Abstract: A static-charge protection device for an antifuse includes an additional second-sized aperture smaller in area than the antifuse apertures disposed in the same inter-electrode dielectric layer. Antifuse material is disposed in the second-sized aperture, and the upper electrode extends over the second aperture as well as the first aperture. A preferred process for fabricating the protection device utilizes the step of forming the smaller apertures and forming their antifuse material layers simultaneously with forming the antifuse apertures.A static-charge protection device for an antifuse device includes an additional second-sized aperture larger in area than the first-sized antifuse apertures. Metal plug material is deposited and etched back. A layer of amorphous silicon antifuse material is formed and defined over the first and second sized apertures, the portion formed over the larger partially filled antifuse protection device cell being thinner.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for providing a medical protocol graphic user interface which graphically merges medical treatments is provided. The apparatus and method generates a plurality of graphic images representing a medical treatment plan. The graphic images are presented in a chronological order based in real or virtual time slots and may be viewed in either a flow chart or a chart view format. The chart view format may be used by healthcare professionals to enter data. The graphical images include an order node, result node and flow node. The various nodes may be connected to form a healthcare plan assigned to a patient. Two separate medical treatment plans may be combined with duplicate or conflicting orders removed.

Abstract: A three-terminal silicon MOS transistor with a time-varying transfer function is provided which may operate both as a single transistor analog learning device and as a single transistor non-volatile analog memory. The time-varying transfer function is achieved by adding or removing electrons from the fully insulated floating gate of an N-type MOS floating gate transistor. The transistor has a control gate capacitively coupled to the floating gate; it is from the perspective of this control gate that the transfer function of the transistor is modified. Electrons are removed from the floating gate via Fowler-Nordheim tunneling. Electrons are added to the floating gate via hot-electron injection.

Abstract: A flash memory array architecture comprising a flash memory array, first and second memory buffer, and I/O interface circuit which has several operating modes which permit data to be read from the flash memory array, several operating modes which permit data to be programmed into the flash memory array, and a mode for rewriting the data in the flash memory array.In the four read modes, one of the pages stored in the flash memory array is read, the data stored in either of first or second memory buffers is read, the data in one of the pages of data stored in the flash memory array is read and then written into either of first or second memory buffers, the data in one of the pages of data stored in the flash memory array is read and then compared to the data read from either of first or second memory buffers.

Abstract: A mixed signal integrated circuit architecture comprising a mask programmable portion and a field programmable gate array portion. The mask programmable portion has a plurality of mask programmed analog function circuits, and a first group of input/output pads, wherein one of the input/output pads of the first group is connected to an input of one of the analog function circuits, and one of the input/output pads of the first group is connected to an output of one of the analog function circuits.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for maintaining consistent states of a file system. The file system progresses from one self-consistent state to another self-consistent state. The set of self-consistent blocks on disk that is rooted by a root inode is referred to as a consistency point. The root inode is stored in a file system information structure. To implement consistency points, new data is written to unallocated blocks on disk. A new consistency point occurs when the file system information structure is updated by writing a new root inode into it. Thus, as long as the root inode is not updated, the state of the file system represented on disk does not change. The method also creates snapshots that are user-accessible read-only copies of the file system. A snapshot uses no disk space when it is initially created. It is designed so that many different snapshots can be created for the same file system.

Abstract: Apparatus for creating scaled three-dimensional physical models of characteristics of microscopic objects, includes a transducer apparatus including a transducer for creating first electrical signals representative of the magnitude of a physical characteristic of the microscopic object at a selected point within a selected area thereof, the first electrical signals having a first component defining said selected point and a second component related to the magnitude of the physical characteristic, a material shaping apparatus configured to create a physical model in a workspace, the workspace having an area related to the selected area of the microscopic object by a first selected scale factor, the material shaping apparatus including apparatus responsive to second electrical signals representing x, y, and z co-ordinates in the workspace for directing the formation of the physical model; and control apparatus, connected to the transducer apparatus and the material shaping apparatus, for converting the first el

Abstract: A wide bandwidth, multi-FET current sharing output stage, MOS audio power amplifier employs multiple feedback loops. An audio input is supplied to a voltage feedback amplifier stage driving a push-pull voltage gain/phase splitter stage. A bias adjustment stage driven from the push-pull voltage gain/phase splitter stage drives a current drive stage. The current drive stage drives an output stage comprising a plurality of paralleled current shared individual MOS output transistors driving an output node connected to a load. Up to three feedback loops are employed. A first voltage feedback loop comprises a voltage feedback stage having an input connected to a voltage divider driven from the first terminal of the load and an output connected to a feedback input node in the voltage feedback amplifier stage.

Abstract: A system for recognizing handwritten characters, including pre-processing apparatus for generating a set of features for each handwritten character, a neural network disposed for operating on sparse data structures of those features and generating a set of confidence values for each possible character symbol which might correspond to the handwritten character, and post-processing apparatus for adjusting those confidence values and for selecting a character symbol consistent with external knowledge about handwritten characters and the language they are written in. The pre-processing apparatus scales and re-parameterizes the handwritten strokes, encodes the scaled and re-parameterizd strokes into fuzzy membership vectors and binary pointwise data, and combines the vectors and data into a sparse data structure of features.

Abstract: A method for automated ordering by a customer at a remote location to a vendor in a central location, comprises the steps of composing an order at the remote location and entering the order into a customer computer; initiating a connection between the customer computer and a vendor computer at the central location across a communications media; transmitting at least the order and customer information identifying the customer to the vendor computer by the customer computer; verifying the order in the vendor computer and transmitting a job number from the vendor computer to the customer computer; comparing the customer information in the vendor computer with previously-stored customer database information; entering the order for further processing in a first manner if the comparing step produces a match between the customer information and the previously-stored customer database information; and entering the order for further processing in a second manner if the comparing step does not produce a match between t

Abstract: A circuit for providing 100% observability and controllability of inputs and outputs of any function circuit module in an array of function circuit modules includes circuitry for placing a test data bit into a selected one of any of the function circuit modules, and circuitry for reading the output of a selected one of any of the function circuit modules.

Abstract: A card game called "Newjack" is disclosed. Newjack is preferably played with between one to eight normal decks of playing cards, although a larger number of decks may be employed. Players play against each other rather than the house dealer. (Hence the game is not a banking game.) The players are trying to reach a card value total of between 22 and 30. Any player going over the card value total is given a second chance at winning and does not automatically lose. (Hence the game is not a busting game.) When the target value is 22, aces are always worth 1. Deuces are worth 2 or 12. Each numbered card is worth its face value and picture cards (King, Queen, Jack) are each worth 10. In Newjack, the player wagers against a designated player "Dealer". The designated Dealer is rotated throughout the game. The house collects a fixed amount from each player for each hand. Each player other than the Dealer is dealt two cards. The Dealer is dealt one card. The player's cards are dealt face down.

Abstract: An antifuse comprises a lower electrode formed from a metal layer in a microcircuit. A interlayer dielectric layer is disposed over the lower electrode and has an aperture formed therein. A conductive plug, formed from a material such as tungsten, is formed in the aperture. The upper surface of the interlayer dielectric is etched back to create a raised portion of the plug. The upper edges of the plug are rounded. An antifuse layer, preferably comprising a silicon nitride, amorphous silicon, silicon nitride sandwich incorporating a thin silicon dioxide layer above or below the amorphous silicon layer or such a sandwich structure covered by a titanium nitride layer, is disposed above the plug. An upper electrode, preferably comprising a metal layer is disposed over the antifuse layer.

Abstract: A floor mounted doorstop employing an inner spacer having a first end and a second end, the first end disposed over the floor surface, an outer spacer having a first end and a second end, the first end disposed over the floor surface, and the outer spacer disposed around the inner spacer, a first rigid washer disposed over the second ends of said inner and outer spacers, a disk of a first height formed of a compressible material and having a first aperture formed therein disposed over the first rigid washer; a bushing of the first height disposed in the first aperture, a second rigid washer disposed over the disk, and fastening means for fastening the inner spacer, the outer spacer, the first rigid washer, the disk and the second rigid washer to the surface, the fastening means including means for compressing the outer spacer to a selected compression.

Abstract: A system is provided for stimulating and measuring performance of nerves which utilizes a novel system of electrodes. A large moistened absorbent pad-type electrode is used to provide one electrical contact with the body. A small moistened absorbent pad-type electrode in a handheld pencil-like configuration is used to provide a second, more targeted electrical contact with the body. By placing the large electrode along or near the spine, the pencil-like electrode may be used to excite and measure nerves on opposite sides of the body. In this manner, the electrical contact made by the large electrode is a constant during the measurement, both as to distance from the tested nerve site, and as to electrical conduction to the body. This arrangement provides more reliable and repeatable measurements. It also avoids patient discomfort associated with needle-like probes, tape-on probes, and other probes which involve discomfort.

Abstract: A thin MCM packaging structure and technique is provided in which a thin film decal interconnect circuit is fabricated on a thin aluminum wafer. The thin-film decal interconnect employs Au metallurgy for bonding and comprises a bond pad/ground plane layer, topside pads, and one or more routing layers. The top routing layer also acts as the pad layer along the edge of the interconnect structure. The underside of the decal interconnect structure is provided with metal pads for attachment to conventional aluminum or gold I/O pads on one surface of the integrated circuit die. A thermosonic bonding system is used to bond the die pads to the pads. The aluminum wafer is selectively removed forming one or more cavities to hold one or more die to be mounted on the MCM structure. The die are oriented with their pads in contact with contact pads on the thin-film decal interconnect to which they are bonded and the cavities are filled with a liquid encapsulant and cured.

Abstract: An address translator for use in a system having a central processing unit, a graphics controller for generating graphics addresses which index a graphics memory address map and for feeding data to a visual display, and a system memory converts a graphics address to a system address within the system memory. The invention initially partitions the system memory into a dedicated system memory for use by the graphics controller and a non-dedicated system memory for use by the central processing unit. The dedicated system memory corresponds to a base assigned memory within the graphics memory address map, and the non-dedicated system memory corresponds to a portion of the graphics memory address map excluding the base assigned memory. If the graphics address is within the base assigned memory, the graphics address is translated to a corresponding system address within the dedicated system memory.

Abstract: The invention pertains to the adaptive vertical stretching of an original image so that the resulting stretched image optimally fits within the vertical boundary of a display having a fixed number of pixel lines. A line replication state machine provides the stretching of the original image, while a line replication generator preferably generates new line replication numbers by sequentially incrementing an initial line replication number in an integer by integer fashion. A display image measuring device provides a display fit status to the state machine, enabling the state machine to determine whether a resulting stretched image fits within the display exceeded the vertical height of the display. The state machine toggles between two types of line stretching that gives a stretched image closely fitted to the maximum image size available in an applicable display.

Abstract: An apparatus for thermal treatment of a thin plate wafer having a peripheral edge, having a vacuum chamber, a heater block for heating the thin film wafer rigidly mounted and operatively positioned inside said vacuum chamber, a holding clamp positioned in said vacuum chamber and defining an open-ended cylinder having a bottom and a top, said bottom for receiving said heater block, said holding clamp for pressing against said wafer supported by said heater block; a device for holding the wafer in said open-ended cylinder to enable said holding clamp to hold the wafer prior to and subsequent to thermal treatment of the wafer, an elevator device for positioning said holding clamp relative to said heater block such that in use only said weight of said holding clamp presses against the wafer, and a mechanical device co-operating with the elevator device for supplying and removing wafers into and out of the apparatus.