Staple cartridge comprising a releasable adjunct material

A surgical stapling apparatus is disclosed which comprises cartridge body and a layer. The layer is implantable against tissue by staples deployed from the cartridge body and deformed by an anvil. The cartridge and the layer comprise co-operating features which reduce relative movement between the cartridge and the layer. Such co-operating features can also releasably retain the layer to the cartridge body. In addition to or in lieu of the above, the anvil and the layer comprise co-operating features which reduce relative movement between the anvil and the layer. Such co-operating features can also releasably retain the layer to the anvil. In certain instances, the layer can be positioned against the anvil, but releasably attached to the cartridge. The layer can comprise buttress material and/or a tissue thickness compensator, for example.

Avatar-Mediated Telepresence Systems with Enhanced Filtering

Methods and systems using photorealistic avatars to provide live interaction. Several groups of innovations are described. In one such group, trajectory information included with the avatar model makes the model 4D rather than 3D. In another group, a fallback representation is provided with deliberately-low quality. In another group, avatar fidelity is treated as a security requirement. In another group, avatar representation is driven by both video and audio inputs, and audio output depends on both video and audio input. In another group, avatar representation is updated while in use, to refine representation by a training process. In another group, avatar representation uses the best-quality input to drive avatar animation when more than one input is available, and swapping to a secondary input while the primary input is insufficient. In another such group, the avatar representation can be paused or put into a standby mode.

Semiconductor structure and device formed using selective epitaxial process

Semiconductor structures, devices, and methods of forming the structures and device are disclosed. Exemplary structures include multi-gate or FinFET structures that can include both n-channel MOS (NMOS) and p-channel MOS (PMOS) devices to form CMOS structures and devices on a substrate. The devices can be formed using selective epitaxy and shallow trench isolation techniques.

Magnetic memory device and method of manufacturing the same

A magnetic memory device includes a reference magnetic pattern having a magnetization direction fixed in one direction, a free magnetic pattern having a changeable magnetization direction, and a tunnel barrier pattern disposed between the free and reference magnetic patterns. The free magnetic pattern has a first surface being in contact with the tunnel barrier pattern and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The magnetic memory device further includes a sub-oxide pattern disposed on the second surface of the free magnetic pattern, and a metal boride pattern disposed between the sub-oxide pattern and the second surface of the free magnetic pattern. The magnetization directions of the free and reference magnetic patterns are substantially perpendicular to the first surface of the free magnetic pattern.

Concatenated expected responses for speech recognition using expected response boundaries to determine corresponding hypothesis boundaries

A speech recognition system used for hands-free data entry receives and analyzes speech input to recognize and accept a user's response. Under certain conditions, a user's response might be expected. In these situations, the expected response may modify the behavior of the speech recognition system to improve performance. For example, if the hypothesis of a user's response matches the expected response then there is a high probability that the user's response was recognized correctly. This information may be used to make adjustments. An expected response may include expected response parts, each part containing expected words. By considering an expected response as the concatenation of expected response parts, each part may be considered independently for the purposes of adjusting an acceptance algorithm, adjusting a model, or recording an apparent error. In this way, the speech recognition system may make modifications based on a wide range of user responses.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING A PROCESS PLANT WITH WEARABLE MOBILE CONTROL DEVICES

Methods and apparatus for performing functions in a process plant include the use of wearable mobile user-interface (UI) devices. The wearable UI devices may perform process control functions, notification functions, commissioning functions, personal and environment safety functions, and/or guidance functions.

Dynamically maintaining a map of a fleet of robotic devices in an environment to facilitate robotic action

Methods and systems for dynamically maintaining a map of robotic devices in an environment are provided herein. A map of robotic devices may be determined, where the map includes predicted future locations of at least some of the robotic devices. One or more robotic devices may then be caused to perform a task. During a performance of the task by the one or more robotic devices, task progress data may be received from the robotic devices, indicative of which of the task phases have been performed. Based on the data, the map may be updated to include a modification to the predicted future locations of at least some of the robotic devices. One or more robotic devices may then be caused to perform at least one other task in accordance with the updated map.

Susceptor design to reduce edge thermal peak

Implementations of the present disclosure generally relate to a susceptor for thermal processing of semiconductor substrates. In one implementation, the susceptor includes a first rim surrounding and coupled to an inner region, and a second rim disposed between the inner rim and the first rim. The second rim includes an angled support surface having a plurality of cut-outs formed therein, and the angled support surface is inclined with respect to a top surface of the inner region.

Method and apparatus for determining traffic safety events using vehicular participative sensing systems

Methods and systems are disclosed for participative sensing of events and conditions by road vehicles, collection of this data from a large number of road vehicles by a central server, processing the data to identify events and conditions which may be of interest to other vehicles in a particular location, and sending notifications of the events and conditions to vehicles. A large number of vehicles use participative sensing systems to identify a safety-related event or condition which should be reported to the central server—such as a large pothole, an obstacle in the roadway, an icy road surface, a traffic accident, etc. The central server stores and aggregates the data, filters it and ages it. Vehicles requesting advisories from the central server will receive notices of safety-related events and conditions based on their location and heading. Driver warnings can be issued, and vehicle systems may respond to the notices.

Enable user to establish request data specific connections with other users of network(s) for communication, participation and collaboration

A methods, systems, device, network, platform and apparatus for enabling user(s) to connect contextually with any other users of network(s) based on matching user created and/or dynamic & automatic generated request data and/or user data with user request(s) and/or user data of other users of network and enabling connected users to conduct plurality types of activities, actions, transactions, events, interactions, registering, accessing, messaging, communication, sharing, searching, collaboration and participating activities of each others.