Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090319569 | CONTEXT PLATFORM - A context store holding one or more context items is accessible by one or more domain interpreters. Each context item includes a unique identifier and one or more context-describing values. The domain interpreters include context providers for loading a context item with context-describing values and/or context consumers for taking context-describing values from a context item. | 12-24-2009 |
20090320143 | SENSOR INTERFACE - A sensor application programming interface (API) is capable of restricting an application's access to sensor data measured by a sensor, while at the same time providing access to sensor properties of the sensor, even if access has not been granted to the application for the sensor. | 12-24-2009 |
20090327884 | COMMUNICATING INFORMATION FROM AUXILIARY DEVICE - An auxiliary device communicates with a user in a manner other than a conventional, textual visual representation. For example, auxiliary device(s) can provide information aurally, vocally, visually (non-textual), tactilely and/or olfactorily. The information communicated can include alternative information to information displayed on a primary display of the computer system. A platform component of a computer system can provide device-specific and/or device-independent information to the auxiliary device. | 12-31-2009 |
20130290247 | CONTEXT PLATFORM - A network accessible context store holds a plurality of different context items. Each context item includes one or more context-describing values. An arbitration engine resolves conflicting requests to assign different context-describing values to a context item held in the network-accessible context store. | 10-31-2013 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080244289 | Hybrid Operating System for Battery Powered Computing Systems - Systems, methods, and/or techniques (“tools”) for hybrid operating systems for battery powered computing systems are described herein. The hybrid operating systems (OS) may include a full-power OS component that enables the computing system to operate in a full-power mode, and a low-power OS component that enables the computing system to operate in a low-power mode. In the full-power mode, the computing system consumes a first amount of electrical power, while in the low-power mode, the computing system consumes less electrical power. The computing system may include a processor that consumes a given power amount of power, and a low-power core processor that consumes less power than the processor. | 10-02-2008 |
20100106673 | Certainty Factor Decay - Various embodiments provide a way to decrease the certainty of a piece of information. In at least some embodiments, a certainty factor and a decay rate are associated with the piece of information. The certainty factor indicates the certainty of a piece of information. As time passes, the decay rate is applied to the certainty factor to reduce the certainty factor, thereby providing an indication that the certainty of the information has decreased. | 04-29-2010 |
20100245106 | Mobile Computer Device Binding Feedback - Embodiments of mobile computer device binding feedback are described. In embodiments, an application interface for a device application is displayed on a first display that is integrated in a first housing of a dual-display mobile computer device. The application interface can also be displayed on a second display that is integrated in a second housing of the dual-display mobile computer device. Binding position data is received that is associated with a binding system that movably connects the first housing and the second housing. Application context data that is associated with the device application is also received. Feedback can then be generated that correlates to the binding position data and to the application context data. | 09-30-2010 |
20100245209 | MOBILE COMPUTER DEVICE DISPLAY POSTURES - Embodiments of mobile computer device display postures are described. In embodiments, a first display is integrated in a first housing of a dual-display mobile computer device, and a second display is integrated in a second housing of the dual-display mobile computer device. Position data can be sensed from a binding that movably connects the first housing and the second housing, and a position angle can be determined between the first housing and the second housing that correlates to a display posture of the first display and the second display. | 09-30-2010 |
20110063192 | MOBILE COMPUTER DEVICE BINDING FEEDBACK - In embodiments of mobile computer device binding feedback, an application interface for a device application is displayed on a first display that is integrated in a dual-display mobile device. The application interface can also be displayed on a second display that is integrated in the dual-display mobile device. Binding position data is received from a binding system that movably couples the first display to the second display. Application context data that is associated with the device application is also received. Feedback can then be generated based on the binding position data and the application context data, where the feedback can be generated as audio feedback, video feedback, display feedback, and/or haptic feedback. | 03-17-2011 |
20110071971 | MULTI-LEVEL EVENT COMPUTING MODEL - High-order events may be generated and consumed in a cascading computing model. Low level information, such as changes in physical sensor readings, may be communicated to an application in the form of event messages that are generated by an operating system service. In one example, models that implement high level abstractions may also use events to communicate facts that have been inferred from lower level facts. For example, a program might generate events indicating that a particular type of motion (e.g., walking) has started or stopped, where the program infers the walking motion from sensor data about acceleration and position. Another program could consume those events and other data to draw higher level conclusions, such as “Joe is walking to a meeting”. Thus, events may be used in a cascading model in which events are generated and consumed at increasingly high levels of abstraction. | 03-24-2011 |
20110072441 | MESSAGE COMMUNICATION OF SENSOR AND OTHER DATA - A service may be provided that reads sensors, and that communicates information based on the sensor readings to applications. In one example, an operating system provides a sensor interface that allows programs that run on a machine to read the values of sensors (such as an accelerometer, light meter, etc.). A service may use the interface to read the value of sensors, and may receive subscriptions to sensor values from other programs. The service may then generate messages that contain the sensor value, and may provide these messages to programs that have subscribed to the messages. The messages may contain raw sensor data. Or, the messages may contain information that is derived from the sensor data and/or from other data. | 03-24-2011 |
20110154082 | I/O CO-PROCESSOR COUPLED HYBRID COMPUTING DEVICE - An apparatus and method provide power to perform functions on a computing device. In one example, the apparatus contains multiple processors that may operate at different power levels to consume different amounts of power. Also, any of the multiple processors may perform different functions. For example, one processor may be a low power processor that may control or operate at least one peripheral device to perform a low capacity function. Control may also switch from the low power processor to a high capacity processor. In one example, the high capacity processor controls the low power processor and further controls the at least one peripheral device through the lower power processor. | 06-23-2011 |
20130067486 | MESSAGE COMMUNICATION OF SENSOR AND OTHER DATA - A service may be provided that reads sensors, and that communicates information based on the sensor readings to applications. In one example, an operating system provides a sensor interface that allows programs that run on a machine to read the values of sensors (such as an accelerometer, light meter, etc.). A service may use the interface to read the value of sensors, and may receive subscriptions to sensor values from other programs. The service may then generate messages that contain the sensor value, and may provide these messages to programs that have subscribed to the messages. The messages may contain raw sensor data. Or, the messages may contain information that is derived from the sensor data and/or from other data. | 03-14-2013 |
20130151874 | LINKED SHELL - An apparatus and method is provided for controlling a display device for displaying a user interface associated with an application. A processor for controlling peripheral devices and/or the display may be selected based on characteristics of a requested function to be performed. For example, a processor may be selected with a power characteristic corresponding to a power level needed to perform the requested function. Also, an instantiation of a user interface may be switched based on selection of the processor for controlling peripheral devices. In another example, the transition from one instantiation of the user interface to another instantiation of the user interface may be smooth such that a user may be unaware a change has been made. | 06-13-2013 |
20150186305 | I/O CO-PROCESSOR COUPLED HYBRID COMPUTING DEVICE - An apparatus and method provide power to perform functions on a computing device, In one example, the apparatus contains multiple processors that may operate at different power levels to consume different amounts of power. Also, any of the multiple processors may perform different functions. For example, one processor may be a low power processor that may control or operate at least one peripheral device to perform a low capacity function. Control may also switch from the low power processor to a high capacity processor. In one example, the high capacity processor controls the low power processor and further controls the at least one peripheral device through the lower power processor. | 07-02-2015 |
20150242259 | MESSAGE COMMUNICATION OF SENSOR AND OTHER DATA - A service may be provided that reads sensors, and that communicates information based on the sensor readings to applications. In one example, an operating system provides a sensor interface that allows programs that run on a machine to read the values of sensors (such as an accelerometer, light meter, etc.). A service may use the interface to read the value of sensors, and may receive subscriptions to sensor values from other programs. The service may then generate messages that contain the sensor value, and may provide these messages to programs that have subscribed to the messages. The messages may contain raw sensor data. Or, the messages may contain information that is derived from the sensor data and/or from other data. | 08-27-2015 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120132638 | Finger Drives for IR Wafer Processing Equipment Conveyors and Lateral Differential Temperature Profile Methods - A new class of work-piece conveyors, comprising zero-mass, shadow-less transport systems, with a drive having a pair of parallel, laterally spaced, movable chains defining a processing path, with fingers projecting transversely toward the process path centerline. The gap between fingers eliminates conveyor tube/rod supports, improving wafer quality and conserving energy. Implementations include wire chain, band and roller chain transports to which fingers are secured. Fingers are angled down so that the intersection of the bottom and side edges of the work-piece make only point contacts with each finger. A pair of finger chains implement a single lane drive; adding center bilateral finger drive chains with oppositely pointing fingers implement a multi-lane system. The inventive method includes individually configurable processing temperature profiles in side-by-side lanes, on a zone-by-zone, upper and lower half basis for broad processing flexibility. A novel transducer-based lamp-voltage control system provides stable lamp power for precise temperature control. | 05-31-2012 |
20120187105 | Dual Independent Transport Systems For IR Conveyor Furnaces and Methods of Firing Thin Work Pieces - Multi-lane, side-by-side, independently driven transport systems particularly useful for transfer on conveyor belts or finger/chains of thin work pieces, such as silicon wafers, through processing equipment for converting the wafers into solar cells, including UV pre-treaters, dopers, dryers, diffusion furnaces and metallization furnaces. The inventive multi-lane transport systems may employ wire mesh belts having a flying bridge wafer support system comprising longitudinally spaced carrier wire elements that support the wafers at their side edges at only point contacts, by means of opposed, inwardly inclined, downwardly slanted segments or wings. Alternately, finger drives comprising spaced-apart chains having inwardly projecting fingers may be used for transport of the wafers by side edge contact. Friction or sprocket drives having tensioner assemblies associa-ted therewith are used to move the transport belts or finger chains through the furnace zones. Each lane may be independently controlled to provide unique thermal profiles along their processing paths. | 07-26-2012 |
20120269226 | Diffusion Furnaces Employing Ultra Low Mass Transport Systems and Methods of Wafer Rapid Diffusion Processing - Multi-zone, solar cell diffusion furnaces having a plurality of radiant element (SiC) or/and high intensity IR lamp heated process zones, including baffle, ramp-up, firing, soaking and cooling zone(s). The transport of solar cell wafers, e.g., silicon, selenium, germanium or gallium-based solar cell wafers, through the furnace is implemented by use of an ultra low-mass, wafer transport system comprising laterally spaced shielded, synchronously driven, metal bands or chains carrying non-rotating alumina tubes suspended on wires between them. The wafers rest on raised circumferential standoffs spaced laterally along the alumina tubes, which reduces contamination. The high intensity IR flux rapidly photo-radiation conditions the wafers so that diffusion occurs>3× faster than conventional high-mass thermal furnaces. Longitudinal side wall heaters comprising coil heaters in Inconel sheaths inserted in carrier tubes are employed to insure even heating of wafer edges adjacent the side walls. | 10-25-2012 |
20140017848 | IR Conveyor Furnace Having Single Belt With Multiple Independently Controlled Processing Lanes - Multi-zone IR solar cell processing furnaces using a single, full-width conveyor belt; selected zones are divided into multiple lanes by upper or/and lower longitudinal divider walls, and heated by high intensity radiation IR lamps backed by a flat plate of ultra-high reflectance ceramic material. Lamp numbers and spacing in each zone/lane can be varied. Power to each lamp, or zone/lane lamp array, both upper and lower, is individually and independently controlled to provide infinite number of temperature profiles in each heating zone/lane. In multi-lane zones the IR lamps are folded, the inner ends being supported by the lane dividers. Lamp external power leads are both accessible from one side of the furnace. The lamp internal filaments include non-radiant and radiant sections arranged so that a pair of radiant sections are aligned in the lamp-folded configuration and disposed over the full width of the solar cell wafers. | 01-16-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100250433 | PROVIDER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THAT FACILITATES INTERACTION BETWEEN AN INDIVIDUAL AND ORGANIZATIONS - A provider relationship management system (“PRM system”) is disclosed that enables an individual to manage information about and electronically interact with organizations. The PRM system presents an individual with a list of organizations that the individual may have a relationship with. The individual selects one or more organizations from the list to add the selected organizations to a personal provider directory. The individual uses the personal provider directory to manage information associated with each organization. The individual may seek to establish an interactive connection with one or more organizations in the personal provider directory. If a selected organization agrees to establish an interactive connection with the individual, the organization is permitted to communicate with and send electronic documents to the individual. Each document is associated with a document type, and the document type is associated with certain actions that may be taken with respect to the corresponding document. | 09-30-2010 |
20110022536 | PROVIDER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THAT FACILITATES INTERACTION BETWEEN AN INDIVIDUAL AND ORGANIZATIONS - A provider relationship management system (“PRM system”) is disclosed that enables an individual to manage information about and electronically interact with organizations. The PRM system presents an individual with a list of organizations that the individual may have a relationship with. The individual selects one or more organizations from the list to add the selected organizations to a personal provider directory. The individual uses the personal provider directory to manage information associated with each organization. The individual may seek to establish an interactive connection with one or more organizations in the personal provider directory. If a selected organization agrees to establish an interactive connection with the individual, the organization is permitted to communicate with and send electronic documents to the individual. Each document is associated with a document type, and the document type is associated with certain actions that may be taken with respect to the corresponding document. | 01-27-2011 |
20110047147 | PROVIDER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THAT FACILITATES INTERACTION BETWEEN AN INDIVIDUAL AND ORGANIZATIONS - A provider relationship management system (“PRM system”) is disclosed that enables an individual to manage information about and electronically interact with organizations. The PRM system presents an individual with a list of organizations that the individual may have a relationship with. The individual selects one or more organizations from the list to add the selected organizations to a personal provider directory. The individual uses the personal provider directory to manage information associated with each organization. The individual may seek to establish an interactive connection with one or more organizations in the personal provider directory. If a selected organization agrees to establish an interactive connection with the individual, the organization is permitted to communicate with and send electronic documents to the individual. Each document is associated with a document type, and the document type is associated with certain actions that may be taken with respect to the corresponding document. | 02-24-2011 |
20110218912 | PROVIDER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THAT FACILITATES INTERACTION BETWEEN AN INDIVIDUAL AND ORGANIZATIONS - A provider relationship management system (“PRM system”) is disclosed that enables an individual to electronically interact with organizations. The PRM system allows individuals to add organizations to a personal provider directory. The individual may seek to establish an interactive connection with one or more organizations in the personal provider directory. If a selected organization agrees to establish an interactive connection with the individual, the organization is permitted to communicate with and send electronic documents to the individual. Each document is associated with a document type, and the document type is associated with certain actions that may be taken with respect to the corresponding document. Pay documents are associated with an action to transfer monetary value from an individual to an organization. The PRM system allows an account associated with an individual to be debited and an account associated with an organization to be credited to satisfy a pay document. | 09-08-2011 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080225860 | Distributed routing table interface - Application programming interface (API) for starting and accessing distributed routing table (DRT) functionality. The API facilitates bootstrapping into the DRT by one or more devices of a group of devices (a mesh) seeking to collaborate over a serverless connection, establishing a node of the DRT, where each node is an instance of an application that is participating in the mesh, and node participation by allowing the application to search for keys published by other nodes in the mesh, or by becoming part of the mesh by publishing a key. The API facilitates optimization of the routing table for quickly finding a root of a specific key in the mesh by finding the key directly in a cache or by asking a root node of the key that is in the local routing table that is closest numerically to the key being searched. | 09-18-2008 |
20110231551 | NETWORK RESOURCE MANAGEMENT WITH PREDICTION - A computing device including an indicator predicting use of a network resource. The indicator may provide an indication that a threshold associated with a budget for the network resource has or will be reached. When a user requests a network operation that will consume the network resource, an amount of the network resource to be consumed by the operation is predicted, if possible. If the prior use of the network resource and the amount to be used to complete the network operation exceeds a threshold the user may be warned and given an opportunity to cancel the operation or adjust the way in which the operation will be performed. If the amount of network resource a network operation will consume is unknown, a rate of use of the network resource is determined and a time until the budget is reached is estimated. An administrative tool is provided for managing network resources and setting budgets for resource consumption by users, devices, or applications. | 09-22-2011 |
20120157038 | OPERATING SYSTEM SUPPORTING COST AWARE APPLICATIONS - A mobile computing device that supports cost-aware application components for operation over a metered network. A current basis for computing usage charges over one or more networks may be made available to the cost-aware application components through an application programming interface supported by an operating system service. That service may receive a policy for charging for data usage over a network and may also obtain information defining data usage for the mobile computing device. Based on this information, the service may determine a current basis for charging for data usage. With this information, the application component can determine a manner for executing network operations that involve data transmission over the network, such as deferring the operation or selecting an alternative network. | 06-21-2012 |
20120203835 | DISTRIBUTED ROUTING TABLE INTERFACE - Application programming interface (API) for starting and accessing distributed routing table (DRT) functionality. The API facilitates bootstrapping into the DRT by one or more devices of a group of devices (a mesh) seeking to collaborate over a serverless connection, establishing a node of the DRT, where each node is an instance of an application that is participating in the mesh, and node participation by allowing the application to search for keys published by other nodes in the mesh, or by becoming part of the mesh by publishing a key. The API facilitates optimization of the routing table for quickly finding a root of a specific key in the mesh by finding the key directly in a cache or by asking a root node of the key that is in the local routing table that is closest numerically to the key being searched. | 08-09-2012 |
20120254420 | NETWORK RESOURCE MANAGEMENT WITH PREDICTION - An indicator for a device may provide an indication that a threshold associated with a budget for a network resource has or will be reached. When a user requests a network operation that will consume the network resource, an amount of the network resource to be consumed by the operation is predicted, if possible. If the prior use of the network resource and the amount to be used to complete the network operation exceeds a threshold the user may be warned and given an opportunity to cancel the operation or adjust the way in which the operation will be performed. If the amount of network resource a network operation will consume is unknown, a rate of use of the network resource is determined and a time until the budget is reached is estimated. | 10-04-2012 |
20130217357 | OPERATING SYSTEM SUPPORTING COST AWARE APPLICATIONS - A mobile computing device that supports cost-aware application components for operation over a metered network. A current basis for computing usage charges over one or more networks may be made available to the cost-aware application components through an application programming interface supported by an operating system service. That service may receive a policy for charging for data usage over a network and may also obtain information defining data usage for the mobile computing device. Based on this information, the service may determine a current basis for charging for data usage. With this information, the application component can determine a manner for executing network operations that involve data transmission over the network, such as deferring the operation or selecting an alternative network. | 08-22-2013 |
20130219058 | NETWORK RESOURCE MANAGEMENT WITH PREDICTION - An indicator for a device may provide an indication that a threshold associated with a budget for a network resource has or will be reached. When a user requests a network operation that will consume the network resource, an amount of the network resource to be consumed by the operation is predicted, if possible. If the prior use of the network resource and the amount to be used to complete the network operation exceeds a threshold the user may be warned and given an opportunity to cancel the operation or adjust the way in which the operation will be performed. If the amount of network resource a network operation will consume is unknown, a rate of use of the network resource is determined and a time until the budget is reached is estimated. | 08-22-2013 |
20140323084 | OPERATING SYSTEM SUPPORTING COST AWARE APPLICATIONS - A mobile computing device that supports cost-aware application components for operation over a metered network. A current basis for computing usage charges over one or more networks may be made available to the cost-aware application components through an application programming interface supported by an operating system service. That service may receive a policy for charging for data usage over a network and may also obtain information defining data usage for the mobile computing device. Based on this information, the service may determine a current basis for charging for data usage. With this information, the application component can determine a manner for executing network operations that involve data transmission over the network, such as deferring the operation or selecting an alternative network. | 10-30-2014 |
20150074269 | NETWORK RESOURCE MANAGEMENT WITH PREDICTION - An indicator for a device may provide an indication that a threshold associated with a budget for a network resource has or will be reached. When a user requests a network operation that will consume the network resource, an amount of the network resource to be consumed by the operation is predicted, if possible. If the prior use of the network resource and the amount to be used to complete the network operation exceeds a threshold the user may be warned and given an opportunity to cancel the operation or adjust the way in which the operation will be performed. If the amount of network resource a network operation will consume is unknown, a rate of use of the network resource is determined and a time until the budget is reached is estimated. | 03-12-2015 |