International Business Machines Corporation

Jeffrey N Judd

Matthew Stephen Doyle

Timothy Jerome Tofil

Scott D Strand

Joseph Paul Kuczynski

Patrick Kevin Egan

Matthew Stephen Kelly

Henry Michael Newshutz

Mark James Jeanson

John Richard Dangler

Layne A Berge

Thomas W Liang

Matteo Cocchini

Samuel R Connor

Jason J Bjorgaard

Kyle Schoneck

Matthew A Walther

Stuart Brett Benefield

Andrew Corbett

An apparatus for tin whisker isolation and detection includes a substrate having a plurality of pads for connecting to an electronic component placed on the substrate, and a shield placed on a surface of the substrate. The shield includes a plurality of cavities aligned over the plurality of pads. A plurality of sensing components each associated with one of the plurality of cavities are configured for sensing an electrically conductive growth from a corresponding pad of the plurality of pads. A plurality of circuit connections are each configured to connect one of the sensing components to detection circuitry. The detection circuitry is configured to receive one or more sensing signals from one or more of the sensing components and detect an electrically conductive growth from the corresponding pad based on the one or more sensing signals.

Apparatus and method for tin whisker isolation and detection

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a computer-implemented method for autocorrelation based security monitoring and detection is disclosed. The computer-implemented method includes determining that input signal data transmitted to a white noise generator autocorrelates with itself at one or more time lags. The computer-implemented method further includes, responsive to determining that the input signal data transmitted to the white noise generator autocorrelates with itself at one or more time lags, determining whether an autocorrelation in the input signal data transmitted to the white noise generator matches one or more predetermined input signal data patterns associated with a known event or individual.

Spectral autocorrelation based security system

Provided is an apparatus comprising a conductive particle interconnect (CPI). The CPI includes an elastomeric carrier and a plurality of conductive particles dispersed therein. The elastomeric carrier includes an electroactive polymer (EAP) configured to move between a first position and a second position in response to an electrical field. The CPI is configured to exhibit a first electrical resistance when the EAP is in the first position and a second electrical resistance when the EAP is in the second position. The apparatus further comprises one or more electrodes electrically coupled to the CPI. The electrodes are configured to generate the electrical field within the CPI. The apparatus further comprises one or more insulators coupled to the CPI. The one or more insulators are configured to constrain expansion of the CPI in at least one direction.

Conductive particle interconnect switch

An electrical apparatus that includes: an electronic substrate having a plurality of pads for connecting to an electronic component placed on the electronic substrate; a shield placed on a surface of the electronic substrate, the shield having a plurality of openings with the plurality of openings aligned over the plurality of pads and at least a portion of each of the plurality of openings being conductive; connection means to connect the conductive portions of each of the plurality of openings to a fault detect and error handling circuit; and the fault detect and error handling circuit to detect a short circuit between at least one of the conductive portions and the pad aligned with the opening containing the at least one of the conductive portions.

Electrical apparatus having tin whisker sensing and prevention

A system and method to prevent eavesdropping by a device. An anti-eavesdrop component is installed on the device. The anti-eavesdrop component is configured to actively prevent the device from capturing audio from the environment. In response to installing the anti-eavesdrop component, the device recognizes the anti-eavesdrop component as a primary audio input for the device. The anti-eavesdrop component then proceeds to block the device from capturing outside audio by injecting noise or otherwise interfering with the primary audio input.

Anti-eavesdrop security device

Provided is an apparatus comprising a conductive particle interconnect (CPI) and an electroactive polymer (EAP) structure. The CPI includes an elastomeric carrier and a plurality of conductive particles dispersed therein. The EAP structure is disposed around at least a portion of the CPI. The EAP structure is configured to move between a first position and a second position in response to an electrical field. The CPI is configured to exhibit a first electrical resistance when the EAP structure is in the first position and a second, different electrical resistance when the EAP structure is in the second position.

A process of evaluating performance of a positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve is disclosed. The process includes utilizing an optical sensor coupled to the PCV valve to collect baseline valve position data during a calibration phase. The baseline valve position data represents satisfactory PCV valve performance. The process also includes utilizing the optical sensor to collect operational valve position data during an operational phase. The process further includes determining whether a deviation of the operational valve position data from the baseline valve position data satisfies a performance threshold associated with unsatisfactory PCV valve performance. When the deviation satisfies the performance threshold, the process includes communicating an error code to an alert indicator.

Positive crankcase ventilation valve performance evaluation

A fusible via is disclosed. The fusible via includes an upper contact. The fusible via further includes a handle portion having a first end and a second end. The upper contact is disposed on the first end of the handle portion. The handle portion comprises an alloy and a blowing agent. The alloy melts above a predefined solder reflow temperature but below a thermal degradation temperature of the blowing agent. The fusible via further includes a lower contact disposed on the second end of the handle portion.

Modified PCB vias to prevent burn events

A triggering condition is applied to a conductive polymer positioned in a drilled hole in a printed circuit board. The applied triggering condition causes the polymer to vertically expand within the drilled hole such that the expanded polymer creates an electrically conductive path between contact pads located in different layers of the printed circuit board.

Conductive polymers within drilled holes of printed circuit boards

An apparatus is disclosed that comprises a first security arrangement that overlaps a plurality of electronic components arranged within one or more layers. The first security arrangement comprises a first conductive layer patterned as a first array of a plurality of first conductive elements, and a second conductive layer separated from the first conductive layer by a dielectric layer. The second conductive layer patterned as a second array of a plurality of second conductive elements, and the first array and the second array collectively form a plurality of capacitive elements. The apparatus further comprises monitoring circuitry coupled with the first security arrangement and configured to detect a change in a capacitance of a first capacitive element of the plurality of capacitive elements, and determine, based on a location of the first capacitive element within the first array, whether to perform a predefined security action.

Security arrangement for integrated circuits using arrays of capacitive elements

A process includes utilizing a pin array that includes multiple segmented pins for forming selectively plated through holes. The process includes forming a PCB laminate structure that includes multiple spinel-doped core layers and multiple through holes. Each spinel-doped core layer includes a heat-activated spinel material incorporated into a dielectric material. The process includes aligning individual segmented pins of a pin array with corresponding through holes of the PCB laminate structure, where each segmented pin includes heated segment(s) and insulating segment(s). The process includes inserting the segmented pins of the pin array into the corresponding through holes and generating heat within each heated pin segment that is sufficient to form metal nuclei sites in selected regions of the spinel-doped core layers adjacent to portions of the through holes that contain the heated pin segments. The metal nuclei sites function as seed layers to enable formation of selectively plated through holes.

Pin array including segmented pins for forming selectively plated through holes

A process of utilizing a heat-activated conductive spinel material for PCB via overcurrent protection includes forming a PCB laminate structure that includes a spinel-doped insulator layer having a heat-activated conductive spinel material incorporated into a dielectric material as a spinel-based electrically non-conductive metal oxide. A sensing via is formed in the PCB laminate structure at a location that is proximate to a power via in the PCB laminate structure. The sensing via is electrically isolated from the power via by a region of the spinel-doped insulator layer and is electrically connected to a monitoring component configured to detect current flow through the sensing via that results from an overcurrent event in the power via that generates sufficient heat to cause the spinel-based electrically conductive metal oxide to release metal nuclei into the region to provide a conductive pathway through the region from the power via to the sensing via.

Heat-activated conductive spinel materials for printed circuit board via overcurrent protection

Embodiments of the disclosure generally provide compositions and methods involving textiles that repel insects by vibrations and oscillations. The random and chaotic oscillations are caused by molecular bond isomerizations in the textile material driven by visible light, such as sunlight.

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Oronoco, MN, United States of America

Jeffrey N Judd