Abstract: A signal router routes N inputs to M outputs. All inputs signals are ultimately applied to a data buss by spreading across multiple buss lines and time multiplexing. The data are read from the buss and written in identical images to K random access memories. The memories are addressed and read according to a different schedule for each of K output signals that are ultimately demultiplexed to M outputs. As each RAM image is read, another RAM image is written and vice versa. Since each RAM image contains the same data, the generation of signals from each RAM to supply each of the respective K output signals can be done at a rate that is substantially more independent of the input, buss, or RAM write operations than prior art techniques permit.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for monitoring traffic using vision-based technologies to recognize events and violations. The disclosed traffic monitoring system includes one or more image capture devices focused on a roadway where vehicles travel. The captured images are processed by the traffic monitoring system to identify one or more predefined events or traffic violations. A number of rules can be utilized to define various traffic-related events, including traffic violations. Each rule contains one or more conditions, and, optionally, a corresponding action-item that should be performed when the rule is satisfied. Upon detection of a predefined traffic event, the corresponding action, if any, is performed by the traffic monitoring system.

Abstract: The performance of the main regulatory transistor of an on-chip voltage regulator circuit is enhanced when the main transistor is appropriately biased during start up. In an example embodiment, a voltage regulator circuit includes a thin gate oxide transistor as the main regulatory transistor and an operational amplifier that is referenced to a midlevel operating voltage. During start-up, the potential voltage difference is large enough to necessitate the disconnection of the main transistor from the operational amplifier. A voltage divider ladder circuit is used to maintain the gate voltage of the main transistor at the midlevel voltage while a smaller thick gate oxide transistor is used to maintain loop stability and to withstand voltage transients.

Abstract: Cable TV providers have an infrastructure which is well suited for providing additional services such as telephone and data connections to their subscribers. Techniques are disclosed for improving the error detection, masking, and avoidance capabilities of such a system. Because the system can distinguish telephony from data traffic, alternate error masking techniques can be employed for each type of traffic. An erroneous telephony packet, for example, can be replaced by silence, because the ear is relatively insensitive to short voids. Additionally, the links to the data or telephony provider can be maintained by the cable provider during interim noise periods. Because the network is structured as a multiple access network, and the likelihood of simultaneous upstream messages from all subscribers is low, error monitoring can be implemented on underutilized equipment to effect error avoidance, both as a preventive measure as well as a corrective measure.

Abstract: In a method for treating perfluorocompound gas contained in exhaust emissions from plasma processing a plasma abatement device is first provided downstream of a plasma processing chamber. Next, perfluorocompound gas contained in exhaust emissions from the plasma processing chamber is channeled into the plasma abatement device. A gas containing water vapor is then introduced into the plasma abatement device. In a method for reducing the amount of perfluorocompound gas contained in exhaust emissions from plasma processing exhaust emissions from plasma processing containing a perfluorocompound gas are contacted with a gas containing water vapor. The exhaust emissions from plasma processing containing the perfluorocompound gas may be contacted with the gas containing water vapor in either a plasma abatement device provided downstream of a plasma processing chamber or directly in the plasma processing chamber. A method for forming an integrated circuit also is described.

Abstract: A RAM-based search engine for updating a horizontal sum representing the sum of the values of N pixels contained in a horizontal row of a reference pixel array during a motion estimation search during which the reference pixel array is displaced by one pixel in a horizontal search direction during each of a plurality of iterations of the motion estimation search.

Abstract: The present invention provides a device, method and system for the visualization of stringed instrument playing. The invention involves measuring a property of one or more strings, and using the property to create or modify a visual display. In one aspect of the invention, a change is measured in a property of a portion of a string of a stringed instrument and a signal is generated in response to the change. The signal can then be used to modify or create a visual display. In another aspect of the invention, a change in a property of each string on a stringed instrument is measured and signals are generated for each change. These signals may be low level signals that are processed to generate one or more high level signals providing, e.g., an overview of how the instrument is being played. The high level signals, low level signals, or both may be used to modify or create a display.

Abstract: A transistor structure having dimensions below about 100 nm is provided. The transistor structure comprises a substrate with a first polarity. The substrate includes a shallow halo implant having the first polarity defined at a first depth within the substrate. The substrate also has a deep halo implant which is the same polarity as the substrate and is defined to a second depth deeper than the first depth of the shallow halo implant. The shallow halo implant and the deep halo implant allow a peak concentration of substrate impurities at a level below the gate such that the resistance of the transistor is minimized along with the threshold voltage, short channel effects and leakage current in the transistor.

Abstract: For use with a sub-micron semiconductor process, a trench isolation process improves the etch profile of trenches among dense and isolated lines. In an example embodiment, a process forms a dielectric stack of silicon dioxide, silicon nitride and silicon oxynitride on a silicon substrate. Photolithography and etch define trench regions in the silicon substrate through the dielectric stack. Silicon oxynitride acts as a hard mask reducing differences in the sidewall slope among dense areas of the semiconductor device and the sparse areas of the semiconductor device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing peer-to-peer communications between televisions wherein a query request is sent from any of the televisions to any other of the televisions. The query request is for information identifying content currently watched on the queried television including samples of the currently watched content. In operation, each television is first identified to each other television. The identifying information includes determining whether a given television may receive content identifying information from each other of the televisions. In some instances, the querying television may only be allowed to receive certain types of content identifying information from the queried television. The identifying of the television is performed by either the televisions or a mediator that is separate from each of the televisions. The televisions receive information identifying what content identifying information a given other television may receive from a user of the televisions.

Abstract: A method of transmitting information in a communications system. The method preferably includes the steps of establishing a communications link between a base station and a temporary node, attempting to maintain a second communication link between the base station and a wireless terminal and upon a determination that the second link cannot be established or satisfactorily maintained, transmitting information from the first base station to the temporary node so that the temporary node can retransmit the information to the wireless terminal, attempting to reestablish the second link and upon such establishment, discontinuing the transmission of subsequent information from the base station to the temporary node and directly transmitting the subsequent information to the wireless terminal from the base station. A system to carry out the foregoing steps is also provided.

Abstract: A gray-code counter system (AP1) for a RAM-based FIFO comprises a read pointer (10), a write pointer (20), and a detector (30). The read pointer includes a gray-code decoder (11), a binary incrementer (12), a gray-code encoder (13), and a register (14) that holds the pointer count). The binary incrementer increments by 1 except when the input is 0110 (decimal 6) or 1110 (decimal 14); in these cases, it increments by 3. The result is a 4-bit modulo-12 gray-code sequence with the twelve allowed gray-code values being distributed among the sixteen possible 4-bit gray code values with translational and reflective bilateral symmetry. The write pointer is similar. Because of the translational symmetry, detectors that work with counters with modulo numbers that are power of two work with the corresponding non-power-of-two counter to provide “full” and “empty” indications.

Abstract: A security system incorporates a reasoning system and security rules and processes that are designed to be as unobtrusive as the situation permits. Two independent aspects of the system facilitate the enforcement of rules and processes in an unobtrusive manner. First, transponders that can be triggered and sensed from a distance are preferably used to identify both items and individuals. These remotely sensed identifiers are processed by the reasoning system to determine whether each identified item is authorized, or likely to be authorized, to be removed from, or brought into, a secured location by the identified individual. Second, the system continually modifies and optimizes its rules and processes based on assessments of security events. An initial set of rules is created for the security system that, generally, prohibit the removal of secured items from the secured location, except that certain individuals are authorized to remove specified items from the secured location.

Abstract: A ceramic metal halide arc tube is surrounded by a protective sleeve supported by a metal frame having current carrying wire frame members brazed into the metal ferrules of a PAR-lamp. Each frame member has an S-shaped bend which engages the lower end of the sleeve, and a spacer separates the upper ends of the frame to create a rigid self-supporting structure.

Abstract: An HID lamp utilizes a wire frame member having an integral coil with spaces between windings to relieve thermal stress and provide shock absorption in a ceramic metal halide discharge lamp mounted concentrically in an elliptical-dimple (ED-type) glass envelope. The wire frame member has a first end welded to a current carrying support member embedded in the stem and a second end welded to an upper axial lead of the arc tube, the coil being situated about the dimple. The lower axial lead fixed relative to a second current carrying support member embedded in the stem, so that the coil compresses when the arc tube expands relative to the wire frame member.

Abstract: A heating apparatus having a heating grid array wherein individual elements of the heating grid array may by selected, thereby producing a heating/browning effect from the selected elements. Groups of the individual elements may be selected such that a desired heating/browning pattern is achieved. Elements of the grid array are selected for a duration of time such that a desired heating/browning pattern is produced. The heating apparatus contains an addressing circuit for addressing the grid array and a memory for storing heating/browning patterns. The heating device also contains a timing element for controlling the duration of time that the heating/browning pattern is applied. The memory contains duration data corresponding to all, or portions of the selected elements of the grid array. The duration data varies over the selected elements of the grid array so that different selected elements of the grid array are selected for different durations of time.

Abstract: A cassette form factor device containing a drive wheel and a generator. The drive wheel is positioned to be in frictional contact with a pinch-roller of a cassette-playing device when the cassette form factor device is inserted into a play position on the cassette-playing device. The generator is driven by the drive wheel and generates electrical power to energize one or both of the cassette form-factor device and an external device when the cassette-playing device drives the drive wheel. The cassette form factor device may contain an MP3 player having a read/write head. The read/write head is positioned so that when the cassette form factor device is inserted into the play position on the cassette-playing device, the read/write head may provide content from the MP3 player to the cassette-playing device. The cassette form factor device may contain a rechargeable battery operatively that is connected to the generator so that the generator may recharge the rechargeable battery.

Abstract: This invention relates to a system and method for reducing blocking artifacts introduced by current compression algorithms that compress images as independent blocks of pixels. Preferably, the methods of the invention include determining block-to-block differences in edge pixels or in overall intensities between adjacent pixel blocks, selecting pixel blocks for post-processing that appear to be in relatively featureless regions of the image, interpolating the block-to-block edge differences into a error correction matrix, and then subtracting the error correction matrix from the original pixel block. These methods are preferably implemented in special software routines that execute on micro-processor based systems or on digital signal processor based systems optimized for image decoding.

Abstract: In a method for determining the nitrogen concentration in a film of nitrided oxide material formed over a semiconductor wafer during fabrication of a semiconductor device an optical property of the film of nitrided oxide material is determined. The determined optical property is used to determine the nitrogen concentration in the film of nitrided oxide material. In one embodiment the optical property, e.g., extinction coefficient, k, is correlated to the nitrogen concentration measured by secondary ion mass spectroscopy. In a method of making a semiconductor device a film of nitrided oxide material is formed over a plurality of semiconductor wafers in a fab. The nitrogen concentration in the film of nitrided oxide material is monitored by periodically subjecting one of the wafers to an in-line test in the fab.

Abstract: A packaged semiconductor circuit for use in processing digital and RF signals. The packaged semiconductor circuit includes a package structure having a first side that includes a metallization layer. The metallization layer has a first part at about a center of the first side and a second part that surrounds the center. The circuit further includes a semiconductor die that is attached to the package structure at about the first part of the metallization layer. The semiconductor die has an interconnection side including an array of bumps that are configured to make electrical connection to selected ones of a first plurality of metallization traces that are defined in the first part of the metallization layer of the package structure. The circuit also includes a spiral inductor trace that is formed from the metallization layer of the package structure and is defined in the first part of the metallization layer.