Abstract: A Raman amplified dispersion compensation module has a first dispersion compensating fiber (DCF) with an input end and an output end. The first DCF has a known Raman gain coefficient (gr(&lgr;)), Raman effective fiber area (AReff), and dispersion characteristic. An input end of a second DCF is arranged to receive light signals from the output end of the first DCF. The second DCF has a known gain coefficient and effective area, and a dispersion characteristic selected to cooperate with that of the first DCF to produce a desired total module dispersion. The lengths of the DCFs are selected in a manner that optimizes the overall module gain.

Abstract: A cooking pan has a bottom wall, and a side wall that extends upward about a cooking surface on the bottom wall. A handle is joined at one end to the side wall, and a lower portion of the side wall next to the cooking surface and opposite the handle is formed so that food pieces when on the cooking surface are propelled upward near the side wall when the handle is pulled backward. The side wall has a raised upper portion opposite the handle. A line drawn tangent to an inside surface of the raised upper portion at a top edge point of the upper portion, forms an angle of between two and ten degrees with respect to the normal direction of the cooking surface. When the pan is pulled back while cooking, the contents are propelled upward and directed to land in a forward region of the cooking surface further from the handle.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical fiber for use in fiber lasers and amplifiers wherein the optical fiber has a core member surrounded by a cladding member for receiving pump energy and transferring the pump energy to the core member. The optical fiber also has an outer layer surrounding the cladding member. The cladding member has a circular exterior periphery and a predetermined refractive index (nc). The cladding member has an index modified region that directs light to the core member. The index modified region has a stress field portion with a predetermined refractive index (ns). The difference between the refractive index of the cladding member and that of the stress field portion (nc−ns) is within such a range that the stress field portion does not affect the polarization properties of the light traveling in the core member.

Abstract: A portable leg and foot rest has an inflatable main body portion of flexible sheet material which, when inflated, forms (a) a major rest surface, (b) a bottom surface, (c) a pair of side walls that extend between the rest surface and the bottom surface, and (d) a rear wall that extends between the rest surface and the bottom surface. A first portion of the rest surface slopes downward from the rear wall to define a first surface for supporting a person's calves and heels, and a second portion of the rest surface contiguous to the first portion, rises upward from the first portion to define a second surface for supporting soles of the person's feet.

Abstract: A method of declustering data among a number of storage units, e.g., disks, to minimize response time for range queries. Data to be stored is identified in the form of a dataset, wherein the data is divided among uniform data blocks (x, y) and each data block is to be stored in one of a number (M) of storage units each of which has an associated seek time. M pairs (i, keyi) are defined wherein i=0,1, . . . m−1 and keyi is the fractional part of 2i/(1+5). First components of the pairs are ordered according to an ascending order of the keyi values of the pairs, thus defining a permutation array A of size M. Another permutation array B is defined such that for i=0,1, . . . ,M−1 B[a(i)]=i, and data block (x,y) is assigned to storage unit (x−B[y mod M])mod M, wherein mod is the remainder function.

Abstract: A communication connector includes a housing with an opening for receiving a mating connector. First and second pairs of terminal contact wires are supported in the housing, and each pair forms a different signal path. The terminal contact wires have base portions, free ends, and intermediate co-planar contact portions that establish points of electrical contact with corresponding terminals of a mating connector. First and second pairs of elongated, parallel capacitor plates are fixed at corresponding free ends of the contact wires. The plates of each pair of capacitor plates capacitively couple an associated terminal contact wire of the one pair of contact wires, with an associated terminal contact wire of the other pair of contact wires. The two pairs of capacitor plates extend in a length direction that is substantially parallel to the plane of the contact portions of the terminal contact wires.

Abstract: An electrical connector terminal has an elongated wire board mounting portion that fits axially in a terminal opening in a wiring board. An elongated, generally planar wire connecting portion has an axis in common with that of the mounting portion and is formed to connect with an outside lead. A shoulder portion between the mounting portion and the wire connecting portion has a first section extending from a base of the wire connecting portion and normally of the wire connecting portion, wherein the terminal is held stable when the first section is restrained by a part outside the plane of the wire connecting portion. A second section of the shoulder portion diverges from an end of the first section and extends parallel to the wire connecting portion. An end of the second section provides a desired coupling with a confronting end of a shoulder portion of a like connector terminal.

Abstract: First and second source signal streams each associated with a program source are produced. A first error correction code having a first correction delay is applied to the first source signal stream, thus producing a first error-corrected source signal stream that is transmitted for reception by a receiver. A tuning signal stream corresponding to the second source signal stream is transmitted for reception by the receiver at a determined timing relative to transmission of the first error-corrected signal stream. When first tuning to a program transmission channel, the receiver initially processes the tuning signal to obtain at least a recognizable reproduction of the program source, with little if any delay attributable to error correction coding of the first source signal stream.

Abstract: A communication connector assembly that incorporates crosstalk compensation. A number of compensation coupling contacts, e.g., conductive pads, stiff wires or plates, are mounted on a front edge region of a wire board that supports a number of terminal contact wires. Compensation elements associated with the wire board are connected to the contacts and are selected to produce, e.g., capacitive crosstalk compensation coupling. The terminal contact wires have connecting portions for contacting corresponding terminals of a mating connector along a line of contact. Free ends of the contact wires, ahead of the line of contact, are formed to deflect toward the wire board and to connect with the compensation coupling contacts on the board when engaged by the mating connector. The compensation coupling is therefore effective at the line of contact with the mating connector. In the disclosed embodiments, the assembly is incorporated in a modular jack connector.

Abstract: A base station with a defined geographic coverage area in a wireless communication system includes a base receiver, a base transmitter, and a base antenna array. The base antenna array has a base station beamformer arranged to produce (a) a broad antenna beam so that the base station can receive random access signals from subscriber stations at different locations within the coverage area and transmit beacon or acknowledgment signals to the subscriber stations at the different locations, and (b) a narrow antenna beam directed to an acknowledged subscriber station for receiving or transmitting data or traffic signals from or to the subscriber station. A subscriber station includes a subscriber receiver, a subscriber transmitter and a subscriber antenna. The subscriber transmitter is arranged to transmit signals to a system base station on one or more of a number of carriers having a defined frequency spacing within a given spectrum allotment.

Abstract: An arrangement for retaining wires or cables inside a trough having base wall, and first and second side walls extending generally parallel to one another from the base wall. The arrangement includes one or more pairs of trapezoidal retainer plates supported on the side walls so that each pair of plates are in confronting relation to one another above the trough. Each retainer plate has a base portion, and an end portion forming an outside edge which defines an approximately 45-degree angle with respect to parallel side edges of the plate. The outside edges of each pair of confronting plates form a gap through which wires or cables can be inserted into or withdrawn from the trough. The gap forms an acute angle with respect to the side walls of the trough, so that inserted wires or cables will be retained by each pair of confronting retainer plates.

Abstract: Channel propagation characteristics in a wireless communication system, wherein plural communication links or channels are defined between multiple transmit antenna elements and multiple receive antenna elements, are determined by selecting a matrix of training signals for transmission from the transmit antenna elements, and providing information concerning the selected training signal matrix to a system receiver. The training signals are transmitted from the transmit antenna elements to the receive antenna elements in a determined sequence during a defined training signal time interval, and signals corresponding to the training signals are received via the receive antenna elements. Components of a propagation characteristic matrix for use in discriminating signals transmitted at times other than the training signal time interval, are determined at the receiver as a function of signals received during the training signal time interval and the information concerning the matrix of training signals.

Abstract: A wrench tool suitable for use by firefighting personnel. The tool has an elongated handle, and a spanner part at a first end of the handle. The spanner part has a projecting claw for operatively engaging a pin on the circumference of a pipe or a hose coupling ring to be rotated by the tool. A wrench part, at a second end of the tool handle opposite the first end, has jaws arranged for adjustable relative movement to grip an object to be turned by the tool. The range of movement of the jaws includes a position at which the jaws are set to receive and safely grip an outside levering tool for producing increased leverage when operating the spanner part of the tool.

Abstract: A communication connector assembly has a terminal housing, and a number of electrically conductive connector assembly terminals supported by the housing. The connector assembly terminals have first terminal portions extending from the housing for contacting terminals of a mating connector, and second terminal portions for making electrical connections with outside circuits. An electrical circuit component is disposed adjacent the terminal housing. The component is connected to a contact portion on at least one of the assembly terminals, intermediate a free end of the first terminal portion and the second terminal portion of the assembly terminal. The mating connector is thus connected to the electrical circuit component through the first terminal portions of the assembly terminals, in proximity to the circuit component. The electrical circuit component may be constructed and arranged to compensate for cross talk induced when the mating connector contacts the first terminal portions of the assembly terminals.

Abstract: A broadcast receiver that responds to broadcast stations having a listener-preferred program style. The receiver has a processor and a database memory arranged to be coupled with the processor. The memory is configured to store information concerning a number of broadcast stations that serve at least a portion of a user-designated geographic area, and which stations have a designated program style. The information corresponds to an operating frequency for each broadcast station and an associated service coverage. A geographic position determining unit (e.g., a GPS receiver) is coupled to the processor and produces information corresponding to a current position of the receiver within the designated area. The processor is configured to produce a tuning signal operative to set a tuner unit to respond to a broadcast station that can be received at the receiver's position with the designated program style.

Abstract: A game that provides choices concerning different life pursuits now available to girls and to persons generally. The game features a game board having a start space, and a number of life paths each of which has spaces marked successively over the length of the path with indicia representing instructions to a player who lands a game piece on a given space. A first set of paths extend away from or about the start space. A second set of paths are choice paths each of which has spaces with indicia relating to a life pursuit, and an entry space and a finish space at opposite ends of the path. The entry and the finish spaces of a given choice path are contiguous with corresponding spaces of one of the first set of paths from which a player can choose to move their playing piece into the entry space of the given choice path. The game may also be provided in CD-ROM or equivalent media form for simulation on a monitor of a personal computer.

Abstract: A cable management assembly for use with equipment racks wherein equipment panels are fastened along vertical mounting rails of the rack. In one embodiment, the assembly includes an elongated trough having a back wall, a bottom wall and a front wall. The back wall is constructed to be fastened to the mounting rails of the equipment rack, and the bottom wall extends a sufficient distance forward so that the trough accommodates wire or fiber optic cables terminated at one or more equipment panels fastened to the rack above the back wall of the trough. A door has its bottom edge hinged to the front wall of the trough, and the door extends at a first position to protect cables terminated at one or more equipment panels mounted on the rack above the back wall of the trough. The door can be swung to a second position to permit access to the cables and the panels at which they terminate.

Abstract: Call processing overload at a base station of a cellular wireless network is controlled by monitoring a level of call processing at the base station, and reducing a present handoff rate for active users when the call processing level exceeds a first threshold less than a maximum call processing capacity. When the call processing level at the base station exceeds a second threshold greater than the first threshold, a present rate of call originations or terminations is reduced while further reducing the handoff rate.

Abstract: An adjustable cable egress mechanism for cable connectors. The mechanism includes a protective hood, and a hub mounted inside the hood for rotation about a hub axis. The hub has a cable passage, and the hood has an outside wall with an elongated cable egress slot. The egress slot opens into the cable passage in the hub over a predetermined range of angular positions of the hub. Thus, a cable whose conductors terminate in an associated connector can be routed through the egress slot in the hood and the cable passage in the hub, and the cable rotated with the hub to a desired egress angle within the predetermined range. In the illustrated embodiment, the finger hub is engaged by latch formed on part of the hood to hold the cable at the desired egress angle.

Abstract: A faceplate or console unit for electrical or fiber optic cable connectors. The unit has a base wall with at least one connector opening for mounting a first connector in the opening so that, when mounted, the first connector is accessible to an outside mating connector. A protective hood surrounds a portion of the base wall. The hood extends a determined height above the base wall, and the first connector can be accessed by a mating connector from a direction that is clear of the hood. The hood is arranged to prevent objects near the unit from striking the outside connector and thus causing its connection with the first connector to be interrupted.