Patents Issued in January 9, 2018
  • Patent number: 9864488
    Abstract: A system is disclosed including a first display control section 218 for selectively displaying, in a first display area, a second predetermined number of first objects among first objects, corresponding to a first predetermined number of game programs, for which an order is set, a second display control section for displaying a position designation image at a position corresponding to a position, of subject software, in an order set for the first predetermined number of pieces of software; a display change section for designating a first object to be displayed in the first display area, based on an operation input received by using the position designation image; and an activation execution section for activating software corresponding to one first object which is selected from among the second predetermined number of first objects displayed in the first display area, based on the operation input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: NINTENDO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Matsushima, Yuki Onozawa
  • Patent number: 9864489
    Abstract: To increase command-access efficiency and to optimize a user's available user interface work space, an improved user interface is provided for displaying logical groupings of selectable software functionality controls that are associated with one or more selected top-level functionalities. Upon selection of a top-level functionality tab, selectable functionalities associated with the top-level functionality tab are divided into logical groupings and are presented in a customizable functionality control section below the tab. Upon selection of a different top-level functionality tab, selectable functionalities associated with the subsequently selected top-level functionality tab may either replace the first functionality control section or may be displayed in a separate functionality control section adjacent to the first functionality control section if real estate is available in the user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Erin Elizabeth Dean, Jensen M. Harris, Aaron Michael Butcher, Jesse Clay Satterfield
  • Patent number: 9864490
    Abstract: The subject disclosure is directed towards transitioning from an existing screen (e.g., a page or the like) to a new screen, in which element(s)/control(s) of the existing screen are shared to the new screen. An existing screen acts as a source screen to provide element-related data (e.g., names) of its existing elements; the existing elements are intersected with those desired by the new/destination screen. The destination screen takes over ownership of any common elements. A navigation service may coordinate the exchange of information and the transition. The transition may include animations and/or other effects to provide a visually smooth transition or the like between screens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: HOME BOX OFFICE, INC.
    Inventors: Brandon C. Furtwangler, Aaron J. Nonis
  • Patent number: 9864491
    Abstract: The present invention can include electronic devices having variable input/output interfaces that can allow a user to interact with the devices with greater efficiency and in a more ergonomic manner. An electronic device of the present invention can display icons associated with user-programmable parameters of a media file. By interacting with the icons, a user can change the user-programmable parameters during playback of the media file. Changes to the user-programmable parameters can affect playback of the remainder of the media file. An electronic device of the present invention also can automatically re-orient images shown on a display and re-configure user input components based on the orientation of the electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Glenn Gregory Gilley, Sarah A. Brody, Randall Hayes Ubillos, Mihnea Calin Pacurariu
  • Patent number: 9864492
    Abstract: Representative implementations provide devices and techniques for adding a field to a business object. One or more fields from similar business objects may be presented for selection as templates for the new field. The one or more fields and the similar business objects are determined by calculating an affinity value between the business object and other business objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: SAP SE
    Inventor: Yu Jun Peng
  • Patent number: 9864493
    Abstract: An interactive, customizable, user interaction data analysis system is disclosed. The system may be configured to provide cohort-based analysis and/or graphical visualizations of user interaction data to a system operator. User interaction data may be obtained, for example, as users interact with one or more software applications. In various embodiments, interactive and customizable visualizations and analyses provided by the system may be based on user interaction data aggregated across groups of users (also referred to as cohorts of users), across particular time frames, and/or from particular software and/or computer-based applications. According to various embodiments, the system may enable insights into, for example, user interaction patterns, the frequency of software application features accessed, the performance of various aspects of software applications, and/or crashes of software applications, among others.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: PALANTIR TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventors: Zennard Sun, Rafee Memon, Diran Li
  • Patent number: 9864494
    Abstract: This document describes techniques for application reporting in an application-selectable user interface. These techniques permit a user to view reports for applications in a user interface through which these applications may be selected. By so doing, a user may quickly and easily determine which applications to select based on their respective reports and then select them or their content through the user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Nazia Zaman, Adrian J. Garside, Christopher T. Bush, Lindsey R. Barcheck, Chantal M. Leonard, Jesse Clay Satterfield
  • Patent number: 9864495
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to interacting with a virtual scene at a perspective which is independent from the perspective of the user. Methods and systems can include either tracking and defining a perspective of the user based on the position and orientation of the user in the physical space, projecting a virtual scene for the user perspective to a virtual plane, tracking and defining a perspective of the a freehand user input device based on the position and orientation of the a freehand user input device, identifying a mark in the virtual scene which corresponds to the position and orientation of the device in the physical space, creating a virtual segment from the mark and interacting with virtual objects in the virtual scene at the end point of the virtual segment, as controlled using the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: zSpace, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan J. Hosenpud, Michael A. Vesely
  • Patent number: 9864496
    Abstract: A mobile terminal including a wireless communication unit configured to provide wireless communication; a touch screen; and a controller configured to receive a sliding input having a sliding trajectory on the touch screen, slidably display a notification bar along the sliding trajectory, display a given number of notification messages in a specific area of the notification bar, receive a drag input in the specific area, and display updated notification messages in the specific area with other notification messages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventor: Young-Bae Choi
  • Patent number: 9864497
    Abstract: A method and system for assisting user selection of ballasting options for an agricultural vehicle when coupled to an agricultural implement. The user is presented with a selection menu of implement types, whereby each implement type defines operating ranges of discrete values for first, second and optionally third operational parameters of the vehicle, with the differing combinations defining a values subset. An optimal choice from the available ballasting options is made for each combination in the values subset, and a selection from the optimal choices based on prevalence or probability of occurrence is made and may be presented to the user. Operational parameters may include operating speed, loading due to implement weight and engine power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: AGCO International GmbH
    Inventors: Thiemo Buchner, Benno Pichmaier
  • Patent number: 9864498
    Abstract: Automatic scrolling of content displayed on a display device in response to gaze detection. Content may be displayed in a window rendered on a display screen. Gaze detection components may be used to detect that a user is gazing at the content and to determine a gaze point. At least one scroll zone relative to the display screen and a scroll action associated with each scroll zone may be determined. In response to determining that the gaze point is within a scroll zone, an associated scroll action may be initiated. The scroll action causes the content to scroll within the window until at least one of: expiration of a defined period, determining that a portion of the content scrolls past a defined position within the window, determining that the gaze point is outside of the scroll zone, and detecting an indicator that the user begins reading the content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Tobii AB
    Inventors: Anders Olsson, Mårten Skogö
  • Patent number: 9864499
    Abstract: A user is notified with a tactile sensation in the case where a display position of a boundary preset in a display object passes through a predetermined position as a result of scrolling of the display object according to a command. The user is thereby more easily able to locate a desired item from among items that are scrolled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koichi Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 9864500
    Abstract: A system and method for displaying content on a display device by using a combination of an initial scroll speed set by an explicit action, preferably flicking the screen, and the subsequent change of scroll speed by controlling the difference of the tilt of the device from a reference orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Inventor: Mayank Sanganeria
  • Patent number: 9864501
    Abstract: A method comprising causing to be displayed in a display window at least one of a defined plurality of information items, causing to be displayed in a scrolling region a moveable element, in response to a scrolling input, moving the moveable element within the scrolling region and causing others of the plurality of information items to be displayed in the display window, causing to be displayed in the scrolling region a marker associated with one of the plurality of information items, the position of the marker relative to the moveable element indicating a direction of a scrolling input that would be needed to cause the one of the information items to be displayed in the display window, and causing the marker to be updated in response to an event associated with the one of the information items.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Inventor: Apaar Tuli
  • Patent number: 9864502
    Abstract: A method for reviewing a document using a computing device, the computing device comprising a display for displaying the document in a user interface (UI) and one or more processors, the processor for executing a plurality of computer readable instructions, the computer readable instruction for implementing the method, the method includes displaying to a user within a document one or more pinned indicators, each of the one or more pinned indicators associated with respective certain information in the document, detecting the selection of one of the one or more pinned indicators, directing the user to the certain information associated with the selected pinned indicator, and receiving a confirmation that the user has reviewed the certain information associated with the selected pinned indication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: ALLSCRIPTS SOFTWARE, LLC
    Inventor: Gururaj Kuruba
  • Patent number: 9864503
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a touch method applied in an electronic device and the corresponding electronic device. The electronic device has a first key arranged at a first position of the electronic device, and the first key is operable to respond to a first operation to control the electronic device to generate a first executable instruction based on the first operation for instructing the electronic device to display a first main interface through the first executable instruction. The method comprises: receiving a second operation via the first key when the electronic device displays a first interface of a first application program; judging whether the second operation satisfies a first preset rule to acquire a first judgment result; generating, according to the first judgment result, a second executable instruction based on the second operation; and controlling, according to the second executable instruction, the electronic device to perform an operation corresponding to the second executable instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignees: Beijing Lenovo Software Ltd., Lenovo (Beijing) Limited
    Inventor: Jiangtong Tian
  • Patent number: 9864504
    Abstract: A user interface display method and apparatus of a touch-enabled device is provided. The user interface display method includes detecting a touch gesture; analyzing at least one of a contact position, a movement direction, a contact area size, a contact area shape, and an occurrence frequency of the touch gesture; determining one of a left hand grip state and a right hand grip state of the device based on a result of the analysis; and displaying a user interface corresponding to the determined one of the left hand grip state and the right hand grip state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chanho Park, Kyungmin Park, Myungjoo Ham
  • Patent number: 9864505
    Abstract: A portable electronic device includes a touch input apparatus including a touch panel installed on a surface of a display, the touch panel has a lead part projecting at the end of a detecting section, which includes a matrix area A where X value detection lines and Y value detection lines are arranged in matrix, and a lead area B where a plurality of lead lines extending from the matrix area A in the same direction as the X value detection lines to reach the lead part are arranged, wherein a first touch input section is formed by the matrix area A of the touch panel, and a second touch input section is formed by the lead area B.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: KYOCERA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroyoshi Kawanishi
  • Patent number: 9864506
    Abstract: In a method for removing folders from a touch screen of an electronic device, a preset triggering operation for activating the folders is detected when performed on the touch screen. An acceleration of the electronic device is obtained in real time by the gravity sensor when the preset triggering operation is detected. The electronic device is determined that whether the electronic device is being shaken based on the obtained acceleration; and the folders are removed from the touch screen, the application icons of the folders are displayed on a desktop of the electronic device when the electronic device is being shaken.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: FIH (HONG KONG) LIMITED
    Inventor: Wan-Ling Ho
  • Patent number: 9864507
    Abstract: A method and device are provided for measuring force on a force enabled input device having a touch surface. The method includes detecting force information associated with an input object contacting the touch surface, and determining a push event if the force information is either greater than a predetermined static push threshold value, or a substantially monotonic increase of at least a dynamic push threshold value above a low baseline value. The method thereafter determines a release event if the force information either decreases below a predetermined static release threshold value, or decreases from a maximum baseline value by an amount greater than a dynamic release threshold value. The method initiates a first type of user interface action associated with the input object based on a determination of the push event and the release event, wherein the first type of user interface action may comprise determining a virtual button click.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
    Inventors: Yi-Hsun Ethan Cheng, Mohamed Ashraf Sheik-Nainar
  • Patent number: 9864508
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a device performs character recognition based on spatial and temporal components of touch input detected on a touch-sensitive surface. In some embodiments, a device provides feedback about handwritten input and its recognition by the device. In some embodiments, a device presents a user interface for changing previously-inputted characters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan S. Dixon, Ueli Meier
  • Patent number: 9864509
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a device performs character recognition based on spatial and temporal components of touch input detected on a touch-sensitive surface. In some embodiments, a device provides feedback about handwritten input and its recognition by the device. In some embodiments, a device presents a user interface for changing previously-inputted characters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Joe Howard, Ryan S. Dixon, Joshua McGlinn, Jonathan Lochhead, Benjamin W. Keighran, William M. Bachman, Elbert D. Chen, Jeffrey L. Robbin, Jennifer L. C. Folse, Lynne Kress
  • Patent number: 9864510
    Abstract: An introduction or connection platform is described that improves the performance of a mobile device having a touchscreen by reducing the number of user inputs needed and also the amount of memory required for making connections in Apps that are used with backend databases. Examples of the subject technology include or provide: (1) an application for a mobile device that provides for a simple way to introduce someone to someone else (or multiple people); and (2) a mobile application that provides for receiving as a user input a simple swipe (e.g., finger or other digit being swept across the mobile's touch screen) in order to introduce someone in response to a post (e.g., a person looking for someone with a certain skill and/or experience set). Exemplary embodiments are implemented on a mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Swishlinks LLC
    Inventors: Charbel Seif, Ali Shahanaghi
  • Patent number: 9864511
    Abstract: An electronic apparatus includes a housing, a display unit installed in the housing and having a display area to display an image or a menu icon, a sensing unit installed in the housing adjacent to the display unit, having a virtual area to sense an object which is disposed over the display area of the display unit, and having a first camera to photograph and display the virtual area in a photographing mode and a second camera to extract the object from the virtual area and display a sensed image of the extracted object in a sensing mode, and a controller to analyze status of the object according to the sensed image of the object, and to determine the analyzed status of the object as a user input in the sensing mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Inventor: Seungman Kim
  • Patent number: 9864512
    Abstract: A mobile terminal device includes a touch panel where a specified input operation is performed with an indicator, an input detection unit, and an operation determination unit. The input detection unit detects the pattern of the input operation based on the position of the indicator on the touch panel, and decreases the frequency of execution of processing arranged to detect the input operation performed on the touch panel when an input operation performed on the touch panel is not detected over a specified time period. When the pattern of the input operation is detected in the case where the execution frequency of the processing arranged to detect the input operation is low, the operation determination unit causes a controlled unit determined to be an operation target in relation to the pattern of the input operation to execute a specified operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: SONY MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS INC.
    Inventor: Kenji Tokutake
  • Patent number: 9864513
    Abstract: A method comprises a processor detecting a person's finger moving across an unrendered portion of a touch-sensitive display. As a result of detecting the finger moving, the method further comprises the processor causing data to be rendered as a virtual keyboard image on the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Craig T. Brown, Paul J. Doczy
  • Patent number: 9864514
    Abstract: A method and an electronic device for controlling a virtual keypad are provided. The method for displaying the virtual keypad of the electronic device includes detecting execution of an application allowing text input, detecting at least one touch subject within a threshold distance of a touch screen, and when detecting at least one touch subject within the threshold distance of the touch screen, displaying a virtual keypad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Pil-Joo Yoon, Jin-Hong Jeong, Geon-Soo Kim, Jeong-Hyun Pang, Yong-Joon Jeon
  • Patent number: 9864515
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology relate to providing a virtual joystick on a touch-sensitive screen. The virtual joystick is associated with an area on the touch-sensitive screen and may be provided for display along with a virtual keyboard. A touch input may be detected on the touch-sensitive screen. A determination may be made as to whether at least a portion of the touch input is within the area on the touch-sensitive screen associated with the virtual joystick. An action associated with a text cursor may be performed based on the touch input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventor: Eugene Louis Charles Girard
  • Patent number: 9864516
    Abstract: A keyboard for cooperation with a keystroke and behavioral biometric analyzer, including a blank translucent surface for use as an input device, a capacitive layer mounted underneath the translucent surface, for enabling detection of touch location and touch pressure on the translucent surface, a projection system for dynamically projecting a visual layout of keys of a keyboard on the translucent surface, and a biometric generator, coupled with the capacitive layer, configured to receive user input in conformance with the projected layout of keys, and to generate therefrom a time series of touch location and touch pressure data, for use as data by a keystroke and behavioral biometric analyzer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Inventors: Jordan A. Berger, John V. Monaco
  • Patent number: 9864517
    Abstract: Technology is described for actively responding to data storage traffic. The technology can provide an application program interface; receive, via the application program interface, from an application, a command to query a data storage attribute associated with a virtual data storage component; query the associated virtual data storage component; and return to the application a value for the data storage attribute.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: NETAPP, INC.
    Inventors: Ricardo Labiaga, Ravi Krishna, Deepak Kenchammana-Hosekote, Gokul Soundararajan, Craig Chadwell, Lakshmi Narayanan Bairavasundaram
  • Patent number: 9864518
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to assigning a home memory location for a function call parameter. A method may include determining whether a caller is configured to allocate a memory location for a parameter passed to a callee. The caller is a module that includes a function call to the callee and the callee is a function. The method may include inserting instructions in the callee to allocate a home memory location for the parameter in response to determining that the caller is not configured to allocate a memory location for the parameter. In addition, the method may include inserting instructions in the callee to set the memory location as a home location for the parameter in response to determining that the caller is configured to allocate a memory location for the parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Karl Gschwind, Ulrich Weigand
  • Patent number: 9864519
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for performing write-with-response operations in a network on a chip architecture. In response to receiving an instruction to perform a write-with-response operation, a writer computing resource of a computing system (implemented using the network on a chip architecture) executes this instruction by performing a write operation for writing data to a memory location followed by a response operation for notifying a notification target computing resource of the computing system that the data has been written to the memory location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: KnuEdge Incorporated
    Inventors: Doug Meyer, Jerry Coffin, Andy White
  • Patent number: 9864520
    Abstract: A policy-based orchestration method in an exascale class cloud storage environment, and a storage system using the same are provided. The storage orchestration method includes: allocating a combination of different storages to a user as a storage space; and adjusting the combination according to a user's using pattern. Accordingly, the storage can be operated optimally and autonomically, and thus can be operated efficiently and economically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: KOREA ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Jae Hoon An, Chang Won Park, Young Hwan Kim
  • Patent number: 9864521
    Abstract: The invention provides a method of managing SDIO commands at a host device and a peripheral device. The host device connected to the peripheral device by a bus comprising a command transmission line and a data transmission line, both of which are arranged to transmit single end signal. The host device converts operation requests into converted commands and combines a first SDIO complied data packet with the converted commands to generate a first combined data packet. Then, the host device transmits the first combined data packet through the data transmission line, wherein the first combined data packet comprises a first header for indicating whether the first combined data packet comprises the converted commands. After receiving the first combined data packet, the peripheral device parses the first combined data packet to obtain the converted commands, and then performs processing procedures according to the converted commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: MEDIATEK INC.
    Inventor: Chao-Yu Hu
  • Patent number: 9864522
    Abstract: The memory card includes a non-volatile memory, an internal memory, a bus converter, and a media controller. The non-volatile memory is rewritable. The internal memory is configured to divide data transferred from a host into M (M is an integer of 2 or more) segments each of which including N (N is a natural number) times a minimum transfer unit of the non-volatile memory as a unit to record. The bus converter is configured to output 1/M of the minimum transfer unit of data in parallel from each of the M segments recorded in the internal memory. The media controller is configured to integrate 1/M of data belonging to each of different segments input in parallel from the bus converter as one minimum transfer unit of data to record in the non-volatile memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masahiro Yamada, Takeshi Otsuka
  • Patent number: 9864523
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method includes determining, by a processor, after the writing of data to a non-volatile memory block, one or more delta threshold voltage shift (TVS?) values configured to track temporary changes with respect to changes in the underlying threshold voltage distributions due to retention and/or read disturb errors. One or more overall threshold voltage shift values is calculated for the data written to the non-volatile memory block, the one or more overall threshold voltage shift values being a function of the one or more TVS? values to be used when writing data to the non-volatile memory block. The one or more overall threshold voltage shift values are stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Charles J. Camp, Timothy J. Fisher, Aaron D. Fry, Nikolas Ioannou, Ioannis Koltsidas, Nikolaos Papandreou, Thomas Parnell, Roman Pletka, Charalampos Pozidis, Sasa Tomic
  • Patent number: 9864524
    Abstract: An integrated circuit including a first EPROM, a second EPROM, and a circuit. The first EPROM is configured to provide a first state and a second state. The second EPROM is configured to provide a third state and a fourth state. The circuit is configured to select the first EPROM and the second EPROM individually and in parallel with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Ning Ge, Paul I. Mikulan, Bee Ling Peh
  • Patent number: 9864525
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and/or devices are used to implement variable bit encoding per NAND flash cell to extend life of flash-based storage devices and preserve over-provisioning. In some embodiments, the method includes detecting a trigger condition with respect to one or more non-volatile memory portions (e.g., portions configured to store data encoded in a first encoding format and having a first storage density) of a plurality of non-volatile memory portions of a storage device. In response to detecting the trigger condition and in accordance with a first determination that a projected amount of over-provisioning (e.g., corresponding to over-provisioning for the storage device after reconfiguring the one or more non-volatile memory portions to store data encoded in a second encoding format and having a second storage density) meets predefined over-provisioning criteria, the method includes reconfiguring the one or more non-volatile memory portions to store data encoded in the second encoding format.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Navneeth Kankani, Linh Tien Truong
  • Patent number: 9864526
    Abstract: A method of operating a memory controller which controls a non-volatile memory including a plurality of blocks is provided. The method includes determining an operation count for a first block among the plurality of blocks and avoiding successive wear-leveling on the first block based on the determined operation count thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Bum Hoe Koo, Nam Wook Kang, In Hwan Doh
  • Patent number: 9864527
    Abstract: A computer-executable method, computer program product, and system of managing I/O requests in a distributed data storage system, wherein the distributed data storage system includes a first node and one or more data storage array, the computer-executable method, computer program product, and system comprising receiving an I/O request at the first node enabled to utilize a storage engine to process the I/O request, wherein the storage engine is comprised of two or more layers, analyzing the I/O request using a first layer of the two or more layers to determine whether the I/O request relates to a portion of metadata managed by the first layer of the two or more layers, and processing the I/O request based on the determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: EMC IP Holding Company LLC
    Inventors: Shashwat Srivastav, Vishrut Shah, Chen Wang, Matthew L. Troutman, Ivan Tchoub, Wei Yin, Jie Song, Maxim S. Trusov, Andrey Fomin, Karthik Navaneethakrishnan, Alexander G. Rakulenko
  • Patent number: 9864528
    Abstract: A device may feature a set of containers from different domains, where the containers are restricted from interoperation due to domain restrictions. The device may provide a communication interface that enables simple communication between containers, such as string-based message-passing. While adequate for some uses, it may be difficult to utilize the communication interface in an ad-hoc manner for more complex uses, such as enabling a first container to observe state changes in an object within a second container. Instead, the device may receive a request by an observing container to create an observed container that is associated with a different domain, and to observe a data object within the observed container. Accordingly, the device may monitor the data object on behalf of the observing domain, and upon detecting an update, may transmit a notification of the update to the observing domain through the communication interface between the domain-restricted containers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventor: Eleazar Vega-Gonzalez
  • Patent number: 9864529
    Abstract: During a startup process of a host, a request is sent to a DSD to identify storage media of the DSD. Identification information is received from the DSD before executing a driver on the host for interfacing with the DSD. The identification information identifies a first storage media of the DSD in response to the request. A second storage media is later identified using the driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Albert H. Chen, James N. Malina
  • Patent number: 9864530
    Abstract: An administrator provisions a virtual disk in a remote storage platform and defines policies for that virtual disk. A virtual machine writes to and reads from the storage platform using any storage protocol. Virtual disk data within a failed storage pool is migrated to different storage pools while still respecting the policies of each virtual disk. Snapshot and revert commands are given for a virtual disk at a particular point in time and overhead is minimal. A virtual disk is cloned utilizing snapshot information and no data need be copied. Any number of Zookeeper clusters are executing in a coordinated fashion within the storage platform, thus increasing overall throughput. A timestamp is generated that guarantees a monotonically increasing counter, even upon a crash of a virtual machine. Any virtual disk has a “hybrid cloud aware” policy in which one replica of the virtual disk is stored in a public cloud.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: HEDVIG, INC.
    Inventor: Avinash Lakshman
  • Patent number: 9864531
    Abstract: Determining a preferred interface for write access to a data storage system having multiple interfaces. Interface preference is determined at the data-stripe level. Write requests are routed to the preferred interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Faisal Ahmed, Brian C. Twichell
  • Patent number: 9864532
    Abstract: A location of a log file is determined, wherein data corresponding to writes is written sequentially starting from a starting block of the log file. A determination is made in the log file of a range of blocks in which data corresponding to a next write is anticipated to be written. Preprocessing operations are performed corresponding to the range of blocks of the log file in which the data corresponding to the next write is anticipated to be written.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kevin J. Ash, Lokesh M. Gupta, Matthew J. Kalos
  • Patent number: 9864533
    Abstract: A method, computer program product, and computing system for initiating a relocation process to move local data from an SMR-based storage tier within an auto-tiering data system to a different storage tier within the auto-tiering data system. The local data is located within one or more sectors of the SMR-based storage tier. The local data is copied from the SMR-based storage tier to the different storage tier. The one or more sectors of the SMR-based storage tier are unmapped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: EMC IP Holding Company LLC
    Inventors: Walter A. O'Brien, Thomas E. Linnell
  • Patent number: 9864534
    Abstract: A peer to peer remote copy operation is performed between a primary storage controller and a secondary storage controller, to establish a peer to peer remote copy relationship between a primary storage volume and a secondary storage volume. Subsequent to indicating completion of the peer to peer remote copy operation to a host, a determination is made as to whether the primary storage volume and the secondary storage volume have identical data, by performing operations of staging data of the primary storage volume from auxiliary storage of the primary storage controller to local storage of the primary storage controller, and transmitting the data of the primary storage volume that is staged, to the secondary storage controller for comparison with data of the secondary storage volume stored in an auxiliary storage of the secondary storage controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Matthew G. Borlick, Lokesh M. Gupta, Brian A. Rinaldi, Micah Robison
  • Patent number: 9864535
    Abstract: A storage device is configured to communicate with a host device over a Bluetooth connection. The storage device includes a flash memory, a processor, and a Bluetooth controller. The memory stores at least one permission for determining access to the memory. The processor manages access to the memory, independently of the host device, based on a comparison of a request at the removable storage device to access the memory to at least one permission. The comparison is independent, requiring no management by an operating system of the host device, such that if the at least one permission includes a particular access type that matches the access requested in the request, the processor provides access to the memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: INNOVATIVE MEMORY SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Dov Moran, Gidi Elazar, Dan Harkabi, Raz Dan
  • Patent number: 9864536
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for conserving power consumption in a memory system. One such system comprises a system on chip (SoC) and an encoder. The SoC comprises one or more memory clients for accessing a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) memory system coupled to the SoC. The encoder resides on the SoC and is configured to reduce a data activity factor of memory data received from the memory clients by encoding the received memory data according to a compression scheme and providing the encoded memory data to the DRAM memory system. The DRAM memory system is configured to decode the encoded memory data according to the compression scheme into the received memory data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Dexter Chun, Haw-Jing Lo
  • Patent number: 9864537
    Abstract: An aspect includes a method for receiving a memory allocation request for a logical partition. Partition mirroring is enabled for the logical partition. Unscrubbed memory is allocated to both a first and a second copy of the logical partition, with the second copy of the logical partition mirroring the first copy of the logical partition. Scrubbing of the first and second copy of the logical partitions is initiated. Subsequent to initiating the scrubbing one of the first and second copy of the logical partition is selected and partition mirroring is disabled for the logical partition. The first copy of the logical partition is deallocated based on selecting the second copy of the logical partition. The second copy of the logical partition is deallocated based on selecting the first copy of the logical partition. The copy that is selected will continue to be scrubbed on a periodic based.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Diyanesh B. Chinnakkonda Vidyapoornachary, Marc A. Gollub, Tony E. Sawan