Abstract: A packet parallel interconnection network for routing packets in parallel form comprises a three-dimensional space domain switch which interconnects a plurality of time domain switches in the form of multiple two level bus systems with separate data and control paths. The space domain switch comprises one control plane and a plurality of data switching planes such that the i.sup.th data switching plane routes the i.sup.th data slice of a packet. The control plane and the data switching planes comprise output buffered crosspoint switches. The control plane processes address information in the packets to be routed and broadcasts routing information to the data switching planes to control the routing of data slices by the data switching planes. It is a significant advantage of the time and space domain switches that decoupled control and data paths provide for overlapped control processing and data routing.

Abstract: A television system (100) comprises a sending station (70), a composing system (80) and a receiving station (90). The sending station (70) comprise a sequence of cameras (1,2,3, . . . ,N) arranged so that the fields of view merge contiguously to form an aggregate field of view. The composing station (80) includes circuitry which enables a local viewer at the receiving station (90) to select an arbitrary and continuously variable subsection of the aggregate field of view for display on a local monitor (200).

Abstract: A bidirectional logical-ring network employs crossconnect nodes, which partition the network into segments and interconnect segments at the subchannel level to form logical ring structures. All segments are independent, and each segment includes a subset of Add-Drop Multiplex nodes (ADMs) and two pairs of links, one working and one protection. The formation of logical rings from the interconnection of independent segment subchannels preserves the self-healing advantages of conventional bidirectional ring networks and allows greater flexibility to effeciently accommodate bandwidth upgrade requests.

Abstract: A torque measurement device is described which facilitates the testing of a handset cap of a public telephone for determining compliance with evolving mechanical disassembly requirements. The device is an interface between the handset cap under test and the torque measurement tool for uniform application of torque to the handset cap and the acquisition of reliable and reproducible test results. The device is a metallic receptacle having in its base a cylindrical aperture which conforms dimensionally to the shape of the handset cap and lodges the handset cap during testing. Also, the device includes set screws which bear against the cap to hold it uniformly in place during testing.

Abstract: A modular architecture for a very large packet switch is disclosed. Each module comprises a Batcher subnetwork and an expansion routing network, which expansion routing network includes a set of binary tree subnetwork interconnected with a set of banyan subnetworks. A packet may be routed from an input of the switch to any output by means of only one switch module. This means that the switch modules may be synchronized independently of each other and if one module fails the remainder of the modules may continue to route packets.

Abstract: A beam (e.g. a focused laser beam) is utilized to irradiate the entire lateral width of a limited-extent portion of an elongated superconducting thin-film lead. The irradiated portion is converted to be non-superconducting and photoconductive. The converted portion constitutes a photodetector integrated with associated superconducting leads.

Abstract: A filter bank comprising first and second finite impulse response diamond-shaped filters with finite precision filter coefficients is used to convert a high definition progressive video sequence in a vertical-time representation into an interlaced sequence and a deinterlacing sequence. The interlaced sequence may be used by a low resolution television receiver to display a low resolution television image. The interlaced and deinterlacing sequences may be recombined to perfectly reconstruct the progressive high definition video sequence which then may be used by a high definition television receiver. Thus, the inventive system has the advantage that it enables a single high definition video sequence to be utilized by both high definition television equipment and lower resolution television equipment so that an existing base of consumer television equipment is not rendered obsolete by the introduction of a high definition television sequence.