Abstract: An improved lead frame structure for use in a semiconductor package, including: a plurality of leads; a paddle structure electrically isolated from the leads, the paddle structure including at least one lower paddle section having a first top surface to which a die may be attached, at least one mesa section disposed proximate the paddle section and having a second top surface disposed at a different elevation than the first top surface, the lower paddle section and the mesa section being joined by a wall section; and a plurality of tie bars attached to the paddle structure for supporting the paddle structure; whereby contact pads of a die attached to the first top surface may be electrically connected to the second top surface and to the leads prior to encapsulation thereof. A plurality of tie bars extends from opposite edges of the paddle structure, the tie bars providing for stabilizing the paddle structure during package fabrication.

Abstract: An optical amplifier system for amplifying an input wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical signal with a first optical coupler to extract a portion of the power of the input signal, an erbium-doped fiber amplifier to generate an output signal and a second optical coupler to extract a portion of the power of the output signal. A spectral monitoring unit having a volume phase grating separates the extracted input and output signals into spectral components. A photo-detector array of the spectral monitoring unit determines the power level of the spectral components. The system further includes a controller operative to control the operation of the amplifier in response to the power levels of the spectral components.

Abstract: A process for forming an integrated optical device in a substrate, comprising the steps of: providing a substrate having a base index of refraction; providing a UV light beam; focusing the beam on a portion of the substrate in order to form a region of increased refraction; and scanning an elongated region of the glass substrate with the beam in order to define at least one elongated optical channel having an increased index of refraction relative to the base index of refraction, the elongated optical channel for guiding light transmitted there along. The process further includes: forming a plurality of elongated optical channels in the substrate, wherein a first optical channel is operative for transmitting light to the plurality of elongated optical channels such that the transmitted light is divided among the plurality of elongated optical channels, thereby forming an optical beamsplitter.

Abstract: A monitoring system provides for monitoring the optical performance of a plurality of different channels of a fiber optic network, each channel having an associated channel wavelength. The system includes: means for generating a calibration signal including a plurality of stable calibration wavelengths; means for combining a tapped communication signal and the calibration signal to generate a combined signal; and a multi-channel monitoring device.

Abstract: A process of providing operation oriented common signaling information services supports a plurality of different types of network distributed signaling functions in a network. The process includes the steps of: instantiating a class of network objects in a plurality of network entities forming a community, each of the network entities in the community having at least one of the network objects of the class, the class of network objects for modeling a corresponding one of the network distributed signaling functions; and providing a transparent operation oriented interface between the network objects of the network entities of the community, the operation oriented interface enabling interoperations between the network objects. At least one of the network objects is associated with a corresponding managed object that is mapped to the corresponding network object by public attributes of the corresponding network object.

Abstract: An optical cross switch device for selectively switching light beams between a plurality of fiber optic elements. The device includes an input fiber mounting assembly for securing at least one input fiber terminating in a fiber end for radiating an associated input light beam; collimating means for collimating the at least one input light beam; focusing means for focusing light beams incident thereon; an output fiber mounting assembly for securing at least one output fiber terminating in an output fiber end for receiving an associated light beam; and at least one mirror unit having at least one reflective element for selectively redirecting an associated one of the collimated input light beams toward an associated selected one of the output fiber ends via the focusing means.

Abstract: An optical multiplexing and demultiplexing device includes: a fiber mounting means for securing a plurality of optical fibers each terminating in a fiber end, at least one of the fiber ends radiating a corresponding input beam having a polarization state defined by a polarization plane that may vary as a function of time, and at least one of the fiber ends for receiving an output beam; collimating and focusing means having a focal length, and providing collimation of the input beams, and focusing of the output beams; diffraction means including at least one diffractive element providing for dispersion of optical beams passing therethrough, each diffractive element having an associated diffraction efficiency that varies as a function of the polarization state of light beams passing therethrough; and a polarization rotating means for rotating the plane of polarization of a beam passing therethrough by a specified number of degrees.

Abstract: An operating system is simulated to run in conjunction with a native operating system, allowing processes, particularly multi-threaded processes, originally developed for the simulated operating system to be ported to the environment of the native operating system with a minimum of effort. In their natural environment the processes being ported have the capability of requesting that other processes be terminated. This capability is provided in the simulated system and in a multi-threaded environment of the simulated system. Processes executing in the simulated system, even if multi-threaded, also have the capability of protecting against being stopped when executing critical code.

Abstract: A client system and a dedicated server are provided, the client system having an internet module providing communication with the server, a television tuner operative to receive a plurality of video channels carrying video data, and a video processing unit operative to provide a video output signal for displaying images on a television.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory array and methods therefor is provided herein comprising a substrate; a plurality of memory cell field effect transistors formed on said substrate and being arranged thereon into rows and columns of transistors, each transistor includes a channel region interposed between drain and source regions, and overlaid by a control gate region; a plurality of first diffused elongated regions formed within said substrate that electrically connect in common the drain regions of transistors in respective columns; a plurality of second diffused elongated region formed within said substrate that electrically connect in common the source regions of transistors in respective columns; and a plurality of elongated conductive line formed over said substrate that electrically connect in common the control gate regions of transistors in respective rows.

Abstract: A process is provided for generating a synoptic layout database for efficient layout parasitic extraction and circuit simulation in post-layout verification of an integrated circuit (IC) design for a system having a plurality of repetitive subcircuits. The process includes the steps of: receiving an input layout database including a plurality of geometric objects including cells representing the IC design, each of the cells including a plurality of polygons; identifying a plurality of repetitive cells of the input layout database, the repetitive cells being associated with the repetitive sub-circuits; recognizing at least one pattern of the repetitive cells; defining at least one cut region of the input layout database, the cut region being defined by physical layout coordinates, the cut region intersecting a corresponding pattern of the repetitive cells; and generating a synoptic layout database.

Abstract: An optical multiplexing and demultiplexing device including a fiber mounting assembly for aligning optical fibers, a set of collimating and focusing optics, a transmission grating element, and a mirror element. The fiber mounting assembly alignment element aligns a series substantially close-spaced optical fibers with their ends flush and assembled in a substantially straight line. The optical fibers are either multi-mode or single mode communication fibers capable of transmitting optical wavelengths with substantially high transmittance. The set of collimating and focusing optics, preferably a lens (or mirror) system that contains two (2) or more elements, may be made from optical glasses with uniform refractive indices, optical glasses with gradient indices, plastic optical elements, or diffractive lenses.

Abstract: In a system for communicating optically encoded data among a network of nodes, the nodes are connected to each other by optical transmit and receive fibers. Each node includes a laser, a transmitter, and a receiver connected to the transmitters of the other nodes by a fiber stretcher. The rate at which the laser generates light pulses is controlled by a frequency control signal supplied to an oscillator connected to the laser. The delay from the transmitters to the receivers is controlled by a phase control signal supplied to the fiber stretcher connected to the receive fiber. The transmitter connected to the transmit fiber selective delays the pulses into a plurality of time multiplexed channels. The receiver connected to the fiber stretcher selectively detects the pulses in the time multiplexed channels while all of the pulses of all of the nodes are globally synchronized in all of the time multiplexed channels in frequency and phase using the frequency and phase control signals.

Abstract: A method for retrieving, decoding, and processing codes in an intermediate language generated from object specifying languages such as HTML and JAVA is disclosed. The codes in the intermediate language are decoded and processed on a minimally featured and minimally powered machine to generate a screen of information with selections thereon for the user. The file corresponding to the chosen selection is retrieved, decoded, processed, and displayed to the user again for selection. Codes in a simple scripting language are also provided to facilitate the processing of commands.

Abstract: A keyboard input device includes a processor repeatedly executing a scan routine to detect key press events while masking the events from an external monitoring means. The keyboard input device has a number of finger-activatable keys, each connected at the intersection of row signal lines and column signal lines, which are in turn connected to the processor. The processor systematically activates the rows and randomly activates the columns. A key press event causes the key's associated row and column to create a closed switch. The processor monitors the columns for a signal forced on pairs of rows. Obfuscating signals forced onto the columns inhibit detection of the key press event signals by an external source.

Abstract: A method of removing a polysilicon buffer in a method of forming a field oxide and an active area is disclosed herein that comprises the step of applying an etching selectivity solution to the polysilicon buffer to substantially remove the polysilicon buffer without substantially affecting the field oxide, a pad oxide, and the substrate. An etching selectivity solution is defined herein is a solution that has an etching rate for one material that is higher than for another material. In this case, the etching selectivity solution has an etching rate for polysilicon material that is higher than its etching rate for field oxide material. Accordingly, when the etching selectivity solution is applied to the polysilicon buffer, it will substantially etch off the polysilicon buffer without substantially affecting the field oxide. In the preferred embodiment, the etching selectivity solution comprises a mixture of HF and HNO3, or HF, HNO3 and CH3COOH.

Abstract: An improved hybrid flow control protocol for providing FIFO capacity to prevent overflow due to bytes arriving after the FIFO indicates it is not ready to receive any more bytes utilizes a combination of a high/low watermark and credit based system. In one embodiment, when the byte count exceed the high watermark fixed credits are sent when N bytes are pulled from the FIFO. In a second embodiment, variable credits are sent depending on the difference between the number of bytes received in and pulled from the FIFO.

Abstract: An automatic memory characterization system for determining timing characteristics associated with each of a plurality of circuit instances of a memory compiler circuit design includes: an automatic circuit reduction tool for receiving a circuit netlist extracted from layout data defining a circuit instance of the memory compiler, and for generating a critical path netlist; a memory storage unit for storing a timing parameter database including a script file having memory characterization instructions, and at least one specification file associated with one of the timing characteristics to be characterized for the circuit instance, the specification file having a plurality of input signal parameters defining a plurality of input signals to be applied to selected input nodes of the circuit instance, and a plurality of output loading parameters defining a plurality of output loads to be applied to selected output nodes of the circuit instance; a stimulus generator responsive to the input signal parameters and o

Abstract: In a multiple processing system comprising multiple communicatively interconnected nodes, each node having one or more processor units, multicast messages sent by a sender node will contain information that allows intended receiver nodes to check and determine the possibility that earlier-sent multicast messages from the sender node were not received by the receiver node.

Abstract: A method is provided for guiding virtual-to-physical mapping policies in a computer system including a processor and a memory. State information is randomly sampled from selected memory references in a stream of memory references issued by the processor to the memory. Cache hit/miss status, translation-look-aside buffer hit/miss status, and effective virtual and physical memory addresses of the sampled memory references are recorded in a profile record. The recorded information is aggregated by virtual memory address, and a new virtual-to-physical mapping is choosen to reduce cache and translation-look-aside buffer miss rates.