Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products for providing location based subscription services. The methods include receiving a geographic location of a user. The user is subscribed to an on-line community if the on-line community specifies a community location that is within a distance of the geographic location of the user, and the user is not currently subscribed to the on-line community. The user is un-subscribed from the on-line community if the community location is not within the distance of the geographic location of the user and the user is currently subscribed to the on-line community. Embodiments further include computer program products for implementing the methods.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for grouped radio controls. A grouped radio control can include a listing of elements, each element having a specified grouping. The grouped radio control also can include grouping logic programmed to insert elements into, delete elements from, and select elements within the listing. Finally, a grouped radio control can include a grouped radio control interface configured to accept interface events for processing in the grouping logic.

Abstract: A carrier for a semiconductor component is provided having passive components integrated in its substrate. The passive components include decoupling components, such as capacitors and resistors. A set of connections is integrated to provide a close electrical proximity to the supported components.

Abstract: Under the present invention when a business process is desired to be outsourced from a client (e.g., a company or governmental unit) to a third party outsourcer, an outsourcing project is initially planned. Typically, the plan includes a plurality of overlapping phases that extend over several time periods. Thereafter, a cost for implementing the outsourcing project is estimated. Should the cost exceed a planned budget of the client, the excess/investment is addressed while an agreement between the client and the outsourcer for the outsourcing project is being reached. This can involve reducing scope, restructuring the overlapping phases to reduce or eliminate the excess cost, and/or integrating funding options to address the cost as part of the agreement.

Abstract: System, method and program product for tracing first, second and third processes for producing a product. First, second and third process instances for the first, second and third processes, respectively, are generated. Tracing information is stored in association with the first, second and third process instances to indicate respective execution conditions. The third process instance is executed after the second process instance, and the second process instance is executed after the first process instance. The first process instance yields a product which is subject to the second process instance, and the second process instance yields a product which is subject to the third process instance. A first pointer indicates that the second process instance follows the first process instance, and a second pointer indicates that the third process instance follows the second process instance.

Abstract: A method and system for processing Service Level Agreement (SLA) terms in a caching component in a storage system. The method can include monitoring cache performance for groups of data in the cache, each the group having a corresponding SLA. Overfunded SLAs can be identified according to the monitored cache performance. In consequence, an entry can be evicted from among one of the groups which correspond to an identified one of the overfunded SLAs. In one aspect of the present invention, the most overfunded SLA can be identified, and an entry can be evicted from among the group which corresponds to the most overfunded SLA.

Abstract: Magnetic tunnel junction devices can be fabricated using a two-step deposition process wherein respective portions of the magnetic tunnel junction stack are defined independently of one another.

Abstract: A method of forming extruded structures from a polycrystalline material and structures formed thereby. The method generally entails forming a structure that comprises a polycrystalline material constrained by a second material in all but one direction, with the polycrystalline material having a patterned surface that is normal to the one direction. The polycrystalline material is then selectively heated, during which the second material restricts thermal expansion of the polycrystalline material in all but the one direction normal to the surface of the polycrystalline material. As a result, stresses are induced in the polycrystalline material that cause grain growth from the surface of the polycrystalline material in the one direction. The growth of an individual grain produces an extruded structure that projects above the surface of the polycrystalline material.

Abstract: A data processing system comprises a local probe storage array having a plurality of sensors for reading data from a storage surface. A plurality of data processing elements are mounted on the storage array. Each data processing element is connected to different sensor of the array for processing data read by the connected sensor. The data processing elements may be logic gates for performing simple comparisons with input data. Alternatively, each data processing element may comprise more complex logic circuitry for performing more complex functions based on data read by the storage array. Such function may involve a combination of data read by the storage array and data input to the data processing system from an another source. Each data processing element may comprise a complete microprocessor system responsive to data read from the storage array.

Abstract: A computer system and corresponding method for supporting a compressed main memory includes a processor, a processor cache in signal communication with the processor, a memory controller in signal communication with the processor cache, a compression translation table entry register in signal communication with the processor cache and the memory controller, a compression translation table directory in signal communication with the compression translation table entry register, and a compressed main memory in signal communication with the memory controller wherein the memory controller manages the compressed main memory by storing entries of the compression translation table directory into the processor cache from the compression translation table entry register; where the corresponding method includes receiving a real address for a processor cache miss, finding a compression translation table address for the cache miss within the processor cache, if the cache miss is a cache write miss: decompressing the memor

Abstract: An optical coupler that provides for the direct mounting of integrated circuit(s). The coupler includes a two-part housing with grooves for accommodating optical fibers that are held in place when the two parts are put together. Circuitry is formed on the housing and solder balls, when heated to a liquid state and cooled (reflowed), are used to attach integrated circuit(s) onto the housing. At least one of these integrated circuit(s) is an optical die that is positioned in close proximity to the optical fibers to provide for the receipt and/or transmission of optical signals. The reflowing of the solder balls forms an electrical connection between the circuitry on the housing and the integrated circuit(s) and provides for alignment of these components. The housing is attached to a circuitized substrate using reflowed solder balls or wirebonds.

Abstract: A refrigeration system for cooling a logic module includes an evaporator housing including an evaporator block in thermal communication with the logic module. The evaporator housing includes a humidity sensor for detecting a humidity within the evaporator housing. The system further comprises a controller for controlling a refrigeration unit supplying cold refrigerant to the evaporator block in response to the operating conditions of the logic module and the temperature of the evaporator block. In another aspect of the invention, two modular refrigeration units are independently operable to cool the evaporator block, and each refrigeration unit is controllable in various modes of operation including an enabled mode in which it is ready to cool the evaporator and an on mode in which it is actively cooling the evaporator. In another aspect of the invention, the evaporator block and a heater on a reverse side of the circuit board are particularly controlled during concurrent repair operations.

Abstract: A method, system and program product are described for synchronizing content stored in different encoding formats, only one of which includes timecode support, the invention involving accessing content stored at a first format, the first content having timecodes superimposed on its frames, determining the superimposed timecodes of first and second representative frames of the first content, determining the frame numbers corresponding to the first and second representative frames, and using the determined timecodes and frame numbers to determine general

Abstract: An aqueous based ceria slurry system and method for chemical mechanical polishing of semiconductor wafers, the slurry comprising less than 5 wt % abrasive cerium oxide particles and up to about the critical micelle concentration of a cationic surfactant, absent other abrasives, in a neutral to alkaline pH solution is disclosed. Also disclosed is slurry comprising a blend of surfactants including a pre-existing amount of anionic surfactant and an added amount of cationic and/or non-ionic surfactant.

Abstract: Information presentation system comprises a computer device having a display terminal for providing a graphical user interface (GUI), capable of generating a cluster of items comprising graphical or textual elements for display thereof according to a fractal appearance. Each item in a cluster represents information having a degree of relatedness with information represented by other items in a cluster. A control mechanism is provided for controlling the spatial extent, nesting and arrangement of items within a cluster according to a specified criteria, which spatial extent and arrangement is controlled to provide optimal display and conserve screen display space on the display terminal. Users may manually enter a criteria for organizing and adjusting the spatial extent of a cluster in order to provide continuous display space on the computer display terminal.

Abstract: A semiconductor device can be fabricated using a photomask that has been modified using an assist feature design method (see e.g., FIG. 4A) based on normalized feature spacing. Before the device can be fabricated, a layout of original shapes is designed (402). For at least some of the original shapes, the width of the shape and a distance to at least one neighboring shape are measured (404). A modified shape can then be generated by moving edges of the original shape based on the width and distance measurements (406). This modification can be performed on some or all of the original shapes (408). For each of the modified shapes, a normalized space and correct number of assist features can be computed (410). The layout is then modified by adding the correct number of assist features in a space between the modified shape and the neighboring shape (412). This modified layout can then be used in producing a photomask, which can in turn be used to produce a semiconductor device.

Abstract: A method of evaluating decoupling capacitor placement for Very Large Scale Integrated Chips (VLSI) is disclosed. Included in the method is an analysis of the usage for each decoupling capacitor, the distance from the devices, and the locations of the devices and decoupling capacitors. Also addressed are the orientations and size of the components.

Abstract: A removable gas injector design compatible for use in chemical vapor deposition reactors that allows proper mixing of the reactant gases, reduced cycle time associated with cleaning of gas injector components, and elimination of uncertainties associated with manual cleaning of the injector. A better reliability to the system due to the known condition of the nozzle after a clean is achieved.

Abstract: A memory organization having one or more groups of memory arrays is disclosed. Each array, which may be on a single chip, is provided with both a data port and a separate address port which may also serve as an alternate data port. Use of the alternate data ports permits a substantially smaller number of input/output circuits to be used than the number required if both the address and data ports are used. The standard data port is, however, available should a higher-speed application be desired using separate address and data ports. In a single-port application, an on-chip data buffer permits the data to be sent and received through the address port in timed relationship with row and column address signals and without interfering with such address signals. An optional group select signal permits a large memory organization to utilize the alternate data ports of numerous groups of array chips.

Abstract: Articles of a thermoplastic having an improved level of electromagnetic shielding are molded from plastic pellets that have a core of metalized glass fibers that are arranged to partially disperse through the molded article as individual fibers and partially to remain in clumps of generally aligned closely contacting fibers. The clumps have approximately the length of an individual fiber but they are substantially wider than an individual fiber. Improved conductivity is attributed to increased electrical bridging between fibers that is provided by the width of the clumps of fibers.