Author: claimsbot

1. A method for selective image distribution using a processor, comprising:
determining whether an image comprises a non-display image layer and a display image layer; and
generating, using the processor, a share image by synthesizing the display image layer.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the image comprises at least one of a graphic image, a moving picture, a text, data, and a control mechanism.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the share image to a device, wherein the transmitting the share image comprises:
storing the share image in a sharing buffer generating unit;
capturing an instance of the share image; and
encoding the instance of the share image for transmission.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
generating a main image by synthesizing the display image layer and the non-display image layer.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein an image layer of the image is determined to be the non-display image layer if the image layer is determined to comprise a non-display item.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein an image layer of the image is determined to be the non-display image layer based on a registered table.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein an image layer of the image is determined to be the non-display image layer according to a reference condition.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an input for designating an image layer of the image as the non-display image layer.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the share image comprises only the display image layer among the display image layer and the non-display image layer.
10. A device, comprising:
a layer configuring unit to determine whether an image comprises a non-display image layer and a display image layer; and
a layer synthesizing unit to synthesize the display image layer to generate a share image.
11. The device of claim 10, wherein the image comprises at least one of a graphic image, a moving picture, a text, data, and a control mechanism.
12. The device of claim 10, further comprising:
a communication unit to transmit the share image to another device;
a sharing buffer generating unit to store the share image;
a capture unit to capture an instance of the share image; and
an encoding unit to encode the instance of the share image.
13. The device of claim 10, wherein the layer synthesizing unit generates a main image by synthesizing the display image layer and the non-display image layer.
14. The device of claim 10, wherein an image layer of the image is determined to be the non-display image layer if the image layer is determined to comprise a non-display item.
15. The device of claim 10, wherein an image layer of the image is determined to be the non-display image layer based on a registered table.
16. The device of claim 10, wherein an image layer of the image is determined to be the non-display image layer according to a reference condition.
17. The device of claim 10, wherein the layer configuring unit receives an input to designate an image layer of the image as the non-display image layer.
18. The device of claim 10, wherein the share image comprises only the display image layer among the display image layer and the non-display image layer.
19. The device of claim 10, further comprising:
a share buffer generating unit to store the share image; and
a main buffer generating unit to store the main image.
20. A method for selective image distribution using a processor, comprising:
loading an image provided by a source device as a plurality of image layers;
determining whether the plurality of image layers comprise a non-display item;
registering the image layer comprising the non-display item as a non-display image layer;
synthesizing, using the processor, non-registered image layers for generating a share image; and
transmitting the share image to a sink device.
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 method for a phase change memory programming, providing:
a pulse that has at least one leading portion with essentially non-zero duration,
followed by an intermediate portion, and then
followed by at least one trailing portion
in order to transform phase-change alloy into low-resistance mostly crystalline set state.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein duration of the leading portion of the set pulse is between 5 ns and 1 us.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the set pulse amplitude does not melt phase change alloy.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the leading portion of the set pulse has 2 or more segments.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the leading portion of the set pulse has 3 segments.
6. The method of claim 4 wherein duration of the leading portion segment is between 5 ns and 1 us.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein duration of the trailing portion of the set pulse is between 0 and 1 us.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the trailing portion of the set pulse has 2 or more segments.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein duration of the trailing portion segment is shorter than 1 us.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein duration of the intermediate portion of the set pulse is shorter than 1 us.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein a change of amplitude during the intermediate portion of the set pulse is below 20% of the amplitude of this portion.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein amplitude of the set pulse is between 1 uA and 2 mA.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein a threshold switching occurs during the leading portion or one of its segments.
14. The method of claim 1 wherein a nucleation occurs during the leading portion or one of its segments.
15. The method of claim 1 wherein a crystallization occurs mostly during the leading portion or one of its segments.
16. The method of claim 1 wherein a crystal growth and coalescence of crystals occurs mostly during the intermediate portion of the set pulse.
17. The method of claim 1 wherein a stabilization of morphology of nano-crystals occurs mostly during the trailing portion or one of its segments.
18. A method for a phase change memory programming, providing:
a pulse that has at least one leading portion with essentially non-zero duration,
followed by an intermediate portion, and then
followed by at least one trailing portion
in order to transform phase-change alloy into high-resistance mostly amorphous reset state.
19. The method of claim 18 wherein duration of the leading portion of the reset pulse is between 0.1 ns and 100 ns.
20. The method of claim 18 wherein the reset pulse amplitude melts phase change alloy.
21. The method of claim 18 wherein the leading portion of the reset pulse has 2 or more segments.
22. The method of claim 21 wherein duration of the leading portion segment is between 0.1 ns or 100 ns.
23. The method of claim 18 wherein duration of the trailing portion of the reset pulse is between 0 and 50 ns.
24. The method of claim 18 wherein the trailing portion of the reset pulse has 2 or more segments.
25. The method of claim 18 wherein the trailing portion of the reset pulse has 3 segments.
26. The method of claim 24 wherein duration of the trailing portion segment is shorter than 50 ns.
27. The method of claim 18 wherein duration of the intermediate portion of the reset pulse is shorter than 50 ns.
28. The method of claim 18 wherein a change of amplitude during the intermediate portion of the reset pulse is below 20% of the amplitude of this portion.
29. The method of claim 18 wherein amplitude of the reset pulse is between 10 uA and 3 mA.
30. The method of claim 18 wherein a temperature within phase change alloy reaches the melting point of this alloy during the leading portion or one of its segment.
31. The method of claim 18 wherein a melt fusion occurs mostly during the leading portion or one of its segments.
32. The method of claim 18 wherein a mixing and a homogenization of the melt occurs mostly during the intermediate portion of the reset pulse.
33. The method of claim 18 wherein quenching of phase change alloy into mostly amorphous phase occurs mostly during the trailing portion or one of its segments.
34. The method of claim 18 wherein annealing of amorphous phase change alloy occurs mostly during the trailing portion or one of its segments.
35. The method of claim 4 wherein rates of the amplitude change are different during various segment of the leading portion of the set pulse.
36. The method of claim 8 wherein rates of the amplitude change are different during various segment of the trailing portion of the set pulse.
37. The method of claim 21 wherein rates of the amplitude change are different during various segment of the leading portion of the reset pulse.
38. The method of claim 24 wherein rates of the amplitude change are different during various segment of the trailing portion of the reset pulse.
39. The method of claim 4 wherein rate of the amplitude change during the first segment of the leading portion of the set pulse is between 1E5Vsec and 1E10Vsec.
40. The method of claim 4 wherein rate of the amplitude change during the first segment of the leading portion of the set pulse is between 1 mAsec and 1E8Asec.
41. The method of claim 4 wherein rate of the amplitude change during the second segment of the leading portion of the set pulse is below 1E6Asec.
42. The method of claim 4 wherein rate of the amplitude change during the third segment of the leading portion of the set pulse is below 5E6Asec.
43. The method of claim 8 wherein rate of the amplitude change during the first segment of the trailing portion of the set pulse is between 20 Asec and 2E7Asec.
44. The method of claim 8 wherein rate of the amplitude change during the second segment of the trailing portion of the set pulse is between 2E2Asec and 1E8Asec.
45. The method of claim 21 wherein rate of the amplitude change during the first segment of the leading portion of the reset pulse is between 1E3Asec and 1E9Asec.
46. The method of claim 21 wherein rate of the amplitude change during the second segment of the leading portion of the reset pulse is below 1E6Asec.
47. The method of claim 24 wherein rate of the amplitude change during the first segment of the trailing portion of the reset pulse is above 1E7Asec.
48. The method of claim 24 wherein rate of the amplitude change during the second segment of the trailing portion of the reset pulse is below 1E5Asec.
49. The method of claim 24 wherein rate of the amplitude change during the third segment of the trailing portion of the reset pulse is between 1E3Asec and 1E10Asec.
50. An apparatus comprising:
a phase change memory; and
a write circuit coupled with the phase change memory; and
other interface devices coupled with the phase change memory and the write circuit.

1. A computer system for built-in testing of an unused element on a semiconductor chip, the system comprising:
the chip, comprising:
a plurality of chip elements, the plurality of chip elements comprising a plurality of active elements, each active element enabled to perform a respective function, and at least one unused element comprising one of a masked element and a redundant element, the at least one unused element disabled from performing the respective function and configured to be selectively enabled as an active element; and
a built-in self test (BIST) engine, the chip configured to perform a method comprising:
concurrently performing the respective functions of the respective active elements and a BIST test of the at least one unused element by the BIST engine, the BIST test comprising:
inputting an input test pattern to the unused element;
receiving an output test pattern based on the input test pattern from the unused element;
comparing the input test pattern to the output test pattern; and
determining whether the unused element passed or failed the testing based on the comparison.
2. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising, based on determining that the unused element failed the testing and based on the unused element comprising the masked element, flagging the chip for replacement.
3. The computer system of claim 1, the method further comprising, based on determining that the unused element failed the testing and based on the unused element comprising the redundant element, masking the redundant element.
4. The computer system of claim 1, the method further comprising, based on determining that the unused element passed the testing and based on the unused element comprising the redundant element, configuring a first active element of the chip to be a redundant element, and configuring the redundant element to be a second active element to replace the first active element.
5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein determining whether the unused element passed or failed the testing based on the comparison comprises:
determining an error rate for the unused element based on the comparison;
determining that the unused element passed based on the error rate being lower than an error rate threshold, wherein the error rate threshold is determined based on whether the unused element comprises a redundant element or a masked element; and
determining that the unused element failed based on the error rate being higher than the error rate threshold.
6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein determining whether the unused element passed or failed the testing based on the comparison comprises:
determining an error rate for the unused element based on the comparison;
comparing the error rate to a stored error rate that was determined during previous testing of the unused element to determine a rate of change of the error rate for the unused element;
determining that the unused element passed based on the rate of change of the error rate being lower than a rate of change threshold, wherein the rate of change threshold is determined based on whether the unused element comprises a redundant element or a masked element; and
determining that the unused element failed based on the rate of change of the error rate being higher than the rate of change threshold.
7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the chip is a processor chip, and the plurality of chip elements are a plurality of processor cores.
8. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the chip is a memory chip in a cache memory of the computer system, and the plurality of chip elements are a plurality of memory arrays.
9. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of chip elements are divided into a plurality of test groups of chip elements, each test group comprising a respective BIST engine.
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 rotary carousel apparatus for storing items on shelves comprising:
a stationary base for supporting one or more rotating components;
a central column fixed relative to the base, the central column having a central axis extending along a longitudinal length of the central column;
a rotatable first drive plate configured to rotate about the central axis; at least one rotatable second drive plate configured to rotate about the central axis; at least one torque tube assembly directly or indirectly coupled to the rotatable first drive plate and the at least one rotatable second drive plate for torque transmission between the rotatable first drive plate and the at least one rotatable second drive plate, the at least one torque tube assembly operative for rotational movement with a rotation of the rotatable first drive plate and the at least one rotatable second drive plate;
a drive assembly operatively coupled to at least one of the rotatable first drive plate and the at least one rotatable second drive plate; and
at least one shelf connected to the at least one torque tube assembly, wherein rotation of the drive assembly causes a corresponding rotation of one of the rotatable first drive plate and the at least one rotatable second drive plate connected thereto, and a rotation of the other of the rotatable first drive plate and the at least one rotatable second drive plate through the at least one torque tube assembly, and
wherein the drive assembly is connected to at least one of the rotatable first drive plate and the at least one rotatable second drive plate by a drive hub and a flexible ring disposed between the drive hub and at least one of the rotatable first drive plate and the at least one rotatable second drive plate to compensate for any misalignment conditions between the drive assembly, the drive hub, and at least one of the rotatable first drive plate and the at least one rotatable second drive plate and limit backlash between the drive hub and at least one of the rotatable first drive plate and the at least one rotatable second drive plate.
2. The rotary carousel apparatus of claim 1, wherein the drive assembly further comprises at least one motor having a driveshaft for providing a rotational input to the drive assembly.
3. The rotary carousel apparatus of claim 2, wherein the driveshaft of the motor is operatively coupled to at least one gear set for transferring a torque input from the driveshaft of the motor to at least one of the rotatable first drive plate and the at least one rotatable second drive plate.
4. The rotary carousel apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a bearing assembly having a fixed inner race connected to the central column and a rotating outer race connected to at least one of the rotatable first drive plate and the at least one rotatable second drive plate.
5. The rotary carousel apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one torque tube assembly is assembled from at least one hollow torque tube having a plurality of pins extending through at least a portion of a sidewall of the at least one hollow torque tube.
6. The rotary carousel apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of torque tube assemblies, wherein a tie rod extends through each of the plurality of torque assemblies, and wherein the tie rod is directly or indirectly coupled to the rotatable first drive plate at a first end and the at least one rotatable second drive plate at a second end.
7. The rotary carousel apparatus of claim 1, wherein the base further comprises an adjustment mechanism for positioning the base in a level horizontal orientation.
8. The rotary carousel apparatus of claim 1, wherein the base further comprises a hold-down bracket for fixedly coupling the base to a floor surface.
9. The rotary carousel apparatus of claim 1, wherein a plurality of shelves are spaced apart along a longitudinal length of the central column.
10. The rotary carousel apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one guide wheel disposed between the central column and the at least one torque tube assembly.
11. A drive mechanism for rotating a rotary carousel apparatus, the drive assembly comprising:
a fixed central column having a central axis extending along a longitudinal length of the central column, wherein the fixed central column is adapted to be mounted to a stationary base;
a rotatable first drive plate configured to rotate about the central axis;
at least one rotatable second drive plate configured to rotate about the central axis;
at least one torque tube assembly directly or indirectly coupled to the rotatable first drive plate and the at least one rotatable second drive plate for torque transmission between the rotatable first drive plate and the at least one rotatable second drive plate, the at least one torque tube assembly operative for rotational movement with a rotation of the rotatable first drive plate and the at least one rotatable second drive plate;
and a drive assembly operatively coupled to one of the rotatable first drive plate and the at least one rotatable second drive plate,
wherein rotation of the drive assembly causes a corresponding rotation of one of the rotatable first drive plate and the at least one rotatable second drive plate connected thereto and a rotation of the other of the rotatable first drive plate and the at least one rotatable second drive plate through the at least one torque tube assembly,
wherein the drive assembly further comprises at least one motor having a driveshaft for providing a rotational input to the drive assembly and the driveshaft is operatively coupled to at least one gear set for transferring a torque input from the driveshaft of the motor to at least one of the rotatable first drive plate and the at least one rotatable second drive plate,
and wherein the drive assembly is connected to at least one of the rotatable first drive plate and the at least one rotatable second drive plate by a drive hub and a flexible ring disposed between the drive hub and at least one of the rotatable first drive plate and the at least one rotatable second drive plate to compensate for any misalignment conditions between the drive assembly, the drive hub, and at least one of the rotatable first drive plate and the at least one rotatable second drive plate and limit backlash between the drive hub and at least one of the rotatable first drive plate and the at least one rotatable second drive plate.
12. The drive mechanism of claim 11, wherein the motor is a servo motor in communication with a feedback mechanism for determining an angular position of the driveshaft.
13. The drive mechanism of claim 11, further comprising a bearing assembly having a fixed inner race connected to the central column and a rotating outer race connected to at least one of the rotatable first drive plate and the at least one rotatable second drive plate.
14. The drive mechanism of claim 11, wherein the at least one torque tube assembly is assembled from at least one hollow torque tube having a plurality of pins extending through at least a portion of a sidewall of the at least one hollow torque tube.
15. The drive mechanism of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of torque tube assemblies, wherein a tie rod extends through each of the plurality of torque assemblies, and wherein the tie rod is directly or indirectly coupled to the rotatable first drive plate at a first end and the at least one rotatable second drive plate at a second end.
16. A rotary carousel system for storing items on shelves comprising:
a stationary base for supporting one or more rotating components;
a central column fixed relative to the base, the central column having a central axis extending along a longitudinal length of the central column;
a rotatable first drive plate configured to rotate about the central axis;
at least one rotatable second drive plate configured to rotate about the central axis;
at least one tube assembly directly or indirectly coupled to the rotatable first drive plate and the at least one rotatable second drive plate for torque transmission between the rotatable first drive plate and the at least one rotatable second drive plate, the at least one torque tube
assembly operative for rotational movement with a rotation of the rotatable first drive plate and the at least one rotatable second drive plate;
a drive assembly operatively coupled to one of the rotatable first drive plate and the at least one rotatable second drive plate, wherein, in use, the drive assembly causes at least one of the rotatable first drive plate and the at least one rotatable second drive plate to rotate; and
at least one shelf connected to the at least one torque tube assembly, wherein rotation of one of the rotatable first drive plate and the at least one rotatable second drive plate causes a corresponding rotation of the other of the rotatable first drive plate and the at least one rotatable second drive plate through the at least one torque tube assembly, and
wherein the drive assembly is connected to at least one of the rotatable first drive plate and the at least one rotatable second drive plate by a drive hub and a flexible ring disposed between the drive hub and at least one of the rotatable first drive plate and the at least one rotatable second drive plate plate to compensate for any misalignment conditions between the drive assembly, the drive hub, and at least one of the rotatable first drive plate and the at least one rotatable second drive plate and limit backlash between the drive hub and at least one of the rotatable first drive plate and the at least one rotatable second drive plate.