Abstract: A method for using an authentication server to obtain dial-out information about a network including the steps of receiving a destination network address to the authentication server; obtaining a network number and a corresponding network mask from a database; applying said network mask to said destination network address and comparing the result to said network number; retrieving a profile corresponding to said network number and network mask from a database if said network number matches the result of applying said network mask to said destination network address; and repeating said obtaining, applying, and retrieving steps if said network number does not match the result of applying said network mask to said destination network address.

Abstract: The horn of an ultrasonic transducer is applied with ultrasonic waves from an ultrasonic converter in such a way that standing ultrasonic waves develop in the lengthwise direction of the horn. A flange is arranged on the horn at the location of a node of the ultrasonic waves. The length of the flange is so aptly dimensioned that standing ultrasonic waves develop in the flange, when it can freely oscillate, which also have nodes. Drill holes are attached in this node so that the ultrasonic transducer is attachable to an ultrasonic welding device, in particular a wire bonder, by means of screws.

Abstract: Each modular processor card of a modular electronic system carries a component defining its maximum current or power requirements. The component, which may be a resistor, capacitor, serial access memory, or the like, is accessible over a single conductor through a backplane by a power supervisor. The supervisor will determine the current/power requirements of a processor card while the card is substantially powered off. The supervisor may then weigh existing power supply resources of the modular electronic system with existing current/power demand and make a decision to allow power-up of the card if sufficient overhead is available, or, alternatively, make a decision to deny power-up of the card if insufficient additional current/power resources are available. An optional message indicating the outcome of the decision can be transmitted to a user.

Abstract: In a method of making a wire connection of predetermined shape between a first connecting point located on a semiconductor chip and a second connecting point a capillary is moved along a predetermined trajectory. After attaching the wire at the first connecting point the capillary is moved up to a first point for the performing of one or two kinks and for the pulling out of the wire as far as the required total length of the wire connection. From the first point, the capillary is moved along a circular arc up to a second point, at which the wire is locked in the capillary. The circular arc is centered in the first connecting point or in the immediate vicinity of the first connecting point. The method is suitable for the wiring of CSPs (Chip Scale Packages). The movement along the circular arc prevents the wire from being pushed back through the capillary. As soon as the wire is locked in the capillary, the second connecting point can be approached without difficulty.

Abstract: A cerumen barrier removable from a retaining ring in a hearing aid shell comprises an endcap disposed in the retaining ring, wherein the endcap has a sound passage with a first opening and a second opening, and the first opening is positioned above a sound tube and the second opening is covered by an oleophobic and hydrophobic screen.

Abstract: A sealing device for a vacuum air opening (10) of a dust bag or other dust collecting container (5) for a vacuum cleaner, has an elastic membrane (1) deflected and centrally fixed in a vacuum air opening tube (4) by means of a fixing element (2). Deflection of the flexible membrane (1) produces forces acting upon a partspherical surface (7) of the vacuum air opening tube (4), sufficient enough to ensure tight sealing of the vacuum air opening (10) and preventing any spillage of dust through the opening (10). The elastic membrane (1) is protected by a dome (3) with an opening (6) for vacuum air flow. Alternatively the membrane (1) may be mounted on a stem element (9) extending from the dome (3).

Abstract: A fast buffer and switching regulator are combined in parallel in a master-slave loop topology to form a voltage regulator. The buffer circuit has a voltage sensing amplifier that senses the difference between the voltage at the output of the voltage regulator and a reference voltage. This voltage difference is amplified, and then input to a buffer that sources current to or sinks current from the output of the voltage regulator. The output of the buffer circuit is coupled to the switching converter which senses the changing buffer circuit output current. The switching converter changes its duty cycle to oppose the current from the buffer circuit. This is a master-slave loop topology wherein the buffer circuit is the master loop that quickly provides high levels of current to compensate for a voltage transient at the output of the voltage regulator, and the switching converter is the slave loop which eventually takes over from the master loop to meet the current output requirements of the voltage regulator.

Abstract: An apparatus for applying an adhesive pattern to a chip mounting surface by means of an adhesive dispensing head movable in z, y, and z dimensions, contains a first carriage, which is movable in x and y dimensions using first and second actuators. A second carriage with a dispensing head is movable in the z dimension, perpendicular to the chip mounting surface, on a guide mounted on the first carriage. A third actuator is provided with a positioning motor mounted in a stationary manner and an auxiliary carriage displaceable in the z direction. The auxiliary carriage, driven by the positioning motor, runs in a stationary guide. The auxiliary carriage has a positioning surface parallel to the chip mounting surface and a stop, the stop kept in constant contact with the positioning surface. Preferably, this contact is a gliding contact retained by a spring. The apparatus has good dynamic properties which make possible a rapid "drawing" of adhesive patterns with a high degree of precision.

Abstract: A modular bed frame is disclosed which includes one or more pairs of complimentary side-rails, with attached cross-bars, that may be linked in a manner so as to support a plurality of box-spring and mattress sizes. The advantages of the present invention include an inventory reduction of different components than currently necessary, and elimination of a majority of separate fasteners. The bed frame incorporates an inverted L-shaped cross-section which permits a box-spring to be supported on a pair of bed frames attached side-by-side. Along the side-rails are disposed a set of flanges which are rotatable so as to enable side-by-side bed frames to be slidably attached to each other in one orientation, or inhibiting lateral movement of a box-spring in another orientation.

Abstract: A pMOS EEPROM cell includes a source, drain, channel, control gate and well contact. The device is a fully functional single element p-type floating gate MOSFET. A floating gate overlaps the well contact and completely surrounds the drain and source implants. The pMOS cell is written to by means of hot-electron injection, using an intrinsic feedback mechanism to write analog values. Hot electrons are generated in the channel by means of hole impact ionization at the transistor's drain. The pMOS cell is erased by Fowler-Nordheim tunneling. The tunneling voltage is applied only to the well to tunnel electrons from the floating gate. The well-source and well-drain junctions are protected from breakdown by means of guard rings.

Abstract: A system for performing input and output operations to and from a processor in which interrupts for I/O operations are conditionally generated internally rather than externally by (Super State.TM.) microcode residing in a separate address space in memory in an area protected from the user. A (superblock) register in the processor points to the Super State area in memory. If the Super State mode is turned on, an interrupt is generated within the processor whenever the control table allows. The interrupt directs the processor to the register and hence to the Super State code. By way of example, the Super State code controls power and access to the port, decides whether to put the interrupt in memory and emulate the I/O, and counts access to the port. The invention provides a processor with the flexibility of performing I/O operations to and from memory and/or to a peripheral or to trap an interrupt into a new operating environment for device emulation.

Abstract: On the production of wire connections (wire bonding) which start from a semiconductor chip and end on a substrate (2b) the capillary (12) guiding the wire (3) should be moved to an end section (s3) of its trajectory in a specific, programmed way in order to eliminate as far as possible reactions on the geometry of the wire bridge on bonding of the wire to the substrate and to produce flawless bond connections. The end section (s3) in which the capillary (12) moves slowly begins at a predetermined height (H) and ends on the substrate at the second connection point (5). In the end section (s3) the downward movement (vv) of the capillary is superimposed by a horizontal movement (vh) which is directed away from the already existing connection of the wire (3) to the chip and which continually decreases in relationship to the downward movement (vv).

Abstract: A hair styling apparatus includes a pair of mating surfaces which engage one another and a handle which guides them into engagement at the manual control of a user. Hair to be styled is placed between the engaged surfaces. A plurality of comb-like pins extend from one of the surfaces and engage holes in the other of the surfaces. In another aspect of the invention, one or both surfaces may incorporate a source of dry heat. In another aspect of the invention, a source of steam is provided together with a trigger for discharging the steam through holes in at least one of the surfaces as an aid to hair styling.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and system for correcting imbalance in in-phase and quadrature components of a modulated received signal. The method includes assuming a signal imbalance to exist in the received signal, the signal imbalance having an amplitude imbalance and a phase imbalance, generating an amplitude imbalance correction factor and a phase imbalance correction factor to lessen the signal imbalance, and re-evaluating the amplitude and phase imbalance correction factors over a set of readings of the in-phase and quadrature components until the signal imbalance is minimized.

Abstract: In a first aspect of the present invention, at least one communication platform is networked to a switched backbone, such as the network commonly referred to as the Internet, and is configured to communicate with and manage at least one network interface, such as a private branch exchange (PBX), and a voice communication module so as to provide telecommunication services that includes voice-over-IP communication between or among communication platform users and call-holding, transferring, forwarding, conferencing, and the like (PBX-like features). The communication platform networked through the switched backbone with other communication platforms. The communication platform is networked to the switched backbone through a first network interface and to telephone lines driven by PBX equipment through a PBX network interface and/or to a telephone compatible network such as a public switched telephone network (PSTN) through a telephone network interface.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing computer network access points the capability for multiple-level accounting. A gateway device located at the access point is capable of generating Internet protocol accounting start and stop requests based on various events that need to be accounted for when a user accesses a network. These events include the user account logon, the service establishments and the Point to Point protocol (PPP) connections between the gateway device and public and private domains within the network. The counter is capable of tracking the duration of sessions and connections and the byte-count associated with the specified session or connection. The gateway device communicates with an accounting server which stores the accounting requests and matches start requests with subsequent stop requests.

Abstract: An Ethernet device power transmission system includes an input transformer, an output transformer and a pair of twisted pair conductors. The input transformer includes a pair of primaries for connection to a source of Ethernet data. The input transformer also includes a pair of secondaries, each having a center-tap. A first twisted pair conductor is connected across the first secondary, a second twisted pair conductor is connected across the second secondary and a DC-bias is provided between the respective center taps of the first and second secondaries. At the local end, the output transformer includes a first and second center-tapped primary and a first and second secondary for connection to the load device. The first and second primary center taps are connected to a power processor for extraction of DC power.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to provide a very compact and low power measurement of vehicular (automobile) exhaust emissions with results similar to those obtained with traditional CVS dynamometer lab emissions equipment. The sample dilution necessary for the analysis is performed by a computer controlled PWM valve as a function of measure exhaust mass flow, with the result that a "mini CVS" is accurately performed on a small fraction of the total exhaust flow.

Abstract: A movable cover that pivots over a receiver port in the hearing aid shell forms a cerumen barrier. Alternatively, the cerumen barrier includes both a movable cover that pivots over a receiver port in the hearing aid shell and a deformable grommet and membrane assembly that is disposed over the receiver port.