Abstract: A method for reducing power consumption in a multi-user digital communication system and mobile station employing the method adjusts receive and transmit mode durations of the mobile device using downlink and uplink allocations from a base station of the system, as well as other factors.

Abstract: A system and method for motivating users to improve their wellness utilizes complex event processing on sensor and user-interaction data of the users collected over time using inference and predictive models in order to deliver personalized interactions to motive the users toward their wellness goals.

Abstract: An Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) device and method of correcting frequency offset in OFDMA signals computes an estimated frequency offset, which is used for producing a frequency offset-compensated mixer signal using a reference clock signal. The frequency offset-compensated mixer signal is used to produce a digital down-converted signal from an incoming OFDMA signal. The digital down-converted signal is digitally corrected for sampling errors using the estimated frequency offset.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for transmitting outgoing data uses data descriptors for multiple sets of contiguous data blocks stored in buffers. When new sets of contiguous data blocks are created due to acknowledgement signals for particular data blocks of the multiple sets of contiguous data blocks, new data descriptors are generated for some of the new sets of contiguous data blocks. These new data descriptors are placed in spaces in the buffers where the particular data blocks were originally stored.

Abstract: A packet-based traffic switching system with error detection and correction without taking the system offline. The system tests offline paths without interfering with other online paths. Also, the system tests online paths even while no data cell traffic is sent over the paths. The system responds to the addition or removal of paths or path components without interrupting cell traffic. The system detects and selectively flushes defective paths without impacting paths that are working properly. The system initializes new switching fabrics automatically without using software to set values. Thus, the system tests online paths and corrects errors without going offline.

Abstract: A decoder and method for decoding a tail-biting convolutional encoded signal using Viterbi decoding scheme performs a traceback operation for a first portion of a total code block, which includes a code block of the tail-biting convolutional encoded signal and a padded block. During the traceback operation for the first portion, a particular state at a predefined position within the first portion is stored as a circular state. The circular state is used as a traceback starting state for at least one subsequent portion of the total code block to produce a decoded signal of the code block.

Abstract: A device and method of performing channel estimation for an OFDM-based wireless communication system performs a Least Square interpolation with a statistical channel profile consideration on pilot channel estimates to derive data channel estimates at data subcarrier locations.

Abstract: A device and method for performing channel estimation for an OFDM-based wireless communication system modifies pilot subcarrier spacing to use a set of interpolation coefficients associated with a different pilot subcarrier spacing.

Abstract: A network flow controller to manage network traffic bandwidth is described. Embodiments of the network flow controller include a hierarchical flow creditor, a proportional flow creditor, and a rate limiter. The hierarchical flow creditor is configured to manage a plurality of hierarchical credit accounts. The hierarchical credit accounts include a shared credit account associated with a plurality of distinct network traffic flows for a shared bandwidth resource. The proportional flow creditor is configured to track an oversubscription of the shared bandwidth resource by the plurality of distinct network traffic flows. The rate limiter is coupled to the hierarchical flow creditor and the proportional flow creditor. The rate limiter is configured to limit at least one of the distinct network traffic flows based on the oversubscription tracked by the proportional flow creditor.

Abstract: A technique for operating a network involves controlling the black-holing of traffic by forcing customer source MAC address (CMAC)-to-backbone source MAC address (BMAC) associations at provider backbone bridge (PBB) provider edge (PE) devices to be flushed from their corresponding forwarding information bases (FIBs) in response to a service failure so that new CMAC-to-BMAC associations, which are reflective of a secondary traffic path, are learned faster than they would otherwise be learned if the network had relied on native functionality to learn new CMAC-to-BMAC associations that are reflective of the secondary traffic path.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus for polishing semiconductor wafers comprises a main polishing structure, which includes a plurality of polishing tables, a plurality of polishing heads and a plurality of load-and-unload stations, and an add-on polishing structure, which includes an additional polishing table and an additional polishing head. The add-on polishing structure can be attached to the main polishing structure to form a larger polishing structure with the additional polishing table and the additional polishing head.

Abstract: A prime number based pointer allocation technique. A packet-forwarding system incorporating the technique stores cells of a packet in packet memory, according to allocated pointers that have a fixed correspondence to locations in the packet memory. Each packet input interface of an ingress module has a memory parameter counter that is incremented by a different prime number each time a memory pointer is allocated to that input interface. The memory parameter counter includes a memory interface portion and a memory bank portion that correspond to the memory interfaces and memory banks of a packet memory with which the memory pointers are associated.

Abstract: Path information is obtained in a VPLS-based network by generating special Layer 2 frames (referred to herein as “trace-request frames”), performing source MAC filtering to identify the trace-request frames, and generating a special frame (referred to herein as a “trace-reply frame”) when the source MAC filtering identifies a trace-request frame. Upon identifying a trace-request frame, path information is collected and embedded into the trace-reply frame. The trace-reply frame is then sent to the originating node where the path information is used to learn the path that the trace-request frame traversed. By sending multiple trace-request frames with different source MAC addresses, path information received from source MAC filtering at different nodes in the VPLS-based network can be collected and used to learn an entire path of interest.

Abstract: Managing routes in a router involves the implementation of threshold-specific discard algorithms to discard redundant routes in an intelligent fashion based upon the volume of routes in the router. By employing threshold-specific discard algorithms to intelligently discard redundant routes within a router, the storage capacity of the router is utilized in a more efficient fashion because the routes are not dropped indiscriminately. A method and system comprise identifying a volume of routes in the router, determining whether the volume of routes has reached a threshold and applying a threshold-specific discard algorithm to routes in the router if the volume of routes has reached the threshold.

Abstract: Path information is obtained in a bridged network by generating an L2 frame with a special MAC address in the header and a target MAC address embedded in the payload of the frame. The special MAC address in the header of the frame triggers the collection of path information as the frame traverses the bridged network while the target MAC address in the payload of the frame is used to forward the frame in the bridged network. In an embodiment, the destination MAC address of the frame is set to a special MAC address that identifies the frame as a “trace-path” frame, for example, a multicast MAC address.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for polishing objects, such as semiconductor wafers, uses at least one object cleaner, which may be a movable object cleaner. The movable object cleaner allows access to different parts of the apparatus for maintenance.

Abstract: A hardware-based rate control engine is designed to allow credits to be accumulated over multiple time-slices up to a maximum credit limit. The rate control engine is also allowed to dispatch packets up to a maximum drain rate during each time-slice as long as sufficient credits are available. Allowing credits to accumulate over multiple time slices allows unused bandwidth to be saved during times of little or no traffic and used when the subsequent traffic bursts arrive. Additionally, limiting the maximum drain rate puts a cap on how fast the saved bandwidth can be consumed by subsequent traffic bursts. The rate control settings can be adapted in response to a characteristic, or characteristics, of the traffic flow. For example, one group of settings of a traffic flow can be used for bursty traffic, while a different group of settings can be used for smooth traffic.

Abstract: A method for filtering and selectively displaying log messages generated by a network node with a distributed architecture is disclosed. In one embodiment, log messages generated locally on the line cards are collected by Secondary Log Managers residing on the line cards. The Secondary Log Manager appends meta data to the collected messages and transfers at least part of them to a Primary Log Manager process residing at the control module. Using the meta data, the Primary Log Manager can selectively output the logging and tracing messages interested Command Line Interface (CLI) shells or output devices.

Abstract: Compatibility between applications in a network node with a distributed architecture is maintained after application upgrades by associating version compatibility information with interprocess communications (IPC) message structures and then utilizing the version compatibility information to identify IPC message structures that are used for communications between applications. Once the version compatibility information is associated with the IPC message structures, applications are configured to use only those IPC message structures that are compatible with the currently running version.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing substrates uses one or more vacuum transfer chamber units to transfer some of the substrates between at least one load lock chamber unit and at least one vacuum process chamber unit.