Abstract: The present invention converts the regions of the graphite components in a CZ apparatus that are most prone to erosion to silicon carbide, forming a protective treatment (or “coating”). The coating may cover the entire component or preselected areas of the component. The resulting coating slows erosion of the graphite component and prolongs the lifetime of the component. The method of the invention includes applying a silicon-containing paste to a graphite (or other carbon) component and heating the component so that the silicon combines with carbon from the graphite component to form a protective coating. The paste is preferably a mixture of a silicon-containing powder and a carbon-containing liquid.

Abstract: Exposure methods are disclosed for high precision pattern transfer with reduced distortion using an evaluation mask containing distortion-measurement patterns. The distortion-measurement patterns are provided in multiple subfields on a mask, and images of the patterns are projected and exposed onto a wafer by sequentially irradiating the subfields. Distortions in the images are measured. These measurements are then used to correct distortions in subsequent images with a dynamic correcting system comprising focus-correction coils and astigmatism compensators. Additional methods and apparatus are provided in which simultaneous equations are solved to determine currents in focus-correction coils and astigmatism compensators.

Abstract: Sampling of a phototransistor in an optical encoding system is controlled by “turning on” the phototransistor, after light has already charged the base of the phototransistor at least somewhat, by applying a potential difference across the collector and emitter of the phototransistor, producing an essentially instantaneous emitter response, which is then sampled.

Abstract: Disclosed are processes and reactor apparatus for rapidly producing large diameter, high-purity polycrystalline silicon rods for semiconductor applications. A.C. current is provided to the rods by a power supply, having a fixed or variable high frequency in the range of about 2 kHz to 800 kHz, to concentrate at least 70% of the current in an annular region that is the outer 15% of a rod due to the “skin effect.

Abstract: Computer-based devices, whether initiators or targets, are assured access to a bus having a fixed priority arbitration scheme (such as a SCSI bus) by assigning to each initiator a “fair share” of the bus bandwidth. This share is defined as a number of bytes per a unit of time such as a time period. The shares together total a fraction of the total bus bandwidth, with a margin of bus bandwidth left unassigned. To prevent initiator starvation, each initiator monitors its bus requests to determine if it is being prevented by higher-priority initiators from using its assigned share of the bandwidth. If not, the initiator periodically pings each higher-priority initiator to indicate that it is not being starved. So long as a higher-priority initiator continues to receive pings from all lower-priority initiators, the higher-priority initiator can continue to use as much bandwidth as it needs.

Abstract: A light system for a vehicle wheel comprising at least one light source, at least one reflective body and an electrical power source operably coupled to the light source. The light source directs light toward the reflective body. In a preferred embodiment several spokes of a spoked wheel are replaced with reflective bodies, and a plurality of LEDs mounted in the inner hub of the spoked wheel direct light toward each reflective body spoke.

Abstract: A technique for entropy coding information relating to frequency domain audio coefficients. For portions of a frequency spectrum having a predominate value of zero, a multi-level run length encoder statistically correlates sequences of zero values with non-zero values and assigns variable length code words. An encoder uses a specialized code book generated with respect to the probability of receiving an input sequence of zero-valued spectral coefficients followed by a non-zero coefficient. A corresponding decoder associates a variable length code word with a sequence of zero value coefficients adjacent a non-zero value coefficient.

Abstract: A fire hydrant wrench is provided with a chatter-thread arrangement that permits a threaded handle to be pushed, rather than manually threaded, into engagement with a fire hydrant fixture. A quick release trigger similarly permits the handle to be quickly withdrawn without unthreading. Faster operation of hydrants, with consequent savings of lives, results. Other improvements are also disclosed, including reversible, replaceable gripping teeth that tend to prevent even a loosely coupled wrench from falling off a fire hydrant.

Abstract: A training device is disclosed for exercising the pubococcygeal or pelvic floor muscles, for example in the treatment of incontinence. The device includes a cylindrical, deformable probe for insertion into the vagina or rectum of a user. The probe is connected to a pressure transducer, which detects the pressure applied to the probe by contraction of the pelvic floor muscles and displays a pressure indicator to the user to help direct the contraction of the appropriate muscles. The pressure indicator may take the form of a series of nested figures, such as curves or concentric semi-circles, that incrementally converge toward a common point as pressure on the probe increases. The nested figures incrementally retreat from the common point as pressure on the probe decreases. The training unit guides a user through an exercise routine by tracking the overall exercise time and the timing between flexing and relaxation cycles.

Abstract: Charged-particle-beam (“CPB”; e.g., electron-beam) apparatus are disclosed that exhibit reduce image blur due to space-charge effects. With such apparatus, a reticle pattern can be imaged on a substrate with greater accuracy and higher throughput. Such results can be achieved using a charged-particle source having comparatively low emittance. An illumination-optical system directs an illumination beam from a CPB source to a reticle defining a pattern to be transferred to a substrate. A projection-optical system projection-images, on the substrate, an imaging beam that has passed through and been patterned by the reticle. The illumination-optical system includes a beam-shaping aperture that causes the illumination beam to have an annular transverse profile. The reticle is illuminated with an image of a crossover of the illumination beam. The CPB source desirably emits the illumination beam from an annular region of a cathode.

Abstract: A substantially zero overhead mutual-exclusion apparatus and method (90, 120) is provided that allows concurrent reading and updating data while maintaining data coherency. That is, a data reading process executes the same sequence of instructions that would be executed if the data were never updated. Rather than depending exclusively on overhead-imposing locks, this mutual-exclusion mechanism tracks an execution history (138) of a thread (16, 112) to determine safe times for processing a current generation (108, 130, 131) of data updates while a next generation (110, 132, 133) of data updates is concurrently being saved. A thread is any locus of control, such as a processor. A summary of thread activity (106, 122) tracks which threads have passed through a quiescent state after the current generation of updates was started.

Abstract: A system and method for displaying a rich multimedia document in the same window as a desktop window. In one aspect of the invention a client computer connects to a computer network, such as the Internet, and retrieves a channel guide or list of content providers from which a user can select one or more content providers. The client computer retrieves a document associated with a content provider selected from the channel guide. The document is integrated into the desktop window on the client computer. The document received may be an HTML document including hyperlinks for allowing a user to jump to another document (e.g., folder, FTP site, other HTML documents, etc.) associated with the hyperlink.

Abstract: An image generator takes graphical objects and an occlusion relationship for the objects and resolves non-binary occlusion cycles with image compositing operations to produce an output image of the objects. The image generator takes an occlusion relationship for objects in a scene and a set of antialiased image layers with transparency of the objects and produces an antialiased image of the objects with hidden surfaces eliminated. One implementation operates on subsets of the objects in a scene that form non-binary cycles. This implementation uses a chain of atop operators to combine occluding objects with a selected object from a subset, and then combines this result with other objects in the cycle using over image operations. Another implementation computes a chain of out image operations for each object to combine the image layers of the occluding objects with the image layer of the object. The results of each chain of out image operations are summed to produce an output image.

Abstract: An apparatus for sequentially and automatically cutting a piece of dimension lumber at a number of predetermined angles to produce a building component, such as a rafter or truss web or chord, with composite or compound angles, is disclosed. The apparatus includes infeed and outfeed tables tiltable about a longitudinal axis and equipped with fences along which a workpiece moves longitudinally via moving devices. Clamps hold the workpiece at different positions relative to a cutting station during a cutting operation. A cutter, which for example includes a circular saw blade, is mounted for a positioning movement about a vertical axis at the cutting station, as well as for vertical movement to cut a workpiece at a predetermined composite or compound angle.

Abstract: Rather than comparing an old file with a new file to generate a set of patching instructions, and then compressing the patching instructions to generate a compact patch file for transmission to a user, a patch file is generated in a single operation. A compressor is pre-initialized in accordance with the old version of the file (e.g. in an LZ77 compressor, the history window is pre-loaded with the file). The pre-initialized compressor then compresses the old file, producing a patch file from which the new file can be generated. At the user's computer, a parallel process is performed, with the user's copy of the old file being used to pre-initialize a decompressor to which the patch file is then input. The output of the decompressor is the new file. The patch files generated and used in these processes are of significantly reduced size when compared to the prior art.

Abstract: A hybrid tea rose plant having dark green, glossy disease-resistant foliage on a vigorous, upright but compact plant having large, yellow and pink blend fragrant flowers.

Abstract: A floribunda rose plant having a compact plant habit; dark green, glossy, disease-resistant foliage; abundant amber flowers; good clustering ability; and rapid rebloom.

Abstract: Floribunda rose plant having a strong upright growth, long stems, excellent clustering ability, resistance to powdery mildew and long vase life.

Abstract: A shrub rose plant characterized by its vigorous, upright growth with fairly small, healthy, dark green foliage; its large clusters of bright copper yellow flowers and ability to root from softwood and hardwood cuttings.