is a subset of the white space map and includes a list of control channel frequencies. |
| US10172010B2 |
Enhancements for operator spectrum sharing
A method including: receiving, at a first cell, radio resource information from a second cell, said first and second cells in at least one network controlled by two or more operators; receiving operator identity information and cell-type information at said first cell from said second cell; appending said operator identity information and said cell-type information to said radio resource information; and allocating radio resources in dependence on said information. |
| US10172007B1 |
Systems and methods for authenticating a caller using biometric authentication
Methods and systems described in this disclosure receive a call from a device associated with a caller and determine whether the caller is eligible for biometric authentication via the device by sending, via a communications network, an eligibility determination request to an issuer of the device. In response to the caller being eligible for biometric authentication, a request to initiate a biometric authentication process on the device is sent to an issuer of the device, where biometric credentials are received by the device and an indication of whether the biometric credentials were verified is received from the issuer of the device. |
| US10172001B1 |
Authentication mechanism
Aspects provide an authentication mechanism wherein processors are configured to extract encoded identification indicia of a cellular service base station from authentication credentials received from a mobile cellular device for access to a secure networked resource on a network device connection. The identification indicia uniquely identify the base station relative to other, different base stations. Configured processors grants access by the mobile device to the secure networked resource in response to determining that the mobile device is currently using the identified base station for cellular services to transmit the authentication credentials; and deny access by the mobile device to the secure networked resource in response to determining that the mobile device is currently using another base station for cellular services to transmit the authentication credentials. |
| US10171999B2 |
Mobile surveillance unit
Provided is a surveillance system, including: a trailer having wheels, a mast, and a trailer towing coupler; a camera coupled to the mast; a cellular modem communicatively coupled to the camera and operative to transmit video captured by the camera; a command center server operative to remotely receive and store data describing operation of a fluid-handling device and to receive the transmitted video and send the video to a user in response to a request from a web browser of the user; a power storage device; and a solar panel coupled to the power storage device such that the solar panel charges the power storage device. |
| US10171994B2 |
Mobile device and method of sharing content
A mobile device and methods for sharing content are provided. The mobile device includes a communicator configured to communicate with at least one external device; and a controller configured to control decryption of encrypted content that is shared with the at least one external device, in response to determining that the mobile device is located within a proximate spacing of the at least one external device. |
| US10171985B1 |
Method and apparatus for data sharing
Data sharing between devices in a network is described. User data associated with a user device is identified, and a location of the user device is determined. A potential contact device located within a proximity range relative to the location of the user device is identified. Communications are sent between the user device and the potential contact device to initiate data sharing. In response to the communications, data is exchanged between the user device and the potential contact device by sending the user data to the potential contact device, and sending contact data associated with the potential contact device to the user device to modify contact information stored in association with the user device. The data sharing can also initiate a chat session and/or generate a display. |
| US10171982B2 |
Emergency evacuation service
Various systems and methods for providing an emergency evacuation service are described herein. An apparatus to provide an emergency evacuation service comprises an emergency event detection module to detect the existence of an emergency event at a venue; a transceiver to request and receive evacuation instructions from an emergency evacuation system, in response to detecting the existence of the emergency event; and a controller to process the evacuation instructions and display, to a user of the apparatus, information related to the evacuation instructions. |
| US10171981B2 |
Peer-to-peer emergency communication using public broadcasting
A method for emergency communication includes encoding a message for visual display including a message to field and a message from field. The visual display is revealed to a reading device in communication with a broadcast center, which stores the visual display. The messages are decoded and sorted from visual displays at the broadcast center. On an index channel, a time and channel number for when a message body of the message will be broadcast on a message channel is broadcasted. The message body is broadcasted on the message channel. |
| US10171980B2 |
Systems and methods for emergency response dispatch
Computerized method for coordinating decentralized response to emergency events includes receiving at least one request for emergency assistance, alerting registered responders in a geographic area corresponding to an emergency site of said request for emergency assistance, acknowledging a response from at least one of the responders agreeing to dispatch to the emergency site. The computerized method can also include one or more of confirming arrival of said at least one responder at the emergency site, determining a need for additional resources, confirming transportation to a destination facility, confirming arrival of said at least one responder at the destination facility, receiving a summary report of actions undertaken, and/or recognition of said at least one responder by the system to be available to receive subsequent requests for emergency assistance. |
| US10171975B2 |
Efficient distribution of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning functionality
In one embodiment, a system for replicating settings in an HVAC network includes a first control unit including a first internal clock, the first control unit communicatively coupled to a first plurality of HVAC units and a first interactive display. The system may also include a second control unit comprising a second internal clock, the second control unit communicatively coupled to a second plurality of HVAC units and a second interactive display. The system may include a communications network, wherein the first control unit detects the second control unit over the communications network and the first internal clock and the second internal clock have the same time. |
| US10171972B2 |
System, method and apparatus for enabling a shared infrastructure
Parties having different responsibilities and interests at a monitored location can be given a partial view of the totality of the sensor channels of data generated by the various sensors installed at the monitored location. The partial views deliver customized sets of data streams to customers. The selective distribution of sensor information accommodates the divergent interests and needs of parties responsible for tracking the various characteristics of a monitored location. |
| US10171967B2 |
Fast discovery, service-driven, and context-based connectivity for networks of autonomous vehicles
Communication network architectures, systems and methods for supporting a network of mobile nodes. As a non-limiting example, various aspects of this disclosure provide autonomous vehicle network architectures, systems, and methods for supporting a dynamically configurable network of autonomous vehicles comprising a complex array of both static and moving communication nodes. |
| US10171966B1 |
Crowd-sourced passive positioning and calibration
A method and system for deploying a calibrated positioning map of an area. The method, executed in a processor of a server computing device, comprises generating, using the processor, a distribution of positioning data points based at least in part on a first set of fingerprint data, the positioning data points calibrated in accordance with respective positions within the area, receiving, at the memory, a second set of fingerprint data, processing, using the processor, the second set of fingerprint data and the positioning data points to generate an updated distribution of positioning data points, and when the updated distribution exceeds a threshold density of positioning data points, deploying the updated distribution as the positioning map of the area. |
| US10171965B2 |
Micro-payment scheme encouraging collaboration in multi-hop cellular networks
In a communication system having a number of base stations and user devices, a sending user device comprising a processor and a memory is configured to generate a packet or other communication for forwarding to a receiving user device via one or more intermediary user devices of the system. The forwarding path of the communication may involve one or more of the base stations. A payment token is associated with the communication, such that at least one of the intermediary user devices can generate a payment claim based on the payment token. The payment token is independent of the particular identities of the one or more intermediary user devices of the system. |
| US10171958B2 |
Managing a multimedia broadcast multicast service using an MBMS relay device
Methods, systems, and devices are described for managing a multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS). In one configuration, service announcement information for at least one MBMS may be received. At least a subset of the service announcement information may be broadcast in a peer discovery signal. Content of the at least one MBMS may then be relayed to at least one mobile device operating outside a coverage area of a base station. In another configuration, an out-of-coverage status indicator or MBMS query may be broadcast in a first peer discovery signal, and a second peer discovery signal may be received from at least one MBMS relay device. The second peer discovery signal may include at least a subset of service announcement information for at least one MBMS. |
| US10171957B2 |
Method and user equipment for receiving broadcast/multicast service, and method and base station for transmitting broadcast/multicast service
The broadcast/multicast service according to the present invention is transmitted/received in a partial frequency region rather than the entire system bandwidth of a cell. The user equipment of the present invention may receive information regarding the frequency region set in the cell for receiving the broadcast/multicast service and receive the broadcast/multicast service over the frequency region based on the information. |
| US10171956B2 |
Notification method, system, and device for vehicle
A notification method for a vehicle to remind a passenger of arriving at a target station is disclosed. The notification method includes: establishing a wireless communication connection between an electronic device and the vehicle, receiving a target station sent from the electronic device, obtaining navigation information of the vehicle, and sending an arrival notification to the electronic device when the vehicle is approaching the target station. A notification system and device are also provided. |
| US10171950B2 |
Electronic logging device (ELD)
An improved system and method for defining an event based upon an object location and a user-defined zone and managing the conveyance of object location event information among computing devices where object location events are defined in terms of a condition based upon a relationship between user-defined zone information and object location information. One or more location information sources are associated with an object to provide the object location information. One or more user-defined zones are defined on a map and one or more object location events are defined. The occurrence of an object location event produces object location event information that is conveyed to users based on user identification codes. Accessibility to object location information, zone information, and object location event information is based upon an object location information access code, a zone information access code, and an object location event information access code, respectively. |
| US10171949B2 |
Electronic apparatus and operating method thereof
The present disclosure relates to an electronic device and an operating method thereof. The electronic device includes a memory configured to store at least one expected movement path, and a processor configured to confirm a first location of a user, predict a second location on a basis of the first location and a pre-stored at least one expected movement path, and provide an information service providing signal to at least one external device present in the second location. The method includes confirming a first location of a user, predicting a second location on a basis of the first location and a pre-stored at least one expected movement path, and providing an information service providing signal to at least one external device present in the second location. |
| US10171944B2 |
Monitoring a status of a disconnected device by a mobile device and an audio analysis system in an infrastructure
A computer program product and a computer system for monitoring an operation status of a disconnected device by a mobile device and an audio analysis system in an infrastructure. The mobile device has connectivity to the infrastructure while the disconnected device has no connectivity to the infrastructure. The mobile device invokes passive listening of the mobile device to a sound generated by the disconnected device, determines whether the sound can be detected by the mobile device, and steams audio with information of a location of the mobile device to the audio analysis system. The audio analysis system determines whether the audio is recorded from the disconnected device, compares the audio with pre-recorded sounds of the disconnected device, determines the operation status of the disconnected device, and sends to the mobile device a notification of the operation status of the disconnected device. |
| US10171939B2 |
Control based on geo-dependent conditions
A network device capable of performing rule-based actions dependent on geolocation-based conditions or realtime conditions from an external source. The network device can obtain its geolocation, obtain a rule based on a condition, query sources for and/or calculate updated statuses of the condition based on the geolocation, and perform actions based on the updated status of the condition, the geolocation, and the rule. The network device is capable of safely shutting down when voltage supplied to the network device falls outside of and acceptable range. |
| US10171934B2 |
Efficient geo-fence data transfer and notifications using a time to reach value
A system and method for using time to reach determinations to improve the usability of geo-fences is disclosed. A computer system accesses a current location of a client system and identifies one or more nearby geo-fences. The computer system then calculates the time to reach each of these geo-fences. If the calculated time to reach value for a particular geo-fence is within the notification range associated with that geo-fence, then the computer system generates a notification to display to a user. |
| US10171933B2 |
Issuing notifications about lost devices
In an approach for notifying a user of a location of a device, a processor receives a first location of a first device. A processor determines that the first device has been separated from a user of the first device. A processor determines a second device located at, within a first predetermined threshold, the first location. A processor sends a first notification to the second device, wherein the notification includes, at least, that the first device is located nearby. |
| US10171931B2 |
Method for receiving downlink control channel by MTC device, and terminal
An embodiment of the present specification provides a method for receiving a downlink control channel by a machine type communication (MTC) device. The method comprises: a step of receiving, by the downlink control channel, setting information about the maximum number of physical resource blocks (PRBs) which can be transmitted by a base station; a step of receiving, by the MTC device, setting information about a set of control channel monitoring PRBs which should monitor the downlink control channel; and a step of monitoring the downlink control channel on the PRBs according to the setting information about the set of control channel monitoring PRBs, wherein if the number of sets of control channel monitoring PRBs exceeds the maximum number of PRBs, the downlink control channel may be monitored only on the sets of PRBs equal to or less than the maximum number of PRBs. |
| US10171927B2 |
Method for processing an audio signal for improved restitution
A method comprises multichannel processing of an input audio signal by a multichannel convolution with a predefined imprint, the imprint being formulated by the capture of a reference sound by a set of speakers disposed in a reference space. The method further comprises selecting at least one imprint from among a plurality of imprints previously formulated in different sound contexts. |
| US10171926B2 |
Sound processing apparatus and sound processing system
The present technology relates to a sound processing apparatus and a sound processing system for enabling more stable localization of a sound image.A virtual speaker is assumed to exist on the lower side among the sides of a tetragon having its corners formed with four speakers surrounding a target sound image position on a spherical plane. Three-dimensional VBAP is performed with respect to the virtual speaker and the two speakers located at the upper right and the upper left, to calculate gains of the two speakers at the upper right and the upper left and the virtual speaker, the gains being to be used for fixing a sound image at the target sound image position. Further, two-dimensional VBAP is performed with respect to the lower right and lower left speakers, to calculate gains of the lower right and lower left speakers, the gains being to be used for fixing a sound image at the position of the virtual speaker. The values obtained by multiplying these gains by the gain of the virtual speaker are set as the gains of the lower right and lower left speakers for fixing a sound image at the target sound image position. The present technology can be applied to sound processing apparatuses. |
| US10171923B2 |
Binaural hearing system and method
A system (202) for binaural signal processing. A first speaker (210) and a second speaker (220) are respectively mounted proximal to, and deliver respective first and second acoustic signals to, the left and right ears of a user. A first microphone (212) and a second microphone (222) are respectively mounted proximal to the left and right ears. A binaural processing device receives signals from the microphones and, based on the microphone signals, determines the first and second acoustic signals. The binaural processing device operates at a distance from both the left and right ears of the user. The speakers, microphones and the binaural processing device are connected by a signal network. |
| US10171922B2 |
Hearing assistance system with own voice detection
An example of an apparatus configured to be worn by a person who has an ear and an ear canal includes a first microphone adapted to be worn about the ear of the person, and a second microphone adapted to be worn at a different location than the first microphone. The apparatus includes a sound processor adapted to process signals from the first microphone to produce a processed sound signal, a receiver adapted to convert the processed sound signal into an audible signal to the wearer of the hearing assistance device, and a voice detector to detect the voice of the wearer. The voice detector includes an adaptive filter to receive signals from the first microphone and the second microphone. |
| US10171921B2 |
Microphone matching unit and hearing aid
The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for performing a microphone matching of a hearing aid comprising a first microphone, a second microphone and a receiver in a predetermined spatial arrangement to each other. The method comprises the steps of: generating an output sound signal by means of the receiver; picking up a first and second input sound signal by the first and second microphones while the output sound signal is generated; converting the first and second input sound signals into a first and second electrical microphone output signal by means of the microphones; determining a first and second microphone response of the microphones; determining a microphone response difference between the first microphone response and the second microphone response; determining a matching difference between the microphone response difference and a predetermined reference microphone response difference; and adapting at least a first microphone gain of the first microphone according to the matching difference to reduce the matching difference. |
| US10171910B2 |
Methods and devices for reproducing stereo audio
Disclosed are stereo sound system devices and methods for reproducing stereo sound with improved auditory experience and reduced speaker rattle. In some embodiments, the disclosed arrangement of speakers on the sound system housing and driving low frequency speakers with the same signal contribute to the improved auditory experience and reduced speaker rattle effect. |
| US10171909B2 |
Processing of signals from luminaire mounted microphones for enhancing sensor capabilities
The specification and drawings present a use of multiple microphones for increasing acoustic sensing capabilities by processing acoustic signals from the multiple microphones in outdoor luminaire mounted surveillance/sensor systems. For example, various embodiments presented herein describe signal processing means to utilize stereo/multiple microphones in a luminaire (such as an outdoor roadway luminaire) to provide enhanced information regarding the surroundings of the luminaire. The multiple microphone luminaire sensor processing system can provide a more environmentally robust and sensitive approach which can be, for example, resistant to environmental noise such as a wind noise, as well as capable of isolating specific sounds from the surroundings, e.g., in specific directions. |
| US10171907B1 |
Fan noise controlling system
The present invention discloses a fan noise controlling system, comprising: at least one cylinder-shaped limiter, a plurality of error sensors, a noise controlling module, and at least one loudspeaker. According to the particular design of the present invention, the cylinder-shaped limiter is connected to a fan device for confining the transmission path of at least one fan noise signal. On the other hand, the error sensors are disposed in the internal of the cylinder-shaped limiter, and the loudspeaker is disposed at an axis position of the fan device. When this fan controlling system normally works, the noise controlling module is able to generate at least one anti-noise signal according to a plurality of error signals collected by the error sensors at consecutive previous time points, and then the loudspeaker is driven to broadcast the anti-noise signal for carrying out an outstanding efficacy on the cancellation of the fan noise. |
| US10171906B1 |
Configurable microphone array and method for configuring a microphone array
Microphone arrays with automatic beam focusing may easily focus on disturbing sound sources. In order to prevent this unwanted behavior, a predefined control sound signal is replayed from a direction of a disturbing sound source. The microphone array detects the predefined control sound signal, determines the direction of replay and in response performs a re-configuration according to the control sound signal. The reconfiguration may comprise eliminating the direction from its scanning range or cancel a previously made elimination of a different direction. |
| US10171904B2 |
Wireless nose-cancelling earplug
A wireless noise-cancelling earplug includes a housing within which at least an active noise cancellation (ANC) circuit for producing anti-noise, a speaker for emitting the anti-noise as a sound wave, and a battery for powering at least the ANC circuit. The earplug further includes an audio cavity for guiding the sound wave from the speaker out of the earplug, at least one microphone for measuring ambient noise and feeding the measured ambient noise to the ANC circuit, and a passive noise reduction unit for blocking ambient noise. |
| US10171901B2 |
Sound pickup device and sound processing device
A sound pickup device includes: a housing; a mount portion via which the housing is mounted on an object; a sound pickup including a microphone; a first output configured to output a sound signal indicating a sound input to the sound pickup; an installer configured to install the sound pickup on the housing; a sensor configured to detect a vibration transmitted to the housing; and a second output configured to output a vibration signal indicating the vibration detected by the sensor. |
| US10171899B2 |
Sound light and sound combination
A light and sound combination includes a lighting module and an audio module detachably mounted on the lighting module. The audio module includes a main body and a sounding assembly mounted in the main body. The lighting module includes a housing and an LED board mounted in the housing. Thus, the light and sound combination provides illuminating and sound playing functions by provision of the lighting module and the audio module. In addition, the audio module is detachably mounted on the lighting module, so that the audio module is mounted on and detached from the lighting module easily and conveniently. |
| US10171898B2 |
Cup
The present disclosure provides a cup, which includes a cup body, a top part of the cup body has a rim; a cup lid, the cup lid has a bottom cover and a top cover connected with a top end of the bottom cover, and a bottom end of the bottom cover is connected with the rim, the top cover is fixed with the top end of the bottom cover through a rotary clamping structure, and the bottom cover and the top cover cooperatively form a sealed mounting cavity; and an audio broadcast device, the audio broadcast device is assembled in the mounting cavity. The disassembly and assembly processes of the top cover and the bottom cover are simple, it is much more convenience to assemble the rotary clamping structure in the mounting cavity or disassemble the rotary clamping structure from the rotary clamping structure. |
| US10171897B2 |
Speaker mount and assembly and method of disengagement thereof
A mount, speaker mount, mount assembly, and method of disengagement thereof including a speaker baffle; a support member; a movable tab with a finger that extends away from the support member and/or shaped to engage with a surface when the speaker mount is installed, thereby causing the tab to tip relative to the support member. Each of the tab and the support member include mating teeth that, when engaged to each other when the tab tips due to the finger engaging with a surface, prevent travel of the tab from the closer region to the elevated region. There is an aperture through the baffle that provides access to apply pressure to a bottom of the tab to allow for an object to be inserted therein to disengage the mating teeth. |
| US10171889B2 |
Method and system for managing internal and external calls for a group of communication clients sharing a common customer identifier
A method and network element for implementing a virtual PBX feature for a customer associated with a plurality of endpoints. The method comprises receiving information regarding a call. Based on the information regarding the call, it is determined if the call is an external inbound call or an internal call that identifies a particular one of the endpoints. Responsive to determining that the call is an external inbound call, the call is caused to be routed to the plurality of endpoints associated with the customer, while responsive to determining that the call is an internal call that identifies a particular one of the endpoints, the call is caused to be routed to the particular one of the endpoints. This allows members of a small business or household to share a common external subscriber line, while also allowing the members to reach one another with ease. |
| US10171883B2 |
Directional MoCA filter
The present disclosure is directed a directional Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) filter. The MoCA filter can include a first port and a second port. Additionally, the MoCA filter can include a bidirectional path and a unidirectional path in parallel between the first port and the second port. Further, the unidirectional path can include an active isolator or a passive isolator. |
| US10171881B2 |
Backup module and method
The present invention relates to a backup module operative for a content item delivery system. The backup module is configured to identify a series of user invoked interruptions. Each user invoked interruption comprises a transition between the display of a first content item and the display of a second content item prior to completion of the first content item. The backup module stores interruption records each including a locator to the first content item subject to a corresponding user invoked interruption; and initiates display of a first content item based on an interruption record corresponding to the first content item responsive to a backup signal. |
| US10171877B1 |
System and method for dynamically selecting supplemental content based on viewer emotions
Embodiments are directed towards providing supplemental content to a viewer based on the viewer's emotion and environment while the viewer is viewing content. Content is provided to a content receiver for presentation to the viewer. While the viewer is viewing the content, an image of the viewer is captured and analyzed to detect the viewer's emotion and environment. Supplemental content is selected based on this detected viewer emotion and environment and presented to the viewer, which allows the supplemental content to be tailored to the emotional state of the viewer. One or more additional images of the viewer are captured while the viewer is viewing the supplemental content and the viewer's emotion while viewing the supplemental content is detected. This subsequent viewer emotion is analyzed to determine if the viewer had an expected response to the supplemental content, which can be used to determine the efficiency of the supplemental content. |
| US10171875B2 |
Method for providing previous watch list of contents provided by different sources, and display device which performs same
A display device including a display; an interface unit configured to receive a request from a remote controller; and a controller configured to in response to a first request received from the remote controller, display a list of previously-viewed content including at least a first item corresponding to a first previously-viewed content, a second item corresponding to a second previously-viewed content and a third item corresponding a third previously-viewed content, wherein the first item, the second item, and the third item are displayed in an order that has been previously viewed, in response to a second request received from the remote controller, display a fourth content on the display, in response to a third request from the remote controller to display the list of previously-viewed content, delete the first item in the list of previously-viewed content and display the list of previously-viewed content including the second item, the third item and a fourth item corresponding to the fourth displayed content, in response to a fourth request received from the remote controller, display a fifth content on the display, and in response to a fifth request from the remote controller to display the list of previously-viewed content, delete the second item in the list of previously-viewed content and display the list of previously-viewed content including the third item, the fourth item and a fifth item corresponding to the fifth displayed content. |
| US10171872B2 |
Methods and systems for implementing a locked mode for viewing media assets
Methods and systems that provide an interactive media guidance application having a locked mode for viewing media assets. In the locked mode, the interactive media guidance application may provide media assets suited to a certain audience. The interactive media guidance application may determine suitable media assets for the locked mode based on media assets viewed by other users having characteristics similar to the user of the interactive media guidance application. In the locked mode, the interactive media guidance application may allow access to only certain media assets and/or limit the time period for which the media assets are presented. |
| US10171870B2 |
Forced execution of authenticated code
Described herein are systems and methods for providing hardware based security to software applications in a television receiver. The system can include a television receiver having a trusted hardware environment that includes a security processor and a standard environment that includes an application processor. The security processor can ensure that at least a portion of the software application executed by the application processor is secure. A portion of the software application code can be placed in an interrupt service routine memory space. During execution of the software application, the security processor can security check the portion of the software application in the interrupt service routine memory space, making it trusted code. The security processor can force the application processor to execute the trusted code by triggering an interrupt. Such forced execution can allow the security processor to not only ensure that code is trusted, but that it is executed. |
| US10171866B2 |
Display system, display device, head-mounted display device, display control method, control method for display device, and computer program
A display system includes a control device, a first display device, and a second display device. The control device includes a wireless communication section that wirelessly transmits video data. The first display device includes a wireless communication section that receives the video data and an OLED unit that displays a video on the basis of the video data. The second display device includes a wireless communication section that receives the video data and an OLED unit that displays a video on the basis of the video data. The display system detects deviation between the videos displayed by the OLED units. |
| US10171864B2 |
Interactive television applications
An interactive user interface (AW) of an interactive application is provided simultaneously with a programme display (P) within a display area of a television receiver, wherein a proportion of the display area occupied by the interactive user interface (AW) increases in response to user interaction with the interactive user interface (AW). |
| US10171857B2 |
Network data delivery sponsorship signatures in streaming manifest files
A device receives, via a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), a manifest file associated with streaming content, wherein the manifest file includes a sequence of multiple Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs) that identify network storage locations of multiple content segments of the streaming content, and wherein a sponsorship signature of multiple sponsorship signatures is appended to at least one of the multiple URIs of the manifest file. The device retrieves the multiple URIs, and the sponsorship signature, from the manifest file; sends the sponsorship signature to a charging node in the PLMN for controlling the charging of data delivery associated with the streaming content to one of a user of the media playing device or a sponsor of the streaming content based on the sponsorship signature; and engages, via the PLMN using the multiple URIs, in a content streaming session to receive the streaming content. |
| US10171856B2 |
Viewer-authored content acquisition and management system for in-the-moment broadcast in conjunction with media programs
A method, apparatus, and system for providing viewer-derived content for broadcast presentation in conjunction with a broadcast of a media program by a provider of the media program is disclosed. The disclosed system and method (1) simplifies the process for viewers to provide viewer-authored media to broadcasters, while minimizing the data transmission requirements between portable viewer devices and the broadcaster, (2) allows advance approval for the broadcasters to use that viewer-generated content to generate and disseminate viewer-authored-content and (3) provides for management of viewer-generated content (4) integrates with social networks that can be used to at least preliminarily assess the popularity and suitability of the viewer-generated content for broadcast to other viewers. |
| US10171854B2 |
Content supply device, content supply method, program, terminal device, and content supply system
The present disclosure relates to a content supply device, a content supply method, a program, a terminal device, and a content supply system, which are capable of performing rapid zapping between channels. A content supply device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a first supply unit configured to generate a zapping stream by delimiting streaming data according to a timing and a duration in common with another channel and to supply the zapping stream to a reception side via a network, a second supply unit configured to generate a viewing stream by delimiting the streaming data according to a duration of an integer multiple of the duration of the zapping stream and to supply the viewing stream to the reception side via the network, and a metafile generating unit configured to generate a metafile that is for the reception side to receive the zapping stream and the viewing stream. The present disclosure can be applied to a system in which content is delivered in a streaming manner. |
| US10171850B2 |
Trunk management method and apparatus for video surveillance systems
The present invention relates to the video surveillance field, and discloses a trunk management method and apparatus for video surveillance systems. In the present invention, the connection priority of a surveillance equipment is the highest priority amon/between priorities of all clients, when multiple clients with different priorities access the same surveillance equipment. The connection priority of the surveillance equipment is set as the priority of a new client, if the new client accesses the surveillance equipment and the priority of the new client is higher than the connection priority of the surveillance equipment; the connection priority of the surveillance equipment is remained unchanged, if the priority of the new client is not higher than the connection priority of the surveillance equipment. It is all required to supply a service for each video request of the users when the network bandwidth does not reach full load; the video requests of users having lower priorities will be denied when the network bandwidth is at full load, which can more reasonably utilize the network resources based on the connection management of client priorities to avoid a congestion even a paralysis on networks. |
| US10171846B2 |
System and method for routing media
In one aspect, a method for managing streaming of video content to a client device includes providing the video content to a content distribution network for storage in a plurality of geographically separated resources of the content distribution network, dynamically selecting an advertisement media clip based on statistical information associated with a user of the client device, and receiving, from the client device via a packet-based telecommunication network, signaling to have the stored video content streamed to the client device. In response to the received signaling, the method includes transmitting to the client device via the packet-based telecommunication network and in one or more files having a format compatible with a media player on the client device, (i) an identification of a first resource of the content distribution network available to facilitate streaming of the stored video content to the client device, the identification being dependent at least in part on a relationship between a geographic location of the client device and geographic locations of the resources of the content distribution network and (ii) an identification of an advertising server, the identification of the advertising server being dependent at least in part on a relationship between the geographic location of the client device and a geographic location of the advertising server, wherein the one or more files, when processed by the client device, cause the client device to communicate with the first resource of the content distribution network and the advertising server to cause the stored video to be streamed to the client device by first resource of the content distribution network and cause the selected advertisement media clip to be streamed from the advertising server to the client device. |
| US10171845B2 |
Video segment manager and video sharing accounts for activities performed by a user on social media
A method includes identifying a plurality of user-interested multimedia files based at on one of a history of a plurality of user multimedia searches, a plurality of user multimedia views, or a history of multimedia sharing with other users. The method creates a catalog of the plurality of user-interested multimedia files, wherein the catalog includes one of more groups of the plurality of multimedia files based on one of a multimedia file length, the history of the plurality of user multimedia searches, the plurality of user multimedia views, or a history of multimedia shares with other users. The method generates a novel multimedia file, where combining one generates the novel multimedia file or more individual multimedia files selected from the catalog of multimedia files. |
| US10171839B2 |
Generating transforms for compressing and decompressing visual data
Encoding data includes: encoding a residual of a first portion of an array of data to generate a first set of coefficients; decoding the first set of coefficients to generate a decoded representation of the first portion; computing an estimated covariance function for a residual of a second portion of the array of data based on a model that includes a gradient of a plurality of boundary data values located on a boundary of the decoded representation of the first portion; computing a set of transform basis functions from the estimated covariance function; and encoding the residual of the second portion using a first transform that uses the computed set of transform basis functions. |
| US10171838B2 |
Method and apparatus for packing tile in frame through loading encoding-related information of another tile above the tile from storage device
A method for encoding a frame divided into a plurality of tiles includes: storing encoding-related information derived from blocks in a last block row of a first tile of the frame into a storage device; reading the encoding-related information from the storage device; and performing entropy encoding upon blocks in a first block row of a second tile of the frame based at least partly on the encoding-related information read from the storage device. The first block row of the second tile is vertically adjacent to the last block row of the first tile. The entropy encoding of the first block row of the second tile is started before entropy encoding of the last block row of the first tile is accomplished. |
| US10171837B2 |
Predictive value data set compression
A data set may be compressed by predicting a value for the values of the data set. A comparative value may then be determined between a predicted value and an actual value for the particular points of the data set. The comparators for the particular points of the data set may then be encoded. |
| US10171833B2 |
Adaptive switching of color spaces, color sampling rates and/or bit depths
Innovations in adaptive encoding and decoding for units of a video sequence can improve coding efficiency. For example, some of the innovations relate to encoding/decoding that includes adaptive switching of color spaces between units within a video sequence. Other innovations relate encoding/decoding that includes adaptive switching of color sampling rates between units within a video sequence. Still other innovations relate encoding/decoding that includes adaptive switching of bit depths between units within a video sequence. |
| US10171831B2 |
Moving picture coding device, moving picture coding method, and moving picture coding program, and moving picture decoding device, moving picture decoding method, and moving picture decoding program
A motion vector predictor candidate generating unit makes a prediction based on a motion vector of one of coded neighboring blocks that are neighboring to a coding target block in space or time and generates a plurality of motion vector predictor candidates. A motion vector predictor redundant candidate removing unit removes the motion vector predictor candidates having identity among the motion vector predictor candidates predicted based on a coded neighboring block that is neighboring in space from a motion vector predictor candidate list with at least one being left. A motion vector predictor selecting unit selects a motion vector predictor from the plurality of motion vector predictor candidates. A first bitstream generating unit codes information representing the selected motion vector predictor. |
| US10171829B2 |
Picture encoding device and picture encoding method
There is provided a picture encoding device that encodes a picture and encodes a difference quantization parameter in a unit of a quantization coding block which is divided from the picture and is a management unit of a quantization parameter. A quantization parameter calculator derives a quantization parameter of the quantization coding block to be encoded. A prediction quantization parameter derivation unit derives a prediction quantization parameter using the quantization parameters of a plurality of quantization coding blocks which precede the quantization coding block to be encoded in order of encoding. A difference quantization parameter generator derives a difference quantization parameter of the quantization coding block to be encoded, using a difference between the quantization parameter of the quantization coding block to be encoded and the prediction quantization parameter. A first bitstream generator encodes the difference quantization parameter of the quantization coding block to be encoded. |
| US10171826B2 |
Method and apparatus for encoding residual block, and method and apparatus for decoding residual block
A decoding apparatus for decoding an image by obtaining transformation coefficients of a sub residual block based on location information of a non-zero transformation coefficient and level information of the non-zero transformation coefficient obtained from the bitstream. |
| US10171824B2 |
System and method for adaptive frame re-compression in video processing system
Method and system of video decoding incorporating frame compression to reduce frame buffer size are disclosed. The method adjusts parameters of the frame compression according to decoder system information or syntax element in the video bitstream. The decoder system information may be selected from a group consisting of system status, system parameter and a combination of system status and system parameter. The decoder system information may include system bandwidth, frame buffer size, frame buffer status, system power consumption, and system processing load. The syntax element comprises reference frame indicator, initial picture QP (quantization parameter), picture type, and picture size. The adaptive frame compression may be applied to adjust compression ratio. Furthermore, the adaptive frame compression may be applied to a decoder for a scalable video coding system or a multi-layer video coding system. |
| US10171819B2 |
Intra prediction mode selection in video coding
A method is provided for encoding a digital video with a video encoder that allows intra prediction of mode selection. The method includes dividing pixels from each intra prediction block into four groups based on phases of the pixels, progressively narrowing down a list of intra prediction modes over a series of stages based on a comparison of a cost value for each intra prediction mode at that stage against a threshold value, tentatively assigning the remaining intra prediction with the lowest cost value after the final stage to the block, calculating a heterogeneity index for each group of contiguous intra prediction blocks based on the tentative intra prediction mode selected for each block after the final stage, and finalizing the tentative intra prediction mode for each block if the group has a heterogeneity index above a predetermined threshold value. |
| US10171816B2 |
Method and apparatus for motion compensation prediction
The invention relates to a motion compensation performed under an inter-frame prediction. A fractional sample interpolation is applied on retrieved samples to generate fractional samples. The fractional sample interpolation comprises a plurality of filtering operations, and all of filtered results from the filtering operations are truncated down to a predetermined bit depth independent of the bit depth of the samples stored in the reference picture memory. |
| US10171813B2 |
Hierarchy of motion prediction video blocks
A video decoder is configured to obtain an index value for a current video block. The video decoder obtains a partition type for a current video block. The video decoder selects one of a plurality of defined sets of ordered candidate predictive video blocks based on the partition type of the current video block. A video decoder selects a predictive video block from a selected one of the plurality of defined sets of ordered candidate predictive video blocks based on an index value. A video decoder generates a motion vector for a current video block based on motion information of the predictive video block. |
| US10171810B2 |
Transform coefficient coding using level-mode and run-mode
Video transform coefficient encoding and decoding methods are provided. A two-dimensional array of quantized transform coefficients are obtained for a block of a video frame. The two-dimensional array of quantized transform coefficients are converted to a one-dimensional array of integer samples using a scan pattern, wherein each sample is represented with a level that is an absolute value of the sample and a sign bit if the level is greater than zero. The one-dimensional array of samples is converted to a bit-stream by processing the one-dimensional array of samples in sequential order. A switch is adaptively made between multiple coding modes, where each coding mode is characterized by how consecutive coefficients are jointly coded as a single event. For each mode, a switch may be adaptively made between various variable length code (VLC) tables. |
| US10171808B2 |
In-loop adaptive wiener filter for video coding and decoding
A video encoder may use an adaptive Wiener filter inside the core video encoding loop to improve coding efficiency. In one embodiment, the Wiener filter may be on the input to a motion estimation unit and, in another embodiment, it may be on the output of a motion compensation unit. The taps for the Wiener filter may be determined based on characteristics of at least a region of pixel intensities within a picture. Thus, the filtering may be adaptive in that it varies based on the type of video being processed. |
| US10171805B2 |
Video encoding device and program, video decoding device and program, and video distribution system
The present invention relates to a video distribution system including a video encoding device which generates video data encoded per a unit of frame and a video decoding device which decodes the video data supplied from the video encoding device. The video encoding device includes a predicted image generator which generates a predicted image of a non-key frame, by using a key frame, an updated original image generator which compares each parameter representing a predicted image of the non-key frame with respective parameter values for each parameter representing an original image of the non-key frame, and according to this comparison result, generates an updated original image by selecting parameter values of either the predicted image or the original image for each parameter, and an error correction code generator which generates an error correction code for correcting an error of the updated original image to the non-key frame. |
| US10171804B1 |
Video frame encoding scheme selection
Disclosed is a method, a system and a computer readable medium for encoding a video stream. The method includes determining a first time period based on a first estimated processing time algorithm, determining a second time period based on a second estimated processing time algorithm, comparing an encoding time period of the video frame to the first time period and the second period, and changing an encoding scheme for encoding a subsequent video frame if two times the encoding time of the video frame is one of less than the first time period and greater than the second time period. |
| US10171803B2 |
Image capturing apparatus, calibration method, and non-transitory computer-readable medium for calculating parameter for a point image restoration process
An image capturing apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes an image capturing unit, a display unit that displays an imaged picture imaged by the image capturing unit and a guide linearly shaped along a sagittal direction or a tangential direction in the imaged picture, the guide assisting imaging of a calibration image used for calibration in a point image restoration process, and a parameter calculation unit that calculates a parameter for the point image restoration process on the basis of the calibration image imaged by the image capturing unit with assistance from the guide. |
| US10171800B2 |
Input/output device, input/output program, and input/output method that provide visual recognition of object to add a sense of distance
An I/O device, an I/O program, and an I/O method that can add a sense of distance from the position of visually recognizing eyes to a stereoscopic image that is a virtual image, through an object that is a real image and provide visual recognition as if the stereoscopic image were associated with the object are provided. An I/O device of the present invention includes a display device that can generate a stereoscopic image, a depth level sensor that measures a distance to an object, and an event generating unit that generates an event according to a mode of the object at least either in a stereoscopic region of the stereoscopic image generated by the display device or in a depth level detection region of the depth level sensor. |
| US10171797B2 |
Systems and methods to confirm that an autostereoscopic display is accurately aimed
A autostereoscopic display system includes an autostereoscopic display configured to project images representing a left-eye view and a right-eye view of an image, an emitter configured to emit a tracer beam having a directional relationship to that of the projected images, a sensor configured to detect reflections of the tracer beam, and a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to control an emission of the tracer beam, receive feedback data from the sensor, use the feedback data to determine an impact site on the viewer corresponding to the tracer beam and adjust a direction of the tracer beam based on the impact site. |
| US10171796B2 |
Moving body system
A moving body system includes an imaging device attachable to a moving body, a visual line direction changing mechanism configured to change a visual line direction of the imaging device and a control unit configured to change the visual line direction of the imaging device in accordance with changing of a movement direction of the moving body. |
| US10171795B2 |
System and method for generating disparity map by matching stereo images
A system for generating a disparity map includes: an image obtainer obtaining a left image and a right image; a matching cost calculator calculating a matching cost for each of a plurality of pixels of the left image and the right image; an accumulation and summation calculator calculating an accumulation value of one of the pixels based on the calculated matching cost, and calculating a relaxation accumulation value, which is an average of values obtained by multiplying each of relation coefficients between a disparity value of the one pixel and disparity values of surrounding pixels of the one pixel with the accumulation value of the one pixel; a disparity value deliver deriving a disparity value for each of the pixels based on the calculated relaxation accumulation value; and a disparity map generator generating the disparity map based on the derived disparity value. |
| US10171794B2 |
Method for selecting cameras and image distribution system capable of appropriately selecting cameras
In a method, M (M is a natural number smaller than N) cameras capturing images to be displayed are selected from N (N is a natural number equal to or larger than 2) cameras capturing images of a same scene. The method includes obtaining positions and image capture angles of the N cameras and selecting M cameras from the N cameras on the basis of the obtained positions and image capture angles of the N cameras. |
| US10171793B2 |
Image capturing device and method thereof
An image capturing device is provided comprising an image sensor for capturing a first image of a scene, a light source for illuminating the scene with a first flash of coded light, and a network interface for communicating with a communications network and/or a further image capturing device. The device is operative to encode information into the first flash, enabling retrieval of the first image from a first data storage, capture the first image, and store the first image in the first data storage. Optionally, the device may be operative to detect a second flash of coded light emitted by the further image capturing device, decode information enabling retrieval of a second image captured by the further image capturing device from a second data storage, retrieve the second image, and create a 3D model from the first image and the second image. |
| US10171788B2 |
Playback method according to function of playback device
A method to be performed by a playback device includes determining whether the playback device has a function for converting first graphics in a second luminance range narrower than a first luminance range to second graphics in the first luminance range, when the playback device has the function, converting the first graphics to the second graphics, and displaying a video in the first luminance range with the second graphics being superimposed on the video, and when the playback device does not have the function, displaying the video with third graphics different from the second graphics being superimposed on the video. |
| US10171786B2 |
Lens shading modulation
This disclosure pertains to systems, methods, and computer readable media for performing lens shading correction (LSC) operations that modulate gains based on scene lux level and lens focus distance. These gains compensate for both color lens shading (i.e., the deviation between R, G, and B channels) and vignetting (i.e., the drop off in pixel intensity around the edges of an image). As scene illuminance increases, the sensor captures more signal from the actual scene, and the lens shading effects begin to appear. To deal with the situation, the lens shading gains are configured to adaptively ‘scale down’ when scene lux approaches zero and ‘scale up’ when scene lux changes from near zero to become larger. The lens shading gain may also be modulated based on the focus distance. For optical systems without zoom, the inventors have discovered that the amount of lens shading fall off changes as focus distance changes. |
| US10171779B2 |
Optimizing drive schemes for multiple projector systems
Light projection systems and methods may comprise combining light from two or more projectors. Each projector may be controlled so that the combined light output of the projectors matches a target for the projected light. In some embodiments optimization is performed to generate image data and control signals for each of the projectors. Embodiments may be applied in image projecting applications, lighting applications, and 3D stereoscopic imaging. |
| US10171774B2 |
Camera control device, camera control method, and camera control system
A camera control device includes: an entering prediction value calculator configured to calculate an entering prediction value representing a possibility of entering of the user terminal in a monitoring range of the camera; an entering prediction time calculator configured to calculate entering prediction time that is prediction time necessary for the entering of the user terminal in the monitoring range of the camera; a preparation time calculator configured to calculate preparation time necessary for running the application on the camera; and a determination unit configured to determine whether preparation for running of an application on the camera is started. |
| US10171771B2 |
Camera system for video conference endpoints
A camera system for a video conference endpoint includes a fixed wide lens camera providing a view of a space, a first fixed camera providing a view of a first portion of the space, a second fixed camera providing a view of a second portion of the space, a third fixed camera providing a view of a third portion of the space, and a processor operatively coupled to each of the cameras. Each of the cameras is configured to produce a video signal and the processor is configured to receive the video signals and select a relevant video signal from the video signals. The processor is also configured to process the relevant video signal by digitally panning, tilting, and zooming of the relevant video signal to generate a video stream from the processed video signal. |
| US10171769B2 |
Sound source selection for aural interest
A viewer-selectable audio display region is associated with certain pixels of a video feed visible to the viewer of the video. Directional microphones provide audio signals for specific audio sources within a three-dimensional (3-D) video recording space. The recorded video signal is augmented with the audio signals and identified sound sources. The sound sources are mapped to pixels on the display. When the viewer selects the pixels, one or more audio recordings are: (i) played; (ii) amplified; (iii) mixed; and/or (iv) otherwise processed. |
| US10171768B2 |
Curve profile control for a flexible display
Facilities are provided herein for automatically determining and applying curve profiles to flexible displays. An example process includes obtaining content to be presented on a flexible display, automatically determining a curve profile to apply to the flexible display in association with presentation of the content on the flexible display, the automatically determining being based at least in part on an analysis of the content to be presented, and applying the curve profile to the flexible display in association with the presentation of the content on the flexible display. |
| US10171766B2 |
Imaging device with reduced delay in display
An imaging device includes an image sensor that performs imaging operations at intervals of a predetermined sensor cycle, an image data generator that generates image data based on output data from the image sensor, and a display that displays an image represented by the image data within a second display scanning period whose length is shorter than a first display scanning period corresponding to a display cycle that is N times the sensor cycle (N being an integer larger than or equal to “2”) by a margin period. |
| US10171765B1 |
Bit line boost for fast settling with current source of adjustable size
A photodiode is adapted to accumulate image charges. A transfer transistor transfers the image charges to the floating diffusion. A source follower transistor is coupled to receive the voltage of the floating diffusion and provide an amplified signal. A row select transistor enables the amplified signal and outputs the amplified signal to a bitline. A first current source generator is coupled between the bitline and a ground. The first current source generator sinks current through a first cascode transistor, a first bias transistor and a second bias transistor. The first cascode transistor is biased by a cascode control voltage. The first bias transistor and the second bias transistor are biased by a bias control voltage. |
| US10171761B2 |
Solid-state imaging device and electronic device
The present technology relates to a solid-state imaging device and an electronic device that enable a reduction in the voltage of an AD conversion circuit. A solid-state imaging device includes: a plurality of pixels; a vertical signal line configured to output a pixel signal of the pixel; and a clipping circuit configured to limit a voltage of the vertical signal line to a predetermined voltage. The clipping circuit includes a transistor configured to generate the predetermined voltage in accordance with a voltage of a gate, and a sample holding circuit configured to hold a reset level of the pixel that is output to the vertical signal line, and input the reset level to the gate of the transistor. The present technology can be applied to a CMOS image sensor, for example. |
| US10171759B2 |
Imaging device, method for controlling imaging device, imaging system, and method for controlling imaging system
A first projection controller of an imaging device controls a first infrared projector, capable of projecting infrared light with multiple wavelengths, to selectively project the infrared light with the multiple wavelengths. An imaging unit of the imaging device images an object in a state where the first infrared projector projects the infrared light. A synchronous signal transmitter transmits outward a synchronous signal for synchronizing a timing of projecting infrared light from a second infrared projector controlled by a second projection controller included in another imaging device other than the imaging device, with a timing of projecting the infrared light from the first infrared projector controlled by the first projection controller. |
| US10171757B2 |
Image capturing device, image capturing method, coded infrared cut filter, and coded particular color cut filter
Disclosed is an image capturing device that can easily perform image processing of visible light region and that of near infrared region, while utilizing a general image capturing device structure. The image capturing device comprises: a color filter that divides an incident light into a plurality of color lights; a photo sensor that converts the plurality of color lights as divided by the color filter to data representing image signals; a coded infrared cut filter that is placed before the color filter in the light proceeding direction or between the color filter and the photo sensor and that has infrared cut parts for cutting off near infrared lights and infrared passage parts for allowing near infrared lights to pass therethrough; and an image processing means that acquires a plurality of pieces of color information and a piece of near infrared information for each of a plurality of pixels on the basis of a plurality of image signals related to the lights having passed through the infrared cut parts and an image signal related to the light having passed through the infrared passage part for each of the pixel and adjacent pixels. |
| US10171756B2 |
Image-based localization of ultraviolet corona
Systems and methods for identifying a fault in an electrical distribution system may include capturing an image of a corona event associated with a component of the electrical distribution system and processing the image of the corona event to identify the center and boundary of the corona event. An overlay for display with the image of the corona event may be generated, where the overlay identifying at least a center of the corona event and may be displayed to a user via a user interface device. In some cases, an unmanned aerial vehicle may comprise one or more image sensors capable of capturing the image of the corona event and communicate the images to a remote device for processing and display to the user. The image captured by the image sensors may include an ultraviolet image, a visible spectrum image, an infrared image, or a combination of image types. |
| US10171755B2 |
Systems and methods for detecting light sources
A method for detecting light sources. The method includes capturing an image including a sub-infrared light emitter, applying a filter to a pixel of the captured image to isolate a signal strength of a range of frequencies, and comparing the signal strength of the filtered pixel to an expected signal strength of a background spectra for the range of frequencies. As a result of a difference between the signal strength of the filtered pixel and the expected signal strength exceeding a predetermined threshold, the method includes identifying the pixel as corresponding to a light emitter. As a result of the difference between the signal strength of the filtered pixel and the expected signal strength not a predetermined threshold, the method includes identifying the pixel as not corresponding to a light emitter. |
| US10171754B2 |
Overlay non-video content on a mobile device
Methods, systems, and devices are described for presenting non-video content through a mobile device that uses a video camera to track a video on another screen. In one embodiment, a system includes a video display, such as a TV, that displays video content. A mobile device with an integrated video camera captures video data from the TV and allows a user to select an area in the video in order to hear/feel/smell what is at that location in the video. |
| US10171746B2 |
Drone with a front-view camera with segmentation of the sky image for auto-exposure control
The drone comprises a camera (14), an inertial unit (46) measuring the drone angles, and an extractor module (52) delivering image data of a mobile capture area of reduced size dynamically displaced in a direction opposite to that of the variations of angle measured by the inertial unit. The module analyses the image data elements of the useful area to assign to each one a weighting coefficient representative of a probability of belonging to the sky, and defines dynamically a boundary of segmentation (F) of the useful area between sky and ground as a function of these weighting coefficients. Two distinct groups of regions of interest ROIs are defined, for the sky area and for the ground area, respectively, and the dynamic exposure control means are controlled as a function of the image data of the ROIs of one of these groups, in particular by excluding the ROIs of the sky area. |
| US10171744B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image capture apparatus, and control method for adding an effect of a virtual light source to a subject
With respect to a subject included in an image, the illuminating condition by an ambient light source in an environment where the image was captured is estimated, and based on the estimation result, the effect of a virtual light source that was non-existent at the time of image capture is computed. More specifically, the effect of the virtual light source is computed using an illumination direction of the virtual light source and the reflective characteristics of the subject illuminated by the virtual light source, which have been determined based on the estimation result, and an image derived from addition of the effect of the virtual light source is output. |
| US10171735B2 |
Panoramic vision system
A panoramic vision system includes a processor configured to convert received images into images in a spherical coordinate; a memory coupled to the processor and configured to store the images in the spherical coordinate; and a spherical display coupled to the processor, wherein the spherical display has a sphere center, the spherical display comprises a plurality of light-emitting-diode pixels being arranged according to the spherical coordinate, there is a same radial distance between each light-emitting-diode pixel of the plurality of light-emitting-diode pixels and the sphere center, in the plurality of light-emitting-diode pixels, there is a same azimuth spacing between adjacent two of the plurality of light-emitting-diode pixels at a zenith angle, and there is a same zenith spacing between adjacent two of the plurality of light-emitting-diode pixels at an azimuth angle. |
| US10171733B2 |
Image processing apparatus and method, and program and recording medium
In a camera which electronically realizes panning, tilting, and zooming, on the basis of the luminance detected in each frame period (n−1), a condition of exposure for two frame periods thereafter (n+1), and digital gain for three frame periods thereafter (n+2) are set. When an instruction for changing the extracted region is received in a certain frame period (n−1), the region extracted from the image is changed three frame periods thereafter. It is possible to achieve a stable exposure control by which the luminance of the image varies little even when the region extracted from the image is switched. |
| US10171730B2 |
Information processing apparatus, method of controlling information processing apparatus, and storage medium
An apparatus comprises an unit configured to obtain captured images captured at a plurality of positions/orientations; an unit configured to generate a guidance instruction for causing a captured image corresponding to a position/orientation substantially the same as a captured image of a stipulated state to be obtained; an unit configured to output the guidance instruction; an unit configured to determine whether or not one captured image obtained after output of the guidance instruction was captured at a position/orientation substantially the same as the captured image of the stipulated state; and an unit configured to, if the one captured image is determined to be captured at the position/orientation, generate or update a three-dimensional map from three-dimensional coordinates of a feature included in a captured image based on the plurality of captured images including the one captured image. |
| US10171728B2 |
Image processing device, photographing control method, and program
An information processing system that acquires first image data captured by a first camera unit disposed on a first side of a housing; acquires second image data captured by a second camera unit disposed on a second side of the housing, which is opposite to the first side of the housing; and modifies the second image data based on the first image data. |
| US10171727B1 |
Resetting single-control apparatus
According to one embodiment, an image-taking apparatus wherein a first actuation of a control element locks image-taking parameters and a subsequent actuation of this control element causes a picture to be taken. In one embodiment, the apparatus is a cellular telephone equipped with a camera wherein a first press on the volume up button locks focus and exposure. The photographer can then recompose the picture according to the ‘half-press’ technique and take a picture with a subsequent press on the volume up button. The locked focus and exposure may be unlocked after a predetermined timeout period during which no picture was taken. Other embodiments are described. |
| US10171726B2 |
Image shooting apparatus for setting image shooting condition easily and method thereof
A shooting apparatus includes a touch panel on a display and performs self-timer shooting. The shooting apparatus includes a CPU configured to detect a dragging manipulation status from a touch start point on a fixed or an arbitrary point on the touch panel to an end of the touch, update one condition selected out of a self-timer time and a continuous shooting number as a first shooting condition, perform a control of updating and displaying the updated first shooting condition on at least one position selected out of a point on the display corresponding to the touch start point, the fixed point on the display, and a point on the display along with the dragging manipulation status whenever the first shooting condition is updated, and set the updated first shooting condition as a shooting condition for performing a shooting. |
| US10171715B2 |
Camera module with integrated chip-on-board image sensing chip
A camera module includes a circuit board, a camera device and an image processing chip. An image sensation chip of the camera device is directly integrated with the circuit board by means of chip-on-board (COB) manufacturing process to minify the total volume of the camera module, whereby the camera module can be disposed in a narrow space. |
| US10171714B2 |
Systems and methods involving edge camera assemblies in handheld devices
Systems and methods are disclosed for capturing and displaying real-time images of the environment in front of a user. In one implementation, a casing for a mobile device having an upward facing display surface and an opposing lower surface is provided. The casing may include a housing and image sensor having at least one optical axis configured to be oriented at a fixed obtuse angle with respect to the lower surface when the mobile device is retained by the housing. The image sensor may be oriented such that when the housing is held by a walking user at an acute angle with respect to a plane on which the user walks, the at least one optical axis generally faces in a walking direction of the user. The casing may further include circuitry for conveying from the at least one image sensor, image data for real-time display on the display surface. |
| US10171712B2 |
Thermal extraction architectures for camera and lighting devices
Thermal extraction architectures for heat-generating electronic devices such as digital cameras or lights are disclosed. |
| US10171711B1 |
De-emphasized image signal transmission
A transmitter circuit coupled to output image data from an image sensor includes a plurality of transmitters. The transmitters may include a plurality of drivers coupled to receive a data signal, and output a differential signal in response to receiving the data signal. A de-emphasis circuit is coupled between a first output of a first driver in the plurality of drivers, and a second output of a second driver in the plurality of drivers. The de-emphasis circuit is coupled to receive a de-emphasis control signal, and in response to receiving the de-emphasis control signal, the de-emphasis circuit reduces a magnitude of the differential signal. |
| US10171709B2 |
Vehicle vision system utilizing multiple cameras and ethernet links
A vehicular vision system includes a plurality of cameras disposed at the vehicle and having respective fields of view exterior of the vehicle and being operable to capture frames of image data. Image data captured by each of the cameras is provided to an ECU via an ETHERNET link from the respective camera to the ECU. At least one control signal for controlling operation of each camera is provided from the ECU to the respective camera via the respective ETHERNET link. Image data captured by at least one of the cameras is processed at the ECU to detect an object present exterior of the equipped vehicle, wherein the object is a vehicle that is approaching the equipped vehicle and that is traveling in a traffic lane adjacent to a traffic lane in which the equipped vehicle is traveling. |
| US10171706B2 |
Configuring an imaging system
Examples of a method and a system for configuring an imaging system are described. These examples involve obtaining a random sample of area coverage representations and grouping these by an estimated color, such as a colorimetric value. In each group a selected area coverage representation is determined with respect to one or more imaging attributes. A color gamut based on the random sample and the selected area coverage representations are used to generate a color mapping from an input color space to an area coverage representation space for use by the imaging system. |
| US10171705B2 |
Management apparatus, image forming apparatus management system for managing usage of the image forming apparatus
A management apparatus connected to an image forming apparatus for managing usage of the image forming apparatus is disclosed. The management apparatus includes a user data storage part for storing user identification data and use restriction data corresponding to the user identification data, and a use restriction data acquiring part for acquiring the use restriction data corresponding to the user identification data. |
| US10171704B1 |
Methods and systems for thickening an interior region of a fill object
Methods and systems for thickening an interior region of a fill object are described. The method includes receiving a print job including an input image, and converting into a digital bitmap image comprised of an array of pixels, each pixel being assigned with a pixel value and an object tag information. Based on this, each pixel is defined as one of a boundary pixel of the input image, an edge pixel of the fill object in the input image, and an interior pixel of the fill object. Thereafter, the fattening of the edge pixels of the fill object, is followed by the fattening of the interior pixels of the fill object, for applying thickening to the interior region. After this, an output image is generated. |
| US10171702B2 |
Image reading apparatus
An image reading apparatus includes: a contact glass provided at an upper surface of a main body of the apparatus to set a manuscript thereon, an image sensor being positioned below the contact glass and having a reading surface on contact glass side for reading an image from the manuscript on the contact glass, a carriage supporting the image sensor accommodated in a sensor container formed to have a recess open to the contact glass side, a rail member slidably supporting the carriage, and a biasing member biasing the image sensor to the contact glass side via a biased portion adjacent to the reading surface of the image sensor. An upper end of the biasing member is positioned below the contact glass and above the lower surface of the image sensor. |
| US10171698B2 |
Image forming apparatus including short-distance wireless communication unit, method of controlling the same, and storage medium
An image forming apparatus equipped with a plurality of service applications for providing respective services, in a state enabling a selected one of the service applications to be automatically started from a terminal apparatus. An image forming apparatus capable of performing printing includes a NFC unit. An NFC controller generates data to be read out by an external apparatus, according to selection of one of a plurality of applications. The NFC controller writes the generated data into the NFC unit. |
| US10171694B2 |
Conveyance device and image forming device
A conveyance device that conveys paper through a conveyance path along a surface thereof includes: a conveyance guide that has a guide surface to be a wall surface on one side of the conveyance path, an opening being formed in the guide surface; a paper detection unit at least including a detection member, which is arranged in a space that communicates with the conveyance path through the opening, and configured to detect, with the detection member, a leading end of the paper that reaches the opening; and a movable body that brings the detection member into a retracted state, in which a main part thereof is covered from the space, after the leading end of the paper is detected. |
| US10171693B2 |
Bezel with bars for protecting a calibration label
An apparatus can include a frame having a first side and a second side spaced apart from and substantially parallel to the first side by a third side that interconnects and extends longitudinally between the first side and the second side. The third side can define a portion of a media path. A surface of the third side includes a calibration area in the media path, the calibration area extending from an input edge to an exit edge in a media path direction that is substantially transverse to the longitudinal dimension of the third side. A plurality of bars can protrude outwardly from the surface of the third side in the calibration area. Each of the bars extends in the media path direction and has a leading edge and a trailing edge, the leading edge. |
| US10171692B2 |
Multifunction peripheral
A multifunction peripheral comprises an operating panel, and a home screen for performing selection of an operation mode, etc. on the operating panel is displayed if a home button is operated. If selecting a simple copy button in the home screen, for example, a copy screen is displayed on the operating panel. Furthermore, if selecting a simple facsimile button in the home screen, a fax screen is displayed on the operating panel. Furthermore, if selecting a simple scan button in the home screen, a scan screen is displayed on the operating panel. Layout of the home screen and layout of each of the copy screen, the facsimile screen and the scan screen are similar to each other. |
| US10171690B2 |
Print-image generation with screen for aligning images and eliminating overlap by user operation
A print-image generation device comprising: a display; and a processor that controls the display to display a print-image generation screen and a plurality of part images in the print-image generation screen, and performs alignment of at least one of the plurality of part images to generate a print image composed of the plurality of part images, wherein the processor, when the alignment is performed in a state in which two or more part images are selected from among the plurality of part images in the print-image generation screen, performs first alignment of the two or more part images on the basis of a mutual positional relationship between the two or more part images, determines whether or not there exists an area in which the two or more part images overlap each other as the result of the alignment, and when it is determined that there exists an area in which the two or more part images at least partially overlap each other, notifies a user that the overlapped area exists, and when the user is notified that the overlapped area exists, moves at least one of the part images that at least partially overlap each other in the overlapped area so as to eliminate the overlapped area, or changes a size of at least one of the part images that at least partially overlap each other in the overlapped area to a size that eliminates the overlapped area, on the basis of operation by the user. |
| US10171685B2 |
Service providing system, information processing method, and non-transitory recording medium
A service providing system is for providing a service that is in cooperation with a printing service that is provided by an external printing system. The service providing system includes a job obtaining unit configured, when receiving from the printing system a notification representing that a print job is created by the printing service, to obtain the print job from the printing system; a job managing unit configured to store, in a job storage unit, the print job obtained by the job obtaining unit; and a job transmitting unit configured to transmit the print job stored in the job storage unit in response to a print job request from an image forming apparatus that is coupled to the service providing system via a network. |
| US10171681B2 |
Service design center for device assisted services
A network service plan provisioning system processes multiple service plan components, where the components are allowed to have respective traffic classification filters that, due to an overlap in classification, can each match the same network traffic event. A user can include multiple such components in the same service plan by creating a prioritization. The provisioning system processes and deploys the components to one or more network devices via an instruction set such that all such components are active for the service plan but the prioritization determines which component is activated when multiple component filters match a network traffic event. |
| US10171680B1 |
Call processing system for modifying inmate communication limits
A system for customizing time limits for inmate communications in a correctional facility is disclosed. The system includes a profile subsystem that stores an inmate profile of the inmate and a communication processing subsystem comprising one or more processors configured to receive data of an inmate communication of an inmate, identify a type of communication device of the inmate and a call recipient of the inmate communication based on the data of the inmate communication, retrieve the inmate profile of the inmate form the profile subsystem, identify a plurality of behaviors of the inmate based on the inmate profile, determine a time limit based on at least one of the type of communication device, the call recipient of the inmate communication, and the plurality of behaviors of the inmate, and assign the time limit to the inmate communication of the inmate. |
| US10171673B2 |
System and method for performing certain actions based upon a dialed telephone number
Systems and methods of placing a telephone call for a user include monitoring the telephone number that the user has requested to reach. Depending upon the telephone number requested by the user, the system might take an alternate action, rather than simply placing a call to the requested telephone number. In some instances, the system might take an action in addition to placing a call to the requested telephone number. |
| US10171672B2 |
System and method for dynamic call diversion
A system includes a contact center to provide an interaction between a customer and an agent workstation of the contact center. A contact center network connects a call from a mobile device to an interactive voice response application. A mobile engagement platform collect authentication information from the mobile device to authenticate a customer using the mobile device. A short message service platform sends a link to connect the mobile device to a mobile application. The mobile engagement server authenticates the customer of the mobile device for the mobile application based on the collected authentication information. |
| US10171671B1 |
Customer service call routing and/or scheduling system and method
A method of routing a communication of a customer to an appropriate service representative includes, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, identifying, within a database stored to a server, a customer account associated with the customer. The method also includes analyzing a data fingerprint saved to the customer account, where the data fingerprint comprises data indicative of a plurality of life events associated with the customer. The method also includes determining, via a switch, the appropriate service representative based on the analyzing of the data fingerprint. |
| US10171664B2 |
Customer care mobile application
A system and method is provided for providing contact center services via a mobile application on a mobile device. Status of a service request that is transmitted to a contact center is monitored. When a change in the status is detected, a notification is automatically transmitted to the mobile application. An interaction request is received from the mobile application in response to the notification. The interaction request identifies the service request. A party handling the service request is identified in response to receipt of the interaction request. The identified party is invited for engaging in interaction with the mobile device. |
| US10171643B2 |
Directing audio output based on gestures
Device and method for directing audio input and output between a plurality of electronic devices. Event records are stored in memory and each event record records a specific combination of states relating to a first device or a second device and are associated with an action. Each action specifies a direction of audio input and output. States of the first and second devices are monitored. Changes to states are detected. Based on specific combination of states, one of the event records associated with the specific combination of states is identified. The action associated with the identified event record is performed and audio input and output between the electronic devices is directed in accordance with the associated action. |
| US10171635B2 |
Ensuring properly ordered events in a distributed computing environment
A first event occurs at a first computer at a first time, as measured by a local clock. A second event is initiated at a second computer by sending a message that includes the first time. The second event occurs at a second time, as measured by a local clock. Because of clock error, the first time is later than the second time. Based on the first time being later than the second time, an alternate second time, that is based on the first time, is used as the time of the second event. When a third system determines the order of the two events, the first time is obtained from the first computer, and the alternate second time is obtained from the second computer, and the order of the events is determined based on a comparison of the two times. |
| US10171630B2 |
Executing remote commands
A communication system and method for the utilization of messaging protocols to provide computing devices executable code. An administrative component can include executable code or instructions within the publication of content. Computing devices registered to receive this content can receive and execute the code (or instructions) and utilize the same messaging protocol to publish a result of the processing to be delivered to the admin device. |
| US10171624B2 |
Management of pre-loaded content
A method and system are disclosed for acquiring and transforming existing content (e.g., Hyper Text Markup Language HTML content) for display and execution on multiple platforms and architectures. In one embodiment, capture templates are created to harvest content from disparate content sources on multiple platforms. Data is extracted from the content from the disparate content sources using the created capture templates that drives extracting process. A standardized data stream is generated from the extracted data. The standardized data stream is provided for display on one or more different type of platforms. |
| US10171623B1 |
Identifying application preemptive requests
A method for optimizing the number of pre-emptive service requests in an application based on identifying a plurality of pre-emptive execution eligible service requests. The method includes identifying one or more locations, associated with one or more service requests, respectively, in an application. Analyzing the one or more service requests based on the one or more locations. Determining if the one or more service requests are eligible for pre-emptive execution based on the analyzing, and responsive to determining the one or more service requests are eligible, outputting, by the one or more processors, one or more identities of the one or more service requests, respectively, for pre-emptive execution. |
| US10171622B2 |
Dynamic content reordering for delivery to mobile devices
Systems, methods, and computer program products to perform an operation comprising receiving, by a Mobile Backend as a Service (MBaaS) server from an application executing on a mobile device, a request to access content, identifying a set of objects as responsive to the request, determining a respective priority for each object in the set of objects, wherein the priority of each object is based at least in part on a context of the mobile device, and transmitting at least one object in the set of objects according to the determined priorities of each object. |
| US10171619B2 |
Identifying a cloud service using machine learning and online data
Analyzing network traffic includes identifying, by a computer related to an enterprise, an endpoint outside of the enterprise of a network connection between a resource of the enterprise and the endpoint; and autonomically determining, by the computer related to the enterprise, when the endpoint is associated with a cloud service provider. An indication that the endpoint is associated with the cloud service provider can then be stored by the computer related to the enterprise. |
| US10171607B2 |
Apparatus and methods for managing quality of experience during the delivery of content
Apparatus and methods for managing the quality of experience of delivery of content to end-point or user devices. In one embodiment, metrics data pertaining to network conditions being experience by consumer devices attached to a managed network are monitored by a network entity. The monitored metrics are analyzed to determine if a consumer device is experiencing poor network conditions, such as network congestion. Consumer devices that are identified as experiencing poor network conditions are reported to a content delivery network (CDN) entity responsible for providing IP-based content. The CDN entity adjusts content delivery files used by the consumer devices to request particular IP-based content to guide the consumer device to select a version of the content suitable for delivery over consumer device's existing network condition. The adjustment may include for instance removing formats deemed unsupportable for delivery over the existing network condition or identify a default format for the consumer device to use. |
| US10171603B2 |
User segmentation to provide motivation to perform a resource saving tip
A computer-implemented method includes steps for identifying a plurality of similar users that are similar to a target user, and providing a notification to the target user, the notification comprising a suggested action for the target user. In certain aspects, a method of the subject technology can further include steps for providing comparison information to the target user, wherein the comparison information includes participation information regarding participation for the plurality of similar users, with respect to the suggested action. |
| US10171598B2 |
Method and system for location sharing
Method and server system for location sharing are disclosed. The method includes: determining a motion state of a first user in accordance with respective information items related to a current location and a previous location of a first device associated with the first user; in accordance with a determination that the motion state of the first user is a stationary state, determining a user direction of the first user based an orientation of the first device associated with the current location; in accordance with a determination that the motion state of the first user is a moving state, determining the user direction of the first user based on a motion direction from the previous location to the current location of the first device; and sending the determined user direction of the first user to one or more second devices associated with one or more second users for location sharing. |
| US10171597B2 |
Autonomic discovery and integration of complementary internet services
A method can include discovering a plurality of services that are complementary to an offered service and selecting a service from the plurality of services as a candidate for integration with the offered service. The method further can include automatically generating a new service, using a processor, by integrating the candidate service with the offered service. The new service can be included in a service catalog. |
| US10171589B2 |
Reducing interference from management and support applications to functional applications
Techniques for reducing interference in a network from management and control traffic to functional applications are provided. In one aspect, a method for regulating information flow between monitoring agents and a management server in a network includes the steps of: inserting an interface in the network to access stream based communications in the network; exporting control and data ports to each of the monitoring agents; receiving requests from one or more of the monitoring agents to establish sessions; and limiting a number of the sessions to open. A system for limiting interference in a network is also provided. |
| US10171586B2 |
Physical environment profiling through Internet of Things integration platform
A method of profiling a physical environment via Internet of Things (IoT) devices connected via an IoT integration platform is disclosed. The physical environment includes users, locations, and devices as well as associations between users, locations, and devices. The method includes: receiving data streams from network-capable devices connected to the IoT integration platform; detecting presence of an entity in a physical environment surrounding or interacting with one or more of the network-capable devices from a subset of the data streams; storing an entity profile on a node graph representing the physical environment, wherein each entity profile is associated at least one of the network-capable device from which the presence is detected; and requesting a semantic label of the entity profile from a user of a first user account via one or more user interfaces. |
| US10171585B2 |
Method, system, and computer program product for distributed storage of data in a heterogeneous cloud
Provided are a method, a system, and a computer program product in which a computational device stores a first part of data in a first cloud storage maintained by a first entity. A second part of the data is stored in a second cloud storage maintained by a second entity. |
| US10171584B2 |
Systems, methods, and devices for providing process code to remote devices
A data processing device, such as a monitoring agent, runs process code to process input data captured from a data source of a production environment, such as managed network devices. The process code can be created on or modified at a terminal of a development environment remote from the data processing device. The input data can be routed to the development environment to test the process code with actual data. The development environment can also provide test data to the process code to test edge cases and other situations. The output of the process code running in the development environment can be routed to the data processing device for output to downstream systems as if generated by the data processing device. Once the process code is operating satisfactorily at the development environment, the process code can be transmitted to the data processing device for execution in the production environment. |
| US10171578B1 |
Tapered coax launch structure for a near field communication system
A system is provided in which a set of modules each have a substrate on which is mounted a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and/or an RF receiver. Each module has a housing that surrounds and encloses the substrate. The housing has a port region on a surface of the housing. Each module has a tapered near field communication (NFC) field confiner located between the substrate and the port region on the housing configured to guide electromagnetic energy produced by the RF transmitter to the port region so that it can be emanated to a port region of an adjacent module. |
| US10171577B2 |
Local area networking system
A local area networking method includes a receiving by a system server unique identifiers associated with the first mobile device and other devices of a local area network. The system server correlates a listing of user identifiers and user profiles with the unique identifiers received from the first mobile device. The system server then communicates the listing of user identifiers and user profiles correlated with the unique identifiers to the first mobile device. A user of the first mobile device is thereby permitted to view the user identifiers and user profiles relating to the other devices registered with the system server, including the other devices in the local area network. The system server may further receive a geographical location of the local area network from the first mobile device, and associate one of a data file and an executable file from the first mobile device with the geographical location. |
| US10171576B2 |
Method, apparatus, and system for interaction between terminals
The present disclosure provides a method for interaction between terminals, implemented by a first terminal. The method includes: acquiring to-be-sent data; sending the to-be-sent data to a second terminal; displaying a display interface; monitoring whether first operation information from the second terminal is received, the first operation information including a processing operation received by the second terminal after the second terminal outputs the to-be-sent data and performed by a user of the second terminal on the to-be-sent data; and updating the display interface according to the first operation information once the first operation information sent by the second terminal is received. The present disclosure further provides an apparatus and a system for interaction between terminals. According to the present disclosure, data can be exchanged between terminals in real time, thereby improving interactivity between users of the terminals. |
| US10171573B2 |
Swapping non-virtualizing and self-virtualizing devices
A computer in a cloud computing environment includes a virtualization instance (VI) providing cloud services to a consumer device. The computer includes non-virtualizing and self-virtualizing type devices. The VI uses a first virtual device that is a virtual form of one of the non-virtualizing and self-virtualizing type devices to meet Quality of Service (QoS) objectives. A method for managing the resources of the cloud comprises receiving QoS metrics, determining that the VI cannot meet the QoS objectives using the first virtual device, determining that a second virtual device comprising a virtual form of the non-virtualizing and self-virtualizing type device alternative to that of first virtual device is available and can meet the QoS objectives, and configuring the VI to use the second virtual device in place of the first virtual device. A computer programming product and a system can embody the method. |
| US10171572B2 |
Server pool management
Managing a system comprising a pool of servers including a number of active servers. Utilization of the system capacity is monitored, in which the utilization results from a workload of the number of active servers. Upon detecting a critical utilization of the system capacity during the monitoring of the utilization of the system capacity, a duration of the detected critical utilization of the system capacity is predicted from a monitoring history of the utilization of the system capacity. Further, the number of active servers is increased, if the predicted duration exceeds a defined threshold. Tuning measures may also be deployed to handle surges in capacity utilization. |
| US10171570B2 |
Information processing apparatus
An information processing apparatus includes data unit output controller configured to output, to a plurality of data unit processors, copied data units obtained by respectively copying a plurality of data units for a number that is set in advance, configured to respectively allocate output destinations of a plurality of identical copied data units to different data unit processors, configured to, for each combination of at least two data unit processors that is set in advance, obtain a number of the copied data unit groups in which the identical copied data units are respectively allocated to the data unit processors made into a combination, and configured to respectively allocate the output destinations of the plurality of copied data units to the data unit processors, so that the degree of variation of the number of copied data unit groups obtained for each combination of the data unit processors becomes smaller. |
| US10171564B2 |
Systems and methods for cloud-based agricultural data processing and management
A cloud-based system for integration of agricultural data with geolocation-based agricultural operations is provided. The system receives agricultural-related data associated with a given geographic area and transforms the received data into an analysis-ready format. The system processes the received data through one or more algorithms to determine at least one operation to be performed within the given geographic area. The system generates a set of instructions for execution of the at least one operation within the given geographic area as a function of geolocation, where the instructions are coded for direct use by a controller of a specified type of agricultural equipment. The system transmits the instructions over a wireless communication channel to the controller, where the instructions cause the controller to direct operation of the agricultural equipment to perform the at least one operation within the given geographic area as a function of geolocation in an automated manner. |
| US10171563B2 |
Systems and methods for an intelligent distributed working memory
Systems and methods for intelligent memory sharing and contextual retrieval across multiple devices and multiple applications are provided. The systems and methods do not just show a user what he or she has stored across his or her different devices but intelligently suggests relevant topics and/or information based on what is contained in a shared working memory compiled from the temporary memories on all of the user devices. |
| US10171562B2 |
Social media driven information interface
One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for populating an information interface based upon social media data. For example, users may post, share, and/or discuss various information through social media sources. Accordingly, social media data may be obtained from such social media sources. The social media data may be grouped into sets of social media data based upon temporal information. Within the sets of social media data, social media entries may be clustered into topic clusters (e.g., a royal wedding topic cluster, a plane crash topic cluster, etc.). Event summaries may be generated for respective topic clusters. The event summaries may be used to populate timeslots of an information interface, such as a calendar or timeline, to create annotated timeslots. In this way, the information interface may provide users with an interactive view of events over a time period, such as a year-in-review, based upon social media data. |
| US10171560B2 |
Modular framework to integrate service management systems and cloud orchestrators in a hybrid cloud environment
A system, method and program product are provided for integrating a plurality of cloud orchestrators and service management (SM) platforms to provide a hybrid cloud environment. A system is disclosed that includes: interface system that includes a first gateway for providing communications with SM platforms that adhere to an SM protocol and a second gateway for providing communications with the plurality of cloud orchestrators, wherein the SM protocol defines a set of management processes for handling service requests; a service request processing system that processes service requests from SM platforms using selected cloud orchestrators, wherein the service request processing system includes a set of management modules in which each management module processes activities associated with of a different one of the management processes; a rules and conditions engine that includes logic to select a cloud orchestrator to be used to service an inputted service request; and a set of data conversion modules, wherein each data conversion module includes logic that converts data associated with an SM platform to a data format required by a one of the cloud orchestrators. |
| US10171557B2 |
Method and device for processing media streams between a plurality of media terminals and a processing unit all connected to one another over a communication network
The media stream processing device between a plurality of media terminals (UA, UB, UC, UD) and a processing unit (UV) over a communication network. The processing unit (UV) is capable of sending a media stream transmission pause/resume command signal in the format of a RTP/RTCP real-time communication protocol or equivalent intended for at least one media terminal in response to a chosen event. |
| US10171552B2 |
Systems and methods for integrating external resources from third-party services
Various embodiments concern communication platforms that can integrate electronic resources distributed amongst various sources by tagging metadata associated with each of the electronic resources, thereby making the electronic resources readily searchable from a messaging interface using a single search architecture. The messaging interface can be used by users to communicate with one another. In some embodiments, the communication platform performs a search based on characters as they are entered into the text field of the messaging interface. This search across various heterogeneous sources enables the communication platform to identify a reference to an electronic resource the sender of a message wishes to insert within the message. Recipients of the message may be able to access the electronic resource directly from the messaging interface. The communication platform can also perform natural language processing techniques such as speech act detection on messages and/or other textual resources to facilitate intelligent communication streamlining. |
| US10171546B2 |
Content reproduction apparatus, control information providing server, and content reproduction system
Provided is a content reproduction apparatus including a reproduction control unit that controls reproduction of a link-type content including a plurality of scenarios that each include content data and control information regarding reproduction of the content data, and a control information acquisition unit that acquires the control information. The reproduction control unit controls the reproduction of the link-type content by reproducing the content data in accordance with the control information including event information used to transition from a current scenario to another scenario. |
| US10171541B2 |
Methods, devices, and computer programs for improving coding of media presentation description data
The invention relates to improving coding of media presentation description data. Requesting streamed timed media data associated with a media item, organized into temporal media segments, the streamed timed media data belonging to partitioned timed media data comprising timed samples, the streamed timed media data being transmitted as media segment files each comprising independently processed components resulting from processing the timed samples, including receiving a manifest comprising metadata for describing the processed components, the metadata comprising parameters used for describing a part of one of the processed components, wherein one of the parameters is a dynamic parameter which value can vary over time, the parameter being associated with an element referring to a metadata resource, external to the manifest and comprising a value defining the parameter; and requesting the streamed timed media data based on metadata of the manifest and of the value defining the parameter. |
| US10171533B1 |
System and method for identifying devices in a room on a network
A system and method for controlling and selecting sources in a room on a network. The system allows a remote viewer to create a virtual presence within the room by providing the available displays, corresponding to the sources, to the remote viewer. The system includes a standardizing technique for improving the communication and overall switching of data for streaming on a network. The system can include a recording server for performing dual recording of the video files in each of a local database and a remote database. A graphical user interface (GUI) display is provided to guide a local user through a medical procedure in the standardized system. |
| US10171530B2 |
Devices and methods for transmitting adaptively adjusted documents
Devices and methods for obtaining media stream with adaptive resolutions. The device includes a receiver in communication with a processor, and a transmitter. The receiver is configured to receive a plurality of media signals. The processor is programmed to communicate with a terminal device in the home network, obtain a corresponding display resolution of the terminal device, and select a media signal according to the corresponding display resolution of the terminal device and a video resolution of the media signal. The transmitter is configured to transmit media stream corresponding to the selected media signal to the terminal device. |
| US10171528B2 |
Streaming of segmented content
Methods and systems for enabling streaming of segmented content from a content delivery network to an adaptive streaming client on the basis of a manifest file are described wherein the said manifest file may comprise one or more segment identifiers. The method may comprise: selecting at least one segment identifier from said manifest file, said identifier identifying a segment that has not been requested by said client; and, sending pre-announce information to said content delivery network for announcing in advance that said segment may be requested by said client, said pre-announce information comprising said at least one segment identifier, said pre-announce information being further arranged for triggering said content delivery network to ensure availability of said segment upon receiving said request. |
| US10171527B2 |
Goal-based connection management between parties
A monitoring computer system receives a message, from a first party, which identifies a goal of the first party. The monitoring computer system receives an identity of a second party that has been selected by the first party to assist the first party in achieving the identified goal of the first party. An electronic communication connection is created for electronic communications between the first party and the second party, wherein the electronic communications are related to accomplishing the identified goal of the first party. The electronic communications between the first party and the second party are monitored by executing message analytics to determine a status of the identified goal of the first party. In response to receiving a goal abandonment message, identifying an abandonment of the identified goal by the first party, the monitoring computer system disconnects the electronic communication connection between the first party and the second party. |
| US10171521B2 |
Seamlessly conferencing a previously-connected telephone call
An already-connected telephone call is conferenced in a seamless manner that is transparent to the call participants, after which one or more additional participants may join the conference. The existing call is preferably moved to a conference bridge responsive to an existing call participant either logging on to a network-accessible user interface (such as a web page or portal-type page) or entering some special key or key combination using the participant's phone (which may be a software application that provides phone-like services). The participant requesting the move may be authenticated, and the authorization of the participant to request the move may be verified, before moving the call. |
| US10171520B2 |
Seamlessly conferencing a previously-connected telephone call
An already-connected telephone call is conferenced in a seamless manner that is transparent to the call participants, after which one or more additional participants may join the conference. The existing call is preferably moved to a conference bridge responsive to an existing call participant either logging on to a network-accessible user interface (such as a web page or portal-type page) or entering some special key or key combination using the participant's phone (which may be a software application that provides phone-like services). The participant requesting the move may be authenticated, and the authorization of the participant to request the move may be verified, before moving the call. |
| US10171516B2 |
Notifying response sender of malformed session initiation protocol (SIP) response messages
A method, computer program product, and computer system for notifying a response sender of a malformed SIP response message. The method includes, producing a special ACK message after receiving a malformed response message from a SIP server. The special ACK message contains a correction of the determined malformation, and is sent to the SIP server for correction by the SIP server. |
| US10171515B2 |
Notifying response sender of malformed session initiation protocol (SIP) response messages
A method, computer program product, and computer system for notifying a response sender of a malformed SIP response message. The method includes, producing a special ACK message after receiving a malformed response message from a SIP server. The special ACK message contains a correction of the determined malformation, and is sent to the SIP server for correction by the SIP server. |
| US10171514B2 |
Method and system for routing media calls over real time packet switched connection
A method for routing media calls over a real time packet switch connection includes providing a session controller for connecting to a network. The method further includes providing a signaling switch for connecting to the session controller. The method further includes controlling call routing in the network with the session controller where the call routing control includes identifiers for elements in at least two layers of a seven layer model. The call routing control includes a preference for a codec for the call. The call routing is carried out taking into consideration a mean opinion score qualifier from previous calls having a same source and destination. |
| US10171512B2 |
Network node
Measures, including methods, systems and computer-readable storage mediums, for use in operating a network node in a network. Signalling information for an in-progress communication session dialog is processed according to a stateless operating mode. The processing according to the stateless operating mode includes storing communication session dialog state data associated with the communication session dialog. An operating mode change trigger is detected. In response to the detection, the stored communication session dialog state data associated with the communication session dialog is retrieved. Signalling information for the in-progress communication session dialog is processed according to a state-full operating mode. The processing according to the state-full operating mode is carried out at least in part on the basis of the retrieved communication session dialog state data associated with the communication session dialog. |
| US10171506B2 |
Network security management via social media network
Systems and methods for managing users' local security policies based on social media network information are provided. According to one embodiment, a network security appliance of a private network receives authentication request from a client machine and provides a social login interface of a social media network to the client machine. After a user of the client machine is authenticated by the social media network through a personal social media network account of the user, the network security appliance receives an authentication and a user profile of the user from the social media network. The network security appliance extracts social relationship information from the user profile and determines a local network security policy for the user based on the social relationship information. |
| US10171503B1 |
Methods for scaling infrastructure in a mobile application environment and devices thereof
A method, non-transitory computer readable medium and device that assists with scaling infrastructure in a mobile application environment obtaining a number of mobile application installations of a mobile application on a plurality of mobile devices. A number of mobile application installations corresponds with a number of backend enterprise web applications online on one or more web applications servers is determined where the backend enterprise web applications are associated with the mobile application. The number of backend enterprise web applications online on the one or more web application servers is modified when the determining indicates the number of mobile application installations does not correspond with the number of backend enterprise web applications. |
| US10171502B2 |
Managed applications
Embodiments relate to a system that includes a computing device and a managed application executable by the computing device. The managed application initiates an execution of a target application. The managed application obtains a request from the target application to perform an action. The managed application determines whether the action is permitted by a compliance rule. |
| US10171499B2 |
Zone-based security architecture for intra-vehicular wireless communication
Systems and methods provide secure and wireless intra-vehicular communication. An intra-vehicular communication system has a secured network segment including a plurality of secure zones on a vehicle, the secure zones each having a plurality of node devices. The system also has a single point of security proximate each secure zone on the vehicle providing communication security for a corresponding secure zone, and a public network segment on the vehicle configured to wirelessly transport data traffic between the secure zones. |
| US10171496B2 |
Beacon spoofing prevention
In one embodiment, a beacon signal is received from a beacon device. Either a mobile device or a server identifies a beacon authentication value from the beacon signal. Either the mobile device or the server calculates a local verification value from a security algorithm. A comparison of the authentication value to the local verification value is performed, and a location service is provided based on the comparison. |
| US10171495B1 |
Detection of modified requests
Suspicious connection requests can be detected by analyzing connection parameters at multiple levels of a network framework. For Internet-based requests, unexpected combinations and/or ordering of Layer 6 (TLS) and Layer 7 (HTTP) parameters, for example, can be indicative of suspicious activity with respect to the connection. The connection parameters for a request can be compared against a set of determined signatures and/or analyzed using a trained probability model to determine a probability that the connection is improper. A probability value can be calculated and compared against at least one probability threshold to determine whether the connection is suspicious enough to cause a specified action to occur. The signatures can be updated through an offline or dynamic online process, and the thresholds can vary among the various embodiments. |
| US10171493B2 |
Method and system to dynamically obfuscate a web services interface
The present application relates to the handling of what are generally referred to as denial of service (DoS) attacks. More specifically, the present application relates to a method and system for protecting one or more on-line Web service application servers from DoS and/or distributed DoS (DDoS) attacks. |
| US10171492B2 |
Denial-of-service (DoS) mitigation based on health of protected network device
Systems and methods for improving the performance of DDoS mitigation by monitoring the health of a protected network resource are provided. According to one embodiment, health of a network device protected by DoS mitigation device can be evaluated and packet/traffic received on the DoS mitigation device can be selectively/conditionally forwarded to the protected network device or can be dropped based on the health of the protected network device. According to one embodiment, at-least a part of the traffic is blocked when the health of the protected network device is below a predetermined health threshold. In an exemplary implementation, a measure of volume of traffic originated by different computing devices and handled by the protected network device can be computed, and packet filtering or conditional forwarding can be enabled when the computed measure of volume of traffic exceeds a predetermined traffic volume threshold. |
| US10171486B2 |
Security and authentication daisy chain analysis and warning system
An approach is disclosed that provides a security and authentication daisy chain analysis and warning system to a user. The approach monitors sets of user authentication data pertaining network sites used by the user. Each of the sets of user authentication data is used by the user to access one of the sites. The approach gathers outputs displayed by many network sites, including those network sites accessed by the user. The first set of network sites is a subset of the second set of network sites. An analytical analysis is performed based on the sets of user authentication data and the gathered outputs. Based on the analytical analysis, the user can be alerted regarding security vulnerabilities. The vulnerabilities can correspond to one of the gathered outputs displayed at one network site matching at least a portion of one of the sets of the user's authentication data. |
| US10171482B2 |
Pre-processing before precise pattern matching
Pre-processing before precise pattern matching of a target pattern from a stream of patterns. Including acquiring occurrence numbers of target elements in the target pattern, initializing the buffer, the buffer indicating a section in the stream of patterns, determining whether occurrence numbers of the target elements in the buffer reach the occurrence numbers of the target elements in the target pattern, updating the buffer and then returning to the determining step, in response to determining that the occurrence numbers of the target elements in the buffer do not reach the occurrence numbers of the target elements in the target pattern, and outputting the elements in the buffer for subsequent processing, in response to determining that the occurrence numbers of the target elements in the buffer reach the occurrence numbers of the target elements in the target pattern. |
| US10171479B2 |
Fast multicast messaging encryption and authentication
To prevent legitimate message recipients from forging new messages and to encrypt messages for a specific set of recipients (channel), a root key is encrypted and combined with a base session management key to render a combined root key, which in turn is encrypted with a public key of at least one recipient device to render a session management key. The public key of each of “N” intended recipient device encrypts the combined root key to render “N” session management keys. The session management keys are then combined with the combined root key to render a multicast root key, which is signed with a private key of a sending device. The signed multicast root key is combined with the session management keys to render an encrypted, signed multicast root key that is used to encrypt digital information prior to transmitting the digital information. |
| US10171473B2 |
Content filtering for personal productivity applications
A set of context profiles containing profile content rules for filtering which content within a set of personal productivity applications (such as e-mail, chat, calendar, and contacts applications) is accessible by a user. Content rules support filtering content by, for example, content originator, and/or subject matter. The context profiles are centrally maintained for control of integrated, non-integrated, and/or independently administered personal productivity applications. |
| US10171470B2 |
Techniques for secure debugging and monitoring
Techniques for secure debugging and monitoring are presented. An end user requests a secure token for logging information with a remote service. A secure monitoring and debugging token service provides the secure token. The remote service validates the secure token and configures itself for capturing information and reporting the captured information based on the secure token. |
| US10171469B2 |
Information processing system, access method, and terminal device
An system comprises: a first storage that stores access destination information, characteristic information, and first identification information in a manner associated with one another; a transmitter that transmits a captured image of a medium; a first-acquiring-unit that extracts the characteristic information and acquires the access destination information and the first identification information associated with the characteristic information, access based on the access destination information being controlled by an authentication device comprising a second storage that stores second identification information allocated to each medium, third identification information corresponding to the first identification information, and collation information indicating an access source in a manner associated with one another; a second-acquiring-unit that acquires fourth identification information allocated to each medium from the captured image; and an access unit that transmits the first identification information, the fourth identification information, and the collation information when accessing an access destination indicated by the access destination information. |
| US10171467B2 |
Detection of authorization across systems
Example embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods, devices, and computer programs for authorization detection. The first system receives, from the second system unauthorized by the first system, a request for operating a resource of the first system. The first system causes a detection of an authorization chain to be detected based on the first record that at least indicates one or more systems that are authorized by the first system. The authorization chain includes at least a third system that authorizes the second system and is authorized by the first system. If the authorization chain is detected, the first system authorizes the operation of the resource of the first system. |
| US10171457B2 |
Service provider initiated additional authentication in a federated system
An indication is received that a user has initiated an access to a website hosted by a service provider. Access to the website requires an authorization of a user identification associated with the user and a password associated with the user. A token is requested. The token provides access to an application programming interface. The token is received. The token is stored by the service provider. |
| US10171456B2 |
Wireless authentication system and wireless authentication method for one time password of mobile communication terminal having near field communication function
Provided is a one time password (OTP) authentication system and an OTP authentication method using a mobile communication terminal having a near field communication (NFC) function, wherein OTP authentication is capable of being carried out by using a mobile communication terminal having an NFC function and an OTP generator provided with a communication function corresponding to NFC. |
| US10171450B1 |
Global time based authentication of client devices
A system for authenticating client devices for communication with one or more wireless communications networks, includes a client device configured to receive a client-side global time from a time tracking system and generate a response to an authentication challenge based on the authentication challenge, the client-side global time, a client device identifier associated with the client device, and optionally location data that corresponds to a location of the client device. The system further includes a security gateway configured to receive a gateway-side global time from the time tracking system, generate an expected response to the authentication challenge based on the authentication challenge, the gateway-side global time, the client device identifier, and optionally location data that corresponds to an expected location of the client device, receive the response to the authentication challenge, and authenticate the client device on a wireless communications network based on the response and the expected response. |
| US10171444B1 |
Securitization of temporal digital communications via authentication and validation for wireless user and access devices
An access control system and associated devices are described that conceal and securitize data transmissions between one or more secure databases for various user devices to ensure proper entrance or access into secure locations by approved personnel only. Specific methods and devices for securing (primarily digital and normally two-way) communications using applications that combine securing communications for wireless/cellular phones with personnel access card readers for entry into secure locations are also described. These combined communication and access devices require using specific encryption techniques that cannot be corrupted and are essential to denying fraudulent or otherwise unauthorized personnel the ability to enter or access security protected devices or locations. |
| US10171438B2 |
Generating a password
User input is received from a user for identifying a particular account from among multiple accounts. A set of questions specific for the particular account is selected. Further user input comprising one or more responses to each question of the set of questions is received. A password is generated based on the one or more received responses. |
| US10171437B2 |
Techniques for security artifacts management
Techniques are provided to manage security artifacts. Specifically, a security management system is disclosed for implementing security artifact archives to manage security artifacts. A security artifact archive may include information for managing one or more security artifacts that can be referenced or included in the security artifact archive. The security management system can create, edit, read, send, and perform other management operations for security artifact archives. Objects can be bundled in an object-specific security artifact archive. Security artifact archives may be named, versioned, tagged and/or labeled for identification. Security artifact archives may be transmitted to a destination (e.g., a service provider or a client system) that provides access to an object whose access is dependent on security artifacts. The destination may can manage access to the object using a security artifact archive that includes relevant and current security artifacts for the object. |
| US10171435B1 |
Devices that utilize random tokens which direct dynamic random access
The disclosure provides for one or more devices and associated system that securitize and conceal data transmitted to and/or data received from the devices that utilize one or more master keys comprising at least one device that conceals and reveals such that the data and/or associated data files utilize both master keys and one or more key selectors, wherein the master keys and key selectors produce a specific set of one or more keys that conceal the data and/or associated data files such that one or more key selectors coincide with at least one value that directly corresponds with created cipher data and/or cipher data files. The key selectors can also be concealed and revealed as required. Produced concealed data and concealed data files can only be concealed and revealed with one or more master keys and one or more key selectors. |
| US10171433B2 |
System and method for authenticating users
A security application for a computing device, e.g., a mobile phone, allows generation of a secret according to a unique user input (e.g., user credentials). The secret is stored in a directory such that it is retrievable when the unique user input is received via a user interface of a device on which the security application executes or is coupled with. Responsive to receiving an identifier associated with the secret, the security application prompts, e.g., via a user interface of the mobile phone, entry of the unique user input; and, subsequently, verifies the unique user input. Following such verification, the security application provides the secret for use in encoding a communication with a remote computer-based station. Entry of the user credentials may be required prior to the security application generating the secret, and may be responsive to receipt of an invitation (e.g., from the remote computer-based station) to generate it. |
| US10171427B2 |
Portable encryption and authentication service module
Portable, hand-held electronic devices and methods to allow a user to anonymously utilize a host device are presented. The host device includes a processor to communicate with an application having a target network address. The portable, hand-held electronic devices includes an onboard database that stores user credential information and a portable encryption and authentication service module (PPEASM) that allows to make a secure communication channel with the host device. The PPEASM configures the processor of the host device to instantiate a virtual machine and render an encrypted messaging interface for communicating between the virtual machine and the application in the host device. Then, PPEASM can also configure the processor to negotiate authentication of the user with the application by utilizing the user credential information and information received through the encrypted messaging interface. |
| US10171424B2 |
Privacy enhancing networks
The presently disclosed privacy enhancing networks (PENs) comprises a network of gateways in communication with one or more controllers. By dynamically creating and tearing down unique data flow paths through a network of gateways for each individual data flow, the privacy enhancing network makes it more difficult for an adversary to glean information about communicating parties. Since each flow in a single data session may be routed through a different path, adversaries may find it more difficult to determine which data flows are associated with each data session. This in turn, makes it more difficult for adversaries to gather enough data traffic to break any encryption applied to the data flows. Furthermore, since each flow in a single data session can be directed along a different path, a privacy enhancing network may make it difficult for adversaries to even determine that the communicating parties are communicating at all. |
| US10171421B2 |
Intrusion prevention and detection in a wireless network
The invention provides an intrusion detection and prevention system and computer program which, when operated or executed by a security element (7) situated between a receiver (3) and a media access control (MAC) element (5) of a device (1) of a wireless network, performs the steps of receiving wireless traffic from the receiver of the device, and detecting that MAC element the traffic is allowed according to one or more rules and passing the traffic to the MAC element of the device, or detecting that the traffic is not allowed according to the one or more rules and preventing the traffic from passing to the MAC element of the device. |
| US10171412B2 |
Email quota management system
A computer receives an out of office status a user has indicated on an email application, the email application using a communications network and determines a quota status of the user based on a previous quota usage pattern and a current quota usage pattern, wherein the quota includes an amount of storage spaced allotted to the user. The computer receives a new email to be delivered to the user and assigns a quota status to the new email. In response to the assigned quota status, the computer determines when the new email should be delivered to the email application of the user. As soon as the sender enters the name(s) of the recipients, the quota usage monitoring engine retrieves the quota status information from the recipients mail box. The engine determines if the new email should be sent out from the senders outbox and dropped to recipients mail box. |
| US10171409B2 |
Systems and methods for path optimization in a message campaign
A method is provided for path optimization for a message campaign. A graphical user interface representation of the message campaign is displayed. Sets of input instructions are received. Each set of input instructions corresponds to a path in the message campaign. The sets of input instructions are executed, causing different electronic messages to be sent according to corresponding paths to different destination targets. Responses are monitored. A winning path is then determined based on a correlation of a criterion with a goal for the message campaign and also the responses or results of executing the plurality of sets of input instructions. The winning path from among the plurality of paths is then upweighted. The message campaign then uses the upweighted winning path by causing a second plurality of electronic messages to be sent through the winning path to destination targets in the plurality of destination targets. |
| US10171404B2 |
Reply to most recent message
A computer communication system that allows a user to conveniently display the most recent received messages associated with another user, and to directly initiate composition of a reply to a selected one of those displayed messages. When the user selects the disclosed “Reply to Most Recent” user interface element, a user name entry user interface object is generated that allows the user to specify the name of another user. A reply message user interface object is generated directly to the user interface, such that the reply message user interface object includes a message composition window that is automatically loaded with content from a most recent message from the specified user, and recipients for the reply message are loaded from that most recent message. |
| US10171400B2 |
Using organizational rank to facilitate electronic communication
A system for electronic communications. Receiving a sender identifier and a recipient identifier. A first message is received from the sender identifier to send to the recipient identifier. Determining the relative ranking of the sender and the recipient. In response to determining that the recipient has a higher relative ranking than the sender, determining whether the first message contains an action item. In response to determining that the first message contains an action item, transmitting a second message to the sender. In response to receiving an indication from the sender to send the first message, sending the first message from the sender identifier to the recipient identifier. |
| US10171396B2 |
Intelligent prevention of spam emails at share sites
A computer-implemented method for preventing spam emails from a share site includes providing a network-based computer system to enable users to set up share sites and to send emails from the share sites, detecting potential spam emails based on one or more spam detection rules, identifying false positive emails in the potential spam emails based on one or more false alarm reduction rules, removing false positive emails from the potential spam emails to produce a list of verified spam emails, identifying a sender of the list of verified spam emails as a spammer, and prohibiting the spammer from sending emails from one or more share sites owned spammer. |
| US10171395B2 |
Aircraft message management system
Systems and methods for filtering aircraft messages are provided. In one embodiment, the method can include receiving a message including a plurality of data fields containing data associated with the message. The method can include accessing a set of configuration data. The set of configuration data can include a set of data identifying one or more potential message structures and one or more parameters. The parameters can include one or more conditions for processing the data fields. The method can include determining a message structure of the message based at least in part on the data fields and the first set of data identifying one or more potential message structures. The method can include processing the message based at least in part on the message structure and the parameters. The method can include generating a filtered message that is based at least in part on the processed message. |
| US10171394B2 |
Multimedia mail service
A system may determine to provide content in a multimedia content message to a user. The user may be associated with a recipient account that is associated with content type preferences that identify a plurality of permitted content types. Each content type, of the plurality of permitted content types, may identify a type of content that is permitted to be included in the multimedia content message. The system may obtain the content type preferences to determine the plurality of permitted content types. The system may determine one or more selected content types of the plurality of permitted content types. The one or more selected content types may be content types of content to be obtained by the system and included in the multimedia content message. The system may obtain content of the one or more selected content types. The system may provide the multimedia content message including the content. |
| US10171386B1 |
Methods and systems for storing instant messaging messages
Software for an instant messaging program displays a window in a graphical user interface (GUI). The window includes a first view listing a plurality of participants in an instant messaging conference, a second view allowing for entry and editing of an instant message, a first control for sending an instant message to all of the of participants, and a second control for sending a private instant message to less than all of the participants. The software receives an entry of an instant message in the first view. The software receives a selection of one or more but less than all participants through the second view. The software receives an input activating the second control. Then the software sends the instant message to the selected participants. |
| US10171381B2 |
Providing a guest with access to content of a social network
Providing a guest with access to content of a social network includes identifying a guest associated with content posted by a user on a social network, sending, via electronic mail (email), a notification to the guest's email address to notify the guest of the content on the social network, receiving, via an identity provider, an identity assertion associated with the guest's email address, and providing, based on the identity assertion, access to the content posted by the user on the social network to allow the guest to view the content, in which the identity provider is identified by a domain of the guest's email address. |
| US10171380B2 |
Dynamic service level agreement (SLA) adjustment based upon application capabilities
Embodiments of the invention provide a method, system and computer program product for the dynamic adjustment of a service level agreement (SLA) for a hosted computing environment based upon application capabilities. The method includes specifying in a user interface to the hosted computing environment one or more application components of an application to be hosted within the hosted computing environment. Thereafter, a resource utilization capability is determined for one of the components and a set of resource utilization options for an SLA for the application is filtered based upon the resource utilization capability of the component or components. One of the filtered set of options can be selected and the application is executed in the hosted computing environment. Finally, the utilization of resources accessible to the application is managed based upon the SLA during the execution of the application in the hosted computing environment. |
| US10171379B2 |
Dynamic service level agreement (SLA) adjustment based upon application capabilities
Embodiments of the invention provide a method, system and computer program product for the dynamic adjustment of a service level agreement (SLA) for a hosted computing environment based upon application capabilities. The method includes specifying in a user interface to the hosted computing environment one or more application components of an application to be hosted within the hosted computing environment. Thereafter, a resource utilization capability is determined for one of the components and a set of resource utilization options for an SLA for the application is filtered based upon the resource utilization capability of the component or components. One of the filtered set of options can be selected and the application is executed in the hosted computing environment. Finally, the utilization of resources accessible to the application is managed based upon the SLA during the execution of the application in the hosted computing environment. |
| US10171377B2 |
Orchestrating computing resources between different computing environments
An approach is provided for orchestrating computing resources between different computing environments. Data from first and second computing environments is monitored. The data specifies utilization of infrastructure, middleware, software testing tools, integrated development environments (IDEs), relationships among nodes, utilization of the nodes, and user behavior in the first and second computing environments. Based on the utilization of the infrastructure, middleware, tools, IDEs, node relationships and utilization, and user behavior, a pattern decision tree is updated. Based on the updated pattern decision tree and a user request that specifies requirements of the computing resources, an orchestration topology is generated that specifies a placement of the computing resources in the first and second computing environments. Based on the orchestration topology, computing resource(s) are automatically deployed in the first computing environment and other computing resource(s) are automatically deployed in the second computing environment. |
| US10171370B1 |
Distribution operating system
Technology for a distribution operating system is provided. In one example, a method may include executing a distribution operating system on a host operating system on a local computing device and executing an application within the distribution operating system using networked computing resources managed by the distribution operating system. |
| US10171369B2 |
Systems and methods for buffer management
A buffer node and method of buffering packet data units are provided. The buffer node comprises a receive interface configured to receive a complex queue configuration and to receive packet data units, a buffer configured to implement a queue graph configuration associated with the complex queue configuration to buffer incoming packets into queues, and a send interface configured to send the dequeued incoming packets to a destination node. The queue graph configuration comprises at least one classifier configured to determine a classification type for an incoming packet, at least two queues configured to store incoming packets, and at least one dequeuer configured to select a queue from the at least two queues to be dequeued and to apply a dequeueing function on that selected queue. The method comprises a buffer node receiving a complex queue configuration from a configuration entity, receiving a plurality of packet data units from at least one the packet source node, and sending each incoming packet to one of the at least two queues based on the queue graph configuration. The complex queue configuration is associated with a queue graph configuration for buffering packet data units. |
| US10171366B2 |
Communication device and control method of communication device
In order to enable retransmission control without imposing heavy load on a transmitter/receiver device and a network, a communication device includes: a transmission data generation unit that outputs, as transmission data, communication data for which an increase in transmission delay is to be reduced; a retransmission confirmation data generation unit that outputs, after the transmission data is output, retransmission confirmation data a predetermined number of times at a first transmission interval; and a communication interface that assigns order information indicating a transmission order, to each of the transmission data and the retransmission confirmation data, and transmits, after the transmission data is transmitted, the retransmission confirmation data. |
| US10171365B2 |
Turbolink: method and apparatus for controlling input/output signaling speed
Embodiments of the present invention may provide improved handling of communication characteristics, such as burstiness, latency-sensitive applications, bandwidth-sensitive applications, etc., to improve peak performance while not compromising other characteristics, such as thermal design power of the input/output chip packages. In an embodiment, in a control circuit that may be connected to and control a data transmitter, a method of transmitting data in a network may comprise receiving at least one feed-forward signal from the data transmitter, receiving at least one feedback signal from at least a first node of the network, comparing the at least one feed-forward signal with at least one threshold or condition, comparing the at least one feedback signal with at least one threshold or condition, and generating a signal indicating that a burst transmission should be started or stopped. |
| US10171364B2 |
Method and apparatus for optimizing transmissions in wireless networks
Various communication systems may benefit from optimized transmissions. A method can include receiving data to be forwarded to a first wireless device. The method can also include determining the data as delay tolerant data. Moreover, the method can include defining a role of at least one second wireless device for forwarding the delay tolerant data. Also, the method can include transmitting the delay tolerant data to the second wireless device to be forwarded to the first wireless device. |
| US10171360B2 |
System detection and flow control
A system detection method and apparatus. Throughput and response time of a system are acquired. Throughput reflects the number of requests processed by the system that are received from outside the system. The response time reflects time required to process requests from outside the system. A system performance characteristic parameter based on the throughput and response time is obtained and used to describe congestion of the system to determine bottlenecks in the system by at least obtaining system performance characteristic parameter based on the throughput and the response time and conducting noise filtering on the system performance characteristic parameter. A bottleneck is determined based on the noise filtered system performance characteristic parameter. The system detection method and apparatus allow detecting a bottleneck and flow control are provided in a simple and effective way to ensure that requests are processed in time. |
| US10171356B2 |
Packet edit processing method and related device
A packet edit processing method and a device are provided. In an embodiment, the method includes: generating an input packet template based on N to-be-edited protocol header fields of an input packet, and a preset protocol field mapping relationship, where the input packet template includes N protocol descriptors, and the protocol field mapping relationship is a mapping relationship between a protocol field included in a protocol descriptor and a protocol field included in a protocol header field; performing edit processing on the input packet template to obtain an output packet template; and converting, based on the preset protocol field mapping relationship, M protocol descriptors into M protocol header fields of an output packet, and replacing the N protocol header fields in the input packet with the M protocol header fields to obtain the output packet. |
| US10171353B2 |
System and method for supporting dual-port virtual router in a high performance computing environment
Systems and methods for supporting dual-port virtual router in a high performance computing environment. In accordance with an embodiment, a dual port router abstraction can provide a simple way for enabling subnet-to-subnet router functionality to be defined based on a switch hardware implementation. A virtual dual-port router can logically be connected outside a corresponding switch port. This virtual dual-port router can provide an InfiniBand specification compliant view to a standard management entity, such as a Subnet Manager. In accordance with an embodiment, a dual-ported router model implies that different subnets can be connected in a way where each subnet fully controls the forwarding of packets as well as address mappings in the ingress path to the subnet. |
| US10171350B2 |
Generating packets in a reverse direction of a service function chain
Embodiments are directed to receiving an original packet at a service function; determining, for a reverse packet, a reverse service path identifier for a previous hop on a service function chain; determining, for the reverse packet, a service index for the reverse service path identifier; and transmitting the reverse packet to the previous hop on the service function chain. |
| US10171342B2 |
Recording medium and packet relay method for relaying a packet in a first sub-domain among a plurality of sub-domains in a service chain configured across the plurality of sub-domains
A non-transitory storage medium having stored therein a packet relay program for relaying a packet in a first sub-domain among a plurality of sub-domains in a service chain configured across the plurality of sub-domains is provided. The packet relay program causes a computer in the first sub-domain to perform a process. The process includes specifying a transmission destination on a basis of relay information with which identification information indicating a combination of a plurality of service functions included in the service chain, an index indicating an order for applying the service function, and the transmission destination are associated, changing the index included in the packet into a predetermined value when the specified transmission destination is a second sub-domain among the plurality of sub-domains, and transmitting the packet including the identification information included in the packet and the index of the predetermined value to the specified transmission destination. |
| US10171341B2 |
Software defined storage stack problem diagnosis and optimization
An aspect includes storage stack analysis. A processor determines a client configuration of a client storage stack that includes a plurality of layers with configurable parameters to control storage and retrieval of data between an uppermost layer and a lowest layer. The processor initiates creation of a replica of the client storage stack based on the client configuration. Input/output characteristics are collected of a workload executed on the client storage stack using the client configuration. A synthesized workload is applied to the replica of the client storage stack, where the synthesized workload is based on the input/output characteristics of the workload. The processor analyzes input/output performance through the layers of the replica of the client storage stack in response to applying the synthesized workload. One or more configuration issues are identified with the client configuration of the client storage stack based on a result of the analysis. |
| US10171326B2 |
Method and apparatus for estimating a maximum time interval error in a data transmission network
A method for use in connection with a data transmission network includes receiving a plurality of time interval error data samples over a sampling period and comparing a duration of the sampling period to a time threshold for the sampling period. If the duration of the sampling period is less than or equal to the time threshold for the sampling period, the method includes processing the received plurality of data samples so as to calculate in real time a maximum time interval error. However, if the duration of the sampling period exceeds the time threshold for the sampling period, the method includes dividing the sampling period into a finite number of sub-intervals and processing the data samples in each sub-interval so as to produce a respective intermediate result for each sub-interval. Each of these intermediate results is stored directly after it is produced, and these stored intermediate results are processed so as to estimate the maximum time interval error. |
| US10171325B2 |
Minimum delay value calculating device, information transmitting device, minimum delay value calculating method, and program storage medium
The purpose of the present invention is to appropriately detect propagation delay and the like (minimum delay value) in order to appropriately control a transmission rate of information. Upon input of a measured value of delay that is smaller than a value set as a minimum delay value, a minimum value setting unit (2) updates the set minimum delay value to the measured value of the delay. Delay refers to the time from transmission of information to arrival at the destination thereof, or the round trip time from transmission of information to receipt of reply information from the destination receiving the information by the originator. A timing determination unit (3) determines a review timing for reviewing the set minimum delay value on the basis of the measured value of the delay. A minimum value review unit (4) updates (reviews) the set minimum delay value at the determined review timing. The minimum delay value to be updated is a value calculated using the measured value of the measured delay or a preset initial value. |
| US10171320B2 |
Ensuring important messages are viewed by intended recipient based on time-to-live pattern
A method, system and computer program product for ensuring that important messages are viewed by the intended recipient. A time-to-live pattern for a message identified as being important is determined for the target group, where the time-to-live pattern indicates a set of presentation criteria (e.g., impression analysis, such as the number of views of the message). The target group refers to the intended recipient(s) of the message identified as being important. The message is then monitored in the network environment with respect to the time-to-live pattern using the set of presentation criteria of the time-to-live pattern. An action (e.g., pinning the message for a period of time) may then be performed to increase the priority of the message for the target group if the time-to-live pattern has underachieved within a threshold period of time (i.e., has not met the requirements of the presentation criteria within the threshold period of time). |
| US10171319B2 |
Technologies for annotating process and user information for network flows
Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for annotating process and user information for network flows. In some embodiments, a capturing agent, executing on a first device in a network, can monitor a network flow associated with the first device. The first device can be, for example, a virtual machine, a hypervisor, a server, or a network device. Next, the capturing agent can generate a control flow based on the network flow. The control flow may include metadata that describes the network flow. The capturing agent can then determine which process executing on the first device is associated with the network flow and label the control flow with this information. Finally, the capturing agent can transmit the labeled control flow to a second device, such as a collector, in the network. |
| US10171317B2 |
Management server for remote monitoring system
The management server causes an output section to output a startup date and time, shutdown date and time, minimum, maximum, and average values, and an occurrence count and durations of a predetermined event, for each of the operation time periods from the startup to shutdown in a unit of the remote monitoring terminal device, and causes the output section to output the startup date and time, shutdown date and time, and a movement locus of the mobile work vehicle or vessel based on the location information, for each of the operation time periods from the startup to shutdown in the unit of the remote monitoring terminal device. |
| US10171314B2 |
Methods, apparatuses and computer program products to derive quality data from an eventually consistent system
An apparatus for deriving quality data includes a processor and memory storing executable computer code causing the apparatus to at least perform operations including receiving a consistency check from a network device indicating a summary count obtained during a time period. The summary count specifies a number of data items of a service utilized/provided, within a given time period, to one or more communication devices of an entity. The consistency check also includes a raw count, obtained during a time window the expiration of which is subsequent to the time period, indicating a number of data items of the service utilized/provided, within the given time period, to the communication devices. The computer program code may further cause the apparatus to determine whether a deviation between the summary count relative to the raw count is less than or equal to a threshold. Corresponding methods and computer program products are also provided. |
| US10171312B2 |
Optimizing cloud service delivery within a cloud computing environment
Embodiments of the invention provide systems, methods and computer program products for optimizing cloud service delivery within a cloud computing environment. A cloud service request (CSR) is received from a cloud customer in the cloud computing environment, the CSR comprising at least one parameter of one or more existing cloud services accessed by the cloud customer that are provided by one or more existing cloud service providers. At least one parameter of the CSR is monitored in a cloud service registry comprising a plurality of cloud services provided by a plurality of cloud service providers and one or more parameters corresponding to each cloud service of the plurality of cloud services. Based on the monitoring, a new cloud service provider is determined who may provide a better cloud service with respect to the at least one parameter in the CSR being monitored. |
| US10171309B1 |
Topology service
A topology service may include a topology database and topology service interface used by clients to query the topology database. The topology database may describe a topology of resources of an infrastructure that may include racks of resources such as network, compute and storage resources. The topology database may be populated using discovery information returned as a result of issuing discovery requests to switches. The discovery information may identify connectivity between switches and other resources. The discovery information may be processed to determine assigned switch roles and additional derived information such as regarding instances of topological entities in the infrastructure. The derived information may identify instances of racks, rows and data centers in the infrastructure. The topology database may identify particular resources included in the different racks, rows, and data centers as well as connectivity between resources and communication capabilities of resource interfaces. |
| US10171307B2 |
Network modality reduction
A tool for processing a multi-modal network to reduce modality. The tool determines a plurality of entities connected by a plurality of links within a multi-modal network. The tool assigns a weighted value to each of the plurality of links connecting the plurality of entities. The tool converts the multi-modal network into a modelled network based, at least in part, on the weighted value assigned to each of the plurality of links. The tool eliminates one or more of the plurality of entities not designated as an entity of interest from the modelled network. The tool converts the modelled network into a uni-modal network. |
| US10171304B2 |
Network policy configuration
In some examples, a configurator device maps a configuration attribute received from a wireless device to a credential attribute, the credential attribute to be mapped to a network policy. The configurator device sends the credential attribute to the wireless device, the credential attribute useable by the wireless device to access an access point (AP), and useable by the AP to obtain the network policy to apply to a communication of the wireless device. |
| US10171302B2 |
Network configuration health check in virtualized computing environment
An example method is provided for a host to perform network configuration health check in a virtualized computing environment. The method may include selecting a source NIC and one or more destination NICs, based on a first network configuration of the host, generating one or more unicast probe packets that are addressed from the source NIC to the respective one or more destination NICs, and sending the one or more unicast probe packets to the respective one or more destination NICs from the source NIC via a physical switch connected to the host. The method may also include in response to receiving the one or more unicast probe packets from the physical switch, determining that there is a match between the first network configuration and a second network configuration, but otherwise, determining that there is a mismatch between the first network configuration and second network configuration. |
| US10171300B2 |
Automatic redistribution of virtual machines as a growing neural gas
A method and associated systems for automatic redistribution of virtual machines. A cloud-optimization module selects parameters, such as bandwidth requirements, that characterize an efficiency of a virtual network. It assigns weightings to these parameters based on relative importance of each parameter to the proper operation of the network, where the weightings may be determined as functions of captured network-performance statistics. The module translates the network's topology into a graph in which each node represents a network entity, such as a virtual machine or an application, and each edge represents a connection between two such entities. The module then uses a growing neural gas algorithm to revise the graph and the weightings, and translates the revised graph to a more optimal topology that has redistributed the network entities to operate more efficiently, as measured by the weighted parameters. |
| US10171297B2 |
Multivariable controller for coordinated control of computing devices and building infrastructure in data centers or other locations
A method includes obtaining first information associated with control of multiple computing devices, where the first information relates to possible changes to processing tasks performed by the computing devices. The method also includes obtaining second information associated with building infrastructure operations performed by one or more building systems of one or more buildings that house the computing devices. The method further includes identifying one or more changes to one or more of the computing devices using the first and second information. In addition, the method includes outputting third information identifying the one or more changes. |
| US10171289B2 |
Event and alert analysis in a distributed processing system
Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for event and alert analysis are provided. Embodiments include a local event analyzer embedded in an alert analyzer receiving events from an event queue. Embodiments also include the local event analyzer creating, based on the received events and local event analysis rules specific to the alert analyzer, a temporary alert for the alert analyzer. Embodiments also include the alert analyzer analyzing the temporary alert based on alert analysis rules. |
| US10171283B2 |
Global production rules for distributed data
Running a global production rule on data distributed over a plurality of machines may comprise receiving a local production rule that can run on each of the plurality of machines to jointly accomplish a global computation specified by the global production rule. The local production rule may be deployed to each of the plurality of machines, each of which stores a portion of the data and runs an instance of a rules engine that can run the local production rule. The plurality of machines are enabled to communicate intermediate data produced by the instance of the rules engine running the local production rule on said each of the machines. Coordinating between the plurality of machines is enabled to synchronize one or more local computations performed locally according to the local production rule on said each machine. |
| US10171280B2 |
Double-sideband COFDM signal receivers that demodulate unfolded frequency spectrum
Prior-art receivers for double-sideband coded orthogonal frequency-division modulation (COFDM) signal, such as receivers for digital television (DTV) broadcasting, have folded the frequency spectrum in half by synchrodyne to baseband before discrete Fourier transform (DFT) and de-mapping quadrature amplitude-modulation (QAM) of COFDM signal subcarriers, thus to improve signal-to-noise ratio by 6 dB. Single-sideband or independent-sideband COFDM receivers that perform DFT and demapping of QAM of COFDM signal subcarriers in an unfolded frequency spectrum can improve signal-to-noise ratio by 8.5 dB by maximal-ratio combining bits of demapping results. Such improvement is achieved even when such a receiver is arranged for receiving a DSB-COFDM signal, in which double-sideband signal the frequency spectra of the lower and upper sidebands mirror each other. Reception range is increased by about a third over that of receivers which fold the frequency in half during synchrodyne to baseband. Such increase in reception range is particularly important for DTV receivers using indoor antennas. |
| US10171273B2 |
Decision feedback equalizer and interconnect circuit
There is provided a decision feedback equalizer including a comparison circuit configured to compare a value indicated as 2n of a pulse amplitude modulated signal with a threshold value, wherein n is an integer of 2 or more, a latch circuit configured to retain data of a comparison result of the comparison circuit, a decoder configured to decode the retained data by the latch circuit, and a setting circuit configured to set the threshold value based on the retained data fed back from the latch circuit. |
| US10171271B2 |
Method and device for transmitting interference cancellation information for cancelling interference between cells
Provided are a method and a device for transmitting interference cancellation information for cancelling interference between cells in a wireless communication system. The method for transmitting interference cancellation information may comprise the steps of: on the basis of feedback information received from a terminal belonging to a cell controlled by a predetermined base station, estimating a symbol error rate or a packet error rate on a cell boundary region; by comparing the symbol error rate or the packet error rate with a predetermined critical value, determining a probability indicator indicating the probability of cancelling interference between cells at the cell boundary region; and transmitting information on the probability indicator to an adjacent cell. |
| US10171265B2 |
Uplink channel information
A method for sending data includes receiving, at a first station of a plurality of stations, a trigger frame from an access point of a wireless network. The method also includes determining a downlink channel estimation based on the trigger frame and sending the downlink channel estimation to the access point. The method further includes receiving uplink channel data from the access point in response to sending the downlink channel estimation. The method also includes sending data to the access point based on the uplink channel data. |
| US10171263B2 |
Capability aware routing
Various systems and methods for bypassing one or more non-capable nodes. For example, one method involves a capable node determining that an adjacent node is non-capable, where capable nodes are configured to implement a data plane capability and non-capable nodes are not. The method then involves identifying a downstream node that is capable. The downstream node is on a shortest path. The method also involves generating information that identifies a tunnel to the downstream node. |
| US10171261B2 |
Remote talk down to panel, camera and speaker
Methods and systems are described for storing video content collected by a home automation system. According to at least one embodiment, an apparatus for accessing video content collected by a home automation system includes a processor, a memory in electronic communication with the processor, and instructions stored in the memory which are executable by a processor to receive at a remote device live video content from a camera of the home automation system, and initiate real-time, two-way audio communication between the remote device and a user of the home automation system via the camera. |
| US10171253B2 |
Node directed multicast traffic management systems and methods for mesh networks
Systems and related methods include node directed management of multicast traffic within a wireless mesh network. A wireless mesh network may include a plurality of mesh nodes and a central server in communication with at least one of the mesh nodes of the plurality of mesh nodes. The central server may be configured to generate one or more rules for at least one of the mesh nodes to instruct a change in a pre-routing parameter in a packet header based on received channel state information. The central server may include a rules-based engine configured to generate and convey one or more traffic shaping rules in response to sensing traffic conditions. The position of received multicast packets in a packet order may be modified. |
| US10171251B2 |
Tamper-protected hardware and method for using same
One of the various aspects of the invention is related to suggesting various techniques for improving the tamper-resistibility of hardware. The tamper-resistant hardware may be advantageously used in a transaction system that provides the off-line transaction protocol. Amongst these techniques for improving the tamper-resistibility are trusted bootstrapping by means of secure software entity modules, a new use of hardware providing a Physical Unclonable Function, and the use of a configuration fingerprint of a FPGA used within the tamper-resistant hardware. |
| US10171245B2 |
Crypto integration platform
Methods and systems described herein create a first addressed account and a second addressed account that each have a common identifier and are each associated with a customer. The system can receive an order for exchanging digital transactional items associated with the first addressed account, where the order is associated with the common identifier. A private key associated with the first addressed account can be used to electronically sign a first transaction to transfer the digital transactional items from the first addressed account to the second addressed account, and the same private key can be used to sign a second transaction. After verifying that the first transaction was signed with the same private key as the first transaction, the system authorizes placement of the order on a cryptographic exchange. |
| US10171238B2 |
Secure data transmission using quantum communication
Methods and systems for transmitting data are described. A random data stream is generated. A data stream is generated comprising the random data stream and indicators as to which data of the random data stream is valid data to be communicated to a recipient. The random data stream and/or the data stream may be communicated using quantum entanglement. |
| US10171236B2 |
Method for operating a primary unit
A method for operating a primary unit which exchanges pieces of information with a secondary unit, including receiving first pieces of information from the secondary unit, the first pieces of information formed as a function of at least one first measured value of a physical variable in the area of the secondary unit and as a function of a first random number; measuring the physical variable in the area of the primary unit to obtain a second measured value; ascertaining a first estimated value for the first random number as a function of the first pieces of information and the second measured value; measuring the physical variable in the area of the primary unit to obtain a third measured value; forming second pieces of information as a function of the first estimated value and the third measured value; transmitting the second pieces of information to the secondary unit. |
| US10171233B2 |
System and method for efficient support for short cryptoperiods in template mode
System and method embodiments are provided herein for efficient representation and use of initialization vectors (IVs) for encrypted segments using template mode representation in Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over Hypertext Transfer Protocol (DASH). An embodiment method includes sending in a media presentation description (MPD), from a network server to a client, a template for generating a universal resource locator (URL) to obtain an IV that is used for encrypting a segment, in absence of an IV value in the MPD, receiving from the client a URL configured according to the template, and upon receiving the URL, returning an IV corresponding to the URL to the client. Another embodiment method includes receiving in a MPD, at a client from a network server, a template for generating a URL to obtain an IV that is used for encrypting a segment, upon detecting an absence of an IV value or IV base value in the MPD, configuring a URL for the IV using the template, sending the URL for the IV, and receiving an IV. |
| US10171229B2 |
Pseudo-random bit generator based on multim-modal maps
The present invention is related with a computer-implemented method for generating a pseudo-random bit generator including the steps: a. Defining a multi-modal map by the equation: ƒβ=β(dr+1−x)(x−dr), x∈ℑr; b. Set the value of k∈+, and obtaining the values of βj, for j=from at least 1, to the final value k by the following equations: β1=4k; βj=(j)(β1); for 2≤j≤k; and taking the values of βj and split the space into 2j regions δ1j, to δ2jj which are determined by values κ1j to k(2j)−1j. |
| US10171226B2 |
Systems and methods for frequency division duplex communication
A method of wireless communication using half duplex frequency division duplex (HD-FDD) comprises, at a wireless communications device, receiving downlink data during a plurality of downlink subframes and transmitting a hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) on an uplink. The HARQ-ACK relates to downlink data received during at least two of the plurality of downlink subframes and the HARQ-ACK is transmitted during one uplink subframe. |
| US10171222B2 |
Method for configuring CQI measurement subframe, base station, and user equipment
A method, a base station, and user equipment are provided for configuring a CQI measurement subframe. The method includes: receiving an interference neighboring cell identifier of user equipment UE sent by the UE, obtaining almost blank subframe ABS configuration information according to the interference neighboring cell identifier of the UE, where the ABS configuration information is an ABS configuration of an interference neighboring cell corresponding to the interference neighboring cell identifier, configuring an ABS measurement subframe and a NonABS measurement subframe for the UE according to the ABS configuration information of the interference neighboring cell of the UE, and sending the ABS measurement subframe and the NonABS measurement subframe to the UE where the ABS measurement subframe is used by the UE to perform first CQI measurement and the NonABS measurement subframe is used by the UE to perform second CQI measurement. |
| US10171218B2 |
Method for estimating signal quality of transmission to a user equipment from a transmission point
A method performed by a network node (110) for enabling transmissions to a user equipment, UE (121), from transmission points, TPs, in a coordination cell area (101-105, 07) in a radio communications network (100) is provided. The network node (110) configures two or more TPs in the coordination cell area (101-105, 107) not currently serving the UE (121) to transmit signals on interference measurement, IM, resources of two or more Channel State Information, CSI, processes of the UE (121) according to three or more different interference states. The network node (110) then receives, from the UE (121), CSI reports based on the transmitted signals on the IM resources of the two or more CSI processes of the UE (121). After receiving the CSI reports, the network node (110) estimates one signal quality value for each of the three or more different interference states of the transmitted signals and at least one further signal quality value corresponding to at least one interference state that is not part of the three or more different interference states of the transmitted signals based on the received CSI reports of the two or more CSI processes. A network node (110) for enabling transmissions to a UE (121) from TPs in a coordination cell area (101-105, 107), a computer program and a carrier are also provided. |
| US10171217B2 |
Enhanced SRS for massive MIMO channel estimation
This invention provides SRS transmission methods to meet the Massive MIMO systems requirements. These methods are described in two separate categories. Firstly, enhancements to multiplex more channels in the same resources for a given SRS transmission and to provide Massive MIMO throughput performance improvements. Secondly, scheduling enhancements to provide adaptive UE-specific scheduling based on channel conditions for each UE. These methods can be combined in different ways in each BS to optimize the channel estimation system capacity for a given level of system performance. |
| US10171213B2 |
Communication device and method for performing radio communication
A communication device is provided that includes a radio frequency circuit configured to receive and transmit radio frequency signals. The communication device further includes a processing circuit configured to process network information. The communication device further includes a memory circuit configured to transmit a first network information to the processing circuit. The communication device further includes a subscriber identity module configured to transmit a second network information to the processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to select a first network based on the first network information and to register a communication device information at a second network based on the second network information. |
| US10171211B2 |
Wireless communication system and method, and wireless communication apparatus
A wireless communication system is a wireless communication system that adopts backoff control. The wireless communication system is provided with: a first wireless communication apparatus; and a second wireless communication apparatus. The first wireless communication apparatus transmits a first signal to the second wireless communication apparatus with a first period, and the second wireless communication apparatus transmits a second signal to the first wireless communication apparatus with a delay of a fixed time, which is shorter than one period of the first period, from a time point at which the first wireless communication apparatus transmits the first signal. |
| US10171210B2 |
Method and device for spectrum comb signaling notification and for sounding reference signal transmission
Disclosed are a spectrum comb signaling notification and sounding reference signal transmission method and device, wherein the spectrum comb signaling notification method includes: a network side configuring and notifying a receiving side of a two-layer comb spectrum signaling, including a first spectrum comb signaling and a second spectrum comb signaling, wherein the two-layer comb spectrum signaling indicates sub-carrier positions of transmitting the sounding reference signals to the receiving side. |
| US10171209B2 |
Method for communicating media data between two devices incorporating effectiveness of error correction strategies and associated computer program, communication quality module and device
One embodiment relates to a method for communicating multimedia data between two devices over a network. The method comprises the devices repeatedly generating and exchanging the multimedia data and quality data representative of the quality of the communication between the two devices. At least the first device applies at least one current error correction strategy selected from a group of error correction strategies in order to increase the quality of the communication between the devices. The method also comprises an evaluation of an effectiveness of each current error correction strategy on the quality of the communication between the two devices is carried out as a function of newly received quality data. |
| US10171208B2 |
Dynamic error correction procedures
Techniques described herein may be used to enable a base station to dynamically implement error correction procedures (e.g., Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ), Forward Error Correction (FEC), etc.) based on one or more factors, such as a level of network activity, network congestion, etc. When network congestion is high, the network device may implement an error correction policy that is directed to using available network resources to prioritize error correction procedures for transmission failures with high service requirements. However, when network congestion is low, the network device may implement an error correction policy directed to optimizing error correction effectiveness by allocating unused network resources (e.g., bandwidth, physical channels, etc.) to correct transmission failures. |
| US10171204B2 |
Coded bit puncturing for polar codes
Aspects of the disclosure provide a method for polar code puncturing. The method can include receiving a mother polar code including a sequence of coded bits, the sequence of coded bits having indices {0, . . . , N−1} and including at least a first block of coded bits having indices {0, . . . , i−1}, a second block of coded bits having indices {i, . . . , i+k−1}, a third block of coded bits having indices {i+k, . . . , i+k+k−1}, interleaving the second block of coded bits with the third block of coded bits to form a rearranged sequence of coded bits including the N coded bits, and extracting the last M coded bits from the rearranged sequence of coded bits to generate a punctured code having a length of M. |
| US10171201B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting data
A data transmission method and apparatus initialize an index of a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) for transmitting data to a terminal, adjust the index of the MCS based on at least one of a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARM) feedback of the terminal and a channel quality of the terminal, and transmit the data to the terminal based on the adjusted index of the MCS. |
| US10171198B2 |
Channel set up method of optical receiver with wavelength tunable filter
The present invention relates to A channel set up method of optical receiver with wavelength tunable filter such as an etalon filter in a TO type received wavelength-tunable optical receiver.According to the method of setting a channel in a wavelength-tunable optical receiver of the present invention, by circularly receiving communication channels within a predetermined temperature range, in which selectively receiving communication channel using two adjacent transmissive modes in the transmissive modes of a wavelength-tunable filter, it is possible to individually select and receive all communication channels with a predetermined temperature range. Further, it is possible to use all FP type etalon filters regardless of transmissive wavelength characteristics in at a specific temperature of a wavelength-tunable filter, so it is possible to reduce a manufacturing cost and power consumption of a product and increase thermal stability of a package. |
| US10171197B2 |
Method and apparatus for routing traffic using asymmetrical optical connections
A method, computer-readable storage device and apparatus for routing traffic in a reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer layer of a dense wavelength division multiplexing network are disclosed. For example, the method determines the reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer layer has asymmetric traffic, and routes the asymmetric traffic in the reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer layer over a plurality of asymmetrical optical connections, wherein the plurality of asymmetrical optical connections is provided with only uni-directional equipment in the reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer layer. |
| US10171196B2 |
Terminal device, base station apparatus, and integrated circuit
A terminal device acquires a parameter indispensable in canceling or suppressing an interference signal, cancels or suppresses interference with high precision, and reduces a degradation in reception performance due to the interference. There is provided a first terminal device that communicates with a base station apparatus, including: a higher layer processing unit that determines NAICS information indicating whether or not NAICS has to be used; a reception unit that receives downlink control information which is transmitted from the base station apparatus; and a control unit that changes interpretation of the downlink control information based on a configuration that is determined by the higher layer processing unit. |
| US10171195B2 |
NAICS signaling for advanced LTE features
A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication are provided. The apparatus may be a user equipment that receives a configuration with carrier aggregation. The apparatus may determine a first starting symbol for a PDSCH. In one aspect, the first starting symbol for the PDSCH may be determined based at least in part on a blind detection. |
| US10171194B2 |
Interference management and decentralized channel access schemes in hotspot-aided cellular networks
A system and method are provided wherein one or more femtocell base stations are deployed within a range of a cellular base station and utilize substantially the same frequency band as the cellular base station. Each femtocell base station may be configured to employ one or more interference avoidance techniques such that coexistence between the cellular and the corresponding femtocell base station is enabled. The interference avoidance techniques employed may include use of randomized time or frequency hopping; randomly selecting a predetermined number, or identifying one or more unutilized, frequency subchannels for signal transmission; using two or more transmit, and two or more receive antennas; nulling one or more transmissions in a direction of a nearby cellular base station user; handing off at least one cellular user to one of the femtocell base stations and vice versa; and/or reducing the transmission power of at least one femtocell base station. |
| US10171187B2 |
System and method for testing high-speed ADC in DP-QPSK receiver
A system and a method for testing a high-speed ADC in a DP-QPSK receiver are disclosed. The system includes a simulation module for outputting a data flow and performing signal recovery, an arbitrary waveform generator for receiving the data flow and outputting a high-speed analog signal and a clock signal, a high-speed ADC for converting the high-speed analog signal and the clock signal into a high-speed digital signal, a cache memory circuit for converting the high-speed digital signal into a low-speed digital signal, and a logic analyzer for sending the low-speed digital signal to the simulation module. |
| US10171185B2 |
Device and method of handling soft information
A receiving device comprises a signal detection unit, a reliability unit coupled to the signal detection unit and a decoding unit coupled to the signal detection unit and the reliability unit. The signal detection unit is for receiving a plurality of compensated symbols on a plurality of subcarriers, to generate a plurality of soft information and a plurality demodulated symbols of the plurality of compensated symbols according to the plurality of compensated symbols. The reliability unit is for generating a plurality of weights of the plurality of soft information according to a plurality of reliability information of the plurality of subcarriers. The decoding unit is for decoding the plurality of demodulated symbols according to the plurality of soft information and the plurality of weights, to generate a plurality of decoded bits. |
| US10171184B2 |
Methodology of using the various capabilities of the smart box to perform testing of other functionality of the smart device
An automatic system level testing (ASLT) system for testing smart devices is disclosed. The system comprises a system controller coupled to a smart device in an enclosure, wherein the system controller comprises a memory comprising test logic and a processor. The enclosure comprises a plurality of components, wherein the processor is configured to automatically control the smart device and the plurality of components in accordance with the test logic. The plurality of components comprises: (a) a robotic arm comprising a stylus affixed thereto; and (b) a platform comprising a device holder affixed thereto, wherein the smart device is inserted into the device holder; and (c) a wireless access point. The processor is further configured to: (a) control the smart device to activate wireless mode; (b) receive wireless signals from the wireless access point using the smart device; (c) retrieve wireless scan results from the smart device; and (d) analyze the wireless scan results. |
| US10171183B2 |
Method and system for interference mitigation in wireless communications assemblies
A method in a wireless communications assembly having an antenna, a transceiver and a baseband processor, includes: at the transceiver: receiving, from the antenna, a modulated carrier signal having a carrier frequency and containing payload data; demodulating the carrier signal to extract a baseband signal having a baseband frequency and containing the payload data; generating from the baseband signal, at a converter, a digital baseband signal containing the payload data; at an encoder: receiving the digital baseband signal from the converter; generating an encoded digital baseband signal encoding the payload data for transmission at an operating frequency; the encoded digital baseband signal having at least a threshold proportion of signal level transitions that, when transmitted at the operating frequency, have transition frequencies outside a predefined restricted frequency band; and transmitting the encoded digital baseband signal to the baseband processor via an interface at the operating frequency. |
| US10171179B2 |
Optical module and optical line terminal device
An optical module and an optical line terminal device are disclosed. According to an example, the optical line terminal device comprises a system board and an optical module. The system board comprises an optical module control circuit comprising a main control chip and a drive circuit. The optical module comprises a circuit board provided with an electrical interface, an optical assembly and a memory unit. The memory unit is configured to store an operation parameter of the optical assembly. The electrical interface has a first pin to be connected with a drive end of the optical assembly and a second pin to be connected with a data transmission pin of the memory unit. In this way, main control chip is allowed to read the operation parameter of the optical assembly through the first pin and configure the drive circuit accordingly, while the drive circuit is allowed to drive the optical assembly through the second pin. |
| US10171178B2 |
Laser communication system
The present invention relates to a laser data transmission system and, more particularly, to a communication system using a plurality of laser beams populated with quantum entangled photons. At least one of the laser beams is moved to form an overlapping pattern with a second laser reference beam to form an interference pattern between the laser beams as they impinge upon a detector array to transmit encoded data and to remotely decode the encoded data simultaneously. The interference patterns are used to encode and simultaneously decode the interference shadows upon impingement of the laser beams on a detector array. |
| US10171175B2 |
Method and apparatus for despreading in optical domain
An apparatus for despreading in an optical domain configured to split a received optical signal into a first optical signal and a second optical signal, perform phase deflection on the second optical signal, output a third optical signal, perform phase deflection on the first optical signal and the third optical signal, output a fourth optical signal and a fifth optical signal to a balanced receiver, and superimpose the fourth optical signal and the fifth optical signal to generate a first electrical signal. A multiplication operation in conventional code division multiple access (CDMA) despreading is transferred from an electrical domain to an optical domain such that a chip rate can be easily raised to 20 gigahertz (GHz) or even to 25 GHz, a maximum rate of 100 gigabits per second (Gbps) can be provided in a single wavelength, and a user requirement for high bandwidth can be met. |
| US10171174B1 |
Method and system for optical vector analysis
An apparatus comprises a phase modulator having a first input port to receive a radiation and having a first output port to provide a first signal toward a device under test (DUT), wherein the phase modulator is configured to generate the first signal by performing phase modulation on the radiation received at the first input port; an intensity modulator having a second input port to receive the radiation and having a second output port to provide a second signal toward the DUT, wherein the intensity modulator is configured to generate the second signal by performing intensity modulation on the radiation received at the second input port; and a transfer function analyzer configured to determine a transfer function of the DUT based on the first signal and the second signal. |
| US10171173B2 |
Optical signal transmission apparatus and optical signal transmission method
An optical signal transmission apparatus includes a modulation unit which modulates a transmission signal, a training signal sequence generation unit which generates a plurality of signal sequences having power concentrated in a plurality of different frequency bands, at least one of an amplitude and a phase of the plurality of signal sequences being modulated, as a training signal sequence, a signal multiplexing unit which appends the training signal sequence to the transmission signal, and an electro-optical conversion unit which converts a signal sequence obtained by appending the training signal sequence to the transmission signal into an optical signal and transmits the optical signal. |
| US10171172B2 |
Optical transmitter operable for pulse-amplitude modulation signal
An optical transmitter that outputs an optical signal with a pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) configuration is disclosed. The optical transmitter includes a light-generating device and a driver. The light-generating device has non-linearity in a transfer characteristic between the electrical driving signal and the optical signal. The driver includes a PAM signal generator, a level controller, and an output driver. The PAM signal generator receives the input electrical signal and outputs a PAM signal. The level controller adjusts the electrical levels of the PAM signal based on the non-linear transfer characteristic of the light-generating device, where the electrical levels set the optical levels of the optical signal with preset ratios. The output driver generates the driving signal by superposing the electrical levels adjusted by the level controller with the PAM signal provided from the PAM signal generator. |
| US10171169B2 |
Software programmable flexible and dynamic optical transceivers
A software programmable optical transceiver includes one or more Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs); and an electro-optical front end communicatively coupled to the one or more FPGAs, wherein the electro-optical front end comprises a transmitter and a receiver, wherein the transmitter is adapted to transmit a transmit signal from the one or more FPGAs and the receiver is adapted to receive a receive signal and provide to the one or more FPGAs, wherein one or more applications are utilized to dynamically configure the one or more FPGAs for digital functionality to operate the software programmable optical transceiver in an associated mode. The one or more applications are loaded as needed to configure the software programmable optical transceiver in the associated mode, without requiring pre-programmed hardware in the software programmable optical transceiver for operation in a plurality of operating modes. |
| US10171167B2 |
Multimedia network data processing system
The present disclosure relates to a multimedia network data processing system, comprising: a head-end switch, which transmits multimedia network data of the data that is sent from a server to a terminal device to a head-end network processor, wherein the multimedia network data is multimedia network data based on the TCP/HTTP protocol; a head-end network processor, which encapsulates the multimedia network data to form a UDP packet and sends the UDP packet to a unidirectional broadcasting optical fiber network; and a data processing module, which receives the UDP packet from the unidirectional broadcasting optical fiber network and decapsulates the UDP packet to obtain the multimedia network data based on the TCP/HTTP protocol for the terminal device to play. A video-on-demand service based on the TCP/HTTP protocol can be realized on the basis of the existing network systems in which the unidirectional channel and the bidirectional channel are separated. And the programs transmitted by radios and TVs can be enriched while the requirements for bandwidth of uplink transmission and bandwidth of downlink transmission can be satisfied. |
| US10171164B2 |
2D barcode-based bi-directional wireless transmission system
A 2D barcode-based bi-directional wireless transmission system includes a first apparatus and a second apparatus each including a display screen, a processing system and a camera. The first apparatus encodes a data to be sent into multiple 2D barcode images and sequentially displays these multiple 2D barcode images on the display screen thereof so that the second apparatus sequentially captures the multiple 2D barcode images from the first apparatus, and then decodes the captured multiple 2D barcode images into a received data, and then encodes a feedback information into a 2D barcode image and displays on the display screen thereof for allowing the first apparatus to capture and then to decode the captured 2D barcode image of the feedback information so as to obtain the feedback information. |
| US10171163B2 |
Signal quality measurement device and signal quality measurement method
A signal quality measurement device includes: a setting processing unit that sets respective passbands of WSSs; and a calculating unit that calculates quality of an optical signal by acquiring a first power of an optical component in a first wavelength band, and a second power of an optical component in a second wavelength band adjacent to the first wavelength band. When the setting processing unit sets each of the passbands of the WWSs, the calculating unit detects a combined power of various ASEs of the optical amplifiers from the second power, and detects the power of the optical signal from the first power and the second power. When the setting processing unit sets the passband of one of the WSSs, the calculating unit detects, from the second power, the ASE of an optical amplifier existing between one of the wavelength selective switches and the receiver. |
| US10171162B2 |
Apparatus and method for measuring frequency response characteristics of optical transmitter and optical receiver
An apparatus and method for measuring frequency response characteristics of an optical transmitter and an optical receiver where the apparatus includes: a generating unit configured to generate a driving signal for driving the modulator of the optical transmitter, which comprises at least two frequencies; and a calculating unit configured to respectively calculate the frequency response characteristics of the optical transmitter and the optical receiver according to output signal components in output signals of the optical receiver corresponding to at least two detection signal components of identical amplitudes and different frequencies in detection signals. The frequency response characteristics of the optical transmitter and the optical receiver may be obtained, the amplitude responses and phase responses in the frequency response characteristics may be respectively obtained, and the measurement results are accurate and reliable. |
| US10171160B2 |
Accessing LP transponders with CP terminals via wavefront multiplexing techniques
A satellite communications system for communicating at a first frequency slot with first and second pairs of satellite transponders in linear polarization format. The system comprises a first terminal, a second terminal and a station. The first terminal receives at least one first input signal and concurrently radiates a first output signal at the first frequency slot to the first and second pairs of satellite transponders via a first beam and a second beam, respectively, in right-hand circularly polarized format. The second terminal receives at least one second input signal and concurrently radiates a second output signal at the first frequency slot to the first and second pairs of satellite transponders via a third beam and a fourth beam, respectively, in left-hand circularly polarized format. The station receives four satellite signals from the first and second pairs of transponders and recovers the at least one first input signal and the at least one second input signal using wavefront multiplexing technique. |
| US10171158B1 |
Analog surface wave repeater pair and methods for use therewith
In accordance with one or more embodiments, an analog surface wave repeater pair includes a first launcher configured to transmit and receive first guided electromagnetic waves that propagate on an outer surface of a first segment of a transmission medium. A second launcher is configured to transmit and receive second guided electromagnetic waves that propagate on an outer surface of a second segment of the transmission medium. A first transceiver includes a first notch filter is configured to attenuate signals in a fourth generation (4G) wireless frequency band from the first microwave signal generated by the first launcher in response to receiving the first guided electromagnetic waves. A second transceiver includes a second notch filter configured to attenuate signals in the fourth 4G wireless frequency band from a second microwave signal generated by the second launcher in response to receiving the second guided electromagnetic waves. |
| US10171154B2 |
Method for reporting beam index for 3D MIMO transmission in wireless communication system, and device therefor
Disclosed in the present application is a method by which a terminal reports a beam index to a base station in a wireless access system. The beam index reporting method comprises the steps of: receiving a plurality of reference signals from the base station; measuring a plurality of beams by using the plurality of reference signals; reporting an index of a first preferential beam among the plurality of beams to the base station; and reporting, to the base station, information on at least one second preferential beam determined on the basis of the first preferential beam, wherein the information on at least one second preferential beam is information on an index difference between the first preferential beam and the at least one second preferential beam. |
| US10171152B2 |
Communication method and apparatus using single radio frequency chain antenna
A communication method of a wireless device to which a single radio frequency (RF) chain antenna is applied. The wireless device stores a plurality of beam sets for the single RF chain antenna and a plurality of quality values for the plurality of beam sets. The wireless device selects a first beam set having a first quality value that is a best quality value among the plurality of stored beam sets. The wireless device confirms a second quality value for the first beam set using received data when the data are received using the first beam set. The wireless device selects a second beam set different from the first beam set among the plurality of stored beam sets when the second quality value is poorer than the first quality value. |
| US10171151B1 |
Throughput optimization by guard interval selection from beamforming feedback
This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for wireless communication. In one aspect, a method of wireless communication includes utilizing a sounding procedure to obtain compressed beamforming (CBF) information. The sounding procedure may be a single-user or multi-user sounding procedure. The CBF information may contain various information regarding a particular channel that an access point may use for transmission. The information may include per-tone SNR information which may be processed to determine characteristics of the channel. Various techniques may be utilized to determine the further characteristics of the channel. The determined characteristics of the channel may then be used to determine an appropriate guard interval (GI) between symbols that are to be transmitted. Appropriate GI selection in wireless communications may facilitate higher throughput while decreasing overhead due to unnecessary idle time. |
| US10171150B1 |
Dynamic optimization of beamforming weights
Dynamic beamforming in a telecommunications network in response to communication parameters is described. The communication parameters may be associated with at least one user device and/or at least one antenna. For example, the communication parameters may include CQI (channel quality indicator), SINR (signal-to-noise ratio), location data, channel load, sector load, band load, front-to-back ratio (F/B ratio), and/or upper side lobe suppression (USLS). The communication parameters may trigger generation of new beamforming weights and application of the new beamforming weights to the telecommunications network. |
| US10171140B2 |
MU-MIMO group selection
An example communications device includes communications circuitry and control circuitry. The communications circuitry may wirelessly communicate with client devices. The control circuitry may determine signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratios (SINRs) for the client devices based on compressed client-side channel state information received from the client devices. The control circuitry may select, based on the SINRs and in consideration of multiple possible bandwidth settings, a set of multi-user-multiple-input-multiple-output (MU-MIMO) groups each with an assigned bandwidth setting. |
| US10171139B1 |
Inter-dwelling signal management using reconfigurable antennas
A communication system utilizing reconfigurable antenna systems is described where beam steering and null forming techniques are incorporated to limit the region or volume available for communication with client devices. The communication system described restricts communication to defined or desired area and degrades signal strength coverage outside of a prescribed region. An algorithm is used to control the antenna system to monitor and control antenna system performance across the service area. This antenna system technique is applicable for use in communication systems such as a Local Area Network (LAN), cellular communication network, and Machine to Machine (M2M). |
| US10171138B2 |
Indicating optional parameter groups
Various communication systems may benefit from improved network communications. For example, messages sent to a user equipment may benefit from having optional configurations of parameters. A method includes determining optional configurations for parameters that override or supplement a default configuration of the parameters. The optional configurations are grouped into optional parameter groups. The method also includes encoding at least one of the optional parameter groups in a message. In addition, the method includes transmitting the message from the network node to a user equipment. |
| US10171137B2 |
Method and device for transmitting data by using spatial modulation scheme in wireless access system
The present invention provides methods for transmitting and receiving data and control signals by applying a spatial modulation scheme to a wireless access system, and devices for supporting same. The method whereby a transmitter transmits data signals by using a spatial modulation (SM) scheme in a wireless access system, according to one embodiment of the present invention, may comprise the steps of: selecting two or more transmission antennas for transmitting the data signals; deriving data bit strings for selecting the two or more transmission antennas; configuring the data signals by using the SM scheme on the basis of the data bit strings; and transmitting the configured data signals via the selected two or more transmission antennas. |
| US10171132B1 |
Current-mode receivers for induction-based communication and related methods
A transceiver for use in induction-based communication protocols, such as radio-frequency identification (RFID) and near field communication (NFC), is described. The transceiver may be arranged such that the transmitter and the receiver share a common input/output (I/O) terminal. The transceiver may be configured to interrogate a transponder to which it is inductively coupled, and to wait for the transponder's response. Data transmitted back by the transponder may be detected by sensing an impedance modulation at the I/O terminal or at a node whose impedance varies with the I/O terminal. The impedance modulation may be sensed by allowing a current to be modulated by the impedance variation and by converting the current into a voltage. The corresponding voltage modulation may be sensed by a receiver. |
| US10171129B1 |
Pulse shaping interoperability protocol for ultra wideband systems
Embodiments enable communicating Ultra Wideband (UWB) devices to collaborate by exchanging pulse shape information. The UWB devices use the pulse shape information to improve ranging accuracy. The improved ranging accuracy can be used in complex multipath environments where advanced estimation schemes are used to extract an arriving path for time-of-flight estimation. To determine the pulse shape information to be shared, some embodiments include determining location information of a UWB device and selecting the pulse shape information that satisfies regional aspects. The pulse shape information includes a time-zero index specific to a ranging signal that is used by UWB receivers to establish timestamps time-of-flight calculations. Some embodiments include measuring performance characteristics and selecting different pulse shape information based on the performance characteristics for improved accuracy. |
| US10171128B2 |
Data transmission method and apparatus
A data transmission method includes the following steps: determining a transmission resource to be used and a complex-valued spreading sequence to be used; processing a data symbol to be sent by using the complex-valued spreading sequence to generate a symbol sequence; and sending the symbol sequence through the transmission resource. |
| US10171122B2 |
Hand strap for electronic apparatus
A hand strap for an electronic apparatus is provided with a first gripper, which is attached to a rear surface of an electronic apparatus in a removable manner, and a second gripper. The first gripper has a main body and an accommodation portion. The second gripper includes a fixed portion and an extra-long portion, one end of which is a free end. The extra-long portion is accommodated inside the accommodation portion, and can adjust the entire length of the second gripper. A finger accommodation space in which a finger other than a thumb is disposed between the first gripper and the second gripper, is defined. By gripping the first gripper with the pad and the tip end of a finger other than a thumb, it is possible to perform operation with a thumb over a wide area of a touch panel while holding an electronic apparatus with one hand. |
| US10171116B2 |
Data transmission method and device
A data transmission method and a data transmission device are provided. The method includes: establishing, by a transmitting end, N different first paths between the transmitting end and a receiving end in an established network; splitting, by the transmitting end, a fixed-length data frame into N first fragments; transmitting, by the transmitting end, the first fragments to the receiving end through the corresponding first paths respectively; splitting, by the transmitting end, the data frame into N-M second fragments in a case that a failure occurs in M of the first paths during transmission of the data frame; establishing, by the transmitting end, N-M different second paths between the transmitting end and the receiving end; transmitting, by the transmitting end, the second fragments to the receiving end through the corresponding second paths respectively. |
| US10171115B1 |
Outphasing calibration in a radio frequency (RF) transmitter device
An outphasing calibration method in an outphasing calibration RF transmitter comprises detection of differences of a first plurality of signal characteristics of a first plurality of amplified RF signals across at least a transmitter antenna and a plurality of load impedances. The first plurality of amplified RF signals corresponds to a first plurality of constant-envelope signals. Accordingly, at least a generation of a second plurality of constant-envelope signals and at least one signal characteristic of each of a second plurality of constant-envelope RF signals on a plurality of transmission paths are controlled. At least one of a first calibration or a second calibration of a second plurality of signal characteristics of the second plurality of constant-envelope signals is executed based on the controlled generation of the second plurality of constant-envelope signals and the at least one controlled signal characteristic of each of the second plurality of constant-envelope RF signals. |
| US10171113B2 |
Multiplexer, transmission device, and reception device
A multiplexer includes filters, a common terminal with which an inductance element is connected to a connection path of the common terminal and an antenna element and a capacitance element is connected in series to the connection path, and another inductance element. An input terminal of one of the filters is connected to the common terminal via the another inductance element, and is connected to a parallel resonator. In each of the filters other than the one filter, one of the input terminal and the output terminal, which is a terminal closer to the antenna element, is connected to the common terminal, and is connected to the series resonator. |
| US10171110B1 |
Sequential power transitioning of multiple data decoders
Method and apparatus for managing data decoder circuits, such as LDPC (low density parity check) decoders in a solid state drive (SSD). In some embodiments, a non-volatile memory (NVM) is configured to store data in the form of code words. Each code word has a user data payload and associated code bits. A plurality of data decoder circuits are configured to use the code bits to detect and correct bit errors in the code words during a read operation. A power transition circuit is configured to successively transition each of the data decoder circuits in turn from a first power mode to a second power mode, such as from an active mode to an idle mode, at a different time and at a conclusion of a predetermined time interval. In this way, voltage spikes or other anomalous conditions on a voltage source pathway may be reduced. |
| US10171103B1 |
Hardware data compression architecture including shift register and method thereof
A hardware compression architecture including a shift register including: a plurality of sequentially coupled stages and a window stage coupled at an output end of the shift register, the shift register configured to receive an uncompressed data stream at an input end and output the uncompressed data from the window stage; a plurality of comparators each coupled to receive a data value held in a corresponding stage of the shift register and a data value held in the window stage, each of the comparators being configured to output a comparison result indicating whether the received stage value and the window stage data value match; logic, coupled to the comparators to receive the comparison results, to selectively compute one or more indexes based on the comparisons; and an encoder coupled to receive the one or more indexes and output, based on the one or more indexes, a position of a matching data value and a length of a matching sequence of data values. |
| US10171099B2 |
Time-based delay line analog to digital converter
A differential digital delay line analog-to-digital converter (ADC) includes differential digital delay lines, a circuit including a set of delay elements included in the differential digital delay lines, and another circuit including another set of delay elements included in the differential digital delay lines. The first circuit is configured to generate data representing an analog to digital conversion of an input. The second circuit is configured to calibrate a source to the differential digital delay lines. |
| US10171096B2 |
Pipelined SAR with TDC converter
An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is disclosed. The ADC has a successive approximation register (SAR) configured to receive an input signal and to generate a first digital signal having a plurality of most significant bits and a residue voltage. A voltage-to-time conversion element is configured to generate a time domain representation using the residue voltage. The voltage-to-time conversion element has an amplifier with a input coupled to an output of the SAR, a zero crossing detector coupled to an output of the amplifier, and a current source selectively coupled to the output of the SAR and the input of the amplifier by way of a switching element. A time-based signal processing element is configured to convert the time domain representation to a second digital signal having a plurality of least significant bits. |
| US10171094B2 |
High accuracy clock synchronization circuit
A circuit device includes a phase comparator that performs phase comparison between an input signal based on an oscillation signal and a reference signal, a processor that performs a signal process on frequency control data based on a result of the phase comparison, and an oscillation signal generation circuit that generates the oscillation signal having an oscillation frequency which is set on the basis of frequency control data having undergone the signal process. The phase comparator includes a counter that performs a count operation by using the input signal, and performs the phase comparison by comparing a count value in the counter inn (where n is an integer of 2 or more) cycles of the reference signal with an expected value of the count value in integers. |
| US10171093B2 |
Slew rate locked loop
A method of controlling and maintaining a constant slew rate at an output of a buffer is provided. The method includes the following steps: (a) receiving, (i) a first input signal and (ii) at least one of a control voltage using the buffer; (b) generating a threshold voltage using a first reference voltage generator; (c) comparing (i) the threshold voltage with an output of the buffer using at least one of a comparator; (d) determining a phase difference using a phase detector; (e) producing a DC voltage using a loop filter; (f) generating a reference voltage; (g) receiving the DC voltage and the reference voltage using an amplifier; (h) amplifying the difference between (a) said DC voltage, and (b) the reference voltage to obtain a control voltage using the amplifier; and (i) feeding the control voltage to the buffer. |
| US10171092B2 |
Time clock signal processing system and method thereof
A time clock signal processing system and method thereof, applicable to an environment of USB synchronous mode audio clock reconstruction, is disclosed. The clock signal processing method employed by the clock signal processing system first uses a first-stage phase-locked loops (PLL) to raise the frequency of the inputted USB start-of-frame (SOF) field, provides clock synchronization and outputs the second-stage PLL; then, the second-stage PLL reduces the timing jitter of the output of the first-stage PLL to below 20 ps. |
| US10171088B1 |
Quantum circuit for shifting phase of target qubit based on control qubit
The inventive concept relates to a quantum circuit that shifts the phase of a target qubit by π/2n−1 based on a control qubit. The quantum circuit may include a first auxiliary circuit, a rotation gate, and a second auxiliary circuit. The first auxiliary circuit converts the first qubit state into the second qubit state according to the entanglement of a control qubit, a target qubit, and an ancillary qubit having a |0> state. The rotation gate shifts the phase for some basis states of the second qubit state by π/2n−1, and converts the second qubit state to the third qubit state. The second auxiliary circuit converts the third qubit state to the fourth qubit state such that the phase of the target qubit is shifted by π/2n−1. |
| US10171087B1 |
Large fan-in RQL gates
Large fan-in logical gate circuits for use in reciprocal quantum logic (RQL) systems and related methods permit for improved efficiency and density of RQL logic. A majority 3-of-5 gate circuit, as described, can be extended to include more than five inputs, and can also be modified to create AND gates, OR gates, and OA gates. The gate circuits can accommodate inputs and provide outputs each in the form of single flux quantum (SFQ) pulses, either positive or negative, to indicate asserted and de-asserted logic states, respectively. |
| US10171085B2 |
Noise-immune reference (NREF) integrated in a programmable logic device
A reference voltage block integrated in a programmable logic device (PLD) includes: an accumulator comprising an adder and a register and configured to receive a digital reference value and generate a carry out signal; a low-pass filter configured to receive the carry out signal from the accumulator and generate a filtered signal; and a variable analog gain amplifier configured to amplify the filtered signal using a gain selected from a predetermined set of gains and generate a reference voltage output signal. The PLD includes a programmable fabric and a signal wrapper that is configured to provide signals between the reference voltage block and the programmable fabric. The digital reference value and the predetermined set of gains of the reference voltage block are programmably using the programmable fabric and fed to the reference voltage block via the signal wrapper. |
| US10171081B1 |
On-chip supply noise voltage reduction or mitigation using local detection loops in a processor core
Techniques facilitating on-chip supply noise voltage reduction and/or mitigation using local detection loops in a processor core are provided. In one example, a computer-implemented method can comprise detecting, by a processor core, a voltage droop at a first area of the processor core. The computer-implemented method can also comprise transmitting, by the processor core, voltage droop information to a local controller located in the first area and to a global controller located in the processor core. Further, the computer-implemented method can comprise applying, by the processor core, a first mitigation countermeasure at the first area of the processor core in response to a local instruction received from the local controller. The local instruction can comprise an indication of the first mitigation countermeasure. |
| US10171080B2 |
Voltage level shifter (VLS) circuits employing a pre-conditioning circuit for pre-conditioning an input signal to be voltage level shifted in response to a pre-charge phase
Voltage level shifter (VLS) circuits employing a pre-conditioning circuit for pre-conditioning an input signal to be voltage level shifted in response to a pre-charge phase are disclosed. A VLS circuit is configured to voltage level shift an input signal in a lower voltage domain on an output node in a higher voltage domain. The VLS circuit includes a pre-charge circuit configured to pre-charge the output node in a pre-charge phase. The VLS circuit also includes a pull-up circuit and a pull-down circuit that are configured to pull-up and pull-down the pre-charge phase of the output node, respectively, in an evaluation phase based on a logic state of the input signal to generate the output signal. To mitigate or avoid contention between the pull-up and pull-down circuits in the evaluation phase, the input signal is pre-conditioned such that the pull-down circuit is deactivated in response to the pre-charge phase. |
| US10171077B2 |
Scalable qubit drive and readout
A technique relates to qubit drive and readout. A first lossless microwave switch is connected to a quantum system. A second lossless microwave switch is connectable to the first lossless microwave switch. A quantum-limited amplifier is connectable to the second lossless microwave switch. |
| US10171076B2 |
Independent control of branch FETs for RF performance improvement
A FET-based RF switch architecture and method that provides for independent control of FETs within component branches of a switching circuit. With independent control of branch FETs, every RF FET in an inactive branch that is in an “open” (capacitive) state can be shunted to RF ground and thus mitigate impedance mismatch effects. Providing a sufficiently low impedance to RF ground diminishes such negative effects and reduces the sensitivity of the switch circuit to non-matched impedances. |
| US10171073B2 |
Regulating transition slope using differential output
A circuit includes a first driver, a second driver, and one or more monitor modules coupled to the first or second driver to measure slope times of the first or second driver. The circuit further includes a comparator coupled to the one or more monitor modules to compare the slope times of the first and second drivers. The circuit further includes one or more regulators coupled to the comparator and the first or second driver to regulate a slope of the first or second driver, based on output of the comparator, at most once per pulse cycle until the slope of the first or second driver reaches a target slope. |
| US10171068B1 |
Input interface circuit
An input interface circuit is provided. When a pad voltage is higher than a default operating voltage, a clamping circuit maintains the voltage at a first node at the default operating voltage. A first inverter is coupled between the first node and a second node. A voltage of a third node is adjusted along with the pad voltage (input end of a high-voltage buffering circuit) and the voltage at the second node, and causes the voltage at the third node has a same voltage change trend as the pad voltage. A second inverter is coupled between the third node and a fourth node. A voltage recovery circuit has its input end coupled to the fourth node and its output end coupled to the third node, and selectively couples the third node to a power line or a ground line according to the voltage at the fourth node. |
| US10171066B2 |
Compact high voltage RF generator using a self-resonant inductor
RF generators including active devices driving series resonant circuits are described. The series resonant circuits include a self-resonant dual inductor. The RF generators can be used to drive capacitive loads. |
| US10171062B2 |
Variable-frequency filter
A variable-frequency filter includes a series-arm resonant circuit and a parallel-arm resonant circuit. Each of the series-arm resonant circuit and the parallel-arm resonant circuit includes a piezoelectric resonator, an inductor, and a variable capacitor. A pass band of the variable-frequency filter is formed by a resonant point of the series-arm resonant circuit and a sub-anti-resonant point of the parallel-arm resonant circuit. An attenuation pole at a higher frequency than a pass band is formed by an anti-resonant point of the series-arm resonant circuit and a resonant point of the parallel-arm resonant circuit. |
| US10171060B2 |
High pass filter
A high pass filter includes a first LC series resonator including a first end connected to a signal path, and a second end connected to at least one ground terminal, a second LC series resonator including a third end electrically connected to the signal path, and a fourth end connected to the at least one ground terminal, and a third capacitor between a first portion extending from a first capacitor to a first inductor and a second portion extending from a second capacitor to a second inductor. |
| US10171055B2 |
Audio control system and related methods
Some embodiments of the invention are directed to an audio production system which is more portable, less expensive, faster to set up, and simpler and easier to use than conventional audio production tools. An audio production system implemented in accordance with some embodiments of the invention may therefore be more accessible to the typical user, and easier and more enjoyable to use, than conventional audio production tools. |
| US10171053B2 |
Apparatus and methods for power amplifiers with an injection-locked oscillator driver stage
Apparatus and methods for power amplifiers with an injection-locked oscillator driver stage are provided herein. In certain configurations, a multi-mode power amplifier includes a driver stage implemented using an injection-locked oscillator and an output stage having an adjustable supply voltage that changes based on a mode of the multi-mode power amplifier. By implementing the multi-mode power amplifier in this manner, the multi-mode power amplifier exhibits excellent efficiency, including when the voltage level of the adjustable supply voltage is relatively low. |
| US10171052B2 |
Operational amplifier and differential amplifying circuit thereof
An operational amplifier and a differential amplifying circuit thereof. The differential amplifying circuit receives a differential input signal and outputs a differential output signal. The differential amplifying circuit includes an output port that has a first terminal and a second terminal, the differential output signal being outputted via the first and second terminals; a first transistor pair receiving the differential input signal via two first ends and coupling to the first and second terminals respectively via two second ends; a second transistor pair receiving the differential input signal via two first ends and coupling to the first and second terminals respectively via two second ends; and a third transistor pair receiving a control signal via two first ends and coupling to the first and second terminals respectively via two second ends. The control signal controls the third transistor pair to switch on or off and/or controls the current flowing therethrough. |
| US10171049B2 |
Class-D amplifier circuits
Methods and apparatus for Class-D amplifier circuits with improved power efficiency. The circuit has an output stage with at least first and second switches and a modulator that receives an input signal to be amplified, SIN, and a first clock signal fSW. The modulator controls the duty cycles of the first and second switches, within a switching cycle based on the input signal, wherein the switching cycle has a switching frequency based on the first clock signal. A frequency controller controls the frequency of the first clock signal in response to an indication of the amplitude of the input signal so as to provide a first switching frequency at a first input signal amplitude and a second, lower, switching frequency at a second, lower, input signal amplitude. A lower switching frequency can be tolerated at low signal amplitudes and varying the switching frequency in this way thus maintains stability whilst reducing switching power losses. |
| US10171046B2 |
System and method for low distortion capacitive signal source amplifier
According to an embodiment, a method includes amplifying a signal provided by a capacitive signal source to form an amplified signal, detecting a peak voltage of the amplified signal, and adjusting a controllable impedance coupled to an output of the capacitive signal source in response to detecting the peak voltage. The controllable impedance is adjusted to a value inversely proportional to the detected peak voltage. |
| US10171045B2 |
Apparatus and methods for low noise amplifiers with mid-node impedance networks
Apparatus and methods for LNAs with mid-node impedance networks are provided herein. In certain configurations, an LNA includes an input, an output, a transconductance device, a cascode device, and a mid-node impedance network. The transconductance device generates an amplified signal by amplifying an input signal received at the input, and provides the amplified signal to the output via the cascode device. The mid-node impedance network is electrically connected between the transconductance device and the cascode device, and provides compensation for a parasitic capacitance of the gm device, thereby enhancing the LNA's performance. |
| US10171043B2 |
Amplification device incorporating limiting
An amplification device (100) comprises an amplifier circuit (110) and a limiter (120). The amplifier circuit (110) comprises a signal input (111) for an input signal to be amplified and a first signal output (112) for a first output signal. The limiter (120) comprises a differential amplifier (125) comprising a first differential amplifier input (129) for a threshold control signal, a second differential amplifier input (113) for a feedback signal, and a differential amplifier output (124) for a threshold signal indicative of a difference between the threshold control signal and the feedback signal. The limiter (120) also comprises a first diode (121) having a first anode (122) coupled to the first signal output (112) and a first cathode (123) coupled to the differential amplifier output (124), and a feedback stage (128) coupled between the differential amplifier output (124) and the second differential amplifier input (113). The feedback stage (128) is arranged to generate the feedback signal dependent on the threshold signal. |
| US10171039B2 |
Devices and methods that facilitate power amplifier off state performance
A peaking amplifier is disclosed. The peaking amplifier includes a driver stage, a final stage, and an interstage matching network. The driver stage has a load impedance and is configured to generate a driver output based on an input signal. The final stage has a final stage input impedance and is configured to generate a peaking output based on the driver output. The interstage matching network is coupled to the driver stage and the final stage. The interstage matching network is configured to transform the final stage input impedance to the load impedance for the driver stage when the peaking amplifier is ON and to provide a short to an input of the final stage when the peaking amplifier is in an OFF state. |
| US10171038B1 |
Envelope-tracking power supply modulator
An envelope-tracking power supply modulator (ETSM) supplies power to a radio frequency power amplifier (RFPA) of a radio frequency (RF) circuit according to a baseband envelope signal. The ETSM includes a linear amplifier, a capacitor, a single inductor multiple output (SIMO) switch-mode converter, and a controller. The linear amplifier receives the baseband envelope signal, and has its output terminal coupled to a power input of the RFPA. One terminal of the capacitor is coupled to a reference voltage, and the other terminal is coupled to a power input of the linear amplifier. The SIMO switch-mode converter includes two output terminals. One of the output terminals is coupled to the capacitor and the power input of the linear amplifier, and the other of the output terminals is coupled to the output terminal of the linear amplifier and the power input of the RFPA. The controller controls the SUMO switch-mode converter. |
| US10171034B2 |
Phase-rotated harmonic-rejection mixer apparatus
A harmonic-rejection mixer apparatus includes a mixing circuit and a combining circuit. The mixing circuit receives mixes an input signal and a first local oscillator (LO) signal to generate a first output signal, and mixes the same input signal and a second LO signal to generate a second output signal, wherein the first LO signal and the second LO signal have a same frequency but different phases. The combining circuit combines the first output signal and the second output signal, wherein harmonic rejection is at least achieved by combination of the first output signal and the second output signal. |
| US10171031B2 |
Oscillator phase noise using active device stacking
An integrated electronic circuit is provided. The integrated electronic circuit includes a transconductance cell formed from transconductance cell devices. The integrated electronic circuit further includes active and passive decoupling circuits. The integrated electronic circuit also includes an oscillator having a tank that is direct current decoupled from the transconductance cell devices using the active and passive decoupling circuits to increase voltage swing and decrease phase noise of the oscillator. |
| US10171028B2 |
Method and apparatus for monitoring photovoltaic module
A method and an apparatus for monitoring a photovoltaic module to reduce a commissioning workload and reduce commissioning complexity, the method includes obtaining communication addresses of all module voltage monitoring apparatuses, establishing a connection to a corresponding module voltage monitoring apparatus using the communication address, obtaining a relative voltage of a corresponding module relative to a voltage reference point from the module voltage monitoring apparatus to which the connection is established; obtaining, according to relative voltages obtained from all the module voltage monitoring apparatuses, a physical location that is of a module corresponding to each module voltage monitoring apparatus and that is in the photovoltaic string; establishing an information table according to the communication address of each module voltage monitoring apparatus and the physical location of the module corresponding to each module voltage monitoring apparatus, and performing module abnormality detection according to the information table. |
| US10171027B2 |
Photovoltaic module mount
Mounting components of photovoltaic (PV) modules and PV module assemblies are described, including PV module couplings and PV module mounting chassis. In an example, a PV module includes a PV module coupling having a toe portion extending from a PV module frame, and a PV module mounting chassis includes a toe slot to receive the toe. The toe and toe slot construction allows for the PV module frame to be assembled to the PV module mounting chassis without using tools, and thus, permits a PV module assembly to be quickly constructed during installation of a PV module system. Furthermore, the toe and toe slot construction accommodates thermal expansion and other environmental loads seen after installation, while providing a grounding connection for the PV module assembly. |
| US10171024B2 |
Solar energy collector
A solar collector may include a frame for supporting a plurality of photovoltaic (PV) panels. The frame may be adapted to removably attach to a base. The solar collector may include a first panel assembly, including at least one of the plurality of PV panels, pivotally attached to the frame about a first axis. The solar collector may also include a second panel assembly, including at least one of the plurality of PV panels, pivotally attached to the first panel assembly. The second panel assembly may collectively move with the first panel assembly about the first axis and to pivot relative to the frame, and to pivot about a second axis that is substantially parallel to and radially offset from the first axis, to move between a deployed position and a retracted position. |
| US10171023B2 |
Motor starter apparatus with start-up fault detection capability
A motor starter apparatus includes at least one semiconductor switch configured to selectively couple a power source to a motor, at least one current sensor configured to generate a current sense signal indicative of a current provided via the at least one semiconductor switch, and a control circuit coupled to the at least one current sensor and configured to cause the at least one semiconductor switch to momentarily couple the power source to the motor and identify a fault based on a behavior of the current sense signal in response to the momentary coupling. The control circuit may be configured to identify the fault responsive to detecting that a rate of change of the current in response to the momentary coupling meets a predetermined criterion. |
| US10171020B2 |
Intelligent cooperative control system and method for multi-unit permanent magnet synchronous motor
An intelligent cooperative control system and method thereof. A parallel structure for low-voltage multi-module permanent magnet synchronous motor cooperative control units is adopted to realize control of low-voltage high power, control of low-speed large torque and system redundancy control; a double-parallel PWM rectifier circuit structure is used, when the system is in unbalanced power supply network environments; a resonant pole-type three-phase soft-switching inverter circuit is used as an inverter unit to improve utilization of DC bus voltage and to greatly reduce device switch losses at high frequencies; a current control and speed estimation unit is used, so that rotor speed and phase angle information is accurately estimated with low cost and high reliability; a controlled object is the multi-module permanent magnet synchronous motor, so that the problems of difficulties in motor installation, transportation and maintenance of a high-power electric drive system and the like are solved. |
| US10171017B2 |
Image forming apparatus, motor control apparatus, and method of controlling a motor
An image forming apparatus may include an engine portion used to perform an image forming job, a step motor configured to start the engine portion, a driver including a resistor that measures current that flows to a coil of the step motor and is configured to provide a predetermined constant current to the step motor, and a drive controller configured to measure a load level of the step motor based on a voltage value of the resistor and to control the driver to provide the constant current that corresponds to the measured load level. |
| US10171011B2 |
Electric tool
An electric tool includes: a motor configured to be driven by PWM controlling a semiconductor switching element; a trigger configured to adjust startup and rotation of the motor; a changeover switch configured to switch a rotation direction of the motor between a forward rotation and a reverse rotation; a power transmission mechanism configured to rotate a tip tool by the motor, and a controller configured to control rotation of the motor. When the reverse rotation is set by the changeover switch, the controller PWM controls the semiconductor switching element at a high duty ratio after the trigger is pulled to drive the motor, and thereafter drives the motor at a state where the high duty ratio is changed to a low duty ratio. |
| US10171005B2 |
Inverter control device
In a first section including a point of time when sums of periods while upper arm-side switches in a pair of current paths of a voltage source inverter conduct in one cycle of a carrier are equal to each other at zero, a first voltage command group corresponds to switching signals in which a period while the upper arm-side switches in all of the current paths are nonconductive in this one cycle is adjacently sandwiched by a pair of periods while all of the upper arm-side switches in the pair of current paths are nonconductive and other upper-arm side switch conducts. |
| US10170998B2 |
Method for generating injection current for fuel cell stack and apparatus for performing the same
An apparatus for generating injection current for a fuel cell stack includes a switch configured to retain any one state of an on state and an off state; an inductor configured to output accumulated energy according to a state of the switch; and a converter configured to provide an output of the inductor to a load or convert the output into a predetermined voltage and provide the predetermined voltage to a load. |
| US10170995B2 |
Multiphase power converter
A multiphase power converter and a corresponding method is presented. The multiphase power converter contains a first and a second constituent switched-mode power converter. The first constituent switched-mode power converter provides, both in a first mode of operation and in a second mode of operation, a first phase current to an output of the converter. The second constituent switched-mode power converter provides, in the second mode, a second phase current to the output of the converter. The converter switches, depending on an operation condition of the converter, between the first mode and the second mode. A first transconductance of the first constituent switched-mode power converter is adapted when switching between the first mode and the second mode. By adapting the first transconductance, unsteadiness of the output voltage of the converter occurring during the switching between both modes of operation is minimized. |
| US10170993B2 |
Control system for transitioning a DC-DC voltage converter from a buck operational mode to a safe operational mode
A control system for a DC-DC voltage converter includes a microcontroller having first and second applications. The first application commands the microcontroller to generate a first signal that is received at a first pin on a high side integrated circuit to transition a first plurality of FET switches to an open operational state, and that is received at a first pin on the low side integrated circuit to transition a second plurality of FET switches to the open operational state. The second application commands the microcontroller to generate a second signal that is received at a second pin on the high side integrated circuit to transition the first plurality of FET switches to the open operational state, and that is received at a second pin on the low side integrated circuit to transition the second plurality of FET switches to the open operational state. |
| US10170992B1 |
Adaptive amplification active filter for divider-less high frequency DC-DC converters
A circuit and a method for power conversion and for generating an output voltage in accordance with a reference voltage are presented. The power converter has a circuit for filtering the output voltage, an error amplifier circuit that compares the reference voltage and the filtered output voltage for generating an error voltage as a result of the comparison. There is a circuit for driving one or more switching devices in dependence on the error voltage. The error amplifier circuit has a first differential circuit and a first bias current generation circuit for generating a first bias current for the first differential circuit, a second differential circuit and a second bias current generation circuit for generating a second bias current for the second differential circuit, and a circuit for redistributing the first bias current to the second differential circuit or redistributing the second bias current to the first differential circuit. |
| US10170988B2 |
Power supply system
An operation mode selection unit selects an operation mode of a power converter and generates a mode selection signal indicating the result of selection, in accordance with a load condition and a power supply condition. An operation mode switching control unit generates a mode control signal designating an operation mode of the power converter. When the operation mode currently selected by the mode control signal is different from an operation mode indicated by the mode selection signal, the operation mode switching control unit adjusts a power distribution ratio between a plurality of DC power supplies or an output voltage on an electric power line so as not to change abruptly, and then permits a transition of operation mode. |
| US10170986B2 |
Hybrid buck
A system is disclosed which allows for a multiphase Buck switching converter, where some phases operate in peak-mode current control, and some phases operate in valley-mode current control, simultaneously with the peak-mode phases. The peak-mode phases of the switching converter operate at lower frequency, and with a higher value inductor than the valley mode phases. The peak-mode phases support discontinuous control mode (DCM) operation and continuous control mode (CCM) operation, and the valley-mode phases only support CCM operation. The peak-mode phases of the switching converter are always enabled, and the valley-mode phases are only enabled at high currents. The peak-mode and valley-mode currents are matched with a peak current servo, for better efficiency. |
| US10170984B2 |
Switched mode power converter with peak current control
In accordance with an embodiment, a method, includes operating a power converter that comprises an electronic switch connected in series with an inductor in one of a first operation mode and a second operation mode. Operating the power converter in each of the first operation mode and the second operation mode includes driving the electronic switch in a plurality of successive drive cycles based on drive parameter. Each of the plurality of drive cycles includes an on-time in which the electronic switch is switched on and an off-time in which the electronic switch is switched off. |
| US10170981B1 |
Configurable bi-directional charge pump design
A bi-directional charge pump cell includes a p-type substrate having a main surface. A first n-well is formed in the p-type substrate that includes n+ doped regions formed in the first n− well at the main surface. A first p-well is formed in the first n− well that includes p+ doped regions formed in the first p-well at the main surface. A second n-well is formed in the first p-well that includes n+ doped regions and PMOS transistors formed at the main surface. A second p-well is formed in the first n-well that includes p+ doped regions at the main surface. A third p-well is defined in the second p-well that includes p+ doped regions and NMOS transistors at the main surface. |
| US10170980B2 |
Method for synchronizing power charge-pump with system clock
The proposed Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) features the option to synchronize the charge-pump of a PMIC with the system clock, and then to swap and self-oscillate and skip pulses, when the digital controls of the PMIC send a first order to the charge-pump. The clock control circuitry of the PMIC also features the option for the charge-pump to then swap and use the system clock again, when the digital controls of the PMIC send a second order to the charge-pump. The designed transition of the clock from clock sync-mode to self-oscillate, and from self-oscillate back to clock sync-mode, does not present any phase discontinuity. |
| US10170978B1 |
Signal transmission circuit
In a signal transmission circuit including a drive circuit and a control apparatus which are insulated from each other and between which a signal indicative of predetermined information is transmitted via a magnetic coupler, the drive circuit includes a temperature information transmission unit transmitting a first signal indicative of temperature information based on the number of pulses consecutively output with a predetermined period and each having a first waveform with a duty cycle of less than 100% with respect to the period and an abnormality information transmission unit transmitting a second signal indicative of abnormality information based on a pulse having a longer wavelength than the first waveform. The temperature information transmission unit transmits the first signal to the control apparatus and the abnormality information transmission unit transmits the second signal to the control apparatus, via the magnetic coupler common to two information transmission units. |
| US10170976B2 |
Phase compensation method for power factor correction circuit
A method for phase compensating a power factor correction circuit is provided. Firstly, a present current value of an input current is sampled, and the sampled signal is filtered. Then, a present waveform of the input current corresponding to the present current value of the filtered sampled signal and a previous waveform of the input current corresponding to a previous current value of the filtered sampled signal are predicted, and a current error signal is generated according to a difference between the present waveform and the previous waveform. Then, the current error signal is adjusted, and an adjusted signal is generated. Then, a feedforward signal is added to the adjusted signal, and a phase compensation signal. Then, a current control signal is added to the phase compensation signal, and a pulse width modulation signal is generated to control a switching circuit. |
| US10170975B1 |
AC line detection and X capacitor discharge using a single terminal
A controller for a switching power converter is provided with a single detection pin through which the controller monitors whether the switching power converter is connected to an AC mains. Should a voltage for the detection pin indicate that the switching power converter is disconnected from the AC mains, the controller asserts the detection pin voltage to trigger a bleeder circuit to discharge an X class capacitor. |
| US10170973B1 |
Synchronous rectifier circuit and switching power supply apparatus
A synchronous rectifier circuit used in a switching power supply apparatus that performs synchronous rectification includes a transistor and a secondary control IC. The transistor performs switching operation in accordance with a gate voltage applied to a gate terminal. The secondary control IC includes a terminal and applies the gate voltage to the gate terminal of the transistor. The terminal is connected to a capacitor which stores electric charge to be supplied to the gate terminal of the transistor. The terminal is applied with a direct-current voltage obtained through synchronous rectification. The direct-current voltage is equal to or smaller than a withstand voltage of the gate of the transistor, and equal to or larger than a threshold voltage of the transistor. A maximum value of the gate voltage is the direct-current voltage. |
| US10170971B1 |
Dual pole dual bucking magnet linear actuator
A linear actuator includes dual bucking magnets, dual pole pieces, and dual spacers. The linear actuator includes a coil-and-housing assembly disposed around a magnet assembly. The magnet assembly includes two bucking magnets sandwiched around a central magnet. The central magnet and the bucking magnets may be separated by spacers. A housing is disposed around the magnet assembly. Between the housing and the magnet assembly, a dual coil is wound in two opposing directions to generate additive forces on the magnet assembly. |
| US10170965B2 |
Linear vibration motor
A vibration motor includes a housing having an accommodation space; a vibrator accommodated in the housing; an elastic part suspending the vibrator in the housing. The elastic part includes a fixation part connecting with the vibrator, a connecting part connecting with the housing, and a bending part connecting the fixation part with the connecting part. A number of pre-compressed springs arranged on two sides of the vibrator; one end of the spring being connected with the vibrator, and the other end being connected with the housing, a pre-compression direction of the spring being vertical to a vibration direction of the vibrator. |
| US10170963B2 |
Armature for electromechanical device which converts electrical energy and mechanical energy, and method for manufacturing same
In each coil (10), between a first radial section formed by a winding-start section (10a) and a second radial section formed by a winding-end section (10b) of a winding (10A), the circumferential lengths of the winding lap sections formed by said winding change in a continuous or stepped manner. For a first coil, the sequences within two slots (22) of the winding constituting the first coil are reversed with respect to one another by a twisted section (10d) between a first coil end (12a) and a second coil end (12b) of the first coil. The first coil and next second coil form a lap winding in which the twisted sections of the first and second coils are three-dimensionally entwined. The lap winding of said twisted sections continues for the third and subsequent coils, and the first coil end and the second coil end of each coil are continuous without spaces at the end surfaces of a core (20). |
| US10170958B2 |
Belt pulley arrangement for a belt drive for driving auxiliary units of a motor vehicle, and a method for driving a motor vehicle auxiliary unit that is connected by means of a belt pulley arrangement
A belt pulley arrangement for a belt drive for driving auxiliary units of a motor vehicle, comprising a belt pulley for introducing a torque that can be supplied by a traction mechanism, an output shaft for driving an auxiliary unit, particularly a coolant pump, an electric machine for transmitting torque between the belt pulley and the output shaft, the electric machine including a rotor connected to the belt pulley and a stator connected to the output shaft, and being able to be electrically connected to an electric energy source for the purpose of accelerating the output shaft and/or to an electric energy sink in order to decelerate the output shaft, a first rotational speed measurement device for detecting the time curve of the rotational speed of the belt pulley and/or a second rotational speed measurement device for detecting the time curve of the rotational speed of the output shaft, and a control device connected to the electric energy source and/or electric energy sink so as to control an output shaft rotational speed time curve by temporarily electrically connecting the energy source and/or energy sink in reaction to the rotational speed time curve that has been detected. The power flow between belt pulley and output shaft which can be influenced by the electric machine provides that the auxiliary unit that is connected via the output shaft does not have to be designed for the most unfavorable operating point. As a result, the auxiliary unit can have smaller dimensions which allows a reduction in the construction space for motor vehicle components and particularly in the construction space for motor vehicle auxiliary units which can be driven by the belt drive. |
| US10170955B2 |
Pull tight motor housing
A motor includes a motor assembly, an end cap, a flexible insulating sleeve, and a flexible enclosure. The motor assembly includes a stator, a rotor, and wiring connected to the stator. The end-cap is coupled to the motor assembly to produce first sub-assembly. In addition, the end-cap includes an electrical fitting for feeding the wiring externally of the motor. The flexible insulating sleeve fits over at a least a portion the first sub-assembly to produce a second sub-assembly. The flexible enclosure includes a formed housing section and a connecting section. The formed housing section loosely fits over the second sub-assembly prior to tightening of the connecting section and, when the connecting section is tightened, the formed housing section tightly fits over the second sub-assembly compressing the flexible insulating sleeve to produce an insulating seal. |
| US10170954B2 |
Direct current motor
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a direct current motor wherein the number of coil-connecting wires that cross the outer surface of a coil end part is reduced. In a direct current motor that is provided with an armature that has a plurality of armature slots and has an armature coil that is wound so as to span two armature slots that are separated by a fixed number of armature slots, a lowermost layer of a coil end part is provided with at least four armature coils that are wound through other armature slots so as not to coincide with the wound armature coil, and a layer above the four armature coils that are wound on the bottommost layer is provided with at least four armature coils that are wound in the same manner as the four armature coils. |
| US10170953B2 |
Planar composite structures and assemblies for axial flux motors and generators
A planar composite structure (PCS) for use in an axial flux motor or generator may include a conductive layer disposed on a dielectric layer, with the conductive layer comprising conductive traces that form portions of at least two windings that, when energized, generate magnetic flux for at least two corresponding phases of the motor or generator. A PCS may additionally or alternatively include a first conductive layer comprising first conductive traces that form a first portion of a winding that, when energized, generates magnetic flux for a first phase of the motor or generator, and a second conductive layer, which is different than the at least one first conductive layer, comprising second conductive traces that form a second portion of the winding. The first portion of the winding may be connected in series with the second portion of the winding, and the first and second portions of the winding may be configured and arranged such that a same amount of current flows through each of the first and second portions of the winding. |
| US10170948B2 |
Process for the formation of a stack of superposed metallic laminations
Each lamination of the lamination stack comprises at least one assembly of coupling elements, said assembly comprising one insertion clamp, one receiving clamp and at least one receiving window, said coupling elements maintaining the same relative positioning from one another, the insertion clamp and the receiving clamp being defined by respective portions of the lamination axially projecting to the same side of the latter, each insertion clamp of a lamination being fitted, by interference, in the interior of a receiving clamp of an adjacent lamination, and each receiving clamp of a lamination being housed in the receiving window of at least one lamination of the stack. |
| US10170944B2 |
Rechargeable impantable cardioverter defibrillator
Rechargeable implantable cardioverter defibrillator including a hermetically sealed can and at least one lead, coupled with the hermetically sealed can, the hermetically sealed can including at least one high voltage capacitor, an electronic circuit, coupled with the high voltage capacitor and a rechargeable battery, coupled with the electronic circuit and the high voltage capacitor, an outer surface of the hermetically sealed can including an active section and a non-active section, the non-active section being electrically insulated from the active section, wherein a surface area of the active section acts as at least one of an electrode with the lead for forming an electric shock vector for applying a high voltage shock and a sensor for sensing electrical activity and wherein a surface area of the non-active section acts as at least one antenna for transmitting and receiving information wirelessly while also receiving electromagnetic energy to inductively charge the rechargeable battery. |
| US10170943B2 |
Wireless inductive power transfer
A power transmitter (101) provides power transfer to a power receiver (105) using a wireless inductive power transfer signal. The power transmitter (101) comprises an inductor (103) generating the power transfer signal when a voltage drive signal is applied. A measurement unit (311) performs measurements of a current or voltage of the inductor (103). The measurements are performed with a time offset relative to a reference signal synchronized to the voltage drive signal. An adaptor (313) can vary the time offset to determine an optimum measurement timing offset resulting in a maximum demodulation depth which reflects a difference measure for measurements for different modulation loads of the power transfer signal. A demodulator (309) then demodulates load modulation of the inductive carrier signal from measurements with the time offset set to the optimum measurement timing offset. In some scenarios, both the timing and duration of measurements may be varied. The approach improves communication reliability. |
| US10170940B2 |
Wireless power transfer system
A load-independent Class EF inverter may maintain ZVS operation, and produce a constant output current, rather than a constant output voltage, regardless of the load resistance. A constant output current allows the inverter to operate efficiently for a load range from zero resistance (short circuit) to a certain maximum load resistance, making the inverter more suitable as a coil driver for an IPT system. The resonant frequency of the resonant circuit may be tuned to a non-integer multiple of a switching frequency. |
| US10170938B2 |
Electric power receiving device and electric power transmission device
An electric power receiving device has an electric power receiving unit that contactlessly receives electric power from an electric power transmission device, and the power receiving unit includes a first node, a second node, and a capacitor, a coil, a capacitor, a coil, and a capacitor, which are sequentially connected in series, between the first node and the second node. |
| US10170937B2 |
Devices, systems, and methods for adjusting output power using synchronous rectifier control
In one aspect, an apparatus for wireless receiving power comprises a receive circuit configured to receive wireless power via a magnetic field sufficient to power or charge a load. The apparatus further comprises a tuning circuit comprising a variable reactive element, coupled to the receive circuit, and configured to detune the receive circuit away from a resonant frequency to adjust an output power level to a first output power level. The apparatus comprises a rectifier, comprising a switch, coupled to the receive circuit and configured to rectify an alternating current to a direct current for supplying power to the load. The apparatus comprises a drive circuit configured to actuate the switch when a current through the switch satisfies a first non-zero current value and adjust the first non-zero current value to a second non-zero value to adjust the first output power level to a second output power level. |
| US10170935B2 |
Inductive power supply with duty cycle control
An inductive power supply that maintains resonance and adjusts duty cycle based on feedback from a secondary circuit. A controller, driver circuit and switching circuit cooperate to generate an AC signal at a selected operating frequency and duty cycle. The AC signal is applied to the tank circuit to create an inductive field for powering the secondary. The secondary communicates feedback about the received power back to the primary controller. The power transfer efficiency may be optimized by maintaining the operating frequency substantially at resonance, and the amount of power transferred may be controlled by adjusting the duty cycle. |
| US10170924B2 |
Modeling a change in battery degradation
A battery controller and method for controlling a battery include generating a battery capacity prediction model that characterizes a battery capacity decay rate. Future battery capacity for a battery under control is predicted based on the battery capacity prediction model and a present value of the battery capacity. One or more operational parameters of the battery under control is controlled based on the predicted future battery capacity. |
| US10170921B2 |
Methods and systems for efficient battery charging and usage
Battery charging methods and systems for devices that have rechargeable batteries provide an efficient way to know when to charge a device's battery, and when to switch between the device's battery and an external power source as the device's power source. The methods and systems receive signals associated with an external information service including instructions to conduct processing, access thresholds for a plurality of power rates, obtain information about when different power rates are in effect and, after determining a charge level associated with a battery, compare the threshold of the current power rate to the device's battery's charge level. Based on such a comparison, the methods and systems can determine whether the battery should be charged and whether the device's battery or an external power source should be used as the device's power source. |
| US10170918B2 |
Electronic device wireless charging system
An electronic device. The electronic device may include a battery, and a charging system in electronic communication with the battery. The charging system may be configured to charge at least a partially-depleted battery to a threshold charge value, discontinue the charging in response to the battery being charged to the threshold charge value, and monitor the function of the electronic device to detect at least one of an anticipated event, and an unanticipated event of the electronic device. Additionally the charging system may be configured to recharge the battery in response to detecting one of: the anticipated event occurring a predetermined time subsequent to the recharging of the battery, or the unanticipated event occurring immediately before the recharging of the battery. |
| US10170917B1 |
Systems and methods for managing and controlling a wireless power network by establishing time intervals during which receivers communicate with a transmitter
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. A wireless power network may include a plurality of wireless power transmitters each with an embedded wireless power transmitter manager, including a wireless power manager application. The wireless power network may include a plurality of client devices with wireless power receivers. Wireless power receivers may include a power receiver application configured to communicate with the wireless power manager application. The wireless power manager application may include a device database where information about the wireless power network may be stored. |
| US10170915B2 |
Energy management system, energy management method and computer program
One aspect of the present invention relates to a computer program for causing a computer to operate as an energy management system for managing the operation state of electric power devices including a storage battery connected to a power grid. The program includes: a first step of acquiring static parameters used in controlling the electric power devices; and a second step of controlling the electric power devices based on the acquired static parameters. The static parameters acquired in the first step include at least five types of parameters, namely, a storage battery capacity, dischargeable power, chargeable power, discharge efficiency, and charge efficiency. |
| US10170914B2 |
Voltage source converter (VSC) control system with active damping
A Voltage Source Converter control system for active damping of a resonance oscillation in the VSC includes a regular Phase-Locked Loop 2, and a slow PLL 3. The control system is arranged such that an imaginary part of the AD is obtainable from the slow PLL. The slow PLL is configured for having a closed-loop bandwidth which is less than a frequency, in a synchronous dq frame, of the resonance oscillation to be dampened. |
| US10170912B2 |
Dynamic hybrid control
The present invention relates to a system and method for controlling a power plant in a marine vessel. The system comprises at least one switchboard further comprising, a plurality of power plant members including, power suppliers such as power generators and energy storage elements, at least one consumer, and a Dynamic Hybrid Control unit comprising a measurement means for monitoring predetermined power plant and vessel related parameters, and a computational means for computing and predicting power and energy requirements in the power plant for varying time spans into the future. The system utilizes said power and energy requirements for pre-planning and allocating of power and energy between said power plant members for minimizing transients, including voltage, frequency variations in the power plant and load variations on the power generators. |
| US10170911B1 |
Providing phase synchronization and harmonic harvesting
Techniques are described for reducing or dampening harmonics in a power signal to be supplied to a power system. The techniques may also be used to synchronize the power signal to be supplied to the power system with the power that is currently present on the power system. The techniques operate to step down the signals to be processed, process the signals using low-current op amps, and then step the signals back up to be transmitted on a high current system. The values of the circuit components may be determined by using a solution for an accompanying transfer function. |
| US10170910B2 |
Energy baselining system including automated validation, estimation, and editing rules configuration engine
An energy baselining system is provided that performs validation, estimation, and editing (VEE). The system includes a facility model processor, a post VEE readings data stores, a VEE configuration engine, and a global model module. The facility model processor is configured to employ one or more interval based energy consumption streams corresponding to a facility to develop and maintain weather-normalized baseline energy consumption data for the facility, where the weather-normalized baseline energy consumption data is derived from training data for the facility. The post VEE readings data stores is configured to provide a plurality of tagged energy consumption data sets that are each associated with a corresponding one of the one or more interval based energy consumption streams, each of the plurality of tagged energy consumption data sets comprising first groups of contiguous interval values tagged as having been validated and second groups of contiguous interval values tagged as having been edited. The VEE configuration engine is configured to read the post VEE readings data stores upon initiation of an event and, for the each of the plurality of tagged energy consumption data sets, is configured to create a plurality of anomalies having a plurality of different durations using only the first groups of contiguous interval values, and is configured to generate a plurality of estimates for the plurality of anomalies by employing a plurality of estimation techniques and, for each of the plurality of different durations, is configured to select one of the plurality of estimation techniques for subsequent employment when performing VEE of subsequent energy consumption data for the corresponding one of the one or more interval based energy consumption streams. The global model module is configured to receive the weather-normalized baseline energy consumption data and post VEE readings data, and is configured to generate and display comparisons of the weather-normalized baseline energy consumption data with the post VEE readings data. |
| US10170907B2 |
Dynamic ESD protection scheme
The present disclosure relates to an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit including a dynamic field plate bias circuit, and associated methods. In some embodiments, the ESD protection circuit includes a bipolar junction transistor (BJT) based ESD protection circuit including a field plate configured to increase a breakdown voltage of the BJT based ESD protection circuit. The ESD protection circuit also includes a dynamic field plate bias circuit coupled to the field plate of the BJT based ESD protection circuit. The dynamic field plate bias circuit is configured to provide the field plate a field plate bias at transient opposite to a field plate bias at a normal operation. The transient bias reduces a trigger voltage of the BJT based ESD protection circuit and increases a shunt current of the BJT based ESD protection circuit during the ESD event. Thereby, ESD protection reliability is improved. |
| US10170905B2 |
Electronic switching and protection circuit with wakeup function
An embodiment electronic circuit includes an electronic switch comprising a load path, and a control circuit configured to drive the electronic switch. The control circuit is configured to operate in one of a first operation mode and a second operation mode based at least on a level of a load current of the electronic switch. In the first operation mode the control circuit is configured to generate a first protection signal based on a current-time-characteristic of the load current and drive the electronic switch based on the first protection signal. The control circuit is configured to generate a status signal such that the status signal has a wakeup pulse when the operation mode changes from the second operation mode to the first operation mode and, after the wakeup pulse, a signal level representing a level of the load current. |
| US10170902B2 |
Extension and retraction device and method
An extension and retraction device including a housing and a slip ring mounted within the housing. The slip ring includes a stator and rotor rotatably mounted therein. The rotor includes rotor leads and annular sections defined circumferentially around the rotor. Each rotor lead includes opposite ends with one end electrically connected to one of the annular sections. The stator includes a contact for each annular section in sliding electrical engagement with the annular section. Each contact includes a stator lead having one end electrically connected to the stator and another end extending out of an opening of the housing. A reel is mounted within the housing with the reel and rotor rotatable about a substantially common axis. A cord extending through another opening of the housing is retracted into the housing when the reel rotates in one direction, and the cord is extended from the housing when the cord is pulled and the reel rotates in the opposite direction. |
| US10170899B2 |
Method for connecting at least two electric cables and connection device, kit, electric machine and associated vehicle
A connection device for connecting at least two electric cables to an electric machine in a vehicle includes a housing and at least two contact elements. At least two openings, each allowing the passage of one of the cables, are located in the housing wall in such a way that only one of the cables that are fed in a direction through the openings in the housing and that continue to run in a straight line in the direction inside the housing makes direct contact with precisely one of the contact elements and can be electrically connected to this contact. All the other cables can be connected to a respective element of the remaining contact elements using a respective conductor bar. |
| US10170891B2 |
AlGaInP-based semiconductor laser
An aluminium gallium indium phosphide (AlGaInP)-based semiconductor laser device is provided. On a main surface of a semiconductor substrate formed of n-type GaAs (gallium arsenide), from the bottom layer, an n-type buffer layer, an n-type cladding layer formed of an AlGaInP-based semiconductor containing silicon (Si) as a dopant, an active layer, a p-type cladding layer formed of an AlGaInP-based semiconductor containing magnesium (Mg) or zinc (Zn) as a dopant, an etching stopper layer, and a p-type contact layer are formed. Here, when an Al composition ratio x of the AlGaInP-based semiconductor is taken as a composition ratio of Al and Ga defined as (AlxGa1-x)0.5In0.5P, a composition of the n-type cladding layer is expressed as (AlxnGa1-xn)0.5In0.5P (0.9 |
| US10170885B2 |
Current control device and laser device
A current control device supplies a current to a semiconductor laser in order to output laser light to the semiconductor laser, and includes a current commander and a supplier. The current commander outputs a command value corresponding to a current value by increasing the command value with a lapse of time until reaching a target command value corresponding to a current value for outputting the laser light with a predetermined strength. The supplier supplies a current with a size corresponding to the command value output by the current commander to the semiconductor laser. |
| US10170883B1 |
Method for direct compression of laser pulses with large temporal ratios
The present architecture utilizes a Nonlinear Scattering Aperture Combiner that does not need to be optically multiplexed and then drives a Direct Compressor stage that produces a large temporal compression ratio to pump a Fast Compressor. This eliminates the need for a separate array of ATDMs, multiplexing optical elements, and, at the approximate 107 joule energy output required for ICF, reduces the number of mechanical elements and gas interfaces from the order of 103 to about 10. In addition, this provides a large reduction of the volume of the gas containment region. In order to accomplish this, a technique for transversely segmenting by color and/or polarization of the optical extraction beams of the Direct Compressor has been invented. In particular, it emphasizes the simplicity and uniqueness of design of the Direct Compressor. The Direct Compressor is unique in terms of high fluence, high temporal compression ratios, and high stage gain, leading to a very large reduction in laser costs. It may separately have many other applications than ICF. |
| US10170874B1 |
Cable assembly having a substrate with multiple passive filtering devices between two sections of the cable assembly
A cable assembly includes multiple electrical cables and a filtering module. The electrical cables are arranged in a first cable section and a second cable section. Each electrical cable has a pair of signal conductors. The filtering module includes a substrate and multiple passive filtering devices mounted on the substrate. The filtering module is disposed between the first cable section and the second cable section along a length of the cable assembly and is mechanically connected to ends of the first and second cable sections. The passive filtering devices are electrically connected to the signal conductors of the electrical cables. The cable assembly is configured to be electrically connected between first and second connectors. The filtering module is configured to filter electrical signals conveyed along the electrical cables between the first and second connectors. |
| US10170873B2 |
Illuminated latch release for cable
A cable connector is provided. The cable connector includes a housing with a proximal end and a distal end. The distal end is configured for insertion into a data port of a computer chassis. The proximal end is configured to receive at least one data cable. The cable connector includes a pull tab comprising an optically transparent material. The pull tab includes a body with a distal end connected to the housing and a proximal end extending past the proximal end of the housing. The pull tab includes a shank protruding from the body. The shank includes a polished surface aligned with a light output of the computer chassis when the distal end of the housing is inserted into the data port such that light from the light output enters the shank through the polished surface and is distributed through the transparent material to illuminate the pull tab. |
| US10170871B1 |
Contact element comprising a sensor
An electrical contact element with an integrated sensor is provided. The contact element has a groove, at least a portion of which extends on a plug-in side of the contact element. An optical fiber is provided in the groove. The optical fiber is designed in such a way as to be suitable as a sensor for measuring the temperature or the air humidity. |
| US10170867B2 |
Electrical connector
An electrical connector includes an insulation body having a base and a tongue located in a front end of the base, terminals arranged in upper and lower rows, and a middle grounding plate disposed in the base and extending to the tongue. Terminals in the upper and lower rows are arranged on upper and lower surfaces of the tongue, respectively. The middle grounding plate is located between the upper and lower rows of terminals, and having at least one first hole. An edge of each of two lateral sides of the middle grounding plate is inwardly depressed to form a first groove. The first hole is located between the two first grooves. The insulation body has a first insulation post and a second insulation post, the first insulation post protrudes into the first hole, and the second insulation post protrudes into the first grooves on the lateral sides. |
| US10170863B2 |
Electrical connector
An electrical connector includes an insulative housing, a number of conductive terminals affixed to the insulative housing, a shielding shell enclosing the insulative housing; and a sealer. The insulative housing includes a base portion and a tongue portion extending forwardly from the base portion. Each conductive terminal includes a contacting portion exposed to the tongue portion. The shielding shell includes a number of locking grooves penetrating rearward and a number of tubers and each sandwiched between two locking grooves. The sealer seals a rear end of the shielding shell. The sealer includes a number of tubers corresponded with the locking grooves of the shielding shell and a number of locking grooves receiving the tubers of the shielding shell. |
| US10170859B2 |
Interface apparatus, interface unit, probe apparatus, and connection method
In an interface apparatus, when a load is applied to a base member and a connector part is pushed onto an external connector, a spring contracts so that an interval between the base member and a holder is reduced. An inclined surface of a coupling member is separated from an inclined surface of the holder so that fixing of the holder by the coupling member is released and the coupling member can move freely inside a hollow section. As a result, the holder and the connector part can move freely in X-Y directions relative to the base member, and a terminal of a connector can be finely adjusted in the X-Y direction, thus being precisely aligned with the external connector. |
| US10170858B2 |
Lever-type connector
A lever-type connector (10) includes a housing (20) and a lever (40) mounted on the housing (20) movably to an initial position, a first connection position and a second connection position. The lever (40) includes a deflecting portion (45) deflectable in a moving direction of the lever (40). The housing (20) includes a projecting portion (25) configured to start contacting the deflecting portion (45) halfway through a movement of the lever (40) from the initial to the first connection position and deflect the deflecting portion (45) until the second connection position is reached and a lever lock portion (24) configured to hold the lever (40) in a movable state between the first connection position and the second connection position. The lever (40) includes a receiving portion (46) configured to contact not the lever lock portion (24), but the projecting portion (25) when the second connection position is reached. |
| US10170857B2 |
Electrical connection device
An electrical connection device comprises: a receptacle connector and a plug connector. The receptacle connector comprises a receptacle body, a front guide-positional limiting portion, a rear guide-positional limiting portion and a first latching member. The plug connector removably mates with the receptacle connector, and comprises a plug body and a second latching member, when the plug connector mates with the receptacle connector, the second latching member of the plug connector is latched to the first latching member of the receptacle connector and limited by the front guide-positional limiting portion, and the rear guide-positional limiting portion of the receptacle connector engages with a recessed portion of the plug connector, so that two side walls of the plug connector are respectively exposed to two side openings of the receptacle connector and generally flush with two side walls of the receptacle connector. |
| US10170855B2 |
Waterproof component having a cover with excessive displacement prevention wall
A waterproof component includes a housing body, a mat seal, and a mat seal cover. The housing body includes an attachment-hole-insertion portion having a mat-seal-accommodating chamber, an abutting portion configured to abut a first peripheral surface of the attachment hole, a locking claw provided on an insertion tip side of the attachment hole insertion portion, the locking claw to he locked to a second peripheral surface of the attachment hole, and a cover locking portion provided on an insertion tip side of the attachment-hole-insertion portion. The mat seal has an electric wire press-fitting hole. The mat-seal-accommodating chamber accommodates the mat seal. The mat seal cover locks to the cover-locking portion, the mat seal cover interposes the mat seal between the mat seal cover and a bottom wall of the mat-seal-accommodating chamber. The mat seal cover includes an excessive-displacement-prevention wall, which prevents excessive elastic deformation of the locking claw. |
| US10170854B2 |
Holding frame for plug connector modules having a leaf-spring-type fastening means
The disclosure relates to a holding frame, into which plug connector modules can be inserted, wherein the holding frame comprises or consists of two halves articulated to each other, a first half and a second half, wherein the holding frame has at least one locking element, wherein the locking element is formed from a flat component, which overlaps the two halves at least in some regions, wherein the locking element has at least one end locking hook and wherein one half of the holding frame has at least one cut-out, in which the locking hook of the locking element can engage, whereby the holding frame can be fixed in an open position. The halves are fixed in relation to each other at an open angular position. Such a holding frame can be conveniently fixed in an open position for fitting with suitable plug connector modules. |
| US10170852B2 |
Method for manufacturing plug-type contacts, plug-type contact and component assembly comprising at least one plug-type contact
The invention relates to a press-in contact, a component assembly comprising at least one contact receptacle and a press-in contact, and a method for manufacturing a press-in contact, The method comprising producing a rough contour, in particular a punched contour, of a press-in contact, with a connecting body and two limbs which adjoin the latter and are arranged opposite each other, wherein the limbs have press-in regions and end regions which face away from the connecting body and have contact portions which face each other and are spaced apart from each other in a defined manner, and reshaping the limbs, comprising moving the end regions of the limbs toward each other by at least partial plastic deformation of at least one of the limbs, wherein the contact portions of the limbs touch in a defined manner at least in sections after being relieved of load. |
| US10170849B2 |
Connector and connector assembly with slidable latch
A receptacle connector is provided with a slider and a first securing metal fitting. The slider can slide between a locking position where the slider locks a plug connector and a lock releasing position where the slider is separated from the plug connector to an outer side in a longitudinal direction such that locking of the plug connector is released. The first securing metal fitting has the hook, and the slider has the first engageable part that engages with the hook to retain the slider in a selected position. |
| US10170848B1 |
Terminal block lockout device
A lockout device configured to lockout a terminal block. The lockout device includes a pair of sections rotatably coupled to one another in which each of the sections has an upper portion including a corresponding lockout opening and a lower portion for selective reception into the space of an opened terminal block. The sections are rotatable between an opened and closed position. In the opened position, the upper portions are misaligned and the lower portions are aligned to permit at least a portion of the lower portions to be inserted into an opening in an opened terminal block. In the closed position, the lockout openings of the upper portions are aligned to accommodate reception of a lock in the lockout openings to prevent movement away from the closed position and the lower portions are misaligned to prevent removal of the lower portions from the opening in the terminal block. |
| US10170845B2 |
Plug connector
A plug connector includes an insulating body, two power terminals arranged on the insulating body, and a cable having at least two power wires. A mating portion is provided at a front end of the insulating body. The mating portion is recessed with a mating slot from front to back. The mating slot has a first width in a left-right direction. Each power terminal has at least one contacting portion protruding and extending into the mating slot. The two power terminals are conducted and are provided with a second soldering portion. The second soldering portion has a second width in the left-right direction, which is greater than one third of the first width. The at least two power wires are connected to the second soldering portion. |
| US10170843B2 |
Parabolic deployable antenna
A deployable antenna is described. The antenna comprises a mesh attached to foldable ribs, a hub and a sub-reflector. The antenna can be stowed in a tight space for launching in space, and later deployed by extending out of its container. The antenna is designed to work in the Ka band or other bands and can increase data rates and function as a radio antenna. |
| US10170841B1 |
Dual mode slotted monopole antenna
A dual mode antenna can be joined to an antenna feed. The antenna includes a slotted cylinder radiator that can be connected to the first conductor of the antenna feed and an electrically conductive ground plane that can be connected to the second conductor. The radiator axially extends perpendicularly from the ground plane and is electrically insulated therefrom. The first conductor can be joined to the radiator near one side of the slot. A reactive load is joined between the ground plane and the radiator near an opposite side of the slot. The reactive load impedes lower frequencies from the ground plane to the radiator. This allows the radiator to function as a monopole at lower frequencies and a slotted cylinder at higher frequencies. |
| US10170840B2 |
Apparatus and methods for sending or receiving electromagnetic signals
Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, a generator that facilitates generation of an electromagnetic wave, a core, and a waveguide that facilitates guiding the electromagnetic wave towards the core to induce a second electromagnetic wave that propagates along the core. The core and/or the waveguide can be configured to reduce radiation loss of the second electromagnetic wave, propagation loss of the second electromagnetic wave, or a combination thereof. Other embodiments are disclosed. |
| US10170838B2 |
Antenna-in-package structures with broadside and end-fire radiations
Package structures are provided having antenna-in-packages that are integrated with semiconductor RFIC (radio frequency integrated circuit) chips to form compact integrated radio/wireless communications systems that operate in the millimeter wave (mmWave) frequency range with radiation in broadside and end-fire directions. |
| US10170832B2 |
Transceiver for a phased array antenna
A transceiver for a phased array antenna comprises a laser light source arranged to provide an optical spectrum comprising a plurality of spaced wavelengths. The transceiver further comprises a dispersion unit arranged to introduce a delay to a plurality of spectral components of the optical spectrum associated with the spaced wavelengths. The delay is dependent on the wavelength of the spectral components of the optical spectrum. The transceiver further comprises a first optical filter configured to select a plurality of spectral components received from the dispersion unit. The transceiver further comprises a first heterodyning device configured to generate a signal for transmission by the phased array antenna by heterodyning the selected spectral components associated with different ones of the spaced wavelengths of the laser light source. The transceiver is configured to receive signals from the phased array antenna. The transceiver further comprises a modulator configured to modulate spaced wavelengths from the said laser light source with the received signals. The spaced wavelengths are associated with the spectral components used to generate the signal for transmission. The transceiver further comprises a second heterodyning device configured to heterodyne spectral components associated with different ones of the spaced wavelengths of the laser light source. |
| US10170831B2 |
Systems, methods and devices for mechanically producing patterns of electromagnetic energy
A system for generating, forming and receiving electromagnetic transmissions according to a dynamically selectable electromagnetic pattern, beam pattern or beam form can use a selectably altered backplane structure. A spatially dependent pattern of amplitudes and/or phases can be formed by selecting a state of the selectably altered backplane structure from a set of states. The altered backplane structure can include a movable mechanical structure that causes a set of patterns of spatially dependent amplitudes of electromagnetic energy depending on a position of the structure. A beam pattern from a set of beam patterns can be selected by selecting a state (e.g., the position) of the backplane structure that creates a set of spatially dependent amplitudes of electromagnetic energy. |
| US10170823B2 |
Embedded antenna device for GNSS applications
An antenna assembly includes a GNSS stacked patch antenna located in a metal cavity and a matching parasitic element, the matching parasitic element includes a set of conductors not connected to the antenna. Each conductor has an external end and internal end, the external ends being conductively coupled to the housing of the cavity. The conductors of the matching parasitic elements can be radially arranged. External ends of conductors are additionally connected to each other by a ring-shaped conductor. Internal ends of conductors can be connected to capacitive elements, which can be discrete capacitors and/or segments of conductors. |
| US10170821B2 |
Self-configuring communication node arrangement
The present invention relates to a communication node arrangement comprising at least two antenna units. Each antenna unit comprises at least one signal port and at least one antenna element, where each signal port is connected to at least one corresponding antenna element. Each antenna unit comprises at least one sensor unit arranged to sense its orientation relative a predetermined reference extension. The communication node arrangement comprises at least one control unit and is arranged to feed a respective test signal into each of at least two different signal ports. For each such test signal, the communication node arrangement is arranged to receive the test signal via at least one other signal port. The communication node arrangement being arranged to determine relative positions of said antenna units based on the received test signals, and to determine relative orientations of said antenna units based on data received from the sensor units. |
| US10170815B2 |
Filter and method of designing same
A filter includes: a first resonator and a second resonator; a first strip-shaped conductor which is provided on a dielectric layer provided on a surface of a first wide wall of the first resonator; a first conductor pin which is electrically connected to a first end of the first strip-shaped conductor; a second strip-shaped conductor which is provided on a dielectric layer provided on a surface of a first wide wall of the second resonator; and a second conductor pin which is electrically connected to a first end of the second strip-shaped conductor. |
| US10170814B2 |
Four-mode defected ground structure filter
Disclosed is a four-mode defected ground structure filter, including a four-mode defected ground structure resonator and two microstrip feed lines. The four-mode defected ground structure resonator comprises a metal dielectric substrate and a defected ground unit which is etched in one surface of the metal dielectric substrate; the microstrip feed lines are arranged at another surface of the metal dielectric substrate; shape of the defected ground unit is axially symmetric about a first central axis of the defected ground unit, and is axially symmetric about a second central axis of the defected ground unit; the first defected ground unit is provided with H-shape or quasi H-shape, the second defected ground unit is provided with L-shape, quasi L-shape, U-shape or quasi U-shape. |
| US10170811B2 |
Thermoelectric-based thermal management of electrical devices
Disclosed embodiments include thermoelectric-based thermal management systems and methods configured to heat and/or cool an electrical device. Thermal management systems can include at least one electrical conductor in electrical and thermal communication with a temperature-sensitive region of the electrical device and at least one thermoelectric device in thermal communication with the at least one electrical conductor. Electric power can be directed to the thermoelectric device by the same electrical conductor or an external power supply, causing the thermoelectric device to provide controlled heating and/or cooling to the electrical device via the at least one electrical conductor. |
| US10170809B2 |
Energy storage enclosure
An energy storage enclosure arrangement is provided for accommodating a storage unit comprising an energy storage cell stacked with a cooling plate in a longitudinal direction, the cooling plate being in thermal contact with the energy storage cell. The arrangement includes an energy storage enclosure comprising three wall members forming an U-shape and having an extension in a longitudinal direction, and means for compressing the enclosure arranged to apply a force on the enclosure and the storage unit in the longitudinal direction. The enclosure is resilient in the longitudinal direction, such that when a force is applied in the longitudinal direction the enclosure is compressed, and a contact pressure between the cooling plate and the energy storage cell is limited by the resilient enclosure. |
| US10170808B2 |
Battery pack
A battery pack including a plate-shaped cooling plate; a plurality of battery modules, the plurality of battery modules being mounted on a top surface of the cooling plate; and at least one bracket on one lengthwise side of the cooling plate. |
| US10170807B2 |
Secondary battery cooling system
A secondary battery cooling system includes a temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of a battery, an electrically operated cooling fan, and a control unit. The control unit determines whether or not cooling of the battery is necessary based on the battery temperature detected by the temperature sensor and a heat value of the battery estimated when an ignition switch is turned off, and, if the battery temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature and the estimated battery heat value exceeds a predetermined value in the determination, extends a length of time from the determination to a start of driving of the electrically operated cooling fan compared to when the heat value does not exceed the predetermined value, and cools the battery while the ignition switch of the vehicle is turned off. The battery can be thus cooled efficiently while charge and discharge is suspended. |
| US10170806B2 |
Battery cooling system
A battery cooling system includes: a housing in which an inlet duct from which air is introduced and an outlet duct through which the air is discharged are mounted; a first battery mounted in the housing and disposed between the inlet duct and the outlet duct; and a low voltage battery disposed between the first battery and the inlet duct. |
| US10170805B2 |
Electricity storage module
An electricity storage module that includes a power storage element group obtained by stacking a plurality of power storage elements each having a lead terminal that protrudes from a side edge; and holding members that are attached to the side edges at which the lead terminals are provided and that hold the power storage elements, the holding members being provided with a fuse mounting portion for mounting a fuse that is to be electrically connected to the lead terminal. |
| US10170803B2 |
Controller for lithium ion secondary battery that sets and modifies a lower limit state of charge, and vehicle
A controller for a lithium ion secondary battery, includes an electronic control unit configured to: detect an SOC of a lithium ion secondary battery that is a controlled object; set an upper limit SOC and lower limit SOC of a range of use of the lithium ion secondary battery on the basis of the SOC of the lithium ion secondary battery; record a charge history and discharge history of the lithium ion secondary battery; determine whether the lithium ion secondary battery is in an excessive charging state or an excessive discharging state on the basis of the charge history and the discharge history; and raise the lower limit SOC when the lithium ion secondary battery is in the excessive charging state or lower the upper limit SOC when the lithium ion secondary battery is in the excessive discharging state. |
| US10170802B2 |
Battery pack having PCM case
Disclosed herein is a battery pack configured to have a structure including a plate-shaped battery cell having electrode terminals formed at one side thereof including a sealed surplus part and a protection circuit module (PCM) mounted at the sealed surplus part, wherein each of the electrode terminals of the battery cell is made of a plate-shaped conductive member, the PCM includes a protection circuit board (PCB), a safety element electrically connected between one of the electrode terminals formed at one side of the battery cell and the PCB or loaded on the PCB, an external input and output terminal electrically connected to a protection circuit of the PCB, and an electrically insulative module case in which the PCB and the safety element are mounted in a state in which the external input and output terminal extends outside, the module case is configured to have a structure in which two outer surfaces of the module case are open outward to form a first open surface and a second open surface, the module case is provided at an interior thereof with a PCB receiving part, and the PCM is loaded on the sealed surplus part of the battery cell in a state in which the PCM is received in the module case such that the PCM is electrically connected to the electrode terminals of the battery cell. |
| US10170799B2 |
Multi-element liquid metal battery
An electrochemical cell includes a negative electrode having at least two active metals, a positive electrode having a metal or alloy, and an electrolyte having a cation of each of the active metals. The electrolyte defines first and second interfaces with the positive electrode being in contact with the first interface and the negative electrode being in contact with the second interface. The electrolyte is configured to allow the cations of the active metals to be transferred from the negative electrode to the positive electrode during discharging and to be transferred from the positive electrode to the negative electrode during charging. The electrolyte exists as a liquid phase and the negative electrode and the positive electrode exist as liquid or partially liquid phases at operating temperatures of the electrochemical cell. |
| US10170797B2 |
Nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery
A lithium ion battery has a flat wound electrode assembly, a nonaqueous electrolyte, and a battery case. The nonaqueous electrolyte contains an electrically insulating inorganic aggregate and is formed of an impregnating electrolyte impregnated into the flat wound electrode assembly and a surplus electrolyte not impregnated into the flat wound electrode assembly. Letting the flat wound electrode assembly be divided into a planar region where the electrode surfaces are planar surfaces and a lower wound curved region which is positioned vertically downward from the planar region and where the electrode surfaces are curved, a boundary plane that includes the boundary between the planar region and the lower wound curved region, the inorganic aggregate amount MO included in a space which is below the boundary plane and the inorganic aggregate amount MI included in the impregnating electrolyte within the flat wound electrode assembly satisfy the relationship MO>MI. |
| US10170796B2 |
Lithium secondary battery of improved rate capability with cathode containing nickel manganese complex oxide for high-voltage applications
Disclosed is a lithium secondary battery with improved rate characteristics. More particularly, disclosed is a lithium secondary battery including a cathode, an anode, a separator disposed between the cathode and the anode, and an electrolyte, wherein the electrolyte includes a mixed solvent of a cyclic carbonate-based material and a propionate-based material, the cathode includes a lithium manganese composite oxide represented by Formula 1 below as a cathode active material, and the anode includes a lithium metal oxide represented by Formula 2 below as an anode active material: LixMyMn2-yO4-zAz (1) wherein 0.9≤x≤1.2, 0 |
| US10170795B2 |
Electrolyte for high efficiency cycling of sodium metal and rechargeable sodium-based batteries comprising the electrolyte
Embodiments of a non-aqueous electrolyte for a rechargeable sodium (Na)-based battery comprise a sodium salt and a nonaqueous solvent, the electrolyte having a sodium salt concentration ≥2.5 M or a solvent-sodium salt mole ratio ≤4:1. Na-based rechargeable batteries including the electrolyte exhibit both high cycling stability and high coulombic efficiency (CE). Some embodiments of the disclosed batteries attain a CE≥80% within 10-30 charge-discharge cycles and maintain a CE≥80% for at least 100 charge-discharge cycles. In certain embodiments, the battery is an anode-free battery in the as-assembled initial state. |
| US10170781B2 |
Shutdown and storage method for fuel cell system at below freezing temperatures
Improved methods are disclosed for shutting down and storing a fuel cell system, particularly for below freezing temperature conditions. The methods comprise stopping power production from the fuel cell stack, monitoring the amount of energy remaining in an energy supply, monitoring the stack temperature, and repeatedly performing a predetermined warming operation if the stack temperature falls to a normal threshold temperature and if the amount of energy remaining exceeds a certain minimum amount. In the improved methods, when the amount of remaining energy is less than or equal to the minimum amount, a final warming operation is performed that differs from the predetermined warming operation. |
| US10170776B2 |
Fuel cell module
A fuel cell module includes combustion gas channel members connected to a combustor and extending upward along the fuel cell stack. The combustion gas channel members have combustion gas channels, and combustion gas ejection holes. A combustion gas produced in the combustor flows through the combustion gas channels upward, and the combustion gas ejection holes are connected to the combustion gas channels for releasing the combustion gas toward side surfaces of the fuel cell stack. |
| US10170774B2 |
Flow-guiding plate for a fuel cell
A flow-guiding plate for a fuel cell, including a conductive sheet including a relief: defining alternating flow channels on first and second faces, two successive channels on the first face being separated by walls; defining first and second access holes at ends of each of the flow channels on the second face and of a first group of flow channels on the first face; defining a flow restriction in each flow channel of a second group of flow channels on the first face, the cross-section of the flow restrictions being smaller than the cross-section of the access holes to the flow channels of the first group, the first face including alternating flow channels of the first group and alternating flow channels of the second group. |
| US10170772B2 |
Fluid flow plate for a fuel cell
A fluid flow plate for an electrochemical fuel cell assembly comprises a first plurality of fluid flow channels extending across an area of the flow plate to define a flow field of the fluid flow plate. An array of first fluid transfer points is disposed along an edge of the flow field for communicating fluid into to or out of the fluid flow channels. A gallery has a first peripheral edge portion bounded by the array of first fluid transfer points and at least two second peripheral edge portions each bounded by an array of second fluid transfer points disposed along fluid access edges of the fluid flow plate. The at least two second peripheral edge portions are disposed at oblique angles to the first peripheral edge portion such that the total length of the array of second fluid transfer points is at least as long as, and preferably longer than, the length of the array of first fluid transfer points. Disposing the at least two second peripheral edge portions at oblique angles to the first peripheral edge portion enables the lengths of the second peripheral edge portions of each gallery to be increased compared to the length of the first fluid transfer points (i.e. width of the active flow field area) which optimizes fluid distribution into the channels of the flow plate. |
| US10170770B2 |
N-doped porous carbon electrocatalyst and process for preparation thereof
The present invention relates to an efficient, non-metal, N-doped porous carbon electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction and a process for the preparation of using g-C3N4 as a nitrogen precursor, metal organic frameworks (MOF) as a carbon template having high specific surface area, large number of active sites and large pore volume. |
| US10170768B2 |
Grid assembly for a plate-shaped battery electrode of an electrochemical accumulator battery
The invention relates to a grid arrangement for a plate-shaped battery electrode of an electrochemical accumulator having a frame and a grid arranged thereon, wherein the frame comprises at least one upper frame element having a connecting lug of the battery electrode disposed on its side facing away from the grid, and wherein the grid is at least formed by horizontal bars, which are bars extending substantially horizontally, and vertical bars, which are bars extending substantially vertically, wherein at least some of the vertical bars are arranged at different angles to one another in the shape of a fan. The invention further relates to an accumulator. |
| US10170767B2 |
Energy storage device
Provided is an energy storage device which includes: an electrode assembly including a positive electrode and a negative electrode respectively including a non-coated region having a metal foil; current collectors each having a support portion which is made to overlap with the non-coated region; and opposedly facing supports each configured to clamp the non-coated region cooperatively with the support portion, wherein at least one of the non-coated region, the support portion and the opposedly facing support includes a conductive layer having non-oxidizing property or hardly-oxidizable property, the conductive layer covering at least one surface out of a surface of the non-coated region facing the support portion, a surface of the non-coated region facing the opposedly facing support, a surface of the support portion facing the non-coated region, and a surface of the opposedly facing support facing the non-coated region. |
| US10170766B2 |
Cathode for lithium-sulfur battery and manufacturing method therefor
The present application relates to a cathode for a lithium-sulfur battery and a method of preparing the same. More specifically, the cathode for a lithium-sulfur battery according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application includes: a cathode active part including a sulfur-carbon composite; and a cathode coating layer including an amphiphilic polymer provided on at least one portion of a surface of the cathode active part and including a hydrophilic portion and a hydrophobic portion. |
| US10170764B2 |
Method for manufacturing ultra small particle, positive electrode active material of second battery using the method for manufacturing ultra small particle and method for manufacturing the same, and secondary battery using the positive electrode active material and method for manufacturing the same
An object is to form a positive electrode active material having small and highly uniform particles by a simple process. A template is formed by forming holes in the template by a nanoimprinting method, and the template is filled with a gel-like LiFePO4 material, whereby small-sized LiFePO4 particles are formed and are used as the positive electrode active material of a secondary battery. The particle size can be reduced to less than 50 nm. Further, when the LiFePO4 particles are sintered, the template may be burned down. By making the particle size of the positive electrode active material smaller than the conventional one, a positive electrode that lithium is injected into and extracted from easily can be manufactured. |
| US10170763B2 |
Lithium metal oxide particles coated with a mixture of the elements of the core material and one or more metal oxides
A lithium metal oxide powder for use as a cathode material in a rechargeable battery, consisting of a core material and a surface layer, the core having a layered crystal structure consisting of the elements Li, a metal M and oxygen, wherein the Li content is stoichiometrically controlled, wherein the metal M has the formula M=Co1-aM′a, with 0≤a≤0.05, wherein M′ is either one or more metals of the group consisting of Al, Ga and B; and the surface layer consisting of a mixture of the elements of the core material and inorganic N-based oxides, wherein N is either one or more metals of the group consisting of Mg, Ti, Fe, Cu, Ca, Ba, Y, Sn, Sb, Na, Zn, Zr and Si. |
| US10170762B2 |
Lithium metal oxides with multiple phases and stable high energy electrochemical cycling
Electrochemically active material comprising a lithium metal oxide composition approximately represented by the formula Li1+bComNinMnpO(2), where −0.2≤b≤0.2, 0.2≤m≤0.45, 0.055≤n≤0.24, 0.385≤p≤0.72, and m+n+p is approximately 1 has been synthesized and assembled to batteries. The electrochemical performance of the batteries was evaluated. The lithium metal oxide composition in general comprises a first layered phase, a second layered phase and a spinel phase. A layered Li2MnO3 phase is at least partially activated upon charging to 4.5V. In some embodiments, the material further comprises a stabilization coating covering the lithium metal oxide composition. |
| US10170759B2 |
Metal oxides from acidic solutions
Forming a metal oxide by treating an acidic solution containing a metal to yield a precursor in the form of a semi-liquid, semi-solid or solid, and treating the precursor to yield a product including the metal oxide. An organic or inorganic component may be combined with the precursor to yield a second semi-liquid, semi-solid or solid. The product may be treated to yield a new material. In some cases, the metal oxide has an empirical formula HxM2A1y-A2z, where M represents a transition metal or any combination of transition metals in Groups 3-12; A1 is a first oxyanion; A2 is a second oxyanion; 0≤x≤3; 0≤y≤3; 0≤z≤3; and y+z>0. |
| US10170758B2 |
Process for the preparation of lithium titanium spinel and its use
A composite oxide with x wt.—parts Li2TiO3, preferably in its cubic modification of space group Fm-3m, y wt.—parts TiO2, z wt.—parts of Li2CO3 or LiOH, u wt.—parts of a carbon source and optionally v wt.—parts of a transition or main group metal compound and/or a sulphur containing compound, wherein x is between 2 and 3, y is between 3 and 4, z is between 0.001 and 1, u is between 0.05 and 1 and 0≤v<0.1 and the metal of the transition or main group metal compound is selected from Al, Mg, Ga, Fe, Co, Sc, Y, Mn, Ni, Cr, V or mixtures thereof. Also, a process for the preparation of a composition of non-doped and doped lithium titanate Li4Ti5O12, including secondary agglomerates of primary particles, using the composite oxide and its use as anode material in secondary lithium-ion batteries. |
| US10170754B2 |
Silicon monoxide composite negative electrode material used for lithium ion battery, the preparation method thereof and a lithium ion battery
The present invention relates to a silicon monoxide composite negative electrode material, which comprises silicon monoxide substrate. Nano-Silicon material uniformly deposited on the silicon monoxide substrate and nanoscale conductive material coating layer on the surface of the silicon monoxide/Nano-Silicon. The preparation method of the silicon monoxide composite negative electrode material includes Nano-Silicon chemistry vapor deposition, nanoscale conductive material coating modification, screening and demagnetizing. The silicon monoxide composite negative electrode material has properties of high specific capacity (>1600 mAh/g), high charge-discharge efficiency of the first cycle (>80%) and high conductivity. |
| US10170750B2 |
Lithium-conducting sulfur compound cathode for lithium-sulfur batteries
A lithium sulfur cell has a cathode including Li3PS4+n (0 |
| US10170749B2 |
Alkali metal battery having an integral 3D graphene-carbon-metal hybrid foam-based electrode
Provided is a lithium or sodium metal battery having an anode, a cathode, and a porous separator and/or an electrolyte, wherein the anode contains an integral 3D graphene-carbon hybrid foam composed of multiple pores, pore walls, and a lithium-attracting metal residing in the pores; wherein the metal is selected from Au, Ag, Mg, Zn, Ti, Na, K, Al, Fe, Mn, Co, Ni, Sn, V, Cr, or an alloy thereof and is in an amount of 0.1% to 50% of the total hybrid foam weight or volume, and the pore walls contain single-layer or few-layer graphene sheets chemically bonded by a carbon material having a carbon material-to-graphene weight ratio from 1/200 to 1/2, wherein graphene sheets contain a pristine graphene or non-pristine graphene selected from graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, graphene fluoride, graphene chloride, graphene bromide, graphene iodide, hydrogenated graphene, nitrogenated graphene, doped graphene, chemically functionalized graphene, or a combination thereof. |
| US10170745B2 |
Secondary battery
A secondary battery includes an electrode assembly including first and second non-coating portions; a first current collector connected to the first non-coating portion, and a second current collector connected to the second non-coating portion; and a cap assembly including a first terminal connection member connected to a portion of the first current collector, and a second terminal connection member connected to portion of the second current collector, and a terminal connection member of the first and second terminal connection members includes a fuse. |
| US10170739B2 |
Pin mount for battery module
A battery pack housing forms a container that receives battery modules. The battery pack housing includes container portion and a cover that closes an open end of the container portion. The container portion includes a base, sidewalls that surround the base, and parallel rails that protrude from the base inner surface. The rails have longitudinally-spaced slots that open facing the cover. In addition, an inner surface of the cover portion includes parallel rails having longitudinally spaced slots that open facing the base. The slots are configured to receive and retain pins provided on side surfaces of the battery module housing. The cooperation between the pins of the battery module housing and the slots of the container portion and cover portion permit modules to be easily and securely located within the battery pack housing, and to be quickly removed from the battery pack housing during maintenance. |
| US10170737B2 |
Battery holder, battery unit, and battery component including battery holder and battery unit
A battery holder includes a first base, a first holding portion and a second holding portion. The first base is opposed to a first end of the battery unit in the state in which the battery unit is located at a first holding position. The first holding portion is movably arranged on the first base between a first position, where the first holding portion contacts a held portion of the battery unit to hold the battery unit at the first holding position, and a second position, where the first holding portion is separated from the held portion. The second holding portion is arranged on the first base at a downstream side of the first holding portion in a removal direction of the battery unit from the battery holder to hold the battery unit at a second holding position that is located at a downstream side of the first holding position. |
| US10170734B2 |
Top cover of power battery and power battery
The present application provides a top cover of a power battery, including a top cover plate, a first electrode unit and a second electrode unit, the top cover plate is provided with a deformable plate connecting hole and an insulation piece accommodating portion, the first electrode unit includes a deformable plate, a conductive plate and a first insulation piece, the deformable plate seals the deformable plate connecting hole, the conductive plate is located underneath the deformable plate, the first insulation piece includes a top cover plate connecting portion and a conductive plate connecting portion, the top cover plate connecting portion extends into the insulation piece accommodating portion and is fixed thereof, the conductive plate is insulated and fixed with the top cover plate through the conductive plate connecting portion. The present application further provides a power battery, including the top cover of the power battery. |
| US10170733B2 |
Flexible structure with strain gauge, application to electrochemical lithium-ion batteries in a flexible packaging
The present invention relates to a flexible structure (6) comprising a strain gauge (7) that is elongate along a longitudinal axis X1, and intended to measure the deformation of the flexible structure in a direction X parallel to the axis X1, the strain-gauge support (71) being bonded to the flexible structure only via the lateral ends (75, 76) thereof. One particularly targeted application is the bonding of strain tool gauges to the packaging of a flexible lithium battery, such as an Li-ion battery. |
| US10170729B2 |
Electrically conductive polymers
An electrically conductive film suited to use as a transparent anode, a method of forming the film, and an electronic device comprising the film are disclosed. The device includes a conductive polymer electrode defining first and second surfaces and having an electrical conductivity gradient between the first and second surfaces. A second electrode is spaced from the second surface by at least one organic material layer, such as a light emitting layer. |
| US10170727B2 |
Display device
An organic electroluminescent device with a touch sensor including: a first substrate; a second substrate arranged opposite to the first substrate; an organic EL element layer arranged above the first substrate; a first sealing film arranged toward the second substrate of the organic EL element layer, covering the organic EL element layer, and including a first inorganic layer; plural first detection electrodes extending in one direction, and arranged in parallel toward the second substrate of the first sealing film; a second sealing film arranged toward the second substrate of the first detection electrodes, and including a second inorganic layer; plural second detection electrodes extending in another direction different from the one direction, and arranged in parallel toward the second substrate of the second sealing film; and a touch sensor control unit controlling a potential to detect a touch with a display surface. |
| US10170720B2 |
Organic monolayer passivation and silicon heterojunction photovoltaic devices using the same
A method for inorganic surface passivation in a photovoltaic device includes etching a native oxide over an inorganic substrate, the inorganic substrate having a surface; and forming an organic monolayer on the surface of the inorganic substrate to form a heterojunction, the organic monolayer having the following formula: ˜X—Y, wherein X is an oxygen or a sulfur; Y is an alkyl chain, an alkenyl chain, or an alkynyl chain; and X covalently bonds to the surface of the inorganic substrate by a covalent bond. |