Abstract: The present invention relates to an enhanced sequential atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique suitable for deposition of barrier layers, adhesion layers, seed layers, low dielectric constant (low-k) films, high dielectric constant (high-k) films, and other conductive, semi-conductive, and non-conductive films. This is accomplished by 1) providing a non-thermal or non-pyrolytic means of triggering the deposition reaction; 2) providing a means of depositing a purer film of higher density at lower temperatures; and, 3) providing a faster and more efficient means of modulating the deposition sequence and hence the overall process rate resulting in an improved deposition method. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an enhanced non-sequential atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique suitable for deposition of barrier layers, adhesion layers, seed layers, low dielectric constant (low-k) films, high dielectric constant (high-k) films, and other conductive, semi-conductive, and non-conductive films. This is accomplished by 1) providing a non-thermal or non-pyrolytic means of triggering the deposition reaction; 2) providing a means of depositing a purer film of higher density at lower temperatures; and, 3) providing a faster and more efficient means of modulating the deposition sequence and hence the overall process rate resulting in an improved deposition method.

Abstract: Portable electronic devices containing user's calendars have proliferated. Similarly, files, web pages, databases and information sources have become commonplace. The present invention combines knowledge of the current date and time with knowledge of entries in the user's calendar to automatically generate queries against those files, databases and information sources. The results of those queries are then made available to the user in order to provide the user with additional information about the subject of the meeting, the other attendees, their employers, etc. The present invention connects multiple devices together in a passive information retrieval model, leveraging off of mobile, desktop, and server systems, context data and search and retrieval technology. The present invention is thus an automatic search and retrieval system providing its user with relevant information to a scheduled meeting or event.

Abstract: A user interface provides, in a fixed screen display, for both decoupling head and body turning and for integrating them without the need for specialized equipment. Using successive synchronized viewport and contained display image movement steps, the present invention first cues the user that their body is facing in the same direction as their head. Then, by simulating the head-turn/body-turn process that humans follow when looking around for something, the invention cues the user to understand that when they look around, they are turning first their head and then their body.

Abstract: Storage and access of compressed data via separately compressed and stored fixed size logical blocks. An original uncompressed data file is divided into fixed-size logical blocks and then separately compressed thus resulting in a compressed block of data of a generally known maximum size according to a compression ratio known in advance of the actual compression. After the uncompressed fixed-size logical block has been compressed into a maximum fixed-size logical block it is stored into space allocated to it. Furthermore, a table is built correlating the original uncompressed fixed-size logical block to the sectors allocated for each maximum fixed-size compressed logical block thus providing a mapping between the original uncompressed data file and the physical location on the storage device. Alternatively, because the compression ratio is known and because the size of the uncompressed fixed-size logical blocks is known, the resulting maximum size of the compressed logical blocks is generally known.

Abstract: Utilizing a simple, low-cost beacon and receiver technology to allow users to build their own infrastructure by placing beacons in key locations provides intelligent location awareness. This location awareness can be leveraged by the computer electronic equipment that the user is carrying, needs no networking or server infrastructure, works indoors, has no line-of-sight restrictions, is compact and inexpensive.

Abstract: A graphical interface for visually specifying the behavior of combinations of finite-state and continuous-state actors. The state of an actor may be controlled by the states of other actors. The motion of continuous-state actors is constrained by functions represented as, and analogous to, grooves, sockets, pins, glue, springs, and boxes. These functions may be represented graphically on the actor so that the system of constraints is readily ascertainable to the user.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for direct manipulation of 3-D objects on computer display. This method and apparatus provides for a 3-D bounding region wherein the 3-D bounding region has sensitive areas which the user can select with a reference pointer such that when the user manipulates the reference pointer after selecting a sensitive area the 3-D bounding region and the object within it are manipulated with direct kinesthetic correspondence between the user's manipulation of the reference pointer and the bounding region and object manipulation.

Abstract: A composite dictionary data compression process for use with a computer system comprising the steps of: receiving into the computer system an uncompressed input data string; searching a composite dictionary to detect for a dictionary data string matching the uncompressed input data string, the composite dictionary comprising a fixed dictionary and an adaptive dictionary; and modifying the adaptive dictionary in response to whether a matching dictionary data string is detected.

Abstract: A computer system, including a display screen and a direct input device such as a mouse, with a direct manipulation interface, through which the user can not only cause the computer to perform a predefined task by selectively indicating a symbol representing the task but also edit such symbols and their attributes by causing handle-like figures to appear on the screen near the symbol to be edited. The system is operable in two modes. One is a use mode for having a predefined task carried out and no handle-like figures are shown. The other is an edit-and-use mode wherein the user can cause the handle-like figures to appear or disappear but can also carry out every task that can be carried out in the use mode regardless of whether or not these figures are being displayed.

Abstract: The present invention reduces the overhead commonly associated with computer queues by not requiring direct addressing of each location in the queue and by not requiring specialized underflow logic. Furthermore, reads and writes to the computer queue of the present invention can be asynchronous. Lastly, the computer queue of the present invention requires less circuitry and is thus physically smaller, requires less power to operate and can operate more quickly than can queues of the prior art.

Abstract: The present invention facilitates the Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) refresh function in a less obtrusive manner than in the prior art. The present invention facilitates the refresh function during idle time when the DRAM is not busy handling read or write transactions. If insufficient idle time exists then the present invention will force a refresh operation thus ensuring that all memory cells are maintained in a properly charged state.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatic alignment of manipulated objects in two-dimensional and three-dimensional graphic space. The present invention provides an alignment field gradient which emanates from objects surrounding the manipulated object(s). As a user manipulates an object, the present invention attracts the manipulated object into an aligned position and orientation with another object(s) in the displayed three-dimensional display space. The present invention provides alignment of all combinations of vertices, edges and planar faces for three-dimensional polyhedral objects and for all combinations of vertices and edges for two-dimensional polygonal objects.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for compressing inherently redundant data. A Unicode file is comprised of prefix group indicator bytes and suffix character indicator bytes and can therefore be separated into two files, one containing the prefixes and one containing the suffix characters. Then, each separate file can be separately compressed using means best suited to the characteristics of each. Because of the high degree of redundancy across the prefix group indicator bytes they can be more greatly compressed which in turn results in greater compression of the entire Unicode file. Multiple compression methodologies, equally applicable to any inherently redundant data file, can be applied to the prefix group indicator bytes to yield the best compression results. In the present invention, one commonly occurring byte, known as the master byte, is chosen and each exception to the master byte in the data file to be compressed is noted by location (l) and value (v) thus reducing the overall size of the data file.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for decryption using cache storage wherein imported ciphertext is decrypted to produce unencrypted plaintext data. As a communication sequence containing an initialization vector and a block of ciphertext is imported, the initialization vector is applied to a cache and to a decoder. The initialization vector is then compared with other initialization vectors stored in the cache to determine whether the specific initialization vector has previously been received and stored. If the specific initialization vector is found to be stored in the cache, then the PN sequence associated with that initialization vector is written to the decoder, and the stored PN sequence is used to decode the imported ciphertext.If a determination is made that the initialization vector has not been previously received, then the read cache signal instructs the multiplexer to connect the PN generator to the decoder, and the initialization vector is used to generate a new PN sequence.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for improving the security of an electronic codebook encryption scheme comprises a transmitter unit for encoding or encrypting data and a separate authorized receiver for decoding or decrypting the data. During the encryption of the plaintext data, a randomly generated offset is introduced into the PN sequence to vary the starting point of the PN sequence as it is applied to the plaintext data. The offset is encrypted with the secret key and the unencrypted IV, encrypted offset, and ciphertext are exported by the transmitter to the receiver for decrypting.The encoded communication is imported by the receiver and the encrypted offset portion is extracted. The receiver combines the encrypted offset with the secret key to decipher the offset value. The offset and PN sequence are then combined with the ciphertext, using an XOR gate, to recover the original plain text from the ciphertext.

Abstract: An improved multi-codebook phase-in coding process for coding electronic data wherein for each received electronic input data, the coding process detects whether that input data exceeds a current coding maximum, then selecting a codebook coding method from one or more codebook coding methods in response to detecting whether that input data exceeds the current coding maximum, and then encoding that input data in accordance to the selected codebook coding method to generate a coded output data. A corresponding codebook indicator is inserted into a generated coded output data stream to indicate which codebook method to use to decode the coded output data. During decoding, the decoding process detects for a decode method indicator associated with each encoded input data, and decodes in accordance to a decode method corresponding to the detected decode method indicator to generate a decoded output data.

Abstract: A data compression process and system that identifies the data type of an input data stream and then selects in response to the identified data type at least one data compression method from a set of data compression methods that provides an optimal compression ratio for that particular data type, thus maximizing the compression ratio for that input data stream. Moreover, the data compression process also provides means to alter the rate of compression during data compression for added flexibility and data compression efficiency. Furthermore, a system memory allocation process is also provided to allow system or user control over the amount of system memory to be allocated for the memory intensive data compression process. System memory allocation process estimates the memory requirement to compress the input data stream, and allocates only that amount of system memory as needed by the data compression for memory allocation efficiency.

Abstract: A digital still image camera having a memory means functioning as a ring buffer. Image and sound acquisition and storage begins upon a first command signal from the camera's operator and continues at a defined rate until the operator generates a second command signal. During the time period between the first and second command signal, images are taken and stored at the defined rate, the newest image overwriting the oldest image within the ring buffer after the ring buffer is initially filled. After generating the second command signal, the operator can review the contents of the ring buffer on a display and speaker incorporated into the camera, selecting those images and sounds the operator wishes to store permanently, and then directing that the selected images and sounds be placed in the camera's long term storage memory.

Abstract: A frame buffer operating in fast page access mode with improved performance for operations such as scrolling and moving which typically access different display memory rows. The present invention utilizes a row/bank interleaved scheme of multiple display memory banks in the frame buffer such that each display memory bank supports a different set of non-contiguous display rows thus increasing the odds of display memory access in-page hits and decreasing the odds of display memory access in-page misses.