Abstract: The keystroke resistance and keystroke length of an electronic QWERTY style keyboard for personal computers and other electronic devices are increased to at least one hundred grams and ten millimeters, respectively, to reduce the incidence of carpal tunnel syndrome and other injuries associated with repetitive movements in long term keyboard operation.

Abstract: An electronic component mounting holder for surface mounting of an electronic component having a plurality of tape leads, includes a non-conducting three dimensional rectangular frame having vertical peripheral walls formed of nonconducting material for receiving an electronic component having a plurality of tape leads, the peripheral walls having a top peripheral edge and a bottom peripheral edge, a support ledge extending inward from inner surface of said peripheral wall for supporting an electrical component, a coil formed of foil windings having leads formed by extensions of said foil windings, a plurality of tape lead receiving areas formed in at least two sides of said bottom peripheral edge, said receiving areas each positioning a tape lead for surface bonding to a conductor on a PC board, a plurality of lead receiving recesses formed in corresponding sides of said top peripheral edge for receiving an outermost end of a tape lead, and a retainer for mounting in engagement with latch means in said frame

Abstract: A ground opening device intended for use with agricultural apparatus is disclosed. The device has a rotatable cutting element and a mounting means. The rotatable cutting element has a cutting edge which forms a narrow groove in the ground when the cutting element is rotated. The cutting element is arranged such that its cutting edge oscillates in two directions simultaneously: in a direction substantially transverse to the groove being formed in the ground and in a direction substantially vertical with respect to the ground surface.

Abstract: An inflatable thermal care apparatus directs a thermally-controlled inflating medium into a thermal care zone to regulate a patient's body temperature, while providing selective access to desired parts of the patient. The apparatus includes an elongate member, inflatable and formable into an enclosure that surrounds a patient and defines a thermal care zone. A plurality of exhaust ports open through sides of the inflatable member to exhaust the thermally-controlled medium. A deformally resilient, insulating access panel interconnects the sides, and extends over the patient and the enclosure to confine the inflating medium to the thermal care zone. The panel includes boundaries, such as perforations, defining sections that may be selectively removed to create temporary or permanent access openings, exposing selected regions for treatment, inspection, healing, and the like.

Abstract: A computer-implementable method for wiring congested areas in a VLSI design detects overflows indicating an area of congestion in the VLSI design and defines a bounding area around the area of congestion. Attachment points are created at locations where wires cross the bounding area and the entire bounding area, with the attachment points, is extracted from the VLSI design as a sub-design. Initial wire weights are assigned to wiring parameters associated with the sub-design. Thereafter, an iterative process is commenced to derive a wiring solution for the sub-design. In a first step of the iterative process, an attempt is made to wire the sub-design with the assigned wire weights. In subsequent steps, at least one wire weight is changed and a new attempt is made to wire the sub-design using the new wire weight values. The process continues in this manner until a wiring attempt completes successfully. The wired solution for the sub-design is then placed back into the VLSI design.

Abstract: A machine tool for multiaxial machining of a workpiece in a chuck. Both horizontal and vertical motion are provided. Even greater efficiency can be achieved by properly positioning tool magazines and providing at least two work stations in adjacent relationship.

Abstract: The present invention provides a flexible cable and support band assembly which is dynamically stable at high speeds over long lengths. This has been accomplished by cupping both the flexible cable and the support band in cross section along their lengths so that they cup one within the other to essentially move as a unit even though they are not attached except at their ends. A single support band can be employed to support multiple flexible cables. Additional support has been provided by employing resilient spaced apart strips along a track upon which the one or more flexible cables and support band slide. The resilient strips center the travel of the one or more flexible cables and support band and minimize rocking motion and vibration. Still further the one or more flexible cables and support band are arranged with respect to a robotic media library so that a single length of the one or more flexible cables and the support band will serve a range of lengths of the library.

Abstract: A support structure is attached to the front or back side of a flexible circuit by direct mounting to the flexible circuit flat ribbon cable, thereby providing a stress-free region of the cable in which the flexible circuit electrical components can be mounted. The support structure comprises a flat ring that is attached to the cable by adhesive, soldering, or mechanical fastening. The flat ring mounts on one side of the flat ribbon cable and encloses an area of the cable that is sufficiently large for the mounting of the flexible circuit electrical components. The flat ribbon cable within the enclosed area is held flat and free from stress, even as the cable is handled. Thus, any components mounted within the enclosed area are not subjected to bending moments. The invention also can be incorporated into cable connectors, such as multi-pin connectors at the ends of cables, and can include support hooks and air cooling baffles.

Abstract: A query optimizer for optimizing join queries in a relational database system by iterative application of dynamic programming (DP) to select optimal subgraph join execution plans. Unlike traditional DP optimization methods, bounds on search space time and space complexity can be established and adjusted by imposing a subgraph threshold. Each bounded subgraph is selected using a greedy heuristic (GH) hill-climbing procedure or other similarly useful technique to build a low-cost execution plan. The low-cost GH subgraph execution plan is then discarded in favor of an optimal DP subgraph execution plan selected by a dynamic programming optimizer for each subgraph identified by the bounded GH optimization process. The complexity bound may be dynamically tuned to improve execution plan quality responsive to changes in query complexity.

Abstract: An exchange-biased magnetoresistive (MR) read transducer in which the MR layer composition is changed at the interface with an antiferromagnetic layer, which is in direct contact with the ferromagnetic MR layer. The exchange-bias field strength H.sub.UA in the MR layer is increased at room temperature by adding a specially-optimized transition region in the ferromagnetic MR layer at the interface. The percentage of iron in the ferromagnetic alloy varies from a higher value at the interface to a lower value at the opposite end of the transition region. The higher iron ratio at the antiferromagnetic interface enhances the exchange-bias field H.sub.UA and the lower iron ratio throughout the bulk of the ferromagnetic MR layer maintains the lower coercivity preferred in the layer, thereby enhancing the longitudinal bias field with respect to the MR coercivity. Advantageously, the enhanced longitudinal bias effect of the special ferromagnetic transition region does not reduce the critical temperature T.sub.

Abstract: A system and method for displaying on a computer screen a specified data object that is part of a data table, in response to a user selecting a displayed object metaphor. The indexed location of the data object relative to other similar data objects in the table is computed and the maximum pixel positions needed to display characters on the screen is also determined. The system also produces the total number of similar data objects in the table and computes a signal that is proportional to the combination of the indexed location and the maximum character pixel positions. From the first signal, a second signal is created that is proportional to the value of the combination further combined with the total number of similar data objects in the table. Generally, the second signal is translated into a value representing the character pixel location of the specified data object and this value is used to position the object display.

Abstract: An exchange-biased magnetoresistive (MR) read transducer in which the MR layer composition is changed at the interface with an antiferromagnetic layer, which is in direct contact with the ferromagnetic MR layer. The exchange-bias field strength H.sub.UA in the MR layer is increased at room temperature by adding a specially-optimized transition region in the ferromagnetic MR layer at the interface. The percentage of iron in the ferromagnetic alloy varies from a higher value at the interface to a lower value at the opposite end of the transition region. The higher iron ratio at the antiferromagnetic interface enhances the exchange-bias field H.sub.UA and the lower iron ratio throughout the bulk of the ferromagnetic MR layer maintains the lower coercivity preferred in the layer, thereby enhancing the longitudinal bias field with respect to the MR coercivity. Advantageously, the enhanced longitudinal bias effect of the special ferromagnetic transition region does not reduce the critical temperature T.sub.

Abstract: A method is provided for constructing well defined plated miniature metallic structures. A seedlayer may be formed over an insulative layer such as a gap layer of a write head. A protective layer, such as alumina or silicon dioxide, is formed on top of the seedlayer to protect it from a subsequent reactive ion etching (RIE) step. A relatively thick layer of material, such as polymeric photoresist, is formed on top of the protective layer, the thick layer being of a type of material which can be patterned by reactive ion etching. By photolithography, an RIE mask, such as a thin layer of patterned metal, is formed on top of the relatively thick resist layer. The pattern of the mask corresponds to the desired shape of the metallic structure to be formed by plating. After masking the relatively thick layer the relatively thick layer is anisotropically etched by RIE.

Abstract: A self-biasing magnetoresistive (MR) spin valve sensor is provided which does not require an antiferromagnetic layer for orienting magnetizations. A non-magnetic electrically-conducting spacer layer is sandwiched between ferromagnetic free and pinned layers. First and second leads are connected to the spin valve sensor for conducting a sense current therethrough. Because of a magnetic coupling between the free and pinned layers, there are ferromagnetic coupling fields H.sub.FC in the free and pinned layers which are parallel with respect to one another and are directed in a first direction when the sense current is conducted. When the sense current is conducted there is also a stray demagnetization field H.sub.DEMAG which is induced into the free layer from the pinned layer. A first flux guide is magnetically coupled to first edges of the layers at the ABS and a second flux guide is magnetically coupled to second edges of the free layer recessed from the ABS so that the effect of the demagnetization field H.

Abstract: A watercraft hull having a lower surface for normal contact with a body of water includes a fin having an inner end secured to the lower surface for extending into a body of water, a hinge intermediate the inner and outer ends for enabling an outer portion of the fin to pivot about the longitudinal axis of the watercraft for enabling increased controllability and performance of the watercraft.

Abstract: A constant size storage can be managed to preserve locality of referencing where it is partitioned into linear addressable storage space for compressed symbol strings and a linked list addressable space for overflowing portions of each compressed string, a token to the overflow being embedded in the linear address. The linear space is readjusted periodically in a direction so as to maintain the amount of available overflow within to lie within a certain range of current usage. Changes in compression statistics result in changing overflow usage requiring readjustment to minimize internal fragmentation etc.

Abstract: The present invention provides a prebent ceramic suspension which includes a ceramic load beam which is bent by a stress patch. With thin film techniques the stress patch is formed on top of the load beam. In the preferred embodiment the patch is amorphous hydrogenated diamond-like carbon. When the suspension is on a wafer the carbon patch exerts a compressive stress on a top surface of the load beam just under the patch. When the suspension is released from the wafer the compressive patch exerts tensile forces on the top surface of the load beam causing an end of the load beam to bend toward the wafer. The amount of bending of the suspension can be accurately controlled by the cross sections of the load beam and the patch as well as the lateral dimensions of the patch. Further control can be achieved by controlling the hydrogen, nitrogen and other additive components of the carbon patch.