Abstract: An apparatus is provided that compensates for misalignment on a synchronous data bus, the apparatus includes a replica radial distribution element, a bit lag control element, and a synchronous lag receiver. The replica radial distribution element is configured to receive a lag pulse signal, and is configured to generate a replicated strobe signal, where the replica radial distribution network includes replicated propagation path lengths, loads, and buffering of a radial distribution network for a strobe. The bit lag control element is configured to measure the time between assertion of the lag pulse signal and assertion of the replicated strobe signal, and is configured to generate a first value on a lag bus that indicates the time.

Abstract: A non-volatile memory apparatus includes an error checking and correcting (ECC) decoding circuit, a main buffer circuit, a multiplexer, and an interface circuit. The ECC decoding circuit decodes an original codeword to obtain a decoded codeword. The main buffer circuit is coupled to the ECC decoding circuit for receiving and storing a first data portion of the decoded codeword. The multiplexer's first input end is coupled to the output end of the main buffer circuit. The second input end of the multiplexer is coupled to the output end of the ECC decoding circuit. The interface circuit is coupled to the output end of the multiplexer and receives the first data portion from the multiplexer to provide the first data portion to a host.

Abstract: A method is provided for managing power consumption within a multi-core microprocessor. An operating system issues an operating system instruction to transition a recipient core to a targeted power and/or performance state that is one of many possible states into which a microprocessor can place a core. Each core of the microprocessor has its own target state, and different cores may have different target states. After receiving the instruction, the recipient core implements any settings associated with its target core state that wouldn't affect resources shared with other cores. The recipient core also initiates an inter-core discovery process to determine a target multi-core state of all the cores sharing the resource. The target multi-core state reflects one or more settings that match the settings of the recipient core's target core state as much as possible without lowering a performance of any resource-sharing core below that core's own target core state.

Abstract: A probe card including a circuit board, a transformer, a probe head, and a reinforcement structure is provided. The transformer including a body, a plurality of solder balls, and a plurality of first contact points are disposed on the substrate. The body has a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface is located between the circuit board and the second surface. The solder balls are disposed on the first surface, and the first contact points are disposed on the second surface. The probe head is disposed on the second surface. The probe head is electrically connected to the circuit board by the first solder balls. The reinforcement structure is disposed between the probe head and the circuit board.

Abstract: A memory chip coupled to a host includes a memory and a controller. The memory is pre-loaded with a plurality of boot images, wherein the boot images have the same content. The controller is coupled to the memory, and processes data transmissions between the memory chip and the host, wherein the controller further determines whether the memory chip enters a boot mode for the first time, and when the memory chip enters the boot mode for the first time, the controller accesses the memory to obtain a correct boot image from the boot images and transmits the correct boot image to the host. Further, each boot image includes a plurality of data blocks, and the controller loads a plurality of correct data blocks from one or more of the boot images to obtain the correct boot image.

Abstract: A system, a control apparatus and a control method for distributed video display are provided. The system includes an image source device configured to provide image data, a plurality of displays, a plurality of display chips respectively coupled to the displays and connected with the video source device through a network, and a control apparatus connected with the image source device and the display chips through the network and configured to transmit a playback signal to each of the display chips to control the display chips to receive the image data from the image source device and convert the received image data into display frames capable of being played by the displays.

Abstract: A non-volatile memory apparatus including a non-volatile storage circuit, a main memory and a controller, and an operating method thereof are provided. Each of a plurality of logical block address groups includes a plurality of logical block addresses. Each of the logical block address groups is assigned a group read-count value. An adjustment of the group read-count values is triggered by a read command of a host. When one read-count value of the group read-count values exceeds a preset range, the controller performs a scan operation to non-volatile storage blocks of the non-volatile storage circuit corresponding to a corresponding logical block address group of the read-count value, so as to check a number of error bits. The controller decides whether to perform a storage block data-moving operation to the non-volatile storage block corresponding to the corresponding logical block address group based on results of the scan operation.

Abstract: A microprocessor includes a plurality of cores, a shared cache memory, and a control unit that individually puts each core to sleep by stopping its clock signal. Each core executes a sleep instruction and responsively makes a respective request of the control unit to put the core to sleep, which the control unit responsively does, and detects when all the cores have made the respective request and responsively wakes up only the last requesting cores. The last core writes back and invalidates the shared cache memory and indicates it has been invalidated and makes a request to the control unit to put the last core back to sleep. The control unit puts the last core back to sleep and continuously keeps the other cores asleep while the last core writes back and invalidates the shared cache memory, indicates the shared cache memory was invalidated, and is put back to sleep.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an insulating layer disposed over a substrate, wherein the insulating layer has a center region. A first winding portion and a second winding portion are electrically connected to the first winding portion, disposed in a first level of the insulating layer and surrounding the center region, wherein each of the first winding portion and the second winding portion comprises a plurality of conductive lines arranged from the inside to the outside. A first extending conductive line and a second extending conductive line partially surround the first extending conductive line, and are disposed in the first level of the insulating layer, wherein the first winding portion and the second winding portion surround the first extending conductive line and the second extending conductive line. A third extending conductive line is disposed in a second level of the insulating layer and surrounding the center region.

Abstract: A circuit substrate includes a circuit stack, a patterned conductive layer, a dielectric layer, and a plurality of thickening conductive layers. The circuit stack has a surface. The patterned conductive layer is located on the surface of the circuit stack and has a plurality of traces. Each of the traces has a bonding segment. The dielectric layer is located on the surface of the circuit stack and covers the patterned conductive layer. Besides, the dielectric layer has a plurality of bonding openings. Each of the bonding openings exposes the corresponding bonding segment. Each of the thickening conductive layers is located on the corresponding bonding segment. A semiconductor package structure having the above circuit substrate and a process for fabricating a circuit substrate are also provided.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for protecting a basic input/output system (BIOS) in a computing system. The apparatus includes a BIOS read only memory (ROM), an event detector, and a tamper detector. The BIOS ROM has BIOS contents that are stored as plaintext, and an encrypted message digest, where the encrypted message digest comprises an encrypted version of a first message digest that corresponds to the BIOS contents, and where and the encrypted version is generated via a symmetric key algorithm and a key. The event detector is configured to generate a BIOS check interrupt that interrupts normal operation of the computing system upon the occurrence of an event, where the event includes one or more occurrences of an APIC access.

Abstract: EMarker and associated cable and method. The cable includes a CC (configuration channel) wire, the eMarker includes an active trigger circuit and a protection circuit coupled to the active trigger circuit and the CC wire. When a second port connects a first port via the cable, if a predefined event happens, the active trigger circuit triggers the protection circuit to change an electric characteristic of the CC wire, such that the first port detects a detachment of the second port.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for protecting a basic input/output system (BIOS) in a computing system. The apparatus includes a BIOS read only memory (ROM), an event detector, and a tamper detector. The BIOS ROM has BIOS contents that are stored as plaintext, and an encrypted message digest, where the encrypted message digest comprises an encrypted version of a first message digest that corresponds to the BIOS contents, and where and the encrypted version is generated via a symmetric key algorithm and a key. The event detector is configured to generate a BIOS check interrupt that interrupts normal operation of the computing system upon the occurrence of an event, where the event includes one or more occurrences of a change in system state.

Abstract: A sorting method of data documents is provided, adapted to an electronic device. The sort method includes the following steps: retrieving a plurality of keywords from contents of a plurality of data documents; retrieving a keyword ranking corresponding to the at least one first keyword by a search engine; searching a keyword category corresponding to the at least one first keyword; and inputting the at least one first keyword, the keyword ranking and the keyword category of each of the at least one first keyword into a sort algorithm thereby outputting a predicting ranking of the first data document to sort the first data document, wherein the sort algorithm is generated based on contents of a plurality of second data documents and a current ranking of each of the plurality of second data documents.

Abstract: A probe card including a circuit board, a transformer, a probe head, and a reinforcement structure is provided. The transformer including a body, a plurality of solder balls, and a plurality of first contact points are disposed on the substrate. The body has a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface is located between the circuit board and the second surface. The solder balls are disposed on the first surface, and the first contact points are disposed on the second surface. The probe head is disposed on the second surface. The probe head is electrically connected to the circuit board by the first solder balls. The reinforcement structure is disposed between the probe head and the circuit board.

Abstract: A non-volatile memory (NVM) apparatus and a data de-duplication method thereof are provided. The NVM apparatus includes a NVM and a controller. The controller performs an error checking and correcting (ECC) method to convert a raw data into an encoded data. The controller performs the data de-duplication method to reduce a number of times that the same encoded data is repeatedly written into the NVM. The controller generates the feature information corresponding to the raw data by reusing the ECC method. When the feature information is found in a feature list, the encoded data corresponding to the raw data will not be written into the NVM. When the feature information is not found in the feature list, the feature information is added into the feature list, and the encoded data corresponding to the raw data is written into the NVM.

Abstract: A method is provided that compensates for misalignment on a synchronous data bus.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided that compensates for misalignment on a synchronous data bus. The apparatus includes a replica radial distribution element, a bit lag control element, and a synchronous lag receiver. The replica radial distribution element is configured to receive a first signal, and is configured to generate a second signal, where the replica radial distribution element comprises replicated propagation path lengths, loads, and buffering of a radial distribution network for a strobe. The bit lag control element is configured to measure a propagation time beginning with assertion of the first signal and ending with assertion of the second signal, and is configured to generate a value on a lag bus that indicates the propagation time. The bit lag control element has delay lock control and a gray encoder.

Abstract: A display method and a display system for a video wall are proposed. The method is applicable to a display system having a server and multiple player devices. Each of the player devices is connected to the server and a video wall having multiple displays, and each of the player devices corresponds to a different one of the displays and a different one of regions in a video stream. The method includes to receive the video stream from the server by each of the player devices, to send a broadcast command by a master player device among the player devices to other player devices, and to start displaying the corresponding region in a first frame of the video stream on the corresponding display of the video wall by each of the player devices after a preset delay time interval according to the broadcast command.

Abstract: A voice control method, a mobile terminal device, and a voice control system are provided. The voice control method includes the following steps. An application provides at least one operating parameter for a speech software development module. The speech software development module receives a voice signal and parses the voice signal, and thus a voice recognition result is obtained. The speech software development module determines whether the voice recognition result matches the operating parameters. When the voice recognition result matches the operating parameters, the speech software development module provides an operating signal for the application.