Abstract: The method for optimizing inspection speed during optical inspection of parts in high, low and fluorescent light applications. There are described autofocus mechanisms and methods optimized for fluorescent and non-fluorescent applications that when combined with a high speed CCD camera and high numerical aperture (NA) optics, achieve superior signal to noise ratio, resolution, and inspection speed performance.

Abstract: A railroad crossing gate with a gate assembly. An extendible member slides within an outer member with minimal friction. When the gate is in its open position, gravity retracts the extendible member to hollow member. When the gate is in its blocking position, gravity causes the extendible member to move out of the hollow member to a final blocking position.

Abstract: A method for enabling a data processing system with a host running under an operating system and with a disk array storage device organized by logical devices to processes plural I/O requests from one or more host processors concurrently.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for assuring data consistency during certain operations involving dependent input/output sequences. During such operations a stall application blocks write operations to specified logical devices in a local consistency group while allowing read operations to all devices and write operations to non-specified logical devices. When a write command is directed to a logical device in local consistency group, the host adapter associated with the logical device returns a message to the host that initiates a write command retry. Retries generally continue until a write command is successful.

Abstract: An RF switch includes first and second diodes characterized by an intrinsic region. Pin diodes and nip diodes are examples of such diodes with intrinsic regions. The diodes are stacked with facing first connections. A bias conductor extends from the first connections.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for data recovery in a system involving a first data store acting as a standard volume and a physical moving mirror data store that operates in a first mode to be synchronized and in a second, isolated mode. A third physical mirror data store synchronizes with the second data store in its second operating mode. In response to a command to establish a third or reverse split operating mode, the data to be transferred in response to that command is identified. Copying of the identified data then commences from the third data store to the second data store to recover any data that may have been corrupted in the second data store.

Abstract: A rigid endoscope includes an outer housing subassembly that supports an optics subassembly. The outer body subassembly includes concentric tubes with optical fiber for providing object illumination. The optics subassembly includes a tubular sheath sealed at both ends. A compression spring is positioned between a proximal most relay lens element and a distal most eyepiece element. The spring exerts a distally acting force on the elements of an optical objective and relay lens system. It also produces a proximally directed force on optical elements in the eyepiece. This minimizes differential thermal expansion stresses during autoclaving operations.

Abstract: A humidifier including a steam generator with a container for water and an immersed heating module. The heating module has a spherical shape and is formed of a stainless steel outer surface and an aluminum inner body. Electrical heating coils are affixed to the aluminum body to heat the aluminum body and transfer heat through the stainless steel into water. The composite of the inner and outer bodies provides efficient heat transfer for boiling water. The stainless steel resists any permanent adherence of residue to the heating module during the boiling process. Steam from the boiling water transfers through a mixing stack to surrounding air in the humidifier.

Abstract: Optimizing performance of physical disk drives in a disk array storage device with a plurality of logical volumes is accomplished by accumulating statistics over an interval to select two logical volumes for an exchange. After testing to determine any adverse effect of making that change, the exchange occurs to more evenly distribute the loading on individual physical disk storage devices. One set of statistics, seek time, is obtained by combining estimated disk access information and an interpolated seek time obtained from a template that stores characteristics seek times among different pairs of segments that define a physical disk device independently of a logical volume configuration.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for assuring data consistency in a data processing network including local and remote data storage controllers interconnected by independent communication paths. The remote storage controller or controllers normally act as a mirror for the local storage controller or controllers. If, for any reason, transfers over one of the independent communication paths is interrupted, transfers over all the independent communication paths to predefined devices in a group are suspended thereby assuring the consistency of the data at the remote storage controller or controllers. When the cause of the interruption has been corrected, the local storage controllers are able to transfer data modified since the suspension occurred to their corresponding remote storage controllers thereby to reestablish synchronism and consistency for the entire dataset.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for enabling an on-line reconfiguration of striped data in a disk array storage device. A replicated copy of the striped logical device is made in parallel with host operations. A logical device with a new configuration is then substituted for access by the host application even before any data is transferred to locations within the newly configured logical device. Independent processes operating in this disk array storage device reconfigure the data transparently to any host operations while accommodating host I/O requests directed to locations in the new configuration.

Abstract: A dynamic address switching system for use in a data processing system with redundant data storage facilities. A validation routine or module assures that dynamic switching can occur between logical devices. A swapping routine exchanges information in unit control blocks for logical devices in the redundant system thereby to enable I/O requests from a host to be redirected over another channel to the other data storage facility.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for data recovery in a system involving a first data store acting as a standard device and a physical moving mirror data store that operates as moving mirror with a first mode to be synchronized and in a second, isolated mode. In response to a command to establish a third or protected restore operating mode, the data to be transferred in response to that command is identified. A restoration procedure copies data from the second data store to the first store to recover any data that may have been corrupted in the second data store. An update procedure acts on the restored data concurrently with the restoration procedure.

Abstract: A method for enabling overlapped input/output requests to a logical device using assigned and parallel access unit control blocks. Each I/O request interrupts an operating system to assign a base and related unit control block to the input/output requests. In addition a parallel access control block is associated with each unit control block for a logical volume and a parallel access main control block is established with a logical volume through which each of the base and related unit control block can be identified. An input/output request to a logical device interrupts the operating system to assign one of the base and one of the assigned unit control blocks to the input/output requests after which control transfers back to the operating system. At a disk storage facility, the input/output request is located in a table with other input/output requests and corresponding parameters.

Abstract: Disk array storage device apparatus for enhancing the performance of an application on a data processing system that operates with a disk array storage device in which the completion of tasks associated with different transactions with one logical storage device are conditions precedent to the completion of other transactions. Specific tasks related to the one logical device are given priority over tasks related to all other logical storage devices. In a specific implementation reconnect tasks are given the highest priority with reconnect tasks from the one logical storage device being given the highest priority. A second category of tasks related to the one logical storage device can be given priority over all other tasks except reconnect tasks. All other tasks are given a priority below that of the first and second task categories.

Abstract: A network accelerator storage caching system manages a number of cache management systems and may be inserted at any point in a network to provide a configurable, scalable variety of cache management systems to improve perceived response time. Depending on the configuration(s) selected, a cache management system may manage data in a storage cache on the basis of time-currency, page usage frequency, charging considerations, pre-fetching algorithms, data-usage patterns, store-through methods for updated pages, a least recently used method, B-tree algorithms, or indexing techniques including named element ordering, among others. In a preferred embodiment the configurable cache management is embedded in the storage media, either as firmware in a storage controller or as software executing in a central processing unit (CPU) in a storage controller. In a preferred embodiment the network accelerator storage caching system provides security measures for protecting data and is dynamically configurable.

Abstract: An electronic linear motor particularly for use with loudspeakers includes first and second annular counterfacing air gaps centered on a motor axis. An armature and spider carry first and second voice coils in the first and second annular air gaps, respectively. A rigid link connects the armature and an output device, such as a loudspeaker cone. A releasable coupling attaches either or both ends of the rigid link to an adjacent armature or output device.

Abstract: Load balancing of activities on physical disk storage devices is accomplished by monitoring reading and writing operations to logical volumes on the physical disk storage devices. A list of exchangeable pairs of logical volumes is developed based on size and function. Statistics accumulated over an interval are then used to obtain access activity values for each logical volume and each physical disk drive. A statistical analysis selects one logical volume pair. After testing to determine any adverse effect of making that change, the exchange is made to more evenly distribute the loading on individual physical disk storage devices.

Abstract: The data storage facility includes a plurality of data storage devices coupled through multi-path connections to cache memory. A plurality of interfaces to host processors communicates with the cache memory and with cache tag controllers that define the cache memory again over multiple paths.

Abstract: A double hull marine vessel is provided which includes a syntactic foam-macrosphere composition between the inner and outer hulls which dissipates force applied to an outer hull.