Patents by Inventor Gary Elmore

Gary Elmore has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7725207
    Abstract: There are disclosed systems, as well as methods of operation, for allocating multi-function resources among a plurality of tasks within a process system. An exemplary resource allocator is introduced that allocates multi-function resources among tasks within a process system capable of executing at least one application process. The resource allocator comprises a monitoring controller, model of the process system and a resource allocation controller. The monitoring controller monitors measurable characteristics associated with the executing application process, multi-function resources and tasks, each of the measurable characteristics being one of a status characteristic and a logistical characteristic. The model represents mathematically the multi-function resources and the tasks, and defines relationships among related ones thereof as a function of the application process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: George Logsdon, Gary Elmore
  • Patent number: 7373211
    Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for allocating multi-function resources among a plurality of tasks within a process system in semiconductor wafer fabrication. A resource allocator allocates multi-function resources among tasks within a process system that executes at least one application process. The resource allocator comprises a monitoring controller, model of the process system, a resource allocation controller, and a compliance-monitoring viewer. The compliance-monitoring viewer is operable to display process system information to illustrate plan compliance, information visualized over a time period of years, months, days, hours, seconds, microseconds or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: George Logsdon, Gary Elmore, John T. Powell
  • Patent number: 7184850
    Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for allocating multi-function resources among a plurality of tasks within a wetdeck process in semiconductor wafer fabrication. A resource allocator allocates multi-function resources among tasks within a process system that executes at least one application process. The resource allocator comprises a monitoring controller, model of the process system and a resource allocation controller. The monitoring controller monitors measurable characteristics associated with the executing application process, multi-function resources and tasks. The model represents the multi-function resources and the tasks, and defines relationships among them. The resource allocation controller operates the model in response to the monitored measurable characteristics and allocates ones of the multi-function resources among ones of the tasks to efficiently execute the wetdeck process of the semiconductor wafer fabrication process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: George Logsdon, Gary Elmore, John Devlin
  • Patent number: 7043319
    Abstract: A resource allocator allocates a plurality of resources among a plurality of tasks within a process system. The resource allocator includes a monitoring controller for monitoring one or more characteristics associated with at least one application process, the resources, and the tasks. The resource allocator also includes a model of the process system representing mathematically the resources and the tasks and defining relationships among related resources and tasks. The resource allocator further includes a resource allocation controller for operating the model in response to the monitored characteristics and allocating the resources among the tasks. In addition, the resource allocator includes a graphical user interface for identifying the resources and flows between at least some of the resources. The graphical user interface includes at least one virtual queue associated with at least one of the resources and identifying one or more items to be processed by the at least one resource.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: George Logsdon, Gary Elmore, Avelito Hernal
  • Patent number: 6961634
    Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for allocating multi-function resources among a plurality of tasks within a wetdeck process in semiconductor wafer fabrication. A resource allocator allocates multi-function resources among tasks within a process system that executes at least one application process. The resource allocator comprises a monitoring controller, model of the process system and a resource allocation controller. The monitoring controller monitors measurable characteristics associated with the executing application process, multi-function resources and tasks. The model represents the multi-function resources and the tasks, and defines relationships among them. The resource allocation controller operates the model in response to the monitored measurable characteristics and allocates ones of the multi-function resources among ones of the tasks to efficiently execute the wetdeck process of the semiconductor wafer fabrication process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2005
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: George Logsdon, Gary Elmore, John Devlin
  • Patent number: 6959225
    Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for allocating multi-function resources among a plurality of tasks within a process system in semiconductor wafer fabrication. A resource allocator allocates multi-function resources among tasks within a process system that executes at least one application process. The resource allocator comprises a monitoring controller, model of the process system, a resource allocation controller, and a graphical user interface. The graphical user interface transforms process system information of the resource allocator into an audio-visual format to enable supervisory interaction. In one embodiment the graphical user interface provides information to reduce load conflict among multiple furnaces in semiconductor wafer fabrication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2005
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: George Logsdon, Gary Elmore, Loretta Mangram-Dupree
  • Patent number: 6957113
    Abstract: There are disclosed systems, as well as methods of operation, for allocating multi-function resources among a plurality of tasks within a process system. An exemplary resource allocator is introduced that allocates multi-function resources among tasks within a process system capable of executing at least one application process. The resource allocator comprises a monitoring controller, model of the process system and a resource allocation controller. The monitoring controller monitors measurable characteristics associated with the executing application process, multi-function resources and tasks, each of the measurable characteristics being one of a status characteristic and a logistical characteristic. The model represents mathematically the multi-function resources and the tasks, and defines relationships among related ones thereof as a function of the application process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: George Logsdon, Gary Elmore
  • Patent number: 6957114
    Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for allocating multi-function resources among a plurality of tasks within a process system in semiconductor wafer fabrication. A resource allocator allocates multi-function resources among tasks within a process system that executes at least one application process. The resource allocator comprises a monitoring controller, model of the process system, a resource allocation controller, and a compliance-monitoring viewer. The compliance-monitoring viewer is operable to display process system information to illustrate plan compliance, information visualized over a time period of years, months, days, hours, seconds, microseconds or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: George Logsdon, Gary Elmore, John T. Powell
  • Patent number: 6004399
    Abstract: A method is described for cleaning a semiconductor wafer. The method includes immersing a wafer in a liquid comprising water. The wafer has a front face, a back face, and an edge. The method also includes providing a substantially particle free environment adjacent to the front face and the back face as the liquid is being removed. A step of introducing a carrier gas comprising a cleaning enhancement substance also is included. It is believed that the cleaning enhancement substance dopes any liquid adhered to the front and back faces of the wafer to cause a concentration gradient of the cleaning enhancement substance in the liquid and accelerate removal of the adhered liquid off of the water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 21, 1999
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Kaichiu Wong, Krishnaswamy Ramkumar, Hanna Bamnolker, Suraj Puri, Rajiv Bhushan, David Wong, Gary Elmore, Raj Mohindra