Author: claimsbot

1. A method of digital watermark processing, the method comprising:
receiving a content signal;
performing a watermark decoding on the content signal;
from the watermark decoding, determining a watermark state of the content signal;
evaluating a watermarking rule based on the watermark state to determine watermark encoding to apply to the content signal to comply with the watermarking rule; and
performing the watermark encoding on the content signal to embed a digital watermark layer into the content signal;
wherein the watermark rule enforces a priority of plural watermark layers by determining when to overwrite a previously embedded watermark with a new watermark layer based on the watermark state and a determined user goal;
wherein the determined user goal comprises embedding watermark information to signal an event in the content signal to which a desired behavior triggered by the digital watermark layer is to be synchronized.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the watermark rule manages use of a limited bandwidth within the content signal for carrying plural watermark layers by selecting between overwriting a pre-existing watermark layer, and embedding a new watermark layer that co-exists with the pre-existing watermark layer.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the watermark rule specifies that a distributor identifier and time stamp are to be embedded in the content signal and indexed to a corresponding content identifier for a portion of the content signal in which the distributor identifier and time stamp are embedded.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the watermark state is determined by detecting a watermark protocol of a watermark embedded in the content signal.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein the watermark protocol is determined from detection of embedded synchronization signals in the content signal.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the digital watermark layer is multiplexed within the content signal with a preexisting watermark layer by frequency multiplexing frequency components of the digital watermark layer with frequency components of the preexisting watermark layer.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the watermark encoding comprising encoding the watermark layer so that the watermark layer overwrites a preexisting digital watermark layer, and information from the preexisting watermark layer is indexed to a information in the digital watermark layer in a database.
8. A non-transitory computer readable medium on which is stored instructions, which, when executed by a computer, perform a method of digital watermark processing on an electronic content signal, the method comprising:
performing a watermark decoding on the content signal;

from the watermark decoding, determining a watermark state of the content signal;
evaluating a watermarking rule based on the watermark state to determine watermark encoding to apply to the content signal to comply with the watermarking rule; and
performing the watermark encoding on the content signal to embed a digital watermark layer into the content signal;
wherein the watermark rule enforces a priority of plural watermark layers by determining when to overwrite a previously embedded watermark with a new watermark layer based on the watermark state and a determined user goal;
wherein the determined user goal comprises embedding watermark information to signal an event in the content signal to which a desired behavior triggered by the digital watermark layer is to be synchronized.
9. A digital watermark processor, the processor comprising:
means for receiving a content signal;
means for performing a watermark decoding on the content signal;
means for determining, from the watermark decoding, a watermark state of the content signal;
means for evaluating a watermarking rule based on the watermark state to determine watermark encoding to apply to the content signal to comply with the watermarking rule; and
means for performing the watermark encoding on the content signal to embed a digital watermark layer into the content signal;
wherein the watermark rule enforces a priority of plural watermark layers by determining when to overwrite a previously embedded watermark with a new watermark layer based on the watermark state and a determined user goal;
wherein the determined user goal comprises embedding watermark information to signal an event in the content signal to which a desired behavior triggered by the digital watermark is to be synchronized.
10. The processor of claim 9 wherein the means for evaluating manages, based on the watermark rule, a use of a limited bandwidth within the content signal for carrying plural watermark layers by selecting between overwriting a pre-existing watermark layer, and embedding a new watermark layer that co-exists with the pre-existing watermark layer.
11. The processor of claim 9 wherein the watermark rule specifies that a distributor identifier and time stamp are to be embedded in the content signal and indexed to a corresponding content identifier for a portion of the content signal in which the distributor identifier and time stamp are embedded.
12. The processor of claim 9 wherein the watermark state is determined by detecting a watermark protocol of a watermark embedded in the content signal.
13. The processor of claim 12 wherein the watermark protocol is determined from detection of embedded synchronization signals in the content signal.
14. The processor of claim 12 wherein the digital watermark layer is multiplexed within the content signal with a preexisting watermark layer by frequency multiplexing frequency components of the digital watermark layer with frequency components of the preexisting watermark layer.
15. The processor of claim 12 wherein the watermark encoding comprising encoding the digital watermark layer so that the watermark layer overwrites a preexisting digital watermark layer, and information from the preexisting watermark layer is indexed to a information in the digital watermark layer in a database.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A phase change memory device, comprising:
a memory cell array comprising a plurality of memory cells; and
a write driver circuit adapted to provide a set current and a reset current to a selected memory cell among the plurality of memory cells;
wherein the write driver circuit comprises a set current driver adapted to provide the set current and a reset current driver adapted to provide the reset current.
2. The phase change memory device of claim 1, wherein the write driver circuit further comprises:
a pulse controller receiving one of a set pulse and a reset pulse according to a logic level of an input data signal and generating a set control signal with a logic level based on the logic level of the input data and a logic level of the set pulse, and generating a reset control signal with a logic level based on a logic level of the input data signal and a logic level of the reset pulse;
a set current controller operating in response to the set control signal, and controlling a magnitude of the set current in response to a set direct current (DC) voltage; and
a reset current controller operating in response to the reset control signal and controlling a magnitude of the reset current in response to a reset DC voltage.
3. The phase change memory device of claim 2, wherein the pulse controller comprises:
a first transfer gate receiving the set pulse and selectively outputting the set pulse according to the logic level of the input data signal;
a second transfer gate receiving the reset pulse and selectively outputting the set pulse according to the logic level of the input data signal;
a set control signal generator generating the set control signal with the logic level based on the logic level of the input data and the logic level of the set pulse; and
a reset control signal generator generating the reset control signal with the logic level based on the logic level of the input data signal and the logic level of the reset pulse.
4. The phase change memory device of claim 2, wherein the set current controller comprises:
a positive metal-oxide semiconductor (PMOS) transistor having a first terminal receiving a power source voltage, a second terminal connected to a set node, and a gate connected to the set node;
a first negative metal-oxide semiconductor (NMOS) transistor having a first terminal connected to the set node, a second terminal, and a gate receiving the set DC voltage; and
a second NMOS transistor having a first terminal connected to the set node, a second terminal connected to ground, and a gate receiving the set control signal.
5. The phase change memory device of claim 4, wherein the set current controller further comprises:
a set current cut-off circuit adapted to prevent the set current driver from generating the set current by controlling a logic level of the set node based on a logic level of the set pulse.
6. The phase change memory device of claim 5, wherein the set current cutoff circuit comprises a PMOS transistor having a first terminal receiving the power source voltage, a second terminal connected to the set node, and a gate controlled by the logic state of the set pulse or the reset pulse.
7. The phase change memory device of claim 4, wherein the set current driver controls a magnitude of the set current according to a voltage level apparent on the set node.
8. The phase change memory device of claim 2, wherein the reset current controller comprises:
a positive metal-oxide semiconductor (PMOS) transistor having a first terminal receiving a power source voltage, a second terminal connected to a reset node, and a gate receiving the reset control signal; and
a transfer gate adapted to selectively transfer the reset DC voltage to the reset node based on a logic level of the reset control signal.
9. The phase change memory device of claim 8, wherein the reset DC voltage has a level of 0V.
10. The phase change memory device of claim 8, wherein the reset current driver controls a magnitude of the reset current according to a voltage level apparent on the reset node.
11. The phase change memory device of claim 10, wherein the reset current driver comprises a PMOS transistor having a gate connected to the reset node, a first terminal receiving the power source voltage, and a second terminal connected to the selected memory cell via a data line.
12. The phase change memory device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of memory cells comprises:
a memory element comprising a phase change material; and
a select element for selecting the memory cell.
13. The phase change memory device of claim 12, wherein the select element comprises a diode connected between the memory element and a word line.
14. The phase change memory device of claim 12, wherein the select element comprises a negative metal-oxide semiconductor (NMOS) transistor having a first terminal connected to the memory element, a second terminal connected to ground, and a gate connected to a word line.
15. A method of programming a phase change memory device, the memory device comprising a memory cell array comprising a plurality of memory cells, and a write driver circuit comprising a set current driver and a reset current driver respectively providing a set current and a reset current to a selected memory cell among the plurality of memory cells, the method comprising:
receiving one of a set pulse and a reset pulse according to a logic level of an input data signal;
generating a reset control signal according to the logic level of the input data signal and a logic level of the reset pulse; and
upon receiving the reset pulse, receiving a reset direct current (DC) voltage according to the logic level of the reset control signal and providing the reset current to the selected memory cell in response to the reset DC voltage.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the reset current driver controls a magnitude of the reset current according to a level of the reset DC voltage.
17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:
upon receiving the set pulse, generating a set control signal according to the logic level of the input data signal and a logic level of the set pulse and providing the set current to the selected memory cell in response to the set control signal and a set DC voltage.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the set current driver controls a magnitude of the set current according to a level of the set DC voltage.

1. In a workpiece processing system in which a plurality of workpieces are movable to and from a process chamber arrangement, said process chamber arrangement using at least two side-by-side, first and second process stations each of which is configured for executing a treatment process on one of the workpieces located at each of the first and second process stations such that two workpieces can simultaneously be exposed to the treatment process, a method comprising:
arranging a workpiece support arrangement, separate from said process chamber arrangement, for supporting at least two of said workpieces at least generally in a stacked relationship to form a workpiece column;
supporting a workpiece transfer arrangement, separate from said process chamber arrangement, for transporting at least two of the workpieces between the workpiece column and the process chamber arrangement by simultaneously moving the two workpieces at least generally along first and second transfer paths, respectively, that are defined between said workpiece column and the first and second process stations such that the first transfer path is terminated by the workpiece column and the first process station and the second transfer path is terminated by the workpiece column and the second process station;
configuring said workpiece transfer arrangement for using rotation to move the two workpieces to and from the workpiece column and to and from each of the first and second process stations along said first and second transfer paths such that a rotational component of movement between the workpiece column and the first and second process stations generally characterizes the first and second transfer paths with any horizontal component of movement of each one of the first and second transfer paths being limited to a first circular arcuate path and a second circular arcuate path, respectively;
wherein the first and second transfer paths at least partially overlap by intersecting first at the workpiece column and then intersecting at a second, intermediate position between the workpiece column and the process stations when projected onto a plane that is generally parallel to said rotational component of movement; and
wherein each workpiece includes opposing major surfaces and wherein the first and second transfer paths provide for one confronting relationship between two of the major surfaces of the two workpieces in a stacked relationship at the workpiece column and further provide for moving the two workpieces through another confronting relationship of the two major surfaces at the second, intermediate position between the workpiece column and the process stations.
2. The method of claim 1 including moving the two workpieces unidirectionally along said first and second transfer paths between the process chamber arrangement and the workpiece column in one direction simultaneously from the workpiece column toward each of the processing stations and in another direction simultaneously from each of the processing stations toward the workpiece column.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein said system includes a loadlock and a transfer chamber such that said workpieces are movable between the process chamber arrangement and the loadlock through the transfer chamber and said method includes locating said workpiece column in said loadlock while supporting the workpiece transfer arrangement in the transfer chamber.
4. The method of claim 1 including configuring said workpiece transfer arrangement for simultaneously transferring two pre-treatment ones of the workpieces from the workpiece column to the first and second process stations while returning two post-treatment ones of the workpieces from the first and second process stations to the workpiece column.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein, at any given time during transfer of the pre-treatment and post-treatment workpieces, using the workpiece transfer arrangement to support the pre-treatment and post-treatment workpieces in a vertically spaced-apart positional relationship along the first and second transfer paths.
6. The method of claim 4 including configuring said workpiece transfer arrangement to include first and second sets of swing arms, each of the swing arm sets including an upper swing arm and a lower swing arm that pivot coaxially at a first axis and a second axis, respectively, which first axis and second axis are located at first and second spaced apart fixed positions in relation to the workpiece column and the process stations so as to collectively provide a pair of upper swing arms and a pair of lower swing arms, and the upper swing arm pair is configured to move said workpieces in one direction between the workpiece column and the side-by-side process stations while the lower swing arm pair is configured to move said workpieces in an opposite direction between the workpiece column and the side-by side process stations and further configuring each of the upper and the lower swing arm of the first swing arm set and each of the upper and lower swing arm of the second swing arm set to include an at least generally rigid arm member extending from a pivot end to a distal end with the distal end being configured to support one of said workpieces, and arranging the pivot end of each of the upper swing arm and the lower swing arm of the first swing arm set to rotate about said first axis and arranging the pivot end of each of the upper swing arm and the lower swing arm of the second swing arm set to rotate about said second axis.
7. The method of claim 6 including using each of the first and second swing arm sets for vertical translation to elevationally change the first and second transfer paths between the workpiece column and the first and second process stations.
8. The method of claim 7 including providing a first cam, associated with said first swing arm set, and a second cam, associated with said second swing arm set, to produce a selectable elevation of each of the first and second swing arm sets in relation to rotation between the workpiece column and the process chamber arrangement.
9. The method of claim 8 including arranging a drive shaft to interconnect said first and second cams for co-rotation thereof and further arranging an elevational control motor for driving said drive shaft to selectively rotate the first and second cams which, thereby, vertically translates each swing arm.
10. The method of claim 6 including arranging said workpiece column to include a pair of pre-treatment workpiece positions for receiving two pre-treatment workpieces and a pair of post-treatment workpiece positions for receiving two post-treatment workpieces and dedicating the upper swing arm pair to moving the two pre-treatment workpieces from the pair of pre-treatment positions in the workpiece column to the first and second process stations and dedicating the lower swing arm pair to moving the two post-treatment workpieces from the first and second process stations to the pair of post-treatment workpiece positions in the workpiece column.
11. The method of claim 6 including configuring the upper swing arm and the lower swing arm, making up each set of swing arms, to counter-rotate with respect to one another so as to move in opposite directions simultaneously between the process chamber arrangement and the workpiece column such that one of the upper swing arm and the lower swing arm of each of the first and second sets of swing arms places a workpiece on one of the process stations simultaneous with the other one of the upper swing arm and the lower swing arm of each of the first and second sets of swing arms placing another one of the workpieces in the workpiece column.
12. The method of claim 11 including using a first motor and a second motor to rotationally drive said first and second sets of swing arms.
13. The method of claim 12 including synchronizing rotation of said first and second motors such that the upper pair of swing arms arrives at one of the process chamber arrangement and the workpiece column substantially at the same time that the lower pair of swing arms arrives at the other one of the process chamber arrangement and the workpiece column.
14. The method of claim 4 including configuring said workpiece transfer arrangement to include first and second sets of swing arms, each of the swing arm sets including an upper swing arm and a lower swing arm that pivot coaxially such that the first swing arm set pivots about a first axis and the second swing arm set pivots about a second axis, which first axis and second axis are located at first and second spaced apart fixed positions in relation to the workpiece column and the process stations, so as to collectively provide a pair of upper swing arms and a pair of lower swing arms and further configuring the workpiece transfer arrangement for using one of the upper swing arm pair and the lower swing arm pair for moving the pre-treatment ones of the workpieces simultaneously from the workpiece column to the side-by-side process stations and for using the other one of the upper swing arm pair and the lower swing arm pair for moving the post-treatment ones of the workpieces simultaneously from the side-by-side process stations to the workpiece column and further configuring each of the upper and the lower swing arm of the first swing arm set and each of the upper and the lower swing arm of the second swing arm set to include an at least generally rigid arm member extending from a pivot end to a distal end with the distal end being configured to support one of said workpieces, and arranging the pivot end of each of the upper swing arm and the lower swing arm of the first swing arm set to rotate about said first axis and arranging the pivot end of each of the upper swing arm and the lower swing arm of the second swing arm set to rotate about said second axis.
15. The method of claim 14 including transitioning each one of the upper and lower swing arms of the first and second swing arm sets from a first elevational plane of movement to a second elevational plane of movement in moving between said workpiece column and said process chamber arrangement along said first and second transfer paths such that the first and second planes of movement are vertically spaced apart.
16. The method of claim 14 including using the first and second swing arm sets to simultaneously pick the pre-treatment ones of said workpieces from said workpiece column.
17. The method of claim 16 including causing the first and second swing arm sets to simultaneously pick the post-treatment ones of said workpieces from the first and second process stations, as the pre-treatment ones of the workpieces are simultaneously picked from the workpiece column.
18. The method of claim 16 wherein picking the pretreatment workpieces includes picking a first pre-treatment workpiece and a second pre-treatment workpiece at a selected vertical offset from one another and configuring said first and second swing arm sets for moving the first and second pre-treatment workpieces to the first and second processing stations while maintaining said selected vertical offset such that the first and second workpieces arrive at the first and second process stations at a first height and a second height, differing by said vertical offset.
19. The method of claim 18 wherein said process stations define a processing plane in which said workpieces are processed and configuring a workpiece lifting arrangement, as part of said workpiece transfer arrangement, for vertically moving the first and second workpieces between the processing plane and said first and second heights, respectively, at the first and second process stations.
20. The method of claim 14 including rotationally moving the lower swing arm of the first swing arm set between the upper swing arm and lower swing arm of the second swing arm set and rotationally moving the upper swing arm of the second swing arm set between the upper swing arm and lower swing arm of the first swing arm set.
21. The method of claim 1 including separating said first and second transfer paths in first and second directions from said workpiece column and providing a shelf arrangement, as part of said workpiece support arrangement, having a plurality of workpiece positions and configuring the shelf arrangement for each workpiece position based on an association of said first and second directions of travel with individual ones of the workpiece positions.
22. The method of claim 21 including alternately associating said workpiece positions with said first and second transfer paths in said workpiece column.
23. The method of claim 1 wherein said workpieces are semiconductor substrates.
24. The method of claim 1 wherein said process chamber arrangement houses said first and second process stations in a common processing environment.
25. The method of claim 1 wherein said process chamber arrangement includes a first process chamber for housing the first process station and a second process chamber, separate from the first process chamber, for housing the second process station and said method includes configuring the workpiece transfer arrangement for simultaneously accessing the first and second process chambers.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

What is claimed is:

1. A local device comprising:
an input device operable to receive speech input issued from a user; and
a processing component coupled to the input device and operable to extract feature parameters from the speech input for processing at the local device or, alternatively, at a remote system.
2. The local device of claim 1 wherein the processing component is operable to search the speech input for keywords.
3. The local device of claim 1 further comprising a transceiver coupled to the processing component.
4. The local device of claim 3 wherein the transceiver is operable to establish a connection between the local device and the remote system to enable communication therebetween.
5. The local device of claim 4 wherein the connection comprises a high bandwidth connection for returning data supporting audio or video output to a user at the local device.
6. The local device of claim 4 wherein the connection comprises a low bandwidth connection for returning data supporting control signals for controlling the operation of the local device.
7. The local device of claim 4 further comprising a manual input device operable to allow the user to initiate the connection.
8. The local device of claim 4 wherein the processing component is operable to search the speech input for at least one keyword and to initiate the transient when the keyword is found.
9. The local device of claim 1 wherein the processing component is operable to transmit the feature parameters to the remote system so that the remote system can recognize the speech input.
10. The local device of claim 1 further comprising a recording device operable to record the speech input issued from the user.
11. The local device of claim 10 wherein the recording device is operable to play back the recorded speech input for transmission to the remote system.
12. The local device of claim 1 wherein the processing component comprises a speech generation engine operable to generate speech output
13. The local device of claim 12 wherein the speech output generated by the speech generation engine is consistent with speech output generated by the remote system.
14. A distributed voice user interface system comprising:
a local device operable to scan speech input issued by a user for a keyword, and to initiate communication with a remote system when the keyword is detected; and
the remote system operable to receive the speech input from the local device and to recognize words in the speech input.
15. The distributed voice user interface system of claim 14 wherein at least one of the local device and the remote system comprises a speech generation engine operable to generate speech output for prompting or responding to the user.
16. The distributed voice user interface system of claim 15 wherein the speech generation engine comprises a text-to-speech component operable to synthesize the speech output for responding to the user.
17. The distributed voice user interface system of claim 15 wherein the speech generation engine comprises a play-back component operable to play-back a pre-recorded message as the speech output.
18. The distributed voice user interface system of claim 14 wherein the local device comprises a recording device operable to record the speech input issued by the user and subsequently play back the recorded speech input for transmission to the remote system.
19. The distributed voice user interface system of claim 14 wherein the remote system is operable to access a network for retrieval of information therefrom in response to a user request.
20. The distributed voice user interface system of claim 14 wherein:
the local device comprises a first speech generation engine operable to generate speech output; and
the remote system comprises a second speech generation engine operable to generate speech output.
21. The distributed voice user interface system of claim 20 wherein the speech output generated by the second speech generation engine is consistent with speech output generated by the first speech generation engine.
22. The distributed voice user interface system of claim 14 wherein the remote system is operable to generate a control signal for controlling the local device in response to the speech input.
23. A local device comprising:
an input device operable to receive speech input issued from a user, the speech input specifying a command or a request by the user; and
a processing component coupled to the input device and operable to perform preliminary processing of the speech input, to determine whether the local device is by itself able to respond to the command or request specified in the speech input, and to initiate communication with a remote system for further processing of the speech input if the local device by itself is not able to respond to the command or request.
24. The local device of claim 23 wherein the processing component comprises a speech recognition engine operable to recognize at least a portion of the speech input.
25. The local device of claim 24 wherein the speech recognition engine is operable to search the speech input for one or more keywords.
26. The local device of claim 23 wherein the processing component comprises a parameter extraction component operable to extract feature parameters from the speech input.
27. The local device of claim 23 wherein the processing component comprises a speech generation engine operable to generate speech output for prompting or responding to the user.
28. The local device of claim 27 wherein the speech generation engine comprises a play-back component operable to play-back a pre-recorded message as the speech output.
29. A remote system comprising:
a transceiver operable to receive speech input issued by a user, the speech input preliminarily processed and forwarded by a local device; and
a processing component coupled to the transceiver and operable to recognize words in the speech input.
30. The remote system of claim 29 wherein the processing component is operable to generate a control signal for controlling the local device in response to the speech input.
31. The remote system of claim 29 wherein the processing component is operable to generate speech output for prompting or responding to a user.
32. The remote system of claim 29 further comprising a connector operable to connect the remote system to a network for retrieval of information therefrom in response to a user request.
33. The remote system of claim 29 wherein the transceiver comprises a telephone line card.
34. The remote system of claim 29 wherein the processing component is operable to process feature parameters which have been extracted from the speech input by the local device.
35. A method comprising:
scanning speech input issued by a user at a local device for a keyword;
initiating a connection between the local device and a remote system when the keyword is detected; and
passing the speech input from the local device to the remote system for interpretation.
36. The method of claim 35 further comprising recording the speech input at the local device simultaneously with scanning the speech input.
37. The method of claim 35 further comprising extracting feature parameters from the speech input.
38. The method of claim 35 further comprising generating at the local device speech output which is consistent with speech output generated by the remote system.