Abstract: A thin-film zinc oxide varistor (10) for use in integrated circuits and the like is produced by applying a polyoxyalkylated metal complex, such as a metal alkoxycarboxylate, to a substrate (12, 14, and 16) for the formation of a dried nonohmic layer (18). The method of production includes the steps of providing a substrate and a precursor solution including a polyoxyalkylated zinc complex (P22, P24), coating a portion of the substrate with the precursor solution (P26), drying the coated substrate (P32), and crystallizing the dried thin-film zinc oxide layer (P30). The resultant crystalline zinc oxide varistor layer (18) may be doped with bismuth, yttrium, praseodymium, cobalt, antimony, manganese, silicon, chromium, titanium, potassium, dysprosium, cesium, cerium, and iron to provide a non-ohmic varistor. The varistor layer (10) is annealed at a temperature ranging from about 400 to about 1000.degree. C.

Abstract: A system is disclosed which significantly reduces the susceptibility of a recording media to data loss due to scratches. The system uses a signal generator function to inject a periodic, small amplitude dither signal into the head positioning servo system during a write or preformatting operation to the media. This dither signal is typically sinusoidial and causes the data tracks to effectively wander back and forth over longitudinal scratches on tape media or circular scratches on disk media. The data tracks are thus never coincident with a large portion of the scratch. During read-back of the media, a tracking servo system in the tape or disk drive follows the data written on each dithered track. Since the amplitude, period, and shape of the dither's periodic offset are fixed and known in advance, the servo can effectively track the data on the tape without compromising head positioning performance.

Abstract: A multimedia array (100) is formed from a plurality of compartments (102, 104) that are capable of receiving differently sized cartridges (30, 50, 70) for presentment to a robotic arm (166). The compartments each include a sidewall ramp (150) for use in centering the cartridges in the compartments, and a rearward boss (134) for positioning forward surfaces (32, 52, 72) of the respective cartridges equidistantly (at distance D) from the forwardmost surface (114) of the compartments.

Abstract: A security device for a vehicle. The security device comprises a housing having first and second rods with the ends thereof extending from opposed sides of the housing. One end of the first rod fits over an axle of the vehicle and the corresponding end of the second rod extending under the axle and through an eyelet located in the first rod. Each of the rods is movable longitudinally and rotatably with respect to the housing. The opposed ends of the first and second rods are releasably anchorable. The security device is usable with a variety of vehicles, and is particular intended for use on car lots e.g. automobile dealerships.

Abstract: A method for fabricating an integrated circuit capacitor having a dielectric layer comprising BST with excess B-site material, such as titanium, added. A polyoxyalkylated metal liquid precursor solution is prepared comprising a stock solution of BST of greater then 99.999% purity blended with excess B-site material such as titanium such that the titanium is in the range of 0-100 mol %. A xylene exchange is then performed to adjust the viscosity of the solution for spin-on application to a substrate. The precursor is spun on a first electrode, dried at 400.degree. C. for 2 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. The resultant capacitor exhibits an enlarged dielectric constant with only a small increase in leakage current.

Abstract: A precursor liquid comprising several metal 2-ethylhexanoates, such as stroritium tantalum and bismuth 2-ethylhexanoates, in a xylenes/methyl ethyl ketone solvent is prepared, a substrate is placed within a vacuum deposition chamber, the precursor liquid is misted, and the mist is flowed into the deposition chamber while maintaining the chamber at ambient temperature to deposit a layer of the precursor liquid on the substrate. The liquid is dried, baked, and annealed to form a thin film of a layered superlattice material, such as strontium bismuth tantalate, on the substrate. Then an integrated circuit is completed to include at least a potion of the layered superlattice material film in a component of the integrated circuit.

Abstract: The multipipeline multiprocessor includes communication hardware and parallel communication algorithms that are free of contention but also optimal in the sense that communication time is minimized for any vector computation task. This apparatus makes use of a hypercube processor interconnection network that has the capability to transmit on all wires simultaneously. A set of optimal routing algorithms for any of a plurality of communication tasks are either computed or stored in a memory to direct the interprocessor communication. Each computation task is defined as a plurality of sub-tasks, each sub-task defining a particular hypercube interconnection of the processors. The execution of the plurality of sub-tasks on the hypercube interconnection network implements the computation task.

Abstract: A Coriolis effect densimeter which produces density output data of improved accuracy by embodying the principal that the natural frequency of a vibrating tube filled with material decreases with an increase in the material mass flow rate. High accuracy output data is achieved by measuring the density and the mass flow rate of material through the vibrating tube, correcting the measured density to compensate for the effect of the mass flow rate, and correcting the mass flow rate correction of the density measurement for changes due to temperature.

Abstract: The personal computer security apparatus of the present invention provides a security architecture embedded within the personal computer itself to provide a practical level of security to thereby discourage theft of the personal computer. Apparatus are provided to monitor the continuity of the connection to the telephone line to which the personal computer is connected. Loss of voltage continuity on the telephone line for greater than a predetermined period of time is indicative of an individual unplugging the personal computer from the phone jack in order to enable the person to move the personal computer. Motion sensor switches are optionally provided to detect physical movement of the personal computer in excess of a predetermined minimum allowable range of motion. The apparatus generates an audible alarm in response to the detection of a person's attempt to relocate the personal computer without properly disabling the security software via the keyboard.

Abstract: An atmospheric water vapor sensing system using Global Positioning Satellites (GPS) to determine the refractivity and Slant-path Water Vapor (SWV) between an Earth-based GPS receiver and a plurality of satellite-based GPS transmitters. Either the refractivity measure or the SWV measure can be input directly into weather forecasting models. SWV is the integrated atmospheric water vapor in a column of atmosphere at an acute angular line-of-sight path between the Earth-based GPS receiver and any one of the plurality of satellite-based GPS transmitters. SWV sensing facilitates atmospheric soundings over land and water to provide global scale high resolution atmospheric tomography for use in operational meteorology and meteorological forecasting.

Abstract: The knowledge based system identifies the occurrence of a failure within the customer equipment and functions using its rules, hypotheses and collected data to isolate the functional resource which is the source of the error in the customer equipment and, whenever possible, "fence" or isolate the failed functional resource that has caused the error. In addition, the knowledge based system makes use of resource related rules to remove a resource or set of resources available for concurrent other failure management operations. The resource related rules allow resources to function in any one non-operational or operational mode or to functional simultaneously in multiple non-operational modes.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for detecting valid data peaks read from a magnetic medium. Signals representing the peaks are entered into a shift register. Logic circuitry including comparator are connected to stages of the shift register to determine the relative magnitude of a peak sampled at time N versus subsequently sampled peaks. The generated magnitude information is used to determine which of the signals represent valid data peaks and which represent noise and the like.

Abstract: An electronic control system for a reserve, energy sourced, or deferred action battery that determines start-up temperature and voltage conditions to determine the necessary amount of charge to deliver from a reserve battery to a discharged battery. A temperature sensor is used to measure the ambient temperature and operating temperature of the electronic control system. A target charge value is selected based on the ambient temperature and startup voltage information. The operating temperature of the electronics control system is monitored to ensure the most efficient and reliable delivery of charge. Indications are provided to the user to provide information regarding charging status, connection status, and voltage levels.

Abstract: An individual telephone line call event buffering system is disclosed which provides backup memory storage for incoming and outgoing call events, including calling line identification (CLID) information in a computer based telephone line monitoring system when the computer or its call processing application software is off-line. The call event buffering system includes a hardware based call processor, distribution controller and memory system, and a software based computer monitoring system, all of which operate in conjunction with a standard personal computer, a standard telephone line, standard telephone line equipment including, but not limited to, a telephone, facsimile, and modem, and standard telephone central office services including, but not limited to, Caller-ID, distinctive ring, call transfer, forwarding and conferencing, voice mail, and visual message waiting.

Abstract: A grammar, parsing method, and associated apparatus for automatically generating test commands to test an SQL database engine interface while reducing storage requirements and improving access time for such test commands as compared with prior test tools. The test tools and methods include a grammar for concise syntactic representation of a meta-query (also referred to as meta-language statement, query pattern, or query template). The meta-query defines an statement similar to the SQL language but includes query elements and query list elements used to generate a plurality of SQL test commands to be applied to the SQL database engine under test. Test commands are generated from the meta-query to reduce storage requirements of prior test methods. Query elements are variable space holders in the meta-query and are replaced by a value appropriate to the SQL database engine under test when the meta-query is used to generate test commands.

Abstract: A pair of flowmeters having unequal flow carrying capabilities are effectively connected in parallel to receive a material flow. The material flow through the flowmeters supplies output signals to associated meter electronics which derives mass flow and other information for each meter. The meter electronics is pre-programmed with information regarding the physical characteristics of each flowmeter. The meter electronics uses the pre-programmed information and the derived material flow velocity for each meter and other information to determine the viscosity for the material in the flowmeters.

Abstract: The coaxial reel tape cartridge uses a lengthy tape path within the tape cartridge to reduce the stresses on the tape medium as it is transported between the two reels. The tape reel lock mechanism locks the two tape reels together to prevent rotation of the reels with respect to each other when the tape cartridge is removed from the tape drive. The lock mechanism also locks the tape reels to the exterior housing to prevent any rotation of either tape reel. This lock mechanism enables to tape cartridge to implement mid-point loads.

Abstract: An automatic well test system (20) utilizes a Coriolis flowmeter (68) that functions as a mass flowmeter and densitometer in combination with a water-cut monitor (66) to calculate volumetric flow rates and densities of materials draining from a test separator (24) in a combined or two-phase production stream. An oil-phase density value is corrected to eliminate the effect of its water content, and divided into the mass flow rate reading to obtain a net oil flow rate. System operations are governed by an automated controller (86) that utilizes a gas blanket system (28) to prevent low pressures from liberating gas from the liquids within the test separator.

Abstract: A first metal, an alcohol, and a carboxylic acid are reacted to form a metal alkoxycarboxylate which is then reacted with an alkoxide and/or a carboxylate of a second metal to form a precursor. Alternatively, a metal carboxylate and a metal alkoxide are combined and heated to form a precursor. In either alternative, the precursor includes all or most of the metal-oxygen-metal bonds of a desired metal oxide and a carboxylate ligand. The precursor is applied to a substrate, dried and annealed to form the metal oxide, such as BST. The metal-oxygen-metal bonds in the precursor permit the desired metal oxide to be formed from the precursor in one step, providing excellent thin films suitable for integrated circuits. The carboxylate ligand provides stability to the precursor allowing it to be stored for periods common in large scale manufacturing.