Abstract: An acoustic assembly includes a plurality of first slats and at least one second slat couplable with each one of the first slats for intersecting with each first slat. Each slat is preferably made from a substrate of a rigid or a semi-rigid material and has oppositely disposed second end portions. An engagement portion is coupled with each first and second end portion for resting atop at least one architectural element for supporting the acoustic assembly. The assembly may include a shear portion and a catch portion for providing a locking mechanism for further securing the first slats with the second slats. When the acoustic canopy is supported from the first and second end portions, the slats may sag to compress open-ended slots of the second slats for pinching the corresponding ones of the first slats received within the open-ended slots.

Abstract: A gaming machine includes an input device and a processor coupled to the input device. The input device is configured to receive a game play event from a player. The processor is programmed to determine whether a jackpot trigger condition is satisfied based at least in part on the game play event. The jackpot trigger condition includes a target quantity of games played, a target set of game tokens, a target pattern of game symbols, and/or a target pattern of game play outcomes. The processor is further programmed to award a jackpot credit to one or more players when the jackpot trigger condition is satisfied.

Abstract: Extension activation may be provided. Upon receiving a new document associated with a plurality of related documents, extension trigger conditions may be evaluated. In response to determining that an extension trigger is satisfied, a user interface element associated with the extension trigger may be displayed.

Abstract: A system and method are provided that enable the analysis of the timing slack for block-to-block connections. Based on the analysis of the timing slack for block-to-block connections, timing path slack values are determined and used to render a presentation of the timing path slack values along with a presentation of the block-to-block connections in a rendering of a circuit design.

Abstract: A gaming machine includes a display device and a processor. The processor is programmed to cause the display device to display a first game in a first frame, detect a trigger condition during play of the first game in the first frame, based on the detected trigger condition, display a second game in a second frame on the display device, allocate a number of available credits from the first game to the second game, and enable play of the second game with the allocated number of credits.

Abstract: A gaming machine includes a display device and a processor. The processor is programmed to cause the display device to display a first game using a first frame, detect a first trigger condition during play of the first game in the first frame, based on the first trigger condition, display a second game in a second frame on the display device, and enable simultaneous play of the first game in the first frame and the second game in the second frame.

Abstract: A method of generating and displaying an animation of an organization's employees allocated to one or more of a plurality of projects is disclosed. The method includes generating a series of organization maps of the organization showing the organization over a period of time. The series includes a historic organization map and a projected organization map. The organization maps include nodes representing individual employees. For each node in each organization map, the color of the node is set to a first color if the node's employee is allocated to a first project, a second color if the node's employee is allocated to a second project, and to a third color if the node's employee is allocated to both the first project and the second project. The series of organization maps is displayed on a color monitor as an animation. Other methods are disclosed.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods providing a ballast system for adjusting the center of gravity of a standardized front opening wafer container. Various embodiments of the disclosure present ballast systems that are low profile, do not require modifications to the shell of the wafer container, and can be retrofit to existing wafer carriers. In some embodiments, these capabilities are accomplished by a ballast that mounts to a kinematic coupling plate of the wafer container. In one embodiment, the ballasting can also provide sufficient counter force to the lifting forces associated with purging of the wafer container, thereby preventing “lift off” of the wafer container during purging operations. The ballasts can be removed for shipping of the wafer container, thereby decreasing shipping costs.

Abstract: Application extension management may be provided. A plurality of related documents may be scanned to determine whether an activation trigger associated with an application extension has been triggered. In response to determining that the activation trigger associated with the application extension has been triggered, the application extension may be triggered and a user interface element associated with the application extension may be displayed according to a display rule.

Abstract: Concepts and technologies are described herein for cross-platform application programming interfaces for applications. In accordance with the concepts and technologies disclosed herein, the cross-platform APIs support interoperability and extensibility with various application programs using a single language and/or set of APIs. Extensions authored for a particular application program may be used with other application programs that expose the same or a similar set of APIs, even if other object models or APIs associated with the application programs differ from one another. Thus, the APIs support cross-platform, cross-device, and cross-version compatibility of extensions.

Abstract: A gaming machine includes a display device and a processor coupled to the display device. The processor is configured to cause the display device to display a game using a first frame. The processor is also configured to divide the first frame into a plurality of second frames during play of the game in the first frame, cause the display device to display the plurality of second frames, and enable continued play of the game separately within each second frame. In addition, the processor is configured to merge the plurality of second frames into the first frame, cause the display device to display the first frame, and enable continued play of the game within the first frame.

Abstract: Application extension management may be provided. A plurality of related documents may be scanned to determine whether an activation trigger associated with an application extension has been triggered. In response to determining that the activation trigger associated with the application extension has been triggered, the application extension may be triggered and a user interface element associated with the application extension may be displayed according to a display rule.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for directing a customer to one of a plurality of checkout lanes in a retail store. The system includes a checkout lane selection module that is in communication with each of the plurality of checkout lanes. The checkout lane selection module is part of a computing device, such as a server, that may be resident in the retail store, or remote from the retail store. The checkout lane selection module receives lane status information from each of the plurality of checkout lanes. And the checkout lane selection module receives customer information from a customer profile and from the customer's shopping basket. The checkout lane selection module provides the customer a preferred lane selection, and/or details about each checkout lane so that the customer can make an informed choice about which checkout lane to use.

Abstract: A casino game, machine, system, and method for playing and awarding a payout as a function of an outcome of the game are provided. The casino game may be played using one or more computer based gaming machines. The casino game may be played over a network, online and/or using one or more mobile devices. The casino game may be played using a stand-alone gaming machine.

Abstract: The environment and use of an immutable buffer. A computing entity acquires data or generates data and populates the data into the buffer, after which the buffer is classified as immutable. The classification protects the data populated within the immutable buffer from changing during the lifetime of the immutable buffer, and also protects the immutable buffer from having its physical address changed during the lifetime of the immutable buffer. As different computing entities consume data from the immutable buffer, they do so through views provided by a view providing entity. The immutable buffer architecture may also be used for streaming data in which each component of the streaming data uses an immutable buffer. Accordingly, different computing entities may view the immutable data differently without having to actually copy the data.

Abstract: Subterranean tunnel and storage configurations are provided that can include: a first vertical tunnel extending from the terrain above the configuration and through the earth below; a subterranean room connecting with the first vertical tunnel; a second vertical tunnel connecting with the subterranean room and aligned with the first vertical tunnel; and a fluid storage assembly below the subterranean room and within the vertical tunnel, the assembly comprising one or more fluid storage tanks. Subterranean tunnel and storage configurations are also provided that can include: a subterranean room within the earth below the terrain; a vertical tunnel connecting with the subterranean room and extending into the earth below the subterranean room; and a fluid storage assembly within the second vertical tunnel. Methods for providing and/or removing fluid storage from a subterranean petroleum mining configurations are provided.

Abstract: A compose form for drafting a message is presented inline within a window along with a message list. For example, instead of overlaying the message application's user interface (UI) with a new window for composing a message, the compose form is displayed within a portion of the window reserved for viewing content of messages. While composing the message using the compose form, the rest of the message application's UI remains visible and accessible to the user. For example, the user may navigate to another folder and/or move to another message/conversation by interacting with the tree view/message list view. A draft of the message being composed may be automatically saved when the user navigates away from the compose form (e.g. by selecting another conversation in the list view).

Abstract: A gaming machine that includes a cabinet, a peripheral device coupled to the cabinet, a curved video display, and a processor is provided. The curved video display includes a cutout, wherein a perimeter of the cutout surrounds the peripheral device, and wherein the processor is programmed to display, on the curved video display, a graphic adjacent to and associated with the peripheral device.

Abstract: A compose form for drafting a message is presented inline within a window along with a message list. For example, instead of overlaying the message application's user interface (UI) with a new window for composing a message, the compose form is displayed within a portion of the window reserved for viewing content of messages. While composing the message using the compose form, the rest of the message application's UI remains visible and accessible to the user. For example, the user may navigate to another folder and/or move to another message/conversation by interacting with the tree view/message list view. A draft of the message being composed may be automatically saved when the user navigates away from the compose form (e.g. by selecting another conversation in the list view).

Abstract: A method for fabricating a thin film photovoltaic device is provided. The method includes providing a substrate comprising a surface region made of a thin-film photovoltaic absorber including copper, indium, gallium, selenium, and sulfur species. Additionally, the method includes applying a dip-in chemical bath deposition process for forming a buffer layer containing at least zinc-oxygen-sulfide material but substantially free of cadmium species. Furthermore, the method includes producing a chemical bath including steps of heating a bath of water to about 75° C., adding aqueous ammonia to mix with the bath of water, adding a solution of sodium hydroxide , adding zinc salt solution, and adding a solution of thiourea. The dip-in chemical bath deposition process includes immersing a plurality of substrates formed with the thin-film photovoltaic absorber substantially vertically in the chemical bath for 30 minutes to form the zinc-oxygen-sulfide buffer layer followed by a cleaning and drying process.