Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100146551 | Data Storage Management and Scheduling System - A data storage management and scheduling system schedules the recording, storing, and deleting of television and Web page program material on a client system storage medium. A schedule of time versus available storage space is generated that is optimal for the viewer's scheduled program recordings. The programs include television broadcast programs and Universal Resource Locators (URLs). A program is recorded if at all times between when the recording would be initiated and when it expires, sufficient space is available to hold it. All scheduling conflicts are resolved as early as possible. | 06-10-2010 |
20120254920 | DISTRIBUTED, INTERACTIVE TELEVISION PROGRAM GUIDE; SYSTEM AND METHOD - In an interactive network-based personal video recording system, a user interface is provided that allows viewers to search a database of program guide information according to program title, indexed program attributes such as actor and director, and key word. Viewer interaction is by way of a remote control unit. | 10-04-2012 |
20150281798 | DISTRIBUTED INTERACTIVE TELEVISION PROGRAM GUIDE SYSTEM AND METHOD - In an interactive network-based personal video recording system, a user interface is provided that allows viewers to search a database of program guide information according to program title, indexed program attributes such as actor and director, and key word. Viewer interaction is by way of a remote control unit. | 10-01-2015 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20130125169 | DATA STORAGE MANAGEMENT AND SCHEDULING SYSTEM - A data storage management and scheduling system schedules the recording, storing, and deleting of television and Web page program material on a client system storage medium. A schedule of time versus available storage space is generated that is optimal for the viewer's scheduled program recordings. The programs include television broadcast programs and Universal Resource Locators (URLs). A program is recorded if at all times between when the recording would be initiated and when it expires, sufficient space is available to hold it. All scheduling conflicts are resolved as early as possible. | 05-16-2013 |
20150058379 | HIERARCHICAL TAGS WITH COMMUNITY-BASED RATINGS - A method for generating and maintaining hierarchical tags with community-based ratings is provided. Tags for media streams are organized into a hierarchical format. Users may select tags from the hierarchical tag database that describes a particular multimedia content. If the user is unable to locate a desired tag, the user may submit a new tag. Upon submission of the new tag, a librarian approves the tag before storing and placing the tag in the hierarchical tag database. Users are also able to rate the quality of the association between the tag and the multimedia content. If a tag is rated low, the tag may be removed from the hierarchical tag database. If the tag is rated highly, display of the tag in a list of tags becomes more prominent. | 02-26-2015 |
20150106328 | DISTRIBUTED DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - A distributed database management system provides a central database resident on a server that contains database objects. Objects, e.g., program guide data, to be replicated are gathered together into distribution packages called “slices,” that are transmitted to client devices. A slice is a subset of the central database which is relevant to clients within a specific domain, such as a geographic region, or under the footprint of a satellite transmitter. The viewer selects television programs and Web content from displayed sections of the program guide data which are recorded to a storage device. The program guide data are used to determine when to start and end recordings. Client devices periodically connect to the server using a phone line and upload information of interest which is combined with information uploaded from other client devices for statistical, operational, or viewing models. | 04-16-2015 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20150161177 | SEARCH RESULT IMAGE PROCESSING - Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for processing image search results. In one aspect, a method includes rendering a page resource referenced by a selected image search result and received in response to the selection of the image search result in a second display environment to generate a rendered page resource in the second display environment, the second display environment being a display environment that is separate from a first display environment in which the image search results are displayed, generating, from the rendered page resource in the second display environment, an image of the rendered page resource, displaying, in the first display environment, the image of the rendered page resource, and in response to a command navigate to the page resource, transitioning the rendered page resource to the first display environment to display the page resource. | 06-11-2015 |
20150161205 | IDENTIFYING AN IMAGE FOR AN ENTITY - Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for identifying an image for an entity. In one aspect, a method includes identifying a set of resources. Each resource can include at least one image and reference at least one entity. Each image is assigned to a particular entity based on an overall entity scores for the image relative to the entities. The overall entity score for an image and an entity can specify a measure of topical relatedness between the image and the entity. For each individual entity referenced by at least one of the resources, a group of images that have been assigned to the individual entity is identified. An image evocative of each individual entity is selected from the group based on image rank scores. The image rank score for an image can be determined based on visual characteristics of the image. | 06-11-2015 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080260338 | Optical fiber having wave-guiding rings - A waveguide includes a cladding region that has a refractive index that is substantially uniform and surrounds a wave-guiding region that has an average index that is close to the index of the cladding. The wave-guiding region also contains a thin ring or series of rings that have an index or indices that differ significantly from the index of the cladding. The ring or rings enable the structure to guide light. | 10-23-2008 |
20080279228 | Optically Pumped Alkali Laser and Amplifier Using Helium-3 Buffer Gas - In one embodiment, a laser oscillator is provided comprising an optical cavity, the optical cavity including a gain medium including an alkali vapor and a buffer gas, the buffer gas including | 11-13-2008 |
20090296747 | PHASED LASER ARRAY WITH TAILORED SPECTRAL AND COHERENCE PROPERTIES - Architectures for coherently combining an array of fiber-based lasers are provided. By matching their lengths to within a few integer multiples of a wavelength, the spatial and temporal properties of a single large laser are replicated, while extending the average or peak pulsed power limit. | 12-03-2009 |
20100276547 | SYSTEMS FOR SOLAR POWER BEAMING FROM SPACE - A low earth orbit system for beaming energy to earth includes a solar reflector that collects and focuses solar light onto a solar panel, transforming it into electricity to drive a diode pumped laser, which then produces a high-power laser beam that is directed to a receiver on the surface of the Earth via a diffractive lens. A steering system of optics and automated hardware controls the beam direction. | 11-04-2010 |
20110243164 | PHASED LASER ARRAY WITH TAILORED SPECTRAL AND COHERENCE PROPERTIES - Architectures for coherently combining an array of fiber-based lasers are provided. By matching their lengths to within a few integer multiples of a wavelength, the spatial and temporal properties of a single large laser are replicated, while extending the average or peak pulsed power limit. | 10-06-2011 |
20110274134 | SOLAR PUMPED LASER MICROTHRUSTER - A micro-thruster for controlling the positioning of a satellite includes a solar concentrator for collecting solar energy and producing concentrated solar energy. A solar panel is positioned to receive the concentrated solar energy and thereby produces electrical energy which in turn energizes a diode-pumped fiber optic laser. The energized laser thus produces laser light which is transmitted to ejector material affixed to a satellite. | 11-10-2011 |
20120202031 | ALKALI RESISTANT OPTICAL COATINGS FOR ALKALI LASERS AND METHODS OF PRODUCTION THEREOF - In one embodiment, a multilayer dielectric coating for use in an alkali laser includes two or more alternating layers of high and low refractive index materials, wherein an innermost layer includes a thicker, >500 nm, and dense, >97% of theoretical, layer of at least one of: alumina, zirconia, and hafnia for protecting subsequent layers of the two or more alternating layers of high and low index dielectric materials from alkali attack. In another embodiment, a method for forming an alkali resistant coating includes forming a first oxide material above a substrate and forming a second oxide material above the first oxide material to form a multilayer dielectric coating, wherein the second oxide material is on a side of the multilayer dielectric coating for contacting an alkali. | 08-09-2012 |
20120287951 | HYBRID FIBER-ROD LASER - Single, or near single transverse mode waveguide definition is produced using a single homogeneous medium to transport both the pump excitation light and generated laser light. By properly configuring the pump deposition and resulting thermal power generation in the waveguide device, a thermal focusing power is established that supports perturbation-stable guided wave propagation of an appropriately configured single or near single transverse mode laser beam and/or laser pulse. | 11-15-2012 |
20140307305 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CRYOCOOLED LASER AMPLIFIER - A laser amplifier system includes a gain medium having a longitudinal axis and a plurality of sides substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis. The laser amplifier system also includes a waveguide having a plurality of inner surfaces. Each of the inner surfaces is optically coupled to one of the plurality of sides of the gain medium. The waveguide also includes a plurality of outer surfaces. The laser amplifier system further includes a cladding optically coupled to the outer surfaces of the waveguide. | 10-16-2014 |
20140318685 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR LIGHT ASSISTED FRICTION STIR PROCESSING AND WELDING OF METALLIC AND NON-METALLIC MATERIALS - An apparatus for use in a friction stir operation, such as friction stir welding (FSW) or friction stir processing (FSP). The apparatus may have a rotating tool adapted to be plunged into a material, where the material is susceptible to being softened by heating. The rotating tool may further be adapted to be advanced along a surface of the material. An optical energy generating subsystem may be used to heat a portion of the material using optical energy as the tool is advanced along the material. | 10-30-2014 |
20150047970 | ALKALI RESISTANT OPTICAL COATINGS FOR ALKALI LASERS AND METHODS OF PRODUCTION THEREOF - In one embodiment, a method for forming an alkali resistant coating includes forming a first oxide material above a substrate and forming a second oxide material above the first oxide material to form a multilayer dielectric coating, wherein the second oxide material is on a side of the multilayer dielectric coating for contacting an alkali. In another embodiment, a method for forming an alkali resistant coating includes forming two or more alternating layers of high and low refractive index oxide materials above a substrate, wherein an innermost layer of the two or more alternating layers is on an alkali-contacting side of the alkali resistant coating, and wherein the innermost layer of the two or more alternating layers comprises at least one of: alumina, zirconia, and hafnia. | 02-19-2015 |
20150098483 | DIODE-PUMPED NANO-STRUCTURE LASER - A solid state laser includes an optical resonator cavity and a containment vessel disposed in the optical resonator cavity. The solid state laser also includes a gas-flow system operable to pump solid state nano-structures through the containment vessel and one or more diode pumps optically coupled to the containment vessel. | 04-09-2015 |
20160094016 | INCREASING THE SPATIAL AND SPECTRAL BRIGHTNESS OF LASER DIODE ARRAYS - Techniques for increasing the spatial and spectral brightness of laser arrays such as laser diode arrays are provided. Passive cavity designs are described that produce wavefront phase locking across the face of large arrays. These designs enable both spatial and spectral selectivity in order to coherently link the individual emitters that make up the diode array. Arrays of customized micro-optics correct aberrations of the individual apertures of the arrays while highly spectrally selective partial reflectors overcome the deleterious effects of inhomogeneities in local thermal environments of the individual emitters that are being phase locked together. Using these two technologies, along with intracavity diffractive beam coupling, solves two long standing problems that have prevented effective and robust phase locking of laser diode arrays. | 03-31-2016 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100067403 | DIRECT DEVICE TO DEVICE CONFIGURATION TRANSFER - Systems and methodologies for direct device-to-device transfer of configuration information, such as network information, are provided herein. As described herein, network keys and other information can be transferred from a device that stores and/or utilizes the information to one or more devices to be initialized on a corresponding network. Network information can be communicated using audio tones, light pulses, and/or other similar signals to facilitate transfer of network information using one or more hardware components present at devices involved in the transfer for other purposes and without requiring specialized hardware. Systems and methodologies disclosed herein enable new devices to a network to be programmed by an already-programmed device, thereby reducing the need for off-site network initialization in cases where a small number of devices are to be added to an existing population. In addition, secure transfer of network information without exposing the information in a transferable format is facilitated. | 03-18-2010 |
20130028605 | SERIALLY-DISTRIBUTED ACCESS POINTS IN A COMMUNICATION NETWORK - Serially-distributed access points in a communication network include a cable including network communication wires, a plurality of access points connected in series with the network communication wires along a length of the cable, and a headend interface connected at one end of the cable and operable to provide a communication interface with the access points. Low-cost access point chipsets are used to build an enterprise-class communication network by embedding many low-cost, consumer grade access point chipsets into a single cable. The distance between the chipsets is small enough so as to create many microcells. | 01-31-2013 |
20130154807 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTING THE ACTIVATION OF A CALL BUTTON USING RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION - A call button attached to a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag may be activated to send an alert to appropriate personnel. Direct current voltage is received at an input of a RFID tag. Responsive to a query of an RFID reader, the RFID tag detects a state of the call button based on a level of the direct current voltage present at the input of the RFID tag. The RFID tag sends the detected state of the call button to the reader. A signal is sent from a server based on a reported state of the call button. | 06-20-2013 |
20140079397 | SERIALLY-DISTRIBUTED DEVICES IN A COMMUNICATION NETWORK - Serially-distributed devices in a communication network include a cable including communication wires, a plurality of devices connected in series with the communication wires along a length of the cable, and a headend interface connected at one end of the cable and operable to provide a communication interface with the devices. | 03-20-2014 |
20150189621 | MULTICAST WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM - A method and apparatus for multicasting data streams in a wireless radio communication system are provided. A server assigns a plurality of data streams amongst RF resources. One or more points-of-access of the wireless radio communication system are operable to transmit each RF resource to mobile communication devices. Responsive to a request from a mobile communication device for a selected one of the plurality of data streams, the server identifies the points-of-access that have not been assigned, and hence cannot transmit, the RF resource to which the selected data stream is assigned. An access controller instructs those points-of-access to deny association to the mobile communication device. The server then multicasts the selected data stream to the mobile communication device through one of the remaining points-of-access that can transmit the selected RF resource. | 07-02-2015 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090167333 | Wafer level testing - A wafer comprises a kerf region and a test chip. The kerf is a region in a wafer designated to be destroyed by chip dicing. The test chip is located within the kerf region and is configured to provide parametric data for a wafer fabrication process of a head. The test chip comprises a shield portion of a first shield layer electrically coupled to an element, a first pad within a second shield layer electrically coupled to the element, and a second pad within the second shield layer electrically coupled to the shield portion. | 07-02-2009 |
20090168213 | VERIFICATION OF A GROUND CONNECTION FABRICATION PROCESS FOR ESD RESISTORS IN MAGNETIC HEADS - Test methods and components are disclosed for testing the quality of the ground connection fabrication process for ESD shunt resistors in magnetic heads. A wafer is populated with one or more test components along with magnetic heads. The test components are fabricated with ESD shunt resistor ground connections created by the same or similar process used to fabricate the ESD shunt resistor ground connections in magnetic heads on the wafer. The resistance of the test component ground connections may then be measured in order to determine the quality of the ground connections formed by the fabrication process. The quality of the ground connection fabrication process may then be determined based on the measured resistance of the test components. | 07-02-2009 |
20090168214 | VERIFICATION OF A FABRICATION PROCESS USED TO FORM READ ELEMENTS IN MAGNETIC HEADS - Test methods and components are disclosed for testing the quality of a fabrication process used to form read elements in magnetic heads. A wafer is populated with one or more test components along with magnetic heads. The test components are formed by the same or similar fabrication processes as the read elements, but do not include a conductive MR sensor between the test leads. By measuring the resistance of the test components, the formation of parasitic shunts can be identified in the test components, which may indicate the formation of parasitic shunts in the read elements. Thus, the quality of the fabrication process in forming read elements in magnetic head may be determined. | 07-02-2009 |
20090168215 | TEST COMPONENTS FABRICATED WITH LARGE AREA SENSORS USED FOR DETERMINING THE RESISTANCE OF AN MR SENSOR - Test methods and components are disclosed for testing resistances of magnetoresistance (MR) sensors in read elements. Test components are fabricated on a wafer with a first test lead, a test MR sensor, and a second test lead. The test leads and test MR sensor are fabricated with similar processes as first shields, MR sensors, and second shields of read elements on tie wafer. However, the test MR sensor is fabricated with an area that is larger than areas of the MR sensors in the read elements. The larger area of the test MR sensor causes the resistance of the test MR sensor to be insignificant compared to the lead resistance. Thus, a resistance measurement of the test component represents the lead resistance of a read element. An accurate resistance measurement of an MR sensor in a read element may then be determined by subtracting the lead resistance. | 07-02-2009 |
20090168216 | TEST COMPONENTS FABRICATED WITH PSEUDO SENSORS USED FOR DETERMINING THE RESISTANCE OF AN MR SENSOR - Test methods and components are disclosed for testing resistances of magnetoresistance (MR) sensors in read elements. Test components are fabricated on a wafer with a first test lead, a pseudo sensor, and a second test lead. The test leads and MR sensor are fabricated with similar processes as first shields, MR sensors, and second shields of read elements on the wafer. However, the pseudo sensor in the test component is fabricated with lead material (or another material having similar resistance properties) instead of an MR thin-film structure like an MR sensor. Forming the pseudo sensor from lead material causes the resistance of the pseudo sensor to be insignificant compared to the lead resistance. Thus, a resistance measurement of the test component represents the lead resistance of a read element. An accurate resistance measurement of an MR sensor in a read element may then be determined by subtracting the lead resistance. | 07-02-2009 |
20090168217 | Test-device system for independent characterization of sensor-width and sensor-stripe-height definition processses - A test-device system and method for deconvoluting measurements of effects of a sensor-width definition process from measurements of effects of a sensor-stripe-height-definition process in a manufacture of a magnetic sensor. The test-device system comprises a first test device for generating data to characterize a sensor-width-definition process. The test-device system also comprises a second test device for generating data to characterize a sensor-stripe-height-definition process. The test-device system allows independent characterization of a sensor-width parameter and a sensor-stripe-height parameter. | 07-02-2009 |