Abstract: A method and apparatus for assembly of a printed circuit board (PCB) having surface mount technology (SMT) components and an optics device utilizes a compressive connector to clamp the optics device to the printed circuit board and resist side loads. A metallized particle interconnect or equivalent array interfaces a land grid array on the optics device with a land grid array on the PCB. The connector passes through the PCB and through a hole in an integrated heat sink of the optics device. A pair of optics devices may thus be mounted to opposing sides of the PCB in tandem. Fiber optic cables may be attached to the optics devices so that they lead out of the optics devices parallel to the PCB.

Abstract: A simplified algorithm for digital signal interpolation and a novel architecture to implement the algorithm in an integrated circuit (“IC”) with significant space constraints are presented. According to embodiments of the present invention, the interpolator is divided into two parts. The first part of the interpolator increases the sample rate by a factor of two and smoothes the signal using a half-band Infinite Impulse Response (“IIR”) filter. The second part of the interpolator increases the sample rate of the signal by a factor of thirty-two using a zero-order-hold (“ZOH”) circuit. In one embodiment, the half-band IIR filter is implemented using an all-pass lattice structure to minimize quantization effects. The lattice coefficients are chosen such that the structure can achieve all filter design requirements, yet is capable of being implemented with a small number of shifters and adders, and no multipliers.

Abstract: A connection pin layout for connecting one or more integrated magnetics modules (IMMs) to a printed circuit board (PCB) for reduced electromagnetic interference (EMI) includes grouping and locating the connection pins based on the signals passed through the connection pins and a method of routing traces to the connection pins. The connection pins carrying power between the PCB and the IMMs are located together and on the periphery of the connection pin layout. The traces to the power pins are routed to avoid passing under the data and ground connection pins or crossing the traces to the data and ground connection pins. When multiple IMMS are connected to a PCB, the connection pin layout coordinates the location of connection pins among IMMs and integrates the grouping of the connection pins for multiple IMMs.

Abstract: A system for detecting a low battery power condition and providing an audible warning of such a condition to a user of an electronic device such as a hearing aid is disclosed. In one embodiment, the battery output voltage is monitored and compared to a first threshold voltage at specified sampling intervals. When a battery output voltage measurement below the first threshold voltage is detected, this measurement is verified by a rule specifying that a low battery condition is not deemed to exist unless a predetermined percentage of voltage measurements within a predetermined time interval indicate that the battery output voltage is below the first threshold voltage. If the low battery condition is verified, an audible warning is generated, which is repeated at specified warning intervals. This audible warning affords an opportunity to the user for replacing the batteries in the device before loss of operation or degraded sound quality are experienced.

Abstract: A method for providing single step log-on access for a subscriber to a computer network. The computer network is differentiated into public and private areas. Secure access to the private areas is provided by a Service Selection Gateway (SSG) Server, introduced between a conventional Network Access Server (NAS) and an Authentication Authorization and Accounting (AAA) Server. The SSG Server intercepts and manipulates packets of data exchanged between the NAS and the AAA Server to obtain all the information it needs to automatically log the user on when the user logs on to the NAS. An authorized user is thus spared the task of having to re-enter username and password data or launch a separate application in order to gain secure access to private areas of the network.

Abstract: Each modular processor card of a modular electronic system carries a component defining its maximum current or power requirements. The component, which may be a resistor, capacitor, serial access memory, or the like, is accessible over a single conductor through a backplane by a power supervisor. The supervisor will determine the current/power requirements of a processor card while the card is substantially powered off. The supervisor may then weigh existing power supply resources of the modular electronic system with existing current/power demand and make a decision to allow power-up of the card if sufficient overhead is available, or, alternatively, make a decision to deny power-up of the card if insufficient additional current/power resources are available. An optional message indicating the outcome of the decision can be transmitted to a user.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for calibrating a semi-empirical process simulator used to determine process values in a plasma process for creating a desired surface profile on a process substrate includes providing a test model which captures all mechanisms responsible for profile evolution in terms of a set of unknown surface parameters. A set of test conditions is derived for which the profile evolution is governed by only a limited number of parameters. For each set of test conditions, test values are selected and a test substrate is actually subjected to a test process defined by the test values, thereby creating a test surface profile. The test values are used to generate an approximate profile prediction and are adjusted to minimize the discrepancy between the test surface profile and the approximate profile prediction, thereby providing a final model of the profile evolution in terms of the process values.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for providing the owners of domain sites on a computer network or the owners of private remotely accessible intra networks the capability to force authorized users to disconnect from any open connections to other public or private domains or networks before a connection with the owners domain or network can be established. This forced sequential access of a specified domain or network is accomplished by inserting a sequential-only attribute into the service profile for a specified user. Upon the user initiating a log-on sequence through an access point, the user's service profile is pulled from a memory bank and an assessment is made as to whether or not the sequential-only attribute exists for the desired specified domain or network to be accessed.

Abstract: A single database maintained centrally hosts both proxy service data and authentication, authorization and accounting (AAA) data. Data is then copied to storage used locally by each system when both systems are instantiated. Therefore the ISP/Telco need not maintain two different data bases. A protocol gateway (PGW) is used to determine if the incoming user is a wholesale or retail user. The PGW filters the domain portion of the access request to locate a remote AAA service. If one such service is found, the PGW routes the communication via the proxy service to proxy it to the remote AAA service. The returned packet from the remote AAA service is then searched for an IP address to be assigned to the incoming user. If one is not found the PGW obtains a dynamically allocated IP address from a DHCP server (using an IP-Pool-ID if supplied in the returned packet from the remote AAA service). The same mechanism is used to forward accounting event packets from the NAS to the remote AAA server.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for scaling-up a set of video data uses variations in the black-and-white components, of a graphic image to better generate “missing” color components in an image. The location of large variations in the black-and-white components of an image, or edges in the black-and-white portion of the image, may be used to generate the missing color components. The variations in the black-and-white components of an image, around a particular location in the image, provide additional information for interpolating between the more widely spaced color component information. The method and apparatus allow for the selection, and adjustment to, the weights given to edge locations. The method and apparatus may be used as part of a computer system to expand and display compressed graphic data.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a shock-absorbing apparatus for use with a variety of snowboards and binding systems. The apparatus includes a binding platform, at least one bearing assembly coupled to the binding platform and the snowboard, and at least one biasing assembly coupled to the platform and the snowboard. Each bearing assembly and biasing assembly are responsive to mechanical energy encountered by the binding platform or the snowboard during use by enabling the binding platform to swivel/pivot from or move along an axis that intersects a top surface of the snowboard.

Abstract: An Ethernet device power transmission system includes an input transformer, an output transformer and a pair of twisted pair conductors. The input transformer includes a pair of primaries for connection to a source of Ethernet data. The input transformer also includes a pair of secondaries, each having a center-tap. A first twisted pair conductor is connected across the first secondary, a second twisted pair conductor is connected across the second secondary and a DC-bias is provided between the respective center taps of the first and second secondaries. At the local end, the output transformer includes a first and second center-tapped primary and a first and second secondary for connection to the load device. The first and second primary center taps are connected to a power processor for extraction of DC power.

Abstract: A system and method for remotely connecting client computers to a communication network such as the Internet by way of a server system and dynamically providing network connections to the client computers, including changing static communications settings to dynamic settings.

Abstract: Network communication between a management station and an expression management information base (MIB) on a simple network management protocol (SNMP) agent entails complex analysis and configuration during creation of the variables. In order to alleviate this concern, an interface is provided which accepts an expression from a user, parses the expression to determine if it is in proper form, creates SNMP set packets to set the expression on the expression MIB and sends the SNMP set packets to the expression MIB of the SNMP agent. Alternatively, a similar interface may be located within the SNMP agent or node, and requires no communication over the network in order to evaluate expressions.

Abstract: An integrated graphical user interface is provided to both Internet and telephone function screens in an Internet access device. An integrated graphical user interface includes a home screen having selectable areas that represent a primary level of Internet and telephone functions. A telephone function screen automatically slides up to cover a portion of a previously-displayed screen in response to a selected condition, including receiving and initiating a telephone call. The slide-up window may also be manually controlled. The slide-up window displays information related to the telephone call being initiated or in progress. Selectable areas are provided for user control of call functions including answering, initiating a call, implementing telephone company services, and user defined functions. Upon termination of the selected condition, or upon user selection, the telephone function screen slides down to expose the previously displayed screen.

Abstract: A network access point for locally processing an access request is configured to include an information bus, an access event publisher, and at least one local cache having at least one user record. The access event publisher publishes at least one network access event on the information bus during the processing of the access request. The first local cache is coupled to and is responsive to the network access event by updating the user record according to information contained by the network access event if the information includes a home access point ID that corresponds to the first local cache. The network access point may be part of a communications system having a mother cache. The mother cache is coupled to the first local cache and includes user records of subscribers supported by the communications system.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reliable interrupt reception over a buffered bus utilizes a mailbox register to receive interrupt request information sent after a data write transaction. The data is sent from an initiating peripheral device over the buffered bus to arrive with an arbitrary delay at the host memory. After completing the sending phase for the data the initiating peripheral device sends a mailbox register data block containing an interrupt request to a mailbox register associated with the host processor. Because the mailbox register data block will necessarily arrive after the receipt of the actual data in the host memory because it is following the actual data through the same buffered bus, the interrupt will be properly sequenced with the receipt of data.

Abstract: According to the present invention, each processor in a multi-processor system separates locally generated processor requests and remote processor requests from the snoop queue into two categories. In the first category, are all coherence transactions, both read and write, generated by the local processor, as well as all coherence transactions generated by a remote processor which are write accesses. Each of the transactions in the first category maintain a strict FIFO structure wherein accesses to the cache are performed and retired. In the second category are all coherence transactions generated by a remote processor which are read accesses.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing digital display data is described, wherein the digital display data has a fixed number of pixels in each display line, and the apparatus has a horizontal averaging means and a vertical averaging means. The horizontal averaging means identifies pixel data corresponding to a first pixel, a second pixel, and a third pixel, where the first, second, and third pixels are consecutive pixels in the same line of display data, and then smoothes the intensity values of the first, second, and third pixels, after which the smoothed values are stored. The vertical averaging means for identifies pixel data corresponding to a fourth and fifth pixels, where the fourth and fifth pixels are vertically adjacent to each other, and then smoothes the intensity values of said fourth and fifth pixel data, and storing the resulting smoothed values.

Abstract: An infant sock capable of being securely attached to an infant's clothing to prevent loss includes a piece of material that extends past the cuff of the sock and is fastened to the infant's clothing in one of several ways. When infant clothing is selected that has snaps for easy diaper access, then the present invention makes use of these snaps for securing the material. One way to attach the sock is to shape the material extension into a loop and place the loop around the snap on the inside leg of the infant's clothing such that the male and female members of the snap are closed and the loop is securely sandwiched between the snap. Alternatively, the piece of material extension can be fitted with a male and female member of a snap sewn on opposite sides. These snap members are then secured to the infant garment by mating the snaps from the garment with the snaps of the sock extension.