Abstract: A cable for ensuring the authenticity thereof and discouraging the unauthorized counterfeiting of the cable may include a cable core and an opaque outer jacket surrounding the cable core. The jacket may include identifying indicia visible on an inner surface of the opaque outer jacket when opened, but visually obscured from viewing from outside the opaque outer jacket when unopened. The indicia may be integrally molded plastic stripes, for example.

Abstract: A process for estimating successive values of digital symbols which can each take M different possible values, on the basis of the successive values of digital samples each of which results from the combination of at most L successive symbols. This process includes a stage by stage progression through a trellis of the Viterbi type with Mk states, with k being less than or equal to L?1. All the stages are respectively provided with aggregate metrics.

Abstract: A fingerprint sensor includes an integrated circuit die and a protective covering of a z-axis anisotropic dielectric material. The die includes a conductive layer defining an array of electric field sensing electrodes. The z-axis anisotropic dielectric layer focusses an electric field at each of the electric field sensing electrodes. In other words, the dielectric covering may be relatively thick, but not result in defocussing of the electric fields propagating through the dielectric covering because of the z-axis anisotropy of the material. The z-axis anisotropic dielectric layer may be provided by a plurality of oriented dielectric particles in a cured matrix. For example, the z-axis anisotropic dielectric layer may comprise barium titanate in a polyimide matrix. The conductive layer preferably comprises a plurality of capacitive coupling pads for permitting capacitive coupling with the integrated circuit die.