Abstract: Software for controlling processes in a heterogeneous semiconductor manufacturing environment may include a wafer-centric database, a real-time scheduler using a neural network, and a graphical user interface displaying simulated operation of the system. These features may be employed alone or in combination to offer improved usability and computational efficiency for real time control and monitoring of a semiconductor manufacturing process. More generally, these techniques may be usefully employed in a variety of real time control systems, particularly systems requiring complex scheduling decisions or heterogeneous systems constructed of hardware from numerous independent vendors.

Abstract: A workpiece container stores at least one workpiece having a bottom surface and a peripheral edge. In one embodiment, a workpiece support structure is located within the container enclosure, which forms multiple vertically stacked storage shelves within the enclosure. Each storage shelf includes, in one embodiment, a first tine and a second tine for supporting the workpiece in a substantially horizontal orientation. The bottom surface and peripheral edge of a workpiece seated on a storage shelf extends beyond the outer edge of both the first tine and the second tine. An end effector may engage these extended portions or “grip zones” of the workpiece.

Abstract: An electronic device that performs automatic de-baffling is described. Based at least in part on information corresponding to a boundary of an environment (which may be acquired by a sensor, such as a microphone or an image sensor), the electronic device may determine a location of the boundary, which is proximate to the electronic device. Then, based at least in part on the location, the electronic device may calculate a modified acoustic radiation pattern of the electronic device, where a superposition of the modification acoustic radiation pattern and acoustic reflections from the boundary approximately matches a target acoustic radiation pattern of the electronic device. Next, using the modified acoustic radiation pattern, the electronic device may output sound corresponding to audio content from a set of drivers.

Abstract: In response to receiving user-interface activity information from a portable electronic device that specifies user selection of a content source, an audio/video (A/V) hub provides a request for high-definition multimedia-interface (HDMI) content to the content source based on the user selection. When the A/V hub receives the HDMI content from the content source, the A/V hub provide the HDMI content and display instructions to an A/V display device as frames with the HDMI content are received from the content source, so that the HDMI content is displayed in a tiled window on the display in the A/V display device while other HDMI content from another content source is displayed on the display.

Abstract: A computer system may receive, from an acoustic transducer and/or a portable electronic device, information specifying one or more desired operations that are to be performed. This information may include natural language describing the one or more desired operations. In response, the computer system may transform the natural language into the one or more desired operations, and may identify a subset of the electronic devices based on the one or more desired operations and a predetermined supervised learning model that relates desired operations and the electronic devices. Next, the computer system may determine a set of commands based on the one or more desired operations and the subset of the electronic devices, and the computer system may provide the set of commands to the identified subset of the electronic devices, which may perform the one or more desired operations.

Abstract: A lubrication system for a saw may include a lubricator that is mechanically linked to a traveling arm of a saw, such as an up-cut saw. Movement of the saw blade through a first path may result automatically in movement of the lubricator through a second path transverse to the first path. This coupled movement may result in a relatively consistent distance between the lubricator and the periphery of the saw blade, especially as compared with a stationary lubricator.

Abstract: A loudspeaker diaphragm (12) comprising a woven fibre body supports damping material (25), for example PVA polymer, on a rearward-facing surface (24). The woven fibre body may be formed of lengths (14) non-metallic fibre material (for example glass fibre) coating with a thin metal coating (32). The mass of the layer of damping material (25) may be less than the mass of the woven fibre body. An attractive sparkly looking loudspeaker diaphragm (12) may thus be provided which damps undesirable vibration whilst providing a flatter frequency-response curve (50).

Abstract: A configurable cryogenic storage device has a freezer and a rack carrier positioned inside of the freezer. The freezer includes a bearing and a drive shaft though the freezer, the drive shaft being coupled to the rack carrier inside the freezer and adapted to be coupled to a motor assembly. The rack carrier rests on the bearing in a manual rotation configuration and hangs from the drive shaft when the motor is connected. Coupling the drive shaft to the motor assembly lifts the rack carrier and decouples the bearing and enables automated rotation of the rack carrier by the motor. The rack carrier includes rack-mounting features holding a plurality of sample storage racks. The sample storage racks hang from the rack carrier and the rack-mounting features precisely position the end of each sample storage rack.

Abstract: A force/torque sensor comprising a Tool Adapter Plate (TAP) connected to a Mounting Adapter Plate (TAP) by one or more radially-spaced, deformable beams features a pair of strain gages affixed to only one surface of each beam. The two strain gages are affixed to, e.g., the top surface on either side of, and spaced away from, a neutral axis of the beam. This enables a very compact sensor design, in one embodiment, machined from a single piece of metal stock. The two sensors may be connected in a quarter bridge topology. In one embodiment, another pair of strain gages is affixed to the same side of the beam, and the four gages are wired in a half-bridge topology.

Abstract: A workpiece handling module including a first housing member and a second housing member pivotally movable relative to the first member forming a housing having an access side and a second side opposite the access side and side walls, a first portion of the side walls is carried by the first member and a second portion of the side walls is carried by the second member, and at least one of the first and second housing members includes at least one sealable opening for allowing ingress and egress of workpieces to and from an interior chamber formed by the first and second housing members in a closed configuration, and the second portion of the side walls adjacent the access side and carried by the second member is greater than the first portion of the side walls adjacent the access side and carried by the first member.

Abstract: A substrate transport apparatus comprising a drive section, a controller, an upper arm, forearm and substrate holder. A proximate end of the upper arm being rotatably mounted to the drive section at a shoulder joint. A proximate end of the forearm being rotatably mounted to a distal end of the upper arm at an elbow joint. The substrate holder being rotatably mounted to a distal end of the forearm at a wrist joint. The upper arm and the forearm being unequal in length from joint center to joint center. The substrate transport arm is adapted to transport substrate to and from at least two substrate holding areas with the drive section of the transport apparatus remaining in a fixed position relative to the holding areas. Each of the upper arm, forearm and substrate holder being independently rotatable with respect to each other.

Abstract: The apparatus has a bending/cooling station mounted on a base. A tube clamping assembly is mounted on the base, movable towards and away from the bending/cooling station and including a tube clamping assembly and a tube rotation assembly. A tube heating assembly is mounted for movement between the bending/cooling station and the tube clamping assembly. Servomotors move the tube clamping assembly and the tube heating assembly, rotate the tube clamping assembly, and actuate bending at the bending/cooling station. The apparatus is controlled by PLC or PC-based programs, which effect movement via servomotors and control other parameters such as heating and cooling times and temperatures. Bending and cooling the tube at a first bend location, and heating the next desired bend location, take place in overlapping time windows, before advancing the tube to position the next desired bend location of the tube at the bending/cooling station.

Abstract: An electronic device that reduces relative drift is described. In particular, an interface circuit in the electronic device may calculate, based on differences between transmit times when packets were transmitted by a second electronic device and receive times of the packets, relative drift as a function of time between a clock in the interface circuit and a second clock in the second electronic device. Then, the interface circuit may adjust, based on the relative drift, a clock circuit that provides the clock to eliminate the relative drift, and may store the adjustments to the clock circuit. Furthermore, when a wireless reset occurs, the interface circuit may adapt the clock circuit based on the stored adjustments to reduce the relative drift while the interface circuit restores frequency lock with the second clock based on additional packets with additional transmit times that are received from the second electronic device.

Abstract: A modular approach to an electrical power and/or signal passing utility module is presented. A universal receptacle is fixedly disposed in bores in both of first and second signal connector blocks. A threaded socket member and a nonconductive guide bushing are installed, as needed, in receptacles in the first block, and a threaded pin member is installed in corresponding receptacles in the second block. The nonconductive guide bushing insulates the sockets, and guides pin posts into the socket as the two blocks abut. A compliant member such as an o-ring provides compliance of the socket and pin assemblies in the signal connector blocks, making the assemblies self-aligning. The socket and pin assemblies are field-replaceable by use of a simple tool.

Abstract: Apparatuses, systems and methods associated with a trigger management device for managing triggering of sensors within measurement equipment are disclosed herein. In embodiments, a trigger management device may include trigger circuitry coupled to a sensor, the trigger circuitry to determine an amount of delay from trigger transmission to data capture for the sensor, and transmit a trigger to the sensor, the trigger to cause the sensor to capture sensor data. The trigger management device may further include encoder circuitry coupled to one or more encoders, the one or more encoders to indicate positions of one or more actuators or motors, the encoder circuitry to capture encoder data from the one or more encoders at a time that is the amount of delay after transmission of the trigger, wherein the encoder data indicates current positions of the one or more actuators or motors. Other embodiments may include circuitry to manage and/or transmit encoder and other data to multiple devices.

Abstract: A compact palletizer including a skeleton, stretch wrap system, and a subassembly. Components of the skeleton are constructed of aluminum, which provides advantages over the prior art in terms of strength, rigidity, weight, and cost. The aluminum may be pre-tensioned or prestressed to provide these advantages. The subassembly is preferably mounted to the side of the skeleton. The compact palletizer is readily portable, and robotic elements of the compact palletizer do not need to be reprogrammed after transport, so installation time is substantially reduced compared with prior art palletizers. A compact stretch wrap system further allows for wrapping palletized products within the compact palletizer.

Abstract: Apparatuses, systems and methods associated with a metrology system for high-speed, non-contact coordinate measurements of parts are disclosed herein. In embodiments, the metrology system includes a metrology bridge to be coupled to a measurement assembly. The measurement assembly may include a stage moveable across multiple independent axes. The bridge may include a housing, mounting members coupled to the housing, and a plurality of sensors mounted within the housing. The mounting members may rotatably couple the housing to the measurement assembly. Further, sensor elements of the plurality of sensor devices may be aligned along a length of the housing and may be directed out of the housing.

Abstract: A substrate transport system includes a carrier having a housing forming an interior environment having an opening for holding at least one substrate and a door for sealing the opening from an outside atmosphere where when sealed the interior environment is configured to maintain an interior atmosphere therein, the housing including a fluid reservoir exterior to the interior environment and configured to contain a fluid, forming a different atmosphere in the fluid reservoir than the interior atmosphere, to form a fluidic barrier seal that seals the interior environment from an environment exterior to the carrier.

Abstract: A volumetric measurement system having an imaging device and a light source, where the light source is configured to illuminate the container and the sample regardless of a blockage or obstruction of the sample on at least part of the container.

Abstract: A loudspeaker diaphragm (12) comprising a woven fiber body supports damping material (25), for example PVA polymer, on a rearward-facing surface (24). The woven fiber body may be formed of lengths (14) non-metallic fiber material (for example glass fiber) coating with a thin metal coating (32). The mass of the layer of damping material (25) may be significantly greater than the mass of the woven fiber body. An attractive sparkly looking loudspeaker diaphragm (12) may thus be provided which damps undesirable vibration while providing a flatter frequency-response curve (50).