Unnamed: 0 int64 0 350k | level_0 int64 0 351k | ApplicationNumber int64 9.75M 96.1M | ArtUnit int64 1.6k 3.99k | Abstract stringlengths 1 8.37k | Claims stringlengths 3 292k | abstract-claims stringlengths 68 293k | TechCenter int64 1.6k 3.9k |
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12,400 | 12,400 | 16,690,087 | 2,875 | A cake decoration that enables visual shows controlled by a controller that is either remote to the decoration or integral with the decoration. | 1. (canceled) 2. A holiday decoration, comprising:
a first base with a controller; a power connector adapted to couple with a power source and a signal interface; a support member supported by the first base; and a light emitting element supported by the support member and coupled to the controller and power connector, wherein the signal interface is adapted to couple with an at least a second base and the controller responding to a show signal received from the signal interface where the show signal is saved in memory at the controller. 3. The holiday decoration of claim 2, wherein the signal interface carries electrical power from the power source. 4. The holiday decoration of claim 2, wherein the signal interface carries at least one data signal. 5. The holiday decoration of claim 4, wherein the signal interface also carries electrical power from the power source 6. The holiday decoration of claim 4, wherein the signal interface is a wireless signal interface. 7. The holiday decoration of claim 2, wherein the light emitting element is a display capable of displaying graphical images. 8. The holiday decoration of claim 2, wherein the light emitting element is a display capable of displaying video images. 9. The holiday decoration of claim 2, wherein the light emitting element is an light emitting diode. 10. The holiday decoration of claim 2, wherein the support member is wax with a wick that when lite, results in a signal being received at the controller. 11. The holiday decoration of claim 10, where a sensor generates the signal. 12. The holiday decoration of claim 2 further comprising, at least a receiver that receives coupled to the controller that receives the show signal, where the show signal when activated results in the controller activating the light emitting element in response to the show signal. 13. The holiday decoration of claim 12, where the receiver is part of a transceiver. 14. The holiday decoration of claim 2, further includes a speaker coupled to the controller. 15. The holiday decoration of claim 2, where the show signal contains audio and visual data. 16. The holiday decoration of claim 2, where the power connector connects to the power source located in the first base. 17. The holiday decoration of claim 2, where the power connector connects to the power source located in the support member. 18. The holiday decoration of claim 2, where the power connector connects to the power source located external to the holiday decoration. 19. The holiday decoration of claim 2, where the first base is a power hub having more than one power connectors that are adapted to supply power to at least the second base. 20. The holiday decoration of claim 2, includes, a receiver that receives a wireless signal that contains the show signal. 21. The holiday decoration of claim 2, where a sound generation device is coupled to the controller and coordinates generation of sound. | A cake decoration that enables visual shows controlled by a controller that is either remote to the decoration or integral with the decoration.1. (canceled) 2. A holiday decoration, comprising:
a first base with a controller; a power connector adapted to couple with a power source and a signal interface; a support member supported by the first base; and a light emitting element supported by the support member and coupled to the controller and power connector, wherein the signal interface is adapted to couple with an at least a second base and the controller responding to a show signal received from the signal interface where the show signal is saved in memory at the controller. 3. The holiday decoration of claim 2, wherein the signal interface carries electrical power from the power source. 4. The holiday decoration of claim 2, wherein the signal interface carries at least one data signal. 5. The holiday decoration of claim 4, wherein the signal interface also carries electrical power from the power source 6. The holiday decoration of claim 4, wherein the signal interface is a wireless signal interface. 7. The holiday decoration of claim 2, wherein the light emitting element is a display capable of displaying graphical images. 8. The holiday decoration of claim 2, wherein the light emitting element is a display capable of displaying video images. 9. The holiday decoration of claim 2, wherein the light emitting element is an light emitting diode. 10. The holiday decoration of claim 2, wherein the support member is wax with a wick that when lite, results in a signal being received at the controller. 11. The holiday decoration of claim 10, where a sensor generates the signal. 12. The holiday decoration of claim 2 further comprising, at least a receiver that receives coupled to the controller that receives the show signal, where the show signal when activated results in the controller activating the light emitting element in response to the show signal. 13. The holiday decoration of claim 12, where the receiver is part of a transceiver. 14. The holiday decoration of claim 2, further includes a speaker coupled to the controller. 15. The holiday decoration of claim 2, where the show signal contains audio and visual data. 16. The holiday decoration of claim 2, where the power connector connects to the power source located in the first base. 17. The holiday decoration of claim 2, where the power connector connects to the power source located in the support member. 18. The holiday decoration of claim 2, where the power connector connects to the power source located external to the holiday decoration. 19. The holiday decoration of claim 2, where the first base is a power hub having more than one power connectors that are adapted to supply power to at least the second base. 20. The holiday decoration of claim 2, includes, a receiver that receives a wireless signal that contains the show signal. 21. The holiday decoration of claim 2, where a sound generation device is coupled to the controller and coordinates generation of sound. | 2,800 |
12,401 | 12,401 | 15,836,534 | 2,868 | A current-sensing system includes a conductor for carrying a first electrical current generating a first magnetic field. A device, spaced from the conductor by a clearance, includes a semiconductor integrated circuit die in a package. The semiconductor integrated circuit die includes at least one elongated bar of a first ferromagnetic material magnetized by the first magnetic field; a sensor comprising a first coil wrapped around the at least one elongated bar to sense the bar's magnetization; and an electronic driver creating a second electrical current flowing through a second coil wrapped around the at least one elongated bar generating a second magnetic field to compensate the at least one bar's magnetization. The package has a first outer surface free of device terminals. A discrete plate of a second ferromagnetic material is positioned in the clearance and is conformal with the first outer surface of the package. | 1. A system for sensing current, comprising:
a conductor for carrying a first electrical current generating a first magnetic field; a device spaced from the conductor by a first clearance, the device including a semiconductor integrated circuit die provided in a package;
the semiconductor integrated circuit die including at least one elongated bar of a first ferromagnetic material magnetized by the first magnetic field; a sensor including a first coil wrapped around the at least one elongated bar configured to sense the magnetization of the at least one elongated bar, and an electronic driver configured to create a second electrical current flowing through a second coil wrapped around the at least one elongated bar, the second electrical current configured to generate a second magnetic field to compensate for the magnetization of the at least one elongated bar;
the package having a first outer surface free of device terminals, and an opposite second outer surface including device terminals; and
a discrete plate of a second ferromagnetic material in the first clearance, the discrete plate being conformal with the first outer surface of the package. 2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first ferromagnetic material is a homogeneous alloy with a saturation magnetization reached on application of about 2 mT. 3. The system of claim 1 wherein the second ferromagnetic material is a homogeneous alloy with a permeability greater than 500 and a saturation magnetic flux density between about 0.5 and 2.4 T. 4. The system of claim 3 wherein the discrete plate has a thickness in a range of about 200 and 500 μm. 5. The system of claim 4 wherein the discrete plate has a shape that is one of circular and oval at least partially surrounding the package. 6. The system of claim 4 further including a marker on the second outer surface of the package, the marker being aligned with the at least one elongated bar. 7. The system of claim 3 wherein the discrete plate is flat and parallel to the first outer surface of the package. 8. The system of claim 7 wherein the discrete plate is spaced from the first outer surface of the package by a second clearance less than the first clearance. 9. The system of claim 8 wherein the second clearance vanishes and the discrete plate touches the first outer surface of the package. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one elongated bar further includes a pair of elongated bars of the first ferromagnetic material positioned with an excitation coil surrounding the elongated bars. 11. A system for sensing current, comprising:
a core of a first ferromagnetic material shaped as a toroid including an air gap; a conductor configured for carrying a first electrical current, the conductor shaped as a wire traversing the toroid, a magnetic field due to the first current configured to generate a first magnetic flux in the toroid and across the air gap; a device in the air gap spaced from the conductor by a clearance, the device including a semiconductor integrated circuit die in a package, the semiconductor integrated circuit die including a sensor including a first coil wrapped around at least one bar of a second ferromagnetic material configured to sense the magnetization of the at least one bar, the package having a first outer surface free of device terminals and an opposite second outer surface including exposed device terminals; and a discrete plate of a third ferromagnetic material in the clearance, the discrete plate being conformal with the first outer surface of the package. 12. The system of claim 11 wherein the discrete plate is flat and parallel to the first outer surface of the package. 13. The system of claim 12 wherein the discrete plate of spaced from the first outer surface of the package by a clearance. 14. The system of claim 12 wherein the discrete plate touches the first outer surface of the package. 15. The system of claim 11 wherein the discrete plate has a shape that is one selected from circular and oval at least partially surrounding the package. 16. The system of claim 11 wherein the device further includes an electronic driver configured to create a second electrical current flowing from the device to a second coil wrapped around the core, the second current in the second coil configured to generate a second magnetic flux in the toroid for compensating the first magnetic flux. 17. The system of claim 11 wherein the third ferromagnetic material is a homogeneous alloy with a permeability greater than 500 and a saturation magnetic flux density between about 0.5 and 2.4 T. 18. The system of claim 17 wherein the discrete plate has a thickness in a range of about 200 μm to 500 μm. 19. The system of claim 11 further including a marker on the second outer surface of the package, the marker being aligned with the at least one bar. 20. A method for sensing electrical currents, comprising:
moving a first electrical current through a conductor, the first current generating a first magnetic field; spacing a device from the conductor by a first clearance, the device including a semiconductor integrated circuit die in a package, the semiconductor integrated circuit die including at least one elongated bar of a first ferromagnetic material magnetized by the first magnetic field, a first coil wrapped around the elongated bar to sense the bar's magnetization, and an electronic driver creating a second electrical current flowing through a second coil wrapped around the elongated bar to generate a second magnetic field, the package having a first outer surface free of device terminals, and an opposite second outer surface including device terminals; placing a discrete plate of a second ferromagnetic material in the first clearance, the discrete plate conformal with the first outer surface of the package, the discrete plate spaced from the first outer surface of the package by a second clearance smaller than the first clearance; and adjusting the second electrical current so that the second magnetic field compensates the bar's magnetization. | A current-sensing system includes a conductor for carrying a first electrical current generating a first magnetic field. A device, spaced from the conductor by a clearance, includes a semiconductor integrated circuit die in a package. The semiconductor integrated circuit die includes at least one elongated bar of a first ferromagnetic material magnetized by the first magnetic field; a sensor comprising a first coil wrapped around the at least one elongated bar to sense the bar's magnetization; and an electronic driver creating a second electrical current flowing through a second coil wrapped around the at least one elongated bar generating a second magnetic field to compensate the at least one bar's magnetization. The package has a first outer surface free of device terminals. A discrete plate of a second ferromagnetic material is positioned in the clearance and is conformal with the first outer surface of the package.1. A system for sensing current, comprising:
a conductor for carrying a first electrical current generating a first magnetic field; a device spaced from the conductor by a first clearance, the device including a semiconductor integrated circuit die provided in a package;
the semiconductor integrated circuit die including at least one elongated bar of a first ferromagnetic material magnetized by the first magnetic field; a sensor including a first coil wrapped around the at least one elongated bar configured to sense the magnetization of the at least one elongated bar, and an electronic driver configured to create a second electrical current flowing through a second coil wrapped around the at least one elongated bar, the second electrical current configured to generate a second magnetic field to compensate for the magnetization of the at least one elongated bar;
the package having a first outer surface free of device terminals, and an opposite second outer surface including device terminals; and
a discrete plate of a second ferromagnetic material in the first clearance, the discrete plate being conformal with the first outer surface of the package. 2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first ferromagnetic material is a homogeneous alloy with a saturation magnetization reached on application of about 2 mT. 3. The system of claim 1 wherein the second ferromagnetic material is a homogeneous alloy with a permeability greater than 500 and a saturation magnetic flux density between about 0.5 and 2.4 T. 4. The system of claim 3 wherein the discrete plate has a thickness in a range of about 200 and 500 μm. 5. The system of claim 4 wherein the discrete plate has a shape that is one of circular and oval at least partially surrounding the package. 6. The system of claim 4 further including a marker on the second outer surface of the package, the marker being aligned with the at least one elongated bar. 7. The system of claim 3 wherein the discrete plate is flat and parallel to the first outer surface of the package. 8. The system of claim 7 wherein the discrete plate is spaced from the first outer surface of the package by a second clearance less than the first clearance. 9. The system of claim 8 wherein the second clearance vanishes and the discrete plate touches the first outer surface of the package. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one elongated bar further includes a pair of elongated bars of the first ferromagnetic material positioned with an excitation coil surrounding the elongated bars. 11. A system for sensing current, comprising:
a core of a first ferromagnetic material shaped as a toroid including an air gap; a conductor configured for carrying a first electrical current, the conductor shaped as a wire traversing the toroid, a magnetic field due to the first current configured to generate a first magnetic flux in the toroid and across the air gap; a device in the air gap spaced from the conductor by a clearance, the device including a semiconductor integrated circuit die in a package, the semiconductor integrated circuit die including a sensor including a first coil wrapped around at least one bar of a second ferromagnetic material configured to sense the magnetization of the at least one bar, the package having a first outer surface free of device terminals and an opposite second outer surface including exposed device terminals; and a discrete plate of a third ferromagnetic material in the clearance, the discrete plate being conformal with the first outer surface of the package. 12. The system of claim 11 wherein the discrete plate is flat and parallel to the first outer surface of the package. 13. The system of claim 12 wherein the discrete plate of spaced from the first outer surface of the package by a clearance. 14. The system of claim 12 wherein the discrete plate touches the first outer surface of the package. 15. The system of claim 11 wherein the discrete plate has a shape that is one selected from circular and oval at least partially surrounding the package. 16. The system of claim 11 wherein the device further includes an electronic driver configured to create a second electrical current flowing from the device to a second coil wrapped around the core, the second current in the second coil configured to generate a second magnetic flux in the toroid for compensating the first magnetic flux. 17. The system of claim 11 wherein the third ferromagnetic material is a homogeneous alloy with a permeability greater than 500 and a saturation magnetic flux density between about 0.5 and 2.4 T. 18. The system of claim 17 wherein the discrete plate has a thickness in a range of about 200 μm to 500 μm. 19. The system of claim 11 further including a marker on the second outer surface of the package, the marker being aligned with the at least one bar. 20. A method for sensing electrical currents, comprising:
moving a first electrical current through a conductor, the first current generating a first magnetic field; spacing a device from the conductor by a first clearance, the device including a semiconductor integrated circuit die in a package, the semiconductor integrated circuit die including at least one elongated bar of a first ferromagnetic material magnetized by the first magnetic field, a first coil wrapped around the elongated bar to sense the bar's magnetization, and an electronic driver creating a second electrical current flowing through a second coil wrapped around the elongated bar to generate a second magnetic field, the package having a first outer surface free of device terminals, and an opposite second outer surface including device terminals; placing a discrete plate of a second ferromagnetic material in the first clearance, the discrete plate conformal with the first outer surface of the package, the discrete plate spaced from the first outer surface of the package by a second clearance smaller than the first clearance; and adjusting the second electrical current so that the second magnetic field compensates the bar's magnetization. | 2,800 |
12,402 | 12,402 | 14,207,685 | 2,829 | A power semiconductor device in accordance with various embodiments may include: a semiconductor body; and a passivation layer disposed over at least a portion of the semiconductor body, wherein the passivation layer includes an organic dielectric material having a water uptake of less than or equal to 0.5 wt % in saturation. | 1. A power semiconductor device, comprising:
a semiconductor body; a passivation layer disposed over at least a portion of the semiconductor body, wherein the passivation layer comprises an organic dielectric material having a water uptake of less than or equal to 0.5 wt % in saturation. 2. The power semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the organic dielectric material has a breakdown voltage of greater than or equal to 3 MV/cm. 3. The power semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the organic dielectric material has a tensile strength of less than or equal to 100 MPa. 4. The power semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the organic dielectric material has a Young modulus of less than or equal to 1 GPa. 5. The power semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the passivation layer has a thickness of less than or equal to 1 mm. 6. The power semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the organic dielectric material comprises a silicone material. 7. The power semiconductor device of claim 6, wherein the silicone material comprises a photopatternable silicone material. 8. The power semiconductor device of claim 6, wherein the silicone material comprises a thermally curable silicone material. 9. The power semiconductor device of claim 6, wherein the silicone material comprises at least one of a spin-coatable silicone material, a laminatable silicone material, and a printable silicone material. 10. The power semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the passivation layer is disposed over a structure disposed at a boundary area of the semiconductor body. 11. The power semiconductor device of claim 10, wherein the structure comprises at least one of a guard ring and a field plate. 12. The power semiconductor device of claim 1, configured as a bare die. 13. A power electronic module, comprising:
a plurality of power semiconductor devices, each comprising a semiconductor body and a passivation layer disposed over at least a portion of the semiconductor body, wherein the passivation layer comprises an organic dielectric material having a water uptake of less than or equal to 0.5 wt % in saturation; and at least one contact connected to the plurality of power semiconductor devices. 14. The power electronic module of claim 13, wherein the passivation layer comprises a silicone material. 15. The power electronic module of claim 13, wherein the passivation layer has a thickness of less than or equal to 1 mm. 16. The power electronic module of claim 13, wherein each of the power semiconductor devices is configured as a bare die. 17. A method for processing a power semiconductor device, comprising:
depositing a thermally curable silicone material over a semiconductor body of a power semiconductor device; thermally curing the thermally curable silicone material in an inert atmosphere having an oxygen level of less than or equal to 1 ppm. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein depositing the silicone material over the semiconductor body comprises at least one of a spin-coating process, a lamination process, and a printing process. 19. The method of claim 17, further comprising patterning the silicone material to form a mask, and etching at least one underlying layer of the power semiconductor device using the mask. 20. The method of claim 17, wherein thermally curing the thermally curable silicone material comprises:
placing the power semiconductor device in a process chamber, while the process temperature is at a first temperature; increasing the temperature of the process chamber from the first temperature to a second temperature; heating the power semiconductor device in the process chamber for a predeterminable time period, while the process chamber is at the second temperature; decreasing the temperature of the process chamber from the second temperature to a third temperature; removing the power semiconductor device from the process chamber after the process chamber has reached the third temperature. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first temperature is less than or equal to 120° C., wherein the second temperature is in the range from about 250° C. to about 400° C., and wherein the third temperature is less than or equal to 120° C. 22. The method of claim 20, wherein at least one of increasing the temperature of the process chamber from the first temperature to the second temperature or decreasing the temperature of the process chamber from the second temperature to the third temperature comprises changing the temperature of the process chamber at a rate of about 5° C./min. 23. The method of claim 20, wherein the predeterminable time period is in the range from about 30 min to about 120 min. 24. The method of claim 20,
wherein the first temperature is less than or equal to 120° C.; wherein increasing the temperature of the process chamber from the first temperature to the second temperature comprises changing the temperature at a rate of about 5° C./min; wherein the second temperature is about 380° C.; wherein the predeterminable time period is about 30 min; wherein decreasing the temperature of the process chamber from the second temperature to the third temperature comprises changing the temperature at a rate of about 5° C./min; and wherein the third temperature is less than or equal to 120° C. 25. The method of claim 20, further comprising carrying out a purge with an inert gas after placing the power semiconductor device in the process chamber and before increasing the temperature of the process chamber. | A power semiconductor device in accordance with various embodiments may include: a semiconductor body; and a passivation layer disposed over at least a portion of the semiconductor body, wherein the passivation layer includes an organic dielectric material having a water uptake of less than or equal to 0.5 wt % in saturation.1. A power semiconductor device, comprising:
a semiconductor body; a passivation layer disposed over at least a portion of the semiconductor body, wherein the passivation layer comprises an organic dielectric material having a water uptake of less than or equal to 0.5 wt % in saturation. 2. The power semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the organic dielectric material has a breakdown voltage of greater than or equal to 3 MV/cm. 3. The power semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the organic dielectric material has a tensile strength of less than or equal to 100 MPa. 4. The power semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the organic dielectric material has a Young modulus of less than or equal to 1 GPa. 5. The power semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the passivation layer has a thickness of less than or equal to 1 mm. 6. The power semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the organic dielectric material comprises a silicone material. 7. The power semiconductor device of claim 6, wherein the silicone material comprises a photopatternable silicone material. 8. The power semiconductor device of claim 6, wherein the silicone material comprises a thermally curable silicone material. 9. The power semiconductor device of claim 6, wherein the silicone material comprises at least one of a spin-coatable silicone material, a laminatable silicone material, and a printable silicone material. 10. The power semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the passivation layer is disposed over a structure disposed at a boundary area of the semiconductor body. 11. The power semiconductor device of claim 10, wherein the structure comprises at least one of a guard ring and a field plate. 12. The power semiconductor device of claim 1, configured as a bare die. 13. A power electronic module, comprising:
a plurality of power semiconductor devices, each comprising a semiconductor body and a passivation layer disposed over at least a portion of the semiconductor body, wherein the passivation layer comprises an organic dielectric material having a water uptake of less than or equal to 0.5 wt % in saturation; and at least one contact connected to the plurality of power semiconductor devices. 14. The power electronic module of claim 13, wherein the passivation layer comprises a silicone material. 15. The power electronic module of claim 13, wherein the passivation layer has a thickness of less than or equal to 1 mm. 16. The power electronic module of claim 13, wherein each of the power semiconductor devices is configured as a bare die. 17. A method for processing a power semiconductor device, comprising:
depositing a thermally curable silicone material over a semiconductor body of a power semiconductor device; thermally curing the thermally curable silicone material in an inert atmosphere having an oxygen level of less than or equal to 1 ppm. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein depositing the silicone material over the semiconductor body comprises at least one of a spin-coating process, a lamination process, and a printing process. 19. The method of claim 17, further comprising patterning the silicone material to form a mask, and etching at least one underlying layer of the power semiconductor device using the mask. 20. The method of claim 17, wherein thermally curing the thermally curable silicone material comprises:
placing the power semiconductor device in a process chamber, while the process temperature is at a first temperature; increasing the temperature of the process chamber from the first temperature to a second temperature; heating the power semiconductor device in the process chamber for a predeterminable time period, while the process chamber is at the second temperature; decreasing the temperature of the process chamber from the second temperature to a third temperature; removing the power semiconductor device from the process chamber after the process chamber has reached the third temperature. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first temperature is less than or equal to 120° C., wherein the second temperature is in the range from about 250° C. to about 400° C., and wherein the third temperature is less than or equal to 120° C. 22. The method of claim 20, wherein at least one of increasing the temperature of the process chamber from the first temperature to the second temperature or decreasing the temperature of the process chamber from the second temperature to the third temperature comprises changing the temperature of the process chamber at a rate of about 5° C./min. 23. The method of claim 20, wherein the predeterminable time period is in the range from about 30 min to about 120 min. 24. The method of claim 20,
wherein the first temperature is less than or equal to 120° C.; wherein increasing the temperature of the process chamber from the first temperature to the second temperature comprises changing the temperature at a rate of about 5° C./min; wherein the second temperature is about 380° C.; wherein the predeterminable time period is about 30 min; wherein decreasing the temperature of the process chamber from the second temperature to the third temperature comprises changing the temperature at a rate of about 5° C./min; and wherein the third temperature is less than or equal to 120° C. 25. The method of claim 20, further comprising carrying out a purge with an inert gas after placing the power semiconductor device in the process chamber and before increasing the temperature of the process chamber. | 2,800 |
12,403 | 12,403 | 15,124,513 | 2,812 | The present disclosure describes materials and methods for creating electrical circuits on a non-conductive multilayer reflector substrate that can withstand reflow temperatures with low temperature solder pastes without creating distortions in the reflective substrate. The materials and methods include the use of a novel reflective mirror film based on silicone polyoxamide polymers or copolymers, which can retain reflectivity at these temperatures without damage to reflection or other film properties. | 1. A flexible circuit, comprising:
a visible-light reflective film having alternating layers of a first polymeric material and a second polymeric material, each having a different index of refraction, and where at least one of the first and second polymeric materials comprises a polydiorganosiloxane polyoxamide block copolymer; and an electrically conductive metal disposed in a circuit pattern on the visible-light reflective film. 2. The flexible circuit of claim 1, wherein a difference in the index of refraction between the first and second polymeric materials is greater than about 0.05. 3. The flexible circuit of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second polymeric material comprises silicone polyoxamide block copolymers. 4. The flexible circuit of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second polymeric materials comprise polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), PET/silicone polyoxamide block copolymers, PEN/silicone polyoxamide block copolymers, PMMA/silicone polyoxamide block copolymers or combinations thereof. 5. The flexible circuit of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive metal comprises copper, silver, aluminum, tin, gold, or an alloy or combination thereof. 6. The flexible circuit of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive metal comprises a laminate of at least two metals. 7. The flexible circuit of claim 6, wherein the laminate of at least two metals comprises silver and copper. 8. The flexible circuit of claim 1, wherein the visible-light reflective film is electrically non-conductive. 9. The flexible circuit of claim 1, further comprising at least one electronic component soldered to the electrically conductive metal. 10. The flexible circuit of claim 9, wherein the at least one electronic component comprises a light emitting diode (LED). 11. The flexible circuit of claim 9, wherein the solder is a low temperature solder having a melting point not greater than about 150 C. 12. The flexible circuit of claim 9, wherein the solder is a low temperature solder having a melting point not greater than about 138 C. 13. The flexible circuit of claim 12, wherein the solder comprises a mixture of tin and bismuth. 14. The flexible circuit of claim 9, wherein the visible-light reflective film surrounding the soldered electronic component is not visibly distorted. 15. The flexible circuit of claim 1, further comprising an adhesion promoting tie layer disposed between the visible-light reflective film and the electrically conductive metal. 16. The flexible circuit of claim 15, wherein the adhesion promoting tie layer comprises chromium. 17. The flexible circuit of claim 1, further comprising an adhesive disposed between the visible-light reflective film and the electrically conductive metal. 18. A method, comprising:
depositing an electrically conductive metal on a major surface of a film, the film comprising:
alternating layers of a first polymeric material and a second polymeric material, each having a different index of refraction, and where at least one of the first and second polymeric materials comprises a polydiorganosiloxane polyoxamide block copolymer; and
patterning the electrically conductive metal to form a circuit. 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising depositing an adhesion promoting tie layer on the major surface of the film prior to depositing the electrically conductive metal. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein depositing the adhesion promoting tie layer comprises sputtering, vapor deposition, plasma deposition, or e-beam evaporation. 21. The method of claim 18, wherein the electrically conductive metal comprises an adhesive layer that adheres the electrically conductive metal to the major surface of the film 22. The method of claim 18, wherein depositing the electrically conductive metal comprises plating at least one metal. 23. The method of claim 22, wherein plating comprises electroplating. 24. The method of claim 18, wherein patterning the electrically conductive metal comprises the steps of applying a photoresist, patterning the photoresist, etching the electrically conductive metal, and removing the photoresist. 25. The method of claim 18, further comprising soldering at least one electrical component to the circuit. | The present disclosure describes materials and methods for creating electrical circuits on a non-conductive multilayer reflector substrate that can withstand reflow temperatures with low temperature solder pastes without creating distortions in the reflective substrate. The materials and methods include the use of a novel reflective mirror film based on silicone polyoxamide polymers or copolymers, which can retain reflectivity at these temperatures without damage to reflection or other film properties.1. A flexible circuit, comprising:
a visible-light reflective film having alternating layers of a first polymeric material and a second polymeric material, each having a different index of refraction, and where at least one of the first and second polymeric materials comprises a polydiorganosiloxane polyoxamide block copolymer; and an electrically conductive metal disposed in a circuit pattern on the visible-light reflective film. 2. The flexible circuit of claim 1, wherein a difference in the index of refraction between the first and second polymeric materials is greater than about 0.05. 3. The flexible circuit of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second polymeric material comprises silicone polyoxamide block copolymers. 4. The flexible circuit of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second polymeric materials comprise polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), PET/silicone polyoxamide block copolymers, PEN/silicone polyoxamide block copolymers, PMMA/silicone polyoxamide block copolymers or combinations thereof. 5. The flexible circuit of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive metal comprises copper, silver, aluminum, tin, gold, or an alloy or combination thereof. 6. The flexible circuit of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive metal comprises a laminate of at least two metals. 7. The flexible circuit of claim 6, wherein the laminate of at least two metals comprises silver and copper. 8. The flexible circuit of claim 1, wherein the visible-light reflective film is electrically non-conductive. 9. The flexible circuit of claim 1, further comprising at least one electronic component soldered to the electrically conductive metal. 10. The flexible circuit of claim 9, wherein the at least one electronic component comprises a light emitting diode (LED). 11. The flexible circuit of claim 9, wherein the solder is a low temperature solder having a melting point not greater than about 150 C. 12. The flexible circuit of claim 9, wherein the solder is a low temperature solder having a melting point not greater than about 138 C. 13. The flexible circuit of claim 12, wherein the solder comprises a mixture of tin and bismuth. 14. The flexible circuit of claim 9, wherein the visible-light reflective film surrounding the soldered electronic component is not visibly distorted. 15. The flexible circuit of claim 1, further comprising an adhesion promoting tie layer disposed between the visible-light reflective film and the electrically conductive metal. 16. The flexible circuit of claim 15, wherein the adhesion promoting tie layer comprises chromium. 17. The flexible circuit of claim 1, further comprising an adhesive disposed between the visible-light reflective film and the electrically conductive metal. 18. A method, comprising:
depositing an electrically conductive metal on a major surface of a film, the film comprising:
alternating layers of a first polymeric material and a second polymeric material, each having a different index of refraction, and where at least one of the first and second polymeric materials comprises a polydiorganosiloxane polyoxamide block copolymer; and
patterning the electrically conductive metal to form a circuit. 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising depositing an adhesion promoting tie layer on the major surface of the film prior to depositing the electrically conductive metal. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein depositing the adhesion promoting tie layer comprises sputtering, vapor deposition, plasma deposition, or e-beam evaporation. 21. The method of claim 18, wherein the electrically conductive metal comprises an adhesive layer that adheres the electrically conductive metal to the major surface of the film 22. The method of claim 18, wherein depositing the electrically conductive metal comprises plating at least one metal. 23. The method of claim 22, wherein plating comprises electroplating. 24. The method of claim 18, wherein patterning the electrically conductive metal comprises the steps of applying a photoresist, patterning the photoresist, etching the electrically conductive metal, and removing the photoresist. 25. The method of claim 18, further comprising soldering at least one electrical component to the circuit. | 2,800 |
12,404 | 12,404 | 16,741,802 | 2,875 | A lighting assembly that includes a heatsink housing, a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) modules, and a power supply disposed within a power supply casing, wherein the power supply is for providing power to the LED modules. Each LED module includes a plurality of LEDs and is thermally connected to the heatsink housing. The power supply casing includes a structure for cooling the power supply. | 1. A lighting assembly comprising:
a heatsink housing; a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) modules, each of which comprises a plurality of LEDs, and each of which is thermally connected to the heatsink housing; and a power supply disposed within a power supply casing, wherein the power supply is for providing power to the LED modules, and the power supply casing comprises a structure for cooling the power supply. 2. The lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein the lighting modules are thermally insulated from the power supply. 3. The lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein the power supply casing is not included in the heatsink housing. 4. The lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein the heatsink housing comprises a plurality of fins that face towards the power supply, and the LEDs of the LED modules face away from the power supply. 5. The lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein the LED modules are removable from the lighting assembly. 6. The lighting assembly of claim 1, further comprising a secondary lens element that is positioned over the LED modules. 7. The lighting assembly of claim 6, wherein the secondary lens element comprises a plurality of lenses. 8. The lighting assembly of claim 6, wherein the secondary lens element comprises a sealing lens that is received by the heatsink housing and that renders the lighting assembly waterproof. 9. The lighting assembly of claim 1, further comprising a mounting bracket that is configured to for multi-angle positioning of the lighting assembly. 10. The lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein the power supply comprises at least one DC power supply, the DC power supply comprising a DC-DC converter for converting incoming voltage from up to about 390 V to about 12 V DC operating voltage. 11. The lighting assembly of claim 1, further comprising a circuit board upon which the plurality of LEDs are mounted and that includes driver circuitry for driving the plurality of LEDs. 12. The lighting assembly of claim 11, wherein:
each LED module comprises a plurality of parallel strings of LEDs; and the driver circuitry is configured to provide a constant current to each LED module so that voltage delivered to each string of LEDs in each LED module is automatically adjusted if any LED in the string fails. 13. The lighting assembly of claim 11, wherein the driver circuitry further comprises feedback circuitry for balancing power input to the strings of LEDs included in each LED module. 14. The lighting assembly of claim 11, wherein the driver circuitry further comprises pulse width modulation circuitry configured to enable dimming of the LEDs by varying pulse width modulation. 15. The lighting assembly of claim 11, wherein each of the LEDs is positioned on a front side of the circuit board adjacent a via element that extends through the circuit board to a via backing formed of a thermally conductive material to provide the thermal connection of the LEDs to the heatsink housing. 16. The lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein the structure for cooling the power supply comprises a plurality of fins disposed on the power supply casing. 17. A lighting assembly comprising:
a heatsink housing; a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) modules, each of which comprises a plurality of LEDs, and each of which is thermally connected to the heatsink housing; a secondary lens element that is positioned over the LED modules. a power supply disposed within a power supply casing, wherein the power supply is for providing power to the LED modules, and the power supply casing comprises structure for cooling the power supply, wherein the LED modules are thermally insulated from the power supply. 18. The lighting assembly of claim 17 wherein the secondary lens element comprises a plurality of lenses. 19. The lighting assembly of claim 17, wherein the secondary lens element comprises a sealing lens that is received by the heatsink housing and that renders the lighting assembly waterproof. 20. The lighting assembly of claim 17, further comprising:
a circuit board, and
wherein each of the LEDs is positioned on a front side of the circuit board adjacent to a via element that extends through the circuit board to a via backing formed of a thermally conductive material to provide the thermal connection of the LEDs to the heatsink housing. | A lighting assembly that includes a heatsink housing, a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) modules, and a power supply disposed within a power supply casing, wherein the power supply is for providing power to the LED modules. Each LED module includes a plurality of LEDs and is thermally connected to the heatsink housing. The power supply casing includes a structure for cooling the power supply.1. A lighting assembly comprising:
a heatsink housing; a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) modules, each of which comprises a plurality of LEDs, and each of which is thermally connected to the heatsink housing; and a power supply disposed within a power supply casing, wherein the power supply is for providing power to the LED modules, and the power supply casing comprises a structure for cooling the power supply. 2. The lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein the lighting modules are thermally insulated from the power supply. 3. The lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein the power supply casing is not included in the heatsink housing. 4. The lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein the heatsink housing comprises a plurality of fins that face towards the power supply, and the LEDs of the LED modules face away from the power supply. 5. The lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein the LED modules are removable from the lighting assembly. 6. The lighting assembly of claim 1, further comprising a secondary lens element that is positioned over the LED modules. 7. The lighting assembly of claim 6, wherein the secondary lens element comprises a plurality of lenses. 8. The lighting assembly of claim 6, wherein the secondary lens element comprises a sealing lens that is received by the heatsink housing and that renders the lighting assembly waterproof. 9. The lighting assembly of claim 1, further comprising a mounting bracket that is configured to for multi-angle positioning of the lighting assembly. 10. The lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein the power supply comprises at least one DC power supply, the DC power supply comprising a DC-DC converter for converting incoming voltage from up to about 390 V to about 12 V DC operating voltage. 11. The lighting assembly of claim 1, further comprising a circuit board upon which the plurality of LEDs are mounted and that includes driver circuitry for driving the plurality of LEDs. 12. The lighting assembly of claim 11, wherein:
each LED module comprises a plurality of parallel strings of LEDs; and the driver circuitry is configured to provide a constant current to each LED module so that voltage delivered to each string of LEDs in each LED module is automatically adjusted if any LED in the string fails. 13. The lighting assembly of claim 11, wherein the driver circuitry further comprises feedback circuitry for balancing power input to the strings of LEDs included in each LED module. 14. The lighting assembly of claim 11, wherein the driver circuitry further comprises pulse width modulation circuitry configured to enable dimming of the LEDs by varying pulse width modulation. 15. The lighting assembly of claim 11, wherein each of the LEDs is positioned on a front side of the circuit board adjacent a via element that extends through the circuit board to a via backing formed of a thermally conductive material to provide the thermal connection of the LEDs to the heatsink housing. 16. The lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein the structure for cooling the power supply comprises a plurality of fins disposed on the power supply casing. 17. A lighting assembly comprising:
a heatsink housing; a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) modules, each of which comprises a plurality of LEDs, and each of which is thermally connected to the heatsink housing; a secondary lens element that is positioned over the LED modules. a power supply disposed within a power supply casing, wherein the power supply is for providing power to the LED modules, and the power supply casing comprises structure for cooling the power supply, wherein the LED modules are thermally insulated from the power supply. 18. The lighting assembly of claim 17 wherein the secondary lens element comprises a plurality of lenses. 19. The lighting assembly of claim 17, wherein the secondary lens element comprises a sealing lens that is received by the heatsink housing and that renders the lighting assembly waterproof. 20. The lighting assembly of claim 17, further comprising:
a circuit board, and
wherein each of the LEDs is positioned on a front side of the circuit board adjacent to a via element that extends through the circuit board to a via backing formed of a thermally conductive material to provide the thermal connection of the LEDs to the heatsink housing. | 2,800 |
12,405 | 12,405 | 16,249,059 | 2,859 | A vehicle battery charger and a vehicle battery charging system are described and illustrated, and can include a controller enabling a user to enter a time of day at which the vehicle battery charger or system begins and/or ends charging of the vehicle battery. The vehicle battery charger can be separate from the vehicle, can be at least partially integrated into the vehicle, can include a transmitter and/or a receiver capable of communication with a controller that is remote from the vehicle and vehicle charger, and can be controlled by a user or another party (e.g., a power utility) to control battery charging based upon a time of day, cost of power, or other factors. | 1. A vehicle charger for charging a battery of a vehicle, the vehicle charger comprising:
a controller; a memory coupled to the controller; a user-manipulatable control coupled to the controller, mounted within the vehicle within reach of a user seated within the vehicle, and by which the user can enter a setting by which the vehicle charger charges the battery; and a display coupled to the controller and also mounted within the vehicle within reach of the user seated within the vehicle, the controller responsive to entry of the setting by the user by displaying the setting on the display; wherein the controller is adapted to receive data from the memory indicative of at least one of a group consisting of a capacity of the battery, a type of the battery, a manufacturer of the battery, a model of the battery, and an age of the battery; and wherein based at least in part upon the data retrieved from the memory and the setting entered by the user, the controller is adapted to supply electric power to the battery by at least one of a group consisting of increasing a rate of charge of the battery, decreasing the rate of charge of the battery, starting battery charging, and stopping battery charging. 2. The vehicle charger of claim 1, wherein the user-manipulatable control is defined at least in part by the display. 3. The vehicle charger of claim 1, further comprising a group consisting of at least one of a transmitter and a receiver coupled to the controller and by which the controller communicates and receives settings for charging the battery from another controller remote from the vehicle and the battery. 4. The vehicle charger of claim 1, wherein the setting is a time of day. 5. The vehicle charger of claim 1, wherein the setting is a time of day by which the battery must be fully charged. 6. The vehicle charger of claim 1, wherein the controller is further adapted to display a level of charge of the battery upon the display simultaneously with the setting. 7. The vehicle charger of claim 1, wherein the controller, the memory, the user-manipulatable control, and the display are all located within a vehicle. 8. A method of charging a battery of a vehicle, the method comprising:
receiving, from a user seated within the vehicle and by a user-manipulatable control mounted within the vehicle and within reach of the user, a setting entered by the user and by which the battery will be charged; displaying the setting to the user seated within the vehicle; retrieving from a memory data indicative of at least one of a group consisting of a capacity of the battery, a type of the battery, a manufacturer of the battery, a model of the battery, and an age of the battery; and supplying power to the battery based at least in part upon the setting entered by the user and the data. 9. The method of claim 8, further comprising connecting the battery to a source of power via an electrical power cord. 10. The method of claim 8, wherein the user-manipulatable control is defined at least in part by a display upon which the setting is displayed. 11. The method of claim 8, wherein the setting is a time of day. 12. The method of claim 8, wherein the setting is a time of day by which the battery must be fully charged. 13. The method of claim 8, further comprising displaying a level of charge of the battery to the user seated within the vehicle. 14. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving at least one additional setting by which the battery will be charged from a controller remote from the vehicle and the battery. 15. A vehicle charger for charging a battery of a vehicle and for communication with a first controller remote from the vehicle charger and the battery, the vehicle charger comprising:
a second controller; a memory coupled to the second controller; at least one of a group consisting of a transmitter and a receiver coupled to the second controller for communication with the first controller; a display coupled to the second controller and mounted within the vehicle within reach of a user seated within the vehicle; wherein the second controller is adapted to receive data from the first controller indicative of a cost of power to the vehicle charger, to save the cost of power to the memory, and to display at least some of the data upon the display; and wherein based at least in part upon the data indicative of the cost of power to the vehicle charger, the second controller is adapted to supply electric power to the battery by at least one of a group consisting of increasing a rate of charge of the battery, decreasing the rate of charge of the battery, starting battery charging, and stopping battery charging. 16. The vehicle charger of claim 15, further comprising a user-manipulatable control coupled to the second controller, mounted within the vehicle within reach of the user seated within the vehicle, and by which the user can enter a setting by which the vehicle charger charges the battery. 17. The vehicle charger of claim 16, wherein the user-manipulatable control is defined at least in part by the display. 18. The vehicle charger of claim 16, wherein the setting is a time of day. 19. The vehicle charger of claim 16, wherein the setting is a time of day by which the battery must be fully charged. 20. The vehicle charger of claim 15, wherein the second controller is further adapted to store in the memory information regarding a cost of power of a previous charging session in which the battery was charged by the vehicle charger. | A vehicle battery charger and a vehicle battery charging system are described and illustrated, and can include a controller enabling a user to enter a time of day at which the vehicle battery charger or system begins and/or ends charging of the vehicle battery. The vehicle battery charger can be separate from the vehicle, can be at least partially integrated into the vehicle, can include a transmitter and/or a receiver capable of communication with a controller that is remote from the vehicle and vehicle charger, and can be controlled by a user or another party (e.g., a power utility) to control battery charging based upon a time of day, cost of power, or other factors.1. A vehicle charger for charging a battery of a vehicle, the vehicle charger comprising:
a controller; a memory coupled to the controller; a user-manipulatable control coupled to the controller, mounted within the vehicle within reach of a user seated within the vehicle, and by which the user can enter a setting by which the vehicle charger charges the battery; and a display coupled to the controller and also mounted within the vehicle within reach of the user seated within the vehicle, the controller responsive to entry of the setting by the user by displaying the setting on the display; wherein the controller is adapted to receive data from the memory indicative of at least one of a group consisting of a capacity of the battery, a type of the battery, a manufacturer of the battery, a model of the battery, and an age of the battery; and wherein based at least in part upon the data retrieved from the memory and the setting entered by the user, the controller is adapted to supply electric power to the battery by at least one of a group consisting of increasing a rate of charge of the battery, decreasing the rate of charge of the battery, starting battery charging, and stopping battery charging. 2. The vehicle charger of claim 1, wherein the user-manipulatable control is defined at least in part by the display. 3. The vehicle charger of claim 1, further comprising a group consisting of at least one of a transmitter and a receiver coupled to the controller and by which the controller communicates and receives settings for charging the battery from another controller remote from the vehicle and the battery. 4. The vehicle charger of claim 1, wherein the setting is a time of day. 5. The vehicle charger of claim 1, wherein the setting is a time of day by which the battery must be fully charged. 6. The vehicle charger of claim 1, wherein the controller is further adapted to display a level of charge of the battery upon the display simultaneously with the setting. 7. The vehicle charger of claim 1, wherein the controller, the memory, the user-manipulatable control, and the display are all located within a vehicle. 8. A method of charging a battery of a vehicle, the method comprising:
receiving, from a user seated within the vehicle and by a user-manipulatable control mounted within the vehicle and within reach of the user, a setting entered by the user and by which the battery will be charged; displaying the setting to the user seated within the vehicle; retrieving from a memory data indicative of at least one of a group consisting of a capacity of the battery, a type of the battery, a manufacturer of the battery, a model of the battery, and an age of the battery; and supplying power to the battery based at least in part upon the setting entered by the user and the data. 9. The method of claim 8, further comprising connecting the battery to a source of power via an electrical power cord. 10. The method of claim 8, wherein the user-manipulatable control is defined at least in part by a display upon which the setting is displayed. 11. The method of claim 8, wherein the setting is a time of day. 12. The method of claim 8, wherein the setting is a time of day by which the battery must be fully charged. 13. The method of claim 8, further comprising displaying a level of charge of the battery to the user seated within the vehicle. 14. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving at least one additional setting by which the battery will be charged from a controller remote from the vehicle and the battery. 15. A vehicle charger for charging a battery of a vehicle and for communication with a first controller remote from the vehicle charger and the battery, the vehicle charger comprising:
a second controller; a memory coupled to the second controller; at least one of a group consisting of a transmitter and a receiver coupled to the second controller for communication with the first controller; a display coupled to the second controller and mounted within the vehicle within reach of a user seated within the vehicle; wherein the second controller is adapted to receive data from the first controller indicative of a cost of power to the vehicle charger, to save the cost of power to the memory, and to display at least some of the data upon the display; and wherein based at least in part upon the data indicative of the cost of power to the vehicle charger, the second controller is adapted to supply electric power to the battery by at least one of a group consisting of increasing a rate of charge of the battery, decreasing the rate of charge of the battery, starting battery charging, and stopping battery charging. 16. The vehicle charger of claim 15, further comprising a user-manipulatable control coupled to the second controller, mounted within the vehicle within reach of the user seated within the vehicle, and by which the user can enter a setting by which the vehicle charger charges the battery. 17. The vehicle charger of claim 16, wherein the user-manipulatable control is defined at least in part by the display. 18. The vehicle charger of claim 16, wherein the setting is a time of day. 19. The vehicle charger of claim 16, wherein the setting is a time of day by which the battery must be fully charged. 20. The vehicle charger of claim 15, wherein the second controller is further adapted to store in the memory information regarding a cost of power of a previous charging session in which the battery was charged by the vehicle charger. | 2,800 |
12,406 | 12,406 | 16,039,089 | 2,841 | Thermal management devices and systems, and corresponding manufacturing methods are described herein. A thermal management device includes a plate having a first surface. The first surface partially defines a chamber of the thermal management device. The thermal management device also includes capillary features disposed on the plate, and walls having a first end and a second end. The walls are disposed on the plate and extend away from the first surface of the plate, at the first end, to the second end. The walls partially define the chamber of the thermal management device. The thermal management device also includes a layer of material disposed on the walls, at the second end of the wall. The layer of material partially defines the chamber. | 1. A thermal management device comprising:
a plate having a first surface, the first surface partially defining a chamber of the thermal management device; capillary features disposed on or in the plate; walls each having a first end and a second end, each of the walls being disposed on the plate and extending away from the first surface of the plate, at the first end, to the second end, respectively, the walls partially defining the chamber of the thermal management device; and a layer of material disposed on the second ends of the walls, the layer of material partially defining the chamber. 2. The thermal management device of claim 1, wherein the plate is an enclosure plate of an electronic device. 3. The thermal management device of claim 2, wherein the chamber covers a substantial portion of the first surface of the enclosure plate. 4. The thermal management device of claim 2, wherein the plate is mountable to an inner surface of a housing of the electronic device. 5. The thermal management device of claim 1, wherein the plate, the capillary features, the walls, and the layer of material are made of a first material. 6. The thermal management device of claim 5, further comprising a fluid, a second material, or the fluid and the second material inside the chamber, the second material being different than the first material. 7. The thermal management device of claim 1, wherein the layer of material is a first layer of material,
wherein the plate has a second surface, the second surface being opposite the first surface, and wherein the thermal management device further comprises a second layer of material, the second layer of material being disposed on the second surface of the plate. 8. The thermal management device of claim 7, wherein the second layer of material is made of a wax. 9. The thermal management device of claim 7, wherein the second layer of material covers less than all of the second surface of the plate, and
wherein the second layer of material is a thermal insulator. 10. The thermal management device of claim 7, wherein the second layer of material covers less than all of the second surface of the plate, and
wherein the thermal management device further comprises a third layer of material, the third layer of material being disposed on the second surface of the plate. 11. The thermal management device of claim 10, wherein the second layer of material and the third layer of material are made of different materials. 12. The thermal management device of claim 10, wherein the second layer of material and the third layer of material are made of a same material. 13. The thermal management device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the walls extends in a non-perpendicular direction relative to the plate. 14. The thermal management device of claim 1, wherein a height of at least one of the walls varies along the plate, a shape of a first portion of the thermal management device is different than a shape of a second portion of the thermal management device, or a combination thereof. 15. The thermal management device of claim 1, wherein a portion of the capillary features extends from the first surface of the plate, towards the layer of material, partially across the chamber. 16. The thermal management device of claim 1, wherein a portion of the capillary features extends from the first surface of the plate to the layer of material, across the chamber. 17. The thermal management device of claim 16, wherein the portion of the capillary features is a first portion of the capillary features,
wherein a second portion of the capillary features extends from the first surface of the plate to the layer of material, across the chamber. 18. The thermal management device of claim 16, wherein the portion of capillary features includes screen wick structures, open channels, channels covered with screens, and annulus behind a screen, an artery structure, a corrugated screen, or any combination thereof. 19. The thermal management device of claim 1, wherein the plate is a first plate, and
wherein the layer of material is a second plate disposed on the second ends of the walls. 20. The thermal management device of claim 19, wherein the first plate and the second plate are made of different materials. | Thermal management devices and systems, and corresponding manufacturing methods are described herein. A thermal management device includes a plate having a first surface. The first surface partially defines a chamber of the thermal management device. The thermal management device also includes capillary features disposed on the plate, and walls having a first end and a second end. The walls are disposed on the plate and extend away from the first surface of the plate, at the first end, to the second end. The walls partially define the chamber of the thermal management device. The thermal management device also includes a layer of material disposed on the walls, at the second end of the wall. The layer of material partially defines the chamber.1. A thermal management device comprising:
a plate having a first surface, the first surface partially defining a chamber of the thermal management device; capillary features disposed on or in the plate; walls each having a first end and a second end, each of the walls being disposed on the plate and extending away from the first surface of the plate, at the first end, to the second end, respectively, the walls partially defining the chamber of the thermal management device; and a layer of material disposed on the second ends of the walls, the layer of material partially defining the chamber. 2. The thermal management device of claim 1, wherein the plate is an enclosure plate of an electronic device. 3. The thermal management device of claim 2, wherein the chamber covers a substantial portion of the first surface of the enclosure plate. 4. The thermal management device of claim 2, wherein the plate is mountable to an inner surface of a housing of the electronic device. 5. The thermal management device of claim 1, wherein the plate, the capillary features, the walls, and the layer of material are made of a first material. 6. The thermal management device of claim 5, further comprising a fluid, a second material, or the fluid and the second material inside the chamber, the second material being different than the first material. 7. The thermal management device of claim 1, wherein the layer of material is a first layer of material,
wherein the plate has a second surface, the second surface being opposite the first surface, and wherein the thermal management device further comprises a second layer of material, the second layer of material being disposed on the second surface of the plate. 8. The thermal management device of claim 7, wherein the second layer of material is made of a wax. 9. The thermal management device of claim 7, wherein the second layer of material covers less than all of the second surface of the plate, and
wherein the second layer of material is a thermal insulator. 10. The thermal management device of claim 7, wherein the second layer of material covers less than all of the second surface of the plate, and
wherein the thermal management device further comprises a third layer of material, the third layer of material being disposed on the second surface of the plate. 11. The thermal management device of claim 10, wherein the second layer of material and the third layer of material are made of different materials. 12. The thermal management device of claim 10, wherein the second layer of material and the third layer of material are made of a same material. 13. The thermal management device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the walls extends in a non-perpendicular direction relative to the plate. 14. The thermal management device of claim 1, wherein a height of at least one of the walls varies along the plate, a shape of a first portion of the thermal management device is different than a shape of a second portion of the thermal management device, or a combination thereof. 15. The thermal management device of claim 1, wherein a portion of the capillary features extends from the first surface of the plate, towards the layer of material, partially across the chamber. 16. The thermal management device of claim 1, wherein a portion of the capillary features extends from the first surface of the plate to the layer of material, across the chamber. 17. The thermal management device of claim 16, wherein the portion of the capillary features is a first portion of the capillary features,
wherein a second portion of the capillary features extends from the first surface of the plate to the layer of material, across the chamber. 18. The thermal management device of claim 16, wherein the portion of capillary features includes screen wick structures, open channels, channels covered with screens, and annulus behind a screen, an artery structure, a corrugated screen, or any combination thereof. 19. The thermal management device of claim 1, wherein the plate is a first plate, and
wherein the layer of material is a second plate disposed on the second ends of the walls. 20. The thermal management device of claim 19, wherein the first plate and the second plate are made of different materials. | 2,800 |
12,407 | 12,407 | 15,784,074 | 2,824 | The present invention discloses a three-dimensional memory (3D-M) with in-situ string-searching capabilities (3D-M SS ). It comprises a plurality of storage-processing units (SPU). Each SPU comprises at least a 3D-M array for storing computer data and a pattern-processing circuit for searching the computer data for a search string. The 3D-M array is stacked above the pattern-processing circuit. Multiple 3D-M SS dice can form a storage card or a solid-state drive with in-situ string-searching capabilities. | 1. A three-dimensional memory with in-situ string-searching capabilities (3D-Mss), comprising:
an input for transferring at least a search string; a semiconductor substrate having transistors thereon; a plurality of storage-processing units (SPU) on said semiconductor substrate, each of said SPUs comprising at least a three-dimensional memory (3D-M) array for storing at least a computer data and a pattern-processing circuit for searching said computer data for said search string; wherein said pattern-processing circuit is formed on said semiconductor substrate; said 3D-M array is stacked above said pattern-processing circuit and communicatively coupled with said pattern-processing circuit by a plurality of contact vias. 2. The memory according to claim 1, further comprising first and second SPUs formed side-by-side. 3. The memory according to claim 2, wherein both of said first and second SPUs are communicatively coupled with said input. 4. The memory according to claim 2, further comprising an output for transferring at least a result of string searching. 5. The memory according to claim 4, wherein both of said first and second SPUs are communicatively coupled with said output. 6. The memory according to claim 1, wherein said 3D-M array is three-dimensional writable memory (3D-W) array. 7. The memory according to claim 6, wherein said 3D-W array is a three-dimensional one-time-programmable memory (3D-OTP) array. 8. The memory according to claim 6, wherein said 3D-W array is a three-dimensional multiple-time-programmable memory (3D-MTP) array. 9. The memory according to claim 1, wherein said pattern-processing circuit comprises at least a text-matching circuit. 10. The memory according to claim 1, wherein said pattern-processing circuit comprises at least a code-matching circuit. 11. The memory according to claim 1, wherein said pattern-processing circuit comprises at least a finite-state automata (FSA) circuit. 12. The processor according to claim 1, wherein said pattern-processing circuit further performs at least a sorting function. 13. The processor according to claim 1, wherein said pattern-processing circuit further performs at least a filtering function. 14. The processor according to claim 1, wherein said pattern-processing circuit further performs at least a malware-screening function. 15. The memory according to claim 1, wherein said 3D-M array at least partially covers said pattern-processing circuit. 16. The memory according to claim 1, wherein said pattern-processing circuit is covered by at least two 3D-M arrays. 17. The memory according to claim 1, wherein a preliminary pattern processing is performed at said memory. 18. The memory according to claim 17, wherein a full pattern processing is performed at an external processor. 19. The memory according to claim 1, wherein said memory is a portion of a storage card. 20. The memory according to claim 1, wherein said memory is a portion of a solid-state drive. | The present invention discloses a three-dimensional memory (3D-M) with in-situ string-searching capabilities (3D-M SS ). It comprises a plurality of storage-processing units (SPU). Each SPU comprises at least a 3D-M array for storing computer data and a pattern-processing circuit for searching the computer data for a search string. The 3D-M array is stacked above the pattern-processing circuit. Multiple 3D-M SS dice can form a storage card or a solid-state drive with in-situ string-searching capabilities.1. A three-dimensional memory with in-situ string-searching capabilities (3D-Mss), comprising:
an input for transferring at least a search string; a semiconductor substrate having transistors thereon; a plurality of storage-processing units (SPU) on said semiconductor substrate, each of said SPUs comprising at least a three-dimensional memory (3D-M) array for storing at least a computer data and a pattern-processing circuit for searching said computer data for said search string; wherein said pattern-processing circuit is formed on said semiconductor substrate; said 3D-M array is stacked above said pattern-processing circuit and communicatively coupled with said pattern-processing circuit by a plurality of contact vias. 2. The memory according to claim 1, further comprising first and second SPUs formed side-by-side. 3. The memory according to claim 2, wherein both of said first and second SPUs are communicatively coupled with said input. 4. The memory according to claim 2, further comprising an output for transferring at least a result of string searching. 5. The memory according to claim 4, wherein both of said first and second SPUs are communicatively coupled with said output. 6. The memory according to claim 1, wherein said 3D-M array is three-dimensional writable memory (3D-W) array. 7. The memory according to claim 6, wherein said 3D-W array is a three-dimensional one-time-programmable memory (3D-OTP) array. 8. The memory according to claim 6, wherein said 3D-W array is a three-dimensional multiple-time-programmable memory (3D-MTP) array. 9. The memory according to claim 1, wherein said pattern-processing circuit comprises at least a text-matching circuit. 10. The memory according to claim 1, wherein said pattern-processing circuit comprises at least a code-matching circuit. 11. The memory according to claim 1, wherein said pattern-processing circuit comprises at least a finite-state automata (FSA) circuit. 12. The processor according to claim 1, wherein said pattern-processing circuit further performs at least a sorting function. 13. The processor according to claim 1, wherein said pattern-processing circuit further performs at least a filtering function. 14. The processor according to claim 1, wherein said pattern-processing circuit further performs at least a malware-screening function. 15. The memory according to claim 1, wherein said 3D-M array at least partially covers said pattern-processing circuit. 16. The memory according to claim 1, wherein said pattern-processing circuit is covered by at least two 3D-M arrays. 17. The memory according to claim 1, wherein a preliminary pattern processing is performed at said memory. 18. The memory according to claim 17, wherein a full pattern processing is performed at an external processor. 19. The memory according to claim 1, wherein said memory is a portion of a storage card. 20. The memory according to claim 1, wherein said memory is a portion of a solid-state drive. | 2,800 |
12,408 | 12,408 | 16,560,109 | 2,892 | A number of new solutions for enhancing the extraction of waveguided mode and suppressing surface plasmon polariton mode in OLEDs are disclosed. | 1. A organic light emitting device (OLED), comprising:
a transparent substrate having a first side and a second side; an emissive region disposed over the first side of the transparent substrate, the emissive region comprising:
a transparent first electrode disposed over the transparent substrate;
at least one organic emissive layer disposed over the transparent first electrode; and
a transparent second electrode disposed over the at least one organic emissive layer;
an optical grating layer having a grating structure having a sub-wavelength periodicity disposed on the transparent second electrode; and a reflective layer disposed over the optical grating layer. 2. The OLED of claim 1, wherein the grating structure layer has a feature size of 300 nm and a thickness of no more than 10 nm. 3. The OLED of claim 1, further comprising an optical diffuser layer provided on the second side of the transparent substrate. 4. The OLED of claim 3, wherein the optical diffuser layer comprises a microlens array or a nanoparticle diffuser. 5. The OLED of claim 1, wherein the emissive region further comprises an electron transport layer having a thickness of at least 50 nm disposed between the cathode and the at least one organic emissive layer. 6. A organic light emitting device (OLED), comprising:
a substrate having a first side and a second side; a reflective layer disposed over the first side of the substrate; a grid layer consisting of two optically transparent materials with different refractive indices disposed on the reflective layer, a transparent first electrode provided over the grid layer, an organic emissive layer provided over the transparent bottom electrode; and a transparent second electrode provided over the organic emissive layer, wherein the grid layer scatters trapped waveguided modes from the organic emissive layer. 7. The OLED of claim 6, wherein the two optically transparent materials forming the grid layer are SiO2 and TiO2. 8. The OLED of claim 6, wherein the grid layer is electrically conductive, and provides an extension of the first electrode. 9. The OLED of claim 6, wherein the reflective layer is a metal layer. 10. The OLED of claim 6, wherein the reflective layer is positioned at least 100 nm from the organic emissive layer and inhibits excitation of surface plasmon polaritons. 11. The OLED of claim 6, further comprising a spacer layer provided between the grid layer and the transparent first electrode, wherein cavity resonant frequency in the OLED can be tuned by varying the spacer layer's thickness. 12. The OLED of claim 6, further comprising an optical diffuser layer provided on the second electrode layer. 13. The OLED of claim 12, wherein the optical diffuser layer comprises a microlens array or a nanoparticle diffuser. | A number of new solutions for enhancing the extraction of waveguided mode and suppressing surface plasmon polariton mode in OLEDs are disclosed.1. A organic light emitting device (OLED), comprising:
a transparent substrate having a first side and a second side; an emissive region disposed over the first side of the transparent substrate, the emissive region comprising:
a transparent first electrode disposed over the transparent substrate;
at least one organic emissive layer disposed over the transparent first electrode; and
a transparent second electrode disposed over the at least one organic emissive layer;
an optical grating layer having a grating structure having a sub-wavelength periodicity disposed on the transparent second electrode; and a reflective layer disposed over the optical grating layer. 2. The OLED of claim 1, wherein the grating structure layer has a feature size of 300 nm and a thickness of no more than 10 nm. 3. The OLED of claim 1, further comprising an optical diffuser layer provided on the second side of the transparent substrate. 4. The OLED of claim 3, wherein the optical diffuser layer comprises a microlens array or a nanoparticle diffuser. 5. The OLED of claim 1, wherein the emissive region further comprises an electron transport layer having a thickness of at least 50 nm disposed between the cathode and the at least one organic emissive layer. 6. A organic light emitting device (OLED), comprising:
a substrate having a first side and a second side; a reflective layer disposed over the first side of the substrate; a grid layer consisting of two optically transparent materials with different refractive indices disposed on the reflective layer, a transparent first electrode provided over the grid layer, an organic emissive layer provided over the transparent bottom electrode; and a transparent second electrode provided over the organic emissive layer, wherein the grid layer scatters trapped waveguided modes from the organic emissive layer. 7. The OLED of claim 6, wherein the two optically transparent materials forming the grid layer are SiO2 and TiO2. 8. The OLED of claim 6, wherein the grid layer is electrically conductive, and provides an extension of the first electrode. 9. The OLED of claim 6, wherein the reflective layer is a metal layer. 10. The OLED of claim 6, wherein the reflective layer is positioned at least 100 nm from the organic emissive layer and inhibits excitation of surface plasmon polaritons. 11. The OLED of claim 6, further comprising a spacer layer provided between the grid layer and the transparent first electrode, wherein cavity resonant frequency in the OLED can be tuned by varying the spacer layer's thickness. 12. The OLED of claim 6, further comprising an optical diffuser layer provided on the second electrode layer. 13. The OLED of claim 12, wherein the optical diffuser layer comprises a microlens array or a nanoparticle diffuser. | 2,800 |
12,409 | 12,409 | 15,488,594 | 2,822 | An integrated circuit chip package and method for making the same, wherein the integrated circuit chip package includes conductive leads. The method includes trenching a plurality of conductive lead structures along a parting line, plating the trenches with a plating layer, and singulating the lead frame assembly along the parting line to produce an integrated circuit chip package with conductive leads having unplated side portions and plated recessed portions. | 1. A method for making an integrated circuit chip package, comprising:
providing a premolded lead frame assembly, including:
opposing first and second sides, and
an array of lead frames at least partially surrounded by a first molded structure, each lead frame including a die attach pad and a plurality of conductive lead structures spaced apart from the die attach pad, the first molded structure interposed at least between adjacent conductive lead structures along a parting line;
forming a trench in at least one of the plurality of conductive lead structures along the parting line, the trench opening to the second side of the premolded lead frame assembly;
depositing a plating layer over at least the trench;
coupling an integrated circuit die to the plated die attach pad on the first side of the premolded lead frame assembly;
wirebonding the integrated circuit die to the plurality of conductive lead structures on the first side of the premolded lead frame assembly;
forming a second molded structure over the integrated circuit die and plurality of conductive lead structures; and
singulating the lead frame assembly, the singulating including severing the first molded structure, the second molded structure and the plurality of conductive lead structures along the parting line resulting in an integrated circuit chip package having at least one conductive lead with a side portion and a plated recessed portion. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the premolded lead frame assembly includes:
providing the array of lead frames; and forming the first molded structure at least partially between adjacent conductive lead structures along a parting line. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the trench includes:
applying an etch mask, patterning the etch mask to expose at least a portion of the at least one of the plurality of conductive lead structures along the parting line; and etching the exposed portion along the parting line. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the trench extends entirely across a width of the at least one conductive lead structure along the parting line. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the trench includes an arcuate profile. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein depositing the plating layer includes plating with a tin-based material. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the singulating includes exposing the side portion of the at least one conductive lead adjacent the plated recessed portion of the at least one conductive lead. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the integrated circuit chip package is a quad-flat-no-leads (QFN) package having a plurality of conductive leads on four sides thereof, each of the conductive leads having a respective side portion and a plated recessed portion. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the depositing the plating layer further includes plating the die attach pads and the plurality of conductive lead structures on both the first and second sides of the premolded lead frame assembly. 10. An integrated circuit chip package comprising:
a premolded lead frame having a die attach pad, a plurality of conductive leads spaced apart from the die attach pad and each other, and a first molded structure interposed between the die attach pad and the plurality of conductive leads; an integrated circuit die coupled to the plated die attach pad and electrically coupled to the plurality of conductive leads; and a second molded structure encapsulating the integrated circuit die and at least a portion of the premolded lead frame; wherein the integrated circuit chip package has a top surface, a bottom surface and a plurality of side surfaces extending between the top surface and the bottom surface, at least one of the plurality of conductive leads being exposed to at least the bottom surface and one of the plurality of side surfaces. 11. The integrated circuit chip package of claim 10, wherein at least one of the plurality of conductive leads includes a plated recessed portion extending between a side surface and the bottom surface. 12. The integrated circuit chip package of claim 10, wherein at least one of the plurality of conductive leads is comprised of copper, and the recessed portion includes a plating layer. 13. The integrated circuit package of claim 10, wherein at least one of the side surfaces of the integrated circuit package includes a portion of the first molded structure and portion of the second molded structure. 14. A method for making a lead frame, comprising:
providing an array of lead frames, each lead frame including a die attach pad and a plurality of conductive lead structures spaced apart from the die attach pad; forming a first molded structure at least partially between adjacent conductive lead structures along a parting line; etching a trench in at least one of the plurality of conductive lead structures along the parting line; and depositing a plating layer over at least the trench. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein etching the trench includes:
applying an etch mask, patterning the etch mask to expose at least a portion of the at least one of the plurality of conductive lead structures along the parting line; and etching the exposed portion along the parting line. 16. The method of claim 14, wherein the trench extends entirely across a width of the at least one conductive lead structure along the parting line. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the trench includes an arcuate profile. 18. The method of claim 16, wherein depositing the plating layer includes plating with a tin-based material. 19. The method of claim 14, wherein the trench includes an arcuate profile. 20. The method of claim 14, wherein depositing the plating layer includes plating with a tin-based material. | An integrated circuit chip package and method for making the same, wherein the integrated circuit chip package includes conductive leads. The method includes trenching a plurality of conductive lead structures along a parting line, plating the trenches with a plating layer, and singulating the lead frame assembly along the parting line to produce an integrated circuit chip package with conductive leads having unplated side portions and plated recessed portions.1. A method for making an integrated circuit chip package, comprising:
providing a premolded lead frame assembly, including:
opposing first and second sides, and
an array of lead frames at least partially surrounded by a first molded structure, each lead frame including a die attach pad and a plurality of conductive lead structures spaced apart from the die attach pad, the first molded structure interposed at least between adjacent conductive lead structures along a parting line;
forming a trench in at least one of the plurality of conductive lead structures along the parting line, the trench opening to the second side of the premolded lead frame assembly;
depositing a plating layer over at least the trench;
coupling an integrated circuit die to the plated die attach pad on the first side of the premolded lead frame assembly;
wirebonding the integrated circuit die to the plurality of conductive lead structures on the first side of the premolded lead frame assembly;
forming a second molded structure over the integrated circuit die and plurality of conductive lead structures; and
singulating the lead frame assembly, the singulating including severing the first molded structure, the second molded structure and the plurality of conductive lead structures along the parting line resulting in an integrated circuit chip package having at least one conductive lead with a side portion and a plated recessed portion. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the premolded lead frame assembly includes:
providing the array of lead frames; and forming the first molded structure at least partially between adjacent conductive lead structures along a parting line. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the trench includes:
applying an etch mask, patterning the etch mask to expose at least a portion of the at least one of the plurality of conductive lead structures along the parting line; and etching the exposed portion along the parting line. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the trench extends entirely across a width of the at least one conductive lead structure along the parting line. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the trench includes an arcuate profile. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein depositing the plating layer includes plating with a tin-based material. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the singulating includes exposing the side portion of the at least one conductive lead adjacent the plated recessed portion of the at least one conductive lead. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the integrated circuit chip package is a quad-flat-no-leads (QFN) package having a plurality of conductive leads on four sides thereof, each of the conductive leads having a respective side portion and a plated recessed portion. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the depositing the plating layer further includes plating the die attach pads and the plurality of conductive lead structures on both the first and second sides of the premolded lead frame assembly. 10. An integrated circuit chip package comprising:
a premolded lead frame having a die attach pad, a plurality of conductive leads spaced apart from the die attach pad and each other, and a first molded structure interposed between the die attach pad and the plurality of conductive leads; an integrated circuit die coupled to the plated die attach pad and electrically coupled to the plurality of conductive leads; and a second molded structure encapsulating the integrated circuit die and at least a portion of the premolded lead frame; wherein the integrated circuit chip package has a top surface, a bottom surface and a plurality of side surfaces extending between the top surface and the bottom surface, at least one of the plurality of conductive leads being exposed to at least the bottom surface and one of the plurality of side surfaces. 11. The integrated circuit chip package of claim 10, wherein at least one of the plurality of conductive leads includes a plated recessed portion extending between a side surface and the bottom surface. 12. The integrated circuit chip package of claim 10, wherein at least one of the plurality of conductive leads is comprised of copper, and the recessed portion includes a plating layer. 13. The integrated circuit package of claim 10, wherein at least one of the side surfaces of the integrated circuit package includes a portion of the first molded structure and portion of the second molded structure. 14. A method for making a lead frame, comprising:
providing an array of lead frames, each lead frame including a die attach pad and a plurality of conductive lead structures spaced apart from the die attach pad; forming a first molded structure at least partially between adjacent conductive lead structures along a parting line; etching a trench in at least one of the plurality of conductive lead structures along the parting line; and depositing a plating layer over at least the trench. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein etching the trench includes:
applying an etch mask, patterning the etch mask to expose at least a portion of the at least one of the plurality of conductive lead structures along the parting line; and etching the exposed portion along the parting line. 16. The method of claim 14, wherein the trench extends entirely across a width of the at least one conductive lead structure along the parting line. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the trench includes an arcuate profile. 18. The method of claim 16, wherein depositing the plating layer includes plating with a tin-based material. 19. The method of claim 14, wherein the trench includes an arcuate profile. 20. The method of claim 14, wherein depositing the plating layer includes plating with a tin-based material. | 2,800 |
12,410 | 12,410 | 16,196,091 | 2,892 | Disclosed is a semiconductor device comprising a thin film transistor and wirings connected to the thin film transistor, in which the thin film transistor has a channel formation region in an oxide semiconductor layer, and a copper metal is used for at least one of a gate electrode, a source electrode, a drain electrode, a gate wiring, a source wiring, and a drain wiring. The extremely low off current of the transistor with the oxide semiconductor layer contributes to reduction in power consumption of the semiconductor device. Additionally, the use of the copper metal allows the combination of the semiconductor device with a display element to provide a display device with high display quality and negligible defects, which results from the low electrical resistance of the wirings and electrodes formed with the copper metal. | 1. (canceled) 2. A semiconductor device comprising:
a gate electrode; a first insulating layer over the gate electrode; a semiconductor layer over the first insulating layer and comprising a region overlapping with the gate electrode; a first electrode and a second electrode each over and electrically connected to the semiconductor layer; and a second insulating layer over the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein: each of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises:
a first conductive barrier layer; and
a conductive layer comprising copper and comprising a region in contact with an upper surface of the first conductive barrier layer;
the semiconductor layer comprises:
a first region not overlapping with any of the first electrode and the second electrode;
a second region overlapping with the first electrode; and
a third region overlapping with the second electrode;
the first region of the semiconductor layer is positioned between the second region of the semiconductor layer and the third region of the semiconductor layer; the first region of the semiconductor layer comprises a region in contact with the second insulating layer; the first region of the semiconductor layer is thinner than the second region of the semiconductor layer and the third region of the semiconductor layer; a lower end portion of the first conductive barrier layer of the first electrode and a lower end portion of the first conductive barrier layer of the second electrode face each other; a lower end portion of the conductive layer of the first electrode and a lower end portion of the conductive layer of the second electrode face each other; a distance between the lower end portion of the first conductive barrier layer of the first electrode and the lower end portion of the first conductive barrier layer of the second electrode is shorter than a distance between the lower end portion of the conductive layer of the first electrode and the lower end portion of the conductive layer of the second electrode; the second electrode comprises:
a first region overlapping with the gate electrode; and
a second region not overlapping with the gate electrode;
the lower end portion of the first conductive barrier layer of the first electrode is in contact with an upper end portion of the second region of the semiconductor layer; and the lower end portion of the first conductive barrier layer of the second electrode is in contact with an upper end portion of the third region of the semiconductor layer. 3. The semiconductor device claim 2, wherein each of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises a region in contact with an upper surface of the semiconductor layer. 4. The semiconductor device claim 2, wherein the first conductive barrier layer is capable of suppressing diffusion of copper. 5. The semiconductor device claim 2, wherein the first conductive barrier layer comprises titanium. 6. The semiconductor device claim 2, wherein the first conductive barrier layer comprises a metal nitride. 7. The semiconductor device claim 2, wherein each of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises a second conductive barrier layer comprising a region in contact with an upper surface of the conductive layer. 8. The semiconductor device claim 2, wherein each of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises a region in contact with an end portion of the semiconductor layer. 9. The semiconductor device claim 2, wherein the semiconductor layer is an oxide semiconductor layer. 10. The semiconductor device claim 2, wherein the first insulating layer comprises:
a first layer comprising a silicon nitride; and a second layer over the first layer and comprising a silicon oxide. 11. The semiconductor device claim 2, wherein the second insulating layer comprises:
a first layer comprising a silicon oxide; and a second layer over the first layer and comprising a silicon nitride. 12. A semiconductor device comprising:
a gate electrode; a first insulating layer over the gate electrode; a semiconductor layer over the first insulating layer and comprising a region overlapping with the gate electrode; a first electrode and a second electrode each over and electrically connected to the semiconductor layer; a second insulating layer over the first electrode and the second electrode; an organic resin layer over the second insulating layer; and a pixel electrode over the organic resin layer and electrically connected to the second electrode, wherein: each of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises:
a first conductive barrier layer; and
a conductive layer comprising copper and comprising a region in contact with an upper surface of the first conductive barrier layer;
the semiconductor layer comprises:
a first region not overlapping with any of the first electrode and the second electrode;
a second region overlapping with the first electrode; and
a third region overlapping with the second electrode;
the first region of the semiconductor layer is positioned between the second region of the semiconductor layer and the third region of the semiconductor layer; the first region of the semiconductor layer comprises a region in contact with the second insulating layer; the first region of the semiconductor layer is thinner than the second region of the semiconductor layer and the third region of the semiconductor layer; a lower end portion of the first conductive barrier layer of the first electrode and a lower end portion of the first conductive barrier layer of the second electrode face each other; a lower end portion of the conductive layer of the first electrode and a lower end portion of the conductive layer of the second electrode face each other; a distance between the lower end portion of the first conductive barrier layer of the first electrode and the lower end portion of the first conductive barrier layer of the second electrode is shorter than a distance between the lower end portion of the conductive layer of the first electrode and the lower end portion of the conductive layer of the second electrode; and the second electrode comprises:
a first region overlapping with the gate electrode;
a second region overlapping with the pixel electrode; and
a third region not overlapping with any of the gate electrode and the pixel electrode. 13. The semiconductor device claim 12, wherein each of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises a region in contact with an upper surface of the semiconductor layer. 14. The semiconductor device claim 12, wherein the first conductive barrier layer is capable of suppressing diffusion of copper. 15. The semiconductor device claim 12, wherein the first conductive barrier layer comprises titanium. 16. The semiconductor device claim 12, wherein the first conductive barrier layer comprises a metal nitride. 17. The semiconductor device claim 12, wherein each of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises a second conductive barrier layer comprising a region in contact with an upper surface of the conductive layer. 18. The semiconductor device claim 12, wherein each of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises a region in contact with an end portion of the semiconductor layer. 19. The semiconductor device claim 12, wherein the semiconductor layer is an oxide semiconductor layer. 20. The semiconductor device claim 12, wherein the first insulating layer comprises:
a first layer comprising a silicon nitride; and a second layer over the first layer and comprising a silicon oxide. 21. The semiconductor device claim 12, wherein the second insulating layer comprises:
a first layer comprising a silicon oxide; and a second layer over the first layer and comprising a silicon nitride. 22. A semiconductor device comprising:
a gate electrode; a first insulating layer over the gate electrode; a semiconductor layer over the first insulating layer and comprising a region overlapping with the gate electrode; a first electrode and a second electrode each over and electrically connected to the semiconductor layer; a second insulating layer over the first electrode and the second electrode; an organic resin layer over the second insulating layer; and a pixel electrode over the organic resin layer and electrically connected to the second electrode, wherein: each of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises:
a first conductive barrier layer; and
a conductive layer comprising copper and comprising a region in contact with an upper surface of the first conductive barrier layer;
the semiconductor layer comprises:
a first region not overlapping with any of the first electrode and the second electrode;
a second region overlapping with the first electrode;
a third region overlapping with the second electrode;
the first region of the semiconductor layer is positioned between the second region of the semiconductor layer and the third region of the semiconductor layer; the first region of the semiconductor layer comprises a region in contact with the second insulating layer; the first region of the semiconductor layer is thinner than the second region of the semiconductor layer and the third region of the semiconductor layer; a lower end portion of the first conductive barrier layer of the first electrode and a lower end portion of the first conductive barrier layer of the second electrode face each other; a lower end portion of the conductive layer of the first electrode and a lower end portion of the conductive layer of the second electrode face each other; a distance between the lower end portion of the first conductive barrier layer of the first electrode and the lower end portion of the first conductive barrier layer of the second electrode is shorter than a distance between the lower end portion of the conductive layer of the first electrode and the lower end portion of the conductive layer of the second electrode; the second electrode comprises:
a first region overlapping with the gate electrode;
a second region overlapping with the pixel electrode;
a third region not overlapping with any of the gate electrode and the pixel electrode;
the first electrode comprises a first region and a second region each overlapping with the semiconductor layer; and at least part of the second electrode is positioned between the first region of the first electrode and the second region of the first electrode. 23. The semiconductor device claim 22, wherein each of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises a region in contact with an upper surface of the semiconductor layer. 24. The semiconductor device claim 22, wherein the first conductive barrier layer is capable of suppressing diffusion of copper. 25. The semiconductor device claim 22, wherein the first conductive barrier layer comprises titanium. 26. The semiconductor device claim 22, wherein the first conductive barrier layer comprises a metal nitride. 27. The semiconductor device claim 22, wherein each of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises a second conductive barrier layer comprising a region in contact with an upper surface of the conductive layer. 28. The semiconductor device claim 22, wherein each of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises a region in contact with an end portion of the semiconductor layer. 29. The semiconductor device claim 22, wherein the semiconductor layer is an oxide semiconductor layer. 30. The semiconductor device claim 22, wherein the first insulating layer comprises:
a first layer comprising a silicon nitride; and a second layer over the first layer and comprising a silicon oxide. 31. The semiconductor device claim 22, wherein the second insulating layer comprises:
a first layer comprising a silicon oxide; and a second layer over the first layer and comprising a silicon nitride. 32. A semiconductor device comprising:
a gate electrode; a first insulating layer over the gate electrode; a semiconductor layer over the first insulating layer and comprising a region overlapping with the gate electrode; a first electrode and a second electrode each over and electrically connected to the semiconductor layer; a second insulating layer over the first electrode and the second electrode; an organic resin layer over the second insulating layer; and a pixel electrode over the organic resin layer and electrically connected to the second electrode, wherein: each of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises:
a first conductive barrier layer; and
a conductive layer comprising copper and comprising a region in contact with an upper surface of the first conductive barrier layer;
the semiconductor layer comprises:
a first region not overlapping with any of the first electrode and the second electrode;
a second region overlapping with the first electrode; and
a third region overlapping with the second electrode;
the first region of the semiconductor layer is positioned between the second region of the semiconductor layer and the third region of the semiconductor layer; the first region of the semiconductor layer comprises a region in contact with the second insulating layer; the first region of the semiconductor layer is thinner than the second region of the semiconductor layer and the third region of the semiconductor layer; and the second electrode comprises:
a first region overlapping with the gate electrode;
a second region overlapping with the pixel electrode; and
a third region not overlapping with any of the gate electrode and the pixel electrode. 33. The semiconductor device claim 32, wherein each of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises a region in contact with an upper surface of the semiconductor layer. 34. The semiconductor device claim 32, wherein the first conductive barrier layer is capable of suppressing diffusion of copper. 35. The semiconductor device claim 32, wherein the first conductive barrier layer comprises titanium. 36. The semiconductor device claim 32, wherein the first conductive barrier layer comprises a metal nitride. 37. The semiconductor device claim 32, wherein each of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises a second conductive barrier layer comprising a region in contact with an upper surface of the conductive layer. 38. The semiconductor device claim 32, wherein each of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises a region in contact with an end portion of the semiconductor layer. 39. The semiconductor device claim 32, wherein the semiconductor layer is an oxide semiconductor layer. 40. The semiconductor device claim 32, wherein the first insulating layer comprises:
a first layer comprising a silicon nitride; and a second layer over the first layer and comprising a silicon oxide. 41. The semiconductor device claim 32, wherein the second insulating layer comprises:
a first layer comprising a silicon oxide; and a second layer over the first layer and comprising a silicon nitride. | Disclosed is a semiconductor device comprising a thin film transistor and wirings connected to the thin film transistor, in which the thin film transistor has a channel formation region in an oxide semiconductor layer, and a copper metal is used for at least one of a gate electrode, a source electrode, a drain electrode, a gate wiring, a source wiring, and a drain wiring. The extremely low off current of the transistor with the oxide semiconductor layer contributes to reduction in power consumption of the semiconductor device. Additionally, the use of the copper metal allows the combination of the semiconductor device with a display element to provide a display device with high display quality and negligible defects, which results from the low electrical resistance of the wirings and electrodes formed with the copper metal.1. (canceled) 2. A semiconductor device comprising:
a gate electrode; a first insulating layer over the gate electrode; a semiconductor layer over the first insulating layer and comprising a region overlapping with the gate electrode; a first electrode and a second electrode each over and electrically connected to the semiconductor layer; and a second insulating layer over the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein: each of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises:
a first conductive barrier layer; and
a conductive layer comprising copper and comprising a region in contact with an upper surface of the first conductive barrier layer;
the semiconductor layer comprises:
a first region not overlapping with any of the first electrode and the second electrode;
a second region overlapping with the first electrode; and
a third region overlapping with the second electrode;
the first region of the semiconductor layer is positioned between the second region of the semiconductor layer and the third region of the semiconductor layer; the first region of the semiconductor layer comprises a region in contact with the second insulating layer; the first region of the semiconductor layer is thinner than the second region of the semiconductor layer and the third region of the semiconductor layer; a lower end portion of the first conductive barrier layer of the first electrode and a lower end portion of the first conductive barrier layer of the second electrode face each other; a lower end portion of the conductive layer of the first electrode and a lower end portion of the conductive layer of the second electrode face each other; a distance between the lower end portion of the first conductive barrier layer of the first electrode and the lower end portion of the first conductive barrier layer of the second electrode is shorter than a distance between the lower end portion of the conductive layer of the first electrode and the lower end portion of the conductive layer of the second electrode; the second electrode comprises:
a first region overlapping with the gate electrode; and
a second region not overlapping with the gate electrode;
the lower end portion of the first conductive barrier layer of the first electrode is in contact with an upper end portion of the second region of the semiconductor layer; and the lower end portion of the first conductive barrier layer of the second electrode is in contact with an upper end portion of the third region of the semiconductor layer. 3. The semiconductor device claim 2, wherein each of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises a region in contact with an upper surface of the semiconductor layer. 4. The semiconductor device claim 2, wherein the first conductive barrier layer is capable of suppressing diffusion of copper. 5. The semiconductor device claim 2, wherein the first conductive barrier layer comprises titanium. 6. The semiconductor device claim 2, wherein the first conductive barrier layer comprises a metal nitride. 7. The semiconductor device claim 2, wherein each of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises a second conductive barrier layer comprising a region in contact with an upper surface of the conductive layer. 8. The semiconductor device claim 2, wherein each of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises a region in contact with an end portion of the semiconductor layer. 9. The semiconductor device claim 2, wherein the semiconductor layer is an oxide semiconductor layer. 10. The semiconductor device claim 2, wherein the first insulating layer comprises:
a first layer comprising a silicon nitride; and a second layer over the first layer and comprising a silicon oxide. 11. The semiconductor device claim 2, wherein the second insulating layer comprises:
a first layer comprising a silicon oxide; and a second layer over the first layer and comprising a silicon nitride. 12. A semiconductor device comprising:
a gate electrode; a first insulating layer over the gate electrode; a semiconductor layer over the first insulating layer and comprising a region overlapping with the gate electrode; a first electrode and a second electrode each over and electrically connected to the semiconductor layer; a second insulating layer over the first electrode and the second electrode; an organic resin layer over the second insulating layer; and a pixel electrode over the organic resin layer and electrically connected to the second electrode, wherein: each of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises:
a first conductive barrier layer; and
a conductive layer comprising copper and comprising a region in contact with an upper surface of the first conductive barrier layer;
the semiconductor layer comprises:
a first region not overlapping with any of the first electrode and the second electrode;
a second region overlapping with the first electrode; and
a third region overlapping with the second electrode;
the first region of the semiconductor layer is positioned between the second region of the semiconductor layer and the third region of the semiconductor layer; the first region of the semiconductor layer comprises a region in contact with the second insulating layer; the first region of the semiconductor layer is thinner than the second region of the semiconductor layer and the third region of the semiconductor layer; a lower end portion of the first conductive barrier layer of the first electrode and a lower end portion of the first conductive barrier layer of the second electrode face each other; a lower end portion of the conductive layer of the first electrode and a lower end portion of the conductive layer of the second electrode face each other; a distance between the lower end portion of the first conductive barrier layer of the first electrode and the lower end portion of the first conductive barrier layer of the second electrode is shorter than a distance between the lower end portion of the conductive layer of the first electrode and the lower end portion of the conductive layer of the second electrode; and the second electrode comprises:
a first region overlapping with the gate electrode;
a second region overlapping with the pixel electrode; and
a third region not overlapping with any of the gate electrode and the pixel electrode. 13. The semiconductor device claim 12, wherein each of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises a region in contact with an upper surface of the semiconductor layer. 14. The semiconductor device claim 12, wherein the first conductive barrier layer is capable of suppressing diffusion of copper. 15. The semiconductor device claim 12, wherein the first conductive barrier layer comprises titanium. 16. The semiconductor device claim 12, wherein the first conductive barrier layer comprises a metal nitride. 17. The semiconductor device claim 12, wherein each of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises a second conductive barrier layer comprising a region in contact with an upper surface of the conductive layer. 18. The semiconductor device claim 12, wherein each of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises a region in contact with an end portion of the semiconductor layer. 19. The semiconductor device claim 12, wherein the semiconductor layer is an oxide semiconductor layer. 20. The semiconductor device claim 12, wherein the first insulating layer comprises:
a first layer comprising a silicon nitride; and a second layer over the first layer and comprising a silicon oxide. 21. The semiconductor device claim 12, wherein the second insulating layer comprises:
a first layer comprising a silicon oxide; and a second layer over the first layer and comprising a silicon nitride. 22. A semiconductor device comprising:
a gate electrode; a first insulating layer over the gate electrode; a semiconductor layer over the first insulating layer and comprising a region overlapping with the gate electrode; a first electrode and a second electrode each over and electrically connected to the semiconductor layer; a second insulating layer over the first electrode and the second electrode; an organic resin layer over the second insulating layer; and a pixel electrode over the organic resin layer and electrically connected to the second electrode, wherein: each of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises:
a first conductive barrier layer; and
a conductive layer comprising copper and comprising a region in contact with an upper surface of the first conductive barrier layer;
the semiconductor layer comprises:
a first region not overlapping with any of the first electrode and the second electrode;
a second region overlapping with the first electrode;
a third region overlapping with the second electrode;
the first region of the semiconductor layer is positioned between the second region of the semiconductor layer and the third region of the semiconductor layer; the first region of the semiconductor layer comprises a region in contact with the second insulating layer; the first region of the semiconductor layer is thinner than the second region of the semiconductor layer and the third region of the semiconductor layer; a lower end portion of the first conductive barrier layer of the first electrode and a lower end portion of the first conductive barrier layer of the second electrode face each other; a lower end portion of the conductive layer of the first electrode and a lower end portion of the conductive layer of the second electrode face each other; a distance between the lower end portion of the first conductive barrier layer of the first electrode and the lower end portion of the first conductive barrier layer of the second electrode is shorter than a distance between the lower end portion of the conductive layer of the first electrode and the lower end portion of the conductive layer of the second electrode; the second electrode comprises:
a first region overlapping with the gate electrode;
a second region overlapping with the pixel electrode;
a third region not overlapping with any of the gate electrode and the pixel electrode;
the first electrode comprises a first region and a second region each overlapping with the semiconductor layer; and at least part of the second electrode is positioned between the first region of the first electrode and the second region of the first electrode. 23. The semiconductor device claim 22, wherein each of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises a region in contact with an upper surface of the semiconductor layer. 24. The semiconductor device claim 22, wherein the first conductive barrier layer is capable of suppressing diffusion of copper. 25. The semiconductor device claim 22, wherein the first conductive barrier layer comprises titanium. 26. The semiconductor device claim 22, wherein the first conductive barrier layer comprises a metal nitride. 27. The semiconductor device claim 22, wherein each of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises a second conductive barrier layer comprising a region in contact with an upper surface of the conductive layer. 28. The semiconductor device claim 22, wherein each of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises a region in contact with an end portion of the semiconductor layer. 29. The semiconductor device claim 22, wherein the semiconductor layer is an oxide semiconductor layer. 30. The semiconductor device claim 22, wherein the first insulating layer comprises:
a first layer comprising a silicon nitride; and a second layer over the first layer and comprising a silicon oxide. 31. The semiconductor device claim 22, wherein the second insulating layer comprises:
a first layer comprising a silicon oxide; and a second layer over the first layer and comprising a silicon nitride. 32. A semiconductor device comprising:
a gate electrode; a first insulating layer over the gate electrode; a semiconductor layer over the first insulating layer and comprising a region overlapping with the gate electrode; a first electrode and a second electrode each over and electrically connected to the semiconductor layer; a second insulating layer over the first electrode and the second electrode; an organic resin layer over the second insulating layer; and a pixel electrode over the organic resin layer and electrically connected to the second electrode, wherein: each of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises:
a first conductive barrier layer; and
a conductive layer comprising copper and comprising a region in contact with an upper surface of the first conductive barrier layer;
the semiconductor layer comprises:
a first region not overlapping with any of the first electrode and the second electrode;
a second region overlapping with the first electrode; and
a third region overlapping with the second electrode;
the first region of the semiconductor layer is positioned between the second region of the semiconductor layer and the third region of the semiconductor layer; the first region of the semiconductor layer comprises a region in contact with the second insulating layer; the first region of the semiconductor layer is thinner than the second region of the semiconductor layer and the third region of the semiconductor layer; and the second electrode comprises:
a first region overlapping with the gate electrode;
a second region overlapping with the pixel electrode; and
a third region not overlapping with any of the gate electrode and the pixel electrode. 33. The semiconductor device claim 32, wherein each of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises a region in contact with an upper surface of the semiconductor layer. 34. The semiconductor device claim 32, wherein the first conductive barrier layer is capable of suppressing diffusion of copper. 35. The semiconductor device claim 32, wherein the first conductive barrier layer comprises titanium. 36. The semiconductor device claim 32, wherein the first conductive barrier layer comprises a metal nitride. 37. The semiconductor device claim 32, wherein each of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises a second conductive barrier layer comprising a region in contact with an upper surface of the conductive layer. 38. The semiconductor device claim 32, wherein each of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises a region in contact with an end portion of the semiconductor layer. 39. The semiconductor device claim 32, wherein the semiconductor layer is an oxide semiconductor layer. 40. The semiconductor device claim 32, wherein the first insulating layer comprises:
a first layer comprising a silicon nitride; and a second layer over the first layer and comprising a silicon oxide. 41. The semiconductor device claim 32, wherein the second insulating layer comprises:
a first layer comprising a silicon oxide; and a second layer over the first layer and comprising a silicon nitride. | 2,800 |
12,411 | 12,411 | 16,064,740 | 2,853 | Provided is an inkjet printer which is capable of preventing ink flow and color blurring as well as color mixing during multicolor printing when image formation is performed with aqueous ink on a web-shaped printing base material, and an inkjet printing method using the inkjet printer. The inkjet printer is configured to perform image formation by discharging aqueous ink to a web-shaped printing base material, and comprises: a conveyance mechanism configured to continuously convey the web-shaped printing base material; a single-pass system inkjet head configured to discharge, by a single-pass system, the aqueous ink to a surface of the web-shaped printing base material conveyed by the conveyance mechanism; and a surface pre-heating unit which is arranged on an upstream side of conveyance from the single-pass system inkjet head and is configured to heat at least the surface of the web-shaped printing base material, wherein image formation through use of the single-pass system inkjet head is performed on the web-shaped printing base material heated by the surface pre-heating unit. | 1. An inkjet printer for aqueous ink which is configured to perform image formation by discharging aqueous ink to a web-shaped printing base material, the inkjet printer comprising:
a conveyance mechanism configured to continuously convey the web-shaped printing base material; a single-pass system inkjet head configured to discharge, by a single-pass system, the aqueous ink to a surface of the web-shaped printing base material conveyed by the conveyance mechanism; and a surface pre-heating unit arranged on an upstream side of conveyance from the single-pass system inkjet head and the surface pre-heating unit being configured to heat at least the surface of the web-shaped printing base material, wherein image formation through use of the single-pass system inkjet head is performed on the web-shaped printing base material heated by the surface pre-heating unit. 2. An inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein heating by the surface pre-heating unit is performed via a hot air blowing means for applying hot air to the surface of the web-shaped printing base material. 3. An inkjet printer according to claim 2, wherein the hot air blowing means comprises:
a nozzle group main body having a plurality of slit-shaped hot air blowing nozzles arranged to form gaps therebetween, each of the plurality of slit-shaped hot air blowing nozzles having a slit-shaped hot air outlet port extending in a width direction of the web-shaped printing base material; and a suction mechanism configured to suck an atmosphere of the gaps formed in the nozzle group main body. 4. An inkjet printer according to claim 1, further comprising a back surface heating unit configured to heat a back surface of the web-shaped printing base material. 5. An inkjet printer according to claim 4, wherein heating by the back surface heating unit is performed via one of a hot air blowing means and a hot plate. 6. An inkjet printer according to 1, wherein the web-shaped printing base material is a transparent film. 7. An inkjet printing method, comprising:
providing an inkjet printer comprising:
a conveyance mechanism configured to continuously convey a web-shaped printing base material;
a single-pass system inkjet head configured to discharge, by a single-pass system, the aqueous ink to a surface of the web-shaped printing base material conveyed by the conveyance mechanism; and
a surface pre-heating unit arranged on an upstream side of conveyance from the single-pass system inkjet head and the surface pre-heating unit is configured to heat at least the surface of the web-shaped printing base material;
performing, via the inkjet printer, single-pass system image formation via the single-pass system inkjet head with aqueous ink on the web-shaped printing base material heated by the surface pre-heating unit of the inkjet printer. 8. An inkjet printing method according to claim 7, wherein heating by the surface pre-heating unit is performed via a hot air blowing means for applying hot air to the surface of the web-shaped printing base material. 9. An inkjet printing method according to claim 8, wherein the hot air blowing means comprises:
a nozzle group main body having a plurality of slit-shaped hot air blowing nozzles arranged to form gaps therebetween, each of the plurality of slit-shaped hot air blowing nozzles having a slit-shaped hot air outlet port extending in a width direction of the web-shaped printing base material; and a suction mechanism configured to suck an atmosphere of the gaps formed in the nozzle group main body. 10. An inkjet printing method according to claim 7, further comprising:
providing a back surface heating unit configured to heat a back surface of the web-shaped printing base material. 11. An inkjet printing method according to claim 10, wherein heating by the back surface heating unit is performed via one of a hot air blowing means and a hot plate. 12. An inkjet printing method according to claim 7, wherein the web-shaped printing base material is a transparent film. | Provided is an inkjet printer which is capable of preventing ink flow and color blurring as well as color mixing during multicolor printing when image formation is performed with aqueous ink on a web-shaped printing base material, and an inkjet printing method using the inkjet printer. The inkjet printer is configured to perform image formation by discharging aqueous ink to a web-shaped printing base material, and comprises: a conveyance mechanism configured to continuously convey the web-shaped printing base material; a single-pass system inkjet head configured to discharge, by a single-pass system, the aqueous ink to a surface of the web-shaped printing base material conveyed by the conveyance mechanism; and a surface pre-heating unit which is arranged on an upstream side of conveyance from the single-pass system inkjet head and is configured to heat at least the surface of the web-shaped printing base material, wherein image formation through use of the single-pass system inkjet head is performed on the web-shaped printing base material heated by the surface pre-heating unit.1. An inkjet printer for aqueous ink which is configured to perform image formation by discharging aqueous ink to a web-shaped printing base material, the inkjet printer comprising:
a conveyance mechanism configured to continuously convey the web-shaped printing base material; a single-pass system inkjet head configured to discharge, by a single-pass system, the aqueous ink to a surface of the web-shaped printing base material conveyed by the conveyance mechanism; and a surface pre-heating unit arranged on an upstream side of conveyance from the single-pass system inkjet head and the surface pre-heating unit being configured to heat at least the surface of the web-shaped printing base material, wherein image formation through use of the single-pass system inkjet head is performed on the web-shaped printing base material heated by the surface pre-heating unit. 2. An inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein heating by the surface pre-heating unit is performed via a hot air blowing means for applying hot air to the surface of the web-shaped printing base material. 3. An inkjet printer according to claim 2, wherein the hot air blowing means comprises:
a nozzle group main body having a plurality of slit-shaped hot air blowing nozzles arranged to form gaps therebetween, each of the plurality of slit-shaped hot air blowing nozzles having a slit-shaped hot air outlet port extending in a width direction of the web-shaped printing base material; and a suction mechanism configured to suck an atmosphere of the gaps formed in the nozzle group main body. 4. An inkjet printer according to claim 1, further comprising a back surface heating unit configured to heat a back surface of the web-shaped printing base material. 5. An inkjet printer according to claim 4, wherein heating by the back surface heating unit is performed via one of a hot air blowing means and a hot plate. 6. An inkjet printer according to 1, wherein the web-shaped printing base material is a transparent film. 7. An inkjet printing method, comprising:
providing an inkjet printer comprising:
a conveyance mechanism configured to continuously convey a web-shaped printing base material;
a single-pass system inkjet head configured to discharge, by a single-pass system, the aqueous ink to a surface of the web-shaped printing base material conveyed by the conveyance mechanism; and
a surface pre-heating unit arranged on an upstream side of conveyance from the single-pass system inkjet head and the surface pre-heating unit is configured to heat at least the surface of the web-shaped printing base material;
performing, via the inkjet printer, single-pass system image formation via the single-pass system inkjet head with aqueous ink on the web-shaped printing base material heated by the surface pre-heating unit of the inkjet printer. 8. An inkjet printing method according to claim 7, wherein heating by the surface pre-heating unit is performed via a hot air blowing means for applying hot air to the surface of the web-shaped printing base material. 9. An inkjet printing method according to claim 8, wherein the hot air blowing means comprises:
a nozzle group main body having a plurality of slit-shaped hot air blowing nozzles arranged to form gaps therebetween, each of the plurality of slit-shaped hot air blowing nozzles having a slit-shaped hot air outlet port extending in a width direction of the web-shaped printing base material; and a suction mechanism configured to suck an atmosphere of the gaps formed in the nozzle group main body. 10. An inkjet printing method according to claim 7, further comprising:
providing a back surface heating unit configured to heat a back surface of the web-shaped printing base material. 11. An inkjet printing method according to claim 10, wherein heating by the back surface heating unit is performed via one of a hot air blowing means and a hot plate. 12. An inkjet printing method according to claim 7, wherein the web-shaped printing base material is a transparent film. | 2,800 |
12,412 | 12,412 | 15,693,951 | 2,837 | A piezoelectric element driving circuit includes a boosting circuit, a driving circuit, a waveform shaping circuit, and a computing circuit. The driving circuit includes a differential amplifier circuit with an LPF, an amplifier circuit with a BPF, an inverter, a resistor, and a comparator. The driving circuit applies a driving signal to a piezoelectric element of a piezoelectric pump. The waveform shaping circuit extracts a voltage signal from the driving circuit. On the basis of the voltage signal, the waveform shaping circuit and the computing circuit determine a voltage value corresponding to driving current flowing through the piezoelectric element. The computing circuit outputs a control signal to the boosting circuit on the basis of the voltage value. The boosting circuit sets the value of a DC supply voltage on the basis of the control signal, and outputs the DC supply voltage. | 1. A piezoelectric element driving circuit comprising:
a power supply circuit configured to output a direct current (DC) supply voltage; a driving circuit configured to generate a driving signal based on the DC supply voltage output from the power supply circuit, and to apply the driving signal to a piezoelectric element; and a control circuit configured to extract, from the driving circuit, a voltage signal proportional to a driving current flowing through the piezoelectric element, and to determine a voltage value corresponding to the driving current based on the voltage signal, wherein the control circuit is further configured to output a control signal based on the voltage value; and the power supply circuit controls a magnitude of the DC supply voltage based on the control signal, thereby stabilizing fluctuations in the driving current. 2. The piezoelectric element driving circuit according to claim 1, wherein the power supply circuit comprises a boosting circuit configured to raise voltage output from a battery to the DC supply voltage, and to output the DC supply voltage. 3. The piezoelectric element driving circuit according to claim 1, wherein the driving circuit includes a resistor connected in series with the piezoelectric element, and a differential amplifier circuit configured to amplify a difference between voltages generated at both ends of the resistor by the driving current and to output the voltage signal. 4. The piezoelectric element driving circuit according to claim 3, wherein the differential amplifier circuit comprises a low pass filter that is configured to pass a resonant frequency of the piezoelectric element and to attenuate third and higher harmonics of the resonant frequency. 5. The piezoelectric element driving circuit according to claim 3, wherein the driving circuit further comprises:
a bandpass filter amplifier and a comparator connected between an output of the differential amplifier and the resistor, an input of the differential amplifier being connected between the comparator and the resistor; and an inverter connected between the piezoelectric element and a node between the bandpass filter amplifier and the comparator. 6. The piezoelectric element driving circuit according to claim 5, wherein the control circuit is configured to extract the voltage signal from the node between the bandpass filter amplifier and the comparator. 7. The piezoelectric element driving circuit according to claim 5, wherein the bandpass amplifier circuit comprises a bandpass filter that is configured to pass a resonant frequency of the piezoelectric element according to a first mode and to attenuate a resonant frequency of the piezoelectric element according to a second mode, a second harmonic of the resonant frequency, and noise. 8. The piezoelectric element driving circuit according to claim 1, wherein the voltage signal that the control circuit is configured to extract from the driving circuit is a sinusoidal signal. 9. The piezoelectric element driving circuit according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to output the control signal using an amplifier circuit capable of amplifying in a nonlinear region. 10. A fluid control apparatus comprising:
the piezoelectric element driving circuit according to claim 1; and a piezoelectric pump including the piezoelectric element driven by the piezoelectric element driving circuit, wherein driving the piezoelectric element causes the piezoelectric pump to transfer a fluid. 11. The fluid control apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the piezoelectric pump suctions fluid by generating a negative pressure. 12. The fluid control apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the piezoelectric pump discharges compressed fluid by generating a positive pressure. | A piezoelectric element driving circuit includes a boosting circuit, a driving circuit, a waveform shaping circuit, and a computing circuit. The driving circuit includes a differential amplifier circuit with an LPF, an amplifier circuit with a BPF, an inverter, a resistor, and a comparator. The driving circuit applies a driving signal to a piezoelectric element of a piezoelectric pump. The waveform shaping circuit extracts a voltage signal from the driving circuit. On the basis of the voltage signal, the waveform shaping circuit and the computing circuit determine a voltage value corresponding to driving current flowing through the piezoelectric element. The computing circuit outputs a control signal to the boosting circuit on the basis of the voltage value. The boosting circuit sets the value of a DC supply voltage on the basis of the control signal, and outputs the DC supply voltage.1. A piezoelectric element driving circuit comprising:
a power supply circuit configured to output a direct current (DC) supply voltage; a driving circuit configured to generate a driving signal based on the DC supply voltage output from the power supply circuit, and to apply the driving signal to a piezoelectric element; and a control circuit configured to extract, from the driving circuit, a voltage signal proportional to a driving current flowing through the piezoelectric element, and to determine a voltage value corresponding to the driving current based on the voltage signal, wherein the control circuit is further configured to output a control signal based on the voltage value; and the power supply circuit controls a magnitude of the DC supply voltage based on the control signal, thereby stabilizing fluctuations in the driving current. 2. The piezoelectric element driving circuit according to claim 1, wherein the power supply circuit comprises a boosting circuit configured to raise voltage output from a battery to the DC supply voltage, and to output the DC supply voltage. 3. The piezoelectric element driving circuit according to claim 1, wherein the driving circuit includes a resistor connected in series with the piezoelectric element, and a differential amplifier circuit configured to amplify a difference between voltages generated at both ends of the resistor by the driving current and to output the voltage signal. 4. The piezoelectric element driving circuit according to claim 3, wherein the differential amplifier circuit comprises a low pass filter that is configured to pass a resonant frequency of the piezoelectric element and to attenuate third and higher harmonics of the resonant frequency. 5. The piezoelectric element driving circuit according to claim 3, wherein the driving circuit further comprises:
a bandpass filter amplifier and a comparator connected between an output of the differential amplifier and the resistor, an input of the differential amplifier being connected between the comparator and the resistor; and an inverter connected between the piezoelectric element and a node between the bandpass filter amplifier and the comparator. 6. The piezoelectric element driving circuit according to claim 5, wherein the control circuit is configured to extract the voltage signal from the node between the bandpass filter amplifier and the comparator. 7. The piezoelectric element driving circuit according to claim 5, wherein the bandpass amplifier circuit comprises a bandpass filter that is configured to pass a resonant frequency of the piezoelectric element according to a first mode and to attenuate a resonant frequency of the piezoelectric element according to a second mode, a second harmonic of the resonant frequency, and noise. 8. The piezoelectric element driving circuit according to claim 1, wherein the voltage signal that the control circuit is configured to extract from the driving circuit is a sinusoidal signal. 9. The piezoelectric element driving circuit according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to output the control signal using an amplifier circuit capable of amplifying in a nonlinear region. 10. A fluid control apparatus comprising:
the piezoelectric element driving circuit according to claim 1; and a piezoelectric pump including the piezoelectric element driven by the piezoelectric element driving circuit, wherein driving the piezoelectric element causes the piezoelectric pump to transfer a fluid. 11. The fluid control apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the piezoelectric pump suctions fluid by generating a negative pressure. 12. The fluid control apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the piezoelectric pump discharges compressed fluid by generating a positive pressure. | 2,800 |
12,413 | 12,413 | 16,259,124 | 2,856 | In a liquid level monitor for use with a liquid container of a liquid-consuming device, a light source transmits a light beam into the liquid container at a non-normal angle of incidence respective to a wall of the liquid container. A photodetector is positioned in the path of one of (i) the light beam after passing through the liquid container when the light beam is not refracted by liquid in the liquid container and (ii) the light beam after passing through the liquid container when the light beam is refracted by liquid in the liquid container. In another approach, the sensor for detecting empty includes a vibrator and a vibration sensor, and an electronic processor is programmed to determine whether the liquid container is empty of liquid based on the detected vibration of the liquid container. | 1. A liquid level monitor comprising:
a dispenser for dispensing hand sanitizer liquid or liquid soap contained in a liquid container configured to connect with the dispenser; a light source positioned on the dispenser to transmit a light beam into the liquid container of the dispenser at a non-normal angle of incidence respective to a wall of the liquid container upon which the light beam impinges; a photodetector disposed on the dispenser at a position which is in the path of one of (i) the light beam after passing through the liquid container when the light beam is not refracted by hand sanitizer liquid or liquid soap in the liquid container and (ii) the light beam after passing through the liquid container when the light beam is refracted by hand sanitizer liquid or liquid soap in the liquid container; a wireless transmitter or transceiver operatively connected to output a wireless signal indicating an output of the photodetector; and a mobile device comprising a cellular telephone (cellphone) or tablet computer, the mobile device having loaded thereon an application program (app) operative to cause the mobile device to wirelessly receive the wireless signal indicating the output of the photodetector and based on the received wireless signal to:
display an indication that the liquid container is empty in response to the output of the photodetector indicating that the liquid container is empty, or
display an indication that the liquid container is not installed in response to the output of the photodetector indicating that the liquid container is not installed. 2. (canceled) 3. The liquid level monitor of claim 1 further comprising a light emitting diode (LED) indicator disposed on the dispenser and indicating that the liquid container is not empty by not lighting the LED disposed on the liquid-consuming device. 4-6. (canceled) 7. The liquid level monitor of claim 1 wherein the photodetector is disposed at a position which is in the path of the light beam after passing through the liquid container when the light beam is refracted by liquid in the liquid container. 8. The liquid level monitor of claim 1 wherein the photodetector is disposed at a position which is in the path of the light beam after passing through the liquid container when the light beam is not refracted by liquid in the liquid container. 9. The liquid level monitor of claim 8 wherein the light source is positioned such that the path of the light beam passing through a circular cross-section of the liquid container when the light beam is not refracted by liquid in the liquid container defines a chord of the circular cross-section wherein the angle of the chord is less than or equal to 100 degrees. 10. The liquid level monitor of claim 9 wherein the light source is positioned such that the path of the light beam passing through a circular cross-section of the liquid container when the light beam is not refracted by liquid in the liquid container defines a chord of the circular cross-section wherein the angle of the chord is less than or equal to 55 degrees. 11. The liquid level monitor of claim 1 further comprising a spectral filter disposed in front of the photodetector. 12-20. (canceled) 21. The liquid level monitor of claim 7 wherein the light source is an infrared emitter and the photodetector is disposed at a position which is in the path of the light beam after passing through the liquid container when the light beam is refracted by liquid in the liquid container. 22. The liquid level monitor of claim 21 wherein the photodetector is disposed at a position which is in a low intensity region of the light beam after passing through the liquid container when the liquid container is empty. 23. The liquid level monitor of claim 22 wherein:
the photodetector produces a first signal in response to being in the path of the light beam after passing through the liquid container when the light beam is refracted by liquid in the liquid container;
the photodetector produces a second signal in response to being in the low intensity region of the light beam after passing through the liquid container when the liquid container is empty; and
the photodetector produces a third signal that is different from the first signal and different from the second signal when the liquid container is not installed. 24. A liquid level monitor for use in conjunction with a liquid container of a liquid-consuming device, the liquid level monitor comprising:
a light source positioned to transmit a light beam into the liquid container of the liquid-consuming device at a non-normal angle of incidence respective to a wall of the liquid container upon which the light beam impinges, wherein the liquid container splits the light beam into a bifurcated intensity distribution; and a photodetector disposed at a position which is in one lobe of the bifurcated intensity distribution when the light beam passes through liquid in the liquid container. 25. The liquid level monitor of claim 24 wherein the photodetector is disposed at a position which is in a low intensity central region of the bifurcated intensity distribution when the light beam does not pass through liquid in the liquid container. 26. The liquid level monitor of claim 25 wherein:
the photodetector produces a high voltage signal in response to being in the path of the one lobe of the light beam when the light beam passes through liquid in the liquid container; and
the photodetector produces a low voltage signal in response to being in the low intensity central region of the bifurcated intensity distribution when the light beam does not pass through liquid in the liquid container. 27. The liquid level monitor of claim 26 wherein:
the photodetector produces an intermediate voltage signal that is intermediate between the high voltage signal and the low voltage signal in response to being disposed at a position respective to the path of the light beam when the liquid container is not installed. 28. A liquid level monitor comprising:
a dispenser for dispensing hand sanitizer liquid or liquid soap contained in a liquid container configured to connect with the dispenser; a light source positioned on the dispenser to transmit a light beam into the liquid container of the dispenser at a non-normal angle of incidence respective to a wall of the liquid container upon which the light beam impinges; a photodetector disposed on the dispenser at a position which is in the path of one of (i) the light beam after passing through the liquid container when the light beam is not refracted by hand sanitizer liquid or liquid soap in the liquid container and (ii) the light beam after passing through the liquid container when the light beam is refracted by hand sanitizer liquid or liquid soap in the liquid container; at least one electronic processor configured to determine, based on an output of the photodetector, whether the liquid container is empty, not installed, or not empty and to:
display an indication that the liquid container is empty if the electronic processor determines that the liquid container is empty, or
display an indication that the liquid container is not installed if the electronic processor determines that the liquid container is not installed. | In a liquid level monitor for use with a liquid container of a liquid-consuming device, a light source transmits a light beam into the liquid container at a non-normal angle of incidence respective to a wall of the liquid container. A photodetector is positioned in the path of one of (i) the light beam after passing through the liquid container when the light beam is not refracted by liquid in the liquid container and (ii) the light beam after passing through the liquid container when the light beam is refracted by liquid in the liquid container. In another approach, the sensor for detecting empty includes a vibrator and a vibration sensor, and an electronic processor is programmed to determine whether the liquid container is empty of liquid based on the detected vibration of the liquid container.1. A liquid level monitor comprising:
a dispenser for dispensing hand sanitizer liquid or liquid soap contained in a liquid container configured to connect with the dispenser; a light source positioned on the dispenser to transmit a light beam into the liquid container of the dispenser at a non-normal angle of incidence respective to a wall of the liquid container upon which the light beam impinges; a photodetector disposed on the dispenser at a position which is in the path of one of (i) the light beam after passing through the liquid container when the light beam is not refracted by hand sanitizer liquid or liquid soap in the liquid container and (ii) the light beam after passing through the liquid container when the light beam is refracted by hand sanitizer liquid or liquid soap in the liquid container; a wireless transmitter or transceiver operatively connected to output a wireless signal indicating an output of the photodetector; and a mobile device comprising a cellular telephone (cellphone) or tablet computer, the mobile device having loaded thereon an application program (app) operative to cause the mobile device to wirelessly receive the wireless signal indicating the output of the photodetector and based on the received wireless signal to:
display an indication that the liquid container is empty in response to the output of the photodetector indicating that the liquid container is empty, or
display an indication that the liquid container is not installed in response to the output of the photodetector indicating that the liquid container is not installed. 2. (canceled) 3. The liquid level monitor of claim 1 further comprising a light emitting diode (LED) indicator disposed on the dispenser and indicating that the liquid container is not empty by not lighting the LED disposed on the liquid-consuming device. 4-6. (canceled) 7. The liquid level monitor of claim 1 wherein the photodetector is disposed at a position which is in the path of the light beam after passing through the liquid container when the light beam is refracted by liquid in the liquid container. 8. The liquid level monitor of claim 1 wherein the photodetector is disposed at a position which is in the path of the light beam after passing through the liquid container when the light beam is not refracted by liquid in the liquid container. 9. The liquid level monitor of claim 8 wherein the light source is positioned such that the path of the light beam passing through a circular cross-section of the liquid container when the light beam is not refracted by liquid in the liquid container defines a chord of the circular cross-section wherein the angle of the chord is less than or equal to 100 degrees. 10. The liquid level monitor of claim 9 wherein the light source is positioned such that the path of the light beam passing through a circular cross-section of the liquid container when the light beam is not refracted by liquid in the liquid container defines a chord of the circular cross-section wherein the angle of the chord is less than or equal to 55 degrees. 11. The liquid level monitor of claim 1 further comprising a spectral filter disposed in front of the photodetector. 12-20. (canceled) 21. The liquid level monitor of claim 7 wherein the light source is an infrared emitter and the photodetector is disposed at a position which is in the path of the light beam after passing through the liquid container when the light beam is refracted by liquid in the liquid container. 22. The liquid level monitor of claim 21 wherein the photodetector is disposed at a position which is in a low intensity region of the light beam after passing through the liquid container when the liquid container is empty. 23. The liquid level monitor of claim 22 wherein:
the photodetector produces a first signal in response to being in the path of the light beam after passing through the liquid container when the light beam is refracted by liquid in the liquid container;
the photodetector produces a second signal in response to being in the low intensity region of the light beam after passing through the liquid container when the liquid container is empty; and
the photodetector produces a third signal that is different from the first signal and different from the second signal when the liquid container is not installed. 24. A liquid level monitor for use in conjunction with a liquid container of a liquid-consuming device, the liquid level monitor comprising:
a light source positioned to transmit a light beam into the liquid container of the liquid-consuming device at a non-normal angle of incidence respective to a wall of the liquid container upon which the light beam impinges, wherein the liquid container splits the light beam into a bifurcated intensity distribution; and a photodetector disposed at a position which is in one lobe of the bifurcated intensity distribution when the light beam passes through liquid in the liquid container. 25. The liquid level monitor of claim 24 wherein the photodetector is disposed at a position which is in a low intensity central region of the bifurcated intensity distribution when the light beam does not pass through liquid in the liquid container. 26. The liquid level monitor of claim 25 wherein:
the photodetector produces a high voltage signal in response to being in the path of the one lobe of the light beam when the light beam passes through liquid in the liquid container; and
the photodetector produces a low voltage signal in response to being in the low intensity central region of the bifurcated intensity distribution when the light beam does not pass through liquid in the liquid container. 27. The liquid level monitor of claim 26 wherein:
the photodetector produces an intermediate voltage signal that is intermediate between the high voltage signal and the low voltage signal in response to being disposed at a position respective to the path of the light beam when the liquid container is not installed. 28. A liquid level monitor comprising:
a dispenser for dispensing hand sanitizer liquid or liquid soap contained in a liquid container configured to connect with the dispenser; a light source positioned on the dispenser to transmit a light beam into the liquid container of the dispenser at a non-normal angle of incidence respective to a wall of the liquid container upon which the light beam impinges; a photodetector disposed on the dispenser at a position which is in the path of one of (i) the light beam after passing through the liquid container when the light beam is not refracted by hand sanitizer liquid or liquid soap in the liquid container and (ii) the light beam after passing through the liquid container when the light beam is refracted by hand sanitizer liquid or liquid soap in the liquid container; at least one electronic processor configured to determine, based on an output of the photodetector, whether the liquid container is empty, not installed, or not empty and to:
display an indication that the liquid container is empty if the electronic processor determines that the liquid container is empty, or
display an indication that the liquid container is not installed if the electronic processor determines that the liquid container is not installed. | 2,800 |
12,414 | 12,414 | 16,314,480 | 2,832 | A wind turbine drive system includes a plurality of drive devices, a state quantity detection unit, and a control unit. The plurality of drive devices are provided in a first structure (a nacelle), and a ring gear is provided in a second structure (a tower). Each of the drive devices includes a motor drive portion, a speed reducing portion, and a motor braking portion for braking the motor drive portion. The state quantity detection unit detects a load between a meshing portion of each of the drive devices and the ring gear. Based on the thus detected load for the each of the drive devices, the control unit controls at least one of the motor drive portion and the motor braking portion so as to reduce a degree of variation in the load among the drive devices. | 1. A wind turbine drive system, comprising:
a plurality of drive devices provided in a first structure and including a meshing portion meshing with a ring gear provided in a second structure, the first structure and the second structure being configured to rotate relative to each other, each of the plurality of drive devices including:
a motor drive portion for outputting power;
a speed reducing portion for receiving the power transmitted from the motor drive portion; and
a motor braking portion for braking the motor drive portion;
a state quantity detection unit for detecting, for each of the plurality of drive devices, a load between the meshing portion of the each of the plurality of drive devices and the ring gear; and a control unit for controlling the motor drive portion and/or the motor braking portion of each of the plurality of drive devices based on the load for the each of the plurality of drive devices detected by the state quantity detection unit, so as to reduce a degree of variation in the load among the plurality of drive devices. 2. The wind turbine drive system according to claim 1, wherein
each of the plurality of drive devices is fixed to the first structure via a fastener, and the state quantity detection unit detects the load by measuring an amount of a force acting on the fastener. 3. The wind turbine drive system according to claim 1, wherein the state quantity detection unit detects the load by measuring an amount of a force acting on the speed reducing portion. 4. The wind turbine drive system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit reduces the degree of variation in the load among the plurality of drive devices by adjusting a number of rotations or a torque of the motor drive portion of each of the plurality of drive devices. 5. The wind turbine drive system according to claim 1, wherein in a state where the motor braking portion of each of the plurality of drive devices is applying a braking force to the corresponding motor drive portion, the control unit reduces the degree of variation in the load among the plurality of drive devices by controlling at least the motor braking portion of a drive device for which the load is largest among the plurality of drive devices to weaken the braking force thereof. 6. The wind turbine drive system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the motor drive portion and/or the motor braking portion of each of the plurality of drive devices to reduce the degree of variation in the load among the plurality of drive devices in a case where the degree of variation in the load among the plurality of drive devices deviates from a permissible range. 7. The wind turbine drive system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines, based on a magnitude of the load for each of the plurality of drive devices detected by the state quantity detection unit, whether or not to control the motor drive portion and/or the motor braking portion of each of the plurality of drive devices to reduce the degree of variation in the load among the plurality of drive devices. 8. A wind turbine, comprising:
a first structure and a second structure configured to rotate relative to each other; a ring gear provided in the second structure; and the wind turbine drive system according to claim 1. | A wind turbine drive system includes a plurality of drive devices, a state quantity detection unit, and a control unit. The plurality of drive devices are provided in a first structure (a nacelle), and a ring gear is provided in a second structure (a tower). Each of the drive devices includes a motor drive portion, a speed reducing portion, and a motor braking portion for braking the motor drive portion. The state quantity detection unit detects a load between a meshing portion of each of the drive devices and the ring gear. Based on the thus detected load for the each of the drive devices, the control unit controls at least one of the motor drive portion and the motor braking portion so as to reduce a degree of variation in the load among the drive devices.1. A wind turbine drive system, comprising:
a plurality of drive devices provided in a first structure and including a meshing portion meshing with a ring gear provided in a second structure, the first structure and the second structure being configured to rotate relative to each other, each of the plurality of drive devices including:
a motor drive portion for outputting power;
a speed reducing portion for receiving the power transmitted from the motor drive portion; and
a motor braking portion for braking the motor drive portion;
a state quantity detection unit for detecting, for each of the plurality of drive devices, a load between the meshing portion of the each of the plurality of drive devices and the ring gear; and a control unit for controlling the motor drive portion and/or the motor braking portion of each of the plurality of drive devices based on the load for the each of the plurality of drive devices detected by the state quantity detection unit, so as to reduce a degree of variation in the load among the plurality of drive devices. 2. The wind turbine drive system according to claim 1, wherein
each of the plurality of drive devices is fixed to the first structure via a fastener, and the state quantity detection unit detects the load by measuring an amount of a force acting on the fastener. 3. The wind turbine drive system according to claim 1, wherein the state quantity detection unit detects the load by measuring an amount of a force acting on the speed reducing portion. 4. The wind turbine drive system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit reduces the degree of variation in the load among the plurality of drive devices by adjusting a number of rotations or a torque of the motor drive portion of each of the plurality of drive devices. 5. The wind turbine drive system according to claim 1, wherein in a state where the motor braking portion of each of the plurality of drive devices is applying a braking force to the corresponding motor drive portion, the control unit reduces the degree of variation in the load among the plurality of drive devices by controlling at least the motor braking portion of a drive device for which the load is largest among the plurality of drive devices to weaken the braking force thereof. 6. The wind turbine drive system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the motor drive portion and/or the motor braking portion of each of the plurality of drive devices to reduce the degree of variation in the load among the plurality of drive devices in a case where the degree of variation in the load among the plurality of drive devices deviates from a permissible range. 7. The wind turbine drive system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines, based on a magnitude of the load for each of the plurality of drive devices detected by the state quantity detection unit, whether or not to control the motor drive portion and/or the motor braking portion of each of the plurality of drive devices to reduce the degree of variation in the load among the plurality of drive devices. 8. A wind turbine, comprising:
a first structure and a second structure configured to rotate relative to each other; a ring gear provided in the second structure; and the wind turbine drive system according to claim 1. | 2,800 |
12,415 | 12,415 | 16,225,164 | 2,822 | A microelectronic device, in a leaded/leadless chip scale package, has a die and intermediate pads located adjacent to the die. The intermediate pads are free of photolithographically-defined structures. Wire bonds connect the die to the intermediate pads. An encapsulation material at least partially surrounds the die and the wire bonds, and contacts the intermediate pads. Package leads, located outside of the encapsulation material, are attached to the intermediate pads. The microelectronic device is formed by mounting the die on a carrier, and forming the intermediate pads on the carrier without using a photolithographic process. Wire bonds are formed between the die and the intermediate pads. The die, the wire bonds, and the intermediate pads are covered with an encapsulation material, and the carrier is subsequently removed, exposing the intermediate pads. The package leads are attached to the intermediate pads. | 1. A microelectronic device, comprising:
a die; intermediate pads, wherein the intermediate pads are free of photolithographically-defined structures; wire bonds connecting the die to the intermediate pads; an encapsulation material surrounding the wire bonds, at least partially surrounding the die and contacting the die, and contacting the intermediate pads; and package leads contacting the intermediate pads, the package leads being located outside of the encapsulation material. 2. The microelectronic device of claim 1, wherein each of the intermediate pads includes a plurality of wire stud bonds. 3. The microelectronic device of claim 1, wherein each of the intermediate pads includes plated metal, wherein the plated metal conforms to contours of electrically conductive elements of the intermediate pads contacting the plated metal. 4. The microelectronic device of claim 1, wherein each of the intermediate pads includes a preformed metal pad. 5. The microelectronic device of claim 1, wherein each of the intermediate pads includes a supplementary metal pad, wherein the supplementary metal pad is continuous across the intermediate pad containing the supplementary metal pad. 6. The microelectronic device of claim 1, wherein each of the intermediate pads includes a plurality of ribbon stitch bond strips. 7. The microelectronic device of claim 1, further including fill particles distributed in the encapsulation material, wherein the fill particles have a thermal expansion coefficient higher than a thermal expansion coefficient of the die. 8. The microelectronic device of claim 1, further including fill particles distributed in the encapsulation material, wherein the fill particles have a thermal conductivity higher than a thermal conductivity of the encapsulation material. 9. The microelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the microelectronic device is free of electrically conductive leads extending to lateral surfaces of the encapsulation material, the lateral surfaces being perpendicular to a surface of the encapsulation material contacting the intermediate pads. 10. The microelectronic device of claim 1, further including an external component attached to at least one of the package leads, wherein the external component is located outside of the encapsulation material. 11. A method of forming a microelectronic device, comprising:
acquiring a carrier; disposing a first die on the carrier; forming at least portions of intermediate pads on the carrier, by a method free of a photolithographic process; forming wire bonds between the first die and the at least portions of the intermediate pads; forming an encapsulation material over the first die and the wire bonds, wherein the encapsulation material contacts the at least portions of the intermediate pads; removing the carrier, wherein the at least portions of the intermediate pads are exposed at a surface of the encapsulation material; and forming package leads on the intermediate pads, the package leads being located outside of the encapsulation material. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein forming the at least portions of the intermediate pads includes forming a plurality of wire stud bonds on the carrier. 13. The method of claim 11, further including plating metal on the at least portions of the intermediate pads after removing the carrier. 14. The method of claim 11, wherein a releasable adhesive is disposed on the carrier prior to disposing the first die on the carrier. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the releasable adhesive includes a material selected from the group consisting of a photolabile material and a thermolabile material. 16. The method of claim 11, wherein:
a pad metal layer is disposed on the carrier prior to forming the wire bonds; and removing the carrier includes removing a portion of the pad metal layer, wherein portions of the pad metal layer contacting the at least portions of the intermediate pads remain attached to the at least portions of the intermediate pads. 17. The method of claim 11, further including plating metal on the at least portions of the intermediate pads after removing the carrier. 18. The method of claim 11, wherein forming the package leads on the intermediate pads includes a welding process. 19. The method of claim 11, wherein forming the package leads on the intermediate pads includes a solder process. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the solder process uses a solder anisotropic conductive film. | A microelectronic device, in a leaded/leadless chip scale package, has a die and intermediate pads located adjacent to the die. The intermediate pads are free of photolithographically-defined structures. Wire bonds connect the die to the intermediate pads. An encapsulation material at least partially surrounds the die and the wire bonds, and contacts the intermediate pads. Package leads, located outside of the encapsulation material, are attached to the intermediate pads. The microelectronic device is formed by mounting the die on a carrier, and forming the intermediate pads on the carrier without using a photolithographic process. Wire bonds are formed between the die and the intermediate pads. The die, the wire bonds, and the intermediate pads are covered with an encapsulation material, and the carrier is subsequently removed, exposing the intermediate pads. The package leads are attached to the intermediate pads.1. A microelectronic device, comprising:
a die; intermediate pads, wherein the intermediate pads are free of photolithographically-defined structures; wire bonds connecting the die to the intermediate pads; an encapsulation material surrounding the wire bonds, at least partially surrounding the die and contacting the die, and contacting the intermediate pads; and package leads contacting the intermediate pads, the package leads being located outside of the encapsulation material. 2. The microelectronic device of claim 1, wherein each of the intermediate pads includes a plurality of wire stud bonds. 3. The microelectronic device of claim 1, wherein each of the intermediate pads includes plated metal, wherein the plated metal conforms to contours of electrically conductive elements of the intermediate pads contacting the plated metal. 4. The microelectronic device of claim 1, wherein each of the intermediate pads includes a preformed metal pad. 5. The microelectronic device of claim 1, wherein each of the intermediate pads includes a supplementary metal pad, wherein the supplementary metal pad is continuous across the intermediate pad containing the supplementary metal pad. 6. The microelectronic device of claim 1, wherein each of the intermediate pads includes a plurality of ribbon stitch bond strips. 7. The microelectronic device of claim 1, further including fill particles distributed in the encapsulation material, wherein the fill particles have a thermal expansion coefficient higher than a thermal expansion coefficient of the die. 8. The microelectronic device of claim 1, further including fill particles distributed in the encapsulation material, wherein the fill particles have a thermal conductivity higher than a thermal conductivity of the encapsulation material. 9. The microelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the microelectronic device is free of electrically conductive leads extending to lateral surfaces of the encapsulation material, the lateral surfaces being perpendicular to a surface of the encapsulation material contacting the intermediate pads. 10. The microelectronic device of claim 1, further including an external component attached to at least one of the package leads, wherein the external component is located outside of the encapsulation material. 11. A method of forming a microelectronic device, comprising:
acquiring a carrier; disposing a first die on the carrier; forming at least portions of intermediate pads on the carrier, by a method free of a photolithographic process; forming wire bonds between the first die and the at least portions of the intermediate pads; forming an encapsulation material over the first die and the wire bonds, wherein the encapsulation material contacts the at least portions of the intermediate pads; removing the carrier, wherein the at least portions of the intermediate pads are exposed at a surface of the encapsulation material; and forming package leads on the intermediate pads, the package leads being located outside of the encapsulation material. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein forming the at least portions of the intermediate pads includes forming a plurality of wire stud bonds on the carrier. 13. The method of claim 11, further including plating metal on the at least portions of the intermediate pads after removing the carrier. 14. The method of claim 11, wherein a releasable adhesive is disposed on the carrier prior to disposing the first die on the carrier. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the releasable adhesive includes a material selected from the group consisting of a photolabile material and a thermolabile material. 16. The method of claim 11, wherein:
a pad metal layer is disposed on the carrier prior to forming the wire bonds; and removing the carrier includes removing a portion of the pad metal layer, wherein portions of the pad metal layer contacting the at least portions of the intermediate pads remain attached to the at least portions of the intermediate pads. 17. The method of claim 11, further including plating metal on the at least portions of the intermediate pads after removing the carrier. 18. The method of claim 11, wherein forming the package leads on the intermediate pads includes a welding process. 19. The method of claim 11, wherein forming the package leads on the intermediate pads includes a solder process. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the solder process uses a solder anisotropic conductive film. | 2,800 |
12,416 | 12,416 | 15,131,436 | 2,876 | A luminaire includes a support positioned in a ceiling. A light module is connected to the support having a base, a light emitter, and an optic. The light modules allow different luminaire configurations to be formed out of similar components. | 1. A luminaire comprising:
a support positioned in a ceiling; a light module connected to the support having a base, a light emitter, and an optic; the base having a first side with a recessed portion for receiving the light emitter and a second side facing the support; a connecting feature extending from the second side of the base to connect the light module to the support; the light emitter having a plurality of light elements; and the optic includes a plurality of optical elements aligned respectively with the plurality of light emitters. 2. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the support is a ceiling pan. 3. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the support includes a first opening and the base includes a second opening in communication with the first opening. 4. The luminaire of claim 3, wherein the base includes a protrusion extending from the second side and the support includes a third opening receiving the protrusion. 5. The luminaire of claim 3, wherein the first opening includes a first key-hole slot associated with a first light module orientation and a second key-hole slot associated with a second light module orientation. 6. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the connecting feature includes a snap fit connector. 7. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the optical elements reflect light emitted from the light elements. 8. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the optical elements include an outer opening at a surface of the reflector, an inner opening positioned adjacent the respective light emitter, and a curvilinear wall extending between the outer opening and the inner opening. 9. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the light emitter is snap-fit to the base. 10. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the support includes a first side and a second side and the luminaire further comprises a top cover positioned over at least a portion of the second side of the support, a driver bracket connected to the second side of the support, and a driver connected to the driver bracket and operably connected to the light emitter. 11. A luminaire comprising:
a support positioned in a ceiling having a first side and a second side; a light module connected to the support having a base, a light emitter, and an optic; a cover positioned over at least a portion of the second side of the support; a driver bracket connected to the second side of the support; a driver connected to the driver bracket and operably connected to the light emitter. 12. The luminaire of claim ii, wherein the support includes an opening for receiving the light module and the cover includes a hub positioned over the opening. 13. The luminaire of claim 12, wherein a plurality of conduits extend from the hub. 14. The luminaire of claim 13, wherein a conductor extends from the driver, through the conduit, and into the hub to connect to the light module through the opening. 15. The luminaire of claim ii, further comprising a driver enclosure connected to the driver bracket over the driver. 16. The luminaire of claim ii, wherein the base is positioned adjacent the second side of the support and the light emitter and the optic are positioned adjacent the second side of the support. 17. The luminaire of claim ii, wherein the base has a first side with a recessed portion for receiving the light emitter and a second side facing the support, a connecting feature extends from the second side of the base to connect the light module to the support, the light emitter has a plurality of light elements, and the optic includes a plurality of optical elements aligned respectively with the plurality of light emitters. 18. A method of assembling a luminaire comprising:
selecting a support; selecting a plurality of light modules having a base, a light emitter, and an optic; forming an opening in the support corresponding to each light module; connecting the light module to the support with a snap-fit connection extending through the opening; connecting a driver to the support; and electrically connecting the driver to the light emitter of each light module. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the a cover is connected to the support having a hub associated with each light module and a plurality of conduits extending from each hub, wherein one or more conductors extend from the driver, through the conduits, and into the hubs to electrically connect the driver to the light emitters. 20. The method of claim 18, wherein the driver is connected to the support by a driver bracket and an enclosure is positioned over the driver. | A luminaire includes a support positioned in a ceiling. A light module is connected to the support having a base, a light emitter, and an optic. The light modules allow different luminaire configurations to be formed out of similar components.1. A luminaire comprising:
a support positioned in a ceiling; a light module connected to the support having a base, a light emitter, and an optic; the base having a first side with a recessed portion for receiving the light emitter and a second side facing the support; a connecting feature extending from the second side of the base to connect the light module to the support; the light emitter having a plurality of light elements; and the optic includes a plurality of optical elements aligned respectively with the plurality of light emitters. 2. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the support is a ceiling pan. 3. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the support includes a first opening and the base includes a second opening in communication with the first opening. 4. The luminaire of claim 3, wherein the base includes a protrusion extending from the second side and the support includes a third opening receiving the protrusion. 5. The luminaire of claim 3, wherein the first opening includes a first key-hole slot associated with a first light module orientation and a second key-hole slot associated with a second light module orientation. 6. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the connecting feature includes a snap fit connector. 7. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the optical elements reflect light emitted from the light elements. 8. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the optical elements include an outer opening at a surface of the reflector, an inner opening positioned adjacent the respective light emitter, and a curvilinear wall extending between the outer opening and the inner opening. 9. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the light emitter is snap-fit to the base. 10. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the support includes a first side and a second side and the luminaire further comprises a top cover positioned over at least a portion of the second side of the support, a driver bracket connected to the second side of the support, and a driver connected to the driver bracket and operably connected to the light emitter. 11. A luminaire comprising:
a support positioned in a ceiling having a first side and a second side; a light module connected to the support having a base, a light emitter, and an optic; a cover positioned over at least a portion of the second side of the support; a driver bracket connected to the second side of the support; a driver connected to the driver bracket and operably connected to the light emitter. 12. The luminaire of claim ii, wherein the support includes an opening for receiving the light module and the cover includes a hub positioned over the opening. 13. The luminaire of claim 12, wherein a plurality of conduits extend from the hub. 14. The luminaire of claim 13, wherein a conductor extends from the driver, through the conduit, and into the hub to connect to the light module through the opening. 15. The luminaire of claim ii, further comprising a driver enclosure connected to the driver bracket over the driver. 16. The luminaire of claim ii, wherein the base is positioned adjacent the second side of the support and the light emitter and the optic are positioned adjacent the second side of the support. 17. The luminaire of claim ii, wherein the base has a first side with a recessed portion for receiving the light emitter and a second side facing the support, a connecting feature extends from the second side of the base to connect the light module to the support, the light emitter has a plurality of light elements, and the optic includes a plurality of optical elements aligned respectively with the plurality of light emitters. 18. A method of assembling a luminaire comprising:
selecting a support; selecting a plurality of light modules having a base, a light emitter, and an optic; forming an opening in the support corresponding to each light module; connecting the light module to the support with a snap-fit connection extending through the opening; connecting a driver to the support; and electrically connecting the driver to the light emitter of each light module. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the a cover is connected to the support having a hub associated with each light module and a plurality of conduits extending from each hub, wherein one or more conductors extend from the driver, through the conduits, and into the hubs to electrically connect the driver to the light emitters. 20. The method of claim 18, wherein the driver is connected to the support by a driver bracket and an enclosure is positioned over the driver. | 2,800 |
12,417 | 12,417 | 14,290,955 | 2,813 | A Human Machine Interface (HMI) system to present HMIs on mobile devices. Graphical HMIs are created in an editor application. The graphical HMIs are published and transferred to a server. To ease viewing of the graphical HMIs on mobile devices, the graphical HMIs are mobilized. A content conversion node analyzes components of an initial HMI to identify the components suitable for display on a mobile device. The content conversion node generates a mobile HMI based on the identified components. The content conversion node transfers the mobile HMI for delivery to a server. | 1. A method of operating a human machine interface (HMI) content conversion node, the method comprising:
analyzing a plurality of components of an initial HMI to identify ones of the components suitable for display on a mobile device; generating a mobile HMI based on at least the ones of the components; transferring the mobile HMI to a content server for distribution to mobile devices. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the HMI content conversion node automatically selecting the initial HMI for conversion. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of components of the initial HMI comprises navigation information and generating the mobile HMI based on at least the ones of the components comprises generating the mobile HMI that includes the navigation information. 4. The method of claim 1, comprising:
wherein analyzing the plurality of components of the initial HMI comprises identifying one or more components in the initial HMI that correspond to one or more machine system states displayable in a tabular format on the mobile devices. 5. The method of claim 4, comprising:
wherein generating the mobile HMI comprises displaying at least ones of the components of the initial HMI and their corresponding one or more machine system states in the tabular format. 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
updating the mobile HMI when updates to the initial HMI are detected. 7. The method of claim 1, comprising:
wherein analyzing the plurality of components of the initial HMI comprises a user selection of one or more of the components for display on the mobile device. 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving a user instruction from the mobile device wherein the mobile HMI is associated with a machine system and the user instruction indicates control information for the machine system. 9. A computer apparatus to operate a human machine interface (HMI) content conversion node, the apparatus comprising:
software instructions configured, when executed by one or more computing systems, to direct the one or more computing systems to:
analyze a plurality of components of an initial HMI to identify ones of the components suitable for display on a mobile device;
generate a mobile HMI based on at least the ones of the components;
transfer the mobile HMI to a content server for distribution to mobile devices provide a digital media caching environment; and
at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing the software instructions. 10. computer apparatus of claim 9 wherein the software instructions configured to analyze the plurality of components of the initial HMI to identify ones of the components suitable for display on the mobile device comprises the software instructions configured to analyze the plurality of components of the initial HMI that correspond to one or more machine system states displayable in a tabular format on the mobile devices. 11. The computer apparatus of claim 10 wherein the software instructions configured to generate the mobile HMI based on at least the ones of the components comprises software instructions configured to display the one or more machine system states in the tabular format. 12. The computer apparatus of claim 9 wherein the software instructions are further configured to update the mobile HMI when updates to the initial HMI are detected. 13. The computer apparatus of claim 9 wherein the software instructions configured to analyze the plurality of components of the initial HMI to identify ones of the components suitable for display on the mobile device comprises the software instructions configured to receive a user selection of ones of the components for display on the mobile devices. 14. The computer apparatus of claim 9 wherein the software instructions is configured to receive and process a user instruction transferred from the mobile device wherein the mobile HMI is associated with a machine system and the user instruction indicates control information for the machine system. 15. A communication device configured to interface with a content server, the communication device comprising:
an input device configured to receive a user selection of a mobile human machine interface (HMI); a processing system configured to generate the mobile HMI for display on a user interface; the input device configured to receive a user instruction; and
a communication interface configured to transfer the user instruction for delivery to the content server. 16. The communication device of claim 15 wherein the user selection of the mobile HMI comprises selection of the mobile HMI from a list. 17. The communication device of claim 15 the processing system is configured to update the mobile HMI with real-time status data for a machine system. 18. The communication device of claim 15 wherein the user instruction comprises control information for a machine system. 19. The communication device of claim 15 wherein the user instruction comprises an instruction to send machine system data to another user via electronic mail. 20. The communication device of claim 15 wherein the user instruction comprises an instruction to send machine system data to another user via text message. | A Human Machine Interface (HMI) system to present HMIs on mobile devices. Graphical HMIs are created in an editor application. The graphical HMIs are published and transferred to a server. To ease viewing of the graphical HMIs on mobile devices, the graphical HMIs are mobilized. A content conversion node analyzes components of an initial HMI to identify the components suitable for display on a mobile device. The content conversion node generates a mobile HMI based on the identified components. The content conversion node transfers the mobile HMI for delivery to a server.1. A method of operating a human machine interface (HMI) content conversion node, the method comprising:
analyzing a plurality of components of an initial HMI to identify ones of the components suitable for display on a mobile device; generating a mobile HMI based on at least the ones of the components; transferring the mobile HMI to a content server for distribution to mobile devices. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the HMI content conversion node automatically selecting the initial HMI for conversion. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of components of the initial HMI comprises navigation information and generating the mobile HMI based on at least the ones of the components comprises generating the mobile HMI that includes the navigation information. 4. The method of claim 1, comprising:
wherein analyzing the plurality of components of the initial HMI comprises identifying one or more components in the initial HMI that correspond to one or more machine system states displayable in a tabular format on the mobile devices. 5. The method of claim 4, comprising:
wherein generating the mobile HMI comprises displaying at least ones of the components of the initial HMI and their corresponding one or more machine system states in the tabular format. 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
updating the mobile HMI when updates to the initial HMI are detected. 7. The method of claim 1, comprising:
wherein analyzing the plurality of components of the initial HMI comprises a user selection of one or more of the components for display on the mobile device. 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving a user instruction from the mobile device wherein the mobile HMI is associated with a machine system and the user instruction indicates control information for the machine system. 9. A computer apparatus to operate a human machine interface (HMI) content conversion node, the apparatus comprising:
software instructions configured, when executed by one or more computing systems, to direct the one or more computing systems to:
analyze a plurality of components of an initial HMI to identify ones of the components suitable for display on a mobile device;
generate a mobile HMI based on at least the ones of the components;
transfer the mobile HMI to a content server for distribution to mobile devices provide a digital media caching environment; and
at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing the software instructions. 10. computer apparatus of claim 9 wherein the software instructions configured to analyze the plurality of components of the initial HMI to identify ones of the components suitable for display on the mobile device comprises the software instructions configured to analyze the plurality of components of the initial HMI that correspond to one or more machine system states displayable in a tabular format on the mobile devices. 11. The computer apparatus of claim 10 wherein the software instructions configured to generate the mobile HMI based on at least the ones of the components comprises software instructions configured to display the one or more machine system states in the tabular format. 12. The computer apparatus of claim 9 wherein the software instructions are further configured to update the mobile HMI when updates to the initial HMI are detected. 13. The computer apparatus of claim 9 wherein the software instructions configured to analyze the plurality of components of the initial HMI to identify ones of the components suitable for display on the mobile device comprises the software instructions configured to receive a user selection of ones of the components for display on the mobile devices. 14. The computer apparatus of claim 9 wherein the software instructions is configured to receive and process a user instruction transferred from the mobile device wherein the mobile HMI is associated with a machine system and the user instruction indicates control information for the machine system. 15. A communication device configured to interface with a content server, the communication device comprising:
an input device configured to receive a user selection of a mobile human machine interface (HMI); a processing system configured to generate the mobile HMI for display on a user interface; the input device configured to receive a user instruction; and
a communication interface configured to transfer the user instruction for delivery to the content server. 16. The communication device of claim 15 wherein the user selection of the mobile HMI comprises selection of the mobile HMI from a list. 17. The communication device of claim 15 the processing system is configured to update the mobile HMI with real-time status data for a machine system. 18. The communication device of claim 15 wherein the user instruction comprises control information for a machine system. 19. The communication device of claim 15 wherein the user instruction comprises an instruction to send machine system data to another user via electronic mail. 20. The communication device of claim 15 wherein the user instruction comprises an instruction to send machine system data to another user via text message. | 2,800 |
12,418 | 12,418 | 16,406,886 | 2,861 | An air sample collection apparatus and methods for operating the air sample collection apparatus are provided. The air sample apparatus comprises a plurality of air canisters comprising at least a first canister and a second canister, a multi-position valve comprising an outlet, and an inlet region, which are fluidly connected to a plurality of ports. Each respective port is fluidly connected to a canister of the plurality of air canisters, a pump operable to provide pressurized sample air to the inlet region of the multi-position valve, and a computing device operable to open and close each respective port fluidly coupled to each canister of the plurality of canisters. | 1. An air sample collection apparatus 300 comprising:
a plurality of air canisters (102) comprising at least a first canister (104) and a second canister (106);
a multi-position valve (108) comprising an outlet (112), and an inlet region (114) fluidly connected to a plurality of ports (116), each respective port fluidly connected to a canister of the plurality of air canisters (102);
a pump (118) operable to provide pressurized sample air to the inlet region (114) of the multi-position valve (108); and
a computing device (120) operable to open and close each respective port fluidly coupled to each canister (104, 106) of the plurality of canisters (102). 2. The air sample collection apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a check valve (122) fluidly coupled to the inlet region (114) of the multi-position valve (108), operable to exhaust fluid over a minimum crack pressure to an exhaust (124). 3. The air sample collection apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a sample pressure sensor (126) fluidly coupled to the inlet region (114) of the multi-position valve (108). 4. The air sample collection apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a flow meter (128) coupled to the exhaust of the check valve (122). 5. The air sample collection apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a GPS (130). 6. The air sample collection apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
an anemometer (132). 7. The air sample collection apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:
a boom (134) comprising a coupled end (136) and a distal end (138), wherein the anemometer (132) is coupled to the distal end (138) of the boom (134). 8. The air sample collection apparatus of claim 7, wherein the boom (134) extends at least 4.5 feet from the coupled end (136) to the distal end (136). 9. The air sample collection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of canisters (102) further comprises at least a third canister (107), and the plurality of air canisters (102) are positioned in a circumferential arrangement. 10. The air sample collection apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a filter (138) coupled to an inlet (140) of the pump (118), operable to remove particles from the air entering the pump (118). 11. The air sample collection apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
at least one of: an ambient pressure sensor (142), an ambient temperature sensor (144), a relative humidity sensor (146), or an ambient relative humidity sensor (146). 12. Method for collecting air samples using an air sample collection apparatus, the air sample collection apparatus comprising a plurality of air canisters including at least a first canister and a second canister, a multi-position valve comprising an outlet, and an inlet region fluidly connected to a plurality of ports, each respective port fluidly connected to a canister of the plurality of air canisters, a pump operable to provide pressurized sample air to the inlet region of the multi-position valve, and a computing device operable to open and close each respective port fluidly coupled to each canister of the plurality of canisters, the method comprising:
operating the pump to provide pressurized sample air to the inlet region of the multi-position valve; opening a first respective port of the multi-position valve to the first canister; upon filling the first canister with the pressurized sample air, closing the first respective port of the multi-position valve to the first canister; opening a second respective port to the second canister; and upon filling the second canister with the pressurized sample air, closing the second respective port to the second canister. 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:
positioning the air sample collection apparatus at a first position before opening the first respective port. 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:
positioning the air sample collection apparatus at a second position before opening the second respective port. 15. The method of claim 12, wherein the air sample collection apparatus further comprises an anemometer, and the method further comprises:
determining at least one of wind direction and wind speed data using the anemometer while the first respective port is open. 16. The method of claim 12, wherein the air sample collection apparatus further comprises a check valve fluidly coupled to the inlet region of the multi-position valve, operable to exhaust fluid over a minimum crack pressure to an exhaust. 17. The method of claim 12, wherein the air sample collection apparatus further comprises at least one of: an ambient pressure sensor, an ambient temperature sensor, a relative humidity sensor, or an ambient relative humidity sensor, and the method further comprises:
determining a housekeeping data using at least one of the ambient pressure sensor, the ambient temperature sensor, the relative humidity sensor, or the ambient relative humidity sensor. 18. Method for collecting air samples using an air sample collection apparatus positioned on an unmanned aerial system (UAS), the air sample collection apparatus comprising a plurality of air canisters (102) including at least a first canister and a second canister, a multi-position valve comprising an outlet, and an inlet region fluidly connected to a plurality of ports, each respective port fluidly connected to a canister of the plurality of air canisters (102), a pump operable to provide pressurized sample air to the inlet region of the multi-position valve, and a computing device operable to open and close each respective port fluidly coupled to each canister of the plurality of canisters, the method comprising:
positioning the UAS at a first position; opening a first respective port of the multi-position valve to the first canister; upon filling the first canister with the pressurized sample air, closing the first respective port of the multi-position valve to the first canister; positioning the UAS at a second position; opening a second respective port to the second canister; and closing the second respective port to the second canister. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the air sample collection apparatus further comprises
an anemometer, and the method further comprises:
determining a wind direction at the first position using the anemometer. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the air sample collection apparatus further comprises a boom comprising a coupled end and a distal end, wherein the anemometer is coupled to the distal end of the boom, and the method further comprises:
rotating the UAS so that the boom is parallel to the wind direction. 21. The method of claim 19, wherein the second position is at least one of upwind or downwind with respect to the wind direction from the first position. 22. The method of claim 18, further comprising:
transferring the UAS to a first geographical location before hovering the UAS at the first position and hovering the UAS at the second position, the first position and the second position comprising different altitudes at the first geographical location. 23. The method of claim 18, further comprising:
collecting housekeeping data over at least one of a range of altitudes or a range of geographical positions, the housekeeping data comprising data from at least one of an ambient pressure sensor, an ambient temperature sensor, a relative humidity sensor, or an ambient relative humidity sensor. | An air sample collection apparatus and methods for operating the air sample collection apparatus are provided. The air sample apparatus comprises a plurality of air canisters comprising at least a first canister and a second canister, a multi-position valve comprising an outlet, and an inlet region, which are fluidly connected to a plurality of ports. Each respective port is fluidly connected to a canister of the plurality of air canisters, a pump operable to provide pressurized sample air to the inlet region of the multi-position valve, and a computing device operable to open and close each respective port fluidly coupled to each canister of the plurality of canisters.1. An air sample collection apparatus 300 comprising:
a plurality of air canisters (102) comprising at least a first canister (104) and a second canister (106);
a multi-position valve (108) comprising an outlet (112), and an inlet region (114) fluidly connected to a plurality of ports (116), each respective port fluidly connected to a canister of the plurality of air canisters (102);
a pump (118) operable to provide pressurized sample air to the inlet region (114) of the multi-position valve (108); and
a computing device (120) operable to open and close each respective port fluidly coupled to each canister (104, 106) of the plurality of canisters (102). 2. The air sample collection apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a check valve (122) fluidly coupled to the inlet region (114) of the multi-position valve (108), operable to exhaust fluid over a minimum crack pressure to an exhaust (124). 3. The air sample collection apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a sample pressure sensor (126) fluidly coupled to the inlet region (114) of the multi-position valve (108). 4. The air sample collection apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a flow meter (128) coupled to the exhaust of the check valve (122). 5. The air sample collection apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a GPS (130). 6. The air sample collection apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
an anemometer (132). 7. The air sample collection apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:
a boom (134) comprising a coupled end (136) and a distal end (138), wherein the anemometer (132) is coupled to the distal end (138) of the boom (134). 8. The air sample collection apparatus of claim 7, wherein the boom (134) extends at least 4.5 feet from the coupled end (136) to the distal end (136). 9. The air sample collection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of canisters (102) further comprises at least a third canister (107), and the plurality of air canisters (102) are positioned in a circumferential arrangement. 10. The air sample collection apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a filter (138) coupled to an inlet (140) of the pump (118), operable to remove particles from the air entering the pump (118). 11. The air sample collection apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
at least one of: an ambient pressure sensor (142), an ambient temperature sensor (144), a relative humidity sensor (146), or an ambient relative humidity sensor (146). 12. Method for collecting air samples using an air sample collection apparatus, the air sample collection apparatus comprising a plurality of air canisters including at least a first canister and a second canister, a multi-position valve comprising an outlet, and an inlet region fluidly connected to a plurality of ports, each respective port fluidly connected to a canister of the plurality of air canisters, a pump operable to provide pressurized sample air to the inlet region of the multi-position valve, and a computing device operable to open and close each respective port fluidly coupled to each canister of the plurality of canisters, the method comprising:
operating the pump to provide pressurized sample air to the inlet region of the multi-position valve; opening a first respective port of the multi-position valve to the first canister; upon filling the first canister with the pressurized sample air, closing the first respective port of the multi-position valve to the first canister; opening a second respective port to the second canister; and upon filling the second canister with the pressurized sample air, closing the second respective port to the second canister. 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:
positioning the air sample collection apparatus at a first position before opening the first respective port. 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:
positioning the air sample collection apparatus at a second position before opening the second respective port. 15. The method of claim 12, wherein the air sample collection apparatus further comprises an anemometer, and the method further comprises:
determining at least one of wind direction and wind speed data using the anemometer while the first respective port is open. 16. The method of claim 12, wherein the air sample collection apparatus further comprises a check valve fluidly coupled to the inlet region of the multi-position valve, operable to exhaust fluid over a minimum crack pressure to an exhaust. 17. The method of claim 12, wherein the air sample collection apparatus further comprises at least one of: an ambient pressure sensor, an ambient temperature sensor, a relative humidity sensor, or an ambient relative humidity sensor, and the method further comprises:
determining a housekeeping data using at least one of the ambient pressure sensor, the ambient temperature sensor, the relative humidity sensor, or the ambient relative humidity sensor. 18. Method for collecting air samples using an air sample collection apparatus positioned on an unmanned aerial system (UAS), the air sample collection apparatus comprising a plurality of air canisters (102) including at least a first canister and a second canister, a multi-position valve comprising an outlet, and an inlet region fluidly connected to a plurality of ports, each respective port fluidly connected to a canister of the plurality of air canisters (102), a pump operable to provide pressurized sample air to the inlet region of the multi-position valve, and a computing device operable to open and close each respective port fluidly coupled to each canister of the plurality of canisters, the method comprising:
positioning the UAS at a first position; opening a first respective port of the multi-position valve to the first canister; upon filling the first canister with the pressurized sample air, closing the first respective port of the multi-position valve to the first canister; positioning the UAS at a second position; opening a second respective port to the second canister; and closing the second respective port to the second canister. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the air sample collection apparatus further comprises
an anemometer, and the method further comprises:
determining a wind direction at the first position using the anemometer. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the air sample collection apparatus further comprises a boom comprising a coupled end and a distal end, wherein the anemometer is coupled to the distal end of the boom, and the method further comprises:
rotating the UAS so that the boom is parallel to the wind direction. 21. The method of claim 19, wherein the second position is at least one of upwind or downwind with respect to the wind direction from the first position. 22. The method of claim 18, further comprising:
transferring the UAS to a first geographical location before hovering the UAS at the first position and hovering the UAS at the second position, the first position and the second position comprising different altitudes at the first geographical location. 23. The method of claim 18, further comprising:
collecting housekeeping data over at least one of a range of altitudes or a range of geographical positions, the housekeeping data comprising data from at least one of an ambient pressure sensor, an ambient temperature sensor, a relative humidity sensor, or an ambient relative humidity sensor. | 2,800 |
12,419 | 12,419 | 15,558,812 | 2,814 | A display device according to the present disclosure includes a first electrode, an inorganic hole injecting and transporting layer which is formed of an inorganic material and is formed on the first electrode, at least two light emitting units including a first organic light emitting unit and a second organic light emitting unit having different luminescent colors which are formed on the inorganic hole injecting and transporting layer, an electron transport layer which is formed on the at least two organic light emitting units, and a second electrode which is formed on the electron transport layer. Furthermore, a light emitting layer of the first organic light emitting unit is formed by laminating a light emitting layer of a first luminescent color and a light emitting layer of a second luminescent color, and a light emitting layer of the second organic light emitting unit is formed of the light emitting layer of the second luminescent color. | 1. A display device comprising:
a first electrode; an inorganic hole injecting and transporting layer configured to be formed of an inorganic material and be formed on the first electrode; at least two light emitting units including a first organic light emitting unit and a second organic light emitting unit having different luminescent colors configured to be formed on the inorganic hole injecting and transporting layer; an electron transport layer configured to be formed on the at least two organic light emitting units; and a second electrode configured to be formed on the electron transport layer, wherein a light emitting layer of the first organic light emitting unit is formed by laminating a light emitting layer of a first luminescent color and a light emitting layer of a second luminescent color, and a light emitting layer of the second organic light emitting unit is formed of the light emitting layer of the second luminescent color. 2. The display device according to claim 1, comprising:
three light emitting units that are a first organic light emitting unit, a second organic light emitting unit, and a third organic light emitting unit, wherein the light emitting layer of the first organic light emitting unit is formed by laminating the light emitting layer of the first luminescent color, the light emitting layer of the second luminescent color, and a light emitting layer of the third luminescent color, the light emitting layer of the second organic light emitting unit is formed by laminating the light emitting layer of the second luminescent color and the light emitting layer of the third luminescent color, and the light emitting layer of the third organic light emitting unit is formed of the light emitting layer of the third luminescent color. 3. The display device according to claim 1, wherein
the first organic light emitting unit includes an optical path length adjusting layer provided between the inorganic hole injecting and transporting layer and the light emitting layer of the first luminescent color. 4. The display device according to claim 1, wherein
in the inorganic hole injecting and transporting layer, an insulating film separates between the light emitting layer of the first luminescent color and the light emitting layer of the second luminescent color. 5. The display device according to claim 1, wherein
the first organic light emitting unit includes a partition wall provided between the first organic light emitting unit and an adjacent organic light emitting unit. 6. A method of manufacturing a display device, comprising:
forming an inorganic hole injecting and transporting layer formed of an inorganic material on a first electrode; forming at least two light emitting units including a first organic light emitting unit formed by laminating a light emitting layer of a first luminescent color and a light emitting layer of a second luminescent color and a second organic light emitting unit formed of the light emitting layer of the second luminescent color on the inorganic hole injecting and transporting layer; forming an electron transport layer on the at least two organic light emitting units; and forming a second electrode on the electron transport layer, wherein after the light emitting layer of the first luminescent color is formed on the inorganic hole injecting and transporting layer, the light emitting layer of the first luminescent color in a region of the second organic light emitting unit on the inorganic hole injecting and transporting layer is removed by irradiating energy beams, and then, the light emitting layer of the second luminescent color is formed in the region of the first organic light emitting unit and the region of the second organic light emitting unit. 7. The method of manufacturing a display device according to claim 6, wherein
the energy beam is any one of a laser beam, an electron beam, a molecular beam, and an ion beam. 8. The method of manufacturing a display device according to claim 6, wherein
the surface of the inorganic hole injecting and transporting layer is irradiated with the energy beams from an oblique direction. 9. An electronic device comprising:
a display device configured to include: a first electrode; an inorganic hole injecting and transporting layer configured to be formed of an inorganic material and be formed on the first electrode; at least two light emitting units including a first organic light emitting unit and a second organic light emitting unit having different luminescent colors configured to be formed on the inorganic hole injecting and transporting layer; an electron transport layer configured to be formed on the at least two organic light emitting units; and a second electrode configured to be formed on the electron transport layer, wherein a light emitting layer of the first organic light emitting unit is formed by laminating a light emitting layer of a first luminescent color and a light emitting layer of a second luminescent color, and a light emitting layer of the second organic light emitting unit is formed of the light emitting layer of the second luminescent color. | A display device according to the present disclosure includes a first electrode, an inorganic hole injecting and transporting layer which is formed of an inorganic material and is formed on the first electrode, at least two light emitting units including a first organic light emitting unit and a second organic light emitting unit having different luminescent colors which are formed on the inorganic hole injecting and transporting layer, an electron transport layer which is formed on the at least two organic light emitting units, and a second electrode which is formed on the electron transport layer. Furthermore, a light emitting layer of the first organic light emitting unit is formed by laminating a light emitting layer of a first luminescent color and a light emitting layer of a second luminescent color, and a light emitting layer of the second organic light emitting unit is formed of the light emitting layer of the second luminescent color.1. A display device comprising:
a first electrode; an inorganic hole injecting and transporting layer configured to be formed of an inorganic material and be formed on the first electrode; at least two light emitting units including a first organic light emitting unit and a second organic light emitting unit having different luminescent colors configured to be formed on the inorganic hole injecting and transporting layer; an electron transport layer configured to be formed on the at least two organic light emitting units; and a second electrode configured to be formed on the electron transport layer, wherein a light emitting layer of the first organic light emitting unit is formed by laminating a light emitting layer of a first luminescent color and a light emitting layer of a second luminescent color, and a light emitting layer of the second organic light emitting unit is formed of the light emitting layer of the second luminescent color. 2. The display device according to claim 1, comprising:
three light emitting units that are a first organic light emitting unit, a second organic light emitting unit, and a third organic light emitting unit, wherein the light emitting layer of the first organic light emitting unit is formed by laminating the light emitting layer of the first luminescent color, the light emitting layer of the second luminescent color, and a light emitting layer of the third luminescent color, the light emitting layer of the second organic light emitting unit is formed by laminating the light emitting layer of the second luminescent color and the light emitting layer of the third luminescent color, and the light emitting layer of the third organic light emitting unit is formed of the light emitting layer of the third luminescent color. 3. The display device according to claim 1, wherein
the first organic light emitting unit includes an optical path length adjusting layer provided between the inorganic hole injecting and transporting layer and the light emitting layer of the first luminescent color. 4. The display device according to claim 1, wherein
in the inorganic hole injecting and transporting layer, an insulating film separates between the light emitting layer of the first luminescent color and the light emitting layer of the second luminescent color. 5. The display device according to claim 1, wherein
the first organic light emitting unit includes a partition wall provided between the first organic light emitting unit and an adjacent organic light emitting unit. 6. A method of manufacturing a display device, comprising:
forming an inorganic hole injecting and transporting layer formed of an inorganic material on a first electrode; forming at least two light emitting units including a first organic light emitting unit formed by laminating a light emitting layer of a first luminescent color and a light emitting layer of a second luminescent color and a second organic light emitting unit formed of the light emitting layer of the second luminescent color on the inorganic hole injecting and transporting layer; forming an electron transport layer on the at least two organic light emitting units; and forming a second electrode on the electron transport layer, wherein after the light emitting layer of the first luminescent color is formed on the inorganic hole injecting and transporting layer, the light emitting layer of the first luminescent color in a region of the second organic light emitting unit on the inorganic hole injecting and transporting layer is removed by irradiating energy beams, and then, the light emitting layer of the second luminescent color is formed in the region of the first organic light emitting unit and the region of the second organic light emitting unit. 7. The method of manufacturing a display device according to claim 6, wherein
the energy beam is any one of a laser beam, an electron beam, a molecular beam, and an ion beam. 8. The method of manufacturing a display device according to claim 6, wherein
the surface of the inorganic hole injecting and transporting layer is irradiated with the energy beams from an oblique direction. 9. An electronic device comprising:
a display device configured to include: a first electrode; an inorganic hole injecting and transporting layer configured to be formed of an inorganic material and be formed on the first electrode; at least two light emitting units including a first organic light emitting unit and a second organic light emitting unit having different luminescent colors configured to be formed on the inorganic hole injecting and transporting layer; an electron transport layer configured to be formed on the at least two organic light emitting units; and a second electrode configured to be formed on the electron transport layer, wherein a light emitting layer of the first organic light emitting unit is formed by laminating a light emitting layer of a first luminescent color and a light emitting layer of a second luminescent color, and a light emitting layer of the second organic light emitting unit is formed of the light emitting layer of the second luminescent color. | 2,800 |
12,420 | 12,420 | 16,599,854 | 2,883 | Described are various configurations for an amplifying optical demultiplexer. Various embodiments can receive an input signal comprising multiple sub-signals, and separate and amplify the signals within the demultiplexer. Some embodiments include a multistage demultiplexer with amplifiers located between a first and second stage. Some embodiments include a multistage demultiplexer with amplifiers located between a second and third stage. | 1. An photonic integrated circuit (PIC) demultiplexer for optical demultiplexing, the PIC demultiplexer comprising:
a first integrated waveguide filter to receive a light beam comprising one or more optical signals and separate the light beam into a first beam and a second beam; a plurality of integrated semiconductor optical amplifiers coupled to the first integrated waveguide filter, the plurality of integrated semiconductor optical amplifiers including a first integrated semiconductor optical amplifier to receive and amplify the first beam and a second integrated semiconductor optical amplifier to receive and amplifier the second beam; and a plurality of additional integrated waveguide filters coupled to the plurality of integrated semiconductor amplifiers to filter and output the amplified first beam and the amplified second beam from the PIC demultiplexer, the plurality of additional integrated waveguide filters including a first additional integrated waveguide filter to filter the amplified first beam and further including a second additional integrated waveguide filter to filter the amplified second beam. 2. The PIC demultiplexer of claim 1, wherein the plurality of additional integrated waveguide filters filter noise from the amplified first beam and the amplified second beam. 3. The PIC demultiplexer of claim 1, further comprising an initial integrated waveguide filter coupled to the first integrated waveguide filter, the initial integrated waveguide filter configured to receive an input light beam that is input into the PIC demultiplexer. 4. The PIC demultiplexer of claim 1, wherein the input light beam is a multi-channel Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) signal that is input into the PIC demultiplexer by an optical fiber. 5. The PIC demultiplexer of claim 4, wherein the multi-channel WDM signal is a four channel WDM signal. 6. The PIC demultiplexer of claim 4, wherein the first beam and the second beam are non-adjacent channels in the multi-channel WDM signal. 7. The PIC demultiplexer of claim 3, wherein the initial waveguide filter is configured to separate the input light beam into the light beam and another light beam. 8. The PIC demultiplexer of claim 7, wherein the first integrated waveguide filter receives the light beam from the initial integrated waveguide filter. 9. The PIC demultiplexer of claim 3, further comprising a second integrated waveguide filter coupled to the initial integrated waveguide filter, the second integrated waveguide filter configured to separate the another light beam into a third beam and a fourth beam. 10. The PIC demultiplexer of claim 9, wherein the plurality of integrated semiconductor optical amplifiers further comprise a third semiconductor optical amplifier and a fourth semiconductor optical amplifier, the third semiconductor optical amplifier to receive and amplifier the third beam, the fourth semiconductor optical amplifier configured to receive and amplify the fourth beam. 11. The PIC demultiplexer of claim 1, wherein the plurality of additional integrated waveguide filters further comprise a third additional integrated waveguide filter to filter the amplified third beam, and wherein the plurality of additional integrated waveguide filters further comprise a fourth integrated waveguide filter to filter the amplified fourth beam. 12. The PIC demultiplexer of claim 1, wherein the first integrated waveguide filter and the plurality of additional integrated waveguide filters are coupled to the plurality of integrated semiconductor optical amplifiers by a plurality of passive semiconductor waveguides integrated in the PIC demultiplexer. 13. The PIC demultiplexer of claim 12, wherein the plurality of passive semiconductor waveguides are passive components of the PIC demultiplexer and the plurality of integrated semiconductor optical amplifiers are active components of the PIC demultiplexer that are activated by activating semiconductor material of the plurality of integrated semiconductor optical amplifiers. 14. The PIC demultiplexer of claim 1, wherein the first integrated waveguide filter is a passive component of the PIC multiplexer, the first integrated waveguide filter comprising: a plurality of passive couplers that are coupled together using passive waveguides. 15. The PIC demultiplexer of claim 1, wherein the plurality of additional integrated waveguide filters are passive filters, each of the plurality of additional integrated waveguide filters including a plurality of passive couplers that are coupled together using passive waveguides. 16. The PIC demultiplexer of claim 1, wherein the plurality of integrated semiconductor optical amplifiers are disposed between the first integrated waveguide filter and the plurality of additional integrated waveguide filters in the PIC demultiplexer. 17. A method for demultiplexing light using a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) demultiplexer, the method comprising:
receiving, by a first integrated waveguide filter in the PIC demultiplexer, a light beam comprising one or more optical signals; separating, by the by a first integrated waveguide filter, the light beam into a first beam and a second beam; amplifying, using a plurality of integrated semiconductor optical amplifiers in the PIC demultiplexer, the first beam and the second beam, the plurality of integrated semiconductor optical amplifiers including a first integrated semiconductor optical amplifier that amplifies the first beam and a second integrated semiconductor optical amplifier that amplifies the second beam; and generating, by a plurality of additional integrated waveguide filters in the PIC demultiplexer, a filtered amplified second beam and a filtered amplified second beam, the plurality of additional integrated waveguide filters including a first additional integrated waveguide filter that filters the amplified first beam and further including a second additional integrated waveguide filter that filters the amplified second beam. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the plurality of additional integrated waveguide filters filter noise from the amplified first beam and the amplified second beam. 19. The method of claim 17, wherein the PIC demultiplexer further comprises an initial integrated waveguide filter coupled to the first integrated waveguide filter, the initial integrated waveguide filter configured to receive an input light beam that is input into the PIC demultiplexer and separate the input light beam into the light beam and another light beam. 20. The method of claim 17, wherein the first integrated waveguide filter and the plurality of additional integrated waveguide filters are coupled to the plurality of integrated semiconductor optical amplifiers by a plurality of passive semiconductor waveguides integrated in the PIC demultiplexer. | Described are various configurations for an amplifying optical demultiplexer. Various embodiments can receive an input signal comprising multiple sub-signals, and separate and amplify the signals within the demultiplexer. Some embodiments include a multistage demultiplexer with amplifiers located between a first and second stage. Some embodiments include a multistage demultiplexer with amplifiers located between a second and third stage.1. An photonic integrated circuit (PIC) demultiplexer for optical demultiplexing, the PIC demultiplexer comprising:
a first integrated waveguide filter to receive a light beam comprising one or more optical signals and separate the light beam into a first beam and a second beam; a plurality of integrated semiconductor optical amplifiers coupled to the first integrated waveguide filter, the plurality of integrated semiconductor optical amplifiers including a first integrated semiconductor optical amplifier to receive and amplify the first beam and a second integrated semiconductor optical amplifier to receive and amplifier the second beam; and a plurality of additional integrated waveguide filters coupled to the plurality of integrated semiconductor amplifiers to filter and output the amplified first beam and the amplified second beam from the PIC demultiplexer, the plurality of additional integrated waveguide filters including a first additional integrated waveguide filter to filter the amplified first beam and further including a second additional integrated waveguide filter to filter the amplified second beam. 2. The PIC demultiplexer of claim 1, wherein the plurality of additional integrated waveguide filters filter noise from the amplified first beam and the amplified second beam. 3. The PIC demultiplexer of claim 1, further comprising an initial integrated waveguide filter coupled to the first integrated waveguide filter, the initial integrated waveguide filter configured to receive an input light beam that is input into the PIC demultiplexer. 4. The PIC demultiplexer of claim 1, wherein the input light beam is a multi-channel Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) signal that is input into the PIC demultiplexer by an optical fiber. 5. The PIC demultiplexer of claim 4, wherein the multi-channel WDM signal is a four channel WDM signal. 6. The PIC demultiplexer of claim 4, wherein the first beam and the second beam are non-adjacent channels in the multi-channel WDM signal. 7. The PIC demultiplexer of claim 3, wherein the initial waveguide filter is configured to separate the input light beam into the light beam and another light beam. 8. The PIC demultiplexer of claim 7, wherein the first integrated waveguide filter receives the light beam from the initial integrated waveguide filter. 9. The PIC demultiplexer of claim 3, further comprising a second integrated waveguide filter coupled to the initial integrated waveguide filter, the second integrated waveguide filter configured to separate the another light beam into a third beam and a fourth beam. 10. The PIC demultiplexer of claim 9, wherein the plurality of integrated semiconductor optical amplifiers further comprise a third semiconductor optical amplifier and a fourth semiconductor optical amplifier, the third semiconductor optical amplifier to receive and amplifier the third beam, the fourth semiconductor optical amplifier configured to receive and amplify the fourth beam. 11. The PIC demultiplexer of claim 1, wherein the plurality of additional integrated waveguide filters further comprise a third additional integrated waveguide filter to filter the amplified third beam, and wherein the plurality of additional integrated waveguide filters further comprise a fourth integrated waveguide filter to filter the amplified fourth beam. 12. The PIC demultiplexer of claim 1, wherein the first integrated waveguide filter and the plurality of additional integrated waveguide filters are coupled to the plurality of integrated semiconductor optical amplifiers by a plurality of passive semiconductor waveguides integrated in the PIC demultiplexer. 13. The PIC demultiplexer of claim 12, wherein the plurality of passive semiconductor waveguides are passive components of the PIC demultiplexer and the plurality of integrated semiconductor optical amplifiers are active components of the PIC demultiplexer that are activated by activating semiconductor material of the plurality of integrated semiconductor optical amplifiers. 14. The PIC demultiplexer of claim 1, wherein the first integrated waveguide filter is a passive component of the PIC multiplexer, the first integrated waveguide filter comprising: a plurality of passive couplers that are coupled together using passive waveguides. 15. The PIC demultiplexer of claim 1, wherein the plurality of additional integrated waveguide filters are passive filters, each of the plurality of additional integrated waveguide filters including a plurality of passive couplers that are coupled together using passive waveguides. 16. The PIC demultiplexer of claim 1, wherein the plurality of integrated semiconductor optical amplifiers are disposed between the first integrated waveguide filter and the plurality of additional integrated waveguide filters in the PIC demultiplexer. 17. A method for demultiplexing light using a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) demultiplexer, the method comprising:
receiving, by a first integrated waveguide filter in the PIC demultiplexer, a light beam comprising one or more optical signals; separating, by the by a first integrated waveguide filter, the light beam into a first beam and a second beam; amplifying, using a plurality of integrated semiconductor optical amplifiers in the PIC demultiplexer, the first beam and the second beam, the plurality of integrated semiconductor optical amplifiers including a first integrated semiconductor optical amplifier that amplifies the first beam and a second integrated semiconductor optical amplifier that amplifies the second beam; and generating, by a plurality of additional integrated waveguide filters in the PIC demultiplexer, a filtered amplified second beam and a filtered amplified second beam, the plurality of additional integrated waveguide filters including a first additional integrated waveguide filter that filters the amplified first beam and further including a second additional integrated waveguide filter that filters the amplified second beam. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the plurality of additional integrated waveguide filters filter noise from the amplified first beam and the amplified second beam. 19. The method of claim 17, wherein the PIC demultiplexer further comprises an initial integrated waveguide filter coupled to the first integrated waveguide filter, the initial integrated waveguide filter configured to receive an input light beam that is input into the PIC demultiplexer and separate the input light beam into the light beam and another light beam. 20. The method of claim 17, wherein the first integrated waveguide filter and the plurality of additional integrated waveguide filters are coupled to the plurality of integrated semiconductor optical amplifiers by a plurality of passive semiconductor waveguides integrated in the PIC demultiplexer. | 2,800 |
12,421 | 12,421 | 15,869,793 | 2,834 | A rotor of an electric machine includes a rotor core having a plurality of axially-stacked rotor laminations, and a plurality of permanent magnets. The plurality of permanent magnets are first permanent magnets secured at the core outer circumferential surface of the rotor core and are made of a first permanent magnet material with a first magnetic orientation. The plurality of permanent magnets are secured to the rotor core via a plurality of mechanical interface joints defined by at least one first mechanical interface feature having a permanent magnet channel with a magnet channel surface, located inside the permanent magnet and at least one second mechanical interface feature having a core channel with a core channel surface located inside of the rotor core. At least one complimentary mechanical interface member is inserted in the magnet channel and the core channel, having surfaces complimentary to the magnet channel and the core channel. | 1. A rotor of an electric machine, comprising:
a rotor core, wherein the rotor core comprises a plurality of axially-stacked rotor laminations; and a plurality of permanent magnets, each of the plurality of permanent magnets having a magnet inner circumferential surface, a magnet outer circumferential surface, and two opposing radial side surfaces, the plurality of permanent magnets secured at the core outer circumferential surface of the rotor core, the permanent magnets are first permanent magnets made of a first permanent magnet material with a first magnetic orientation; wherein the plurality of permanent magnets are secured to the rotor core via a plurality of mechanical interface joints, the plurality of mechanical interface joints defined by:
at least one first mechanical interface feature having a permanent magnet channel with a magnet channel surface, disposed inside the permanent magnet, with the tangent of the magnet channel surface defined by an angle that is between zero and 90 degrees with respect to the magnet inner circumferential surface;
at least one second mechanical interface feature having a core channel with a core channel surface disposed inside of the rotor core, with the tangent of the core channel surface defined by an angle that is between zero and 90 degrees with respect to the core outer circumferential surface; and
at least one complimentary mechanical interface member inserted in the magnet channel and the core channel, having surfaces complimentary to the magnet channel and the core channel;
wherein the permanent magnets secured to the rotor core are separated by a fixed angle or a fixed distance; and wherein the side surfaces of the first permanent magnets are in contact with air, a non-magnetic and non-electrical conducting material, or a second permanent magnet. 2. The rotor of claim 1, wherein the mechanical interface joint comprises a dovetail joint. 3. The rotor of claim 1, wherein the core channel and/or the permanent magnet channel has three or more sides. 4. The rotor of claim 1, wherein the core channel cross-section is substantially identical to the permanent magnet channel cross-section. 5. The rotor of claim 1, wherein a circumferential edge of a permanent magnet of the plurality of permanent magnets is skewed relative to a central axis of the rotor. 6. The rotor of claim 1, a magnetic pole of the rotor is defined by two or more magnets of the plurality of permanent magnets. 7. The rotor of claim 1, including a second permanent magnet disposed between circumferentially adjacent first permanent magnets of the plurality of permanent magnets. 8. The rotor of claim 7, wherein the second permanent magnet is formed from a second magnetic material different from the first magnetic material. 9. The rotor of claim 7, wherein the second permanent magnet has a second magnetization direction different from the first magnetization direction. 10. The rotor of claim 7, wherein the second permanent magnet has a magnetization direction that is in a circumferentially clockwise or counterclockwise direction about a central axis of the rotor. 11. The rotor of claim 7, wherein the second permanent magnet is two or more permanent magnet segments arrayed one or more of axially, radially or circumferentially. 12. An electric machine comprising:
a stator; a rotor located about a rotor axis, defining an air gap between the rotor and the stator, the rotor magnetically interactive with the stator and including:
a rotor core, wherein the rotor core comprises a plurality of axially-stacked rotor laminations; and
a plurality of permanent magnets, each of the plurality of permanent magnets having a magnet inner circumferential surface, a magnet outer circumferential surface, and two opposing radial side surfaces, the plurality of permanent magnets secured at the core outer circumferential surface of the rotor core, the permanent magnets are first permanent magnets made of a first permanent magnet material with a first magnetic orientation;
wherein the plurality of permanent magnets are secured to the rotor core via a plurality of mechanical interface joints, the plurality of mechanical interface joints defined by:
at least one first mechanical interface feature having a permanent magnet channel with a magnet channel surface, disposed inside the permanent magnet, with the tangent of the magnet channel surface defined by an angle that is between zero and 90 degrees with respect to the magnet inner circumferential surface;
at least one second mechanical interface feature having a core channel with a core channel surface disposed inside of the rotor core, with the tangent of the core channel surface defined by an angle that is between zero and 90 degrees with respect to the core outer circumferential surface; and
at least one complimentary mechanical interface member inserted in the magnet channel and the core channel, having surfaces complimentary to the magnet channel and the core channel;
wherein the permanent magnets secured to the rotor core are separated by a fixed angle or a fixed distance; and wherein the side surfaces of the first permanent magnets are in contact with air, a non-magnetic and non-electrical conducting material, or a second permanent magnet. 13. The electrical machine of claim 12, wherein the mechanical interface joint comprises a dovetail joint. 14. The electrical machine of claim 12, wherein the core channel and/or the permanent magnet channel has three or more sides. 15. The electrical machine of claim 12, wherein the core channel cross-section is substantially identical to the permanent magnet channel cross-section. 16. The electrical machine of claim 12, wherein a circumferential edge of a permanent magnet of the plurality of permanent magnets is skewed relative to a central axis of the rotor. 17. The electrical machine of claim 12, including a second permanent magnet disposed between circumferentially adjacent first permanent magnets of the plurality of permanent magnets. 18. The electrical machine of claim 17, wherein the second permanent magnet is formed from a second magnetic material different from the first magnetic material. 19. The electrical machine of claim 17, wherein the second permanent magnet has a second magnetization direction different from the first magnetization direction. 20. The electrical machine of claim 17, wherein the second permanent magnet has a magnetization direction that is in a circumferentially clockwise or counterclockwise direction about a central axis of the rotor. | A rotor of an electric machine includes a rotor core having a plurality of axially-stacked rotor laminations, and a plurality of permanent magnets. The plurality of permanent magnets are first permanent magnets secured at the core outer circumferential surface of the rotor core and are made of a first permanent magnet material with a first magnetic orientation. The plurality of permanent magnets are secured to the rotor core via a plurality of mechanical interface joints defined by at least one first mechanical interface feature having a permanent magnet channel with a magnet channel surface, located inside the permanent magnet and at least one second mechanical interface feature having a core channel with a core channel surface located inside of the rotor core. At least one complimentary mechanical interface member is inserted in the magnet channel and the core channel, having surfaces complimentary to the magnet channel and the core channel.1. A rotor of an electric machine, comprising:
a rotor core, wherein the rotor core comprises a plurality of axially-stacked rotor laminations; and a plurality of permanent magnets, each of the plurality of permanent magnets having a magnet inner circumferential surface, a magnet outer circumferential surface, and two opposing radial side surfaces, the plurality of permanent magnets secured at the core outer circumferential surface of the rotor core, the permanent magnets are first permanent magnets made of a first permanent magnet material with a first magnetic orientation; wherein the plurality of permanent magnets are secured to the rotor core via a plurality of mechanical interface joints, the plurality of mechanical interface joints defined by:
at least one first mechanical interface feature having a permanent magnet channel with a magnet channel surface, disposed inside the permanent magnet, with the tangent of the magnet channel surface defined by an angle that is between zero and 90 degrees with respect to the magnet inner circumferential surface;
at least one second mechanical interface feature having a core channel with a core channel surface disposed inside of the rotor core, with the tangent of the core channel surface defined by an angle that is between zero and 90 degrees with respect to the core outer circumferential surface; and
at least one complimentary mechanical interface member inserted in the magnet channel and the core channel, having surfaces complimentary to the magnet channel and the core channel;
wherein the permanent magnets secured to the rotor core are separated by a fixed angle or a fixed distance; and wherein the side surfaces of the first permanent magnets are in contact with air, a non-magnetic and non-electrical conducting material, or a second permanent magnet. 2. The rotor of claim 1, wherein the mechanical interface joint comprises a dovetail joint. 3. The rotor of claim 1, wherein the core channel and/or the permanent magnet channel has three or more sides. 4. The rotor of claim 1, wherein the core channel cross-section is substantially identical to the permanent magnet channel cross-section. 5. The rotor of claim 1, wherein a circumferential edge of a permanent magnet of the plurality of permanent magnets is skewed relative to a central axis of the rotor. 6. The rotor of claim 1, a magnetic pole of the rotor is defined by two or more magnets of the plurality of permanent magnets. 7. The rotor of claim 1, including a second permanent magnet disposed between circumferentially adjacent first permanent magnets of the plurality of permanent magnets. 8. The rotor of claim 7, wherein the second permanent magnet is formed from a second magnetic material different from the first magnetic material. 9. The rotor of claim 7, wherein the second permanent magnet has a second magnetization direction different from the first magnetization direction. 10. The rotor of claim 7, wherein the second permanent magnet has a magnetization direction that is in a circumferentially clockwise or counterclockwise direction about a central axis of the rotor. 11. The rotor of claim 7, wherein the second permanent magnet is two or more permanent magnet segments arrayed one or more of axially, radially or circumferentially. 12. An electric machine comprising:
a stator; a rotor located about a rotor axis, defining an air gap between the rotor and the stator, the rotor magnetically interactive with the stator and including:
a rotor core, wherein the rotor core comprises a plurality of axially-stacked rotor laminations; and
a plurality of permanent magnets, each of the plurality of permanent magnets having a magnet inner circumferential surface, a magnet outer circumferential surface, and two opposing radial side surfaces, the plurality of permanent magnets secured at the core outer circumferential surface of the rotor core, the permanent magnets are first permanent magnets made of a first permanent magnet material with a first magnetic orientation;
wherein the plurality of permanent magnets are secured to the rotor core via a plurality of mechanical interface joints, the plurality of mechanical interface joints defined by:
at least one first mechanical interface feature having a permanent magnet channel with a magnet channel surface, disposed inside the permanent magnet, with the tangent of the magnet channel surface defined by an angle that is between zero and 90 degrees with respect to the magnet inner circumferential surface;
at least one second mechanical interface feature having a core channel with a core channel surface disposed inside of the rotor core, with the tangent of the core channel surface defined by an angle that is between zero and 90 degrees with respect to the core outer circumferential surface; and
at least one complimentary mechanical interface member inserted in the magnet channel and the core channel, having surfaces complimentary to the magnet channel and the core channel;
wherein the permanent magnets secured to the rotor core are separated by a fixed angle or a fixed distance; and wherein the side surfaces of the first permanent magnets are in contact with air, a non-magnetic and non-electrical conducting material, or a second permanent magnet. 13. The electrical machine of claim 12, wherein the mechanical interface joint comprises a dovetail joint. 14. The electrical machine of claim 12, wherein the core channel and/or the permanent magnet channel has three or more sides. 15. The electrical machine of claim 12, wherein the core channel cross-section is substantially identical to the permanent magnet channel cross-section. 16. The electrical machine of claim 12, wherein a circumferential edge of a permanent magnet of the plurality of permanent magnets is skewed relative to a central axis of the rotor. 17. The electrical machine of claim 12, including a second permanent magnet disposed between circumferentially adjacent first permanent magnets of the plurality of permanent magnets. 18. The electrical machine of claim 17, wherein the second permanent magnet is formed from a second magnetic material different from the first magnetic material. 19. The electrical machine of claim 17, wherein the second permanent magnet has a second magnetization direction different from the first magnetization direction. 20. The electrical machine of claim 17, wherein the second permanent magnet has a magnetization direction that is in a circumferentially clockwise or counterclockwise direction about a central axis of the rotor. | 2,800 |
12,422 | 12,422 | 15,859,494 | 2,874 | A microelectronic device includes a photonic die having a die input/output (I/O) port. The microelectronic device includes a photonic connection between the first photonic I/O port and the second photonic I/O port. The photonic connection has a dielectric signal pathway for a photonic signal from the first photonic I/O port to the second photonic I/O port. The second photonic I/O port may be a package photonic I/O port at an exterior of the microelectronic device, or may be another die photonic I/O port on another photonic die of the microelectronic device. The photonic connection is formed using at least one additive process, such as by selectively placing material for the photonic connection in a region for the photonic connection. | 1. A microelectronic device, comprising:
a first dielectric waveguide having a first end and a second end; a die including a photonic port coupled to the first end; and a structural package enclosing the die and the first dielectric waveguide, the structural package including a receptacle adapted to be connected to a second dielectric waveguide, and the receptacle being in alignment with the second end. 2. The microelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the first dielectric waveguide has a dielectric signal pathway and an electrically conductive envelope surrounding the dielectric signal pathway. 3. The microelectronic device of claim 2, wherein the electrically conductive envelope includes electrically conductive nanoparticles. 4. The microelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the first dielectric waveguide has a dielectric signal pathway and a dielectric cladding surrounding the dielectric signal pathway, the dielectric cladding having a lower index of refraction than the dielectric signal pathway. 5. The microelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the first dielectric waveguide includes at least one of an organic polymeric dielectric material, a silicone organic polymeric dielectric material, or an inorganic dielectric material. 6. The microelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the first dielectric waveguide is disposed on a support structure, the support structure extending to the photonic die. 7. The microelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the structural package includes an encapsulation material, and the first dielectric waveguide is surrounded and contacted by the encapsulation material. 8. The microelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the receptacle is a photonic receptacle that includes a lens in alignment with the second end. 9. (canceled) 10. The microelectronic device of claim 1, wherein: the photonic port is a first photonic port; the receptacle is a first receptacle; the microelectronic device includes a third dielectric waveguide having a third end and a fourth end; the die includes a second photonic port coupled to the third end; and the structural package includes a second receptacle adapted to be connected to a fourth dielectric waveguide, the second receptacle being in alignment with the fourth end. 11. A method of forming a microelectronic device, the method comprising:
forming a first dielectric waveguide having a first end and a second end, including by at least one additive process that, includes selectively placing material for the first dielectric waveguide in a region for the first dielectric waveguide; on a die, forming a photonic port coupled to the first end; and forming a structural package enclosing the die and the first dielectric waveguide, the structural package including a receptacle adapted to be connected to a second dielectric waveguide, and the receptacle being in alignment with the second end. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the additive process includes at least one of binder jetting, material jetting, directed energy deposition, material extrusion, material jetting, powder bed fusion, sheet lamination, vat photopolymerization, direct laser deposition, electrostatic deposition, laser sintering, electrochemical deposition, or photo-polymerization extrusion. 13. The method of claim 11, wherein the additive process provides an additive material to the first dielectric waveguide, which includes a binder material. 14. The method of claim 11, wherein the additive process provides an additive material to the first dielectric waveguide, which includes a solvent. 15. The method of claim 11, wherein the additive process provides an additive material to the first dielectric waveguide, which includes nanoparticles. 16. The method of claim 11, wherein the additive process provides an additive material to the first dielectric waveguide, which includes at least one of an organic polymeric dielectric material, a silicone organic polymeric dielectric material, or an inorganic dielectric material. 17. The method of claim 11, wherein forming the first dielectric waveguide includes heating at least a portion of the first dielectric waveguide after performing the additive process. 18. The method of claim 11, further comprising forming a support structure, wherein forming the first dielectric waveguide includes forming the first dielectric waveguide on the support structure. 19. The method of claim 11, wherein forming the first dielectric waveguide includes forming a dielectric signal pathway and an electrically conductive envelope surrounding the dielectric signal pathway. 20. The method of claim 11, wherein forming the first dielectric waveguide includes forming a dielectric signal pathway and a dielectric cladding surrounding the dielectric signal pathway, the dielectric cladding having a lower index of refraction than the dielectric signal pathway. 21. The method of claim 11, wherein the receptacle is a photonic receptacle that includes a lens in alignment with the second end. | A microelectronic device includes a photonic die having a die input/output (I/O) port. The microelectronic device includes a photonic connection between the first photonic I/O port and the second photonic I/O port. The photonic connection has a dielectric signal pathway for a photonic signal from the first photonic I/O port to the second photonic I/O port. The second photonic I/O port may be a package photonic I/O port at an exterior of the microelectronic device, or may be another die photonic I/O port on another photonic die of the microelectronic device. The photonic connection is formed using at least one additive process, such as by selectively placing material for the photonic connection in a region for the photonic connection.1. A microelectronic device, comprising:
a first dielectric waveguide having a first end and a second end; a die including a photonic port coupled to the first end; and a structural package enclosing the die and the first dielectric waveguide, the structural package including a receptacle adapted to be connected to a second dielectric waveguide, and the receptacle being in alignment with the second end. 2. The microelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the first dielectric waveguide has a dielectric signal pathway and an electrically conductive envelope surrounding the dielectric signal pathway. 3. The microelectronic device of claim 2, wherein the electrically conductive envelope includes electrically conductive nanoparticles. 4. The microelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the first dielectric waveguide has a dielectric signal pathway and a dielectric cladding surrounding the dielectric signal pathway, the dielectric cladding having a lower index of refraction than the dielectric signal pathway. 5. The microelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the first dielectric waveguide includes at least one of an organic polymeric dielectric material, a silicone organic polymeric dielectric material, or an inorganic dielectric material. 6. The microelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the first dielectric waveguide is disposed on a support structure, the support structure extending to the photonic die. 7. The microelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the structural package includes an encapsulation material, and the first dielectric waveguide is surrounded and contacted by the encapsulation material. 8. The microelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the receptacle is a photonic receptacle that includes a lens in alignment with the second end. 9. (canceled) 10. The microelectronic device of claim 1, wherein: the photonic port is a first photonic port; the receptacle is a first receptacle; the microelectronic device includes a third dielectric waveguide having a third end and a fourth end; the die includes a second photonic port coupled to the third end; and the structural package includes a second receptacle adapted to be connected to a fourth dielectric waveguide, the second receptacle being in alignment with the fourth end. 11. A method of forming a microelectronic device, the method comprising:
forming a first dielectric waveguide having a first end and a second end, including by at least one additive process that, includes selectively placing material for the first dielectric waveguide in a region for the first dielectric waveguide; on a die, forming a photonic port coupled to the first end; and forming a structural package enclosing the die and the first dielectric waveguide, the structural package including a receptacle adapted to be connected to a second dielectric waveguide, and the receptacle being in alignment with the second end. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the additive process includes at least one of binder jetting, material jetting, directed energy deposition, material extrusion, material jetting, powder bed fusion, sheet lamination, vat photopolymerization, direct laser deposition, electrostatic deposition, laser sintering, electrochemical deposition, or photo-polymerization extrusion. 13. The method of claim 11, wherein the additive process provides an additive material to the first dielectric waveguide, which includes a binder material. 14. The method of claim 11, wherein the additive process provides an additive material to the first dielectric waveguide, which includes a solvent. 15. The method of claim 11, wherein the additive process provides an additive material to the first dielectric waveguide, which includes nanoparticles. 16. The method of claim 11, wherein the additive process provides an additive material to the first dielectric waveguide, which includes at least one of an organic polymeric dielectric material, a silicone organic polymeric dielectric material, or an inorganic dielectric material. 17. The method of claim 11, wherein forming the first dielectric waveguide includes heating at least a portion of the first dielectric waveguide after performing the additive process. 18. The method of claim 11, further comprising forming a support structure, wherein forming the first dielectric waveguide includes forming the first dielectric waveguide on the support structure. 19. The method of claim 11, wherein forming the first dielectric waveguide includes forming a dielectric signal pathway and an electrically conductive envelope surrounding the dielectric signal pathway. 20. The method of claim 11, wherein forming the first dielectric waveguide includes forming a dielectric signal pathway and a dielectric cladding surrounding the dielectric signal pathway, the dielectric cladding having a lower index of refraction than the dielectric signal pathway. 21. The method of claim 11, wherein the receptacle is a photonic receptacle that includes a lens in alignment with the second end. | 2,800 |
12,423 | 12,423 | 15,652,033 | 2,836 | A clamp circuit disposed between a receptacle and a circuit to be protected when a connector connects to the receptacle, the clamp circuit including a voltage detector configured to determine a level of a surge voltage in comparison to a threshold voltage, the voltage detector including a plurality of field effect transistors (FETs) of a first conductivity type connected in series, a first FET of a second conductivity type and a first resistor in parallel with the plurality of FETs, a second FET of the first conductivity type in parallel with the first FET, and a discharge circuit to discharge the surge voltage when the surge voltage approaches the threshold voltage. | 1. A clamp circuit disposed between a receptacle and a circuit to be protected when a connector connects to the receptacle, the clamp circuit comprising:
a voltage detector configured to determine a level of a surge voltage in comparison to a threshold voltage, the voltage detector including:
a plurality of field effect transistors (FETs) of a first conductivity type connected in series;
a first FET of a second conductivity type and a first resistor in parallel with the plurality of FETs;
a second FET of the first conductivity type in parallel with the first FET; and
a discharge circuit to discharge the surge voltage when the surge voltage approaches the threshold voltage. 2. The clamp circuit of claim 1, wherein the receptacle includes a plurality of pins to complete a power loop with the connector. 3. The clamp circuit of claim 1, further comprising a current limitation resistor disposed between the clamp circuit and the receptacle. 4. The claim circuit of claim 3, wherein the current limitation resistor is off-chip and not on a same substrate as the circuit to be protected. 5. The clamp circuit of claim 1, wherein the clamp circuit resides on-chip on a same substrate as the circuit to be protected. 6. The clamp circuit of claim 1, wherein the plurality of FETs are configured as a voltage divider to detect the surge voltage. 7. The clamp circuit of claim 6, wherein the plurality of FETs are in series with a second resistor and the voltage across the second resistor determines whether the first FET of the second conductivity type turns on. 8. The clamp circuit of claim 7, wherein the first FET of the second conductivity type is in series with the first resistor, and the voltage across the first resistor determines whether the second FET of the first conductivity type is turned on. 9. The clamp circuit of claim 8, further comprising a large transistor of the second conductivity type, wherein a gate from the second FET of the first conductivity type controls the large transistor of the second conductivity type, wherein the large transistor is sized to discharge the surge voltage. 10. The clamp circuit of claim 9, comprising a resistor connected from the gate of the large transistor of the second conductivity type to ground. 11. A method of discharging a surge voltage using a clamp circuit to protect an electronic circuit, comprising:
receiving a surge voltage at a receptacle; determining whether the surge voltage is higher than a threshold voltage; detecting the surge voltage using a voltage divider that includes transistors of a first conductivity type; triggering a transistor of a second conductivity type using the lowered surge voltage; triggering a second transistor of the first conductivity type to turn on a discharge circuit; and discharging the surge voltage to ground to protect the electronic circuit. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the surge voltage is received at a receptacle. 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising using a current limitation resistor disposed between the clamp circuit and the receptacle. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the current limitation resistor is off-chip and not on a same substrate as the circuit to be protected. 15. The method of claim 11, wherein the clamp circuit resides on-chip on a same substrate as the circuit to be protected. 16. The method of claim 11, wherein the voltage divider is in series with a first resistor and the voltage across the first resistor determines whether the transistor of the second conductivity type is triggered. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein a voltage across the first resistor determines whether the second transistor of the first conductivity type is turned on. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein discharging the surge voltage includes turning on a large transistor of the second conductivity type to discharge the surge voltage. | A clamp circuit disposed between a receptacle and a circuit to be protected when a connector connects to the receptacle, the clamp circuit including a voltage detector configured to determine a level of a surge voltage in comparison to a threshold voltage, the voltage detector including a plurality of field effect transistors (FETs) of a first conductivity type connected in series, a first FET of a second conductivity type and a first resistor in parallel with the plurality of FETs, a second FET of the first conductivity type in parallel with the first FET, and a discharge circuit to discharge the surge voltage when the surge voltage approaches the threshold voltage.1. A clamp circuit disposed between a receptacle and a circuit to be protected when a connector connects to the receptacle, the clamp circuit comprising:
a voltage detector configured to determine a level of a surge voltage in comparison to a threshold voltage, the voltage detector including:
a plurality of field effect transistors (FETs) of a first conductivity type connected in series;
a first FET of a second conductivity type and a first resistor in parallel with the plurality of FETs;
a second FET of the first conductivity type in parallel with the first FET; and
a discharge circuit to discharge the surge voltage when the surge voltage approaches the threshold voltage. 2. The clamp circuit of claim 1, wherein the receptacle includes a plurality of pins to complete a power loop with the connector. 3. The clamp circuit of claim 1, further comprising a current limitation resistor disposed between the clamp circuit and the receptacle. 4. The claim circuit of claim 3, wherein the current limitation resistor is off-chip and not on a same substrate as the circuit to be protected. 5. The clamp circuit of claim 1, wherein the clamp circuit resides on-chip on a same substrate as the circuit to be protected. 6. The clamp circuit of claim 1, wherein the plurality of FETs are configured as a voltage divider to detect the surge voltage. 7. The clamp circuit of claim 6, wherein the plurality of FETs are in series with a second resistor and the voltage across the second resistor determines whether the first FET of the second conductivity type turns on. 8. The clamp circuit of claim 7, wherein the first FET of the second conductivity type is in series with the first resistor, and the voltage across the first resistor determines whether the second FET of the first conductivity type is turned on. 9. The clamp circuit of claim 8, further comprising a large transistor of the second conductivity type, wherein a gate from the second FET of the first conductivity type controls the large transistor of the second conductivity type, wherein the large transistor is sized to discharge the surge voltage. 10. The clamp circuit of claim 9, comprising a resistor connected from the gate of the large transistor of the second conductivity type to ground. 11. A method of discharging a surge voltage using a clamp circuit to protect an electronic circuit, comprising:
receiving a surge voltage at a receptacle; determining whether the surge voltage is higher than a threshold voltage; detecting the surge voltage using a voltage divider that includes transistors of a first conductivity type; triggering a transistor of a second conductivity type using the lowered surge voltage; triggering a second transistor of the first conductivity type to turn on a discharge circuit; and discharging the surge voltage to ground to protect the electronic circuit. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the surge voltage is received at a receptacle. 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising using a current limitation resistor disposed between the clamp circuit and the receptacle. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the current limitation resistor is off-chip and not on a same substrate as the circuit to be protected. 15. The method of claim 11, wherein the clamp circuit resides on-chip on a same substrate as the circuit to be protected. 16. The method of claim 11, wherein the voltage divider is in series with a first resistor and the voltage across the first resistor determines whether the transistor of the second conductivity type is triggered. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein a voltage across the first resistor determines whether the second transistor of the first conductivity type is turned on. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein discharging the surge voltage includes turning on a large transistor of the second conductivity type to discharge the surge voltage. | 2,800 |
12,424 | 12,424 | 16,690,438 | 2,845 | An individually formed radiating unit, an antenna array, and an antenna assembly are provided. The individually formed radiating unit includes a reflector, at least one radiating element integrated into a first side of the reflector, and a housing disposed on a second side of the reflector. The housing forms a chamber for housing a feed network | 1. An antenna array comprising:
a plurality of separate, individually formed modular radiating units, each modular radiating unit comprising a reflector and a radiating element disposed on a first side of the reflector, wherein each radiating element is a dual-polarized radiating element that comprises a unitary non-conductive, non-planar molding having a conductive coating selectively formed thereon, and wherein each radiating element is integral with the reflector of its modular radiating unit. 2. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the reflector of each modular radiating unit comprises a unitary non-conductive, non-planar molding having a conductive coating selectively formed thereon. 3. The antenna of claim 1, wherein each modular radiating unit further includes a housing disposed on a second side of the reflector. 4. The antenna array of claim 3, wherein respective housings of the plurality of modular radiating units are linked together to form at least one chamber. 5. The antenna array of claim 4, wherein reflectors of respective ones of the plurality of modular radiating units overlap to form capacitive junctions between adjacent modular radiating units. 6. The antenna array of claim 1, wherein no joint is formed between the radiating element and the reflector of each modular radiating unit. 7. The antenna array of claim 1, wherein each modular radiating unit comprises metallized plastic. 8. The antenna array of claim 1, further comprising a phase shifter that includes a plurality of outputs, wherein and the outputs are connected directly to respective ones of the radiating elements. 9. The antenna array of claim 2, wherein the reflector of each modular radiating unit includes first and second sidewalls, and the radiating element of each modular radiating unit is mounted between the first and second sidewalls of the reflector of its modular radiating unit. 10. An antenna array comprising:
a plurality of separate, individually formed modular radiating units, each modular radiating unit comprising a reflector, a dual-polarized radiating element disposed on a first side of the reflector and a housing disposed on a second side of the reflector, wherein the reflector, the dual-polarized radiating element and the housing of each modular radiating unit are implemented together as a unitary non-conductive, non-planar molding having a conductive coating selectively formed thereon, wherein the plurality of modular radiating units are connected together to form the antenna array. 11. The antenna array of claim 10, wherein respective housings of the plurality of modular radiating units are linked together to form at least one chamber. 12. The antenna array of claim 10, wherein reflectors of respective ones of the plurality of modular radiating units overlap to form capacitive junctions between adjacent modular radiating units. 13. The antenna array of claim 10, wherein no joint is formed between the radiating element and the reflector of each modular radiating unit. 14. The antenna array of claim 10, wherein each modular radiating unit comprises metallized plastic. 15. The antenna array of claim 10, further comprising a phase shifter that includes a plurality of outputs, wherein and the outputs are connected directly to respective ones of the radiating elements. 16. The antenna array of claim 10, wherein the reflector includes first and second sidewalls, and the radiating element is mounted between the first and second sidewalls. | An individually formed radiating unit, an antenna array, and an antenna assembly are provided. The individually formed radiating unit includes a reflector, at least one radiating element integrated into a first side of the reflector, and a housing disposed on a second side of the reflector. The housing forms a chamber for housing a feed network1. An antenna array comprising:
a plurality of separate, individually formed modular radiating units, each modular radiating unit comprising a reflector and a radiating element disposed on a first side of the reflector, wherein each radiating element is a dual-polarized radiating element that comprises a unitary non-conductive, non-planar molding having a conductive coating selectively formed thereon, and wherein each radiating element is integral with the reflector of its modular radiating unit. 2. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the reflector of each modular radiating unit comprises a unitary non-conductive, non-planar molding having a conductive coating selectively formed thereon. 3. The antenna of claim 1, wherein each modular radiating unit further includes a housing disposed on a second side of the reflector. 4. The antenna array of claim 3, wherein respective housings of the plurality of modular radiating units are linked together to form at least one chamber. 5. The antenna array of claim 4, wherein reflectors of respective ones of the plurality of modular radiating units overlap to form capacitive junctions between adjacent modular radiating units. 6. The antenna array of claim 1, wherein no joint is formed between the radiating element and the reflector of each modular radiating unit. 7. The antenna array of claim 1, wherein each modular radiating unit comprises metallized plastic. 8. The antenna array of claim 1, further comprising a phase shifter that includes a plurality of outputs, wherein and the outputs are connected directly to respective ones of the radiating elements. 9. The antenna array of claim 2, wherein the reflector of each modular radiating unit includes first and second sidewalls, and the radiating element of each modular radiating unit is mounted between the first and second sidewalls of the reflector of its modular radiating unit. 10. An antenna array comprising:
a plurality of separate, individually formed modular radiating units, each modular radiating unit comprising a reflector, a dual-polarized radiating element disposed on a first side of the reflector and a housing disposed on a second side of the reflector, wherein the reflector, the dual-polarized radiating element and the housing of each modular radiating unit are implemented together as a unitary non-conductive, non-planar molding having a conductive coating selectively formed thereon, wherein the plurality of modular radiating units are connected together to form the antenna array. 11. The antenna array of claim 10, wherein respective housings of the plurality of modular radiating units are linked together to form at least one chamber. 12. The antenna array of claim 10, wherein reflectors of respective ones of the plurality of modular radiating units overlap to form capacitive junctions between adjacent modular radiating units. 13. The antenna array of claim 10, wherein no joint is formed between the radiating element and the reflector of each modular radiating unit. 14. The antenna array of claim 10, wherein each modular radiating unit comprises metallized plastic. 15. The antenna array of claim 10, further comprising a phase shifter that includes a plurality of outputs, wherein and the outputs are connected directly to respective ones of the radiating elements. 16. The antenna array of claim 10, wherein the reflector includes first and second sidewalls, and the radiating element is mounted between the first and second sidewalls. | 2,800 |
12,425 | 12,425 | 15,144,461 | 2,894 | Scattered body waves are isolated to primary, shear, and surface waves as a receiver wavefield from recorded near-surface scattered wave data generated by scatters. The isolated receiver wavefield is backward propagated through an earth model from a final to an initial state. A source wavefield and the receiver wavefields are cross-correlated. A source wavefield and the receiver wavefields are stacked, over all time steps and sources, to generate a subsurface image. A display of the subsurface image is initiated. | 1. A computer-implemented method for imaging and locating near-surface heterogeneities, the method comprising:
isolating scattered body to primary, shear, and surface waves as a receiver wavefield from recorded near-surface scattered wave data generated by scatters; backward-propagating the isolated receiver wavefield through an earth model from a final to an initial state; cross-correlating a source wavefield and the receiver wavefields; stacking, over all time steps and sources, a source wavefield and the receiver wavefields to generate a subsurface image; and initiating display of the subsurface image. 2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising forward propagating the source wavefield through the earth model from an initial to a final state. 3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising simulating and separating a direct surface from reflected body waves. 4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein near-surface means the shallowest one wavelength depth from the earth's surface. 5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the source wavefield and the receiver wavefield are each decomposed before an imaging condition is applied. 6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the recorded data is recorded in a un-aliased manner for spatial sampling of data along a space axis. 7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 wherein the spatial sampling is given by a Nyquist sampling limit given by the formula (dx≦v/(2*fmax)), where dx denotes receiver space interval, v denotes minimum shear wave speed, and fmax denotes the maximum shear wave frequency in the data. 8. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing one or more instructions executable by a computer system to perform operations for imaging and locating near-surface heterogeneities, comprising:
isolating scattered body to primary, shear, and surface waves as a receiver wavefield from recorded near-surface scattered wave data generated by scatters; backward-propagating the isolated receiver wavefield through an earth model from a final to an initial state; cross-correlating a source wavefield and the receiver wavefields; stacking, over all time steps and sources, a source wavefield and the receiver wavefields to generate a subsurface image; and initiating display of the subsurface image. 9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising one or more instructions to forward propagate the source wavefield through the earth model from an initial to a final state. 10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising one or more instructions to simulate and separating a direct surface from reflected body waves. 11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein near-surface means the shallowest one wavelength depth from the earth's surface. 12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the source wavefield and the receiver wavefield are each decomposed before an imaging condition is applied. 13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the recorded data is recorded in a un-aliased manner for spatial sampling of data along a space axis. 14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the spatial sampling is given by a Nyquist sampling limit given by the formula (dx≦v/(2*fmax)), where dx denotes receiver space interval, v denotes minimum shear wave speed, and fmax denotes the maximum shear wave frequency in the data. 15. A computer-implemented system to perform operations for imaging and locating near-surface heterogeneities, comprising:
a computer memory operable to store recorded near-surface scattered wave data generated by scatters; and a data processing apparatus interoperably coupled with the computer memory and configured to:
isolate scattered body to primary, shear, and surface waves as a receiver wavefield from recorded data;
backward-propagate the isolated receiver wavefield through an earth model from a final to an initial state;
cross-correlate a source wavefield and the receiver wavefields;
stack, over all time steps and sources, a source wavefield and the receiver wavefields to generate a subsurface image; and
initiate display of the subsurface image. 16. The computer-implemented system of claim 15, configured to:
forward propagate the source wavefield through the earth model from an initial to a final state; and simulate and separate a direct surface from reflected body waves. 17. The computer-implemented system of claim 16, wherein near-surface means the shallowest one wavelength depth from the earth's surface. 18. The computer-implemented system of claim 15, wherein the source wavefield and the receiver wavefield are each decomposed before an imaging condition is applied using. 19. The computer-implemented system of claim 15, wherein the recorded data is recorded in a un-aliased manner for spatial sampling of data along a space axis. 20. The computer-implemented system of claim 19, wherein the spatial sampling is given by a Nyquist sampling limit given by the formula (dx≦v/(2*fmax)), where dx denotes receiver space interval, v denotes minimum shear wave speed, and fmax denotes the maximum shear wave frequency in the data. | Scattered body waves are isolated to primary, shear, and surface waves as a receiver wavefield from recorded near-surface scattered wave data generated by scatters. The isolated receiver wavefield is backward propagated through an earth model from a final to an initial state. A source wavefield and the receiver wavefields are cross-correlated. A source wavefield and the receiver wavefields are stacked, over all time steps and sources, to generate a subsurface image. A display of the subsurface image is initiated.1. A computer-implemented method for imaging and locating near-surface heterogeneities, the method comprising:
isolating scattered body to primary, shear, and surface waves as a receiver wavefield from recorded near-surface scattered wave data generated by scatters; backward-propagating the isolated receiver wavefield through an earth model from a final to an initial state; cross-correlating a source wavefield and the receiver wavefields; stacking, over all time steps and sources, a source wavefield and the receiver wavefields to generate a subsurface image; and initiating display of the subsurface image. 2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising forward propagating the source wavefield through the earth model from an initial to a final state. 3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising simulating and separating a direct surface from reflected body waves. 4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein near-surface means the shallowest one wavelength depth from the earth's surface. 5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the source wavefield and the receiver wavefield are each decomposed before an imaging condition is applied. 6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the recorded data is recorded in a un-aliased manner for spatial sampling of data along a space axis. 7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 wherein the spatial sampling is given by a Nyquist sampling limit given by the formula (dx≦v/(2*fmax)), where dx denotes receiver space interval, v denotes minimum shear wave speed, and fmax denotes the maximum shear wave frequency in the data. 8. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing one or more instructions executable by a computer system to perform operations for imaging and locating near-surface heterogeneities, comprising:
isolating scattered body to primary, shear, and surface waves as a receiver wavefield from recorded near-surface scattered wave data generated by scatters; backward-propagating the isolated receiver wavefield through an earth model from a final to an initial state; cross-correlating a source wavefield and the receiver wavefields; stacking, over all time steps and sources, a source wavefield and the receiver wavefields to generate a subsurface image; and initiating display of the subsurface image. 9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising one or more instructions to forward propagate the source wavefield through the earth model from an initial to a final state. 10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising one or more instructions to simulate and separating a direct surface from reflected body waves. 11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein near-surface means the shallowest one wavelength depth from the earth's surface. 12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the source wavefield and the receiver wavefield are each decomposed before an imaging condition is applied. 13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the recorded data is recorded in a un-aliased manner for spatial sampling of data along a space axis. 14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the spatial sampling is given by a Nyquist sampling limit given by the formula (dx≦v/(2*fmax)), where dx denotes receiver space interval, v denotes minimum shear wave speed, and fmax denotes the maximum shear wave frequency in the data. 15. A computer-implemented system to perform operations for imaging and locating near-surface heterogeneities, comprising:
a computer memory operable to store recorded near-surface scattered wave data generated by scatters; and a data processing apparatus interoperably coupled with the computer memory and configured to:
isolate scattered body to primary, shear, and surface waves as a receiver wavefield from recorded data;
backward-propagate the isolated receiver wavefield through an earth model from a final to an initial state;
cross-correlate a source wavefield and the receiver wavefields;
stack, over all time steps and sources, a source wavefield and the receiver wavefields to generate a subsurface image; and
initiate display of the subsurface image. 16. The computer-implemented system of claim 15, configured to:
forward propagate the source wavefield through the earth model from an initial to a final state; and simulate and separate a direct surface from reflected body waves. 17. The computer-implemented system of claim 16, wherein near-surface means the shallowest one wavelength depth from the earth's surface. 18. The computer-implemented system of claim 15, wherein the source wavefield and the receiver wavefield are each decomposed before an imaging condition is applied using. 19. The computer-implemented system of claim 15, wherein the recorded data is recorded in a un-aliased manner for spatial sampling of data along a space axis. 20. The computer-implemented system of claim 19, wherein the spatial sampling is given by a Nyquist sampling limit given by the formula (dx≦v/(2*fmax)), where dx denotes receiver space interval, v denotes minimum shear wave speed, and fmax denotes the maximum shear wave frequency in the data. | 2,800 |
12,426 | 12,426 | 15,690,074 | 2,819 | A packaged IC wherein a portion of the sidewalls of the packaged IC are solderable metal. A method of forming a packaged IC wherein a portion of the sidewalls of the wire bond pads or the flip chip pads that are exposed by sawing during singulation are solderable metal. A method of forming a packaged IC wherein all of the sidewalls of the wire bond pads or the flip chip pads that are exposed by sawing during singulation are solderable metal and a portion of sidewall of the molding compound is solderable metal. | 1. A packaged IC comprising:
an IC chip; an IC chip pad coupled to the IC chip; a wire bond pad or a flip chip pad coupled to the IC chip, the wire bond pad or flip chip pad having an exposed sidewall; molding compound encapsulating the IC chip, a portion of the IC chip pad, and a portion of the wire bond pad, the molding compound having a sidewall; and a first solderable metal extending from a bottom surface of the packaged IC along a sidewall of the packaged IC. 2. The packaged IC chip of claim 1 wherein greater than about 0% and less than about 100% of the sidewall of the wire bond pad or the flip chip pad is exposed. 3. The packaged IC chip of claim 1, wherein 0% of the sidewall of the wire bond pad or the flip chip pad exposed. 4. The packaged IC chip of claim 3 wherein greater than about 0% and less than about 100% of the sidewall of the molding compound is exposed. 5. The packaged IC chip of claim 1, further comprising a second solderable metal extending from the first solderable metal along the sidewall of the packaged IC. 6. The packaged IC of claim 5, wherein the first solderable metal and the second solderable metal are different metals. 7. The packaged IC of claim 4, wherein the first solderable metal and the second solderable metal are the same metal. 8. The packaged IC of claim 1, wherein the first solderable metal is selected from the group consisting of:
silver, an alloy of silver, an alloy of silver and tin, an alloy of silver and tin and copper, gold, an alloy of gold and tin, palladium nickel an alloy of nickel and palladium, an alloy of nickel and palladium, and gold, solder, and platinum. | A packaged IC wherein a portion of the sidewalls of the packaged IC are solderable metal. A method of forming a packaged IC wherein a portion of the sidewalls of the wire bond pads or the flip chip pads that are exposed by sawing during singulation are solderable metal. A method of forming a packaged IC wherein all of the sidewalls of the wire bond pads or the flip chip pads that are exposed by sawing during singulation are solderable metal and a portion of sidewall of the molding compound is solderable metal.1. A packaged IC comprising:
an IC chip; an IC chip pad coupled to the IC chip; a wire bond pad or a flip chip pad coupled to the IC chip, the wire bond pad or flip chip pad having an exposed sidewall; molding compound encapsulating the IC chip, a portion of the IC chip pad, and a portion of the wire bond pad, the molding compound having a sidewall; and a first solderable metal extending from a bottom surface of the packaged IC along a sidewall of the packaged IC. 2. The packaged IC chip of claim 1 wherein greater than about 0% and less than about 100% of the sidewall of the wire bond pad or the flip chip pad is exposed. 3. The packaged IC chip of claim 1, wherein 0% of the sidewall of the wire bond pad or the flip chip pad exposed. 4. The packaged IC chip of claim 3 wherein greater than about 0% and less than about 100% of the sidewall of the molding compound is exposed. 5. The packaged IC chip of claim 1, further comprising a second solderable metal extending from the first solderable metal along the sidewall of the packaged IC. 6. The packaged IC of claim 5, wherein the first solderable metal and the second solderable metal are different metals. 7. The packaged IC of claim 4, wherein the first solderable metal and the second solderable metal are the same metal. 8. The packaged IC of claim 1, wherein the first solderable metal is selected from the group consisting of:
silver, an alloy of silver, an alloy of silver and tin, an alloy of silver and tin and copper, gold, an alloy of gold and tin, palladium nickel an alloy of nickel and palladium, an alloy of nickel and palladium, and gold, solder, and platinum. | 2,800 |
12,427 | 12,427 | 15,763,506 | 2,883 | A coupling unit includes a light coupling element comprising an attachment area for receiving and permanently attaching to a plurality of optical waveguides. One or more grooves are provided at the attachment area. Each groove is configured to receive an optical waveguide and defined by a bottom surface, a first region, a second region, and an opening. The first region is defined between the bottom surface and the second region. The first region in cross section has substantially parallel sidewalls separated by a spacing. The second region is disposed between the first region and the opening. A width of the opening is greater than the spacing. | 1-12. (canceled) 13. A coupling unit, comprising:
a light coupling element comprising an attachment area for receiving and permanently attaching to a plurality of optical waveguides; and one or more grooves provided at the attachment area, each groove configured to receive an optical waveguide and defined by:
a bottom surface, a first region, a second region, and an opening;
the first region defined between the bottom surface and the second region, the first region in cross section having substantially parallel sidewalls separated by a spacing; and
the second region disposed between the first region and the opening, wherein a width of the opening is greater than the spacing. 14. The coupling unit of claim 13, wherein:
the second region comprises sidewalls extending between the first region and the opening; and a spacing between the sidewalls of the second region progressively increases from the first region to the opening. 15. The coupling unit of claim 13, wherein:
the light coupling element comprises a plurality of optical elements aligned relative to the one or more grooves; and each of the optical elements is in optical alignment with one of the optical waveguides. 16. The coupling unit of claim 13, wherein:
the light coupling element comprises a plurality of light redirecting members aligned relative to the one or more grooves; and each of the light redirecting members is in optical alignment with one of the optical waveguides. 17. The coupling unit of claim 13, wherein the bottom surface of each groove comprises one or more recessed sections. 18. The coupling unit of claim 13, wherein:
the bottom surface of each groove comprises a recessed section; and a majority of the bottom surface includes the recessed section. 19. The coupling unit of claim 13, wherein:
each groove has an entrance and a terminal end; the bottom surface of each groove comprises a recessed section; and the recessed section extends from the entrance toward the terminal end and covers more than about one-half of a surface area of the bottom surface. 20. The coupling unit of claim 13, wherein each groove comprises a terminal end and a cavity proximate the terminal end, the cavity configured to receive a volume of a material and configured to transmit light from an end of the optical waveguide. 21. A coupling unit, comprising:
a light coupling element comprising an attachment area for receiving and permanently attaching to a plurality of optical waveguides; one or more grooves provided at the attachment area, each groove configured to receive an optical waveguide having a width; each groove having a first region and a bottom surface, the first region in cross section having substantially parallel sidewalls separated by a spacing; and each groove having a longitudinal transition section comprising a first end and a second end, the first end having a sidewall spacing greater than the width of the optical waveguide, and the second end having a sidewall spacing less than the width of the optical waveguide. 22. The coupling unit of claim 21, wherein the sidewall spacing progressively reduces within the transition section. 23. The coupling unit of claim 21, wherein the spacing between the sidewalls decreases in one direction along the groove in the transition section. 24. The coupling unit of claim 21, wherein:
sidewalls of the second end of the transition section define a gap therebetween; and the gap is sufficiently large to allow light from a core of the optical waveguide to pass substantially unimpeded. 25. The coupling unit of claim 21, wherein:
the parallel sidewalls comprise a first sidewall and a second sidewall; the first sidewall is planar; the second sidewall comprises a section that angles inwardly toward a central plane of the groove in the transition section; and the section of the second sidewall is configured to force a terminal end of the optical waveguide against the first sidewall, wherein the section of the second sidewall is configured to prevent further longitudinal advancement of the terminal end of the optical waveguide within the groove. 26. The coupling unit of claim 21, wherein:
the optical waveguide comprises a core and cladding surrounding the core; the cladding contacts the sidewalls of the transition section; and the core is positioned relative to a gap between terminal ends of the sidewalls of the transition section. 27. The coupling unit of claim 21, wherein:
each groove has an entrance and a terminal end; the bottom surface of each groove comprises a recessed section; and the recessed section extends from the entrance toward the terminal end and covers more than about one-half of a surface area of the bottom surface. 28. The coupling unit of claim 21, wherein each groove has an entrance end and a terminal end, and the coupling unit further comprising a terminal wall at the terminal end. 29. The coupling unit of claim 21, wherein each groove comprises a terminal end and a cavity proximate the terminal end, the cavity configured to receive a volume of a material and configured to transmit light from an end of the optical waveguide. 30. A coupling unit, comprising:
a light coupling element comprising an attachment area for receiving and permanently attaching to a plurality of optical waveguides; one or more grooves provided at the attachment area, each groove configured to receive an optical waveguides having a width; each groove having a first region and a bottom surface, the first region in cross section having substantially parallel sidewalls separated by a spacing; and each groove having two or more sections along a longitudinal direction wherein each section has a different sidewall spacing than adjoining sections, wherein at least one of the sections has a sidewall spacing less than a width of the optical waveguides. 31. The coupling unit of claim 30, wherein the spacing between the sidewalls progressively reduces at at least one section. 32. The coupling unit of claim 30, wherein the sidewalls angle inwardly toward a central plane of the first region of the groove between the first and second sections. | A coupling unit includes a light coupling element comprising an attachment area for receiving and permanently attaching to a plurality of optical waveguides. One or more grooves are provided at the attachment area. Each groove is configured to receive an optical waveguide and defined by a bottom surface, a first region, a second region, and an opening. The first region is defined between the bottom surface and the second region. The first region in cross section has substantially parallel sidewalls separated by a spacing. The second region is disposed between the first region and the opening. A width of the opening is greater than the spacing.1-12. (canceled) 13. A coupling unit, comprising:
a light coupling element comprising an attachment area for receiving and permanently attaching to a plurality of optical waveguides; and one or more grooves provided at the attachment area, each groove configured to receive an optical waveguide and defined by:
a bottom surface, a first region, a second region, and an opening;
the first region defined between the bottom surface and the second region, the first region in cross section having substantially parallel sidewalls separated by a spacing; and
the second region disposed between the first region and the opening, wherein a width of the opening is greater than the spacing. 14. The coupling unit of claim 13, wherein:
the second region comprises sidewalls extending between the first region and the opening; and a spacing between the sidewalls of the second region progressively increases from the first region to the opening. 15. The coupling unit of claim 13, wherein:
the light coupling element comprises a plurality of optical elements aligned relative to the one or more grooves; and each of the optical elements is in optical alignment with one of the optical waveguides. 16. The coupling unit of claim 13, wherein:
the light coupling element comprises a plurality of light redirecting members aligned relative to the one or more grooves; and each of the light redirecting members is in optical alignment with one of the optical waveguides. 17. The coupling unit of claim 13, wherein the bottom surface of each groove comprises one or more recessed sections. 18. The coupling unit of claim 13, wherein:
the bottom surface of each groove comprises a recessed section; and a majority of the bottom surface includes the recessed section. 19. The coupling unit of claim 13, wherein:
each groove has an entrance and a terminal end; the bottom surface of each groove comprises a recessed section; and the recessed section extends from the entrance toward the terminal end and covers more than about one-half of a surface area of the bottom surface. 20. The coupling unit of claim 13, wherein each groove comprises a terminal end and a cavity proximate the terminal end, the cavity configured to receive a volume of a material and configured to transmit light from an end of the optical waveguide. 21. A coupling unit, comprising:
a light coupling element comprising an attachment area for receiving and permanently attaching to a plurality of optical waveguides; one or more grooves provided at the attachment area, each groove configured to receive an optical waveguide having a width; each groove having a first region and a bottom surface, the first region in cross section having substantially parallel sidewalls separated by a spacing; and each groove having a longitudinal transition section comprising a first end and a second end, the first end having a sidewall spacing greater than the width of the optical waveguide, and the second end having a sidewall spacing less than the width of the optical waveguide. 22. The coupling unit of claim 21, wherein the sidewall spacing progressively reduces within the transition section. 23. The coupling unit of claim 21, wherein the spacing between the sidewalls decreases in one direction along the groove in the transition section. 24. The coupling unit of claim 21, wherein:
sidewalls of the second end of the transition section define a gap therebetween; and the gap is sufficiently large to allow light from a core of the optical waveguide to pass substantially unimpeded. 25. The coupling unit of claim 21, wherein:
the parallel sidewalls comprise a first sidewall and a second sidewall; the first sidewall is planar; the second sidewall comprises a section that angles inwardly toward a central plane of the groove in the transition section; and the section of the second sidewall is configured to force a terminal end of the optical waveguide against the first sidewall, wherein the section of the second sidewall is configured to prevent further longitudinal advancement of the terminal end of the optical waveguide within the groove. 26. The coupling unit of claim 21, wherein:
the optical waveguide comprises a core and cladding surrounding the core; the cladding contacts the sidewalls of the transition section; and the core is positioned relative to a gap between terminal ends of the sidewalls of the transition section. 27. The coupling unit of claim 21, wherein:
each groove has an entrance and a terminal end; the bottom surface of each groove comprises a recessed section; and the recessed section extends from the entrance toward the terminal end and covers more than about one-half of a surface area of the bottom surface. 28. The coupling unit of claim 21, wherein each groove has an entrance end and a terminal end, and the coupling unit further comprising a terminal wall at the terminal end. 29. The coupling unit of claim 21, wherein each groove comprises a terminal end and a cavity proximate the terminal end, the cavity configured to receive a volume of a material and configured to transmit light from an end of the optical waveguide. 30. A coupling unit, comprising:
a light coupling element comprising an attachment area for receiving and permanently attaching to a plurality of optical waveguides; one or more grooves provided at the attachment area, each groove configured to receive an optical waveguides having a width; each groove having a first region and a bottom surface, the first region in cross section having substantially parallel sidewalls separated by a spacing; and each groove having two or more sections along a longitudinal direction wherein each section has a different sidewall spacing than adjoining sections, wherein at least one of the sections has a sidewall spacing less than a width of the optical waveguides. 31. The coupling unit of claim 30, wherein the spacing between the sidewalls progressively reduces at at least one section. 32. The coupling unit of claim 30, wherein the sidewalls angle inwardly toward a central plane of the first region of the groove between the first and second sections. | 2,800 |
12,428 | 12,428 | 16,797,795 | 2,896 | A phantom, calibration system and calibration method are described. The phantom having a phantom body and an X-ray luminescent material, wherein at least a portion of the X-ray luminescent material is on a surface of the phantom. | 1. A method comprising:
acquiring, using a camera, an image of a radiation beam incident on a phantom, the radiation beam being emitted by a radiation source, the phantom comprising a X-ray luminescent material; determining a beam pointing offset based on the image; and calibrating a position of the radiation source based on the beam pointing offset. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
acquiring, using the camera, a second image of the radiation beam incident on the phantom subsequent to the calibrating of the position of the radiation source; calculating a beam pointing error based on the second image and the image; and outputting the beam pointing error. 3. A calibration system comprising:
a phantom comprising an X-ray luminescent material; a camera system to:
acquire an images of a radiation beam incident on the phantom, the radiation beam being emitted by a radiation source; and
a processing device, operatively coupled with the camera, to:
determine a beam pointing offset based on the image; and
calibrate a position of the radiation source based on the beam pointing offset. 4. The calibration system of claim 3, wherein the camera system comprises one or more cameras, wherein the one or more cameras to:
acquire a first set of images of the phantom while the phantom is not being irradiated; acquire a second set of images of the radiation beam incident on the phantom, the second set of images comprising the image, wherein determining the beam pointing offset is further based on the first set of images and the second set of images. 5. The calibration system of claim 4, wherein:
each of the second set of images is of the radiation beam incident on an entrance surface of the phantom; each of the one or more cameras is coupled to a head of the radiation source; and the processing device is further to:
determine a projected isocenter of the radiation source is based on the first set of images, geometry of the phantom, and position of the phantom;
determine a third centroid of the radiation beam incident on the phantom is based on the second set of images, wherein the beam pointing offset is based on comparing the projected isocenter and the third centroid. 6. The calibration system of claim 4, wherein:
each of the second set of images is a super-position of the radiation beam incident on an entrance surface and an exit surface of the phantom; the one or more cameras are coupled to a head of the radiation source; and the processing device is further to:
determine a projected isocenter of the radiation source based on the first set of images, geometry of the phantom, and position of the phantom; and
determine a half-way point between a first centroid of the radiation beam incident on the entrance surface and a second centroid of the radiation beam incident on the exit surface is based on the second set of images, wherein the beam pointing offset is based on a distance between the projected isocenter and the half-way point. 7. The calibration system of claim 4, wherein:
the second set of images is of the radiation beam incident on an entrance surface of the phantom; the one or more cameras is a plurality of cameras that are positioned at static locations; the processing device is further to:
determine a center, triangulated in 3D, of the radiation beam incident on the phantom based on the second set of images, wherein the beam pointing offset is based on the center triangulated in 3D and a location of a source of the radiation beam. 8. The calibration system of claim 4, wherein:
the second set of images are used to generate super-position of the radiation beam incident on an entrance surface and an exit surface of the phantom; the one or more cameras is a plurality of cameras that are positioned at static locations; the processing device is further to:
determine a projected isocenter of the radiation source is based on the first set of images, geometry of the phantom, and position of the phantom; and
determine a first center, triangulated in 3D, of the radiation beam incident on the entrance surface and a second center, triangulated in 3D, of the radiation beam incident on the exit surface are based on the second set of images, wherein the beam pointing offset is based on the first center triangulated in 3D, the second center triangulated in 3D, and the projected isocenter. 9. The calibration system of claim 3, wherein:
the camera is to acquire a second image of the radiation beam incident on the phantom subsequent to the calibrating of the position of the radiation source; the processing device is further to:
calculate a beam pointing error based on the third image and the image; and
output the beam pointing error. 10. The calibration system of claim 4, wherein:
the one or more cameras have sensor distortion and lens distortion; and the processing device is to apply corrections for at least one of the sensor distortion or the lens distortion to the first set of images and the second set of images. 11. A phantom comprising a phantom body and an X-ray luminescent material, wherein at least a portion of the X-ray luminescent material is on a surface of the phantom. 12. The phantom of claim 11, wherein the X-ray luminescent material is an X-ray scintillation material with superficial build-up material. 13. The phantom of claim 11, wherein the X-ray luminescent material is a dielectric material comprising water or plastic doped with a fluorescent compound to generate a Cerenkov optical signal in response to a radiation beam incident on the phantom. 14. The phantom of claim 11, wherein:
the phantom comprises a structure, the structure having a cavity; the phantom has a transparency that allows acquiring, using one camera at one location, of an image of an entrance feature of a radiation beam entering the phantom and an exit feature of the radiation beam exiting the phantom. 15. The phantom of claim 11, wherein:
the spherical phantom body comprises an opaque substrate; opaqueness of the phantom does not allow acquiring, using one camera at one location, of an image of an entrance feature of a radiation beam entering the phantom and an exit feature of the radiation beam exiting the phantom. 16. The phantom of claim 11, wherein:
the surface of the phantom is uniform; a relationship of optical signal to absorbed source is constant over the surface of the phantom; the optical signal is a measurement of a radiation beam incident to the surface; and the absorbed source is a measurement of absorption of the radiation beam in the phantom. 17. The phantom of claim 11, wherein a pattern of visually identifiable features at relative positions is overlaid on the surface of the phantom. 18. The phantom of claim 17, wherein the pattern is a checkerboard pattern. 19. The phantom of claim 11, wherein the phantom body is spherical. 20. The phantom of claim 11, wherein the phantom body is cylindrical. | A phantom, calibration system and calibration method are described. The phantom having a phantom body and an X-ray luminescent material, wherein at least a portion of the X-ray luminescent material is on a surface of the phantom.1. A method comprising:
acquiring, using a camera, an image of a radiation beam incident on a phantom, the radiation beam being emitted by a radiation source, the phantom comprising a X-ray luminescent material; determining a beam pointing offset based on the image; and calibrating a position of the radiation source based on the beam pointing offset. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
acquiring, using the camera, a second image of the radiation beam incident on the phantom subsequent to the calibrating of the position of the radiation source; calculating a beam pointing error based on the second image and the image; and outputting the beam pointing error. 3. A calibration system comprising:
a phantom comprising an X-ray luminescent material; a camera system to:
acquire an images of a radiation beam incident on the phantom, the radiation beam being emitted by a radiation source; and
a processing device, operatively coupled with the camera, to:
determine a beam pointing offset based on the image; and
calibrate a position of the radiation source based on the beam pointing offset. 4. The calibration system of claim 3, wherein the camera system comprises one or more cameras, wherein the one or more cameras to:
acquire a first set of images of the phantom while the phantom is not being irradiated; acquire a second set of images of the radiation beam incident on the phantom, the second set of images comprising the image, wherein determining the beam pointing offset is further based on the first set of images and the second set of images. 5. The calibration system of claim 4, wherein:
each of the second set of images is of the radiation beam incident on an entrance surface of the phantom; each of the one or more cameras is coupled to a head of the radiation source; and the processing device is further to:
determine a projected isocenter of the radiation source is based on the first set of images, geometry of the phantom, and position of the phantom;
determine a third centroid of the radiation beam incident on the phantom is based on the second set of images, wherein the beam pointing offset is based on comparing the projected isocenter and the third centroid. 6. The calibration system of claim 4, wherein:
each of the second set of images is a super-position of the radiation beam incident on an entrance surface and an exit surface of the phantom; the one or more cameras are coupled to a head of the radiation source; and the processing device is further to:
determine a projected isocenter of the radiation source based on the first set of images, geometry of the phantom, and position of the phantom; and
determine a half-way point between a first centroid of the radiation beam incident on the entrance surface and a second centroid of the radiation beam incident on the exit surface is based on the second set of images, wherein the beam pointing offset is based on a distance between the projected isocenter and the half-way point. 7. The calibration system of claim 4, wherein:
the second set of images is of the radiation beam incident on an entrance surface of the phantom; the one or more cameras is a plurality of cameras that are positioned at static locations; the processing device is further to:
determine a center, triangulated in 3D, of the radiation beam incident on the phantom based on the second set of images, wherein the beam pointing offset is based on the center triangulated in 3D and a location of a source of the radiation beam. 8. The calibration system of claim 4, wherein:
the second set of images are used to generate super-position of the radiation beam incident on an entrance surface and an exit surface of the phantom; the one or more cameras is a plurality of cameras that are positioned at static locations; the processing device is further to:
determine a projected isocenter of the radiation source is based on the first set of images, geometry of the phantom, and position of the phantom; and
determine a first center, triangulated in 3D, of the radiation beam incident on the entrance surface and a second center, triangulated in 3D, of the radiation beam incident on the exit surface are based on the second set of images, wherein the beam pointing offset is based on the first center triangulated in 3D, the second center triangulated in 3D, and the projected isocenter. 9. The calibration system of claim 3, wherein:
the camera is to acquire a second image of the radiation beam incident on the phantom subsequent to the calibrating of the position of the radiation source; the processing device is further to:
calculate a beam pointing error based on the third image and the image; and
output the beam pointing error. 10. The calibration system of claim 4, wherein:
the one or more cameras have sensor distortion and lens distortion; and the processing device is to apply corrections for at least one of the sensor distortion or the lens distortion to the first set of images and the second set of images. 11. A phantom comprising a phantom body and an X-ray luminescent material, wherein at least a portion of the X-ray luminescent material is on a surface of the phantom. 12. The phantom of claim 11, wherein the X-ray luminescent material is an X-ray scintillation material with superficial build-up material. 13. The phantom of claim 11, wherein the X-ray luminescent material is a dielectric material comprising water or plastic doped with a fluorescent compound to generate a Cerenkov optical signal in response to a radiation beam incident on the phantom. 14. The phantom of claim 11, wherein:
the phantom comprises a structure, the structure having a cavity; the phantom has a transparency that allows acquiring, using one camera at one location, of an image of an entrance feature of a radiation beam entering the phantom and an exit feature of the radiation beam exiting the phantom. 15. The phantom of claim 11, wherein:
the spherical phantom body comprises an opaque substrate; opaqueness of the phantom does not allow acquiring, using one camera at one location, of an image of an entrance feature of a radiation beam entering the phantom and an exit feature of the radiation beam exiting the phantom. 16. The phantom of claim 11, wherein:
the surface of the phantom is uniform; a relationship of optical signal to absorbed source is constant over the surface of the phantom; the optical signal is a measurement of a radiation beam incident to the surface; and the absorbed source is a measurement of absorption of the radiation beam in the phantom. 17. The phantom of claim 11, wherein a pattern of visually identifiable features at relative positions is overlaid on the surface of the phantom. 18. The phantom of claim 17, wherein the pattern is a checkerboard pattern. 19. The phantom of claim 11, wherein the phantom body is spherical. 20. The phantom of claim 11, wherein the phantom body is cylindrical. | 2,800 |
12,429 | 12,429 | 16,268,700 | 2,849 | An aerosol delivery device is provided. The aerosol delivery device includes terminals to connect a power source to the aerosol delivery device, an aerosol production component, and a buck-boost regulator circuit coupled to a load including the aerosol production component. The buck-boost regulator circuit includes a buck-boost controller to drive a plurality of power switches in a synchronous switching converter topology. The plurality of power switches includes a high-side power switch coupled between the power source and a switching node, and a low-side power switch coupled between the switching node and ground. The buck-boost regulator circuit also includes an inductor coupled between the switching node and the load. In buck mode, the buck-boost controller supplies pulse-width modulation signals to alternately turn on and off the high-side power switch and the low-side power switch on and off. | 1. An aerosol delivery device comprising:
terminals configured to connect a power source to the aerosol delivery device; an aerosol production component configured to produce an aerosol from an aerosol precursor composition; and a buck-boost regulator circuit coupled to a load including the aerosol production component, and configured to step down voltage and step up current from a power source to the load to thereby power the aerosol production component, the buck-boost regulator circuit in buck mode including at least:
a buck-boost controller configured to drive a plurality of power switches in a synchronous switching converter topology, including a high-side power switch coupled between the power source and a switching node, and a low-side power switch coupled between the switching node and ground; and
an inductor coupled between the switching node and the load,
wherein the buck-boost controller is configured to supply pulse-width modulation signals to alternately turn on and off the high-side power switch and the low-side power switch on and off, including the buck-boost controller being configured to turn on the high-side power switch and turn off the low-side power switch during an on-state, and turn off the high-side power switch and turn on the low-side power switch during an off-state. 2. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the power source includes a single battery or a single battery cell. 3. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the power source is or includes a single lithium-ion battery (LiB), and the buck-boost regulator circuit is configured to step down the voltage from the single LiB to a lower voltage and step up the current from the single LiB to a higher current. 4. The aerosol delivery device of claim 3, wherein the higher current is at least 8 amperes. 5. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the switching node is a first switching node, and the inductor is coupled between the first switching node and a second switching node,
wherein the plurality of power switches further includes a second high-side power switch coupled between the second switching node and the load, and a second low-side power switch coupled between the second switching node and the ground, and wherein the buck-boost controller is further configured to supply signals to keep the second high-side power switch turned on and keep the second low-side power switch turned off. 6. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1 further comprising:
a second buck-boost regulator circuit coupled to the load, and configured to step down the voltage and step up the current from the power source to the load, the buck-boost regulator circuit and the second buck-boost regulator circuit being configured to step up the current to respective higher currents from which the aerosol production component is powered. 7. The aerosol delivery device of claim 6, wherein the buck-boost regulator circuit and the second buck-boost regulator circuit are arranged such that a sum of the respective higher currents is provided to the aerosol production component. 8. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the aerosol precursor composition comprises one or more of a liquid, solid or semi-solid. 9. A control body of an aerosol delivery device, the control body comprising:
terminals configured to connect a power source to the control body; an aerosol production component or second terminals configured to connect the aerosol production component to the control body, the aerosol production component being configured to produce an aerosol from an aerosol precursor composition; and a buck-boost regulator circuit coupled to a load including the aerosol production component, and configured to step down voltage and step up current from a power source to the load to thereby power the aerosol production component, the buck-boost regulator circuit in buck mode including at least:
a buck-boost controller configured to drive a plurality of power switches in a synchronous switching converter topology, including a high-side power switch coupled between the power source and a switching node, and a low-side power switch coupled between the switching node and ground; and
an inductor coupled between the switching node and the load,
wherein the buck-boost controller is configured to supply pulse-width modulation signals to alternately turn on and off the high-side power switch and the low-side power switch on and off, including the buck-boost controller being configured to turn on the high-side power switch and turn off the low-side power switch during an on-state, and turn off the high-side power switch and turn on the low-side power switch during an off-state. 10. The control body of claim 9, wherein the power source includes a single battery or a single battery cell. 11. The control body of claim 9, wherein the power source is or includes a single lithium-ion battery (LiB), and the buck-boost regulator circuit is configured to step down the voltage from the single LiB to a lower voltage and step up the current from the single LiB to a higher current. 12. The control body of claim 11, wherein the higher current is at least 8 amperes. 13. The control body of claim 9, wherein the switching node is a first switching node, and the inductor is coupled between the first switching node and a second switching node,
wherein the plurality of power switches further includes a second high-side power switch coupled between the second switching node and the load, and a second low-side power switch coupled between the second switching node and the ground, and wherein the buck-boost controller is further configured to supply signals to keep the second high-side power switch turned on and keep the second low-side power switch turned off. 14. The control body of claim 9, further comprising:
a second buck-boost regulator circuit coupled to the load, and configured to step down the voltage and step up the current from the power source to the load, the buck-boost regulator circuit and the second buck-boost regulator circuit being configured to step up the current to respective higher currents from which the aerosol production component is powered. 15. The control body of claim 14, wherein the buck-boost regulator circuit and the second buck-boost regulator circuit are arranged such that a sum of the respective higher currents is provided to the aerosol production component. 16. The control body of claim 9, wherein the aerosol precursor composition comprises one or more of a liquid, solid or semi-solid. | An aerosol delivery device is provided. The aerosol delivery device includes terminals to connect a power source to the aerosol delivery device, an aerosol production component, and a buck-boost regulator circuit coupled to a load including the aerosol production component. The buck-boost regulator circuit includes a buck-boost controller to drive a plurality of power switches in a synchronous switching converter topology. The plurality of power switches includes a high-side power switch coupled between the power source and a switching node, and a low-side power switch coupled between the switching node and ground. The buck-boost regulator circuit also includes an inductor coupled between the switching node and the load. In buck mode, the buck-boost controller supplies pulse-width modulation signals to alternately turn on and off the high-side power switch and the low-side power switch on and off.1. An aerosol delivery device comprising:
terminals configured to connect a power source to the aerosol delivery device; an aerosol production component configured to produce an aerosol from an aerosol precursor composition; and a buck-boost regulator circuit coupled to a load including the aerosol production component, and configured to step down voltage and step up current from a power source to the load to thereby power the aerosol production component, the buck-boost regulator circuit in buck mode including at least:
a buck-boost controller configured to drive a plurality of power switches in a synchronous switching converter topology, including a high-side power switch coupled between the power source and a switching node, and a low-side power switch coupled between the switching node and ground; and
an inductor coupled between the switching node and the load,
wherein the buck-boost controller is configured to supply pulse-width modulation signals to alternately turn on and off the high-side power switch and the low-side power switch on and off, including the buck-boost controller being configured to turn on the high-side power switch and turn off the low-side power switch during an on-state, and turn off the high-side power switch and turn on the low-side power switch during an off-state. 2. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the power source includes a single battery or a single battery cell. 3. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the power source is or includes a single lithium-ion battery (LiB), and the buck-boost regulator circuit is configured to step down the voltage from the single LiB to a lower voltage and step up the current from the single LiB to a higher current. 4. The aerosol delivery device of claim 3, wherein the higher current is at least 8 amperes. 5. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the switching node is a first switching node, and the inductor is coupled between the first switching node and a second switching node,
wherein the plurality of power switches further includes a second high-side power switch coupled between the second switching node and the load, and a second low-side power switch coupled between the second switching node and the ground, and wherein the buck-boost controller is further configured to supply signals to keep the second high-side power switch turned on and keep the second low-side power switch turned off. 6. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1 further comprising:
a second buck-boost regulator circuit coupled to the load, and configured to step down the voltage and step up the current from the power source to the load, the buck-boost regulator circuit and the second buck-boost regulator circuit being configured to step up the current to respective higher currents from which the aerosol production component is powered. 7. The aerosol delivery device of claim 6, wherein the buck-boost regulator circuit and the second buck-boost regulator circuit are arranged such that a sum of the respective higher currents is provided to the aerosol production component. 8. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1, wherein the aerosol precursor composition comprises one or more of a liquid, solid or semi-solid. 9. A control body of an aerosol delivery device, the control body comprising:
terminals configured to connect a power source to the control body; an aerosol production component or second terminals configured to connect the aerosol production component to the control body, the aerosol production component being configured to produce an aerosol from an aerosol precursor composition; and a buck-boost regulator circuit coupled to a load including the aerosol production component, and configured to step down voltage and step up current from a power source to the load to thereby power the aerosol production component, the buck-boost regulator circuit in buck mode including at least:
a buck-boost controller configured to drive a plurality of power switches in a synchronous switching converter topology, including a high-side power switch coupled between the power source and a switching node, and a low-side power switch coupled between the switching node and ground; and
an inductor coupled between the switching node and the load,
wherein the buck-boost controller is configured to supply pulse-width modulation signals to alternately turn on and off the high-side power switch and the low-side power switch on and off, including the buck-boost controller being configured to turn on the high-side power switch and turn off the low-side power switch during an on-state, and turn off the high-side power switch and turn on the low-side power switch during an off-state. 10. The control body of claim 9, wherein the power source includes a single battery or a single battery cell. 11. The control body of claim 9, wherein the power source is or includes a single lithium-ion battery (LiB), and the buck-boost regulator circuit is configured to step down the voltage from the single LiB to a lower voltage and step up the current from the single LiB to a higher current. 12. The control body of claim 11, wherein the higher current is at least 8 amperes. 13. The control body of claim 9, wherein the switching node is a first switching node, and the inductor is coupled between the first switching node and a second switching node,
wherein the plurality of power switches further includes a second high-side power switch coupled between the second switching node and the load, and a second low-side power switch coupled between the second switching node and the ground, and wherein the buck-boost controller is further configured to supply signals to keep the second high-side power switch turned on and keep the second low-side power switch turned off. 14. The control body of claim 9, further comprising:
a second buck-boost regulator circuit coupled to the load, and configured to step down the voltage and step up the current from the power source to the load, the buck-boost regulator circuit and the second buck-boost regulator circuit being configured to step up the current to respective higher currents from which the aerosol production component is powered. 15. The control body of claim 14, wherein the buck-boost regulator circuit and the second buck-boost regulator circuit are arranged such that a sum of the respective higher currents is provided to the aerosol production component. 16. The control body of claim 9, wherein the aerosol precursor composition comprises one or more of a liquid, solid or semi-solid. | 2,800 |
12,430 | 12,430 | 16,439,736 | 2,848 | An electronic device includes a circuit board and an electric element mounted on the circuit board. The electric element includes a multilayer body made of electrically insulating base materials, a transmission line portion, and connection portions. The transmission line portion and the connection portions are provided in the multilayer body. Each of the connection portions is continuous with a corresponding portion of the transmission line portion, and is connected to the circuit board by an electrically conductive bonding material. The transmission line portion other than the connection portions is not electrically connected to an electronic component on the circuit board. The electronic component not electrically connected to the electric element is disposed between the transmission line portion of the electric element and the circuit board. | 1. An electronic device comprising:
a circuit board; an electronic component mounted on the circuit board; and an electric element surface-mounted on the circuit board; wherein the electric element includes:
a multilayer body including a plurality of laminated electrically insulating base materials that are a same material;
a transmission line portion in the multilayer body; and
a plurality of connection portions in the multilayer body and each continuous with a corresponding one of a plurality of portions of the transmission line portion;
the multilayer body includes first portions and a second portion, a number of the laminated electrically insulating base materials at each of the first portions is greater than a number of the laminated electrically insulating base materials at the second portion; the first portions are projecting portions, and the second portion is a recessed portion; each of the plurality of connection portions is provided at a corresponding one of the projecting portions; each of the plurality of connection portions is connected to the circuit board by an electrically conductive bonding material; and the electric element is surface-mounted on the circuit board such that the recessed portion faces the electronic component. 2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein
the plurality of connection portions includes a first connection portion, a second connection portion, and a third connection portion; the electric element has a longitudinal direction; and the first connection portion and the second connection portion are respectively located at both ends in the longitudinal direction, and the third connection portion is located between the first connection portion and the second connection portion in the longitudinal direction. 3. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein
the transmission line portion includes a plurality of signal lines including a first signal line and a second signal line; a first end of the first signal line is provided at the first connection portion; a second end of the first signal line is provided at the second connection portion; a first end of the second signal line is provided at the first connection portion; and a second end of the second signal line is provided at the third connection portion. 4. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein
the transmission line portion includes a signal line including a first end, a second end, and a third end; the first end of the signal line is provided at the first connection portion; the second end of the signal line is provided at the second connection portion; and the third end of the signal line is provided at the third connection portion. 5. The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein
the transmission line portion includes a lower ground conductor pattern parallel or substantially parallel to the circuit board; and the lower ground conductor pattern is located between the signal lines and the electronic component. 6. The electronic device according to claim 5, wherein the transmission line portion includes an upper ground conductor pattern located such that the signal lines are interposed between the upper ground conductor pattern and the lower ground conductor pattern. 7. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein in a plan view of the circuit board, the transmission line portion is narrower in width than the plurality of connection portions. 8. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein in a plan view of the circuit board, the electric element has a curved or bent shape so as to be routed around the electronic component. 9. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein
the electronic component includes a plurality of electronic components having different profiles; and of the plurality of electronic components, an electronic component that the recessed portion of the electric element faces is an electronic component other than an electronic component having a highest profile among the plurality of electronic components. 10. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein
the circuit board includes an electrically insulating portion; and
the laminated electrically insulating base materials are lower in permittivity than the electrically insulating portion of the circuit board. 11. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electric element is a cable including a transmission line. 12. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic component includes a plurality of electronic components. 13. The electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the electric element straddles some of the plurality of electronic components but is not electrically connected thereto. 14. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the transmission line portion has a strip-line structure. 15. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the upper ground conductor pattern and the lower ground conductor pattern are connected to each other by an inter-layer connection conductor. 16. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein additional ground conductors are provided and connected to the upper ground conductor pattern and the lower ground conductor pattern by the inter-layer connection conductor. 17. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electric element includes a plurality of electric elements stacked on each other. 18. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electric element includes a metal film provided over side surfaces thereof. 19. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the transmission line portion includes a first transmission line and a second transmission line. 20. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electric element is a power splitter or a multiplexer-demultiplexer. | An electronic device includes a circuit board and an electric element mounted on the circuit board. The electric element includes a multilayer body made of electrically insulating base materials, a transmission line portion, and connection portions. The transmission line portion and the connection portions are provided in the multilayer body. Each of the connection portions is continuous with a corresponding portion of the transmission line portion, and is connected to the circuit board by an electrically conductive bonding material. The transmission line portion other than the connection portions is not electrically connected to an electronic component on the circuit board. The electronic component not electrically connected to the electric element is disposed between the transmission line portion of the electric element and the circuit board.1. An electronic device comprising:
a circuit board; an electronic component mounted on the circuit board; and an electric element surface-mounted on the circuit board; wherein the electric element includes:
a multilayer body including a plurality of laminated electrically insulating base materials that are a same material;
a transmission line portion in the multilayer body; and
a plurality of connection portions in the multilayer body and each continuous with a corresponding one of a plurality of portions of the transmission line portion;
the multilayer body includes first portions and a second portion, a number of the laminated electrically insulating base materials at each of the first portions is greater than a number of the laminated electrically insulating base materials at the second portion; the first portions are projecting portions, and the second portion is a recessed portion; each of the plurality of connection portions is provided at a corresponding one of the projecting portions; each of the plurality of connection portions is connected to the circuit board by an electrically conductive bonding material; and the electric element is surface-mounted on the circuit board such that the recessed portion faces the electronic component. 2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein
the plurality of connection portions includes a first connection portion, a second connection portion, and a third connection portion; the electric element has a longitudinal direction; and the first connection portion and the second connection portion are respectively located at both ends in the longitudinal direction, and the third connection portion is located between the first connection portion and the second connection portion in the longitudinal direction. 3. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein
the transmission line portion includes a plurality of signal lines including a first signal line and a second signal line; a first end of the first signal line is provided at the first connection portion; a second end of the first signal line is provided at the second connection portion; a first end of the second signal line is provided at the first connection portion; and a second end of the second signal line is provided at the third connection portion. 4. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein
the transmission line portion includes a signal line including a first end, a second end, and a third end; the first end of the signal line is provided at the first connection portion; the second end of the signal line is provided at the second connection portion; and the third end of the signal line is provided at the third connection portion. 5. The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein
the transmission line portion includes a lower ground conductor pattern parallel or substantially parallel to the circuit board; and the lower ground conductor pattern is located between the signal lines and the electronic component. 6. The electronic device according to claim 5, wherein the transmission line portion includes an upper ground conductor pattern located such that the signal lines are interposed between the upper ground conductor pattern and the lower ground conductor pattern. 7. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein in a plan view of the circuit board, the transmission line portion is narrower in width than the plurality of connection portions. 8. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein in a plan view of the circuit board, the electric element has a curved or bent shape so as to be routed around the electronic component. 9. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein
the electronic component includes a plurality of electronic components having different profiles; and of the plurality of electronic components, an electronic component that the recessed portion of the electric element faces is an electronic component other than an electronic component having a highest profile among the plurality of electronic components. 10. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein
the circuit board includes an electrically insulating portion; and
the laminated electrically insulating base materials are lower in permittivity than the electrically insulating portion of the circuit board. 11. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electric element is a cable including a transmission line. 12. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic component includes a plurality of electronic components. 13. The electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the electric element straddles some of the plurality of electronic components but is not electrically connected thereto. 14. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the transmission line portion has a strip-line structure. 15. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the upper ground conductor pattern and the lower ground conductor pattern are connected to each other by an inter-layer connection conductor. 16. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein additional ground conductors are provided and connected to the upper ground conductor pattern and the lower ground conductor pattern by the inter-layer connection conductor. 17. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electric element includes a plurality of electric elements stacked on each other. 18. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electric element includes a metal film provided over side surfaces thereof. 19. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the transmission line portion includes a first transmission line and a second transmission line. 20. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electric element is a power splitter or a multiplexer-demultiplexer. | 2,800 |
12,431 | 12,431 | 15,717,389 | 2,884 | In some embodiments, a cathode assembly may include a cathode head that has a first electron emitter and a second electron emitter. The first electron emitter may have a first connection location and a second connection location. The second electron emitter may have a third connection location and a fourth connection location. The third connection location may be electrically coupled with the second connection location of the first electron emitter. The cathode assembly may include a receptacle having a first connector and a second connector. The first connector may be electrically coupled with the first connection location of the first electron emitter. The second connector may be electrically coupled with the second connection location of the first electron emitter and the third connection location of the second electron emitter. The third connector may be electrically coupled with the fourth connection location of the second electron emitter. | 1. A cathode assembly for an X-ray tube comprising:
a cathode head including:
a first electron emitter having a first connection location and a second connection location; and
a second electron emitter having a third connection location and a fourth connection location, the third connection location electrically coupled with the second connection location of the first electron emitter; and
a first connector electrically coupled with the first connection location of the first electron emitter; a second connector electrically coupled with the second connection location of the first electron emitter and the third connection location of the second electron emitter; and a third connector electrically coupled with the fourth connection location of the second electron emitter. 2. The cathode assembly of claim 1, wherein:
the first electron emitter and the second electron emitter are configured to operate in parallel when an electrical supply is electrically coupled with the second connector and an electrical common is electrically coupled with the first connector and the third connector; and the first electron emitter and the second electron emitter are configured to operate in series when the electrical supply is electrically coupled with the first connector and the electrical common is electrically coupled with the third connector. 3. The cathode assembly of claim 1, wherein the first electron emitter and the second electron emitter are substantially the same size. 4. The cathode assembly of claim 1, further comprising a third electron emitter having a fifth connection location and a sixth connection location, the fifth connection location electrically coupled with the fourth connection location of the second electron emitter and the third connector of the cathode assembly, further comprising a fourth connector electrically coupled with the fifth connection location of the third electron emitter. 5. The cathode assembly of claim 4, wherein the first electron emitter and the second electron emitter are the same size and the third electron emitter includes a least one dimension smaller than a corresponding dimension of the first electron emitter and the second electron emitter. 6. The cathode assembly of claim 4, wherein the third connector is configured to be electrically coupled with an electrical common and the fourth connector is configured to be electrically coupled with an electrical supply. 7. The cathode assembly of claim 6, wherein:
the first electron emitter and the second electron emitter are configured to operate in parallel when a first electrical supply is electrically coupled with the second connector, an electrical common is electrically coupled with the first connector and the third connector, and a second electrical supply is electrically coupled with the fourth connector; and the first electron emitter and the second electron emitter are configured to operate in series when the first electrical supply is electrically coupled with the first connector, the electrical common is electrically coupled with the third connector, and the second electrical supply is electrically coupled with the fourth connector. 8. The cathode assembly of claim 1, wherein the cathode head further includes a focusing structure, further comprising a fourth connector electrically coupled with the focusing structure, and wherein an electrical supply is electrically coupled with the fourth connector. 9. An X-ray imaging system comprising:
a cathode assembly comprising
a first electron emitter having a first connection location and a second connection location; and
a second electron emitter having a third connection location and a fourth connection location, the third connection location electrically coupled with the second connection location of the first electron emitter; and
a first cathode connector electrically coupled with the first connection location of the first electron emitter;
a second cathode connector electrically coupled with the second connection location of the first electron emitter and the third connection location of the second electron emitter; and
a third cathode connector electrically coupled with the fourth connection location of the second electron emitter. 10. The X-ray imaging system of claim 9, further comprising a generator, the generator comprising:
a first generator connector electrically coupled with a first electrical supply; and a second generator connector electrically coupled with a second electrical supply. 11. The X-ray imaging system of claim 9, further comprising a conductive coupler configured to electrically couple a first generator connector of a generator with the second cathode connector and to electrically couple a second generator connector of the generator with the first cathode connector and the third cathode connector. 12. The X-ray imaging system of claim 9, further comprising a conductive coupler configured to electrically couple a first generator connector of a generator with the first cathode connector and to electrically couple a second generator connector of the generator with the third cathode connector. 13. The X-ray imaging system of claim 9, the cathode assembly further comprising:
a third electron emitter having a fifth connection location and a sixth connection location, the fifth connection location electrically coupled with the fourth connection location of the second electron emitter and the third cathode connector; and a fourth cathode connector electrically coupled with the sixth connection location of the third electron emitter. 14. The X-ray imaging system of claim 13, further comprising a conductive coupler configured to electrically couple a first generator connector of a generator with the second cathode connector, to electrically couple a second generator connector of the generator with the first cathode connector and the third cathode connector, and to electrically couple a third generator connector of the generator with the fourth cathode connector. 15. The X-ray imaging system of claim 13, further comprising a conductive coupler configured to electrically couple a first generator connector of a generator with the first cathode connector, to electrically couple a second generator connector of the generator with the third cathode connector, and to electrically couple a third generator connector of the generator with the fourth cathode connector. 16. The X-ray imaging system of claim 13, further comprising a conductive coupler configured to electrically couple a first generator connector of a generator with the first cathode connector, to electrically couple a second generator connector of the generator with the second cathode connector and the third cathode connector, and to electrically couple a third generator connector of the generator with the fourth cathode connector. 17. The X-ray imaging system of claim 9, the cathode assembly further comprising:
a focusing structure; and a fifth cathode connector electrically coupled with the focusing structure. 18. The X-ray imaging system of claim 17, further comprising:
a generator comprising:
a first generator connector electrically coupled with a first electrical supply; and
a second generator connector electrically coupled with an electrical common;
a third generator connector electrically coupled with a second electrical supply; and
a fourth generator connector electrically coupled with a third electrical supply; and
at least one of the following:
a first conductive coupler configured to electrically couple the first generator connector with the first cathode connector, to electrically couple the second generator connector with the third cathode connector, to electrically couple the third generator connector with the fourth cathode connector, and to electrically couple the fourth generator connector with the fifth cathode connector; and
a second conductive coupler configured to electrically couple the first generator connector with the second cathode connector, to electrically couple the second generator connector with the first cathode connector and the third cathode connector, to electrically couple the third generator connector with the fourth cathode connector, and to electrically couple the fourth generator connector with the fifth cathode connector. 19. A conductive coupler configured to electrically couple a generator with an X-ray tube, the conductive coupler comprising:
a first coupler configured to electrically couple a first generator connector of the generator with a first electron emitter of the X-ray tube, wherein the generator is configured to provide a high-voltage source at the first generator connector; and a second coupler configured to electrically couple a second generator connector of the generator with a second electron emitter of the X-ray tube, wherein the generator is configured to provide an electrical common at the second generator connector; wherein the conductive coupler is configured to simultaneously operate the first electron emitter and the second electron emitter, and the conductive coupler is configured to extend between and be removably coupled to the generator and the X-ray tube. 20. The conductive coupler of claim 19, further comprising a third coupler configured to electrically couple the second generator connector of the generator with the first electron emitter, wherein:
the third coupler is configured to electrically couple a first connector of the first electron emitter with the second generator connector; the first coupler is configured to electrically couple a second connector of the first electron emitter and a third connector of the second electron emitter with the first generator connector; and the second coupler is configured to electrically couple a fourth connector of the second electron emitter with the second generator connector. 21. The conductive coupler of claim 19, wherein:
the first coupler is configured to electrically couple a first connector of the first electron emitter with the first generator connector; a second connector of the first electron emitter is electrically coupled to a third connector of the second electron emitter; and the second coupler is configured to electrically couple a fourth connector of the second electron emitter with the second generator connector. 22. The conductive coupler of claim 19, further comprising a third coupler configured to electrically couple the second generator connector of the generator with the first electron emitter and the second electron emitter, wherein:
the first coupler is configured to electrically couple a first connector of the first electron emitter with the first generator connector; the second coupler is configured to electrically couple a second connector of the first electron emitter and a third connector of the second electron emitter with the second generator connector; and the third coupler is configured to electrically couple a fourth connector of the second electron emitter with the second generator connector. 23. The conductive coupler of claim 19, wherein the second coupler configured to electrically couple the second generator connector with a third electron emitter of the X-ray tube. 24. The conductive coupler of claim 23, wherein the second coupler is configured to electrically couple the second generator connector with a fifth connector of the third electron emitter, further comprising a third coupler configured to electrically couple a sixth connector of the third electron emitter with a third generator connector, wherein the generator is configured to provide a second high-voltage source at the third generator connector. 25. The conductive coupler of claim 19, further comprising a third coupler configured to electrically couple a focusing structure of the X-ray tube with a third generator connector, wherein the generator is configured to provide a grid voltage at the third generator connector. 26. The conductive coupler of claim 19, further comprising a third coupler configured to electrically couple a focusing structure of the X-ray tube with the second generator connector. 27. The conductive coupler of claim 19, wherein the conductive coupler is configured to operate the first electron emitter and the second electron emitter in parallel or in series. | In some embodiments, a cathode assembly may include a cathode head that has a first electron emitter and a second electron emitter. The first electron emitter may have a first connection location and a second connection location. The second electron emitter may have a third connection location and a fourth connection location. The third connection location may be electrically coupled with the second connection location of the first electron emitter. The cathode assembly may include a receptacle having a first connector and a second connector. The first connector may be electrically coupled with the first connection location of the first electron emitter. The second connector may be electrically coupled with the second connection location of the first electron emitter and the third connection location of the second electron emitter. The third connector may be electrically coupled with the fourth connection location of the second electron emitter.1. A cathode assembly for an X-ray tube comprising:
a cathode head including:
a first electron emitter having a first connection location and a second connection location; and
a second electron emitter having a third connection location and a fourth connection location, the third connection location electrically coupled with the second connection location of the first electron emitter; and
a first connector electrically coupled with the first connection location of the first electron emitter; a second connector electrically coupled with the second connection location of the first electron emitter and the third connection location of the second electron emitter; and a third connector electrically coupled with the fourth connection location of the second electron emitter. 2. The cathode assembly of claim 1, wherein:
the first electron emitter and the second electron emitter are configured to operate in parallel when an electrical supply is electrically coupled with the second connector and an electrical common is electrically coupled with the first connector and the third connector; and the first electron emitter and the second electron emitter are configured to operate in series when the electrical supply is electrically coupled with the first connector and the electrical common is electrically coupled with the third connector. 3. The cathode assembly of claim 1, wherein the first electron emitter and the second electron emitter are substantially the same size. 4. The cathode assembly of claim 1, further comprising a third electron emitter having a fifth connection location and a sixth connection location, the fifth connection location electrically coupled with the fourth connection location of the second electron emitter and the third connector of the cathode assembly, further comprising a fourth connector electrically coupled with the fifth connection location of the third electron emitter. 5. The cathode assembly of claim 4, wherein the first electron emitter and the second electron emitter are the same size and the third electron emitter includes a least one dimension smaller than a corresponding dimension of the first electron emitter and the second electron emitter. 6. The cathode assembly of claim 4, wherein the third connector is configured to be electrically coupled with an electrical common and the fourth connector is configured to be electrically coupled with an electrical supply. 7. The cathode assembly of claim 6, wherein:
the first electron emitter and the second electron emitter are configured to operate in parallel when a first electrical supply is electrically coupled with the second connector, an electrical common is electrically coupled with the first connector and the third connector, and a second electrical supply is electrically coupled with the fourth connector; and the first electron emitter and the second electron emitter are configured to operate in series when the first electrical supply is electrically coupled with the first connector, the electrical common is electrically coupled with the third connector, and the second electrical supply is electrically coupled with the fourth connector. 8. The cathode assembly of claim 1, wherein the cathode head further includes a focusing structure, further comprising a fourth connector electrically coupled with the focusing structure, and wherein an electrical supply is electrically coupled with the fourth connector. 9. An X-ray imaging system comprising:
a cathode assembly comprising
a first electron emitter having a first connection location and a second connection location; and
a second electron emitter having a third connection location and a fourth connection location, the third connection location electrically coupled with the second connection location of the first electron emitter; and
a first cathode connector electrically coupled with the first connection location of the first electron emitter;
a second cathode connector electrically coupled with the second connection location of the first electron emitter and the third connection location of the second electron emitter; and
a third cathode connector electrically coupled with the fourth connection location of the second electron emitter. 10. The X-ray imaging system of claim 9, further comprising a generator, the generator comprising:
a first generator connector electrically coupled with a first electrical supply; and a second generator connector electrically coupled with a second electrical supply. 11. The X-ray imaging system of claim 9, further comprising a conductive coupler configured to electrically couple a first generator connector of a generator with the second cathode connector and to electrically couple a second generator connector of the generator with the first cathode connector and the third cathode connector. 12. The X-ray imaging system of claim 9, further comprising a conductive coupler configured to electrically couple a first generator connector of a generator with the first cathode connector and to electrically couple a second generator connector of the generator with the third cathode connector. 13. The X-ray imaging system of claim 9, the cathode assembly further comprising:
a third electron emitter having a fifth connection location and a sixth connection location, the fifth connection location electrically coupled with the fourth connection location of the second electron emitter and the third cathode connector; and a fourth cathode connector electrically coupled with the sixth connection location of the third electron emitter. 14. The X-ray imaging system of claim 13, further comprising a conductive coupler configured to electrically couple a first generator connector of a generator with the second cathode connector, to electrically couple a second generator connector of the generator with the first cathode connector and the third cathode connector, and to electrically couple a third generator connector of the generator with the fourth cathode connector. 15. The X-ray imaging system of claim 13, further comprising a conductive coupler configured to electrically couple a first generator connector of a generator with the first cathode connector, to electrically couple a second generator connector of the generator with the third cathode connector, and to electrically couple a third generator connector of the generator with the fourth cathode connector. 16. The X-ray imaging system of claim 13, further comprising a conductive coupler configured to electrically couple a first generator connector of a generator with the first cathode connector, to electrically couple a second generator connector of the generator with the second cathode connector and the third cathode connector, and to electrically couple a third generator connector of the generator with the fourth cathode connector. 17. The X-ray imaging system of claim 9, the cathode assembly further comprising:
a focusing structure; and a fifth cathode connector electrically coupled with the focusing structure. 18. The X-ray imaging system of claim 17, further comprising:
a generator comprising:
a first generator connector electrically coupled with a first electrical supply; and
a second generator connector electrically coupled with an electrical common;
a third generator connector electrically coupled with a second electrical supply; and
a fourth generator connector electrically coupled with a third electrical supply; and
at least one of the following:
a first conductive coupler configured to electrically couple the first generator connector with the first cathode connector, to electrically couple the second generator connector with the third cathode connector, to electrically couple the third generator connector with the fourth cathode connector, and to electrically couple the fourth generator connector with the fifth cathode connector; and
a second conductive coupler configured to electrically couple the first generator connector with the second cathode connector, to electrically couple the second generator connector with the first cathode connector and the third cathode connector, to electrically couple the third generator connector with the fourth cathode connector, and to electrically couple the fourth generator connector with the fifth cathode connector. 19. A conductive coupler configured to electrically couple a generator with an X-ray tube, the conductive coupler comprising:
a first coupler configured to electrically couple a first generator connector of the generator with a first electron emitter of the X-ray tube, wherein the generator is configured to provide a high-voltage source at the first generator connector; and a second coupler configured to electrically couple a second generator connector of the generator with a second electron emitter of the X-ray tube, wherein the generator is configured to provide an electrical common at the second generator connector; wherein the conductive coupler is configured to simultaneously operate the first electron emitter and the second electron emitter, and the conductive coupler is configured to extend between and be removably coupled to the generator and the X-ray tube. 20. The conductive coupler of claim 19, further comprising a third coupler configured to electrically couple the second generator connector of the generator with the first electron emitter, wherein:
the third coupler is configured to electrically couple a first connector of the first electron emitter with the second generator connector; the first coupler is configured to electrically couple a second connector of the first electron emitter and a third connector of the second electron emitter with the first generator connector; and the second coupler is configured to electrically couple a fourth connector of the second electron emitter with the second generator connector. 21. The conductive coupler of claim 19, wherein:
the first coupler is configured to electrically couple a first connector of the first electron emitter with the first generator connector; a second connector of the first electron emitter is electrically coupled to a third connector of the second electron emitter; and the second coupler is configured to electrically couple a fourth connector of the second electron emitter with the second generator connector. 22. The conductive coupler of claim 19, further comprising a third coupler configured to electrically couple the second generator connector of the generator with the first electron emitter and the second electron emitter, wherein:
the first coupler is configured to electrically couple a first connector of the first electron emitter with the first generator connector; the second coupler is configured to electrically couple a second connector of the first electron emitter and a third connector of the second electron emitter with the second generator connector; and the third coupler is configured to electrically couple a fourth connector of the second electron emitter with the second generator connector. 23. The conductive coupler of claim 19, wherein the second coupler configured to electrically couple the second generator connector with a third electron emitter of the X-ray tube. 24. The conductive coupler of claim 23, wherein the second coupler is configured to electrically couple the second generator connector with a fifth connector of the third electron emitter, further comprising a third coupler configured to electrically couple a sixth connector of the third electron emitter with a third generator connector, wherein the generator is configured to provide a second high-voltage source at the third generator connector. 25. The conductive coupler of claim 19, further comprising a third coupler configured to electrically couple a focusing structure of the X-ray tube with a third generator connector, wherein the generator is configured to provide a grid voltage at the third generator connector. 26. The conductive coupler of claim 19, further comprising a third coupler configured to electrically couple a focusing structure of the X-ray tube with the second generator connector. 27. The conductive coupler of claim 19, wherein the conductive coupler is configured to operate the first electron emitter and the second electron emitter in parallel or in series. | 2,800 |
12,432 | 12,432 | 15,382,172 | 2,842 | The disclosure is directed to a power module apparatus that includes a base plate, a power substrate positioned relative to the base plate, at least two power contacts, a gate-source board mounted relative to the power substrate, gate drive connectors electrically connected to the gate-source board, a housing secured to the power substrate, and a clamping circuit electrically connected to the at least one power device. The clamping circuit being configured to clamp an input to a gate of the at least one power device. The clamping circuit being arranged with at least one of the following: the base plate, the power substrate, one of the at least two power contacts, the at least one power device, the gate-source board, the gate drive connectors, and the housing. The disclosure is further directed to a process of configuring a power module apparatus. | 1. A power module apparatus, comprising:
a power substrate; at least one power device electrically connected to the power substrate; a gate-source board mounted relative to the power substrate, the gate-source board electrically connected to the at least one power device; a housing secured to the power substrate; a clamping circuit electrically connected to the at least one power device, the clamping circuit configured to clamp an input to a gate of the at least one power device, the input to the gate comprising gate drive signals generated from a gate driver implemented separate from the power module apparatus; and the clamping circuit being integrated in the power module apparatus and the clamping circuit being arranged with at least one of the following: a base plate, the power substrate, one of at least two power contacts, the at least one power device, the gate-source board, gate drive connectors, and the housing. 2. The power module apparatus of claim 1, wherein the clamping circuit comprises a Miller clamp; and wherein the Miller clamp is integrated into the power module apparatus. 3. The power module apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a signal line configured to receive a drive signal from the gate driver implemented separate from the power module apparatus, wherein the clamping circuit is arranged on the gate-source board and connected to the signal line. 4. The power module apparatus of claim 2, wherein the clamping circuit comprises a transistor discretely holding the at least one power device off. 5. The power module apparatus of claim 4,
wherein the transistor is connected to the gate of the at least one power device; and wherein the transistor is connected to at least one of the following: a source/emitter of the at least one power device and a negative voltage bias (−V). 6. The power module apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a sense and control circuit electrically connected to the clamping circuit, the sense and control circuit configured to control the clamping circuit as a function of a state of the at least one power device,
wherein the sense and control circuit is integrated into the power module apparatus. 7. The power module apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
the base plate defining a topology pattern;
the power substrate positioned relative to the base plate;
the at least two power contacts, each of the at least two power contacts electrically connected to the power substrate; and
the gate drive connectors electrically connected to the gate-source board,
wherein the topology pattern forms at least one of the following: a half bridge substrate, a common source/emitter substrate, and a common drain/collector substrate. 8. The power module apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a signal line configured to receive a drive signal from the gate driver implemented separate from the power module apparatus,
wherein the clamping circuit is connected to the signal line, and wherein the clamping circuit arrangement results in better performance of the at least one power device with respect to a power device implemented with a clamping circuit arrangement in the gate driver. 9. The power module apparatus of claim 7, wherein:
the at least two power contacts are configured to extend through the housing, the housing configured to define fastener apertures configured to receive fasteners positioned in the fastener apertures; and the at least two power contacts being bent and extending over the fastener apertures to retain the fasteners in the fastener apertures. 10. A power module apparatus, comprising:
a power substrate positioned relative to a base plate; at least one power device electrically connected to at least two power contacts; a gate-source board mounted relative to the power substrate, the gate-source board electrically connected to the at least one power device; and a clamping circuit electrically connected to the at least one power device, the clamping circuit configured to clamp an input to a gate of the at least one power device, the input to the gate comprising gate drive signals generated from a gate driver implemented separate from the power module apparatus; wherein the clamping circuit arrangement results in better performance of the at least one power device with respect to a power device implemented with a clamping circuit arrangement in the gate driver, and the clamping circuit arrangement being with at least one of the following: the base plate, the power substrate, one of at least two power contacts, the at least one power device, the gate-source board, gate drive connectors, and a housing. 11. The power module apparatus of claim 10, wherein the clamping circuit comprises a Miller clamp; and wherein the Miller clamp is integrated into the power module apparatus. 12. The power module apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a signal line configured to receive a drive signal from the gate driver implemented separate from the power module apparatus,
wherein the clamping circuit is connected to the signal line, and wherein the clamping circuit is arranged on the gate-source board. 13. The power module apparatus of claim 11, wherein the clamping circuit comprises a transistor discretely holding the at least one power device off. 14. The power module apparatus of claim 13,
wherein the transistor is connected to the gate of the at least one power device; and wherein the transistor is connected to at least one of the following: a source/emitter of the at least one power device and a negative voltage bias (−V). 15. The power module apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a sense and control circuit electrically connected to the clamping circuit, the sense and control circuit configured to control the clamping circuit as a function of a state of the at least one power device. 16. A process of configuring a power module apparatus, comprising:
providing a power substrate; providing at least one power device electrically connected to the at least two power contacts; providing a gate-source board mounted relative to the power substrate, the gate-source board electrically connected to the at least one power device; providing a housing secured to the power substrate; and providing a clamping circuit electrically connected to the at least one power device, the clamping circuit configured to clamp an input to a gate of the at least one power device, the input to the gate comprising gate drive signals generated from a gate driver implemented separate from the power module apparatus; arranging and implementing the clamping circuit with at least one of the following: a base plate, the power substrate, one of at least two power contacts, the at least one power device, the gate-source board, gate drive connectors, and the housing. 17. The process of configuring the power module apparatus of claim 16, further comprising arranging the clamping circuit on the gate-source board,
wherein the clamping circuit comprises a Miller clamp. 18. The process of configuring the power module apparatus of claim 16, wherein the clamping circuit comprises a transistor discretely holding the at least one power device off. 19. The process of configuring the power module apparatus of claim 18,
wherein the transistor is connected to the gate of the at least one power device; and wherein the transistor is connected to at least one of the following: a source/emitter of the at least one power device and a negative voltage bias (−V). 20. The process of configuring the power module apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:
providing a sense and control circuit implemented into the power module apparatus, the sense and control circuit electrically connected to the clamping circuit; and controlling the clamping circuit as a function of a state of the at least one power device with the sense and control circuit. | The disclosure is directed to a power module apparatus that includes a base plate, a power substrate positioned relative to the base plate, at least two power contacts, a gate-source board mounted relative to the power substrate, gate drive connectors electrically connected to the gate-source board, a housing secured to the power substrate, and a clamping circuit electrically connected to the at least one power device. The clamping circuit being configured to clamp an input to a gate of the at least one power device. The clamping circuit being arranged with at least one of the following: the base plate, the power substrate, one of the at least two power contacts, the at least one power device, the gate-source board, the gate drive connectors, and the housing. The disclosure is further directed to a process of configuring a power module apparatus.1. A power module apparatus, comprising:
a power substrate; at least one power device electrically connected to the power substrate; a gate-source board mounted relative to the power substrate, the gate-source board electrically connected to the at least one power device; a housing secured to the power substrate; a clamping circuit electrically connected to the at least one power device, the clamping circuit configured to clamp an input to a gate of the at least one power device, the input to the gate comprising gate drive signals generated from a gate driver implemented separate from the power module apparatus; and the clamping circuit being integrated in the power module apparatus and the clamping circuit being arranged with at least one of the following: a base plate, the power substrate, one of at least two power contacts, the at least one power device, the gate-source board, gate drive connectors, and the housing. 2. The power module apparatus of claim 1, wherein the clamping circuit comprises a Miller clamp; and wherein the Miller clamp is integrated into the power module apparatus. 3. The power module apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a signal line configured to receive a drive signal from the gate driver implemented separate from the power module apparatus, wherein the clamping circuit is arranged on the gate-source board and connected to the signal line. 4. The power module apparatus of claim 2, wherein the clamping circuit comprises a transistor discretely holding the at least one power device off. 5. The power module apparatus of claim 4,
wherein the transistor is connected to the gate of the at least one power device; and wherein the transistor is connected to at least one of the following: a source/emitter of the at least one power device and a negative voltage bias (−V). 6. The power module apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a sense and control circuit electrically connected to the clamping circuit, the sense and control circuit configured to control the clamping circuit as a function of a state of the at least one power device,
wherein the sense and control circuit is integrated into the power module apparatus. 7. The power module apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
the base plate defining a topology pattern;
the power substrate positioned relative to the base plate;
the at least two power contacts, each of the at least two power contacts electrically connected to the power substrate; and
the gate drive connectors electrically connected to the gate-source board,
wherein the topology pattern forms at least one of the following: a half bridge substrate, a common source/emitter substrate, and a common drain/collector substrate. 8. The power module apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a signal line configured to receive a drive signal from the gate driver implemented separate from the power module apparatus,
wherein the clamping circuit is connected to the signal line, and wherein the clamping circuit arrangement results in better performance of the at least one power device with respect to a power device implemented with a clamping circuit arrangement in the gate driver. 9. The power module apparatus of claim 7, wherein:
the at least two power contacts are configured to extend through the housing, the housing configured to define fastener apertures configured to receive fasteners positioned in the fastener apertures; and the at least two power contacts being bent and extending over the fastener apertures to retain the fasteners in the fastener apertures. 10. A power module apparatus, comprising:
a power substrate positioned relative to a base plate; at least one power device electrically connected to at least two power contacts; a gate-source board mounted relative to the power substrate, the gate-source board electrically connected to the at least one power device; and a clamping circuit electrically connected to the at least one power device, the clamping circuit configured to clamp an input to a gate of the at least one power device, the input to the gate comprising gate drive signals generated from a gate driver implemented separate from the power module apparatus; wherein the clamping circuit arrangement results in better performance of the at least one power device with respect to a power device implemented with a clamping circuit arrangement in the gate driver, and the clamping circuit arrangement being with at least one of the following: the base plate, the power substrate, one of at least two power contacts, the at least one power device, the gate-source board, gate drive connectors, and a housing. 11. The power module apparatus of claim 10, wherein the clamping circuit comprises a Miller clamp; and wherein the Miller clamp is integrated into the power module apparatus. 12. The power module apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a signal line configured to receive a drive signal from the gate driver implemented separate from the power module apparatus,
wherein the clamping circuit is connected to the signal line, and wherein the clamping circuit is arranged on the gate-source board. 13. The power module apparatus of claim 11, wherein the clamping circuit comprises a transistor discretely holding the at least one power device off. 14. The power module apparatus of claim 13,
wherein the transistor is connected to the gate of the at least one power device; and wherein the transistor is connected to at least one of the following: a source/emitter of the at least one power device and a negative voltage bias (−V). 15. The power module apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a sense and control circuit electrically connected to the clamping circuit, the sense and control circuit configured to control the clamping circuit as a function of a state of the at least one power device. 16. A process of configuring a power module apparatus, comprising:
providing a power substrate; providing at least one power device electrically connected to the at least two power contacts; providing a gate-source board mounted relative to the power substrate, the gate-source board electrically connected to the at least one power device; providing a housing secured to the power substrate; and providing a clamping circuit electrically connected to the at least one power device, the clamping circuit configured to clamp an input to a gate of the at least one power device, the input to the gate comprising gate drive signals generated from a gate driver implemented separate from the power module apparatus; arranging and implementing the clamping circuit with at least one of the following: a base plate, the power substrate, one of at least two power contacts, the at least one power device, the gate-source board, gate drive connectors, and the housing. 17. The process of configuring the power module apparatus of claim 16, further comprising arranging the clamping circuit on the gate-source board,
wherein the clamping circuit comprises a Miller clamp. 18. The process of configuring the power module apparatus of claim 16, wherein the clamping circuit comprises a transistor discretely holding the at least one power device off. 19. The process of configuring the power module apparatus of claim 18,
wherein the transistor is connected to the gate of the at least one power device; and wherein the transistor is connected to at least one of the following: a source/emitter of the at least one power device and a negative voltage bias (−V). 20. The process of configuring the power module apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:
providing a sense and control circuit implemented into the power module apparatus, the sense and control circuit electrically connected to the clamping circuit; and controlling the clamping circuit as a function of a state of the at least one power device with the sense and control circuit. | 2,800 |
12,433 | 12,433 | 16,591,002 | 2,896 | Flexible electrical devices comprising electrode layers on softening polymers and methods of manufacturing such devices, including lift-off processes for forming electrodes on softening polymers, processes for forming devices with a patterned double softening polymer layer, and solder reflow processes for forming electrical contacts on softening polymers. | 1. An electrical device, comprising:
a softening polymer layer; an electrode layer on a surface of the softening polymer layer; and a cover layer composed of a second softening polymer on the surface of the softening polymer layer, wherein:
a mechanical neutral plane of the device is located at or above the surface of the softening polymer layer, and
an opening in the second softening polymer cover layer exposes a portion of a surface of the electrode layer, wherein the softening polymer layer and the cover layer of the second softening polymer are composed of a softening polymer having a Young's modulus that decreases by more than 1 order of magnitude within an about 30° C. temperature increase. 2. The electrical device of claim 1, wherein the cover layer has a Young's modulus that is within about ±10 percent of a Young's modulus of the softening polymer layer. 3. The electrical device of claim 1, wherein the cover layer has a thickness that is within about ±10 percent of a thickness of the softening polymer layer. 4. The electrical device of claim 1, wherein the within about 30° C. temperature increase is from about 20° C. to about 50° C. 5. The electrical device of claim 1, wherein the within about 30° C. temperature increase is from about 20° C. to about 37° C. | Flexible electrical devices comprising electrode layers on softening polymers and methods of manufacturing such devices, including lift-off processes for forming electrodes on softening polymers, processes for forming devices with a patterned double softening polymer layer, and solder reflow processes for forming electrical contacts on softening polymers.1. An electrical device, comprising:
a softening polymer layer; an electrode layer on a surface of the softening polymer layer; and a cover layer composed of a second softening polymer on the surface of the softening polymer layer, wherein:
a mechanical neutral plane of the device is located at or above the surface of the softening polymer layer, and
an opening in the second softening polymer cover layer exposes a portion of a surface of the electrode layer, wherein the softening polymer layer and the cover layer of the second softening polymer are composed of a softening polymer having a Young's modulus that decreases by more than 1 order of magnitude within an about 30° C. temperature increase. 2. The electrical device of claim 1, wherein the cover layer has a Young's modulus that is within about ±10 percent of a Young's modulus of the softening polymer layer. 3. The electrical device of claim 1, wherein the cover layer has a thickness that is within about ±10 percent of a thickness of the softening polymer layer. 4. The electrical device of claim 1, wherein the within about 30° C. temperature increase is from about 20° C. to about 50° C. 5. The electrical device of claim 1, wherein the within about 30° C. temperature increase is from about 20° C. to about 37° C. | 2,800 |
12,434 | 12,434 | 15,801,298 | 2,831 | An expansion slot connector has length-reduced termination portions for surface-mounting onto a printed circuit board, while maintaining compliance with defined standards, manufacturer specifications, and signal integrity demands. At least one advantage in this approach is that the physical footprint of the slot connector is reduced. | 1. An apparatus, comprising:
an expansion slot connector configured to be mountable onto a printed circuit board (PCB), the expansion slot connector comprising:
a connector body; and
a plurality of conductive elements arranged within the connector body, each conductive element including a mounting portion protruding from the connector body, the mounting portion including a termination sub-portion, the termination sub-portion having a length of 1.30-1.60 millimeters;
wherein, when the expansion slot connector is mounted onto the PCB, the termination sub-portion is coupled to the PCB and is substantially parallel to the PCB. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the expansion slot connector further includes one or more support pillars configured to be inserted into respective holes pre-drilled through the PCB. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the expansion slot connector conforms to the PCI Express 4.0 standard. 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a plurality of characteristics associated with the conductive elements are configured to substantially maintain a predefined impedance range throughout the conductive elements, the plurality of characteristics comprising: a length of the conductive elements, and a length of the termination sub-portion. 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the predefined impedance range is 100 ohms+/−20%. 6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the predefined impedance range is 85 ohms+/−10%. 7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the plurality of characteristics further include a thickness of the conductive element. 8. An apparatus, comprising:
an expansion slot connector configured to be mountable onto a printed circuit board (PCB), the expansion slot connector comprising:
a connector body; and
a plurality of conductive elements arranged within the connector body, each conductive element including a mounting portion protruding from the connector body, the mounting portion including a termination sub-portion, the termination sub-portion having a length of 1.30-1.60 millimeters,
wherein, when the slot connector is mounted onto the PCB, the termination sub-portion is coupled to the PCB and is substantially parallel to the PCB, and wherein a plurality of characteristics associated with the conductive element is configured to substantially maintain a predefined impedance range throughout the conductive element, the plurality of characteristics including:
a length of the conductive element, and
a length of the termination sub-portion. 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the length of the termination sub-portion is configured such that the end of the termination sub-portion is substantially flush with an outer wall of the connector body. 10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the length of the termination sub-portion is configured such that the termination sub-portion extends no further than an outer wall of the connector body. 11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the predefined impedance range is 100 ohms+/−20%. 12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the predefined impedance range is 85 ohms+/−10%. 13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the plurality of characteristics further include a thickness of the conductive element. 14. A system, comprising:
a printed circuit board (PCB); and an expansion slot connector mounted onto the PCB, the expansion slot connector comprising:
a connector body; and
a plurality of conductive elements arranged within the connector body, each conductive element including a mounting portion protruding from the connector body, the mounting portion including a termination sub-portion, the termination sub-portion having a length of 1.30-1.60 millimeters;
wherein, when the expansion slot connector is mounted onto the PCB, the termination sub-portion is coupled to the PCB and is substantially parallel to the PCB. 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the expansion slot connector further includes one or more support pillars configured to be inserted into respective holes pre-drilled through the PCB. 16. The system of claim 14, wherein the expansion slot connector conforms to the PCI Express 4.0 standard. 17. The system of claim 14, wherein a plurality of characteristics associated with the conductive element is configured to substantially maintain a predefined impedance range throughout the conductive element, the plurality of characteristics comprising: a length of the conductive element, and a length of the termination sub-portion. 18. The system of claim 17, wherein the predefined impedance range is 100 ohms+/−20%. 19. The system of claim 17, wherein the predefined impedance range is 85 ohms+/−10%. 20. The system of claim 17, wherein the connector body comprises an outer wall and a chamfered edge along a lower portion of the outer wall. | An expansion slot connector has length-reduced termination portions for surface-mounting onto a printed circuit board, while maintaining compliance with defined standards, manufacturer specifications, and signal integrity demands. At least one advantage in this approach is that the physical footprint of the slot connector is reduced.1. An apparatus, comprising:
an expansion slot connector configured to be mountable onto a printed circuit board (PCB), the expansion slot connector comprising:
a connector body; and
a plurality of conductive elements arranged within the connector body, each conductive element including a mounting portion protruding from the connector body, the mounting portion including a termination sub-portion, the termination sub-portion having a length of 1.30-1.60 millimeters;
wherein, when the expansion slot connector is mounted onto the PCB, the termination sub-portion is coupled to the PCB and is substantially parallel to the PCB. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the expansion slot connector further includes one or more support pillars configured to be inserted into respective holes pre-drilled through the PCB. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the expansion slot connector conforms to the PCI Express 4.0 standard. 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a plurality of characteristics associated with the conductive elements are configured to substantially maintain a predefined impedance range throughout the conductive elements, the plurality of characteristics comprising: a length of the conductive elements, and a length of the termination sub-portion. 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the predefined impedance range is 100 ohms+/−20%. 6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the predefined impedance range is 85 ohms+/−10%. 7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the plurality of characteristics further include a thickness of the conductive element. 8. An apparatus, comprising:
an expansion slot connector configured to be mountable onto a printed circuit board (PCB), the expansion slot connector comprising:
a connector body; and
a plurality of conductive elements arranged within the connector body, each conductive element including a mounting portion protruding from the connector body, the mounting portion including a termination sub-portion, the termination sub-portion having a length of 1.30-1.60 millimeters,
wherein, when the slot connector is mounted onto the PCB, the termination sub-portion is coupled to the PCB and is substantially parallel to the PCB, and wherein a plurality of characteristics associated with the conductive element is configured to substantially maintain a predefined impedance range throughout the conductive element, the plurality of characteristics including:
a length of the conductive element, and
a length of the termination sub-portion. 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the length of the termination sub-portion is configured such that the end of the termination sub-portion is substantially flush with an outer wall of the connector body. 10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the length of the termination sub-portion is configured such that the termination sub-portion extends no further than an outer wall of the connector body. 11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the predefined impedance range is 100 ohms+/−20%. 12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the predefined impedance range is 85 ohms+/−10%. 13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the plurality of characteristics further include a thickness of the conductive element. 14. A system, comprising:
a printed circuit board (PCB); and an expansion slot connector mounted onto the PCB, the expansion slot connector comprising:
a connector body; and
a plurality of conductive elements arranged within the connector body, each conductive element including a mounting portion protruding from the connector body, the mounting portion including a termination sub-portion, the termination sub-portion having a length of 1.30-1.60 millimeters;
wherein, when the expansion slot connector is mounted onto the PCB, the termination sub-portion is coupled to the PCB and is substantially parallel to the PCB. 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the expansion slot connector further includes one or more support pillars configured to be inserted into respective holes pre-drilled through the PCB. 16. The system of claim 14, wherein the expansion slot connector conforms to the PCI Express 4.0 standard. 17. The system of claim 14, wherein a plurality of characteristics associated with the conductive element is configured to substantially maintain a predefined impedance range throughout the conductive element, the plurality of characteristics comprising: a length of the conductive element, and a length of the termination sub-portion. 18. The system of claim 17, wherein the predefined impedance range is 100 ohms+/−20%. 19. The system of claim 17, wherein the predefined impedance range is 85 ohms+/−10%. 20. The system of claim 17, wherein the connector body comprises an outer wall and a chamfered edge along a lower portion of the outer wall. | 2,800 |
12,435 | 12,435 | 16,711,753 | 2,897 | A method comprises removing a portion of molding compound from a side of a package structure by a laser ablation process to create an opening that exposes a portion of a conductive clip, depositing solder paste on the exposed portion of the conductive clip, and reflowing the solder paste. The laser ablation process in one example is a pulsed laser ablation process that includes raster scanning a laser along a portion of the side of the package structure to create the opening. Depositing the solder paste in one example includes performing a dispense process or a screening process that deposits solder paste in the opening onto the exposed portion of the conductive clip. | 1. An electronic device, comprising:
a semiconductor die having an electronic component; a conductive clip on a side of the semiconductor die; a solder structure on a side of the conductive clip; and a package structure that encloses the semiconductor die and the conductive clip, the package structure having a side that exposes a portion of the solder structure. 2. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a first lead exposed along a second side of the package structure, and a second lead exposed along the second side of the package structure. 3. The electronic device of claim 2, further comprising:
a die attach pad having a first side exposed along a second side of the package structure; a second semiconductor die having a first side on the die attach pad, a second side, and a second electronic component; and a second conductive clip having a first side on the second side of the second semiconductor die, and a second side on a second side of the semiconductor die, the second conductive clip coupled to the first lead; wherein the conductive clip is coupled to the second lead. 4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein:
the electronic component of the semiconductor die is a field effect transistor having a drain coupled to the conductive clip, and a source coupled to the second conductive clip; and the second electronic component of the second semiconductor die is a second field effect transistor having a drain coupled to the second conductive clip, and a source coupled to the die attach pad. 5. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein:
the package structure has an opening between the conductive clip and the side of the package structure; and the solder structure extends in the opening. 6. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:
a die attach pad having a first side exposed along a second side of the package structure; a second semiconductor die having a first side on the die attach pad, a second side, and a second electronic component; and a second conductive clip having a first side on the second side of the second semiconductor die, and a second side on a second side of the semiconductor die. 7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein:
the electronic component of the semiconductor die is a field effect transistor having a drain coupled to the conductive clip, and a source coupled to the second conductive clip; and the second electronic component of the second semiconductor die is a second field effect transistor having a drain coupled to the second conductive clip, and a source coupled to the die attach pad. 8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:
the package structure has an opening between the conductive clip and the side of the package structure; and the solder structure extends in the opening. 9-16. (canceled) 17. An electronic device, comprising:
a package structure having a first side that includes an opening, and an opposite second side; a solder structure in the opening, the solder structure exposed along the first side of the package structure; a die attach pad having a first side exposed along the second side of the package structure; a first lead exposed along the second side of the package structure; a second lead exposed along the second side of the package structure; a first transistor having a drain coupled to the solder structure and to the second lead, and a source coupled to the first lead; and a second transistor having a drain coupled to the first lead, and a source coupled to the die attach pad. 18. The electronic device of claim 17, further comprising:
a control circuit in the package structure, the control circuit having a first output coupled to a gate of the first transistor, and a second output coupled to a gate of the second transistor. 19. The electronic device of claim 17, further comprising:
a conductive clip in the package structure, the conductive clip coupled to: the drain of the first transistor, the solder structure, and the second lead. 20. The electronic device of claim 19, further comprising:
a second conductive clip in the package structure, the second conductive clip coupled to: the drain of the second transistor, the first lead, and the source of the first transistor. 21. An electronic device, comprising:
a package structure having a laser ablated opening exposing a portion of a conductive clip; and a solder structure on the exposed portion of the conductive clip. 22. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the solder structure is reflown solder paste. 23. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the package structure includes a semiconductor die having an electronic component. 24. The electronic device of claim 23, wherein the package structure encloses the semiconductor die and the conductive clip, the package structure having a side that exposes a portion of the solder structure. 25. The electronic device of claim 24, further comprising a first lead exposed along a second side of the package structure, and a second lead exposed along the second side of the package structure. 26. The electronic device of claim 25, further comprising:
a die attach pad having a first side exposed along a second side of the package structure; a second semiconductor die having a first side on the die attach pad, a second side, and a second electronic component; and a second conductive clip having a first side on the second side of the second semiconductor die, and a second side on a second side of the semiconductor die, the second conductive clip coupled to the first lead; wherein the conductive clip is coupled to the second lead. 27. The electronic device of claim 26, wherein:
the electronic component of the semiconductor die is a field effect transistor having a drain coupled to the conductive clip, and a source coupled to the second conductive clip; and the second electronic component of the second semiconductor die is a second field effect transistor having a drain coupled to the second conductive clip, and a source coupled to the die attach pad. 28. The electronic device of claim 26, wherein:
the package structure has an opening between the conductive clip and the side of the package structure; and the solder structure extends in the opening. 29. The electronic device of claim 24, further comprising:
a die attach pad having a first side exposed along a second side of the package structure; a second semiconductor die having a first side on the die attach pad, a second side, and a second electronic component; and a second conductive clip having a first side on the second side of the second semiconductor die, and a second side on a second side of the semiconductor die. 30. The electronic device of claim 29, wherein:
the electronic component of the semiconductor die is a field effect transistor having a drain coupled to the conductive clip, and a source coupled to the second conductive clip; and the second electronic component of the second semiconductor die is a second field effect transistor having a drain coupled to the second conductive clip, and a source coupled to the die attach pad. 31. The electronic device of claim 24, wherein:
the package structure has an opening between the conductive clip and the side of the package structure; and the solder structure extends in the opening. | A method comprises removing a portion of molding compound from a side of a package structure by a laser ablation process to create an opening that exposes a portion of a conductive clip, depositing solder paste on the exposed portion of the conductive clip, and reflowing the solder paste. The laser ablation process in one example is a pulsed laser ablation process that includes raster scanning a laser along a portion of the side of the package structure to create the opening. Depositing the solder paste in one example includes performing a dispense process or a screening process that deposits solder paste in the opening onto the exposed portion of the conductive clip.1. An electronic device, comprising:
a semiconductor die having an electronic component; a conductive clip on a side of the semiconductor die; a solder structure on a side of the conductive clip; and a package structure that encloses the semiconductor die and the conductive clip, the package structure having a side that exposes a portion of the solder structure. 2. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a first lead exposed along a second side of the package structure, and a second lead exposed along the second side of the package structure. 3. The electronic device of claim 2, further comprising:
a die attach pad having a first side exposed along a second side of the package structure; a second semiconductor die having a first side on the die attach pad, a second side, and a second electronic component; and a second conductive clip having a first side on the second side of the second semiconductor die, and a second side on a second side of the semiconductor die, the second conductive clip coupled to the first lead; wherein the conductive clip is coupled to the second lead. 4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein:
the electronic component of the semiconductor die is a field effect transistor having a drain coupled to the conductive clip, and a source coupled to the second conductive clip; and the second electronic component of the second semiconductor die is a second field effect transistor having a drain coupled to the second conductive clip, and a source coupled to the die attach pad. 5. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein:
the package structure has an opening between the conductive clip and the side of the package structure; and the solder structure extends in the opening. 6. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:
a die attach pad having a first side exposed along a second side of the package structure; a second semiconductor die having a first side on the die attach pad, a second side, and a second electronic component; and a second conductive clip having a first side on the second side of the second semiconductor die, and a second side on a second side of the semiconductor die. 7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein:
the electronic component of the semiconductor die is a field effect transistor having a drain coupled to the conductive clip, and a source coupled to the second conductive clip; and the second electronic component of the second semiconductor die is a second field effect transistor having a drain coupled to the second conductive clip, and a source coupled to the die attach pad. 8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:
the package structure has an opening between the conductive clip and the side of the package structure; and the solder structure extends in the opening. 9-16. (canceled) 17. An electronic device, comprising:
a package structure having a first side that includes an opening, and an opposite second side; a solder structure in the opening, the solder structure exposed along the first side of the package structure; a die attach pad having a first side exposed along the second side of the package structure; a first lead exposed along the second side of the package structure; a second lead exposed along the second side of the package structure; a first transistor having a drain coupled to the solder structure and to the second lead, and a source coupled to the first lead; and a second transistor having a drain coupled to the first lead, and a source coupled to the die attach pad. 18. The electronic device of claim 17, further comprising:
a control circuit in the package structure, the control circuit having a first output coupled to a gate of the first transistor, and a second output coupled to a gate of the second transistor. 19. The electronic device of claim 17, further comprising:
a conductive clip in the package structure, the conductive clip coupled to: the drain of the first transistor, the solder structure, and the second lead. 20. The electronic device of claim 19, further comprising:
a second conductive clip in the package structure, the second conductive clip coupled to: the drain of the second transistor, the first lead, and the source of the first transistor. 21. An electronic device, comprising:
a package structure having a laser ablated opening exposing a portion of a conductive clip; and a solder structure on the exposed portion of the conductive clip. 22. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the solder structure is reflown solder paste. 23. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the package structure includes a semiconductor die having an electronic component. 24. The electronic device of claim 23, wherein the package structure encloses the semiconductor die and the conductive clip, the package structure having a side that exposes a portion of the solder structure. 25. The electronic device of claim 24, further comprising a first lead exposed along a second side of the package structure, and a second lead exposed along the second side of the package structure. 26. The electronic device of claim 25, further comprising:
a die attach pad having a first side exposed along a second side of the package structure; a second semiconductor die having a first side on the die attach pad, a second side, and a second electronic component; and a second conductive clip having a first side on the second side of the second semiconductor die, and a second side on a second side of the semiconductor die, the second conductive clip coupled to the first lead; wherein the conductive clip is coupled to the second lead. 27. The electronic device of claim 26, wherein:
the electronic component of the semiconductor die is a field effect transistor having a drain coupled to the conductive clip, and a source coupled to the second conductive clip; and the second electronic component of the second semiconductor die is a second field effect transistor having a drain coupled to the second conductive clip, and a source coupled to the die attach pad. 28. The electronic device of claim 26, wherein:
the package structure has an opening between the conductive clip and the side of the package structure; and the solder structure extends in the opening. 29. The electronic device of claim 24, further comprising:
a die attach pad having a first side exposed along a second side of the package structure; a second semiconductor die having a first side on the die attach pad, a second side, and a second electronic component; and a second conductive clip having a first side on the second side of the second semiconductor die, and a second side on a second side of the semiconductor die. 30. The electronic device of claim 29, wherein:
the electronic component of the semiconductor die is a field effect transistor having a drain coupled to the conductive clip, and a source coupled to the second conductive clip; and the second electronic component of the second semiconductor die is a second field effect transistor having a drain coupled to the second conductive clip, and a source coupled to the die attach pad. 31. The electronic device of claim 24, wherein:
the package structure has an opening between the conductive clip and the side of the package structure; and the solder structure extends in the opening. | 2,800 |
12,436 | 12,436 | 15,909,170 | 2,877 | A method and system for authenticating an item includes irradiating the item, the item including a polymer substrate including a polymer material and a doping material and configured to emit a radiation spectrum having a spectral signature in response to the irradiating, the doping material capable of absorbing or scattering radiation at a specific wavelength to generate the spectral signature, detecting the spectral signature, and determining a code associated with the spectral signature. | 1. A method for authenticating an item, comprising:
irradiating the item, the item including a polymer substrate comprising a polymer material and a doping material and configured to emit a radiation spectrum having a spectral signature in response to the irradiating, the doping material capable of absorbing or scattering radiation at a specific wavelength to generate the spectral signature; detecting the spectral signature; and determining a code associated with the spectral signature. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising
comparing the determined code to a reference code. 3. The method of claim 2, further comprising
providing an indication of authenticity if the determined code matches the reference code. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the spectral signature is an absorption or scattering pattern in the radiation spectrum. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the radiation spectrum includes visible light. 6. The method of claim 4, wherein the radiation spectrum includes non-visible electromagnetic radiation. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the irradiating includes providing an incident spectrum. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer material is biaxially oriented poly-propylene. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the doping material is capable of absorbing or scattering radiation at a plurality of specific wavelengths to produce the spectral signature. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the absorbed or scattered radiation at the plurality of specific wavelengths has different intensities at each of the plurality of specific wavelengths. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the item is currency. 12. The method of claim 1, further comprising
covering the polymer substrate with an opacity layer. 13. The method of claim 1, further comprising
matching an index of refraction of the doping material with an index of refraction of the polymer material. 14. A system for authenticating an item, comprising:
a radiation source for irradiating the item, the item including a polymer substrate comprising a polymer material and a doping material and configured to emit a radiation spectrum having a spectral signature in response to the irradiating, the doping material capable of absorbing or scattering radiation at a specific wavelength to generate the spectral signature; and a sensor configured to detect the spectral signature. 15. The system of claim 14, further comprising
a computing device for determining a code associated with the spectral signature. 16. The system of claim 15, wherein the computing device is configured to compare the determined code to a reference code and to determine whether the item is authentic based on the comparison of the determined code to the reference code. 17. The system of claim 14, wherein the spectral signature is an absorption or scattering pattern in the radiation spectrum. 18. The system of claim 14, wherein the doping material is capable of absorbing or scattering radiation at a plurality of specific wavelengths to generate the spectral signature, the absorbed or scattered radiation having different intensities at each of the plurality of specific wavelengths; and
wherein the sensor is configured to detect the intensities at each of the plurality of specific wavelengths in the spectral signature. 19. The system of claim 14, wherein the sensor includes an imaging device of a smartphone or a tablet. 20. The system of claim 14, further comprising
a radiation source for providing an incident spectrum. | A method and system for authenticating an item includes irradiating the item, the item including a polymer substrate including a polymer material and a doping material and configured to emit a radiation spectrum having a spectral signature in response to the irradiating, the doping material capable of absorbing or scattering radiation at a specific wavelength to generate the spectral signature, detecting the spectral signature, and determining a code associated with the spectral signature.1. A method for authenticating an item, comprising:
irradiating the item, the item including a polymer substrate comprising a polymer material and a doping material and configured to emit a radiation spectrum having a spectral signature in response to the irradiating, the doping material capable of absorbing or scattering radiation at a specific wavelength to generate the spectral signature; detecting the spectral signature; and determining a code associated with the spectral signature. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising
comparing the determined code to a reference code. 3. The method of claim 2, further comprising
providing an indication of authenticity if the determined code matches the reference code. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the spectral signature is an absorption or scattering pattern in the radiation spectrum. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the radiation spectrum includes visible light. 6. The method of claim 4, wherein the radiation spectrum includes non-visible electromagnetic radiation. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the irradiating includes providing an incident spectrum. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer material is biaxially oriented poly-propylene. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the doping material is capable of absorbing or scattering radiation at a plurality of specific wavelengths to produce the spectral signature. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the absorbed or scattered radiation at the plurality of specific wavelengths has different intensities at each of the plurality of specific wavelengths. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the item is currency. 12. The method of claim 1, further comprising
covering the polymer substrate with an opacity layer. 13. The method of claim 1, further comprising
matching an index of refraction of the doping material with an index of refraction of the polymer material. 14. A system for authenticating an item, comprising:
a radiation source for irradiating the item, the item including a polymer substrate comprising a polymer material and a doping material and configured to emit a radiation spectrum having a spectral signature in response to the irradiating, the doping material capable of absorbing or scattering radiation at a specific wavelength to generate the spectral signature; and a sensor configured to detect the spectral signature. 15. The system of claim 14, further comprising
a computing device for determining a code associated with the spectral signature. 16. The system of claim 15, wherein the computing device is configured to compare the determined code to a reference code and to determine whether the item is authentic based on the comparison of the determined code to the reference code. 17. The system of claim 14, wherein the spectral signature is an absorption or scattering pattern in the radiation spectrum. 18. The system of claim 14, wherein the doping material is capable of absorbing or scattering radiation at a plurality of specific wavelengths to generate the spectral signature, the absorbed or scattered radiation having different intensities at each of the plurality of specific wavelengths; and
wherein the sensor is configured to detect the intensities at each of the plurality of specific wavelengths in the spectral signature. 19. The system of claim 14, wherein the sensor includes an imaging device of a smartphone or a tablet. 20. The system of claim 14, further comprising
a radiation source for providing an incident spectrum. | 2,800 |
12,437 | 12,437 | 16,583,096 | 2,892 | A semiconductor device includes a metal base plate, a case component, and a metal component. The metal component is fixed to the case component. A partial region of the metal component is exposed from the case component. The partial region is bonded to the base plate in a bonding portion. In the bonding portion, a surface of the partial region and a surface of the base plate are in direct contact with each other and integrated. | 1. A semiconductor device comprising:
a metal base plate; a case component; and a metal component fixed to said case component, wherein a partial region of said metal component is exposed from said case component, said partial region is bonded to said base plate in a bonding portion, and in said bond portion, a surface of said partial region and a surface of said base plate are in direct contact with each other and integrated. 2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said bonding portion is disposed as a portion where said partial region adheres to the surface of said base plate. 3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said bonding portion is disposed as a portion where said partial region adheres to a surface of a wedge-shaped portion formed on the surface of said base plate. 4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said bonding portion is disposed as a portion where said partial region adheres onto a slope connecting one main surface of said base plate and the other main surface on an opposite side to said one main surface in an oblique direction with respect to said one main surface and said other main surface. 5. A power converter comprising:
a main conversion circuit including the semiconductor device according to claim 1, the main conversion circuit converting and outputting input power; and a control circuit that outputs a control signal controlling said main conversion circuit to said main conversion circuit. 6. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of:
preparing a metal base plate; forming a case component in a metal component by insert molding such that at least a part of said metal component is fixed; and bonding a partial region exposed from said case component in said insert-molded metal component and said base plate, wherein in said bonding step, a surface of said partial region and a surface of said base plate are in direct contact with each other and integrated. 7. The method for manufacturing the semiconductor device according to claim 6, wherein ultrasonic bonding is performed in said bonding step. 8. The method for manufacturing the semiconductor device according to claim 6, wherein a pressure bonding step is performed in said bonding step. 9. The method for manufacturing the semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein in said bonding step, said partial region is pressure-bonded to the surface of the wedge-shaped portion formed on the surface of said base plate. 10. The method for manufacturing the semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein in said bonding step, said partial region is pressure-bonded onto a slope connecting one main surface of said base plate and the other main surface on an opposite side to said one main surface in an oblique direction with respect to said one main surface and said other main surface. | A semiconductor device includes a metal base plate, a case component, and a metal component. The metal component is fixed to the case component. A partial region of the metal component is exposed from the case component. The partial region is bonded to the base plate in a bonding portion. In the bonding portion, a surface of the partial region and a surface of the base plate are in direct contact with each other and integrated.1. A semiconductor device comprising:
a metal base plate; a case component; and a metal component fixed to said case component, wherein a partial region of said metal component is exposed from said case component, said partial region is bonded to said base plate in a bonding portion, and in said bond portion, a surface of said partial region and a surface of said base plate are in direct contact with each other and integrated. 2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said bonding portion is disposed as a portion where said partial region adheres to the surface of said base plate. 3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said bonding portion is disposed as a portion where said partial region adheres to a surface of a wedge-shaped portion formed on the surface of said base plate. 4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said bonding portion is disposed as a portion where said partial region adheres onto a slope connecting one main surface of said base plate and the other main surface on an opposite side to said one main surface in an oblique direction with respect to said one main surface and said other main surface. 5. A power converter comprising:
a main conversion circuit including the semiconductor device according to claim 1, the main conversion circuit converting and outputting input power; and a control circuit that outputs a control signal controlling said main conversion circuit to said main conversion circuit. 6. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of:
preparing a metal base plate; forming a case component in a metal component by insert molding such that at least a part of said metal component is fixed; and bonding a partial region exposed from said case component in said insert-molded metal component and said base plate, wherein in said bonding step, a surface of said partial region and a surface of said base plate are in direct contact with each other and integrated. 7. The method for manufacturing the semiconductor device according to claim 6, wherein ultrasonic bonding is performed in said bonding step. 8. The method for manufacturing the semiconductor device according to claim 6, wherein a pressure bonding step is performed in said bonding step. 9. The method for manufacturing the semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein in said bonding step, said partial region is pressure-bonded to the surface of the wedge-shaped portion formed on the surface of said base plate. 10. The method for manufacturing the semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein in said bonding step, said partial region is pressure-bonded onto a slope connecting one main surface of said base plate and the other main surface on an opposite side to said one main surface in an oblique direction with respect to said one main surface and said other main surface. | 2,800 |
12,438 | 12,438 | 15,582,418 | 2,819 | A semiconductor device has a semiconductor wafer and a first conductive layer formed over the semiconductor wafer as contact pads. A first insulating layer formed over the first conductive layer. A second conductive layer including an interconnect site is formed over the first conductive layer and first insulating layer. The second conductive layer is formed as a redistribution layer. A second insulating layer is formed over the second conductive layer. An opening is formed in the second insulating layer over the interconnect site. The opening extends to the first insulating layer in an area adjacent to the interconnect site. Alternatively, the opening extends partially through the second insulating layer in an area adjacent to the interconnect site. An interconnect structure is formed within the opening over the interconnect site and over a side surface of the second conductive layer. The semiconductor wafer is singulated into individual semiconductor die. | 1. A method of making a semiconductor device, comprising:
providing a semiconductor wafer; forming a redistribution layer including an interconnect site over the semiconductor wafer; forming a first insulating layer over the redistribution layer with an opening in the first insulating layer over the interconnect site; and forming an interconnect structure within the opening to cover a top surface of the redistribution layer and a side surface of the redistribution layer. 2. The method of claim 1, further including:
forming a second insulating layer over the semiconductor wafer; and forming the redistribution layer over the second insulating layer. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the opening extends to the second insulating layer. 4. The method of claim 1, further including forming the opening partially through the first insulating layer. 5. The method of claim 1, further including forming a conductive layer over the semiconductor wafer, wherein the redistribution layer contacts the conductive layer. 6. The method of claim 1, further including:
singulating the semiconductor wafer into individual semiconductor die; and disposing the semiconductor die over a substrate. 7. A method of making a semiconductor device, comprising:
providing a semiconductor die; forming a conductive layer over the semiconductor die and connected to a contact pad of the semiconductor die, wherein the conductive layer includes an interconnect site offset from the contact pad of the semiconductor die; forming a first insulating layer over the conductive layer with an opening in the first insulating layer extending beyond the interconnect site; and forming an interconnect structure within the opening over the interconnect site. 8. The method of claim 7, further including:
forming a second insulating layer over the semiconductor die; and forming the conductive layer over the second insulating layer. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the opening extends to the second insulating layer. 10. The method of claim 7, further including forming the opening partially through the first insulating layer. 11. The method of claim 7, wherein a first portion of the interconnect structure contacts a top surface of the conductive layer and a second portion of the interconnect structure contacts a side surface of the conductive layer. 12. The method of claim 7, further including forming an intermetallic compound between the interconnect structure and conductive layer. 13. The method of claim 7, wherein the interconnect structure includes a bump. 14. A semiconductor device, comprising:
a semiconductor wafer; a redistribution layer including an interconnect site formed over the semiconductor wafer; a first insulating layer formed over the redistribution layer with an opening in the first insulating layer over the interconnect site; and an interconnect structure formed within the opening to cover a top surface of the redistribution layer and a side surface of the redistribution layer. 15. The semiconductor device of claim 14, further including a second insulating layer formed over the semiconductor wafer, wherein the redistribution layer is formed over the second insulating layer. 16. The semiconductor device of claim 15, wherein the opening extends to the second insulating layer. 17. The semiconductor device of claim 14, wherein the opening is formed partially through the first insulating layer. 18. The semiconductor device of claim 14, further including a conductive layer formed over the semiconductor wafer, wherein the redistribution layer contacts the conductive layer. 19. The semiconductor device of claim 14, wherein the interconnect structure includes a bump. 20. A semiconductor device, comprising:
a semiconductor die; a conductive layer formed over the semiconductor die and connected to a contact pad of the semiconductor die, wherein the conductive layer includes an interconnect site offset from the contact pad of the semiconductor die; a first insulating layer formed over the conductive layer with an opening in the first insulating layer extending beyond the interconnect site; and an interconnect structure formed within the opening over the interconnect site. 21. The semiconductor device of claim 20, further including a second insulating layer formed over the semiconductor die, wherein the conductive layer is formed over the second insulating layer. 22. The semiconductor device of claim 21, wherein the opening extends to the second insulating layer. 23. The semiconductor device of claim 20, wherein a first portion of the interconnect structure contacts a top surface of the conductive layer and a second portion of the interconnect structure contacts a side surface of the conductive layer. 24. The semiconductor device of claim 20, further including an intermetallic compound formed between the interconnect structure and conductive layer. 25. The semiconductor device of claim 20, wherein the interconnect structure includes a bump. | A semiconductor device has a semiconductor wafer and a first conductive layer formed over the semiconductor wafer as contact pads. A first insulating layer formed over the first conductive layer. A second conductive layer including an interconnect site is formed over the first conductive layer and first insulating layer. The second conductive layer is formed as a redistribution layer. A second insulating layer is formed over the second conductive layer. An opening is formed in the second insulating layer over the interconnect site. The opening extends to the first insulating layer in an area adjacent to the interconnect site. Alternatively, the opening extends partially through the second insulating layer in an area adjacent to the interconnect site. An interconnect structure is formed within the opening over the interconnect site and over a side surface of the second conductive layer. The semiconductor wafer is singulated into individual semiconductor die.1. A method of making a semiconductor device, comprising:
providing a semiconductor wafer; forming a redistribution layer including an interconnect site over the semiconductor wafer; forming a first insulating layer over the redistribution layer with an opening in the first insulating layer over the interconnect site; and forming an interconnect structure within the opening to cover a top surface of the redistribution layer and a side surface of the redistribution layer. 2. The method of claim 1, further including:
forming a second insulating layer over the semiconductor wafer; and forming the redistribution layer over the second insulating layer. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the opening extends to the second insulating layer. 4. The method of claim 1, further including forming the opening partially through the first insulating layer. 5. The method of claim 1, further including forming a conductive layer over the semiconductor wafer, wherein the redistribution layer contacts the conductive layer. 6. The method of claim 1, further including:
singulating the semiconductor wafer into individual semiconductor die; and disposing the semiconductor die over a substrate. 7. A method of making a semiconductor device, comprising:
providing a semiconductor die; forming a conductive layer over the semiconductor die and connected to a contact pad of the semiconductor die, wherein the conductive layer includes an interconnect site offset from the contact pad of the semiconductor die; forming a first insulating layer over the conductive layer with an opening in the first insulating layer extending beyond the interconnect site; and forming an interconnect structure within the opening over the interconnect site. 8. The method of claim 7, further including:
forming a second insulating layer over the semiconductor die; and forming the conductive layer over the second insulating layer. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the opening extends to the second insulating layer. 10. The method of claim 7, further including forming the opening partially through the first insulating layer. 11. The method of claim 7, wherein a first portion of the interconnect structure contacts a top surface of the conductive layer and a second portion of the interconnect structure contacts a side surface of the conductive layer. 12. The method of claim 7, further including forming an intermetallic compound between the interconnect structure and conductive layer. 13. The method of claim 7, wherein the interconnect structure includes a bump. 14. A semiconductor device, comprising:
a semiconductor wafer; a redistribution layer including an interconnect site formed over the semiconductor wafer; a first insulating layer formed over the redistribution layer with an opening in the first insulating layer over the interconnect site; and an interconnect structure formed within the opening to cover a top surface of the redistribution layer and a side surface of the redistribution layer. 15. The semiconductor device of claim 14, further including a second insulating layer formed over the semiconductor wafer, wherein the redistribution layer is formed over the second insulating layer. 16. The semiconductor device of claim 15, wherein the opening extends to the second insulating layer. 17. The semiconductor device of claim 14, wherein the opening is formed partially through the first insulating layer. 18. The semiconductor device of claim 14, further including a conductive layer formed over the semiconductor wafer, wherein the redistribution layer contacts the conductive layer. 19. The semiconductor device of claim 14, wherein the interconnect structure includes a bump. 20. A semiconductor device, comprising:
a semiconductor die; a conductive layer formed over the semiconductor die and connected to a contact pad of the semiconductor die, wherein the conductive layer includes an interconnect site offset from the contact pad of the semiconductor die; a first insulating layer formed over the conductive layer with an opening in the first insulating layer extending beyond the interconnect site; and an interconnect structure formed within the opening over the interconnect site. 21. The semiconductor device of claim 20, further including a second insulating layer formed over the semiconductor die, wherein the conductive layer is formed over the second insulating layer. 22. The semiconductor device of claim 21, wherein the opening extends to the second insulating layer. 23. The semiconductor device of claim 20, wherein a first portion of the interconnect structure contacts a top surface of the conductive layer and a second portion of the interconnect structure contacts a side surface of the conductive layer. 24. The semiconductor device of claim 20, further including an intermetallic compound formed between the interconnect structure and conductive layer. 25. The semiconductor device of claim 20, wherein the interconnect structure includes a bump. | 2,800 |
12,439 | 12,439 | 15,718,560 | 2,865 | A system, device and method of calibrating a sensor determine a sensor vector associated with a subject; process the sensor vector; determine a sensor elevation angle as a prediction of the subject's body elevation from a result of processing the sensor vector; and perform calibration using the sensor vector, sensor elevation angle, and a gravity vector. | 1. A method of calibrating a sensor associated with a subject, comprising:
attaching the sensor to a portion of the subject; positioning the portion of the subject at a first elevation angle relative to a reference; activating the sensor to produce a sensor vector {right arrow over (V)} associated with body acceleration of the subject relative to a gravity vector; calibrating the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}, including:
processing the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)} with the subject at the first elevation angle to produce a first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S;
determining a second elevation angle η associated with elevation of the subject relative to the reference; and
calibrating the first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S using the second elevation angle η to produce a second calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}Sη; and
determining a physiological or physical assessment of the subject using the second calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}Sη. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing of the sensor vector with the subject at the first elevation angle to produce a first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S includes:
determining an angle α and applying R1, an XY rotation for α° around a Z axis, to the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}; determining an angle β and applying R3, a YZ rotation for β° around an X axis, to the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}; obtaining user input on an orientation of the sensor with reference to a midline of the body and determining an ideal upright sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}u; determining Rs, an intermediate rotational matrix, by the product of R3 and R1; applying Rs rotation to the ideal upright sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}u to obtain a rotated ideal upright sensor vector {right arrow over (V′u)}; and determining an angle ζ using {right arrow over (V′u)} and applying R2, an XY rotation for ζ° around the Z axis, to the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)} to obtain the first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein:
the angle α is an arc cosine of ratio of a y component to a magnitude in an XY plane of the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}; the angle β is a function of arc cosine of a ratio of the magnitude in the XY plane to an overall magnitude of the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}; and the angle ζ is an arc cosine of the ratio of a y component to the magnitude in the XY plane of the rotated ideal upright sensor vector {right arrow over (V′u)}. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of a second elevation angle η associated with elevation of the subject relative to the reference includes:
determining an angle δ and Ry, an XZ rotation for δ° around a Y axis;
applying Ry rotation to the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)} to obtain {right arrow over (XY)}, the rotated vector on an XY plane;
determining an angle γ using reference to {right arrow over (XY)} and an ideal gravity vector on supine {right arrow over (G)}s; and
obtaining the sensor elevation angle η as a function of γ. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein
the angle δ is an arc cosine of the ratio of the magnitude in the XY plane to an overall magnitude of the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}; and the angle γ is an arc cosine of the ratio of a dot product of {right arrow over (XY)} and {right arrow over (G)}s to the magnitude of {right arrow over (XY)}. 6. The method of claim 2, wherein calibrating the first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S using the second elevation angle η to produce a second calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}Sη includes:
obtaining Rx, a rotation of an YZ plane for η° around the X axis; and
calculating the second calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}Sη as a function of Rx and the first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determination of the second elevation angle η includes receiving an input of a body elevation angle ε of the subject. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the calibration of the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)} further includes:
obtaining Rx, a rotation of an YZ plane for ε° around an X axis; and calculating the second calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}Sη as a function of Rx and the first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S. 9. A system to calibrate a sensor associated with a subject, comprising:
a processor; and a memory device coupled to the processor, wherein the memory device includes an application that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to: determine a sensor vector {right arrow over (V)} associated with body acceleration of the subject relative to a gravity vector; calibrate the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}, including:
processing the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)} with the subject at a first elevation angle relative to a reference to produce a first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S;
determining a second elevation angle η associated with elevation of the subject relative to the reference; and
calibrating the first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S using the second elevation angle η to produce a second calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}Sη; and
determine a physiological or physical assessment of the subject using the second calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}Sη. 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processing the sensor vector with the subject at the first elevation angle to produce a first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S includes:
determining an angle α and applying R1, an XY rotation for α° around a Z axis, to the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}; determining an angle β and applying R3, a YZ rotation for β° around an X axis, to the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}; obtaining user input on an orientation of the sensor with reference to a midline of the body and determining an ideal upright sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}u; determining Rs, an intermediate rotational matrix, by the product of R3 and R1; applying Rs rotation to the ideal upright sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}u to obtain a rotated ideal upright sensor vector {right arrow over (V′u)}; and determining an angle ζ using {right arrow over (V′u)} and applying R2, an XY rotation for ζ° around the Z axis, to the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)} to obtain the first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S. 11. The system of claim 10, wherein:
the angle α is an arc cosine of ratio of a y component to a magnitude in an XY plane of the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}; the angle β is a function of arc cosine of a ratio of the magnitude in the XY plane to an overall magnitude of the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}; and the angle ζ is an arc cosine of the ratio of a y component to the magnitude in the XY plane of the rotated ideal upright sensor vector {right arrow over (V′u)}. 12. The system of claim 9, wherein the determining of a second elevation angle η associated with elevation of the subject relative to the reference includes:
determining an angle δ and Ry, an XZ rotation for δ° around a Y axis;
applying Ry rotation to the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)} to obtain {right arrow over (XY)}, the rotated vector on an XY plane;
determining an angle γ using reference to {right arrow over (XY)} and an ideal gravity vector on supine {right arrow over (G)}s; and
obtaining the sensor elevation angle η as a function of γ. 13. The system of claim 12, wherein
the angle δ is an arc cosine of the ratio of the magnitude in the XY plane to an overall magnitude of the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}; and the angle γ is an arc cosine of the ratio of a dot product of {right arrow over (XY)} and {right arrow over (G)}s to the magnitude of {right arrow over (XY)}. 14. The system of claim 10, wherein calibrating the first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S using the second elevation angle η to produce a second calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}Sη includes:
obtaining Rx, a rotation of an YZ plane for η° around the X axis; and
calculating the second calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}Sη as a function of Rx and the first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S. 15. The system of claim 9, wherein the determination of the second elevation angle η includes receiving an input of a body elevation angle ε of the subject. 16. The system of claim 15, wherein the calibration of the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)} further includes:
obtaining Rx, a rotation of an YZ plane for ε° around an X axis; and calculating the second calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}Sη as a function of Rx and the first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S. 17. A sensor device, comprising:
one or more sensors; a structure configured to support the one or more sensors for attachment to the subject; a processor; and a memory device coupled to the processor, wherein the memory device includes an application that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to: determine a sensor vector {right arrow over (V)} associated with body acceleration of the subject relative to a gravity vector; calibrate the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}, including:
calibrating the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)} with the subject at a first elevation angle relative to a reference to produce a first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S;
determining a second elevation angle η associated with elevation of the subject relative to the reference; and
calibrating the first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S using the second elevation angle η to produce a second calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}Sη; and
determine a physiological or physical assessment of the subject using the second calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}Sη. 18. The sensor device of claim 17, wherein the processing the sensor vector with the subject at the first elevation angle to produce a first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S includes:
determining an angle α and applying R1, an XY rotation for α° around a Z axis, to the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}; determining an angle β and applying R3, a YZ rotation for β° around an X axis, to the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}; obtaining user input on an orientation of the sensor with reference to a midline of the body and determining an ideal upright sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}u; determining Rs, an intermediate rotational matrix, by the product of R3 and R1; applying Rs rotation to the ideal upright sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}u to obtain a rotated ideal upright sensor vector {right arrow over (V′u)}; and determining an angle ζ using {right arrow over (V′u)} and applying R2, an XY rotation for ζ° around the Z axis, to the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)} to obtain the first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S. 19. The sensor device of claim 18, wherein:
the angle α is an arc cosine of ratio of a y component to a magnitude in an XY plane of the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}; the angle β is a function of arc cosine of a ratio of the magnitude in the XY plane to an overall magnitude of the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}; and the angle ζ is an arc cosine of the ratio of a y component to the magnitude in the XY plane of the rotated ideal upright sensor vector {right arrow over (V′u)}. 20. The sensor device of claim 17, wherein the determining of a second elevation angle η associated with elevation of the subject relative to the reference includes:
determining an angle δ and Ry, an XZ rotation for δ° around a Y axis;
applying Ry rotation to the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)} to obtain {right arrow over (XY)}, the rotated vector on an XY plane;
determining an angle γ using reference to {right arrow over (XY)} and an ideal gravity vector on supine {right arrow over (G)}s; and
obtaining the sensor elevation angle η as a function of γ. 21. The sensor device of claim 20, wherein
the angle δ is an arc cosine of the ratio of the magnitude in the XY plane to an overall magnitude of the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}; and the angle γ is an arc cosine of the ratio of a dot product of {right arrow over (XY)} and {right arrow over (G)}s to the magnitude of {right arrow over (XY)}. 22. The sensor device of claim 18, wherein calibrating the first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S using the second elevation angle η to produce a second calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}Sη includes:
obtaining Rx, a rotation of an YZ plane for η° around the X axis; and
calculating the second calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}Sη as a function of Rx and the first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S. 23. The sensor device of claim 17, wherein the determination of the second elevation angle η includes receiving an input of a body elevation angle ε of the subject. 24. The sensor device of claim 23, wherein the calibration of the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)} further includes:
obtaining Rx, a rotation of an YZ plane for ε° around an X axis; and calculating the second calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}Sη as a function of Rx and the first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S. 25. The sensor device of claim 17, wherein the structure comprises a patch form factor. 26. The sensor device of claim 25, wherein the structure comprises an adhesive configured to be removably attached to the subject. 27. The sensor device of claim 17, wherein the structure comprises an adhesive configured to be removably attached to the subject. 28. The sensor device of claim 17, further comprising a wireless transmitter configured to store or transmit the determined second elevation angle η. | A system, device and method of calibrating a sensor determine a sensor vector associated with a subject; process the sensor vector; determine a sensor elevation angle as a prediction of the subject's body elevation from a result of processing the sensor vector; and perform calibration using the sensor vector, sensor elevation angle, and a gravity vector.1. A method of calibrating a sensor associated with a subject, comprising:
attaching the sensor to a portion of the subject; positioning the portion of the subject at a first elevation angle relative to a reference; activating the sensor to produce a sensor vector {right arrow over (V)} associated with body acceleration of the subject relative to a gravity vector; calibrating the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}, including:
processing the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)} with the subject at the first elevation angle to produce a first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S;
determining a second elevation angle η associated with elevation of the subject relative to the reference; and
calibrating the first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S using the second elevation angle η to produce a second calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}Sη; and
determining a physiological or physical assessment of the subject using the second calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}Sη. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing of the sensor vector with the subject at the first elevation angle to produce a first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S includes:
determining an angle α and applying R1, an XY rotation for α° around a Z axis, to the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}; determining an angle β and applying R3, a YZ rotation for β° around an X axis, to the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}; obtaining user input on an orientation of the sensor with reference to a midline of the body and determining an ideal upright sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}u; determining Rs, an intermediate rotational matrix, by the product of R3 and R1; applying Rs rotation to the ideal upright sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}u to obtain a rotated ideal upright sensor vector {right arrow over (V′u)}; and determining an angle ζ using {right arrow over (V′u)} and applying R2, an XY rotation for ζ° around the Z axis, to the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)} to obtain the first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein:
the angle α is an arc cosine of ratio of a y component to a magnitude in an XY plane of the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}; the angle β is a function of arc cosine of a ratio of the magnitude in the XY plane to an overall magnitude of the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}; and the angle ζ is an arc cosine of the ratio of a y component to the magnitude in the XY plane of the rotated ideal upright sensor vector {right arrow over (V′u)}. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of a second elevation angle η associated with elevation of the subject relative to the reference includes:
determining an angle δ and Ry, an XZ rotation for δ° around a Y axis;
applying Ry rotation to the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)} to obtain {right arrow over (XY)}, the rotated vector on an XY plane;
determining an angle γ using reference to {right arrow over (XY)} and an ideal gravity vector on supine {right arrow over (G)}s; and
obtaining the sensor elevation angle η as a function of γ. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein
the angle δ is an arc cosine of the ratio of the magnitude in the XY plane to an overall magnitude of the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}; and the angle γ is an arc cosine of the ratio of a dot product of {right arrow over (XY)} and {right arrow over (G)}s to the magnitude of {right arrow over (XY)}. 6. The method of claim 2, wherein calibrating the first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S using the second elevation angle η to produce a second calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}Sη includes:
obtaining Rx, a rotation of an YZ plane for η° around the X axis; and
calculating the second calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}Sη as a function of Rx and the first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determination of the second elevation angle η includes receiving an input of a body elevation angle ε of the subject. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the calibration of the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)} further includes:
obtaining Rx, a rotation of an YZ plane for ε° around an X axis; and calculating the second calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}Sη as a function of Rx and the first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S. 9. A system to calibrate a sensor associated with a subject, comprising:
a processor; and a memory device coupled to the processor, wherein the memory device includes an application that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to: determine a sensor vector {right arrow over (V)} associated with body acceleration of the subject relative to a gravity vector; calibrate the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}, including:
processing the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)} with the subject at a first elevation angle relative to a reference to produce a first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S;
determining a second elevation angle η associated with elevation of the subject relative to the reference; and
calibrating the first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S using the second elevation angle η to produce a second calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}Sη; and
determine a physiological or physical assessment of the subject using the second calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}Sη. 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processing the sensor vector with the subject at the first elevation angle to produce a first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S includes:
determining an angle α and applying R1, an XY rotation for α° around a Z axis, to the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}; determining an angle β and applying R3, a YZ rotation for β° around an X axis, to the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}; obtaining user input on an orientation of the sensor with reference to a midline of the body and determining an ideal upright sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}u; determining Rs, an intermediate rotational matrix, by the product of R3 and R1; applying Rs rotation to the ideal upright sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}u to obtain a rotated ideal upright sensor vector {right arrow over (V′u)}; and determining an angle ζ using {right arrow over (V′u)} and applying R2, an XY rotation for ζ° around the Z axis, to the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)} to obtain the first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S. 11. The system of claim 10, wherein:
the angle α is an arc cosine of ratio of a y component to a magnitude in an XY plane of the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}; the angle β is a function of arc cosine of a ratio of the magnitude in the XY plane to an overall magnitude of the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}; and the angle ζ is an arc cosine of the ratio of a y component to the magnitude in the XY plane of the rotated ideal upright sensor vector {right arrow over (V′u)}. 12. The system of claim 9, wherein the determining of a second elevation angle η associated with elevation of the subject relative to the reference includes:
determining an angle δ and Ry, an XZ rotation for δ° around a Y axis;
applying Ry rotation to the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)} to obtain {right arrow over (XY)}, the rotated vector on an XY plane;
determining an angle γ using reference to {right arrow over (XY)} and an ideal gravity vector on supine {right arrow over (G)}s; and
obtaining the sensor elevation angle η as a function of γ. 13. The system of claim 12, wherein
the angle δ is an arc cosine of the ratio of the magnitude in the XY plane to an overall magnitude of the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}; and the angle γ is an arc cosine of the ratio of a dot product of {right arrow over (XY)} and {right arrow over (G)}s to the magnitude of {right arrow over (XY)}. 14. The system of claim 10, wherein calibrating the first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S using the second elevation angle η to produce a second calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}Sη includes:
obtaining Rx, a rotation of an YZ plane for η° around the X axis; and
calculating the second calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}Sη as a function of Rx and the first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S. 15. The system of claim 9, wherein the determination of the second elevation angle η includes receiving an input of a body elevation angle ε of the subject. 16. The system of claim 15, wherein the calibration of the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)} further includes:
obtaining Rx, a rotation of an YZ plane for ε° around an X axis; and calculating the second calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}Sη as a function of Rx and the first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S. 17. A sensor device, comprising:
one or more sensors; a structure configured to support the one or more sensors for attachment to the subject; a processor; and a memory device coupled to the processor, wherein the memory device includes an application that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to: determine a sensor vector {right arrow over (V)} associated with body acceleration of the subject relative to a gravity vector; calibrate the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}, including:
calibrating the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)} with the subject at a first elevation angle relative to a reference to produce a first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S;
determining a second elevation angle η associated with elevation of the subject relative to the reference; and
calibrating the first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S using the second elevation angle η to produce a second calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}Sη; and
determine a physiological or physical assessment of the subject using the second calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}Sη. 18. The sensor device of claim 17, wherein the processing the sensor vector with the subject at the first elevation angle to produce a first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S includes:
determining an angle α and applying R1, an XY rotation for α° around a Z axis, to the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}; determining an angle β and applying R3, a YZ rotation for β° around an X axis, to the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}; obtaining user input on an orientation of the sensor with reference to a midline of the body and determining an ideal upright sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}u; determining Rs, an intermediate rotational matrix, by the product of R3 and R1; applying Rs rotation to the ideal upright sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}u to obtain a rotated ideal upright sensor vector {right arrow over (V′u)}; and determining an angle ζ using {right arrow over (V′u)} and applying R2, an XY rotation for ζ° around the Z axis, to the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)} to obtain the first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S. 19. The sensor device of claim 18, wherein:
the angle α is an arc cosine of ratio of a y component to a magnitude in an XY plane of the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}; the angle β is a function of arc cosine of a ratio of the magnitude in the XY plane to an overall magnitude of the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}; and the angle ζ is an arc cosine of the ratio of a y component to the magnitude in the XY plane of the rotated ideal upright sensor vector {right arrow over (V′u)}. 20. The sensor device of claim 17, wherein the determining of a second elevation angle η associated with elevation of the subject relative to the reference includes:
determining an angle δ and Ry, an XZ rotation for δ° around a Y axis;
applying Ry rotation to the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)} to obtain {right arrow over (XY)}, the rotated vector on an XY plane;
determining an angle γ using reference to {right arrow over (XY)} and an ideal gravity vector on supine {right arrow over (G)}s; and
obtaining the sensor elevation angle η as a function of γ. 21. The sensor device of claim 20, wherein
the angle δ is an arc cosine of the ratio of the magnitude in the XY plane to an overall magnitude of the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}; and the angle γ is an arc cosine of the ratio of a dot product of {right arrow over (XY)} and {right arrow over (G)}s to the magnitude of {right arrow over (XY)}. 22. The sensor device of claim 18, wherein calibrating the first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S using the second elevation angle η to produce a second calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}Sη includes:
obtaining Rx, a rotation of an YZ plane for η° around the X axis; and
calculating the second calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}Sη as a function of Rx and the first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S. 23. The sensor device of claim 17, wherein the determination of the second elevation angle η includes receiving an input of a body elevation angle ε of the subject. 24. The sensor device of claim 23, wherein the calibration of the sensor vector {right arrow over (V)} further includes:
obtaining Rx, a rotation of an YZ plane for ε° around an X axis; and calculating the second calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}Sη as a function of Rx and the first calibrated sensor vector {right arrow over (V)}S. 25. The sensor device of claim 17, wherein the structure comprises a patch form factor. 26. The sensor device of claim 25, wherein the structure comprises an adhesive configured to be removably attached to the subject. 27. The sensor device of claim 17, wherein the structure comprises an adhesive configured to be removably attached to the subject. 28. The sensor device of claim 17, further comprising a wireless transmitter configured to store or transmit the determined second elevation angle η. | 2,800 |
12,440 | 12,440 | 15,709,739 | 2,867 | Methods and apparatus for a magnetic sensor having a die and sensor circuitry formed in a device layer of the die with a coil integrated with the die to generate a magnetic field. A magnetoresistive magnetic field sensing element on the die detects changes in the magnetic field generated by the coil as a result of the presence of a ferromagnetic target. The sensor circuitry may process the changes in the magnetic field generated by the coil. | 1. A magnetic sensor IC package, comprising:
a die; sensor circuitry formed in a device layer of the die; a coil integrated with the die to generate a magnetic field; and a magnetoresistive magnetic field sensing element on the die to detect changes in the magnetic field generated by the coil as a result of the presence of a ferromagnetic target, wherein the sensor circuitry is configured to process the changes in the magnetic field generated by the coil. 2. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the magnetoresistive magnetic field sensing element comprises a GMR element. 3. The sensor according to claim 1, further including a constant current source coupled to the coil such that alignment changes of the magnetic field generated by the coil with respect to the magnetic sensing element caused by movement of the target are detected by the magnetic field sensing element. 4. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the movement of the ferromagnetic target to a first position causes a vector of the magnetic field generated by the coil to align substantially perpendicularly to the magnetic field sensing element which increases the magnetic field observed by the magnetic field sensing element, and further movement of the ferromagnetic target to a second position changes the magnetic field observed by the magnetic field sensing element. 5. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein coil spaces are at least 10 μm. 6. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein traces for the coil range from an inner diameter of about 50 μm to about 200 μm. 7. The sensor according to claim 6, wherein the traces for the coil range from an outer diameter of about 60 μm to about 500 μm. 8. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the IC package is configured for an airgap with the target ranging from about 0.5 mm to about 3 mm. 9. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein current through the coil ranges from about 5 μA to about 50 μA. 10. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to use less power for closer airgaps and more power for larger airgarps. 11. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the coil is substantially flat. 12. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the only a portion of the magnetic field sensing element overlaps with the coil. 13. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic field sensing element is positioned at least in part between the coil and the die. 14. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the coil is positioned at least in part between the magnetic field sensing element and the die. 15. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein about half of an area of the magnetic field sensing element overlaps with the coil. 16. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein about half of a length of the magnetic field sensing element overlaps with the coil. 17. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein sensor includes a further magnetic field sensing element. 18. The sensor according to claim 1, further including a pulse current source coupled to the coil. 19. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic field sensing element has at least a portion that overlaps the coil. 20. A magnetic field sensor, comprising:
a die; sensor circuitry formed in a device layer of the die; a coil means integrated with the die to generate a magnetic field; and a magnetic field sensing means on the die to detect changes in the magnetic field generated by the coil means as a result of the presence of a ferromagnetic target, wherein the sensor circuitry is configured to process the changes in the magnetic field generated by the coil means. 21. The sensor according to claim 20, wherein the magnetic field sensing means comprises a GMR element. 22. The sensor according to claim 20, further including a constant current source means coupled to the coil means such that alignment changes of the magnetic field generated by the coil means with respect to the magnetic field sensing means caused by movement of the target are detected by the magnetic field sensing means. 23. The sensor according to claim 20, wherein the movement of the ferromagnetic target to a first position causes a vector of the magnetic field generated by the coil means to align substantially perpendicularly to the magnetic field sensing means which increases the magnetic field observed by the magnetic field sensing means, and further movement of the ferromagnetic target to a second position changes the magnetic field observed by the magnetic field sensing means. | Methods and apparatus for a magnetic sensor having a die and sensor circuitry formed in a device layer of the die with a coil integrated with the die to generate a magnetic field. A magnetoresistive magnetic field sensing element on the die detects changes in the magnetic field generated by the coil as a result of the presence of a ferromagnetic target. The sensor circuitry may process the changes in the magnetic field generated by the coil.1. A magnetic sensor IC package, comprising:
a die; sensor circuitry formed in a device layer of the die; a coil integrated with the die to generate a magnetic field; and a magnetoresistive magnetic field sensing element on the die to detect changes in the magnetic field generated by the coil as a result of the presence of a ferromagnetic target, wherein the sensor circuitry is configured to process the changes in the magnetic field generated by the coil. 2. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the magnetoresistive magnetic field sensing element comprises a GMR element. 3. The sensor according to claim 1, further including a constant current source coupled to the coil such that alignment changes of the magnetic field generated by the coil with respect to the magnetic sensing element caused by movement of the target are detected by the magnetic field sensing element. 4. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the movement of the ferromagnetic target to a first position causes a vector of the magnetic field generated by the coil to align substantially perpendicularly to the magnetic field sensing element which increases the magnetic field observed by the magnetic field sensing element, and further movement of the ferromagnetic target to a second position changes the magnetic field observed by the magnetic field sensing element. 5. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein coil spaces are at least 10 μm. 6. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein traces for the coil range from an inner diameter of about 50 μm to about 200 μm. 7. The sensor according to claim 6, wherein the traces for the coil range from an outer diameter of about 60 μm to about 500 μm. 8. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the IC package is configured for an airgap with the target ranging from about 0.5 mm to about 3 mm. 9. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein current through the coil ranges from about 5 μA to about 50 μA. 10. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to use less power for closer airgaps and more power for larger airgarps. 11. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the coil is substantially flat. 12. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the only a portion of the magnetic field sensing element overlaps with the coil. 13. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic field sensing element is positioned at least in part between the coil and the die. 14. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the coil is positioned at least in part between the magnetic field sensing element and the die. 15. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein about half of an area of the magnetic field sensing element overlaps with the coil. 16. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein about half of a length of the magnetic field sensing element overlaps with the coil. 17. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein sensor includes a further magnetic field sensing element. 18. The sensor according to claim 1, further including a pulse current source coupled to the coil. 19. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic field sensing element has at least a portion that overlaps the coil. 20. A magnetic field sensor, comprising:
a die; sensor circuitry formed in a device layer of the die; a coil means integrated with the die to generate a magnetic field; and a magnetic field sensing means on the die to detect changes in the magnetic field generated by the coil means as a result of the presence of a ferromagnetic target, wherein the sensor circuitry is configured to process the changes in the magnetic field generated by the coil means. 21. The sensor according to claim 20, wherein the magnetic field sensing means comprises a GMR element. 22. The sensor according to claim 20, further including a constant current source means coupled to the coil means such that alignment changes of the magnetic field generated by the coil means with respect to the magnetic field sensing means caused by movement of the target are detected by the magnetic field sensing means. 23. The sensor according to claim 20, wherein the movement of the ferromagnetic target to a first position causes a vector of the magnetic field generated by the coil means to align substantially perpendicularly to the magnetic field sensing means which increases the magnetic field observed by the magnetic field sensing means, and further movement of the ferromagnetic target to a second position changes the magnetic field observed by the magnetic field sensing means. | 2,800 |
12,441 | 12,441 | 15,883,231 | 2,836 | A two-wheeled vehicle is provided including a frame, front and rear ground-engaging members each supporting the frame, a straddle-type seat, a handlebar for steering the vehicle, at least one light device configured to operate in a hazard mode, an engine supported by the frame and operably coupled to the ground-engaging members, a tilt sensor, and a vehicle control unit in communication with the tilt sensor. The vehicle control unit is operative to detect a tilt angle of the vehicle based on output from the tilt sensor. The vehicle control unit is operative to determine a tip-over condition of the vehicle based on the detected tilt angle exceeding a threshold tilt angle. The vehicle control unit activates the hazard mode of the at least one light in response to the determination of the tip-over condition. | 1. A two-wheeled vehicle including:
a frame; a front ground-engaging member and a rear ground-engaging member each supporting the frame; a straddle-type seat; a handlebar for steering the vehicle; an engine supported by the frame and operably coupled to the ground-engaging members; a storage compartment supported by the frame and including an access door and a lock device configured to lock and unlock the access door, the access door being moveable between an open position and a closed position; an electrical system including a vehicle control unit and a plurality of electrical components controlled by the vehicle control unit, the vehicle control unit being operably coupled to the lock device of the storage compartment; and a portable wireless security device operative to communicate with the vehicle control unit, the portable wireless security device including an operator input and a transmitter operative to transmit a wireless signal to the vehicle control unit when the electrical system is in a powered off state in response to an actuation of the operator input, the vehicle control unit being configured to control the lock device to at least one of lock and unlock the access door of the storage compartment in response to receiving the wireless signal from the portable wireless security device while the electrical system is in the powered off state. 2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein in response to the access door remaining in the closed position for a predetermined duration after unlocking the lock device in response to receiving the wireless signal, the vehicle control unit automatically controls the lock device to lock the access door in the closed position. 3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the storage compartment includes a saddlebag extending laterally outwardly from the rear ground-engaging member. 4. The vehicle of claim 1, further including an engine control unit in communication with the vehicle control unit for controlling the engine, wherein the portable wireless security device includes a second operator input, the transmitter being operative to transmit a second wireless signal to the vehicle control unit in response to an actuation of the second operator input, the vehicle control unit being configured to lock out operation of at least one of the vehicle control unit and the engine control unit in response to receiving the second wireless signal from the portable wireless security device. | A two-wheeled vehicle is provided including a frame, front and rear ground-engaging members each supporting the frame, a straddle-type seat, a handlebar for steering the vehicle, at least one light device configured to operate in a hazard mode, an engine supported by the frame and operably coupled to the ground-engaging members, a tilt sensor, and a vehicle control unit in communication with the tilt sensor. The vehicle control unit is operative to detect a tilt angle of the vehicle based on output from the tilt sensor. The vehicle control unit is operative to determine a tip-over condition of the vehicle based on the detected tilt angle exceeding a threshold tilt angle. The vehicle control unit activates the hazard mode of the at least one light in response to the determination of the tip-over condition.1. A two-wheeled vehicle including:
a frame; a front ground-engaging member and a rear ground-engaging member each supporting the frame; a straddle-type seat; a handlebar for steering the vehicle; an engine supported by the frame and operably coupled to the ground-engaging members; a storage compartment supported by the frame and including an access door and a lock device configured to lock and unlock the access door, the access door being moveable between an open position and a closed position; an electrical system including a vehicle control unit and a plurality of electrical components controlled by the vehicle control unit, the vehicle control unit being operably coupled to the lock device of the storage compartment; and a portable wireless security device operative to communicate with the vehicle control unit, the portable wireless security device including an operator input and a transmitter operative to transmit a wireless signal to the vehicle control unit when the electrical system is in a powered off state in response to an actuation of the operator input, the vehicle control unit being configured to control the lock device to at least one of lock and unlock the access door of the storage compartment in response to receiving the wireless signal from the portable wireless security device while the electrical system is in the powered off state. 2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein in response to the access door remaining in the closed position for a predetermined duration after unlocking the lock device in response to receiving the wireless signal, the vehicle control unit automatically controls the lock device to lock the access door in the closed position. 3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the storage compartment includes a saddlebag extending laterally outwardly from the rear ground-engaging member. 4. The vehicle of claim 1, further including an engine control unit in communication with the vehicle control unit for controlling the engine, wherein the portable wireless security device includes a second operator input, the transmitter being operative to transmit a second wireless signal to the vehicle control unit in response to an actuation of the second operator input, the vehicle control unit being configured to lock out operation of at least one of the vehicle control unit and the engine control unit in response to receiving the second wireless signal from the portable wireless security device. | 2,800 |
12,442 | 12,442 | 15,755,373 | 2,857 | A method for generating a solar power output forecast for a solar power plant, comprising: using a processor, in a training mode, generating a trained artificial intelligence model using historical output data and historical input data including historical physical subsystem input data and historical physical subsystem forecasts for the solar power plant; in a runtime mode, for a predetermined forecast horizon, applying the trained artificial intelligence model to current input data including current physical subsystem input data and current physical subsystem forecasts for the solar power plant to produce the solar power output forecast; and, presenting the solar power output forecast on a display. | 1. A method for generating a solar power output forecast for a solar power plant, comprising:
using a processor, in a training mode, generating a trained artificial intelligence model using historical output data and historical input data including historical physical subsystem input data and historical physical subsystem forecasts for the solar power plant; in a runtime mode, for a predetermined forecast horizon, applying the trained artificial intelligence model to current input data including current physical subsystem input data and current physical subsystem forecasts for the solar power plant to produce the solar power output forecast; and, presenting the solar power output forecast on a display. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the historical physical subsystem forecasts using the historical input data by:
determining a global horizontal irradiance (“GHI”) value at clear sky; determining a cloudiness index, a cloud shadow location, and a cloud type; determining a cloud-attenuated global irradiance at a plane of array of the solar power plant from the clear sky GHI value, the cloudiness index, the cloud shadow location, and the cloud type; determining an impact of obstructions on available global irradiance at the plane of array of the solar power plant; determining solar power production by individual photovoltaic (“PV”) modules of the solar power plant; and, determining PV array, inverter, and balance-of-system losses of the solar power plant. 3. The method of claim 2, further comprising generating the current physical subsystem forecasts using the current input data by:
determining a global horizontal irradiance (“GHI”) value at clear sky; determining a cloudiness index, a cloud shadow location, and a cloud type; determining a cloud-attenuated global irradiance at a plane of array of the solar power plant from the clear sky GHI value, the cloudiness index, the cloud shadow location, and the cloud type; determining an impact of obstructions on available global irradiance at the plane of array of the solar power plant; determining solar power production by individual photovoltaic (“PV”) modules of the solar power plant; and, determining PV array, inverter, and balance-of-system losses of the solar power plant. 4. The method of claim 3, further comprising determining the cloud shadow location by:
receiving cloud cover data from a weather research and forecasting (“WRF”) model, the cloud cover data including cloud elevation, latitude, and longitude data for a region in which the solar power plant is located; calculating solar geometry values from the cloud elevation, latitude, and longitude data to determine locations of shadows that fall on a flat surface for the region; and, determining locations of shadows that fall on a digital elevation model (“DEM”) surface for the region from the locations of shadows that fall on the flat surface for the region. 5. The method of claim 4, further comprising subdividing the region into one or more cells and determining the cloud shadow location for each of the one or more cells. 6. The method of claim 3, further comprising determining the cloud type for the cloud by:
obtaining cloud location, top, and base pressure information for a cloud from a weather research and forecasting (“WRF”) model; and, using the cloud location, top, and base pressure information for the cloud to look up the cloud type in a cloud classification table. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the cloud classification table includes entries for a predetermined number of cloud types. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the predetermined number of cloud types is ten and wherein the cloud classification table includes entries for stratus, nimbostratus, stratocumulus, cumulus, cumulonimbus, altostratus, altocumulus, cirrostratus, cirrocumulus, and cirrus cloud types. 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the historical output data and the historical input data including the historical physical subsystem input data and the historical physical subsystem forecasts for the solar power plant from a database. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the current input data including the current physical subsystem input data and the current physical subsystem forecasts for the solar power plant from a data acquisition system coupled to the solar power plant. 11. A system for generating a solar power output forecast for a solar power plant, comprising:
a processor coupled to memory and a display; and, at least one of hardware and software modules within the memory and controlled or executed by the processor, the modules including: a module adapted to, in a training mode, generate trained artificial intelligence model using historical output data and historical input data including historical physical subsystem input data and historical physical subsystem forecasts for the solar power plant; a module adapted to, in a runtime mode, for a predetermined forecast horizon, apply the trained artificial intelligence model to current input data including current physical subsystem input data and current physical subsystem forecasts for the solar power plant to produce the solar power output forecast; and, a module adapted to present the solar power output forecast on a display. 12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a module adapted to generate the historical physical subsystem forecasts using the historical input data by:
determining a global horizontal irradiance (“GHI”) value at clear sky; determining a cloudiness index, a cloud shadow location, and a cloud type; determining a cloud-attenuated global irradiance at a plane of array of the solar power plant from the clear sky GHI value, the cloudiness index, the cloud shadow location, and the cloud type; determining an impact of obstructions on available global irradiance at the plane of array of the solar power plant; determining solar power production by individual photovoltaic (“PV”) modules of the solar power plant; and, determining PV array, inverter, and balance-of-system losses of the solar power plant. 13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a module adapted to generate the current physical subsystem forecasts using the current input data by:
determining a global horizontal irradiance (“GHI”) value at clear sky; determining a cloudiness index, a cloud shadow location, and a cloud type; determining a cloud-attenuated global irradiance at a plane of array of the solar power plant from the clear sky GHI value, the cloudiness index, the cloud shadow location, and the cloud type; determining an impact of obstructions on available global irradiance at the plane of array of the solar power plant; determining solar power production by individual photovoltaic (“PV”) modules of the solar power plant; and, determining PV array, inverter, and balance-of-system losses of the solar power plant. 14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a module adapted to determine the cloud shadow location by:
receiving cloud cover data from a weather research and forecasting (“WRF”) model, the cloud cover data including cloud elevation, latitude, and longitude data for a region in which the solar power plant is located; calculating solar geometry values from the cloud elevation, latitude, and longitude data to determine locations of shadows that fall on a flat surface for the region; and, determining locations of shadows that fall on a digital elevation model (“DEM”) surface for the region from the locations of shadows that fall on the flat surface for the region. 15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a module adapted to subdivide the region into one or more cells and to determine the cloud shadow location for each of the one or more cells. 16. The system of claim 13, further comprising a module adapted to determine the cloud type for the cloud by:
obtaining cloud location, top, and base pressure information for a cloud from a weather research and forecasting (“WRF”) model; and, using the cloud location, top, and base pressure information for the cloud to look up the cloud type in a cloud classification table. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the cloud classification table includes entries for a predetermined number of cloud types. 18. The system of claim 17, wherein the predetermined number of cloud types is ten and wherein the cloud classification table includes entries for stratus, nimbostratus, stratocumulus, cumulus, cumulonimbus, altostratus, altocumulus, cirrostratus, cirrocumulus, and cirrus cloud types. 19. The system of claim 11, further comprising a module adapted to receive the historical output data and the historical input data including the historical physical subsystem input data and the historical physical subsystem forecasts for the solar power plant from a database stored in the memory. 20. The system of claim 11, further comprising a module adapted to receive the current input data including the current physical subsystem input data and the current physical subsystem forecasts for the solar power plant from a data acquisition system coupled to the solar power plant. | A method for generating a solar power output forecast for a solar power plant, comprising: using a processor, in a training mode, generating a trained artificial intelligence model using historical output data and historical input data including historical physical subsystem input data and historical physical subsystem forecasts for the solar power plant; in a runtime mode, for a predetermined forecast horizon, applying the trained artificial intelligence model to current input data including current physical subsystem input data and current physical subsystem forecasts for the solar power plant to produce the solar power output forecast; and, presenting the solar power output forecast on a display.1. A method for generating a solar power output forecast for a solar power plant, comprising:
using a processor, in a training mode, generating a trained artificial intelligence model using historical output data and historical input data including historical physical subsystem input data and historical physical subsystem forecasts for the solar power plant; in a runtime mode, for a predetermined forecast horizon, applying the trained artificial intelligence model to current input data including current physical subsystem input data and current physical subsystem forecasts for the solar power plant to produce the solar power output forecast; and, presenting the solar power output forecast on a display. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the historical physical subsystem forecasts using the historical input data by:
determining a global horizontal irradiance (“GHI”) value at clear sky; determining a cloudiness index, a cloud shadow location, and a cloud type; determining a cloud-attenuated global irradiance at a plane of array of the solar power plant from the clear sky GHI value, the cloudiness index, the cloud shadow location, and the cloud type; determining an impact of obstructions on available global irradiance at the plane of array of the solar power plant; determining solar power production by individual photovoltaic (“PV”) modules of the solar power plant; and, determining PV array, inverter, and balance-of-system losses of the solar power plant. 3. The method of claim 2, further comprising generating the current physical subsystem forecasts using the current input data by:
determining a global horizontal irradiance (“GHI”) value at clear sky; determining a cloudiness index, a cloud shadow location, and a cloud type; determining a cloud-attenuated global irradiance at a plane of array of the solar power plant from the clear sky GHI value, the cloudiness index, the cloud shadow location, and the cloud type; determining an impact of obstructions on available global irradiance at the plane of array of the solar power plant; determining solar power production by individual photovoltaic (“PV”) modules of the solar power plant; and, determining PV array, inverter, and balance-of-system losses of the solar power plant. 4. The method of claim 3, further comprising determining the cloud shadow location by:
receiving cloud cover data from a weather research and forecasting (“WRF”) model, the cloud cover data including cloud elevation, latitude, and longitude data for a region in which the solar power plant is located; calculating solar geometry values from the cloud elevation, latitude, and longitude data to determine locations of shadows that fall on a flat surface for the region; and, determining locations of shadows that fall on a digital elevation model (“DEM”) surface for the region from the locations of shadows that fall on the flat surface for the region. 5. The method of claim 4, further comprising subdividing the region into one or more cells and determining the cloud shadow location for each of the one or more cells. 6. The method of claim 3, further comprising determining the cloud type for the cloud by:
obtaining cloud location, top, and base pressure information for a cloud from a weather research and forecasting (“WRF”) model; and, using the cloud location, top, and base pressure information for the cloud to look up the cloud type in a cloud classification table. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the cloud classification table includes entries for a predetermined number of cloud types. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the predetermined number of cloud types is ten and wherein the cloud classification table includes entries for stratus, nimbostratus, stratocumulus, cumulus, cumulonimbus, altostratus, altocumulus, cirrostratus, cirrocumulus, and cirrus cloud types. 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the historical output data and the historical input data including the historical physical subsystem input data and the historical physical subsystem forecasts for the solar power plant from a database. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the current input data including the current physical subsystem input data and the current physical subsystem forecasts for the solar power plant from a data acquisition system coupled to the solar power plant. 11. A system for generating a solar power output forecast for a solar power plant, comprising:
a processor coupled to memory and a display; and, at least one of hardware and software modules within the memory and controlled or executed by the processor, the modules including: a module adapted to, in a training mode, generate trained artificial intelligence model using historical output data and historical input data including historical physical subsystem input data and historical physical subsystem forecasts for the solar power plant; a module adapted to, in a runtime mode, for a predetermined forecast horizon, apply the trained artificial intelligence model to current input data including current physical subsystem input data and current physical subsystem forecasts for the solar power plant to produce the solar power output forecast; and, a module adapted to present the solar power output forecast on a display. 12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a module adapted to generate the historical physical subsystem forecasts using the historical input data by:
determining a global horizontal irradiance (“GHI”) value at clear sky; determining a cloudiness index, a cloud shadow location, and a cloud type; determining a cloud-attenuated global irradiance at a plane of array of the solar power plant from the clear sky GHI value, the cloudiness index, the cloud shadow location, and the cloud type; determining an impact of obstructions on available global irradiance at the plane of array of the solar power plant; determining solar power production by individual photovoltaic (“PV”) modules of the solar power plant; and, determining PV array, inverter, and balance-of-system losses of the solar power plant. 13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a module adapted to generate the current physical subsystem forecasts using the current input data by:
determining a global horizontal irradiance (“GHI”) value at clear sky; determining a cloudiness index, a cloud shadow location, and a cloud type; determining a cloud-attenuated global irradiance at a plane of array of the solar power plant from the clear sky GHI value, the cloudiness index, the cloud shadow location, and the cloud type; determining an impact of obstructions on available global irradiance at the plane of array of the solar power plant; determining solar power production by individual photovoltaic (“PV”) modules of the solar power plant; and, determining PV array, inverter, and balance-of-system losses of the solar power plant. 14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a module adapted to determine the cloud shadow location by:
receiving cloud cover data from a weather research and forecasting (“WRF”) model, the cloud cover data including cloud elevation, latitude, and longitude data for a region in which the solar power plant is located; calculating solar geometry values from the cloud elevation, latitude, and longitude data to determine locations of shadows that fall on a flat surface for the region; and, determining locations of shadows that fall on a digital elevation model (“DEM”) surface for the region from the locations of shadows that fall on the flat surface for the region. 15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a module adapted to subdivide the region into one or more cells and to determine the cloud shadow location for each of the one or more cells. 16. The system of claim 13, further comprising a module adapted to determine the cloud type for the cloud by:
obtaining cloud location, top, and base pressure information for a cloud from a weather research and forecasting (“WRF”) model; and, using the cloud location, top, and base pressure information for the cloud to look up the cloud type in a cloud classification table. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the cloud classification table includes entries for a predetermined number of cloud types. 18. The system of claim 17, wherein the predetermined number of cloud types is ten and wherein the cloud classification table includes entries for stratus, nimbostratus, stratocumulus, cumulus, cumulonimbus, altostratus, altocumulus, cirrostratus, cirrocumulus, and cirrus cloud types. 19. The system of claim 11, further comprising a module adapted to receive the historical output data and the historical input data including the historical physical subsystem input data and the historical physical subsystem forecasts for the solar power plant from a database stored in the memory. 20. The system of claim 11, further comprising a module adapted to receive the current input data including the current physical subsystem input data and the current physical subsystem forecasts for the solar power plant from a data acquisition system coupled to the solar power plant. | 2,800 |
12,443 | 12,443 | 15,533,089 | 2,836 | Exemplary embodiments relate to a control circuit ( 202 ) for a base station ( 204 ) for transmitting energy to a receiver ( 206 ) by means of an electric resonant circuit ( 208; 300 ). The control circuit ( 202 ) comprises an evaluation device ( 210 ) which is designed to compare energy that has been transmitted to a receiver resonant circuit ( 212 ) of the receiver ( 206 ) with an energy set value. The control circuit ( 202 ) is designed to alter the energy input into the receiver resonant circuit ( 212 ) of the receiver ( 206 ) by altering a resonant frequency of the resonant circuit ( 208; 300 ) on the basis of the result of the comparison. | 1-37. (canceled) 38. A control circuit for a base station for transmission of energy to a recipient using an electrical oscillating circuit, the control circuit comprising:
an evaluation device, which is designed to compare the energy transmitted to a recipient oscillating circuit of the recipient with a desired energy value; wherein the evaluation device is further designed to determine the energy transmitted based on a modulation property of a reverse coupling signal coupled with the electrical oscillating circuit; and wherein the control circuit is designed to execute a modified energy entry in the recipient oscillating circuit of the recipient owing to a change, which is based on a result of the comparison, in a resonance frequency of the electrical oscillating circuit. 39. The control circuit of claim 38, wherein the recipient includes a medical implant. 40. The control circuit of claim 38 is designed to work against, at least partially, a change in coupling of the electrical oscillating circuit in the recipient oscillating circuit owing to a change in the resonance frequency of the electrical oscillating circuit. 41. The control circuit of claim 40 is designed to approximate the resonance frequency of the electrical oscillating circuit to a natural frequency of the recipient oscillating circuit if the transmitted energy is less than the desired energy value. 42. The control circuit of claim 40 is designed to take the resonance frequency of the electrical oscillating circuit away from a natural frequency of the recipient oscillating circuit if the transmitted energy is greater than the desired energy value. 43. The control circuit of claim 40 is designed to change the resonance frequency due to a change in an electric resistance in the electrical oscillating circuit. 44. The control circuit of claim 43 is designed to change the electric resistance by varying an excitation current, wherein the electric resistance is an effective resistance of the electrical oscillating circuit. 45. The control circuit of claim 44 is designed to change the electric resistance within a predefined time interval, wherein the predefined time interval is less than the oscillation period of the excitation current. 46. The control circuit of claim 45, further comprising:
a series circuit of a first electrical part and a second electrical part; wherein the electrical oscillating circuit is coupled with an electricity conductive connection between the first electrical part and the second electrical part so that the excitation current is achieved by a first input signal of the first electrical part and/or a second input signal of the second electrical part. 47. The control circuit of claim 46, further comprising at least a first voltage source that is designed to generate the first input signal such that the first input signal has alternating rising or falling progression in a time interval and has a constant progression in another time interval. 48. The control circuit of claim 47, further comprising:
at least a second voltage source that is designed to generate the first second signal such that the second input signal has alternating rising or falling progression in a time interval and has a constant progression in another time interval; wherein the rising progression of the first input signal coincides with the falling progression of the second input signal or the rising progression of the second input signal coincides with the falling progression of the first input signal. 49. The control circuit of claim 46 is designed such that the first electrical part is the first amplifier, the second electrical part is the second amplifier, the first input signal is the first input voltage, and the second input signal is the second input voltage. 50. The control circuit of claim 46 is designed such that the first electrical part is the first transistor, the second electrical part is the second transistor, the first input signal is the first control voltage, and the second input signal is the second control voltage. 51. The control circuit of claim 46, further comprising:
a series circuit of a third electrical part and a fourth electrical part; wherein the electrical oscillating circuit is coupled with a bridge branch between an electricity conductive connection between the first electrical part and the second electrical part and a electricity conductive connection between the third electrical part and the fourth electrical part so that the excitation current is achieved by a first input signal, the second input signal, a third input signal of the third electrical part, and/or a fourth input signal of the fourth electrical part. 52. The control circuit of claim 37, further comprising:
a resistive element with a temporally changed resistivity that is coupled with the electrical oscillating circuit; wherein the resistive element has a control connection to receive a control signal to change the resistivity. 53. A base station including the control circuit of claim 37, further comprising the electrical oscillating circuit that is designed to receive a reverse coupling signal with a modulation property that includes information about the energy transferred to the recipient oscillating circuit of the recipient. 54. The base station of claim 37, wherein the recipient includes a medical implant. 55. A system, comprising the recipient of claim 38 and the base station of claim 53, wherein the recipient is designed to receive the energy signal and send the reverse coupling signal. 56. An evaluation device to determine energy transmitted by an electrical oscillating circuit of a base station to a recipient oscillating circuit of a medical implant, the evaluation device comprising:
an analyser that is designed to determine a modulation property of a signal arising in the electrical oscillating circuit of the base station and to determine the energy transmitted to the recipient oscillating circuit based on this modulation property. 57. The evaluation device of claim 56, wherein the analyser includes a demodulator that is designed to determine the modulation property of the signal with the help of demodulation. | Exemplary embodiments relate to a control circuit ( 202 ) for a base station ( 204 ) for transmitting energy to a receiver ( 206 ) by means of an electric resonant circuit ( 208; 300 ). The control circuit ( 202 ) comprises an evaluation device ( 210 ) which is designed to compare energy that has been transmitted to a receiver resonant circuit ( 212 ) of the receiver ( 206 ) with an energy set value. The control circuit ( 202 ) is designed to alter the energy input into the receiver resonant circuit ( 212 ) of the receiver ( 206 ) by altering a resonant frequency of the resonant circuit ( 208; 300 ) on the basis of the result of the comparison.1-37. (canceled) 38. A control circuit for a base station for transmission of energy to a recipient using an electrical oscillating circuit, the control circuit comprising:
an evaluation device, which is designed to compare the energy transmitted to a recipient oscillating circuit of the recipient with a desired energy value; wherein the evaluation device is further designed to determine the energy transmitted based on a modulation property of a reverse coupling signal coupled with the electrical oscillating circuit; and wherein the control circuit is designed to execute a modified energy entry in the recipient oscillating circuit of the recipient owing to a change, which is based on a result of the comparison, in a resonance frequency of the electrical oscillating circuit. 39. The control circuit of claim 38, wherein the recipient includes a medical implant. 40. The control circuit of claim 38 is designed to work against, at least partially, a change in coupling of the electrical oscillating circuit in the recipient oscillating circuit owing to a change in the resonance frequency of the electrical oscillating circuit. 41. The control circuit of claim 40 is designed to approximate the resonance frequency of the electrical oscillating circuit to a natural frequency of the recipient oscillating circuit if the transmitted energy is less than the desired energy value. 42. The control circuit of claim 40 is designed to take the resonance frequency of the electrical oscillating circuit away from a natural frequency of the recipient oscillating circuit if the transmitted energy is greater than the desired energy value. 43. The control circuit of claim 40 is designed to change the resonance frequency due to a change in an electric resistance in the electrical oscillating circuit. 44. The control circuit of claim 43 is designed to change the electric resistance by varying an excitation current, wherein the electric resistance is an effective resistance of the electrical oscillating circuit. 45. The control circuit of claim 44 is designed to change the electric resistance within a predefined time interval, wherein the predefined time interval is less than the oscillation period of the excitation current. 46. The control circuit of claim 45, further comprising:
a series circuit of a first electrical part and a second electrical part; wherein the electrical oscillating circuit is coupled with an electricity conductive connection between the first electrical part and the second electrical part so that the excitation current is achieved by a first input signal of the first electrical part and/or a second input signal of the second electrical part. 47. The control circuit of claim 46, further comprising at least a first voltage source that is designed to generate the first input signal such that the first input signal has alternating rising or falling progression in a time interval and has a constant progression in another time interval. 48. The control circuit of claim 47, further comprising:
at least a second voltage source that is designed to generate the first second signal such that the second input signal has alternating rising or falling progression in a time interval and has a constant progression in another time interval; wherein the rising progression of the first input signal coincides with the falling progression of the second input signal or the rising progression of the second input signal coincides with the falling progression of the first input signal. 49. The control circuit of claim 46 is designed such that the first electrical part is the first amplifier, the second electrical part is the second amplifier, the first input signal is the first input voltage, and the second input signal is the second input voltage. 50. The control circuit of claim 46 is designed such that the first electrical part is the first transistor, the second electrical part is the second transistor, the first input signal is the first control voltage, and the second input signal is the second control voltage. 51. The control circuit of claim 46, further comprising:
a series circuit of a third electrical part and a fourth electrical part; wherein the electrical oscillating circuit is coupled with a bridge branch between an electricity conductive connection between the first electrical part and the second electrical part and a electricity conductive connection between the third electrical part and the fourth electrical part so that the excitation current is achieved by a first input signal, the second input signal, a third input signal of the third electrical part, and/or a fourth input signal of the fourth electrical part. 52. The control circuit of claim 37, further comprising:
a resistive element with a temporally changed resistivity that is coupled with the electrical oscillating circuit; wherein the resistive element has a control connection to receive a control signal to change the resistivity. 53. A base station including the control circuit of claim 37, further comprising the electrical oscillating circuit that is designed to receive a reverse coupling signal with a modulation property that includes information about the energy transferred to the recipient oscillating circuit of the recipient. 54. The base station of claim 37, wherein the recipient includes a medical implant. 55. A system, comprising the recipient of claim 38 and the base station of claim 53, wherein the recipient is designed to receive the energy signal and send the reverse coupling signal. 56. An evaluation device to determine energy transmitted by an electrical oscillating circuit of a base station to a recipient oscillating circuit of a medical implant, the evaluation device comprising:
an analyser that is designed to determine a modulation property of a signal arising in the electrical oscillating circuit of the base station and to determine the energy transmitted to the recipient oscillating circuit based on this modulation property. 57. The evaluation device of claim 56, wherein the analyser includes a demodulator that is designed to determine the modulation property of the signal with the help of demodulation. | 2,800 |
12,444 | 12,444 | 15,489,692 | 2,875 | The present disclosure is an improvement in bi-focus lenses. The disclosure relates to the use of multiple channels of LED/Lens combinations to achieve a smooth and continuous range of emitted beam angles of light in a wider range of beam angles than previously possible through only two channels of LED/Lens combinations. The resultant product will produce a continuous range of beam angles in a range exceeding 35 degrees from narrowest bean angle to widest beam angle. The lens channels selected are weighted so as to maximize the contribution of a single channel lens to the overall beam projection. | 1. A multiple channel lens combination multi-focus LED lighting fixture as described herein. 2. A method of controlling LED driver circuitry for a multi-focus LED lighting fixture as described herein. | The present disclosure is an improvement in bi-focus lenses. The disclosure relates to the use of multiple channels of LED/Lens combinations to achieve a smooth and continuous range of emitted beam angles of light in a wider range of beam angles than previously possible through only two channels of LED/Lens combinations. The resultant product will produce a continuous range of beam angles in a range exceeding 35 degrees from narrowest bean angle to widest beam angle. The lens channels selected are weighted so as to maximize the contribution of a single channel lens to the overall beam projection.1. A multiple channel lens combination multi-focus LED lighting fixture as described herein. 2. A method of controlling LED driver circuitry for a multi-focus LED lighting fixture as described herein. | 2,800 |
12,445 | 12,445 | 16,537,149 | 2,818 | Implementations of semiconductor packages may include: a digital signal processor having a first side and a second side and an image sensor array, having a first side and a second side. The first side of the image sensor array may be coupled to the second side of the digital signal processor through a plurality of hybrid bond interconnect (HBI) bond pads and an edge seal. One or more openings may extend from the second side of the image sensor array into the second side of the digital signal processor to an etch stop layer in the second side of the digital signal processor. The one or more openings may form a second edge seal between the plurality of HBI bond pads and the edge of the digital signal processor. | 1. A semiconductor package comprising:
a digital signal processor comprising a first side and a second side; an image sensor array comprising a first side and a second side, the first side of the image sensor array coupled to the second side of the digital signal processor through a plurality of hybrid bond interconnect (HBI) bond pads and a first edge seal coupled directly with the HBI bond pads; an etch stop layer comprised in the second side of the digital signal processor; one or more first openings extending from the second side of the image sensor array into the second side of the digital signal processor and to the etch stop layer in the second side of the digital signal processor, the one or more openings coated with a sealing material, the one or more openings forming a second edge seal between the plurality of HBI bond pads and the edge of the digital signal processor; one or more second openings extending from the second side of the image sensor array to the second metal stack comprised in the image sensor, the one or more second openings forming a third edge seal wherein the one or more second openings each comprise a sealing material therein; and one or more third openings extending from the second side of the image sensor array to the etch stop layer in the digital signal processor forming a fourth edge seal wherein the one or more third openings may be positioned one of inside and outside the edge seal; wherein the first edge seal is comprised of a first metal stack comprised within the digital signal processor directly coupled to a second metal stack comprised within the image sensor array. 2. The semiconductor package of claim 1, wherein the one or more openings is positioned inside the edge seal. 3. The semiconductor package of claim 1, wherein the sealing material on the one or more first openings is one of oxynitride (ONO), silicon nitride (SiN), aluminum nitride (AlN), and any combination thereof. 4. The semiconductor package of claim 1, wherein the sealing material on the one or more second openings is one of oxynitride (ONO), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), silicon nitride (SiN), hafnium dioxide (HfO2), tantalum oxide (Ta2O5), and any combination thereof. 5. The semiconductor package of claim 1, wherein the sealing material on the one or more third openings is one of oxynitride (ONO), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), silicon nitride (SiN), hafnium dioxide (HfO2), tantalum oxide (Ta2O5), and any combination thereof. 6. A semiconductor package comprising:
a digital signal processor comprising a first side and a second side; an image sensor array comprising a first side and a second side, the first side of the image sensor array coupled to the second side of the digital signal processor through a plurality of hybrid bond interconnect (HBI) bond pads and a first edge seal coupled directly with the HBI bond pads; an etch stop layer comprised in the second side of the digital signal processor; one or more first openings extending from the second side of the image sensor array into the second side of the digital signal processor and to the etch stop layer in the second side of the digital signal processor, the one or more openings coated with a sealing material, the one or more openings forming a second edge seal between the plurality of HBI bond pads and the edge of the digital signal processor; and one or more second openings extending from the second side of the image sensor array to the second metal stack comprised in the image sensor, the one or more second openings forming a third edge seal wherein the one or more second openings each comprise a sealing material therein; wherein the first edge seal is comprised of a first metal stack comprised within the digital signal processor directly coupled to a second metal stack comprised within the image sensor array. 7. The semiconductor package of claim 6, wherein the one or more first openings is positioned inside the first edge seal. 8. The semiconductor package of claim 6, one or more third openings extending from the second side of the image sensor array to the etch stop layer in the digital signal processor forming a fourth edge seal wherein the one or more third openings may be positioned one of inside and outside the edge seal. 9. The semiconductor package of claim 6, wherein the sealing material on the one or more first openings is one of oxynitride (ONO), silicon nitride (SiN), aluminum nitride (AlN), and any combination thereof. 10. The semiconductor package of claim 6, wherein the sealing material on the one or more second openings is one of oxynitride (ONO), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), silicon nitride (SiN), hafnium dioxide (HfO2), tantalum oxide (Ta2O5), and any combination thereof. 11. The semiconductor package of claim 8, wherein the sealing material on the one or more second openings is one of oxynitride (ONO), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), silicon nitride (SiN), hafnium dioxide (HfO2), tantalum oxide (Ta2O5), and any combination thereof. 12. A semiconductor package comprising:
a digital signal processor, comprising a first side and a second side; an image sensor array comprising a first side and a second side, the first side of the image sensor array mechanically and electrically coupled to the second side of the digital signal processor through a plurality of hybrid bond interconnect (HBI) bond pads and an edge seal; a first metal stack comprised within the digital signal processor; a second metal stack comprised within the image sensor array; a via bar having a width that is smaller than a width of the plurality of HBI bond pads, the via bar electrically coupling the first metal stack and the second metal stack, wherein the via bar forms an additional seal inside the edge seal. 13. The semiconductor package of claim 12, wherein the additional seal formed by the via bar is continuous. 14. The semiconductor package of claim 12, wherein the additional seal formed by the via bar comprises spaces therein. 15. The semiconductor package of claim 12, wherein the via bar comprises copper. 16. The semiconductor package of claim 12, further comprising one or more first openings, the one or more first openings extending into the second side of the image sensor array to an etch stop layer in the digital signal processor, the one or more openings located between the edge seal and the plurality of HBI bond pads, the one or more first openings forming a second edge seal, wherein the one or more first openings each comprise a sealing material. 17. The semiconductor package of claim 16, further comprising one or more second openings extending into the second side of the image sensor array to the second metal stack comprised in the image sensor, the one or more second openings forming a third edge seal, wherein the one or more second openings comprise a sealing material. 18. The semiconductor package of claim 16, wherein the sealing material on the one or more first openings is one of oxynitride (ONO), silicon nitride (SiN), aluminum nitride (AlN), and any combination thereof. 19. The semiconductor package of claim 17, wherein the sealing material on the one or more second openings is one of oxynitride (ONO), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), silicon nitride (SiN), hafnium dioxide (HfO2), tantalum oxide (Ta2O5), and any combination thereof. | Implementations of semiconductor packages may include: a digital signal processor having a first side and a second side and an image sensor array, having a first side and a second side. The first side of the image sensor array may be coupled to the second side of the digital signal processor through a plurality of hybrid bond interconnect (HBI) bond pads and an edge seal. One or more openings may extend from the second side of the image sensor array into the second side of the digital signal processor to an etch stop layer in the second side of the digital signal processor. The one or more openings may form a second edge seal between the plurality of HBI bond pads and the edge of the digital signal processor.1. A semiconductor package comprising:
a digital signal processor comprising a first side and a second side; an image sensor array comprising a first side and a second side, the first side of the image sensor array coupled to the second side of the digital signal processor through a plurality of hybrid bond interconnect (HBI) bond pads and a first edge seal coupled directly with the HBI bond pads; an etch stop layer comprised in the second side of the digital signal processor; one or more first openings extending from the second side of the image sensor array into the second side of the digital signal processor and to the etch stop layer in the second side of the digital signal processor, the one or more openings coated with a sealing material, the one or more openings forming a second edge seal between the plurality of HBI bond pads and the edge of the digital signal processor; one or more second openings extending from the second side of the image sensor array to the second metal stack comprised in the image sensor, the one or more second openings forming a third edge seal wherein the one or more second openings each comprise a sealing material therein; and one or more third openings extending from the second side of the image sensor array to the etch stop layer in the digital signal processor forming a fourth edge seal wherein the one or more third openings may be positioned one of inside and outside the edge seal; wherein the first edge seal is comprised of a first metal stack comprised within the digital signal processor directly coupled to a second metal stack comprised within the image sensor array. 2. The semiconductor package of claim 1, wherein the one or more openings is positioned inside the edge seal. 3. The semiconductor package of claim 1, wherein the sealing material on the one or more first openings is one of oxynitride (ONO), silicon nitride (SiN), aluminum nitride (AlN), and any combination thereof. 4. The semiconductor package of claim 1, wherein the sealing material on the one or more second openings is one of oxynitride (ONO), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), silicon nitride (SiN), hafnium dioxide (HfO2), tantalum oxide (Ta2O5), and any combination thereof. 5. The semiconductor package of claim 1, wherein the sealing material on the one or more third openings is one of oxynitride (ONO), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), silicon nitride (SiN), hafnium dioxide (HfO2), tantalum oxide (Ta2O5), and any combination thereof. 6. A semiconductor package comprising:
a digital signal processor comprising a first side and a second side; an image sensor array comprising a first side and a second side, the first side of the image sensor array coupled to the second side of the digital signal processor through a plurality of hybrid bond interconnect (HBI) bond pads and a first edge seal coupled directly with the HBI bond pads; an etch stop layer comprised in the second side of the digital signal processor; one or more first openings extending from the second side of the image sensor array into the second side of the digital signal processor and to the etch stop layer in the second side of the digital signal processor, the one or more openings coated with a sealing material, the one or more openings forming a second edge seal between the plurality of HBI bond pads and the edge of the digital signal processor; and one or more second openings extending from the second side of the image sensor array to the second metal stack comprised in the image sensor, the one or more second openings forming a third edge seal wherein the one or more second openings each comprise a sealing material therein; wherein the first edge seal is comprised of a first metal stack comprised within the digital signal processor directly coupled to a second metal stack comprised within the image sensor array. 7. The semiconductor package of claim 6, wherein the one or more first openings is positioned inside the first edge seal. 8. The semiconductor package of claim 6, one or more third openings extending from the second side of the image sensor array to the etch stop layer in the digital signal processor forming a fourth edge seal wherein the one or more third openings may be positioned one of inside and outside the edge seal. 9. The semiconductor package of claim 6, wherein the sealing material on the one or more first openings is one of oxynitride (ONO), silicon nitride (SiN), aluminum nitride (AlN), and any combination thereof. 10. The semiconductor package of claim 6, wherein the sealing material on the one or more second openings is one of oxynitride (ONO), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), silicon nitride (SiN), hafnium dioxide (HfO2), tantalum oxide (Ta2O5), and any combination thereof. 11. The semiconductor package of claim 8, wherein the sealing material on the one or more second openings is one of oxynitride (ONO), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), silicon nitride (SiN), hafnium dioxide (HfO2), tantalum oxide (Ta2O5), and any combination thereof. 12. A semiconductor package comprising:
a digital signal processor, comprising a first side and a second side; an image sensor array comprising a first side and a second side, the first side of the image sensor array mechanically and electrically coupled to the second side of the digital signal processor through a plurality of hybrid bond interconnect (HBI) bond pads and an edge seal; a first metal stack comprised within the digital signal processor; a second metal stack comprised within the image sensor array; a via bar having a width that is smaller than a width of the plurality of HBI bond pads, the via bar electrically coupling the first metal stack and the second metal stack, wherein the via bar forms an additional seal inside the edge seal. 13. The semiconductor package of claim 12, wherein the additional seal formed by the via bar is continuous. 14. The semiconductor package of claim 12, wherein the additional seal formed by the via bar comprises spaces therein. 15. The semiconductor package of claim 12, wherein the via bar comprises copper. 16. The semiconductor package of claim 12, further comprising one or more first openings, the one or more first openings extending into the second side of the image sensor array to an etch stop layer in the digital signal processor, the one or more openings located between the edge seal and the plurality of HBI bond pads, the one or more first openings forming a second edge seal, wherein the one or more first openings each comprise a sealing material. 17. The semiconductor package of claim 16, further comprising one or more second openings extending into the second side of the image sensor array to the second metal stack comprised in the image sensor, the one or more second openings forming a third edge seal, wherein the one or more second openings comprise a sealing material. 18. The semiconductor package of claim 16, wherein the sealing material on the one or more first openings is one of oxynitride (ONO), silicon nitride (SiN), aluminum nitride (AlN), and any combination thereof. 19. The semiconductor package of claim 17, wherein the sealing material on the one or more second openings is one of oxynitride (ONO), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), silicon nitride (SiN), hafnium dioxide (HfO2), tantalum oxide (Ta2O5), and any combination thereof. | 2,800 |
12,446 | 12,446 | 14,214,600 | 2,863 | A method and system for capturing and annotating measurement data includes communicatively connecting a mobile computing device to one or more measurement devices, and receiving measurement data from the one or more measurement devices. The mobile computing device stores the received measurement data and annotates the stored measurement data with metadata. The metadata includes group identifying information that associates the stored measurement data with other data having similar group identifying information. In at least one embodiment, measurement data is automatically associated with the group identifying information based on the measurement data being captured within a predetermined amount of time of each other or within a predetermined distance of each other as determined by a positioning system. The metadata may include, for example, one or more of a time, a location, a test point, a work order, a task list, a job instruction, a technician identifier, a text note, a voice note, an image, a video, and an image annotation. | 1. A computer-implemented method for capturing and annotating measurement data, the method comprising:
connecting, by a mobile computing device, to one or more measurement devices; receiving, by the mobile computing device, measurement data from the one or more measurement devices; storing, by the mobile computing device, the received measurement data; and annotating the stored measurement data with metadata, the metadata including group identifying information that associates the stored measurement data with other data having similar group identifying information. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the group identifying information associates the stored measurement data with an equipment identifier of equipment from which the measurement data was generated, and wherein the equipment identifier is determined before the measurement data is stored. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the equipment identifier is determined by receiving a user selection of equipment from a list presented by the mobile computing device. 4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:
determining a position of the mobile computing device; and presenting, by the mobile computing device, a list of equipment near the position of the mobile computing device for obtaining the user selection of equipment. 5. The method of claim 3, further comprising presenting, by the mobile computing device, a list of equipment previously monitored by the mobile computing device for obtaining the user selection of equipment. 6. The method of claim 2, further comprising capturing, by a sensor of the mobile computing device, the equipment identifier from the equipment. 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically selecting a set of stored measurement data to be associated with the group identifying information after the measurement data has been stored. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein automatically selecting a set of stored measurement data includes selecting stored measurement data captured within a predetermined amount of time of each other. 9. The method of claim 7, wherein automatically selecting a set of stored measurement data includes selecting stored measurement data captured within a predetermined distance of each other as determined by a positioning system. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the group identifying information associates measurements of a single device under test (DUT) taken with different measurement devices. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the group identifying information associates multiple measurements of a single DUT taken with the same measurement device. 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the measurement data is received by the mobile computing device substantially contemporaneously with sensing of the data by a measurement device. 13. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting, by the mobile computing device, instantaneous measurement data received from the one or more measurement devices. 14. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the received measurement data includes storing a received measurement in response to receiving a capture command via a user interface. 15. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the received measurement data includes storing a time series of received measurements in response to receiving a record command via a user interface. 16. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata includes one or more of a time, a location, a test point, a work order, a task list, a job instruction, a technician identifier, a text note, a voice note, an image, a video, and an image annotation. 17. A system for capturing and annotating measurement data, the system comprising:
a mobile computing device configured to:
connect to one or more measurement devices;
receive measurement data from the one or more measurement devices;
store the received measurement data; and
annotate the stored measurement data with metadata, the metadata including group identifying information that associates the stored measurement data with other data having similar group identifying information. 18. The system of claim 17, wherein the group identifying information associates the stored measurement data with an equipment identifier of equipment from which the measurement data was generated, and wherein the mobile computing device is configured to determine the equipment identifier before storing the measurement data. 19. The system of claim 18, wherein the mobile computing device is configured to determine the equipment identifier by:
presenting a list of equipment; and receiving a user selection of equipment from the presented list of equipment. 20. The system of claim 19, wherein presenting the list of equipment includes:
determining a position of the mobile computing device; and presenting a list of equipment near the position of the mobile computing device. 21. The system of claim 19, wherein presenting the list of equipment includes presenting a list of equipment previously monitored by the mobile computing device. 22. The system of claim 18, wherein the mobile computing device is configured to determine the equipment identifier by capturing, using a sensor of the mobile computing device, the equipment identifier from the equipment. 23. The system of claim 17, wherein the mobile computing device is further configured to automatically select a set of stored measurement data to be associated with the group identifying information after the measurement data has been stored. 24. The system of claim 23, wherein automatically selecting a set of stored measurement data includes selecting stored measurement data captured within a predetermined amount of time of each other. 25. The system of claim 23, wherein automatically selecting a set of stored measurement data includes selecting stored measurement data captured within a predetermined distance of each other as determined by a positioning system. 26. The system of claim 17, wherein the group identifying information associates measurements of a single device under test (DUT) taken with different measurement devices. 27. The system of claim 17, wherein the group identifying information associates multiple measurements of a single DUT taken with the same measurement device. 28. The system of claim 17, wherein the measurement data is received by the mobile computing device substantially contemporaneously with sensing of the data by a measurement device. 29. The system of claim 17, wherein the mobile computing device is further configured to present instantaneous measurement data received from the one or more measurement devices. 30. The system of claim 17, wherein storing the received measurement data includes storing a received measurement in response to receiving a capture command via a user interface. 31. The system of claim 17, wherein storing the received measurement data includes storing a time series of received measurements in response to receiving a record command via a user interface. 32. The system of claim 17, wherein the metadata includes one or more of a time, a location, a test point, a work order, a task list, a job instruction, a technician identifier, a text note, a voice note, an image, a video, and an image annotation. 33. A nontransitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by one or more processors of a mobile computing device, cause the mobile computing device to capture and annotate measurement data by:
connecting, by the mobile computing device, to one or more measurement devices; receiving, by the mobile computing device, measurement data from the one or more measurement devices; storing, by the mobile computing device, the received measurement data; and annotating the stored measurement data with metadata, the metadata including group identifying information that associates the stored measurement data with other data having similar group identifying information. 34. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the group identifying information associates the stored measurement data with an equipment identifier of equipment from which the measurement data was generated, and wherein the equipment identifier is determined before the measurement data is stored. 35. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the equipment identifier is determined by receiving a user selection of equipment from a list presented by the mobile computing device. 36. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, wherein the instructions further cause the mobile computing device to:
determine a position of the mobile computing device; and present a list of equipment near the position of the mobile computing device for obtaining the user selection of equipment. 37. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, wherein the instructions further cause the mobile computing device to present a list of equipment previously monitored by the mobile computing device for obtaining the user selection of equipment. 38. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the instructions further cause the mobile computing device to capture, using a sensor of the mobile computing device, the equipment identifier from the equipment. 39. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the instructions further cause the mobile computing device to automatically select a set of stored measurement data to be associated with the group identifying information after the measurement data has been stored. 40. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein automatically selecting a set of stored measurement data includes selecting stored measurement data captured within a predetermined amount of time of each other. 41. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein automatically selecting a set of stored measurement data includes selecting stored measurement data captured within a predetermined distance of each other as determined by a positioning system. 42. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the group identifying information associates measurements of a single device under test (DUT) taken with different measurement devices. 43. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the group identifying information associates multiple measurements of a single DUT taken with the same measurement device. 44. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the measurement data is received by the mobile computing device substantially contemporaneously with sensing of the data by a measurement device. 45. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the instructions further cause the mobile computing device to present instantaneous measurement data received from the one or more measurement devices. 46. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein storing the received measurement data includes storing a received measurement in response to receiving a capture command via a user interface. 47. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein storing the received measurement data includes storing a time series of received measurements in response to receiving a record command via a user interface. 48. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the metadata includes one or more of a time, a location, a test point, a work order, a task list, a job instruction, a technician identifier, a text note, a voice note, an image, a video, and an image annotation. | A method and system for capturing and annotating measurement data includes communicatively connecting a mobile computing device to one or more measurement devices, and receiving measurement data from the one or more measurement devices. The mobile computing device stores the received measurement data and annotates the stored measurement data with metadata. The metadata includes group identifying information that associates the stored measurement data with other data having similar group identifying information. In at least one embodiment, measurement data is automatically associated with the group identifying information based on the measurement data being captured within a predetermined amount of time of each other or within a predetermined distance of each other as determined by a positioning system. The metadata may include, for example, one or more of a time, a location, a test point, a work order, a task list, a job instruction, a technician identifier, a text note, a voice note, an image, a video, and an image annotation.1. A computer-implemented method for capturing and annotating measurement data, the method comprising:
connecting, by a mobile computing device, to one or more measurement devices; receiving, by the mobile computing device, measurement data from the one or more measurement devices; storing, by the mobile computing device, the received measurement data; and annotating the stored measurement data with metadata, the metadata including group identifying information that associates the stored measurement data with other data having similar group identifying information. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the group identifying information associates the stored measurement data with an equipment identifier of equipment from which the measurement data was generated, and wherein the equipment identifier is determined before the measurement data is stored. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the equipment identifier is determined by receiving a user selection of equipment from a list presented by the mobile computing device. 4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:
determining a position of the mobile computing device; and presenting, by the mobile computing device, a list of equipment near the position of the mobile computing device for obtaining the user selection of equipment. 5. The method of claim 3, further comprising presenting, by the mobile computing device, a list of equipment previously monitored by the mobile computing device for obtaining the user selection of equipment. 6. The method of claim 2, further comprising capturing, by a sensor of the mobile computing device, the equipment identifier from the equipment. 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically selecting a set of stored measurement data to be associated with the group identifying information after the measurement data has been stored. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein automatically selecting a set of stored measurement data includes selecting stored measurement data captured within a predetermined amount of time of each other. 9. The method of claim 7, wherein automatically selecting a set of stored measurement data includes selecting stored measurement data captured within a predetermined distance of each other as determined by a positioning system. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the group identifying information associates measurements of a single device under test (DUT) taken with different measurement devices. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the group identifying information associates multiple measurements of a single DUT taken with the same measurement device. 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the measurement data is received by the mobile computing device substantially contemporaneously with sensing of the data by a measurement device. 13. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting, by the mobile computing device, instantaneous measurement data received from the one or more measurement devices. 14. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the received measurement data includes storing a received measurement in response to receiving a capture command via a user interface. 15. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the received measurement data includes storing a time series of received measurements in response to receiving a record command via a user interface. 16. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata includes one or more of a time, a location, a test point, a work order, a task list, a job instruction, a technician identifier, a text note, a voice note, an image, a video, and an image annotation. 17. A system for capturing and annotating measurement data, the system comprising:
a mobile computing device configured to:
connect to one or more measurement devices;
receive measurement data from the one or more measurement devices;
store the received measurement data; and
annotate the stored measurement data with metadata, the metadata including group identifying information that associates the stored measurement data with other data having similar group identifying information. 18. The system of claim 17, wherein the group identifying information associates the stored measurement data with an equipment identifier of equipment from which the measurement data was generated, and wherein the mobile computing device is configured to determine the equipment identifier before storing the measurement data. 19. The system of claim 18, wherein the mobile computing device is configured to determine the equipment identifier by:
presenting a list of equipment; and receiving a user selection of equipment from the presented list of equipment. 20. The system of claim 19, wherein presenting the list of equipment includes:
determining a position of the mobile computing device; and presenting a list of equipment near the position of the mobile computing device. 21. The system of claim 19, wherein presenting the list of equipment includes presenting a list of equipment previously monitored by the mobile computing device. 22. The system of claim 18, wherein the mobile computing device is configured to determine the equipment identifier by capturing, using a sensor of the mobile computing device, the equipment identifier from the equipment. 23. The system of claim 17, wherein the mobile computing device is further configured to automatically select a set of stored measurement data to be associated with the group identifying information after the measurement data has been stored. 24. The system of claim 23, wherein automatically selecting a set of stored measurement data includes selecting stored measurement data captured within a predetermined amount of time of each other. 25. The system of claim 23, wherein automatically selecting a set of stored measurement data includes selecting stored measurement data captured within a predetermined distance of each other as determined by a positioning system. 26. The system of claim 17, wherein the group identifying information associates measurements of a single device under test (DUT) taken with different measurement devices. 27. The system of claim 17, wherein the group identifying information associates multiple measurements of a single DUT taken with the same measurement device. 28. The system of claim 17, wherein the measurement data is received by the mobile computing device substantially contemporaneously with sensing of the data by a measurement device. 29. The system of claim 17, wherein the mobile computing device is further configured to present instantaneous measurement data received from the one or more measurement devices. 30. The system of claim 17, wherein storing the received measurement data includes storing a received measurement in response to receiving a capture command via a user interface. 31. The system of claim 17, wherein storing the received measurement data includes storing a time series of received measurements in response to receiving a record command via a user interface. 32. The system of claim 17, wherein the metadata includes one or more of a time, a location, a test point, a work order, a task list, a job instruction, a technician identifier, a text note, a voice note, an image, a video, and an image annotation. 33. A nontransitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by one or more processors of a mobile computing device, cause the mobile computing device to capture and annotate measurement data by:
connecting, by the mobile computing device, to one or more measurement devices; receiving, by the mobile computing device, measurement data from the one or more measurement devices; storing, by the mobile computing device, the received measurement data; and annotating the stored measurement data with metadata, the metadata including group identifying information that associates the stored measurement data with other data having similar group identifying information. 34. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the group identifying information associates the stored measurement data with an equipment identifier of equipment from which the measurement data was generated, and wherein the equipment identifier is determined before the measurement data is stored. 35. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the equipment identifier is determined by receiving a user selection of equipment from a list presented by the mobile computing device. 36. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, wherein the instructions further cause the mobile computing device to:
determine a position of the mobile computing device; and present a list of equipment near the position of the mobile computing device for obtaining the user selection of equipment. 37. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, wherein the instructions further cause the mobile computing device to present a list of equipment previously monitored by the mobile computing device for obtaining the user selection of equipment. 38. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the instructions further cause the mobile computing device to capture, using a sensor of the mobile computing device, the equipment identifier from the equipment. 39. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the instructions further cause the mobile computing device to automatically select a set of stored measurement data to be associated with the group identifying information after the measurement data has been stored. 40. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein automatically selecting a set of stored measurement data includes selecting stored measurement data captured within a predetermined amount of time of each other. 41. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein automatically selecting a set of stored measurement data includes selecting stored measurement data captured within a predetermined distance of each other as determined by a positioning system. 42. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the group identifying information associates measurements of a single device under test (DUT) taken with different measurement devices. 43. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the group identifying information associates multiple measurements of a single DUT taken with the same measurement device. 44. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the measurement data is received by the mobile computing device substantially contemporaneously with sensing of the data by a measurement device. 45. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the instructions further cause the mobile computing device to present instantaneous measurement data received from the one or more measurement devices. 46. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein storing the received measurement data includes storing a received measurement in response to receiving a capture command via a user interface. 47. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein storing the received measurement data includes storing a time series of received measurements in response to receiving a record command via a user interface. 48. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the metadata includes one or more of a time, a location, a test point, a work order, a task list, a job instruction, a technician identifier, a text note, a voice note, an image, a video, and an image annotation. | 2,800 |
12,447 | 12,447 | 15,656,037 | 2,846 | A method of operating an electric vehicle having multiple electric traction motors include receiving a signal indicative of a driver requested torque, and determining portions of the torque request to produce from each traction motor based on efficiency maps of the motors. The method may also include producing the determined portions of torque from each motor. | 1. A method of operating an electric vehicle having multiple electric motors for traction, comprising:
receiving, at a control unit of the vehicle, a signal indicative of a driver requested torque; determining portions of the driver requested torque to produce from each motor of the multiple electric motors based on one or more efficiency maps of the multiple electric motors, wherein each electric motor of the multiple electric motors includes a same efficiency map; and producing the determined portions of the driver requested torque from each motor of the multiple electric motors. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein producing the determined portions include producing the entirety of the driver requested torque from one motor of the multiple electric motors. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein producing the entirety of the driver requested torque from one motor includes selecting the one motor based on a parameter indicative of a relative usage of each motor of the multiple electric motors. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein producing the determined portions include producing a substantially equal portion of the driver requested torque from each motor of the multiple electric motors. 5-6. (canceled) 7. A method of operating an electric vehicle having at least a first electric motor and a second electric motor for traction, comprising:
receiving, at a control unit of the vehicle, a signal indicative of a driver requested torque; operating one electric motor of the first electric motor or the second electric motor to produce the entirety of the driver requested torque if the driver requested torque is less than or equal to a maximum torque capability of the one electric motor; and operating both the first electric motor and the second electric motor to produce portions of the driver requested torque if the driver requested torque is greater than the maximum torque capability of the one electric motor. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein operating both the first electric motor and the second electric motor includes determining portions of the driver requested torque to produce from each of the first electric motor and the second electric motor based on an efficiency map of one or both of the first electric motor and the second electric motor. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining portions of the driver requested torque to produce from each of the first electric motor and the second electric motor includes determining the portions based on a single efficiency map of both the first electric motor and the second electric motor. 10. The method of claim 8, wherein determining portions of the driver requested torque to produce from each of the first electric motor and the second electric motor includes determining the portions based on a different efficiency maps of the first electric motor and the second electric motor. 11. The method of claim 7, wherein operating both the first electric motor and the second electric motor includes operating the first electric motor and the second electric motor to produce substantially equal portions of the driver requested torque. 12. The method of claim 7, wherein operating one electric motor of the first electric motor or the second electric motor includes selecting the one electric motor to operate based on a parameter indicative of a relative usage of the first and second electric motors. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein selecting one electric motor of the first electric motor or the second electric motor to operate includes selecting the first electric motor as the one electric motor if a total usage time of the first electric motor is less than a total usage time of the second electric motor. 14. An electric vehicle, comprising:
a powertrain including a first electric motor and a second electric motor configured to provide traction for the electric vehicle; and a control unit configured to:
receive a signal indicative of a driver requested torque;
determine portions of the driver requested torque to produce from each of the first electric motor and the second electric motor based on an efficiency map of one or both of the first electric motor and the second electric motor, wherein the first electric motor and the second electric motor includes a same efficiency map; and
control the first electric motor and the second electric motor to produce the determined portions of the driver requested torque. 15. The electric vehicle of claim 14, further including a first inverter and a second inverter, wherein the first inverter is configured to independently control the first electric motor and the second inverter is configured to independently control the second electric motor. 16. The electric vehicle of claim 14, wherein the control unit is configured to control one of the first electric motor or the second electric motor to produce the entirety of the driver requested torque. 17. The electric vehicle of claim 14, wherein the control unit is configured to select the first electric motor or the second electric motor to produce the entirety of the driver requested torque based on a parameter indicative of a relative usage of the first and second electric motors. 18. The electric vehicle of claim 14, wherein the control unit is configured to control the first electric motor and the second electric motor to produce substantially equal portions of the driver requested torque. 19. (canceled) 20. The electric vehicle of claim 14, wherein the electric vehicle is a bus. 21. The electric vehicle of claim 14, further including a first drive wheel and a second drive wheel, wherein the first electric motor is configured to provide traction to only one of the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel and the second electric motor is configured to provide traction to only the other of the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel. 22. The electric vehicle of claim 14, further including a first drive wheel and a second drive wheel, wherein the first drive wheel, the second drive wheel, the first electric motor, and the second electric motor arranged along a single axis. 23. The electric vehicle of claim 14, wherein the control unit is configured to control the first electric motor and the second electric motor to produce different portions of the driver requested torque. | A method of operating an electric vehicle having multiple electric traction motors include receiving a signal indicative of a driver requested torque, and determining portions of the torque request to produce from each traction motor based on efficiency maps of the motors. The method may also include producing the determined portions of torque from each motor.1. A method of operating an electric vehicle having multiple electric motors for traction, comprising:
receiving, at a control unit of the vehicle, a signal indicative of a driver requested torque; determining portions of the driver requested torque to produce from each motor of the multiple electric motors based on one or more efficiency maps of the multiple electric motors, wherein each electric motor of the multiple electric motors includes a same efficiency map; and producing the determined portions of the driver requested torque from each motor of the multiple electric motors. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein producing the determined portions include producing the entirety of the driver requested torque from one motor of the multiple electric motors. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein producing the entirety of the driver requested torque from one motor includes selecting the one motor based on a parameter indicative of a relative usage of each motor of the multiple electric motors. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein producing the determined portions include producing a substantially equal portion of the driver requested torque from each motor of the multiple electric motors. 5-6. (canceled) 7. A method of operating an electric vehicle having at least a first electric motor and a second electric motor for traction, comprising:
receiving, at a control unit of the vehicle, a signal indicative of a driver requested torque; operating one electric motor of the first electric motor or the second electric motor to produce the entirety of the driver requested torque if the driver requested torque is less than or equal to a maximum torque capability of the one electric motor; and operating both the first electric motor and the second electric motor to produce portions of the driver requested torque if the driver requested torque is greater than the maximum torque capability of the one electric motor. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein operating both the first electric motor and the second electric motor includes determining portions of the driver requested torque to produce from each of the first electric motor and the second electric motor based on an efficiency map of one or both of the first electric motor and the second electric motor. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining portions of the driver requested torque to produce from each of the first electric motor and the second electric motor includes determining the portions based on a single efficiency map of both the first electric motor and the second electric motor. 10. The method of claim 8, wherein determining portions of the driver requested torque to produce from each of the first electric motor and the second electric motor includes determining the portions based on a different efficiency maps of the first electric motor and the second electric motor. 11. The method of claim 7, wherein operating both the first electric motor and the second electric motor includes operating the first electric motor and the second electric motor to produce substantially equal portions of the driver requested torque. 12. The method of claim 7, wherein operating one electric motor of the first electric motor or the second electric motor includes selecting the one electric motor to operate based on a parameter indicative of a relative usage of the first and second electric motors. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein selecting one electric motor of the first electric motor or the second electric motor to operate includes selecting the first electric motor as the one electric motor if a total usage time of the first electric motor is less than a total usage time of the second electric motor. 14. An electric vehicle, comprising:
a powertrain including a first electric motor and a second electric motor configured to provide traction for the electric vehicle; and a control unit configured to:
receive a signal indicative of a driver requested torque;
determine portions of the driver requested torque to produce from each of the first electric motor and the second electric motor based on an efficiency map of one or both of the first electric motor and the second electric motor, wherein the first electric motor and the second electric motor includes a same efficiency map; and
control the first electric motor and the second electric motor to produce the determined portions of the driver requested torque. 15. The electric vehicle of claim 14, further including a first inverter and a second inverter, wherein the first inverter is configured to independently control the first electric motor and the second inverter is configured to independently control the second electric motor. 16. The electric vehicle of claim 14, wherein the control unit is configured to control one of the first electric motor or the second electric motor to produce the entirety of the driver requested torque. 17. The electric vehicle of claim 14, wherein the control unit is configured to select the first electric motor or the second electric motor to produce the entirety of the driver requested torque based on a parameter indicative of a relative usage of the first and second electric motors. 18. The electric vehicle of claim 14, wherein the control unit is configured to control the first electric motor and the second electric motor to produce substantially equal portions of the driver requested torque. 19. (canceled) 20. The electric vehicle of claim 14, wherein the electric vehicle is a bus. 21. The electric vehicle of claim 14, further including a first drive wheel and a second drive wheel, wherein the first electric motor is configured to provide traction to only one of the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel and the second electric motor is configured to provide traction to only the other of the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel. 22. The electric vehicle of claim 14, further including a first drive wheel and a second drive wheel, wherein the first drive wheel, the second drive wheel, the first electric motor, and the second electric motor arranged along a single axis. 23. The electric vehicle of claim 14, wherein the control unit is configured to control the first electric motor and the second electric motor to produce different portions of the driver requested torque. | 2,800 |
12,448 | 12,448 | 16,354,487 | 2,812 | An etchant for simultaneously etching NiFe and AlN with approximately equal etch rates that comprises phosphoric acid, acetic acid, nitric acid and deionized water. Alternating layers of NiFe and AlN may be used to form a magnetic core of a fluxgate magnetometer in an integrated circuit. The wet etch provides a good etch rate of the alternating layers with good dimensional control and with a good resulting magnetic core profile. The alternating layers of NiFe and AlN may be encapsulated with a stress relief layer. A resist pattern may be used to define the magnetic core geometry. The overetch time of the wet etch may be controlled so that the magnetic core pattern extends at least 1.5 um beyond the base of the magnetic core post etch. The photo mask used to form the resist pattern may also be used to form a stress relief etch pattern. | 1. An integrated circuit, comprising:
a first dielectric layer on a semiconductor wafer; an etch stop layer on the first dielectric layer; a first stress relief layer on the etch stop layer; a magnetic core composed of alternating layers of NiFe permalloy and AlN dielectric on the first stress relief layer; and a second stress relief layer on the first stress relief layer and on the top and sides of the magnetic core, wherein the first and second stress relief layers extend laterally beyond the magnetic core. 2. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the first stress relief has a thickness of between 30 nm and 50nm and where the second stress relief layer has a thickness between 90 nm and 300 nm. 3. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein each layer of NiFe permalloy has a thickness between 225 nm and 425 nm and where each layer of AlN has a thickness between 5 nm and 15 nm and where there are between 3 and 10 layers each of NiFe permalloy and AlN. 4. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the first and second stress relief layers are selected from the group consisting of Ti, TiN, Ta, TaN, Ru, and Pt. 5. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the first stress relief layer is titanium with a thickness between 30 nm and 50 nm and wherein the second stress relief layer is titanium with a thickness between 90 nm and 300 nm. 6. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the etch stop layer is silicon nitride with a thickness between 35 nm and 150 nm. 7. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the first and second stress relief layers extend laterally beyond the magnetic core by at least 1.5 μm. 8. An integrated circuit, comprising:
a first dielectric layer on a semiconductor wafer; a silicon nitride layer on the first dielectric layer; a first titanium layer on the silicon nitride layer; a magnetic core composed of alternating layers of NiFe permalloy and AlN dielectric on the first titanium layer; and a second titanium layer on the first titanium layer and on the top and sides of the magnetic core, wherein the first and second titanium layers extend laterally beyond the magnetic core. 9. The integrated circuit of claim 8, wherein the silicon nitride layer has a thickness between 35 nm and 150 nm. 10. The integrated circuit of claim 8, wherein the first titanium layer has a thickness of between 30 nm and 50 nm and where the second titanium layer has a thickness between 90 nm and 300 nm. 11. The integrated circuit of claim 8, wherein each layer of NiFe permalloy has a thickness between 225 nm and 425 nm and where each layer of AlN has a thickness between 5 nm and 15 nm and where there are between 3 and 10 layers each of NiFe permalloy and AlN in the magnetic core. 12. The integrated circuit of claim 8, wherein the first and second titanium layers extend laterally beyond the magnetic core by at least 1.5 μm. 13. An integrated circuit, comprising:
a first dielectric layer over a semiconductor wafer; a silicon nitride layer in direct contact with the first dielectric layer; a first titanium layer in direct contact with the silicon nitride layer; a magnetic core composed of alternating layers of NiFe permalloy and AlN dielectric on the first titanium layer; and a second titanium layer in direct contact with the first titanium layer and with the top and sides of the magnetic core, wherein the first and second titanium layers extend laterally beyond the magnetic core. 14. The integrated circuit of claim 13, wherein the silicon nitride layer has a thickness between 35 nm and 150 nm. 15. The integrated circuit of claim 13, wherein the first titanium layer has a thickness of between 30 nm and 50 nm and where the second titanium layer has a thickness between 90 nm and 300 nm. 16. The integrated circuit of claim 13, wherein each layer of NiFe permalloy has a thickness between 225 nm and 425 nm and where each layer of AlN has a thickness between 5 nm and 15 nm and where there are between 3 and 10 layers each of NiFe permalloy and AlN in the magnetic core. 17. The integrated circuit of claim 13, wherein the first and second titanium layers extend laterally beyond the magnetic core by at least 1.5 μm. | An etchant for simultaneously etching NiFe and AlN with approximately equal etch rates that comprises phosphoric acid, acetic acid, nitric acid and deionized water. Alternating layers of NiFe and AlN may be used to form a magnetic core of a fluxgate magnetometer in an integrated circuit. The wet etch provides a good etch rate of the alternating layers with good dimensional control and with a good resulting magnetic core profile. The alternating layers of NiFe and AlN may be encapsulated with a stress relief layer. A resist pattern may be used to define the magnetic core geometry. The overetch time of the wet etch may be controlled so that the magnetic core pattern extends at least 1.5 um beyond the base of the magnetic core post etch. The photo mask used to form the resist pattern may also be used to form a stress relief etch pattern.1. An integrated circuit, comprising:
a first dielectric layer on a semiconductor wafer; an etch stop layer on the first dielectric layer; a first stress relief layer on the etch stop layer; a magnetic core composed of alternating layers of NiFe permalloy and AlN dielectric on the first stress relief layer; and a second stress relief layer on the first stress relief layer and on the top and sides of the magnetic core, wherein the first and second stress relief layers extend laterally beyond the magnetic core. 2. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the first stress relief has a thickness of between 30 nm and 50nm and where the second stress relief layer has a thickness between 90 nm and 300 nm. 3. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein each layer of NiFe permalloy has a thickness between 225 nm and 425 nm and where each layer of AlN has a thickness between 5 nm and 15 nm and where there are between 3 and 10 layers each of NiFe permalloy and AlN. 4. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the first and second stress relief layers are selected from the group consisting of Ti, TiN, Ta, TaN, Ru, and Pt. 5. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the first stress relief layer is titanium with a thickness between 30 nm and 50 nm and wherein the second stress relief layer is titanium with a thickness between 90 nm and 300 nm. 6. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the etch stop layer is silicon nitride with a thickness between 35 nm and 150 nm. 7. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the first and second stress relief layers extend laterally beyond the magnetic core by at least 1.5 μm. 8. An integrated circuit, comprising:
a first dielectric layer on a semiconductor wafer; a silicon nitride layer on the first dielectric layer; a first titanium layer on the silicon nitride layer; a magnetic core composed of alternating layers of NiFe permalloy and AlN dielectric on the first titanium layer; and a second titanium layer on the first titanium layer and on the top and sides of the magnetic core, wherein the first and second titanium layers extend laterally beyond the magnetic core. 9. The integrated circuit of claim 8, wherein the silicon nitride layer has a thickness between 35 nm and 150 nm. 10. The integrated circuit of claim 8, wherein the first titanium layer has a thickness of between 30 nm and 50 nm and where the second titanium layer has a thickness between 90 nm and 300 nm. 11. The integrated circuit of claim 8, wherein each layer of NiFe permalloy has a thickness between 225 nm and 425 nm and where each layer of AlN has a thickness between 5 nm and 15 nm and where there are between 3 and 10 layers each of NiFe permalloy and AlN in the magnetic core. 12. The integrated circuit of claim 8, wherein the first and second titanium layers extend laterally beyond the magnetic core by at least 1.5 μm. 13. An integrated circuit, comprising:
a first dielectric layer over a semiconductor wafer; a silicon nitride layer in direct contact with the first dielectric layer; a first titanium layer in direct contact with the silicon nitride layer; a magnetic core composed of alternating layers of NiFe permalloy and AlN dielectric on the first titanium layer; and a second titanium layer in direct contact with the first titanium layer and with the top and sides of the magnetic core, wherein the first and second titanium layers extend laterally beyond the magnetic core. 14. The integrated circuit of claim 13, wherein the silicon nitride layer has a thickness between 35 nm and 150 nm. 15. The integrated circuit of claim 13, wherein the first titanium layer has a thickness of between 30 nm and 50 nm and where the second titanium layer has a thickness between 90 nm and 300 nm. 16. The integrated circuit of claim 13, wherein each layer of NiFe permalloy has a thickness between 225 nm and 425 nm and where each layer of AlN has a thickness between 5 nm and 15 nm and where there are between 3 and 10 layers each of NiFe permalloy and AlN in the magnetic core. 17. The integrated circuit of claim 13, wherein the first and second titanium layers extend laterally beyond the magnetic core by at least 1.5 μm. | 2,800 |
12,449 | 12,449 | 15,317,075 | 3,657 | A braking device for a motor vehicle includes at least one brake, at least one brake pad, a brake disk, and an elastic element. The elastic element is configured to place the brake pad against the brake disk such that the brake pad and the brake disk generate either no braking force or a small braking force acting on the motor vehicle. The at least one brake is operatively interrelated with the elastic element. | 1. A braking device for a motor vehicle, comprising:
at least one brake; at least one brake pad; a brake disk; and an elastic element operatively interrelated with the at least one brake and configured to place the at least one brake pad against the brake disk such that the at least one brake pad and the brake disk generate either no braking force or a relatively small braking force acting on the motor vehicle. 2. The braking device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one brake includes a service brake and an automated parking brake. 3. The braking device according to claim 2, wherein the parking brake is configured to place the at least one brake pad against the brake disk with the elastic element. 4. The braking device according to claim 2, further comprising a brake piston, wherein:
the parking brake includes a spindle nut; the elastic element is a spring system; and the spring system is positioned between the spindle nut of the parking brake and the brake piston. 5. The braking device according to claim 1, further comprising a geometric link, wherein the braking device is adjustable between at least (i) a first state, (ii) a second state, and (iii) a third state, whereat:
in the first state of the brake device, the at least one brake pad transmits no force to the brake disk; in the second state of the brake device, the at least one brake pad transmits a relatively small force to the brake disk with the elastic element; and in the third state of the brake device, the at least one brake pad transmits a force to the brake disk with the geometric link. 6. The braking device according to claim 2, wherein:
the elastic element is configured to enable transmission of at least one of (i) movement and (ii) force from the parking brake to the brake disk; and the elastic element is further configured to inhibit transmission of at least one of (i) movement and (ii) force from the brake disk to the parking brake. 7. A method for controlling a braking device for a motor vehicle, the braking device having at least one brake actuator, comprising:
using an elastic element to place at least one brake pad against a brake disk such that either no braking force or a relatively small braking force acting on the motor vehicle is generated. 8. The method for controlling a braking device according to claim 7, further comprising using a parking brake to control the placement of the at least one brake pad against the brake disk. 9. The method for controlling a braking device according to claim 8, further comprising using a path control process to control the parking brake. 10. The method for controlling a braking device according to claim 7, further comprising operating a service brake, the operating of the service brake including:
in a first phase, transmitting no force from the service brake to the brake disk; and in a second phase, transmitting a force from the service brake to the brake disk; wherein controlling the parking brake causes shortening or elimination of time needed to complete the first phase of operating the service brake. 11. The method for controlling a braking device according to claim 7, further comprising:
activating the parking brake; placing the elastic element against the brake piston in response to a change in the parking brake caused by movement of an electromechanical device; putting the elastic element under stress in response to a further change in the parking brake caused by further movement of the electromechanical device, the further change in the parking brake producing a force that moves brake piston; and preventing a further change in the parking brake, and further movement of the electromechanical device. 12. The method for controlling a braking device according to claim 7, wherein the method is executed by a control unit of the brake disk. 13. The braking device according to claim 2, further comprising a brake piston, wherein:
the parking brake includes a spindle nut; the elastic element includes a spring; and the spring is positioned between the spindle nut of the parking brake and the brake piston. | A braking device for a motor vehicle includes at least one brake, at least one brake pad, a brake disk, and an elastic element. The elastic element is configured to place the brake pad against the brake disk such that the brake pad and the brake disk generate either no braking force or a small braking force acting on the motor vehicle. The at least one brake is operatively interrelated with the elastic element.1. A braking device for a motor vehicle, comprising:
at least one brake; at least one brake pad; a brake disk; and an elastic element operatively interrelated with the at least one brake and configured to place the at least one brake pad against the brake disk such that the at least one brake pad and the brake disk generate either no braking force or a relatively small braking force acting on the motor vehicle. 2. The braking device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one brake includes a service brake and an automated parking brake. 3. The braking device according to claim 2, wherein the parking brake is configured to place the at least one brake pad against the brake disk with the elastic element. 4. The braking device according to claim 2, further comprising a brake piston, wherein:
the parking brake includes a spindle nut; the elastic element is a spring system; and the spring system is positioned between the spindle nut of the parking brake and the brake piston. 5. The braking device according to claim 1, further comprising a geometric link, wherein the braking device is adjustable between at least (i) a first state, (ii) a second state, and (iii) a third state, whereat:
in the first state of the brake device, the at least one brake pad transmits no force to the brake disk; in the second state of the brake device, the at least one brake pad transmits a relatively small force to the brake disk with the elastic element; and in the third state of the brake device, the at least one brake pad transmits a force to the brake disk with the geometric link. 6. The braking device according to claim 2, wherein:
the elastic element is configured to enable transmission of at least one of (i) movement and (ii) force from the parking brake to the brake disk; and the elastic element is further configured to inhibit transmission of at least one of (i) movement and (ii) force from the brake disk to the parking brake. 7. A method for controlling a braking device for a motor vehicle, the braking device having at least one brake actuator, comprising:
using an elastic element to place at least one brake pad against a brake disk such that either no braking force or a relatively small braking force acting on the motor vehicle is generated. 8. The method for controlling a braking device according to claim 7, further comprising using a parking brake to control the placement of the at least one brake pad against the brake disk. 9. The method for controlling a braking device according to claim 8, further comprising using a path control process to control the parking brake. 10. The method for controlling a braking device according to claim 7, further comprising operating a service brake, the operating of the service brake including:
in a first phase, transmitting no force from the service brake to the brake disk; and in a second phase, transmitting a force from the service brake to the brake disk; wherein controlling the parking brake causes shortening or elimination of time needed to complete the first phase of operating the service brake. 11. The method for controlling a braking device according to claim 7, further comprising:
activating the parking brake; placing the elastic element against the brake piston in response to a change in the parking brake caused by movement of an electromechanical device; putting the elastic element under stress in response to a further change in the parking brake caused by further movement of the electromechanical device, the further change in the parking brake producing a force that moves brake piston; and preventing a further change in the parking brake, and further movement of the electromechanical device. 12. The method for controlling a braking device according to claim 7, wherein the method is executed by a control unit of the brake disk. 13. The braking device according to claim 2, further comprising a brake piston, wherein:
the parking brake includes a spindle nut; the elastic element includes a spring; and the spring is positioned between the spindle nut of the parking brake and the brake piston. | 3,600 |
12,450 | 12,450 | 14,710,692 | 3,633 | A hanger for concrete walls, the joist hanger comprising a flat plate having a front surface and a back surface. A truss chord bracket or hanger that supports the bottom chord of a truss at the side of a building. | 1. A hanger for concrete walls, said hanger comprising:
A. a flat plate, said flat plate having a front surface and a back surface; B. a re-rod hanger fixedly mounted on said back surface; C. a joist holder fixedly mounted on said front surface, in alignment with, and opposite said re-rod hanger. 2. A hanger for concrete walls, said hanger comprising a unitary metal U-shaped truss support having a first side having a bottom edge, and a second side having a bottom edge;
said first side having a downwardly extending first leg unitarily connected to said bottom edge of said first side; said second side having a downwardly extending second leg unitarily connected to said bottom edge of said second side, each said downwardly extending leg having a plurality of barbs extending therefrom. 3. A hanger for concrete walls, as claimed in claim 1 wherein the hanger is made of metal. 4. A hanger for concrete walls, as claimed in claim 2 wherein the hanger is made of metal. 5. A hanger for concrete walls, as claimed in claim 1 wherein the metal is a thickness is a range of 14 to 20 gauge. 6. A hanger for concrete walls, as claimed in claim 2 wherein the metal is a thickness is a range of 14 to 20 gauge. 7. A truss-chord building bracket comprising:
a first flat panel having a first side edge, and a second side edge, a first end edge and, a second end edge, said flat panel having at least one through opening near the first end edge and at least one through opening near the second end edge; a second flat panel having a first side edge, said second flat panel being integrally attached by said first side edge to said first side edge of said first flat panel such that said second flat panel is located vertically relative to said first flat panel, said second flat panel having a plurality of openings therethrough; a third flat panel having a first side edge, said third flat panel being integrally attached by said first side edge to said second side edge of said second flat panel such that the third flat panel is located vertically relative to said second flat panel, said third flat panel having a plurality of first openings therethrough and, said third flat panel having a plurality of punched openings therethrough wherein, the material that is punched forms extensions that are perpendicular to a back wall of said third flat panel. 8. A hanger, as claimed in claim 7 wherein the hanger is made of metal. 9. A hanger, as claimed in claim 7 wherein the metal is a thickness is a range of 14 to 20 gauge. 10. A hanger, as claimed in claim 7 wherein the metal is a thickness is a range of 14 to 20 gauge. | A hanger for concrete walls, the joist hanger comprising a flat plate having a front surface and a back surface. A truss chord bracket or hanger that supports the bottom chord of a truss at the side of a building.1. A hanger for concrete walls, said hanger comprising:
A. a flat plate, said flat plate having a front surface and a back surface; B. a re-rod hanger fixedly mounted on said back surface; C. a joist holder fixedly mounted on said front surface, in alignment with, and opposite said re-rod hanger. 2. A hanger for concrete walls, said hanger comprising a unitary metal U-shaped truss support having a first side having a bottom edge, and a second side having a bottom edge;
said first side having a downwardly extending first leg unitarily connected to said bottom edge of said first side; said second side having a downwardly extending second leg unitarily connected to said bottom edge of said second side, each said downwardly extending leg having a plurality of barbs extending therefrom. 3. A hanger for concrete walls, as claimed in claim 1 wherein the hanger is made of metal. 4. A hanger for concrete walls, as claimed in claim 2 wherein the hanger is made of metal. 5. A hanger for concrete walls, as claimed in claim 1 wherein the metal is a thickness is a range of 14 to 20 gauge. 6. A hanger for concrete walls, as claimed in claim 2 wherein the metal is a thickness is a range of 14 to 20 gauge. 7. A truss-chord building bracket comprising:
a first flat panel having a first side edge, and a second side edge, a first end edge and, a second end edge, said flat panel having at least one through opening near the first end edge and at least one through opening near the second end edge; a second flat panel having a first side edge, said second flat panel being integrally attached by said first side edge to said first side edge of said first flat panel such that said second flat panel is located vertically relative to said first flat panel, said second flat panel having a plurality of openings therethrough; a third flat panel having a first side edge, said third flat panel being integrally attached by said first side edge to said second side edge of said second flat panel such that the third flat panel is located vertically relative to said second flat panel, said third flat panel having a plurality of first openings therethrough and, said third flat panel having a plurality of punched openings therethrough wherein, the material that is punched forms extensions that are perpendicular to a back wall of said third flat panel. 8. A hanger, as claimed in claim 7 wherein the hanger is made of metal. 9. A hanger, as claimed in claim 7 wherein the metal is a thickness is a range of 14 to 20 gauge. 10. A hanger, as claimed in claim 7 wherein the metal is a thickness is a range of 14 to 20 gauge. | 3,600 |
12,451 | 12,451 | 13,897,452 | 3,647 | A hybrid fuel airplane and methods are presented. A cryogenic fuel is transferred to an airplane propulsor from an airplane fuel system comprising a cryogenic fuel tank and a jet fuel tank. The cryogenic fuel tank conforms to an outer mold line and carries a cryogenic fuel, and is located in a portion of the airplane body while not extending beyond the outer mold line. The jet fuel tank carries a jet fuel and is located in an airplane wing, or an airplane body, or both. A dynamic aircraft load is born on the cryogenic fuel tank, and the airplane propulsor is operated using the cryogenic fuel to generate thrust for the hybrid fuel airplane. An aerodynamic lift is generated using the airplane wing coupled to the airplane body. | 1. A hybrid fuel airplane comprising:
an airplane body conformed to an outer mold line; an airplane wing coupled to the airplane body and operable to generate aerodynamic lift; an airplane propulsor operable to generate thrust; and an airplane fuel system operable to carry fuel usable by the airplane propulsor and comprising:
at least one cryogenic fuel tank configured to conform to the outer mold line, and operable to bear a dynamic aircraft load and carry a cryogenic fuel, and located in a portion of the airplane body while not extending beyond the outer mold line; and
a jet fuel tank operable to carry jet fuel and located in the airplane wing. 2. The hybrid fuel airplane of claim 1, wherein the dynamic aircraft load comprises a vibration load, a dynamic pressure load, a proof and burst load requirement, an aircraft structural load, or a combination thereof. 3. The hybrid fuel airplane of claim 1, wherein the airplane body comprises a payload area operable to carry, a cargo, at least one passenger, or a combination thereof, wherein the at least one passenger is accommodated in a passenger cabin comprising an enclosed volume in the airplane body within a bounding envelope defined by the outer mold line, while maximizing a number of seats of a specified dimensionally defined comfort level in the passenger cabin while meeting a specified set of passenger cabin certification requirements. 4. The hybrid fuel airplane of claim 1, wherein the portion of the airplane body comprises: a center wing portion, an aft fuselage portion, an aft fuselage closure portion, a center fuselage portion, a forward fuselage portion, a fuselage crown portion, a fuselage crown saddle portion, a supersonic fuselage crown portion, a tail portion, an aft center wing portion, a supersonic forward fuselage portion, a supersonic lower aft fuselage portion, a supersonic upper aft fuselage portion, or a combination thereof. 5. The hybrid fuel airplane of claim 1, wherein the at least one cryogenic fuel tank comprises a cooling system to maintain the cryogenic fuel contained therein at a sufficiently low temperature. 6. The hybrid fuel airplane of claim 1, wherein the at least one cryogenic fuel tank comprises an insulation operable to minimize heat transfer from an external environment into the cryogenic fuel. 7. The hybrid fuel airplane of claim 1, wherein the at least one cryogenic fuel tank comprises a venting system operable to vent the cryogenic fuel tank. 8. The hybrid fuel airplane of claim 1, further comprising a cryogenic fuel transfer system operable to transfer the cryogenic fuel from the cryogenic fuel tank, to at least one cryogenic fuel propulsor operable to burn the cryogenic fuel. 9. The hybrid fuel airplane of claim 1, wherein the cryogenic fuel comprises: liquid methane, liquid natural gas, liquid hydrogen, cryo-compressed hydrogen, or a combination thereof. 10. The hybrid fuel airplane of claim 9, further comprising a hydrogen fuel cell powered by hydrogen obtained from the liquid hydrogen. 11. The hybrid fuel airplane of claim 10, wherein electric power from the hydrogen fuel cell is operable to drive an electrically powered propulsor. 12. The hybrid fuel airplane of claim 1, wherein the jet fuel comprises: non-bio jet fuel, bio jet fuel, or a combination thereof. 13. The hybrid fuel airplane of claim 1, wherein the airplane propulsor comprises a burner operable to burn the jet fuel and the cryogenic fuel. 14. The hybrid fuel airplane of claim 1, wherein the airplane propulsor comprises a first propulsor subsystem or a first combustor, or both operable to burn the jet fuel, and a second propulsor subsystem or a second combustor, or both operable to burn the cryogenic fuel. 15. A method for configuring a hybrid fuel airplane comprising:
configuring an airplane body defined by an outer mold line; configuring a payload area within the airplane body; coupling an airplane wing operable to generate aerodynamic lift to the airplane body; coupling an airplane propulsor operable to generate thrust to the airplane body or the airplane wing, or both; configuring an airplane fuel system to carry fuel usable by the airplane propulsor; configuring at least one cryogenic fuel tank to conform to the outer mold line and carry a cryogenic fuel while bearing a dynamic aircraft load; positioning the at least one cryogenic fuel tank in a portion of the airplane body while not extending beyond the outer mold line; and positioning a jet fuel tank in the airplane wing, or the airplane body, or both. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the dynamic aircraft load comprises a vibration load, a dynamic pressure load, a proof and burst load requirement, an aircraft structural load, or a combination thereof. 17. The method of claim 15, further comprising configuring the payload area operable to carry a cargo, at least one passenger, or a combination thereof, wherein the at least one passenger is accommodated in a passenger cabin comprising an enclosed volume in the airplane body within a bounding envelope defined by the outer mold line, while maximizing a number of seats of a specified dimensionally defined comfort level in the passenger cabin while meeting a specified set of passenger cabin certification requirements. 18. The method of claim 15, further comprising configuring the portion of the airplane body to comprise: a center wing portion, an aft fuselage portion, an aft fuselage closure portion, a center fuselage portion, a forward fuselage portion, a fuselage crown portion, a fuselage crown saddle portion, a supersonic fuselage crown portion, a tail portion, an aft center wing portion, a supersonic forward fuselage portion, a supersonic lower aft fuselage portion, a supersonic upper aft fuselage portion, or a combination thereof. 19. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one cryogenic fuel tank comprises, an aft-fuselage-cryogenic-fuel-tank, a tail cryogenic fuel tank, an integrated-tail-and-aft-fuselage cryogenic fuel tank, a forward-body cryogenic fuel tank, a supersonic fuselage-crown cryogenic fuel tank, a fuselage-crown cryogenic fuel tank, a crown-saddle cryogenic fuel tank, an aft-body cryogenic fuel tank, a first forward-supersonic-fuselage cryogenic fuel tank, a second forward-supersonic-fuselage cryogenic fuel tank, a lower aft-supersonic-fuselage cryogenic fuel tank, an upper aft-supersonic-fuselage cryogenic fuel tank, or a combination thereof. 20. A method for operating a hybrid fuel airplane comprising an airplane body defined by an outer mold line, the method comprising:
transferring a cryogenic fuel to an airplane propulsor from an airplane fuel system comprising:
at least one cryogenic fuel tank configured to conform to an outer mold line, operable to carry the cryogenic fuel, and located in a portion of the airplane body while not extending beyond the outer mold line, and
a jet fuel tank operable to carry jet fuel and located in an airplane wing, or the airplane body, or both;
bearing a dynamic aircraft load on the at least one cryogenic fuel tank; operating the airplane propulsor using the cryogenic fuel to generate thrust for the hybrid fuel airplane; and generating aerodynamic lift using the airplane wing coupled to the airplane body. | A hybrid fuel airplane and methods are presented. A cryogenic fuel is transferred to an airplane propulsor from an airplane fuel system comprising a cryogenic fuel tank and a jet fuel tank. The cryogenic fuel tank conforms to an outer mold line and carries a cryogenic fuel, and is located in a portion of the airplane body while not extending beyond the outer mold line. The jet fuel tank carries a jet fuel and is located in an airplane wing, or an airplane body, or both. A dynamic aircraft load is born on the cryogenic fuel tank, and the airplane propulsor is operated using the cryogenic fuel to generate thrust for the hybrid fuel airplane. An aerodynamic lift is generated using the airplane wing coupled to the airplane body.1. A hybrid fuel airplane comprising:
an airplane body conformed to an outer mold line; an airplane wing coupled to the airplane body and operable to generate aerodynamic lift; an airplane propulsor operable to generate thrust; and an airplane fuel system operable to carry fuel usable by the airplane propulsor and comprising:
at least one cryogenic fuel tank configured to conform to the outer mold line, and operable to bear a dynamic aircraft load and carry a cryogenic fuel, and located in a portion of the airplane body while not extending beyond the outer mold line; and
a jet fuel tank operable to carry jet fuel and located in the airplane wing. 2. The hybrid fuel airplane of claim 1, wherein the dynamic aircraft load comprises a vibration load, a dynamic pressure load, a proof and burst load requirement, an aircraft structural load, or a combination thereof. 3. The hybrid fuel airplane of claim 1, wherein the airplane body comprises a payload area operable to carry, a cargo, at least one passenger, or a combination thereof, wherein the at least one passenger is accommodated in a passenger cabin comprising an enclosed volume in the airplane body within a bounding envelope defined by the outer mold line, while maximizing a number of seats of a specified dimensionally defined comfort level in the passenger cabin while meeting a specified set of passenger cabin certification requirements. 4. The hybrid fuel airplane of claim 1, wherein the portion of the airplane body comprises: a center wing portion, an aft fuselage portion, an aft fuselage closure portion, a center fuselage portion, a forward fuselage portion, a fuselage crown portion, a fuselage crown saddle portion, a supersonic fuselage crown portion, a tail portion, an aft center wing portion, a supersonic forward fuselage portion, a supersonic lower aft fuselage portion, a supersonic upper aft fuselage portion, or a combination thereof. 5. The hybrid fuel airplane of claim 1, wherein the at least one cryogenic fuel tank comprises a cooling system to maintain the cryogenic fuel contained therein at a sufficiently low temperature. 6. The hybrid fuel airplane of claim 1, wherein the at least one cryogenic fuel tank comprises an insulation operable to minimize heat transfer from an external environment into the cryogenic fuel. 7. The hybrid fuel airplane of claim 1, wherein the at least one cryogenic fuel tank comprises a venting system operable to vent the cryogenic fuel tank. 8. The hybrid fuel airplane of claim 1, further comprising a cryogenic fuel transfer system operable to transfer the cryogenic fuel from the cryogenic fuel tank, to at least one cryogenic fuel propulsor operable to burn the cryogenic fuel. 9. The hybrid fuel airplane of claim 1, wherein the cryogenic fuel comprises: liquid methane, liquid natural gas, liquid hydrogen, cryo-compressed hydrogen, or a combination thereof. 10. The hybrid fuel airplane of claim 9, further comprising a hydrogen fuel cell powered by hydrogen obtained from the liquid hydrogen. 11. The hybrid fuel airplane of claim 10, wherein electric power from the hydrogen fuel cell is operable to drive an electrically powered propulsor. 12. The hybrid fuel airplane of claim 1, wherein the jet fuel comprises: non-bio jet fuel, bio jet fuel, or a combination thereof. 13. The hybrid fuel airplane of claim 1, wherein the airplane propulsor comprises a burner operable to burn the jet fuel and the cryogenic fuel. 14. The hybrid fuel airplane of claim 1, wherein the airplane propulsor comprises a first propulsor subsystem or a first combustor, or both operable to burn the jet fuel, and a second propulsor subsystem or a second combustor, or both operable to burn the cryogenic fuel. 15. A method for configuring a hybrid fuel airplane comprising:
configuring an airplane body defined by an outer mold line; configuring a payload area within the airplane body; coupling an airplane wing operable to generate aerodynamic lift to the airplane body; coupling an airplane propulsor operable to generate thrust to the airplane body or the airplane wing, or both; configuring an airplane fuel system to carry fuel usable by the airplane propulsor; configuring at least one cryogenic fuel tank to conform to the outer mold line and carry a cryogenic fuel while bearing a dynamic aircraft load; positioning the at least one cryogenic fuel tank in a portion of the airplane body while not extending beyond the outer mold line; and positioning a jet fuel tank in the airplane wing, or the airplane body, or both. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the dynamic aircraft load comprises a vibration load, a dynamic pressure load, a proof and burst load requirement, an aircraft structural load, or a combination thereof. 17. The method of claim 15, further comprising configuring the payload area operable to carry a cargo, at least one passenger, or a combination thereof, wherein the at least one passenger is accommodated in a passenger cabin comprising an enclosed volume in the airplane body within a bounding envelope defined by the outer mold line, while maximizing a number of seats of a specified dimensionally defined comfort level in the passenger cabin while meeting a specified set of passenger cabin certification requirements. 18. The method of claim 15, further comprising configuring the portion of the airplane body to comprise: a center wing portion, an aft fuselage portion, an aft fuselage closure portion, a center fuselage portion, a forward fuselage portion, a fuselage crown portion, a fuselage crown saddle portion, a supersonic fuselage crown portion, a tail portion, an aft center wing portion, a supersonic forward fuselage portion, a supersonic lower aft fuselage portion, a supersonic upper aft fuselage portion, or a combination thereof. 19. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one cryogenic fuel tank comprises, an aft-fuselage-cryogenic-fuel-tank, a tail cryogenic fuel tank, an integrated-tail-and-aft-fuselage cryogenic fuel tank, a forward-body cryogenic fuel tank, a supersonic fuselage-crown cryogenic fuel tank, a fuselage-crown cryogenic fuel tank, a crown-saddle cryogenic fuel tank, an aft-body cryogenic fuel tank, a first forward-supersonic-fuselage cryogenic fuel tank, a second forward-supersonic-fuselage cryogenic fuel tank, a lower aft-supersonic-fuselage cryogenic fuel tank, an upper aft-supersonic-fuselage cryogenic fuel tank, or a combination thereof. 20. A method for operating a hybrid fuel airplane comprising an airplane body defined by an outer mold line, the method comprising:
transferring a cryogenic fuel to an airplane propulsor from an airplane fuel system comprising:
at least one cryogenic fuel tank configured to conform to an outer mold line, operable to carry the cryogenic fuel, and located in a portion of the airplane body while not extending beyond the outer mold line, and
a jet fuel tank operable to carry jet fuel and located in an airplane wing, or the airplane body, or both;
bearing a dynamic aircraft load on the at least one cryogenic fuel tank; operating the airplane propulsor using the cryogenic fuel to generate thrust for the hybrid fuel airplane; and generating aerodynamic lift using the airplane wing coupled to the airplane body. | 3,600 |
12,452 | 12,452 | 12,126,705 | 3,628 | A method for calculating computing resource use charges for a data center consumer entity is disclosed. The data center consumer entity accesses one or more of a plurality of computing resources in a data center. The method includes retrieving usage data of each of the plurality of computing resources. The usage data is retrieved for a selected period of use of each of the plurality of computing resources by the data center consumer entity. Each of the plurality of computing resources includes at least one of a CPU, a disk, a Network Interface Card (NIC), and a memory. The method further includes retrieving a rate plan data for the data center consumer entity and retrieving per unit charge, base rate, and rate factor for each of the plurality of computing resources. Further, a sum of a sum of multiplications of billed units of each of the plurality of computing resources by per unit charge, base rate, and rate factor is calculated. The billed units include one of actual used units or reserved units. The rate plan data includes information whether the actual used units or the reserved units to be used in calculating the sum. | 1. A method for calculating computing resource use charges for a data center consumer entity, the data center consumer entity accessing one or more of a plurality of computing resources in a data center hierarchy, the data center consumer entity being a member of an organization hierarchy, the method comprising:
creating mappings between one or more members of the organization hierarchy and one or more members of the data center hierarchy, wherein the organization hierarchy including a plurality of data center consumer entities arranged in a parent-child form and the data center hierarchy including one or more hosts, each including the plurality of computing resources, wherein each of the plurality of computing resources includes at least one of a CPU, a disk, a Network Interface Card (NIC), and a memory; retrieving usage data of each of the plurality of computing resources, the usage data being retrieved for a selected period of use of each of the plurality of computing resources by either the data center consumer entity or a parent entity of the data center consumer entity; retrieving a rate plan data for the data center consumer entity; retrieving per unit charge, base rate, and rate factor for each of the plurality of computing resources; and calculating a sum of multiplications of billed units of each of the plurality of computing resources by per unit charge, base rate, and rate factor, the billed units include one of actual used units or reserved units, wherein the rate plan data includes information whether the actual used units or the reserved units to be used in calculating the sum, wherein, the use charges for a child consuming entity being aggregated to the parent entity of the child consuming entity in the organization hierarchy. 2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the rate plan data includes at least one of a fixed rate plan, an actual use based plan, a reservation based plan. 3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the usage data includes a data center hierarchy, the data center hierarchy including a plurality of hosts and a plurality of virtual machines grouped to form one or more computing resource pools. 4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the rate plan data further includes an organization hierarchy, the organization hierarchy including a plurality of data center consumer entities grouped in a parent-child form based on an organization structure. 5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the rate plan data further includes a mapping of members the data center hierarchy with the plurality of data center consumer entities in the organization hierarchy. 6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein calculating the sum includes apportioning use charges of a particular data center computing resource among child entities of a data center consumer entity in the organization hierarchy if the particular data center computing resource is mapped to the data center consumer entity and the entity having the child entities. 7. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein a data center computing resource in the plurality of data center computing resources configured to be accessed by two or more of the plurality of data center consumer entities. 8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the calculating further includes apportioning use charges of the data center computing resource among the two or more of the plurality of data center consumer entities. 9. The method as recited in claim 1, further includes updating at least one of the per unit charge, the base rate, and the rate factor for a computing resource that is associated with a virtual machine being used by the data center consuming entity when the virtual machine is moved from one host to another host. 10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of data center resources include a subset of all data center computing resources in the data center hierarchy. 11. An apparatus for calculating computing resource use charges for a data center consumer entity, the data center consumer entity accessing a plurality of computing resources in a data center, the apparatus comprising:
a usage data collector module to collect usage data of each of the data center computing resources; a cost calculation module in communication with the usage data collector for calculating the computing resource usage charges based on usage and a rate plan; a chargeback database to store the rate plan; and a reporting module to generate a use charges report for a selected usage period and a selected one of the plurality of data center consumer entities based on cost calculations by the cost calculation module. 12. The apparatus as recited in claim 11, further comprising a user interface to enable input of the selected usage period and the selected one of the plurality of data center consumer entities. 13. The apparatus as recited in claim 11, further comprising a monitoring database in communication with the usage data collector module to store the usage data of each of the data center computing resources. 14. A computer readable media to store programming instructions for calculating computing resource use charges for a data center consumer entity, the data center consumer entity accessing one or more of a plurality of computing resources in a data center hierarchy, the data center consumer entity being a member of an organization hierarchy, the computer readable media comprising:
programming instructions for creating mappings between one or more members of the organization hierarchy and one or more members of the data center hierarchy, wherein the organization hierarchy including a plurality of data center consumer entities arranged in a parent-child form and the data center hierarchy including the plurality of computing resources, wherein each of the plurality of computing resources includes at least one of a CPU, a disk, a Network Interface Card (NIC), and a memory; programming instructions for retrieving usage data of each of the plurality of computing resources, the usage data being retrieved for a selected period of use of each of the plurality of computing resources by either the data center consumer entity or a parent entity of the data center consumer entity; programming instructions for retrieving a rate plan data for the data center consumer entity; programming instructions for retrieving per unit charge, base rate, and rate factor for each of the plurality of computing resources; and programming instructions for calculating a sum of multiplications of billed units of each of the plurality of computing resources by per unit charge, base rate, and rate factor, the billed units include one of actual used units or reserved units, wherein the rate plan data includes information whether the actual used units or the reserved units to be used in calculating the sum, wherein, the use charges for a child consuming entity being aggregated to the parent entity of the child consuming entity in the organization hierarchy. 15. The computer readable media as recited in claim 14, wherein at least one of the per unit charge, the base rate, and the rate factor being configured to vary from one time period to another time period. 16. The computer readable media as recited in claim 14, wherein at least one of the per unit charge, the base rate, and the rate factor being configured to different values for different time slots. 17. The computer readable media as recited in claim 14, further includes programming instructions for updating at least one of the per unit charge, the base rate, and the rate factor for a virtual machine in the plurality of computing resources when the virtual machines is moved from one host to another host in the plurality of computing resources. 18. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the plurality of data center resources include a subset of all data center computing resources in the data center hierarchy. 19. The computer readable media as recited in claim 14, wherein the usage data includes a data center computing resource hierarchy, the data center computing resource hierarchy including a plurality of hosts and a plurality of virtual machines grouped to form one or more computing resource pools. | A method for calculating computing resource use charges for a data center consumer entity is disclosed. The data center consumer entity accesses one or more of a plurality of computing resources in a data center. The method includes retrieving usage data of each of the plurality of computing resources. The usage data is retrieved for a selected period of use of each of the plurality of computing resources by the data center consumer entity. Each of the plurality of computing resources includes at least one of a CPU, a disk, a Network Interface Card (NIC), and a memory. The method further includes retrieving a rate plan data for the data center consumer entity and retrieving per unit charge, base rate, and rate factor for each of the plurality of computing resources. Further, a sum of a sum of multiplications of billed units of each of the plurality of computing resources by per unit charge, base rate, and rate factor is calculated. The billed units include one of actual used units or reserved units. The rate plan data includes information whether the actual used units or the reserved units to be used in calculating the sum.1. A method for calculating computing resource use charges for a data center consumer entity, the data center consumer entity accessing one or more of a plurality of computing resources in a data center hierarchy, the data center consumer entity being a member of an organization hierarchy, the method comprising:
creating mappings between one or more members of the organization hierarchy and one or more members of the data center hierarchy, wherein the organization hierarchy including a plurality of data center consumer entities arranged in a parent-child form and the data center hierarchy including one or more hosts, each including the plurality of computing resources, wherein each of the plurality of computing resources includes at least one of a CPU, a disk, a Network Interface Card (NIC), and a memory; retrieving usage data of each of the plurality of computing resources, the usage data being retrieved for a selected period of use of each of the plurality of computing resources by either the data center consumer entity or a parent entity of the data center consumer entity; retrieving a rate plan data for the data center consumer entity; retrieving per unit charge, base rate, and rate factor for each of the plurality of computing resources; and calculating a sum of multiplications of billed units of each of the plurality of computing resources by per unit charge, base rate, and rate factor, the billed units include one of actual used units or reserved units, wherein the rate plan data includes information whether the actual used units or the reserved units to be used in calculating the sum, wherein, the use charges for a child consuming entity being aggregated to the parent entity of the child consuming entity in the organization hierarchy. 2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the rate plan data includes at least one of a fixed rate plan, an actual use based plan, a reservation based plan. 3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the usage data includes a data center hierarchy, the data center hierarchy including a plurality of hosts and a plurality of virtual machines grouped to form one or more computing resource pools. 4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the rate plan data further includes an organization hierarchy, the organization hierarchy including a plurality of data center consumer entities grouped in a parent-child form based on an organization structure. 5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the rate plan data further includes a mapping of members the data center hierarchy with the plurality of data center consumer entities in the organization hierarchy. 6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein calculating the sum includes apportioning use charges of a particular data center computing resource among child entities of a data center consumer entity in the organization hierarchy if the particular data center computing resource is mapped to the data center consumer entity and the entity having the child entities. 7. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein a data center computing resource in the plurality of data center computing resources configured to be accessed by two or more of the plurality of data center consumer entities. 8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the calculating further includes apportioning use charges of the data center computing resource among the two or more of the plurality of data center consumer entities. 9. The method as recited in claim 1, further includes updating at least one of the per unit charge, the base rate, and the rate factor for a computing resource that is associated with a virtual machine being used by the data center consuming entity when the virtual machine is moved from one host to another host. 10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of data center resources include a subset of all data center computing resources in the data center hierarchy. 11. An apparatus for calculating computing resource use charges for a data center consumer entity, the data center consumer entity accessing a plurality of computing resources in a data center, the apparatus comprising:
a usage data collector module to collect usage data of each of the data center computing resources; a cost calculation module in communication with the usage data collector for calculating the computing resource usage charges based on usage and a rate plan; a chargeback database to store the rate plan; and a reporting module to generate a use charges report for a selected usage period and a selected one of the plurality of data center consumer entities based on cost calculations by the cost calculation module. 12. The apparatus as recited in claim 11, further comprising a user interface to enable input of the selected usage period and the selected one of the plurality of data center consumer entities. 13. The apparatus as recited in claim 11, further comprising a monitoring database in communication with the usage data collector module to store the usage data of each of the data center computing resources. 14. A computer readable media to store programming instructions for calculating computing resource use charges for a data center consumer entity, the data center consumer entity accessing one or more of a plurality of computing resources in a data center hierarchy, the data center consumer entity being a member of an organization hierarchy, the computer readable media comprising:
programming instructions for creating mappings between one or more members of the organization hierarchy and one or more members of the data center hierarchy, wherein the organization hierarchy including a plurality of data center consumer entities arranged in a parent-child form and the data center hierarchy including the plurality of computing resources, wherein each of the plurality of computing resources includes at least one of a CPU, a disk, a Network Interface Card (NIC), and a memory; programming instructions for retrieving usage data of each of the plurality of computing resources, the usage data being retrieved for a selected period of use of each of the plurality of computing resources by either the data center consumer entity or a parent entity of the data center consumer entity; programming instructions for retrieving a rate plan data for the data center consumer entity; programming instructions for retrieving per unit charge, base rate, and rate factor for each of the plurality of computing resources; and programming instructions for calculating a sum of multiplications of billed units of each of the plurality of computing resources by per unit charge, base rate, and rate factor, the billed units include one of actual used units or reserved units, wherein the rate plan data includes information whether the actual used units or the reserved units to be used in calculating the sum, wherein, the use charges for a child consuming entity being aggregated to the parent entity of the child consuming entity in the organization hierarchy. 15. The computer readable media as recited in claim 14, wherein at least one of the per unit charge, the base rate, and the rate factor being configured to vary from one time period to another time period. 16. The computer readable media as recited in claim 14, wherein at least one of the per unit charge, the base rate, and the rate factor being configured to different values for different time slots. 17. The computer readable media as recited in claim 14, further includes programming instructions for updating at least one of the per unit charge, the base rate, and the rate factor for a virtual machine in the plurality of computing resources when the virtual machines is moved from one host to another host in the plurality of computing resources. 18. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the plurality of data center resources include a subset of all data center computing resources in the data center hierarchy. 19. The computer readable media as recited in claim 14, wherein the usage data includes a data center computing resource hierarchy, the data center computing resource hierarchy including a plurality of hosts and a plurality of virtual machines grouped to form one or more computing resource pools. | 3,600 |
12,453 | 12,453 | 10,980,440 | 3,683 | Disclosed are methods and apparatus for optimizing results produced by a predictive model in order to determine which action to perform out of a plurality of actions. In an operation (a), a plurality of goal metrics are provided for a plurality of possible actions based on a plurality of input conditions. One or more of the goal metrics are produced by one or more predictive models. In an operation (b), the plurality of goal metrics are normalized. In an operation (c), for each possible action a total of each of the normalized goal metrics multiplied by a corresponding predetermined weight is determined. In an operation (d), the totals determined for the plurality of possible actions are compared to thereby determine a highest total. In an operation (e), an action selected from the plurality of possible actions is performed, where the selected action has the highest total. In one implementation, operations (a) through (e) are repeated for a plurality of sets of input conditions, and normalizing the goal metrics for a current set of input conditions is accomplished by assigning a point value for each goal metric of each action, wherein the point value corresponds to the percentage of previously determined corresponding goal metric values that are less valuable than the current goal metric value | 1. A method of optimizing results produced by a predictive model in order to determine which action to perform out of a plurality of actions, the method comprising:
(a) for a plurality of possible actions, providing a plurality of goal metrics based on a plurality of input conditions, wherein one or more of the goal metrics are produced by one or more predictive models; (b) normalizing the plurality of goal metrics; (c) for each possible action, determining a total of each of the normalized goal metrics multiplied by a corresponding predetermined weight; (d) comparing the totals determined for the plurality of possible actions to thereby determine a highest total; and (e) performing an action selected from the plurality of possible actions, wherein the selected action has the highest total. 2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of possible actions are a plurality of offers which can be presented to a potential customer. 3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the offers can be presented in the form of one or more web pages to a customer who is currently accessing a web server. 4. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the offers can be presented in the form of an automated Interactive Voice Recognition (IVR) option to a customer who is currently accessing a telephone call center. 5. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the goal metrics include a minimum cost metric, an increase in revenue metric, an increase in customer satisfaction metric, and a likelihood of acceptance of offer metric. 6. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein the goal metrics further include any metric selected from a group consisting of a reduction of customer returns metric, an increase in awareness metric, a compliance metric for measuring the compliance level'with a marketing person's objective, a service level agreement metric measuring the compliance to an agreed upon service metric, a measure of the number of products owned by the customer, and a measure of compliance with prescribed number of presentations of specific offers. 7. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising repeating operations (a) through (e) for a plurality of sets of input conditions, wherein normalizing the goal metrics for a current set of input conditions comprises assigning a point value for each goal metric of each action, wherein the point value corresponds to the percentage of previously determined corresponding goal metric values that are less valuable than the current goal metric value. 8. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the sets of input conditions corresponding to a plurality of customer profiles of a plurality of customers and the possible actions are a plurality of offers which were presented to the customers. 9. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein at least two of the goal metrics have different units. 10. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein at least two of the goal metrics correspond to competing goals. 11. A computer system operable to optimize results produced by a predictive model in order to determine which action to perform out of a plurality of actions, the computer system comprising:
one or more processors; one or more memory, wherein at least one of the processors and memory are adapted for: (a) for a plurality of possible actions, providing a plurality of goal metrics based on a plurality of input conditions, wherein one or more of the goal metrics are produced by one or more predictive models; (b) normalizing the plurality of goal metrics; (c) for each possible action, determining a total of each of the normalized goal metrics multiplied by a corresponding predetermined weight; (d) comparing the totals determined for the plurality of possible actions to thereby determine a highest total; and (e) performing an action selected from the plurality of possible actions, wherein the selected action has the highest total. 12. A computer system as recited in claim 11, wherein the plurality of possible actions are a plurality of offers which can be presented to a potential customer. 13. A computer system as recited in claim 12, wherein the offers can be presented in the form of one or more web pages to a customer who is currently accessing a web server. 14. A computer system as recited in claim 12, wherein the offers can be presented in the form of an automated Interactive Voice Recognition (IVR) option to a customer who is currently accessing a telephone call center. 15. A computer system as recited in claim 12, wherein the goal metrics include a minimum cost metric, an increase in revenue metric, an increase in customer satisfaction metric, and a likelihood of acceptance of offer metric. 16. A computer system as recited in claim 15, wherein the goal metrics further include any metric selected from a group consisting of a reduction of customer returns metric, an increase in awareness metric, a compliance metric for measuring the compliance level with a marketing person's objective, a service level agreement metric measuring the compliance to an agreed upon service metric, a measure of the number of products owned by the customer, and a measure of compliance with prescribed number of presentations of specific offers. 17. A computer system as recited in claim 11, wherein the at least one of the processors and memory are further adapted for repeating operations (a) through (e) for a plurality of sets of input conditions, wherein normalizing the goal metrics for a current set of input conditions comprises assigning a point value for each goal metric of each action, wherein the point value corresponds to the percentage of previously determined corresponding goal metric values that are less valuable than the current goal metric value. 18. A computer system as recited in claim 17, wherein the sets of input conditions corresponding to a plurality of customer profiles of a plurality of customers and the possible actions are a plurality of offers which were presented to the customers. 19. A computer system as recited in claim 17, wherein at least two of the goal metrics have different units. 20. A computer system as recited in claim 17, wherein at least two of the goal metrics correspond to competing goals. 21. A computer program product for optimizing results produced by a predictive model in order to determine which action to perform out of a plurality of actions, the computer program product comprising:
at least one computer readable medium; computer program instructions stored within the at least one computer readable product configured for: (a) for a plurality of possible actions, providing a plurality of goal metrics based on a plurality of input conditions, wherein one or more of the goal metrics are produced by one or more predictive models; (b) normalizing the plurality of goal metrics; (c) for each possible action, determining a total of each of the normalized goal metrics multiplied by a corresponding predetermined weight; (d) comparing the totals determined for the plurality of possible actions to thereby determine a highest total; and (e) performing an action selected from the plurality of possible actions, wherein the selected action has the highest total. 22. A computer program product as recited in claim 21, wherein the plurality of possible actions are a plurality of offers which can be presented to a potential customer. 23. A computer program product as recited in claim 22, wherein the offers can be presented in the form of one or more web pages to a customer who is currently accessing a web server. 24. A computer program product as recited in claim 22, wherein the offers can be presented in the form of an automated Interactive Voice Recognition (IVR) option to a customer who is currently accessing a telephone call center. 25. A computer program product as recited in claim 22, wherein the goal metrics include a minimum cost metric, an increase in revenue metric, an increase in customer satisfaction metric, and a likelihood of acceptance of offer metric. 26. A computer program product as recited in claim 25, wherein the goal metrics further include any metric selected from a group consisting of a reduction of customer returns metric, an increase in awareness metric, a compliance metric for measuring the compliance level with a marketing person's objective, a service level agreement metric measuring the compliance to an agreed upon service metric, a measure of the number of products owned by the customer, and a measure of compliance with prescribed number of presentations of specific offers. 27. A computer program product as recited in claim 21, the computer program instructions stored within the at least one computer readable product further configured for repeating operations (a) through (e) for a plurality of sets of input conditions, wherein normalizing the goal metrics for a current set of input conditions comprises assigning a point value for each goal metric of each action, wherein the point value corresponds to the percentage of previously determined corresponding goal metric values that are less valuable than the current goal metric value. 28. A computer program product as recited in claim 27, wherein the sets of input conditions corresponding to a plurality of customer profiles of a plurality of customers and the possible actions are a plurality of offers which were presented to the customers. 29. A computer program product as recited in claim 27, wherein at least two of the goal metrics have different units. 30. A computer program product as recited in claim 27, wherein at least two of lo the goal metrics correspond to competing goals. 31. An apparatus for optimizing results produced by a predictive model in order to determine which action to perform out of a plurality of actions, comprising:
means for providing a plurality of goal metrics for a plurality of possible actions based on a plurality of input conditions, wherein one or more of the goal metrics are produced by one or more predictive models; means for normalizing the plurality of goal metrics; means for determining a total of each of the normalized goal metrics multiplied by a corresponding predetermined weight for each possible action; means for comparing the totals determined for the plurality of possible actions to thereby determine a highest total; and means for performing an action selected from the plurality of possible actions, wherein the selected action has the highest total. | Disclosed are methods and apparatus for optimizing results produced by a predictive model in order to determine which action to perform out of a plurality of actions. In an operation (a), a plurality of goal metrics are provided for a plurality of possible actions based on a plurality of input conditions. One or more of the goal metrics are produced by one or more predictive models. In an operation (b), the plurality of goal metrics are normalized. In an operation (c), for each possible action a total of each of the normalized goal metrics multiplied by a corresponding predetermined weight is determined. In an operation (d), the totals determined for the plurality of possible actions are compared to thereby determine a highest total. In an operation (e), an action selected from the plurality of possible actions is performed, where the selected action has the highest total. In one implementation, operations (a) through (e) are repeated for a plurality of sets of input conditions, and normalizing the goal metrics for a current set of input conditions is accomplished by assigning a point value for each goal metric of each action, wherein the point value corresponds to the percentage of previously determined corresponding goal metric values that are less valuable than the current goal metric value1. A method of optimizing results produced by a predictive model in order to determine which action to perform out of a plurality of actions, the method comprising:
(a) for a plurality of possible actions, providing a plurality of goal metrics based on a plurality of input conditions, wherein one or more of the goal metrics are produced by one or more predictive models; (b) normalizing the plurality of goal metrics; (c) for each possible action, determining a total of each of the normalized goal metrics multiplied by a corresponding predetermined weight; (d) comparing the totals determined for the plurality of possible actions to thereby determine a highest total; and (e) performing an action selected from the plurality of possible actions, wherein the selected action has the highest total. 2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of possible actions are a plurality of offers which can be presented to a potential customer. 3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the offers can be presented in the form of one or more web pages to a customer who is currently accessing a web server. 4. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the offers can be presented in the form of an automated Interactive Voice Recognition (IVR) option to a customer who is currently accessing a telephone call center. 5. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the goal metrics include a minimum cost metric, an increase in revenue metric, an increase in customer satisfaction metric, and a likelihood of acceptance of offer metric. 6. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein the goal metrics further include any metric selected from a group consisting of a reduction of customer returns metric, an increase in awareness metric, a compliance metric for measuring the compliance level'with a marketing person's objective, a service level agreement metric measuring the compliance to an agreed upon service metric, a measure of the number of products owned by the customer, and a measure of compliance with prescribed number of presentations of specific offers. 7. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising repeating operations (a) through (e) for a plurality of sets of input conditions, wherein normalizing the goal metrics for a current set of input conditions comprises assigning a point value for each goal metric of each action, wherein the point value corresponds to the percentage of previously determined corresponding goal metric values that are less valuable than the current goal metric value. 8. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the sets of input conditions corresponding to a plurality of customer profiles of a plurality of customers and the possible actions are a plurality of offers which were presented to the customers. 9. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein at least two of the goal metrics have different units. 10. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein at least two of the goal metrics correspond to competing goals. 11. A computer system operable to optimize results produced by a predictive model in order to determine which action to perform out of a plurality of actions, the computer system comprising:
one or more processors; one or more memory, wherein at least one of the processors and memory are adapted for: (a) for a plurality of possible actions, providing a plurality of goal metrics based on a plurality of input conditions, wherein one or more of the goal metrics are produced by one or more predictive models; (b) normalizing the plurality of goal metrics; (c) for each possible action, determining a total of each of the normalized goal metrics multiplied by a corresponding predetermined weight; (d) comparing the totals determined for the plurality of possible actions to thereby determine a highest total; and (e) performing an action selected from the plurality of possible actions, wherein the selected action has the highest total. 12. A computer system as recited in claim 11, wherein the plurality of possible actions are a plurality of offers which can be presented to a potential customer. 13. A computer system as recited in claim 12, wherein the offers can be presented in the form of one or more web pages to a customer who is currently accessing a web server. 14. A computer system as recited in claim 12, wherein the offers can be presented in the form of an automated Interactive Voice Recognition (IVR) option to a customer who is currently accessing a telephone call center. 15. A computer system as recited in claim 12, wherein the goal metrics include a minimum cost metric, an increase in revenue metric, an increase in customer satisfaction metric, and a likelihood of acceptance of offer metric. 16. A computer system as recited in claim 15, wherein the goal metrics further include any metric selected from a group consisting of a reduction of customer returns metric, an increase in awareness metric, a compliance metric for measuring the compliance level with a marketing person's objective, a service level agreement metric measuring the compliance to an agreed upon service metric, a measure of the number of products owned by the customer, and a measure of compliance with prescribed number of presentations of specific offers. 17. A computer system as recited in claim 11, wherein the at least one of the processors and memory are further adapted for repeating operations (a) through (e) for a plurality of sets of input conditions, wherein normalizing the goal metrics for a current set of input conditions comprises assigning a point value for each goal metric of each action, wherein the point value corresponds to the percentage of previously determined corresponding goal metric values that are less valuable than the current goal metric value. 18. A computer system as recited in claim 17, wherein the sets of input conditions corresponding to a plurality of customer profiles of a plurality of customers and the possible actions are a plurality of offers which were presented to the customers. 19. A computer system as recited in claim 17, wherein at least two of the goal metrics have different units. 20. A computer system as recited in claim 17, wherein at least two of the goal metrics correspond to competing goals. 21. A computer program product for optimizing results produced by a predictive model in order to determine which action to perform out of a plurality of actions, the computer program product comprising:
at least one computer readable medium; computer program instructions stored within the at least one computer readable product configured for: (a) for a plurality of possible actions, providing a plurality of goal metrics based on a plurality of input conditions, wherein one or more of the goal metrics are produced by one or more predictive models; (b) normalizing the plurality of goal metrics; (c) for each possible action, determining a total of each of the normalized goal metrics multiplied by a corresponding predetermined weight; (d) comparing the totals determined for the plurality of possible actions to thereby determine a highest total; and (e) performing an action selected from the plurality of possible actions, wherein the selected action has the highest total. 22. A computer program product as recited in claim 21, wherein the plurality of possible actions are a plurality of offers which can be presented to a potential customer. 23. A computer program product as recited in claim 22, wherein the offers can be presented in the form of one or more web pages to a customer who is currently accessing a web server. 24. A computer program product as recited in claim 22, wherein the offers can be presented in the form of an automated Interactive Voice Recognition (IVR) option to a customer who is currently accessing a telephone call center. 25. A computer program product as recited in claim 22, wherein the goal metrics include a minimum cost metric, an increase in revenue metric, an increase in customer satisfaction metric, and a likelihood of acceptance of offer metric. 26. A computer program product as recited in claim 25, wherein the goal metrics further include any metric selected from a group consisting of a reduction of customer returns metric, an increase in awareness metric, a compliance metric for measuring the compliance level with a marketing person's objective, a service level agreement metric measuring the compliance to an agreed upon service metric, a measure of the number of products owned by the customer, and a measure of compliance with prescribed number of presentations of specific offers. 27. A computer program product as recited in claim 21, the computer program instructions stored within the at least one computer readable product further configured for repeating operations (a) through (e) for a plurality of sets of input conditions, wherein normalizing the goal metrics for a current set of input conditions comprises assigning a point value for each goal metric of each action, wherein the point value corresponds to the percentage of previously determined corresponding goal metric values that are less valuable than the current goal metric value. 28. A computer program product as recited in claim 27, wherein the sets of input conditions corresponding to a plurality of customer profiles of a plurality of customers and the possible actions are a plurality of offers which were presented to the customers. 29. A computer program product as recited in claim 27, wherein at least two of the goal metrics have different units. 30. A computer program product as recited in claim 27, wherein at least two of lo the goal metrics correspond to competing goals. 31. An apparatus for optimizing results produced by a predictive model in order to determine which action to perform out of a plurality of actions, comprising:
means for providing a plurality of goal metrics for a plurality of possible actions based on a plurality of input conditions, wherein one or more of the goal metrics are produced by one or more predictive models; means for normalizing the plurality of goal metrics; means for determining a total of each of the normalized goal metrics multiplied by a corresponding predetermined weight for each possible action; means for comparing the totals determined for the plurality of possible actions to thereby determine a highest total; and means for performing an action selected from the plurality of possible actions, wherein the selected action has the highest total. | 3,600 |
12,454 | 12,454 | 15,082,352 | 3,683 | Techniques are disclosed for statistically and ontologically correlated business intelligence (BI) analytics. An example method includes performing an ontological analysis on relevant data defined for a BI analytics query to determine correlations with ontological concepts. The method includes performing a statistical analysis on direct analytics output data to rank the direct analytics output data in order of influence on the direct analytics output. The method includes performing a statistical analysis on the relevant data set relative to the direct analytics output data to determine data in the relevant data set that influence the direct analytics output data, thereby generating a list of key drivers ranked in order of influence. The method includes revising the ranking of the key drivers based on correlations of the key drivers with the ontological concepts. The method includes generating a correlated analytics output comprising information on the key drivers based on the ranking. | 1. A method for business intelligence (BI) analytics, the method comprising:
performing, by one or more processing devices, an ontological analysis on data items in a relevant data set defined for a BI analytics query to determine one or more correlations of the data items in the relevant data set with ontological concepts in an ontological concept subsystem; performing, by the one or more processing devices, a first statistical analysis on a set of direct analytics output data items from the relevant data set that are included in a direct BI analytics output to rank the direct analytics output data items in an order of influence on the direct BI analytics output; performing, by the one or more processing devices, a second statistical analysis on the data items in the relevant data set relative to the direct analytics output data items to determine one or more of the data items in the relevant data set that influence the respective direct analytics output data items, thereby generating a list of key drivers from among the data items in the relevant data set such that the list of key drivers has a ranking in an order of the influence; revising, by the one or more processing devices, the ranking of the list of key drivers based at least in part on the correlations of the key drivers with the ontological concepts; and generating, by the one or more processing devices, a correlated analytics output comprising information on one or more of the key drivers based on the ranking of the list of key drivers. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing, from the list of key drivers, key drivers that are already present in the direct analytics output data items. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the correlated analytics output comprising the information on the one or more of the key drivers based on the ranking of the list of key drivers further comprises generating the correlated analytics output with information on how the key drivers influence the direct analytics output data items. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the correlated analytics output comprising the information on the one or more of the key drivers comprises generating the correlated analytics output comprising correlations between one or more of the key drivers and one or more of the direct analytics output data items based on the ranking of the list of key drivers. 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a visualization for the correlated analytics output based on the key drivers. 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining statistical information about one or more of the key drivers comprising one or more of a minimum, a maximum, and an average value of the one or more of the key drivers, wherein generating the correlated analytics output further comprises including the one or more of the minimum, the maximum, and the average value of the one or more of the key drivers in the correlated analytics output. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein revising the ranking of the list of key drivers based at least in part on the correlations of the key drivers with the ontological concepts comprises ranking key drivers that have a correlation with one of the ontological concepts higher than key drivers that do not have a correlation with one of the ontological concepts. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein revising the ranking of the list of key drivers based at least in part on the correlations of the key drivers with the ontological concepts comprises removing, from the list of key drivers, key drivers that do not have a correlation with one of the ontological concepts. 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing drill-down functionality in the correlated analytics output to enable access to additional data sources related to the information in the correlated analytics output. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving a new input based on the correlated analytics output; and generating a subsequent output comprising additional information related to the key drivers and responsive to the new input. | Techniques are disclosed for statistically and ontologically correlated business intelligence (BI) analytics. An example method includes performing an ontological analysis on relevant data defined for a BI analytics query to determine correlations with ontological concepts. The method includes performing a statistical analysis on direct analytics output data to rank the direct analytics output data in order of influence on the direct analytics output. The method includes performing a statistical analysis on the relevant data set relative to the direct analytics output data to determine data in the relevant data set that influence the direct analytics output data, thereby generating a list of key drivers ranked in order of influence. The method includes revising the ranking of the key drivers based on correlations of the key drivers with the ontological concepts. The method includes generating a correlated analytics output comprising information on the key drivers based on the ranking.1. A method for business intelligence (BI) analytics, the method comprising:
performing, by one or more processing devices, an ontological analysis on data items in a relevant data set defined for a BI analytics query to determine one or more correlations of the data items in the relevant data set with ontological concepts in an ontological concept subsystem; performing, by the one or more processing devices, a first statistical analysis on a set of direct analytics output data items from the relevant data set that are included in a direct BI analytics output to rank the direct analytics output data items in an order of influence on the direct BI analytics output; performing, by the one or more processing devices, a second statistical analysis on the data items in the relevant data set relative to the direct analytics output data items to determine one or more of the data items in the relevant data set that influence the respective direct analytics output data items, thereby generating a list of key drivers from among the data items in the relevant data set such that the list of key drivers has a ranking in an order of the influence; revising, by the one or more processing devices, the ranking of the list of key drivers based at least in part on the correlations of the key drivers with the ontological concepts; and generating, by the one or more processing devices, a correlated analytics output comprising information on one or more of the key drivers based on the ranking of the list of key drivers. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing, from the list of key drivers, key drivers that are already present in the direct analytics output data items. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the correlated analytics output comprising the information on the one or more of the key drivers based on the ranking of the list of key drivers further comprises generating the correlated analytics output with information on how the key drivers influence the direct analytics output data items. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the correlated analytics output comprising the information on the one or more of the key drivers comprises generating the correlated analytics output comprising correlations between one or more of the key drivers and one or more of the direct analytics output data items based on the ranking of the list of key drivers. 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a visualization for the correlated analytics output based on the key drivers. 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining statistical information about one or more of the key drivers comprising one or more of a minimum, a maximum, and an average value of the one or more of the key drivers, wherein generating the correlated analytics output further comprises including the one or more of the minimum, the maximum, and the average value of the one or more of the key drivers in the correlated analytics output. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein revising the ranking of the list of key drivers based at least in part on the correlations of the key drivers with the ontological concepts comprises ranking key drivers that have a correlation with one of the ontological concepts higher than key drivers that do not have a correlation with one of the ontological concepts. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein revising the ranking of the list of key drivers based at least in part on the correlations of the key drivers with the ontological concepts comprises removing, from the list of key drivers, key drivers that do not have a correlation with one of the ontological concepts. 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing drill-down functionality in the correlated analytics output to enable access to additional data sources related to the information in the correlated analytics output. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving a new input based on the correlated analytics output; and generating a subsequent output comprising additional information related to the key drivers and responsive to the new input. | 3,600 |
12,455 | 12,455 | 12,883,683 | 3,691 | Systems and methods for anonymous electronic trading that allow a trader to hide his or her identity and inhibit trading interactions are provided. Using these systems and methods, a trader can, using various trading interfaces, control a level of trading anonymously and configure warnings that are provided to protect against inadvertent completion of potential-risk-involved trades. | 1. An apparatus comprising:
an electronic trading system configured to:
receive a first indication of an order from a first trader through a communication network, in which the order includes at least one of an order to buy a financial instrument and an order to sell a financial instrument, in which the order is defined by a plurality of order characteristics,
in response to receiving the indication of the order, transmitting, though the communication network, a second indication of the order to a trading computer device associated with a second trader, and
only if an indication that a trade between the first trader and the second trader that fulfills the order should be executed is received from the trading computer and through the communication network, facilitating execution of the trade without a solicitation of the first trader; and
the trading computer device associated with the second trader, in which the trading computer device is configured to:
receive, from the second trader, an indication of at least one order characteristic,
receive, through the communication network, the second indication of the order,
in response to receiving the second indication of the order, determine whether the order includes the at least one order characteristic,
only if the order is determined to include the at least one characteristic, presenting the order to the second trader,
if the order is determined not to include the at least one characteristic, withholding a presentation of the order to the second trader, and
only if the order is determined to include the at least one characteristic and an indication to enter into the trade is received from the second trader, transmitting, through the communication network, the indication that the trade should be executed to the electronic trading system. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, in which execution of the trade without the solicitation includes an automatic acceptance of the full trade. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the characteristic includes at least one of a characteristic of the first trader, a characteristic of a submission method of the order, and a characteristic related to dollar amounts. 4. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the trading computer device includes a workstation. 5. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the electronic trading system includes a processor. 6. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the trade includes a trade that fulfills a portion of the order. 7. The apparatus of claim 1, in which execution of the trade without the solicitation includes an automatic acceptance of the full trade, in which the characteristic includes at least one of a characteristic of the first trader, a characteristic of a submission method of the order, and a characteristic related to dollar amounts, in which the trading computer device includes a workstation, in which the electronic trading system includes a processor, and in which the trade includes a trade that fulfills a portion of the order. 8. An apparatus comprising:
a computer device configured to:
receive, from the trader, an indication of at least one order characteristic,
receive, through a communication network, a second indication of an order, in which the order includes at least one of an order to buy a financial instrument and an order to sell a financial instrument, in which the order is defined by a plurality of order characteristics,
in response to receiving the second indication of the order, determine whether the order includes the at least one order characteristic,
only if the order is determined to include the at least one characteristic, presenting the order to the trader,
if the order is determined not to include the at least one characteristic, withholding a presentation of the order to the trader, and
only if the order is determined to include the at least one characteristic and an indication to enter into a trade that fulfills the order should be executed is received from the trader, facilitating an execution of the trade without solicitation of an originator of the order. 9. The apparatus of claim 8, in which execution of the trade without the solicitation includes an automatic acceptance of the full trade by the originator. 10. The apparatus of claim 8, in which the characteristic includes at least one of a characteristic of the first trader, a characteristic of a submission method of the order, and a characteristic related to dollar amounts. 11. The apparatus of claim 8, in which the computer device includes a workstation. 12. The apparatus of claim 8, in which the trade includes a trade that fulfills a portion of the order. 13. The apparatus of claim 8, in which facilitating execution includes transmitting, through the communication network, an indication that the trade should be executed to the electronic trading system. 14. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:
a second computer device configured to:
receive an indication of the order from the originator through the communication network,
in response to receiving the indication of the order, transmitting, though the communication network, the second indication to the computer device, in which the second indication is received by the computer device from the second computer device, and
only if the order is determined to include the at least one characteristic and an indication to enter into a trade that fulfills the order should be executed is received from the trader, facilitating execution of the trade without the solicitation. 15. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:
a second computer device configured to:
receive an indication of the order from the originator through the communication network,
in response to receiving the indication of the order, transmitting, though the communication network, the second indication to the computer device, in which the second indication is received by the computer device from the second computer device, and
only if the order is determined to include the at least one characteristic and an indication to enter into a trade that fulfills the order should be executed is received from the trader, facilitating execution of the trade without the solicitation; and
in which execution of the trade without the solicitation includes an automatic acceptance of the full trade by the originator, in which the characteristic includes at least one of a characteristic of the first trader, a characteristic of a submission method of the order, and a characteristic related to dollar amounts, in which the computer device includes a workstation, in which the trade includes a trade that fulfills a portion of the order, and in which facilitating execution includes transmitting, through the communication network, an indication that the trade should be executed to the electronic trading system. | Systems and methods for anonymous electronic trading that allow a trader to hide his or her identity and inhibit trading interactions are provided. Using these systems and methods, a trader can, using various trading interfaces, control a level of trading anonymously and configure warnings that are provided to protect against inadvertent completion of potential-risk-involved trades.1. An apparatus comprising:
an electronic trading system configured to:
receive a first indication of an order from a first trader through a communication network, in which the order includes at least one of an order to buy a financial instrument and an order to sell a financial instrument, in which the order is defined by a plurality of order characteristics,
in response to receiving the indication of the order, transmitting, though the communication network, a second indication of the order to a trading computer device associated with a second trader, and
only if an indication that a trade between the first trader and the second trader that fulfills the order should be executed is received from the trading computer and through the communication network, facilitating execution of the trade without a solicitation of the first trader; and
the trading computer device associated with the second trader, in which the trading computer device is configured to:
receive, from the second trader, an indication of at least one order characteristic,
receive, through the communication network, the second indication of the order,
in response to receiving the second indication of the order, determine whether the order includes the at least one order characteristic,
only if the order is determined to include the at least one characteristic, presenting the order to the second trader,
if the order is determined not to include the at least one characteristic, withholding a presentation of the order to the second trader, and
only if the order is determined to include the at least one characteristic and an indication to enter into the trade is received from the second trader, transmitting, through the communication network, the indication that the trade should be executed to the electronic trading system. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, in which execution of the trade without the solicitation includes an automatic acceptance of the full trade. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the characteristic includes at least one of a characteristic of the first trader, a characteristic of a submission method of the order, and a characteristic related to dollar amounts. 4. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the trading computer device includes a workstation. 5. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the electronic trading system includes a processor. 6. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the trade includes a trade that fulfills a portion of the order. 7. The apparatus of claim 1, in which execution of the trade without the solicitation includes an automatic acceptance of the full trade, in which the characteristic includes at least one of a characteristic of the first trader, a characteristic of a submission method of the order, and a characteristic related to dollar amounts, in which the trading computer device includes a workstation, in which the electronic trading system includes a processor, and in which the trade includes a trade that fulfills a portion of the order. 8. An apparatus comprising:
a computer device configured to:
receive, from the trader, an indication of at least one order characteristic,
receive, through a communication network, a second indication of an order, in which the order includes at least one of an order to buy a financial instrument and an order to sell a financial instrument, in which the order is defined by a plurality of order characteristics,
in response to receiving the second indication of the order, determine whether the order includes the at least one order characteristic,
only if the order is determined to include the at least one characteristic, presenting the order to the trader,
if the order is determined not to include the at least one characteristic, withholding a presentation of the order to the trader, and
only if the order is determined to include the at least one characteristic and an indication to enter into a trade that fulfills the order should be executed is received from the trader, facilitating an execution of the trade without solicitation of an originator of the order. 9. The apparatus of claim 8, in which execution of the trade without the solicitation includes an automatic acceptance of the full trade by the originator. 10. The apparatus of claim 8, in which the characteristic includes at least one of a characteristic of the first trader, a characteristic of a submission method of the order, and a characteristic related to dollar amounts. 11. The apparatus of claim 8, in which the computer device includes a workstation. 12. The apparatus of claim 8, in which the trade includes a trade that fulfills a portion of the order. 13. The apparatus of claim 8, in which facilitating execution includes transmitting, through the communication network, an indication that the trade should be executed to the electronic trading system. 14. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:
a second computer device configured to:
receive an indication of the order from the originator through the communication network,
in response to receiving the indication of the order, transmitting, though the communication network, the second indication to the computer device, in which the second indication is received by the computer device from the second computer device, and
only if the order is determined to include the at least one characteristic and an indication to enter into a trade that fulfills the order should be executed is received from the trader, facilitating execution of the trade without the solicitation. 15. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:
a second computer device configured to:
receive an indication of the order from the originator through the communication network,
in response to receiving the indication of the order, transmitting, though the communication network, the second indication to the computer device, in which the second indication is received by the computer device from the second computer device, and
only if the order is determined to include the at least one characteristic and an indication to enter into a trade that fulfills the order should be executed is received from the trader, facilitating execution of the trade without the solicitation; and
in which execution of the trade without the solicitation includes an automatic acceptance of the full trade by the originator, in which the characteristic includes at least one of a characteristic of the first trader, a characteristic of a submission method of the order, and a characteristic related to dollar amounts, in which the computer device includes a workstation, in which the trade includes a trade that fulfills a portion of the order, and in which facilitating execution includes transmitting, through the communication network, an indication that the trade should be executed to the electronic trading system. | 3,600 |
12,456 | 12,456 | 10,112,208 | 3,624 | A method and system for coordinating customer access to a distributed database system, such as a financial services system database pool containing various sources of different types of data, receives as input a user query, such as a query related to the status of financial transactions. The query is processed to determine the types of data required to satisfy the query and the target data sources containing such data. Discrete sub-queries are formulated and issued to the identified target data sources. The retrieved data is combined to generate a response to the query which is formatted and returned to the requestor, preferably in the form of an Internet web page. | 1. In a system in communication with a database pool having a plurality of data sources therein, each data source containing information of a respective type, a method of processing user queries to the system comprising the steps of:
receiving a user query via an electronic network; determining types of data required to satisfy the query; identifying target data sources from the plurality of data sources that contain information of the determined types; retrieving data from the target data sources; combining the retrieved data to generate a response to the query; and returning the response to the user. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of retrieving data from the identified sources comprises the steps of:
generating a sub-query for each target data source; issuing the sub-queries to the respective target data sources; and receiving responses from the respective target data sources for the issued sub-queries. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein:
each data source has a respective data query format; the sub-queries have a substantially common data query format; and the step of issuing the sub-queries comprises the step of converting each sub-query from the common data query format to the data query format for the respective target data source. 4. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of monitoring the status of issued sub-queries;
the step of combining the retrieved data being performed after a response has been received for each issued sub-query. 5. The method of claim 2, wherein each sub-query is issued by a separate processing thread, each processing thread providing a notification when the respective sub-query is satisfied by the corresponding target data source. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein:
the system comprises a financial transaction processing system and the user queries relate to the status of financial transactions. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the financial transactions comprise currency exchange transactions. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the database pool comprises:
a data source for reference information; a data source for account information; a data source for trading information; and a data source for trade payment instruction information. 9. A computer implemented system for processing queries requiring access to a plurality of data sources each of which contains information of a respective type, the system comprising:
a data access module in communication with the plurality of data sources and configured to:
receive a query object in a predefined format as input,
identify a set of target data sources in accordance with a class of the query object,
retrieve data from the target data sources,
aggregate the retrieved data, and
provide the aggregated data as output; and
a data request handler module in communication with the data access module and configured to:
receive a data query as input;
generate the query object in the predefined format from the data query;
provide the query object to the data access module;
receive the aggregated data from the data access module;
process the aggregated data to produce a response to the query; and
provide the response as output. 10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:
a presentation module configured to:
receive via a network a data request from a user as input;
generate a data query in accordance with the data request;
provide the data query to the data request handler module;
receive the response from the data request handler module;
and output the response to the user via the network. 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the presentation module comprises:
a plurality of data servlets, each data servlet configured to produce an appropriate data query in response to a particular type of data request; and a controller servlet configured to determine the type of the data request and forward the data request to the appropriate data servlet. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein each data servlet is further configured to receive respective responses to forwarded data requests. 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the presentation module further comprises a plurality of server pages, each server page being associated with a respective data servlet and configured to receive the respective response from the associated data servlet and generate a corresponding document including the respective response. 14. The system of claim 13, wherein a particular servlet has a plurality of associated server pages, the particular servlet being configured to provide the respective response to one of the associated server pages in accordance with a data type of the response. 15. The system of claim 13, wherein the document comprises an Internet web page. 16. The system of claim 9, wherein the data access module comprises:
a plurality of data manager objects, each data manager configured to retrieve data from a respective data source; a storage area having query classification data stored therein; and a data source manager receiving the query object as input, and configured to:
identify the particular ones of the plurality of data sources from which data should be retrieved in accordance with the query classification data, and
dispatch a respective data retrieval request derived from the query object to the particular data manager objects configured to retrieve data from the identified data sources. 17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a synchronization module configured to aggregate data retrieved from the respective data manager objects. 18. The system of claim 16, wherein each data manager object comprises a respective data manger interface configured to receive data retrieval requests from the data source manager in a common format. 19. The system of claim 16, wherein the classification data comprises query mapping data associating particular types of queries with specific data sources. 20. The system of claim 19, wherein the classification data further comprises query distribution data associating, for a complex query having a plurality parts, particular query parts with particular data sources. 21. The system of claim 9, wherein the data sources containing various information related to financial transactions and the query relates to the status of at least one financial transaction. 22. The system of claim 21, wherein the financial transactions comprise currency exchange transactions. 23. The system of claim 22, wherein the plurality of data sources comprise:
a data source for reference information; a data source for account information; a data source for trading information; and a data source for trade payment instruction information. 24. A method for processing user queries to a financial transaction processing system, data required to satisfy the queries being stored in a database pool having a plurality of data sources therein each containing information of a respective type, the data sources including data sources for reference information, account information, trading information, and trade payment instruction information, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving via an electronic network a user query related to the status of financial transactions managed by the financial transaction processing system; determining types of data required to satisfy the query; identifying target data sources from the plurality of data sources that contain information of the determined types; retrieving data from the target data sources; combining the retrieved data to generate a response to the query; and returning the response to the user. 25. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of retrieving data from the identified sources comprises the steps of:
generating a sub-query for each target data source; issuing the sub-queries to the respective target data sources; and receiving responses from the respective target data sources for the issued sub-queries. 26. The method of claim 25, wherein:
each data source has a respective data query format; the sub-queries have a substantially common data query format; and the step of issuing the sub-queries comprises the step of converting each sub-query from the common data query format to the data query format for the respective target data source. 27. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of monitoring the status of issued sub-queries;
the step of combining the retrieved data being performed after a response has been received for each issued sub-query. 28. The method of claim 25, wherein each sub-query is issued by a separate processing thread, each processing thread providing a notification when the respective sub-query is satisfied by the corresponding target data source. 29. A computer implemented system for processing queries issued to a financial transaction processing system related to the status of financial transactions, the queries requiring access to a plurality of data sources each containing information of a respective type, the data sources including data sources for reference information, account information, trading information, and trade payment instruction information, the system comprising:
a data access module in communication with the plurality of data sources and configured to:
receive a query object in a predefined format as input,
identify a set of target data sources in accordance with a class of the query object,
retrieve data from the target data sources,
aggregate the retrieved data, and
provide the aggregated data as output; and
a data request handler module in communication with the data access module and configured to:
receive a data query as input;
generate the query object in the predefined format from the data query;
provide the query object to the data access module;
receive the aggregated data from the data access module;
process the aggregated data to produce a response to the query; and
provide the response as output. 30. The system of claim 29, further comprising:
a presentation module configured to:
receive via a network a data request from a user as input;
generate a data query in accordance with the data request;
provide the data query to the data request handler module;
receive the response from the data request handler module;
and output the response to the user via the network. 31. The system of claim 29, wherein the data access module comprises:
a plurality of data manager objects, each data manager configured to retrieve data from a respective data source; a storage area having query classification data stored therein; and a data source manager receiving the query object as input, and configured to:
identify the particular ones of the plurality of data sources from which data should be retrieved in accordance with the query classification data, and
dispatch a respective data retrieval request derived from the query object to the particular data manager objects configured to retrieve data from the identified data sources. 32. The system of claim 31, further comprising a synchronization module configured to aggregate data retrieved from the respective data manager objects. 33. The system of claim 31, wherein each data manager object comprises a respective data manger interface configured to receive data retrieval requests from the data source manager in a common format. 34. The system of claim 31, wherein the classification data comprises query mapping data associating particular types of queries with specific data sources. 35. The system of claim 34, wherein the classification data further comprises query distribution data associating, for a complex query having a plurality parts, particular query parts with particular data sources. | A method and system for coordinating customer access to a distributed database system, such as a financial services system database pool containing various sources of different types of data, receives as input a user query, such as a query related to the status of financial transactions. The query is processed to determine the types of data required to satisfy the query and the target data sources containing such data. Discrete sub-queries are formulated and issued to the identified target data sources. The retrieved data is combined to generate a response to the query which is formatted and returned to the requestor, preferably in the form of an Internet web page.1. In a system in communication with a database pool having a plurality of data sources therein, each data source containing information of a respective type, a method of processing user queries to the system comprising the steps of:
receiving a user query via an electronic network; determining types of data required to satisfy the query; identifying target data sources from the plurality of data sources that contain information of the determined types; retrieving data from the target data sources; combining the retrieved data to generate a response to the query; and returning the response to the user. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of retrieving data from the identified sources comprises the steps of:
generating a sub-query for each target data source; issuing the sub-queries to the respective target data sources; and receiving responses from the respective target data sources for the issued sub-queries. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein:
each data source has a respective data query format; the sub-queries have a substantially common data query format; and the step of issuing the sub-queries comprises the step of converting each sub-query from the common data query format to the data query format for the respective target data source. 4. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of monitoring the status of issued sub-queries;
the step of combining the retrieved data being performed after a response has been received for each issued sub-query. 5. The method of claim 2, wherein each sub-query is issued by a separate processing thread, each processing thread providing a notification when the respective sub-query is satisfied by the corresponding target data source. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein:
the system comprises a financial transaction processing system and the user queries relate to the status of financial transactions. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the financial transactions comprise currency exchange transactions. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the database pool comprises:
a data source for reference information; a data source for account information; a data source for trading information; and a data source for trade payment instruction information. 9. A computer implemented system for processing queries requiring access to a plurality of data sources each of which contains information of a respective type, the system comprising:
a data access module in communication with the plurality of data sources and configured to:
receive a query object in a predefined format as input,
identify a set of target data sources in accordance with a class of the query object,
retrieve data from the target data sources,
aggregate the retrieved data, and
provide the aggregated data as output; and
a data request handler module in communication with the data access module and configured to:
receive a data query as input;
generate the query object in the predefined format from the data query;
provide the query object to the data access module;
receive the aggregated data from the data access module;
process the aggregated data to produce a response to the query; and
provide the response as output. 10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:
a presentation module configured to:
receive via a network a data request from a user as input;
generate a data query in accordance with the data request;
provide the data query to the data request handler module;
receive the response from the data request handler module;
and output the response to the user via the network. 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the presentation module comprises:
a plurality of data servlets, each data servlet configured to produce an appropriate data query in response to a particular type of data request; and a controller servlet configured to determine the type of the data request and forward the data request to the appropriate data servlet. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein each data servlet is further configured to receive respective responses to forwarded data requests. 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the presentation module further comprises a plurality of server pages, each server page being associated with a respective data servlet and configured to receive the respective response from the associated data servlet and generate a corresponding document including the respective response. 14. The system of claim 13, wherein a particular servlet has a plurality of associated server pages, the particular servlet being configured to provide the respective response to one of the associated server pages in accordance with a data type of the response. 15. The system of claim 13, wherein the document comprises an Internet web page. 16. The system of claim 9, wherein the data access module comprises:
a plurality of data manager objects, each data manager configured to retrieve data from a respective data source; a storage area having query classification data stored therein; and a data source manager receiving the query object as input, and configured to:
identify the particular ones of the plurality of data sources from which data should be retrieved in accordance with the query classification data, and
dispatch a respective data retrieval request derived from the query object to the particular data manager objects configured to retrieve data from the identified data sources. 17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a synchronization module configured to aggregate data retrieved from the respective data manager objects. 18. The system of claim 16, wherein each data manager object comprises a respective data manger interface configured to receive data retrieval requests from the data source manager in a common format. 19. The system of claim 16, wherein the classification data comprises query mapping data associating particular types of queries with specific data sources. 20. The system of claim 19, wherein the classification data further comprises query distribution data associating, for a complex query having a plurality parts, particular query parts with particular data sources. 21. The system of claim 9, wherein the data sources containing various information related to financial transactions and the query relates to the status of at least one financial transaction. 22. The system of claim 21, wherein the financial transactions comprise currency exchange transactions. 23. The system of claim 22, wherein the plurality of data sources comprise:
a data source for reference information; a data source for account information; a data source for trading information; and a data source for trade payment instruction information. 24. A method for processing user queries to a financial transaction processing system, data required to satisfy the queries being stored in a database pool having a plurality of data sources therein each containing information of a respective type, the data sources including data sources for reference information, account information, trading information, and trade payment instruction information, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving via an electronic network a user query related to the status of financial transactions managed by the financial transaction processing system; determining types of data required to satisfy the query; identifying target data sources from the plurality of data sources that contain information of the determined types; retrieving data from the target data sources; combining the retrieved data to generate a response to the query; and returning the response to the user. 25. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of retrieving data from the identified sources comprises the steps of:
generating a sub-query for each target data source; issuing the sub-queries to the respective target data sources; and receiving responses from the respective target data sources for the issued sub-queries. 26. The method of claim 25, wherein:
each data source has a respective data query format; the sub-queries have a substantially common data query format; and the step of issuing the sub-queries comprises the step of converting each sub-query from the common data query format to the data query format for the respective target data source. 27. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of monitoring the status of issued sub-queries;
the step of combining the retrieved data being performed after a response has been received for each issued sub-query. 28. The method of claim 25, wherein each sub-query is issued by a separate processing thread, each processing thread providing a notification when the respective sub-query is satisfied by the corresponding target data source. 29. A computer implemented system for processing queries issued to a financial transaction processing system related to the status of financial transactions, the queries requiring access to a plurality of data sources each containing information of a respective type, the data sources including data sources for reference information, account information, trading information, and trade payment instruction information, the system comprising:
a data access module in communication with the plurality of data sources and configured to:
receive a query object in a predefined format as input,
identify a set of target data sources in accordance with a class of the query object,
retrieve data from the target data sources,
aggregate the retrieved data, and
provide the aggregated data as output; and
a data request handler module in communication with the data access module and configured to:
receive a data query as input;
generate the query object in the predefined format from the data query;
provide the query object to the data access module;
receive the aggregated data from the data access module;
process the aggregated data to produce a response to the query; and
provide the response as output. 30. The system of claim 29, further comprising:
a presentation module configured to:
receive via a network a data request from a user as input;
generate a data query in accordance with the data request;
provide the data query to the data request handler module;
receive the response from the data request handler module;
and output the response to the user via the network. 31. The system of claim 29, wherein the data access module comprises:
a plurality of data manager objects, each data manager configured to retrieve data from a respective data source; a storage area having query classification data stored therein; and a data source manager receiving the query object as input, and configured to:
identify the particular ones of the plurality of data sources from which data should be retrieved in accordance with the query classification data, and
dispatch a respective data retrieval request derived from the query object to the particular data manager objects configured to retrieve data from the identified data sources. 32. The system of claim 31, further comprising a synchronization module configured to aggregate data retrieved from the respective data manager objects. 33. The system of claim 31, wherein each data manager object comprises a respective data manger interface configured to receive data retrieval requests from the data source manager in a common format. 34. The system of claim 31, wherein the classification data comprises query mapping data associating particular types of queries with specific data sources. 35. The system of claim 34, wherein the classification data further comprises query distribution data associating, for a complex query having a plurality parts, particular query parts with particular data sources. | 3,600 |
12,457 | 12,457 | 14,321,498 | 3,625 | Techniques for managing product location information are described. Managing product location information may include generating store location information, including information that represents the layout of areas, aisles, sections, sides, and/or shelves within a given store or other establishment. Store location information can be used to represent the location of items within a given store. Some embodiments provide a mobile device configured to facilitate the generation of a store layout based on inputs received from a user who provides inputs regarding the areas, aisles, sides, sections, and shelves of the store. | 1. A method for collecting and generating store location information, the method comprising:
in a mobile computing device, receiving an indication of an initial position in a store, the indication of the initial position identifying a first aisle in the store and a first side of the aisle, the first aisle including multiple sections that are arranged in order from a first end of the aisle to a second end of the first aisle, each section having multiple shelves; receiving a series of shelf counts that each correspond to the total number of shelves in a distinct one of the sections in the first aisle, the shelf counts based on inputs from a user who is traversing the first aisle from the first end to the second end; receiving an indication that the user has reached the second end of the first aisle; and automatically generating a data structure that represents the aisles of the store based on the shelf counts received for sections of each of the aisles of the store. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving a series of shelf counts includes: receiving the shelf counts via voice inputs received from the user. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the receiving the shelf counts via voice inputs received from the user includes: receiving a series of numbers uttered by the user as the user walks from the first end of the first aisle to the second end of the first aisle. 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: outputting shelf identification tags based on the data structure, wherein each shelf identification tag includes machine readable data that identifies a corresponding shelf in the store. 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: presenting on the mobile device a user interface that is configured to perform the receiving an indication of an initial position in a store, the receiving a series of shelf counts, and the receiving an indication that the user has reached the second end of the first aisle, wherein the user interface includes controls configured to receive the initial position, the shelf counts, and the indication that the user has reached the second end of the first aisle. 6. The method of claim 5, further comprising: in response to receiving the indication that the user has reached the second end of the first aisle, automatically updating the user interface to present controls configured to receive shelf counts for a second side of the first aisle. 7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:
receiving via the user interface an indication that the user has finished inputting shelf counts for the first aisle; and in response receiving the indication that the user has finished inputting shelf counts for the first aisle, automatically updating the user interface to present controls configured to receive shelf counts for a second aisle in the store. 8. The method of claim 5, further comprising: receiving via the user interface an indication of an area of the store. 9. The method of claim 5, further comprising:
receiving only a single input from the user that indicates that the user has reached the second end of the first aisle or that the user has finished inputting shelf counts for the first aisle; and in response to the received single input, automatically updating the user interface to receive shelf counts for the second side of the first aisle or a second aisle in the store. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising: transmitting the shelf counts for storage by a remote management system, wherein the remote management system is configured to generate the data structure and to generate a map of the store based on the data structure. 11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving a product identifier from a barcode scanner coupled to the mobile device, the product identifier identifying an item located on one of the shelves of the store; and transmitting to the remote management system the product identifier and an identifier of the one shelf, wherein the remote management system is configured to associate, based on the received identifier of the one shelf, the product with the aisle, side, section, and shelf at which the product is located. 12. A system for collecting and generating store location information, the system comprising:
a processor; a memory; and a module that is stored in the memory and that is configured, when executed by the processor, to:
receive an indication of an initial position in a store, the indication of the initial position identifying a first aisle in the store and a first side of the aisle, the first aisle including multiple sections that are arranged in order from a first end of the aisle to a second end of the first aisle, each section having multiple shelves;
receive a series of shelf counts that each correspond to the total number of shelves in a distinct one of the sections in the first aisle, the shelf counts based on inputs from a user who is traversing the first aisle from the first end to the second end;
receive an indication that the user has reached the second end of the first aisle; and
in response to the received indication that the user has reached the second end of the first aisle, automatically transmit the shelf counts to a remote management system that is configured to generate a data structure that represents the aisles of the store based on the shelf counts received for sections of each of the aisles of the store. 13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:
a user interface that is presented by the module, the user interface including controls configured to receive the initial position, the shelf counts, and the indication that the user has reached the second end of the first aisle, and the user interface configured to:
in response to the received indication that the user has reached the second end of the first aisle, automatically update the user interface to present controls configured to receive shelf counts for a second side of the first aisle;
receive via the user interface an indication that the user has finished inputting shelf counts for the first aisle; and
in response the received indication that the user has finished inputting shelf counts for the first aisle, automatically update the user interface to present controls configured to receive shelf counts for a second aisle in the store. 14. The system of claim 13, wherein the user interface is further configured to:
receive only a single input from the user that indicates that the user has reached the second end of the first aisle or that the user has finished inputting shelf counts for the first aisle; and in response to the received single input, automatically update the user interface to receive shelf counts for the second side of the first aisle or a second aisle in the store. 15. The system of claim 13, wherein the user interface is further configured to: present section identifiers that each have a corresponding entry field for a number of shelves. 16. The system of claim 12, further comprising: the remote management system, wherein the remote management system is further configured to associate location information with products located on shelves of the store. 17. The system of claim 12, wherein the memory is part of a mobile device coupled to a barcode scanner, and the module is configured to:
receive a product identifier from the barcode scanner, the product identifier identifying an item located on one of the shelves of the store; and transmit to the remote management system the product identifier and an identifier of the one shelf, wherein the remote management system is configured to associate, based on the received identifier of the one shelf, the product with the aisle, side, section, and shelf at which the product is located. 18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including contents that are configured, when executed, to cause a computing system to perform a method for collecting and generating store location information, the method comprising: performing the method of claim 1. 19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the computer-readable medium is a memory in a mobile computing device, and wherein the contents include instructions that, when executed, cause the mobile computing device to perform the method. 20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:
presenting a user interface that is configured to:
receive a series of inputs that each indicate a corresponding one of the shelf counts in the series of shelf counts;
receive only a single input from the user that indicates that the user has reached the second end of the first aisle or that the user has finished inputting shelf counts for the first aisle; and
in response to the received single input, automatically update the user interface to receive shelf counts for the second side of the first aisle or a second aisle in the store. | Techniques for managing product location information are described. Managing product location information may include generating store location information, including information that represents the layout of areas, aisles, sections, sides, and/or shelves within a given store or other establishment. Store location information can be used to represent the location of items within a given store. Some embodiments provide a mobile device configured to facilitate the generation of a store layout based on inputs received from a user who provides inputs regarding the areas, aisles, sides, sections, and shelves of the store.1. A method for collecting and generating store location information, the method comprising:
in a mobile computing device, receiving an indication of an initial position in a store, the indication of the initial position identifying a first aisle in the store and a first side of the aisle, the first aisle including multiple sections that are arranged in order from a first end of the aisle to a second end of the first aisle, each section having multiple shelves; receiving a series of shelf counts that each correspond to the total number of shelves in a distinct one of the sections in the first aisle, the shelf counts based on inputs from a user who is traversing the first aisle from the first end to the second end; receiving an indication that the user has reached the second end of the first aisle; and automatically generating a data structure that represents the aisles of the store based on the shelf counts received for sections of each of the aisles of the store. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving a series of shelf counts includes: receiving the shelf counts via voice inputs received from the user. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the receiving the shelf counts via voice inputs received from the user includes: receiving a series of numbers uttered by the user as the user walks from the first end of the first aisle to the second end of the first aisle. 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: outputting shelf identification tags based on the data structure, wherein each shelf identification tag includes machine readable data that identifies a corresponding shelf in the store. 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: presenting on the mobile device a user interface that is configured to perform the receiving an indication of an initial position in a store, the receiving a series of shelf counts, and the receiving an indication that the user has reached the second end of the first aisle, wherein the user interface includes controls configured to receive the initial position, the shelf counts, and the indication that the user has reached the second end of the first aisle. 6. The method of claim 5, further comprising: in response to receiving the indication that the user has reached the second end of the first aisle, automatically updating the user interface to present controls configured to receive shelf counts for a second side of the first aisle. 7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:
receiving via the user interface an indication that the user has finished inputting shelf counts for the first aisle; and in response receiving the indication that the user has finished inputting shelf counts for the first aisle, automatically updating the user interface to present controls configured to receive shelf counts for a second aisle in the store. 8. The method of claim 5, further comprising: receiving via the user interface an indication of an area of the store. 9. The method of claim 5, further comprising:
receiving only a single input from the user that indicates that the user has reached the second end of the first aisle or that the user has finished inputting shelf counts for the first aisle; and in response to the received single input, automatically updating the user interface to receive shelf counts for the second side of the first aisle or a second aisle in the store. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising: transmitting the shelf counts for storage by a remote management system, wherein the remote management system is configured to generate the data structure and to generate a map of the store based on the data structure. 11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving a product identifier from a barcode scanner coupled to the mobile device, the product identifier identifying an item located on one of the shelves of the store; and transmitting to the remote management system the product identifier and an identifier of the one shelf, wherein the remote management system is configured to associate, based on the received identifier of the one shelf, the product with the aisle, side, section, and shelf at which the product is located. 12. A system for collecting and generating store location information, the system comprising:
a processor; a memory; and a module that is stored in the memory and that is configured, when executed by the processor, to:
receive an indication of an initial position in a store, the indication of the initial position identifying a first aisle in the store and a first side of the aisle, the first aisle including multiple sections that are arranged in order from a first end of the aisle to a second end of the first aisle, each section having multiple shelves;
receive a series of shelf counts that each correspond to the total number of shelves in a distinct one of the sections in the first aisle, the shelf counts based on inputs from a user who is traversing the first aisle from the first end to the second end;
receive an indication that the user has reached the second end of the first aisle; and
in response to the received indication that the user has reached the second end of the first aisle, automatically transmit the shelf counts to a remote management system that is configured to generate a data structure that represents the aisles of the store based on the shelf counts received for sections of each of the aisles of the store. 13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:
a user interface that is presented by the module, the user interface including controls configured to receive the initial position, the shelf counts, and the indication that the user has reached the second end of the first aisle, and the user interface configured to:
in response to the received indication that the user has reached the second end of the first aisle, automatically update the user interface to present controls configured to receive shelf counts for a second side of the first aisle;
receive via the user interface an indication that the user has finished inputting shelf counts for the first aisle; and
in response the received indication that the user has finished inputting shelf counts for the first aisle, automatically update the user interface to present controls configured to receive shelf counts for a second aisle in the store. 14. The system of claim 13, wherein the user interface is further configured to:
receive only a single input from the user that indicates that the user has reached the second end of the first aisle or that the user has finished inputting shelf counts for the first aisle; and in response to the received single input, automatically update the user interface to receive shelf counts for the second side of the first aisle or a second aisle in the store. 15. The system of claim 13, wherein the user interface is further configured to: present section identifiers that each have a corresponding entry field for a number of shelves. 16. The system of claim 12, further comprising: the remote management system, wherein the remote management system is further configured to associate location information with products located on shelves of the store. 17. The system of claim 12, wherein the memory is part of a mobile device coupled to a barcode scanner, and the module is configured to:
receive a product identifier from the barcode scanner, the product identifier identifying an item located on one of the shelves of the store; and transmit to the remote management system the product identifier and an identifier of the one shelf, wherein the remote management system is configured to associate, based on the received identifier of the one shelf, the product with the aisle, side, section, and shelf at which the product is located. 18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including contents that are configured, when executed, to cause a computing system to perform a method for collecting and generating store location information, the method comprising: performing the method of claim 1. 19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the computer-readable medium is a memory in a mobile computing device, and wherein the contents include instructions that, when executed, cause the mobile computing device to perform the method. 20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:
presenting a user interface that is configured to:
receive a series of inputs that each indicate a corresponding one of the shelf counts in the series of shelf counts;
receive only a single input from the user that indicates that the user has reached the second end of the first aisle or that the user has finished inputting shelf counts for the first aisle; and
in response to the received single input, automatically update the user interface to receive shelf counts for the second side of the first aisle or a second aisle in the store. | 3,600 |
12,458 | 12,458 | 14,835,850 | 3,647 | A header assembly is configured to be secured between an inboard structure and an outboard structure within an internal cabin of an aircraft. The header assembly may include a main body including a first panel connected to an opposed second panel by a base panel. The main body is configured to limit light from passing therethrough. At least three anchoring members are configured to securely connect the main body to at least three reciprocal structures of the inboard and outboard structures. | 1. A header assembly configured to be secured between an inboard structure and an outboard structure within an internal cabin of an aircraft, the header assembly comprising:
a main body including a first panel connected to an opposed second panel by a base panel, wherein the main body is configured to limit light from passing therethrough; and at least three anchoring members that are configured to securely connect the main body to at least three reciprocal structures of the inboard and outboard structures. 2. The header assembly of claim 1, wherein the main body includes an inboard end configured to connect to the inboard structure and an outboard end configured to connect to the outboard structure, wherein the at least three anchoring members comprise first and second anchoring members proximate to the outboard end and a third anchoring member proximate to the inboard end. 3. The header assembly of claim 1, wherein the base panel comprises a track channel configured to receive and retain a curtain track. 4. The header assembly of claim 1, wherein the main body is formed of a solid, non-porous composite material. 5. The header assembly of claim 1, wherein a space is formed between the first and second panels, and wherein at least one seal is positioned within the space between the first and second panels, wherein the at least one seal is configured to sealingly connect to an internal surface of the internal cabin of the aircraft. 6. The header assembly of claim 1, wherein one or both of the first and second panels includes an outwardly-curved surface. 7. The header assembly of claim 1, wherein the main body is symmetrical about a central longitudinal plane. 8. The header assembly of claim 1, further comprising an extension beam secured to the main body, wherein the at least three anchoring members are secured to the extension beam. 9. The header assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least three anchoring members comprise an inboard support fitting, a first outboard support fitting, and a second outboard support fitting. 10. The header assembly of claim 9, wherein the inboard support fitting comprises a grommet having a bracket that defines an internal channel that is configured to receive and retain a bayonet of a connection fastener extending from the inboard structure, and wherein each of the first and second outboard support fittings comprises one of a structure that is configured to be latchably engaged or a latch that is configured to latchably engage the structure. 11. The header assembly of claim 1, wherein the main body is configured to be moved between a secured position between the inboard and outboard structures and a pivoted position in which the main body is pivotally secured to one of the inboard or outboard structure and disconnected from the other of the inboard or outboard structures. 12. An aircraft assembly comprising:
a fuselage defining an internal cabin; an inboard structure and an outboard structure separated by an aisle within the internal cabin; and a header assembly secured between the inboard structure and the outboard structure, wherein the header assembly is positioned above a moveable curtain assembly, the header assembly comprising:
a main body formed of a solid, non-porous composite material, wherein the main body comprises a first panel connected to an opposed second panel by a base panel, wherein the main body is configured to limit light from passing therethrough; and
at least three anchoring members that are configured to securely connect the main body to at least three reciprocal structures of the inboard and outboard structures. 13. The aircraft assembly of claim 12, wherein the main body includes an inboard end that connects to the inboard structure and an outboard end that connects to the outboard structure, wherein the at least three anchoring members comprise first and second anchoring members proximate to the outboard end and a third anchoring member proximate to the inboard end. 14. The aircraft assembly of claim 12, further comprising a curtain track, wherein the base panel comprises a track channel that retains the curtain track that connects to the moveable curtain assembly. 15. The aircraft assembly of claim 12, wherein a space is formed between the first and second panels, and wherein at least one seal is secured within the space between the first and second panels, wherein the at least one seal sealingly connects to an internal surface of the internal cabin of the aircraft. 16. The aircraft assembly of claim 12, wherein one or both of the first and second panels includes an outwardly-curved surface. 17. The aircraft assembly of claim 12, wherein the header assembly further comprises an extension beam secured to the main body, wherein the at least three anchoring members are secured to the extension beam, wherein the at least three anchoring members comprise an inboard support fitting, a first outboard support fitting, and a second outboard support fitting, wherein the inboard support fitting comprises a grommet having a bracket that defines an internal channel that retains a bayonet of a connection fastener extending from the inboard structure, and wherein each of the first and second outboard support fittings comprises one of a structure that is latchably engaged or a latch that latchably engages the structure. 18. The aircraft assembly of claim 12, wherein the main body is movable between a secured position between the inboard and outboard structures and a pivoted position in which the main body is pivotally secured to one of the inboard or outboard structure and disconnected from the other of the inboard or outboard structures. 19. The aircraft assembly of claim 12, wherein the outboard structure comprises one of a first overhead storage bin, a partition wall, a galley, or a lavatory, and wherein the inboard structure comprises one or more of a second overhead storage bin, a partition wall, a galley, or a lavatory. 20. A header assembly configured to be secured between an inboard structure and an outboard structure within an internal cabin of an aircraft, the header assembly comprising:
a main body formed of a solid, opaque, on-porous composite material, wherein the main body is configured to limit light from passing therethrough, wherein the main body comprises a first panel connected to an opposed second panel by a base panel, an inboard end configured to connect to the inboard structure, and an outboard end configured to connect to the outboard structure, wherein the base panel comprises a track channel configured to receive and retain a curtain track, wherein a space is formed between the first and second panels, wherein the main body is configured to be moved between a secured position between the inboard and outboard structures and a pivoted position in which the main body is pivotally secured to one of the inboard or outboard structure and disconnected from the other of the inboard or outboard structures; at least one seal secured within the space between the first and second panels, wherein the at least one seal is configured to sealingly connect to an internal surface of the internal cabin of the aircraft an extension beam secured to the main body; and at least three anchoring members secured to the extension beam, wherein the at least three anchoring members are configured to securely connect the main body to at least three reciprocal structures of the inboard and outboard structures, wherein the at least three anchoring members comprise first and second anchoring members proximate to the outboard end and a third anchoring member proximate to the inboard end, wherein each of the first and second anchoring members comprises one of a structure that is configured to be latchably engaged or a latch that is configured to latchably engage the structure, and wherein the third anchoring member comprises a grommet having a bracket that defines an internal channel that is configured to receive and retain a bayonet of a connection fastener extending from the inboard structure. | A header assembly is configured to be secured between an inboard structure and an outboard structure within an internal cabin of an aircraft. The header assembly may include a main body including a first panel connected to an opposed second panel by a base panel. The main body is configured to limit light from passing therethrough. At least three anchoring members are configured to securely connect the main body to at least three reciprocal structures of the inboard and outboard structures.1. A header assembly configured to be secured between an inboard structure and an outboard structure within an internal cabin of an aircraft, the header assembly comprising:
a main body including a first panel connected to an opposed second panel by a base panel, wherein the main body is configured to limit light from passing therethrough; and at least three anchoring members that are configured to securely connect the main body to at least three reciprocal structures of the inboard and outboard structures. 2. The header assembly of claim 1, wherein the main body includes an inboard end configured to connect to the inboard structure and an outboard end configured to connect to the outboard structure, wherein the at least three anchoring members comprise first and second anchoring members proximate to the outboard end and a third anchoring member proximate to the inboard end. 3. The header assembly of claim 1, wherein the base panel comprises a track channel configured to receive and retain a curtain track. 4. The header assembly of claim 1, wherein the main body is formed of a solid, non-porous composite material. 5. The header assembly of claim 1, wherein a space is formed between the first and second panels, and wherein at least one seal is positioned within the space between the first and second panels, wherein the at least one seal is configured to sealingly connect to an internal surface of the internal cabin of the aircraft. 6. The header assembly of claim 1, wherein one or both of the first and second panels includes an outwardly-curved surface. 7. The header assembly of claim 1, wherein the main body is symmetrical about a central longitudinal plane. 8. The header assembly of claim 1, further comprising an extension beam secured to the main body, wherein the at least three anchoring members are secured to the extension beam. 9. The header assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least three anchoring members comprise an inboard support fitting, a first outboard support fitting, and a second outboard support fitting. 10. The header assembly of claim 9, wherein the inboard support fitting comprises a grommet having a bracket that defines an internal channel that is configured to receive and retain a bayonet of a connection fastener extending from the inboard structure, and wherein each of the first and second outboard support fittings comprises one of a structure that is configured to be latchably engaged or a latch that is configured to latchably engage the structure. 11. The header assembly of claim 1, wherein the main body is configured to be moved between a secured position between the inboard and outboard structures and a pivoted position in which the main body is pivotally secured to one of the inboard or outboard structure and disconnected from the other of the inboard or outboard structures. 12. An aircraft assembly comprising:
a fuselage defining an internal cabin; an inboard structure and an outboard structure separated by an aisle within the internal cabin; and a header assembly secured between the inboard structure and the outboard structure, wherein the header assembly is positioned above a moveable curtain assembly, the header assembly comprising:
a main body formed of a solid, non-porous composite material, wherein the main body comprises a first panel connected to an opposed second panel by a base panel, wherein the main body is configured to limit light from passing therethrough; and
at least three anchoring members that are configured to securely connect the main body to at least three reciprocal structures of the inboard and outboard structures. 13. The aircraft assembly of claim 12, wherein the main body includes an inboard end that connects to the inboard structure and an outboard end that connects to the outboard structure, wherein the at least three anchoring members comprise first and second anchoring members proximate to the outboard end and a third anchoring member proximate to the inboard end. 14. The aircraft assembly of claim 12, further comprising a curtain track, wherein the base panel comprises a track channel that retains the curtain track that connects to the moveable curtain assembly. 15. The aircraft assembly of claim 12, wherein a space is formed between the first and second panels, and wherein at least one seal is secured within the space between the first and second panels, wherein the at least one seal sealingly connects to an internal surface of the internal cabin of the aircraft. 16. The aircraft assembly of claim 12, wherein one or both of the first and second panels includes an outwardly-curved surface. 17. The aircraft assembly of claim 12, wherein the header assembly further comprises an extension beam secured to the main body, wherein the at least three anchoring members are secured to the extension beam, wherein the at least three anchoring members comprise an inboard support fitting, a first outboard support fitting, and a second outboard support fitting, wherein the inboard support fitting comprises a grommet having a bracket that defines an internal channel that retains a bayonet of a connection fastener extending from the inboard structure, and wherein each of the first and second outboard support fittings comprises one of a structure that is latchably engaged or a latch that latchably engages the structure. 18. The aircraft assembly of claim 12, wherein the main body is movable between a secured position between the inboard and outboard structures and a pivoted position in which the main body is pivotally secured to one of the inboard or outboard structure and disconnected from the other of the inboard or outboard structures. 19. The aircraft assembly of claim 12, wherein the outboard structure comprises one of a first overhead storage bin, a partition wall, a galley, or a lavatory, and wherein the inboard structure comprises one or more of a second overhead storage bin, a partition wall, a galley, or a lavatory. 20. A header assembly configured to be secured between an inboard structure and an outboard structure within an internal cabin of an aircraft, the header assembly comprising:
a main body formed of a solid, opaque, on-porous composite material, wherein the main body is configured to limit light from passing therethrough, wherein the main body comprises a first panel connected to an opposed second panel by a base panel, an inboard end configured to connect to the inboard structure, and an outboard end configured to connect to the outboard structure, wherein the base panel comprises a track channel configured to receive and retain a curtain track, wherein a space is formed between the first and second panels, wherein the main body is configured to be moved between a secured position between the inboard and outboard structures and a pivoted position in which the main body is pivotally secured to one of the inboard or outboard structure and disconnected from the other of the inboard or outboard structures; at least one seal secured within the space between the first and second panels, wherein the at least one seal is configured to sealingly connect to an internal surface of the internal cabin of the aircraft an extension beam secured to the main body; and at least three anchoring members secured to the extension beam, wherein the at least three anchoring members are configured to securely connect the main body to at least three reciprocal structures of the inboard and outboard structures, wherein the at least three anchoring members comprise first and second anchoring members proximate to the outboard end and a third anchoring member proximate to the inboard end, wherein each of the first and second anchoring members comprises one of a structure that is configured to be latchably engaged or a latch that is configured to latchably engage the structure, and wherein the third anchoring member comprises a grommet having a bracket that defines an internal channel that is configured to receive and retain a bayonet of a connection fastener extending from the inboard structure. | 3,600 |
12,459 | 12,459 | 14,744,816 | 3,696 | A device, such as an automated teller machine, can include a shutterable aperture configured to receive deposit materials, such as cash and checks. The device can include a slotted rotatable drum located behind the shutterable aperture. During a transaction, when the aperture is unshuttered, the drum can be rotationally positioned to align the slot with the shutterable aperture, so that deposit materials pass through the aperture, then pass through the slot in the drum. Before and/or after a transaction, when the aperture is shuttered, the drum can be rotated in the same direction through several complete rotations, such as five or ten rotations. Used in this manner, the drum can detect and/or ensnare potential traps formed with hard and/or soft materials. If a trap prevents the drum from rotating, circuitry in the device can trigger an alert and take the device out of service. | 1. A method, comprising:
rotating a drum within a housing through at least a first plurality of complete rotations in the same direction while a shutterable aperture on the housing remains shuttered; and completing the rotation of the drum so that the drum has a first rotational position at which a slot extending through the drum has one end facing the aperture and has an opposing end facing away from the aperture. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
unshuttering the aperture; receiving deposit materials from outside the housing through the aperture and through the slot on the drum; and shuttering the aperture. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first plurality of complete rotations includes between five and ten rotations, inclusive. 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the unshuttering of the aperture, the receiving of the deposit materials, and the shuttering of the aperture are all performed following the completing of the rotation of the drum. 5. The method of claim 4, further comprising, following the shuttering of the aperture:
rotating the drum through at least a second plurality of complete rotations in the same direction while the shutterable aperture remains shuttered. 6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:
completing the rotation of the drum through at least the second plurality of complete rotations so that the drum has the first rotational position. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first and second pluralities of complete rotations include between five and ten rotations, inclusive. 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, before the drum is rotated:
receiving an initiation of a transaction at a user interface on the housing while the shutterable aperture remains shuttered. 9. A method, comprising:
receiving an initiation of a transaction at a user interface on a housing while a shutterable aperture on the housing remains shuttered; rotating a drum within the housing through at least a first plurality of complete rotations in the same direction while the aperture remains shuttered; completing the rotation of the drum so that the drum has a first rotational position at which a slot extending through the drum has one end facing the aperture and has an opposing end facing away from the aperture; unshuttering the aperture; receiving deposit materials from outside the housing through the aperture and through the slot on the drum; and shuttering the aperture. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first plurality of complete rotations includes between five and ten rotations, inclusive. 11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:
following the shuttering of the aperture, rotating the drum through at least a second plurality of complete rotations in the same direction while the aperture remains shuttered. 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:
completing the rotating the drum through at least the second plurality of complete rotations so that the drum has the first rotational position. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the second plurality of complete rotations includes between five and ten rotations, inclusive. 14. A device, comprising:
a housing, the housing defining a shutterable aperture configured to receive deposit materials from outside the housing during a transaction; and a drum disposed in the housing adjacent the aperture and defining a slot therethrough, the drum being rotatable to rotational positions including a first rotational position at which the slot extending through the drum has one end facing the aperture and has an opposing end facing away from the aperture. 15. The device of claim 14, further comprising:
a drum actuator disposed in the housing and configured to controllably rotate the drum. 16. The device of claim 15, further comprising:
circuitry configured to drive the drum actuator so that the drum rotates through at least a plurality of complete rotations in the same direction while the shutterable aperture remains shuttered, the circuitry further configured so that the drum actuator completes the rotation of the drum so that the drum is in the first rotational position. 17. The device of claim 16, wherein the plurality of complete rotations includes between five and ten rotations, inclusive. 18. The device of claim 16, further comprising:
a shutter actuator coupled to the circuitry and configured to shutter and unshutter the aperture; wherein when the shutter is in the open position, the slot is exposed through the aperture to receive the deposit materials; and wherein when the shutter is in the closed position, the shutter blocks the slot from receiving the deposit materials. 19. The device of claim 14, wherein the aperture and the slot are elongated in the same direction. 20. The device of claim 19, wherein the slot is shaped such that when the drum is in the first rotational position, the slot is wider at the end facing the aperture than at the end facing away from the aperture, the width extending along a direction perpendicular to the slot elongation. | A device, such as an automated teller machine, can include a shutterable aperture configured to receive deposit materials, such as cash and checks. The device can include a slotted rotatable drum located behind the shutterable aperture. During a transaction, when the aperture is unshuttered, the drum can be rotationally positioned to align the slot with the shutterable aperture, so that deposit materials pass through the aperture, then pass through the slot in the drum. Before and/or after a transaction, when the aperture is shuttered, the drum can be rotated in the same direction through several complete rotations, such as five or ten rotations. Used in this manner, the drum can detect and/or ensnare potential traps formed with hard and/or soft materials. If a trap prevents the drum from rotating, circuitry in the device can trigger an alert and take the device out of service.1. A method, comprising:
rotating a drum within a housing through at least a first plurality of complete rotations in the same direction while a shutterable aperture on the housing remains shuttered; and completing the rotation of the drum so that the drum has a first rotational position at which a slot extending through the drum has one end facing the aperture and has an opposing end facing away from the aperture. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
unshuttering the aperture; receiving deposit materials from outside the housing through the aperture and through the slot on the drum; and shuttering the aperture. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first plurality of complete rotations includes between five and ten rotations, inclusive. 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the unshuttering of the aperture, the receiving of the deposit materials, and the shuttering of the aperture are all performed following the completing of the rotation of the drum. 5. The method of claim 4, further comprising, following the shuttering of the aperture:
rotating the drum through at least a second plurality of complete rotations in the same direction while the shutterable aperture remains shuttered. 6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:
completing the rotation of the drum through at least the second plurality of complete rotations so that the drum has the first rotational position. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first and second pluralities of complete rotations include between five and ten rotations, inclusive. 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, before the drum is rotated:
receiving an initiation of a transaction at a user interface on the housing while the shutterable aperture remains shuttered. 9. A method, comprising:
receiving an initiation of a transaction at a user interface on a housing while a shutterable aperture on the housing remains shuttered; rotating a drum within the housing through at least a first plurality of complete rotations in the same direction while the aperture remains shuttered; completing the rotation of the drum so that the drum has a first rotational position at which a slot extending through the drum has one end facing the aperture and has an opposing end facing away from the aperture; unshuttering the aperture; receiving deposit materials from outside the housing through the aperture and through the slot on the drum; and shuttering the aperture. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first plurality of complete rotations includes between five and ten rotations, inclusive. 11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:
following the shuttering of the aperture, rotating the drum through at least a second plurality of complete rotations in the same direction while the aperture remains shuttered. 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:
completing the rotating the drum through at least the second plurality of complete rotations so that the drum has the first rotational position. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the second plurality of complete rotations includes between five and ten rotations, inclusive. 14. A device, comprising:
a housing, the housing defining a shutterable aperture configured to receive deposit materials from outside the housing during a transaction; and a drum disposed in the housing adjacent the aperture and defining a slot therethrough, the drum being rotatable to rotational positions including a first rotational position at which the slot extending through the drum has one end facing the aperture and has an opposing end facing away from the aperture. 15. The device of claim 14, further comprising:
a drum actuator disposed in the housing and configured to controllably rotate the drum. 16. The device of claim 15, further comprising:
circuitry configured to drive the drum actuator so that the drum rotates through at least a plurality of complete rotations in the same direction while the shutterable aperture remains shuttered, the circuitry further configured so that the drum actuator completes the rotation of the drum so that the drum is in the first rotational position. 17. The device of claim 16, wherein the plurality of complete rotations includes between five and ten rotations, inclusive. 18. The device of claim 16, further comprising:
a shutter actuator coupled to the circuitry and configured to shutter and unshutter the aperture; wherein when the shutter is in the open position, the slot is exposed through the aperture to receive the deposit materials; and wherein when the shutter is in the closed position, the shutter blocks the slot from receiving the deposit materials. 19. The device of claim 14, wherein the aperture and the slot are elongated in the same direction. 20. The device of claim 19, wherein the slot is shaped such that when the drum is in the first rotational position, the slot is wider at the end facing the aperture than at the end facing away from the aperture, the width extending along a direction perpendicular to the slot elongation. | 3,600 |
12,460 | 12,460 | 14,460,628 | 3,685 | In various embodiments of the present invention, a facilitation token that includes authorization for a request manager to act on behalf of a resource is received from the request manager. A user-access token is also received from the request manager; the user-access token includes (i) a request, (ii) an identity of a user making the request, and (iii) permissions information. If the request is permitted by the resource, based on information in the facilitation token, the request is fulfilled. | 1-21. (canceled) 22. A method for facilitating an electronic payment transaction between a consumer and a resource provider, the method comprising:
electronically receiving, from a request-manager device, a request for permission to act on behalf of a consumer; electronically providing, to a consumer device, a request for approval of a user-access token, said request for approval comprising information concerning the request for permission; electronically providing, to a request-manager device, the user-access token; electronically receiving, from a request-manager device, the user-access token, a facilitation token comprising permissions for the request-manager device to act with respect to a resource provider, and a request for a payment transaction; electronically submitting for authorization to a payment processing device a charge to a payment instrument associated with the received user-access token; and electronically providing to a resource-provider device and to the request-manager device information concerning the payment transaction by the consumer. 23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of electronically receiving, from a resource-provider device, information concerning promotions offered by a resource-provider. 24. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of determining whether the request for payment transaction qualifies for a promotion offered by a resource-provider. 25. The method of claim 24, wherein the determining step comprises a comparison of information concerning prior payment transactions by the consumer. 26. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of reducing the amount of the charge submitted for authorization based on a promotion offered by a resource-provider. 27. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of causing funds to be transferred to the resource-provider following the payment transaction. 28. The method of claim 22, further comprising storing information concerning the request for payment transaction in a user database record associated with the user. 29. The method of claim 22, further comprising electronically transmitting a promotional offer to the consumer device, wherein the promotional offer is based at least partly on information in the request for payment transaction. 30. The method of claim 29, wherein the promotional offer is further based on at least one of a purchase history of the consumer or offer information received from the resource provider. 31. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of automatically redeeming a promotional offer previously communicated to the consumer device in connection with a previous payment transaction request. 32. The method of claim 22, wherein the request manager and resource provider are different entities. 33. The method of claim 22, wherein said request for permission does not include any sensitive information of the consumer. 34. A system for facilitating electronic transactions, the system comprising:
a database for storing tokens associated with permissions; and a computer processor configured for executing computer instructions for computationally executing the steps of:
i. electronically receiving, from a request-manager device, a request for permission to act on behalf of a consumer;
ii. electronically providing, to a consumer device, a request for approval of a user-access token, said request for approval comprising information concerning the request for permission;
iii. electronically providing, to a request-manager device, the user-access token;
iv. electronically receiving, from a request-manager device, the user-access token, a facilitation token comprising permissions for the request-manager device to act with respect to a resource provider, and a request for a payment transaction;
v. electronically submitting for authorization to a payment processing device a charge to a payment instrument associated with the received user-access token; and
vi. electronically providing to a resource-provider device and to the request-manager device information concerning the payment transaction by the consumer. 35. The system of claim 34, wherein the computer processor is further configured for electronically receiving, from a resource-provider device, information concerning promotions offered by a resource-provider. 36. The method of claim 35, further comprising the step of determining whether the request for payment transaction qualifies for a promotion offered by a resource-provider. 37. The method of claim 36, wherein the determining step comprises a comparison of information concerning prior payment transactions by the consumer; 38. The method of claim 36, wherein the computer processor is further configured for reducing the amount of the charge submitted for authorization based on a promotion offered by a resource-provider. 39. The method of claim 34, wherein the computer processor is further configured for causing funds to be transferred to the resource-provider following the payment transaction. 40. The method of claim 34, wherein the computer processor is further configured for storing information concerning the request for payment transaction in a user database record associated with the user. 41. The method of claim 34, wherein the computer processor is further configured for electronically transmitting a promotional offer to the consumer device, wherein the promotional offer is based at least partly on information in the request for payment transaction. 42. The method of claim 41, wherein the promotional offer is further based on at least one of a purchase history of the consumer or offer information received from the resource provider. 43. The method of claim 34, wherein the computer processor is further configured for the step of automatically redeeming a promotional offer previously communicated to the consumer device in connection with a previous payment transaction request. 44. The method of claim 34, wherein the request manager and resource provider are different entities. 45. The method of claim 34, wherein said request for permission does not include any sensitive information of the consumer. | In various embodiments of the present invention, a facilitation token that includes authorization for a request manager to act on behalf of a resource is received from the request manager. A user-access token is also received from the request manager; the user-access token includes (i) a request, (ii) an identity of a user making the request, and (iii) permissions information. If the request is permitted by the resource, based on information in the facilitation token, the request is fulfilled.1-21. (canceled) 22. A method for facilitating an electronic payment transaction between a consumer and a resource provider, the method comprising:
electronically receiving, from a request-manager device, a request for permission to act on behalf of a consumer; electronically providing, to a consumer device, a request for approval of a user-access token, said request for approval comprising information concerning the request for permission; electronically providing, to a request-manager device, the user-access token; electronically receiving, from a request-manager device, the user-access token, a facilitation token comprising permissions for the request-manager device to act with respect to a resource provider, and a request for a payment transaction; electronically submitting for authorization to a payment processing device a charge to a payment instrument associated with the received user-access token; and electronically providing to a resource-provider device and to the request-manager device information concerning the payment transaction by the consumer. 23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of electronically receiving, from a resource-provider device, information concerning promotions offered by a resource-provider. 24. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of determining whether the request for payment transaction qualifies for a promotion offered by a resource-provider. 25. The method of claim 24, wherein the determining step comprises a comparison of information concerning prior payment transactions by the consumer. 26. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of reducing the amount of the charge submitted for authorization based on a promotion offered by a resource-provider. 27. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of causing funds to be transferred to the resource-provider following the payment transaction. 28. The method of claim 22, further comprising storing information concerning the request for payment transaction in a user database record associated with the user. 29. The method of claim 22, further comprising electronically transmitting a promotional offer to the consumer device, wherein the promotional offer is based at least partly on information in the request for payment transaction. 30. The method of claim 29, wherein the promotional offer is further based on at least one of a purchase history of the consumer or offer information received from the resource provider. 31. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of automatically redeeming a promotional offer previously communicated to the consumer device in connection with a previous payment transaction request. 32. The method of claim 22, wherein the request manager and resource provider are different entities. 33. The method of claim 22, wherein said request for permission does not include any sensitive information of the consumer. 34. A system for facilitating electronic transactions, the system comprising:
a database for storing tokens associated with permissions; and a computer processor configured for executing computer instructions for computationally executing the steps of:
i. electronically receiving, from a request-manager device, a request for permission to act on behalf of a consumer;
ii. electronically providing, to a consumer device, a request for approval of a user-access token, said request for approval comprising information concerning the request for permission;
iii. electronically providing, to a request-manager device, the user-access token;
iv. electronically receiving, from a request-manager device, the user-access token, a facilitation token comprising permissions for the request-manager device to act with respect to a resource provider, and a request for a payment transaction;
v. electronically submitting for authorization to a payment processing device a charge to a payment instrument associated with the received user-access token; and
vi. electronically providing to a resource-provider device and to the request-manager device information concerning the payment transaction by the consumer. 35. The system of claim 34, wherein the computer processor is further configured for electronically receiving, from a resource-provider device, information concerning promotions offered by a resource-provider. 36. The method of claim 35, further comprising the step of determining whether the request for payment transaction qualifies for a promotion offered by a resource-provider. 37. The method of claim 36, wherein the determining step comprises a comparison of information concerning prior payment transactions by the consumer; 38. The method of claim 36, wherein the computer processor is further configured for reducing the amount of the charge submitted for authorization based on a promotion offered by a resource-provider. 39. The method of claim 34, wherein the computer processor is further configured for causing funds to be transferred to the resource-provider following the payment transaction. 40. The method of claim 34, wherein the computer processor is further configured for storing information concerning the request for payment transaction in a user database record associated with the user. 41. The method of claim 34, wherein the computer processor is further configured for electronically transmitting a promotional offer to the consumer device, wherein the promotional offer is based at least partly on information in the request for payment transaction. 42. The method of claim 41, wherein the promotional offer is further based on at least one of a purchase history of the consumer or offer information received from the resource provider. 43. The method of claim 34, wherein the computer processor is further configured for the step of automatically redeeming a promotional offer previously communicated to the consumer device in connection with a previous payment transaction request. 44. The method of claim 34, wherein the request manager and resource provider are different entities. 45. The method of claim 34, wherein said request for permission does not include any sensitive information of the consumer. | 3,600 |
12,461 | 12,461 | 14,336,467 | 3,686 | An exemplary computer implemented method for prescribing a therapeutic regimen is provided. The computer implemented method includes receiving, by one or more computing devices, prescription information for a patient. The prescription information includes information representing a medical condition diagnosed by a prescriber. An identifier or identifiers may be extracted from the prescription information. At least one identifier indicates a diagnosis associated with the diagnosed medical condition. Thereupon, virtual kit information from a virtual treatment kit having one or more updatable components may be identified from a database using the identifier. Each of the updatable components includes component information representing at least one predetermined medication and a treatment plan for administering the predetermined medication for treating the identified medical condition. At least part of the component information may be provided from the virtual treatment kit for distributing the medications and treatment plan to the patient. | 1. A computer implemented method for prescribing a therapeutic regimen, comprising:
receiving, by one or more computing devices, prescription information for a patient, the prescription information including information representing a medical condition identified by a prescriber; extracting, by the one or more computing devices, one or more identifiers based on the prescription information, the identifiers indicating a diagnosis associated with the medical condition; and identifying, by the one or more computing devices, from virtual treatment kit information a virtual treatment kit having one or more updatable components from a database using at least one of the identifiers, each of the updatable components including component information representing at least one predetermined medication and a treatment plan for administering the predetermined medication for treating the identified medical condition. 2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising controlling the database for providing at least part of the component information from the virtual treatment kit. 3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein component information comprises an individual dosage amount and quantity for the predetermined medication. 4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising generating the virtual treatment kit information to indicate at least one virtual treatment kit as the kit associated with a given diagnosis in the database. 5. The computer implemented method of claim 4, wherein the generating of the virtual treatment kit information is in accordance with approval information for the predetermined medication from an insurance provider. 6. The computer implemented method of claim 5, wherein the approval information is associated with information in the database indicating the virtual treatment kit. 7. The computer implemented method of claim 4, wherein the virtual treatment kit information is generated by substituting at least one component of the one or more updatable components of the virtual treatment kit with information regarding a different medication. 8. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the virtual treatment kit information is generated by substituting at least one component of the one or more updatable components of the virtual treatment kit with information regarding a different treatment plan. 9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising determining occurrence information for a given medical condition based on at least the identifier in the database indicating a diagnosis for the given medical condition and a location at which the virtual treatment kit associated with the diagnosis is dispensed or prescribed, the determined occurrence information indicating a prevalence of the given medical condition within a given area approximate to the location such that an outbreak in the area can be detected. 10. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method for prescribing a therapeutic regimen, the method comprising:
receiving, by the one or more processors, prescription information for the patient, the prescription information including information representing a medical condition identified by a prescriber; extracting, by the one or more processors, one or more identifiers based on the prescription information, the identifiers indicating a diagnosis associated with the medical condition; and identifying, by the one or more processors, virtual kit information from a virtual treatment kit having one or more updatable components from a database using at least one of the identifiers, each of the updatable components include component information representing at least one predetermined medication and a treatment plan for administering the predetermined medication for treating the identified medical condition. 11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises providing at least part of the component information from the virtual treatment kit. 12. A system for prescribing a therapeutic regimen, comprising:
a memory storing a plurality of virtual treatment kits; and one or more processors in communication with the memory, the one or more processors being configured to: receive prescription information for a patient, the prescription information including information representing a medical condition diagnosed by a prescriber; extract one or more identifiers based on the prescription information, the identifiers indicating a diagnosis associated with the medical condition; and identify virtual treatment kit information from a virtual treatment kit having one or more updatable components from memory using at least one of the identifiers, each of the updatable components include component information representing at least one predetermined medication and a treatment plan for administering the predetermined medication for treating the identified medical condition. 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processors are configured to control the database for providing at least part of the component information from the virtual treatment kit. 14. The system of claim 12, wherein component information comprises an individual dosage amount and quantity for the predetermined medication. 15. The system of claim 12, wherein the processors are configured to generate the virtual treatment kit information to indicate at least one virtual treatment kit in memory as the kit associated with a given diagnosis. 16. The system of claim 15, wherein to generate the virtual treatment kit information to indicate the at least one virtual treatment kit the processors are configured to receive approval information for the predetermined medication from an insurance provider associated with the patient. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the generating virtual treatment kit information is in accordance with approval information associated with information in the database indicating the at least one virtual treatment kit. 18. The system of claim 15, wherein the processors are configured to generate the virtual treatment kit information by substituting at least one component of the one or more updatable components of the virtual treatment kit for information regarding a different medication. 19. The system of claim 18, wherein the processors are configured to generate the virtual treatment kit information by substituting at least one component of the one or more updatable components of the virtual treatment kit for information regarding a different treatment plan. 20. The system of claim 12, wherein the processors are configured to determine occurrence information for a given medical condition based on at least the identifier in the database indicating a diagnosis for the given medical condition and a location at which the virtual treatment kit associated with the diagnosis is dispensed or prescribed, the determined occurrence information indicating a prevalence of the given medical condition within a given area approximate to the location such that an outbreak in the area can be detected. | An exemplary computer implemented method for prescribing a therapeutic regimen is provided. The computer implemented method includes receiving, by one or more computing devices, prescription information for a patient. The prescription information includes information representing a medical condition diagnosed by a prescriber. An identifier or identifiers may be extracted from the prescription information. At least one identifier indicates a diagnosis associated with the diagnosed medical condition. Thereupon, virtual kit information from a virtual treatment kit having one or more updatable components may be identified from a database using the identifier. Each of the updatable components includes component information representing at least one predetermined medication and a treatment plan for administering the predetermined medication for treating the identified medical condition. At least part of the component information may be provided from the virtual treatment kit for distributing the medications and treatment plan to the patient.1. A computer implemented method for prescribing a therapeutic regimen, comprising:
receiving, by one or more computing devices, prescription information for a patient, the prescription information including information representing a medical condition identified by a prescriber; extracting, by the one or more computing devices, one or more identifiers based on the prescription information, the identifiers indicating a diagnosis associated with the medical condition; and identifying, by the one or more computing devices, from virtual treatment kit information a virtual treatment kit having one or more updatable components from a database using at least one of the identifiers, each of the updatable components including component information representing at least one predetermined medication and a treatment plan for administering the predetermined medication for treating the identified medical condition. 2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising controlling the database for providing at least part of the component information from the virtual treatment kit. 3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein component information comprises an individual dosage amount and quantity for the predetermined medication. 4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising generating the virtual treatment kit information to indicate at least one virtual treatment kit as the kit associated with a given diagnosis in the database. 5. The computer implemented method of claim 4, wherein the generating of the virtual treatment kit information is in accordance with approval information for the predetermined medication from an insurance provider. 6. The computer implemented method of claim 5, wherein the approval information is associated with information in the database indicating the virtual treatment kit. 7. The computer implemented method of claim 4, wherein the virtual treatment kit information is generated by substituting at least one component of the one or more updatable components of the virtual treatment kit with information regarding a different medication. 8. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the virtual treatment kit information is generated by substituting at least one component of the one or more updatable components of the virtual treatment kit with information regarding a different treatment plan. 9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising determining occurrence information for a given medical condition based on at least the identifier in the database indicating a diagnosis for the given medical condition and a location at which the virtual treatment kit associated with the diagnosis is dispensed or prescribed, the determined occurrence information indicating a prevalence of the given medical condition within a given area approximate to the location such that an outbreak in the area can be detected. 10. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method for prescribing a therapeutic regimen, the method comprising:
receiving, by the one or more processors, prescription information for the patient, the prescription information including information representing a medical condition identified by a prescriber; extracting, by the one or more processors, one or more identifiers based on the prescription information, the identifiers indicating a diagnosis associated with the medical condition; and identifying, by the one or more processors, virtual kit information from a virtual treatment kit having one or more updatable components from a database using at least one of the identifiers, each of the updatable components include component information representing at least one predetermined medication and a treatment plan for administering the predetermined medication for treating the identified medical condition. 11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises providing at least part of the component information from the virtual treatment kit. 12. A system for prescribing a therapeutic regimen, comprising:
a memory storing a plurality of virtual treatment kits; and one or more processors in communication with the memory, the one or more processors being configured to: receive prescription information for a patient, the prescription information including information representing a medical condition diagnosed by a prescriber; extract one or more identifiers based on the prescription information, the identifiers indicating a diagnosis associated with the medical condition; and identify virtual treatment kit information from a virtual treatment kit having one or more updatable components from memory using at least one of the identifiers, each of the updatable components include component information representing at least one predetermined medication and a treatment plan for administering the predetermined medication for treating the identified medical condition. 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processors are configured to control the database for providing at least part of the component information from the virtual treatment kit. 14. The system of claim 12, wherein component information comprises an individual dosage amount and quantity for the predetermined medication. 15. The system of claim 12, wherein the processors are configured to generate the virtual treatment kit information to indicate at least one virtual treatment kit in memory as the kit associated with a given diagnosis. 16. The system of claim 15, wherein to generate the virtual treatment kit information to indicate the at least one virtual treatment kit the processors are configured to receive approval information for the predetermined medication from an insurance provider associated with the patient. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the generating virtual treatment kit information is in accordance with approval information associated with information in the database indicating the at least one virtual treatment kit. 18. The system of claim 15, wherein the processors are configured to generate the virtual treatment kit information by substituting at least one component of the one or more updatable components of the virtual treatment kit for information regarding a different medication. 19. The system of claim 18, wherein the processors are configured to generate the virtual treatment kit information by substituting at least one component of the one or more updatable components of the virtual treatment kit for information regarding a different treatment plan. 20. The system of claim 12, wherein the processors are configured to determine occurrence information for a given medical condition based on at least the identifier in the database indicating a diagnosis for the given medical condition and a location at which the virtual treatment kit associated with the diagnosis is dispensed or prescribed, the determined occurrence information indicating a prevalence of the given medical condition within a given area approximate to the location such that an outbreak in the area can be detected. | 3,600 |
12,462 | 12,462 | 13,591,474 | 3,626 | A method and system for assisting a remote implantable medical device (IMD) clinician with evaluation of a patient having an IMD. The method includes capturing audio/video data of the patient while the patient performs a first evaluation protocol at a first location and performing a pattern recognition analysis of the audio/video data of the patient. The analysis includes comparing specific portions of the audio/video data to like portions of previous audio/video data of the patient that were recorded while the patient performed the first evaluation protocol. Yet another step is providing a report of any changes identified during the pattern recognition analysis. | 1. A method for assisting a remote implantable medical device (IMD) clinician with evaluation of a patient having an IMD, comprising:
a. capturing audio/video data of the patient while the patient performs a first evaluation protocol at a first location; b. performing a pattern recognition analysis of the audio/video data of the patient, comprising comparing specific portions of the audio/video data to like portions of previous audio/video data of the patient that were recorded while the patient performed the first evaluation protocol; and c. providing a report of any changes identified during the pattern recognition analysis. 2. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending the report to an electronic medical record, an additional interface device, or both. 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the report includes IMD sensor data. 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the report includes at least one of the group consisting of changes in the patient's weight, changes in the patient's pulse oximetry and changes in the patient's blood pressure. 5. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating an alert if the changes identified during the pattern recognition analysis meet alert threshold requirements. 6. The method of claim 1 wherein the report includes a heart failure decompensation status of the patient. 7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of communicating with the IMD to identify the IMD or patient, wherein the IMD stores identity data that uniquely identifies the IMD or the patient having the IMD. 8. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of identifying the IMD or patient comprises inductive communication or radio frequency communication between a patient interface device and the IMD. 9. The method of claim 1 wherein the capturing step comprises at least one of the following group:
a. capturing audio data of the patient's speech while the patient repeats specific words to determine if there has been any frequency shift in the patient's voice;
b. capturing an image of a body part of the patient while the patient holds the body part in a specified position to determine if volume of body part has increased;
c. capturing video data of a body part of the patient while the patient holds the body part in a specified position to determine if patient has a tremor condition; and
d. capturing audio/video data of a patient breathing in a specific pattern to determine a breathing rate and pattern. 10. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying data portions of the audio/video data for analysis. 11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
a. providing a patient interface device at a patient location configured to retrieve identity data and sensor data from an implantable medical device (IMD);
b. providing a clinician interface device at a clinician location configured to be in remote, bi-directional audio/video communication with the patient interface device;
c. wherein the patient interface device captures the audio/video data of the patient and wherein the report is provided to the clinician interface device. 12. A method for assisting a remote implantable medical device (IMD) clinician with evaluation of a patient having an IMD, comprising:
a. providing a patient interface device at a patient location configured to retrieve identity data and sensor data from an implantable medical device (IMD), wherein the patient interface device is further configured to receive IMD data from the IMD; b. providing a clinician interface device at a clinician location configured to be in remote, bi-directional audio/video communication with the patient interface device; c. the patient interface device capturing audio/video data of the patient while the patient performs a first evaluation protocol at the first location; and d. performing a pattern recognition analysis of the audio/video data of the patient, comprising comparing specific portions of the audio/video data to like portions of previous audio/video data of the patient that were recorded while the patient performed the first evaluation protocol; and e. providing to the clinician interface device a report of any changes identified during the pattern recognition analysis; and f. generating an alert if the changes identified during the pattern recognition analysis meet alert threshold requirements. 13. A system for assisting a remote implantable medical device (IMD) clinician with evaluation of a patient having an IMD, comprising:
a. a patient interface device configured to:
i. retrieve identity data and sensor data from an implantable medical device (IMD) at a first location, and
ii. capture audio/video data of the patient while the patient performs a first evaluation protocol at the first location;
b. a clinician interface device configured to be in remote, bi-directional audio/video communication with the patient interface device; c. wherein the system is configured to perform a pattern recognition analysis of the audio/video data of the patient, comprising comparing specific portions of the audio/video data to like portions of previous audio/video data of the patient that were recorded while the patient performed the first evaluation protocol; and d. wherein the system is configured to provide to the clinician interface device a report of any changes identified during the pattern recognition analysis. 14. The system of claim 13 further comprising an alert module configured to generate an alert if the changes identified during the pattern recognition analysis meet alert threshold requirements. 15. The system of claim 13 wherein the patient interface device further comprises:
a first communication module configured to communicate with the clinician interface device; and
a device communication module configured to communicate with the IMD, retrieve identity data from the IMD and program the IMD with IMD settings. 16. The system of claim 15 wherein the first communication module of the patient interface device is configured for communication with the clinician interface device over one of the Internet or a wired network. 17. The system of claim 15 wherein the device communication module of the patient interface device is configured for one of inductive communication and radio frequency communication with the IMD. 18. The system of claim 13 wherein the capturing step comprises at least one of the following group:
a. capturing audio data of the patient's speech while the patient repeats specific words to determine if there has been any frequency shift in the patient's voice;
b. capturing an image of a body part of the patient while the patient holds the body part in a specified position to determine if volume of body part has increased;
c. capturing video data of a body part of the patient while the patient holds the body part in a specified position to determine if patient has a tremor condition; and
d. capturing audio/video data of a patient breathing in a specific pattern to determine a breathing rate and pattern. 19. The system of claim 13 wherein the report includes a heart failure decompensation status of the patient. 20. The system of claim 13 wherein the patient interface device is configured to program the IMD with IMD settings. | A method and system for assisting a remote implantable medical device (IMD) clinician with evaluation of a patient having an IMD. The method includes capturing audio/video data of the patient while the patient performs a first evaluation protocol at a first location and performing a pattern recognition analysis of the audio/video data of the patient. The analysis includes comparing specific portions of the audio/video data to like portions of previous audio/video data of the patient that were recorded while the patient performed the first evaluation protocol. Yet another step is providing a report of any changes identified during the pattern recognition analysis.1. A method for assisting a remote implantable medical device (IMD) clinician with evaluation of a patient having an IMD, comprising:
a. capturing audio/video data of the patient while the patient performs a first evaluation protocol at a first location; b. performing a pattern recognition analysis of the audio/video data of the patient, comprising comparing specific portions of the audio/video data to like portions of previous audio/video data of the patient that were recorded while the patient performed the first evaluation protocol; and c. providing a report of any changes identified during the pattern recognition analysis. 2. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending the report to an electronic medical record, an additional interface device, or both. 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the report includes IMD sensor data. 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the report includes at least one of the group consisting of changes in the patient's weight, changes in the patient's pulse oximetry and changes in the patient's blood pressure. 5. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating an alert if the changes identified during the pattern recognition analysis meet alert threshold requirements. 6. The method of claim 1 wherein the report includes a heart failure decompensation status of the patient. 7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of communicating with the IMD to identify the IMD or patient, wherein the IMD stores identity data that uniquely identifies the IMD or the patient having the IMD. 8. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of identifying the IMD or patient comprises inductive communication or radio frequency communication between a patient interface device and the IMD. 9. The method of claim 1 wherein the capturing step comprises at least one of the following group:
a. capturing audio data of the patient's speech while the patient repeats specific words to determine if there has been any frequency shift in the patient's voice;
b. capturing an image of a body part of the patient while the patient holds the body part in a specified position to determine if volume of body part has increased;
c. capturing video data of a body part of the patient while the patient holds the body part in a specified position to determine if patient has a tremor condition; and
d. capturing audio/video data of a patient breathing in a specific pattern to determine a breathing rate and pattern. 10. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying data portions of the audio/video data for analysis. 11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
a. providing a patient interface device at a patient location configured to retrieve identity data and sensor data from an implantable medical device (IMD);
b. providing a clinician interface device at a clinician location configured to be in remote, bi-directional audio/video communication with the patient interface device;
c. wherein the patient interface device captures the audio/video data of the patient and wherein the report is provided to the clinician interface device. 12. A method for assisting a remote implantable medical device (IMD) clinician with evaluation of a patient having an IMD, comprising:
a. providing a patient interface device at a patient location configured to retrieve identity data and sensor data from an implantable medical device (IMD), wherein the patient interface device is further configured to receive IMD data from the IMD; b. providing a clinician interface device at a clinician location configured to be in remote, bi-directional audio/video communication with the patient interface device; c. the patient interface device capturing audio/video data of the patient while the patient performs a first evaluation protocol at the first location; and d. performing a pattern recognition analysis of the audio/video data of the patient, comprising comparing specific portions of the audio/video data to like portions of previous audio/video data of the patient that were recorded while the patient performed the first evaluation protocol; and e. providing to the clinician interface device a report of any changes identified during the pattern recognition analysis; and f. generating an alert if the changes identified during the pattern recognition analysis meet alert threshold requirements. 13. A system for assisting a remote implantable medical device (IMD) clinician with evaluation of a patient having an IMD, comprising:
a. a patient interface device configured to:
i. retrieve identity data and sensor data from an implantable medical device (IMD) at a first location, and
ii. capture audio/video data of the patient while the patient performs a first evaluation protocol at the first location;
b. a clinician interface device configured to be in remote, bi-directional audio/video communication with the patient interface device; c. wherein the system is configured to perform a pattern recognition analysis of the audio/video data of the patient, comprising comparing specific portions of the audio/video data to like portions of previous audio/video data of the patient that were recorded while the patient performed the first evaluation protocol; and d. wherein the system is configured to provide to the clinician interface device a report of any changes identified during the pattern recognition analysis. 14. The system of claim 13 further comprising an alert module configured to generate an alert if the changes identified during the pattern recognition analysis meet alert threshold requirements. 15. The system of claim 13 wherein the patient interface device further comprises:
a first communication module configured to communicate with the clinician interface device; and
a device communication module configured to communicate with the IMD, retrieve identity data from the IMD and program the IMD with IMD settings. 16. The system of claim 15 wherein the first communication module of the patient interface device is configured for communication with the clinician interface device over one of the Internet or a wired network. 17. The system of claim 15 wherein the device communication module of the patient interface device is configured for one of inductive communication and radio frequency communication with the IMD. 18. The system of claim 13 wherein the capturing step comprises at least one of the following group:
a. capturing audio data of the patient's speech while the patient repeats specific words to determine if there has been any frequency shift in the patient's voice;
b. capturing an image of a body part of the patient while the patient holds the body part in a specified position to determine if volume of body part has increased;
c. capturing video data of a body part of the patient while the patient holds the body part in a specified position to determine if patient has a tremor condition; and
d. capturing audio/video data of a patient breathing in a specific pattern to determine a breathing rate and pattern. 19. The system of claim 13 wherein the report includes a heart failure decompensation status of the patient. 20. The system of claim 13 wherein the patient interface device is configured to program the IMD with IMD settings. | 3,600 |
12,463 | 12,463 | 14,871,505 | 3,697 | The present disclosure involves systems including a life insurance platform and a user-directed investment platform. The life insurance platform maintains a life insurance policy associated with a cash value backed by investment assets. A user-directed investment account platform maintains a user-directed investment account funded by a margin account based on the cash value of the life insurance policy. The system can determine a change in the value of the investment assets and can, in turn, modify the value of the margin account based on the change. The user-directed investment account platform can identify the modified value of the margin account and update the user-directed investment account based on the same. That platform can also provide an interface for providing information related to the user-directed investment account while also providing information related to the life insurance policy. | 1. A system comprising:
a life insurance platform including at least one processor that executes operations to maintain a life insurance policy for a user, the life insurance policy associated with a cash value that is backed by investment assets; a user-directed investment account platform including at least one processor that executes operations to maintain a user-directed investment account associated with the life insurance policy, wherein the user-directed investment account is initially funded with a cash account and/or a margin account, wherein the margin account is based at least in part on a cash value of the life insurance policy; wherein at least one of the life insurance platform and the user-directed investment account platform further includes at least one processor that executes operations to:
determine a delta of the value of the investment assets backing the cash value of the life insurance policy; and
modify the value of the margin account based on the determined delta;
wherein the user-directed investment account platform further includes at least one processor that executes operations to:
identify the modified value of the margin account;
store the modified value of the margin account; and
update the user-directed investment account based on the modified value of the margin account; and
wherein the user-directed investment account platform further includes at least one processor that executes operations operable to:
provide a web-based interface for providing information related to the user-directed investment account, wherein the web-based interface presents account details of the user-directed investment account;
access the life insurance platform to identify information related to the life insurance policy; and
present, via the web-based interface, at least a portion of the identified information related to the life insurance policy with the account details of the user-directed investment account. 2. The system of claim 1, the user-directed investment account platform further operable to allocate investment assets associated with the life insurance policy based on direct instructions from the user. 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the value of invested assets can be used against the value of the margin account to fund periodic income payments to the user. 4. The system of claim 2, wherein the life insurance platform is maintained by a first entity providing life insurance policies, and wherein the direct investing platform is maintained by an investment firm. 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the direct investing platform is managed by a third-party administrator distinct from the first entity managing the life insurance platform. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the identified information related to the life insurance policy is presented seamlessly in-line with the account details of the user-directed investment account. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the funds in the user-directed investment account are used to pay at least a portion of premiums for the life insurance policy. 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the user-directed investment account platform is operable to electronically invest funds in the user-directed investment account in one or more of the following: individual equities, options, bonds, money market offerings, mortgage-backed securities, real estate-backed securities, real estate investment trusts (REITs), exchange-traded funds (ETFs), mutual funds, index funds, and precious metal certificates. 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the life insurance policy is a universal life insurance policy. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the value of the margin account is a pre-determined percentage of the cash value of the life insurance policy. 11. The system of claim 1, wherein the margin account includes at least one asset other than the value of the life insurance policy. 12. The system of claim 1, wherein the margin account is calculated, at least in part, on at least one asset held in a different user-directed investment account. | The present disclosure involves systems including a life insurance platform and a user-directed investment platform. The life insurance platform maintains a life insurance policy associated with a cash value backed by investment assets. A user-directed investment account platform maintains a user-directed investment account funded by a margin account based on the cash value of the life insurance policy. The system can determine a change in the value of the investment assets and can, in turn, modify the value of the margin account based on the change. The user-directed investment account platform can identify the modified value of the margin account and update the user-directed investment account based on the same. That platform can also provide an interface for providing information related to the user-directed investment account while also providing information related to the life insurance policy.1. A system comprising:
a life insurance platform including at least one processor that executes operations to maintain a life insurance policy for a user, the life insurance policy associated with a cash value that is backed by investment assets; a user-directed investment account platform including at least one processor that executes operations to maintain a user-directed investment account associated with the life insurance policy, wherein the user-directed investment account is initially funded with a cash account and/or a margin account, wherein the margin account is based at least in part on a cash value of the life insurance policy; wherein at least one of the life insurance platform and the user-directed investment account platform further includes at least one processor that executes operations to:
determine a delta of the value of the investment assets backing the cash value of the life insurance policy; and
modify the value of the margin account based on the determined delta;
wherein the user-directed investment account platform further includes at least one processor that executes operations to:
identify the modified value of the margin account;
store the modified value of the margin account; and
update the user-directed investment account based on the modified value of the margin account; and
wherein the user-directed investment account platform further includes at least one processor that executes operations operable to:
provide a web-based interface for providing information related to the user-directed investment account, wherein the web-based interface presents account details of the user-directed investment account;
access the life insurance platform to identify information related to the life insurance policy; and
present, via the web-based interface, at least a portion of the identified information related to the life insurance policy with the account details of the user-directed investment account. 2. The system of claim 1, the user-directed investment account platform further operable to allocate investment assets associated with the life insurance policy based on direct instructions from the user. 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the value of invested assets can be used against the value of the margin account to fund periodic income payments to the user. 4. The system of claim 2, wherein the life insurance platform is maintained by a first entity providing life insurance policies, and wherein the direct investing platform is maintained by an investment firm. 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the direct investing platform is managed by a third-party administrator distinct from the first entity managing the life insurance platform. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the identified information related to the life insurance policy is presented seamlessly in-line with the account details of the user-directed investment account. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the funds in the user-directed investment account are used to pay at least a portion of premiums for the life insurance policy. 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the user-directed investment account platform is operable to electronically invest funds in the user-directed investment account in one or more of the following: individual equities, options, bonds, money market offerings, mortgage-backed securities, real estate-backed securities, real estate investment trusts (REITs), exchange-traded funds (ETFs), mutual funds, index funds, and precious metal certificates. 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the life insurance policy is a universal life insurance policy. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the value of the margin account is a pre-determined percentage of the cash value of the life insurance policy. 11. The system of claim 1, wherein the margin account includes at least one asset other than the value of the life insurance policy. 12. The system of claim 1, wherein the margin account is calculated, at least in part, on at least one asset held in a different user-directed investment account. | 3,600 |
12,464 | 12,464 | 14,146,638 | 3,696 | A method includes receiving, at a server computer, first a clearing request message, where the clearing request message comprises a transaction identifier; generating a second clearing request message and transmitting the second clearing request message to a first computer, the second clearing request message including a first derived transaction identifier derived from the transaction identifier; and generating a third clearing request message and transmitting the third clearing request message to a second computer, the third clearing request message including a second derived transaction identifier derived from the transaction identifier. | 1. A method for clearing a transaction, comprising:
receiving, at a server computer, a first clearing request message, wherein the first clearing request message comprises a transaction identifier and a first transaction amount; generating, via the server computer, a second clearing request message and transmitting the second clearing request message to a first computer, the second clearing request message comprising a first derived transaction identifier derived from the transaction identifier; and generating, via the server computer, a third clearing request message and transmitting the third clearing request message to a second computer, the third clearing request message comprising a second derived transaction identifier derived from the transaction identifier. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first computer is associated with an issuer and wherein the second computer is associated with a third-party. 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the second clearing request message comprises a second transaction amount and the third clearing request message comprises a third transaction amount. 4. The method of claim 3 further comprising settling the second transaction amount with the first computer and settling the third transaction amount with the second computer. 5. The method of claim 3 wherein the second transaction amount is associated with an offer from a third-party. 6. The method of claim 3 wherein the second transaction amount is associated with a shipping charge for the transaction. 7. The method of claim 3 further comprising generating, via the server computer, a fourth clearing request message and transmitting the fourth clearing request message to a third computer, the fourth clearing request message comprising a third derived transaction identifier derived from the transaction identifier and a fourth transaction amount,
wherein the second transaction amount is associated with an offer from a third-party, and the third transaction amount is associated with a shipping charge for the transaction. 8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving, at the server computer, a first clearing response message in response to the second clearing request message;
receiving, at the server computer, a second clearing response message in response to the third clearing request message;
sending, via the server computer, a third clearing response message to an acquirer, wherein the third clearing response message comprises the first transaction amount. 9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second derived transaction identifiers each comprises an indicator indicating the respective derived transaction identifier was derived from the transaction identifier. 10. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second derived transaction identifiers are each derived by appending one or more alphanumeric characters to the transaction identifier. 11. A server computer, comprising:
a processor; and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising code executable by the processor for implementing a method for clearing a transaction, the method comprising: receiving, at the server computer, a first clearing request message, wherein the first clearing request message comprises a transaction identifier and a first transaction amount; generating, via the server computer, a second clearing request message and transmitting the second clearing request message to a first computer, the second clearing request message comprising a first derived transaction identifier derived from the transaction identifier; and generating, via the server computer, a third clearing request message and transmitting the third clearing request message to a second computer, the third clearing request message comprising a second derived transaction identifier derived from the transaction identifier. 12. The server computer of claim 1 wherein the first computer is associated with an issuer and wherein the second computer is associated with a third-party. 13. The server computer of claim 1 wherein the second clearing request message comprises a second transaction amount and the third clearing request message comprises a third transaction amount. 14. The server computer of claim 13 wherein the method further comprises settling the second transaction amount with the first computer and settling the third transaction amount with the second computer. 15. The server computer of claim 13 wherein the second transaction amount is associated with an offer from a third-party. 16. The server computer of claim 13 wherein the second transaction amount is associated with a shipping charge for the transaction. 17. The server computer of claim 13 wherein the method further comprises generating, via the server computer, a fourth clearing request message and transmitting the fourth clearing request message to a third computer, the fourth clearing request message comprising a third derived transaction identifier derived from the transaction identifier and a fourth transaction amount,
wherein the second transaction amount is associated with an offer from a third-party, and the third transaction amount is associated with a shipping charge for the transaction. 18. The server computer of claim 11 wherein the method further comprises:
receiving, at the server computer, a first clearing response message in response to the second clearing request message;
receiving, at the server computer, a second clearing response message in response to the third clearing request message;
sending, via the server computer, a third clearing response message to an acquirer, wherein the third clearing response message comprises the first transaction amount. 19. The server computer of claim 11 wherein the first and second derived transaction identifiers each comprises an indicator indicating the respective derived transaction identifier was derived from the transaction identifier. 20. The server computer of claim 11 wherein the first and second derived transaction identifiers are each derived by appending one or more alphanumeric characters to the transaction identifier. | A method includes receiving, at a server computer, first a clearing request message, where the clearing request message comprises a transaction identifier; generating a second clearing request message and transmitting the second clearing request message to a first computer, the second clearing request message including a first derived transaction identifier derived from the transaction identifier; and generating a third clearing request message and transmitting the third clearing request message to a second computer, the third clearing request message including a second derived transaction identifier derived from the transaction identifier.1. A method for clearing a transaction, comprising:
receiving, at a server computer, a first clearing request message, wherein the first clearing request message comprises a transaction identifier and a first transaction amount; generating, via the server computer, a second clearing request message and transmitting the second clearing request message to a first computer, the second clearing request message comprising a first derived transaction identifier derived from the transaction identifier; and generating, via the server computer, a third clearing request message and transmitting the third clearing request message to a second computer, the third clearing request message comprising a second derived transaction identifier derived from the transaction identifier. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first computer is associated with an issuer and wherein the second computer is associated with a third-party. 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the second clearing request message comprises a second transaction amount and the third clearing request message comprises a third transaction amount. 4. The method of claim 3 further comprising settling the second transaction amount with the first computer and settling the third transaction amount with the second computer. 5. The method of claim 3 wherein the second transaction amount is associated with an offer from a third-party. 6. The method of claim 3 wherein the second transaction amount is associated with a shipping charge for the transaction. 7. The method of claim 3 further comprising generating, via the server computer, a fourth clearing request message and transmitting the fourth clearing request message to a third computer, the fourth clearing request message comprising a third derived transaction identifier derived from the transaction identifier and a fourth transaction amount,
wherein the second transaction amount is associated with an offer from a third-party, and the third transaction amount is associated with a shipping charge for the transaction. 8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving, at the server computer, a first clearing response message in response to the second clearing request message;
receiving, at the server computer, a second clearing response message in response to the third clearing request message;
sending, via the server computer, a third clearing response message to an acquirer, wherein the third clearing response message comprises the first transaction amount. 9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second derived transaction identifiers each comprises an indicator indicating the respective derived transaction identifier was derived from the transaction identifier. 10. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second derived transaction identifiers are each derived by appending one or more alphanumeric characters to the transaction identifier. 11. A server computer, comprising:
a processor; and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising code executable by the processor for implementing a method for clearing a transaction, the method comprising: receiving, at the server computer, a first clearing request message, wherein the first clearing request message comprises a transaction identifier and a first transaction amount; generating, via the server computer, a second clearing request message and transmitting the second clearing request message to a first computer, the second clearing request message comprising a first derived transaction identifier derived from the transaction identifier; and generating, via the server computer, a third clearing request message and transmitting the third clearing request message to a second computer, the third clearing request message comprising a second derived transaction identifier derived from the transaction identifier. 12. The server computer of claim 1 wherein the first computer is associated with an issuer and wherein the second computer is associated with a third-party. 13. The server computer of claim 1 wherein the second clearing request message comprises a second transaction amount and the third clearing request message comprises a third transaction amount. 14. The server computer of claim 13 wherein the method further comprises settling the second transaction amount with the first computer and settling the third transaction amount with the second computer. 15. The server computer of claim 13 wherein the second transaction amount is associated with an offer from a third-party. 16. The server computer of claim 13 wherein the second transaction amount is associated with a shipping charge for the transaction. 17. The server computer of claim 13 wherein the method further comprises generating, via the server computer, a fourth clearing request message and transmitting the fourth clearing request message to a third computer, the fourth clearing request message comprising a third derived transaction identifier derived from the transaction identifier and a fourth transaction amount,
wherein the second transaction amount is associated with an offer from a third-party, and the third transaction amount is associated with a shipping charge for the transaction. 18. The server computer of claim 11 wherein the method further comprises:
receiving, at the server computer, a first clearing response message in response to the second clearing request message;
receiving, at the server computer, a second clearing response message in response to the third clearing request message;
sending, via the server computer, a third clearing response message to an acquirer, wherein the third clearing response message comprises the first transaction amount. 19. The server computer of claim 11 wherein the first and second derived transaction identifiers each comprises an indicator indicating the respective derived transaction identifier was derived from the transaction identifier. 20. The server computer of claim 11 wherein the first and second derived transaction identifiers are each derived by appending one or more alphanumeric characters to the transaction identifier. | 3,600 |
12,465 | 12,465 | 15,117,022 | 3,637 | The present invention relates to a door opening system for a domestic appliance ( 10 ) including at least one pivoting door ( 12 ). The door opening system comprises at least one door hinge ( 14 ) and at least one hook mechanism ( 16 ). The hook mechanism ( 16 ) includes a hook element ( 26 ) engaged or engageable with a recess ( 28 ) in a closed state of said door ( 12 ), so that the hook element ( 26 ) and the recess ( 28 ) form a snap-in mechanism. The hook element ( 26 ) is disengaged or disengageable from the recess ( 28 ) by operating a control element or said hook element ( 26 ). The door hinge ( 14 ) includes a stationary hinge part ( 18 ) and a pivoting hinge part ( 20 ). The stationary hinge part ( 18 ) is provided for a support structure of the domestic appliance ( 10 ), while the pivoting hinge part ( 20 ) is provided for the pivoting door ( 12 ). The stationary hinge part ( 18 ) is arranged or arrangeable horizontally inside or at the support structure of the domestic appliance ( 10 ). The stationary hinge part ( 18 ) comprises a first spring element ( 22 ) and a second spring element ( 24 ) provided for generating horizontal forces in the mounted state of the door hinge ( 14 ) at the domestic appliance ( 10 ). The first spring element ( 22 ) is provided for keeping the door ( 12 ) balanced within an outer opening angular range of said door ( 12 ). The second spring element ( 24 ) is provided for generating an opening force for the door ( 12 ) within an inner opening angular range, so that the door ( 12 ) is pushed into a partially opened state. The inner opening angular range extends between a closed state and the partially opened state of the door ( 12 ). The outer opening angular range extends between the partially opened state and a completely opened state of the door ( 12 ). | 1. A door opening system for a domestic appliance including at least one pivoting door, wherein
the door opening system comprises at least one door hinge, the door opening system comprises at least one hook mechanism, the hook mechanism includes a hook element engaged or engageable with a recess in a closed state of said door, so that the hook element and the recess form a snap-in mechanism, the hook element is disengaged or disengageable from the recess by operating a control element or said hook element, the door hinge includes a stationary hinge part and a pivoting hinge part, the stationary hinge part is provided for a support structure of the domestic appliance, while the pivoting hinge part is provided for the pivoting door, the stationary hinge part) is arranged or arrangeable horizontally inside or at the support structure of the domestic appliance, the stationary hinge part comprises a first spring element and a second spring element, the first spring element and the second spring element are provided for generating horizontal forces in the mounted state of the door hinge at the domestic appliance, the first spring element is provided for keeping the door balanced within an outer opening angular range of said door, the second spring element is provided for generating an opening force for the door within an inner opening angular range, so that the door is pushed into a partially opened state, the inner opening angular range extends between a closed state and the partially opened state of the door, and the outer opening angular range extends between the partially opened state and a completely opened state of the door. 2. The door opening system according to claim 1, wherein a roller is arranged at one end of the second spring element, which end may come into contact with the door or a part being in rigid connection to said door. 3. The door opening system according to claim 1, wherein the door opening system comprises a pair of door hinges having a common pivoting axis. 4. The door opening system according to claim 1, wherein the hook mechanism and the hook element are arranged at a chassis of the domestic appliance, while the recess is formed in the door. 5. The door opening system according to claim 1, wherein the hook mechanism includes a hook spring element pushing the hook element into that position, in which the recess is arranged, if the door is in the closed state. 6. The door opening system according to claim 1, wherein in the partially opened state of the door an opening angle between the door and a front frame of the domestic appliance is between 10° and 30°. 7. The door opening system according to claim 1, wherein in the completely opened state of the door the opening angle between the door and the front frame of the domestic appliance is between 80° and 90°. 8. The door opening system according to claim 1, wherein the door hinge includes a friction element between the stationary hinge part and the pivoting hinge part of said door hinge, wherein said friction element effects a stop of the door at a predetermined opening angle. 9. The door opening system according to claim 8, wherein the friction element is made of plastics. 10. The door opening system according to claim 1, wherein the first spring element keeps the door balanced against the force of gravity within the outer opening angular range of said door. 11. The door opening system according to claim 1, wherein the first spring element keeps the door balanced against the force of the second spring element within the outer opening angular range of said door. 12. The door opening system according to claim 1, wherein the door is kept closed by the hook element engaged with the recess. 13. The door opening system according to claim 1, wherein the door is kept closed only by the hook element engaged with the recess and without any force of the first spring element and second spring element. 14. The door opening system according to claim 1, wherein the door pivots around a horizontal or vertical axis. 15. A domestic appliance including at least one door, wherein the domestic appliance comprises a door opening system according to claim 1. 16. The door opening system according to claim 6, said opening angle between the door and the front frame of the domestic appliance being about 20°. 17. The door opening system according to claim 7, said opening angle between the door and the front frame of the domestic appliance being about 85°. | The present invention relates to a door opening system for a domestic appliance ( 10 ) including at least one pivoting door ( 12 ). The door opening system comprises at least one door hinge ( 14 ) and at least one hook mechanism ( 16 ). The hook mechanism ( 16 ) includes a hook element ( 26 ) engaged or engageable with a recess ( 28 ) in a closed state of said door ( 12 ), so that the hook element ( 26 ) and the recess ( 28 ) form a snap-in mechanism. The hook element ( 26 ) is disengaged or disengageable from the recess ( 28 ) by operating a control element or said hook element ( 26 ). The door hinge ( 14 ) includes a stationary hinge part ( 18 ) and a pivoting hinge part ( 20 ). The stationary hinge part ( 18 ) is provided for a support structure of the domestic appliance ( 10 ), while the pivoting hinge part ( 20 ) is provided for the pivoting door ( 12 ). The stationary hinge part ( 18 ) is arranged or arrangeable horizontally inside or at the support structure of the domestic appliance ( 10 ). The stationary hinge part ( 18 ) comprises a first spring element ( 22 ) and a second spring element ( 24 ) provided for generating horizontal forces in the mounted state of the door hinge ( 14 ) at the domestic appliance ( 10 ). The first spring element ( 22 ) is provided for keeping the door ( 12 ) balanced within an outer opening angular range of said door ( 12 ). The second spring element ( 24 ) is provided for generating an opening force for the door ( 12 ) within an inner opening angular range, so that the door ( 12 ) is pushed into a partially opened state. The inner opening angular range extends between a closed state and the partially opened state of the door ( 12 ). The outer opening angular range extends between the partially opened state and a completely opened state of the door ( 12 ).1. A door opening system for a domestic appliance including at least one pivoting door, wherein
the door opening system comprises at least one door hinge, the door opening system comprises at least one hook mechanism, the hook mechanism includes a hook element engaged or engageable with a recess in a closed state of said door, so that the hook element and the recess form a snap-in mechanism, the hook element is disengaged or disengageable from the recess by operating a control element or said hook element, the door hinge includes a stationary hinge part and a pivoting hinge part, the stationary hinge part is provided for a support structure of the domestic appliance, while the pivoting hinge part is provided for the pivoting door, the stationary hinge part) is arranged or arrangeable horizontally inside or at the support structure of the domestic appliance, the stationary hinge part comprises a first spring element and a second spring element, the first spring element and the second spring element are provided for generating horizontal forces in the mounted state of the door hinge at the domestic appliance, the first spring element is provided for keeping the door balanced within an outer opening angular range of said door, the second spring element is provided for generating an opening force for the door within an inner opening angular range, so that the door is pushed into a partially opened state, the inner opening angular range extends between a closed state and the partially opened state of the door, and the outer opening angular range extends between the partially opened state and a completely opened state of the door. 2. The door opening system according to claim 1, wherein a roller is arranged at one end of the second spring element, which end may come into contact with the door or a part being in rigid connection to said door. 3. The door opening system according to claim 1, wherein the door opening system comprises a pair of door hinges having a common pivoting axis. 4. The door opening system according to claim 1, wherein the hook mechanism and the hook element are arranged at a chassis of the domestic appliance, while the recess is formed in the door. 5. The door opening system according to claim 1, wherein the hook mechanism includes a hook spring element pushing the hook element into that position, in which the recess is arranged, if the door is in the closed state. 6. The door opening system according to claim 1, wherein in the partially opened state of the door an opening angle between the door and a front frame of the domestic appliance is between 10° and 30°. 7. The door opening system according to claim 1, wherein in the completely opened state of the door the opening angle between the door and the front frame of the domestic appliance is between 80° and 90°. 8. The door opening system according to claim 1, wherein the door hinge includes a friction element between the stationary hinge part and the pivoting hinge part of said door hinge, wherein said friction element effects a stop of the door at a predetermined opening angle. 9. The door opening system according to claim 8, wherein the friction element is made of plastics. 10. The door opening system according to claim 1, wherein the first spring element keeps the door balanced against the force of gravity within the outer opening angular range of said door. 11. The door opening system according to claim 1, wherein the first spring element keeps the door balanced against the force of the second spring element within the outer opening angular range of said door. 12. The door opening system according to claim 1, wherein the door is kept closed by the hook element engaged with the recess. 13. The door opening system according to claim 1, wherein the door is kept closed only by the hook element engaged with the recess and without any force of the first spring element and second spring element. 14. The door opening system according to claim 1, wherein the door pivots around a horizontal or vertical axis. 15. A domestic appliance including at least one door, wherein the domestic appliance comprises a door opening system according to claim 1. 16. The door opening system according to claim 6, said opening angle between the door and the front frame of the domestic appliance being about 20°. 17. The door opening system according to claim 7, said opening angle between the door and the front frame of the domestic appliance being about 85°. | 3,600 |
12,466 | 12,466 | 14,586,661 | 3,623 | Embodiments of the invention provide for lead management life flow. A lead management life flow method includes storing lead records in a database coupled to a CRM system, each record storing an identity of a lead, a telephone number for the lead, and a counter indicating a number of attempts to contact the lead. Each lead record is assigned to one or more lead development representatives registered with the CRM system. Thereafter, a number of attempts to contact the leads by the representatives is periodically tracked and the counter for each lead incremented in response to a failed attempt to contact the lead. Finally, the counter is compared to a pre-determined value. If too many attempts to contact the lead resulting in failure are determined to have transpired based upon the comparison of the counter to the value, the lead is reclassified in the database as a dead prospect. | 1. In a customer relationship management (CRM) system, a lead management life flow method comprising:
storing a multiplicity of lead records in a database coupled to the CRM system, each lead record comprising an identity of a lead, a telephone number for the lead, and a counter indicating a number of attempts to contact the lead; assigning each lead record to one or more of a multiplicity of lead development representatives registered with the CRM system; periodically tracking a number of attempts by the lead development representatives to contact each lead and incrementing the counter for each lead in response to a failed attempt to contact the lead by an assigned one of the lead development representatives; comparing in the CRM system the counter to a pre-determined value; and, responsive to a determination that too many attempts to contact the lead have transpired resulting in failure based upon the comparison of the counter to the value, re-classifying the lead in the database as a dead prospect. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
storing for each record of a lead for which an attempt to contact the lead is successful, an indication of rating applied by the lead development representative proximate in time to the attempt; and, generating a visualization in the CRM system showing a number of successful attempts to contact the lead for each indication of rating. 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
storing different scripts in the database; and, dynamically assigning each lead to one or more of the scripts. 4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:
storing different scripts in the database; and, dynamically assigning each lead to one or more of the scripts. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the visualization references one or more of the scripts utilized in successfully attempting to contact leads for each indication of rating. 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
displaying in a user interface of the CRM system for each lead development representative, a listing of leads and corresponding phone numbers to be contacted within a specified time period; sorting the listing of leads in accordance with a time zone associated with a geographic location of each of the leads; and, displaying in the user interface an indication of time remaining to place a telephone call to each of the leads accounting for the specified time period and a time zone of each of the leads. 7. A customer relationship management (CRM) data processing system configured for lead management life flow, the system comprising:
a CRM application executing in memory of a host computing system comprising one or more computers each with memory and at least one processor; a database coupled to the CRM application, the database storing a multiplicity of lead records each comprising an identity of a lead, a telephone number for the lead, and a counter indicating a number of attempts to contact the lead; and, a lead management life flow module coupled to the CRM application and executing in the memory of the host computing system, the module comprising program code enabled upon execution to assign each lead record to one or more of a multiplicity of lead development representatives registered with the CRM application, to periodically track a number of attempts to contact leads by respective ones of the lead development representatives and to increment the counter for each lead in response to a failed attempt to contact the lead by an assigned one of the lead development representatives, to compare the counter to a pre-determined value and to respond to a determination that too many attempts to contact the lead resulting in failure have occurred based upon the comparison of the counter to the value, by re-classifying the lead in the database as a dead prospect. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the program code is further enabled to:
store in the database for each record of a lead for which an attempt to contact the lead is successful, an indication of rating applied by the lead development representative proximate in time to the attempt; and, generate in a user interface of the CRM system a visualization showing a number of attempts for each indication of rating. 9. The system of claim 7, wherein the program code is further enabled to:
store in the database different scripts; and, dynamically assign each lead to one or more of the scripts. 10. The system of claim 8, wherein the program code is further enabled to:
store in the database different scripts; and, dynamically assign each lead to one or more of the scripts. 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the visualization references one or more of the scripts utilized in successfully attempting to contact leads for each indication of rating. 12. The system of claim 7, wherein the program code is further enabled to:
display in a user interface of the CRM application for each lead development representative, a listing of leads and corresponding phone numbers to be contacted within a specified time period; sort the listing of leads in accordance with a time zone associated with a geographic location of each of the leads; and, display in the user interface an indication of time remaining to place a telephone call to each of the leads accounting for the specified time period and a time zone of each of the leads. 13. A computer program product lead management life flow for a customer relationship management (CRM) system, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a device to cause the device to perform a method comprising:
storing a multiplicity of lead records in a database coupled to the CRM system, each lead record comprising an identity of a lead, a telephone number for the lead, and a counter indicating a number of attempts to contact the lead; assigning each lead record to one or more of a multiplicity of lead development representatives registered with the CRM system; periodically tracking a number of attempts by the lead development representatives to contact each lead and incrementing the counter for each lead in response to a failed attempt to contact the lead by an assigned one of the lead development representatives; comparing in the CRM system the counter to a pre-determined value; and, responsive to a determination that too many attempts to contact the lead resulting in failure have transpired based upon the comparison of the counter to the value, re-classifying the lead in the database as a dead prospect. 14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:
storing for each record of a lead for which an attempt to contact the lead is successful, an indication of rating applied by the lead development representative proximate in time to the attempt; and, generating a visualization in the CRM system showing a number of successful attempts to contact the lead for each indication of rating. 15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:
storing different scripts in the database; and, dynamically assigning each lead to one or more of the scripts. 16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:
storing different scripts in the database; and, dynamically assigning each lead to one or more of the scripts. 17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the visualization references one or more of the scripts utilized in successfully attempting to contact leads placed for each indication of rating. 18. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:
displaying in a user interface of the CRM system for each lead development representative, a listing of leads and corresponding phone numbers to be contacted within a specified time period; sorting the listing of leads in accordance with a time zone associated with a geographic location of each of the leads; and, displaying in the user interface an indication of time remaining to place a telephone call to each of the leads accounting for the specified time period and a time zone of each of the leads. | Embodiments of the invention provide for lead management life flow. A lead management life flow method includes storing lead records in a database coupled to a CRM system, each record storing an identity of a lead, a telephone number for the lead, and a counter indicating a number of attempts to contact the lead. Each lead record is assigned to one or more lead development representatives registered with the CRM system. Thereafter, a number of attempts to contact the leads by the representatives is periodically tracked and the counter for each lead incremented in response to a failed attempt to contact the lead. Finally, the counter is compared to a pre-determined value. If too many attempts to contact the lead resulting in failure are determined to have transpired based upon the comparison of the counter to the value, the lead is reclassified in the database as a dead prospect.1. In a customer relationship management (CRM) system, a lead management life flow method comprising:
storing a multiplicity of lead records in a database coupled to the CRM system, each lead record comprising an identity of a lead, a telephone number for the lead, and a counter indicating a number of attempts to contact the lead; assigning each lead record to one or more of a multiplicity of lead development representatives registered with the CRM system; periodically tracking a number of attempts by the lead development representatives to contact each lead and incrementing the counter for each lead in response to a failed attempt to contact the lead by an assigned one of the lead development representatives; comparing in the CRM system the counter to a pre-determined value; and, responsive to a determination that too many attempts to contact the lead have transpired resulting in failure based upon the comparison of the counter to the value, re-classifying the lead in the database as a dead prospect. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
storing for each record of a lead for which an attempt to contact the lead is successful, an indication of rating applied by the lead development representative proximate in time to the attempt; and, generating a visualization in the CRM system showing a number of successful attempts to contact the lead for each indication of rating. 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
storing different scripts in the database; and, dynamically assigning each lead to one or more of the scripts. 4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:
storing different scripts in the database; and, dynamically assigning each lead to one or more of the scripts. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the visualization references one or more of the scripts utilized in successfully attempting to contact leads for each indication of rating. 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
displaying in a user interface of the CRM system for each lead development representative, a listing of leads and corresponding phone numbers to be contacted within a specified time period; sorting the listing of leads in accordance with a time zone associated with a geographic location of each of the leads; and, displaying in the user interface an indication of time remaining to place a telephone call to each of the leads accounting for the specified time period and a time zone of each of the leads. 7. A customer relationship management (CRM) data processing system configured for lead management life flow, the system comprising:
a CRM application executing in memory of a host computing system comprising one or more computers each with memory and at least one processor; a database coupled to the CRM application, the database storing a multiplicity of lead records each comprising an identity of a lead, a telephone number for the lead, and a counter indicating a number of attempts to contact the lead; and, a lead management life flow module coupled to the CRM application and executing in the memory of the host computing system, the module comprising program code enabled upon execution to assign each lead record to one or more of a multiplicity of lead development representatives registered with the CRM application, to periodically track a number of attempts to contact leads by respective ones of the lead development representatives and to increment the counter for each lead in response to a failed attempt to contact the lead by an assigned one of the lead development representatives, to compare the counter to a pre-determined value and to respond to a determination that too many attempts to contact the lead resulting in failure have occurred based upon the comparison of the counter to the value, by re-classifying the lead in the database as a dead prospect. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the program code is further enabled to:
store in the database for each record of a lead for which an attempt to contact the lead is successful, an indication of rating applied by the lead development representative proximate in time to the attempt; and, generate in a user interface of the CRM system a visualization showing a number of attempts for each indication of rating. 9. The system of claim 7, wherein the program code is further enabled to:
store in the database different scripts; and, dynamically assign each lead to one or more of the scripts. 10. The system of claim 8, wherein the program code is further enabled to:
store in the database different scripts; and, dynamically assign each lead to one or more of the scripts. 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the visualization references one or more of the scripts utilized in successfully attempting to contact leads for each indication of rating. 12. The system of claim 7, wherein the program code is further enabled to:
display in a user interface of the CRM application for each lead development representative, a listing of leads and corresponding phone numbers to be contacted within a specified time period; sort the listing of leads in accordance with a time zone associated with a geographic location of each of the leads; and, display in the user interface an indication of time remaining to place a telephone call to each of the leads accounting for the specified time period and a time zone of each of the leads. 13. A computer program product lead management life flow for a customer relationship management (CRM) system, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a device to cause the device to perform a method comprising:
storing a multiplicity of lead records in a database coupled to the CRM system, each lead record comprising an identity of a lead, a telephone number for the lead, and a counter indicating a number of attempts to contact the lead; assigning each lead record to one or more of a multiplicity of lead development representatives registered with the CRM system; periodically tracking a number of attempts by the lead development representatives to contact each lead and incrementing the counter for each lead in response to a failed attempt to contact the lead by an assigned one of the lead development representatives; comparing in the CRM system the counter to a pre-determined value; and, responsive to a determination that too many attempts to contact the lead resulting in failure have transpired based upon the comparison of the counter to the value, re-classifying the lead in the database as a dead prospect. 14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:
storing for each record of a lead for which an attempt to contact the lead is successful, an indication of rating applied by the lead development representative proximate in time to the attempt; and, generating a visualization in the CRM system showing a number of successful attempts to contact the lead for each indication of rating. 15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:
storing different scripts in the database; and, dynamically assigning each lead to one or more of the scripts. 16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:
storing different scripts in the database; and, dynamically assigning each lead to one or more of the scripts. 17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the visualization references one or more of the scripts utilized in successfully attempting to contact leads placed for each indication of rating. 18. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:
displaying in a user interface of the CRM system for each lead development representative, a listing of leads and corresponding phone numbers to be contacted within a specified time period; sorting the listing of leads in accordance with a time zone associated with a geographic location of each of the leads; and, displaying in the user interface an indication of time remaining to place a telephone call to each of the leads accounting for the specified time period and a time zone of each of the leads. | 3,600 |
12,467 | 12,467 | 14,226,399 | 3,694 | A system or method is provided to implement event notifications in real time. In particular, a possible event occurrence, such as a spontaneous or unannounced musical concert, is detected based on a user's interactions with the user's communication device, such as the user's video or audio recording of an event or communication regarding an event, such as texting, tweeting, online posting, social network comments, and etc. An event notification may be generated based on the possible occurrence of this event. The user's communication device may broadcast this event notification via Bluetooth or Near-Field Communication (NFC) to other nearby communication devices. As such, users of the nearby communication devices may be notified of the occurrence of the event. In another embodiment, a communication device may receive various event notifications broadcasted from nearby communication devices. Relevant notifications may be selected and presented to the user based on a user's preferences. | 1. A system comprising:
a memory storing information about a user account, wherein the information comprises a user's preferences; and one or more processors in communication with the memory and adapted to:
receive, via near field communication (NFC), an event notification regarding an occurrence of an event from a communication device;
determine whether the event notification is relevant to the user based on the user's preferences; and
present the event notification to the user when the event notification is relevant. 2. The system of claim 1,
wherein the event notification comprises a time stamp indicating when the event notification was generated; wherein the one or more processors are further adapted to broadcast the event notification to nearby communication devices before a predetermined length of time has elapsed since the time stamp. 3. The system of claim 1,
wherein the event notification comprises a time stamp indicating when the event notification was generated, and wherein the one or more processors are further adapted to:
determine a probability that the event associated with the event notification still is occurring based on the time stamp of the event notification; and
present the probability to the user along with the event notification. 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the probability that the event is still occurring is greater when the time stamp is more recent. 5. The system of claim 1,
wherein the user's preferences comprise a music preference, and wherein the one or more processors are further adapted to determine the user's music preference based on one or more of the user's music purchase history, music streaming history, and browsing history. 6. The system of claim 5,
wherein the music preference comprises a list of music artists preferred by the user, and wherein the event notification is relevant when the event notification is related to one of the list of music artists. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the event notification comprises directions for attending the event. 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the event notification comprises a link to a merchant for purchasing an admission ticket to the event. 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the event notification is received via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication. 10. A method comprising:
receiving, by a processor of a communication device, a user input at the communication device; determining, by the processor, whether the user input is related to an event; determining, by the processor, characteristics of the event based on a content of the user input; generating, by the processor, an event notification for the event; and broadcasting, by the processor, the event notification to nearby devices via near field communication (NFC). 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the characteristics of the event are extracted from the content of the user input using one or more of a keyword identification, an image recognition, and an audio recognition methods. 12. The method of claim 10,
wherein the event notification includes a time stamp indicating when the event notification is generated, and wherein the event notification is continuously broadcasted until a predetermined length of time has elapsed since the time stamp. 13. The method of claim 10, wherein the user input is one or more of a text message, an online posting, a video recording, and an audio recording, 14. The method of claim 10, wherein the event notification is broadcasted via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication. 15. The method of claim 10, wherein the event notification includes a time stamp indicating when the event notification is generated. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the event notification is continuously broadcasted until a predetermined length of time has elapsed since the time stamp. 17. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising a plurality of machine-readable instructions which when executed by one or more processors are adapted to cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:
receiving, via near field communication (NFC), an event notification regarding an occurrence of an event broadcasted from a communication device; determining whether the event notification is relevant to the user based on preferences of a user; and presenting the event notification to the user when the event notification is relevant. 18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17,
wherein the event notification comprises a time stamp indicating when the event notification was generated; wherein the method further comprises broadcasting the event notification to other nearby communication devices before a predetermined length of time has elapsed since the time stamp. 19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17,
wherein the event notification comprises a time stamp indicating when the event notification was generated, and wherein the method further comprises:
determining a probability that the event associated with the event notification still is occurring based on the time stamp of the event notification; and
presenting the probability to the user along with the event notification. 20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the probability that the event is still occurring is greater when the time stamp is more recent. | A system or method is provided to implement event notifications in real time. In particular, a possible event occurrence, such as a spontaneous or unannounced musical concert, is detected based on a user's interactions with the user's communication device, such as the user's video or audio recording of an event or communication regarding an event, such as texting, tweeting, online posting, social network comments, and etc. An event notification may be generated based on the possible occurrence of this event. The user's communication device may broadcast this event notification via Bluetooth or Near-Field Communication (NFC) to other nearby communication devices. As such, users of the nearby communication devices may be notified of the occurrence of the event. In another embodiment, a communication device may receive various event notifications broadcasted from nearby communication devices. Relevant notifications may be selected and presented to the user based on a user's preferences.1. A system comprising:
a memory storing information about a user account, wherein the information comprises a user's preferences; and one or more processors in communication with the memory and adapted to:
receive, via near field communication (NFC), an event notification regarding an occurrence of an event from a communication device;
determine whether the event notification is relevant to the user based on the user's preferences; and
present the event notification to the user when the event notification is relevant. 2. The system of claim 1,
wherein the event notification comprises a time stamp indicating when the event notification was generated; wherein the one or more processors are further adapted to broadcast the event notification to nearby communication devices before a predetermined length of time has elapsed since the time stamp. 3. The system of claim 1,
wherein the event notification comprises a time stamp indicating when the event notification was generated, and wherein the one or more processors are further adapted to:
determine a probability that the event associated with the event notification still is occurring based on the time stamp of the event notification; and
present the probability to the user along with the event notification. 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the probability that the event is still occurring is greater when the time stamp is more recent. 5. The system of claim 1,
wherein the user's preferences comprise a music preference, and wherein the one or more processors are further adapted to determine the user's music preference based on one or more of the user's music purchase history, music streaming history, and browsing history. 6. The system of claim 5,
wherein the music preference comprises a list of music artists preferred by the user, and wherein the event notification is relevant when the event notification is related to one of the list of music artists. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the event notification comprises directions for attending the event. 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the event notification comprises a link to a merchant for purchasing an admission ticket to the event. 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the event notification is received via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication. 10. A method comprising:
receiving, by a processor of a communication device, a user input at the communication device; determining, by the processor, whether the user input is related to an event; determining, by the processor, characteristics of the event based on a content of the user input; generating, by the processor, an event notification for the event; and broadcasting, by the processor, the event notification to nearby devices via near field communication (NFC). 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the characteristics of the event are extracted from the content of the user input using one or more of a keyword identification, an image recognition, and an audio recognition methods. 12. The method of claim 10,
wherein the event notification includes a time stamp indicating when the event notification is generated, and wherein the event notification is continuously broadcasted until a predetermined length of time has elapsed since the time stamp. 13. The method of claim 10, wherein the user input is one or more of a text message, an online posting, a video recording, and an audio recording, 14. The method of claim 10, wherein the event notification is broadcasted via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication. 15. The method of claim 10, wherein the event notification includes a time stamp indicating when the event notification is generated. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the event notification is continuously broadcasted until a predetermined length of time has elapsed since the time stamp. 17. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising a plurality of machine-readable instructions which when executed by one or more processors are adapted to cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:
receiving, via near field communication (NFC), an event notification regarding an occurrence of an event broadcasted from a communication device; determining whether the event notification is relevant to the user based on preferences of a user; and presenting the event notification to the user when the event notification is relevant. 18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17,
wherein the event notification comprises a time stamp indicating when the event notification was generated; wherein the method further comprises broadcasting the event notification to other nearby communication devices before a predetermined length of time has elapsed since the time stamp. 19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17,
wherein the event notification comprises a time stamp indicating when the event notification was generated, and wherein the method further comprises:
determining a probability that the event associated with the event notification still is occurring based on the time stamp of the event notification; and
presenting the probability to the user along with the event notification. 20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the probability that the event is still occurring is greater when the time stamp is more recent. | 3,600 |
12,468 | 12,468 | 14,276,534 | 3,647 | A quadrotor or other vertical lift aerial vehicle measures an angle of a payload slung from the quadrotor relative to a body of the quadrotor. Using this measurement a signal may be generated that adjusts a flight characteristic of the quadrotor to counteract swing in the payload. A feedback function for generating the feedback signal may include proportional and derivative gain functions as well as non-linear signal processing functions. The feedback signal may be added to normal input control signals to cause acceleration in the direction of the payload angle that damp oscillation of the slung payload caused by wind or movements of the quadrotor. | 1. A method of controlling a payload angle of a payload that is slung from an aerial vehicle comprising:
determining an angle of the payload relative to a body of the aerial vehicle; generating an adjustment command corresponding to the angle of the payload; applying the adjustment command to cause a change in at least one of a pitch angle of the body and a roll angle of the body that accelerates the aerial vehicle in a direction of the angle of the payload. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the adjustment command comprises:
applying a proportional gain function to the payload angle; applying a derivative function to the payload angle, the derivative function including a delay filter fed back to an output of a derivative gain function; ignoring the angle of the payload when the angle is less than a threshold angle; and generating the adjustment command including a first modification to at least one of an aerial vehicle pitch command and a second modification to an aerial vehicle roll command. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the threshold angle is a range of 0 degrees to 3 degrees. 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the threshold angle is a range of 0 degrees to 5 degrees. 5. The method of claim 2, wherein the payload angle is half-wave rectified prior to applying the proportional gain function and applying the derivative function. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the adjustment command comprises adding the adjustment command to an existing control input signal of the aerial vehicle. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the aerial vehicle is a quadrotor. 8. An aerial vehicle that damps oscillation of a payload that is slung from the aerial vehicle comprising, the aerial vehicle comprising:
a body having lift elements; a payload attachment configured to attach the payload, the payload coupled to the payload attachment; and a controller configured to measure an angle of the payload relative to the body and, responsive to the angle of the payload, adjust an orientation of the body in a direction of the angle of the payload. 9. The aerial vehicle of claim 8, wherein the controller has computer-executable instructions that cause the controller to:
implement a forward control path that controls the orientation of the body; and implement a feedback function that processes the angle of the payload into an adjustment command that is fed into the forward control path. 10. The aerial vehicle of claim 9, wherein the feedback function comprises a proportional gain function and a derivative function that acts on the angle of the payload. 11. The aerial vehicle of claim 10, wherein the feedback function further comprises a first non-linear function that creates a null-control zone when the angle of the payload is less than a threshold. 12. The aerial vehicle of claim 11, wherein the feedback function further comprises a second non-linear function that implements a relay function when developing the adjustment command. 13. The aerial vehicle of claim 12, wherein the adjustment command includes a pitch angle adjustment and a roll angle adjustment. 14. The aerial vehicle of claim 8, wherein the lift elements include rotors mounted in a plane parallel to or coincident with a long dimension of the body. 15. A quadrotor configured to automatically compensate for changes in an angle of a payload that is slung from the quadrotor comprising:
four lift rotors; a body coupling the four lift rotors; a payload attachment; and a controller configured to:
measure the angle of the payload relative to a plane through the four lift rotors;
when a threshold condition is present, generate an adjustment command responsive to the angle of the payload; and
apply the adjustment command to an input control signal to cause the quadrotor to accelerate in a direction of the angle of the payload. 16. The quadrotor of claim 15, wherein the threshold condition is the angle of the payload being greater than a predetermined minimum angle of the payload wherein when the threshold condition is not present, setting the adjustment command to null so that no change is made to the input control signal. 17. The quadrotor of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to cap the adjustment command to a value corresponding to a saturation threshold angle when the angle of the payload exceeds the saturation threshold angle. 18. The quadrotor of claim 15, wherein generating the adjustment command comprises processing the angle of the payload using a feedback function with a proportional gain function and a derivative gain function to provide an intermediate result. 19. The quadrotor of claim 18, wherein generating the adjustment command further comprises processing the intermediate result to remove values below a threshold value. 20. The quadrotor of claim 18, where applying the adjustment command to the input control signal comprises adding a pitch correction signal to a pitch input signal and a roll correction signal to a roll input signal. | A quadrotor or other vertical lift aerial vehicle measures an angle of a payload slung from the quadrotor relative to a body of the quadrotor. Using this measurement a signal may be generated that adjusts a flight characteristic of the quadrotor to counteract swing in the payload. A feedback function for generating the feedback signal may include proportional and derivative gain functions as well as non-linear signal processing functions. The feedback signal may be added to normal input control signals to cause acceleration in the direction of the payload angle that damp oscillation of the slung payload caused by wind or movements of the quadrotor.1. A method of controlling a payload angle of a payload that is slung from an aerial vehicle comprising:
determining an angle of the payload relative to a body of the aerial vehicle; generating an adjustment command corresponding to the angle of the payload; applying the adjustment command to cause a change in at least one of a pitch angle of the body and a roll angle of the body that accelerates the aerial vehicle in a direction of the angle of the payload. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the adjustment command comprises:
applying a proportional gain function to the payload angle; applying a derivative function to the payload angle, the derivative function including a delay filter fed back to an output of a derivative gain function; ignoring the angle of the payload when the angle is less than a threshold angle; and generating the adjustment command including a first modification to at least one of an aerial vehicle pitch command and a second modification to an aerial vehicle roll command. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the threshold angle is a range of 0 degrees to 3 degrees. 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the threshold angle is a range of 0 degrees to 5 degrees. 5. The method of claim 2, wherein the payload angle is half-wave rectified prior to applying the proportional gain function and applying the derivative function. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the adjustment command comprises adding the adjustment command to an existing control input signal of the aerial vehicle. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the aerial vehicle is a quadrotor. 8. An aerial vehicle that damps oscillation of a payload that is slung from the aerial vehicle comprising, the aerial vehicle comprising:
a body having lift elements; a payload attachment configured to attach the payload, the payload coupled to the payload attachment; and a controller configured to measure an angle of the payload relative to the body and, responsive to the angle of the payload, adjust an orientation of the body in a direction of the angle of the payload. 9. The aerial vehicle of claim 8, wherein the controller has computer-executable instructions that cause the controller to:
implement a forward control path that controls the orientation of the body; and implement a feedback function that processes the angle of the payload into an adjustment command that is fed into the forward control path. 10. The aerial vehicle of claim 9, wherein the feedback function comprises a proportional gain function and a derivative function that acts on the angle of the payload. 11. The aerial vehicle of claim 10, wherein the feedback function further comprises a first non-linear function that creates a null-control zone when the angle of the payload is less than a threshold. 12. The aerial vehicle of claim 11, wherein the feedback function further comprises a second non-linear function that implements a relay function when developing the adjustment command. 13. The aerial vehicle of claim 12, wherein the adjustment command includes a pitch angle adjustment and a roll angle adjustment. 14. The aerial vehicle of claim 8, wherein the lift elements include rotors mounted in a plane parallel to or coincident with a long dimension of the body. 15. A quadrotor configured to automatically compensate for changes in an angle of a payload that is slung from the quadrotor comprising:
four lift rotors; a body coupling the four lift rotors; a payload attachment; and a controller configured to:
measure the angle of the payload relative to a plane through the four lift rotors;
when a threshold condition is present, generate an adjustment command responsive to the angle of the payload; and
apply the adjustment command to an input control signal to cause the quadrotor to accelerate in a direction of the angle of the payload. 16. The quadrotor of claim 15, wherein the threshold condition is the angle of the payload being greater than a predetermined minimum angle of the payload wherein when the threshold condition is not present, setting the adjustment command to null so that no change is made to the input control signal. 17. The quadrotor of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to cap the adjustment command to a value corresponding to a saturation threshold angle when the angle of the payload exceeds the saturation threshold angle. 18. The quadrotor of claim 15, wherein generating the adjustment command comprises processing the angle of the payload using a feedback function with a proportional gain function and a derivative gain function to provide an intermediate result. 19. The quadrotor of claim 18, wherein generating the adjustment command further comprises processing the intermediate result to remove values below a threshold value. 20. The quadrotor of claim 18, where applying the adjustment command to the input control signal comprises adding a pitch correction signal to a pitch input signal and a roll correction signal to a roll input signal. | 3,600 |
12,469 | 12,469 | 14,812,717 | 3,695 | Embodiments include systems and methods for evaluating the integrity of a model portfolio designed to have substantially the same values, returns, or risk characteristics as a financial instrument. Embodiments include operating a first computer to perform a statistical comparison between said model portfolio and the financial instrument, wherein said statistical comparison compares at least one of the periodic values, returns, and risk characteristics of the model portfolio and the financial instrument over some period of time. The results of the statistical comparison are periodically published throughout a trading day for use by a trader to at least one (i) price and (ii) hedge an investment in the financial instrument. According to embodiments, the model portfolio does not reveal the holdings of a reference asset for the financial instrument. | 1. A method comprising:
Performing, by a first computer, a statistical comparison between a model portfolio and a financial instrument, the model portfolio designed to have substantially the same values, returns, or risk characteristics as the financial instrument, wherein said statistical comparison compares at least one of the periodic values, returns, and risk characteristics of the model portfolio and the financial instrument over some period of time, periodically publishing, by a computer, the results of the statistical comparison throughout a trading day for use by a trader to at least one of (i) price and (ii) hedge an investment in the financial instrument, wherein the model portfolio does not reveal the holdings of a reference asset for the financial instrument. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the financial instrument is an exchange traded note with an actively managed fund as the reference asset. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the statistical comparison between the model portfolio and the financial instrument is at least one of (i) the difference, (ii) an average difference, (iii) a standard deviation of the difference, (iv) a mean difference, (v) a minimum difference, (vi) a maximum difference, (vii) a correlation number, (viii) an R2 value, and (ix) a value-at-risk (VAR). 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the statistical comparison is sent or published in discrete bins. 5. The method of claim 3, wherein the statistical comparison is sent or published by description as being less than a predetermined interval value. 6. The method of claim 3, wherein the statistical comparison is sent or published by description as being between two predetermined interval values. 7. A system comprising:
a first computer system storing non-transitory computer program code that when executed by a computer processor creates or receives a model portfolio designed to have substantially the same values, returns or risk characteristics as a target portfolio; and a second computer system storing non-transitory computer program code that when executed by a computer processor performs a statistical comparison between the model portfolio created or received by the first computer system and the target portfolio, wherein said statistical comparison compares the periodic values, returns, or risk characteristics of the model portfolio and the target portfolio over some period of time, and said second computer system storing non-transitory computer program code that when executed by the computer processor periodically sends or publishes the results of the statistical comparison throughout a trading day for use by an entity to at least one of (i) price and (ii) hedge an investment in the target portfolio, wherein the model portfolio does not reveal the assets of the target portfolio. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the target portfolio is an actively managed fund used as a reference asset for an exchange traded note. 9. The system of claim 7, wherein the second computer system storing non-transitory computer program code that when executed by the computer processor performs a statistical comparison between the model portfolio and the financial instrument selected from at least one of (i) an average difference, (ii) a standard deviation of the difference, (iii) a mean difference, (iv) a minimum difference, (v) a maximum difference, (vi) a correlation number, (vii) an R2 value, and (viii) a value-at-risk (VAR). 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the statistical comparison is sent or published in discrete bins. 11. The system of claim 7, wherein the statistical comparison is sent or published by description as being less than a predetermined interval value. 12. The system of claim 7, wherein the statistical comparison is sent or published by description as being between two predetermined interval values. 13. The system of claim 7, wherein the first computer system and the second computer system are the same computer. 14. A system, comprising:
a comparison component storing non-transitory computer program code that when executed by a computer processor performs a statistical comparison between a model portfolio and a financial instrument, wherein said statistical comparison compares at least one of the periodic values, returns, and risk characteristics of the model portfolio and the financial instrument over some period of time, the model portfolio selected to have substantially the same values, returns or risk characteristics as the financial instrument; and a communication component storing non-transitory computer program code that when executed by a computer processor periodically publish the results of the statistical comparison throughout a trading day for use by a trader to at least one of (i) price and (ii) hedge an investment in the financial instrument; wherein the model portfolio does not reveal the holdings of a reference asset for the financial instrument. 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the financial instrument is an exchange traded note with an actively managed fund as the reference asset. 16. The system of claim 14, wherein the statistical comparison between the model portfolio and the financial instrument is at least one of (i) the difference, (ii) an average difference, (iii) a standard deviation of the difference, (iv) a mean difference, (v) a minimum difference, (vi) a maximum difference, (vii) a correlation number, (viii) an R2 value, and (ix) a value-at-risk (VAR). 17. The system of claim 14, wherein the communication component stores non-transitory computer program code that when executed by the computer processor publishes the statistical comparison in discrete bins. 18. The system of claim 14, wherein the communication component stores non-transitory computer program code that when executed by the computer processor publishes the statistical comparison by description as being less than a predetermined interval value. 19. The system of claim 14, wherein the communication component stores non-transitory computer program code that when executed by the computer processor publishes the statistical comparison by description as being between two determined interval values. | Embodiments include systems and methods for evaluating the integrity of a model portfolio designed to have substantially the same values, returns, or risk characteristics as a financial instrument. Embodiments include operating a first computer to perform a statistical comparison between said model portfolio and the financial instrument, wherein said statistical comparison compares at least one of the periodic values, returns, and risk characteristics of the model portfolio and the financial instrument over some period of time. The results of the statistical comparison are periodically published throughout a trading day for use by a trader to at least one (i) price and (ii) hedge an investment in the financial instrument. According to embodiments, the model portfolio does not reveal the holdings of a reference asset for the financial instrument.1. A method comprising:
Performing, by a first computer, a statistical comparison between a model portfolio and a financial instrument, the model portfolio designed to have substantially the same values, returns, or risk characteristics as the financial instrument, wherein said statistical comparison compares at least one of the periodic values, returns, and risk characteristics of the model portfolio and the financial instrument over some period of time, periodically publishing, by a computer, the results of the statistical comparison throughout a trading day for use by a trader to at least one of (i) price and (ii) hedge an investment in the financial instrument, wherein the model portfolio does not reveal the holdings of a reference asset for the financial instrument. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the financial instrument is an exchange traded note with an actively managed fund as the reference asset. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the statistical comparison between the model portfolio and the financial instrument is at least one of (i) the difference, (ii) an average difference, (iii) a standard deviation of the difference, (iv) a mean difference, (v) a minimum difference, (vi) a maximum difference, (vii) a correlation number, (viii) an R2 value, and (ix) a value-at-risk (VAR). 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the statistical comparison is sent or published in discrete bins. 5. The method of claim 3, wherein the statistical comparison is sent or published by description as being less than a predetermined interval value. 6. The method of claim 3, wherein the statistical comparison is sent or published by description as being between two predetermined interval values. 7. A system comprising:
a first computer system storing non-transitory computer program code that when executed by a computer processor creates or receives a model portfolio designed to have substantially the same values, returns or risk characteristics as a target portfolio; and a second computer system storing non-transitory computer program code that when executed by a computer processor performs a statistical comparison between the model portfolio created or received by the first computer system and the target portfolio, wherein said statistical comparison compares the periodic values, returns, or risk characteristics of the model portfolio and the target portfolio over some period of time, and said second computer system storing non-transitory computer program code that when executed by the computer processor periodically sends or publishes the results of the statistical comparison throughout a trading day for use by an entity to at least one of (i) price and (ii) hedge an investment in the target portfolio, wherein the model portfolio does not reveal the assets of the target portfolio. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the target portfolio is an actively managed fund used as a reference asset for an exchange traded note. 9. The system of claim 7, wherein the second computer system storing non-transitory computer program code that when executed by the computer processor performs a statistical comparison between the model portfolio and the financial instrument selected from at least one of (i) an average difference, (ii) a standard deviation of the difference, (iii) a mean difference, (iv) a minimum difference, (v) a maximum difference, (vi) a correlation number, (vii) an R2 value, and (viii) a value-at-risk (VAR). 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the statistical comparison is sent or published in discrete bins. 11. The system of claim 7, wherein the statistical comparison is sent or published by description as being less than a predetermined interval value. 12. The system of claim 7, wherein the statistical comparison is sent or published by description as being between two predetermined interval values. 13. The system of claim 7, wherein the first computer system and the second computer system are the same computer. 14. A system, comprising:
a comparison component storing non-transitory computer program code that when executed by a computer processor performs a statistical comparison between a model portfolio and a financial instrument, wherein said statistical comparison compares at least one of the periodic values, returns, and risk characteristics of the model portfolio and the financial instrument over some period of time, the model portfolio selected to have substantially the same values, returns or risk characteristics as the financial instrument; and a communication component storing non-transitory computer program code that when executed by a computer processor periodically publish the results of the statistical comparison throughout a trading day for use by a trader to at least one of (i) price and (ii) hedge an investment in the financial instrument; wherein the model portfolio does not reveal the holdings of a reference asset for the financial instrument. 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the financial instrument is an exchange traded note with an actively managed fund as the reference asset. 16. The system of claim 14, wherein the statistical comparison between the model portfolio and the financial instrument is at least one of (i) the difference, (ii) an average difference, (iii) a standard deviation of the difference, (iv) a mean difference, (v) a minimum difference, (vi) a maximum difference, (vii) a correlation number, (viii) an R2 value, and (ix) a value-at-risk (VAR). 17. The system of claim 14, wherein the communication component stores non-transitory computer program code that when executed by the computer processor publishes the statistical comparison in discrete bins. 18. The system of claim 14, wherein the communication component stores non-transitory computer program code that when executed by the computer processor publishes the statistical comparison by description as being less than a predetermined interval value. 19. The system of claim 14, wherein the communication component stores non-transitory computer program code that when executed by the computer processor publishes the statistical comparison by description as being between two determined interval values. | 3,600 |
12,470 | 12,470 | 12,391,010 | 3,695 | A method of providing insurance to a customer that comprises the steps of: (1) selling a service contract to the customer that provides protection against the mechanical breakdown or other failure of an item (and in some cases, accidental damage); and (2) in response to the customer purchasing the service contract, providing, at no cost to the customer, third-party-paid insurance coverage that protects the customer against damage to the item, which, in some cases, includes accidental damage. In one embodiment of the invention, the step of providing the third-party-paid insurance coverage is done in order to permit the provision of insurance without the use of a licensed insurance agent. | 1. A method of providing insurance to a customer, said method comprising the steps of:
selling, by a first party, a particular article of personal property to said customer; selling, by said first party, a service contract to said customer, said service contract providing protection against the mechanical breakdown or other failure of said article of personal property; and in response to said customer purchasing said service contract, providing, at no cost to said customer, insurance coverage that protects said customer against one or more events selected from a group consisting of: (A) loss of said article of personal property, (B) theft of said article of personal property, and (C) other named perils associated with said article of personal property, wherein:
said service contract is provided by a first provider and said insurance coverage is provided by a second provider, said first and second providers being different entities, and
said insurance coverage is provided at no cost to said customer due to the fact that said insurance coverage is paid for by said first party. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said service contract provides protection against accidental damage to said particular article of personal property. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of providing said insurance coverage is done in order to permit the provision of said insurance coverage without its sale by an insurance agent. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein said insurance coverage is paid for by a retailer selling said particular article of personal property to said customer. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein said insurance coverage is paid for by a manufacturer of said particular article of personal property. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein said insurance coverage is paid for by a service provider that provides service or functionality for said particular article of personal property. 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing said service contract and said insurance coverage to said customer within a product protection program. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein said product protection program is referred to by a single identification indicia. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein said first party is a wireless carrier. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein said particular article of personal property is a cellular phone. 11. A unified property protection program comprising:
a service contract that is paid for by a first entity, said service contract providing protection against the mechanical breakdown or other failure of a particular article of personal property; and insurance coverage that is paid for by a second entity, said insurance coverage providing protection against one or more events selected from a group consisting of: (A) loss of said article of personal property, (B) theft of said article of personal property, and (C) other named perils associated with said article of personal property, wherein:
said property protection program is referenced by a single identification indicia, and
said service contract and said insurance coverage are provided by two separate providers. 12. The property protection program of claim 11, wherein said service contract protects against the mechanical breakdown of one or more items. 13. The property protection program of claim 11, wherein said insurance coverage protects against accidental damage to said one or more items. 14. The property protection program of claim 12, wherein said insurance coverage protects against a loss other than accidental damage to said one or more items. 15. The personal protection program of claim 12, wherein said insurance coverage protects against the accidental damage to, or loss of, said one or more items. 16. The property protection program of claim 11, wherein said first entity is a customer who has purchased said article of personal property. 17. The property protection program of claim 16, wherein said second entity is an entity that has sold said article of personal property to said customer. 18. The property protection plan of claim 16, wherein said second entity is a service provider that is to provide service or functionality for said article of personal property. 19. The property protection plan of claim 16, wherein said second entity is a wireless carrier that provides wireless service for said article of personal property. 20. The unified property protection program of claim 19, wherein said particular article of personal property is a cellular phone. 21. The property protection program of claim 11, wherein said property protection program provides that: (1) in response to said second entity failing to submit timely payment for said insurance coverage, said insurance coverage will be interrupted; and (2) said service contract will not be interrupted in response to said second entity failing to submit timely payment for said insurance coverage. 22. The property protection program of claim 21, wherein said product protection program provides that: (1) in response to said first entity failing to submit timely payment for said service contract, said first property coverage will be interrupted; and (2) said insurance coverage will be interrupted in response to said first entity failing to submit timely payment for said service contract. 23. A method of providing insurance coverage for a wireless device, said method comprising:
in response to an individual purchasing both said wireless device and a service contract covering said wireless device, providing said insurance coverage to said individual at no cost to said individual, wherein:
said step of providing said insurance coverage is performed by a wireless carrier associated with said wireless device. 24. The method of claim 23, wherein:
said method further comprises a step of, in response to said wireless device being lost, replacing said wireless device. 25. The method of claim 23, wherein:
said method further comprises a step of, in response to said wireless device being stolen, replacing said wireless device. | A method of providing insurance to a customer that comprises the steps of: (1) selling a service contract to the customer that provides protection against the mechanical breakdown or other failure of an item (and in some cases, accidental damage); and (2) in response to the customer purchasing the service contract, providing, at no cost to the customer, third-party-paid insurance coverage that protects the customer against damage to the item, which, in some cases, includes accidental damage. In one embodiment of the invention, the step of providing the third-party-paid insurance coverage is done in order to permit the provision of insurance without the use of a licensed insurance agent.1. A method of providing insurance to a customer, said method comprising the steps of:
selling, by a first party, a particular article of personal property to said customer; selling, by said first party, a service contract to said customer, said service contract providing protection against the mechanical breakdown or other failure of said article of personal property; and in response to said customer purchasing said service contract, providing, at no cost to said customer, insurance coverage that protects said customer against one or more events selected from a group consisting of: (A) loss of said article of personal property, (B) theft of said article of personal property, and (C) other named perils associated with said article of personal property, wherein:
said service contract is provided by a first provider and said insurance coverage is provided by a second provider, said first and second providers being different entities, and
said insurance coverage is provided at no cost to said customer due to the fact that said insurance coverage is paid for by said first party. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said service contract provides protection against accidental damage to said particular article of personal property. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of providing said insurance coverage is done in order to permit the provision of said insurance coverage without its sale by an insurance agent. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein said insurance coverage is paid for by a retailer selling said particular article of personal property to said customer. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein said insurance coverage is paid for by a manufacturer of said particular article of personal property. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein said insurance coverage is paid for by a service provider that provides service or functionality for said particular article of personal property. 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing said service contract and said insurance coverage to said customer within a product protection program. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein said product protection program is referred to by a single identification indicia. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein said first party is a wireless carrier. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein said particular article of personal property is a cellular phone. 11. A unified property protection program comprising:
a service contract that is paid for by a first entity, said service contract providing protection against the mechanical breakdown or other failure of a particular article of personal property; and insurance coverage that is paid for by a second entity, said insurance coverage providing protection against one or more events selected from a group consisting of: (A) loss of said article of personal property, (B) theft of said article of personal property, and (C) other named perils associated with said article of personal property, wherein:
said property protection program is referenced by a single identification indicia, and
said service contract and said insurance coverage are provided by two separate providers. 12. The property protection program of claim 11, wherein said service contract protects against the mechanical breakdown of one or more items. 13. The property protection program of claim 11, wherein said insurance coverage protects against accidental damage to said one or more items. 14. The property protection program of claim 12, wherein said insurance coverage protects against a loss other than accidental damage to said one or more items. 15. The personal protection program of claim 12, wherein said insurance coverage protects against the accidental damage to, or loss of, said one or more items. 16. The property protection program of claim 11, wherein said first entity is a customer who has purchased said article of personal property. 17. The property protection program of claim 16, wherein said second entity is an entity that has sold said article of personal property to said customer. 18. The property protection plan of claim 16, wherein said second entity is a service provider that is to provide service or functionality for said article of personal property. 19. The property protection plan of claim 16, wherein said second entity is a wireless carrier that provides wireless service for said article of personal property. 20. The unified property protection program of claim 19, wherein said particular article of personal property is a cellular phone. 21. The property protection program of claim 11, wherein said property protection program provides that: (1) in response to said second entity failing to submit timely payment for said insurance coverage, said insurance coverage will be interrupted; and (2) said service contract will not be interrupted in response to said second entity failing to submit timely payment for said insurance coverage. 22. The property protection program of claim 21, wherein said product protection program provides that: (1) in response to said first entity failing to submit timely payment for said service contract, said first property coverage will be interrupted; and (2) said insurance coverage will be interrupted in response to said first entity failing to submit timely payment for said service contract. 23. A method of providing insurance coverage for a wireless device, said method comprising:
in response to an individual purchasing both said wireless device and a service contract covering said wireless device, providing said insurance coverage to said individual at no cost to said individual, wherein:
said step of providing said insurance coverage is performed by a wireless carrier associated with said wireless device. 24. The method of claim 23, wherein:
said method further comprises a step of, in response to said wireless device being lost, replacing said wireless device. 25. The method of claim 23, wherein:
said method further comprises a step of, in response to said wireless device being stolen, replacing said wireless device. | 3,600 |
12,471 | 12,471 | 14,807,978 | 3,684 | A system and method of determining whether to make an item listing visible to a user are disclosed. A user is enabled to navigate an e-commerce site. A returns frequency index is calculated for the user based on the user's transaction history. The user's transaction history includes the user's history of item returns. It is determined whether or not to make an item listing visible to the user on the e-commerce site based on the returns frequency index for the user. In some embodiments, the returns frequency index is calculated using the mathematical expression (V Ret /N Ret )/(V Purch /N Purch ), wherein V Ret is a total value of items returned by the user, N Ret is a total number of items returned by the user, V Purch is a total value of items purchased by the user, and N Purch is a total number of items purchased by the user. | 1. A system comprising:
at least one processor; a returns frequency index module, executable by the at least one processor, configured to generate a returns frequency index for a user based on the a transaction history for the user, the transaction history for the user includes a history of item returns for the user; and a navigation module, executable by the at least one processor, configured to:
enable the user to navigate an e-commerce site, and
determine whether to make an item listing visible to the user on the e-commerce site based on the returns frequency index for the user. | A system and method of determining whether to make an item listing visible to a user are disclosed. A user is enabled to navigate an e-commerce site. A returns frequency index is calculated for the user based on the user's transaction history. The user's transaction history includes the user's history of item returns. It is determined whether or not to make an item listing visible to the user on the e-commerce site based on the returns frequency index for the user. In some embodiments, the returns frequency index is calculated using the mathematical expression (V Ret /N Ret )/(V Purch /N Purch ), wherein V Ret is a total value of items returned by the user, N Ret is a total number of items returned by the user, V Purch is a total value of items purchased by the user, and N Purch is a total number of items purchased by the user.1. A system comprising:
at least one processor; a returns frequency index module, executable by the at least one processor, configured to generate a returns frequency index for a user based on the a transaction history for the user, the transaction history for the user includes a history of item returns for the user; and a navigation module, executable by the at least one processor, configured to:
enable the user to navigate an e-commerce site, and
determine whether to make an item listing visible to the user on the e-commerce site based on the returns frequency index for the user. | 3,600 |
12,472 | 12,472 | 12,853,242 | 3,682 | A social networking website logs information about actions taken by members of the website. For a particular member of the website, the website presents targeted ads based on actions by the member and one or more characteristics of the member. The social networking website maintains a profile associated with the member which describes characteristics of the member, such as age, geographic location, employment, educational history and interests. The social networking website compares the member profile to targeting criteria for a plurality of advertising requests and determines the advertising requests that match the member profile and generate the most revenue for the social networking website. When presenting a member with an ad, the website may optimize advertising revenue by selecting an ad from the received ads that will maximize the expected value of the ad. | 1. A method for selecting an advertisement to present by a social networking website, the method comprising:
receiving multiple advertisements for the social networking website, each advertisement associated with a set of targeting criteria that specify one or more interactions between a user and an object in the social networking website; selecting one or more candidate advertisements for a user of the social networking website, wherein the user has performed the interactions specified by the targeting criteria of each of the selected candidate advertisements; computing an affinity score between the user and each of the candidate advertisements; receiving a bid amount associated with the advertisements; selecting one or more of the candidate advertisements based on the affinity scores and the bid amounts associated with the candidate advertisements; and presenting the selected advertisements on a web page delivered to the user. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the bid amount for one or more of the advertisements represents an amount of compensation to be received by the website if the user takes a further action with respect to the advertisement. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the further action comprises a user selection of a link on the advertisement. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the advertisements communicate an action taken on the website by another user with whom the user has a connection 5. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting one or more of the advertisements based on the advertisements' affinity scores and bid amounts comprises:
calculating an expected value for each of the advertisements using the bid amount associated with each advertisement and a probability that the user will access the advertisement; and selecting an advertisement having the maximum expected value. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more interactions specified by the targeting criteria for one or more of the advertisements comprise an action taken within the social network. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more interactions specified by the targeting criteria for one or more of the advertisements comprise an action taken on a third-party website and communicated to the social network. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more interactions specified by the targeting criteria for one or more of the advertisements comprise a transaction observed by an action terminal and communicated to the social network. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more interactions specified by the targeting criteria for one or more of the advertisements comprise an action selected from a group consisting of: sending a message to another member of the social network, and adding a connection to another member of the social network. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more interactions specified by the targeting criteria for one or more of the advertisements comprise using an application in the social network. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more interactions specified by the targeting criteria for one or more of the advertisements comprise joining a group in the social network. 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more interactions specified by the targeting criteria for one or more of the advertisements comprise adding an event to a member's calendar. 13. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more interactions specified by the targeting criteria for one or more of the advertisements comprise an action selected from a group consisting of: purchasing a product or service, selling a product or service, reviewing a product or service, and using an online marketplace. 14. The method of claim 1, wherein the targeting criteria further comprise demographic data. 15. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting one or more of the candidate advertisements comprises:
determining a plurality of candidate advertisements for the member, wherein the targeting criteria of the advertisement request associated with each of the candidate advertisements matches one or more logged actions taken by the member; calculating an expected revenue for each of the candidate advertisements based on the bid amount associated with the advertisement and a likelihood that the member with interact with the advertisement; and selecting the candidate advertisement having the highest expected revenue value. | A social networking website logs information about actions taken by members of the website. For a particular member of the website, the website presents targeted ads based on actions by the member and one or more characteristics of the member. The social networking website maintains a profile associated with the member which describes characteristics of the member, such as age, geographic location, employment, educational history and interests. The social networking website compares the member profile to targeting criteria for a plurality of advertising requests and determines the advertising requests that match the member profile and generate the most revenue for the social networking website. When presenting a member with an ad, the website may optimize advertising revenue by selecting an ad from the received ads that will maximize the expected value of the ad.1. A method for selecting an advertisement to present by a social networking website, the method comprising:
receiving multiple advertisements for the social networking website, each advertisement associated with a set of targeting criteria that specify one or more interactions between a user and an object in the social networking website; selecting one or more candidate advertisements for a user of the social networking website, wherein the user has performed the interactions specified by the targeting criteria of each of the selected candidate advertisements; computing an affinity score between the user and each of the candidate advertisements; receiving a bid amount associated with the advertisements; selecting one or more of the candidate advertisements based on the affinity scores and the bid amounts associated with the candidate advertisements; and presenting the selected advertisements on a web page delivered to the user. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the bid amount for one or more of the advertisements represents an amount of compensation to be received by the website if the user takes a further action with respect to the advertisement. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the further action comprises a user selection of a link on the advertisement. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the advertisements communicate an action taken on the website by another user with whom the user has a connection 5. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting one or more of the advertisements based on the advertisements' affinity scores and bid amounts comprises:
calculating an expected value for each of the advertisements using the bid amount associated with each advertisement and a probability that the user will access the advertisement; and selecting an advertisement having the maximum expected value. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more interactions specified by the targeting criteria for one or more of the advertisements comprise an action taken within the social network. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more interactions specified by the targeting criteria for one or more of the advertisements comprise an action taken on a third-party website and communicated to the social network. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more interactions specified by the targeting criteria for one or more of the advertisements comprise a transaction observed by an action terminal and communicated to the social network. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more interactions specified by the targeting criteria for one or more of the advertisements comprise an action selected from a group consisting of: sending a message to another member of the social network, and adding a connection to another member of the social network. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more interactions specified by the targeting criteria for one or more of the advertisements comprise using an application in the social network. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more interactions specified by the targeting criteria for one or more of the advertisements comprise joining a group in the social network. 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more interactions specified by the targeting criteria for one or more of the advertisements comprise adding an event to a member's calendar. 13. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more interactions specified by the targeting criteria for one or more of the advertisements comprise an action selected from a group consisting of: purchasing a product or service, selling a product or service, reviewing a product or service, and using an online marketplace. 14. The method of claim 1, wherein the targeting criteria further comprise demographic data. 15. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting one or more of the candidate advertisements comprises:
determining a plurality of candidate advertisements for the member, wherein the targeting criteria of the advertisement request associated with each of the candidate advertisements matches one or more logged actions taken by the member; calculating an expected revenue for each of the candidate advertisements based on the bid amount associated with the advertisement and a likelihood that the member with interact with the advertisement; and selecting the candidate advertisement having the highest expected revenue value. | 3,600 |
12,473 | 12,473 | 12,713,557 | 3,689 | A cloud broker and procurement system and method is closed. In particular embodiments, the method includes receiving an offer of a computing resource from each of a plurality of providers. The method further includes receiving, from each of the plurality of providers, a service level agreement associated with each respective offered computing resource. Additionally, the method includes normalizing each of the service level agreements associated with the offered computing resources. The method further includes receiving a request from a requesting computer for a computing resource and selecting, based at least in part on the normalized service level agreements, one of the providers to provide the requested computing resource. The method also includes transmitting a service match indicator to the client, wherein the service match indicator indicates a time at which the offered computing resource will be utilized, and utilizing the computing resource on the selected provider. | 1. A method comprising:
receiving an offer of a computing resource from each of a plurality of providers; receiving, from each of the plurality of providers, a service level agreement associated with each respective offered computing resource; normalizing each of the service level agreements associated with the offered computing resources; receiving a request from a requesting computer for a computing resource; selecting, based at least in part on the normalized service level agreements, one of the providers to provide the requested computing resource; transmitting a service match indicator to the client, wherein the service match indicator indicates a time at which the offered computing resource will be utilized; and utilizing the computing resource on the selected provider. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected provider is associated with a first department within an enterprise, and wherein the requesting computer is associated with a second department within the enterprise, and further comprising generating a bill to the second department that is payable to the first department. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting one of the providers comprises:
comparing the normalized service level agreements associated with the offered computer resources to the request for a computing resource; based on the comparison, selecting a service level agreement associated with an offered computing resource; and selecting the provider associated with the selected service level agreement. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the request indicates:
a first time for utilizing the requested computing resource; and a first price for utilizing the requested computing resource; and wherein selecting a provider to provide the computing resource comprises: based on the first time and the first price, transmitting a counter-offer for the requested computing resource to the requesting computer, wherein the counter-offer indicates a second time for utilizing the computing resource and a second price for utilizing the computing resource; and receiving, from the requesting computer, an acceptance of the counter-offer; and wherein utilizing the computing resource on the selected provider comprises utilizing the computing resource at the second time. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the offer indicates:
a first time for utilizing the offered computing resource; and a first price for utilizing the computing resource; wherein selecting a provider to utilize the offered computing resource comprises:
based on the first time and the first price, transmitting a request for a computing resource to a provider, wherein the request indicates a second time for utilizing the computing resource and a second price for utilizing the computing resource; and
receiving, from the provider, an acceptance of the request; and
wherein utilizing the computing resource on the selected provider comprises utilizing the computing resource at the second time. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the service level agreements indicates an amount of computing resources available, a price at which the computer resources are offered, and a time at which the computer resources are available. 7. A system comprising:
a plurality of providers, wherein each of the providers is operable to:
transmit an offer of a computing resource associated with a respective provider;
an optimizer operable to:
receive, from each of the plurality of providers, a service level agreement associated with each respective offered computing resource;
normalize each of the service level agreements associated with the offered computing resources;
select, based at least in part on the normalized service level agreements, one of the plurality of providers to provide the requested computing resource;
transmit a service match indicator to the client, wherein the service match indicator indicates a time at which the offered computing resource will be utilized; and
a client operable to:
transmit a request for a computing resource; and
utilize the computing resource on the selected provider. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the selected provider is associated with a first department within an organization, and wherein the requesting computer is associated with a second department within the organization, and further comprising generating a bill to the second department that is payable to the first department. 9. The system of claim 7, wherein the optimizer is operable to select one of the providers by:
comparing the normalized service level agreements associated with the offered computer resources to the request for a computing resource; based on the comparison, selecting a service level agreement associated with an offered computing resource; and selecting the provider associated with the selected service level agreement. 10. The system of claim 7, wherein the request indicates:
a first time for utilizing the requested computing resource; and a first price for utilizing the requested computing resource; and wherein the optimizer is operable to select a provider to provide the computing resource by: based on the first time and the first price, transmitting a counter-offer for the requested computing resource to the client, wherein the counter-offer indicates a second time for utilizing the computing resource and a second price for utilizing the computing resource; and wherein the client is operable to utilize the computing resource on the selected provider by utilizing the computing resource at the second time. 11. The system of claim 7, wherein the offer indicates:
a first time for utilizing the offered computing resource; and a first price for utilizing the computing resource; wherein the optimizer is operable to select a provider to utilize the offered computing resource by transmitting, based on the first time and the first price, a request for a computing resource to a provider, wherein the request indicates a second time for utilizing the computing resource and a second price for utilizing the computing resource; and wherein the client is operable to utilize the computing resource on the selected provider by utilizing the computing resource at the second time. 12. The system of claim 7, wherein each of the service level agreements indicates an amount of computing resources available, a price at which the computer resources are offered, and a time at which the computer resources are available. 13. A computer readable storage medium encoded with logic, the logic operable, when executed on a processor, to:
receive, from each of a plurality of providers, an offer of a computing resource; receive, from each of the plurality of providers, a service level agreement associated with each respective offered computing resource; normalize each of the service level agreements associated with the offered computing resources; select, based at least in part on the normalized service level agreements, one of the plurality of providers to provide the requested computing resource; and to facilitate utilization of the computing resource on the selected provider by the client, transmit a service match indicator to the client, wherein the service match indicator indicates a time at which the offered computing resource will be utilized. 14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the selected provider is associated with a first department within an enterprise, and wherein the requesting computer is associated with a second department within the enterprise, and further comprising generating a bill to the second department that is payable to the first department. 15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the logic is operable to select one of the plurality of providers by:
comparing the normalized service level agreements associated with the offered computer resources to the request for a computing resource; based on the comparison, selecting a service level agreement associated with an offered computing resource; and selecting the provider associated with the selected service level agreement. 16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the request indicates:
a first time for utilizing the requested computing resource; and a first price for utilizing the requested computing resource; and wherein the optimizer is operable to select a provider to provide the computing resource by: based on the first time and the first price, transmitting a counter-offer for the requested computing resource to the client, wherein the counter-offer indicates a second time for utilizing the computing resource and a second price for utilizing the computing resource; and wherein the logic is operable to, to facilitate utilization of the computing resource on the selected provider by the client, transmit a service match indicator to the client, wherein the time indicated by the service match indicator is the second time. 17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the offer indicates:
a first time for utilizing the offered computing resource; and a first price for utilizing the computing resource; wherein the logic is operable to select a provider to utilize the offered computing resource by transmitting, based on the first time and the first price, a request for a computing resource to a provider, wherein the request indicates a second time for utilizing the computing resource and a second price for utilizing the computing resource; and wherein the logic is operable to, to facilitate utilization of the computing resource on the selected provider by the client, transmit a service match indicator to the client, wherein the time indicated by the service match indicator is the second time. 18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein each of the service level agreements indicates an amount of computing resources available, a price at which the computer resources are offered, and a time at which the computer resources are available. 19. A system comprising:
means for receiving an offer of a computing resource from each of a plurality of providers; means for receiving, from each of the plurality of providers, a service level agreement associated with each respective offered computing resource; means for normalizing each of the service level agreements associated with the offered computing resources; means for receiving a request from a requesting computer for a computing resource; means for selecting, based at least in part on the normalized service level agreements, one of the providers to provide the requested computing resource; means for transmitting a service match indicator to the client, wherein the service match indicator indicates a time at which the offered computing resource will be utilized; and means for utilizing the computing resource on the selected provider. | A cloud broker and procurement system and method is closed. In particular embodiments, the method includes receiving an offer of a computing resource from each of a plurality of providers. The method further includes receiving, from each of the plurality of providers, a service level agreement associated with each respective offered computing resource. Additionally, the method includes normalizing each of the service level agreements associated with the offered computing resources. The method further includes receiving a request from a requesting computer for a computing resource and selecting, based at least in part on the normalized service level agreements, one of the providers to provide the requested computing resource. The method also includes transmitting a service match indicator to the client, wherein the service match indicator indicates a time at which the offered computing resource will be utilized, and utilizing the computing resource on the selected provider.1. A method comprising:
receiving an offer of a computing resource from each of a plurality of providers; receiving, from each of the plurality of providers, a service level agreement associated with each respective offered computing resource; normalizing each of the service level agreements associated with the offered computing resources; receiving a request from a requesting computer for a computing resource; selecting, based at least in part on the normalized service level agreements, one of the providers to provide the requested computing resource; transmitting a service match indicator to the client, wherein the service match indicator indicates a time at which the offered computing resource will be utilized; and utilizing the computing resource on the selected provider. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected provider is associated with a first department within an enterprise, and wherein the requesting computer is associated with a second department within the enterprise, and further comprising generating a bill to the second department that is payable to the first department. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting one of the providers comprises:
comparing the normalized service level agreements associated with the offered computer resources to the request for a computing resource; based on the comparison, selecting a service level agreement associated with an offered computing resource; and selecting the provider associated with the selected service level agreement. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the request indicates:
a first time for utilizing the requested computing resource; and a first price for utilizing the requested computing resource; and wherein selecting a provider to provide the computing resource comprises: based on the first time and the first price, transmitting a counter-offer for the requested computing resource to the requesting computer, wherein the counter-offer indicates a second time for utilizing the computing resource and a second price for utilizing the computing resource; and receiving, from the requesting computer, an acceptance of the counter-offer; and wherein utilizing the computing resource on the selected provider comprises utilizing the computing resource at the second time. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the offer indicates:
a first time for utilizing the offered computing resource; and a first price for utilizing the computing resource; wherein selecting a provider to utilize the offered computing resource comprises:
based on the first time and the first price, transmitting a request for a computing resource to a provider, wherein the request indicates a second time for utilizing the computing resource and a second price for utilizing the computing resource; and
receiving, from the provider, an acceptance of the request; and
wherein utilizing the computing resource on the selected provider comprises utilizing the computing resource at the second time. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the service level agreements indicates an amount of computing resources available, a price at which the computer resources are offered, and a time at which the computer resources are available. 7. A system comprising:
a plurality of providers, wherein each of the providers is operable to:
transmit an offer of a computing resource associated with a respective provider;
an optimizer operable to:
receive, from each of the plurality of providers, a service level agreement associated with each respective offered computing resource;
normalize each of the service level agreements associated with the offered computing resources;
select, based at least in part on the normalized service level agreements, one of the plurality of providers to provide the requested computing resource;
transmit a service match indicator to the client, wherein the service match indicator indicates a time at which the offered computing resource will be utilized; and
a client operable to:
transmit a request for a computing resource; and
utilize the computing resource on the selected provider. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the selected provider is associated with a first department within an organization, and wherein the requesting computer is associated with a second department within the organization, and further comprising generating a bill to the second department that is payable to the first department. 9. The system of claim 7, wherein the optimizer is operable to select one of the providers by:
comparing the normalized service level agreements associated with the offered computer resources to the request for a computing resource; based on the comparison, selecting a service level agreement associated with an offered computing resource; and selecting the provider associated with the selected service level agreement. 10. The system of claim 7, wherein the request indicates:
a first time for utilizing the requested computing resource; and a first price for utilizing the requested computing resource; and wherein the optimizer is operable to select a provider to provide the computing resource by: based on the first time and the first price, transmitting a counter-offer for the requested computing resource to the client, wherein the counter-offer indicates a second time for utilizing the computing resource and a second price for utilizing the computing resource; and wherein the client is operable to utilize the computing resource on the selected provider by utilizing the computing resource at the second time. 11. The system of claim 7, wherein the offer indicates:
a first time for utilizing the offered computing resource; and a first price for utilizing the computing resource; wherein the optimizer is operable to select a provider to utilize the offered computing resource by transmitting, based on the first time and the first price, a request for a computing resource to a provider, wherein the request indicates a second time for utilizing the computing resource and a second price for utilizing the computing resource; and wherein the client is operable to utilize the computing resource on the selected provider by utilizing the computing resource at the second time. 12. The system of claim 7, wherein each of the service level agreements indicates an amount of computing resources available, a price at which the computer resources are offered, and a time at which the computer resources are available. 13. A computer readable storage medium encoded with logic, the logic operable, when executed on a processor, to:
receive, from each of a plurality of providers, an offer of a computing resource; receive, from each of the plurality of providers, a service level agreement associated with each respective offered computing resource; normalize each of the service level agreements associated with the offered computing resources; select, based at least in part on the normalized service level agreements, one of the plurality of providers to provide the requested computing resource; and to facilitate utilization of the computing resource on the selected provider by the client, transmit a service match indicator to the client, wherein the service match indicator indicates a time at which the offered computing resource will be utilized. 14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the selected provider is associated with a first department within an enterprise, and wherein the requesting computer is associated with a second department within the enterprise, and further comprising generating a bill to the second department that is payable to the first department. 15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the logic is operable to select one of the plurality of providers by:
comparing the normalized service level agreements associated with the offered computer resources to the request for a computing resource; based on the comparison, selecting a service level agreement associated with an offered computing resource; and selecting the provider associated with the selected service level agreement. 16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the request indicates:
a first time for utilizing the requested computing resource; and a first price for utilizing the requested computing resource; and wherein the optimizer is operable to select a provider to provide the computing resource by: based on the first time and the first price, transmitting a counter-offer for the requested computing resource to the client, wherein the counter-offer indicates a second time for utilizing the computing resource and a second price for utilizing the computing resource; and wherein the logic is operable to, to facilitate utilization of the computing resource on the selected provider by the client, transmit a service match indicator to the client, wherein the time indicated by the service match indicator is the second time. 17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the offer indicates:
a first time for utilizing the offered computing resource; and a first price for utilizing the computing resource; wherein the logic is operable to select a provider to utilize the offered computing resource by transmitting, based on the first time and the first price, a request for a computing resource to a provider, wherein the request indicates a second time for utilizing the computing resource and a second price for utilizing the computing resource; and wherein the logic is operable to, to facilitate utilization of the computing resource on the selected provider by the client, transmit a service match indicator to the client, wherein the time indicated by the service match indicator is the second time. 18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein each of the service level agreements indicates an amount of computing resources available, a price at which the computer resources are offered, and a time at which the computer resources are available. 19. A system comprising:
means for receiving an offer of a computing resource from each of a plurality of providers; means for receiving, from each of the plurality of providers, a service level agreement associated with each respective offered computing resource; means for normalizing each of the service level agreements associated with the offered computing resources; means for receiving a request from a requesting computer for a computing resource; means for selecting, based at least in part on the normalized service level agreements, one of the providers to provide the requested computing resource; means for transmitting a service match indicator to the client, wherein the service match indicator indicates a time at which the offered computing resource will be utilized; and means for utilizing the computing resource on the selected provider. | 3,600 |
12,474 | 12,474 | 15,156,568 | 3,655 | A clutch assembly includes a first clutch including a cam plate, a pocket plate and axially pivoting struts that drivably connect the plates for rotation in a first rotary direction, and disconnect the plates when the cam plate rotates in a second direction relative to the pocket plate, and a second clutch including a first cam plate, a first pocket plate, a coil and first struts that drivably connect the first cam plate and the first pocket plate for rotation in the second direction and disconnect the first cam plate and the first pocket plate when the coil is energized and the first cam plate rotates in the first direction relative to the first pocket plate. | 1. A clutch assembly, comprising:
a first clutch including a cam plate, a pocket plate and axially pivoting struts that drivably connect the plates for rotation in a first rotary direction, and disconnect the plates when the cam plate rotates in a second direction relative to the pocket plate; a second clutch including a first cam plate, a first pocket plate, a coil and first struts that drivably connect the first cam plate and the first pocket plate for rotation in the second direction and disconnect the first cam plate and the first pocket plate when the coil is energized and the first cam plate rotates in the first direction relative to the first pocket plate. 2. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising:
springs urging the struts to pivot axially toward engagement with cams formed on the cam plate. 3. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising:
first springs urging the first struts to pivot axially in a first pivot direction that is opposite an axial pivot direction of the first struts caused by energizing the coil. 4. The clutch of claim 1, wherein:
cams formed on a surface of the first cam plate face the second plate; pockets formed on a surface of the first pocket plate face the cams; and a spring urging a first strut to pivot axially toward contact with the cams. 5. The clutch of claim 1, wherein:
cams formed on a surface of the first cam plate face the second plate; pockets formed on a surface of the first pocket plate face the cams; and a spring urging a first strut to pivot axially away from contact with the cams. 6. A clutch assembly, comprising:
a first clutch including a cam plate, a pocket plate and axially pivoting struts that drivably connect the plates for rotation in a first rotary direction, and disconnect the plates when the cam plate rotates in a second direction relative to the pocket plate; a second clutch including a first cam plate, a first pocket plate, a coil and first struts that drivably connect the first cam plate and the first pocket plate for rotation in the second direction and disconnect the first cam plate and the first pocket plate when the coil is energized and the first cam plate rotates in the first direction relative to the first pocket plate; cams formed on a surface of the first cam plate face the second plate; pockets formed on a surface of the first pocket plate face the cams; a spring urging a first strut to pivot axially toward contact with the cams; and a second spring urging a first strut to pivot axially away from contact with the cams. | A clutch assembly includes a first clutch including a cam plate, a pocket plate and axially pivoting struts that drivably connect the plates for rotation in a first rotary direction, and disconnect the plates when the cam plate rotates in a second direction relative to the pocket plate, and a second clutch including a first cam plate, a first pocket plate, a coil and first struts that drivably connect the first cam plate and the first pocket plate for rotation in the second direction and disconnect the first cam plate and the first pocket plate when the coil is energized and the first cam plate rotates in the first direction relative to the first pocket plate.1. A clutch assembly, comprising:
a first clutch including a cam plate, a pocket plate and axially pivoting struts that drivably connect the plates for rotation in a first rotary direction, and disconnect the plates when the cam plate rotates in a second direction relative to the pocket plate; a second clutch including a first cam plate, a first pocket plate, a coil and first struts that drivably connect the first cam plate and the first pocket plate for rotation in the second direction and disconnect the first cam plate and the first pocket plate when the coil is energized and the first cam plate rotates in the first direction relative to the first pocket plate. 2. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising:
springs urging the struts to pivot axially toward engagement with cams formed on the cam plate. 3. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising:
first springs urging the first struts to pivot axially in a first pivot direction that is opposite an axial pivot direction of the first struts caused by energizing the coil. 4. The clutch of claim 1, wherein:
cams formed on a surface of the first cam plate face the second plate; pockets formed on a surface of the first pocket plate face the cams; and a spring urging a first strut to pivot axially toward contact with the cams. 5. The clutch of claim 1, wherein:
cams formed on a surface of the first cam plate face the second plate; pockets formed on a surface of the first pocket plate face the cams; and a spring urging a first strut to pivot axially away from contact with the cams. 6. A clutch assembly, comprising:
a first clutch including a cam plate, a pocket plate and axially pivoting struts that drivably connect the plates for rotation in a first rotary direction, and disconnect the plates when the cam plate rotates in a second direction relative to the pocket plate; a second clutch including a first cam plate, a first pocket plate, a coil and first struts that drivably connect the first cam plate and the first pocket plate for rotation in the second direction and disconnect the first cam plate and the first pocket plate when the coil is energized and the first cam plate rotates in the first direction relative to the first pocket plate; cams formed on a surface of the first cam plate face the second plate; pockets formed on a surface of the first pocket plate face the cams; a spring urging a first strut to pivot axially toward contact with the cams; and a second spring urging a first strut to pivot axially away from contact with the cams. | 3,600 |
12,475 | 12,475 | 12,567,973 | 3,681 | Methods and systems for customer performance scoring are provided. In one embodiment a method and system for customer performance scoring can include receiving user identification information. Based at least in part on the user identification information, a customer performance score can be determined. Based at least in part on the customer performance score, an offer to extend to an online user can be determined. | 1. A method for providing an online offer, comprising:
receiving user identification information; based at least in part on the user identification information, determining a customer performance score; based at least in part on the customer performance score, determining an offer to extend to an online user. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
transmitting the offer to the online user. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving user identification information comprises receiving previously stored user information from one or more data storage devices. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a customer performance score comprises:
determining at least one persistence attribute based at least in part on the user identification information; determining at least one value attribute based at least in part on the user identification information; and combining the at least one persistence attribute with the at least one value attribute. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining an offer to extend to an online user comprises:
comparing the customer performance score against a plurality of predetermined scores and corresponding offers; and upon matching at least one of the plurality of predetermined scores, selecting at least one of the plurality of corresponding offers. 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
generating an output comprising a distribution of one or more offers provided to online users wherein the distribution is based on at least one of the following: customer performance score, volume, or revenue. 7. A method for determining a customer performance score, comprising:
based at least in part on a persistence attribute, determining at least one persistence factor; based at least in part on a value attribute, determining at least one value factor; and based at least in part on the at least one persistence factor and the at least one value factor, determining a customer performance score indicative of a customer's performance relative to other customers. 8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:
receiving user information from at least one of the following: user input or from one or more data storage devices; and based at least in part on the user information, determining a persistence attribute and a value attribute. 9. The method of claim 7, wherein determining at least one persistence factor comprises weighting the persistence attribute; and wherein determining at least one value factor comprises weighting the value attribute. 10. The method of claim 7, wherein determining a customer performance score comprises:
combining the persistence factor with the value factor. 11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:
based at least in part on the customer performance score, providing an offer to the online user. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein providing an offer to the online user comprises:
comparing the customer performance score against a plurality of predetermined scores and corresponding offers; and upon matching at least one of the plurality of predetermined scores, selecting at least one of the plurality of corresponding offers. 13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:
generating an output comprising a distribution of one or more offers provided to online users wherein the distribution is based on at least one of the following: customer performance score, volume, or revenue. 14. A system for providing an online offer, comprising:
a processor operable to:
receive user identification information;
determine a customer performance score based at least in part on the user identification information; and
determine an offer to extend to an online user based at least in part on the customer performance score. 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is further operable to:
transmit the offer to the online user. 16. A system for determining a customer performance score, comprising:
a processor operable to:
determine at least one persistence factor based at least in part on a persistence attribute;
determine at least one value factor based at least in part on a value attribute; and
determine a customer performance score indicative of a customer's performance relative to other customers based at least in part on the at least one persistence factor and the at least one value factor. 17. The system of claim 16, further comprising:
receiving user information from at least one of the following: user input or from one or more data storage devices; and based at least in part on the user information, determining a persistence attribute and a value attribute. 18. The system of claim 16, further comprising:
providing an offer to the online user based at least in part on the customer performance score. 19. The system of claim 16, further comprising:
generating an output comprising a distribution of one or more offers provided to online users wherein the distribution is based on at least one of the following: customer performance score, volume, or revenue. 20. A method for receiving an online offer, comprising:
transmitting user identification information; receiving an online offer based at least in part on a customer performance score, wherein the customer performance score comprises at least one persistence component and at least one value component, the at least one persistence component and at least one value component based at least in part on user identification information; and transmitting an acceptance or decline of the online offer. | Methods and systems for customer performance scoring are provided. In one embodiment a method and system for customer performance scoring can include receiving user identification information. Based at least in part on the user identification information, a customer performance score can be determined. Based at least in part on the customer performance score, an offer to extend to an online user can be determined.1. A method for providing an online offer, comprising:
receiving user identification information; based at least in part on the user identification information, determining a customer performance score; based at least in part on the customer performance score, determining an offer to extend to an online user. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
transmitting the offer to the online user. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving user identification information comprises receiving previously stored user information from one or more data storage devices. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a customer performance score comprises:
determining at least one persistence attribute based at least in part on the user identification information; determining at least one value attribute based at least in part on the user identification information; and combining the at least one persistence attribute with the at least one value attribute. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining an offer to extend to an online user comprises:
comparing the customer performance score against a plurality of predetermined scores and corresponding offers; and upon matching at least one of the plurality of predetermined scores, selecting at least one of the plurality of corresponding offers. 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
generating an output comprising a distribution of one or more offers provided to online users wherein the distribution is based on at least one of the following: customer performance score, volume, or revenue. 7. A method for determining a customer performance score, comprising:
based at least in part on a persistence attribute, determining at least one persistence factor; based at least in part on a value attribute, determining at least one value factor; and based at least in part on the at least one persistence factor and the at least one value factor, determining a customer performance score indicative of a customer's performance relative to other customers. 8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:
receiving user information from at least one of the following: user input or from one or more data storage devices; and based at least in part on the user information, determining a persistence attribute and a value attribute. 9. The method of claim 7, wherein determining at least one persistence factor comprises weighting the persistence attribute; and wherein determining at least one value factor comprises weighting the value attribute. 10. The method of claim 7, wherein determining a customer performance score comprises:
combining the persistence factor with the value factor. 11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:
based at least in part on the customer performance score, providing an offer to the online user. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein providing an offer to the online user comprises:
comparing the customer performance score against a plurality of predetermined scores and corresponding offers; and upon matching at least one of the plurality of predetermined scores, selecting at least one of the plurality of corresponding offers. 13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:
generating an output comprising a distribution of one or more offers provided to online users wherein the distribution is based on at least one of the following: customer performance score, volume, or revenue. 14. A system for providing an online offer, comprising:
a processor operable to:
receive user identification information;
determine a customer performance score based at least in part on the user identification information; and
determine an offer to extend to an online user based at least in part on the customer performance score. 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is further operable to:
transmit the offer to the online user. 16. A system for determining a customer performance score, comprising:
a processor operable to:
determine at least one persistence factor based at least in part on a persistence attribute;
determine at least one value factor based at least in part on a value attribute; and
determine a customer performance score indicative of a customer's performance relative to other customers based at least in part on the at least one persistence factor and the at least one value factor. 17. The system of claim 16, further comprising:
receiving user information from at least one of the following: user input or from one or more data storage devices; and based at least in part on the user information, determining a persistence attribute and a value attribute. 18. The system of claim 16, further comprising:
providing an offer to the online user based at least in part on the customer performance score. 19. The system of claim 16, further comprising:
generating an output comprising a distribution of one or more offers provided to online users wherein the distribution is based on at least one of the following: customer performance score, volume, or revenue. 20. A method for receiving an online offer, comprising:
transmitting user identification information; receiving an online offer based at least in part on a customer performance score, wherein the customer performance score comprises at least one persistence component and at least one value component, the at least one persistence component and at least one value component based at least in part on user identification information; and transmitting an acceptance or decline of the online offer. | 3,600 |
12,476 | 12,476 | 15,382,284 | 3,635 | An anchor includes an anchor body and an insert at least partially within the anchor body. The anchor also includes a coupler body, the coupler body mechanically coupled to the insert, and a coupler nut, the coupler nut coupled to the coupler body. | 1. An anchor for a post-tensioning tendon comprising:
an anchor body; an insert at least partially within the anchor body; a coupler body, the coupler body mechanically coupled to the insert; and a coupler nut, the coupler nut coupled to the coupler body. 2. The anchor of claim 1, wherein the coupler body further comprises an anchor coupling flange having coupling features formed thereon and the insert further comprises corresponding coupling features formed thereon for mechanically coupling the coupler body to the insert. 3. The anchor of claim 2, wherein the coupling features and corresponding coupling features comprise one or more of a threaded connection or bayonet ramps. 4. The anchor of claim 1, wherein the coupler body further comprises an anchor coupling flange having bayonet ramps formed thereon, and the insert further comprises corresponding bayonet ramps formed thereon for mechanically coupling the coupler body to the insert. 5. The anchor of claim 1, wherein the coupler body further comprises threads formed on an exterior surface thereof for coupling the coupler body to the coupler nut. 6. The anchor of claim 1, further comprising a pocket former, the pocket former positioned about the coupler body. 7. The anchor of claim 1, wherein the coupler body is threadedly coupled to the anchor body. 8. The anchor of claim 1, wherein the insert is mechanically coupled to the anchor body by press fitting, mechanical welding, chemical welding, friction welding, thermal coupling or welding, electrical welding, optical welding, or beam-energy welding. 9. The anchor of claim 1, wherein the insert is formed from a flame resistant material. 10. The anchor of claim 1, wherein the insert is formed from metal. 11. The anchor of claim 1, wherein the insert is formed from at least one of steel, aluminum, or zinc. 12. A method of forming a post-tensioned concrete member comprising:
positioning a post-tensioning tendon within a concrete form, the post-tensioning tendon including a tension member, a fixed anchor, and a stressing anchor, the fixed anchor positioned at a first position within the concrete form, the stressing anchor positioned at a second position within the concrete form, the tension member extending between the fixed anchor and the stressing anchor, one or both of the fixed anchor and stressing anchor including:
an anchor body, the anchor body including an insert;
a coupler body; and
a coupler nut;
mechanically coupling the coupler body to the insert; positioning the coupler body through an end of the concrete form; threadedly coupling the coupler nut to the coupler body; placing concrete into the concrete form; and tensioning the tension member. 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:
removing the coupler nut; removing the end of the concrete form; and removing the coupler body from the anchor body. 14. The method of claim 12, wherein the coupler body further comprises an anchor coupling flange having coupling features formed thereon and the insert further comprises corresponding coupling features, and wherein mechanically coupling the coupler body to the insert comprises coupling the coupler body to the insert. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the coupling features and corresponding coupling features comprise one or more of a threaded connection or bayonet ramps. 16. The method of claim 12, wherein the coupler body further comprises an anchor coupling flange having bayonet ramps formed thereon and the insert further comprises corresponding bayonet ramps, and wherein mechanically coupling the coupler body to the insert comprises engaging the bayonet ramps of the coupler body with the bayonet ramps of the insert. 17. The method of claim 12, wherein the insert is formed from a flame resistant material. 18. The method of claim 12, wherein the coupler body further comprises threads formed on an exterior surface thereof for coupling the coupler body to the coupler nut. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the threads formed on the exterior surface of the coupler body are one or more of straight threads, tapered threads, continuous threads, discontinuous threads, threads of varying density, threads of varying angles, and threads of varying pitch. 20. The method of claim 12, wherein the insert is formed from metal. 21. The method of claim 12, wherein the insert is formed from at least one of steel, aluminum, or zinc. 22. The method of claim 12, further comprising:
positioning a pocket former about the coupler body before the coupler body is positioned through the end of the concrete form. | An anchor includes an anchor body and an insert at least partially within the anchor body. The anchor also includes a coupler body, the coupler body mechanically coupled to the insert, and a coupler nut, the coupler nut coupled to the coupler body.1. An anchor for a post-tensioning tendon comprising:
an anchor body; an insert at least partially within the anchor body; a coupler body, the coupler body mechanically coupled to the insert; and a coupler nut, the coupler nut coupled to the coupler body. 2. The anchor of claim 1, wherein the coupler body further comprises an anchor coupling flange having coupling features formed thereon and the insert further comprises corresponding coupling features formed thereon for mechanically coupling the coupler body to the insert. 3. The anchor of claim 2, wherein the coupling features and corresponding coupling features comprise one or more of a threaded connection or bayonet ramps. 4. The anchor of claim 1, wherein the coupler body further comprises an anchor coupling flange having bayonet ramps formed thereon, and the insert further comprises corresponding bayonet ramps formed thereon for mechanically coupling the coupler body to the insert. 5. The anchor of claim 1, wherein the coupler body further comprises threads formed on an exterior surface thereof for coupling the coupler body to the coupler nut. 6. The anchor of claim 1, further comprising a pocket former, the pocket former positioned about the coupler body. 7. The anchor of claim 1, wherein the coupler body is threadedly coupled to the anchor body. 8. The anchor of claim 1, wherein the insert is mechanically coupled to the anchor body by press fitting, mechanical welding, chemical welding, friction welding, thermal coupling or welding, electrical welding, optical welding, or beam-energy welding. 9. The anchor of claim 1, wherein the insert is formed from a flame resistant material. 10. The anchor of claim 1, wherein the insert is formed from metal. 11. The anchor of claim 1, wherein the insert is formed from at least one of steel, aluminum, or zinc. 12. A method of forming a post-tensioned concrete member comprising:
positioning a post-tensioning tendon within a concrete form, the post-tensioning tendon including a tension member, a fixed anchor, and a stressing anchor, the fixed anchor positioned at a first position within the concrete form, the stressing anchor positioned at a second position within the concrete form, the tension member extending between the fixed anchor and the stressing anchor, one or both of the fixed anchor and stressing anchor including:
an anchor body, the anchor body including an insert;
a coupler body; and
a coupler nut;
mechanically coupling the coupler body to the insert; positioning the coupler body through an end of the concrete form; threadedly coupling the coupler nut to the coupler body; placing concrete into the concrete form; and tensioning the tension member. 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:
removing the coupler nut; removing the end of the concrete form; and removing the coupler body from the anchor body. 14. The method of claim 12, wherein the coupler body further comprises an anchor coupling flange having coupling features formed thereon and the insert further comprises corresponding coupling features, and wherein mechanically coupling the coupler body to the insert comprises coupling the coupler body to the insert. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the coupling features and corresponding coupling features comprise one or more of a threaded connection or bayonet ramps. 16. The method of claim 12, wherein the coupler body further comprises an anchor coupling flange having bayonet ramps formed thereon and the insert further comprises corresponding bayonet ramps, and wherein mechanically coupling the coupler body to the insert comprises engaging the bayonet ramps of the coupler body with the bayonet ramps of the insert. 17. The method of claim 12, wherein the insert is formed from a flame resistant material. 18. The method of claim 12, wherein the coupler body further comprises threads formed on an exterior surface thereof for coupling the coupler body to the coupler nut. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the threads formed on the exterior surface of the coupler body are one or more of straight threads, tapered threads, continuous threads, discontinuous threads, threads of varying density, threads of varying angles, and threads of varying pitch. 20. The method of claim 12, wherein the insert is formed from metal. 21. The method of claim 12, wherein the insert is formed from at least one of steel, aluminum, or zinc. 22. The method of claim 12, further comprising:
positioning a pocket former about the coupler body before the coupler body is positioned through the end of the concrete form. | 3,600 |
12,477 | 12,477 | 14,161,586 | 3,693 | Methods for identifying insurance product offerings from different insurers to present to a user are provided. In one aspect, a method includes receiving user information for a user seeking an insurance product offering, and identifying, based on the user information, at least one insurance product offering from at least one of the plurality of insurers to provide for display in a prioritized insurance policy presentation. The method also includes providing the identification of the at least one insurance product offering from the at least one of the plurality of insurers for display in the prioritized insurance policy presentation. Systems and machine-readable media are also provided. | 1. A system for identifying insurance product offerings from different insurers to present to a user, the system comprising:
a memory comprising instructions; and a processor configured to:
receive, over a network, user information from a referring insurer for a user seeking an insurance product offering, the user associated with a customer value prediction indicative of the user's likelihood to purchase an insurance product offering from the referring insurer;
when the customer value prediction is less than a threshold value, request a bid from at least two of a plurality of insurers for an opportunity to display an insurance product offering to the user;
receive the bid for at least one insurance product offering from each of the at least two of the plurality of insurers;
identify, based on the user information and from the bidding information, a qualifying bid for at least one insurance product offering from among the received bids for display in a prioritized insurance policy presentation on a website or in an application;
provide information indicative of the at least one insurance product offering associated with the qualifying bid for display in the prioritized insurance policy presentation on the website or in the application; and
provide information indicative of a user interaction with the prioritized insurance policy presentation on the website or in the application, to an insurer associated with the qualifying bid, wherein the user interaction comprises whether the user selected the at least one insurance product offering associated with the qualifying bid. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory also comprises bidding information from the plurality of insurers for the received bids, and wherein the processor being configured to identify the qualifying bid for the at least one insurance product offering comprises the processor being configured to identify the qualifying bid for the at least one insurance product offering from the bidding information in the memory. 3-4. (canceled) 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the user for the insurance product offering is identified from the referring insurer, and wherein the prioritized insurance policy presentation on the website or in the application comprises an insurance product offering from the referring insurer and the insurance product offering from the at least one of the plurality of insurers associated with the qualifying bid. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the prioritized insurance policy presentation on the website or in the application is provided for display on at least one of a web page, email, mobile application, or advertisement associated with the referring insurer, and wherein the processor is further configured to facilitate a payment, from the at least one of the plurality of insurers associated with the qualifying bid to the referring insurer, for providing the information indicative of the at least one insurance product offering associated with the qualifying bid for display in the prioritized insurance policy presentation on the website or in the application. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the qualifying bid is selected based on at least one of a relevance of a bid to the user or an expected value to the referring insurer. 8. The system of claim 1,
wherein the user information comprises at least one of a zip code, credit tier, premium amount, geographic location, a reason for seeking insurance, a number of items to be insured, a previous insurer, education level, age, bodily injury limit, age of an item, number of previous insurable incidents, coverage package, type of residence, marital status, day of week an insurance product offering was requested, prior insurance information, amount of time lapse since the insurance product offering was requested, a number of drivers to be insured, or gender, wherein the processor being configured to request the bid from at least two of the plurality of insurers for the opportunity to display the insurance product offering to the user comprises the processor being configured to provide the user information to each of the at least two of the plurality of insurers and wherein each of the received bids is based on the provided user information. 9. The system of claim 1,
wherein the processor being configured to identify the qualifying bid for at least one insurance product offering from among the received bids comprises the processor being configured to identify at least two qualifying bids, each of the at least two qualifying bids associated with an insurance product offering provided by a different insurer, and wherein each of the insurance product offerings associated with the at least two qualifying bids is prioritized for display in the prioritized insurance policy presentation on the website or in the application based on at least one of a value of the associated qualifying bid, a predicted relevance of the at least one insurance product offering associated with the qualifying bid to the user, an expected profit associated with the qualifying bid for the referring insurer, or the user information for the user. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:
provide the information indicative of the interaction of the user with the prioritized insurance presentation on the website or in the application. 11. The system of claim 1, wherein the user information comprises at least one of a zip code, credit tier, premium amount, geographic location, a reason for seeking insurance, a number of items to be insured, a previous insurer, education level, age, bodily injury limit, age of an item, number of previous insurable incidents, coverage package, type of residence, marital status, day of week an insurance product offering was requested, prior insurance information, amount of time lapse since the insurance product offering was requested, a number of drivers to be insured, or gender. 12. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to select the prioritized insurance policy presentation on the website or in the application based on the customer value prediction. 13. A method for identifying insurance product offerings from different insurers to present to a user, the method comprising:
receiving, over a network, user information from a referring insurer for a user seeking an insurance product offering, the user associated with a customer value prediction indicative of the user's likelihood to purchase an insurance product offering from the referring insurer; when the customer value prediction is less than a threshold value, requesting a bid from at least two of a plurality of insurers for an opportunity to display an insurance product offering to the user; receiving the bid for at least one insurance product offering from each of the at least two of the plurality of insurers; identifying, based on the user information, and from the bidding information, a qualifying bid for at least one insurance product offering from among the received bids for display in a prioritized insurance policy presentation on a website or in an application; and providing information indicative of the at least one insurance product offering associated with the qualifying bid for display in the prioritized insurance policy presentation on the website or in the application; and providing information indicative of a user interaction with the prioritized insurance policy presentation on a website or in the application, to an insurer associated with the qualifying bid, wherein the user interaction comprises whether the user selected the at least one insurance product offering associated with the qualifying bid. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein identifying the qualifying bid for the at least one insurance product offering comprises identifying, from bidding information associated with the received bids stored in a memory, the qualifying bid for the at least one insurance product offering. 15-16. (canceled) 17. The method of claim 13, wherein the user for the insurance product offering is identified from the referring insurer, and wherein the prioritized insurance policy presentation on the website or in the application comprises an insurance product offering from the referring insurer and the insurance product offering from the at least one of the plurality of insurers associated with the qualifying bid. 18. The method of claim 13, wherein the prioritized insurance policy presentation on the website or in the application is provided for display on at least one of a web page, email, mobile application, or advertisement associated with the referring insurer, and the method further comprises facilitating a payment, from the at least one of the plurality of insurers associated with the qualifying bid to the referring insurer, for providing the information indicative of the at least one insurance product offering associated with the qualifying bid for display in the prioritized insurance policy presentation on the website or in the application. 19. The method of claim 13, wherein the qualifying bid is selected based on at least one of a relevance of a bid to the user an expected profit to the referring insurer. 20. The method of claim 13, wherein:
the user information comprises at least one of a zip code, credit tier, premium amount, geographic location, a reason for seeking insurance, a number of items to be insured, a previous insurer, education level, age, bodily injury limit, age of an item, number of previous insurable incidents, coverage package, type of residence, marital status, day of week an insurance product offering was requested, prior insurance information, amount of time lapse since the insurance product offering was requested, a number of drivers to be insured, or gender, requesting the bid from at least two of the plurality of insurers for the opportunity to display the insurance product offering to the user comprises providing the user information to each of the at least two of the plurality of insurers, and wherein each of the received bids is based on the provided user information. 21. The method of claim 13, wherein:
identifying the qualifying bid for at least one insurance product offering from among the received bids comprises identifying at least two qualifying bids, each of the at least two qualifying bids associated with an insurance product offering, and each of the insurance product offerings associated with the at least two qualifying bids is prioritized for display in the prioritized insurance policy presentation on the website or in the application based on at least one of a value of the associated qualifying bid, a predicted relevance of the at least one insurance product offering associated with the qualifying bid to the user, an expected profit associated with the qualifying bid for the referring insurer, or the user information for the user. 22. The method of claim 13, further comprising:
receiving information indicative of an interaction of the user with the prioritized insurance policy presentation on the website or in the application comprising the identification of the at least one insurance product offering associated with the qualifying bid; and providing the information indicative of the interaction of the user with the prioritized insurance policy presentation to the at least one of the plurality of insurers associated with the at least one qualifying bid. 23. The method of claim 13, wherein the user information comprises at least one of a zip code, credit tier, premium amount, geographic location, a reason for seeking insurance, a number of items to be insured, a previous insurer, education level, age, bodily injury limit, age of an item, number of previous insurable incidents, coverage package, type of residence, marital status, day of week an insurance product offering was requested, prior insurance information, amount of time lapse since the insurance product offering was requested, a number of drivers to be insured, or gender. 24. The method of claim 13, wherein the information indicative of the at least one insurance product offering is provided for display in the prioritized insurance policy presentation on the website or in the application when the customer value prediction is less than a threshold value. 25. A machine-readable storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions for causing a processor to execute a method for identifying insurance product offerings from different insurers to present to a user, the method comprising:
receiving, over a network, user information from a referring insurer for a user seeking an insurance product offering, the user associated with a customer value prediction indicative of the user's likelihood to purchase an insurance product offering from the referring insurer; when the customer value prediction is less than a threshold value, requesting a bid from at least two of a plurality of insurers for an opportunity to display an insurance product offering to the user; receiving the bid for at least one insurance product offering from each of the at least two of the plurality of insurers; identifying, based on the user information, and from the bidding information, a qualifying bid for at least one insurance product offering from among the received bids for display in a prioritized insurance policy presentation on a website or in an application; providing information indicative of the at least one insurance product offering associated with the qualifying bid for display in the prioritized insurance policy presentation on the website or in the application; and providing information indicative of the user interaction with the prioritized insurance policy presentation on the website or in the application, to an insurer associated with the qualifying bid, wherein the user interaction comprises whether the user selected the at least one insurance product offering associated with the qualifying bid. 26. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one insurance product offering associated with the qualifying bid is prioritized for display in the prioritized insurance policy presentation on the website or in the application based on the customer value prediction. 27. The system of claim 1, wherein the customer value prediction is determined based on at least one of a stored successful information for another user or a stored unsuccessful information for another user. 28. The system of claim 1, wherein the customer value prediction is determined based on a referral source indicator. 29. A system for identifying insurance product offerings from different insurers to present to a user, the system comprising:
(a) a computer memory comprising user information for a user seeking an insurance product offering,
(i) wherein the user information is received from a referring insurer at a website or application, and
(ii) wherein the user is associated with a customer value prediction indicative of the user's likelihood to purchase an insurance product offering from the referring insurer, and
(b) a marketplace server, which is coupled to the computer memory and comprises a processor configured to:
(i) receive the user information;
(ii) request a bid from at least two of a plurality of insurers for an opportunity to display an insurance product offering to the user when the customer value prediction is less than a threshold value;
(iii) receive the bid for at least one insurance product offering from each of the at least two of the plurality of insurers;
(iv) identify, based on the user information and from the bidding information, a qualifying bid for at least one insurance product offering from among the received bids for display in a prioritized insurance policy presentation on a website or in an application;
(v) provide information indicative of the at least one insurance product offering associated with the qualifying bid for display in the prioritized insurance policy presentation on the website or in the application; and
(vi) provide information indicative of the user interaction with the prioritized insurance policy presentation on the website or in the application, to the insurer associated with the qualifying bid, wherein the user interaction comprises whether the user selected the at least one insurance product offering associated with the qualifying bid. | Methods for identifying insurance product offerings from different insurers to present to a user are provided. In one aspect, a method includes receiving user information for a user seeking an insurance product offering, and identifying, based on the user information, at least one insurance product offering from at least one of the plurality of insurers to provide for display in a prioritized insurance policy presentation. The method also includes providing the identification of the at least one insurance product offering from the at least one of the plurality of insurers for display in the prioritized insurance policy presentation. Systems and machine-readable media are also provided.1. A system for identifying insurance product offerings from different insurers to present to a user, the system comprising:
a memory comprising instructions; and a processor configured to:
receive, over a network, user information from a referring insurer for a user seeking an insurance product offering, the user associated with a customer value prediction indicative of the user's likelihood to purchase an insurance product offering from the referring insurer;
when the customer value prediction is less than a threshold value, request a bid from at least two of a plurality of insurers for an opportunity to display an insurance product offering to the user;
receive the bid for at least one insurance product offering from each of the at least two of the plurality of insurers;
identify, based on the user information and from the bidding information, a qualifying bid for at least one insurance product offering from among the received bids for display in a prioritized insurance policy presentation on a website or in an application;
provide information indicative of the at least one insurance product offering associated with the qualifying bid for display in the prioritized insurance policy presentation on the website or in the application; and
provide information indicative of a user interaction with the prioritized insurance policy presentation on the website or in the application, to an insurer associated with the qualifying bid, wherein the user interaction comprises whether the user selected the at least one insurance product offering associated with the qualifying bid. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory also comprises bidding information from the plurality of insurers for the received bids, and wherein the processor being configured to identify the qualifying bid for the at least one insurance product offering comprises the processor being configured to identify the qualifying bid for the at least one insurance product offering from the bidding information in the memory. 3-4. (canceled) 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the user for the insurance product offering is identified from the referring insurer, and wherein the prioritized insurance policy presentation on the website or in the application comprises an insurance product offering from the referring insurer and the insurance product offering from the at least one of the plurality of insurers associated with the qualifying bid. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the prioritized insurance policy presentation on the website or in the application is provided for display on at least one of a web page, email, mobile application, or advertisement associated with the referring insurer, and wherein the processor is further configured to facilitate a payment, from the at least one of the plurality of insurers associated with the qualifying bid to the referring insurer, for providing the information indicative of the at least one insurance product offering associated with the qualifying bid for display in the prioritized insurance policy presentation on the website or in the application. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the qualifying bid is selected based on at least one of a relevance of a bid to the user or an expected value to the referring insurer. 8. The system of claim 1,
wherein the user information comprises at least one of a zip code, credit tier, premium amount, geographic location, a reason for seeking insurance, a number of items to be insured, a previous insurer, education level, age, bodily injury limit, age of an item, number of previous insurable incidents, coverage package, type of residence, marital status, day of week an insurance product offering was requested, prior insurance information, amount of time lapse since the insurance product offering was requested, a number of drivers to be insured, or gender, wherein the processor being configured to request the bid from at least two of the plurality of insurers for the opportunity to display the insurance product offering to the user comprises the processor being configured to provide the user information to each of the at least two of the plurality of insurers and wherein each of the received bids is based on the provided user information. 9. The system of claim 1,
wherein the processor being configured to identify the qualifying bid for at least one insurance product offering from among the received bids comprises the processor being configured to identify at least two qualifying bids, each of the at least two qualifying bids associated with an insurance product offering provided by a different insurer, and wherein each of the insurance product offerings associated with the at least two qualifying bids is prioritized for display in the prioritized insurance policy presentation on the website or in the application based on at least one of a value of the associated qualifying bid, a predicted relevance of the at least one insurance product offering associated with the qualifying bid to the user, an expected profit associated with the qualifying bid for the referring insurer, or the user information for the user. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:
provide the information indicative of the interaction of the user with the prioritized insurance presentation on the website or in the application. 11. The system of claim 1, wherein the user information comprises at least one of a zip code, credit tier, premium amount, geographic location, a reason for seeking insurance, a number of items to be insured, a previous insurer, education level, age, bodily injury limit, age of an item, number of previous insurable incidents, coverage package, type of residence, marital status, day of week an insurance product offering was requested, prior insurance information, amount of time lapse since the insurance product offering was requested, a number of drivers to be insured, or gender. 12. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to select the prioritized insurance policy presentation on the website or in the application based on the customer value prediction. 13. A method for identifying insurance product offerings from different insurers to present to a user, the method comprising:
receiving, over a network, user information from a referring insurer for a user seeking an insurance product offering, the user associated with a customer value prediction indicative of the user's likelihood to purchase an insurance product offering from the referring insurer; when the customer value prediction is less than a threshold value, requesting a bid from at least two of a plurality of insurers for an opportunity to display an insurance product offering to the user; receiving the bid for at least one insurance product offering from each of the at least two of the plurality of insurers; identifying, based on the user information, and from the bidding information, a qualifying bid for at least one insurance product offering from among the received bids for display in a prioritized insurance policy presentation on a website or in an application; and providing information indicative of the at least one insurance product offering associated with the qualifying bid for display in the prioritized insurance policy presentation on the website or in the application; and providing information indicative of a user interaction with the prioritized insurance policy presentation on a website or in the application, to an insurer associated with the qualifying bid, wherein the user interaction comprises whether the user selected the at least one insurance product offering associated with the qualifying bid. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein identifying the qualifying bid for the at least one insurance product offering comprises identifying, from bidding information associated with the received bids stored in a memory, the qualifying bid for the at least one insurance product offering. 15-16. (canceled) 17. The method of claim 13, wherein the user for the insurance product offering is identified from the referring insurer, and wherein the prioritized insurance policy presentation on the website or in the application comprises an insurance product offering from the referring insurer and the insurance product offering from the at least one of the plurality of insurers associated with the qualifying bid. 18. The method of claim 13, wherein the prioritized insurance policy presentation on the website or in the application is provided for display on at least one of a web page, email, mobile application, or advertisement associated with the referring insurer, and the method further comprises facilitating a payment, from the at least one of the plurality of insurers associated with the qualifying bid to the referring insurer, for providing the information indicative of the at least one insurance product offering associated with the qualifying bid for display in the prioritized insurance policy presentation on the website or in the application. 19. The method of claim 13, wherein the qualifying bid is selected based on at least one of a relevance of a bid to the user an expected profit to the referring insurer. 20. The method of claim 13, wherein:
the user information comprises at least one of a zip code, credit tier, premium amount, geographic location, a reason for seeking insurance, a number of items to be insured, a previous insurer, education level, age, bodily injury limit, age of an item, number of previous insurable incidents, coverage package, type of residence, marital status, day of week an insurance product offering was requested, prior insurance information, amount of time lapse since the insurance product offering was requested, a number of drivers to be insured, or gender, requesting the bid from at least two of the plurality of insurers for the opportunity to display the insurance product offering to the user comprises providing the user information to each of the at least two of the plurality of insurers, and wherein each of the received bids is based on the provided user information. 21. The method of claim 13, wherein:
identifying the qualifying bid for at least one insurance product offering from among the received bids comprises identifying at least two qualifying bids, each of the at least two qualifying bids associated with an insurance product offering, and each of the insurance product offerings associated with the at least two qualifying bids is prioritized for display in the prioritized insurance policy presentation on the website or in the application based on at least one of a value of the associated qualifying bid, a predicted relevance of the at least one insurance product offering associated with the qualifying bid to the user, an expected profit associated with the qualifying bid for the referring insurer, or the user information for the user. 22. The method of claim 13, further comprising:
receiving information indicative of an interaction of the user with the prioritized insurance policy presentation on the website or in the application comprising the identification of the at least one insurance product offering associated with the qualifying bid; and providing the information indicative of the interaction of the user with the prioritized insurance policy presentation to the at least one of the plurality of insurers associated with the at least one qualifying bid. 23. The method of claim 13, wherein the user information comprises at least one of a zip code, credit tier, premium amount, geographic location, a reason for seeking insurance, a number of items to be insured, a previous insurer, education level, age, bodily injury limit, age of an item, number of previous insurable incidents, coverage package, type of residence, marital status, day of week an insurance product offering was requested, prior insurance information, amount of time lapse since the insurance product offering was requested, a number of drivers to be insured, or gender. 24. The method of claim 13, wherein the information indicative of the at least one insurance product offering is provided for display in the prioritized insurance policy presentation on the website or in the application when the customer value prediction is less than a threshold value. 25. A machine-readable storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions for causing a processor to execute a method for identifying insurance product offerings from different insurers to present to a user, the method comprising:
receiving, over a network, user information from a referring insurer for a user seeking an insurance product offering, the user associated with a customer value prediction indicative of the user's likelihood to purchase an insurance product offering from the referring insurer; when the customer value prediction is less than a threshold value, requesting a bid from at least two of a plurality of insurers for an opportunity to display an insurance product offering to the user; receiving the bid for at least one insurance product offering from each of the at least two of the plurality of insurers; identifying, based on the user information, and from the bidding information, a qualifying bid for at least one insurance product offering from among the received bids for display in a prioritized insurance policy presentation on a website or in an application; providing information indicative of the at least one insurance product offering associated with the qualifying bid for display in the prioritized insurance policy presentation on the website or in the application; and providing information indicative of the user interaction with the prioritized insurance policy presentation on the website or in the application, to an insurer associated with the qualifying bid, wherein the user interaction comprises whether the user selected the at least one insurance product offering associated with the qualifying bid. 26. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one insurance product offering associated with the qualifying bid is prioritized for display in the prioritized insurance policy presentation on the website or in the application based on the customer value prediction. 27. The system of claim 1, wherein the customer value prediction is determined based on at least one of a stored successful information for another user or a stored unsuccessful information for another user. 28. The system of claim 1, wherein the customer value prediction is determined based on a referral source indicator. 29. A system for identifying insurance product offerings from different insurers to present to a user, the system comprising:
(a) a computer memory comprising user information for a user seeking an insurance product offering,
(i) wherein the user information is received from a referring insurer at a website or application, and
(ii) wherein the user is associated with a customer value prediction indicative of the user's likelihood to purchase an insurance product offering from the referring insurer, and
(b) a marketplace server, which is coupled to the computer memory and comprises a processor configured to:
(i) receive the user information;
(ii) request a bid from at least two of a plurality of insurers for an opportunity to display an insurance product offering to the user when the customer value prediction is less than a threshold value;
(iii) receive the bid for at least one insurance product offering from each of the at least two of the plurality of insurers;
(iv) identify, based on the user information and from the bidding information, a qualifying bid for at least one insurance product offering from among the received bids for display in a prioritized insurance policy presentation on a website or in an application;
(v) provide information indicative of the at least one insurance product offering associated with the qualifying bid for display in the prioritized insurance policy presentation on the website or in the application; and
(vi) provide information indicative of the user interaction with the prioritized insurance policy presentation on the website or in the application, to the insurer associated with the qualifying bid, wherein the user interaction comprises whether the user selected the at least one insurance product offering associated with the qualifying bid. | 3,600 |
12,478 | 12,478 | 13,963,934 | 3,686 | A method is provided for obtaining payment for services provided to a patient by a healthcare service provider. The method includes receiving a description ( 203 ) of the healthcare services to be provided to the patient by the healthcare service provider; obtaining a cost estimate ( 205 ) for the patient responsibility portion of the cost of the healthcare services; and receiving payment authorization ( 207 ) from the patient in the amount of the cost estimate along with the payment method information. The payment authorization includes authorization to withdraw funds in the estimated amount from an account associated with the patient. After the healthcare services have been provided to the patient or after all claims relating to the healthcare services have been adjudicated, funds are withdrawn ( 215 ) from the account in the authorized amount. | 1. A method for obtaining payment for healthcare services provided to a patient by a healthcare service provider, the method comprising:
receiving a description of the healthcare services to be provided to the patient by the healthcare service provider; obtaining a cost estimate for the cost of the healthcare services; estimating the patient responsibility portion of this cost; receiving payment authorization from the patient in an amount sufficient to cover the cost estimate, wherein the payment authorization includes authorization to withdraw funds up to the authorized amount from an account associated with the patient; and after the healthcare services have been provided or after all claims relating to the healthcare services have been adjudicated, withdrawing funds from the account for the patient responsibility portion in an amount not greater than the authorized amount. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a description of the healthcare services includes uploading data from a database maintained by the healthcare service provider which includes information about scheduled appointments at the healthcare service provider. 3. (canceled) 4. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining a cost estimate includes retrieving data from a fee schedule associated with a healthcare service provider or a healthcare payer. 5. (canceled) 6. (canceled) 7. The method of claim 4, wherein the fee schedule is maintained by data from past remittances received from a healthcare payer. 8. (canceled) 9. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining a cost estimate includes estimating the costs associated with the healthcare services based on past remittances received from a plurality of healthcare payers for the described healthcare services. 10. (canceled) 11. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving payment authorization includes receiving a digital indication of consent for the payment, and wherein said digital indication of consent includes (a) an electronic signature, or (b) the selection, by the patient, of a field indicating consent, and wherein he field is rendered on a monitor by a software program. 12-13. (canceled) 14. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving payment authorization includes receiving account information from the patient for an account to be charged for the healthcare services after the healthcare services are rendered. 15. (canceled) 16. The method of claim 14, wherein the account information is stored in an electronic token associated with the patient. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the electronic token further includes a session key or a shared key to be used in withdrawing funds from the account in the authorized amount. 18-20. (canceled) 21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
comparing the description of the healthcare services received from the healthcare service provider to the healthcare services actually provided by the healthcare service provider, thereby identifying any differences between the two; and adjusting the estimated amount to account for the differences. 22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:
adjusting the payment authorization to reflect the change in services. 23. The method of claim 21, wherein the payment authorization is adjusted only if the adjusted estimated amount is not greater than the original cost estimate. 24. (canceled) 25. A non-transitory, computer readable medium which contains suitable programming instructions which, when executed by a computational device or a group of computational devices, cause the computational device or group of computational devices to perform the method of claim 1. 26. A method for processing a payment for healthcare services provided to a patient by a healthcare service provider, the method comprising:
receiving payment authorization from the patient to charge to an account up to a maximum authorized amount based on the estimated patient responsibility amount for the healthcare services; associating a remittance with the payment authorization; determining, from the associated remittance, the actual patient responsibility amount for the healthcare services; if the actual patient responsibility amount does not exceed the authorized amount, then processing the payment; and if the actual patient responsibility amount exceeds the authorized amount, then flagging the remittance for further handling. 27. (canceled) 28. The method of claim 26, wherein the estimate is a numerical range, wherein the payment is processed if the payment responsibility amount falls within the numerical range, and wherein processing the payment includes withdrawing funds from the account in the actual patient responsibility amount. 29. (canceled) 30. The method of claim 28, further comprising:
sending a receipt to the patient for the funds withdrawn. 31. The method of claim 28, further comprising:
flagging for suppression any future patient statements received for the healthcare services provided to the patient and to which the payment authorization applies. 32. The method of claim 28, wherein the healthcare services pertain to a single visit to the healthcare service provider, and flagging for suppression any future patient statements received for the healthcare services provided to the patient during that visit. 33. The method of claim 28, further comprising:
receiving a patient statement for the healthcare services; and suppressing the patient statement from processing. 34. The method of claim 26, further comprising:
receiving a description of the healthcare services to be provided to the patient by the healthcare service provider. 35. (canceled) 36. The method of claim 26, wherein the remittance is received from an insurance company. 37. The method of claim 26, wherein payment authorization is received before the healthcare services are provided to the patient. 38. The method of claim 26, wherein the payment authorization is limited to healthcare services provided during a single visit to the healthcare service provider. 39. A non-transitory, computer readable medium which contains suitable programming instructions which, when executed by a computational device or a group of computational devices, cause the computational device or group of computational devices to perform the method of claim 26. 40-49. (canceled) 50. A method for obtaining payment for healthcare services provided to a patient by a healthcare service provider, the method comprising:
receiving a description of the healthcare services to be provided to the patient by the healthcare service provider; obtaining a cost estimate for the cost of the healthcare services; estimating the patient responsibility portion of this cost; receiving payment authorization from the patient in an amount sufficient to cover the cost estimate, wherein the payment authorization includes authorization to withdraw funds up to the authorized amount from an account associated with the patient; receiving an upfront payment from the patient in an amount that partially covers the cost estimate; and after the healthcare services have been provided or after all claims relating to the healthcare services have been adjudicated, (a) if the actual amount of the patient responsibility is greater than the upfront payment, withdrawing funds from the account for the patient responsibility portion in an amount not greater than the authorized amount less the upfront payment, and (b) if the actual amount of the patient responsibility is less than the upfront payment, refunding to the account the amount of the upfront payment less the actual amount. 51. A non-transitory, computer readable medium which contains suitable programming instructions which, when executed by a computational device or a group of computational devices, cause the computational device or group of computational devices to perform the method of claim 50. | A method is provided for obtaining payment for services provided to a patient by a healthcare service provider. The method includes receiving a description ( 203 ) of the healthcare services to be provided to the patient by the healthcare service provider; obtaining a cost estimate ( 205 ) for the patient responsibility portion of the cost of the healthcare services; and receiving payment authorization ( 207 ) from the patient in the amount of the cost estimate along with the payment method information. The payment authorization includes authorization to withdraw funds in the estimated amount from an account associated with the patient. After the healthcare services have been provided to the patient or after all claims relating to the healthcare services have been adjudicated, funds are withdrawn ( 215 ) from the account in the authorized amount.1. A method for obtaining payment for healthcare services provided to a patient by a healthcare service provider, the method comprising:
receiving a description of the healthcare services to be provided to the patient by the healthcare service provider; obtaining a cost estimate for the cost of the healthcare services; estimating the patient responsibility portion of this cost; receiving payment authorization from the patient in an amount sufficient to cover the cost estimate, wherein the payment authorization includes authorization to withdraw funds up to the authorized amount from an account associated with the patient; and after the healthcare services have been provided or after all claims relating to the healthcare services have been adjudicated, withdrawing funds from the account for the patient responsibility portion in an amount not greater than the authorized amount. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a description of the healthcare services includes uploading data from a database maintained by the healthcare service provider which includes information about scheduled appointments at the healthcare service provider. 3. (canceled) 4. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining a cost estimate includes retrieving data from a fee schedule associated with a healthcare service provider or a healthcare payer. 5. (canceled) 6. (canceled) 7. The method of claim 4, wherein the fee schedule is maintained by data from past remittances received from a healthcare payer. 8. (canceled) 9. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining a cost estimate includes estimating the costs associated with the healthcare services based on past remittances received from a plurality of healthcare payers for the described healthcare services. 10. (canceled) 11. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving payment authorization includes receiving a digital indication of consent for the payment, and wherein said digital indication of consent includes (a) an electronic signature, or (b) the selection, by the patient, of a field indicating consent, and wherein he field is rendered on a monitor by a software program. 12-13. (canceled) 14. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving payment authorization includes receiving account information from the patient for an account to be charged for the healthcare services after the healthcare services are rendered. 15. (canceled) 16. The method of claim 14, wherein the account information is stored in an electronic token associated with the patient. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the electronic token further includes a session key or a shared key to be used in withdrawing funds from the account in the authorized amount. 18-20. (canceled) 21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
comparing the description of the healthcare services received from the healthcare service provider to the healthcare services actually provided by the healthcare service provider, thereby identifying any differences between the two; and adjusting the estimated amount to account for the differences. 22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:
adjusting the payment authorization to reflect the change in services. 23. The method of claim 21, wherein the payment authorization is adjusted only if the adjusted estimated amount is not greater than the original cost estimate. 24. (canceled) 25. A non-transitory, computer readable medium which contains suitable programming instructions which, when executed by a computational device or a group of computational devices, cause the computational device or group of computational devices to perform the method of claim 1. 26. A method for processing a payment for healthcare services provided to a patient by a healthcare service provider, the method comprising:
receiving payment authorization from the patient to charge to an account up to a maximum authorized amount based on the estimated patient responsibility amount for the healthcare services; associating a remittance with the payment authorization; determining, from the associated remittance, the actual patient responsibility amount for the healthcare services; if the actual patient responsibility amount does not exceed the authorized amount, then processing the payment; and if the actual patient responsibility amount exceeds the authorized amount, then flagging the remittance for further handling. 27. (canceled) 28. The method of claim 26, wherein the estimate is a numerical range, wherein the payment is processed if the payment responsibility amount falls within the numerical range, and wherein processing the payment includes withdrawing funds from the account in the actual patient responsibility amount. 29. (canceled) 30. The method of claim 28, further comprising:
sending a receipt to the patient for the funds withdrawn. 31. The method of claim 28, further comprising:
flagging for suppression any future patient statements received for the healthcare services provided to the patient and to which the payment authorization applies. 32. The method of claim 28, wherein the healthcare services pertain to a single visit to the healthcare service provider, and flagging for suppression any future patient statements received for the healthcare services provided to the patient during that visit. 33. The method of claim 28, further comprising:
receiving a patient statement for the healthcare services; and suppressing the patient statement from processing. 34. The method of claim 26, further comprising:
receiving a description of the healthcare services to be provided to the patient by the healthcare service provider. 35. (canceled) 36. The method of claim 26, wherein the remittance is received from an insurance company. 37. The method of claim 26, wherein payment authorization is received before the healthcare services are provided to the patient. 38. The method of claim 26, wherein the payment authorization is limited to healthcare services provided during a single visit to the healthcare service provider. 39. A non-transitory, computer readable medium which contains suitable programming instructions which, when executed by a computational device or a group of computational devices, cause the computational device or group of computational devices to perform the method of claim 26. 40-49. (canceled) 50. A method for obtaining payment for healthcare services provided to a patient by a healthcare service provider, the method comprising:
receiving a description of the healthcare services to be provided to the patient by the healthcare service provider; obtaining a cost estimate for the cost of the healthcare services; estimating the patient responsibility portion of this cost; receiving payment authorization from the patient in an amount sufficient to cover the cost estimate, wherein the payment authorization includes authorization to withdraw funds up to the authorized amount from an account associated with the patient; receiving an upfront payment from the patient in an amount that partially covers the cost estimate; and after the healthcare services have been provided or after all claims relating to the healthcare services have been adjudicated, (a) if the actual amount of the patient responsibility is greater than the upfront payment, withdrawing funds from the account for the patient responsibility portion in an amount not greater than the authorized amount less the upfront payment, and (b) if the actual amount of the patient responsibility is less than the upfront payment, refunding to the account the amount of the upfront payment less the actual amount. 51. A non-transitory, computer readable medium which contains suitable programming instructions which, when executed by a computational device or a group of computational devices, cause the computational device or group of computational devices to perform the method of claim 50. | 3,600 |
12,479 | 12,479 | 13,300,583 | 3,624 | A computer-implemented method of providing seamless online video advertisements includes rendering a video advertisement on a first web page in a first tab. The computer-implemented method also includes recording current time of play constantly during the rendering of the video advertisement and receiving a request for a second web page in the first tab from the user. Further, the computer-implemented method includes unloading the first web page and loading the second web page in the first tab. Moreover, the computer-implemented method includes retrieving current time of play stored corresponding to the unloading and resume the rendering the video advertisement on the second web page based on the current time of play retrieved. | 1. A computer-implemented method of providing seamless online video advertisements, the computer-implemented method comprising:
rendering a video advertisement on a first web page in a first tab; recording current time of play constantly during the rendering of the video advertisement; receiving a request for a second web page in the first tab from a user; unloading the first web page; loading the second web page in the first tab; retrieving the current time of play stored corresponding to the unloading; and resume the rendering of the video advertisement on the second web page based on the current time of play retrieved. 2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the rendering comprises:
receiving a request for the first web page from the user; and loading the first web page. 3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the loading comprises:
connecting to an ad server. 4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the unloading comprises:
storing the current time of play at occurrence of unloading. 5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:
storing the first tab as a master tab. 6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:
unloading the second web page; and storing current time of play of the video advertisement at occurrence of unloading. 7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:
receiving a request for a third web page in a second tab; loading the third web page in response to the request; retrieving the current time of play stored corresponding to the unloading of the second web page; and resume the rendering of the video advertisement on the third web page based on the retrieved current time of play. 8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising:
selecting the second tab as the master tab. 9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising:
synchronizing the video advertisement between the first tab and the second tab to render a seamless video advertisement to the user. 10. A computer program product stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium that when executed by a processor, performs a method of providing seamless online video advertisements, comprising:
rendering a video advertisement on a first web page, in response to a user request for the first web page in a first tab; recording current time of play constantly during the rendering of the video advertisement; receiving a request for a second web page in the first tab from the user; unloading the first web page; loading the second web page in the first tab; retrieving the current time of play stored corresponding to the unloading; and resume the rendering of the video advertisement on the second web page based on the current time of play retrieved. 11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the rendering comprises:
receiving a request for the first web page from a user; and loading the first web page. 12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the loading comprises:
connecting to an ad server. 13. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the unloading comprises:
storing the current time of play at occurrence of unloading. 14. The computer program product of claim 10 and further comprising:
storing the first tab as a master tab. 15. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising:
unloading the second web page; and storing current time of play of the video advertisement at occurrence of unloading. 16. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:
receiving a request for a third web page in a second tab; loading the third web page in response to the request; retrieving the current time of play stored corresponding to the unloading of the second web page; and resume the rendering the video advertisement on the third web page based on the retrieved current time of play. 17. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:
selecting the second tab as the master tab. 18. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:
synchronizing the video advertisement between the first tab and the second tab to render a seamless video advertisement to the user. 19. A system for providing seamless online video advertisements, the system comprising:
a web interface to display a video advertisement on a first web page in response to a user viewing a first web page in a first tab; an ad server, communicatively coupled to the web interface, the ad server to store video advertisements and to render the video advertisements; a timer, coupled in communication with the web interface, to constantly track current time of play during rendering of the video advertisement; and a video player to render the video advertisement on the first web page. 20. The system of claim 19, wherein the video player resumes rendering the video advertisement on a second web page. 21. The system of claim 19, further comprising:
a storage unit, coupled in communication to the timer, to store the current time of play. 22. The system of claim 19, wherein the ad server selects a tab as a master tab. | A computer-implemented method of providing seamless online video advertisements includes rendering a video advertisement on a first web page in a first tab. The computer-implemented method also includes recording current time of play constantly during the rendering of the video advertisement and receiving a request for a second web page in the first tab from the user. Further, the computer-implemented method includes unloading the first web page and loading the second web page in the first tab. Moreover, the computer-implemented method includes retrieving current time of play stored corresponding to the unloading and resume the rendering the video advertisement on the second web page based on the current time of play retrieved.1. A computer-implemented method of providing seamless online video advertisements, the computer-implemented method comprising:
rendering a video advertisement on a first web page in a first tab; recording current time of play constantly during the rendering of the video advertisement; receiving a request for a second web page in the first tab from a user; unloading the first web page; loading the second web page in the first tab; retrieving the current time of play stored corresponding to the unloading; and resume the rendering of the video advertisement on the second web page based on the current time of play retrieved. 2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the rendering comprises:
receiving a request for the first web page from the user; and loading the first web page. 3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the loading comprises:
connecting to an ad server. 4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the unloading comprises:
storing the current time of play at occurrence of unloading. 5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:
storing the first tab as a master tab. 6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:
unloading the second web page; and storing current time of play of the video advertisement at occurrence of unloading. 7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:
receiving a request for a third web page in a second tab; loading the third web page in response to the request; retrieving the current time of play stored corresponding to the unloading of the second web page; and resume the rendering of the video advertisement on the third web page based on the retrieved current time of play. 8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising:
selecting the second tab as the master tab. 9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising:
synchronizing the video advertisement between the first tab and the second tab to render a seamless video advertisement to the user. 10. A computer program product stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium that when executed by a processor, performs a method of providing seamless online video advertisements, comprising:
rendering a video advertisement on a first web page, in response to a user request for the first web page in a first tab; recording current time of play constantly during the rendering of the video advertisement; receiving a request for a second web page in the first tab from the user; unloading the first web page; loading the second web page in the first tab; retrieving the current time of play stored corresponding to the unloading; and resume the rendering of the video advertisement on the second web page based on the current time of play retrieved. 11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the rendering comprises:
receiving a request for the first web page from a user; and loading the first web page. 12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the loading comprises:
connecting to an ad server. 13. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the unloading comprises:
storing the current time of play at occurrence of unloading. 14. The computer program product of claim 10 and further comprising:
storing the first tab as a master tab. 15. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising:
unloading the second web page; and storing current time of play of the video advertisement at occurrence of unloading. 16. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:
receiving a request for a third web page in a second tab; loading the third web page in response to the request; retrieving the current time of play stored corresponding to the unloading of the second web page; and resume the rendering the video advertisement on the third web page based on the retrieved current time of play. 17. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:
selecting the second tab as the master tab. 18. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:
synchronizing the video advertisement between the first tab and the second tab to render a seamless video advertisement to the user. 19. A system for providing seamless online video advertisements, the system comprising:
a web interface to display a video advertisement on a first web page in response to a user viewing a first web page in a first tab; an ad server, communicatively coupled to the web interface, the ad server to store video advertisements and to render the video advertisements; a timer, coupled in communication with the web interface, to constantly track current time of play during rendering of the video advertisement; and a video player to render the video advertisement on the first web page. 20. The system of claim 19, wherein the video player resumes rendering the video advertisement on a second web page. 21. The system of claim 19, further comprising:
a storage unit, coupled in communication to the timer, to store the current time of play. 22. The system of claim 19, wherein the ad server selects a tab as a master tab. | 3,600 |
12,480 | 12,480 | 14,146,281 | 3,673 | A sleep system comprises a mattress including a movable first section extending laterally along a first portion of a width of the mattress and extending longitudinally along a first portion of a length of the mattress, a movable second section extending laterally along a second portion of the width of the mattress and extending longitudinally along the first portion of the length of the mattress, and a movable third section extending laterally across substantially the entire width of the mattress and extending longitudinally along a second portion of the length of the mattress, and an articulation system configured to independently articulate the first section, the second section, and the third section. | 1. A sleep system, comprising:
a mattress comprising;
a first sleep area for a first occupant, the first sleep area comprising a first movable upper section and a first movable lower section;
a second sleep area for a second occupant, the second sleep area comprising a second movable upper section adjacent to the first movable upper section and a second movable lower section adjacent to the first lower section;
wherein the first movable upper section is separate from and movable with respect to the second movable upper section;
wherein the first movable lower section and the second movable lower section are coupled together and move together; and
an articulation system for articulating the first movable upper section, the first movable lower section, the second movable upper section, and the second movable lower section; wherein the articulation system is configured to allow for independent movement of the first upper movable section and the second upper movable section and for substantially synchronized movement of the first lower movable section and the second lower movable section. 2. The sleep system according to claim 1, wherein the articulation system comprises:
a first actuator for articulating the first movable upper section; a second actuator for articulating the second movable upper section; one or more third actuators for articulating the first movable lower section and the second movable lower section; and one or more controllers for controlling movement of the first actuator, the second actuator, and the one or more third actuators. 3. The sleep system of claim 1, wherein the articulation system comprises:
a first actuator configured to articulate the first movable lower section; a second actuator configured to articulate the second movable lower section; and a controller configured to send one or more first motion control signals to the first actuator and one or more second motion control signals to the second actuator, wherein the first actuator control signals and the second actuator control signals are configured so that the first actuator and the second actuator operate in a substantially synchronized manner. 4. The sleep system according to claim 1, further comprising a first user controlling device configured to communicate with the articulation system in order to control articulation of the first movable upper section and a second user controlling device configured to communicate with the articulation system in order to control articulation of the second movable upper section. 5. The sleep system according to claim 4, wherein the first user controlling device is further configured to control articulation of the substantially synchronized movement of the first movable lower section and the second movable lower section. 6. The sleep system according to claim 4, wherein the second user controlling device is further configured to control articulation of the substantially synchronized movement of the first movable lower section and the second movable lower section. 7. The sleep system according to claim 1, further comprising:
one or more first supporting structures within the first sleep area for providing support to the first occupant, wherein a first portion of the one or more first supporting structures is contained in the first movable upper section and a second portion of the one or more first supporting structures is contained in the first movable lower section; and one or more second supporting structures within the second sleep area for providing support to the second occupant, wherein a first portion of the one or more second supporting structures is contained in the second movable upper section and a second portion of the one or more second supporting structures are contained in the second movable lower section. 8. The sleep system according to claim 7, wherein the one or more first supporting structures comprise at least one of: one or more air chambers; a plurality of innersprings; and one or more foam structures. 9. The sleep system according to claim 7, wherein the one or more second supporting structures comprise at least one of: one or more air chambers; a plurality of innersprings; and one or more foam structures. 10. A sleep system, comprising:
a mattress including:
a movable first section extending laterally along a first portion of a width of the mattress and extending longitudinally along a first portion of a length of the mattress;
a movable second section extending laterally along a second portion of the width of the mattress and extending longitudinally along the first portion of the length of the mattress; and
a movable third section extending laterally across substantially the entire width of the mattress and extending longitudinally along a second portion of the length of the mattress; and
an articulation system configured to independently articulate the first section, the second section, and the third section. 11. The sleep system according to claim 10, wherein the articulation system comprises:
a first actuator for articulating the movable first section; a second actuator for articulating the movable second section; one or more third actuators for articulating the movable third section; and one or more controllers for controlling movement of the first actuator, the second actuator, and the one or more third actuators. 12. The sleep system of claim 10, wherein the articulation system comprises:
a first actuator positioned on a first lateral side of the mattress; a second actuator positioned on a second lateral side of the mattress, wherein the first actuator and the second actuator cooperate to articulate the movable third section; and a controller configured to send one or more first motion control signals to the first actuator and one or more second motion control signals to the second actuator, wherein the first actuator control signals and the second actuator control signals are configured so that the first actuator and the second actuator operate in a substantially synchronized manner. 13. The sleep system according to claim 10, further comprising a first user controlling device configured to communicate with the articulation system in order to control articulation of the movable first section. 14. The sleep system according to claim 13, wherein the first user controlling device is further configured to control articulation of the movable third section. 15. The sleep system according to claim 13, further comprising a second user controlling device configured to communicate with the articulation system in order to control articulation of the movable second section. 16. The sleep system according to claim 15, wherein the second user controlling device is further configured to control articulation of the movable third section 17. The sleep system according to claim 1, further comprising:
one or more first supporting structures contained within the movable first section and a first portion of the movable third section; and one or more second supporting structures within the movable second section and a second portion of the movable third section. 18. The sleep system according to claim 17, wherein the one or more first supporting structures comprise at least one of: one or more air chambers; a plurality of innersprings; and one or more foam structures. 19. The sleep system according to claim 17, wherein the one or more second supporting structures comprise at least one of: one or more air chambers; a plurality of innersprings; and one or more foam structures. 20. The sleep system of claim 10, further comprising a fourth section extending laterally across the entire width of the mattress and extending longitudinally along a third portion of the length of the mattress, wherein the third portion of the length is longitudinally between the first portion of the length and the second portion of the length. 21. A sleep system, comprising:
a support frame; a mattress configured to be positioned on the support frame, the mattress including;
a movable first head section extending along a first portion of a length of the mattress;
a movable second head section laterally adjacent to the movable first section and extending longitudinally along the first portion of the length of the mattress; and
a movable leg section extending longitudinally along a second portion of the length of the mattress;
wherein a first sleep area for a first occupant comprises the movable first head section and a first portion of the movable leg section, and wherein a second sleep area for a second occupant comprises the movable second head section and a second portion of the movable leg section;
an articulation system including;
a first head actuator for articulating the movable first head section;
a second head actuator for articulating the movable second head section;
at least one leg actuator for articulating the movable leg section; and
at least one controller for controlling the first head actuator, the second head actuator, and the at least one leg actuator;
a first user controlling device configured to communicate with the at least one controller via a first communication link in order to control articulation of the movable first head section and to control articulation of the movable leg section; and a second user controlling device configured to communicate with the at least one controller via a second communication link in order to control articulation of the movable second head section and to control articulation of the movable leg section. | A sleep system comprises a mattress including a movable first section extending laterally along a first portion of a width of the mattress and extending longitudinally along a first portion of a length of the mattress, a movable second section extending laterally along a second portion of the width of the mattress and extending longitudinally along the first portion of the length of the mattress, and a movable third section extending laterally across substantially the entire width of the mattress and extending longitudinally along a second portion of the length of the mattress, and an articulation system configured to independently articulate the first section, the second section, and the third section.1. A sleep system, comprising:
a mattress comprising;
a first sleep area for a first occupant, the first sleep area comprising a first movable upper section and a first movable lower section;
a second sleep area for a second occupant, the second sleep area comprising a second movable upper section adjacent to the first movable upper section and a second movable lower section adjacent to the first lower section;
wherein the first movable upper section is separate from and movable with respect to the second movable upper section;
wherein the first movable lower section and the second movable lower section are coupled together and move together; and
an articulation system for articulating the first movable upper section, the first movable lower section, the second movable upper section, and the second movable lower section; wherein the articulation system is configured to allow for independent movement of the first upper movable section and the second upper movable section and for substantially synchronized movement of the first lower movable section and the second lower movable section. 2. The sleep system according to claim 1, wherein the articulation system comprises:
a first actuator for articulating the first movable upper section; a second actuator for articulating the second movable upper section; one or more third actuators for articulating the first movable lower section and the second movable lower section; and one or more controllers for controlling movement of the first actuator, the second actuator, and the one or more third actuators. 3. The sleep system of claim 1, wherein the articulation system comprises:
a first actuator configured to articulate the first movable lower section; a second actuator configured to articulate the second movable lower section; and a controller configured to send one or more first motion control signals to the first actuator and one or more second motion control signals to the second actuator, wherein the first actuator control signals and the second actuator control signals are configured so that the first actuator and the second actuator operate in a substantially synchronized manner. 4. The sleep system according to claim 1, further comprising a first user controlling device configured to communicate with the articulation system in order to control articulation of the first movable upper section and a second user controlling device configured to communicate with the articulation system in order to control articulation of the second movable upper section. 5. The sleep system according to claim 4, wherein the first user controlling device is further configured to control articulation of the substantially synchronized movement of the first movable lower section and the second movable lower section. 6. The sleep system according to claim 4, wherein the second user controlling device is further configured to control articulation of the substantially synchronized movement of the first movable lower section and the second movable lower section. 7. The sleep system according to claim 1, further comprising:
one or more first supporting structures within the first sleep area for providing support to the first occupant, wherein a first portion of the one or more first supporting structures is contained in the first movable upper section and a second portion of the one or more first supporting structures is contained in the first movable lower section; and one or more second supporting structures within the second sleep area for providing support to the second occupant, wherein a first portion of the one or more second supporting structures is contained in the second movable upper section and a second portion of the one or more second supporting structures are contained in the second movable lower section. 8. The sleep system according to claim 7, wherein the one or more first supporting structures comprise at least one of: one or more air chambers; a plurality of innersprings; and one or more foam structures. 9. The sleep system according to claim 7, wherein the one or more second supporting structures comprise at least one of: one or more air chambers; a plurality of innersprings; and one or more foam structures. 10. A sleep system, comprising:
a mattress including:
a movable first section extending laterally along a first portion of a width of the mattress and extending longitudinally along a first portion of a length of the mattress;
a movable second section extending laterally along a second portion of the width of the mattress and extending longitudinally along the first portion of the length of the mattress; and
a movable third section extending laterally across substantially the entire width of the mattress and extending longitudinally along a second portion of the length of the mattress; and
an articulation system configured to independently articulate the first section, the second section, and the third section. 11. The sleep system according to claim 10, wherein the articulation system comprises:
a first actuator for articulating the movable first section; a second actuator for articulating the movable second section; one or more third actuators for articulating the movable third section; and one or more controllers for controlling movement of the first actuator, the second actuator, and the one or more third actuators. 12. The sleep system of claim 10, wherein the articulation system comprises:
a first actuator positioned on a first lateral side of the mattress; a second actuator positioned on a second lateral side of the mattress, wherein the first actuator and the second actuator cooperate to articulate the movable third section; and a controller configured to send one or more first motion control signals to the first actuator and one or more second motion control signals to the second actuator, wherein the first actuator control signals and the second actuator control signals are configured so that the first actuator and the second actuator operate in a substantially synchronized manner. 13. The sleep system according to claim 10, further comprising a first user controlling device configured to communicate with the articulation system in order to control articulation of the movable first section. 14. The sleep system according to claim 13, wherein the first user controlling device is further configured to control articulation of the movable third section. 15. The sleep system according to claim 13, further comprising a second user controlling device configured to communicate with the articulation system in order to control articulation of the movable second section. 16. The sleep system according to claim 15, wherein the second user controlling device is further configured to control articulation of the movable third section 17. The sleep system according to claim 1, further comprising:
one or more first supporting structures contained within the movable first section and a first portion of the movable third section; and one or more second supporting structures within the movable second section and a second portion of the movable third section. 18. The sleep system according to claim 17, wherein the one or more first supporting structures comprise at least one of: one or more air chambers; a plurality of innersprings; and one or more foam structures. 19. The sleep system according to claim 17, wherein the one or more second supporting structures comprise at least one of: one or more air chambers; a plurality of innersprings; and one or more foam structures. 20. The sleep system of claim 10, further comprising a fourth section extending laterally across the entire width of the mattress and extending longitudinally along a third portion of the length of the mattress, wherein the third portion of the length is longitudinally between the first portion of the length and the second portion of the length. 21. A sleep system, comprising:
a support frame; a mattress configured to be positioned on the support frame, the mattress including;
a movable first head section extending along a first portion of a length of the mattress;
a movable second head section laterally adjacent to the movable first section and extending longitudinally along the first portion of the length of the mattress; and
a movable leg section extending longitudinally along a second portion of the length of the mattress;
wherein a first sleep area for a first occupant comprises the movable first head section and a first portion of the movable leg section, and wherein a second sleep area for a second occupant comprises the movable second head section and a second portion of the movable leg section;
an articulation system including;
a first head actuator for articulating the movable first head section;
a second head actuator for articulating the movable second head section;
at least one leg actuator for articulating the movable leg section; and
at least one controller for controlling the first head actuator, the second head actuator, and the at least one leg actuator;
a first user controlling device configured to communicate with the at least one controller via a first communication link in order to control articulation of the movable first head section and to control articulation of the movable leg section; and a second user controlling device configured to communicate with the at least one controller via a second communication link in order to control articulation of the movable second head section and to control articulation of the movable leg section. | 3,600 |
12,481 | 12,481 | 14,454,893 | 3,657 | A brake pad retention system is provided for a disc brake of a motor vehicle, in particular of a commercial vehicle. The disc brake includes a brake caliper which engages over a brake disc, a brake carrier which is positionally fixed on the vehicle, the brake carrier having entry-side and exit-side carrier horns and having a bridge which connects the carrier horns to one another, and at least one brake pad which is provided with a pad carrier plate and a friction pad fastened thereto and which is guided in a pad shaft formed by the carrier horns and by the bridge. At least one of the carrier horns of the carrier and the support surface, adjacent thereto, of the pad carrier plate can be fixed to one another in a positively locking manner with play. The at least one brake pad is held in the pad shaft under spring loading exerted by a pad retention spring which extends transversely with respect to the axial direction of the brake disc and which is radially deflectable on the brake pad. The at least one pad retention spring is arranged such that the pad retention spring, in the assembled state, presses the brake pad away from the bridge part of the brake carrier and against the carrier horns without play. | 1. A disc brake for use with a brake disc, comprising:
a brake caliper that straddles the brake disc; a brake carrier fixable at a vehicle side and having inlet-side and outlet-side carrier horns as well as a bridge portion connecting respective inlet-side carrier horns to respective outlet-side carrier horns; at least one brake pad comprising a pad carrier plate and a friction lining secured thereto, the brake pad being guided in a pad shaft formed by the carrier horns and the bridge portion, wherein at least one of the carrier horns of the brake carrier and a support face of the pad carrier plate adjacent thereto are fittable to one another in a positive-locking manner with play; and a pad retention spring by which the brake pad is retained in the pad shaft in a resiliently loaded state, the pad retention spring, in an assembled state, pressing the brake pad away from the bridge portion of the brake carrier in a play-free manner against the carrier horns. 2. The disc brake according to claim 1, wherein the pad retention spring is arranged in the pad shaft between a side of the brake pad facing the bridge portion of the brake carrier and the bridge portion. 3. The disc brake according to claim 1, wherein the pad retention spring is a tension spring supported on a pad retention member secured to the caliper. 4. The disc brake according to claim 1, wherein the pad retention spring is a leaf spring. 5. The disc brake according to claim 1, wherein the pad retention spring is a helical spring. 6. The disc brake according to claim 2, wherein the pad retention spring is a helical spring. 7. The disc brake according to claim 1, wherein the pad retention spring is a plate spring. 8. The disc brake according to claim 2, wherein the pad retention spring is a plate spring. 9. The disc brake according to claim 1, wherein the pad retention spring is a torsion spring. 10. The disc brake according to claim 2, wherein the pad retention spring is a torsion spring. 11. The disc brake according to claim 1, wherein the positive-locking manner with play of the support face of the pad carrier plate and an adjacent carrier horn comprises a projection on the support face that extends into an undercut at an inner side of the adjacent carrier horn. 12. The disc brake according to claim 2, wherein the positive-locking manner with play of the support face of the pad carrier plate and an adjacent carrier horn comprises a projection on the support face that extends into an undercut at an inner side of the adjacent carrier horn. 13. The disc brake according to claim 1, wherein the disc brake is a commercial vehicle disc brake. 14. A brake pad retention system for a disc brake having a brake carrier in which, brake pad is mounted in a pad shaft, comprising:
an inlet-side carrier horn of the brake carrier; an outlet-side carrier horn of the brake carrier; a bridge portion of the brake carrier connecting the inlet-side carrier horn to the outlet-side carrier horn, wherein the pad shaft is formed by the carrier horns and the bridge portion; a pad retention spring arranged in the pad shaft, the pad retention spring being configured to exert a radially outward force on a pad carrier plate of the brake pad such that a projection on a side support face of the pad carrier plate engages in a recess in an inner side of the carrier horn facing the pad carrier plate. 15. The brake pad retention system according to claim 14, wherein the pad retention spring is arranged between a side of the brake pad facing the bridge portion and the bridge portion. 16. The brake pad retention system according to claim 14, wherein the pad retention spring is one of a leaf spring, a helical spring, a plate spring, or a torsion spring. 17. The brake pad retention system according to claim 13, wherein one brake pad is respectively arranged on each side of the brake disc in a respective pad shafts of the brake carrier. | A brake pad retention system is provided for a disc brake of a motor vehicle, in particular of a commercial vehicle. The disc brake includes a brake caliper which engages over a brake disc, a brake carrier which is positionally fixed on the vehicle, the brake carrier having entry-side and exit-side carrier horns and having a bridge which connects the carrier horns to one another, and at least one brake pad which is provided with a pad carrier plate and a friction pad fastened thereto and which is guided in a pad shaft formed by the carrier horns and by the bridge. At least one of the carrier horns of the carrier and the support surface, adjacent thereto, of the pad carrier plate can be fixed to one another in a positively locking manner with play. The at least one brake pad is held in the pad shaft under spring loading exerted by a pad retention spring which extends transversely with respect to the axial direction of the brake disc and which is radially deflectable on the brake pad. The at least one pad retention spring is arranged such that the pad retention spring, in the assembled state, presses the brake pad away from the bridge part of the brake carrier and against the carrier horns without play.1. A disc brake for use with a brake disc, comprising:
a brake caliper that straddles the brake disc; a brake carrier fixable at a vehicle side and having inlet-side and outlet-side carrier horns as well as a bridge portion connecting respective inlet-side carrier horns to respective outlet-side carrier horns; at least one brake pad comprising a pad carrier plate and a friction lining secured thereto, the brake pad being guided in a pad shaft formed by the carrier horns and the bridge portion, wherein at least one of the carrier horns of the brake carrier and a support face of the pad carrier plate adjacent thereto are fittable to one another in a positive-locking manner with play; and a pad retention spring by which the brake pad is retained in the pad shaft in a resiliently loaded state, the pad retention spring, in an assembled state, pressing the brake pad away from the bridge portion of the brake carrier in a play-free manner against the carrier horns. 2. The disc brake according to claim 1, wherein the pad retention spring is arranged in the pad shaft between a side of the brake pad facing the bridge portion of the brake carrier and the bridge portion. 3. The disc brake according to claim 1, wherein the pad retention spring is a tension spring supported on a pad retention member secured to the caliper. 4. The disc brake according to claim 1, wherein the pad retention spring is a leaf spring. 5. The disc brake according to claim 1, wherein the pad retention spring is a helical spring. 6. The disc brake according to claim 2, wherein the pad retention spring is a helical spring. 7. The disc brake according to claim 1, wherein the pad retention spring is a plate spring. 8. The disc brake according to claim 2, wherein the pad retention spring is a plate spring. 9. The disc brake according to claim 1, wherein the pad retention spring is a torsion spring. 10. The disc brake according to claim 2, wherein the pad retention spring is a torsion spring. 11. The disc brake according to claim 1, wherein the positive-locking manner with play of the support face of the pad carrier plate and an adjacent carrier horn comprises a projection on the support face that extends into an undercut at an inner side of the adjacent carrier horn. 12. The disc brake according to claim 2, wherein the positive-locking manner with play of the support face of the pad carrier plate and an adjacent carrier horn comprises a projection on the support face that extends into an undercut at an inner side of the adjacent carrier horn. 13. The disc brake according to claim 1, wherein the disc brake is a commercial vehicle disc brake. 14. A brake pad retention system for a disc brake having a brake carrier in which, brake pad is mounted in a pad shaft, comprising:
an inlet-side carrier horn of the brake carrier; an outlet-side carrier horn of the brake carrier; a bridge portion of the brake carrier connecting the inlet-side carrier horn to the outlet-side carrier horn, wherein the pad shaft is formed by the carrier horns and the bridge portion; a pad retention spring arranged in the pad shaft, the pad retention spring being configured to exert a radially outward force on a pad carrier plate of the brake pad such that a projection on a side support face of the pad carrier plate engages in a recess in an inner side of the carrier horn facing the pad carrier plate. 15. The brake pad retention system according to claim 14, wherein the pad retention spring is arranged between a side of the brake pad facing the bridge portion and the bridge portion. 16. The brake pad retention system according to claim 14, wherein the pad retention spring is one of a leaf spring, a helical spring, a plate spring, or a torsion spring. 17. The brake pad retention system according to claim 13, wherein one brake pad is respectively arranged on each side of the brake disc in a respective pad shafts of the brake carrier. | 3,600 |
12,482 | 12,482 | 14,271,650 | 3,663 | A method for detecting the presence of a trailer connected to a host vehicle includes a rearward sensor secured on a vehicle that detects the presence of a trailer. An ESC unit determines the velocity of the host vehicle. A rearward sensor determines the velocity of an object and the distance of the object therefrom. When the host vehicle is moving above a minimum velocity, the velocity of the host vehicle is the same as the velocity of the object, and the distance of the object remains essentially the same, a trailer detecting unit determines that the detected object is a trailer attached to the vehicle. Further, when the distance of the object from the rearward sensor is greater than a defined value, the trailer detecting unit determines that a trailer is not attached to the host vehicle. | 1. A method of detecting presence of a trailer being towed by a host vehicle comprising the steps of:
determining velocity of the host vehicle; detecting velocity and distance of an object spaced outwardly from the rear of the host vehicle; and determining that the object comprises a trailer secured to the host vehicle when 1) the velocity of the host vehicle is greater than or equal to a minimum velocity value, 2) the velocity of the host vehicle is approximately the same as the velocity of the object, and 3) the distance of the object from the host vehicle remains constant. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining velocity of the host vehicle comprises obtaining velocity from an electronic stability control unit over a communication bus. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of detecting velocity and distance of the object comprises operating a rearward oriented radar sensor that senses reflection of a wave to determine velocity and distance. 4. The method according to claim 2, including the step of informing the electronic stability control unit of the presence of a trailer. 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the object is not determined as a trailer when the distance of the object from the host vehicle is greater than a maximum allowed distance. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps are executed by an algorithm of a trailer detecting unit. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein a longitudinal axis of the host vehicle and a longitudinal axis of the trailer have a common axis while the host vehicle is driving in a straight line direction and the trailer detecting unit is configured to detect the presence of the trailer while driving in a straight line direction. 8. A trailer detecting system including a trailer detecting unit for a host vehicle, the trailer detecting unit storing and executing instructions that cause the trailer detecting unit to:
receive a velocity of the host vehicle; receive a velocity of an object spaced outwardly from the rear of the host vehicle; receive a distance of the object spaced outwardly from the rear of the host vehicle in relation to the rear of the host vehicle; and determine that the object comprises a trailer secured to the host vehicle when 1) the velocity of the host vehicle is greater or equal to a minimum velocity value, 2) the velocity of the host vehicle is the same as the velocity of the object, and 3) the distance of the object from the host vehicle remains constant. 9. The trailer detecting system according to claim 8, wherein the trailer detecting unit executes the instructions to determine that the object is not a trailer when the distance of the object from the rear of the host vehicle is greater than a defined distance. 10. The trailer detecting system according to claim 9, further comprising; a communication bus and an electronic stability control unit,
wherein the trailer detecting unit receives the velocity of the host vehicle from the electronic stability control unit via the communication bus. 11. The trailer detecting system according to claim 10, further comprising a rearward sensor disposed at the rear of the host vehicle, the rearward sensor providing the velocity and the distance of the object spaced outwardly from the rear of the host vehicle to the trailer detecting unit via the communication bus. 12. The trailer detecting system according to claim 11, wherein the rearward sensor comprises at least one of a radar sensor, a lidar sensor and a video sensor. 13. The trailer detecting system according to claim 8, further comprising a rearward sensor disposed at the rear of the host vehicle, the rearward sensor providing the velocity and the distance of the object spaced outwardly from the rear of the host vehicle. 14. The trailer detecting system according to claim 8, further comprising; a communication bus and an electronic stability control unit,
wherein the trailer detecting unit receives the velocity of the host vehicle from the electronic stability control unit via the communication bus, and wherein the trailer detecting unit is configured to inform the electronic stability control unit of the presence of a trailer via the communication bus. 15. The trailer detecting system according to clam 8, wherein the trailer detecting unit is configured to detect the presence of the trailer when the host vehicle is moving in a forward direction and a longitudinal axis of the trailer is essentially coaxial with a longitudinal axis of the host vehicle. | A method for detecting the presence of a trailer connected to a host vehicle includes a rearward sensor secured on a vehicle that detects the presence of a trailer. An ESC unit determines the velocity of the host vehicle. A rearward sensor determines the velocity of an object and the distance of the object therefrom. When the host vehicle is moving above a minimum velocity, the velocity of the host vehicle is the same as the velocity of the object, and the distance of the object remains essentially the same, a trailer detecting unit determines that the detected object is a trailer attached to the vehicle. Further, when the distance of the object from the rearward sensor is greater than a defined value, the trailer detecting unit determines that a trailer is not attached to the host vehicle.1. A method of detecting presence of a trailer being towed by a host vehicle comprising the steps of:
determining velocity of the host vehicle; detecting velocity and distance of an object spaced outwardly from the rear of the host vehicle; and determining that the object comprises a trailer secured to the host vehicle when 1) the velocity of the host vehicle is greater than or equal to a minimum velocity value, 2) the velocity of the host vehicle is approximately the same as the velocity of the object, and 3) the distance of the object from the host vehicle remains constant. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining velocity of the host vehicle comprises obtaining velocity from an electronic stability control unit over a communication bus. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of detecting velocity and distance of the object comprises operating a rearward oriented radar sensor that senses reflection of a wave to determine velocity and distance. 4. The method according to claim 2, including the step of informing the electronic stability control unit of the presence of a trailer. 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the object is not determined as a trailer when the distance of the object from the host vehicle is greater than a maximum allowed distance. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps are executed by an algorithm of a trailer detecting unit. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein a longitudinal axis of the host vehicle and a longitudinal axis of the trailer have a common axis while the host vehicle is driving in a straight line direction and the trailer detecting unit is configured to detect the presence of the trailer while driving in a straight line direction. 8. A trailer detecting system including a trailer detecting unit for a host vehicle, the trailer detecting unit storing and executing instructions that cause the trailer detecting unit to:
receive a velocity of the host vehicle; receive a velocity of an object spaced outwardly from the rear of the host vehicle; receive a distance of the object spaced outwardly from the rear of the host vehicle in relation to the rear of the host vehicle; and determine that the object comprises a trailer secured to the host vehicle when 1) the velocity of the host vehicle is greater or equal to a minimum velocity value, 2) the velocity of the host vehicle is the same as the velocity of the object, and 3) the distance of the object from the host vehicle remains constant. 9. The trailer detecting system according to claim 8, wherein the trailer detecting unit executes the instructions to determine that the object is not a trailer when the distance of the object from the rear of the host vehicle is greater than a defined distance. 10. The trailer detecting system according to claim 9, further comprising; a communication bus and an electronic stability control unit,
wherein the trailer detecting unit receives the velocity of the host vehicle from the electronic stability control unit via the communication bus. 11. The trailer detecting system according to claim 10, further comprising a rearward sensor disposed at the rear of the host vehicle, the rearward sensor providing the velocity and the distance of the object spaced outwardly from the rear of the host vehicle to the trailer detecting unit via the communication bus. 12. The trailer detecting system according to claim 11, wherein the rearward sensor comprises at least one of a radar sensor, a lidar sensor and a video sensor. 13. The trailer detecting system according to claim 8, further comprising a rearward sensor disposed at the rear of the host vehicle, the rearward sensor providing the velocity and the distance of the object spaced outwardly from the rear of the host vehicle. 14. The trailer detecting system according to claim 8, further comprising; a communication bus and an electronic stability control unit,
wherein the trailer detecting unit receives the velocity of the host vehicle from the electronic stability control unit via the communication bus, and wherein the trailer detecting unit is configured to inform the electronic stability control unit of the presence of a trailer via the communication bus. 15. The trailer detecting system according to clam 8, wherein the trailer detecting unit is configured to detect the presence of the trailer when the host vehicle is moving in a forward direction and a longitudinal axis of the trailer is essentially coaxial with a longitudinal axis of the host vehicle. | 3,600 |
12,483 | 12,483 | 14,169,251 | 3,686 | The presently disclosed subject matter provides for efficient and effective monitoring, while eliminating practices that may not be of value in assuring human subjects protection and reliable and informative study results. The present disclosure provides methods, computer program products, and systems for data collection and validation for Enhanced Monitoring (EM). The Enhanced Monitoring model disclosed herein increases productivity and efficiency by decreasing the frequency of on-site monitoring visits and employing remote review techniques to focus on the process as compared to individual data points. | 1. A system for monitoring a clinical trial, comprising:
a data input terminal, the data input terminal located at a data collection point and comprising a plurality of input validation rules, the data input terminal receiving data from a user, the data having a datatype, and applying at least one of the plurality of input validation rules to the data; a first datastore receiving data from the data input terminal; a data analysis server comprising: a plurality of data validation rules, the server receiving the data from the first datastore and applying at least one of the plurality of data validation rules to the data to obtain a result; a plurality of triggers, the server initiating at least one of the triggers based on the result of the application of the at least one of the plurality of data validation rules. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein:
initiating at least one of the triggers comprises dispatching a verification query to the data input terminal at the data collection point, the verification query comprising a request for a data verification activity. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein:
initiating at least one of the triggers comprises dispatching an investigation request to an investigator. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein:
the result of the application of the at least one of the plurality of data validation rules is stored in a second datastore and wherein the data analysis server further comprises at least one critical type identification rule, the server receiving the result from the second datastore and applying the at least one critical type identification rule to determine a critical type. 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of data validation rules comprises a threshold rule, the server applying the threshold rule to determine whether the data falls within a numeric range of the threshold rule. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein:
the plurality of data validation rules comprises a critical type rule, the server applying the critical type rule to determining whether the datatype of the data is equivalent to a critical type of the critical type rule. 7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:
a patient model, wherein the plurality of data validation rules comprises a model rule, the patient model generating the model rule, and the server applying the model rule to determine whether the data is consistent with the patient model. 8. A method of validating clinical data comprising:
reading a plurality of rules from a rulebase; reading input data, the input data comprising a plurality of values; applying the plurality of rules to the input data to determine an indicator for each of the values, the indicator for each of the values indicating whether the value is erroneous; based on the indicators for each of the values, initiating at least one trigger. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein:
the indicator is a Boolean. 10. The method of claim 8, wherein:
the indicator is a probability. 11. The method of claim 8, wherein:
initiating at least one trigger comprises dispatching a verification query to the data input terminal at the data collection point, the verification query comprising a request for a data verification activity 12. The method of claim 8, wherein:
initiating at least one trigger comprises dispatching an investigation request to an investigator. 13. The method of claim 8, wherein:
initiating at least one trigger comprises aggregating the indicators for each of the values. 14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:
storing in a datastore the indicators for each of the values; determining from the indicators in the datastore a critical value; creating a new rule such that when applied, the rule indicates that the critical value is likely erroneous; storing the new rule in the datastore. 15. The method of claim 8, further comprising:
applying a patient model to determine a model rule, the patient model relating at least two clinical values by at least one constraint; applying the model rule to the input data to determine whether the at least two clinical values in the input data meet the at least one constraint. 16. The method of claim 8, wherein:
applying the plurality of rules to the input data comprises applying a rule engine. 17. A computer program product for monitoring of clinical data, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code executable by a processor to:
read a plurality of rules from a rulebase; read input data, the input data comprising a plurality of values; apply the plurality of rules to the input data to determine an indicator for each of the values, the indicator for each of the values indicating whether the value is erroneous; based on the indicators for each of the values, initiate at least one trigger. | The presently disclosed subject matter provides for efficient and effective monitoring, while eliminating practices that may not be of value in assuring human subjects protection and reliable and informative study results. The present disclosure provides methods, computer program products, and systems for data collection and validation for Enhanced Monitoring (EM). The Enhanced Monitoring model disclosed herein increases productivity and efficiency by decreasing the frequency of on-site monitoring visits and employing remote review techniques to focus on the process as compared to individual data points.1. A system for monitoring a clinical trial, comprising:
a data input terminal, the data input terminal located at a data collection point and comprising a plurality of input validation rules, the data input terminal receiving data from a user, the data having a datatype, and applying at least one of the plurality of input validation rules to the data; a first datastore receiving data from the data input terminal; a data analysis server comprising: a plurality of data validation rules, the server receiving the data from the first datastore and applying at least one of the plurality of data validation rules to the data to obtain a result; a plurality of triggers, the server initiating at least one of the triggers based on the result of the application of the at least one of the plurality of data validation rules. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein:
initiating at least one of the triggers comprises dispatching a verification query to the data input terminal at the data collection point, the verification query comprising a request for a data verification activity. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein:
initiating at least one of the triggers comprises dispatching an investigation request to an investigator. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein:
the result of the application of the at least one of the plurality of data validation rules is stored in a second datastore and wherein the data analysis server further comprises at least one critical type identification rule, the server receiving the result from the second datastore and applying the at least one critical type identification rule to determine a critical type. 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of data validation rules comprises a threshold rule, the server applying the threshold rule to determine whether the data falls within a numeric range of the threshold rule. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein:
the plurality of data validation rules comprises a critical type rule, the server applying the critical type rule to determining whether the datatype of the data is equivalent to a critical type of the critical type rule. 7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:
a patient model, wherein the plurality of data validation rules comprises a model rule, the patient model generating the model rule, and the server applying the model rule to determine whether the data is consistent with the patient model. 8. A method of validating clinical data comprising:
reading a plurality of rules from a rulebase; reading input data, the input data comprising a plurality of values; applying the plurality of rules to the input data to determine an indicator for each of the values, the indicator for each of the values indicating whether the value is erroneous; based on the indicators for each of the values, initiating at least one trigger. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein:
the indicator is a Boolean. 10. The method of claim 8, wherein:
the indicator is a probability. 11. The method of claim 8, wherein:
initiating at least one trigger comprises dispatching a verification query to the data input terminal at the data collection point, the verification query comprising a request for a data verification activity 12. The method of claim 8, wherein:
initiating at least one trigger comprises dispatching an investigation request to an investigator. 13. The method of claim 8, wherein:
initiating at least one trigger comprises aggregating the indicators for each of the values. 14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:
storing in a datastore the indicators for each of the values; determining from the indicators in the datastore a critical value; creating a new rule such that when applied, the rule indicates that the critical value is likely erroneous; storing the new rule in the datastore. 15. The method of claim 8, further comprising:
applying a patient model to determine a model rule, the patient model relating at least two clinical values by at least one constraint; applying the model rule to the input data to determine whether the at least two clinical values in the input data meet the at least one constraint. 16. The method of claim 8, wherein:
applying the plurality of rules to the input data comprises applying a rule engine. 17. A computer program product for monitoring of clinical data, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code executable by a processor to:
read a plurality of rules from a rulebase; read input data, the input data comprising a plurality of values; apply the plurality of rules to the input data to determine an indicator for each of the values, the indicator for each of the values indicating whether the value is erroneous; based on the indicators for each of the values, initiate at least one trigger. | 3,600 |
12,484 | 12,484 | 14,201,464 | 3,665 | An item authority system is provided. The item authority system uses rules to identify item definitions that match or potentially match an item description. When a unique match is found, then the item authority system may indicate that the item description describes the same item as the item definition. If multiple matches or only potential matches are identified, then the item authority system may allow a user to manually indicate which item definition matches. | 1. A method in a computer system for matching item descriptions to item definitions, the method comprising:
receiving an indication of item definitions that possibly match an item description; displaying an indication of attributes of the item description and the possibly matching item definitions; receiving from a user a selection of one of the possibly matching item definitions; and designating that the selected item definition matches the item description. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the displaying includes displaying a similarity score for each item definition indicating its similarity to the item description. 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the possibly matching item definitions include ambiguously matching item definitions. 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the possibly matching item definitions include potentially matching item definitions. 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the item definitions are identified as possibly matching the item description based on rules that specify how to generate a similarity score based on similarity between the item definition and an item description. 6. The method of claim 5 wherein an item definition and an item description have attributes with values and wherein a rule indicates how to generate a similarity score based on similarity between the values of the attributes of the item definition and the item description. 7. The method of claim 5 wherein a rule includes one or more filters, each filter specifying how to generate a filter similarity score, wherein the similarity score for an item definition is the filter similarity score that indicates the item definition is most similar to the item description. 8. The method of claim 7 wherein an item definition and an item description have attributes with values and wherein a filter specifies an attribute scoring technique for one or more attributes that generates an attribute similarity score for that attribute and specifies how to combine the generated attribute similarity scores to generate a filter similarity score. 9. The method of claim 7 wherein a filter indicates a threshold filter similarity score wherein, when the filter similarity score generated in accordance with the filter meets the threshold filter similarity score, the item definition matches the item description. 10. The method of claim 5 wherein a rule includes one or more filters, each filter specifying how to identify item definitions that possibly match the item description. 11. The method of claim 1 including providing a potentially matching threshold similarity score for an item definition to be considered as potentially matching the item description. 12. The method of claim 1 wherein when more than one item definition has a similarity score that indicates it is a match, identifying those item definitions as ambiguously matching item definitions. 13. The method of claim 1 wherein the item definitions that possibly match an item description have similarity scores and discarding item definitions whose similarity score does not pass a resolution similarity score. 14. A computer system for manually matching item definitions to item descriptions, comprising:
an item resolution component that allows a user to manually match possibly matching item definitions to item descriptions, the item definitions being automatically identified as possibly matching; and a match component that allows unmatched item descriptions representing items in inventory to be manually matched to item definitions. 15. The computer system of claim 14 including a review component that allows the automatic matching of item definitions to item descriptions to be reviewed by a user. 16. The computer system of claim 14 wherein the match component allows new item definitions to be manually defined based on unmatched item descriptions. 17. The computer system of claim 14 wherein the match component allows duplicate item definitions to be merged into a single item definition. 18. The computer system of claim 14 including a data structure that includes the identifications of possibly matching item definitions for item descriptions and similarity scores for the item definitions. 19. The computer system of claim 14 wherein the match component calculates a similarity score representing the similarity between an item definition and an item description. 20. The computer system of claim 19 wherein the similarity scores are calculated based on a rule that specifies one or more scoring metrics. 21.-42. (canceled) | An item authority system is provided. The item authority system uses rules to identify item definitions that match or potentially match an item description. When a unique match is found, then the item authority system may indicate that the item description describes the same item as the item definition. If multiple matches or only potential matches are identified, then the item authority system may allow a user to manually indicate which item definition matches.1. A method in a computer system for matching item descriptions to item definitions, the method comprising:
receiving an indication of item definitions that possibly match an item description; displaying an indication of attributes of the item description and the possibly matching item definitions; receiving from a user a selection of one of the possibly matching item definitions; and designating that the selected item definition matches the item description. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the displaying includes displaying a similarity score for each item definition indicating its similarity to the item description. 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the possibly matching item definitions include ambiguously matching item definitions. 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the possibly matching item definitions include potentially matching item definitions. 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the item definitions are identified as possibly matching the item description based on rules that specify how to generate a similarity score based on similarity between the item definition and an item description. 6. The method of claim 5 wherein an item definition and an item description have attributes with values and wherein a rule indicates how to generate a similarity score based on similarity between the values of the attributes of the item definition and the item description. 7. The method of claim 5 wherein a rule includes one or more filters, each filter specifying how to generate a filter similarity score, wherein the similarity score for an item definition is the filter similarity score that indicates the item definition is most similar to the item description. 8. The method of claim 7 wherein an item definition and an item description have attributes with values and wherein a filter specifies an attribute scoring technique for one or more attributes that generates an attribute similarity score for that attribute and specifies how to combine the generated attribute similarity scores to generate a filter similarity score. 9. The method of claim 7 wherein a filter indicates a threshold filter similarity score wherein, when the filter similarity score generated in accordance with the filter meets the threshold filter similarity score, the item definition matches the item description. 10. The method of claim 5 wherein a rule includes one or more filters, each filter specifying how to identify item definitions that possibly match the item description. 11. The method of claim 1 including providing a potentially matching threshold similarity score for an item definition to be considered as potentially matching the item description. 12. The method of claim 1 wherein when more than one item definition has a similarity score that indicates it is a match, identifying those item definitions as ambiguously matching item definitions. 13. The method of claim 1 wherein the item definitions that possibly match an item description have similarity scores and discarding item definitions whose similarity score does not pass a resolution similarity score. 14. A computer system for manually matching item definitions to item descriptions, comprising:
an item resolution component that allows a user to manually match possibly matching item definitions to item descriptions, the item definitions being automatically identified as possibly matching; and a match component that allows unmatched item descriptions representing items in inventory to be manually matched to item definitions. 15. The computer system of claim 14 including a review component that allows the automatic matching of item definitions to item descriptions to be reviewed by a user. 16. The computer system of claim 14 wherein the match component allows new item definitions to be manually defined based on unmatched item descriptions. 17. The computer system of claim 14 wherein the match component allows duplicate item definitions to be merged into a single item definition. 18. The computer system of claim 14 including a data structure that includes the identifications of possibly matching item definitions for item descriptions and similarity scores for the item definitions. 19. The computer system of claim 14 wherein the match component calculates a similarity score representing the similarity between an item definition and an item description. 20. The computer system of claim 19 wherein the similarity scores are calculated based on a rule that specifies one or more scoring metrics. 21.-42. (canceled) | 3,600 |
12,485 | 12,485 | 14,822,286 | 3,695 | Embodiments include systems and methods for evaluating the integrity of a model portfolio designed to have substantially the same values, returns, or risk characteristics as a financial instrument. Embodiments include operating a first computer to perform a statistical comparison between said model portfolio and the financial instrument, wherein said statistical comparison compares at least one of the periodic values, returns, and risk characteristics of the model portfolio and the financial instrument over some period of time. The results of the statistical comparison are periodically published throughout a trading day for use by a trader to at least one (i) price and (ii) hedge an investment in the financial instrument. According to embodiments, the model portfolio does not reveal the holdings of a reference asset for the financial instrument. | 1. A method, comprising:
performing, by a first computer, a statistical comparison between a model portfolio and a financial instrument, the model portfolio designed to have substantially the same of one or more of values, returns, and risk characteristics as the financial instrument, wherein said statistical comparison compares at least one of the values, returns, and risk characteristics of the model portfolio and the financial instrument over some period of time, and publishing, by a computer, the results of the statistical comparison, wherein the model portfolio does not reveal at least one of the holdings of a reference asset for the financial instrument and changes in the holdings of said reference asset. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the financial instrument is an exchange traded note with an actively managed fund as the reference asset. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the statistical comparison between the model portfolio and the financial instrument comprises at least one of (i) a difference, (ii) an average difference, (iii) a standard deviation of the difference, (iv) a mean difference, (v) a minimum difference, (vi) a maximum difference, (vii) a correlation number, (viii) an R2 value, and (ix) a value-at-risk (VAR). 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the statistical comparison is sent or published in discrete bins. 5. The method of claim 3, wherein the statistical comparison is sent or published by description as being less than a predetermined interval value. 6. The method of claim 3, wherein the statistical comparison is sent or published by description as being between two predetermined interval values. 7. A system comprising:
one or more computer systems storing non-transitory computer program code that when executed by a computer processor creates or receives a model portfolio designed to have substantially the same of one or more of values, returns and risk characteristics as a target portfolio, performs a statistical comparison between the model portfolio created or received by the first computer system and the target portfolio, wherein said statistical comparison compares at least one of the values, returns, and risk characteristics of the model portfolio and the target portfolio over some period of time, and sends or publishes the results of the statistical comparison, wherein the model portfolio does not reveal at least one of the assets of the target portfolio and changes in the assets of the target portfolio. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the target portfolio comprises an actively managed fund used as a reference asset for an exchange traded note. 9. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more computer systems comprise non-transitory computer program code that when executed by the computer processor performs a statistical comparison between the model portfolio and the financial instrument, said statistical comparison comprising at least one of (i) an average difference, (ii) a standard deviation of the difference, (iii) a mean difference, (iv) a minimum difference, (v) a maximum difference, (vi) a correlation number, (vii) an R2 value, and (viii) a value-at-risk (VAR). 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the statistical comparison is sent or published in discrete bins. 11. The system of claim 7, wherein the statistical comparison is sent or published by description as being less than a predetermined interval value. 12. The system of claim 7, wherein the statistical comparison is sent or published by description as being between two predetermined interval values. 13. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more computer systems comprise two or more computers. 14. A system comprising:
a comparison component storing non-transitory computer program code that when executed by a computer processor performs a statistical comparison between a model portfolio and a financial instrument, wherein said statistical comparison compares at least one of values, returns, and risk characteristics of the model portfolio and the financial instrument over some period of time, the model portfolio selected to have substantially the same of one or more of the values, returns and risk characteristics as the financial instrument; and a communication component storing non-transitory computer program code that when executed by a computer processor publishes the results of the statistical comparison; wherein the model portfolio does not reveal at least one of the holdings of a reference asset for the financial instrument and changes in the holdings of the reference asset. 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the financial instrument comprises an exchange traded note with an actively managed fund as the reference asset. 16. The system of claim 14, wherein the statistical comparison between the model portfolio and the financial instrument comprises at least one of (i) a difference, (ii) an average difference, (iii) a standard deviation of the difference, (iv) a mean difference, (v) a minimum difference, (vi) a maximum difference, (vii) a correlation number, (viii) an R2 value, and (ix) a value-at-risk (VAR). 17. The system of claim 14, wherein the communication component stores non-transitory computer program code that when executed by the computer processor publishes the statistical comparison in discrete bins. 18. The system of claim 14, wherein the communication component stores non-transitory computer program code that when executed by the computer processor publishes the statistical comparison by description as being less than a predetermined interval value. 19. The system of claim 14, wherein the communication component stores non-transitory computer program code that when executed by the computer processor publishes the statistical comparison by description as being between two predetermined interval values. 20. The method of claim 1, wherein the model portfolio comprises at least one of a creation portfolio and a redemption portfolio. 21. The system of claim 7, wherein the model portfolio comprises at least one of a creation portfolio and a redemption portfolio. 22. The system of claim 14, wherein the model portfolio comprises at least one of a creation portfolio and a redemption portfolio. | Embodiments include systems and methods for evaluating the integrity of a model portfolio designed to have substantially the same values, returns, or risk characteristics as a financial instrument. Embodiments include operating a first computer to perform a statistical comparison between said model portfolio and the financial instrument, wherein said statistical comparison compares at least one of the periodic values, returns, and risk characteristics of the model portfolio and the financial instrument over some period of time. The results of the statistical comparison are periodically published throughout a trading day for use by a trader to at least one (i) price and (ii) hedge an investment in the financial instrument. According to embodiments, the model portfolio does not reveal the holdings of a reference asset for the financial instrument.1. A method, comprising:
performing, by a first computer, a statistical comparison between a model portfolio and a financial instrument, the model portfolio designed to have substantially the same of one or more of values, returns, and risk characteristics as the financial instrument, wherein said statistical comparison compares at least one of the values, returns, and risk characteristics of the model portfolio and the financial instrument over some period of time, and publishing, by a computer, the results of the statistical comparison, wherein the model portfolio does not reveal at least one of the holdings of a reference asset for the financial instrument and changes in the holdings of said reference asset. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the financial instrument is an exchange traded note with an actively managed fund as the reference asset. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the statistical comparison between the model portfolio and the financial instrument comprises at least one of (i) a difference, (ii) an average difference, (iii) a standard deviation of the difference, (iv) a mean difference, (v) a minimum difference, (vi) a maximum difference, (vii) a correlation number, (viii) an R2 value, and (ix) a value-at-risk (VAR). 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the statistical comparison is sent or published in discrete bins. 5. The method of claim 3, wherein the statistical comparison is sent or published by description as being less than a predetermined interval value. 6. The method of claim 3, wherein the statistical comparison is sent or published by description as being between two predetermined interval values. 7. A system comprising:
one or more computer systems storing non-transitory computer program code that when executed by a computer processor creates or receives a model portfolio designed to have substantially the same of one or more of values, returns and risk characteristics as a target portfolio, performs a statistical comparison between the model portfolio created or received by the first computer system and the target portfolio, wherein said statistical comparison compares at least one of the values, returns, and risk characteristics of the model portfolio and the target portfolio over some period of time, and sends or publishes the results of the statistical comparison, wherein the model portfolio does not reveal at least one of the assets of the target portfolio and changes in the assets of the target portfolio. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the target portfolio comprises an actively managed fund used as a reference asset for an exchange traded note. 9. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more computer systems comprise non-transitory computer program code that when executed by the computer processor performs a statistical comparison between the model portfolio and the financial instrument, said statistical comparison comprising at least one of (i) an average difference, (ii) a standard deviation of the difference, (iii) a mean difference, (iv) a minimum difference, (v) a maximum difference, (vi) a correlation number, (vii) an R2 value, and (viii) a value-at-risk (VAR). 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the statistical comparison is sent or published in discrete bins. 11. The system of claim 7, wherein the statistical comparison is sent or published by description as being less than a predetermined interval value. 12. The system of claim 7, wherein the statistical comparison is sent or published by description as being between two predetermined interval values. 13. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more computer systems comprise two or more computers. 14. A system comprising:
a comparison component storing non-transitory computer program code that when executed by a computer processor performs a statistical comparison between a model portfolio and a financial instrument, wherein said statistical comparison compares at least one of values, returns, and risk characteristics of the model portfolio and the financial instrument over some period of time, the model portfolio selected to have substantially the same of one or more of the values, returns and risk characteristics as the financial instrument; and a communication component storing non-transitory computer program code that when executed by a computer processor publishes the results of the statistical comparison; wherein the model portfolio does not reveal at least one of the holdings of a reference asset for the financial instrument and changes in the holdings of the reference asset. 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the financial instrument comprises an exchange traded note with an actively managed fund as the reference asset. 16. The system of claim 14, wherein the statistical comparison between the model portfolio and the financial instrument comprises at least one of (i) a difference, (ii) an average difference, (iii) a standard deviation of the difference, (iv) a mean difference, (v) a minimum difference, (vi) a maximum difference, (vii) a correlation number, (viii) an R2 value, and (ix) a value-at-risk (VAR). 17. The system of claim 14, wherein the communication component stores non-transitory computer program code that when executed by the computer processor publishes the statistical comparison in discrete bins. 18. The system of claim 14, wherein the communication component stores non-transitory computer program code that when executed by the computer processor publishes the statistical comparison by description as being less than a predetermined interval value. 19. The system of claim 14, wherein the communication component stores non-transitory computer program code that when executed by the computer processor publishes the statistical comparison by description as being between two predetermined interval values. 20. The method of claim 1, wherein the model portfolio comprises at least one of a creation portfolio and a redemption portfolio. 21. The system of claim 7, wherein the model portfolio comprises at least one of a creation portfolio and a redemption portfolio. 22. The system of claim 14, wherein the model portfolio comprises at least one of a creation portfolio and a redemption portfolio. | 3,600 |
12,486 | 12,486 | 13,126,810 | 3,681 | A transactional apparatus for providing user identification such as a purchaser of goods or services at a Point of Sale (POS) with a reward, or providing an identity transaction of a user in say a Post Office or retailer of postal services. The apparatus comprises a device ( 1 ) remote from the POS adapted to capture and derive transactional information data relating to the user whereby to provide user identification based on the transactional information data. | 1. Apparatus for providing user identification associated with a Point of Sale (POS), comprising a device remote from the POS adapted to capture and derive transactional information data relating to the user whereby to provide user identification based on the transactional information data. 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, the device comprising a stand-alone device for processing the transactional information data and a scanner. 3. Apparatus according to claim 2, the device comprising a kiosk. 4. Apparatus according to claim 3, the said device and scanner being integral. 5. Apparatus according to claim 4, the scanner comprising an OCR scanner. 6. Apparatus according to claim 4, the scanner comprising a web cam device. 7. Apparatus according to claim 1, the device comprising a touch screen. 8. Apparatus according to claim 7, comprising OCR software adapted for decoding the transactional information data and provide a reward to a user. 9. Apparatus according to claim 8, the reward comprising a message on the touch screen. 10. Apparatus according to claim 8, the reward comprising a coupon printed by the device. 11. Apparatus according to claim 10, the coupon being readable by a suitably programmed POS to process the reward. 12. Apparatus according to claim 3, the device being adapted to provide an identity transaction of a user of the apparatus. 13. Apparatus according to claim 12, the kiosk comprising an interactive touch screen for providing a scanning sequence using the scanner to provide user identification. 14. Apparatus according to claim 13, adapted to provide a verified user identification means. 15. Apparatus according to claim 14, the means comprising a bar-coded means. 16. Apparatus according to claim 14, the means comprising a printed copy of a scanned user identification document or documents. 17. Apparatus according to claim 14, and a postal device for receiving mail from a verified user. 18. Apparatus according to claim 1, the mail being selected from the group comprising parcels, packages and the like and the postal device comprising a drop-off box. 19. Apparatus according to claim 17, the drop-off box being adjacent the device. 20. Apparatus according to claim 17, comprising means for weighing and/or dimensioning mail. 21-22. (canceled) | A transactional apparatus for providing user identification such as a purchaser of goods or services at a Point of Sale (POS) with a reward, or providing an identity transaction of a user in say a Post Office or retailer of postal services. The apparatus comprises a device ( 1 ) remote from the POS adapted to capture and derive transactional information data relating to the user whereby to provide user identification based on the transactional information data.1. Apparatus for providing user identification associated with a Point of Sale (POS), comprising a device remote from the POS adapted to capture and derive transactional information data relating to the user whereby to provide user identification based on the transactional information data. 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, the device comprising a stand-alone device for processing the transactional information data and a scanner. 3. Apparatus according to claim 2, the device comprising a kiosk. 4. Apparatus according to claim 3, the said device and scanner being integral. 5. Apparatus according to claim 4, the scanner comprising an OCR scanner. 6. Apparatus according to claim 4, the scanner comprising a web cam device. 7. Apparatus according to claim 1, the device comprising a touch screen. 8. Apparatus according to claim 7, comprising OCR software adapted for decoding the transactional information data and provide a reward to a user. 9. Apparatus according to claim 8, the reward comprising a message on the touch screen. 10. Apparatus according to claim 8, the reward comprising a coupon printed by the device. 11. Apparatus according to claim 10, the coupon being readable by a suitably programmed POS to process the reward. 12. Apparatus according to claim 3, the device being adapted to provide an identity transaction of a user of the apparatus. 13. Apparatus according to claim 12, the kiosk comprising an interactive touch screen for providing a scanning sequence using the scanner to provide user identification. 14. Apparatus according to claim 13, adapted to provide a verified user identification means. 15. Apparatus according to claim 14, the means comprising a bar-coded means. 16. Apparatus according to claim 14, the means comprising a printed copy of a scanned user identification document or documents. 17. Apparatus according to claim 14, and a postal device for receiving mail from a verified user. 18. Apparatus according to claim 1, the mail being selected from the group comprising parcels, packages and the like and the postal device comprising a drop-off box. 19. Apparatus according to claim 17, the drop-off box being adjacent the device. 20. Apparatus according to claim 17, comprising means for weighing and/or dimensioning mail. 21-22. (canceled) | 3,600 |
12,487 | 12,487 | 13,228,269 | 3,685 | Accessing media data in bites, including: receiving a request from a client to access a media item, and determining an address of the requested media item, wherein the address indicates a location where the media item is stored; determining an identification number of a piece of the media item selected by the client; updating the address of the media item by combining the address with the identification number of the piece of the media item selected by the client; valuating the piece of the media item selected by the client, and sending a valuated price to the client; and providing access to the requested media item using the updated address of the media item when a payment for the valuated price is received from the client. | 1. A method of accessing media data in bites, the method comprising:
receiving a request from a client to access a media item, and determining an address of the requested media item, wherein the address indicates a location where the media item is stored; determining an identification number of a piece of the media item selected by the client; updating the address of the media item by combining the address with the identification number of the piece of the media item selected by the client; valuating the piece of the media item selected by the client, and sending a valuated price to the client; and providing access to the requested media item using the updated address of the media item when a payment for the valuated price is received from the client. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein combining the address with the identification number comprises
appending the identification number to the end of the address. 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising
presenting a media access menu to the client to determine whether the request to access a media item is to access it in pieces or as a whole. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein presenting a media access menu comprises
presenting overviews of the pieces to the client. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the overviews of the pieces are presented to the client in at least one of thumbnails, snippets, or other summaries of the pieces. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein valuating the piece of the media item comprises:
setting a first price for accessing each piece of the media item; and setting a second price for accessing all pieces of the media item, wherein the second price is adjusted depending on a number of the pieces of the media item which has been purchased each at the first price. 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising
offering remaining pieces of the media item to the client at a discount when a total price for the number of the pieces of the media item is equal to or greater than the second price. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein valuating the piece of the media item comprises
offering the pieces of the media item at a discount to the client participating in a subscription service or loyalty program. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein providing access to the requested media item comprises:
delivering the entire media item; tracking a playback progress through the media item; and charging only for the pieces of the media item which have been played. 10. A media access controller, comprising:
a media access map to receive a media access request for a media item from a client device, and to output an address for the requested media item; a processor to receive the address of the media item and generate a media access menu which is presented to the client device to enable the client device to select a piece of the media item to access; a combiner to update the address of the media item by combining the address with a selection of the piece of the media item from the client device; a valuator to valuate the piece of the media item selected by the client, and to send a valuated price to the client device; and an access interface to provide access to the requested piece of the media item using the updated address of the media item when a payment for the valuated price is received from the client device. 11. The media access controller of claim 10, wherein the media access menu comprises
a series of inquiries to determine whether the media access request is to access the media item in pieces or as a whole. 12. The media access controller of claim 10, wherein the media access menu comprises
an overview presentation to present overviews of the pieces of the media item to the client device. 13. The media access controller of claim 12, wherein the overviews of the pieces of the media item are presented to the client device in at least one of thumbnails, snippets, or other summaries of the pieces. 14. The media access controller of claim 10, wherein the access interface comprises
a tracking unit configured to deliver the entire media item to the client device, track a playback progress through the media item, and charge only for the pieces of the media item which have been played. 15. A non-transitory tangible storage medium storing a computer program for accessing media data in bites, the computer program comprising executable instructions that cause a computer to:
receive a request from a client to access a media item, and determining an address of the requested media item, wherein the address indicates a location where the media item is stored; determine an identification number of a piece of the media item selected by the client; update the address of the media item by combining the address with the identification number of the piece of the media item selected by the client; valuate the piece of the media item selected by the client, and sending a valuated price to the client; and provide access to the requested media item using the updated address of the media item when a payment for the valuated price is received from the client. 16. The non-transitory tangible storage medium of claim 15, wherein executable instructions that cause a computer to combine the address with the identification number comprise executable instructions that cause a computer to
append the identification number to the end of the address. 17. The non-transitory tangible storage medium of claim 15, further comprising executable instructions that cause a computer to
present a media access menu to the client to determine whether the request to access a media item is to access it in pieces or as a whole. 18. The non-transitory tangible storage medium of claim 17, wherein executable instructions that cause a computer to present a media access menu to the client comprise executable instructions that cause a computer to
present overviews of the pieces to the client. 19. The non-transitory tangible storage medium of claim 18, wherein the overviews of the pieces are presented to the client in at least one of thumbnails, snippets, or other summaries of the pieces. 20. The non-transitory tangible storage medium of claim 15, wherein executable instructions that cause a computer to provide access to the requested media item comprise executable instructions that cause a computer to
deliver the entire media item; track a playback progress through the media item; and charge only for the pieces of the media item which have been played. | Accessing media data in bites, including: receiving a request from a client to access a media item, and determining an address of the requested media item, wherein the address indicates a location where the media item is stored; determining an identification number of a piece of the media item selected by the client; updating the address of the media item by combining the address with the identification number of the piece of the media item selected by the client; valuating the piece of the media item selected by the client, and sending a valuated price to the client; and providing access to the requested media item using the updated address of the media item when a payment for the valuated price is received from the client.1. A method of accessing media data in bites, the method comprising:
receiving a request from a client to access a media item, and determining an address of the requested media item, wherein the address indicates a location where the media item is stored; determining an identification number of a piece of the media item selected by the client; updating the address of the media item by combining the address with the identification number of the piece of the media item selected by the client; valuating the piece of the media item selected by the client, and sending a valuated price to the client; and providing access to the requested media item using the updated address of the media item when a payment for the valuated price is received from the client. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein combining the address with the identification number comprises
appending the identification number to the end of the address. 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising
presenting a media access menu to the client to determine whether the request to access a media item is to access it in pieces or as a whole. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein presenting a media access menu comprises
presenting overviews of the pieces to the client. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the overviews of the pieces are presented to the client in at least one of thumbnails, snippets, or other summaries of the pieces. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein valuating the piece of the media item comprises:
setting a first price for accessing each piece of the media item; and setting a second price for accessing all pieces of the media item, wherein the second price is adjusted depending on a number of the pieces of the media item which has been purchased each at the first price. 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising
offering remaining pieces of the media item to the client at a discount when a total price for the number of the pieces of the media item is equal to or greater than the second price. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein valuating the piece of the media item comprises
offering the pieces of the media item at a discount to the client participating in a subscription service or loyalty program. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein providing access to the requested media item comprises:
delivering the entire media item; tracking a playback progress through the media item; and charging only for the pieces of the media item which have been played. 10. A media access controller, comprising:
a media access map to receive a media access request for a media item from a client device, and to output an address for the requested media item; a processor to receive the address of the media item and generate a media access menu which is presented to the client device to enable the client device to select a piece of the media item to access; a combiner to update the address of the media item by combining the address with a selection of the piece of the media item from the client device; a valuator to valuate the piece of the media item selected by the client, and to send a valuated price to the client device; and an access interface to provide access to the requested piece of the media item using the updated address of the media item when a payment for the valuated price is received from the client device. 11. The media access controller of claim 10, wherein the media access menu comprises
a series of inquiries to determine whether the media access request is to access the media item in pieces or as a whole. 12. The media access controller of claim 10, wherein the media access menu comprises
an overview presentation to present overviews of the pieces of the media item to the client device. 13. The media access controller of claim 12, wherein the overviews of the pieces of the media item are presented to the client device in at least one of thumbnails, snippets, or other summaries of the pieces. 14. The media access controller of claim 10, wherein the access interface comprises
a tracking unit configured to deliver the entire media item to the client device, track a playback progress through the media item, and charge only for the pieces of the media item which have been played. 15. A non-transitory tangible storage medium storing a computer program for accessing media data in bites, the computer program comprising executable instructions that cause a computer to:
receive a request from a client to access a media item, and determining an address of the requested media item, wherein the address indicates a location where the media item is stored; determine an identification number of a piece of the media item selected by the client; update the address of the media item by combining the address with the identification number of the piece of the media item selected by the client; valuate the piece of the media item selected by the client, and sending a valuated price to the client; and provide access to the requested media item using the updated address of the media item when a payment for the valuated price is received from the client. 16. The non-transitory tangible storage medium of claim 15, wherein executable instructions that cause a computer to combine the address with the identification number comprise executable instructions that cause a computer to
append the identification number to the end of the address. 17. The non-transitory tangible storage medium of claim 15, further comprising executable instructions that cause a computer to
present a media access menu to the client to determine whether the request to access a media item is to access it in pieces or as a whole. 18. The non-transitory tangible storage medium of claim 17, wherein executable instructions that cause a computer to present a media access menu to the client comprise executable instructions that cause a computer to
present overviews of the pieces to the client. 19. The non-transitory tangible storage medium of claim 18, wherein the overviews of the pieces are presented to the client in at least one of thumbnails, snippets, or other summaries of the pieces. 20. The non-transitory tangible storage medium of claim 15, wherein executable instructions that cause a computer to provide access to the requested media item comprise executable instructions that cause a computer to
deliver the entire media item; track a playback progress through the media item; and charge only for the pieces of the media item which have been played. | 3,600 |
12,488 | 12,488 | 14,065,355 | 3,693 | A system for efficient allocation of resources in a financial services branch includes a branch computer system and a remote solutions server which are in communication with a core banking server. The branch computer system includes various computer, network devices and equipment for branch operations. A plurality of customer devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers, can be connected to a remote solutions server. Each such device can be pre-configured with a remote banking application (“app”) allowing a respective customer to use the device to communicate with the remote solutions server to perform the remote banking. The remote solutions server facilitates remote banking wherein transactions can be completed using in-branch banking equipment. Additionally, the banking customer may schedule time with banking personnel using this application, wherein the meeting can take place at the same branch where the transaction will be completed. | 1. A method for efficient allocation of resources in a financial services branch, comprising:
(a) requesting use of a specified financial services resource within the branch; (b) placing a request for the financial services resource in a request table; (c) receiving an authentication token useable to satisfy the request; (d) presenting the authentication token to authenticate the use of the financial services resource; and (e) receiving access, in the branch, to the financial services resource, when the use of the financial services resource is authenticated and the request is found in the request table. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the financial services resource is a cash handling device. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the financial services resource includes one or more of a cash handling device, a check scanner, a self-service kiosk, and a teller station. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication token is a 2D bar code. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the financial services resource is shareable by a customer to access his or her own account and at least one teller. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the requesting use of a specified financial services resource is performed responsive to an in-branch banking application transaction. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the requesting use of a specified financial services resource is performed responsive to a remote banking application transaction. 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising,
at a remote location, performing a remote banking application to begin a financial transaction, the financial transaction completed in the branch at least in part using the requested financial services resource. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the remote banking application is performed in part
by executing a banking application on a user device. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the user device is one of a smartphone, a tablet computer, and a laptop. 11. The method of claim 9, wherein the remote banking application interacts with a remote solution server executing an application in accordance with logic allowing the transaction to be completed in the branch at least in part using the requested financial services resource. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the application executing on the remote solution server interacts with a core financial platform which is also used in the branch by teller applications to perform financial transactions at the branch. 13. A system for efficient allocation of resources in a financial services branch, comprising:
a computer system configured to
(a) receive a request for use of a specified financial services resource within the branch;
(b) place a request for the financial services resource in a request table;
(c) provide access, in the branch, to the financial services resource, when the request is available in the request table. 14. The system of claim 13, further comprising:
a user device configured to execute a remote banking application; a remote solution server configured to execute a remote solution application having logic allowing a transaction initiated using user device executing the remote banking application to be completed in the branch using the requested financial services resource. 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the remote solution application interacts with a core financial platform which is also used in the branch by teller applications. 16. The system of claim 13, wherein the financial services resource is a cash handling device. 17. The system of claim 13, wherein some of the financial services resources are arranged as one of (a) a single-line, multiserver waiting line, wherein servers in the waiting line include check scanners, and (b) a multi-line, multiserver waiting line, wherein servers in the waiting line include check scanners. 18. The system of claim 17, wherein at least one check endorsement station is situated adjacent the waiting line. 19. A method for efficient allocation of resources in a financial services branch, comprising:
(a) requesting use of a specified financial services resource within the branch; (b) placing a request for the financial services resource in a queue; and (c) providing access, in the branch, to the financial services resource, when the request is available in the queue; (d) wherein the requesting use of a specified financial services resource is performed responsive to a remote banking application transaction. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the financial services resource includes one or more of a cash handling device, a check scanner, a self-service kiosk, and a teller station. | A system for efficient allocation of resources in a financial services branch includes a branch computer system and a remote solutions server which are in communication with a core banking server. The branch computer system includes various computer, network devices and equipment for branch operations. A plurality of customer devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers, can be connected to a remote solutions server. Each such device can be pre-configured with a remote banking application (“app”) allowing a respective customer to use the device to communicate with the remote solutions server to perform the remote banking. The remote solutions server facilitates remote banking wherein transactions can be completed using in-branch banking equipment. Additionally, the banking customer may schedule time with banking personnel using this application, wherein the meeting can take place at the same branch where the transaction will be completed.1. A method for efficient allocation of resources in a financial services branch, comprising:
(a) requesting use of a specified financial services resource within the branch; (b) placing a request for the financial services resource in a request table; (c) receiving an authentication token useable to satisfy the request; (d) presenting the authentication token to authenticate the use of the financial services resource; and (e) receiving access, in the branch, to the financial services resource, when the use of the financial services resource is authenticated and the request is found in the request table. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the financial services resource is a cash handling device. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the financial services resource includes one or more of a cash handling device, a check scanner, a self-service kiosk, and a teller station. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication token is a 2D bar code. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the financial services resource is shareable by a customer to access his or her own account and at least one teller. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the requesting use of a specified financial services resource is performed responsive to an in-branch banking application transaction. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the requesting use of a specified financial services resource is performed responsive to a remote banking application transaction. 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising,
at a remote location, performing a remote banking application to begin a financial transaction, the financial transaction completed in the branch at least in part using the requested financial services resource. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the remote banking application is performed in part
by executing a banking application on a user device. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the user device is one of a smartphone, a tablet computer, and a laptop. 11. The method of claim 9, wherein the remote banking application interacts with a remote solution server executing an application in accordance with logic allowing the transaction to be completed in the branch at least in part using the requested financial services resource. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the application executing on the remote solution server interacts with a core financial platform which is also used in the branch by teller applications to perform financial transactions at the branch. 13. A system for efficient allocation of resources in a financial services branch, comprising:
a computer system configured to
(a) receive a request for use of a specified financial services resource within the branch;
(b) place a request for the financial services resource in a request table;
(c) provide access, in the branch, to the financial services resource, when the request is available in the request table. 14. The system of claim 13, further comprising:
a user device configured to execute a remote banking application; a remote solution server configured to execute a remote solution application having logic allowing a transaction initiated using user device executing the remote banking application to be completed in the branch using the requested financial services resource. 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the remote solution application interacts with a core financial platform which is also used in the branch by teller applications. 16. The system of claim 13, wherein the financial services resource is a cash handling device. 17. The system of claim 13, wherein some of the financial services resources are arranged as one of (a) a single-line, multiserver waiting line, wherein servers in the waiting line include check scanners, and (b) a multi-line, multiserver waiting line, wherein servers in the waiting line include check scanners. 18. The system of claim 17, wherein at least one check endorsement station is situated adjacent the waiting line. 19. A method for efficient allocation of resources in a financial services branch, comprising:
(a) requesting use of a specified financial services resource within the branch; (b) placing a request for the financial services resource in a queue; and (c) providing access, in the branch, to the financial services resource, when the request is available in the queue; (d) wherein the requesting use of a specified financial services resource is performed responsive to a remote banking application transaction. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the financial services resource includes one or more of a cash handling device, a check scanner, a self-service kiosk, and a teller station. | 3,600 |
12,489 | 12,489 | 13,525,488 | 3,674 | A method relates to improving production rate and recovery of heavy oil or bitumen and reducing heat loss to over and under burden in a steam-assisted production process. The method includes strategically injecting recycled carbon dioxide into the reservoir between production wells. The heat insulation and solvent effects provided by carbon dioxide dissolved in the oil phase facilitate the desired improvement on oil recovery, and simultaneously sequester the CO 2 back into the reservoir. | 1. A method for improving production of heavy oil in a steam-assisted production process that has at least one production well in a hydrocarbon formation, comprising:
a) providing a target well for injecting recycled carbon dioxide, wherein the target well is located at least 30 meters away from at least one production well; b) preparing the target well for injecting the recycled carbon dioxide; c) injecting the recycled carbon dioxide at an initial pressure that is at least 1% higher than an initial reservoir pressure; d) injecting the recycled carbon dioxide at an increased pressure relative to the initial pressure when a thermal front approaches the production well; and e) recovering a hydrocarbon from said at least one production well. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the steam-assisted production process comprises Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) or Cyclic Steam Stimulation (CSS). 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the target well is at least 50 meters away from the at least one production well. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the recycled carbon dioxide is generated by boilers used in the steam-assisted production process. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial pressure in step c) is 1-5% above the initial reservoir pressure. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein in step d) the injection pressure is maintained at 1-5% above the pressure of the hydrocarbon formation in order to sustain CO2 injectivity. 7. A method for enhanced oil recovery, comprising:
a) providing at least one horizontal producer well near the bottom of a pay zone in a hydrocarbon reservoir; b) providing at least one horizontal steam injection well above said producer well; c) providing at least one horizontal target well for injecting recycled carbon dioxide, wherein the target well is located at a distance away from said production well and said steam injection well and at or near the top of said pay zone; d) injecting recycled carbon dioxide into said target well at pressure that is at least 1% higher than the pressure of said hydrocarbon reservoir; e) injecting steam into said steam injection well; and f) collecting the oil produced in said producer well. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the target well is at least 30 meters away from said at least one producer well. 9. The method of claim 7, wherein the target well is 30-50 meters away from said at least one producer well. 10. The method of claim 7, wherein there are a plurality of producer wells and wherein said target well is at least 30 meters away from said plurality of producer wells. 11. The method of claim 7, wherein said CO2 is continuously injected into said target well at a pressure that exceeds reservoir pressure. 12. A method for enhanced heavy oil recovery from a reservoir, comprising combining steam assisted oil recovery with CO2 injection into a target well that is separate from a steam injection well and an oil production well and at a distance away from said steam injection well and said oil production well, so that said CO2 partially solvates heavy oil in a reservoir and provides an insulating CO2 blanket over said steam injection well, and collecting heavy oil from said oil production well. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein said CO2 is continuously injected into said target well at a pressure that exceeds a pressure of said reservoir. 14. The method of claim 12, wherein said CO2 is injected into said target well before and during a steam injection into said steam injection well. 15. The method of claim 12, wherein said target well is between a pair of oil production wells. 16. The method of claim 12, wherein there are a plurality of oil production wells and wherein said target well is at least 25 meters away from said plurality of oil production wells. 17. The method of claim 12, wherein the target well is 30-50 meters away from said oil production well and said steam injection. 18. The method of claim 12, wherein said CO2 is produced at or near said reservoir. 19. The method of claim 12, wherein said CO2 is produced at or near said reservoir as a byproduct of producing steam. 20. The method of claim 12, wherein CO2 injection pressure is maintained at 1-5% over a reservoir pressure. | A method relates to improving production rate and recovery of heavy oil or bitumen and reducing heat loss to over and under burden in a steam-assisted production process. The method includes strategically injecting recycled carbon dioxide into the reservoir between production wells. The heat insulation and solvent effects provided by carbon dioxide dissolved in the oil phase facilitate the desired improvement on oil recovery, and simultaneously sequester the CO 2 back into the reservoir.1. A method for improving production of heavy oil in a steam-assisted production process that has at least one production well in a hydrocarbon formation, comprising:
a) providing a target well for injecting recycled carbon dioxide, wherein the target well is located at least 30 meters away from at least one production well; b) preparing the target well for injecting the recycled carbon dioxide; c) injecting the recycled carbon dioxide at an initial pressure that is at least 1% higher than an initial reservoir pressure; d) injecting the recycled carbon dioxide at an increased pressure relative to the initial pressure when a thermal front approaches the production well; and e) recovering a hydrocarbon from said at least one production well. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the steam-assisted production process comprises Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) or Cyclic Steam Stimulation (CSS). 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the target well is at least 50 meters away from the at least one production well. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the recycled carbon dioxide is generated by boilers used in the steam-assisted production process. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial pressure in step c) is 1-5% above the initial reservoir pressure. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein in step d) the injection pressure is maintained at 1-5% above the pressure of the hydrocarbon formation in order to sustain CO2 injectivity. 7. A method for enhanced oil recovery, comprising:
a) providing at least one horizontal producer well near the bottom of a pay zone in a hydrocarbon reservoir; b) providing at least one horizontal steam injection well above said producer well; c) providing at least one horizontal target well for injecting recycled carbon dioxide, wherein the target well is located at a distance away from said production well and said steam injection well and at or near the top of said pay zone; d) injecting recycled carbon dioxide into said target well at pressure that is at least 1% higher than the pressure of said hydrocarbon reservoir; e) injecting steam into said steam injection well; and f) collecting the oil produced in said producer well. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the target well is at least 30 meters away from said at least one producer well. 9. The method of claim 7, wherein the target well is 30-50 meters away from said at least one producer well. 10. The method of claim 7, wherein there are a plurality of producer wells and wherein said target well is at least 30 meters away from said plurality of producer wells. 11. The method of claim 7, wherein said CO2 is continuously injected into said target well at a pressure that exceeds reservoir pressure. 12. A method for enhanced heavy oil recovery from a reservoir, comprising combining steam assisted oil recovery with CO2 injection into a target well that is separate from a steam injection well and an oil production well and at a distance away from said steam injection well and said oil production well, so that said CO2 partially solvates heavy oil in a reservoir and provides an insulating CO2 blanket over said steam injection well, and collecting heavy oil from said oil production well. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein said CO2 is continuously injected into said target well at a pressure that exceeds a pressure of said reservoir. 14. The method of claim 12, wherein said CO2 is injected into said target well before and during a steam injection into said steam injection well. 15. The method of claim 12, wherein said target well is between a pair of oil production wells. 16. The method of claim 12, wherein there are a plurality of oil production wells and wherein said target well is at least 25 meters away from said plurality of oil production wells. 17. The method of claim 12, wherein the target well is 30-50 meters away from said oil production well and said steam injection. 18. The method of claim 12, wherein said CO2 is produced at or near said reservoir. 19. The method of claim 12, wherein said CO2 is produced at or near said reservoir as a byproduct of producing steam. 20. The method of claim 12, wherein CO2 injection pressure is maintained at 1-5% over a reservoir pressure. | 3,600 |
12,490 | 12,490 | 12,853,709 | 3,626 | According to one aspect, a system for provisioning medical supplies for medical procedures. The system includes at least one data storage device for storing data related to the provisioning of medical supplies, and at least one processor operably connected to the at least one data storage device. The at least one processor is configured to, for at least one medical procedure, generate a pick list including predictable medical supplies for that procedure based on a template for that procedure, receive data about predictable medical supplies picked at one or more storage locations for that procedure based on the pick list and store that data in the at least one data storage device, and receive data about unpredictable medical supplies picked at the one or more storage locations and store that data in the at least one data storage device. | 1. A system for provisioning medical supplies for medical procedures, comprising:
at least one data storage device for storing data related to the provisioning of medical supplies; and at least one processor operably connected to the at least one data storage device; wherein the at least one processor is configured to, for at least one medical procedure:
generate a pick list including predictable medical supplies for that procedure based on a template for that procedure;
receive data about predictable medical supplies picked at one or more storage locations for that procedure based on the pick list and store that data in the at least one data storage device; and
receive data about unpredictable medical supplies picked at the one or more storage locations and store that data in the at least one data storage device. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to update the template for that procedure based on the received data about unpredictable supplies. 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive data about unused medical supplies after the procedure is complete, store that data in the at least one data storage device, and update the template based on the received data about the unused medical supplies. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to customize the pick list for each procedure based on preference data for that procedure stored in the at least one data storage device. 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one location includes a first location where at least one of the predictable medical supplies is picked based on the pick list. 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the at least one location includes a second location where at least one of the unpredictable medical supplies is picked before the procedure. 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one location includes a third location where at least one of the unpredictable medical supplies is picked during the procedure. 8. The system of claim 3 further comprising at least one electronic data collection device for collecting data about at least one of the unpredictable medical supplies being picked and the unused medical supplies being returned, the electronic data collection device operable to transmit the collected data to the at least one processor for storing in the at least one data storage device. 9. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one processor is operable to update patient information based on at least one of the pick list and the unused medical supplies after the procedure is complete. 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the patient information includes financial information related to supplies consumed during the procedure. 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the financial information includes at least one of billing information for charge capture and case costing information. 12. The system of claim 10, wherein the patient information includes medical information about at least one uniquely identifiable medical supply consumed during the procedure. 13. A method of provisioning medical supplies for medical procedures, comprising:
generating a pick list using at least one processor, the pick list including predictable medical supplies for a particular procedure based on a template for that procedure; receiving data about predictable medical supplies picked at one or more storage locations for that particular procedure based on the pick list and storing that data in at least one data storage device; and receiving data about unpredictable medical supplies picked at one or more storage locations for that predictable procedure and storing that data in at least one data storage device. 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising updating the template for that procedure based on the received data about unpredictable supplies. 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:
receiving data about unused medical supplies after the procedure is complete; storing that data in the at least one data storage device; and updating the template based on the received data about the unused medical supplies. 16. The method of claim 13, further comprising customizing the pick list for each procedure based on preference data for that procedure stored in the at least one data storage device. 17. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one location includes a first location where at least one of the predictable medical supplies is picked based on the pick list. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one location includes a second location where at least one of the unpredictable medical supplies is picked before the procedure. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one location includes a third location where at least one of the unpredictable medical supplies is picked during the procedure. 20. The method of claim 15, further comprising updating patient information based on at least one of the pick list and the unused medical supplies after the procedure is complete. | According to one aspect, a system for provisioning medical supplies for medical procedures. The system includes at least one data storage device for storing data related to the provisioning of medical supplies, and at least one processor operably connected to the at least one data storage device. The at least one processor is configured to, for at least one medical procedure, generate a pick list including predictable medical supplies for that procedure based on a template for that procedure, receive data about predictable medical supplies picked at one or more storage locations for that procedure based on the pick list and store that data in the at least one data storage device, and receive data about unpredictable medical supplies picked at the one or more storage locations and store that data in the at least one data storage device.1. A system for provisioning medical supplies for medical procedures, comprising:
at least one data storage device for storing data related to the provisioning of medical supplies; and at least one processor operably connected to the at least one data storage device; wherein the at least one processor is configured to, for at least one medical procedure:
generate a pick list including predictable medical supplies for that procedure based on a template for that procedure;
receive data about predictable medical supplies picked at one or more storage locations for that procedure based on the pick list and store that data in the at least one data storage device; and
receive data about unpredictable medical supplies picked at the one or more storage locations and store that data in the at least one data storage device. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to update the template for that procedure based on the received data about unpredictable supplies. 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive data about unused medical supplies after the procedure is complete, store that data in the at least one data storage device, and update the template based on the received data about the unused medical supplies. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to customize the pick list for each procedure based on preference data for that procedure stored in the at least one data storage device. 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one location includes a first location where at least one of the predictable medical supplies is picked based on the pick list. 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the at least one location includes a second location where at least one of the unpredictable medical supplies is picked before the procedure. 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one location includes a third location where at least one of the unpredictable medical supplies is picked during the procedure. 8. The system of claim 3 further comprising at least one electronic data collection device for collecting data about at least one of the unpredictable medical supplies being picked and the unused medical supplies being returned, the electronic data collection device operable to transmit the collected data to the at least one processor for storing in the at least one data storage device. 9. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one processor is operable to update patient information based on at least one of the pick list and the unused medical supplies after the procedure is complete. 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the patient information includes financial information related to supplies consumed during the procedure. 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the financial information includes at least one of billing information for charge capture and case costing information. 12. The system of claim 10, wherein the patient information includes medical information about at least one uniquely identifiable medical supply consumed during the procedure. 13. A method of provisioning medical supplies for medical procedures, comprising:
generating a pick list using at least one processor, the pick list including predictable medical supplies for a particular procedure based on a template for that procedure; receiving data about predictable medical supplies picked at one or more storage locations for that particular procedure based on the pick list and storing that data in at least one data storage device; and receiving data about unpredictable medical supplies picked at one or more storage locations for that predictable procedure and storing that data in at least one data storage device. 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising updating the template for that procedure based on the received data about unpredictable supplies. 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:
receiving data about unused medical supplies after the procedure is complete; storing that data in the at least one data storage device; and updating the template based on the received data about the unused medical supplies. 16. The method of claim 13, further comprising customizing the pick list for each procedure based on preference data for that procedure stored in the at least one data storage device. 17. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one location includes a first location where at least one of the predictable medical supplies is picked based on the pick list. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one location includes a second location where at least one of the unpredictable medical supplies is picked before the procedure. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one location includes a third location where at least one of the unpredictable medical supplies is picked during the procedure. 20. The method of claim 15, further comprising updating patient information based on at least one of the pick list and the unused medical supplies after the procedure is complete. | 3,600 |
12,491 | 12,491 | 13,828,952 | 3,628 | A system for dispatching a driver comprises an interface and a processor. The interface is configured to receive a ride request from a rider located at a start location. The processor is configured to determine a selected driver to offer the ride request to. The system inefficiency score is reduced in the event that the selected driver accepts the request. The system inefficiency score comprises a sum over a set of drivers of an estimated time until a next passenger is picked up. | 1. A system, comprising:
a server computer configured to: receive a position of a computing device of a driver without a passenger; identify a first driving path from the position of the driver without a passenger to a first region; identify a second driving path from the position of the driver without a passenger to a second region; determine a first system inefficiency score associated with the first driving path for the driver without a passenger based at least in part on an expected ride request wait time for a first region and an estimated driving time for the driver to the first region; determine a second system inefficiency score associated with the second driving path for the driver without a passenger based at least in part on an expected ride request wait time for a second region and an estimated driving time for the driver to the second region; compare the first system inefficiency score associated with the first driving path for the driver without a passenger and the second system inefficiency score associated with the second driving path for the driver without a passenger; select a driving path for the driver without a passenger based at least on the lesser of the first system inefficiency score and the second system inefficiency score; and send the driving path to the computing device of the driver such that a system inefficiency score of a set of drivers is minimized upon the driver following the driving path, the system inefficiency score including an estimated time until a next passenger is picked up for the set of drivers. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of drivers comprises all drivers. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of drivers comprises all drivers without passengers. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of drivers comprises nearby drivers to the driver. 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of drivers comprises drivers without passengers and drivers about to be without passengers. 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the set of drivers about to be without passengers is determined based on an estimated time until each driver does not have a passenger. 7. The system of claim 5, wherein the set of drivers about to be without passengers is determined based on a proximity to a destination of each driver. 8. The system of claim 5, wherein the set of drivers about to be without passengers is determined based on a distance each driver has driven. 9.-10. (canceled) 11. The system of claim 1, wherein the estimated time until the next passenger is picked up comprises the estimated time until a next ride request is received and an estimated time to travel to the next ride request. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the estimated time to travel to the next ride request is determined using a third party driving time estimate. 13. The system of claim 11, wherein the estimated time to travel to the next ride request is determined using historical driving time data. 14. The system of claim 11, wherein the estimated time until the next ride request is received is extrapolated from local historic data. 15.-19. (canceled) 20. A method comprising:
receiving a position of a computing device of a driver without a passenger; identifying a first driving path from the position of the driver without a passenger to a first region; identifying a second driving path from the position of the driver without a passenger to a second region; determining a first system inefficiency score associated with the first driving path for the driver without a passenger based at least in part on an expected ride request wait time for a first region and an estimated driving time for the driver to the first region; determining a second system inefficiency score associated with the second driving path for the driver without a passenger based at least in part on an expected ride request wait time for a second region and an estimated driving time for the driver to the second region; comparing the first system inefficiency score associated with the first driving path for the driver without a passenger and the second system inefficiency score associated with the second driving path for the driver without a passenger; selecting a driving path for the driver without a passenger based at least on the lesser of the first system inefficiency score and the second system inefficiency score; and sending the driving path to the computing device of the driver such that a system inefficiency score of a set of drivers is minimized upon the driver following the driving path, the system inefficiency score including an estimated time until a next passenger is picked up for the set of drivers. 21. A computer program product embodied in a tangible computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:
receiving a position of a computing device of a driver without a passenger; identifying a first driving path from the position of the driver without a passenger to a first region; identifying a second driving path from the position of the driver without a passenger to a second region; determining a first system inefficiency score associated with the first driving path for the driver without a passenger based at least in part on an expected ride request wait time for a first region and an estimated driving time for the driver to the first region; determining a second system inefficiency score associated with the second driving path for the driver without a passenger based at least in part on an expected ride request wait time for a second region and an estimated driving time for the driver to the second region; comparing the first system inefficiency score associated with the first driving path for the driver without a passenger and the second system inefficiency score associated with the second driving path for the driver without a passenger; selecting a driving path for the driver without a passenger based at least on the lesser of the first system inefficiency score and the second system inefficiency score; and sending the driving path to the computing device of the driver such that a system inefficiency score of a set of drivers is minimized upon the driver following the driving path, the system inefficiency score including an estimated time until a next passenger is picked up for the set of drivers. 22. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor server computer is further configured to determine a set of regions within a perimeter of driver options for the driver, wherein the set of regions comprises the first region and the second region. 23. The system of claim 1, further comprising:
a set of computing devices associated with the set of drivers, each of the set of computing devices configured to:
send location information of the driver to the server computer; and
receive one of a set of driving paths, each of the set of driving paths selected based at least on the lowest system inefficiency score of two or more system inefficiency scores for each of the set of drivers. | A system for dispatching a driver comprises an interface and a processor. The interface is configured to receive a ride request from a rider located at a start location. The processor is configured to determine a selected driver to offer the ride request to. The system inefficiency score is reduced in the event that the selected driver accepts the request. The system inefficiency score comprises a sum over a set of drivers of an estimated time until a next passenger is picked up.1. A system, comprising:
a server computer configured to: receive a position of a computing device of a driver without a passenger; identify a first driving path from the position of the driver without a passenger to a first region; identify a second driving path from the position of the driver without a passenger to a second region; determine a first system inefficiency score associated with the first driving path for the driver without a passenger based at least in part on an expected ride request wait time for a first region and an estimated driving time for the driver to the first region; determine a second system inefficiency score associated with the second driving path for the driver without a passenger based at least in part on an expected ride request wait time for a second region and an estimated driving time for the driver to the second region; compare the first system inefficiency score associated with the first driving path for the driver without a passenger and the second system inefficiency score associated with the second driving path for the driver without a passenger; select a driving path for the driver without a passenger based at least on the lesser of the first system inefficiency score and the second system inefficiency score; and send the driving path to the computing device of the driver such that a system inefficiency score of a set of drivers is minimized upon the driver following the driving path, the system inefficiency score including an estimated time until a next passenger is picked up for the set of drivers. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of drivers comprises all drivers. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of drivers comprises all drivers without passengers. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of drivers comprises nearby drivers to the driver. 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of drivers comprises drivers without passengers and drivers about to be without passengers. 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the set of drivers about to be without passengers is determined based on an estimated time until each driver does not have a passenger. 7. The system of claim 5, wherein the set of drivers about to be without passengers is determined based on a proximity to a destination of each driver. 8. The system of claim 5, wherein the set of drivers about to be without passengers is determined based on a distance each driver has driven. 9.-10. (canceled) 11. The system of claim 1, wherein the estimated time until the next passenger is picked up comprises the estimated time until a next ride request is received and an estimated time to travel to the next ride request. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the estimated time to travel to the next ride request is determined using a third party driving time estimate. 13. The system of claim 11, wherein the estimated time to travel to the next ride request is determined using historical driving time data. 14. The system of claim 11, wherein the estimated time until the next ride request is received is extrapolated from local historic data. 15.-19. (canceled) 20. A method comprising:
receiving a position of a computing device of a driver without a passenger; identifying a first driving path from the position of the driver without a passenger to a first region; identifying a second driving path from the position of the driver without a passenger to a second region; determining a first system inefficiency score associated with the first driving path for the driver without a passenger based at least in part on an expected ride request wait time for a first region and an estimated driving time for the driver to the first region; determining a second system inefficiency score associated with the second driving path for the driver without a passenger based at least in part on an expected ride request wait time for a second region and an estimated driving time for the driver to the second region; comparing the first system inefficiency score associated with the first driving path for the driver without a passenger and the second system inefficiency score associated with the second driving path for the driver without a passenger; selecting a driving path for the driver without a passenger based at least on the lesser of the first system inefficiency score and the second system inefficiency score; and sending the driving path to the computing device of the driver such that a system inefficiency score of a set of drivers is minimized upon the driver following the driving path, the system inefficiency score including an estimated time until a next passenger is picked up for the set of drivers. 21. A computer program product embodied in a tangible computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:
receiving a position of a computing device of a driver without a passenger; identifying a first driving path from the position of the driver without a passenger to a first region; identifying a second driving path from the position of the driver without a passenger to a second region; determining a first system inefficiency score associated with the first driving path for the driver without a passenger based at least in part on an expected ride request wait time for a first region and an estimated driving time for the driver to the first region; determining a second system inefficiency score associated with the second driving path for the driver without a passenger based at least in part on an expected ride request wait time for a second region and an estimated driving time for the driver to the second region; comparing the first system inefficiency score associated with the first driving path for the driver without a passenger and the second system inefficiency score associated with the second driving path for the driver without a passenger; selecting a driving path for the driver without a passenger based at least on the lesser of the first system inefficiency score and the second system inefficiency score; and sending the driving path to the computing device of the driver such that a system inefficiency score of a set of drivers is minimized upon the driver following the driving path, the system inefficiency score including an estimated time until a next passenger is picked up for the set of drivers. 22. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor server computer is further configured to determine a set of regions within a perimeter of driver options for the driver, wherein the set of regions comprises the first region and the second region. 23. The system of claim 1, further comprising:
a set of computing devices associated with the set of drivers, each of the set of computing devices configured to:
send location information of the driver to the server computer; and
receive one of a set of driving paths, each of the set of driving paths selected based at least on the lowest system inefficiency score of two or more system inefficiency scores for each of the set of drivers. | 3,600 |
12,492 | 12,492 | 13,932,354 | 3,627 | A service plan product providing a tangible representation of a service plan includes a support backer and a tag removably coupled with the backer. The tag includes service plan account identification means corresponding to a service plan account stored in a database and plan administrator contact indicia. The tag is configured to be removed from the backer and applied to a primary product for which the service plan is provided, and wherein only the service plan account identification means is required for the service plan administrator to access the database to identify details regarding the service plan account. Related systems and methods are also disclosed and provide additional advantages. | 1. A method of enrolling a primary product in a service plan, the method comprising:
processing a primary product for purchase at a first point-of-sale (POS) terminal; processing a separate, tangible service plan product for purchase at one of the first POS terminal and a second POS terminal, wherein the service plan product includes a tag having account identification means, wherein the one of the first POS terminal and the second POS terminal automatically stores primary product information linked to the account identification means in a database and automatically activates a service plan account corresponding to the account identification means for a predefined term; and displaying the service plan product as one of a plurality of service plan products as part of a retail display readily accessible by consumers and spaced from the first POS terminal and the second POS terminal, each of the plurality of service plan products is associated with one of a first service plan price tier and a second service plan price tier, each service plan product associated with the first service plan price tier being at least partially a first color and each service plan product associated with the second service plan price tier being at least partially a second color to visually differentiate the service plan products associated with the first and second service plan price tiers, wherein displaying the service plan product occurs prior to processing the primary product and processing the separate service plan product. 2. A method according to claim 1, including displaying the service plan product near a retail display supporting the primary product prior to processing the primary product and processing the service plan product, wherein the service plan product and the primary product are displayed as separate items. 3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising discarding any receipts regarding the purchase of the primary product and the service plan product. 4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method is substantially paperless. 5. A method according to claim 1, wherein processing the primary product and processing the service plan occur during a single purchase transaction at the first POS terminal. 6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:
associating the primary product with the service plan account based on data received from one of the first POS terminal and the second POS terminal; remotely receiving communication from an owner of the primary product including receiving an account identification means from the owner, wherein the account identification means is determined from the tag coupled with the primary product, and collecting information regarding an issue of the primary product from the owner; accessing the service plan account based on the account identification means; determining a remedy based on the information regarding the issue; and providing the remedy to the consumer. 7. A method of administering a warranty plan system, the method comprising:
offering a primary product for retail sale, wherein the primary product is tangible and includes a product bar code with data representing an identification of the primary product; separately providing a warranty plan product and displaying the warranty plan product for retail sale in a physical retail store, the warranty plan product providing for or facilitating repair, replacement and other servicing of the primary product as needed during a predefined term of the warranty plan product, wherein the step of separately providing the warranty plan product comprises:
indicating a level of warranty with a first bar code that is based on a purchase price of the primary product, wherein the level of warranty is one of a plurality of levels of warranty, and
indicating an individual account with a second bar code with the level of warranty indicated by the first bar code,
wherein the individual account provides for the repair or replacement of the primary product, and the first bar code, the second bar code and the product bar code are all separate from one another; and processing the primary product and the warranty plan product at a point-of-sale terminal positioned within the physical retail store, the point-of-sale terminal machine reading the first bar code, the second bar code and the product bar code to automatically associate the individual account with the primary product, wherein the first bar code and the second bar code exist prior to processing the primary product and the warranty plan product at the point-of-sale terminal. 8. A method according to claim 7, comprising providing the warranty plan product with a card supporting the first bar code and the second bar code. 9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the card includes an aperture, and the aperture is received by a peg hook in the physical retail store, the method further comprising hanging the card from the peg hook in the physical retail store. 10. A method according to claim 8, further comprising coloring the card to visually indicate the level of warranty indicated by the first bar code, wherein different warranty plan products include cards with different colors, and wherein the different warranty plan products are associated with different levels of warranty. 11. A method according to claim 7, in combination with a physical retail display within the physical retail store, the method comprising spacing the physical retail display from the point-of-sale terminal and separately supporting both the primary product and the warranty plan product. 12. A method according to claim 7, wherein the first bar code and the second bar code each exist before the warranty plan product is displayed for retail sale in the physical retail store. 13. A method according to claim 7, further comprising providing the warranty plan product with a sticker that includes an account identifier indicating the individual account linked to the warranty plan product, configuring the sticker to be readily removed from the warranty plan product and secured to the primary product, and separately providing the account identifier from the first bar code and the second bar code. 14. A method of administering a warranty plan, the method comprising:
processing a primary product for purchase at a point-of-sale (POS) terminal at a retail store; physically displaying a plurality of tangible warranty plan products as part of a retail display, wherein each of the plurality of warranty plan products is associated with one of a first warranty plan price tier and a second warranty plan price tier depending on a price of the primary product, wherein the physically displaying the warranty plan product occurs prior to processing the primary product; processing a selected one of the plurality of tangible warranty plan products with the or another POS terminal at the retail store; and linking the selected warranty plan product with the primary product by automatically storing information identifying the primary product, associating the selecting warranty plan product with the primary product, and activating a warranty plan account for the primary product for a predefined term. 15. A method according to claim 14, further comprising providing the selected warranty plan product with a removable tag including a warranty plan account identifier and redemption indicia, wherein the removable tag contains all information required to make a claim to the warranty plan account. 16. A method according to claim 14, further comprising providing the warranty plan products with tier indicia that distinguish the warranty plan products of the first warranty plan price tier form the warranty plan products of the second warranty plan price tier. 17. A method according to claim 14, wherein the POS terminal is in communication with a database, the method comprising the POS terminal storing account information, product information and consumer information in the database, the storing step comprising storing the warranty plan account in association with the selected warranty plan product and the primary product. 18. A method according to claim 14, wherein the physically displaying step comprises displaying the plurality of tangible warranty plan products in view of the primary product in the retail store. 19. A method according to claim 14, wherein if the step of processing a selected one of the plurality of tangible warranty plan products occurs after the step of processing the primary product for purchase, the linking step is practiced by processing a technical return and repurchase of the primary product when the selected warranty plan product is processed. 20. A method according to claim 14, further comprising providing the warranty plan product with a sticker that includes an account identifier indicating the warranty plan account linked to the warranty plan product, and configuring the sticker to be readily removed from the warranty plan product and secured to the primary product. | A service plan product providing a tangible representation of a service plan includes a support backer and a tag removably coupled with the backer. The tag includes service plan account identification means corresponding to a service plan account stored in a database and plan administrator contact indicia. The tag is configured to be removed from the backer and applied to a primary product for which the service plan is provided, and wherein only the service plan account identification means is required for the service plan administrator to access the database to identify details regarding the service plan account. Related systems and methods are also disclosed and provide additional advantages.1. A method of enrolling a primary product in a service plan, the method comprising:
processing a primary product for purchase at a first point-of-sale (POS) terminal; processing a separate, tangible service plan product for purchase at one of the first POS terminal and a second POS terminal, wherein the service plan product includes a tag having account identification means, wherein the one of the first POS terminal and the second POS terminal automatically stores primary product information linked to the account identification means in a database and automatically activates a service plan account corresponding to the account identification means for a predefined term; and displaying the service plan product as one of a plurality of service plan products as part of a retail display readily accessible by consumers and spaced from the first POS terminal and the second POS terminal, each of the plurality of service plan products is associated with one of a first service plan price tier and a second service plan price tier, each service plan product associated with the first service plan price tier being at least partially a first color and each service plan product associated with the second service plan price tier being at least partially a second color to visually differentiate the service plan products associated with the first and second service plan price tiers, wherein displaying the service plan product occurs prior to processing the primary product and processing the separate service plan product. 2. A method according to claim 1, including displaying the service plan product near a retail display supporting the primary product prior to processing the primary product and processing the service plan product, wherein the service plan product and the primary product are displayed as separate items. 3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising discarding any receipts regarding the purchase of the primary product and the service plan product. 4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method is substantially paperless. 5. A method according to claim 1, wherein processing the primary product and processing the service plan occur during a single purchase transaction at the first POS terminal. 6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:
associating the primary product with the service plan account based on data received from one of the first POS terminal and the second POS terminal; remotely receiving communication from an owner of the primary product including receiving an account identification means from the owner, wherein the account identification means is determined from the tag coupled with the primary product, and collecting information regarding an issue of the primary product from the owner; accessing the service plan account based on the account identification means; determining a remedy based on the information regarding the issue; and providing the remedy to the consumer. 7. A method of administering a warranty plan system, the method comprising:
offering a primary product for retail sale, wherein the primary product is tangible and includes a product bar code with data representing an identification of the primary product; separately providing a warranty plan product and displaying the warranty plan product for retail sale in a physical retail store, the warranty plan product providing for or facilitating repair, replacement and other servicing of the primary product as needed during a predefined term of the warranty plan product, wherein the step of separately providing the warranty plan product comprises:
indicating a level of warranty with a first bar code that is based on a purchase price of the primary product, wherein the level of warranty is one of a plurality of levels of warranty, and
indicating an individual account with a second bar code with the level of warranty indicated by the first bar code,
wherein the individual account provides for the repair or replacement of the primary product, and the first bar code, the second bar code and the product bar code are all separate from one another; and processing the primary product and the warranty plan product at a point-of-sale terminal positioned within the physical retail store, the point-of-sale terminal machine reading the first bar code, the second bar code and the product bar code to automatically associate the individual account with the primary product, wherein the first bar code and the second bar code exist prior to processing the primary product and the warranty plan product at the point-of-sale terminal. 8. A method according to claim 7, comprising providing the warranty plan product with a card supporting the first bar code and the second bar code. 9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the card includes an aperture, and the aperture is received by a peg hook in the physical retail store, the method further comprising hanging the card from the peg hook in the physical retail store. 10. A method according to claim 8, further comprising coloring the card to visually indicate the level of warranty indicated by the first bar code, wherein different warranty plan products include cards with different colors, and wherein the different warranty plan products are associated with different levels of warranty. 11. A method according to claim 7, in combination with a physical retail display within the physical retail store, the method comprising spacing the physical retail display from the point-of-sale terminal and separately supporting both the primary product and the warranty plan product. 12. A method according to claim 7, wherein the first bar code and the second bar code each exist before the warranty plan product is displayed for retail sale in the physical retail store. 13. A method according to claim 7, further comprising providing the warranty plan product with a sticker that includes an account identifier indicating the individual account linked to the warranty plan product, configuring the sticker to be readily removed from the warranty plan product and secured to the primary product, and separately providing the account identifier from the first bar code and the second bar code. 14. A method of administering a warranty plan, the method comprising:
processing a primary product for purchase at a point-of-sale (POS) terminal at a retail store; physically displaying a plurality of tangible warranty plan products as part of a retail display, wherein each of the plurality of warranty plan products is associated with one of a first warranty plan price tier and a second warranty plan price tier depending on a price of the primary product, wherein the physically displaying the warranty plan product occurs prior to processing the primary product; processing a selected one of the plurality of tangible warranty plan products with the or another POS terminal at the retail store; and linking the selected warranty plan product with the primary product by automatically storing information identifying the primary product, associating the selecting warranty plan product with the primary product, and activating a warranty plan account for the primary product for a predefined term. 15. A method according to claim 14, further comprising providing the selected warranty plan product with a removable tag including a warranty plan account identifier and redemption indicia, wherein the removable tag contains all information required to make a claim to the warranty plan account. 16. A method according to claim 14, further comprising providing the warranty plan products with tier indicia that distinguish the warranty plan products of the first warranty plan price tier form the warranty plan products of the second warranty plan price tier. 17. A method according to claim 14, wherein the POS terminal is in communication with a database, the method comprising the POS terminal storing account information, product information and consumer information in the database, the storing step comprising storing the warranty plan account in association with the selected warranty plan product and the primary product. 18. A method according to claim 14, wherein the physically displaying step comprises displaying the plurality of tangible warranty plan products in view of the primary product in the retail store. 19. A method according to claim 14, wherein if the step of processing a selected one of the plurality of tangible warranty plan products occurs after the step of processing the primary product for purchase, the linking step is practiced by processing a technical return and repurchase of the primary product when the selected warranty plan product is processed. 20. A method according to claim 14, further comprising providing the warranty plan product with a sticker that includes an account identifier indicating the warranty plan account linked to the warranty plan product, and configuring the sticker to be readily removed from the warranty plan product and secured to the primary product. | 3,600 |
12,493 | 12,493 | 11,962,836 | 3,689 | A method for customizing alerts and notifications for portable consumer device transactions is disclosed. One embodiment of the invention is directed to a method comprising receiving information that a transaction associated with a portable consumer device is occurring, and providing an alert to a consumer associated with the portable consumer device, wherein the alert indicates that the transaction is occurring, wherein the alert is sent to the consumer according to a time or communication mode previously specified by the consumer using an interface that allows the user to specify the time and communication mode for receiving the alert. | 1. A method comprising:
receiving information that a transaction associated with a portable consumer device is occurring; and providing an alert to a consumer associated with the portable consumer device, wherein the alert indicates that the transaction is occurring, wherein the alert is sent to the consumer according to a time or communication mode previously specified by the consumer using an interface that allows the user to specify the time and communication mode for receiving the alert. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the alert is sent to the consumer if the transaction that is occurring is over a predetermined amount, the transaction is of a predetermined type, the transaction is made outside a geographic location specified by the consumer, the transaction is determined to be a risky transaction, the transaction being conducted without the portable consumer device being physically present at a point of sale, the transaction is a cash transaction, the transaction is a particular type of user-defined transaction, the transaction involves account access, the transaction indicates that a person is entering or exiting a location, the transaction indicates that a payment is due or overdue, or the transaction indicates that a specified person is conducting the transaction. 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the alert is sent to the consumer according to the time and communication mode previously specified by the consumer. 4. The method of claim 1 wherein a portable consumer device is in the form of a card, and wherein the alert is sent to a phone operated by the consumer. 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the alert is a first alert, and wherein a second alert is sent to the consumer through another communication mode. 6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving, via an interface, a user-specified time and communication mode for receiving the alert. 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication mode includes using at least one of a phone call, voicemail, SMS, instant message, and an e-mail. 8. The method of claim 1 wherein the consumer previously provided a trigger specifying a condition under which the alert would be sent. 9. A computer readable medium comprising:
code for receiving information that a transaction associated with a portable consumer device is occurring; and code for providing an alert to a consumer associated with the portable consumer device, wherein the alert indicates that the transaction is occurring, wherein the alert is sent to the consumer according to a time or communication mode previously specified by the consumer using an interface that allows the user to specify the time and communication mode for receiving the alert. 10. The computer readable medium of claim 9 wherein the alert is a first alert, and wherein the computer readable medium further comprises code for sending the second alert to the consumer through another communication mode. 11. The computer readable medium of claim 9 wherein the information is received via a payment processing network, and wherein the payment processing network is configured to process credit and debit card transactions. 12. The computer readable medium of claim 9 wherein the alert is in the form of a phone call. 13. A server computer comprising the computer readable medium of claim 9. 14. The server computer of claim 13 wherein the server computer is in communication with a payment processing network. 15. The server computer of claim 13 wherein the alert is a first alert, and wherein the computer readable medium further comprises code for sending the second alert to the consumer through another communication mode. 16. A client computer comprising a processor, and a computer readable medium, wherein the computer readable medium comprises instructions for executing a method comprising:
receiving information on how to be notified if a predetermined activity is occurring with respect to a portable consumer device, wherein an alert is provided in manner consistent with the information provided if the predetermined activity is occurring wherein the information provided is a result of a consumer's choice to customize an alert for each predetermined activity by using an interface that allows a user to customize the alert according to at least communication mode and time; and sending the information to a notification server. 17. The client computer of claim 16 further comprising a display coupled to the processor, wherein the display displays an interface showing the consumer customized times, communication modes, and triggers for alerts. 18. The client computer of claim 16 wherein the interface is a Web interface. 19. The client computer of claim 16 wherein the alert is in the form of a phone call. 20. A method comprising:
providing information on how to be notified if a predetermined activity is occurring with respect to a portable consumer device; and receiving an alert in manner consistent with the information provided if the predetermined activity is occurring wherein the information provided is a result of the consumer's choice to customize an alert for each predetermined activity by communication mode and time. 21. The method of claim 20 wherein the information provided includes a time when a consumer wants to be notified. 22. The method of claim 20 wherein the information provided includes a date when a consumer wants to be notified. 23. The method of claim 20 wherein the information provided includes a communication mode by which a consumer wants to be notified. 24. The method of claim 20 wherein the communication mode includes a phone call, voicemail, SMS, instant message, and e-mail. 25. The method of claim 20 wherein the alert is initiated after conditions set by an issuer or payment processing organization are met. 26. A phone comprising a processor, and a computer readable medium coupled to the processor, wherein the computer readable medium comprises code for receiving an alert, wherein the alert indicates that the transaction is occurring, wherein the alert is sent to the consumer according to a time or communication mode previously specified by the consumer using an interface that allows the consumer to specify the time and communication mode for receiving the alert. | A method for customizing alerts and notifications for portable consumer device transactions is disclosed. One embodiment of the invention is directed to a method comprising receiving information that a transaction associated with a portable consumer device is occurring, and providing an alert to a consumer associated with the portable consumer device, wherein the alert indicates that the transaction is occurring, wherein the alert is sent to the consumer according to a time or communication mode previously specified by the consumer using an interface that allows the user to specify the time and communication mode for receiving the alert.1. A method comprising:
receiving information that a transaction associated with a portable consumer device is occurring; and providing an alert to a consumer associated with the portable consumer device, wherein the alert indicates that the transaction is occurring, wherein the alert is sent to the consumer according to a time or communication mode previously specified by the consumer using an interface that allows the user to specify the time and communication mode for receiving the alert. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the alert is sent to the consumer if the transaction that is occurring is over a predetermined amount, the transaction is of a predetermined type, the transaction is made outside a geographic location specified by the consumer, the transaction is determined to be a risky transaction, the transaction being conducted without the portable consumer device being physically present at a point of sale, the transaction is a cash transaction, the transaction is a particular type of user-defined transaction, the transaction involves account access, the transaction indicates that a person is entering or exiting a location, the transaction indicates that a payment is due or overdue, or the transaction indicates that a specified person is conducting the transaction. 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the alert is sent to the consumer according to the time and communication mode previously specified by the consumer. 4. The method of claim 1 wherein a portable consumer device is in the form of a card, and wherein the alert is sent to a phone operated by the consumer. 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the alert is a first alert, and wherein a second alert is sent to the consumer through another communication mode. 6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving, via an interface, a user-specified time and communication mode for receiving the alert. 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication mode includes using at least one of a phone call, voicemail, SMS, instant message, and an e-mail. 8. The method of claim 1 wherein the consumer previously provided a trigger specifying a condition under which the alert would be sent. 9. A computer readable medium comprising:
code for receiving information that a transaction associated with a portable consumer device is occurring; and code for providing an alert to a consumer associated with the portable consumer device, wherein the alert indicates that the transaction is occurring, wherein the alert is sent to the consumer according to a time or communication mode previously specified by the consumer using an interface that allows the user to specify the time and communication mode for receiving the alert. 10. The computer readable medium of claim 9 wherein the alert is a first alert, and wherein the computer readable medium further comprises code for sending the second alert to the consumer through another communication mode. 11. The computer readable medium of claim 9 wherein the information is received via a payment processing network, and wherein the payment processing network is configured to process credit and debit card transactions. 12. The computer readable medium of claim 9 wherein the alert is in the form of a phone call. 13. A server computer comprising the computer readable medium of claim 9. 14. The server computer of claim 13 wherein the server computer is in communication with a payment processing network. 15. The server computer of claim 13 wherein the alert is a first alert, and wherein the computer readable medium further comprises code for sending the second alert to the consumer through another communication mode. 16. A client computer comprising a processor, and a computer readable medium, wherein the computer readable medium comprises instructions for executing a method comprising:
receiving information on how to be notified if a predetermined activity is occurring with respect to a portable consumer device, wherein an alert is provided in manner consistent with the information provided if the predetermined activity is occurring wherein the information provided is a result of a consumer's choice to customize an alert for each predetermined activity by using an interface that allows a user to customize the alert according to at least communication mode and time; and sending the information to a notification server. 17. The client computer of claim 16 further comprising a display coupled to the processor, wherein the display displays an interface showing the consumer customized times, communication modes, and triggers for alerts. 18. The client computer of claim 16 wherein the interface is a Web interface. 19. The client computer of claim 16 wherein the alert is in the form of a phone call. 20. A method comprising:
providing information on how to be notified if a predetermined activity is occurring with respect to a portable consumer device; and receiving an alert in manner consistent with the information provided if the predetermined activity is occurring wherein the information provided is a result of the consumer's choice to customize an alert for each predetermined activity by communication mode and time. 21. The method of claim 20 wherein the information provided includes a time when a consumer wants to be notified. 22. The method of claim 20 wherein the information provided includes a date when a consumer wants to be notified. 23. The method of claim 20 wherein the information provided includes a communication mode by which a consumer wants to be notified. 24. The method of claim 20 wherein the communication mode includes a phone call, voicemail, SMS, instant message, and e-mail. 25. The method of claim 20 wherein the alert is initiated after conditions set by an issuer or payment processing organization are met. 26. A phone comprising a processor, and a computer readable medium coupled to the processor, wherein the computer readable medium comprises code for receiving an alert, wherein the alert indicates that the transaction is occurring, wherein the alert is sent to the consumer according to a time or communication mode previously specified by the consumer using an interface that allows the consumer to specify the time and communication mode for receiving the alert. | 3,600 |
12,494 | 12,494 | 13,827,073 | 3,686 | Systems and methods are described herein that provide a system associated with a CRA application framework with offline capability. In one example embodiment a trip report skeleton allows trip report data about clinical research to be stored on a mobile device. The mobile device sends a trip report skeleton creation request to a server side logic using the CRA application framework. The activities related to the trip report are performed asynchronously. Therefore, when a fetch request for the trip report skeleton is issued, it is determined if the trip report skeleton is ready. When the trip report skeleton is ready, a trip report skeleton in a Self Describing Object (SDO) format is received. | 1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:
from a mobile device, sending a trip report skeleton creation request, where a trip report skeleton allows trip report data about clinical research to be stored on a mobile device; issuing a fetch request for the trip report skeleton; determining if the trip report skeleton is ready; when the trip report skeleton is ready, receiving a trip report skeleton in a Self Describing Object (SDO) format. 2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, where the instructions further comprise allowing the fetch request to time out, and issuing a subsequent fetch request when the trip report skeleton is not ready. 3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 2, where the subsequent fetch request is sent according to one of, a predetermined schedule, immediately following the fetch request timing out, or after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed after the fetch request timed out. 4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, where the instructions further comprise rendering the trip report skeleton on the mobile device using metadata embedded in the trip report skeleton. 5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, where the instructions further comprise entering trip report data using the mobile device to create a trip report. 6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5, where the instructions further comprise sending the trip report to a server side logic by establishing a network link with a server side logic in a clinical research associate (CRA) application framework. 7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5, further comprising sending the trip report to a server side logic upon determining that a predetermined percentage of trip report data has been entered in the trip report skeleton. 8. The computing computer-readable medium of claim 1, where a trip report skeleton is generated by combining metadata for rendering a trip report skeleton and a canonical trip report. 9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, where data is entered by the mobile device into the skeleton trip report regardless of the accessibility of the data from a server. 10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, where the trip report creation request is sent from the mobile device in a first thread and the trip report skeleton is sent to the mobile device in a second thread. 11. A computing system, comprising:
a database configured to store a canonical trip report and metadata; a sever side logic configured to receive a trip report skeleton creation request from a mobile device; a Self Describing Object (SDO) transformer configured to combine the canonical trip report and the metadata to create a trip report skeleton in an SDO format. 12. The computing system of claim 11, where the metadata facilitates rendering of the trip report skeleton. 13. The computing system of claim 11, where the canonical trip report is generalized so that the canonical trip report can be distributed to a number of users employing different mobile devices. 14. The computing system of claim 11, where the trip report creation request is sent from a mobile device in a first thread and the trip report skeleton is sent to the mobile device in a second thread. 15. The computing system of claim 11, where the server side logic is further configured to provide application programming interfaces for a mobile device to facilitate loading and synchronizing the trip report skeleton. 16. A computing system, comprising:
a trip report skeleton in a Self Describing Object (SDO) format configured to store trip report data associated with clinical research a rendering logic configured to render the trip report skeleton using metadata embedded in the trip report skeleton; and a persistence stack configured to track changes occurring in the trip report skeleton and update the trip report skeleton when the trip report data is entered in the trip report skeleton, 17. The computing system of claim 16, where the persistence stack includes a persistence context, a persistence model, and persistence store. 18. The computing system of claim 17, where the persistence context is configured to track changes occurring in the trip report skeleton by assessing the trip report skeleton to be in a dirty state when the persistence stack detects that the trip report data has been changed. 19. The computing system of claim 17, where the persistence model is configured to provide in memory collection of the trip report data. 20. The computing system of claim 17, where the persistence store is configured to save the trip report skeleton. | Systems and methods are described herein that provide a system associated with a CRA application framework with offline capability. In one example embodiment a trip report skeleton allows trip report data about clinical research to be stored on a mobile device. The mobile device sends a trip report skeleton creation request to a server side logic using the CRA application framework. The activities related to the trip report are performed asynchronously. Therefore, when a fetch request for the trip report skeleton is issued, it is determined if the trip report skeleton is ready. When the trip report skeleton is ready, a trip report skeleton in a Self Describing Object (SDO) format is received.1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:
from a mobile device, sending a trip report skeleton creation request, where a trip report skeleton allows trip report data about clinical research to be stored on a mobile device; issuing a fetch request for the trip report skeleton; determining if the trip report skeleton is ready; when the trip report skeleton is ready, receiving a trip report skeleton in a Self Describing Object (SDO) format. 2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, where the instructions further comprise allowing the fetch request to time out, and issuing a subsequent fetch request when the trip report skeleton is not ready. 3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 2, where the subsequent fetch request is sent according to one of, a predetermined schedule, immediately following the fetch request timing out, or after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed after the fetch request timed out. 4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, where the instructions further comprise rendering the trip report skeleton on the mobile device using metadata embedded in the trip report skeleton. 5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, where the instructions further comprise entering trip report data using the mobile device to create a trip report. 6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5, where the instructions further comprise sending the trip report to a server side logic by establishing a network link with a server side logic in a clinical research associate (CRA) application framework. 7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5, further comprising sending the trip report to a server side logic upon determining that a predetermined percentage of trip report data has been entered in the trip report skeleton. 8. The computing computer-readable medium of claim 1, where a trip report skeleton is generated by combining metadata for rendering a trip report skeleton and a canonical trip report. 9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, where data is entered by the mobile device into the skeleton trip report regardless of the accessibility of the data from a server. 10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, where the trip report creation request is sent from the mobile device in a first thread and the trip report skeleton is sent to the mobile device in a second thread. 11. A computing system, comprising:
a database configured to store a canonical trip report and metadata; a sever side logic configured to receive a trip report skeleton creation request from a mobile device; a Self Describing Object (SDO) transformer configured to combine the canonical trip report and the metadata to create a trip report skeleton in an SDO format. 12. The computing system of claim 11, where the metadata facilitates rendering of the trip report skeleton. 13. The computing system of claim 11, where the canonical trip report is generalized so that the canonical trip report can be distributed to a number of users employing different mobile devices. 14. The computing system of claim 11, where the trip report creation request is sent from a mobile device in a first thread and the trip report skeleton is sent to the mobile device in a second thread. 15. The computing system of claim 11, where the server side logic is further configured to provide application programming interfaces for a mobile device to facilitate loading and synchronizing the trip report skeleton. 16. A computing system, comprising:
a trip report skeleton in a Self Describing Object (SDO) format configured to store trip report data associated with clinical research a rendering logic configured to render the trip report skeleton using metadata embedded in the trip report skeleton; and a persistence stack configured to track changes occurring in the trip report skeleton and update the trip report skeleton when the trip report data is entered in the trip report skeleton, 17. The computing system of claim 16, where the persistence stack includes a persistence context, a persistence model, and persistence store. 18. The computing system of claim 17, where the persistence context is configured to track changes occurring in the trip report skeleton by assessing the trip report skeleton to be in a dirty state when the persistence stack detects that the trip report data has been changed. 19. The computing system of claim 17, where the persistence model is configured to provide in memory collection of the trip report data. 20. The computing system of claim 17, where the persistence store is configured to save the trip report skeleton. | 3,600 |
12,495 | 12,495 | 12,772,692 | 3,629 | A system and method are disclosed for determining when to escalate from one support level to a higher support level in assisting a user resolve a problem with a device. The method includes storing information on past users' interactions with a self help server during prior self help sessions, the self help server providing a first remote support level for troubleshooting a problem with a device. Information is stored on a current user's interactions with the self help server during a current self help session for troubleshooting the current user's problem with a device. A determination of when to provide for escalation to a higher remote support level for troubleshooting the current user's problem with the device is based on the stored information on the past users' interactions and the current user's interactions. | 1. A method for determining when to escalate from one support level to a higher support level comprising:
storing information on past users' interactions with a self help server during prior self help sessions, the self help server providing a first remote support level for troubleshooting a problem with a device; storing information on a current user's interactions with the self help server during a current self help session for troubleshooting the current user's problem with a device; and determining when to provide for escalation to a higher remote support level for troubleshooting the current user's problem with the device based on the stored information on the past users' interactions and the current user's interactions. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein determination of when to provide for escalation is performed by a computer processor. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining when to provide for escalation includes determining whether at least one of the following conditions is met:
a computed level of confidence that the current user will persevere in the self help session is below a first threshold, and a computed level of confidence that the current self help session is not leading to success is above a second threshold. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining whether at least one of the conditions is met includes determining whether both conditions are met. 5. The method of claim 3, wherein computation of whether the current user will persevere in the self help session is below a first threshold comprises:
monitoring parameters within the current self help session and computing an overall current value based on the monitored parameters, the parameters being selected from:
an overall duration of the current self help session;
a total number of searches conducted in a knowledge base during the current self help session;
a total number of cases or solution pages visited by the user in the knowledge base during the current self help session;
a duration of the application by the current user of a set of instructions detailed on a currently displayed solution page of the knowledge base; and
a number of operations on the device performed during the time when a solution page of the knowledge base is displayed. 6. The method of claim 5, further comprising comparing the current value with stored values recorded in prior sessions. 7. The method of claim 3, wherein the computed level of confidence that the current self help session is not leading to success is based on detecting at least one of:
an operation performed by the user on the device that does not turn back the device to its normal state of functioning that occurs when a solution of a knowledge base is being displayed; a start of a new search in the knowledge base by the user; and a selection by the user of a new case of the knowledge base after having visited at least a predetermined number of other cases. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein each remote self help session includes searching a knowledge base based on a user's query and retrieving, where present in the knowledge base, at least one solution for a user to perform. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the stored interactions include the solutions reviewed by the user. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored information further comprises stored interactions with the device during the self help session. 11. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining when to provide for escalation to the higher remote support level is based on the stored interactions with the device during the self help session. 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the higher support level is provided by a operator in communication with the current user. 13. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing for the escalation includes suggesting escalation to the user via a user interface, and, if the user requests the escalation, automatically initiating the escalation to the higher remote support level. 14. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing for information on the current user's interactions during the lower support level to be accessed at the higher remote support level. 15. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises provision for escalation from a local support level provided by the device to the first remote support level based on stored information on the current users' interactions with the device during a local self help session. 16. The method of claim 16, wherein the provision for escalation to the first remote support level includes determining whether at least one of the following conditions is met:
a computed level of confidence that the current user will persevere in the local self help session on the device is below a first threshold, and a computed level of confidence that the current local self help session is not leading to success is above a second threshold. 17. The method of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a printer. 18. A computer program product encoding instructions, which when executed on a computer causes the computer to perform the method of claim 1. 19. A system for determining when to escalate from a first support level to a second support level comprising:
a self help server providing a first remote support level for troubleshooting a user's problem with a device; memory which stores information on a current user's and prior users' interactions with the self help server during self help sessions, a session manager implemented in hardware and software which is configured to provide for escalation from the first remote support level to a second remote self help level for troubleshooting a current user's problem with a device based on stored information on the past users' interactions and the current user's interactions with the self help server. 20. The system of claim 19, wherein the session manager determines when to escalate from the first remote support level to the second remote support level, based on whether at least one of the following conditions is met:
a computed level of confidence that the current user will persevere in the self help session is below a first threshold, and a computed level of confidence that the current self help session is not leading to success is above a second threshold. 21. The system of claim 19, wherein the session manager determines when to escalate from a local support level to the first remote support level based on whether at least one of the following conditions is met:
a computed level of confidence that the current user will persevere in the self help session is below a first threshold, and a computed level of confidence that the current self help session is not leading to success is above a second threshold. 22. A method for determining when to escalate from one support level to a higher support level comprising:
storing information on a current user's interactions with a device during a first level of support; based on the interactions with the device, determining when to propose escalation to a second level of support, the second level of support being provided by a self help manager which inputs a user's query to a knowledge base; storing information on past users' interactions with the self help manager during prior users' self help sessions; storing information on the current user's interactions with the self help manager in a self help session at the second level of support; and based on the stored information on the past users' interactions and the current user's interactions with the self help manager, determining when to provide for escalation to a third support level which provides communication with a remote operator. | A system and method are disclosed for determining when to escalate from one support level to a higher support level in assisting a user resolve a problem with a device. The method includes storing information on past users' interactions with a self help server during prior self help sessions, the self help server providing a first remote support level for troubleshooting a problem with a device. Information is stored on a current user's interactions with the self help server during a current self help session for troubleshooting the current user's problem with a device. A determination of when to provide for escalation to a higher remote support level for troubleshooting the current user's problem with the device is based on the stored information on the past users' interactions and the current user's interactions.1. A method for determining when to escalate from one support level to a higher support level comprising:
storing information on past users' interactions with a self help server during prior self help sessions, the self help server providing a first remote support level for troubleshooting a problem with a device; storing information on a current user's interactions with the self help server during a current self help session for troubleshooting the current user's problem with a device; and determining when to provide for escalation to a higher remote support level for troubleshooting the current user's problem with the device based on the stored information on the past users' interactions and the current user's interactions. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein determination of when to provide for escalation is performed by a computer processor. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining when to provide for escalation includes determining whether at least one of the following conditions is met:
a computed level of confidence that the current user will persevere in the self help session is below a first threshold, and a computed level of confidence that the current self help session is not leading to success is above a second threshold. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining whether at least one of the conditions is met includes determining whether both conditions are met. 5. The method of claim 3, wherein computation of whether the current user will persevere in the self help session is below a first threshold comprises:
monitoring parameters within the current self help session and computing an overall current value based on the monitored parameters, the parameters being selected from:
an overall duration of the current self help session;
a total number of searches conducted in a knowledge base during the current self help session;
a total number of cases or solution pages visited by the user in the knowledge base during the current self help session;
a duration of the application by the current user of a set of instructions detailed on a currently displayed solution page of the knowledge base; and
a number of operations on the device performed during the time when a solution page of the knowledge base is displayed. 6. The method of claim 5, further comprising comparing the current value with stored values recorded in prior sessions. 7. The method of claim 3, wherein the computed level of confidence that the current self help session is not leading to success is based on detecting at least one of:
an operation performed by the user on the device that does not turn back the device to its normal state of functioning that occurs when a solution of a knowledge base is being displayed; a start of a new search in the knowledge base by the user; and a selection by the user of a new case of the knowledge base after having visited at least a predetermined number of other cases. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein each remote self help session includes searching a knowledge base based on a user's query and retrieving, where present in the knowledge base, at least one solution for a user to perform. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the stored interactions include the solutions reviewed by the user. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored information further comprises stored interactions with the device during the self help session. 11. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining when to provide for escalation to the higher remote support level is based on the stored interactions with the device during the self help session. 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the higher support level is provided by a operator in communication with the current user. 13. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing for the escalation includes suggesting escalation to the user via a user interface, and, if the user requests the escalation, automatically initiating the escalation to the higher remote support level. 14. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing for information on the current user's interactions during the lower support level to be accessed at the higher remote support level. 15. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises provision for escalation from a local support level provided by the device to the first remote support level based on stored information on the current users' interactions with the device during a local self help session. 16. The method of claim 16, wherein the provision for escalation to the first remote support level includes determining whether at least one of the following conditions is met:
a computed level of confidence that the current user will persevere in the local self help session on the device is below a first threshold, and a computed level of confidence that the current local self help session is not leading to success is above a second threshold. 17. The method of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a printer. 18. A computer program product encoding instructions, which when executed on a computer causes the computer to perform the method of claim 1. 19. A system for determining when to escalate from a first support level to a second support level comprising:
a self help server providing a first remote support level for troubleshooting a user's problem with a device; memory which stores information on a current user's and prior users' interactions with the self help server during self help sessions, a session manager implemented in hardware and software which is configured to provide for escalation from the first remote support level to a second remote self help level for troubleshooting a current user's problem with a device based on stored information on the past users' interactions and the current user's interactions with the self help server. 20. The system of claim 19, wherein the session manager determines when to escalate from the first remote support level to the second remote support level, based on whether at least one of the following conditions is met:
a computed level of confidence that the current user will persevere in the self help session is below a first threshold, and a computed level of confidence that the current self help session is not leading to success is above a second threshold. 21. The system of claim 19, wherein the session manager determines when to escalate from a local support level to the first remote support level based on whether at least one of the following conditions is met:
a computed level of confidence that the current user will persevere in the self help session is below a first threshold, and a computed level of confidence that the current self help session is not leading to success is above a second threshold. 22. A method for determining when to escalate from one support level to a higher support level comprising:
storing information on a current user's interactions with a device during a first level of support; based on the interactions with the device, determining when to propose escalation to a second level of support, the second level of support being provided by a self help manager which inputs a user's query to a knowledge base; storing information on past users' interactions with the self help manager during prior users' self help sessions; storing information on the current user's interactions with the self help manager in a self help session at the second level of support; and based on the stored information on the past users' interactions and the current user's interactions with the self help manager, determining when to provide for escalation to a third support level which provides communication with a remote operator. | 3,600 |
12,496 | 12,496 | 14,209,381 | 3,685 | A method of encrypting a passcode is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes: receiving an indication of a portion of the passcode; calculating a plaintext value based at least in part on the indication, wherein the plaintext value represents an encoded portion of the passcode; encrypting the plaintext value into ciphertext using a homomorphic encryption system; and updating a cumulative encryption string by executing a cumulative operation to aggregate the ciphertext corresponding to the encoded portion into the cumulative encryption string computed for a previous portion of the passcode, wherein the cumulative operation is dictated by a homomorphic property of the homomorphic encryption system. | 1. A method comprising:
initializing, at a mobile device, a financial transaction and receiving card data from a card reader attached to the mobile device, wherein the initializing is in response to detecting a swipe of a financial transaction card at the card reader; displaying a passcode entry interface on a touchscreen of the mobile device to enable a user to enter a passcode; determining a sequence of digits corresponding to the passcode entered by the user; for each digit of the sequence, encoding the digit into an encoded digit, and encrypting the encoded digit into ciphertext using homomorphic cryptography; and maintaining a cumulative product based at least partly on the ciphertexts corresponding to the digits of the sequence; and initiating a process to authenticate the financial transaction by transmitting a message indicative of at least the cumulative product, wherein the cumulative product represents the passcode entered by the user. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein maintaining the cumulative product includes multiplying the ciphertext corresponding to a newly entered digit with the cumulative product calculated for all previous digits in the sequence. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein encoding each digit and encrypting each encoded digit are performed in response to determining the digit entered by the user; and wherein maintaining the cumulative product includes updating the cumulative product in response to encrypting each encoded digit. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein encoding the digit includes calculating the encoded digit as a prime number raised to the power of the digit. 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving a public key for said encrypting using the homomorphic cryptography from an external server system; and verifying a signature of the public key using a certificate authority. 6. A method of encrypting a passcode, the method comprising:
receiving an indication of a portion of the passcode; calculating, via a processor of a computing device, a plaintext value based at least in part on the indication, wherein the plaintext value represents an encoded portion of the passcode; encrypting, via the processor, the plaintext value into ciphertext using a homomorphic encryption system; and updating, via the processor, a cumulative encryption string by executing a cumulative operation to aggregate the ciphertext corresponding to the encoded portion into the cumulative encryption string computed for a previous portion of the passcode, wherein the cumulative operation is in accordance with a homomorphic property of the homomorphic encryption system. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving the indication includes receiving a key entry corresponding to a symbol that is part of the passcode. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein calculating the plaintext value is based at least in part on a numeric representation (“di”) of the symbol. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the symbol is a numeric digit and the numeric representation of the symbol is the numeric digit. 10. The method of claim 8, wherein calculating the plaintext value comprises:
selecting, based on a sequential position (“i”) of the portion corresponding to the indication received, a prime number (“p1”) from a set of prime number bases; and calculating the selected prime number raised to the power of the numeric representation of the symbol. 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising selecting the prime number from a set of prime bases based at least partly on the position of the digit in the sequence of digits. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein each prime number (p) in the set of prime bases satisfies pq=1 (mod N), wherein the homomorphic cryptography is based on ElGamal asymmetric encryption and N is the modulus chosen to perform the ElGamal encryption and q is a Sophie Germain prime associated with N such that N=2q +1. 13. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving at least a portion of cryptography parameters, including the set of prime bases, for the homomorphic cryptography from an external server system, wherein the cryptography parameters are associated with a hardware ID of the card reader. 14. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving at least a portion of cryptography parameters, including the set of prime bases, for the homomorphic cryptography from the card reader. 15. The method of claim 7, further comprising displaying a passcode entry interface on a touchscreen, the passcode entry interface includes interactive elements labeled with symbols for composing passcodes; wherein receiving the key entry includes receiving a touch event on the touchscreen; and wherein the touch event includes a location on the passcode entry interface where the touch event occurs. 16. The method of claim 6, wherein encrypting using the homomorphic encryption system includes encrypting using an ElGamal encryption system or a variant thereof. 17. The method of claim 6, further comprising transmitting a message indicative of at least the cumulative encryption string to a destination device to verify the passcode. 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising requesting a public key associated with a hardware ID of the destination device from an external server; and wherein encrypting the plaintext value includes encrypting the plaintext value using the public key. 19. The method of claim 17, further comprising requesting a public key from the destination device; and wherein encrypting the plaintext value includes encrypting the plaintext value using the public key. 20. The method of claim 6, wherein executing the cumulative operation includes computing a product of the ciphertext and a cumulative product of all previous ciphertexts corresponding to all previously encrypted portions of the passcode. 21. The method of claim 6, wherein encrypting the plaintext value includes generating a random variable by reading a pseudorandom stream using a non-buffering I/O call; and wherein encrypting the plaintext value is based at least in part on the random variable. 22. A method of verifying a passcode entry by a user, the method comprising:
receiving ciphertext from a passcode entry device; decrypting the ciphertext into plaintext, wherein the plaintext is indicative of a product of encoded portions of the passcode entry, wherein each encoded portion represents a portion in the passcode entry and a position of the portion in the passcode entry; and verifying the passcode entry based at least partly on the product of the encoded portions. 23. The method of claim 22, wherein each encoded portion is indicative of a symbol that is part of the passcode entry and the position of the symbol in the passcode entry. 24. The method of claim 22, wherein decrypting the ciphertext includes decrypting the ciphertext using a decryption mechanism of a homomorphic cryptosystem. 25. The method of claim 24, wherein decrypting the ciphertext includes decrypting using an ElGamal encryption system or a variant thereof. 26. The method of claim 22, wherein verifying the passcode entry includes:
calculating a hash string based at least partly on an authentic passcode; and verifying the passcode entry based at least partly on the hash string and the product of the encoded portions. 27. The method of claim 22, wherein verifying the passcode entry includes:
retrieving an authentic passcode; and determining a sequence of symbols representative of the passcode entry by factoring the product of the encoded portions using a set of prime numbers used to encode each portion; and sending the sequence of symbols to be compared against the authentic passcode in a financial transaction card. 28. An apparatus comprising:
a memory device storing executable instructions, that, when executed by a processor, is operable to:
receive an indication of a portion of a passcode;
calculate a plaintext value based at least in part on the indication, wherein the plaintext value represents an encoded portion of the passcode;
encrypt the plaintext value into ciphertext using a homomorphic encryption system; and
update a cumulative encryption string by executing a cumulative operation to aggregate the ciphertext corresponding to the encoded portion into the cumulative encryption string computed for a previous portion of the passcode, wherein the cumulative operation is in accordance with a homomorphic property of the homomorphic encryption system. 29. An apparatus comprising:
an interface to receive a message including ciphertext representing a passcode entry of a user; a read head to access card information stored in a payment card; and a logic circuitry configured to:
decrypt the ciphertext into plaintext, wherein the plaintext is indicative of a product of encoded portions of the passcode entry, wherein each encoded portion represents a portion in the passcode entry and a position of the portion in the passcode entry; and
verify the passcode entry based at least partly on the product of the encoded portions and an authentic passcode accessible via the read head. | A method of encrypting a passcode is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes: receiving an indication of a portion of the passcode; calculating a plaintext value based at least in part on the indication, wherein the plaintext value represents an encoded portion of the passcode; encrypting the plaintext value into ciphertext using a homomorphic encryption system; and updating a cumulative encryption string by executing a cumulative operation to aggregate the ciphertext corresponding to the encoded portion into the cumulative encryption string computed for a previous portion of the passcode, wherein the cumulative operation is dictated by a homomorphic property of the homomorphic encryption system.1. A method comprising:
initializing, at a mobile device, a financial transaction and receiving card data from a card reader attached to the mobile device, wherein the initializing is in response to detecting a swipe of a financial transaction card at the card reader; displaying a passcode entry interface on a touchscreen of the mobile device to enable a user to enter a passcode; determining a sequence of digits corresponding to the passcode entered by the user; for each digit of the sequence, encoding the digit into an encoded digit, and encrypting the encoded digit into ciphertext using homomorphic cryptography; and maintaining a cumulative product based at least partly on the ciphertexts corresponding to the digits of the sequence; and initiating a process to authenticate the financial transaction by transmitting a message indicative of at least the cumulative product, wherein the cumulative product represents the passcode entered by the user. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein maintaining the cumulative product includes multiplying the ciphertext corresponding to a newly entered digit with the cumulative product calculated for all previous digits in the sequence. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein encoding each digit and encrypting each encoded digit are performed in response to determining the digit entered by the user; and wherein maintaining the cumulative product includes updating the cumulative product in response to encrypting each encoded digit. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein encoding the digit includes calculating the encoded digit as a prime number raised to the power of the digit. 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving a public key for said encrypting using the homomorphic cryptography from an external server system; and verifying a signature of the public key using a certificate authority. 6. A method of encrypting a passcode, the method comprising:
receiving an indication of a portion of the passcode; calculating, via a processor of a computing device, a plaintext value based at least in part on the indication, wherein the plaintext value represents an encoded portion of the passcode; encrypting, via the processor, the plaintext value into ciphertext using a homomorphic encryption system; and updating, via the processor, a cumulative encryption string by executing a cumulative operation to aggregate the ciphertext corresponding to the encoded portion into the cumulative encryption string computed for a previous portion of the passcode, wherein the cumulative operation is in accordance with a homomorphic property of the homomorphic encryption system. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving the indication includes receiving a key entry corresponding to a symbol that is part of the passcode. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein calculating the plaintext value is based at least in part on a numeric representation (“di”) of the symbol. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the symbol is a numeric digit and the numeric representation of the symbol is the numeric digit. 10. The method of claim 8, wherein calculating the plaintext value comprises:
selecting, based on a sequential position (“i”) of the portion corresponding to the indication received, a prime number (“p1”) from a set of prime number bases; and calculating the selected prime number raised to the power of the numeric representation of the symbol. 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising selecting the prime number from a set of prime bases based at least partly on the position of the digit in the sequence of digits. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein each prime number (p) in the set of prime bases satisfies pq=1 (mod N), wherein the homomorphic cryptography is based on ElGamal asymmetric encryption and N is the modulus chosen to perform the ElGamal encryption and q is a Sophie Germain prime associated with N such that N=2q +1. 13. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving at least a portion of cryptography parameters, including the set of prime bases, for the homomorphic cryptography from an external server system, wherein the cryptography parameters are associated with a hardware ID of the card reader. 14. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving at least a portion of cryptography parameters, including the set of prime bases, for the homomorphic cryptography from the card reader. 15. The method of claim 7, further comprising displaying a passcode entry interface on a touchscreen, the passcode entry interface includes interactive elements labeled with symbols for composing passcodes; wherein receiving the key entry includes receiving a touch event on the touchscreen; and wherein the touch event includes a location on the passcode entry interface where the touch event occurs. 16. The method of claim 6, wherein encrypting using the homomorphic encryption system includes encrypting using an ElGamal encryption system or a variant thereof. 17. The method of claim 6, further comprising transmitting a message indicative of at least the cumulative encryption string to a destination device to verify the passcode. 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising requesting a public key associated with a hardware ID of the destination device from an external server; and wherein encrypting the plaintext value includes encrypting the plaintext value using the public key. 19. The method of claim 17, further comprising requesting a public key from the destination device; and wherein encrypting the plaintext value includes encrypting the plaintext value using the public key. 20. The method of claim 6, wherein executing the cumulative operation includes computing a product of the ciphertext and a cumulative product of all previous ciphertexts corresponding to all previously encrypted portions of the passcode. 21. The method of claim 6, wherein encrypting the plaintext value includes generating a random variable by reading a pseudorandom stream using a non-buffering I/O call; and wherein encrypting the plaintext value is based at least in part on the random variable. 22. A method of verifying a passcode entry by a user, the method comprising:
receiving ciphertext from a passcode entry device; decrypting the ciphertext into plaintext, wherein the plaintext is indicative of a product of encoded portions of the passcode entry, wherein each encoded portion represents a portion in the passcode entry and a position of the portion in the passcode entry; and verifying the passcode entry based at least partly on the product of the encoded portions. 23. The method of claim 22, wherein each encoded portion is indicative of a symbol that is part of the passcode entry and the position of the symbol in the passcode entry. 24. The method of claim 22, wherein decrypting the ciphertext includes decrypting the ciphertext using a decryption mechanism of a homomorphic cryptosystem. 25. The method of claim 24, wherein decrypting the ciphertext includes decrypting using an ElGamal encryption system or a variant thereof. 26. The method of claim 22, wherein verifying the passcode entry includes:
calculating a hash string based at least partly on an authentic passcode; and verifying the passcode entry based at least partly on the hash string and the product of the encoded portions. 27. The method of claim 22, wherein verifying the passcode entry includes:
retrieving an authentic passcode; and determining a sequence of symbols representative of the passcode entry by factoring the product of the encoded portions using a set of prime numbers used to encode each portion; and sending the sequence of symbols to be compared against the authentic passcode in a financial transaction card. 28. An apparatus comprising:
a memory device storing executable instructions, that, when executed by a processor, is operable to:
receive an indication of a portion of a passcode;
calculate a plaintext value based at least in part on the indication, wherein the plaintext value represents an encoded portion of the passcode;
encrypt the plaintext value into ciphertext using a homomorphic encryption system; and
update a cumulative encryption string by executing a cumulative operation to aggregate the ciphertext corresponding to the encoded portion into the cumulative encryption string computed for a previous portion of the passcode, wherein the cumulative operation is in accordance with a homomorphic property of the homomorphic encryption system. 29. An apparatus comprising:
an interface to receive a message including ciphertext representing a passcode entry of a user; a read head to access card information stored in a payment card; and a logic circuitry configured to:
decrypt the ciphertext into plaintext, wherein the plaintext is indicative of a product of encoded portions of the passcode entry, wherein each encoded portion represents a portion in the passcode entry and a position of the portion in the passcode entry; and
verify the passcode entry based at least partly on the product of the encoded portions and an authentic passcode accessible via the read head. | 3,600 |
12,497 | 12,497 | 13,658,326 | 3,622 | A system for collecting and distributing advertisements to customers based on an event or attribute of the customers includes a client interface and a client database for storing advertising content. A processor receives distribution parameters from the client regarding the distribution of advertisement data to any one of a plurality of subscribers. A subscriber interface and a subscriber database are connected to the processor for storing profile data for each of the subscribers, the profile data including at least one dated attribute associated with the subscriber. For each of the client advertisement content stored in the client database, a corresponding distribution attribute is stored including at least in part a distribution date. The processor reviews a present date and compare against shared distribution dates and to distribute the advertisement content having the present date as a distribution date to one or more subscribers according to the distribution parameters. | 1. A system for collecting and distributing advertisements to customers based on an event or attribute of the customers, said system comprising:
a client interface, for receiving communications from a plurality of clients, said communications including at least one advertising content; a client database, said client database configured to store said advertising content; a processor coupled to said client interface and said client database, wherein said processor is configured to receive distribution parameters from said client, regarding the distribution of advertisement data to any one of a plurality of subscribers, said distribution parameters storable in said client database; a subscriber interface, coupled to said processor configured to receive communications from a plurality of said subscribers desiring access to one or more client advertising content; and a subscriber database connected to said processor and said subscriber interface which stores profile data for each of said subscribers, said profile data including at least one dated attribute associated with said subscriber, wherein for each of said client advertisement content stored in said client database, a corresponding distribution attribute is stored including at least in part a distribution date, and wherein said processor is configured to review a present date and compare against shared distribution dates and to distribute said advertisement content having said present date as a distribution date to one or more subscribers according to said distribution parameters. 2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said profile data for each of said subscribers includes a combination of personal/demographic information in addition to said at least one dated attribute. 3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said demographic information includes any one of an email address, home address/zip code, gender, age hobbies, likes and dislikes. 4. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said profile data for each of said subscribers includes multiple data attributes. 5. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said data attributes are selected from the group consisting of birthdays, relatives' birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and graduations dates. 6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said distribution parameters from said client regarding the distribution of advertisement data, include both a distribution date as well as demographic parameters. 7. The system as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a list module compiling the various available dated attributes and demographic data of all of said subscribers stored in said profile data in said subscriber database. 8. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said client database contains billing data for billing said client for the distribution of said advertisement content. | A system for collecting and distributing advertisements to customers based on an event or attribute of the customers includes a client interface and a client database for storing advertising content. A processor receives distribution parameters from the client regarding the distribution of advertisement data to any one of a plurality of subscribers. A subscriber interface and a subscriber database are connected to the processor for storing profile data for each of the subscribers, the profile data including at least one dated attribute associated with the subscriber. For each of the client advertisement content stored in the client database, a corresponding distribution attribute is stored including at least in part a distribution date. The processor reviews a present date and compare against shared distribution dates and to distribute the advertisement content having the present date as a distribution date to one or more subscribers according to the distribution parameters.1. A system for collecting and distributing advertisements to customers based on an event or attribute of the customers, said system comprising:
a client interface, for receiving communications from a plurality of clients, said communications including at least one advertising content; a client database, said client database configured to store said advertising content; a processor coupled to said client interface and said client database, wherein said processor is configured to receive distribution parameters from said client, regarding the distribution of advertisement data to any one of a plurality of subscribers, said distribution parameters storable in said client database; a subscriber interface, coupled to said processor configured to receive communications from a plurality of said subscribers desiring access to one or more client advertising content; and a subscriber database connected to said processor and said subscriber interface which stores profile data for each of said subscribers, said profile data including at least one dated attribute associated with said subscriber, wherein for each of said client advertisement content stored in said client database, a corresponding distribution attribute is stored including at least in part a distribution date, and wherein said processor is configured to review a present date and compare against shared distribution dates and to distribute said advertisement content having said present date as a distribution date to one or more subscribers according to said distribution parameters. 2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said profile data for each of said subscribers includes a combination of personal/demographic information in addition to said at least one dated attribute. 3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said demographic information includes any one of an email address, home address/zip code, gender, age hobbies, likes and dislikes. 4. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said profile data for each of said subscribers includes multiple data attributes. 5. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said data attributes are selected from the group consisting of birthdays, relatives' birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and graduations dates. 6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said distribution parameters from said client regarding the distribution of advertisement data, include both a distribution date as well as demographic parameters. 7. The system as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a list module compiling the various available dated attributes and demographic data of all of said subscribers stored in said profile data in said subscriber database. 8. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said client database contains billing data for billing said client for the distribution of said advertisement content. | 3,600 |
12,498 | 12,498 | 14,589,498 | 3,674 | The present disclosure provides a method of reducing localized fluid loss in a wellbore in a subterranean formation by injecting into the wellbore a fluid carrier phase comprising a fluid loss capsule of an active fluid loss control material. The active fluid loss control material is released in the fluid loss zone and reduces localized fluid loss within the wellbore. | 1. A method for reducing fluid loss in a localized loss zone in a wellbore in a subterranean formation having a fracture, the method comprising the steps of:
A) injecting a carrier phase into a wellbore, the carrier phase comprising one or more types of a fluid loss capsule, each fluid loss capsule comprising an active fluid loss control material and an encapsulant, B) releasing the active fluid loss control material from the fluid loss capsule within the fracture by crushing the encapsulant by a fracture closure stress thereby forming, with the active fluid loss control material, a rigid low-permeability plug in the fracture that reduces communication between the localized loss zone and the wellbore. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more types of a fluid loss capsule includes a first fluid loss capsule comprising one or more active fluid loss control materials selected from the group consisting of swellable materials, partially cured resin materials, resin precursor materials, swellable clays, and cement precursor materials. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more types of a fluid loss capsule includes a second fluid loss capsule, the second fluid loss capsule comprising one or more active fluid loss control materials selected from the group consisting of catalyst materials, activator materials, crosslinking materials, curing agents, and hardening agents. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the encapsulant is selected from the group consisting of a polymer coating, a wax coating and a surfactant coating. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the injecting step is carried out at an injection pressure that is greater than a fracture propagation pressure of the fracture. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the injecting step is followed by a step of reducing the injection pressure below the fracture propagation pressure thereby allowing application of fracture closure stress to release the active fluid loss control material within the fracture. 7. (canceled) 8. The method of claim 6, wherein the encapsulant is a polymer coating. 9. The method of claim 6, wherein the size of the fluid loss capsule ranges from 8 to 325 mesh. 10.-12. (canceled) 13. The method of claim 1, wherein the fluid loss capsule is a particle having a size distribution ranging from 8 mesh to 325 mesh. 14. A method for reducing localized fluid loss in a wellbore in a subterranean formation having an existing or previously induced-fracture zone, the method comprising:
A) injecting a carrier phase into a wellbore at an injection pressure that exceeds a fracture propagation pressure, the carrier phase comprising one or more types of a fluid loss capsule, each fluid loss capsule comprising an active fluid loss control material and an encapsulant, wherein the active fluid loss control material is selected from the group consisting of partially cured resin materials, resin precursor materials, cement precursor materials, catalyst materials, activator materials, crosslinking materials, hardening agents and mixtures thereof; B) injecting a fluid that does not comprise the fluid loss capsule into the wellbore thereby forcing the fluid loss capsule into the existing or previously induced-fracture zone; C) allowing time sufficient for the fluid loss capsule to accumulate in the existing or previously induced-fracture zone; D) reducing the injection pressure to less than the fracture propagation pressure thereby increasing fracture closure stress within the existing or previously induced fracture zone wherein the increased fracture closure stress acting on the encapsulant causes release of the active fluid loss control material thereby forming a rigid low-permeability plug ; with the released active fluid loss control material within the existing or previously induced-fracture zone that reduces communication between the existing or previously induced-fracture zone and the wellbore. 15. (canceled) 16. (canceled) 17. The method of claim 14, wherein the encapsulant is selected from a polymer coating, a wax coating, or a surfactant coating. 18. The method of claim 14, wherein the encapsulant is a polymer coating. 19. (canceled) 20. The method of claim 14, wherein the fluid loss capsule is a particle having a size distribution ranging from 8 mesh to 325 mesh. 21. The method of claim 1, wherein the active fluid loss control material is a precursor material selected from partially cured resins, resin precursors and cement precursors, and wherein the carrier phase further comprises one or more selected from catalyst materials, activator materials, crosslinking materials, curing agents and hardening agents, and wherein upon release of the precursor material, the precursor material reacts with the carrier phase to form the rigid, low-permeability plug. 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the catalyst materials, activator materials, crosslinking materials, curing agents and hardening agents are in the form of one or more of a fluid loss capsule. 23. (canceled) 24. The method of claim 21, wherein the precursor material comprises epoxy monomers and wherein the carrier phase further comprises a diamine curing agent. 25. The method of claim 24, wherein the epoxy monomers are selected from epichlorohydrin, bisphenol-A and mixtures thereof. 26. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more types of a fluid loss capsule includes a first fluid loss capsule comprising epichlorohydrin, a second fluid loss capsule comprising bisphenol-A and a third fluid loss capsule comprising a diamine curing agent. 27. A method for reducing fluid loss in a wellbore in a subterranean formation having a localized loss zone, the method comprising:
A) injecting a carrier phase into a wellbore, the carrier phase comprising one or more types of a fluid loss capsule, wherein each fluid loss capsule comprises a dissolvable encapsulant and an encapsulated active fluid loss control material selected from the group consisting of partially cured resin materials, resin precursor materials, cement precursor materials, catalyst materials, activator materials, crosslinking materials, hardening agents and mixtures thereof; B) allowing time sufficient for the fluid loss capsule to accumulate in the loss zone; C) injecting a second carrier phase comprising one or more agents that trigger the dissolution of the dissolvable encapsulant and causes release of the encapsulated active fluid loss control material, thereby forming a rigid low-permeability plug with the released active fluid loss control material within the loss zone that reduces communication between the loss zone and the wellbore. | The present disclosure provides a method of reducing localized fluid loss in a wellbore in a subterranean formation by injecting into the wellbore a fluid carrier phase comprising a fluid loss capsule of an active fluid loss control material. The active fluid loss control material is released in the fluid loss zone and reduces localized fluid loss within the wellbore.1. A method for reducing fluid loss in a localized loss zone in a wellbore in a subterranean formation having a fracture, the method comprising the steps of:
A) injecting a carrier phase into a wellbore, the carrier phase comprising one or more types of a fluid loss capsule, each fluid loss capsule comprising an active fluid loss control material and an encapsulant, B) releasing the active fluid loss control material from the fluid loss capsule within the fracture by crushing the encapsulant by a fracture closure stress thereby forming, with the active fluid loss control material, a rigid low-permeability plug in the fracture that reduces communication between the localized loss zone and the wellbore. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more types of a fluid loss capsule includes a first fluid loss capsule comprising one or more active fluid loss control materials selected from the group consisting of swellable materials, partially cured resin materials, resin precursor materials, swellable clays, and cement precursor materials. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more types of a fluid loss capsule includes a second fluid loss capsule, the second fluid loss capsule comprising one or more active fluid loss control materials selected from the group consisting of catalyst materials, activator materials, crosslinking materials, curing agents, and hardening agents. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the encapsulant is selected from the group consisting of a polymer coating, a wax coating and a surfactant coating. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the injecting step is carried out at an injection pressure that is greater than a fracture propagation pressure of the fracture. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the injecting step is followed by a step of reducing the injection pressure below the fracture propagation pressure thereby allowing application of fracture closure stress to release the active fluid loss control material within the fracture. 7. (canceled) 8. The method of claim 6, wherein the encapsulant is a polymer coating. 9. The method of claim 6, wherein the size of the fluid loss capsule ranges from 8 to 325 mesh. 10.-12. (canceled) 13. The method of claim 1, wherein the fluid loss capsule is a particle having a size distribution ranging from 8 mesh to 325 mesh. 14. A method for reducing localized fluid loss in a wellbore in a subterranean formation having an existing or previously induced-fracture zone, the method comprising:
A) injecting a carrier phase into a wellbore at an injection pressure that exceeds a fracture propagation pressure, the carrier phase comprising one or more types of a fluid loss capsule, each fluid loss capsule comprising an active fluid loss control material and an encapsulant, wherein the active fluid loss control material is selected from the group consisting of partially cured resin materials, resin precursor materials, cement precursor materials, catalyst materials, activator materials, crosslinking materials, hardening agents and mixtures thereof; B) injecting a fluid that does not comprise the fluid loss capsule into the wellbore thereby forcing the fluid loss capsule into the existing or previously induced-fracture zone; C) allowing time sufficient for the fluid loss capsule to accumulate in the existing or previously induced-fracture zone; D) reducing the injection pressure to less than the fracture propagation pressure thereby increasing fracture closure stress within the existing or previously induced fracture zone wherein the increased fracture closure stress acting on the encapsulant causes release of the active fluid loss control material thereby forming a rigid low-permeability plug ; with the released active fluid loss control material within the existing or previously induced-fracture zone that reduces communication between the existing or previously induced-fracture zone and the wellbore. 15. (canceled) 16. (canceled) 17. The method of claim 14, wherein the encapsulant is selected from a polymer coating, a wax coating, or a surfactant coating. 18. The method of claim 14, wherein the encapsulant is a polymer coating. 19. (canceled) 20. The method of claim 14, wherein the fluid loss capsule is a particle having a size distribution ranging from 8 mesh to 325 mesh. 21. The method of claim 1, wherein the active fluid loss control material is a precursor material selected from partially cured resins, resin precursors and cement precursors, and wherein the carrier phase further comprises one or more selected from catalyst materials, activator materials, crosslinking materials, curing agents and hardening agents, and wherein upon release of the precursor material, the precursor material reacts with the carrier phase to form the rigid, low-permeability plug. 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the catalyst materials, activator materials, crosslinking materials, curing agents and hardening agents are in the form of one or more of a fluid loss capsule. 23. (canceled) 24. The method of claim 21, wherein the precursor material comprises epoxy monomers and wherein the carrier phase further comprises a diamine curing agent. 25. The method of claim 24, wherein the epoxy monomers are selected from epichlorohydrin, bisphenol-A and mixtures thereof. 26. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more types of a fluid loss capsule includes a first fluid loss capsule comprising epichlorohydrin, a second fluid loss capsule comprising bisphenol-A and a third fluid loss capsule comprising a diamine curing agent. 27. A method for reducing fluid loss in a wellbore in a subterranean formation having a localized loss zone, the method comprising:
A) injecting a carrier phase into a wellbore, the carrier phase comprising one or more types of a fluid loss capsule, wherein each fluid loss capsule comprises a dissolvable encapsulant and an encapsulated active fluid loss control material selected from the group consisting of partially cured resin materials, resin precursor materials, cement precursor materials, catalyst materials, activator materials, crosslinking materials, hardening agents and mixtures thereof; B) allowing time sufficient for the fluid loss capsule to accumulate in the loss zone; C) injecting a second carrier phase comprising one or more agents that trigger the dissolution of the dissolvable encapsulant and causes release of the encapsulated active fluid loss control material, thereby forming a rigid low-permeability plug with the released active fluid loss control material within the loss zone that reduces communication between the loss zone and the wellbore. | 3,600 |
12,499 | 12,499 | 13,596,501 | 3,662 | A method for braking a host vehicle receives input indicative of transmitted travel data of an external object. A current distance between the host vehicle and the external object is calculated based upon travel data of the host vehicle and the external object. Pressure in a brake system of the host vehicle is precharged based upon the current distance, to reduce delay in a response of the brake system. A controller configured to perform the braking method is provided. A host vehicle is also provided with a brake system and the vehicle controller. | 1. A method for braking a host vehicle comprising:
receiving input indicative of transmitted travel data of an external object; calculating a current distance between the host vehicle and the external object based upon travel data of the host vehicle and the external object; and precharging pressure in a brake system of the host vehicle based upon the current distance, to reduce delay in a response of the brake system. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the input is indicative of travel data of a stationary object. 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the input is indicative of travel data of a pedestrian. 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the input is indicative of travel data of a traffic signal. 5. The method of claim 1 further comprising detecting a pressure applied to the brake system of the host vehicle by a driver. 6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
calculating a relative velocity between the host vehicle and the external object based on travel data of the host vehicle and the external object; and
precharging pressure in the brake system of the host vehicle 7. The method of claim 1 further comprising actuating the brake system to achieve autonomous braking of the host vehicle based upon the current distance to optimize vehicle stopping distance. 8. The method of claim 1 wherein the input is indicative of travel data of a target vehicle; and
wherein the method further comprises:
receiving input indicative of a transmitted coordinate position of the target vehicle, and
monitoring a coordinate position of the host vehicle. 9. The method of claim 8 further comprising calculating the current distance between the target vehicle and the host vehicle based upon the received coordinate position of the target vehicle and the coordinate position of the host vehicle. 10. The method of claim 9 further comprising selecting a brake system delay factor based upon the current distance between the target vehicle and the host vehicle. 11. The method of claim 10 further comprising detecting a pressure applied to the brake system of the host vehicle by a driver; and
calculating a brake delay time based on the pressure upon the brake system and the brake system delay factor. 12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:
monitoring a current velocity of the host vehicle;
monitoring a current acceleration of the host vehicle; and
calculating a predicted velocity of the host vehicle based upon the current velocity of the host vehicle, the current acceleration of the host vehicle, and the brake delay time. 13. The method of claim 11 further comprising:
receiving input indicative of a transmitted velocity of the target vehicle;
monitoring a current velocity of the host vehicle;
receiving input indicative of a communicated acceleration of the target vehicle;
monitoring a current acceleration of the host vehicle; and
calculating a predicted distance between the target vehicle and the host vehicle based upon the transmitted velocity of the target vehicle, the current velocity of the host vehicle, the brake delay time, the monitored acceleration of the target vehicle, the current acceleration of the host vehicle and the current distance between the target vehicle and the host vehicle. 14. The method of claim 11 further comprising:
receiving input indicative of a transmitted velocity of the target vehicle;
receiving input indicative of a transmitted acceleration of the target vehicle; and
calculating a velocity of the target vehicle based upon the transmitted velocity of the target vehicle, the transmitted acceleration of the target vehicle, and the brake delay time. 15. The method of claim 1 wherein the input is indicative of travel data of a target vehicle; and
wherein the method further comprises:
receiving input indicative of a transmitted velocity of the target vehicle,
monitoring a current velocity of the host vehicle,
receiving input indicative of a transmitted acceleration of the target vehicle, and
calculating a required deceleration from the transmitted velocity of the target vehicle, the current velocity of the host vehicle, the current distance between the target vehicle and the host vehicle, and the transmitted acceleration of the target vehicle. 16. The method of claim 15 further comprising calculating a condition level from the required deceleration and a maximum braking deceleration of the host vehicle. 17. The method of claim 16 further comprising precharging the brake system of the host vehicle when the condition level exceeds a predetermined range until the condition level is within the predetermined range. 18. The method of claim 1 wherein the input is indicative of travel data of at least two target vehicles. 19. A vehicle controller for a host vehicle, the vehicle controller being configured to:
receive input indicative of transmitted travel data of an external object; calculate a current distance between the host vehicle and the external object based upon travel data of the host vehicle and the external object; and transmit input indicative to precharge pressure in a brake system of the host vehicle based upon the current distance, to reduce delay in a response of the brake system. 20. A host vehicle comprising:
a brake system; and a vehicle controller configured to receive input indicative of transmitted travel data of an external object, calculate a current distance between the host vehicle and the external object based upon travel data of the host vehicle and the external object, and transmit input indicative to precharge pressure in the brake system based upon the current distance, to reduce delay in a response of the brake system. | A method for braking a host vehicle receives input indicative of transmitted travel data of an external object. A current distance between the host vehicle and the external object is calculated based upon travel data of the host vehicle and the external object. Pressure in a brake system of the host vehicle is precharged based upon the current distance, to reduce delay in a response of the brake system. A controller configured to perform the braking method is provided. A host vehicle is also provided with a brake system and the vehicle controller.1. A method for braking a host vehicle comprising:
receiving input indicative of transmitted travel data of an external object; calculating a current distance between the host vehicle and the external object based upon travel data of the host vehicle and the external object; and precharging pressure in a brake system of the host vehicle based upon the current distance, to reduce delay in a response of the brake system. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the input is indicative of travel data of a stationary object. 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the input is indicative of travel data of a pedestrian. 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the input is indicative of travel data of a traffic signal. 5. The method of claim 1 further comprising detecting a pressure applied to the brake system of the host vehicle by a driver. 6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
calculating a relative velocity between the host vehicle and the external object based on travel data of the host vehicle and the external object; and
precharging pressure in the brake system of the host vehicle 7. The method of claim 1 further comprising actuating the brake system to achieve autonomous braking of the host vehicle based upon the current distance to optimize vehicle stopping distance. 8. The method of claim 1 wherein the input is indicative of travel data of a target vehicle; and
wherein the method further comprises:
receiving input indicative of a transmitted coordinate position of the target vehicle, and
monitoring a coordinate position of the host vehicle. 9. The method of claim 8 further comprising calculating the current distance between the target vehicle and the host vehicle based upon the received coordinate position of the target vehicle and the coordinate position of the host vehicle. 10. The method of claim 9 further comprising selecting a brake system delay factor based upon the current distance between the target vehicle and the host vehicle. 11. The method of claim 10 further comprising detecting a pressure applied to the brake system of the host vehicle by a driver; and
calculating a brake delay time based on the pressure upon the brake system and the brake system delay factor. 12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:
monitoring a current velocity of the host vehicle;
monitoring a current acceleration of the host vehicle; and
calculating a predicted velocity of the host vehicle based upon the current velocity of the host vehicle, the current acceleration of the host vehicle, and the brake delay time. 13. The method of claim 11 further comprising:
receiving input indicative of a transmitted velocity of the target vehicle;
monitoring a current velocity of the host vehicle;
receiving input indicative of a communicated acceleration of the target vehicle;
monitoring a current acceleration of the host vehicle; and
calculating a predicted distance between the target vehicle and the host vehicle based upon the transmitted velocity of the target vehicle, the current velocity of the host vehicle, the brake delay time, the monitored acceleration of the target vehicle, the current acceleration of the host vehicle and the current distance between the target vehicle and the host vehicle. 14. The method of claim 11 further comprising:
receiving input indicative of a transmitted velocity of the target vehicle;
receiving input indicative of a transmitted acceleration of the target vehicle; and
calculating a velocity of the target vehicle based upon the transmitted velocity of the target vehicle, the transmitted acceleration of the target vehicle, and the brake delay time. 15. The method of claim 1 wherein the input is indicative of travel data of a target vehicle; and
wherein the method further comprises:
receiving input indicative of a transmitted velocity of the target vehicle,
monitoring a current velocity of the host vehicle,
receiving input indicative of a transmitted acceleration of the target vehicle, and
calculating a required deceleration from the transmitted velocity of the target vehicle, the current velocity of the host vehicle, the current distance between the target vehicle and the host vehicle, and the transmitted acceleration of the target vehicle. 16. The method of claim 15 further comprising calculating a condition level from the required deceleration and a maximum braking deceleration of the host vehicle. 17. The method of claim 16 further comprising precharging the brake system of the host vehicle when the condition level exceeds a predetermined range until the condition level is within the predetermined range. 18. The method of claim 1 wherein the input is indicative of travel data of at least two target vehicles. 19. A vehicle controller for a host vehicle, the vehicle controller being configured to:
receive input indicative of transmitted travel data of an external object; calculate a current distance between the host vehicle and the external object based upon travel data of the host vehicle and the external object; and transmit input indicative to precharge pressure in a brake system of the host vehicle based upon the current distance, to reduce delay in a response of the brake system. 20. A host vehicle comprising:
a brake system; and a vehicle controller configured to receive input indicative of transmitted travel data of an external object, calculate a current distance between the host vehicle and the external object based upon travel data of the host vehicle and the external object, and transmit input indicative to precharge pressure in the brake system based upon the current distance, to reduce delay in a response of the brake system. | 3,600 |
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