Patents Examined by T. Thomas
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Patent number: 9959870Abstract: A system and method of speech recognition involving a mobile device. Speech input is received (202) on a mobile device (102) and converted (204) to a set of phonetic symbols. Data relating to the phonetic symbols is transferred (206) from the mobile device over a communications network (104) to a remote processing device (106) where it is used (208) to identify at least one matching data item from a set of data items (114). Data relating to the at least one matching data item is transferred (210) from the remote processing device to the mobile device and presented (214) thereon.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2009Date of Patent: May 1, 2018Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Melvyn Hunt, John Bridle
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Patent number: 9886433Abstract: For detecting logograms using multiple inputs, code executable by a processor may detect a sub-logogram from a written input to a written input device, detect a pronunciation from an audio input to an audio input device, and display one or more logogram hints in response to detecting the sub-logogram and the pronunciation. Each logogram hint of the one or more logogram hints includes the sub-logogram.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 2015Date of Patent: February 6, 2018Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) PTE. LTD.Inventors: Song Wang, Ming Qian
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Patent number: 9881635Abstract: A method and system for filtering a multi-channel audio signal having a speech channel and at least one non-speech channel, to improve intelligibility of speech determined by the signal. In typical embodiments, the method includes steps of determining at least one attenuation control value indicative of a measure of similarity between speech-related content determined by the speech channel and speech-related content determined by the non-speech channel, and attenuating the non-speech channel in response to the at least one attenuation control value. Typically, the attenuating step includes scaling of a raw attenuation control signal (e.g., a ducking gain control signal) for the non-speech channel in response to the at least one attenuation control value. Some embodiments are a general or special purpose processor programmed with software or firmware and/or otherwise configured to perform filtering in accordance the invention.Type: GrantFiled: November 16, 2015Date of Patent: January 30, 2018Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing CorporationInventor: Hannes Muesch
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Patent number: 9870196Abstract: Online processing of a voice input directed to a voice-enabled electronic device is selectively aborted whenever it is determined that a voice input directed to the voice-enabled electronic device can be successfully processed locally by the device. Doing so may in some instances reduce the latency of responding to a voice input.Type: GrantFiled: May 27, 2015Date of Patent: January 16, 2018Assignee: GOOGLE LLCInventors: Sangsoo Sung, Yuli Gao, Prathab Murugesan
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Patent number: 9852729Abstract: Features are disclosed for spotting keywords in utterance audio data without requiring the entire utterance to first be processed. Likelihoods that a portion of the utterance audio data corresponds to the keyword may be compared to likelihoods that the portion corresponds to background audio (e.g., general speech and/or non-speech sounds). The difference in the likelihoods may be determined, and keyword may be triggered when the difference exceeds a threshold, or shortly thereafter. Traceback information and other data may be stored during the process so that a second speech processing pass may be performed. For efficient management of system memory, traceback information may only be stored for those frames that may encompass a keyword; the traceback information for older frames may be overwritten by traceback information for newer frames.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2016Date of Patent: December 26, 2017Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Bjorn Hoffmeister
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Patent number: 9805024Abstract: A semantic tagging method may add context to a sentence in order to increase search efficiency. Regardless of an author's writing style, translating semantic concepts into tags may increase search efficiency. Automatic semantic tagging of documents may allow semantic search and reasoning. Text for semantic tagging may include an email, a website chat room, an internet forum, or a text message. Additional texts may include aggregating general consensus of an emailed topic across multiple emails, whether in the same email chain or separate emails. To increase search efficiency, the analysis of prior communications within the body of text may comprise analyzing structured contextual information to facilitate with homophora resolution. The structured contextual information may include at least one of a sender email address, one or more recipient email addresses, a subject field, a message date and time stamp, and an attachment title.Type: GrantFiled: July 20, 2016Date of Patent: October 31, 2017Assignee: AMERICAN EXPRESS TRAVEL RELATED SERVICES COMPANY, INC.Inventors: Azriel Chelst, Nicola J. Guenigault, Jordan Rhys Powell
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Patent number: 7443010Abstract: A matrix form semiconductor package substrate that has an electrode situated in-between a plurality of IC package substrates for providing electrical communication to conductive pads on the substrate is provided. The matrix form semiconductor package substrate includes a plurality of IC package substrates that are integrally formed on a strip in a matrix pattern that has a boundary between each two of the plurality of IC package substrates. Each of the plurality of IC package substrates has a multiplicity of conductive pad traces and an electrode, or a plating bar, formed in a serpentine configuration along the boundary for providing electrical communication to the multiplicity of conductive pads.Type: GrantFiled: April 5, 2001Date of Patent: October 28, 2008Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.Inventors: Pei-Haw Tsao, Chender Huang, Chung-Yu Wang
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Patent number: 6787930Abstract: Alignment marks are formed when source and drain electrodes of a TFT are formed and thereon a thick red filter in formed. So that, the following respective color layers can be made thin on the red filter. Also, the exposure alignment laser permeates in an exposure step, and thereby the alignment marks can be accurately detected.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 2000Date of Patent: September 7, 2004Assignee: NEC LCD Technologies, Ltd.Inventors: Shinichi Nakata, Yuji Yamamoto, Mamoru Okamoto, Michiaki Sakamoto, Hironori Kikkawa, Muneo Maruyama
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Patent number: 6784064Abstract: A method of making a heterojunction bipolar transistor comprises the steps of: forming a mask layer on a compound semiconductor film by using a photomask for forming an emitter; and forming the emitter by wet-etching the compound semiconductor film by using the mask layer. The photomask has a pattern thereon for forming the emitter. The pattern is defined by a first area R associated with the shape of the emitter to be formed, and a plurality of second areas T1 to T4. Each of the second areas T1 to T4 includes first and second sides S1 and S2 meeting each other to form an acute angle therebetween, and a third side S3 in contact with the first area R. In each of the second areas T1 to T4, one side S3 of the two sides meeting each other to form a right angle therebetween is in contact with one side of the area R, whereas the other side S1 is connected to another side of the first area R to form a line segment.Type: GrantFiled: December 27, 2001Date of Patent: August 31, 2004Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Seiji Yaegashi, Kenji Kotani, Masaki Yanagisawa, Hiroshi Yano
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Patent number: 6770978Abstract: There is provided is a metal line structure in which no defect of blistering occurs on a surface of a Cu/Ni film or a Cu/Au/Ni film even if an Ni plating thickness is reduced. According to this metal line 1, in a Cu/Au/Ni film structure in which an Au film 13 and a Cu film 15 are successively laminated by electroless plating on an Ni film 12 formed by electroless plating, the Ni film 12 has a phosphorus content x of 10 wt %≦x≦15 wt %. It was discovered through experiments that the so-called high phosphorus content type Ni film 12 having a phosphorus content x of 10 to 15 percent by weight became a fine smooth film under a condition of a film thickness of 0.1 &mgr;m or greater.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2001Date of Patent: August 3, 2004Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yoshihiro Izumi, Yoshimasa Chikama, Satoshi Kawashima, Takaharu Hashimoto
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Patent number: 6738410Abstract: A grating based line narrowing unit with bi-directional beam expansion for line narrowing lasers. In a preferred embodiment a beam from the chamber of the laser is expanded in the horizontal direction with a three-prism beam expander and is expanded in the vertical direction with a single prism. A narrow band of wavelengths in the expanded beam is reflected from a grating in a Littrow configuration back via the two beam expanders into the laser chamber for amplification.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2000Date of Patent: May 18, 2004Assignee: Cymer, Inc.Inventors: William N. Partlo, Alexander I. Ershov, Scott T. Smith
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Patent number: 6734515Abstract: A semiconductor light receiving element having a light receiving layer (1) formed from a GaN group semiconductor, and an electrode (2) formed on one surface of the light receiving layer as a light receiving surface (1a) in such a way that the light (L) can enter the light receiving layer is provided. When the light receiving element is of a Schottky barrier type, the aforementioned electrode (2) contains at least a Schottky electrode, which is formed in such a way that, on the light receiving surface (1a), the total length of the boundary lines between areas covered with the Schottky electrode and exposed areas is longer than the length of the outer periphery of the light receiving surface (1a).Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2001Date of Patent: May 11, 2004Assignees: Mitsubishi Cable Industries, Ltd., Nikon CorporationInventors: Kazuyuki Tadatomo, Hiroaki Okagawa, Youichiro Ohuchi, Masahiro Koto, Kazumasa Hiramatsu, Yutaka Hamamura, Sumito Shimizu
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Patent number: 6255151Abstract: A steplike offset between a memory cell array region and a peripheral circuit region, which is caused by a capacitor C, is reduced by an insulating film having a thickness substantially equal to the height of the capacitor C. Wiring or interconnection grooves are defined in the neighborhood of the surface of an insulating film whose surface is flattened by a CMP method. Further, connecting holes are defined in lower portions of the bottom faces of the interconnection grooves respectively. Second layer interconnections containing copper are formed within the interconnection grooves, and connecting portions containing copper are formed within the connecting holes. The second layer interconnections and first layer interconnections are connected to each other by the connecting portions whose lengths are shortened. The second layer interconnections and the connecting portions are integrally formed by a damascene method using the CMP method.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 1998Date of Patent: July 3, 2001Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Takuya Fukuda, Yuzuru Ohji, Nobuyoshi Kobayashi
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Patent number: 6018176Abstract: A method for manufacturing a three-dimensionally structured vertical transistor or memory cell forms a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) structure on a semiconductor substrate and sequentially deposits a drain region, a channel region and a source region on the SOI substrate structure. The transistor includes a cylinder-type gate insulation layer surrounding the channel region and a gate electrode surrounding the gate insulation layer, having increased integration. This process and structure avoid the characteristic degradation caused by the leakage current associated with the trench process and structure.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 1997Date of Patent: January 25, 2000Assignee: SamSung Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventor: Byung-hak Lim
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Patent number: 5760476Abstract: In a first approach, an interconnect structure (10) reduces peak localized interconnect current density by distributing current flow around the perimeter (22) of an interlevel connector (14) in a semiconductor device. A first interconnect level (12) is connected to a second interconnect level by the interlevel connector (14), and the perimeter (22) of the interlevel connector (14) is located at the juncture between the first interconnect level (12) and the interlevel connector (14). The first interconnect level (12) has two or more fingers (16,18,20) protruding therefrom that connect to the perimeter (22) of the interlevel connector (14). At least one opening (36, 38) is disposed between two of the fingers (16,18,20) for dividing current flow.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 1996Date of Patent: June 2, 1998Assignee: Motorola, Inc.Inventors: Charles J. Varker, Michael L. Dreyer, Thomas E. Zirkle
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Patent number: 5714416Abstract: A semiconductor device used as a semiconductor memory device is disclosed which is made of an amorphous silicon material that provides either a "1" or "0" memory state when the amorphous silicon material is in a non-conduction or insulating state and a "0" or "1" memory state when the amorphous silicon material is transformed, by use of a breakdown voltage applied to electrodes coupled thereto, into a conducting state. The amorphous silicon material is located adjacent to a doped semiconductor region of a semiconductor substrate separated only by a relatively thin primarily metal ohmic contact. The resulting semiconductor structure for the semiconductor device or semiconductor memory device is primarily a single level metalization type structure. A write-once, read-only semiconductor memory array is also disclosed which uses, as each memory cell of the array, one of the disclosed semiconductor memory devices.Type: GrantFiled: April 28, 1995Date of Patent: February 3, 1998Assignee: Microchip Technology IncorporatedInventors: Eric C. Eichman, Thomas C. Salt
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Patent number: 5384279Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device is set forth, comprising a silicon body (1) having a surface (4) where there are situated a number of semiconductor regions (5, 6) and field oxide regions (7). The semiconductor regions is formed, after the field oxide regions have been provided, by implantations of n-type and p-type dopants. In accordance with the invention the implantations with the n-type dopant (10, 11, 14), which are performed using an implantation mask (8) provided on the surface and comprising openings (9) at the area of a part of the semiconductor regions (5) to be formed, are combined with the implantations with the p-type dopant (12, 13, 15) which are carried out without using the implantation mask. Thus, the semiconductor regions (5, 6) are realised by means of a single implantation mask (8).Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 1993Date of Patent: January 24, 1995Assignee: U.S. Philips CorporationInventors: Andre Stolmeijer, Paulus M. T. M. Van Attekum, Hubertus Den Blanken, Paulus A. Van Der Plas, Reinier De Werdt
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Patent number: 5268321Abstract: A semiconductor memory device comprises a p.sup.- -type semiconductor substrate (1), p.sup.+ -type regions (15, 80) formed thereon, n.sup.+ -type regions (6, 7) surrounded with the p.sup.+ -type regions (15, 80), a first gate electrode (2) formed on a charge storage region in the n.sup.+ -type region (6), and a second gate electrode (3) formed on the p.sup.+ -type region (80) and serving as a word line. The p.sup.+ -type regions (15, 80) prevent passage of electrons out of electron-hole pairs induced by alpha rays so as to prevent occurrence of soft errors. An oxide film (16) is formed on the side wall of the second gate electrode (3), a titanium silicide film (17) is formed on the n.sup.+ -type regions (6, 7) and a titanium silicide film (18) is formed on the second gate electrode (3) in a self-aligning manner. Therefore, increase of interconnection resistance of the second gate electrode (3 ) and diffusion resistance of the n.sup.+ -type regions (6, 7) is prevented.Type: GrantFiled: January 9, 1989Date of Patent: December 7, 1993Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masahiro Shimizu, Hiroki Shimano, Masahide Inuishi, Katsuhiro Tsukamoto
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Patent number: 5075249Abstract: A BIC memory cell device comprises a first insulating layer covering a MOS structure, a first penetrating opening in the first insulating layer in correspondence to a drain region and defined by an inclined first side wall which defines the diameter of the first opening such that the diameter increases towards a top surface of the first insulating layer, a second penetrating opening in the first insulating layer in correspondence to a source region and defined by a second side wall having a straight vertical cross section, a third penetrating opening in the first insulating layer in correspondence to a gate electrode and defined by a third side wall having a straight vertical cross section, a second insulating layer provided on the first insulating layer in correspondence to the drain region, a first wiring electrode deposited such that the second insulating layer is sandwiched between the first wiring electrode and the drain region, and second and third wiring electrodes contacting with the source region andType: GrantFiled: March 31, 1989Date of Patent: December 24, 1991Assignee: Fujitsu LimitedInventors: Noriaki Sato, Kazunori Imaoka
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Patent number: 5061651Abstract: In a semiconductor memory integrated circuit device having a stacked capacitor cell, a first plate electrode and a first dielectric film are formed underneath a charge storage electrode a charge storage electrode, and a second dielectric film and a second plate electrode are formed over the charge storage electrode. The charge storage electrode has contact with the diffusion region through a contact hole penetrating the first dielectric material. The first and second plate electrodes are connected via a contact hole penetrating the first and second electric films outside the cell area. Because both the upper surface and the lower surface of the charge storage electrode are utilized for formation of the capacitor the size of the capacitor can be halved to produce the same capacitance.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 1989Date of Patent: October 29, 1991Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.Inventor: Masayoshi Ino