Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090154667 | MULTIPLE VISUAL VOICEMAIL MAILBOXES - A network device may include a memory to store an aggregate database. The aggregate database may store aggregate voicemail message information, the aggregate voicemail message information including voicemail message information associated with a first device number and voicemail message information associated with a second device number. The network device may include a receiver to receive, over a network, updated voicemail message information associated with the first device number and stored in a first database different from the aggregate database, and to receive, over the network, updated voicemail message information associated with the second device number and stored in a second database different from the first database and the aggregate database. The network device may include a processor to update the aggregate voicemail message information stored in the aggregate database based on the received updated voicemail message information associated with the first device number and based on the received updated voicemail message information associated with the second device number. The network device may include a transmitter to send the updated aggregate voicemail message information to a user device associated with the first device number. | 06-18-2009 |
20090154668 | MANAGING VISUAL VOICEMAIL FROM MULTIPLE DEVICES - A network device may include a memory to store a database including voicemail message information associated with a voicemail mailbox, a transmitter, and a receiver. The transmitter may send a notification to each of a plurality of communication devices, the notification including an indication of a number of new voicemail messages in the voicemail mailbox, an indication of a total number of voicemail messages in the voicemail mailbox, and an identifier of a most recent voicemail message in the voicemail mailbox, where each of the plurality of communication devices uses the notification signal to determine whether to request a list of voicemail messages. The receiver may receive, from one of the communication devices in response to the notification, a request for the list of voicemail messages associated with voicemail message information stored in the database. The transmitter may sends, to the one of the plurality of communications devices, the list of voicemail messages. | 06-18-2009 |
20090156176 | VISUAL VOICEMAIL PROVISIONING AND NOTIFICATION - A device receives, from a user device, a request to use a visual voicemail (VVM) application, directs the user device to a self provisioning server based on the request, and receives, from the self provisioning server, a selected VVM subscription plan and information associated with a user of the user device. The device also provides, to a billing system, a feature code associated with the selected VVM subscription plan, receives, from one or more voicemail servers, pre-existing voicemail messages associated with the user, and provides, to the user device, the pre-existing voicemail messages. | 06-18-2009 |
20100150322 | Voice-to-Text Translation for Visual Voicemail - A system may include servers. The servers may include memories including a first database to store voicemail message information associated with a voicemail mailbox and a user device, and a second database to associate a plurality of user devices with a voice-to-text transcription service; and a receiver to receive a new voicemail message associated with the voicemail mailbox. The servers may also include a processor to query to the second database to determine whether to request a voice-to-text transcription of an audio file associated with the new voicemail message and to determine whether to notify the user device of the new voicemail message before or after receiving the voice-to-text transcription of the audio file. The servers may also include a transmitter to send a notification of the new voicemail message to the user device according to the determination of whether to notify the user device of the new voicemail message before or after receiving the voice-to-text transcription of the audio file. | 06-17-2010 |
20100151831 | VISUAL VOICEMAIL NETWORK ARCHITECTURE - A system may include a load balancer that includes a receiver configured to receive a first notification of voicemail message information associated with a voicemail mailbox. The system may also include a group of servers and each of the group of servers may include a receiver and a transmitter. The receiver may be configured to receive the first notification of the voicemail message information from the load balancer, and the transmitter may be configured to send a second notification of the voicemail message information to a communication device associated with the voicemail mailbox, wherein the second notification causes the communication device to determine whether to request a list of voicemail messages. The load balancer may also include a processor to select a first one of the plurality of servers and a transmitter to send the first notification to the first one of the plurality of servers. | 06-17-2010 |
20110081006 | VISUAL VOICEMAIL PROXY SERVER - A server device receives a request for voicemail information from a user device, retrieves the voicemail information, performs data calls to another server device to obtain information to construct a visual user interface that includes data regarding the voicemail information, constructs the visual user interface using the obtained information, and transmits the constructed visual user interface to the user device. | 04-07-2011 |
20110136474 | AGGREGATED MULTI-NUMBER VISUAL VOICEMAIL SERVER - A system, in which a server is connected to a group of voicemail servers, is provided. A first voicemail server provides voicemail services to landline telephone devices. A second voicemail server provides voicemail services to wireless telephone devices. The server receives information regarding a first voicemail intended for a user of a user device, receives information regarding a second voicemail intended for the user of the user device, aggregates the information regarding the first voicemail and the information regarding the second voicemail as aggregated information, and sends the aggregated information to the user device. | 06-09-2011 |
20120143918 | MOBILE USER DATA COLLECTION - A device receives, from multiple user devices, event information associated with the multiple user devices, where the event information includes one or more actions, user information, content information, and one or more attributes. The device stores the event information in a database, and analyzes one or more portions of the event information stored in the database. The device also recommends, based on the analyzed event information, one or more adjustments to a network that delivers content to the multiple user devices. | 06-07-2012 |
20120163567 | VISUAL VOICEMAIL PROVISIONING AND NOTIFICATION - A device receives, from a user device, a request to use a visual voicemail (VVM) application, directs the user device to a self provisioning server based on the request, and receives, from the self provisioning server, a selected VVM subscription plan and information associated with a user of the user device. The device also provides, to a billing system, a feature code associated with the selected VVM subscription plan, receives, from one or more voicemail servers, pre-existing voicemail messages associated with the user, and provides, to the user device, the pre-existing voicemail messages. | 06-28-2012 |
20130064357 | VISUAL VOICEMAIL (VVM) RECOVERY - One or more devices in a visual voicemail system voicemail notification messages indicating voicemails are available for a user of the visual voicemail system and distribute the voicemail notification messages to a network device. The one or more devices receive an indication of a backlog processing requests for the visual voicemail system and stop, based on the indication, distributing the voicemail notification messages to the network device. After the stopping, the one or more devices receive another indication that the backlog processing requests for the visual voicemail system no longer exists and resume, based on the other indication, distributing the voicemail notification messages to the network device. | 03-14-2013 |
20130080522 | BROKER-BASED MANAGEMENT OF MOBILE DEVICES - An authorized blocker application is installed on a user device to monitor application usage and enforce usage restrictions. A network device receives, from the user device, information identifying a list of applications installed on the user device and receives from a customer terminal, configuration settings including usage restrictions for at least one application from the list of applications. The network device receives, from the user device, application usage data for the at least one application from the list of applications and compares the configuration settings received from the customer terminal and the application usage data received from the user device. When the application usage data includes times exceeding the configurations settings, the network device sends, to the user device, a blocking instruction to prevent use of the at least one application. | 03-28-2013 |
20130090997 | CONDITIONAL PURCHASING AND VENDING SYSTEMS - A device may receive a request from a purchaser device indicating that a participant will purchase a product associated with a first conditional sales offer, at a first discount price, on a condition that a total number of participants requesting to purchase the product at the first discount price reaches a first threshold number. The device may also determine whether the first conditional sales offer is still open; determine whether the condition that the total number of participants requesting to purchase the product at the first discount price reaches the first threshold number has been satisfied when the first conditional sales offer is determined to be closed; and complete a sale of the product to the participant at the first discount price when the condition is satisfied. | 04-11-2013 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20130120160 | USER-MANAGED PARKING SYSTEM - A server device may receive parking information that identifies a first plurality of parking spots, within a parking structure, that are available for parking, and a second plurality of parking spots, within the parking structure, that are unavailable for parking; store the parking information in association with information identifying the parking structure; receive, from a user device, a request for parking information associated with the parking structure; populate, in response to the request, a visual representation of the parking structure with the parking information, where the visual representation of the parking structure identifies the first plurality of parking spots and the second plurality of parking spots; and transmit the visual representation of the parking structure to the user device to assist a user, of the user device, in locating one of the first plurality of parking spots. | 05-16-2013 |
20130122902 | USER DEVICE RADIO ACTIVITY OPTIMIZATION IN DEAD ZONES - A user device may determine whether the user device is located within a dead zone; periodically search, using a first process, for a cellular tower of a cellular network when the user device is not located within the dead zone; and periodically search, using a second process, for a cellular tower of the cellular network when the user device is located within the dead zone. The second process may consume less power of the user device than the first process. | 05-16-2013 |
20130124073 | LIVE TRAFFIC CONGESTION DETECTION - A server device may receive information related to traffic congestion on a road at a particular geographic location; analyze the information to identify an occurrence of congestion at the particular geographic location; request additional information from a first user device that is within a particular distance from the particular geographic location; receive the additional information from the first user device; receive, from a second user device, a request for congestion information associated with the particular geographic location; and provide, to the second user device, at least a portion of the additional information received from the first user device. | 05-16-2013 |
20130139191 | CONTENT RECOMMENDATION FOR A UNIFIED CATALOG - A method includes identifying a unified catalog of content. The unified catalog of content includes digital content available to order and physical content available to order. The method includes identifying a digital content identifier for each asset of the digital content available to order from the unified catalog. The method also includes identifying a physical content identifier for each asset of the physical content available to order from the unified catalog. An indication of user activity from a user device is received. The method further includes determining one or more content recommendations based on the unified catalog and the indication of user activity. The one or more content recommendations are provided to the user device. A content selection based on the one or more content recommendations is received. The method also includes routing an order for the selected content based on an identifier associated with the selected content. | 05-30-2013 |
20130287183 | VISUAL VOICEMAIL SCALABILITY TEST - A method includes identifying a peak interval traffic intensity for visual voicemail (VVM) services in a network. The method includes identifying a. plurality of user devices available for implementing scalability testing. A number of requests for VVM services during a prospective time for scalability testing in the network is also identified. The method includes determining a number of additional requests for VVM services from the plurality of user devices that approximates the peak interval traffic intensity during the prospective time for scalability testing in the network. The method also includes determining instructions for at least one of the plurality of user devices to provide the determined number of additional requests. The determined instructions are sent to the at least one of the plurality of user devices. | 10-31-2013 |
20130289863 | LIVE TRAFFIC CONGESTION DETECTION - A user device may be configured to output, to a server device, a request for traffic congestion information, receive audio or visual information regarding an identified occurrence of traffic congestion; and present a visual representation of the occurrence of traffic congestion. The visual representation may include a selectable option to access at least a portion of the received audio or visual information regarding the occurrence of traffic congestion. The user device may further be configured to present, based on a selection of the selectable option, the at least a portion of the received audio or visual information regarding the occurrence of the traffic congestion. | 10-31-2013 |
20130322674 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DIRECTING SOUND TO A SELECT USER WITHIN A PREMISES - An approach for enabling audio content to be directed to a select user from any location within a premises is described. A directional sound module determines a signal strength of a mobile device associated with a user relative to a wireless access point located within a premises and correlates the signal strength to a reference location within the premises based on predetermined wireless fingerprint information. The directional sound module then determines a direction to transmit an ultrasound signal for conveying audible sound to the user. | 12-05-2013 |
20130326024 | ADAPTIVE HYPERTEXT TRANSFER PROTOCOL ("HTTP") MEDIA STREAMING SYSTEMS AND METHODS - An exemplary adaptive Hypertext Transfer Protocol (“HTTP”) media streaming system may be configured to stream a media program from an HTTP media streaming server subsystem to a client device during an adaptive HTTP media streaming session in which predefined segments of the media program are progressively downloaded from the HTTP media streaming server subsystem to the client device by way of a network connection. For each next predefined segment of the media program to be downloaded, the server subsystem may dynamically select, based on one or more of the exemplary factors disclosed herein, a version of the next predefined segment of the media program from a plurality of versions of the next predefined segment of the media program and download the selected version of the next predefined segment of the media program to the client device. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed. | 12-05-2013 |
20130331126 | USER DEVICE RADIO ACTIVITY OPTIMIZATION IN DEAD ZONES - A user device may determine whether the user device is located within a dead zone; periodically search, using a first process, for a cellular tower of a cellular network when the user device is not located within the dead zone; and periodically search, using a second process, for a cellular tower of the cellular network when the user device is located within the dead zone. The second process may consume less power of the user device than the first process. | 12-12-2013 |
20140006116 | DIGITAL CUSTOMER CARD APPLICATION | 01-02-2014 |
20140006499 | ONLINE COMMUNITY BASED PEER-TO-PEER MEDIA STREAMING SYSTEMS AND METHODS | 01-02-2014 |
20140068095 | MEDIA PROFILE BASED OPTIMIZATION OF MEDIA STREAMING SYSTEMS AND METHODS - An exemplary media streaming system 1) maintains media profile data representative of a plurality of media profiles supported by technical specifications of access devices included in a population of access devices, 2) defines, based on a statistical distribution of the access devices across the plurality of media profiles, a subset of the plurality of media profiles as benchmark media profiles, 3) maintains, for only the subset of the plurality of media profiles defined as the benchmark media profiles, media content data representative of different versions of a media content program, the different versions of the media content program corresponding to the media profiles included in the subset, and 4) uses the media content data representative of the different versions of the media content program corresponding to the media profiles included in the subset to stream the media content program. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed. | 03-06-2014 |
20140156511 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING EXCHANGE OF GIFT CARDS - An approach for a way to exchange gift cards (as well as other incentives, such as coupons) in a fair, efficient and secure environment. A first gift card information associated with a first merchant is received. The gift card information and user request information are evaluated to determine an exchange value. A second gift card information associated with a second merchant is determined based upon the exchange value. | 06-05-2014 |
20140195647 | BOOKMARKING SYSTEM - A server is configured to receive a request for content from a user of a user device. The server is configured further to obtain a group of bookmarks for the content, the group of bookmarks being obtained based on at least one of viewing behavior of the user or viewing behavior of another user. The server is configured further to provide the content and the group of bookmarks to the user. | 07-10-2014 |
20140259046 | USER CENSORING OF CONTENT DELIVERY SERVICE STREAMING MEDIA - A client device receives streaming first media from a content delivery network (CDN). The client device executes a media player to play the streaming first media, and receives a first input from a user of the client device that marks a first censoring start time and a first censoring stop time associated with a first portion of the first media that the user wishes to censor. The client device further receives a second input from the user that includes a reason that justifies censoring the first portion of the first media, and stores the first censoring start time and the first censoring stop time in association with data corresponding to the second input from the user in a cut profile for the first media. The client device sends the cut profile for the first media to a content management server in the CDN. | 09-11-2014 |
20140280116 | SOCIAL NETWORK-BASED AUTOMATED PROGRAM CHANNEL RECOMMENDER - Method, device, and non-transitory storage medium to obtain program historical data and social network data associated with users that receive one or more programs via one or more channels; calculate a social similarity value; calculate a channel-interest similarity value; calculate a similarity index value based on the social similarity value and the channel-interest similarity value; calculate a program weight value for each program; calculate a stay-time, for each channel, that indicates a time period each of the users remained on each channel; calculate based on each program weight value, each stay-time, and each similarity index value, a channel weight for each channel; and select based on each channel weight, one or more channels to recommend to at least one of the users. | 09-18-2014 |
20140289779 | KEY WORD BASED MEDIA CONTENT SEARCHING - A method may include receiving, from a user device, a search query associated with identifying media content items available from a service provider. A database of key words associated with a plurality of media content items is searched to identify a set of media content items having key words associated therewith that match the search query. It is determined, for each media content item in the set of media content items, whether the matching key word is a global key word representative of the media content item in its entirety, or a local key word representative of one or more portions of the media content item. The set of media content items based on the determining. The ranked set of media content items is transmitted to the user device for display to a user. | 09-25-2014 |
20140294164 | MANAGING VISUAL VOICEMAIL FROM MULTIPLE DEVICES - A network device may include a memory to store a database including voicemail message information associated with a voicemail mailbox, a transmitter, and a receiver. The transmitter may send a notification to each of a plurality of communication devices, the notification including an indication of a number of new voicemail messages in the voicemail mailbox, an indication of a total number of voicemail messages in the voicemail mailbox, and an identifier of a most recent voicemail message in the voicemail mailbox, where each of the plurality of communication devices uses the notification signal to determine whether to request a list of voicemail messages. The receiver may receive, from one of the communication devices in response to the notification, a request for the list of voicemail messages associated with voicemail message information stored in the database. The transmitter may sends, to the one of the plurality of communications devices, the list of voicemail messages. | 10-02-2014 |
20140338001 | COLLABORATIVE PARENTAL CONTROL OF STREAMING MEDIA - A network device receives a request for a selected video from a first user at a client device, and determines similarities between a second user associated with the first user and other parents in a collaborative community, wherein the similarities are determined based on the second user's, and the other users', prior censoring of videos. The network device obtains all exclusions applied by the second user, and the other users, in the collaborative community to the selected video, wherein each of the exclusions comprises a portion of the selected video identified for censoring by one of the users in the collaborative community. The network device further selectively applies each of the determined exclusions to the selected video based on the determined similarities, and sends the selected video, with the selectively applied exclusions, to the requesting first user at the client device. | 11-13-2014 |
20150095932 | LIVE CHANNEL SWITCHING AND RETURN DURING COMMERCIAL BREAKS - A device may detect a commercial break for a channel. The channel may be provided for output to a user. The device may determine another channel to provide based on detecting the commercial break for the channel. The other channel may not be associated with a commercial break. The device may provide the other channel for output to the user. The device may monitor the channel to detect that the commercial break for the channel has ended. The device may provide the channel for output to the user based on detecting that that the commercial break for the channel has ended. | 04-02-2015 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120137059 | CONTENT LOCALITY-BASED CACHING IN A DATA STORAGE SYSTEM - A data storage caching architecture supports using native local memory such as host-based RAM, and if available, Solid State Disk (SSD) memory for storing pre-cache delta-compression based delta, reference, and independent data by exploiting content locality, temporal locality, and spatial locality of data accesses to primary (e.g. disk-based) storage. The architecture makes excellent use of the physical properties of the different types of memory available (fast r/w RAM, low cost fast read SSD, etc) by applying algorithms to determine what types of data to store in each type of memory. Algorithms include similarity detection, delta compression, least popularly used cache management, conservative insertion and promotion cache replacement, and the like. | 05-31-2012 |
20120137061 | PRE-CACHE SIMILARITY-BASED DELTA COMPRESSION FOR USE IN A DATA STORAGE SYSTEM - A data storage caching architecture supports using native local memory such as host-based RAM, and if available, Solid State Disk (SSD) memory for storing pre-cache delta-compression based delta, reference, and independent data by exploiting content locality, temporal locality, and spatial locality of data accesses to primary (e.g. disk-based) storage. The architecture makes excellent use of the physical properties of the different types of memory available (fast r/w RAM, low cost fast read SSD, etc) by applying algorithms to determine what types of data to store in each type of memory. Algorithms include similarity detection, delta compression, least popularly used cache management, conservative insertion and promotion cache replacement, and the like. | 05-31-2012 |
20120144098 | MULTIPLE LOCALITY-BASED CACHING IN A DATA STORAGE SYSTEM - A data storage caching architecture supports using native local memory such as host-based RAM, and if available, Solid State Disk (SSD) memory for storing pre-cache delta-compression based delta, reference, and independent data by exploiting content locality, temporal locality, and spatial locality of data accesses to primary (e.g. disk-based) storage. The architecture makes excellent use of the physical properties of the different types of memory available (fast r/w RAM, low cost fast read SSD, etc) by applying algorithms to determine what types of data to store in each type of memory. Algorithms include similarity detection, delta compression, least popularly used cache management, conservative insertion and promotion cache replacement, and the like. | 06-07-2012 |
20120144099 | DEVICE DRIVER DEPLOYMENT OF SIMILARITY-BASED DELTA COMPRESSION FOR USE IN A DATA STORAGE SYSTEM - A data storage caching architecture supports using native local memory such as host-based RAM, and if available, Solid State Disk (SSD) memory for storing pre-cache delta-compression based delta, reference, and independent data by exploiting content locality, temporal locality, and spatial locality of data accesses to primary (e.g. disk-based) storage. The architecture makes excellent use of the physical properties of the different types of memory available (fast r/w RAM, low cost fast read SSD, etc) by applying algorithms to determine what types of data to store in each type of memory. Algorithms include similarity detection, delta compression, least popularly used cache management, conservative insertion and promotion cache replacement, and the like. | 06-07-2012 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080202575 | METHODS FOR HIGH FIGURE-OF-MERIT IN NANOSTRUCTURED THERMOELECTRIC MATERIALS - Thermoelectric materials with high figures of merit, ZT values, are disclosed. In many instances, such materials include nano-sized domains (e.g., nanocrystalline), which are hypothesized to help increase the ZT value of the material (e.g., by increasing phonon scattering due to interfaces at grain boundaries or grain/inclusion boundaries). The ZT value of such materials can be greater than about 1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.5, 1.8, 2 and even higher. Such materials can be manufactured from a thermoelectric starting material by generating nanoparticles therefrom, or mechanically alloyed nanoparticles from elements which can be subsequently consolidated (e.g., via direct current induced hot press) into a new bulk material. Non-limiting examples of starting materials include bismuth, lead, and/or silicon-based materials, which can be alloyed, elemental, and/or doped. Various compositions and methods relating to aspects of nanostructured thermoelectric materials (e.g., modulation doping) are further disclosed. | 08-28-2008 |
20090068465 | NANOCOMPOSITES WITH HIGH THERMOELECTRIC FIGURES OF MERIT - The present invention is generally directed to nanocomposite thermoelectric materials that exhibit enhanced thermoelectric properties. The nanocomposite materials include two or more components, with at least one of the components forming nano-sized structures within the composite material. The components are chosen such that thermal conductivity of the composite is decreased without substantially diminishing the composite's electrical conductivity. Suitable component materials exhibit similar electronic band structures. For example, a band-edge gap between at least one of a conduction band or a valence band of one component material and a corresponding band of the other component material at interfaces between the components can be less than about 5k | 03-12-2009 |
20090200912 | Methods for Growing Carbon Nanotubes on Single Crystal Substrates - Methods for growing carbon nanotubes on single crystal substrates are disclosed. A method of producing a nanostructure material comprises coating a single crystal substrate with a catalyst film to form a catalyst coated substrate; annealing the catalyst film by supplying a first promoter gas to the catalyst coated substrate at a first temperature and a first pressure; and supplying a second promoter gas and a carbon-source gas to the catalyst coated substrate in a substantially water-free atmosphere at a second pressure and a second temperature for a time period to cause growth of nanostructures on the catalyst coated substrate. The nanostructure material is used in various applications. | 08-13-2009 |
20090260667 | Solar Thermoelectric Conversion - Systems and methods utilizing solar-electrical generators are discussed. Solar-electrical generators are disclosed having a radiation-capture structure and one or more thermoelectric converters. Heat produced in a capture structure via impingement of solar radiation can maintain a portion of a thermoelectric converter at a high temperature, while the use of a low temperature at another portion allows electricity generation. Thus, unlike photovoltaic cells which are generally primarily concerned with optical radiation management, solar thermoelectrics converters are generally concerned with a variety of mechanisms for heat management. Generators can include any number of features including selective radiation surfaces, low emissivity surfaces, flat panel configurations, evacuated environments, and other concepts that can act to provide thermal concentration. Designs utilizing one or more optical concentrators are also disclosed. | 10-22-2009 |
20100186794 | SOLAR THERMOELECTRIC AND THERMAL COGENERATION - An energy generation method includes receiving solar radiation at a solar absorber, providing heat from the solar absorber to a hot side of a set of thermoelectric converters, generating electricity from the set of thermoelectric converters, and providing heat from a cold side of the set of thermoelectric converters to a fluid being provided into a solar fluid heating system or a solar thermal to electrical conversion plant. A system for carrying out the method includes at least one thermoelectric device and a solar fluid heating system or a solar thermal to electrical conversion plant | 07-29-2010 |
20110108778 | THERMOELECTRIC SKUTTERUDITE COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS FOR PRODUCING THE SAME - Compositions related to skutterudite-based thermoelectric materials are disclosed. Such compositions can result in materials that have enhanced ZT values relative to one or more bulk materials from which the compositions are derived. Thermo-electric materials such as n-type and p-type skutterudites with high thermoelectric figures-of-merit can include materials with filler atoms and/or materials formed by compacting particles (e.g., nanoparticles) into a material with a plurality of grains each having a portion having a skutterudite-based structure. Methods of forming thermoelectric skutterudites, which can include the use of hot press processes to consolidate particles, are also disclosed. The particles to be consolidated can be derived from (e.g., grinded from), skutterudite-based bulk materials, elemental materials, other non-Skutterudite-based materials, or combinations of such materials. | 05-12-2011 |
20110287977 | NANOSCALE SENSORS - A nanocoaxial sensor includes an outer conductor, an inner conductor, a dielectric material disposed between the outer and inner conductors, a nanocavity sized to allow target species to enter the nanocavity between the outer and inner conductors, and an active sensing element immobilized within the nanocavity on at least one of the inner or outer conductors. The active sensing element is adapted to selectively capture the at least one of the target species. | 11-24-2011 |
20110308564 | Apparatus and Methods for Solar Energy Conversion Using Nanoscale Cometal Structures - An apparatus and methods for solar conversion using nanoscale cometal structures are disclosed herein. The cometal structures may be coaxial and coplanar. A nanoscale optics apparatus for use as a solar cell comprises a plurality of nanoscale cometal structures each including a photovoltaic material located between a first electrical conductor and a second electrical conductor. A method of fabricating solar cells comprises preparing a plurality of nanoscale planar structures; coating a plurality of planar surfaces of the plurality of planar structures with a photovoltaic semiconductor while leaving space between the plurality of planar surfaces; and coating the photovoltaic semiconductor with an outer electrical conductor layer, wherein a portion of the outer electrical conductor layer is located between the planar structures to form coplanar structures. | 12-22-2011 |
20120160290 | THERMOELECTRIC SYSTEM AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAME - An apparatus includes an evacuated enclosure which comprises a tubular member extending along a longitudinal axis, a radiation absorber disposed in the enclosure and having a front surface and a back surface, the front surface being adapted for exposure to solar radiation so as to generate heat, at least one thermoelectric converter disposed in the enclosure and thermally coupled to the absorber, the converter having a high-temperature end to receive at least a portion of the generated heat, such that a temperature differential is achieved across the at least one thermoelectric converter, a support structure disposed in the enclosure coupled to a low-temperature end of the thermoelectric converter, where the support structure removes heat from a low-temperature end of the thermoelectric converter, and a heat conducting element extending between the support structure and the evacuated enclosure and adapted to transfer heat from the support structure to the enclosure. The absorber, the at least one thermoelectric converter, and the support structure are arranged as a planar unit located within the tubular member. | 06-28-2012 |
20120180840 | SOLAR THERMOELECTRIC CONVERSION - Systems and methods utilizing solar-electrical generators are discussed. Solar-electrical generators are disclosed having a radiation-capture structure and one or more thermoelectric converters. Heat produced in a capture structure via impingement of solar radiation can maintain a portion of a thermoelectric converter at a high temperature, while the use of a low temperature at another portion allows electricity generation. Thus, unlike photovoltaic cells which are generally primarily concerned with optical radiation management, solar thermoelectrics converters are generally concerned with a variety of mechanisms for heat management. Generators can include any number of features including selective radiation surfaces, low emissivity surfaces, flat panel configurations, evacuated environments, and other concepts that can act to provide thermal concentration. Designs utilizing one or more optical concentrators are also disclosed. | 07-19-2012 |
20120217165 | Metal deposition using seed layers - Methods of forming a conductive metal layers on substrates are disclosed which employ a seed layer to enhance bonding, especially to smooth, low-roughness or hydrophobic substrates. In one aspect of the invention, the seed layer can be formed by applying nanoparticles onto a surface of the substrate; and the metallization is achieved by electroplating an electrically conducting metal onto the seed layer, whereby the nanoparticles serve as nucleation sites for metal deposition. In another approach, the seed layer can be formed by a self-assembling linker material, such as a sulfur-containing silane material. | 08-30-2012 |
20120326097 | Half-Heusler Alloys with Enhanced Figure of Merit and Methods of Making - Thermoelectric materials and methods of making thermoelectric materials having a nanometer mean grain size less than 1 micron. The method includes combining and arc melting constituent elements of the thermoelectric material to form a liquid alloy of the thermoelectric material and casting the liquid alloy of the thermoelectric material to form a solid casting of the thermoelectric material. The method also includes ball milling the solid casting of the thermoelectric material into nanometer mean size particles and sintering the nanometer size particles to form the thermoelectric material having nanometer scale mean grain size. | 12-27-2012 |
20130019924 | Nanoscopically Thin Photovoltaic Junction Solar Cells - Nanoscopically thin photovoltaic junction solar cells are disclosed herein. In an embodiment, there is provided a photovoltaic film | 01-24-2013 |
20130175484 | Half-Heusler Alloys with Enhanced Figure of Merit and Methods of Making - Thermoelectric materials and methods of making thermoelectric materials having a nanometer mean grain size less than 1 micron. The method includes combining and arc melting constituent elements of the thermoelectric material to form a liquid alloy of the thermoelectric material and casting the liquid alloy of the thermoelectric material to form a solid casting of the thermoelectric material. The method also includes ball milling the solid casting of the thermoelectric material into nanometer mean size particles and sintering the nanometer size particles to form the thermoelectric material having nanometer scale mean grain size. | 07-11-2013 |
20130234375 | Methods of Synthesizing Thermoelectric Materials - Methods for synthesis of thermoelectric materials are disclosed. In some embodiments, a method of fabricating a thermoelectric material includes generating a plurality of nanoparticles from a starting material comprising one or more chalcogens and one or more transition metals; and consolidating the nanoparticles under elevated pressure and temperature, wherein the nanoparticles are heated and cooled at a controlled rate. | 09-12-2013 |
20130247953 | ELECTRODE MATERIALS AND CONFIGURATIONS FOR THERMOELECTRIC DEVICES - Thermoelectric devices and associated materials and assembly methods are generally described. Certain aspects relate to electrode materials and electrode configurations for use in thermoelectric devices. In some embodiments, the inventive thermoelectric devices comprise electrodes comprising silicon, such as silicides of cobalt, iron, and/or nickel. Such electrode materials can be useful for making electrical contact with a wide variety of thermoelectric materials, including skutterudite materials. The thermoelectric devices described herein can be used to convert applied voltages to thermal gradients and or to convert thermal gradients to electricity. | 09-26-2013 |
20130256609 | Thermoelectric Materials and Methods for Synthesis Thereof - Materials having improved thermoelectric properties are disclosed. In some embodiments, lead telluride/selenide based materials with improved figure of merit and mechanical properties are disclosed. In some embodiments, the lead telluride/selenide based materials of the present disclosure are p-type thermoelectric materials formed by adding sodium (Na), silicon (Si) or both to thallium doped lead telluride materials. In some embodiments, the lead telluride/selenide based materials are formed by doping lead telluride/selenides with potassium. | 10-03-2013 |
20140102498 | Methods of Fabricating Thermoelectric Elements - Methods of fabricating a thermoelectric element with reduced yield loss include forming a solid body of thermoelectric material having first dimension of 150 mm or more and thickness dimension of 5 mm or less, and dicing the body into a plurality of thermoelectric legs, without cutting along the thickness dimension of the body. Further methods include providing a metal material over a surface of a thermoelectric material, and hot pressing the metal material and the thermoelectric material to form a solid body having a contact metal layer and a thermoelectric material layer. | 04-17-2014 |
20140109895 | METALLIC COMPOSITE PHASE-CHANGE MATERIALS AND METHODS OF USING THE SAME - Metallic composite phase-change materials and methods of using are disclosed. In some embodiments, a thermal energy storage module is provide that included one or more phase change alloys having a variable phase transition temperature between about 400° C. and about 1200° C. and having a latent heat of more than about 200 kJ/kg. | 04-24-2014 |
20140191435 | NANOCOMPOSITES WITH HIGH THERMOELECTRIC FIGURES OF MERIT - The present invention is generally directed to nanocomposite thermoelectric materials that exhibit enhanced thermoelectric properties. The nanocomposite materials include two or more components, with at least one of the components forming nano-sized structures within the composite material. The components are chosen such that thermal conductivity of the composite is decreased without substantially diminishing the composite's electrical conductivity. Suitable component materials exhibit similar electronic band structures. For example, a band-edge gap between at least one of a conduction band or a valence band of one component material and a corresponding band of the other component material at interfaces between the components can be less than about 5 k | 07-10-2014 |