Abstract: A structure incorporates very low dielectric constant (k) insulators with copper wiring to achieve high performance interconnects. The wiring is supported by a relatively durable low k dielectric such as SiLk or SiO2 and a very low k and less robust gap fill dielectric is disposed in the remainder of the structure, so that the structure combines a durable layer for strength with a very low k dielectric for interconnect electrical performance.

Abstract: A mobile station embodiment (400) is provided with a reflection detector (401) which may provide supplemental inputs along with keys (402) such that a character encoding, such as, e.g. ASCII, is selected on the basis of the reflection detector (401) alone, or in combination with keys (402) either pushed down or released. A movable target or pendulum (405) may provide an ability to sense the near space along a direction that the reflection detector is sensitive to. Signals may be transmitted from the reflection detector (401) and pass across a void or other great distance before being reflected, if at all. If such signals are reflected toward the reflection detector (401), and the signals have not been overly attenuated, the reflection detector (401) may provide a ‘reflect’ signal to any on-board processor of the mobile station (400).

Abstract: A method and system for determining mobile phone strain is provided. The method includes the steps of determining if strain on a mobile phone housing and/or strain on a printed circuit board (PCB) within the mobile phone exceed a predetermined value. If the strain(s) values exceed the predetermined value an alarm may be sounded and the strain values may be stored in memory for later retrieval and/or analysis.

Abstract: An optical metrology system is provided with a data analysis method to determine the elastic moduli of optically transparent dielectric films such as silicon dioxide, other carbon doped oxides over metal or semiconductor substrates. An index of refraction is measured by an ellipsometer and a wavelength of a laser beam is measured using a laser spectrometer. The angle of refraction is determined by directing a light pulse focused onto a wafer surface, measuring a first set of x1, y1, and z1 coordinates, moving the wafer in the z direction, directing the light pulse onto the wafer surface and measuring a second set of x2, y2 and z2 coordinates, using the coordinates to calculate an angle of incidence, calculating an angle of refraction from the calculated angle of incidence, obtaining a sound velocity v, from the calculated angle of refraction and using the determined sound velocity v, to calculate a bulk modulus.

Abstract: Disclosed is an OFDM communications system and a method of operating the OFDM communications system. The system includes an OFDM transmitter for transmitting data over a plurality of OFDM sub-channels, where the OFDM transmitter has a plurality of modulators of different types. The system further includes an OFDM receiver for receiving the data from the plurality of OFDM sub-channels, where the OFDM receiver has a plurality of corresponding demodulators of the different types. The system further includes, in accordance with this invention, an adaptive learning automata that contains a group or team of independent, decentralized automaton operating in accordance with a game theory-based approach. Each of the plurality of automaton are responsible for managing one MCS switching threshold value so as to maximize at least one selected performance criterion.

Abstract: A method for playing music having i note polyphony, as well as a system containing a plurality of sources and a source itself, with at least two sources of a group of sources, where a first source is assigned to play j notes and a second source is assigned to play k notes, where j<i and k<i, and where the notes are assigned in a predetermined order. For a case where j+k<i, the methods further includes assigning a third source l additional notes to play of the musical composition. For a case where j+k_i, the l notes may duplicate all or some of the j or k notes played by the first or second sources. The j and k notes are played simultaneously, and the method further includes an initial step of synchronizing the first source to the second source through a wireless local network such as an RF network, e.g., a Bluetooth network, or an optical network.

Abstract: A mobile station includes an RF transceiver and a user interface. The mobile station further includes a plurality of data processor cores each having a first interface supporting a first bus coupled to an associated one of a plurality of program memories, a second interface supporting a second bus coupled to a common data memory, and a third interface supporting a third bus coupled to at least one input/output device. Each of the first, second and third buses include an address bus that is sourced from the processor core and a data bus. The plurality of data processor cores may be contained within a single integrated circuit package, such as an ASIC, in a System on Chip (SoC) configuration. In this case a first processor core may function as a CPU for controlling the overall operation of the mobile station, including the user interface, while a second processor core functions as a DSP for controlling operation of the RF transceiver.

Abstract: A method is disclosed to operate a dual mode multi-timeslot RF transmitter, as is an RF transmitter that include a control unit that operates in accordance with the method. The method includes, prior to a first timeslot, setting a plurality of control signals for the RF transmitter in accordance with a first modulation format used during the first timeslot; and during a guard period between the first timeslot and a next, temporally adjacent timeslot, setting the plurality of control signals for the RF transmitter in accordance with a second modulation format used during the second timeslot, where the first modulation format differs from the second modulation format.

Abstract: An optical system includes both a microspot broadband spectroscopic ellipsometer and a photoacoustic film thickness measurement system that are supplied laser light by the same laser light source. One of the systems makes a measurement, the result of which is used to adjust a parameter of the other system; e.g. the ellipsometer measures thickness and the photoacoustic system uses the thickness result to measure the speed of sound. In one version, the ellipsometer converts the laser beam to a broad-spectrum beam that provides higher intensity.

Abstract: The invention relates to portable communication devices and in particular to the casings of such devices. The casing has an operating face providing a key arrangement for operating face provides recesses in the input region for operation of the keys.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, a method for producing at least two different chips with a controlled total chip thickness such that when these chips are placed into a corresponding pocket of a plurality of pockets located in a wafer chip carrier wherein each of the plurality of pockets have a total pocket depth (Tdp) at least substantially equal to one another, a substantially planarized top surface of said wafer chip carrier is achieved. The method comprises forming at least a first chip on a first dummy carrier and at least a second chip different from the first chip on a separate second dummy carrier using partial wafer bonding and partial wafer dicing.

Abstract: An optically-based system and method are disclosed for detecting surface pits and their average depth in a metal film by an examination of pulse shape in a reflected probe beam pulse. Also disclosed is an optically-based system and method for detecting an occurrence of a failure in a CMP process by detecting surface pits in a metal film by an examination of pulse shape in a reflected probe beam pulse. Also disclosed is an optically-based system and method for providing quality indications to a CMP process for enabling control of the CMP process by detecting surface pits in a metal film by an examination of pulse shape in a reflected probe beam pulse, where the pulse shape has a twin peak shape that is indicative of a presence of a surface pit.

Abstract: The object of the invention is an electrical connector module comprising housings (16) for receiving forwardly-inserted female contacts (18), each contact comprising a forward cage (20) and a rear blade (24) provided with pins (26) to be crimped on a flexible circuit (12). The object of the arrangement according to the present invention is to permit a forward mounting of the contact with an immobilization in its housing.

Abstract: Disclosed is apparatus for operating with an RC filter (26, 26A), and a corresponding method. The apparatus includes circuitry (32) for use in measuring an actual value of at least one filter component and a controller (34), coupled to the measurement circuitry, for determining at least one adaptive filter (36, 46) coefficient using the measured actual value to so as to compensate for a deviation of at least one filter component value from an ideal value. Where the filter is embodied as an RC network, the circuitry measures an actual value of both a resistor and a capacitor, and the controller uses the measured actual value of the capacitor when determining the value of a resistor.

Abstract: A method and apparatus provide a systolic equalizer for Viterbi equalization of an 8-PSK signal distorted by passage through a communication channel. The systolic equalizer architecture is scalable to process, as examples, four, eight and 16 state received signals. An equalizer in accordance with this invention includes a logical arrangement of a plurality of instantiations of locally coupled processing elements forming a systolic array for processing in common received signal samples having distortion induced by passage through a communication channel. The equalizer outputs soft values for input to a decoder, the soft values representing an approximation of maximum a posteriori (MAP) probabilities. A trellis search procedure is employed to reconstruct estimates of a received signal sequence based on a reduced number of states. The reduced number of states is represented by a plurality of groups determined by partitioning a symbol constellation such that there are fewer groups than possible symbols.

Abstract: The invention specifies at least two different triggers for sending a measurement report from the mobile station to the network. According to the invention, the network specifies the triggers to be used in different measurement report types. The triggers are preferably upper or lower threshold values for parameters of the radio signal. In response to having detected that the measured value has exceeded its upper threshold value or has gone under its lower threshold, the mobile station sends the network a measurement report.

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly including a housing, electrical contact terminals, a hood and a filter member. The housing is sized and shaped to be plugged into an electrical connector socket of an initiator of a gas generator. A first one of the terminals has a wire connection section and a female connection section. The hood surrounds the female connection section of the first terminal. The hood is a stamped and rolled sheet metal member which has a general tube shape. The filter member is connected to the first terminal for providing electromagnetic induction suppression. The filter member can be on a filter assembly having a multi-capacitor chip attached to a spring lead frame.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for operating a wireless communications system, such as a DS-CDMA communications system, by transmitting a waveform that includes a plurality of repeating frames each having x header training base symbols in a header training symbol field (TH) and y tail training base symbols in a tail training symbol field (TT). The frame is received and functions as one of a plurality of different types of frames depending on the content of at least TT. In the preferred embodiment the frame functions as one of a normal traffic frame, a termination frame, or a legacy frame providing backwards compatibility with another waveform. A given one of the frames includes four equal-size data fields separated by three equal-sized control fields, the header training symbol field (TH) and the tail training symbol field (TT).

Abstract: An electric connector (2, 2?) having an insulating casing (4) defining a number of cavities for housing respective electric terminals and having axes parallel to a first direction (A) in which the connector (2, 2?) is coupled to a complementary connector (3); a slide (16) fitted to the casing (4) to slide in a second direction (B) perpendicular to the first direction (A), and having cam-type first engaging members (22) for receiving respective second engaging members (23) on the complementary connector (3) to produce a relative coupling movement of the connectors (2, 2?; 3) in the first direction (A) when the slide (16) is moved in the second direction (B) into a fully assembled position with respect to the casing (4); and retaining means (40, 41, 62) for keeping the slide (16) partly connected to the casing (4); the retaining means (40, 41, 62) being selectively deactivated when coupling the connector (2, 2?) to the complementary connector (3).

Abstract: An arrangement for providing gracefully degraded services on the Internet under overloaded conditions, involving tagging user request to indicate the status of said request and providing appropriate level of degraded services gracefully responsive to said tagging information.