Abstract: A method of producing a metal article intended for at least partially coating with a substance, which includes a metal solder, a plastic, a glass, or a ceramic. The metal article itself may include, in particular, connecting, supporting, or conducting components for an electronic component. The metal article has macroscopically smooth surface portions and a plurality of multiply curved nanopores in the region of at least one surface portion.

Abstract: Systems and methods for performing customizable analysis of a communication session between two entities includes loading predetermined first parser definitions, stored as at least one binary file, receiving second parser definitions in a form other than a binary file form, after the first parser definitions are already operating, loading and compiling the second parser definitions, and applying the first and second parser definitions to a communication session, wherein the first parser definitions identify standard components of the communication session and the second parser definitions are customizable and identify non-standard components of the communication session.

Abstract: A technique for determining the position of a device involves generating a set of N measurements from signals transmitted by a respective set of N references devices, where the N measurements are suitable for determining a position of the device using N-lateration. Respective reliability metrics are generated for the N measurements based on information about uncertainty of individual measurements. An N-lateration computation is used to iteratively refine an estimate of the position of the device. Each iteration includes adjusting the estimate of the position of the device based on a least squares function that minimizes a sum of squares of errors between the N measurements and distances between the estimate of the position of the device and the N reference sources. The least squares function is weighted in accordance with the reliability metrics for the N measurements.

Abstract: Activities within a workflow are either data management activities (DMAs) or non-DMAs. A workflow is typically carried out by a system by executing one activity after the other. This can, however, be very time consuming. A method and system are provided for optimizing a group of activities (GOA) comprising a DMA, whereby the GOA is comprised in the workflow to improve the overall performance. The method determines the DMAs, and for each DMA, a data level statement (DLS). The GOA is determined and a process graph model (PGM) is determined from the GOA so that the DLS is comprised in the PGM and the semantics of the PGM are identical to those of the GOA. The PGM is optimized for which an optimized GOA is determined. The semantics of the optimized GOA are identical to those of the GOA. In the workflow, the GOA is replaced by the optimized GOA.

Abstract: Techniques are provided herein to estimate channel information based a received burst that is comprises of consecutive transmissions. Each transmission comprises a plurality of data subcarriers and a plurality of pilot subcarriers on a radio frequency (RF) channel, wherein locations of the pilot subcarriers in the consecutive transmissions are different. Channel information at the pilot subcarriers is computed for each transmission in the burst. A time variation parameter and a frequency variation parameter of the channel for the burst are computed using the channel information at the pilot subcarriers for the transmissions in the burst. Channel information for at least one data subcarrier of a transmission in the burst is computed by interpolation and/or extrapolation of the channel information at the pilot subcarriers using the time variation parameter and the frequency variation parameter.

Abstract: A technique for determining the angles of arrival of signals incident on an antenna array from directions within an angular region of interest involves supplying outputs of antenna elements of the antenna array to a number of different weight generators. Each of the weight generators produces a set of beam-forming weights that maximizes a signal-to-interference ratio of a locally generated signal corresponding to a look angle that is outside the region of interest, with signals at different look angles being supplied to the different weight generators. An annihilation operator is determined from the sets of beam-forming weights generated by the weight generators and from beam-forming vectors representing the look angles of the locally generated signals used in the weight generators. The annihilation operator is applied to a group of beam-forming vectors representing angles within the region of interest to determine angles of arrival of signals within the region of interest.

Abstract: A congestive placement preventing apparatus, applied in a logic circuit layout having 2K logic circuits, where K is a positive integer, is provided. The congestive placement preventing apparatus includes a restructuring module and a synthesizing module. The restructuring module adds a selecting unit in the logic circuit layout, and adds (N?K) buffers in each of the 2K logic circuits, where N is a positive integer. The synthesizing module synthesizes the restructured logic circuit layout according to a plurality of “don't touch” synthesizing commands associated with the added buffers. In the synthesized logic circuit layout, all of the 2K logic circuits are independent and not coupled or merged with one another.

Abstract: A scheme for deducing a DC offset in a received signal burst acquired through a particular channel, wherein the received signal burst corresponds to a transmitted signal burst. An impulse response estimate of the channel is used to model how a known or recovered part of the transmitted burst would have been affected by passage through said channel in place of the corresponding part of the transmitted signal burst. The modelled part of the transmitted burst is then compared with the corresponding part of the received signal burst to deduce a DC offset present in the received signal burst.

Abstract: A running tool for landing and setting a retrievable downhole tool at any location in a well bore includes an inner rod, a running tool anchoring device mounted on the inner rod and controllably reconfigurable between a retracted configuration to permit movement of the tool through the well bore and a radially extended configuration for locking engagement of the running tool with the bore wall, a running tool actuating assembly for effecting reciprocal movement of the reconfiguring the running tool anchoring device to and from the retracted and expanded configurations without interacting with any restrictions or recesses within the well bore, and a resistance device for frictionally engaging the bore wall with sufficient gripping force so as to hold the position of the running tool relative to the well bore during movement of the running tool actuating assembly to and from the first and second configuration upon application of the axial force.

Abstract: A communications signal is received through a propagation channel, down-converted in frequency and then converted into a digital signal. The samples of the digital signal are processed to estimate the information conveyed by the communications signal. The estimated information is then used with knowledge about the propagation channel to model the samples of the digital signal. The modeled samples are compared with actual samples of the digital signal to deduce phase errors in the digital signal. The phase errors are then used to deduce a frequency error in the digital signal that can be used to correct the samples of the digital signal and to correct the down-conversion process.

Abstract: A method is provided of characterising a data stream of binary symbols, the method comprising sampling the stream at a predetermined rate sufficient to capture at least two samples per binary symbol, identifying the shortest continuous run of samples having the same logic level and assigning a symbol rate to the stream on the basis that the identified run is one symbol in length.

Abstract: Method, system, and computer program product for displaying data used to analyze system performance are provided. The method, system, and computer program product provides for determining an alert was triggered in a system at a point in time, identifying an alert type associated with the alert that was triggered in the system at the point in time, and displaying data concerning the system based on the alert type identified, the data displayed comprising a subset of a plurality of types of data available concerning the system, the subset being selected based on the alert type identified.

Abstract: A method for coding an RGB color space signal is disclosed. In accordance with the method, a base plane is encoded using an independent mode, and an enhanced plane is encoded by referring to the base plane without converting the RGB color space signal into YCbCr color space signal to reduce a redundancy between RGB planes and improve a compression ratio of an image.

Abstract: An electronic module with switching functions includes integrated circuit chips arranged in a chip stack. The integrated circuit chips of the chip stack in each case includes a large-area contact on the top side and/or the rear side, the areal extent of the large-area contact completely occupies the top side and/or the rear side of the integrated circuit chip. A diffusion solder layer is arranged between mutually aligned large-area contacts of the stacked integrated circuit chips, the diffusion solder layer extending as far as the edges of the integrated circuit chips. A method for producing an electronic module with switching functions includes aligning and diffusion-soldering integrated circuit wafers with one another by their rear sides.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for wireless communication between a first wireless communication device and a second wireless communication device. At a plurality of antennas of the first wireless communication device, one or more signals transmitted by a second wireless communication device in a first frequency band are received. Beamforming weights are computed from information derived from the signals received at the plurality of antennas using one or more of a plurality of methods without feedback information from the second wireless communication device about a wireless link from the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device. The beamforming weights are applied to at least one transmit signal to beamform the at least one transmit signal for transmission to the second wireless communication device in a second frequency band.

Abstract: A method includes providing an integral array of first carriers, arranging first semiconductor chips on the first carriers, and arranging an integral array of second carriers over the semiconductor chips.

Abstract: A user feedback generation and management capability, operating possibly within a Value-Added Service Provider, provides key feedback (e.g., information, updates, etc.) to a Mobile Subscriber (MS) during, for example, the MS? receipt of rich content on the MS? Wireless Device (WD). The feedback may be conveyed to a MS? WD through, possibly inter alia, one or more Short Message Service messages. Such feedback may, possibly inter alia, provide details as to why certain content might not be received, suggest one or more alternative content delivery means, etc. and thus serve to obviate what would otherwise be (1) a frustrating, disappointing, etc. user experience for the MS and (2) increased customer service costs for the different content and service providers.

Abstract: A method for determining beamforming weights used onboard a satellite and ground-based beamforming weights used in a ground-based station as part of a satellite communication system. This beamforming method is a two-stage beamforming process that requires a reduced downlink bandwidth between the satellite and the ground-based station yet achieves optimal signal-to-noise ratio for bandwidth allocated for the downlink. values for the fixed onboard beamforming weights are computed to yield a maximum, max A ? ( min U ? S N ? ? W = W ? ) , where the maximum is computed over all possible fixed weights A represented by an L×M matrix, the minimum is computed over all possible positions of remote communication devices U, and the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) is computed for the optimal set of ground-based beamforming weights W={hacek over (W)}.

Abstract: A product, comprising a reconfigurable toy assembly, said assembly being reversibly reconfigurable between at least a first configuration and a second configuration; and the toy including at least one body surface with an integral thermochromic layer covering at least a portion of the body, where the integral thermochromic layer exhibits a visual change in response to temperature is provided.

Abstract: A method for detecting an undesirable condition within a messaging network. A message is received and a source of the message is identified. If an entry in a database for the source has not been created, an entry is created. A source counter for the source is then set to one and a timestamp is created for the source. If an entry in the database for the source has been previously created, the source counter is incremented by one and the timestamp is updated. The source counter is then compared to a source threshold, and if the source counter exceeds the source threshold over the course of predetermined amount of time, a source alarm is triggered. A sliding with respect to the predetermined amount of time may also be implemented to account for total counts that may fall across or be split by set periods of time. The invention is particularly useful for detecting “spam” events and undesirable routing loops.