Abstract: A method for the fair and efficient transfer of variable length packets using fixed length “segments” utilizes a modified UTOPIA interface with three additional signals added, i.e. start of packet (SOP), end of packet (EOP), and most significant byte (MSB). Packets are broken into “segments” of fixed, but programmable, length. The start of a segment is marked by a pulse on the UTOPIA start of cell (SOC) signal line. The start of a packet is marked by a pulse on the SOP signal line. The end of a packet is marked by a pulse on the EOP signal line. According to a presently preferred embodiment, bytes are transferred via a 16-bit bus. When a packet ends with a single byte on the bus, the MSB signal line is asserted to distinguish it from a packet which ends with two bytes on the bus. The invention can be expanded to accommodate buses wider than 16-bits by making the EOP a multiple bit signal.

Abstract: A port device includes tubular body with a distal swivel, a platform movable along the length of the port body, and preferably three legs movable relative to the platform. The tubular body is inserted through the chest wall, and the platform is then positioned over the proximal end of the tubular body and adjusted such that feet on the legs contact the chest wall and clamp the chest wall between the feet and the swivel. The legs may be individually adjusted to provide the tubular body at a desired angle relative to the chest wall. According to preferred aspects of the port device, the platform may be ratcheted relative to the port body and the feet may be ratcheted relative to the platform to permit rapid adjustment of the port relative to the patient.

Abstract: A phase/frequency detector includes two D-Q flip-flops, an OR gate, and an exclusive NOR (XNOR) gate. The phase/frequency detector is used in conjunction with a clock dejitter PLL where the underflow and overflow flags from a FIFO are coupled to the inputs of the OR gate and the Q outputs of the flip-flops are coupled to the inputs of the XNOR gate. The Qb output of each flip-flop is coupled to the D input of the respective flip-flop. The recovered clock signal is coupled to the clock input of the first flip-flop and the output of the VCXO is coupled to the clock input of the second flip-flop. The SET input of the first flip-flop is coupled to the overflow flag and the RESET input of the first flip-flop is coupled to the underflow flag. The SET input of the second flip-flop is coupled to the output of the OR gate and the output of the XNOR gate is passed through the filter to the input of the VCXO.

Abstract: An apparatus which manipulates particles suspended in a fluid includes a duct for the flow of the fluid in which the particles are suspended, and a mechanism for establishing an acoustic standing wave field across the width of the duct, the duct being formed with an expansion in width downstream of the standing wave field. In use, the particles in the fluid are displaced into a series of parallel bands by the acoustic standing wave field. The particles remain in these bands as the fluid flows downstream from the section in which the standing wave field is present. When the fluid reaches the expansion of the duct, the stream of fluid expands accordingly in width and, in so doing, the bands of particles are spread further apart, so increasing the spacing between adjacent bands. The bands can then be observed or separated from the duct.

Abstract: A fibre or thread (20) incorporates an electronic transponder (10), which is of sufficiently small diameter that it is difficult or impossible to discern either visually or by touch. The transponder (10) can be interrogated to identify the fibre or thread or to identify a fabric or other article in which the fibre or thread is incorporated.

Abstract: An ATM switch (10) has a plurality of link controllers (12) each having a FIFO (30) for each VC established, a FIFO (32) for each priority level, and a traffic shaping FIFO (34) for pointers to ABR cells. Cells are pushed into the VC FIFO (30) and a pointer to the VC FIFO (30) is pushed into an arbitration FIFO (32) for the priority level of the VC FIFO (30). Pointers to ABR cells with onward transmission times are pushed into the traffic shaping FIFO (34). The arbitration FIFOs (32) are examined according to a schedule and cells are popped from VC FIFOs (30) according to priority for exit from the controller (12). A leaky bucket processor (22) calculates an average output cell rate OCR and ABR cells are popped from VC FIFOs out of turn if the MCR for the ABR VC exceed the OCR.

Abstract: A debugging interface includes a pair of decoders and an event history buffer coupled to the sequencer of a processor. The first decoder is coupled to the program counter of the sequencer and the Instruction RAM of the processor. The second decoder is coupled to the cause register of the sequencer and the event history buffer is also coupled to the cause register. The first decoder provides a three bit real time output which is indicative of the processor activity on a cycle by cycle basis. The three bit output indicates seven different conditions: whether the last instruction executed by the processor was an inc, an exception, an exception with no event history buffer entry, or a branch taken, whether there has been no instruction executed since the last clock cycle, and whether a jump was an immediate jump or a jump to a register.

Abstract: Electrical conductors according to the invention include conductors made from a plurality of strands twisted around a central conductor, where the strands are fused to the central conductor but not to each other. According to a preferred embodiment, the central conductor is coated with a coating of a first material which may be melted to fuse the central conductor to the outer strands. In another preferred embodiment, the outer strands are also coated with a second conductive material which forms a eutectic mixture with the coating on the central conductor when heated to a temperature below the melting points of the first and second conductive materials. Alternate embodiments of the invention provide a eutectic mixture by choice of strand and central conductor material and/or coating.

Abstract: A low profile speaker enclosure for mounting on a structure including a speaker housing and an electroacoustical transducer is disclosed. The speaker housing has a front face and a back each defining a length and a width, and a plurality of sides substantially separating the front face and the back and defining a thickness of the speaker housing. In the preferred embodiment, the front face and the back are substantially parallel. The front face, the back, and the plurality of sides of the speaker housing substantially define a chamber. The front face defines a speaker aperture opening into the chamber. The electroacoustical transducer is mounted in the speaker aperture. At least one of the sides defines a side aperture. The back of the low profile speaker enclosure defines a channel and defines a back aperture providing an opening between the channel and the chamber. The side aperture is also defined by the channel.

Abstract: A coaxial cable includes an inner conductor made of a number of conductive strands which are twined to form a wire rope which is drawn through a die to reduce its diameter until the outer surface of the cable is substantially smooth and the cross section of the cable is substantially circular, an outer conductor concentrically around the inner conductor, and a dielectric between the inner and outer conductors. The strands of the cable may be a single metal or alloy wires, or may be plated wires. The outer conductor may be a highly flexible metallized tape which is helically wrapped around the dielectric. As such, the coaxial cable has substantially greater flexibility. According to a second embodiment, a coaxial cable includes inner and outer conductors, and a dielectric therebetween. The dielectric includes an outer cross-sectional shape which is preferably different from an inner cross-sectional shape of the outer conductor.

Abstract: A support structure for a building comprises a pair of steel piers (11) embedded into or supported upon a ground surface so as to extend upwardly therefrom. The structure also comprises a wall support lintel (80,90) secured to each pier (11) so as to extend substantially horizontally therebetween. The structure also comprises a respective floor support member (50) secured to each pier.

Abstract: A canalicular plug includes a throughbore provided with a valve. Preferably, the plug has a proximal occluding head, a central shaft and a distal body portion. The throughbore is preferably stepped and includes a large proximal portion for receiving an insertion tool and a smaller distal portion. The valve is preferably integrally molded with the canalicular plug, and the plug is preferably made from a resilient biocompatible material. According to a preferred aspect of the invention, the distal body portion includes at least one slot dividing the distal portion into a plurality of resilient portions which are biased apart and coupled by a foldable curtain portion extending between the resilient portions. The resilient portions are inwardly compressible about the slot. When compressed together, the distal ends of the resilient portions together form a generally conical or frustoconical shape which facilitates insertion through the punctal opening.

Abstract: A multi-chamber positive displacement pump comprises a unitary housing in which is formed a plurality of cylinders. A pumping plunger is slidably mounted in each cylinder to define a pumping chamber. Means are provided for reciprocating the pumping plungers in order cyclically to vary the volume of the pumping chambers to effect delivery of a pumped fluid from the pumping chambers. A delivery passage is connected to each of the pumping chambers to receive pumped fluid therefrom, the delivery passage comprising at least one gallery formed in the unitary housing and open to an end face of the housing and passageways which extend through the unitary housing from the galleries to the pumping chambers. The galleries are closed by an end plate which is secured to the unitary housing. Feed passages and working fluid passages may likewise be defined by combination of galleries in the end face and passageways in the unitary housing.

Abstract: A needleless IV injection port assembly includes a spiked body provided with a hollow spike, a female luer component, a flexible and resilient spike boot having a tip and spring portion, a centering member, and a resilient swabbable septum. The spike boot extends over the spike, the centering member is provided over a portion of the spike and spike boot, and the septum is provided between the centering member and an end of the female luer component. The spiked body and the female luer component are secured together to complete the assembly. The length of the female luer component and/or the length of the spike is chosen so that when a separate male luer is positioned over a protuberance on the septum and pushed into the female luer component, the male luer places pressure upon the septum which thereby urges the septum toward the spike. The pressure on the septum causes the spring portion of the boot to be compressed and the tip portion of the boot to be pierced by the tip of the spike.

Abstract: A reservoir for re-usable cleaning fluid and filter for filtering fluid draining into the reservoir are positioned below an engine or supported engine component positioned at a cleaning zone. Cleaning fluid is delivered to the cleaning zone from the cleaning fluid held in the reservoir and the delivered cleaning fluid then drains into the reservoir (via the filter) from the cleaning zone above the reservoir. The cleaning fluid is re-circulated and filtered for continuous use.

Abstract: A distributed processing system includes a plurality of cells where each cell processes information in response to a type of event, and cells communicate with each other according to an (asynchronous) event-reaction protocol. According to one embodiment, each cell is responsive to a single type of event and includes a plurality of scripts which are executed upon the occurrence of an event of the appropriate type. At least some scripts include directions to send information to one or more scripts in another cell. According to another embodiment, some cells communicate with other cells according to a (synchronous) streaming protocol and other cells communicate according to an (asynchronous) event-reaction protocol. The cells communicate with each other via a shared memory or via a communications bus. The communications protocol utilized by the cells enables the use of virtually any networking medium. Thus, cells may reside in the same chip or may be separated from each other by thousands of miles.

Abstract: A SS7 signalling router receives SS7 signalling regarding narrowband calls to be routed over the ATM network. When the SS7 router receives signalling from the SS7 network, it does not process the signalling, but reads the originator point code (OPC) and forwards the signalling via the ATM network to the ATM switch which is attached to the originator of the message. An interworking function (IWF) at the ATM switch processes the SS7 signalling by generating the appropriate ATM signalling to set up a circuit between the originating ATM switch and the destination ATM switch. The IWF at the originating ATM switch also processes the SS7 signalling by returning it to the SS7 router with the destination point code (DPC) of the PSTN switch coupled to the destination ATM switch. When the SS7 router receives an SS7 signalling message from an ATM switch, it forwards it to the SS7 network where it is sent to the DPC.

Abstract: A pictorial user interface for accessing information in an electronic file system provides a pictorial image which is linked to a file directory and which identifies the file directory. Objects in the pictorial image are icons linked to file objects and an animated character is overlaid on the pictorial image. User input causes movement of the animated character relative to the pictorial image. Input from the user is preferably through a limited input device such as a gamepad controller, a mouse, or by using a limited number of keys on a normal keyboard. Input signals are mapped according to keycode identical command sets, context arguments and selection arguments. Commands that can be invoked by the user include operating system commands, pictorial object commands, and interface utility commands. Using the pictorial object commands, the user can configure the interface so that different pictures and icons are associated with different directories and files.

Abstract: Medical devices are provided which utilize a highly flexible cable of two and preferably three or more strands of wire, at least one of which is a nickel-titanium alloy strand. The strands are twined to form a wire rope which is drawn through successive dies to reduce its diameter until the outer surface of the cable is substantially smooth. A cable of all nickel-titanium alloy strands has been found to have an improved elasticity over a superelastic nickel-titanium wire of the same diameter. The cable is used in medical devices in which increased elasticity of a wire-like element is desired. Twisted and drawn cables incorporating a strand of a radiopaque metal or alloy with one or more nickel-titanium strands may be used in devices in which radiopacity of a flexible portion of the device is desired.