Abstract: A bra that is adapted to be a face mask has first and second bra cups, each of which includes an air filter and which are removably coupled to each other with a first attachment member. A formable member is incorporated into the upper rim of each bra cup as a structural element of the bra. A first body strap is coupled to the first bra cup and a second body strap is coupled to the second bra cup. A second attachment member removably couples ends of the first and second body straps together. When the bra is used as a face mask, first and second body straps are separated and the second attachment member couples the first body strap to the first bra cup via the first attachment member as the first bra cup is separated from the second bra cup.

Abstract: A multi-band radial horn antenna is disclosed that has a precision 50 ohm feed air line to ensure a match to a 50 ohm transmission line. The feed probe of the antenna has a threaded section that allows the antenna to be tuned quickly and precise in the field to provide maximum antenna performance. Once adjusted, a small locking nut is tightened to retain the physical location position. The antenna is economical to build as it has only four major parts. In operation, the antenna was found to have a 1.15 to 1 Standing Wave Ratio, a decade of frequency bandwidth and a low angle of radiation.

Abstract: A tracking circuit fine tunes the sampling time to a resolution of ⅛ Tc, where Tc is a chip duration after the searcher circuit finds the timing to within 0.5 Tc. Depending on the prior art tracking circuit that is being used, the input signals are early and late sampled PN despread pilot symbols or early, late and ontime sampled PN despread pilot symbols. Early and late samples are plus or minus one tick or Tt (one tick is ⅛ Tc) away from the ontime samples. The basic principle is that if early and late samples have about the same energy, then the timing is correct. If not, then the sampling time is changed to obtain a balance. In this invention, improved performance of the prior art tracking circuit is obtained by using pilot estimation results, not ontime pilot symbols. In one embodiment, pilot estimation results are low pass filtered signals of ontime symbols which are normally generated upstream of the tracking circuit.

Abstract: The present invention is a flexible plastic membrane which supports embedded components such as light emitting diodes and plastic pressure switches, and conductors on a plastic ribbon which connects the embedded light emitting diode and plastic pressure switch to a connector. The flexible plastic membrane supports an adhesive which enables it to be stick to the surface of the module faceplate. The inventive structure is more economical to build and install than presently used mechanical spring loaded push switches and light emitting diodes as they must be physically mounted to the face plate and hardwired when the module is manufactured. In addition, the inventive structure can be replaced in the field when a fault develops without disturbing or disconnecting the optical fiber connected to the front or rear of a module.

Abstract: The present invention is a flexible plastic membrane which supports embedded components such as light emitting diodes and plastic pressure switches, and conductors on a plastic ribbon which connects the embedded light emitting diode and plastic pressure switch to a connector. The flexible plastic membrane supports an adhesive which enables it to be stick to the surface of the module face plate. The inventive structure is more economical to build and install than presently used mechanical spring loaded push switches and light emitting diodes as they must be physically mounted to the face plate and hardwired when the module is manufactured. In addition, the inventive structure can be replaced in the field when a fault develops without disturbing or disconnecting the optical fiber connected to the front or rear of a module.

Abstract: The input resistance of an electrical protective device connected to protect telecommunication transmission lines and associated telecommunication equipment is reduced by connecting a resistor in parallel with the coil of resistance wire of a heat coil. The resistor is a low resistance positive temperature coefficient resistor.

Abstract: Charges and balances assignable to a credit card account are controlled and monitored by assigning a purchase limit to the card. More specifically, when a card is used to pay for a telephone call on a telecommunication network, the validity of the card is verified in, for example, a network database and the card record is examined for the presence of a purchase limit. If the card has a purchase limit, the network database determines the type of purchase limit which applies and if the balance is positive. If the balance is not positive and the purchase limit applicable does not authorize the extension of credit, a denial response is sent from the network database to an appropriate local operator system which provides a denial indication to the caller. If the available balance is positive, the network database forwards the balance to the operator system.

Abstract: Optical nonlinear effects, such as stimulated (Brillouin) scattering, cause disproportionate attenuation of transmitted optical signals and usually occurs only when the optical power exceeds a certain level. One of the most important types of nonlinear scattering which occurs in an optical fiber as the power of the optical signal is increased above a certain level is stimulated Brillouin scattering. Brillouin scattering limits the power density of an optical signal that can be injected into an optical fiber. This invention suppresses Brillouin scattering and, by so doing, permits the power density of the optical signal which is injected into an optical fiber to be increased approximately threefold before the Brillouin scattering threshold is reached.

Abstract: A variable optical delay line which can delay an optical signal by a selected interval of time comprises an input wavelength router connected to an output wavelength router by means of optical waveguides of different lengths. A wavelength shifter coupled to the input of the input wavelength router shifts the wavelength of the received signal to a desired wavelength. Depending on the wavelength of the signal from the wavelength shifter, the received signal is directed to a specific one of the waveguides of different lengths to provide a delay which is controllable. The output wavelength router directs the optical signals from the various waveguides of different lengths to a common output waveguide.

Abstract: There is disclosed the architecture for an all optic network which employs a three level hierarchy using wavelength vision multiplexing. At the lowest level of the hierarchy are Level-0 all optical networks. The Level-0 networks are "local" broadcast networks each of which supports a plurality of access ports and each access port can hear all the local traffic transmitted by all other access ports in the same Level-0 network. Each Level-0 network shares wavelengths internally, but there is extensive reuse of wavelengths among different Level-0 networks. The next higher level, which is the intermediate level, Level-1, is essentially a wavelength router coupled with one or more of the Level-0 networks to provide a wavelength path to one or more directly connect Level-0 networks or, in combination with a Level-2 network, a light path to one or more Level-0 network outside itself.

Abstract: Previous efforts to measure polarization dependent loss of optical components have been limited in uncertainty to more than 0.01 dB. This is because the power meter used in a test set contains polarization dependent loss which adversely affects the final readings. It is here disclosed that an unpumped erbium doped fiber can convert a received polarized signal into unpolarized amplified spontaneous emission of a longer wavelength if the fiber is of sufficient length to absorb the received signal. By locating the inventive unpumped erbium doped fiber upstream of the power meter of a test set, the polarized signal to the power meter is coverted to an unpolarized signal and, therefore, the polarization dependent loss of the power meter can not influence the measurement obtained.

Abstract: The polarization-dependent distortion of an optical signal transmitted through an optical fiber is reduced by aligning the polarization of the optical signal to minimize the received signal distortion. A polarization controller (a device which can change the polarization of light in an optical fiber) may be located at either the input or output end of a long haul optical fiber system and is used to align the polarization of the signal to minimize the received signal distortion. Automatic operation of the polarization controller can be obtained by using a steepest-descent method based on a distortion measure of the received signal for the optical signal transmitted through the optical fiber to generate control signals which are used to control the polarization controller.

Abstract: In this invention, a semiconductor device designed for use as an optical amplifier is provided with three sections; an input section, a middle section and an output section. A continuous optical waveguide extends through the input section, the middle section and the output section and the three sections are electrically isolated from each other. More specifically, a semiconductor laser amplifier is electrically split into three separate sections by implanting ions of, for example, hydrogen, helium or fluorine into the areas of the semiconductor amplifier which are between the middle section and the two end sections. The ion implantation provides a high degree of electrical isolation between the various sections, but it does not alter the continuity of the optical waveguide which passes through the three sections.

Abstract: Currently, with optical time division multiplexing, a switching node is operated at the peak transmission rate. For example, if the data transmission rate is 10 Gbps, the line cards in the switching circuit are also required to operate at this rate despite the fact that the switching node does not actually need to access the data at this rate. Thus, the electronics, which includes the line cards at the switching node, is expensive and less reliable than a low-speed design. In this invention the requirement of operating the switching node electronics at the high speed link bit rate is eliminated by encoding the packet header field at a lower rate than the information in the data field. As a result, the line cards need only operate at the lower header rate. This is possible because the switching node does not need to process the data portion of the packet, but only the header information.

Abstract: A method of providing local autonomous control of channel allocation of a cellular telecommunications network. In one prior art method, which can be identified as the timid method, a channel is selected for use by an incoming user if it is not being used by any of the cells which surround it. Otherwise, another channel is selected according to the same rule. The channels are tested in random order and a call is blocked if all of the channels are in use. For heavy loading, because of the vagaries of the way the demand for channels occurs, this method can result in inefficient channel deployment. In another method, which can be identified as the aggressive method, a channel is selected for use by an incoming user even if that channel is currently being used in the surrounding cells. If the channel is in use, the incoming user "bumps" the current user off the channel in the timid mode. The "bumped" user is then forced to find and use another channel.

Abstract: Various optical functions are generated in accordance with the present invention of a novel broadly tunable monolithic wavelength selective coupler which can be integrated with a gain medium to form a broadly tunable laser. The tunable wavelength selective coupler supports a pair of asynchronous waveguides, an upper waveguide and a lower waveguide, in combination with a phase match course grating for coupling optical energy between said waveguides. One end of the lower waveguide terminates at an output facet. The corresponding end of the upper waveguide terminates in an optical signal absorbing medium. The other end of the lower waveguide is terminated to prevent optical energy from entering the waveguide; and, the corresponding end of the upper waveguide terminates at an input facet.

Abstract: In an embodiment, an N.times.N integrated optical interconnection apparatus capable of switching, multiplexing or demultiplexing a large number of input and output wavelength channels achieves low levels of crosstalk and insertion loss. Two substantially identical N.times.M star couplers are connected by an optical diffraction grating comprising M unequal length waveguides spaced from one another by predetermined amounts. The waveguides of the grating consists of an array of curved waveguides of different lengths. The waveguides are closely spaced at their ends and widely spaced and strongly curved in the central region. The curves or bends of the planar waveguides here disclosed have sharper bends, lower losses and increased tolerance to fabrication defects.

Abstract: This invention relates to an oscillator for overtone operations which has reduced parts count and improved performance. More specifically, a new improved Pierce type of harmonic oscillator is disclosed which eliminates the need for additional bias circuit components; which does not use an LC tank circuit and which has substantially increased gain. More specifically, the new harmonic oscillator is self biased, the input impedance is an RC circuit, an LC circuit, or a resistor. The component value of the input impedance can be chosen to selectively roll off low frequency feedback gain to produce oscillation at a desired overtone of a resonator. With a differential amplifier, the resonator can be driven with both outputs of the oscillator amplifier to effectively double the available gain and eliminate the need for an additional stage of amplification.

Abstract: An optical amplifier and photodetector are monolithically integrated, with the photodetector being optically coupled to the optical amplifier through a low radiative loss and low back reflectivity branching waveguide. Because of the low reflectivity, the branching waveguide, although having a truncated wedge tip, is able to redirect a small portion of optical radiation from the amplifier to the photodetector without deleteriously effecting the performance of the optical amplifier. The branching waveguide is realized by employing between the branches of the waveguide, a junction region having a gradual decrease in effective refractive index such as to decrease the difference between the refractive indices at the optical interface of the truncated wedge tip as seen by optical radiation incident thereto from the optical amplifier.