Abstract: A centimeter level survey system includes reference base station and rover GPS units connected by a radio data link. Each includes recorders for the storage of raw measurement information including range, phase, cycle counts and time information. The rover unit is typically moved to points of interest during a survey while the base remains over a fixed, and known location. Generally, the base antenna is located to optimize a clear view of the sky. The rover is subject to interruption of the radio data link from the primary reference station. During periods that the rover is initialized and in contact with the primary reference station base station over the radio data link, the rover provides real time centimeter level position solutions to a survey user, otherwise, the rover records its raw measurements in a file that begins with the last valid initialization information and that ends with any newly reestablished initialization information.

Abstract: A direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) radio communication system of the present invention comprises a transmitter and a matching receiver. The transmitter includes a pseudorandom number (PRN) code generator, a chip clock generator and a 16.times. clock generator that runs at sixteen times the chip clock rate. The output of the PRN code generator and chip clock generator are exclusive-OR'ed to derive a Manchester encoding of the DSSS spreading code. A tri-state buffer is used to deliver such Manchester encoded DSSS spreading code to a mixer to spread a biphase shift keyed (BPSK) radio carrier before being transmitted. The tri-state buffer can be a part of the exclusive-OR logic and is connected to place its output in a high impedance state one sixteenth of every chip clock period. This provides for a suppression of the spurious sidebands that otherwise limit adjacent channel packing.

Abstract: In a GPS navigation satellite receiver, a pseudorange step detection method integrates the pseudorange rates to predict expected changes in the pseudoranges from one measurement to the next. The pseudorange rate is directly measured as the carrier Doppler shift. The pseudorange and pseudorange rate from a last measurement from each satellite and a pseudorange rate from a new measurement are used to estimate the expected pseudorange. Such estimate accounts for vehicle velocity and accelerations. The expected pseudorange is compared to a newly measured pseudorange. An impermissible pseudorange step is declared when the difference exceeds a variable threshold. Tests can be done on measurements taken up to ten seconds apart, e.g., using a threshold of five hundred meters. The maximum position dilution of precision is typically set at a value of twelve. Satellites that manifest a pseudorange step are thereafter excluded from participating in subsequent position solution activity.

Abstract: Hierarchical look-ahead congestion-driven placement is a look-ahead method for avoiding interconnect congestion. It balances the available routing resources. When incorporated into conventional quadratic programming approaches, only minor increases in run-time are needed to produce dramatic decreases in congestion. The macrocell densities are traded between adjacent regions to anticipate congestion, and are estimated based on the current iteration for the distribution of cells and net connections involved. The congestion estimation also takes routing detour due to the presence of large hard macros into account for accuracy. The macrocell density adjustments are propagated to all the neighboring regions at each hierarchical level to revise the prior congestion estimate from the previous hierarchical iteration.

Abstract: A system and method for immediately separating oil sands into three layers uses a logwasher with paddles that mixes the oil sands with hot water and steam. The three layers of bitumen, clay/sand/water slurry and rock separate effectively and immediately and are not re-mixed in further processing as was conventional, further producing a clay fraction from the fines for mineral processing.

Abstract: In a grid-based channel router, a method for handling variable width wires. The user initially specifies the widths of the wires. In this manner, wider wires may be selected for special nets, such as those used for routing clock signals, whereas narrower wires are used for normal nets in order to minimize the die size. A refined grid map is generated. This refined grid map consists of extra rows and columns for marking the variable width wires. These extra rows and columns are spaced as a function of the wire width and are marked the same as with normal rows and columns. Before a wire is placed, the affected rows or columns are checked for any violations. If there are no violations, the wire is placed and the appropriate rows or columns are marked. Due to the extra rows and columns, the problems associated with overmarking and undermarking variable width wires are avoided.

Abstract: A non-contact pneumatic-electric dimensional measurement system comprises a stable base on which a semiconductor wafer or workpiece to be measured is placed. A measurement head is held aloft over the wafer or workpiece and base by a rigid support bracket attached to the base. The tip of an air nozzle in the measurement head is directed at the wafer or workpiece and automatically extended to near contact. The nozzle is servo-positioned by an air sensor and motor combination that maintains an air gap between the tip and wafer of about 150 microns with an overall precision of about 3-4 microns. A Heidenhaim linear displacement gauge is attached to the air nozzle and is used to determine the nozzle position to within 0.5 micron. The dimension of the wafer or workpiece is determined to within 0.5 micron by combining the linear displacement gauge reading with an estimate of the air gap derived from a reading of the air nozzle backpressure that has an accuracy of about 0.1 micron.

Abstract: A process in which a leach liquor of Al.sub.2 (SO.sub.4).sub.3 +K.sub.2 SO.sub.4 +Fe.sub.2 SO.sub.4 and other sulphates is introduced to a surface-cooled crystallizer that drops the Al.sub.2 (SO.sub.4).sub.3 +18H.sub.2 O. The leach liquor is pumped through a heat exchanger that keeps a temperature of 160.degree. F. and the surface temperature of the surface-cooled crystallizer is maintained at 60.degree. F. The temperature gradient within the leach liquor promotes crystal formation. These crystals are then supplied to mixture which includes K.sub.2 SO.sub.4 in a simple crystallization and evaporation step that uses a vacuum of twenty inches of mercury and heat to drop Al.sub.2 (SO.sub.4).sub.3 +K.sub.2 SO.sub.4 +24H.sub.2 O. A pressure of 250 PSI and a temperature of 200.degree. C. are then applied in a discrete continuous process that yield a basic sodium or potassium aluminum sulphate and excess sodium sulphate or potassium.

Abstract: An insulation material comprising the double salt of aluminum potassium sulphate and method of producing such. Aluminum sulphate materials and potassium sulphate materials are combined to form aluminum potassium sulphate which is then dehydrated to remove the water of hydration. Porous forms are made by mixing the hydrated aluminum potassium sulphate with a binder before dehydration. The resultant dehydrated sulphate expands greatly to provide an insulative material which is of lightweight and inorganic.

Abstract: An initialization method comprises loading a real time kinematic GPS base receiver with at least one position benchmark and setting a snap mode on and selecting a snap distance. The base receiver is transported to the earth location corresponding to any one of the position benchmarks. The base receiver is turned on. The base receiver estimates its rough position in a way that allows for a quick initial solution. If such rough estimate solution is within the snap distance of any one position benchmark, then the initialization of the base station is forced to assume the position benchmark is the present position, e.g., to sub-centimeter level accuracy.

Abstract: A single-chip video compression/decompression (video codec) chip is connected to receive a video input from a NTSC-compatible or PAL-compatible camera and a transmit channel. Video information from the camera or other video input source is compressed by the video codec and transmitted out in compressed form on a transmit channel. Concurrently, compressed video information is input to the video codec from a receive channel, decompressed and output to the monitor or other video output device, e.g., a television set. Only a separate single module of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) is needed to provide storage for incoming and outgoing video data, compressed bit streams and reconstructed pictures for both compression and decompression procedures. The compression of video information is by spatial decorrelation of the intraframe information, and temporal decorrelation of the interframe information. The communication channel bit rate is further reduced by quantization and variable length coding.

Abstract: For use in explosive atmospheres during mining, an flame proof or explosion proof internal AC alternator is provided to source electrical power from the rotations of a cutting head. A synthetic-pulse stepped-frequency ground-penetrating radar is used with oppositely circularly polarized transmitting and receiving antennas in a phase coherent microwave transceiver to measure the thickness of a coal deposit and to control the cut of a continuous mining machine operating in an underground mine. For example, a stepped-frequency radar and resonant microstrip patch antennas mounted near the outside surface of the cutting head to obtain measurements.

Abstract: A system and method for immediately separating oil sands into three layers uses a logwasher with paddles that mixes the oil sands with hot water and steam. The three layers of bitumen, clay/sand/water slurry and rock separate effectively and immediately and are not re-mixed in further processing as was conventional, further producing a clay fraction from the fines for mineral processing.

Abstract: A modular jack for interfacing a modular plug with a printed circuit board. The jack has a first outer housing segment and a second outer housing segment with a plurality of contacts embedded within the second segment and having pin portions projecting therefrom about one terminal end and contact portions projecting therefrom about the other terminal end with the contact portions being insertable within the first housing segment to make interface contact and mating with a male plug. The modular jack includes a shield with an electrically conductive compliant member about the edge of the shield to make interface electrical connection with a panel when the modular jack is mounted in place with the compliant member clamped by a plurality of clamps aligned with edges of the shield.

Abstract: A navigation satellite receiver for demodulating spread spectrum transmissions on pairs of L-band microwave carrier frequency channels, L1 and L2, which use the same pseudorandom number spreading code. A single P(Y)-code generator is used to produce independent P(Y)-code outputs for L1 and L2. The relative P(Y)-code phase between the outputs is adjusted by a phase resolver to account for the dissimilar delays the ionosphere imposes on each of L1 and L2. The phase resolver counts the excess of L1 code clocks over the L2 code clocks with a digital counter and adjusts a digital delay line to compensate.

Abstract: An improved navigation satellite receiver for tracking individual spread-spectrum frequency spectral lines with a microwave receiver antenna to receive signals from orbiting navigation satellites, a downconverter to produce in-phase and quadrature (I and Q) signals from the received satellite signals, and a digital processing system for frequency and phase locking numeric controlled oscillators (NCO) to the carrier and code of the satellite signals. The improvement comprises at least one spectral line tracker connected to receive the (I and Q) signals and including a spectral line numeric controlled oscillator (NCO) connected to a spectral line mixer that drives a spectral line code correlator. The spectral line NCO is frequency-aided to frequency lock on a spectral line from a value obtained from the carrier NCO.

Abstract: A method of making activated alumina includes beginning with a leach liquor of potassium and aluminum sulphates that is subjected to a surface-cooled crystallizer with a heat-exchanger input temperature of 160.degree. F. and a surface-chilled temperature of 60.degree. F. Crystals of aluminum sulphate are precipitated and recrystalized by evaporation in a vacuum and at an elevated temperature. Purified crystals of aluminum sulphate are then dried at 50.degree.-60.degree. C. The dried aluminum sulphate crystals are then dehydrated at 400.degree.-450.degree. C. after a rise rate of 50.degree.-60.degree. C. per minute to drive off most of the water. A roasting and recalcination step at 1000.degree. C.-1050.degree. C. after a rise rate of 50.degree.-60.degree. C. per minute is used drive off the sulphate. The remaining alumina is smelted by electrolysis for aluminum.

Abstract: A xenon arc lamp comprises a cylindrical ceramic body in which an elliptical reflector is molded to have a diameter of about 1.4 inches. The ends each have metal electrical contact rings, one for the anode and one for the cathode. The body has two different diameters with a step in between at the middle that is formed into the ceramic. A standardized anode heat sink for lesser-powered conventional one inch modular lamp bases is fitted to the base and makes thermal contact to the ledge underside of the step in the ceramic. Thus two dissimilar orthogonal heat transfer interfaces are formed, one radial which is metal to metal, and one axial which is ceramic to metal. A standardized cathode heat sink for the same lesser-powered conventional one inch modular lamp bases is relieved for about half of its inside length to accommodate the 1.4 inch reflector diameter and is fitted to the front.

Abstract: A host computer is connected with a computer interface to a disk drive that accepts removable disk drive cartridges. A FLASH memory provides the non-volatile storage of a default embedded control program and an alternative control program for a processor. A special maintenance track on the removable cartridge is accessible by the processor and an alternative program can be uploaded from it and stored in the FLASH memory if a user interlock and the function and revision codes included in the system permit the upload. A fail-safe switch to the embedded default control program is made when problems are experienced with any uploaded program.

Abstract: An optical disk records digital information in optically-reflective layers that each vary in thickness between constructive interference of a monochromatic light and destructive interference of the said monochromatic light. The difference in the intensity of a reflected light beam subjected to interferometric constructive and destructive interference is used to communicate digital data from the optically-reflective layers and a detector. The optical disk provides for multiple layers of digital information that are tuned for interferometric response at correspondingly different monochromatic wavelengths of light. Another embodiment of the present invention is a mass-production process for making such an interferometric optical disk. Another embodiment of the present invention is a variation that includes layers that are emitting or absorbing depending on dopants.