Abstract: A DTMF tone is detected through the tracking of two tunable filters HAVING coefficients within so-called tunnels each limited by thresholds derived from the tone frequency components to be detected. In and out-band energies E1(n) and E2(n) are used to further validate tone detection.

Abstract: The start-up time for typical current generation modems for full-duplex data transmission over the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) as specified in CCITT Recommendations V.32 and V.32bis is about 4 to 8 seconds. This invention reduces that start-up time to about 0.5 to 1 second by applying interleaved and overlapping sending and receiving operations of two connected modems, the calling modem and the answering modem. Both modems send and receive simultaneously in a predetermined sequence at different frequency ranges, channel probing tones (e.g. for evaluating the channel bandwidth), repetitive identification messages (e.g. for determining reference times, identifying modulation rates and center frequencies), repetitive response messages (e.g. for transmitting the determined bandwidths and reference times to the other modem and determining round-trip delays), and training sequences (e.g. for determining echoes, frequency shifts, and receiver settings).

Abstract: A system for utilizing a transmission media such as a token ring having multiple, independent channels operating in parallel. The invention provides optimal use of multi-channel bandwidth to a plurality of interconnected workstations, file servers, and other devices. The workstations and devices attach to the token ring via dedicated lobe rings connected to concentrators on the token ring. Each concentrator contains the processors, memory, and logic necessary to coordinate the transmission and receipt of data over the token ring among the interconnected workstations and devices. The multi-channel token ring provides increased bandwidth and reliability to an existing token ring without requiring modifications to existing physical devices, interfaces, or protocols.

Abstract: A transflective liquid crystal display (LCD) uses the reflective and refractive characteristics of an edge-lit flat light pipe as a backlight panel behind the liquid crystal layer. The front and/or back surfaces of the edge-lit backlight panel are textured to enhance reflectivity of ambient light and transmission of edge light. The front surface of the panel is textured with pits that have walls at an angle to enhance reflectivity over a range of viewing angles. Further, the back surface of the panel is textured with pits having wall angles, and a pattern to enhance the uniform reflection of edge light toward and through the front surface of the backlight panel. The indentations may be conical, triangular or random. The pit wall angles lie within a preferred range of angles to optimize the amount of light within the useable viewing angle for the LCD.

Abstract: An apparatus for connecting a data communication equipment, such as a data terminating equipment (DTE) to an ISDN digital communication network providing a first 64 kbps and a second 64 kbps B digital communication channel which involve different transmission delays. The apparatus includes a transmit part with a separation for separating a unique high rate 128 kbps data flow into two distinctive 64 kbps data flows to be transmitted through both B channels. The apparatus includes a receive part (9999) including storage for storing the data received from digital network, measurement and comparison circuits for measuring the difference between the two transmission delays, address generators for addressing the storage in order to extract the data received through both digital channels, control circuits responsive to the measure and comparison for controlling the address generators in order to provide a 128 kbps which is not affected by the difference of transmission delays introduced by both digital channels.

Abstract: A system and method for performance monitoring of transactions which involve an application which normally operates in exception response mode. A network performance monitor sets information in memory regarding applications and resources for which performance data is sought. The applications are modified so that they check the appropriate locations in memory during the processing for each transaction to check whether the mode should be switched to definite response mode for that transaction. If so, the application switches to definite response mode, thereby causing a definite response path information unit to be sent by the resource following the resource's reception of the outbound path information unit from the application. The network performance monitor monitors the passage of these messages through a communication access means which operates the network.

Abstract: A decimation filter for converting a received train of sigma-delta pulses in synchronism with a sigma-delta clock (fs) into a train of Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) samples having a PCM clock in accordance with the formula ##EQU1## includes a computer for computing one PCM sample from a sequence of sigma-delta samples in synchronism with the PCM clock and also a comparison circuit for determining whether phase correction of the PCM clock is necessary to lock the generation of the PCM samples on the sigma-delta clock extracted from the received sigma-delta signal, the decimation filter including shifters which shift the computation process at least one sigma-delta clock pulse in order to provide phase control in the generation of the PCM samples.

Abstract: A method and system for dynamically controlling the horizontal scrolling of data contained in a stored table of arbitrary size in a windowing environment. The list of data to be scrolled through is stored in memory with certain columns designated as sticky. Responsive to input from the user, a process is invoked to either scroll left or right through data contained in the stored list. A "must display" column is determined based on the current display in the window and the direction of scrolling. The sticky columns that can fit with the "must display" column are determined and placed on the display. Sticky columns that cannot be placed on the display with the "must display" column due to window size limitations are temporarily suppressed. Additional non-sticky columns are placed on the display on a space-available basis including the placement of a partial column that fills the display.

Abstract: A method for storage and retrieval of both time-oriented versions and view-oriented versions of engineering change information in which the engineering change information progresses through a set of status conditions and access to the data by different user groups is conditioned upon the status of the information. Version control software logic enables users to create versioned objects by logical key grouping of data elements. The version control logic acts upon the logical keys and special versioned attributes of these objects for the proper specification and selection of object instances during creation, update or retrieval processing. Insert and extract sequence numbers are automatically generated for both historical preservation of previous engineering change information and efficient retrieval of the currently effective designs.

Abstract: A method and system for the definition and tracking of multiple unique product configurations for configuration management in which customer contracted views of the product are defined by applying temporary changes to the base product configuration. A product serial number effectivity is assigned to each unique customer specified product configuration and to the base product configuration in order to maintain multiple time-oriented versions of the product, thus supporting simultaneously both customer-specified and design-specified engineering changes to the base product. A product configuration identifier provides non-redundant data storage for each unique product configuration and can refer to noncontiguous ranges of product serial numbers. The configuration entry identifier in a product configuration table is used to peg detail component requirements to serially numbered products in order to correlate the product configurations as built with the product configuration as designed.

Abstract: A data structure and method for uniquely identifying, and optimizing access to, object instances in an object oriented programming environment on a data processor containing a memory. Objects are categorized into one or more classes which define the method of the categorized objects, and messages are sent by the data processor to objects to perform actions. The data structure consists of a persistent portion containing a unique object identifier and a non-persistent portion containing the access address of an instance data frame in memory. The access address is set to the address of the instance data frame control block when the message is sent in order to optimize subsequent messages to the same object instance. The instance data frame control blocks are not allocated in memory until a first message is sent to an instance.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling mutually exclusive resources and for preventing deadlocks in a multi-tasking computer system by generating a graph containing nodes to which are mapped the tasks included in a flow of processes and the critical resources which may be appropriated by at least one of the tasks. The nodes of tasks executed sequentially are arranged sequentially; the nodes of tasks executed in parallel are arranged in parallel with each other and each node of a critical resource is arranged in parallel with every node which may appropriate it. Every time a signal to being execution of a task is transmitted, a token is generated in the task node and the critical resource node is parallel with the task node.

Abstract: An inter-panel process flow control method and system for enabling an uninhibited change of scope from the active panel to another panel visible on a display screen. The process relies on object-oriented programming constructs, particularly the inheritance property, and the control methods associated with the panel class. A hierarchical internal program logic is implemented where each child panel inherits the control method of its parent panel. An Action Router control method determines if a change of scope request can be handled locally by the currently active panel. The child panels of the currently active panel are queried in a controlled sequence using this inherited control method until a child panel is found that can handle the change of scope request.

Abstract: A method and system for processing a multilevel bill of material contained in a relational database that does not require a pre-established limit on the number of levels that can be processed and minimizes user lock out from the same data. A control table keeps track of each component retrieved at a given level of the bill of material, tagging each table entry with a component item identifier, bill of material level, and component sequence number, which identifies the order in which components are processed at each level. A counter is used to keep track of the next level in the bill of material to be processed and a stack data structure is used to indicate the sequence number of the next component to be processed at a given level. The contents of the counter and top of the stack are used to index into the control table to select for processing the entry in the table that has a bill of material level and sequence number matching the contents of the counter and top of stack, respectively.

Abstract: An attribute-based automated classification and retrieval system for group technology applications using a codeless classification system in which hierarchical classification structures are stored in a classification attribute file and in which searches can be performed at any level in the classification structure. The relationship between entities and classification attributes are kept in an item classification parameters file along with the parameter values associated with each entity-attribute pair. Queries on the data stored in the classification attribute file and item classification parameters file are stored alternately in a plurality of query results files as successive queries are used to narrow the scope of a search.

Abstract: A method for processing bill of material data in which low-level codes are updated in a bottom-to-top direction, from component items to subassemblies to assemblies. Updating the low-level code on a bottom to top traversal of a hierarchical path eliminates the need to maintain copies of the original low-level codes for recovery purposes. Continuity checking is performed before the low-level codes are updated. Low-level coding is extended for use in project network processing by substituting for the low-level code, the activity early start time in the forward pass and late finish time in the backward pass, and substituting for the increment value used in low-level coding, the activity duration time.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling, monitoring and integrating engineering and manufacturing changes in a manufacturing enterprise. The status of an engineering change and the status of items affected by the engineering change are monitored by an engineering change control manager application running at a central data processing facility. The engineering change and design or modification of items affected by the change are released to one or more manufacturing locations where additional design changes may be made to accommodate local manufacturing capabilities. Each manufacturing location accepts the engineering change and the corresponding affected items when ready to proceed with implementation of the engineering change. The affected items are promoted locally at the manufacturing location to effective status which releases the affected items into production at the plant.

Abstract: A method for establishing and maintaining virtual chains in a distributed computer network during session initiation. In transmitting a session initiation request from an originating network node to a destination network node, a locate chain is established along the path taken with control block resources dedicated to the chain at each intermediate node. By sending a reply with the discard indicator set, the resources at the intermediate nodes become immediately available and only the network node servers maintain knowledge of the pending session initiation and the route selected.

Abstract: A multi-frame stripping method for use in a token ring network utilizing early token release with multiple frames transmitted by multiple stations circulating around the ring. The method recovers the ring with minimum loss of data after detection of an error condition resulting in frame corruption. The transmitting station is responsible for removing its own frames from the ring. With one or more of its frames corrupted, a station terminates frame removal after the transmitter has finished transmitting when a frame is received from another station without code violation errors in the frame header if the frame counter has returned to its initial value. The station terminates stripping when only a single frame is transmitted and then becomes corrupted if an isolated ending delimiter is detected at the station.