Abstract: An optical equalizer for a wavelength division multiplexed optical signal in an optical communications system utilises an array of parallel waveguides using planar waveguide technology. Waveguides having a range of different lengths have transmission controlled respectively in amplitude and/or phase in accordance with parameters calculated from a Fourier transform of an input frequency characteristic. Calculation of the parameters may be simplified by a Hilbert transform applied to determine phase values of the input terms of the Fourier transform. Feedback may be utilized by measuring the equalizer output and generating difference signals applied to the input to improve accuracy of equalization response by iteration or to overcome systematic errors. The equalizer has application to optical systems having line amplifiers where fiber amplifiers result in gain tilt, the equalizer allowing gain tilt to be corrected.

Abstract: A PMD (polarisation mode dispersion) emulator which provides at least first and second order emulation of PMD effects observed in fiber installed in the field consists of a small number of concatenated lengths of high birefringence fiber having an appropriate distribution of relative DGDs (differential group delays), and connected with random relative orientation. Varying some parameter, such as temperature distribution, allows the emulator to provide accelerated exploration of random fluctuations in PMD which, in the field, may require many weeks, or longer, to observe.

Abstract: A water display which contains a plurality of drip tubes that are suspended from a structure, and periodically drip droplets of fluid in a manner that simulates “rain fall”. The tubes are attached to a tank that contains a ballast and a volume of fluid. When the water display is off, the ballast is located in an upper position so that the level of fluid is below the openings of the tubes. The display further contains a control mechanism that lowers the ballast into the fluid. Lowering the ballast, displaces the fluid to a level above the opening of the tubes, wherein the fluid flows out of the tank and through the tubes. The control mechanism then raises the ballast to the first position to again lower the fluid to a level below the opening of the tube. The cycle of lowering and raising the ballast is repeated in a periodic manner.

Abstract: An improved control for an automatic transmission upshift, wherein the engine output torque and on-coming clutch pressure are coordinated during the shift based on an inverse dynamic model of the transmission to achieve a desired output torque trajectory. The desired output torque trajectory is influenced by operator demand, and an initial value of the desired output torque trajectory is used along with the engine output torque to develop an input acceleration trajectory. The inverse dynamic model of the transmission is used (1) to determine an engine torque command that will achieve both the input acceleration trajectory and the desired output torque trajectory, and (2) to determine a feed-forward pressure command for the on-coming clutch that will produce the input acceleration trajectory, given the engine torque command.

Abstract: In an optical communication system, a train of optical pulses is transmitted such that each pulse carries a set of multiplexed channels. In a receiver, the error rate for each channel is monitored and a subset of channels having the most favorable rate is selected to carry a first data stream. The remaining channels carry a second data stream. Error rate performance is determined on the basis of error detecting codes carried by the channels in the first and second data streams.

Abstract: A method of transferring information between a vehicle controller and a diagnostic tool including the steps of providing communications hardware for the vehicle controller compatible with the communications hardware of the diagnostic tool, providing a virtual input/output system to interface with the communication hardware of the vehicle controller, providing application layer software that is hardware and communication protocol independent to communicate with the virtual input output system, storing the data in memory of the vehicle controller, building a data request table in the memory of the vehicle controller based on a communications protocol and data transfer rate of the diagnostic tool, the data request table including the data, data size, and transfer rates, requesting the data from the memory of the vehicle controller by the diagnostic tool, and transmitting the data from the controller to the diagnostic tool in response to the request by the device.

Abstract: A vehicle controller including communication hardware for receiving data transmissions from an automotive communication network, control software to control an automotive system, the control software requiring process data from at least one of a plurality of controllers linked to the automotive communication network to control the automotive system, the plurality of controllers broadcasting the process data over the automotive communication network, calibration software containing constants for the operation of the control software, communication software used in conjunction with the communication hardware for polling the automotive communication network for the required process data and identifying a source controller of the required process data, and memory in the vehicle controller for storing the source ID of the source controller, wherein upon identification of the source controller of the required process data, the communication software will read the required process data from the source controller.

Abstract: An improved engine torque control for an automatic transmission power-on downshift, wherein a dynamic model of the transmission is used to schedule both shift progression and engine torque reduction based on a desired trajectory of the transmission input shaft during the shift and the driver torque demand. The shift is initiated with the off-going clutch by using the dynamic model to conform the input speed to the desired trajectory, and the torque reduction is initiated based on an estimate of the time to synchronization relative to an expected control delay so that the torque reduction occurs when the input speed reaches synchronization. An appropriate torque reduction amount is calibrated for a specified driver torque demand, and in operation, the amount of torque reduction for a given shift is determined based on the current driver torque demand and a detected deviation of the desired trajectory from a nominal trajectory corresponding to the specified driver torque demand.

Abstract: Optical signals in an optical communication system are transmitted as a train of optical pulses which are multiplexed to provide a large number of channels. Error correction coding is applied to data carried by the channels using both interchannel coding and serial coding of individual channels. When multiplexed by wavelength division multiplexing, a waveguide array is used as a dispersive device having a characteristic of frequency selectivity which is locked by a monitoring and control system to a set of spectral lines from the single pulsed laser which generates the pulses. In the receiver, clock signals are generated by extracting clock signals from the earliest and latest received channel signals and performing interpolation to obtain clock signals for the remaining channels. When multiplexed using a spectral modulation technique, individual channels are represented by distinct sinusoidal modulations in frequency space which are then detected in the receiver by Mach-Zehnder filters.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining control signals of a filter for optimization of the gain profile of an amplifier, particularly though not exclusively for use in optical communications systems, and a system incorporating the same. The method is for calculating at least one control signal for at least one periodic filter arranged to alter the output gain profile of an amplifier, in which at least one of the phase and amplitude of the filter response are tuneable.

Abstract: In a WDM optical transmission system employing optical amplifiers in its transmission path, a supervisory signal channel, used for monitoring and controlling the operation of the amplifiers and spectrally separated from the data transmission, may be multiplexed with the data. A construction of amplifier is disclosed which is capable of being upgraded with an upgrade of the transmission system to include additional data handling capacity, for instance data transmission in an additional waveband and/or in the opposite direction, without interruption of the pre-upgrade data transmission path through the amplifiers. This is accomplished by the use of channel dropping and insertion filters disposed so that the amplifying data transmission path extends via the drop/insertion channel of those filters.

Abstract: In a WDM transmission system carrying amplitude modulated traffic in which significant cross-phase modulation occurs, each of the individual channels is pre-chirped at the transmitter with replicas, or low-pass filtered replicas of the amplitude modulation applied to each of the other channels. Prechirping of each individual channel with a replica of the amplitude modulation applied to that channel may be added in order additionally to provide compensation for self-phase modulation.

Abstract: A dispersion compensator exhibiting low polarisation mode dispersion is constructed from a polarisation beam-splitter, a .pi./4 rotation Faraday rotator, and a matched pair of polarisation maintaining fibres provided with a matched pair of chirped Bragg reflection gratings. The waveguides are oriented with respect to the beam-splitter so that light reaching the waveguides from the beam-splitter via the rotator is launched into both waveguides with a polarisation state aligned with the same polarisation axis (i.e. both fast or both slow).

Abstract: The invention relates to methods for determining a predisposition for and diagnosing the existence of a degenerative disease or a cancer and also products and processes for treating and obtaining treatments for such a degenerative disease or a cancer. The invention has particular application in the use of information concerning the elucidation of DNA and amino acid sequence structure relating to human and mouse ubiquitin conjugating enzymes.

Abstract: An Optical Transmission System includes a monitor for outputting monitored data representative of the extent to which an optical signal is degraded by polarization mode dispersion. The monitor measures the degree of depolarization present in a sample of the optical signal derived from an optical tap, the depolarization being associated with polarization variation at the bit rate frequency of a signal data stream carried by the optical signal. The monitored data is used to control operation of the system to reroute the optical path taken by the optical signal in the event of a threshold level of polarization mode dispersion being exceeded. A transmitter of the optical signal may also be controlled to minimize polarization mode dispersion by varying the polarization state of the optical signal at launch so as to reduce the measured monitor data. The monitor functions during normal transmission of optical signals without the need for shutting down links of the system for measurement purposes.

Abstract: Transmission output speed and engine throttle position are inputs to a control which determines acceleration and input speed. Fuzzy logic has acceleration and throttle membership functions and a set of upshift and downshift values, and rules for weighting each of the values in accordance with the degree of membership of acceleration and throttle position in certain of the functions to determine a downshift point and an upshift point. The input speed is compared to the shift points to decide whether to order a shift. Two or more sets of shift values are stored and are selectable for different performance options. The shift values are stated in terms of a percentage of engine governed speed to allow different engines to be coupled to the transmission. Lockup clutch apply and release logic controls converter lockup to maintain converter mode when significant torque multiplication is occurring and generally to maintain lockup mode when the transmission range is at or above the lowest allowable lockup range.

Abstract: A chemical detection and analysis system performs chemical measurements using microsensors. The in vivo or in vitro system records chemical concentrations of any substance that can be oxidized or reduced at the sensor surface in response to a voltage waveform applied to a reference electrode. The electrochemical technique has utility relative to molecules that are electroactive. Diffusion and metabolism of these chemicals are tracked in real time. A visual display of the measurements is provided in near real time. The system consists of: a 32 bit, digital computer; application software; an I/O board with analog to digital convertors, digital to analog converters, and digital input/output capability; a potentiostat; one to four microsensors; and a reference electrode. Calibrated microsensors, of carbon, platinum, or gold, are placed in brain tissue or other aqueous environments to detect chemical activity. A reference electrode is placed in the tissue at a location that is spaced from the sensors.

Abstract: A motor vehicle having an internal combustion engine and multi-ratio transmission is launched from a neutral idle rest condition. At neutral idle, the transmission is controlled such that the input and output members are decoupled. During vehicle launch, engine output is limit controlled to achieve desired shift quality as the transmission progressively couples the input and output members to transfer torque to the vehicle drive wheels.

Abstract: A power transmission has an electro-hydraulic control for selectively establishing a plurality of clutches and brakes for controlling a plurality of planetary gearsets to establish the transmission drive ratios. During a vehicle stopped condition, two brakes are engaged to restrain rotation of two members of one of the planetary gear sets. This results in braking of the transmission output shaft.

Abstract: In a motor vehicle having an electronically controlled automatic transmission, a method of inhibiting upshifts determines torque and acceleration parameters of the output shaft of the transmission prior to and after a shift. An estimate of the output shaft moment of inertia is determined from the pre and post shift quantities and used in the inhibition of upshifts having inadequate torque capacity.