Abstract: The present disclosure provides a receiver, a transmitter and methods of operating a receiver and a transmitter. In one embodiment, the receiver includes a receive portion employing transmission signals from a transmitter, having multiple transmit antennas, that is capable of transmitting at least one spatial codeword and adapting a transmission rank. The receiver also includes a feedback generator portion configured to provide a channel quality indicator that is feedback to the transmitter, wherein the channel quality indicator corresponds to at least one transmission rank.

Abstract: Various apparatuses and methods for supplying an electrical current are disclosed herein. For example, some embodiments provide an apparatus including a current regulation switch connected in a current path between a power input and a current output. A current regulator is connected to the current regulation switch. The current regulator includes a current set terminal, and the current through the current regulation switch is proportional to the current through current set terminal. An impedance monitor is connected to the current set terminal.

Abstract: The present invention relates to apparatus and method for re-circulating high viscosity liquids. The apparatus comprises a recirculating probe coupled to a fluid storage and dispensing vessel by a connector, and the recirculating probe comprises: (a) a dip tube defining an output flow path; (b) an output port; (c) a recirculating port; and (d) a return flow path. The output flow path and the return flow path preferably have substantially equal cross-sectional areas, which reduce or eliminate the unbalance between the discharge pressure in the output line and that in the re-circulation line, and prevent premature wearing-out of the dispensing/recirculating pump.

Abstract: Systems and methods for identifying a transmission channel response and a feedback channel response from a plurality of composite system responses are disclosed. A plurality of shifted feedback signals are created by shifting a feedback signal frequency by a plurality of first offset values and/or by shifting a transmission signal frequency by a plurality of second offset values. The feedback signals are compared to an input signal to identify the transmission channel response and/or a feedback channel response. A control signal is generated for a pre-distortion circuit to modify the input signal by an inverse of the transmission channel response. The composite system response is measured at a plurality of operating frequencies and at the plurality of offset values. The measurements are stored in a matrix and singular value decomposition is applied to the matrix of measurements to calculate the transmission channel response and feedback channel response.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for capturing pre- and post-event data for random events using minimum power. Real-time data is captured and stored in a continuous loop in a segment of a first memory. Upon detection of a designated event, a second memory is powered-on and post-event data is stored to a segment of the second memory. After a designated data capture window, the second memory is powered-off and real-time data is captured in an unused segment of the first memory. The post-event data may be captured in the unused segment of the first memory and later transferred to the second memory. Auto-address logic monitors and controls the storage and retrieval of pre- and post-event in the first and second memory. An energy management system determines and controls which segments of the first and second memory should be powered-on or kept in the stasis mode to store event data.

Abstract: A plurality of sub word lines each have a length equivalent to the division of a main word line along the extension direction thereof, arranged along a bit line crossing said main word line, and are connected with a plurality of memory cells. A first sub word select line arranged in parallel to the main word line is extended to a plurality of sub arrays arranged in the extension direction of the word line. A second sub word select line is connected to the corresponding one of said first sub word select line to be extended orthogonally to a word line driving circuit area of an adjacent sub array. In the sub word line driving circuit provided for each sub array, a sub word line is selected and deselected by signals supplied from said main word line and said second sub word select line.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a method to allow a software access point (SAP)-enabled device to go to sleep as much as possible without sacrificing throughput and latency across networks. The SAP-enabled device defers transmissions from client stations if maximum end-to-end throughput that can be supported by the networks is below the maximum throughput supported by a connection to the client station.

Abstract: In one aspect provides a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device having improved transistor performance. In one aspect, this improvement is achieved by conducting a pre-deposition spacer deposition process wherein a temperature of a bottom region of a furnace is higher than a temperature of in the top region and is maintained for a predetermined period. The pre-deposition temperature is changed to a deposition temperature, wherein a temperature of the bottom region is lower than a temperature of the top region.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention comprise a system and method for estimating a traffic load on a wireless network. An access point notifies a station that the access point will not receive transmissions during a first quiet period. After the first quiet period, the access point monitors the wireless network during a first monitoring period. If no transmissions are received during the first monitoring period, the access point notifies the station that it will not receive transmissions during a second quiet period. The second quiet period has an equal or longer duration than the first quiet period. The access point alternates between monitoring periods and quiet periods and progressively expands the duration of the quiet periods as long as no transmissions are received during the monitoring periods. If a station notifies the access point that packets are pending at the device, the monitoring period is extended to handle these packets immediately.

Abstract: A system and method for providing a variety of medium access and power management methods are disclosed. A defined frame structure allows a hub and a node to use said methods for secured or unsecured communications with each other. Contended access is available during a random access phase. The node uses an alternate doubling of a backoff counter to reduce interference and resolve collisions with other nodes attempting to communicate with the hub in the random access phase. Non-contended access is also available, and the hub may schedule reoccurring or one-time allocation intervals for the node. The hub and the node may also establish polled and posted allocation intervals on an as needed basis. The node manages power usage by being at active mode at times during the beacon period when the node is expected to transmit or receive frames.

Abstract: A system and method for minimizing or preventing interference between wireless networks is disclosed. A network hub broadcasts a beacon signal within repeating beacon periods. The position of the beacon signal shifts within each beacon period based upon a predetermined pseudo-random sequence. The beacon signal includes data identifying the current beacon shift sequence and the current phase of the sequence. Neighboring hubs independently or jointly determine and broadcast their own beacon shift sequences and phases for their respective networks from a predetermined list. Nodes connected with the network hubs are assigned allocation intervals having a start time that is set relative to the beacon signal. The start time and duration of the allocation interval wraps around the beacon period if the allocation-interval would otherwise start or continue in a next beacon period.

Abstract: A system and method for establishing a mutual entity authentication and a shared secret between two devices using a password without giving any useful information for finding the password is disclosed. Unique first private keys and first public keys are assigned to both devices. A shared password is provided to both devices. The public keys are scrambled using the shared password and then exchanged between the two devices. Both devices descramble their respectively received scrambled public keys using the shared password to recover the public keys. Both devices compute a shared secret from their own private keys and the recovered public keys. Both devices compute, exchange, and verify their hashes of the shared secret. If verification is successful, both devices use the shared secret to generate a shared master key, which is used either directly or via a later-generated session key for securing message communications between the two devices.

Abstract: A system and method for establishing a pairwise temporal key (PTK) between two devices based on a shared master key and using a single message authentication codes (MAC) algorithm is disclosed. The devices use the shared master key to independently compute four MACs representing the desired PTK, a KCK, and a first and a second KMAC. The Responder sends its first KMAC to the Initiator, which retains the computed PTK only if it verifies that the received first KMAC equals its computed first KMAC and hence that the Responder indeed possesses the purportedly shared master key. The Initiator sends a third message including the second KMAC to the Responder. The Responder retains the computed PTK only if it has verified that the received second KMAC equals its computed second KMAC and hence that the Initiator indeed possesses the purportedly shared master key.

Abstract: A system and method for managing power in a subnet having a hub in communication with one or more nodes is disclosed. The hub and nodes communicate using one or more non-contention access methods, such as scheduled, polled or posted access. The node may enter a sleep or hibernation state while no scheduled, polled or posted allocation interval is pending. The hibernation state allows the node to hibernate through one or more entire beacon periods. In the sleep state, the node may be asleep between any scheduled, polled and posted allocation intervals for the node or during another node's scheduled allocation interval in a current beacon period. By selecting which access scheme is in use, the node and hub can increase the node's chances to be in hibernation or sleep state and minimize power consumption.

Abstract: A method and system for random access control is disclosed. A backoff counter is used to determine the start time of a contended allocation for a device. The backoff counter is set to an integer randomly drawn from the interval [1, CW], where CW is a contention window value selected based upon the priority of the traffic to be transmitted. The backoff counter is decremented for each idle contention slot detected. When the backoff counter reaches zero, the device attempts to transmit in the next contention slot. If the device receives no acknowledgement or an incorrect acknowledgment, then the transmission has failed. After a failed transmission, CW is set by alternately doubling the CW value up to a CWmax value for the user priority. CW is unchanged, if it was doubled in the last setting; and CW is doubled, if it was unchanged in the last setting.

Abstract: A system and method for authenticating and encrypting messages for secure transmission is disclosed. A frame to be transmitted between devices comprises a frame header and a frame body. The frame body includes a security sequence number (SSN), frame payload, and message integrity code (MIC). The SSN is incremented by one for each frame transmitted using a same pairwise temporal key (PTK). A nonce is formed using the frame header and the SSN. Counter blocks Ctri and a first input block B0 are created using the nonce. Payload blocks Bi are created from the frame payload. The frame payload encrypted by sequentially applying the blocks of payload data Bi and corresponding counter blocks Ctri to a cipher function. The MIC is computed by cipher block chaining a cipher function applied to blocks B0 and Bi, and counter block Ctr0. The cipher functions all use the PTK.

Abstract: A method for selective deposition of self-assembled monolayers to the surface of a substrate for use as a diffusion barrier layer in interconnect structures is provided comprising the steps of depositing a first self-assembled monolayer to said surface, depositing a second self-assembled monolayer to the non-covered parts of said surface and subsequently heating said substrate to remove the first self-assembled monolayer. The method of selective deposition of self-assembled monolayers is applied for the use as diffusion barrier layers in a (dual) damascene structure for integrated circuits.

Abstract: An audience and speaker interactive communications system is described. In one embodiment, it includes a server coupled to a loudspeaker, which server includes an application module for receiving and decoding speech samples and transmitting the speech samples to a loudspeaker over an unlicensed wireless communication frequency spectrum. The system also includes a mobile communications device with a connectivity application for gaining access to the server over an unlicensed wireless communication frequency spectrum as well as a client application module for encoding and transmitting speech samples to the server.

Abstract: A method of method of manufacturing an integrated circuit. The method comprises performing an electromigration reliability rule-check for at least one of via node of an integrated circuit, including: calculating a net effective current density of the via node. Calculating the net effective current density including determining a sum of effective current densities for individual leads that are coupled to the via node. Leads configured to transfer electrons away from said via node are assigned a positive polarity of the effective current density. Leads configured to transfer electrons towards the via node are assigned a negative polarity of the effective current density.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device. The method comprises forming conductive and ferroelectric material layers on a semiconductor substrate. The material layers are patterned to form electrodes and a ferroelectric layer of a ferroelectric capacitor, wherein a conductive residue is generated on sidewalls of the ferroelectric capacitor as a by-product of the patterning. The method also comprises removing the conductive residue using a physical plasma etch clean-up process that includes maintaining a substrate temperature that is greater than about 60° C.