Abstract: Methods and apparatus for supporting targeted advertising and/or other targeted applications in set top boxes which use data and/or applications, e.g., EBIF (Enhanced TV Binary Interchange Format) applications, are described. Application level targeting is supported in which an application running on different STBs presents different application behavior and/or presents different visual sub-elements depending on the content of a subscriber profile on the particular individual STB. In the case of addressability at the Application Layer an EBIF application can target different viewers by checking private User Preference Items at runtime. Addressability at the signaling/platform level is also supported allowing targeting of a specific application or a sub-element within an application to a specific target group. In this scenario the particular applications/sub-elements are loaded on the set-tops that belong to a target group, e.g.

Abstract: An electrical structure is provided that includes a dielectric layer present on a semiconductor substrate and a via opening present through the dielectric layer. An interconnect is present within the via opening. A metal semiconductor alloy contact is present in the semiconductor substrate. The metal semiconductor alloy contact has a perimeter defined by a convex curvature relative to a centerline of the via opening. The endpoints for the convex curvature that defines the metal semiconductor alloy contact are aligned to an interface between a sidewall of the via opening, a sidewall of the interconnect and an upper surface of the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: A semiconductor device is provided that includes a gate structure on a channel region of a substrate. A source region and a drain region are present on opposing sides of the channel region. A first metal semiconductor alloy is present on an upper surface of at least one of the source and drain regions. The first metal semiconductor alloy extends to a sidewall of the gate structure. A dielectric layer is present over the gate structure and the first metal semiconductor alloy. An opening is present through the dielectric layer to a portion of the first metal semiconductor alloy that is separated from the gate structure. A second metal semiconductor alloy is present in the opening, is in direct contact with the first metal semiconductor alloy, and has an upper surface that is vertically offset and is located above the upper surface of the first metal semiconductor alloy.

Abstract: Methods of forming an electrically programmable fuse (e-fuse) structure and the e-fuse structure are disclosed. One embodiment of an e-fuse structure includes: a silicon structure; a pair of silicide contact regions overlying the silicon structure; and a silicide link overlying the silicon structure and connecting the pair of silicide regions, the silicide link having a depth less than a depth of each of the pair of silicide contact regions.

Abstract: A process for producing hydroxyalkanoate copolymers, which comprises: (i) pre-treating a sucrose-containing feedstock in an acidic solution; (ii) feeding the pre-treated feedstock into a bioreactor containing polyhydroxyalkanoate producing microbial cells; (iii) cultivating the polyhydroxyalkanoate producing microbial cells to form a cell mass containing the hydroxyalkanoate copolymers; (iv) recoverying the hydroxyalkanoate copolymers from the cell mass. The pre-treating step has the main function of hydrolyzing sucrose into glucose and fructose, which in turn are converted into 4-ketovaleric acid to give a mixture of mono-saccharides and organic precursors for microbial synthesis of hydroxyalkanoate copolymers, and particularly of PHBVV ter-polymers. Complex and expensive purification processes of the substrates obtained from the pre-treating step are not needed. The solutions can be directly used as the feeding solutions for microbial PHA biosynthesis.

Abstract: A memory device, and a method of forming a memory device, is provided that includes a capacitor with a lower electrode of a metal semiconductor alloy. In one embodiment, the memory device includes a trench present in a semiconductor substrate including a semiconductor on insulating (SOI) layer on top of a buried dielectric layer, wherein the buried dielectric layer is on top of a base semiconductor layer. A capacitor is present in the trench, wherein the capacitor includes a lower electrode of a metal semiconductor alloy having an upper edge that is self-aligned to the upper surface of the base semiconductor layer, a high-k dielectric node layer, and an upper electrode of a metal. The memory device further includes a pass transistor in electrical communication with the capacitor.

Abstract: An electrical fuse has an anode contact on a surface of a semiconductor substrate. The electrical fuse has a cathode contact on the surface of the semiconductor substrate spaced from the anode contact. The electrical fuse has a link within the substrate electrically interconnecting the anode contact and the cathode contact. The link comprises a semiconductor layer and a silicide layer. The silicide layer extends beyond the anode contact. An opposite end of the silicide layer extends beyond the cathode contact. A silicon germanium region is embedded in the semiconductor layer under the silicide layer, between the anode contact and the cathode contact.

Abstract: Techniques disclosed herein include systems and methods for transmitting TV program related content to IP connected devices on a home network, or other local area network. Users can watch television while simultaneously receiving content related to TV programs currently being displayed on a television. TV centric and TV program related content can be transmitted to IP connected devices. Moreover, this TV program related content can be displayed at the same time as a television program is being displayed on a television. As such, the system can provide media synchronization within home network using the set-top box as a gateway for delivering the content. Users can watch TV at home, and at the same time receive TV program related content on a laptop, tablet computer, mobile phone, etc.

Abstract: An electrical fuse has an anode contact on a surface of a semiconductor substrate. The electrical fuse has a cathode contact on the surface of the semiconductor substrate spaced from the anode contact. The electrical fuse has a link within the substrate electrically interconnecting the anode contact and the cathode contact. The link comprises a semiconductor layer and a silicide layer. The silicide layer extends beyond the anode contact. An opposite end of the silicide layer extends beyond the cathode contact. A silicon germanium region is embedded in the semiconductor layer under the silicide layer, between the anode contact and the cathode contact.

Abstract: A frequency multiplier and associated method are provided, wherein the frequency multiplier includes a waveform generator and a slicer. The waveform generator generates a waveform in response to an input signal, and the slicer induces transitions in an output signal whenever the waveform crosses each of a plurality of reference levels, such that a frequency of the output signal is a multiple of a frequency of the input signal.

Abstract: A current mirror (e.g., an N or P channel MOSFET current mirror) is present in a load current delivery path. The current delivery path typically includes a network connection, e.g., for power over Ethernet applications. The current mirror provides a reference output, and the load current flows through a primary transistor in the current mirror from a load current input to a load current output of the primary transistor. A mirror transistor generates a sense current on the reference output that is a fractional amount of the load current. A power controller monitors the reference output and controls the current mirror to allow or prevent the load current flowing through the network connection. For example, the power controller may disable the primary transistor and the delivery of load current, when the load is demanding too much load current.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for supporting targeted advertising and/or other targeted applications in set top boxes which use data and/or applications, e.g., EBIF (Enhanced TV Binary Interchange Format) applications, are described. Application level targeting is supported in which an application running on different STBs presents different application behavior and/or presents different visual sub-elements depending on the content of a subscriber profile on the particular individual STB. In the case of addressability at the Application Layer an EBIF application can target different viewers by checking private User Preference Items at runtime. Addressability at the signaling/platform level is also supported allowing targeting of a specific application or a sub-element within an application to a specific target group. In this scenario the particular applications/sub-elements are loaded on the set-tops that belong to a target group, e.g.

Abstract: A playlist server application is provided on a server at a first network node. A playlist local application is provided for a remote device. An indication of a change to a playlist on one of the server and the remote device is obtained from a corresponding one of the playlist server application and the playlist local application. The change is synchronized to another one of the server and the remote device.

Abstract: Techniques disclosed herein include systems and methods for transmitting TV program related content to IP connected devices on a home network, or other local area network. Users can watch television while simultaneously receiving content related to TV programs currently being displayed on a television. TV centric and TV program related content can be transmitted to IP connected devices. Moreover, this TV program related content can be displayed at the same time as a television program is being displayed on a television. As such, the system can provide media synchronization within home network using the set-top box as a gateway for delivering the content. Users can watch TV at home, and at the same time receive TV program related content on a laptop, tablet computer, mobile phone, etc.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are stable oil-in-water emulsion ophthalmic topical liquid compositions having an average particle size less than 1 ?m including at least one plant-derived oil other than castor oil wherein the oil comprises only aliphatic side chains free of polar pendent groups. The oil-in-water emulsion ophthalmic topical liquid compositions also include a hydrophilic surfactant having an HLB value between approximately 10 and 14, a vegetable oil-derived hydrophobic non-co-block surfactant having unsaturated side chains that contain less than four oxygen atoms having an HLB value between approximately 4 and 6 and is a liquid at room temperature. The oil-in-water emulsion ophthalmic topical liquid compositions disclosed herein can further include an amount of cyclosporine A or polyphenol in an amount effective to relieve dry eye symptoms.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for providing enhanced catalog data capacity and functionality within a content distribution network. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes an architecture configured to utilize an upstream out-of-band (OOB) channel for upstream catalog data request carriage, while a downstream in-band (IB) QAM is used for carriage of the catalog data issued by the network in response to the request. In another embodiment, the extant catalog structure is largely retained, yet modified so as to (i) eliminate redundancy within “barker” channel audio/video data delivery, and (ii) reduce the encoding resolution of the barker audio and/or video so as to utilize less bandwidth, thereby allowing enhanced capacity for catalog title expansion (and/or reduced latency in responding to catalog requests).

Abstract: The present invention provides a TSV-based oscillator WLP structure and a method for fabricating the same. The method of the present invention comprises steps: providing a silicon base having an oscillator unit disposed thereon; forming on the silicon base at least one package ring surrounding the oscillator unit; and disposing a silicon cap on the package ring to envelop the oscillator unit. The present invention adopts a cap and a base, which are made of the same material, to effectively overcome the problem of thermal stress occurring in a conventional sandwich package structure. Further, the present invention elaborately designs the wiring on the lower surface of the base to reduce the package size and decrease consumption of noble metals.

Abstract: A stand for a display device is provided and includes a housing having an accommodating groove, a hinge structure including a first board and two second boards, and a latch including an operation portion. The first board is fixed on a backboard of the display device and has a positioning groove. The two second boards are rotatably connected respectively to two ends of the first board and each is fixed on the housing. The latch is flexibly placed on the housing and is aligned with the first board. The operation portion is exposed through the accommodating groove. The fastening portion is selectively engaged with the positioning groove by releasing a spring force of a spring connected to the latch. When the operation portion is moved in a direction away from the first board, the fastening portion is disengaged from the positioning groove by compressing the spring.

Abstract: An RF receiver/transmitter apparatus for carrier aggregation is disclosed, to provide a routing circuitry formed by a plurality of mixer modules for achieving both the function of carrier aggregation and the mixing frequency process of signals. This architecture allows sharing an RF front-end, improving degree of integration, and reducing hardware cost and circuitry power consumption. In addition, in the process of reception and transmission, the apparatus may perform different processing and configuration for each sub-channel to increase circuit design flexibility. The receiver apparatus includes at least one antenna, a first signal processing unit, a routing mixer device, a second signal processing unit and a digital signal processor (DSP); and the routing mixer device includes a plurality of mixer module and a plurality of current/voltage adders to achieve signal routing control through opening or closing of the mixer, switching the signal transmission path or switching the signal synthesizer.

Abstract: A video recording method is provided. The method includes steps of: determining a threshold bit rate according to a storage space and an expected recording period; capturing a video data; determining whether a current bit rate is greater than the threshold bit rate; storing a predictive frame of the video data when the current bit rate is not greater than the threshold bit rate; and not storing the predictive frame when the current bit rate is greater than the threshold bit rate.