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.

Abstract: A shielded modular adapter adapts one type of connector to another and provides electromagnetic shielding therein in order to reduce radio frequency interference and adjacent signal line interference. The shielded modular adapter may include electromagnetic filters to further reduce electromagnetic radiation. Additionally, the shielded modular adapter is user programmable or selectable by inserting pins into the appropriate holes within a connector and snapping the connector in place.

Abstract: A navigation wristwear device comprises a GPS receiver fully disposed in a wrist watch type housing. A transparent microwave patch antenna is patterned of indium-tin-oxide on sapphire in front of an LCD time, position and velocity display. A bezel provides a protective window. A low-noise amplifier, downconversion, code processing and navigation processing are all provided on a single integrated circuit. Photovoltaic solar cells to each side of the LCD help keep a battery charged.

Abstract: A cellular telephone system embodiment of the present invention comprises a combination global positioning system (GPS) receiver and cellular transceiver and a data processing facility for converting latitude, longitude, velocity and bearing information provided by the GPS receiver into meaningful descriptors that are spoken with a speech synthesizer back to the cellular transceiver or an outsider who calls in an inquiry to a "1-900" service.

Abstract: An antenna system for a navigation satellite receiver tuned to dual-frequency transmissions from orbiting navigation satellites. Respective L1 and L2 microwave patch antennas are mounted flat and adjacent to one another on a common ceramic substrate and have their centers grounded to a groundplane on the opposite side of the substrate with vias. Each patch antenna is connected to a respective near-by low-noise amplifier. The low-noise amplifiers are both connected to a signal combiner and a final radio frequency amplifier for down feed to a navigation satellite receiver. A direct current signal from the navigation satellite receiver is used on the down-feed to selectively control which one of the two low-noise amplifiers is to operate. Thus one coaxial down-feed supplies power to the low-noise amplifiers and provides for the selection between the L1 and L2 carrier frequencies on the down-feed.

Abstract: A metal halide lamp includes a cast ceramic reflector almost completely comprised of alumina. A conventional metal halide bulb is positioned within the reflector. A glaze and then a dielectric coating are applied to the inside surface of the reflector, such that appreciable amounts of infrared radiation from the bulb are absorbed into the glaze and ceramic and not reflected into the beam.

Abstract: An improved single or dual-frequency navigation satellite receiver that can directly re-acquire P-code code-phase after a brief loss of P-code tracking. A digital signal processor (DSP) writes its current position fixes to a non-volatile memory. The DSP also updates a clock that keeps a running estimate of precise global positioning system time. When P-code code-phase is lost, it is re-acquired by reading the clock back in, adjusting for its drift, reading in the last position fix from the non-volatile memory, and then beginning an advanced P-code code-phase search based on such head start information.

Abstract: A dimmable fluorescent lamp system comprises a fluorescent lamp with filaments at each end that are continuously heated by a transformer. A resonating capacitor is connected in series with a resonating inductor and a pair of DC blocking capacitors are connected from each end of the fluorescent lamp to put it in parallel with the resonating capacitor. A control logic drives the resonating inductor with a pulse-width modulated square wave that is controlled by a feedback voltage derived from a pair of rectifiers and a dropping resistor in series with one of the DC blocking capacitors. An error amplifier with two gain settings, e.g., one for a range of 0-20% of maximum light dimming and the other for 20%-100% dimming, compares the feedback voltage to a setpoint. A threshold comparator establishes the switchover point between the two error gain ranges.

Abstract: A dimmable fluorescent lamp system embodiment of the present invention comprises a fluorescent lamp with filaments at each end that are continuously heated by independent secondary windings of a transformer. A resonating capacitor is connected in series with a resonating inductor and a pair of DC blocking capacitors are connected from each end of the fluorescent lamp to put it in parallel with the resonating capacitor. A control logic drives the primary winding with a pulse-width or frequency modulated square wave that is controlled by a feedback voltage derived from a pair of rectifiers and a dropping resistor in series with one of the DC blocking capacitors.

Abstract: A real-time kinematic system includes base and rover GPS units connected by a data link. The rover unit is typically moved to points of interest during a survey while the base remains over a fixed, and known location. An initialization testing program of the present invention is mounted on a personal computer platform that forces in the rover a loss of signal tracking, thus simulating losses in signal reception caused by obstructions of the satellite signals. A complete initialization is forced to occur. The test program uninitializes the RTK solution by causing a loss of integer ambiguities resolution by forcing a loss of lock on one or more satellites. The test program then monitors the subsequent initialization process, e.g.

Abstract: A satellite broadcast system using an airwave message signal to remotely control a signal receiver. The system includes a system manager to issue a message, a message service to broadcast the message in the airwave message signal, and a signal receiver to select a satellite and a channel of a downlink signal from the satellite carrying a desired program. The program may include audio/video, text, pictures, software, or data. In the preferred embodiment, the message service is a pager service.

Abstract: A combination of a GPS receiver for determining a user's position in terms of latitude and longitude, a database that indexes approximately 53,000 USGS 7.5 minute series topographical quadrangle maps by the latitude and longitude of at least one point on each map, and an interpreter and display that communicates the particular USGS map that represents the user's position together with the ruler dimensions left/right/up/down from a reference point on that map which pinpoints the user's position on the map. The database is stored in the permanent memory of the GPS receiver and the interpreter and display are controller by a microcomputer included in the GPS receiver. The reference points include sixteen intersections on the map of 2.5 minute intervals of latitude and longitude contained in each 7.5 minute series quadrangle.

Abstract: An adhesive patch includes an applique of material with one side covered in cryanoacrylic ester tissue glue with dimensions sufficiently large to cover the natural pelvic vents of beef and pork carcasses. The material appliques are dispensed with glue applied at the moment of use on an animal slaughter processing line.

Abstract: A four-operator sound synthesis integrated circuit comprises a first through a fourth sound synthesis operator, a first programmable multiplier connecting the output of the first operator to the input of the second operator, a second programmable multiplier connecting the output of the second operator to the input of the third operator, a third programmable multiplier connecting the output of the third operator to the input of the fourth operator, a fourth programmable multiplier connecting the output of the first operator a first input of a four-input adder, a fifth programmable multiplier connecting the output of the second operator a second input of the four-input adder, a sixth programmable multiplier connecting the output of the third operator a third input of the four-input adder, and a seventh programmable multiplier connecting the output of the fourth operator a fourth input of the four-input adder. The product of the combination is taken from the output of the four-input adder.

Abstract: An electric motor drive comprising an electric motor within a housing and coupled to a propeller; a hollow cylindrical rotatable drive shaft projecting from the housing along a vertical axis of rotation; a boat mount anchoring the drive shaft in place with the drive shaft being rotatable within the boat mount about the vertical axis of rotation; a transmission housing with a rotor engaged to the drive shaft, a directional control cable locked to the rotor with the rotor being rotatable responsive to movement of the control cable; an electric power cable extending through the drive shaft to the electric motor to deliver electric power to the motor; and a control panel with a switch connected to the first electric power cable to control electric power to the electric motor, and a directional control connected to the control cable.

Abstract: A tone generator clears all registers in a twenty-nine stage device so that the previous results are not used in the calculations for a next tone sample. A series approximation of a desired complex sound waveform is achieved by calculating the contributions of twenty-nine time steps back in time. Twenty-nine different address phases are respectively applied to twenty-nine stacked arithmetic units. Each arithmetic unit comprises a first adder that inputs the output of a previous arithmetic unit and the input of the previous arithmetic unit. A second adder inputs the result from the first adder and one of the twenty-nine address phases. The second adder then reads a waveform generator connected to a multiplier that is controlled by a common multiplication factor "B". The output of the twenty-ninth unit produces the desired tone without any of the stacked units feeding back any signals.

Abstract: A satellite network receiver connected to receive video and audio programs and commands from orbiting satellites through a steerable dish antenna. Commands are alternatively received by the satellite receiver via pager radio service or phone wire from a network controller that uplinked the satellite programming. All user controls are eliminated from the satellite receiver and the network controller uses its command capability to steer the users antenna and to analyze and initiate diagnostics performed on various parts of the satellite receiver.

Abstract: An arc lamp comprises an electrode assembly with O-ring seals that seal in xenon gas within a glass tube envelope and shaped electrode that, together with a contoured tube geometry inside the glass tube envelope near the electrode, will aerodynamically redirect the supersonic forces of gas ignition to reduce the mechanical impact pulses that would otherwise ultimately work the electrode assembly out of the end of the glass the envelope.

Abstract: A single-transistor non-volatile memory cell MOS transistor with a floating gate and a control gate using two levels of polysilicon and a tunnel dielectric that overlaps the drain area wherein a tunneling of charge can take place between the drain and the floating gate by means of a system of applied voltages to the control gate and drain.