Abstract: A buffer/driver having large output devices for driving multiple loads is configured with three parallel paths. The first logic path is made of small devices and is configured to provide the logic function of the buffer without the ability to drive large loads. Second and third logic paths have the logic function of the first logic path up to the last inverting stage. The last inverting stage in each path is a single device for driving the logic states of the buffer output. The second and third logic paths have power-gating that allows the input to the pull-up and pull-down devices to float removing gate-leakage voltage stress. When the second and third logic paths are power-gated, the first logic path provides a keeper function to hold the logic state of the buffer output. The buffer may be an inverter, non-inverter, or provide a multiple input logic function.

Abstract: A method and system for enabling wireless devices distributed throughout an enterprise to be efficiently initialized for secure communications. The method and system utilize well known public key cryptography and machine unique identifiers to establish a secure channel and initialize the wireless devices.

Abstract: A field emission device includes a substrate in which a well has been formed. Carbon fibers with a high aspect ratio are deposited within the well, wherein the well is sufficiently deep so that axes of a large number of the carbon fibers are substantially coaxial with a long axis of the well. A conductive anode is positioned relative to the substrate so that an electric potential applied between the conductive anode and the substrate causes an emission of electrons from the carbon fibers towards the conductive anode.

Abstract: This invention relates generally to carbon fiber produced from single-wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) molecular arrays. In one embodiment, the present invention involves a macroscopic carbon fiber comprising at least 106 signal-wall carbon nanotubes in generally parallel orientation.

Abstract: The present invention is directed towards metallized carbon nanotubes, methods for making metallized carbon nanotubes using an electroless plating technique, methods for dispensing metallized carbon nanotubes onto a substrate, and methods for aligning magnetically-active metallized carbon nanotubes. The present invention is also directed towards cold cathode field emitting materials comprising metallized carbon nanotubes, and methods of using metallized carbon nanotubes as cold cathode field emitters.

Abstract: A tool for making a cut inside a downhole tool, including a housing adapted to move in the downhole tool, a plurality of openings in a wall of the housing that provides a passage from inside the housing to an exterior of the housing, a plurality of cutters disposed in the housing that are adapted to protrude from the plurality of openings to the exterior of the housing, wherein the plurality of cutters provides 360 degree cutting regardless of the orientation of the tool, and an actuation mechanism adapted to force the plurality of cutters to protrude through the plurality of openings.

Abstract: A method and system for reducing latency of a snoop tenure. A bus macro may receive a snoopable transfer request. The bus macro may determine which snoop controllers in a system will participate in the snoop transaction. The bus macro may then identify which participating snoop controllers are passive. Passive snoop controllers are snoop controllers associated with cache memories with cache lines only in the shared or invalid states of the MESI protocol. The snoop request may then be completed by the bus macro without waiting to receive responses from the passive participating snoop controllers. By not waiting for responses from passive snoop controllers, the bus macro may be able to complete the snoop request in a shorter amount of time thereby reducing the latency of the snoop tenure and improving performance of the system bus.

Abstract: A method and system for providing a semiconductor device is described. The semiconductor includes a core and a periphery. The method and system include providing a plurality of core gate stacks in the core, a plurality of sources in the core and a plurality of periphery gate stacks in the periphery. Each of the plurality of core gate stacks includes a first polysilicon gate and a WSi layer above the first polysilicon gate. The plurality of sources resides between a portion of the plurality of core gate stacks. Each of the plurality of periphery gate stacks includes a second polysilicon gate and a CoSi layer on the second polysilicon gate.

Abstract: The present invention includes an improved electrostatic device for energizing fluids, in particular water based fluids, which will be used to provide a benefit to living organisms, machinery, processes and substances. The improved device of the invention will include an electrostatic voltage spike signal generator, two or more radio frequency signal generators, one or more antennas, optional one or more signal boosters and a fluid conduit. When fluid is treated with the improved device of the invention, the fluid will become energized and can be used to provide significant benefits in applications such as milk production, flower production, fruit production, crop production, vegetable production, shrimp production, egg production, meat production, gasoline combustion, waste fluid combustion, scale removal, water purification, fluid tracking, fluid sterilization and more.

Abstract: A buffer/driver having large output devices for driving multiple loads is configured with three parallel paths. The first logic path is made of small devices and is configured to provide the logic function of the buffer/driver without the ability to drive large loads. Second and third logic paths have the logic function of the first logic path up to the last inverting stage. The last inverting stage in each path is a single device for driving the logic states of the buffer output. The second and third logic paths have power-gating that allows the input to the pull-up and pull-down devices to float removing gate-leakage voltage stress. When the second and third logic paths are power-gated, the first logic path provides a keeper function to hold the logic state of the buffer output. The buffer/driver may be an inverter, non-inverter, or provide a multiple input logic function.

Abstract: The invention relates to providing to a user a user interface. It is determining from a plurality interactions by a user with a first user interface whether they experienced difficulties using at least one module of the first user interface. Responsive to determining that the user did experience difficulties, that user is provided with at least one module of a different user interface. Thus it can be seen that a user is preferably provided with the first interface unless they experience difficulties with that interface. Other users who do not experience such difficulties continue to interact with the first interface.

Abstract: Branch prediction circuitry including a bimodal branch history table, a fetch-based branch history table and a selector table is provided. The local branch history table includes a plurality of entries each for storing a prediction value and accessed by selected bits of a branch address. The fetch-based branch history table included a plurality of entries for storing a prediction value and accessed by a pointer generated from selected bits of the branch address and bits from a history register. The selector table includes a plurality of entries each for storing a selection bit and accessed by a pointer generated from selected bits from the branch address and bits from the history register, each selector bit is used for selecting between a prediction value accessed from the local history table and a prediction value accessed from the fetch-based history table.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for preventing at least in part overloading of a control processor. A network device may comprise at least one network processor and at least one control processor. The control processor may be configured to process slow path packets that are redirected from a network processor to the control processor. The control processor may configure control blocks to determine if the bandwidth for the control processor will be exceeded by the network processor transferring another slow path packet to the control processor. If the control block determines that transmitting the slow path packet would exceed the processing capacity of the control processor, then the control block may generate a result indicating for the network processor to discard the received packet. By discarding packets that exceed the processing capacity of the control processor, overloading of the control processor may at least in part be prevented.

Abstract: The present invention concerns electrical conductors comprising armchair single-wall carbon nanotubes. Such electrical conductors made by the invention are metallic, i.e., they will conduct electrical charges with a relatively low resistance. The amount of armchair single-wall carbon nanotubes in the electrical conductor can be greater than 10%, greater than 30%, greater than 50%, greater than 75%, and greater than 90%, of the single-wall carbon nanotubes in the electrical conductor.

Abstract: A method and system for attached processing units accessing a shared memory in an SMP system. In one embodiment, a system comprises a shared memory. The system further comprises a plurality of processing elements coupled to the shared memory. Each of the plurality of processing elements comprises a processing unit, a direct memory access controller and a plurality of attached processing units. Each direct memory access controller comprises an address translation mechanism thereby enabling each associated attached processing unit to access the shared memory in a restricted manner without an address translation mechanism. Each attached processing unit is configured to issue a request to an associated direct memory access controller to access the shared memory specifying a range of addresses to be accessed as virtual addresses. The associated direct memory access controller is configured to translate the range of virtual addresses into an associated range of physical addresses.

Abstract: In a processor, when a conditional branch instruction is encountered, a software prediction for the conditional branch is made as a function of the specific condition register field used to store the branch condition for the conditional branch instruction. If a specified condition register field is not used, the software prediction may be made dependent upon the specific address at which the branch instruction is located.

Abstract: A retractable bristle brush of the type for retracting the bristles into the brush is provided. The retractable bristle brush includes a handle adapted for grasping by a user and an elongated, cylindrical inner mandrel extending from the handle; a plurality of bristles extending outwardly from the inner mandrel; a cylindrical external mandrel is slidably mounted on the inner mandrel, the external mandrel forming a bristle orifice through a top surface thereof in connection with a bristle cavity formed by the external mandrel wherein each associated orifice and bristle cavity disposes at least one bristle; and a mechanism for controlling bristle extension in connection between the external mandrel and the internal mandrel limiting longitudinal movement of the external mandrel between an open position wherein the bristles extend through the orifice and a closed position wherein the bristles are retracted to a position within the bristle cavity proximate the top surface of the external mandrel.

Abstract: A method and system for providing travel guidance for transportation vehicles traveling on a highway system that comprises highway transceivers (HTs) with limited range placed at selected intervals along the highway. Each transportation vehicle has an automobile transceiver (AT) for receiving and transmitting information using a communication protocol. The HTs have a limited transmission range. The AT may be programmed to selectively present information received from the HTs to a passenger in an automobile. The ATs may also receive information from other transportation vehicles equipped with an AT. The HTs may receive information from all of the transceivers or other transmitters, for example, a GPS satellite transmitter. The HTs may also transmit information to traffic signal units about numbers of vehicles in its transmission pattern.

Abstract: A method and system for deferring transmission of a data packet over a home network is disclosed, where the home network includes a host media access controller program and a media access controller. The method and system include transmitting a first transmit signal from the host media access controller program to the media access controller (MAC) to transmit a data packet, and asserting a transmit start signal from the MAC in response. The method and system further include receiving a carrier sense signal on the MAC indicating activity on a transmission medium, and delaying assertion of a final transmit signal when it is determined that both the transmit start signal and the carrier sense signal are active, thereby avoiding packet collisions.