Abstract: A parasitic insensitive capacitor in a D/A converter. A semiconductor substrate is provided having a first face upon which the semiconductor integrated circuit is formed with a first conductive layer disposed over a portion of the first face of the semiconductor substrate and separated therefrom by a first insulating layer to form the lower plate of the capacitor. A second conductive layer is disposed over a portion and less than all of the first conductive layer and separated therefrom by a second insulating layer to form the upper plate of the capacitor. A third conductive layer disposed above the first and second conductive layers and separated from the first conductive layer by a third insulating layer, the third conductive layer having an opening therein of substantially the same shape as the second conductive layer and wherein the peripheral edges of the opening are substantially aligned with the peripheral edges of the second conductive layer.

Abstract: An digital-to-analog converter having main DAC resistor strings and sub-DAC resistor strings for converting MSB and LSB portions of a digital word into corresponding analog voltages. The main DAC resistor strings are driven by constant current sources to improve the linearity of the conversion process. The constant current sources present a high impedance to the main DAC resistor strings, thereby providing a more linear change in resistance during the conversion process, and reducing second-order harmonic nonlinearity.

Abstract: In a segmented DAC having dual main DAC resistor strings and dual sub-DAC resistor strings, an interpolation circuit for averaging the selected voltage from each sub-DAC resistor string. A first switch multiplexer selects a voltage from the first sub-DAC resistor string, and a second switch multiplexer selects a similar voltage from a second sub-DAC resistor string. The selected analog voltages are coupled to high impedance inputs of a differential averaging circuit. An output voltage is fed back to the differential circuit. Once the differential averaging circuit settles, a quiescent feedback voltage exists which is exactly between the two analog voltages to be interpolated. The non-linearity of the DAC is substantially reduced.

Abstract: A substantially spherical semiconductor ball implanted in orthopedic structures for sensing and/or stimulation. In one embodiment, a vertebral column (800) having a number of intervertebral discs (802) interspersed among respective vertebral bodies (804), material placed in intervertebral discs (802) allows for a semi-synthetic vertebral disc (806) to be constructed. The artificial intervertebral disk (806) contains one or more ball sensors (808) located within the body of the disk (806) in order to monitor the compression forces. Conventionally, the semi-synthetic disc (806) is monitored only retrospectively, and visualized on x-ray.

Abstract: A locating device for attachment to an animal and adapted to obtain and communicate location information about the animal to a base station, comprising a controller having an input for location data and a first communication port; a satellite navigation system receiver coupled to a first antenna and having a location data output coupled to the location data input of said controller; a communication transceiver coupled to a second antenna to receive and transmit communications between the locating device and the base station and having a second communication port coupled to the first communication port of the controller; and a housing to enclose the controller, the satellite navigation system receiver and communication transceiver, configured to be attached to the animal.

Abstract: A kiln thermal and combustion control. A predictive model is provided of the dynamics of selected aspects of the operation of the plant for modeling the dynamics thereof. The model has at least two discrete models associated therewith that model at least two of the selected aspects, the at least two discrete models having different dynamic responses. An optimizer receives desired values for the selected aspects of the operation of the plant modeled by the model and optimizes the inputs to the model to minimize error between the predicted and desired values. A control input device then applies the optimized input values to the plant after optimization thereof.

Abstract: A digital-to-analog converter having a main DAC resistor string formed in a semiconductor material. The main DAC resistor string is formed as two identical resistor strings connected in parallel and such that the bottom of one resistor string and the top of the other resistor string are connected to a first voltage. The other ends of the resistor strings are coupled to a second different voltage. A switch multiplexer serving two functions is connected between the resistor strings. Each switch of the multiplexer interconnects similar voltage nodes of each resistor string together to thereby average the voltage should the resistance values differ due to semiconductor process variations. The switch multiplexer also serves to select one resistor of each resistor string to couple the voltage thereacross to a sub-resistor string of the digital-to-analog converter.

Abstract: There is disclosed and claimed herein apparatus and a method for testing an electronic circuit breaker having separable contacts and arc fault and/or ground fault interrupting capability responsive to differential currents in the line and neutral conductors, wherein the circuit breaker under test is connected in a test circuit, comprising the steps of: supplying operating power to the source terminals of the circuit breaker wherein the test circuit provides for connecting the neutral conductor source terminal to a ground in the test circuit; coupling testing signals from a test generator in the test circuit to the neutral conductor load terminal of the circuit breaker; and monitoring the condition of the separable contacts in the circuit breaker during the supply of testing signals to the neutral conductor load terminal.

Abstract: A circuit switching device or circuit breaker with integrated self-test enhancements is disclosed having separable contacts operable under processor control to control power to a circuit responsive to at least one of a plurality of fault conditions and operable according to a method for testing, including the steps of: controlling the switching device during a sampling cycle, to input one or more operating parameters sensed in the circuit to an A/D converter for measurement wherein the operating parameters enable detection of the fault conditions; determining whether to read a select one of the operating parameters from an output of the A/D converter into a first memory; and reading pre-determined parameter values from a second memory into the first memory during the sampling cycle instead of the operating parameters read from the A/D converter if a self-test has been invoked during the sampling cycle.

Abstract: A method of tumor ablation using injectable thermal-sensing balls. A catheter system (115) is used to inject a slurry (134) of thermal-sensing balls (136) into a tumor (122) located in, for example, a liver (120). The catheter system (115) comprises a catheter (128) and a specialized syringe (129) consisting of a housing (130) and a plunger (132). The housing (130) includes a cylindrical chamber having the slurry (134) of thermal-sensing balls (136). The catheter (128) is inserted retrograde into the femoral artery and passed to the site of the tumor (122). The hepatic artery (124) branches into smaller vessels, one of which is a tumor artery (126) which feeds the tumor (122). The tip of the catheter (128) is placed in the tumor artery (126) guided by conventional fluoroscopy. The injected balls (136) then receive energy from an external control system (110). The system (110) comprises a control panel (114) as an operator interface for controlling the system (110) and reading data therefrom.

Abstract: A solid state X-ray detector (106) is disclosed which is comprised of a plurality of Spherical ICs (202)-(208) disposed on a substrate (210). The Spherical ICs each have a plurality of detector picture elements (pixels) (302) disposed on the surface thereof. Each of the pixels (302) is formed from a layer of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (502) with a heavy metal layer (504) of molybdenum (Mo) disposed thereon as the cathode and a metal layer (508) disposed on the lower surface thereof. The cathode is reverse biased and X-rays impinging thereon will cause a transfer of electron-holes to the lower plate, which are stored on a capacitor (608). The electrons are accumulated over a predetermined period of time and then sampled and processed for output on a display (12) in real time or for storage of a digital value in a memory (114).

Abstract: There is disclosed an object locator system (10) for requesting and obtaining information about the location of an individual animal or moveable object, having a lightweight, attached object locator (42), that is present in a region served by a two-way paging system (12) and a global positioning satellite system (50). The object locator (42) may be selectively activated to conserve power or enabled to respond only when beyond or within a boundary. Further, the object locator system (10) may provide the location information in several forms including rectangular or polar coordinates referred to a base station (18) or origin, position on a map display, etc.

Abstract: A method of testing memory of a system is disclosed which operates the system from a second area of system address space which is outside of a first area of system address space, the system having one or more physical memory devices associated with the first area of system address space. The memory locations associated with the first area of the system address space are tested for predetermined characteristics after which the one or more tested physical memory devices are replaced with respective untested physical memory devices without dropping power to the system, and tested by repeating the test cycle. The system is prevented from operating in the first area of system address space and forced to operate from the second area, thereby preventing system interruptions when replacing the physical memory devices for testing.

Abstract: A ball semiconductor for stimulating a mass of nervous system brain tissue for therapeutic purposes. The ball (120) is embedded in a mass of nervous system tissue (215) of a brain. Electrical pulses generated and transmitted to the ball (120) by a remote electrical pulse generator system (140) are picked up by a receiving antenna of the ball (120), and are applied to an electrode pair of the ball (120) to cause the mass of nervous system tissue (215) of the brain located between output pads of the electrode to become stimulated, as therapy for a pathological condition.

Abstract: A digital-to-analog converter (DAC) employs a main DAC resistor string and a sub-resistor string formed in a semiconductor material. A main DAC conversion circuit is formed with a headroom resistor in series with the main DAC resistor string. The headroom resistor provides an operating voltage for current drivers in the sub-resistor string. The headroom resistor is formed adjacent to the main DAC resistor string in the semiconductor material to provide street effect compensation thereto. In practice, the main DAC resistor string is formed as two sets of resistor strings. The headroom resistor is formed as a first resistor string adjacent one main DAC resistor string set, and as a second resistor string adjacent the other main DAC resistor string set. The plural resistors of the headroom resistor strings have resistor values equal to the plural resistors of the respective main DAC resistor string sets.

Abstract: A radiation dosimetry system (110) using miniature implanted transponder balls. A patient having a tumor that is the target of the radiation treatment lies in a treatment area with the tumor positioned beneath a target (112) used for alignment purposes. The system (110) is controlled and monitored by a CPU (114) which receives instructions from a radiologist operating a control panel (116), and displays control parameters, data and graphics to the radiologist on a display (118). The CPU (114) controls an RF system operating through a broad-band antenna (120) and directed at the target area (112). The CPU (114) controls operation of a radiation source (122), which may be a conventional linear accelerator, for directing radiation at the target area (112). The radiation source (122) includes a collimator (124) or similar apparatus for shaping a radiation beam for accurate application to the target area (112).

Abstract: A multi-channel fiber optic connector is provided having a plug connector half and a receptacle connector half. The plug and the receptacle have respective inserts that include exterior peripheries of a particular shape for mating with an interior profile of a housing of the receptacle. The peripheries of the inserts are preferably defined by cylindrical bodies having respective tabs which protrude outward from the outer diameters of the inserts. The interior profile of the receptacle housing defines a recess for receiving the tabs to both angularly align the insert associated with the receptacle and to angularly align the insert associated with the plug. The recess in the receptacle housing is defined by a groove which extends parallel to the longitudinal length of the receptacle housing, with the same groove receiving the protuberant tabs of both inserts to angularly align the inserts. The inserts have fiber optic termini mounted therein.

Abstract: A suspension system (20) controls the amount of compressible fluid (42) within struts (28) to determine spring rate coefficients (Ks) and dampening coefficients (Bs) for the struts (28). The spring rate and dampening coefficients (Ks, Bs) are selected to provide forces (F) which are a sum of several components, which include a desired target static force (Fd) for balancing various forces acting upon a vehicle chassis, comparison of the target strut force (Fd) to the actual force (F) applied by the respective struts (28), comparison of velocity ({dot over (z)}5) of the chassis relative to a selected reference datum, and a ride height error (erh). Frequency dependant filtering decreases the spring rate coefficients (Ks) when changes in position (Zs) are detected at frequencies (&ohgr;) beneath a threshold level (&ohgr;K), and decreases the dampening coefficients (Bs) when changes in velocity ({dot over (z)}s) are detected at frequencies (&ohgr;) above a threshold level (&ohgr;B).

Abstract: A digital-to-analog converter having series-connected transistors forming high impedance current sources for respective segmented resistor strings. A series transistor forming a current sink for one resistor string presents a high output impedance by utilizing a negative feedback amplifier. The effects of a headroom resistor and an offset resistor in one resistor string are negated by configuring an output amplifier with appropriate gain resistors. A highly accurate D/A conversion can be achieved by utilizing all resistors of the main and sub-resistor strings with the same value.