Abstract: An optical interconnect architecture provides three dimensional optical interconnects, with the optical interconnects provided along a plane such as a wafer or a substrate. One or more integrated circuits is provided on a second “electronic” plane that is spaced from the optical interconnect plane. Signals from the circuit on the electronic plane are coupled to the optical interconnect plane using various strategies, including metal or optical interlayer interconnects extending perpendicular to the optical plane. Once on the optical interconnect plane, the signals from the circuits on the electronic plane are propagated optically.

Abstract: An optical fiber communications system using spread spectrum code division multiple access techniques to achieve better bandwidth utilization. A transmitting user in the system encodes the optical signal using a first coding mask, and a receiving user decodes the received signal using two decoding masks, all of the masks having lengths N. The first mask is divided into two sections of lengths N/2 each, one of the sections defining a first sub-code of length N/2, while the other section blocks light. Each of the second and third masks is also divided into two sections, which correspond to the two sections of the first mask. The section of the second mask corresponding to the coded section of the first mask has a second code that is identical to the first code, and the section of the second mask corresponding to the blocked section of the first mask is also blocked.

Abstract: A new planar phased array antenna is disclosed having M by N antenna cells with only M+N phase shifters. A grid of M+N feed lines with the M feed lines at a first frequency having a uniquely controllable phase and N feed lines at a second frequency with each feed line having a uniquely controllable phase are provided separating adjacent cells in the matrix. By coupling an antenna element through a mixer to one row and column feed, a phase for each antenna element in the array can be uniquely controlled through a scan, thereby providing a simplified planar array to be implemented as a patch antenna.

Abstract: Low-cost devices for touch control by using a matrix of discrete composite switch contacts in close proximity, and x and y terminal measurable parameter such as resistance for touch position sensing and encoding. When a touch position is touched, the corresponding composite switch contacts simultaneously short a proportional portion of the x and y terminal resistance. These terminal resistance values are then converted to digital x and y cordinates of the touched position by A/D converters. Also, that the resistance between the last position sensing conductor and the ground return is three to five times larger than the resistance between all the other position sensing conductors of the first and second sheet eliminates the occasional error of detecting the normally untouched state as a touched state.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for educational games comprising a plurality of printed cards/boards, and a novel low-cost touch pad with interface cable to the personal computer game-port. When an eductional game is played, the player responds to computer questions/words/graphic object by pressing the corresponding answer in the printed card/board which is placed on top of the touch pad. This selection in terms of touched coordinates of the touch pad is sensed by the computer through the computer input/game port. Both computer generated sound and animation graphic pictures in terms of video games or others are used for either positive or negative feedback to the player. A variation of the same apparatus can be used for playing various computerized board games with a plurality of moving game pieces, and game boards by one or more players.

Abstract: An image enhancement system in which a running average of a group of digitized samples of a video signal and a median of a group of digitized samples are processed to form a gradient sample. The gradient sample is scaled in response to the noise level of the video signal. The gradient samples, average samples, and medium samples are combined by a processor which generates a corresponding sequence of output samples that are converted into an enhanced video signal from which an image is produced. The processor provides image edge enhancement for high gradients while providing increased noise filtering for low gradients.