Abstract: An apparatus comprising a first circuit, a second circuit and a third circuit. The first circuit may be configured to (i) generate a read power signal and (ii) control power of a laser beam emitted from an optical pick-up circuit during a read process. The second circuit may be configured to (i) generate a first write power signal and (ii) control one or more power levels of the laser beam during a write process in response to a second write power signal. The third circuit may be configured to generate the second write power signal and a third write power signal in response to a target write signal.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a center error creation circuit, a center error offset injection circuit and a center error controller. The center error creation circuit may be configured to generate a center error signal in response to one or more photo-diode signals. The center error offset injection circuit may be configured to (i) offset the center error signal and (ii) generate an offset signal. The lens controller may be configured to adjust a lens in a sled housing at a mechanical center is response to the offset signal when the apparatus is in a rough seek mode.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a drive server, a control server and one or more decoder devices. The drive server may be configured to present one or more DVD data streams in response to one or more input signals. The control server may be configured to present one or more compressed data streams in response to the one or more data streams and one or more request signals. The decoders may be configured to present a decoded video signal and a decoded audio signal in response to one of the compressed data streams and the request signals. The navigation software, which traditionally is processed local to the decoder, may be processed on the control server. The control server may be enabled to control the remote decoder.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a center error creation circuit, a center error controller, and a center error repeatable run out circuit. The center error creation circuit may be configured to generate a center error signal in response to photo-diode signals. The center error controller may be configured to adjust a lens to a center position in a sled housing with a step motor in response to a center error measure signal. The center error repeatable run out circuit may be configured to generate a center error run out signal and the center error measure signal in response to the center error signal. The center error repeatable run out circuit may generate the center error measure signal by measuring the center error signal when the center error run out signal is in a peak phase.

Abstract: A method for using an identification value for a security application is disclosed. The method may include the steps of (A) generating the identification value based on a plurality of semiconductor fabrication process variations, (B) generating a key by reducing a bit error rate of the identification value, wherein the key may not be available external to the security application and (C) generating an output signal by one of (i) encoding and (ii) decoding an input signal in response to said key.

Abstract: An electrolytic capacitor has at least one capacitor element and an insulating housing. Each capacitor element has a body and at least two leads. The leads connect to the body. The insulating housing has a base. The base has a top with at least one opening, a bottom, at least two holes and at least one chamber. The opening is sealed after the at least one capacitor element is mounted in the base. The holes are defined through the bottom and allow the leads to extend out and to be fastened with sealant. The chamber is formed in the base, communicates with the opening and the holes and receives the capacitor element. Because the electrolytic capacitor is simple, the electrolytic capacitor is assembled easily and quickly to lower cost. Further, the insulating housing is able to hold multiple capacitor elements, so the solid electrolytic capacitor has an increased capacitance.

Abstract: A method for display compositing is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) generating a plurality of respective color values and a plurality of respective blending values for a plurality of graphics pixels to be blended with a display picture, (B) examining in a sequence a plurality of neighboring pixels of the graphics pixels adjoining a current pixel of the graphics pixels, the current pixel having a current color value of the respective color values and a current blending value of the respective blending values and (C) replacing the current color value with the respective color value for a particular pixel of the neighboring pixels where (i) the respective blending value for the particular pixel comprises one of a plurality of non-transparent values and (ii) the current blending value comprises one of at least one transparent value.

Abstract: A platform application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) including a base layer. The base layer generally comprises a predefined input/output (I/O) region and a predefined core region. The predefined input/output (I/O) region may comprise a plurality of pre-diffused regions disposed in the platform ASIC. The predefined core region may comprise one or more metal layers defining a plurality of power regions formed according to a custom design created after the base layer is fabricated. The base layer can be customized by depositing one or more metal layers.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit may be configured to generate an output signal oscillating at a frequency in response to a first control signal and a second control signal. The second circuit may be configured to generate the second control signal in response to (i) an input voltage and (ii) the output signal. The second circuit (i) generates the second control signal by comparing a peak voltage of the output signal to the input voltage and (ii) adjusts an amplitude of the control signal in response to the comparison.

Abstract: A method to establish a position of a device receiving an input signal containing data from a plurality of satellites is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) calculating (i) an estimated position of the device and (ii) an estimated velocity vector of the device, (B) calculating a plurality of estimated locations of a plurality of pseudo-random code sequences in the input signal based on (i) the estimated position and (ii) the estimated velocity vector and (C) generating the position in an output signal based on the pseudo-random code sequences.

Abstract: A method of last known position reporting in a device is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) generating a request signal in an application module of the device, the request signal requesting a current position of the device while a plurality of navigation signals are too weak to calculate the current position, (B) calculating a sequence of known positions in a position module of the device, the known positions being calculated based on the navigation signals with sufficient strength, (C) calculating the current position in the position module in response to the request signal, the current position being calculated based on a last of the known positions and (D) generating a position signal in the position module, the position signal reporting the current position as a valid position to the application module.

Abstract: A method for demodulating a focusing error signal in an optical disc system, comprising the steps of (A) generating a beam strength signal and the focusing error signal, (B) sampling the beam strength signal and the focusing error signal at an appropriate sampling rate, (C) removing a static offset from the beam strength signal and the focusing error signal, (D) calibrating a peak-to-peak value of the beam strength signal and the focusing error signal, and (E) determining an appropriate phase to (i) demodulate the focusing error signal and (ii) calculate a vertical position of a lens in relation to a disc.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for storing image data comprising a first storage device and a second storage device. The first storage device may be configured to store at least one first pixel from a first field of a frame of the image at a first physical address in the first storage device. The second storage device may be configured to store a second pixel from a second field of the frame of the image at a second physical address in the second storage device. The first and second physical addresses may have the same relative position in an address space of the respective storage devices.

Abstract: A method for calibrating a center error signal in an optical disc system, comprising the steps of (i) measuring a peak-to-peak value of the center error signal, (ii) computing a nominal peak-to-peak value of the center error signal after locking to a particular track of an optical disc, (iii) computing the nominal peak-to-peak value of the center error signal for a run-out condition, and (iv) defining a calibration gain for the current value for the center error signal.

Abstract: Delivery of health information to a patient suffering from a chronic condition is personalized by displaying the health information directly on a customized image of a body. The patient's medical record, standards of care for the condition, prescribed treatments, and patient input are applied to a generalized health model of a disease to generate a personalized health model of the patient. The personalized health model comprises an HTML file encoding an image map of a body. The body image illustrates the health condition of the individual patient. Preferably, data is collected from health provider sources and stored in a database on a server at a service provider site. The data is processed at the server, and is displayed in the patient's home using a TV connected to a multimedia processor. The multimedia processor connects the television set to a communications network such as the Internet. Applications include preventive care of chronic diseases such as diabetes and asthma.

Abstract: A method for filtering digital video is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) checking a plurality of original blocks in an original field for a plurality of artifacts, wherein detection of the artifacts is based on an adjustable threshold, (B) first filtering each of the original blocks having at least one of the artifacts to remove the at least one artifact and (C) second filtering each of the original blocks lacking at least one of the artifacts to remove noise, wherein the second filtering is (i) motion compensated and (ii) adaptive to a respective noise level in each of the original blocks.

Abstract: A method for designing an integrated circuit is disclosed. The method generally comprises the steps of (A) splitting a design layout of the integrated circuit into a plurality of tiles, (B) adding a plurality of tie-to cells to the design layout, wherein at least one of the tie-to cells generating a tie-to signal at a particular logical level is added into each of the tiles having at least one gate with an input fixed to the particular logical level and (C) routing the tie-to signal to each of the inputs within each of the tiles.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising an oscillator circuit, a control circuit, a counter circuit and a detector circuit. The oscillator circuit may be configured to generate an output signal oscillating at a particular frequency in response to a control signal. The control circuit may be configured to generate the control signal in response to a first error signal and a second error signal. The counter circuit may be configured to generate the first error signal in response to the output signal and an input signal. The detector circuit may be configured to generate the second error signal in response to the output signal and the input signal.

Abstract: An apparatus including a first circuit, a second circuit and a third circuit. The first circuit may be configured to (a) receive (i) a plurality of input signals and (ii) a clock signal and (b) present (i) a plurality of low-swing differential signals and (ii) a full-swing differential signal. The second circuit may be configured to (a) receive (i) the plurality of low-swing differential signals, (ii) the full-swing differential signal and (iii) the clock signal and (b) present a plurality of output signals. The third circuit may be configured to communicate the plurality of low-swing differential signals and the full-swing differential signal from the first circuit to the second circuit. The third circuit may be further configured to generate a local clock in response to the full-swing differential signal.

Abstract: A method for optimizing a design of a circuit is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) identifying a plurality of first flip flops in the design and (B) replacing each of the first flip flops in a file of the design that do not have to be initialized during operations of the circuit with a respective second flip flop without an initialization capability.