Abstract: The virtual reality imaging system takes a multidimensional space that contains real world objects and phenomena, be they static or dynamic in nature, and enables a user to define a point in and/or a path through this multidimensional space. The apparatus then displays the view to the user that would be seen from the point in and/or path through the multidimensional space. This view is filtered through user definable characteristics that refine the real world phenomena and objects to a perspective that is of interest to the user. This filtered view presents the user with a virtual view of the reality contained within this multidimensional space, which virtual reality presents data to the user of only objects, views and phenomena that are of particular interest to the user.

Abstract: A fuel delivery system (200) is provided for removing air from fuel delivered to a diesel engine, and includes a primary water separation filter (16), and a secondary air separation filter (18). The air separation filter (18) is located downstream from the water separation filter (16) for delivering substantially gas-free fuel to the engine at a positive pressure in a volumetric rate exceeding engine fuel demand. The air separation filter includes a vessel (58), a fuel inlet into the vessel (300), a fuel outlet (424) leading to the engine, an inlet side fuel return discharge (294), an outlet side fuel return discharge (428) leading to the fuel tank, and a filter cartridge (58) including filter element (94) presenting numerous small openings therein for permitting the passage of fuel therethrough but screening out bubbles entrapped in the fuel. As the bubbles are trapped on the element, they float upwardly for discharge through gas discharge port (294).

Abstract: An undesirable energy suppression system in a contention based communications network having a shared communication path between a plurality of remote points and a headend in a simplex network or a bidirectional network. The system includes a method and apparatus for transmitting a signal on the shared communication path from any one of the plurality of remote points contending for the shared communication path, to the headend. The signal includes a gate enabling signal also known as a prybar signal. The shared communication path includes a gate where the gate connects the shared communication path when the gate is closed, and the gate disconnects the shared communication path when the gate is open. The system controls the gate in response to receiving the gate enabling signal. Absent a gate enabling signal, any signal or other energy on the shared communication path will not propagate through the network because the shared communication path is disconnected.

Abstract: The printed circuit board fault injector circuit uses an automated fixture to enable a robot arm mechanism to position a probe at a designated test node on the printed circuit board under test and apply a fault signal thereto. The test apparatus ensures that the designated node is in contact with the fault injector probe and controllably applies a voltage and/or current signal of selected magnitude to the test node to typically create a stuck-at-one or a stuck-at-zero fault or any other definable condition. The fault injector probe produces a stuck-at-zero fault that is not subject to spurious high frequency harmonics by extending the dynamic range of the fault injector circuit to apply a negative voltage to the test node to rob the output stage of the logic circuit that drives the test node of all drive current, thereby forcing a solid stuck-at-zero condition.

Abstract: A winter precipitation measuring system for quantifying the precipitation rate of winter precipitation at a given point on the Earth's surface. The winter precipitation measuring system includes an elongated tube, a thermal plate within the elongated tube, and a method and apparatus for maintaining the thermal plate at a substantially constant temperature relative to a reference plate and for determining a precipitation rate in response to the difference in power consumption required to maintain the thermal plate at a substantially constant temperature.

Abstract: A computer operable method and associated apparatus for dynamically escalating low granularity locks on a shared resource to higher granularity locks. When the number of low granularity locks exceeds a plurality of escalation threshold parameters, allocated low granularity locks for a particular user (process) are escalated to a higher granularity lock to thereby free the low granularity locks for re-use by other processes. The plurality of escalation threshold parameters permit more flexible tuning of escalation criteria as compared to prior techniques. The escalation threshold parameters may be varied according to the needs of particular computing systems, performance criteria, or other considerations. Additional features of the invention enable the automated adjustment of the plurality of escalation threshold parameters by operation of the computer system monitoring performance and loading parameters of the system.

Abstract: A database view generation system for viewing a result set of data extracted from a database by a query. The database view generation system includes selecting a viewpoint from among at least one field set record source of a database sub-schema and generating a view of the result set in at least one level from a perspective of the viewpoint. Generating a view from a viewpoint includes analyzing the sub-schema for connectedness, identifying the sub-schema type, assigning a level indicator value that is indicative of the hierarchical position of record sources in the sub-schema relative to the viewpoint, and displaying a view of the result set based on the level indicator value assigned to each record source containing data in the result set.

Abstract: A method for determining pressure in an operating Coriolis effect mass flowmeter. The Coriolis flowmeter flow tubes are vibrated in both a bending mode (as is normal for measuring mass flow rate) and in a twisting mode. The ratio of the fundamental frequencies at which the flow tubes vibrate in each of the two vibration modes is proportional to the pressure within the flow tubes. In the preferred embodiment, a sum/difference method initially isolates the superposed sinusoids representing the fundamental frequencies of the two vibrational modes. Fast conjugate gradient (FCG) digital filters are then used to rapidly estimate the fundamental frequencies in each of the two vibration modes. The estimated frequencies are then used by filter chains including digital notch and band pass filters as well as recursive maximum likelihood (RML) digital filter techniques to enhance the bending mode and twisting mode fundamental frequency estimates.

Abstract: A Coriolis flowmeter whose flow tubes are made, at least part, of anisotrophic materials such as fiber reinforced composites. The composite material is formed by controllably orienting the fibers in one direction to increase the tensile strength of the material in that direction. Selected areas of the flow tubes are formed of this composite in order to increase the flowmeter sensitivity and to better separate the desired flowmeter vibrational frequencies from the undesired vibrational frequencies. Circumferentially oriented fibers increase the internal pressure containment capability of the flow tubes. A strain gauge affixed to the flow tube flexes with flow tube deformation to indicate the internal flow tube pressure.

Abstract: A Coriolis flowmeter having an outer rotor positioned within a housing and having a recess coaxial with a center axis of rotation. A Coriolis rotor is positioned in the recess of the outer rotor and has a center of rotation coaxial with the center axis of rotation. The Coriolis rotor has a plurality of holes, each of which extends from the outer periphery of said Coriolis rotor to a center recess of said Coriolis rotor. The outer rotor has a plurality of holes, each of which extends from the outer periphery of the outer rotor to the recess of said outer rotor with at least some of said holes in said outer rotor being aligned with a corresponding one of said plurality of said holes in said Coriolis rotor. A fluid inlet extends fluid through holes of both the outer rotor and the Coriolis rotor to a fluid outlet of the flowmeter. Both rotors rotate about the center axis of rotation when fluid is received and passes through the holes of the rotors.

Abstract: A method for fabricating an integrate circuit capacitor having a dielectric layer comprising BST with excess A-site and B-site materials such as barium and titanium added. An organometallic or metallic soap precursor solution is prepared comprising a stock solution of BST of greater than 99.999% purity blended with excess A-site and B-site materials such as barium and titanium such that the barium is in the range of 0.01-100 mol %, and such that the titanium is in the range of 0.01-100 mol %. A xylene exchange is then performed to adjust the viscosity of the solution for spin-on application to a substrate. The precursor solution is spun on a first electrode, dried at 400.degree. C. for 2 to 10 minutes, then annealed at 650.degree. C. to 800.degree. C. for about an hour to form a layer of BST with excess titanium. A second electrode is deposited, patterned, and annealed at between 650.degree. C. to 800.degree. C. for about 30 minutes.

Abstract: An electrode for a ferroelectric electronic device is formed on an SiO.sub.2 isolation layer by depositing an adhesion layer, such as titanium, between about 25 .ANG. and 500 .ANG. thick, then a layer of a nobel metal, such as platinum, that is at least 10 times thicker than the adhesion layer. The electrode is then annealed at a temperature higher than the minimum oxide eutectic temperature of the adhesion layer. The electrode is moved into the annealing furnace at a ramp rate such that it reaches its anneal temperature in five minutes or less. The relative thinness of the adhesion layer and the quick ramp up of the anneal causes all the titanium to be tied up in the oxide before it can diffuse through the platinum, and prevents the formation of rutile phases of the titanium and defects such as voids and hillocks in the platinum, which can destabilize the electrode.

Abstract: A comprehensive order transaction and file transfer protocol system for the reprographic services industry. A sender application at the user site compiles order information and document data files into a single transfer file and sends the transfer file to the receiver application at the provider site. When the transfer file is sent, the sender application prints a confirmation document for the user confirming that the order has been sent. When the order has been received and checked for errors by the receiver application, the receiver application sends a transfer confirmation document to the user confirming the successful receipt of the order data file and the document data files. The receiver application notifies the provider personnel, such as through activation of a personal pager, that a new order has been received and should be processed.

Abstract: A memory cell includes a ferroelectric capacitor and a transistor connected between one side of the capacitor and a bit line. A drive circuit includes an operational amplifier having an output, an inverting input, and a non-inverting input. A plate line is connected between the other side of the capacitor and the output. The non-inverting input is connected to a data-in line through a first resistor and to the bit line through a second resistor. The inverting input is connected to a constant voltage source through a third resistor, and to the plate line through a fourth resistor. A first buffer amplifier is connected between the bit line and the second resistor, and a second buffer amplifier is connected between the plate line and the fourth resistor. Voltage is connected to the other one of the operational amplifier inputs.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a ferroelectric or layered superlattice DRAM compatible with conventional silicon CMOS technology. A MOSFET is formed on a silicon substrate. A thick layer of BPSG followed by a thin SOG layer overlies the MOSFET. A capacitor is formed by depositing a layer of platinum, annealing, depositing an intermediate layer comprising a ferroelectric or layer superlattice material, annealing, depositing a second layer of platinum, then patterning the capacitor. Another SOG layer is deposited, contact holes to the MOSFET and capacitor are partially opened, the SOG is annealed, the contact holes are completely opened, and a Pt/Ti/PtSi wiring layer is deposited.

Abstract: A method is described which provides various new data storage system capabilities by using data storage structures within industry standard (or other pre-existing) formats used with data recording devices employing removable media. The data storage structures used by the present method comprise formats which contain regions previously marked as "contents of this region are not of interest" or marked as "no data was recorded within this region". These data storage structures are thus transparent to present data recording devices so as not to disrupt their data processing functions. However, the data storage structures are available to be used by new data recording devices (or old devices that have been updated) so that new data embedded therein may be used to enhance the functionality of the system which utilizes the data storage structures.

Abstract: The cache memory is divided into a plurality of slots, each of which is used to store data files that are staged from the storage devices for transmission to the processor or received from the processor for writing on the storage devices. The management of the plurality of slots is accomplished by the use of at least two sets of lists: global lists and local lists. These lists function to respectively manage the entirety of the cache memory and the slots, either on an individual slot basis or on a virtual device basis. These two sets of lists therefore operate on a substantially orthogonal basis, while also operating cooperatively, to efficiently manage the writing of data into and out of the cache memory.

Abstract: A speech recognition test system comprising a single host processing system having a host processor and a memory device, wherein the memory device contains a plurality of audio files accessible by the host processor. The test system also includes a speech recognition application having a vocabulary, an independent test application, a means for concurrently executing the speech recognition application and the independent test application on the host processor, a means for queuing the audio files as input to the speech recognition application by way of the test application, a means for programming the test application at configuration time to expand the vocabulary of the application being tested and/or other voice gender, volume, and speed playback parameters, and a means for capturing and evaluating test results from the speech recognition application by way of the test application.

Abstract: An integrated circuit capacitor (20) includes a bottom electrode structure (24) having an adhesion metal portion (34), a noble metal portion (36), and a second noble metal layer (40). A process of manufacture includes annealing the adhesion metal portion (34) and the noble metal portion (36) prior to the deposition of second noble metal layer (40) for purposes of forming barrier region (38). The electrode (24) preferably contacts metal oxide layer (26), which is made of a perovskite or perovskite-like layered superlattice material. A temporary capping layer (59) is formed and removed in manufacture, which serves to increase polarization potential from the device by at least 40%.

Abstract: A pass thru port, for use in an automated cartridge library, is capable of transferring a cartridge from one module of the automated cartridge library to another module of the automated cartridge library without the use of motors or other powered devices. A rotating mechanism, operating under the force of gravity, engages the cartridge after the cartridge is released by the robot arm of the first module. The rotating mechanism turns the cartridge so it faces in the appropriate direction to be received by the second module. A pivoting tray in the second module engages the cartridge as the cartridge slides from the rotating mechanism to the second module. The pivoting tray positions the cartridge in the second module so that it may be retrieved by a robot arm in the second module. Multiple cartridges can be loaded into the pass thru port and removed one at a time from the second module with the next module automatically moving into position in the second module when the first cartridge is removed.