Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment, a system and method for providing advertising to select consumers using payroll data includes a process for providing advertising to select consumers using payroll data whereby one or more advertisements and/or marketing devices are distributed to a given consumer based, at least in part, on data representing financial information about the given consumer obtained from a payroll system and/or payroll service. The one or more advertisements and/or marketing devices are distributed to the given consumer through the payroll system and/or payroll service and, in some instances; the one or more advertisements and/or marketing devices are distributed to the given consumer as printed and/or electronic attachments to the given consumer's paycheck and/or payroll account.

Abstract: This disclosure describes the application of a supplemental corona source to provide surface charge on submicrometer particles to enhance collection efficiency and micro-structural density during electrostatic collection.

Abstract: A computer architecture for enterprise device applications provides a real-time, bi-directional communication layer for device communication. An identity-based communications layer provides for secure, end-to-end telemetry and control communications by enabling mutual authentication and encryption between the devices and the enterprise. The identity-based communications layer is situated between a network layer and an application layer and transmits a message between two devices identified by a global address. The global address specifies a protocol, a network, and an address meaningful for the combination of the protocol and the network.

Abstract: A computer architecture for enterprise device applications that provides a real-time, bi-directional communication layer for device communication. An identity-based communications layer provides for secure, end-to-end telemetry and control communications by enabling mutual authentication and encryption between the devices and the enterprise. A unique identity is assigned to each device, user and application to provide security services. The unique identity is independent of a network-address. Security information and a network address may be associated with the unique identity.

Abstract: A computer implemented method for maximizing publisher revenue for online advertising is provided. The computer implemented method includes determining a ratio of guaranteed ad impressions to expected remaining ad impressions. If the ratio is less than a threshold, the method includes, identifying a minimum bid value, the minimum bid value based on the ratio; comparing the minimum bid value to a received bid value for an ad impression; allocating the ad impression to an owner of the received bid when the received bid value is greater than or equal to the minimum bid value; and displaying an ad of the owner of the received bid. If the ratio is greater than the threshold, the method includes, allocating the ad impression to an owner of the guaranteed ad impressions. In one embodiment, the method operations are stored on a computer readable storage medium.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that automatically detects and corrects a misalignment of a semiconductor chip. During operation, the system uses a position-detection mechanism integrated with the chip to determine the misalignment of the chip from a desired alignment for the chip. Next, the system uses an actuation mechanism integrated with the chip to automatically correct the misalignment, thereby improving performance and reliability of the chip.

Abstract: A multi-chip module (MCM) is described. This MCM includes two substrates, having facing surfaces, which are mechanically coupled. Disposed on a surface of a first of these substrates, there is a negative feature, which is recessed below this surface. A positive feature in the MCM, which includes an assembly material other than a bulk material in the substrates, at least in part mates with the negative feature. For example, the positive feature may be disposed on the surface of the other substrate. Alternatively, prior to assembly of the MCM, the positive feature may be a separate component from the substrates (such as a micro-sphere). Note that the assembly material has a bulk modulus that is less than a bulk modulus of the material in the substrates. Furthermore, at least a portion of the positive feature may have been sacrificed when the mechanical coupling was established.

Abstract: A chip package is described. This chip package includes a stack of semiconductor dies or chips that are offset from each other, thereby defining a terrace with exposed pads. A high-bandwidth ramp component, which is positioned approximately parallel to the terrace, electrically couples to the exposed pads. For example, the ramp component may be electrically coupled to the semiconductor dies using: microsprings, an anisotropic film, and/or solder. Consequently, the electrical contacts may have a conductive, a capacitive or, in general, a complex impedance. Furthermore, the chips and/or the ramp component may be positioned relative to each other using a ball-and-pit alignment technique. By removing the need for costly and area-consuming through-silicon vias (TSVs) in the semiconductor dies, the chip package facilitates chips to be stacked in a manner that provides high bandwidth and low cost.

Abstract: A computer architecture for enterprise device applications provides a real-time, bi-directional communication layer for device communication. An identity-based communications layer provides for secure, end-to-end telemetry and control communications by enabling mutual authentication and encryption between the devices and the enterprise. A unique identity is assigned to each device, user and application to provide security services. Telemetry data is communicated between a data producing device and a data receiving device. The telemetry data sent from the data producing device is identified using the identity identifier of the data producing device.

Abstract: Provided are a techniques for processing a download. Under control of a first target device, a download command is received via a first communication medium that indicates that an update is to be downloaded. The download command is issued to a second target device via a second communication medium, wherein the second communication medium is a private device communication medium that enables private communication between the first target device and the second target device. The update is received via the first communication medium. In response to determining that the update has been downloaded, run with the update.

Abstract: A system that fabricates a semiconductor chip. The system places patterns for components which require fine line-widths within a high resolution region of a reticle, wherein the high resolution region provides sharp focus for a given wavelength of light used by the lithography system. At the same time, the system places patterns for components which do not require fine line-widths outside of the high-resolution region of the reticle, thereby utilizing the region outside of the high-resolution region of the reticle instead of avoiding the region. Note that the coarseness for components placed outside of the high resolution region of the reticle is increased to compensate for the loss of optical focus outside of the high resolution region.

Abstract: A computer architecture for enterprise device applications provides a real-time, bi-directional communication layer for device communication. An identity-based communications layer provides for secure, end-to-end telemetry and control communications by enabling mutual authentication and encryption between the devices and the enterprise. A unique identity is assigned to each device, user and application to provide security services. A communications session is established between two devices using an authentication service that authenticates the device that is initiating the establishment of the communications session with another device. After authenticating the initiating device, the authentication service provides to the initiating device the network address of the other device and an authentication credential for use in the communications session between the initiating device and the other device.

Abstract: A virtual project system is described herein that creates a virtual project to provide information during remote debugging similar to the project information available for local debugging. The virtual project contains each of a document's local and original Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs) for documents that are downloaded and compiled locally. At debug-time, the virtual project system injects the virtual project with information resolved by the debugger, including the original URI and the locally compiled version of the document. This allows the virtual project to associate the local to original URI mappings so that when the IDE receives symbol information at debug-time and attempts to open the document that has the current debug context, the IDE opens the correct remote document rather than a local copy. This ensures that any changes made by the user during debugging affect the remote document, rather than the temporary local copy.

Abstract: A system that fabricates a semiconductor chip. The system places patterns for components which require fine line-widths within a high resolution region of a reticle, wherein the high resolution region provides sharp focus for a given wavelength of light used by the lithography system. At the same time, the system places patterns for components which do not require fine line-widths outside of the high-resolution region of the reticle, thereby utilizing the region outside of the high-resolution region of the reticle instead of avoiding the region. Note that the coarseness for components placed outside of the high resolution region of the reticle is increased to compensate for the loss of optical focus outside of the high resolution region.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for making contactless card transactions, specifically of the secure element payment application variety, adapted for use in, but not limited to a customized and personalized skin that is applied to various mobile devices. The contactless payment skin provides a customized fit to the physical design of the mobile device to which it is applied. Customized graphics or images may be imprinted on the payment skin. The contactless payment skin is affixed to that mobile device. The contactless payment skin contains a contactless card region that houses an antenna and a secure element (SE) chip that may be used for contactless payment transactions at a merchant point of sale reader.

Abstract: User interface functionality in a presentation layer is coupled with data and data processing functionality of an application in a domain-specific layer. A UI-element-factory-registrar supports registration of a UI-element-factory with the domain-specific layer for invoking a UI-element to create a UI-element object. The UI-element object is bound to a domain-specific data-source object. The presentation layer may be asynchronously notified of changes in the data-source object. Data-converter objects may be provided to convert between data formats, e.g., from a native code domain-specific layer format to a managed code presentation layer format.

Abstract: The present invention describes a speech enhancement method using microphone arrays and a new iterative technique for enhancing noisy speech signals under low signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) environments. A first embodiment involves the processing of the observed noisy speech both in the spatial- and the temporal-domains to enhance the desired signal component speech and an iterative technique to compute the generalized eigenvectors of the multichannel data derived from the microphone array. The entire processing is done on the spatio-temporal correlation coefficient sequence of the observed data in order to avoid large matrix-vector multiplications. A further embodiment relates to a speech enhancement system that is composed of two stages. In the first stage, the noise component of the observed signal is whitened, and in the second stage a spatio-temporal power method is used to extract the most dominant speech component.

Abstract: An extensible project system for software development is provided by allowing a flavor, with a specific purpose, to be applied to a base project system. More than one flavor may be applied. Where components are distributed objects, such as where COM (component object model) is used, the project system is assembled by aggregation of a base project object, which contains some data for creating a project system with a flavor object, which modifies the project system. The base project object is the participating object in the aggregation and the flavor object is the controlling object. Multiple flavors may be applied to create a project system intended for multiple purposes, corresponding to the applied flavors.

Abstract: The invention relates to fitting a curve to a plurality of data points. A “seed curve” is determined from a first set of data points selected from the plurality of data points. From the remaining data points, data points are individually selected and a determination is made for each selected data point as to whether the data point is acceptable to be included with the first set of data points. When a data point is determined to be acceptable, the data point is included with the first set of data points to form another set of data points. After each of the other data points are evaluated for inclusion with the first set of data points, a best fit curve is determined from a final set of data points.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for updating firmware to a plurality of memory devices residing on disparate controllers wherein each controller includes an identical communication path address. A management module writes a firmware image to a memory device residing on a primary controller. The primary controller, in turn, copies the firmware image to another memory device residing on a secondary controller. In this manner, the apparatus, system, and method may update firmware on a plurality of memory devices. Because the primary controller is tasked with updating the secondary controller, the management module is only aware that the firmware of the primary controller has been updated. In this manner, updating of the firmware on the secondary controller is transparent to the management module.