Abstract: A method for adjusting process temperature measurements used to monitor zone conditions in a reflow oven selects values for exclusion from correlation with the predicted part temperature profile. During the thermal process, a plurality of process temperatures over intervals may be measured along the reflow oven. Over a time period for the thermal process, a measured process temperature of this plurality may be evaluated for the maximum and minimum extremities, from which a difference for that interval may be calculated. This difference may be compared to a qualifier for the plurality, and be excluded from part temperature prediction if the difference for the interval exceeds the qualifier. In an alternative embodiment, the maximum and/or minimum extremities from the plurality of process temperature measurements may be incorporated to produce a process temperature profile for correlation with the part temperature profile.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for component to substrate assembly permits in situ reflow of a flip chip (or other suitable component) in a manner which promotes proper settling of the component as solder begins to flow at the contact points between the component and the substrate. The component is heated and held by a pick-up head while applying downforce that serves to level the component. The initiation of solder reflow can be detected with the pick-up head by sensing a decrease in the downforce. Downforce applied to the component with the pick-up head is then decreased and the retention mechanism holding the component is released, freeing the component from the pick-up head and permitting the component to properly self-center using the liquid solder's surface tension.

Abstract: In one aspect of the present invention, a method provides a connecting path diversion through an upper layer of an integrated circuit by alteration of a connecting path through a lower layer of the integrated circuit. This method enables a circuit path in an integrated circuit to be modified in an accessible layer for testing before the modified circuit path is incorporated in a redesigned integrated circuit design. In another aspect of the present invention, a modified multi-layer integrated circuit chip includes a connecting path formed in a lower layer and a substitute connecting path that is etched in the lower layer. Subsequently, the connecting path formed in the lower layer may be severed.

Abstract: A high-speed silicon photodiode and method of manufacture include a first layer of silicon having thickness in a range of about 125 &mgr;m to about 550 &mgr;m. A second layer of silicon has a thickness in a range of about 3 &mgr;m to about 16 &mgr;m and a resistivity of at least about 500 ohm-cm. This first layer is doped with a second type of impurity. In an alternative aspect, a high-speed silicon photodiode and method of manufacture includes a silicon wafer doped with a first type of impurity. On a first side of the wafer a doping of a second type is applied in an active area of a photodiode. On the reverse of the wafer a volume of silicon is etched away and the resulting trench is coated with a conductor. The wafer may also exhibit a high resistivity of at least about 500 ohm-cm. In each aspect, a reverse bias not exceeding about 3.3 volts permits operation with a frequency response of at least 750 MHz.

Abstract: A method of transmitting delay sensitive information over Internet Protocol (IP) over Frame Relay including storing the information in an IP packet, storing the IP packet in a sub-frame, storing a special symbol representing that the frame is delay sensitive in the sub-frame, storing the sub-frame in a frame, storing a network layer protocol identification representing that the frame contains IP information in the frame, and transmitting the frame over a Frame Relay Network, distinguishing delay sensitive information from non-delay sensitive information by examining the special symbol. Additionally, in systems using the FRF.12 or similar fragmenting standard, the special symbol may be stored in the header of the fragment.

Abstract: A device for processing network access requests responsive to more than one network access protocol comprises a protocol layer responsive to a client access request based on a first protocol, a gateway layer in communication with the protocol layer including at least one protocol handler for processing access requests and a state manager having more than one set of process states required for each network access method, and an inbound filter state object in communication with the gateway layer that is responsive to at least one protocol handler and is invoked to filter attribute data in the access request packets.

Abstract: A pressure sensor for measuring a pressure p contains a membrane with a front and a rear clamped into a body. The pressure p can be applied to the rear of the membrane. The front of the membrane is actively linked to a piston. In addition, a force transmitter is present with which a predetermined force can be applied to the piston. For the purpose of re-calibration, the membrane of the pressure sensor can be deformed by the force transmitter under precisely defined conditions and the output signal re-calibrated. A positioner can also be foreseen instead of the force transmitter.

Abstract: A method for fitting a hearing compensation device comprises selecting a plurality of loudness levels for a plurality of frequencies and comparing each loudness level for each frequency for perceived sameness. The loudness levels may then be adjusted as needed to achieve perceived sameness across the frequency spectrum. A gain curve for each frequency is calculated from the selected plurality of loudness levels.

Abstract: A hardware search engine facility is provided to allow CPU search and update of a Forwarding Table CAM under the control of software running on the CPU. The hardware search engine provides one or more comparand-mask pairs which allow for a match, exclusion or magnitude comparison on specific entry values and/or the option to ignore or “don't care” certain bits of the entry. Control registers may be set in software to specify a start address and stop address in the CAM for the search. An indication of valid or invalid entries may be provided as well. Once the search is initiated by software, the search engine will read the entries sequentially starting from the programmed start address. It will perform a compare using the comparand-mask pair and attempt to identify a match. The locations in the CAM which match the search criteria may be put into a CPU-accessible memory. If the memory fills up before it can be read by the software, the search may be halted until the memory is emptied.

Abstract: A method for fabricating titanium-indiffusion waveguides in optical modulators and other optical waveguide devices includes disposing titanium strips in a waveguide pattern on the surface of a crystalline substrate, such as lithium niobate or lithium tantalate, and indiffusing the titanium atoms into the crystalline substrate by pressurizing above ambient atmospheric pressure an oxygen gas atmosphere enclosing the crystalline substrate, heating in the oxygen gas atmosphere, maintaining temperature and pressure for an indiffusion period, and cooling to ambient temperature. A powder formed of the same chemical composition as the crystalline substrate may be introduced into the indiffusion process to limit the crystalline substrate from outgassing alkaline earth metal oxide during the indiffusion period. An indiffusion container that allows for crystalline substrates to be annealed in the presence of a powder without contaminating the substrate with the powder during the indiffusion process may be used.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for converting computer graphics images into a format suitable for display on a TV. A flicker filter is combined with a vertical scaling filter and/or vertical overscan compensation filter to produce an interlaced image formatted for display on a TV, more efficiently than if the processes occurred sequentially. The apparatus and method are not limited to any particular filter sizes or set of filter coefficient values. The apparatus and method may be used as part of a multimedia computer system.

Abstract: A semiautomatic method for digital feature separation uses a trained sample selected by an operator using a software “eye dropper” tool or a similar region-of-interest tool to sample features of interest on a stored digital image of, for example, an electronic component such as pads, bumps or leads of the component. Pixels from the sampled features are analyzed and plotted based on their color hue and saturation values or gray scale intensity values. The range of such values is chosen by a user. A second digital image is then compared to the sampled feature data gathered by the “eye dropper” tool. If the color and intensity values of the pixels from the second digital image fall within a user defined acceptable absolute value range, then the locations and values of those pixels in the image are saved.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling a part temperature profile by optimizing response characteristics based on control parameters acquires part temperature response characteristics at selected conditions to form an index value and calculates linear relationships between the index and its corresponding control parameters. The method searches for the minimum index thereby determining its corresponding optimal control parameters for thermal processing of parts in order that the part temperature profile responds within the target specification range with the greatest margin available. The apparatus determines the minimum index value and its corresponding the optimum control parameters.

Abstract: A klystron tube for amplifying signals at microwave radio frequencies utilizes an electron source for emitting electrons through a field focused by a high energy magnet in the RF section of the tube. After the electrons have passed through the active area of the tube, the electrons strike the collector which, in this case, is a multistage depressed collector. The multistages of the depressed collector are connected to high energy voltage sources of different potentials. The klystron tube with the multistage depressed collector is uniquely used here for the first time in a ground based satellite or terrestrial communications system.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing video data. The apparatus is composed of a plurality of reducers. A block is received, corresponding to a plurality of color space components and having a width defined by a plurality of pixels digitally represented by bytes. The video data is first reduced by performing power of two reduction. This is followed by fine scale reduction to achieve the final reduced image.

Abstract: A browser-independent and automatic apparatus and method for receiving, installing, and launching applications from a browser is described. According to one embodiment, a helper application is registered with a browser for a specified file type. When the browser encounters a link to a metafile of the specified file type, the file is downloaded to the requesting system and the helper application is invoked to process the downloaded file. In the context of a Java™ implementation, the downloaded metafile comprises a short launch file specification for a Java™ application, and specifies a classpath as a set of Universal Resource Identifiers (“URIs”), a Java™ Runtime Environment (“JRE”) version, security considerations, and other relevant information concerning the Java™ application to be executed.

Abstract: A connector integrates a transformer and a “phantom” power provision, thus enabling a reduction in size along with an increase in versatility for electronic communication. The transformer may comprise a pair of magnetic transformers. The power source may be connected to center taps of the magnetic transformers for providing a bias voltage to the connector.

Abstract: A tunneling charge injector includes a conducting injector electrode, a grid insulator disposed adjacent the conducting injector electrode, a grid electrode disposed adjacent said grid insulator, a retention insulator which may employ a graded band gap disposed adjacent said grid electrode, and a floating gate disposed adjacent said retention insulator. In the tunneling charge injector, charge is injected from the conducting injector electrode onto the floating gate. Electrons are injected onto the floating gate when the conducting injector electrode is negatively biased with respect to the grid electrode, and holes are injected onto the floating gate when the conducting injector electrode is positively biased with respect to the grid electrode. The tunneling charge injector is employed in a nonvolatile memory cell having a nonvolatile memory element with a floating gate such as a floating gate MOS transistor.

Abstract: A data communications network with a plurality of PoPs maintains a local database associated with each PoP and a central database somewhere on the data communications network. The local database contains a group identification such as a domain identification corresponding to a group of users, a maximum number of proxied sessions to provide the group of users at the PoP and a dynamic proxy session count corresponding to active proxied sessions currently provided to the group of users at the PoP. The central database contains a maximum number of proxied sessions to provide the group of users over the entire data communications network and a dynamic network-wide proxy session count corresponding to active proxied sessions currently provided to the group of users on the entire data communications network. Actions are taken when the group attempts to exceed either the local maximum number of sessions or the network-wide maximum number of sessions by more than a predetermined number.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an article capable of constraining a propagating wave is disclosed. The method includes contacting a crystalline substrate with a source of deuterium ions to create a region in the crystalline substrate having a crystal structure that includes deuterium ions. The region is capable of constraining a propagating wave to the region.