Abstract: Techniques for designing optical devices that can be manufactured in volume are disclosed. An optical assembly is build individually and includes a first tube with one end being polished to a slanted angle and attached with a filter. Because of the slanted angle, a predefined angle of incidence can be defined. The assembly is then bonded to a substrate on which other components or more such assemblies are bonded to form an integrated piece. Depending on implementation, the first tube may include no other element, a lens, or a lens and a fiber pigtail that are encapsulated. In the case that the first tube includes no other element or only a lens, a second tube is provided to include a fiber pigtail and a lens, or simply a fiber pigtail. One of the advantages of having two tubes is the underlying mechanism providing a lateral adjustment between the two tubes.

Abstract: Techniques for packaging in an optical device and an opto-electrical conversion device are disclosed. According to one aspect of the techniques, the optical device is packaged in a piece of tubing and the opto-electrical conversion device is packaged in a TO-can. While the optical device and the opto-electrical conversion device are coaxially aligned, the tube and the TO-can are integrated by a certain amount of epoxy that is later cured by a UV light or heat. As a result, an integrated optical device is formed and enjoys features of small footprint, better alignment, enhanced impact performance, lower cost in addition to easier manufacturing process and environmental-safe.

Abstract: Techniques for inspecting a substrate with improved defect sensitivity are disclosed. High sensitivity is achieved by reducing the noise due by using multiple laser beams for illumination, in which each beam is nearly collimated and illuminates uniformly a field of view. The images generated respectively by the laser beams are added incoherently by means of delivering the illumination beams incoherently in either time domain or space domain. According to one embodiment, all the illumination beams may not be interact with each other coherently so that the images generated by each laser beams can be summed together incoherently to average out possible excessive noise.

Abstract: Designs of multiplexing/demultiplexing modules configured for N channels are disclosed. One of the features in the designs is to provide at least one concave mirror for compenstating filter tilting errors. The concave mirrors is placed where an incident traveling distance of a light beam is substantially similar or equal to the reflected traveling distance of the beam such that the filter tilting errors successively introduced over a number of optical filters can be successively reduced, compensated or removed over a subsequent number of optical filters as the light beams travels.

Abstract: Techniques for producing integrated capacitors are disclosed. According to one of the techniques, one or more layers are introduced in conjunction with a ground layer supporting a substrate on which various components are realized. Depending on the use of an integrated capacitor, micro capacitors can be formed between one introduced layer and the ground layer or between two introduced layers. As all micro capacitors are connected in parallel, an integrated capacitor with usable capacitance is thus produced without occupying an extra space that would otherwise increase the size of the silicon chip. In addition, with proper connections, an interdigitated capacitor can be formed as well.

Abstract: Various techniques for providing instantaneous media services are disclosed. Some of the techniques provide an instantaneous media-on-demand system, process and method for the same. Such a system offers a dynamic library with a significant number of titles from which a user may select and offers play back a desired title fairly instantly. To facilitate instant playback, a file pertaining to a title is fragmented into a header and segments. The header is seeded in all boxes in service and none, one or more segments are distributed to the network of boxes. When the title is ordered, the header is instantly played back while the segments, if not locally available, are streamed in respectively from the boxes having the segments to enable continuous playback of the ordered title.

Abstract: Techniques for designing high-speed integrated circuits are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, an interpolation circuit is disclosed. A method for designing such an interpolation circuit comprises determining an initial value for all resistors in the interpolation circuit, examining whether outputs from the interpolation circuit are evenly spaced across a predefined range of input signals, and when the outputs are not evenly spaced across a predefined range of input signals, adjusting each of the resistors in reference to the outputs so that the outputs are evenly spaced across a predefined range of input signals.

Abstract: Traditionally, a software product is produced through distinctive stages, such as development stage, quality control stage and a production stage, often resulting in difficulty of communications and lack of collaborations among the stages. To provide a true collaborative environment, techniques for creating a model are described. The model, in one perspective, is a collection of instances of environments needed for the stages to achieve a predetermined status of the software product. According to one embodiment, the model includes a plurality of first and second elements. Each of the first elements pertains to one of the instances and each of the second elements represents relationships between or among the first elements. Further the model may include a plurality of third elements, each carrying instructions or data.

Abstract: An improved user interface for data input without the use of a standard keyboard is provided. Input is accepted through a data entry means such as a shuttle control system, a standard telephone keypad, or a speech recognition system. The data that is entered is selected from a predefined list that is presented to a user in an arrangement that statistically reduces the number of keystrokes required for data entry. This presentation is the result of determining the relative frequency of each valid selection in the predefined list and presenting those valid selections with the highest frequency items in a position that minimizes the number keystrokes required for data entry. In a speech recognition embodiment, the data entered is selected from an active list containing unique sounding entries. Alternatively, the data entered may be selected by speaking the numbers associated with the keys corresponding to the keystrokes required for data entry.

Abstract: Techniques for extensible stylesheet designs using meta-tag and/or associated meta-tag Information are described. To generate a proper stylesheet (e.g., an XSL or XSLT file) from a source file (e.g., an XML file), all meta-tag and/or associated meta-tag Information are differentiated by attaching respectively unique identifiers to those that are otherwise identical. To facilitate user required operations on certain data in the source file, a document source path for the data is identified and inserted with one or more operators thus to form document source path information. The differentiated meta-tag and/or associated meta-tag Information and source path information are relied upon to generate one or more stylesheets.

Abstract: Techniques for calibrating tunable optical devices using a probing signal as a reference so as to achieve an accurate control over an absolute wavelength of the tunable optical devices. A probing signal being a calibrated optical signal with a spectrum centered at a desired add/drop channel or wavelength is introduced into an N-port circulator coupled between two tunable optical devices. When the two tunable optical devices are tuned not exactly at the desired wavelength, a portion of probing signal will be reflected or dropped out by the two tunable optical devices. The dropped probing signal is detected and coupled to a signal processor or circuitry configured to generate adjustments to or the control signals for controlling the tunable optical devices in accordance with the reflected probing signal being maximized.

Abstract: Techniques for designing optical couplers are disclosed. According to one aspect of the optical couplers, different from the prior art couplers, a holding tube (a sub-assembly) for holding an optical lens (e.g., a GRIN lens) and an optical filter (e.g., a thin film filter) is formed by concatenating two single tubes, one for accommodating the optical lens and the other for accommodating the optical filter. The two tubes are not required to have an identical dimension. As a result, inherent flexibilities are provided in the holding tube, especially the optical filter often comes in different sizes. Further, when the sub-assembly is inserted in a sleeve, only either one of the two tubes is secured to the sleeve so as to reduce a risk that, during a thermal condition change, any metal and glass material expansion will not cause the sub-assembly to be under stress that would otherwise be present when both of the tubes are secured to the sleeve.

Abstract: Techniques for generating a fully-textured 3D model of a human face are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a fully automatic system is configured to generate a 3-D model from a sequence of images that are produced from a single camera when a user is moving his/her head steadily from one direction to another, for example, from the left side of the camera to the right side of the camera. The images are processed in a two-stage process. First, the camera pose information is estimated for each of the valid image frames. Second, a mesh model is generated with respect to the camera pose information, and subsequently is textured with reference to one or more of the image frames.

Abstract: An autonomous and portable smartcard reader device incorporates a high level of embedded security countermeasures. Data transfers are encrypted with specific input devices, namely a light sensor/DTMF/infrared and PIN or other keyboard entry, and at the output through the use of a dual-tone encoder-decoder. The unit may be used alone or as a plug-in to another device such as a PDA, cell phone, or remote control. The reader may further be coupled to various biometric or plug-in devices to achieve at least five levels of authentication, namely, (1) the smartcard itself; (2) the smartcard reader; (2) the PIN; (3) private-key cryptography (PKI); and (5) the (optional) biometric device. These five levels account for an extremely strong authentication applicable to public networking on public/private computers, and even on TV (satellite, cable, DVD, CD AUDIO, software applications.

Abstract: Techniques for designing stylesheets using meta-tag and/or associated meta-tag information are described. In one embodiment, a graphic user interface environment including at least two displays is provided. One of the displays is from a commonly used browser or an application to display a target file including a plurality of objects and the other display is used to facilitate the editing of a tree structure. Each of the nodes in the tree structure is associated with one of the objects by associated meta-tag information. Based on the tree structure, a source can be generated. Together with the source file, the stylesheet can be designed in accordance with the displayed target file.

Abstract: Techniques for placing sequential or individual labels in an electronic image are disclosed. According to one embodiment, label parameters are determined. These label parameters may include, but not be limited to, label styles, fonts, sizes, or increments. As objects in the image are respectively identified, labels per the parameters are automatically generated and then placed upon or near the identified objects. A tracing line may be automatically added between a pair of an identified object and a label to demonstrate a visual association. When one or more of the label parameters are adjusted, the labels are automatically and systematically changed per the changes.

Abstract: Computer-assisted navigation is achieved with component-oriented programming and instructions that provide a distributed component programming navigation system. The computer-assisted navigation is achieved with a computing device including a logical data model configured to provide abstract interfaces in a process to convert a format and data model of a provider to an appropriate format and data model suitable for the computing device, wherein the process occurs on demand, only when needed, or the conversion occurs in accordance with the format and data model of the provider, and at download time or at an initial processing time. As a result, such a computing device can be advantageously used many environments including a distributed navigation system.

Abstract: Methods and systems for encoding and decoding a 2D symbol is disclosed. According to one aspect of the 2D symbol, the following characteristics are realized: 1) variable symbol widths and height; 2) variable print resolution, 3) multiple damage protection levels; 4) large information storage; 5) high redundancy; 6) readable by line based scanning devices; 7) recognizable by either contact scanning or non-contact scanning devices. In addition, a set of positioning lines are attached 2D symbol for guiding scanning devices to decode the 2D symbol with proper resolution.

Abstract: Optical devices and methods for regulating optical channel signals with specified wavelengths are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a number of variable optical apparatuses are employed. Each of the variable optical apparatuses includes a first and a second optical channel module, both configured at a wavelength ?i. Each of the variable optical apparatuses further includes an optical regulator (i.e. a neutral density filter controlled by a stepper motor) coupled between the first and second optical channel modules. When signals with different wavelengths arrive, only the signal with the wavelength ?i will transmit through the first optical channel module and the rest are reflected off. The transmitted signal is regulated (i.e. attenuated or strengthened) accordingly by the optical regulator before transmitting through the second optical channel module. Hence, the signals with different wavelengths can be respectively regulated by one of the variable optical apparatuses.