Abstract: The invention includes a particle sensor with a particle counter. A regenerative blower pulls ambient air into a flow within the particle counter, and a laser illuminates the flow to generate laser radiation indicative of particles within the flow. A detector detects the laser radiation; and particle sensing electronics counts particles within the flow at a preselected volumetric flow rate, e.g., 1 CFM. Preferably, the particle counter includes a plurality of pressure sensors; and a blower speed voltage controller adjusts the speed of the blower according to signals from the pressure sensors to achieve the preselected volumetric flow rate. The regenerative blower permits use of a high efficiency exhaust filter to filter air exhausted from the blower. An airflow path between the particle counter and the regenerative blower preferably has at least one bend between the particle counter and the blower to increase compactness of the system.

Abstract: An invention for intelligently adjusting the timing of generation of a series of detection windows to maintain synchronization with the occurrence of data pulses within a stream of phase-encoded binary data is disclosed. In an embodiment of the present invention, thresholding logic is added to a limited response self-clocking decode phased locked loop to achieve a more robust data detection method and system, which is less susceptible and sensitive to noise error. In one embodiment of the system, an up/down counter is used to count to occurrence of late and early data pulses within their respective detection window, with the timing of the generated series of detection windows being adjusted when the value of this counter exceeds an upper or lower predetermined threshold value.

Abstract: A telephone system having a voice mail system and supporting virtual telephone numbers for called parties. A switching system in the telephone system has a plurality of telephone lines connected to the switching system with each telephone line having a telephone number. Each called party in the system has a virtual telephone number that is not associated with a particular telephone line. When a called party desires to receive incoming telephone calls over a telephone line, the called party performs a log-in from the telephone line. The log-in causes the switching system to extend all calls specifying the virtual telephone number of the called party to the telephone line. If the incoming call is not answered, the call is extended to a voice mail system which records a message and stores the message in a voice mail box associated with the virtual telephone number of the called party.

Abstract: The foam based product solution delivery apparatus is simple in structure and operation and makes use of pressurized gas to power a pressure operated pump to draw the water/foam-concentrate/product(s) from supply tank(s) and propel the resultant solution (foam fluid), with pressurized gas injected therein, through an agitation apparatus that mechanically agitates the water/foam/product(s) solution to create the foam based product solution for transmission to the foam delivery apparatus. Interposed in the delivery apparatus between the pump and the outlet end of the hose, the agitation apparatus functions to significantly increase the foam expansion prior to delivery of the foam through the delivery apparatus. The agitation apparatus comprises an exterior housing inside of which is mounted a set of motionless mixing blades that function to mix and expand the foam.

Abstract: The dual feed hot swap battery plant controller for power supplies provides true isolation between buses, both power and return, and enables the use of a single power converter, which may be powered from two totally isolated independent battery plant feeds. The dual feed hot swap battery plant controller is connected to the power and return buses of both a primary and a secondary battery plant. The dual feed hot swap battery plant controller uses a pair of hot swap devices to monitor the power and return buses of both the primary and the secondary battery plants to determine the state of each of these battery plants. The pair of hot swap devices are interconnected to control the operation of a power switching relay device which switches and provides true isolation between buses, both power and return in response to the present state of the battery plants. The switched power and return buses are used to power a single power converter, thereby sharing the power converter between two battery plants.

Abstract: A redundant bus bridge system includes first and second bus bridges operative to transfer data between a first bus and a second bus, the first and second bus bridges being configured to receive power from respective separate power supplies. In one embodiment, the first bus bridge and the second bus bridge share a common ground reference. The first bus bridge may be included in a first circuit assembly configured to receive power at a power supply voltage. The second bus bridge may be included in a second circuit assembly including a input circuit having a maximum input voltage associated therewith. The first circuit assembly may be operative to apply an output signal to the input circuit of the second circuit assembly, the output signal having a voltage which varies with the power supply voltage but does not exceed the maximum input voltage.

Abstract: A system for sealing a head end of a cylinder to prevent a material flow through the cylinder. An o-ring inside the cylinder surrounds a piston when the piston is in a closed position inside the cylinder to prevent material from leaking into the cylinder around the piston. The o-ring is held in position by a groove inside the cylinder wall proximate a head end of the cylinder. A retainer ring has a first end held in place by a step protruding from the cylinder wall and a second end extending into a second end of the o-ring. The retainer ring applies a force to the retainer-ring which holds the o-ring inside the groove. The o-ring also applies a force to the retainer ring holding the o-ring in place.

Abstract: A ferroelectric field effect transistor memory cell includes a thin film varistor located between the gate electrode and the ferroelectric layer. The varistor protects the ferroelectric layer from disturb voltage pulses arising from memory read, write and sense operations. A second electrode is located between the thin film varistor and the ferroelectric layer. The thin film ferroelectric is positioned over the channel of a transistor to operate as a ferroelectric gate. For voltages at which disturb voltages are likely to occur, the thin film varistor has a resistance obeying a formula R.sub.d >10.times.1/(2.pi.fC.sub.F), where R.sub.d is resistivity of the thin film varistor, f is an operating frequency of said memory, and C.sub.F is the capacitance of the ferroelectric layer. For voltages at or near the read and write voltage of the memory, the thin film varistor has a resistance obeying a formula R.sub.d <0.1.times.1/(2.pi.fC.sub.F).

Abstract: The subscriber activated wireless telephone call rerouting system enables the subscriber to reroute incoming calls to an alternate destination which is off network. This service can be activated from either the subscriber's wireless telephone or from any other telephone that is part of the wireless telephone network or the non-wireless public switched telephone network and can be deactivated by the subscriber simply initiating a call from their wireless telephone. The alternate destination selected by the subscriber can be any telephone that is part of the wireless telephone network or the non-wireless public switched telephone network, either a local calling area number or a long distance number.

Abstract: A ferroelectric integrated circuit memory includes a memory cell having a first ferroelectric capacitor, one electrode of which is connected to a first bit line through a first transistor and the other electrode of which is connected to a plate line; and a second ferroelectric capacitor, one electrode of which is connected to a second bit line through a second transistor and the other electrode of which is connected to the plate line. The plate line is parallel to the bit lines. The plate line is at 1/2 Vdd. The cell is written to by driving both bit lines either to Vdd or zero volts. The cell is read by driving one bit line to Vdd and the other to zero volts, and sensing the voltage change on the plate line. A shunt system holds the isolated node to the same voltage as the plate line when the row is not selected, thus providing a ferroelectric memory architecture that is unaffected by changes, such as aging, in the ferroelectric material, and has no disturb voltages.

Abstract: A portable distance tracking system for use by a player on a playing field wherein the playing field includes at least a first landmark and wherein the system comprises at least one mobile interface unit. The mobile interface unit includes a memory element, position interface electronics, a data processor, and a player interface. The memory element stores digitized map representations of playing fields. The position interface electronics receive position indicative signals from and external source, wherein the position indicative signals are representative of a geographical location of the mobile interface unit. The data processor couples to the memory element and to the position interface electronics and correlates the geographical location to a field location of said mobile interface unit on said playing field. The processor also determines the distance from the mobile interface unit to the first landmark.

Abstract: A substrate is located within a deposition chamber, the substrate defining a substrate plane. A liquid precursor is misted by ultrasonic or venturi apparatus, to produce a colloidal mist. The mist is generated, allowed to settle in a buffer chamber, filtered through a system up to 0.01 micron, and flowed into the deposition chamber between the substrate and barrier plate to deposit a liquid layer on the substrate. The liquid is dried to form a thin film of solid material on the substrate, which is then incorporated into an electrical component of an integrated circuit.

Abstract: A hardware accelerated data alignment system in a hardware accelerated I/O data processing engine that gathers and maintains pointers to a set of widely distributed source and/or destination data locations. Non-aligned input data and output data from source and/or destination data locations are transparently input and output as contiguous streams of data in a zero wait-state manner according to data byte and/or data block boundaries dictated by the data processing engine regardless of the number of source data blocks and/or destination data blocks and the absence of any previously existing data byte and/or data block alignment.

Abstract: The recoverable airborne instrument platform accurately determines its present position and uses this data to execute a predetermined flight plan and ultimately guide its descent to a predetermined landing site. This is accomplished by installing the instrument package payload in the aerodynamic exterior housing of the recoverable airborne instrument platform, which has a plurality of moveable control surfaces thereon to autonomously control the altitude, attitude and flight path of the recoverable airborne instrument platform. A navigation circuit contained within the aerodynamic housing determines the geographic location of the recoverable airborne instrument platform as well as the location of at least one predetermined recovery site. The determined position data is used to dynamically calculate a flight path which allows the guidance control circuit to both execute a predetermined flight plan and controllably descend the recoverable instrument platform to a selected predetermined recovery site.

Abstract: A ferroelectric non-volatile memory in which each memory cell consists of a metal-ferroelectric-metal ("MFM") capacitor and a FET on a semiconductor substrate. The MFM and the FET are separated by an interlayer dielectric layer. A local interconnect connects the gate electrode of the FET to the bottom electrode of the MFM capacitor. Preferably, the MFM is located directly above the gate electrode, and the local interconnect is a conductive plug in a filled via. Preferably, the ferroelectric thin film of the MFM comprises a layered superlattice material. Preferably, a dielectric metal oxide insulator layer is located between the gate electrode and the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: A precursor solution formed of a liquid polyoxyalkylated metal complex in as solvent is applied to a substrate in the formation of a metal oxide thin film. The liquid thin film is baked in air to a temperature up to 500.degree. C. while UV radiation having a wavelength ranging from 180 nm to 300 nm is applied. The thin film can be twice-baked at increasing temperatures while UV radiation is applied at one or both bakings. The film is then annealed at temperature ranging from about 700.degree. C. to 850.degree. C. to produce a thin-film solid metal oxide product. Alternatively, the UV radiation may be applied to the liquid precursor, the thin film may be annealed with UV radiation, or combinations of such applications of UV radiation to the precursor, to the thin film before or after baking, and/or UV annealing may be used. The use of UV radiation significantly reduces the leakage current and carbon impurity content of the final metal oxide.

Abstract: A liquid precursor containing thallium is applied to a first electrode, RTP baked at a temperature lower than 725.degree. C., and annealed at the same temperature for a time period from one to five hours to yield a ferroelectric layered superlattice material. A second electrode is formed to form a capacitor, and a second anneal is performed at a temperature lower than 725.degree. C. If the material is strontium bismuth thallium tantalate, the precursor contains (m-1) mole-equivalents of strontium for each of (2.2-x) mole-equivalents of bismuth, x mole-equivalents of thallium, and m mole-equivalents of tantalum, where m=2 and 0.0<x.ltoreq.2.2.

Abstract: An integrated circuit is formed that contains a ferroelectric element comprising metal oxide material containing at least two metals. Various methods and structures are applied to minimize the degradation of ferroelectric properties caused by hydrogen during fabrication of the circuit. Oxygen is added to the some elements of the integrated circuit to serve as a getter of hydrogen during fabrication steps. To minimize hydrogen degradation, the ferroelectric compound can be fabricated from a liquid precursor containing one or more of the constituent metals in excess of the amount corresponding to a stoichiometrically balanced concentration. A hydrogen barrier layer, preferably comprising titanium nitride, is formed to cover the top of the ferroelectric element. A hydrogen heat treatment in hydrogen gas is performed on the integrated circuit at a temperature from 200.degree. to 350.degree. C.

Abstract: A system for determining whether items of evidence prove a conclusion based upon user input data. The software of the present invention interrogates a user to receive characteristic information about the user and for information about the items of evidence in a trial. In accordance with the present invention, a user inputs a probability for each item of evidence that the item of evidence is true and a probability that the item of evidence proves a conclusion. The software of the present invention then calculates the probability that each item of evidence individually proves the conclusion and the probability that all of the items of evidence combined prove the conclusion. The software of the present invention than performs statistical analysis of the data receive from several users to determine trends about the evidence and to model a jury or to select a jury from a pool of potential jurors.