Abstract: A selective noise canceling device is disclosed that evaluates an external audio signal and determines whether a given external audio signal should be suppressed or reproduced. A selective noise suppression circuit processes the external audio signal to classify the external audio signal as noise to be suppressed or as a desired audio signal to be reproduced. An external audio signal, or a desired portion thereof, is reproduced if a portion of the external audio signal is likely to be of interest to the user. The desired external signal may optionally be amplified over the primary selected audio signal for emphasis and the selected audio signal may optionally be suppressed entirely when the desired external signal is reproduced.

Abstract: A capacitively coupled fluorescent lamp package having a capacitively coupled fluorescent lamp having cylindrical ceramic tubes is disclosed. The lamp package further includes an electronic driver or inverter circuit for driving the lamp and supply nodes for receiving a supply voltage. The inverter circuit is a conventional inverter circuit, such as, for example, current-fed push-pull, voltage-fed push-pull, active clamped Flyback, and voltage-fed half-bridge inverter circuits, used in conventional CCFLs. A ballast circuit may be connected to the inverter circuit for properly ballasting the lamp.

Abstract: A modular optimizer, for use in determining a configuration of a production line with one or more component placement machines, is configured to handle precedence constraints. The precedence constraints may be of the form A B MT, which specifies that part A must be placed on a designated assembly board before part B if either part is to be placed by a machine type MT. A given set of precedence constraints includes at least a first class of constraints that apply to only one component placement machine type and a second class of constraints that apply to more than one component placement machine type. Assignment of constraints to the different classes is based on decisions of a part splitter module of the modular optimizer regarding which parts are assigned to which machine types. Each of the constraints in the first class of constraints associated with a given machine type are handled in a corresponding machine module of the modular optimizer.

Abstract: A capacitively coupled fluorescent lamp package having a capacitively coupled fluorescent lamp; an inverter circuit for driving the lamp; and supply nodes for receiving a supply voltage is disclosed. The capacitively coupled fluorescent lamp package includes a resonant circuit lamp driving scheme for driving the capacitively coupled fluorescent lamp. The driving scheme reduces parasitic capacitance leakage current; compensates the reactive power using the secondary side leakage inductance in order to have the resonant frequency approximately equal the inverter circuit operating frequency for current source-type driven circuits; and forms a series resonant sub-circuit with the embedded ballasting capacitor and the secondary side leakage inductance for voltage source-type driven circuits, such that the resonant frequency is substantially less than the inverter circuit operating frequency and that the lamp current is properly shaped along with current ballasting.

Abstract: A pre-processing script parses a message catalog of logging statements. Each record, for example, may include a distinct log message, a format string, and place-holders for variables plus a description. The script then generates a header file which defines each type of message contained in the message catalog. It then defines macros for each type of message. When a programmer writes code, he/she uses the macro format rather than the standard language format. The macros resolve upon compilation to a call to a function respective of the type and number of arguments required for the particular instance of the generic logging call. When the code is finally compiled, the compiler will generate error messages when the number and type of arguments do not match.

Abstract: A video decoder system having a scalable IDCT system. Included is a system for determining a complexity level based on a complexity budget inputted from a local resource controller; and an IDCT system that selects a scaling algorithm from a plurality of scaling algorithms, wherein the selected scaling algorithm corresponds to the determined complexity level. Each of the plurality of scaling algorithms provides a unique data-pruning pattern for processing DCT data.

Abstract: For high-resolution and low bit-error-rate MAMMOS readout a magnetic head is proposed, which head includes a flat magnetic coil (1) having a coil layer structure (3a, 3b) comprising an electrically conductive winding (5a, 5b) and includes a permanent-magnet layer structure (7) which extends parallel to the coil layer structure and has an in-plane magnetic axis (m).

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for predicting events using acoustic and visual cues. The present invention processes audio and video information to identify one or more (i) acoustic cues, such as intonation patterns, pitch and loudness, (ii) visual cues, such as gaze, facial pose, body postures, hand gestures and facial expressions, or (iii) a combination of the foregoing, that are typically associated with an event, such as behavior exhibited by a video conference participant before he or she speaks. In this manner, the present invention allows the video processing system to predict events, such as the identity of the next speaker. The predictive speaker identifier operates in a learning mode to learn the characteristic profile of each participant in terms of the concept that the participant “will speak” or “will not speak” under the presence or absence of one or more predefined visual or acoustic cues.

Abstract: There is disclosed an improved method for using key objects obtained from Internet sites to search for and locate television programs. An advantageous embodiment of the improved method of the present invention comprises the steps of: 1) identifying key objects in Internet documents, 2) sending the key objects to a search capable video recorder, 3) conducting a key object search with the search capable video recorder to locate television programs that contain the key objects, 4) providing to a viewer the search results of the key object search that identify television programs that contain the key objects, 5) selecting television programs that contain the key objects in response to a viewer instruction, and 6) recording the television programs that are selected by the viewer from the search results.

Abstract: A television programming recommender is disclosed that selectively obtains feedback information from a user to update one or more profiles associated with the user. Previously obtained implicit and explicit preferences are utilized to selectively focus the collection of feedback information to further update and refine the implicit and explicit preferences. The present invention obtains feedback from a user in a manner that maximizes the value of the obtained information and improves the performance of the television programming recommender. The present invention automatically requests feedback from the user upon the occurrence of predefined criteria. The nature of the requested feedback, and the manner in which the obtained feedback is used to adjust a profile, can vary.

Abstract: A wireless telephone, personal digital assistant (PDA), smart remote control, or other Internet-enabled processing device includes a scalable parser which supports a designated subset of an extensible mark-up language (XML) grammar. The designated subset may be selected for a given device based on factors such as the computational and memory capabilities of that device, and the complexity of documents handled by that device. An XML document supplied to the device is parsed using the scalable parser. The results of the parsing may then be supplied via a well-known standard application programming interface (API) to an application program on the processing device, and used to control an operation of the device. Advantageously, the invention allows “thin” devices to process simple XML documents without requiring implementation of the complete XML grammar.

Abstract: A content conditioner applies a content profile associated with a given Internet-enabled processing device to a requested extensible mark-up language document or other type of content to be processed for presentation at the device. The resulting conditioned document is further processed using a stylesheet associated with the device, so as to generate an output suitable for presentation at the device. The content profile for the given device comprises one or more operations and corresponding parameters that are required to condition the requested document content for a desired consumption experience at the processing device. For example, the content profile may include a summarization program which specifies a manner in which summarization information derived from the retrieved document is to be presented at the device.

Abstract: Semiconductor wafer coating system calibration structures and methods are described. In one embodiment, a calibration structure includes a perimetral edge bounding a calibration body. A calibration edge is spaced from the perimetral edge and is positioned over the calibration body. Together, the edges define a distance therebetween which is configured to calibrate a wafer coating system. In a preferred embodiment, the edges define respective termination distances configured to calibrate multiple different wafer coating systems. In another embodiment, a calibration pattern is formed over a semiconductor wafer. A layer of material is formed over the calibration pattern by a coating system, and selected portions thereof removed by the system. The positions of unremoved portions of the layer of material are inspected relative to the calibration pattern to ascertain whether the coating system removed the selected portions within desired tolerances.

Abstract: A modular optimizer, for use in determining a configuration of a production line with one or more component placement machines, is configured to learn a foreign optimizer module associated with a component placement machine type foreign to the modular optimizer. The modular optimizer includes an adapting estimator which estimates an output value, such as a placement cycle time measure, for the foreign optimizer module. The estimated output value may be used in determining the configuration of the production line. In addition, the modular optimizer periodically calls the foreign optimizer module, and for a given one of the calls compares a resulting output value generated by the foreign optimizer module to the corresponding estimated output value generated by the adapting estimator.

Abstract: An inverting adapter is disclosed that inverts inverted DVB-ASI signals to produce an adapted DVB-ASI signal. This adapted DVB-ASI signal may be used by any DVB-ASI device. The inverting adapter can be contained in one small package and easily connected to any of the various amplification devices that produce inverted DVB-ASI signals. Alternatively, the inverting adapter of the present invention may be integrally formed with an amplification device to automatically provide the adapted DVB-ASI signal.

Abstract: An integrated circuit chip includes a cascode amplifier having a first NMOS transistor with the gate receiving an input signal a source connected to ground through an inductance and a drain connected to the source of a second NMOS transistor. The drain of the second transistor is connected to a supply voltage through another inductance. The gate of the second transistor is connected to a DC bias voltage through a resistor and is connected to a first plate of an on-chip parallel plate capacitor. The other plate of the capacitor is connected to a wirebond pad for connection to a circuit board through a bond wire. The capacitor together with the inductance of the bond wire form a short circuit at the operating voltage of the amplifier.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for generating recommendations for one or more items based on the consistency with which an item was selected relative to the number of times the item was offered. The present invention adjusts a conventional program recommender score based on a consistency metric. The exemplary consistency metric is defined as the ratio of the number of times an item was selected over the number of times the item was offered in a given time period. In an exemplary program recommendation implementation, the consistency metric is defined as the ratio of the number of times a program was watched over the number of times the program was presented in a given time period. Generated recommendation scores can be increased or decreased in an appropriate manner to reward or penalize a user for consistent or inconsistent, respectively, selection of the item.

Abstract: A software architecture for pipeline systems in which data objects are transferred from one processing object to another via queues corresponding to each processing object. In the present invention, the destination queue for a data object is determined by having the current processing object query a pointer object corresponding to the data object rather than by programming it into the current processing object. In this way, the data objects determine their own command paths. The destination processing objects may be determined responsively to an outcome state following the current processing object's handling of the data object. For example, the path object may point to one destination processing object if a result of the current processing object's process was normal and another if faulty.

Abstract: A network protocol allows small wireless devices to be used for the control of remote systems. Several features promote fast and efficient modification of system parameters despite the small form factor of most wireless devices. First, each card is preferably designed such that the status of a control variable, and a control to permit the variable to be changed, are located on the same card. Second, the menu is structured such that rather than forcing the user through a series of data entry cards for every possible parameter, the user may select only the parameter which requires changing. Third, the interface is structured such that, each time a control variable is set, the user is taken back automatically to the previous card up one level in the menu structure. Fourth, the interface is structured to go back a level when the user opts out of a change.

Abstract: A combined calendar/diary application leverages several input mechanisms to enrich the historical record kept by a user. First, the application classifies events sensed by sensors and software monitors to capture and classify data indicative of events of significance to the user. It then requests additional information from the user to create a diary entry. Second, on the basis of the same event data, it may add the classification data to the diary as indicia of financial, emotional, or other states of the user or environment. Third, the system augments appointment using other data, including user input. Fourth, data is extracted from other sources for direct inclusion in the diary database. For example, contemporaneous news data from an Internet news feed may be added. Fifth, the application may periodically prompt the user for diary entries. Sixth the application may support deliberate diary-entry procedure as is done with current diary applications.