Patents Represented by Attorney Amin & Turocy, LLP
  • Patent number: 6992625
    Abstract: An architecture for minimizing calibration effort in an IEEE 802.11 device location measurement system. The calibration technique is based upon a regression function that produces adequately accurate location information as a function of signal strength regardless of gaps in the calibration data or minimally available data. The algorithm takes a set of signal strengths from known room locations in a building and generates a function giving (x,y) as a function of signal strength, which function may then be used for the estimation of new locations. Radial basis functions, which are simple to express and compute, are used for regression. The fact that the algorithm maps signal strength to continuous location makes it possible to skip rooms during calibration, yet still evaluate the location in those rooms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: John C. Krumm, John C. Platt
  • Patent number: 6992323
    Abstract: Disclosed are memory devices with high data reading and writing speed along with capabilities for long term storage and high information density. The memory devices allow storage of several bits of data, have fast resistance switching and require low operating voltage but at the same time allow to combine its manufacturing technology with the modern semiconductor manufacturing technology. An exemplary implementation option of the memory cell contains two continuous electrodes between which there is a multilayer functional zone consisting of one active layer, one barrier layer and one passive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Juri Heinrich Krieger, Nikolay Fedorovich Yudanov
  • Patent number: 6987221
    Abstract: The present invention relates to systems and/or methods that generate playlist(s) for a library or collection of media items via selecting a plurality of seed items, at least one of which is an undesirable seed item. Some of the seed items are desirable indicating that a user prefers additional media items similar to the desirable seed items and others are undesirable indicating that the user prefers additional media items dissimilar to the undesirable seed items. Additionally, the seed items can be weighted to establish a relative importance of the seed items. The invention compares media items in the collection with the seed items and determines which media items are added into the playlist by computation of similarity metrics or values. The playlist can be regenerated by adding desirable seed items to the playlist and removing media items from the playlist (e.g., undesirable seed items).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2006
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: John C. Platt
  • Patent number: 6987372
    Abstract: A motor drive and a choke therefor are disclosed, wherein the choke comprises a magnetic core with an inner leg and two outer legs, and four coils, which may be connected in DC current paths in the motor drive. First and second differential coils are wound around first and second outer legs, respectively; and first and second common-mode coils are wound around the inner leg of the choke. The first and second differential coils smooth the DC current on a DC bus in the motor drive, and the first and second common-mode coils suppress common-mode voltages in the motor drive. Also disclosed is a method for suppressing common-mode voltages in a motor drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2006
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Bin Wu, Steven C. Rizzo, Navid R. Zagari, Yuan Xiao
  • Patent number: 6988132
    Abstract: A system and method for identifying and establishing preferred modalities or channels for communications based on participants' preferences and capabilities is provided. In one approach, the system attempts to optimize the inferred or directly accessed preferences of a contactee given the accessed or inferred preferences, capabilities and goals of the contactor while keeping the rationale and context of the contactee private. Such optimization can be achieved using preferences and policies concerning handling the attempted contact based on a deterministic specification or through inferring context, content and task under uncertainty by employing decision-theoretic inferences to attempt to maximize the expected utility of the communication to the contactee.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2006
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Eric Horvitz
  • Patent number: 6988072
    Abstract: Conversational dialog with a computer or other processor-based device without requiring push-to-talk functionality. In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method first determines that a user desires to engage in a dialog. Based thereon the method turns on a speech recognition functionality for a period of time referred to as a listening horizon. Upon the listening horizon expiring, the method turns off the speech recognition functionality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2006
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Eric Horvitz
  • Patent number: 6987512
    Abstract: A system and method is provided for facilitating navigation techniques in a three-dimensional virtual environment. The present invention couples input driving techniques to the state of one or more workspace variables (e.g., object state, virtual body state, environment state) to change the user's viewing context within a single input control motion. Modification of the user's viewing context allows navigation to various positions and orientations with out the need to be provided with that viewing context prior to navigation. The modification of the user's viewing context also allows for single input motion employing the same input drive controls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2006
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: George G. Robertson, Mary P. Czerwinski, Desney Tan
  • Patent number: 6982095
    Abstract: Capsules which contain vital cells or tissues as the contents and in which these cells or tissues can be grown. Since these cells or tissues can be grown in the capsules, an extremely high cell density can be achieved. By using these capsules, foods having an excellent effect of ameliorating intestinal disorders, etc. can be provided. Moreover, it is possible to provide artificial seeds showing an excellent storage stability and a high germination ratio which comprise seamless soft capsules consisting of an innermost layer containing indefinite embryo, indefinite shoots, multiple shoots, shoot apexes, growing points, protocorm-like bodies, indefinite roots, hairy roots, etc., an inner coating layer comprising a hardened oil and an outer coating layer made of a biodegradable film comprising gelatin, polysaccharides, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2006
    Assignee: Morishita Jintan Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masanori Asada, Yumi Hatano, Ryosei Kamaguchi, Hideki Sunohara
  • Patent number: 6982043
    Abstract: Disclosed are a system and method for monitoring a patterned photoresist clad-wafer structure undergoing an etch process. The system includes a semiconductor wafer structure comprising a substrate, one or more intermediate layers overlying the substrate, and a first patterned photoresist layer overlying the intermediate layers, the semiconductor wafer structure being etched through one or more openings in the photoresist layer; a wafer-etch photoresist monitoring system programmed to obtain data relating to the photoresist layer as the etch process progresses; a pattern-specific grating aligned with the wafer structure and employed in conjunction with the monitoring system, the grating having at least one of a pitch and a critical dimension identical to the first patterned photoresist layer; and a wafer processing controller operatively connected to the monitoring system and adapted to receive data from the monitoring system in order to determine adjustments to a subsequent wafer clean process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2006
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Ramkumar Subramanian, Bharath Rangarajan, Catherine B. Labelle, Bhanwar Singh, Christopher F. Lyons
  • Patent number: 6981423
    Abstract: A system and method relating to the measuring of torque in a rotating shaft is provided. An optical torque sensing system comprises a rotating shaft, wherein a sleeve of photo-elastic material overlays a portion of the shaft. A light emitting component delivers light into the photo-elastic material, wherein the light delivered by the light emitting component is directed through the photo-elastic material along an axis of the rotating shaft. A capturing component captures the light that exits the photo-elastic material. The exiting light comprises fringe pattern data, and a computing system computes torsion strain of the shaft based at least in part on the fringe pattern information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2006
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Frederick M. Discenzo
  • Patent number: 6982188
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for creating smooth surfaces for layers that are employed in memory cells and have previously been subject to a CMP process. The present invention employs various cycles of exposing the post CMP surface to inorganic and organic acids, as well as growing passive layers. The systems and methods may comprise an electroless feature for forming the passive layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2006
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc
    Inventors: James J. Xie, Minh V. Ngo, Sergey D. Lopatin
  • Patent number: 6978934
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for reducing power consumption in a data collection device. The method includes providing a power detector in an interface component of the data collection device and sensing the power delivered to the scan engine component of the device using the power detector. The power delivered to at least a portion of the interface component is selectively reduced according to the sensed power delivered to the scan engine component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2005
    Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Chen Feng
  • Patent number: 6981267
    Abstract: A system for parallel asynchronous command execution is provided. The system includes a first computer system for directing a plurality of calls to at least one other computer system. The first computer system invokes a remote procedure in the other computer system and receives results from the procedure via an event triggered by the other computer system. The system may also include a distributed object architecture for communicating between the first computer system and the other computer system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2005
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander E. Mallet, Justin Grant, Michael W. Thomas
  • Patent number: 6979837
    Abstract: The present invention provides a multi-layer organic memory device that can operate as a non-volatile memory device having a plurality of stacked and/or parallel memory structures constructed therein. A multi-cell and multi-layer organic memory component can be formed with two or more electrodes having a selectively conductive media between the electrodes forming individual cells, while utilizing a partitioning component to enable stacking of additional memory cells on top of or in association with previously formed cells. Memory stacks can be formed by adding additional layers—respective layers separated by additional partitioning components, wherein multiple stacks can be formed in parallel to provide a high-density memory device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2005
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas H. Tripsas, Uzodinma Okoroanyanwu, Suzette K. Pangrle, Michael A. VanBuskirk
  • Patent number: 6980298
    Abstract: A system for determining at least one condition of a seal including an optical fiber for transmitting light from a light source. The optical fiber is embedded in the seal and operatively coupled to an interferometric system. The interferometric system is operatively coupled to a processor. The interferometric system provides the processor with information relating to wear of the optical fiber, and the processor determines wear of the seal, rate of wear and remaining useful life of the seal based on the information relating to wear of the optical fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2005
    Assignee: Reliance Electric Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Frederick M. Discenzo
  • Patent number: 6980201
    Abstract: A method of determining a type of touch plane operator input device comprises sensing the impedance across first and second terminals of a touch plane operator input device to distinguish the touch plane operator input device as being one of at least two different types of touch plane operator input devices. A method of processing an input from a touch plane operator input device comprises determining a first location of a first touch on the touch plane operator input device; determining a second location of a second touch on the touch plane operator input device; comparing the first and second locations to obtain an indication of an amount of difference between the first and second locations; and determining whether the indication of the amount of difference exceeds a predetermined amount. These steps are performed by discrete logic circuitry that provides an event notification to a microprocessor when the indication of the amount of difference exceeds the predetermined amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2005
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Gary Dan Dotson
  • Patent number: 6980997
    Abstract: A system and method is provided to facilitate communications between object systems. A caller is provided having optimized in-lined functionality when initiating a remote function call between managed and unmanaged object systems, for example. The in-lined functionality includes utilizing direct calls and returns within a calling function. In this manner, pushing additional arguments onto an execution stack because of an external stub reference is mitigated. In addition, one or more code loops can be analyzed to enable stack markers to be “hoisted” and thus pushed a single time instead of each time the calling function executes. Other aspects of the optimized caller provide garbage collection and thread management, security attribute checking on outgoing calls, calling convention considerations, wherein arguments and return values are organized according to the convention utilized by the remote object system, and in-lined marshalling to provide enhanced performance over external stub code references.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2005
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Frank V. Peschel-Gallee, Raja Krishnaswamy, Patrick H. Dussud
  • Patent number: 6977389
    Abstract: The present invention provides a planar polymer memory device that can operate as a non-volatile memory device. A planar polymer memory device can be formed with two or more electrodes and an electrode extension associated with one electrode, wherein a selectively conductive medium and dielectric separate the electrodes. The method for forming a planar polymer memory device comprises at least one of forming a first electrode with an associated plug, forming a second electrode, forming a passive layer over the extension, depositing an organic polymer and patterning the organic polymer. The method affords integration of a planar polymer memory device into a semiconductor fabrication process. A thin film diode (TFD) can further be employed with a planar polymer memory device to facilitate programming. The TFD can be formed between the first electrode and the selectively conductive medium or the second electrode and the selectively conductive medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2005
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas H. Tripsas, Matthew S. Buynoski, Uzodinma Okoroanyanwu, Suzette K. Pangrle
  • Patent number: D513748
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2006
    Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jorg Schlieffers, Alistair Hamilton, Sudhir Bhatia, Katrika Woodcock, Vnessa Rimando, Quintin Morris, Richard Hanks
  • Patent number: D513749
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2006
    Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jorg Schlieffers, Alistair Hamilton, Sudhir Bhatia, Katrika Woodcock, Vnessa Rimando, Quintin Morris, Richard Hanks