Abstract: A coupling structure for a ferrite-based resonator comprises a short, stiff mounting rod and ferrite sphere are mechanically coupled to a substrate that provides support for a stiff coupling loop. The structure reduces differential movement between the sphere and the coupling loop, thereby reducing vibration-induced degradation of resonator performance. This resonator structure may be used in tunable, wideband oscillator, filter, or amplifier circuits, for example. In one embodiment, the mounting rod is a poor thermal conductor, thereby thermally isolating the sphere, which becomes nearly isothermal.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to thermally responsive polymer gel compositions that have enhanced temperature-dependent shrinking rates, increased strength, and improved pliability over previously known polymer compositions. In particular, the compositions are thermally responsive polymer gel compositions comprising a hydrophobic polymer matrix and an interpenetrating hydrophilic polymer network disposed therein, such that the resulting polymer gel composition has enhanced thermal responsiveness relative to the hydrophobic polymer matrix alone. This combination results in polymer gels having these improved properties. In a particular aspect, the hydrophobic polymer matrix is poly(n-isopropylacrylamide) (“PNIPAAM”) and the interpenetrating polymer network is supplied by incorporation of an amount of protein, typically gelatin, within the PNIPAAM. The compositions of the invention find particular use in surgical applications for the repair of damaged tissues, e.g.

Abstract: Optoelectronic and photonic devices are formed by employing polymer materials that have a lower glass transition temperature (Tg) than the nominal operating temperature. By using such materials, the local or segmental mobility is increased so that local stress is eliminated or minimized on the polymer material, making performance more robust. The current invention involves use of a polymer in an optical device in an operating temperature range in the region above Tg, where the polymer segments between crosslinks are allowed local freedom of movement; however, large-scale movement of the material may be restricted by the crosslinked structure of the polymer material.

Abstract: A video signal is enhanced using a non-linear combination of left and right difference signals (L and R), constrained to be zero if either L or R is zero, using a minimum absolute value function. Edge enhancement is provided when the polarities of L and R are the same and peak enhancement when the polarities are different. Difference signals are derived with delays (2 and 4) and a subtracter (3). The non-liner combinations are derived in a lookup table (30).

Abstract: Pronunciation quality is automatically evaluated for an utterance of speech based on one or more pronunciation scores. One type of pronunciation score is based on duration of acoustic units. Examples of acoustic units include phones and syllables. Another type of pronunciation score is based on a posterior probability that a piece of input speech corresponds to a certain model such as an HMM, given the piece of input speech. Speech may be segmented into phones and syllables for evaluation with respect to the models. The utterance of speech may be an arbitrary utterance made up of a sequence of words which had not been encountered before. Pronunciation scores are converted into grades as would be assigned by human graders. Pronunciation quality may be evaluated in a client-server language instruction environment.

Abstract: A system and method for flushing cells in an ATM network sets an interval timer during which it would be expected that an active physical output would indicate it could accept a cell. When an interval elapses, a physical output that has not indicated it is ready to accept a cell is marked as disabled and may remain so until the output is reset. Cells in an output queue to a disabled cell are flushed during periods when no higher priority cells are available to be sent.

Abstract: A rack-pinion type power steering apparatus includes a cylindrical stub shaft, a torsion bar, a pinion shaft, a rotor, and a sleeve. The stub shaft rotates in a steering body upon a steering operation. The torsion bar has one end fixed at one end of the stub shaft and extends toward the other end of the stub shaft. The pinion shaft is pivotally connected to the other end of the torsion bar and has pinion teeth that mesh with a rack of a steering wheel. The rotor is arranged to cover the torsion bar from the stub shaft along an extending direction of the torsion bar. The sleeve has one end integrally connected to the pinion shaft, extends from the pinion shaft along the stub shaft, and is arranged around the rotor to constitute a rotary type channel selector valve between the rotor and the sleeve. At least two ends of an inner circumferential portion of the sleeve integrally connected to the pinion shaft have slidable contact surfaces that slidably support the rotor integrally connected to the stub shaft.

Abstract: A variable displacement pump includes pump bodies, a cam ring, first and second fluid pressure chambers, a rotor, a driving shaft, a pump chamber, a compression coil spring, a metering restrictor portion, and a control valve. A plunger damper is formed to incorporate the compression coil spring such that a distal end of the plunger damper abuts against a side portion of the cam ring in the second fluid pressure chamber. A small hole constituting the metering restrictor portion is formed at such a position that it is opened/closed by a slidable motion of the plunger damper during a swing motion of the cam ring, and such that it is partitioned from the second fluid pressure chamber, so that an opening area of the small hole changes in an interlocking manner to the swing motion of the cam ring.

Abstract: A method is provided for reconstructing data generated on a digitizer tablet based on the dynamics of the data generation. The digitizer tablet samples the position of the writing pen, continuously transmitting data to a computer in the form of x and y coordinates plus an indicator of whether or not the pen is touching the surface of the tablet. After preprocessing, the data is reconstructed based on the dynamics of the data's creation. The values of the dynamic reconstruction are created by accumulating increments that are some function of the original data. To enhance the dynamics a nonlinear function is required.

Abstract: A ball bearing includes a rotary member, an outer ring, and a plurality of balls. Part of the rotary member serves as an inner ring. The outer ring is fitted on an outer circumferential portion of the inner ring. The plurality of balls are incorporated in ball holding grooves between the inner and outer rings. At least one of the inner and outer rings has a stepped portion in a circumferential surface thereof close to the ball holding grooves. The stepped portion prevents positional shift of the balls incorporated through a gap between the inner ring and the outer ring set eccentric with respect to the inner ring. A method of assembling a ball bearing is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method is provided for optimally setting the receiver window size in a flow controlled protocol in order to minimize queuing in a packet telecommunications network. Embodiments according to the present invention are operable at an explicit path to identify per connection information from host address or physical interface, flow direction, or any combination of these elements. The present invention may function in conjunction with a rate detection method that determines both a message serialization delay component and a data size invariant delay component.

Abstract: A master-slave network control system and method of operation wherein the master node element has substantially absolute invasive control over functions and capabilities of slave node elements which are logged onto the network and wherein the master node element can exercise latent control over slave node elements when not logged on to the network by controlling reacceptance onto the network in order to promote selected pedagogical and like functions facilitated through networked communication between the master node elements and the slave node elements.

Abstract: A process for making composite materials, namely reinforced Al-metal matrix composites based on either: (I) Al—W intermetallic phase and Al2O3 ceramic whiskers, or (II) Al—Mo intermetallic phase and Al2O3 ceramic whiskers. This process involves the oxidation of aluminum using tungsten oxide in powder form for product I, and that of aluminum and molybdenum oxide in powder form for product II. Product I contains an Al—W intermetallic phase, some sapphire whiskers, and a continuous Al-metal matrix. Product II contains an Al—Mo intermetallic phase, sapphire whiskers, and a continuous Al-metal matrix. The alumina whiskers are formed as a result of two reactions. They are: (i) the oxidation between the pre-mixed Al and the oxide, and (ii) the oxidation of Al with the atmospheric environment in the presence of the oxide, which acts as a catalytic agent for the reaction. These newly invented products are hard, strong and light.

Abstract: Methods and devices useful in high-speed scalable switching systems include a memoryless switch fabric, per virtual channel queuing, digital phase aligners, randomized and complement connection modes, a mid-point negative acknowledge and output negative acknowledge scheme among other elements. A particular implementation of a routing table and switch element is described in part to illustrate the various techniques and devices of the invention.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method, a computer product and a system each of which features fitting a spatial recognition technique to enable a microprocessor to recognize hand-written characters, referred to herein as a cipher. This is achieved by fitting the cipher to a matrix having a plurality of cells with each cell having a plurality of pixels corresponding thereto and determining whether said cipher may be equally distributed among the plurality of cells. In this fashion, a subset of the pixels of a subgroup of the plurality of cells have a sub-portion of the cipher associated therewith and it is determined whether the number of pixels associated with each portion of the cipher are equal. If not, cells have excess pixels associated with a portion of the cipher, compared to other cells in the matrix, have the excess pixels assigned to a different cell. This facilitates creating a digital word that describes the cipher that is then compared with information in a look-up table.

Abstract: A method for controlling physical security of a computer removably coupled to a network wherein a security administrator associated with a server invokes a timer in a client computer and disables the client computer if the computer is not operated within the network with a frequency preset by the security administrator. Techniques are provided in the client computer to inhibit breach of the security of the timer.

Abstract: A frequency hopping spread spectrum receiver that does not require an independent synchronization source to receive and track a frequency hopping transmitter signal. In a search mode, the receiver of this invention hops in a reverse direction and at a faster rate than the transmitter hopping pattern. This results in faster signal acquisition time. The receiver uses the audio data tones of the transmit signal to detect and synchronize to the transmitter signal. Once in track mode of operation, a frequency hopping hysteresis ensures against erroneous detection of signal loss by tracking the transmitter hopping pattern for several consecutive hops before switching back to search mode.

Abstract: A wireless telephone system capable of servicing a roaming wireless telephone user includes a satellite communications system consisting of one or more orbiting satellites, each carrying a database of users, destination codes and call codes, within a satellite service area, a satellite control center, and a plurality of terrestrial communications links.

Abstract: An automatic speech recognition methodology takes advantage of linguistic constraints wherein words are modeled as probabilistic networks of phonetic segments (herein phones), and each phone is represented as a context-independent hidden Markov phone model mixed with a number of context-dependent phone models. Recognition is based on use of methods to design phonological rule sets based on measures of coverage and overgeneration of pronunciations which achieves high coverage of pronunciations with compact representations. Further, a method estimates probabilities of the different possible pronunciations of words. A further method models cross-word coarticulatory effects. In a specific embodiment of the system, a specific method determines the single most-likely pronunciation of words. In further specific embodiments of the system, methods generate speaker-dependent pronunciation networks.

Abstract: The present invention is an input device for a computer is provided which generates input signals through a polyhedron having an enclosing surface, the polyhedron cooperating with sensing means for sensing pressure indicative of deformation forces applied externally to the enclosing surface to generate electrical signals indicative of the magnitude and location of pressure on the enclosing surface. Means are provided for coupling this array of electrical signals to the computer. In specific embodiments of the invention, the polyhedron may include means for sensing orientation in space and means for sensing location in space. In a still further embodiment, protrusions on the surface may be provided permitting a handler to pull upon the enclosing surface indicating a negative direction of applied pressure.