Patents Represented by Attorney Park, Vaughan & Fleming, LLP
  • Patent number: 7783536
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for determining taxes that is configurable for local jurisdictions. The system includes a tax knowledge base that provides the facility to store data pertaining to taxes in local jurisdictions, and a tax rule base that provides the facility to store rules for applying taxes in local jurisdictions. The system also includes a tax determination manager that determines the tax for a transaction using the tax knowledge base and, optionally, the tax rule base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Oracle International Corporation
    Inventors: Isaac J. William, Alexander O. Fiteni, Paulo Back, Harshavardhan Takle
  • Patent number: 7784018
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that identifies an area in a mask layout which is likely to cause manufacturing problems. During operation, the system creates an on-target process model that models a semiconductor manufacturing process under nominal (e.g., optimal) process conditions. The system also creates one or more off-target process models that model the semiconductor manufacturing process under one or more arbitrary (e.g., non-optimal) process conditions. Next, the system computes a process-sensitivity model using the on-target process model and the off-target process models. The system then computes a gradient-magnitude of the process-sensitivity model. Next, the system identifies a problem area in the mask layout using the gradient-magnitude of the process-sensitivity model. Note that identifying the problem area allows it to be corrected, which improves the manufacturability of the mask layout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Synopsys, Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence S. Melvin, III, James P. Shiely, Qiliang Yan
  • Patent number: 7783457
    Abstract: A system including multiple devices that each have a sensor and are each configured to communicate with other devices. The system further includes a controller configured to provide command information that specifies a mode of operation of the devices. In a first mode of operation, the devices transmit communication signals and a given device modifies a strength of its communication signal from an initial strength to a final strength based on communication signals it receives from one or more other devices. And in a second mode of operation, the devices transmit communication signals and the given device dynamically adjusts a strength of its communication signal based communication signals it receives from one or more other devices and on measurements performed by the sensor in the given device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Oracle America, Inc.
    Inventor: Helen A. Cunningham
  • Patent number: 7781713
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for calibrating a lighting control system. The lighting control system is a daylight-harvesting system that controls the output of the lighting system based on available daylight and/or other light sources to reduce energy usage while providing lighting for an area. The lighting system includes multi-level lighting capabilities for one or more light sources. First, the system measures the light levels for the area when the lighting system: is turned on at a high energy-level; is turned on at an intermediate energy-level; and is turned off. The system determines from these measured light levels the light output of the lighting system in the different states. Then, during operation, the system measures a present light level for the area. The system then adjusts the light output of the lighting system for the area based on a lighting control parameter (e.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Konstantinos Papamichael, Keith Graeber, Erik Page, Michael Siminovitch
  • Patent number: 7779132
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for communicating data using a socket interface with multiple transport layer implementations. During operation the system creates a socket which can be used with a set of transport layer implementations. Next, the system binds the socket to a local port without specifying a particular transport layer implementation. The system then receives a request to connect to a target port that is associated with a target address. Next, the system selects a protocol implementation from the set of transport layer implementations using the target port and the target address. The system then sends a connection request to the target port using the selected protocol implementation. Note that the present invention does not require changing a networking application because the transport layer implementation is selected automatically by the system, instead of requiring the application to possess the knowledge to select the appropriate transport layer implementation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Oracle America, Inc.
    Inventors: Hsiao-Keng J. Chu, Darrin P. Johnson, Eric T. Cheng
  • Patent number: 7779417
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates making an inter-process procedure call through a shared memory that is shared between a client process and a server process, wherein the client makes the inter-process procedure call as if the client is making a local procedure call, but the procedure call actually executes on the server. The system operates by providing an Application Programming Interface (API) to allow the client to make an inter-process procedure call. The system then allocates a section of the shared memory for the data structure parameters of the inter-process procedure call.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Oracle International Corporation
    Inventors: Mohammad Shoaib Lari, Srinath Krishnaswamy
  • Patent number: 7779311
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods of producing electronic devices including an auxiliary circuit mounted on another, underlying, circuit at the wafer level. The auxiliary circuit is electrically connected to the underlying circuit via micro-scale interconnects. The systems are capable of testing the auxiliary circuit and/or interconnects using an interface within the underlying circuit. For example, the auxiliary circuit may be tested although it is mounted such that the interconnects are hidden, i.e., inaccessible for testing purposes after assembly using conventional testing systems and methods. The systems and methods further allow for including excess circuits and/or excess interconnects that can be reconfigured to replace parts of the auxiliary circuit and/or micro-scale interconnects found defective during testing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventor: Adrian E. Ong
  • Patent number: 7774546
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates in-cache reference counting in a cache memory. During operation, the system receives a command to update an old cache line with a new cache line. The system then determines if the new cache line is different than the old cache line. If so, the system determines if the old cache line contains any in-cache references. If so, for each such in-cache reference, the system decrements a reference counter in a cache line containing an object which is referenced by the in-cache reference. The system also determines if the new cache line contains any in-cache references. If so, for each such in-cache reference, the system increments a reference counter in a cache line containing an object which is referenced by the in-cache reference. Note that the reference counter in a cache line indicates a count of references in the cache that refer to an object contained in the cache line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Oracle America, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory M. Wright, Matthew L. Seidl, Mario I. Wolczko
  • Patent number: 7774212
    Abstract: Techniques are presented for determining threshold probability or confidence levels for associating various types of health information with a set of users. Spatio-temporal information associated with one or more of the subjects is determined. Health information associated with spatial-temporal information is also determined. Candidate health-subject associations are associated with probabilities based on the spatio-temporally tagged identity and spatio-temporally tagged health information. Candidate health-subject associations with probabilities exceeding a threshold probability level are assigned as actual health-subject associations. Treatment plans, reports, remedial procedures and or other health related tests, procedures or the like are determined based on the associated health information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventors: Qingfeng Huang, James E. Reich
  • Patent number: 7774552
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that prevents store starvation in a computer system that supports marked coherence. The system starts by receiving a store instruction to be executed. The system then determines whether a cache line to which the store is directed is load-marked. If so, the system delays the store operation and asserts a store-requested flag in the metadata for the cache line, wherein when the store-requested flag is asserted, no subsequent load-marks can be placed on the cache line. Then, when all of the load-marks have been removed from the cache line, the system completes the store operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Oracle America, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert E. Cypher, Shailender Chaudhry
  • Patent number: 7772818
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus that measures the average-output-current produced by a switching regulator within an electronic device. The apparatus includes current-sensing-circuitry coupled to a switching field-effect-transistor (FET) within the switching regulator, wherein the current-sensing-circuitry is configured to bypass a small sense current from the conducting current of the switching-FET according to a sense ratio, wherein the conducting current is controlled by a control signal for the switching regulator. The apparatus also includes a current-to-voltage-converter coupled to the current-sensing-circuitry which is configured to convert the sense current into a sense voltage. The apparatus further includes voltage-averaging-circuitry which is configured to produce an average-sense-voltage from the sense voltage. This sense voltage is coupled to the input of the voltage-average-circuitry through a switch, which is gated by the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Eric Smith
  • Patent number: 7774642
    Abstract: A fault zone definition mechanism groups components of an interconnect environment having a common point of dependence into a logical group defining a fault zone for the interconnect environment. The fault zone definition mechanism may be implemented in software, firmware or hardware, or a combination of two or more of software, firmware and hardware. A method for defining a fault zone is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Oracle America, Inc.
    Inventors: Bjørn Dag Johnsen, David M. Brean, Srinivas Madhur, Julia D. Harper
  • Patent number: 7774324
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a system that tracks progress on a plan. The system starts by receiving a one or more completed plan templates (which constitute plans) from a set of plan providers. The system then stores the plans in a plan database. Next, the system receives a request for a plan, for which the plan database contains one or more plans that can be used to fulfill the request. The system then provides a user interface (UI) to display the plans that fulfill the request. Next, the system receives a selection signal that selects a plan to fulfill the request. The system then displays the selected plan through the UI, which involves initially displaying projected progress on the plan at one or more intervals on a timeline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Intuit Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth Henderson, Steven A. Sholtis
  • Patent number: 7774531
    Abstract: One embodiment provides a system which uses a temporal ordering policy for allocation of limited processor resources. The system starts by executing instructions for a program during a normal-execution mode. Upon encountering a condition which causes the processor to enter a speculative-execution mode, the processor performs a checkpoint and commences execution of instructions in the speculative-execution mode. Upon encountering an instruction which requires the allocation of an instance of a limited processor resource during the execution of instructions in the speculative-execution mode, the processor checks a speculative-use indicator associated with each instance of the limited processor resource. Upon finding the speculative-use indicators asserted for all instances of the limited processor resource which are available to be allocated for the instruction, the processor aborts the instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Oracle America, Inc.
    Inventor: Martin Karlsson
  • Patent number: 7774839
    Abstract: A graphical user interface for an intrusion detection system is described. The graphical user interface includes a field that depicts a summary of anomalies identified as part of a event that is detected in a network, the summary indicating event severity details of the event and an alert action region including a control to permit a user to snooze future alerts related to the event in the summary for a period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Riverbed Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert N. Nazzal
  • Patent number: 7769751
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that automatically classifies documents (such as web pages) based on user inputs. During operation, the system obtains a “classified” set of documents which are classified as relating to a specific topic. The system also obtains queries related to the specific topic. These queries produce “query results” which enable the user to access documents related to the query. The queries also include “click information” which specifies how one or more users have accessed the query results. The system uses this click information to identify documents in the classified set of documents which are not related to the specific topic or are off-topic. If such documents are identified, the system shifts the identified documents so that they are regarded as off-topic and/or spam, and removes the identified documents from the classified set of documents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Jun Wu, Zhengzhu Feng, Quji Guo, Zhe Qian
  • Patent number: 7770006
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that authorizes a sensitive database operation. During operation, the system receives a request to perform a sensitive database operation. Note that, a sensitive database operation is an operation which, in the hands of a malicious user, poses a serious security threat. Next, the system determines a multiparty authorization requirement for the sensitive database operation, wherein the multiparty authorization requirement specifies a set of approvals required for authorizing the sensitive database operation. The system then sends approval requests to one or more approving parties based on the multiparty authorization requirement. Next, the system receives approvals for authorizing the sensitive database operation. The system then determines whether the approvals satisfy the multiparty authorization requirement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Oracle International Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel ManHung Wong, MingKang Xu, Paul Youn, MinHank Ho, Chon Hei Lei
  • Patent number: 7768797
    Abstract: A chassis identification system is described which enables a motherboard in a computer system to identify a type of chassis in which the motherboard is installed. This chassis identification system is composed of a motherboard, a set of conductive fastener mounts on the motherboard, and a sensing circuit on the motherboard that is coupled to the set of conductive fastener mounts. The set of conductive fastener mounts on the motherboard are configured to accommodate different patterns of conductive fasteners which are associated with different types of chassis. Moreover, the sensing circuit on the motherboard is configured to generate a chassis identifier based on a pattern of the conductive fasteners on the chassis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Timothe P. Hockin
  • Patent number: 7766692
    Abstract: In order to monitor connectivity status associated with an interconnect cable from the end-points to which either end of the cable is attached, a storage device storing a field replaceable unit identifier is provided to uniquely identify a cable end-point, which identifier can then be accessed to determine the connectivity status.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Oracle America, Inc.
    Inventors: Bjorn Dag Johnsen, Ola Torudbakken, Inge Lars Birkeli, Andreas Bechtolsheim
  • Patent number: 7768847
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides semiconductor devices and methods, systems, and apparatus for testing and operating the same. A semiconductor memory device includes data storage elements and a repair circuit. The data storage elements include primary data storage elements and one or more redundant data storage elements, the primary data storage elements having respective addresses for memory access operations. The repair circuit is programmable by another semiconductor device separate from the memory device to recognize a malfunctioning address of the primary data storage elements and the programmed repair circuit is configured to reroute memory access from a primary data storage element having the recognized malfunctioning address to a corresponding redundant data storage element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Adrian E. Ong, Fan Ho