Abstract: Methods and systems for transforming electric power between two or more portals. Any or all portals can be DC, single phase AC, or multi-phase AC. Conversion is accomplished by a plurality of bi-directional conducting and blocking semiconductor switches which alternately connect an inductor and parallel capacitor between said portals, such that energy is transferred into the inductor from one or more input portals and/or phases, then the energy is transferred out of the inductor to one or more output portals and/or phases, with said parallel capacitor facilitating “soft” turn-off, and with any excess inductor energy being returned back to the input. Soft turn-on and reverse recovery is also facilitated. Said bi-directional switches allow for two power transfers per inductor/capacitor cycle, thereby maximizing inductor/capacitor utilization as well as providing for optimum converter operation with high input/output voltage ratios. Control means coordinate the switches to accomplish the desired power transfers.

Abstract: The present application discloses new approaches to integrated power. Two new classes of structures each provide an integrated phase leg, in a process which can easily be integrated with low-voltage and/or peripheral circuits: in one class of disclosed structures, a lateral PMOS device is combined with an NMOS device which has predominantly vertical current flow. In another class of embodiments, a predominantly vertical n-channel device is used for the low-side switch, in combination with a lateral n-channel device. In either case, the common output node is preferably brought out at a backside contact. This device structure is advantageously used to construct complete power supply and/or voltage conversions circuits on a single chip (perhaps connected to external passive reactances).

Abstract: Devices, structures, and related methods for IGBTs and the like which include a self-aligned series resistance at the source-body junction to avoid latchup. The series resistance is achieved by using a charged dielectric, and/or by using a dielectric which provides a source of dopant atoms of the same conductivity type as the source region, at a sidewall adjacent to the source region.

Abstract: Vertical power devices which include an insulated trench containing insulating material and a gate electrode, and related methods. A body region is positioned so that a voltage bias on the gate electrode will cause an inversion layer in the body region. A layer of permanent charge, at or near the sidewall of the trench, provides charge balancing for the space charge in the depleted semiconductor material during the OFF state. A conductive shield layer is positioned below the gate electrode in the insulating material, and reduces capacitive coupling between the gate and the lower part of the trench. This reduces switching losses. In other embodiments, a planar gate electrode controls horizontal carrier injection into the vertical conduction pathway along the trench, while a shield plate lies over the trench itself to reduce capacitive coupling.

Abstract: Methods and systems for transforming electric power between two or more portals. Any or all portals can he DC, single phase AC, or multi-phase AC. Conversion is accomplished by a plurality of bi-directional conducting and blocking semiconductor switches which alternately connect an inductor and parallel capacitor between said portals, such that energy is transferred into the inductor from one or more input portals and/or phases, then the energy is transferred out of the inductor to one or more output portals and/or phases, with said parallel capacitor facilitating “soft” turn-off, and with any excess inductor energy being returned back to the input. Soft turn-on and reverse recovery is also facilitated. Said hi-directional switches allow for two power transfers per inductor/capacitor cycle, thereby maximizing inductor/capacitor utilization as well as providing for optimum converter operation with high input/output voltage ratios. Control means coordinate the switches to accomplish the desired power transfers.

Abstract: Methods and systems for power conversion. An energy storage capacitor is contained within an H-bridge subcircuit which allows the capacitor to be connected to the link inductor of a Universal Power Converter with reversible polarity. This provides a “pseudo-phase” drive capability which expands the capabilities of the converter to compensate for zero-crossings in a single-phase power supply.

Abstract: Object images captured by a wide-angle camera are distorted due to the optical effects of the wide-angle lens. The disclosed innovations allow an automatic analysis on the corrected image distinguishing normal movement from an unusual event movement. The analysis is based on Markov Modeling on moving object trajectories and motion angles.

Abstract: A wide-angle camera emulating a PTZ camera via image data processing is used to generate a panoramic image of multiple regions for ease of viewing. A client can specify multiple regions for extraction from the panoramic image to stream to a separate server for further image processing and analysis.

Abstract: A charged particle shaped beam column includes: a charged particle source; a gun lens configured to provide a charged particle beam approximately parallel to the optic axis of the column; an objective lens configured to form the charged particle shaped beam on the surface of a substrate, wherein the disk of least confusion of the objective lens does not coincide with the surface of the substrate; an optical element with 8N poles disposed radially symmetrically about the optic axis of the column, the optical element being positioned between the condenser lens and the objective lens, wherein N is an integer greater than or equal to 1; and a power supply configured to apply excitations to the 8N poles of the optical element to provide an octupole electromagnetic field. The octupole electromagnetic field is configured to induce azimuthally-varying third-order deflections to the beam trajectories passing through the 8N-pole optical element.

Abstract: A motion video camera that removes the need for mechanical pan, tilt, and zoom apparatus is disclosed. The video camera includes the following. A wide-angle optical system is configured to receive an optical image. An image sensor is coupled to the optical system and is configured to convert the optical image to an electronic image. An image processing circuit is coupled to the image sensor and is configured to receive the electronic image and to execute movement and zoom operations by correcting distortions in the electronic image introduced by the wide-angle optical system and image sensor.

Abstract: A system and method for reducing the data-rate when processing video, particularly wide-angle video.

Abstract: A graphics system that implements a binning database with an accumulation buffer to perform super sampling. In one embodiment, an application of a host machine passes a geometry of a full scene to a binning database which stores the scene in spatially sorted bins. The contents of the bin are passed to rendering hardware, and rendered multiple times, each time with a stochastic offset applied to the sample points. The results are accumulated in an accumulation buffer and prepared for display.

Abstract: A wide-angle video camera which captures high-resolution images using a Bayer filter to colorize the pixels. The image is processed to generate multiple views. The camera applies color processing pipelines independently and simultaneously to each of multiple regions of the full image captured by the sensor to generate a color image of acceptable quality for human viewing. An initial color image possesses greater color bit-depth compared to the output color image.

Abstract: A 3D graphics architecture in which a buffer is placed between the sequencer and the processing element (PE) array. The sequencer and PE array are not designed to run in lock step: instead the sequencer and PE array are decoupled to allow the PEs to run at 100% efficiency even when the sequencer is switching between threads and performing other flow control operations. Thus, the rate of instruction processing in the PE array is not coupled to the rate of instruction processing in the sequencer.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for signalling the surface operator about downhole conditions. Sensors located downhole collect data while drilling and the data is processed to determine bit failure, for example. When the sensor data indicates a failure, the pressure of drilling mud is varied using a valve on the downhole unit, and this pressure variance is indicated by a pressure gauge visible to the operator. This pressure change tells the operator a failure has been indicated.

Abstract: A computer system which includes at least one host CPU; at least two separate rasterizer units, interconnected to process at least some graphics rendering tasks jointly; and a shared graphics memory manager which sends requested data to both said rasterizers simultaneously.

Abstract: A graphics accelerator which includes a dedicated virtual memory manager which manages at least some host memory, as well as dedicated graphics memory, and which manages memory during mipmapping using at least two separate pools of memory.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and probe devices for electronic monitoring and characterization using absorbent media confined by a metallic mesh. The mesh allows a stream of liquid or gas to pass through the structure, so that the media will adsorb the material to which it is specific. This changes the permittivity of the media in which the electromagnetic field is propagating. This change in permittivity can be seen through the use of classical microwave methods such as phase shift, amplitude changes, frequency changes in a cavity or the frequency of an unbuffered oscillator. Some embodiments use a two cylinder structure, where an outer cylinder contains a material which selectively removes a chemical which may be in conflict with or would contaminate the sensing of the desired chemical. This outer cylinder does not play a part in the measurement because it is outside the metal shield which contains the measurement adsorbent, and is thus outside the electromagnetic field.

Abstract: Using inserts which are welded in place allows the use of hardfacing in the immediate vicinity of the inserts. Areas of high wear, such as cutting structures and gage areas, can use a combination of ultra-hard inserts with hardfacing for protection against wear. The inserts slows wear, while the hardfacing prevents erosion around the inserts.

Abstract: A microwave oscillator provides two outputs, of opposite phase, which are directly connected to provide the local oscillator inputs to a balanced mixer. Since no balun is used, very wide-band performance can be obtained.