Patents Issued in January 24, 2017
  • Patent number: 9552811
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for speech recognition, comprising the steps of: registering (201) by means of an input device (102A), electrical signal representing speech and converting the signal to frequency or time-frequency domain (202), analyzing the signal in an analysis module based on Dynamic Bayesian Network (205) configured to generate hypotheses of words (W) and their probabilities on the basis of observed signal features (OA, OV), recognizing (209) a text corresponding to the electrical signal representing speech on the basis of certain word (W) hypotheses and their probabilities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: AKADEMIA GORNICZO-HUTNICZA IM. STANISLAWA STASZICA W KRAKOWIE
    Inventors: Bartosz Ziolko, Tomasz Jadczyk
  • Patent number: 9552812
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and computer-program products for predicting an outcome for an event of interest associated with a contact center communication. That is to say, various embodiments of the invention involve predicting an outcome for an event of interest associated with a party involved in a contact center communication based on characteristics and content of the communication conducted with the party by utilizing one or more classifier models.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Noble Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Jason P. Ouimette, Christopher S. Haggerty
  • Patent number: 9552813
    Abstract: A self-adaptive intelligent voice device and method, wherein the device includes a voice recognizing module (101), a recognition result processing module (102), a voice broadcasting module (103), and a broadcast voice parameter generating module (104), and the broadcast voice parameter generating module (104) is configured to acquire extracted voice parameters from the voice recognizing module (101), and generate broadcast voice parameters according to the extracted voice parameters and a default policy, and input the broadcast voice parameters to the voice broadcasting module (103), the abovementioned technical solution enables the broadcast voice more closely matching a user's voice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: ZTE Corporation
    Inventor: Xiangyang Li
  • Patent number: 9552814
    Abstract: A computer implemented method and system for initiating an action uses text converted from a user's speech. A user's speech is converted into text using an automatic speech recognition (ASR) system of a device. A first group of words is determined from the text meeting a first criteria. The text of the first group of words is displayed on a user interface of the device. A first action is initiated in response to the user's selection of a word in the first group. The results of the first action are presented using the user interface of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kun Bai, Christian B. Kau, Jerald T. Schoudt
  • Patent number: 9552815
    Abstract: A speech recognition system includes a mobile device and a remote server. The mobile device receives the speech from the user and extracts the features and phonemes from the speech. Selected phonemes and measures of uncertainty are transmitted to the server, which processes the phonemes for speech understanding and transmits a text of the speech (or the context or understanding of the speech) back to the mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: RIDETONES, INC.
    Inventors: Otman A. Basir, William Ben Miners
  • Patent number: 9552816
    Abstract: A speech-based system includes an audio device in a user premises and a network-based service that supports use of the audio device by multiple applications. The audio device may be directed to play audio content such as music, audio books, etc. The audio device may also be directed to interact with a user through speech. The network-based service monitors event messages received from the audio device to determine which of the multiple applications currently has speech focus. When receiving speech from a user, the service first offers the corresponding meaning to the application, if any, that currently has primary speech focus. If there is no application that currently has primary speech focus, or if the application having primary speech focus is not able to respond to the meaning, the service then offers the user meaning to the application that currently has secondary speech focus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Spalding VanLund, Kurt Wesley Piersol, James David Meyers, Jacob Michael Simpson, Vikram Kumar Gundeti, David Robert Thomas, Andrew Christopher Miles
  • Patent number: 9552817
    Abstract: An incremental speech recognition system. The incremental speech recognition system incrementally decodes a spoken utterance using an additional utterance decoder only when the additional utterance decoder is likely to add significant benefit to the combined result. The available utterance decoders are ordered in a series based on accuracy, performance, diversity, and other factors. A recognition management engine coordinates decoding of the spoken utterance by the series of utterance decoders, combines the decoded utterances, and determines whether additional processing is likely to significantly improve the recognition result. If so, the recognition management engine engages the next utterance decoder and the cycle continues. If the accuracy cannot be significantly improved, the result is accepted and decoding stops.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Shuangyu Chang, Michael Levit, Abhik Lahiri, Barlas Oguz, Benoit Dumoulin
  • Patent number: 9552818
    Abstract: A decoding system reconstructs an n-channel audio signal on the basis of an input signal representing the audio signal, in different time frames, either by parametric coding or as n discretely coded channels. Parametric decoding uses a core signal and mixing parameters controlling a spatial synthesis stage, to which a downmix signal is supplied from a downmix stage. The downmix stage realizes a projection on the downmix signal based on an n-channel input signal, either a discretely coded signal or a core signal padded with neutral-valued channels. The padding may take place either on the decoding side (reduced parametric coding) or the encoding side. In an embodiment, an audio decoder (110) in the decoding system pads the core signal during an initial portion of each reduced parametrically coded time frame directly succeeding a discretely coded time frame and during a final portion of each reduced parametrically coded time frame directly preceding a discretely coded time frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Heiko Purnhagen, Leif Sehlstrom, Karl Jonas Roeden, Kristofer Kjoerling, Lars Villemoes
  • Patent number: 9552819
    Abstract: A multiplet-based spatial matrixing codec and method for reducing channel counts (and thus bitrates) of high-channel count (seven or more channels) multichannel audio, optimizing audio quality by enabling tradeoffs between spatial accuracy and basic audio quality, and converting audio signal formats to playback environment configurations. An initial N channel count is reduced to M channels by spatial matrix mixing to a lower number of channels using multiplet pan laws. The multiplet pan laws include doublet, triplet, and quadruplet pan laws. For example, using a quadruplet pan law one of the N channels can be downmixed to four of the M channels to create a quadruplet channel. Spatial information as well and audio content is contained in the multiplet channels. During upmixing the downmixed channel is extracted from the multiplet channels using the corresponding multiplet pan law. The extracted channel then is rendered at any location within a playback environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: DTS, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Kenneth Thompson, Zoran Fejzo
  • Patent number: 9552820
    Abstract: An apparatus for and a method of processing a multi-channel audio signal using space information. The apparatus includes: a main coding unit down mixing a multi-channel audio signal by applying space information to surround components included in the multi-channel audio signal, generating side information using the multi-channel audio signal or a stereo signal of a down-mixed result, coding the stereo signal and the side information, and transmitting the coded result as a coding signal; and a main decoding unit receiving the coding signal, decoding the stereo signal and the side information using the received coding signal, up mixing the decoded stereo signal using the decoded side information, and restoring the multi-channel audio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Junghoe Kim, Sangchul Ko, Shihwa Lee, Eunmi Oh, Miao Lei
  • Patent number: 9552821
    Abstract: A value of gain is updated so that the greater the difference between the number of bits or estimated number of bits in a code obtained by encoding a string of integer value samples obtained by dividing each sample in a sample string derived from an input audio signal in a given interval by gain before the update and a predetermined number B of allocated bits, the greater the difference between the gain before the update and the updated gain. A gain code corresponding to the updated gain and an integer signal code obtained by encoding a string of integer value samples obtained by dividing each sample in the sample string by the gain are obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takehiro Moriya, Yutaka Kamamoto, Noboru Harada, Yusuke Hiwasaki, Masahiro Fukui
  • Patent number: 9552822
    Abstract: An apparatus for processing an audio signal is provided. The apparatus has a signal processor and a configurator. The configurator is adapted to configure the signal processor based on configuration information such that a configurable upsampling factor is equal to a first upsampling value when a first ratio of the second configurable number of samples to a first configurable number of samples has a first ratio value. Moreover, the configurator is adapted to configure the signal processor such that the configurable upsampling factor is equal to a different second upsampling value, when a different second ratio of the second configurable number of samples to the first configurable number of samples has a different second ratio value. The first or the second ratio value is not an integer value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignees: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., VoiceAge Corporation
    Inventors: Markus Multrus, Bernhard Grill, Nikolaus Rettelbach, Guillaume Fuchs, Max Neuendorf, Bruno Bessette, Roch Lefebvre, Philippe Gournay, Stephan Wilde
  • Patent number: 9552823
    Abstract: An apparatus for generating a frequency enhancement signal, includes: a signal generator for generating an enhancement signal from a core signal, the enhancement signal including an enhancement frequency range not included in the core signal, wherein a time portion of the enhancement signal includes subband signals for a plurality of subbands; a synthesis filterbank for generating the frequency enhanced signal using the enhancement signal, wherein the signal generator is configured for performing an energy limitation in order to make sure that the frequency enhanced signal obtained by the synthesis filterbank is so that an energy of a higher band is, at the most, equal to an energy in a lower band or is greater than an energy of a higher band, at the most, by a predefined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Sascha Disch, Ralf Geiger, Christian Helmrich, Markus Multrus, Konstantin Schmidt
  • Patent number: 9552824
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method, apparatus and non-transitory computer readable storage medium, which is configured to examine an input audio signal to determine an estimated pitch period associated with a detection criterion, encode the filtered audio signal to generate a compressed audio bit stream, decode the compressed audio bit stream to generate a decoded audio signal and adaptively filtering the decoded audio signal to produce an output audio signal, wherein adaptively filtering the decoded audio signal comprises filtering each of a plurality of segments of the decoded audio signal in a manner that is dependent upon the estimated pitch period associated therewith, and wherein a pitch-based post-filter operates to shape noise components located between harmonics of the input audio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Barbara Resch, Kristofer Kjörling, Lars Villemoes
  • Patent number: 9552825
    Abstract: Devices, methods, and systems for noise cancellation for voice activation are described herein. For example, one or more embodiments include determining, with a computing device, whether a background noise received with the computing device is recognized, creating a stored noise cancellation filter based on the background noise when the background noise is not recognized, receiving a signal that includes the background noise and a voice command at the computing device, filtering out the background noise from the signal with the stored noise cancellation filter, and processing the voice command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Sharath Venkatesha, Hai D. Pham
  • Patent number: 9552826
    Abstract: A device includes a HPF 702 that modifies frequency characteristics of a target signal; a phase correcting unit 701 that corrects the phase characteristics of the target signal to make the phase characteristics nearly equal to phase characteristics of the HPF 702; a first multiplier 705 that adjusts the gain of the signal output from the phase correcting unit 701; a second multiplier 706 that adjusts the gain of the signal output from the HPF 702; a coefficient determining unit that determines the gain coefficients of the first and second multipliers 705 and 706 in such a manner that the sum of the gain coefficient of the first multiplier 705 and the gain coefficient of the second multiplier 706 becomes a fixed value; and an adder 713 that adds the two signals output from the first multiplier 705 and second multiplier 706.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Masaru Kimura, Takashi Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 9552827
    Abstract: A method (800) for determining an estimate (215, 261) of an echo path property of an electronic device (200, 250, 300, 600). The electronic device is configured to render a total audio signal using a loudspeaker (102), and the electronic device is configured to record an echo of the rendered audio signal using a microphone (103), thereby yielding a recorded audio signal (112). The method comprises inserting (801), in an inaudible manner, an auxiliary audio signal (212) into the total audio signal to be rendered; wherein the auxiliary audio signal (212) comprises a tonal audio signal at a first frequency; isolating (803) the echo of the auxiliary audio signal (212) from the recorded audio signal (112); and determining (804) the estimate (215, 261) of the echo path property based on the inserted auxiliary audio signal (212) and based on the isolated echo of the auxiliary audio signal (212).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Craig Johnston, Dong Shi, Xuejing Sun, Glenn N. Dickins
  • Patent number: 9552828
    Abstract: An audio signal processing device includes: a frequency-domain conversion unit that generates a plurality of pieces of frequency-domain information from a plurality of audio input signals acquired at different positions; a relative value calculation unit that calculates, for each piece of frequency-domain information, a relative value between a time-frequency component included in one frequency-domain information and a time-frequency component included in another frequency-domain information; a mask generation unit that compares the relative value with an emphasized range set based on a relative value threshold stored in advance to generate a time-frequency mask that decreases a value of the frequency-domain information corresponding to the relative value which is outside the emphasized range; a mask multiplication unit that multiplies the time-frequency mask by the frequency-domain information to generate emphasized frequency-domain information; and a time-domain conversion unit that converts the emphasized
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: JVC KENWOOD CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masato Sugano
  • Patent number: 9552829
    Abstract: According to a preferred aspect of the instant invention, there is provided a system and method that allows the user to remove stationary and not stationary short time interference signals in speech or other recordings in the audio part of a video recording. The system is automatically analyzing the input signal and in a plurality of individual steps detects the interference signal and removes it accordingly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: BELLEVUE INVESTMENTS GMBH & CO. KGAA
    Inventors: Tilman Herberger, Titus Tost, Georg Flemming
  • Patent number: 9552830
    Abstract: A language setting system, for use by a driver having a preferred language and a smartphone, when entering a vehicle to set an active language of the vehicle for vehicle communications with the driver. The vehicle connects with and scans the smartphone. When the smartphone has a user selected language setting, the user selected language setting is used to set the active language of the vehicle. When scan of the smartphone detects examples of language usage in text and email communications, and such examples meet a threshold usage, the active language may be set to the language of the usage examples. When examples of multiple languages are detected on the smartphone, the driver may be prompted to select the preferred language from a list of the detected examples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Inventor: James E. Niles
  • Patent number: 9552831
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for obtaining an accurate detected value of a similarity, such as an hitting sound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignees: WEST NIPPON EXPRESSWAY ENGINEERING SHIKOKU COMPANY LIMITED, MICHIHIRO JINNAI
    Inventors: Michihiro Jinnai, Yukio Akashi, Kazuaki Hashimoto, Shogo Hayashi
  • Patent number: 9552832
    Abstract: A nonvolatile memory comprising at least one ferromagnetic region having permeability which changes from a first state to a second state of lower permeability upon heating; at least one laser operatively associated with the at least one ferromagnetic region which selectively provides heat to the ferromagnetic region to change its p permeability; and a plurality of connectors operatively connected to the at least one laser and adapted to be connected to a current source that provides a current which causes the laser to change the at least one ferromagnetic region from a first state to a second state. Optionally, the memory is arranged as an array of memory cells. Optionally, each cell has a magnetic field sensor operatively associated therewith. Optionally, the nonvolatile memory is radiation hard. Also, a method of recording data by heating at least one ferromagnetic region to change its permeability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventor: Alan S Edelstein
  • Patent number: 9552833
    Abstract: Devices that include a near field transducer (NFT); a multilayer gas barrier layer positioned on at least a portion of the NFT, the multilayer gas barrier layer including at least a first and a second sublayer, where the second gas barrier sublayer is positioned on the first gas barrier sublayer, the first gas barrier sublayer is positioned adjacent the NFT and the second gas barrier sublayer is positioned adjacent the wear resistant layer, the first and second sublayers independently have thicknesses from 0.01 nm to 5 nm; and a wear resistance layer positioned on at least a portion of the gas barrier layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Yuhang Cheng, Kurt W. Wierman, Michael Seigler, Scott Franzen
  • Patent number: 9552834
    Abstract: A multi-sensor reader that includes a first sensor that has a first sensor stack, which includes a sensing layer that has a magnetization that changes according to an external magnetic field. The first sensor also includes a first seed element below the first sensor stack. The multi-sensor reader also includes a second sensor stacked over the first sensor. The second sensor includes a second sensor stack, which includes a sensing layer that has a magnetization that changes according to the external magnetic field. The second sensor also includes a second seed element below the second sensor stack. The second seed element is structurally different from the first seed element and includes a stabilization feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Victor Boris Sapozhnikov, Steven P. Bozeman, Mohammed Shariat Ullah Patwari, LiWen Tan, Jae Young Yi, Eric W. Singleton
  • Patent number: 9552835
    Abstract: An actuator rotational limiter mechanism for a multiple disk-stack, shared actuator hard disk drive includes an actuator comb with a cam-lock feature and an actuator limiter with a rotatable cam-roller that is engagable with the cam-lock feature to temporarily hold in place the actuator comb. The cam-lock feature may be positioned at or near a middle location of a back arm of the actuator armature, where the actuator comb being held in place by the cam-roller corresponds to the head slider being positioned on a load/unload ramp between adjacent disk stacks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Thomas Tamayo, Anant Shah
  • Patent number: 9552836
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a slider that includes at least one fluid pathway that is in fluid communication with an air bearing face and/or the trailing edge face of the slider. The at least one fluid pathway is configured to propel/transport a fluid such as a lubricant toward at least one side face via capillary action. The present invention is also directed to related apparatuses and methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC
    Inventors: Narayanan Ramakrishnan, Ajaykumar Rajasekharan
  • Patent number: 9552837
    Abstract: In one general embodiment, a magnetic medium includes a recording layer having at least three exchange control layers each having a magnetic moment less than 100 emu/cc, and four magnetic layers separated from one another by the exchange control layers. An uppermost of the magnetic layers is doped with oxygen. In another general embodiment, a magnetic medium includes a recording layer having at least three exchange control layers and four magnetic layers separated from one another by the exchange control layers. An uppermost of the magnetic layers has an oxygen content of greater than 0.5 vol %. An average pitch of magnetic grains in a lowermost of the magnetic layers is 9 nm or less. A lowermost of the magnetic layers has an oxide content of at least 20 vol %.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Hoa V. Do, Sylvia H. Florez, Yoshihiro Ikeda, Kentaro Takano, Bruce D. Terris, Qing Zhu
  • Patent number: 9552838
    Abstract: In a case where (i) a reflectance calculated from a reflected light amount obtained from a longest pit (P1max) or a longest space (S1max) in a first pit row is defined as a first reflectance and (ii) a reflectance calculated from a reflected light amount obtained from a longest pit (P2max) or a longest space (S2max) in the second pit row is defined as a second reflectance, the first pit row is formed such that the first reflectance becomes substantially identical with the second reflectance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignees: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, Memory-Tech Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Takayuki Naka, Hirohisa Yamada, Masaki Yamamoto, Hideharu Tajima, Masahito Konishi
  • Patent number: 9552839
    Abstract: Provided is an optical recording medium including: two discs, each of which includes a substrate and a plurality of recording layers; and an attachment layer which is provided between the two discs and includes ultraviolet curable resin, wherein thickness of each of the substrates in the two discs is equal to or greater than 0.3 mm and equal to or less than 0.545 mm, wherein transmittance of the two discs is equal to or less than 20%, and wherein inversion rates on both surface sides of the attachment layer are equal or substantially equal to each other, and are equal to or greater than 70%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Yoshida, Minoru Kikuchi, Akio Koshita
  • Patent number: 9552840
    Abstract: A method for audio signal processing is described. The method includes decomposing a recorded auditory scene into a first category of localizable sources and a second category of ambient sound. The method also includes recording an indication of the directions of each of the localizable sources. The method may be performed with a device having a microphone array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Lae-Hoon Kim, Erik Visser, Pei Xiang, Ian Ernan Liu, Dinesh Ramakrishnan
  • Patent number: 9552841
    Abstract: In one general embodiment, a magnetic recording tape includes a plurality of servo tracks, each servo track comprising a series of magnetically defined bars, wherein an average stripe width of the bars is between about 1.0 micron and about 2.2 microns, where an average servo frame length of groups of the bars comprising a servo frame is between about 120 microns and about 180 microns. In another general embodiment, a system includes a head having at least one servo reader and an array of data transducers of a type selected from a group consisting of readers and writers; and a controller operative to selectively enable every other transducer of a particular type in the array in a first mode of operation, and operative to selectively enable every transducer of the particular type in the array in a second mode of operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Nhan X. Bui, Giovanni Cherubini, Evangelos S. Eleftheriou, Reed A. Hancock, Robert A. Hutchins
  • Patent number: 9552842
    Abstract: Systems and methods for creating custom professional videos are disclosed. The system includes client computing devices, an administrator computing device, and professional editor computing devices, all of which communicate with one or more servers via a network. A server of the one or more servers receives media data including at least one image file, text data, and an audio file from a client computing device via a network. The server creates a video job based on the media data and transmits it to a professional editor computing device. The professional editor uses at least one editing application running on the professional editor computing device to create a video based on the video job. The server transmits the created video to the administrator computing device for review. The server transmits the created video to the client computing device upon approval by the administrator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: BRANDING SHORTS, LLC
    Inventors: Anthony Parente, Michelina Pagano-Parente
  • Patent number: 9552843
    Abstract: A novel system, method and computer program product for accessing digital media files stored in a media storage device via a server device in communication with the media storage device. The method provides a Project Sharing feature for enabling collaborative sharing of Non Linear Editing (NLE) Projects, even though the NLE application might normally define and save Projects as a single monolithic project file. The system and method provides a file directory and symlink scheme that allows ALL editors who are “members” of a Project Space to see all the bins created by all other editors, but controlling the WRITE ACCESS to the bins according to whose “User Folder” the bins resided in, i.e., a user-based locking scheme is provided to allow control over who can and cannot write to a file. The system and method further treats a single monolithic project file as a collection of smaller Project files, the permissions and ownerships of which could each be controlled independently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Inventor: Andrew Liebman
  • Patent number: 9552844
    Abstract: To easily edit dynamic image content suiting user's preferences in consideration of the geographical position. A trajectory information generation unit 230 generates trajectory information about a trajectory during imaging of dynamic image content based on position information, wherein the dynamic image content is associated with the position information and azimuth information. An editing point setting unit 260 sets a section of the dynamic image content on a time axis based on the generated trajectory information. For example, the section is set based on a comparison result of an imaging range of the trajectory identified by the generated trajectory information (imaging range identified by azimuth information) and a specific target area such as a landmark. A play list information generation unit 270 generates play list information about a playback of the dynamic image content based on the set section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Eisuke Fujimoto, Masayuki Ichihara, Masayoshi Ohno
  • Patent number: 9552845
    Abstract: Metadata comprising a set of gain values for creating a dominance effect is automatically generated. Automatically generating the metadata includes receiving multiple audio streams and a dominance criterion for at least one of the audio streams. A set of gains is computed for one or more audio streams based on the dominance criterion for the at least one audio stream and metadata is generated with the set of gains.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey C. Riedmiller, Regunathan Radhakrishnan, Hannes Muesch
  • Patent number: 9552846
    Abstract: A data storage device can be tested while spinning at a variety of different speeds. Data may be written to a data sector with a transducing head while at least one disk of a data storage device spins about a spindle at a default speed. One or more tests can subsequently be executed on the disk by reading servo data stored on the disk while the disk spins at a test speed that is greater than the default speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventor: Teck Khoon Lim
  • Patent number: 9552847
    Abstract: An electronic device including a metal casing and a covering structure is provided. The metal casing has a first opening. The covering structure includes a cover and a conductive component. The cover is assembled to the metal casing and covers the first opening, wherein the cover has at least one hole. The conductive component is fixed to the cover and has at least one contacting portion, wherein the contacting portion passes through the hole and contacts the metal casing, and an electromagnetic wave is adapted to pass through the conductive component to be transmitted to the metal casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Wistron Corporation
    Inventor: Jim-Da Lin
  • Patent number: 9552848
    Abstract: The present invention pertains to a hard disk drive form factor compatible solid-state storage device enclosure assembly that protects circuit boards contained within the enclosure from environmental disruption, such as mechanical stress, vibration, external electronic disruption, or any combination of these, while allowing for a variable number of circuit boards in the SSD enclosure. In another embodiment, the solid-state storage device enclosure assembly, or a similar circuit board assembly, includes an alignment guide that precludes a circuit board from being misaligned within the enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: BiTMICRO Networks, Inc.
    Inventors: Rogelio Gazmen Mangay-Ayam, Jr., Elbert Castro Esguerra, Jerico Alge Parazo, Christopher Dayego Galvez, Allan Famitanco Cruz
  • Patent number: 9552849
    Abstract: In some examples, a memory device is configured to receive a precharge command and an activate command. The memory device performs a first series of events related to the precharge command in response to receiving the precharge command and a second series of events related to the activate command in response to receiving the activate command. The memory device delays the start of the second series of events until the first series of events completes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Everspin Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Andre, Syed M. Alam, Halbert S Lin
  • Patent number: 9552850
    Abstract: An embodiment relates to a sense amplifier driving device for stabilizing bit line precharge power when a post-overdriving operation is performed. The sense amplifier driving device includes a power driving unit configured to supply a first pull-up voltage and a pull-down voltage to a pull-up power line and a pull-down power line during a post-overdriving period and a driving signal generation unit configured to generate a pull-up driving signal and a pull-down driving signal activated during the post-overdriving period in order to control the driving of the power driving unit. The driving signal generation unit controls a point of time at which the pull-down driving signal shifts in response to a post-overdriving enable signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: SK HYNIX INC.
    Inventor: Young Geun Choi
  • Patent number: 9552851
    Abstract: A current sense amplifier comprises a reference current input terminal, a control line input terminal, a sense current input terminal, an output terminal, a first NAND gate, a transmission gate, and two cross coupled inverters each comprising a n-FET. The first NAND gate comprises an output terminal being coupled to the output terminal of the amplifier. The transmission gate comprises two transmission terminals and a gate terminal. The gate terminal is coupled to the control line terminal. Sources of the n-FETs are coupled to the sense current input terminal and the reference current input terminal, respectively. One of the transmission terminals is coupled to an input terminal of one of the inverters and the other transmission terminal is coupled to an input terminal of the other inverter. The input terminals of the first NAND gate are coupled to the control line terminal and one of the input terminals of the inverters, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander Fritsch, Michael Kugel, Juergen Pille, Dieter Wendel
  • Patent number: 9552852
    Abstract: Some embodiments of the present invention may include one, or more, of the following features, characteristics or advantages: (i) latch device including multiple Ecrit material regions all electrically connected to a common terminal (sometimes structured and shaped in the form of a storage plate conductor); (ii) bi-stable three-terminal latch device using two Ecrit property regions; (iii) three-terminal, two-Ecrit-region latch device where, for each Ecrit region, (Vdd?Vss) divided by (region thickness, dn) is greater than the region's Ecrit value; or (iv) use of multiple Ecrit material region latch devices to provide data storage instrumentality in a static memory device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Brent A. Anderson, Kota V. R. M. Murali, Edward J. Nowak
  • Patent number: 9552853
    Abstract: A method for calibrating a read data path for a DDR memory interface circuit from time to time in conjunction with functional operation of a memory circuit is described. The method uses the steps of issuing a sequence of read commands so that a delayed dqs signal toggles continuously. Next, delaying a core clock signal originating within the DDR memory interface circuit to produce a capture clock signal. The capture clock signal is delayed from the core clock by a capture clock delay value. Next, determining an optimum capture clock delay value. The output of the read data path is clocked by the core clock. The timing for the read data path with respect to data propagation is responsive to at least the capture clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Uniquify, Inc.
    Inventors: Jung Lee, Mahesh Goplan
  • Patent number: 9552854
    Abstract: Some embodiments include apparatuses having a first node to receive a supply voltage, a second node, a switching circuit to couple the first node to the second node and to decouple the first node from the second node, circuit blocks coupled to the second node and the switching circuit, and drivers coupled to the second node. Each of the circuit blocks includes a capacitor having a plate coupled to the second node. Each of the drivers is associated with a conductive line. The conductive line is associated with memory cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Hamid-Reza S. Bonakdar, Jaydeep Kulkarni
  • Patent number: 9552855
    Abstract: A removable non-volatile memory device durably stores a serial number or identifier, which is used to mark multimedia content legally stored on the removable non-volatile memory device. In order to retrieve the serial number, a host electronic system coupled to the removable non-volatile memory device sends a sequence of multiple file access commands to access a predefined target file stored on the removable non-volatile memory device. In accordance with the executed predefined sequence of multiple file access commands, a corresponding sequence of data access commands are received at the removable non-volatile memory device and are interpreted as a request by the host electronic device to read the serial number. The removable non-volatile memory device outputs the serial number in response to the sequence of data access commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Mo-DV, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert D. Widergren, John L. Douglas, Eric R. Hamilton
  • Patent number: 9552856
    Abstract: Methods for memory input timing self-calibration, apparatuses for input timing self-calibration, and systems are disclosed. One such method includes sequentially programming a plurality of delay trim settings into a delay circuit of a data path. The data path can include a data latch coupled to the delay circuit. A clock is coupled to the data latch to clock data into the data latch. Transitions of the data are substantially aligned with transitions of the clock. An output of the data latch is read after each delay trim setting is programmed. A boundary is determined between a first output state of the data latch and a second output state of the data latch wherein the boundary is associated with a particular delay trim setting of the plurality of delay trim settings. The particular delay trim setting is programmed into the delay circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Qiang Tang, Ramin Ghodsi
  • Patent number: 9552857
    Abstract: An address generation circuit includes: a first address control clock generation unit suitable for generating a first address control clock signal in response to an internal clock signal; a second address control clock generation unit suitable for generating a second address control clock signal in response to one of an address initialization signal and the first address control clock signal; an address counting unit suitable for counting the second address control clock signal and generating a counting address; and a repair control unit suitable for latching the counting address in response to the second address control clock signal, comparing the latched counting address with a repair address, and generating a redundancy address based on the comparison result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Kyeong-Min Chae
  • Patent number: 9552858
    Abstract: A magnetic memory cell including a piezoelectric material, and methods of operating the memory cell are provided. The memory cell includes a stack, and the piezoelectric material may be formed as a layer in the stack or adjacent the layers of the cell stack. The piezoelectric material may be used to induce a transient stress during programming of the memory cell to reduce the critical switching current of the memory cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Micron Technology. Inc.
    Inventors: Jun Liu, Steve Kramer, Gurtej Sandhu
  • Patent number: 9552859
    Abstract: An electronic data-storage apparatus having ROM embedded in an STT-MRAM. The apparatus comprises at least two bit lines, a plurality of bit cells, each including, connected to a source line (SL), a series connection (in any order) of a selection element (e.g., transistor gated by word line WL), a resistive storage element (e.g., MTJ), and a permanent connection to one of the bit lines (e.g., BL0, BL1). The apparatus may also include a ROM sense amplifier which is configured to precharge two output nodes connected to respective ones of the bit lines, so that the jumper in a selected memory cell pulls one of the output nodes to a first reference potential (e.g., GND) and the ROM sense amplifier pulls the other of the output nodes to a second reference potential (e.g., Vdd).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: PURDUE RESEARCH FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Kaushik Roy, Dongsoo Lee, Xuanyao Fong
  • Patent number: 9552860
    Abstract: A magnetic memory includes a plurality of memory cells and a data identification circuit. Each of the memory cells includes: a first bias node to which a first voltage is applied in data reading, the first voltage being a positive voltage; a second bias node to which a second voltage is applied in the data reading, the second voltage being a negative voltage having substantially the same absolute value as the first voltage; a connection node; a first spin device element connected between the first bias node and the connection node; and a second spin device element connected between the connection node and the second bias node. The first and second spin device elements operate differentially. The data identification circuit identifies data stored in each of the memory cells based on a polarity of a voltage generated on the connection node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: BLUESPIN, INC.
    Inventor: Hideaki Fukuzawa