Abstract: A rate control algorithm for an MPEG-2 compliant encoder of the present invention has embodiments useful for constant bit rate and variable bit rate encoding.In particular, the invention relates to a three stage hierarchial motion vector determination.

Abstract: A process for producing a partially transparent, visually discernible surface pattern with surface elements which diffusely scatter, reflect or diffract light incident on the surface pattern commences with a base foil which may include a carrier foil and a lacquer layer, and also an intermediate layer between these two layers to provide for good adhesion. Before or after application of the microscopically fine relief structures in the lacquer layer, the free surface thereof is covered over its entire area with a reflection layer. A printed image is then printed with an etching agent for the reflective material on the reflection layer in such a way that, at surface portions corresponding to the printed image, the reflection layer is removed and the surface of the lacquer layer is exposed again.

Abstract: A process for depositing a layer of uniform thickness on an uneven surface of a substrate is disclosed. The layer could be deposited by plasma or chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The uneven surface of the substrate has horizontal surfaces and vertical sidewalls and is located on a movable platform. The platform is tilted and rotated as the layer is deposited so that the ions or the flow of chemical vapor reaches the horizontal surface and the sidewall at a similar incident angle. Thereby, the layer is evenly deposited and has a uniform thickness with proper coverage and planarization.

Abstract: A memory architecture is disclosed for storing macroblocks of an anchor picture. Each macroblock is an i.times.j matrix of p blocks of n.times.m pixels, where i,j,m,n and p are integers, p>1 and p=i.multidot.j. The blocks of each macroblock are consistently ordinalled with an ordinal q, 0.ltoreq.q.ltoreq.p-1. The memory architecture enables p parallel decoding engines to simultaneously access different blocks of a predictive macroblock of pixels identified in the anchor picture. The memory architecture includes p simultaneously addressable memories. Each of the memories is for storing pixel data of mutually different blocks of each macroblock of the anchor picture. Specifically, each of the p memories is assigned to at least one q.sup.th ordinalled block of each macroblock of the anchor picture, which at least one q.sup.th ordinalled block is different from the ordinalled blocks assigned to each other memory. Each of the memories only stores the corresponding at least one q.sup.

Abstract: A process for the production of grain oriented magnetic steel sheets having improved remagnetization losses consisting essentially of (in % by weight) more than 0.005% to 0.10% C, 2.5 to 6.5% Si, 0.03 to 0.15% Mn, 0.010 to 0.050% S, 0.010 to 0.035% Al, 0.0045 to 0.0120% N, and 0.020 to 0.300% Cu, and up to 0.15% Sn, the balance being iron and inevitable impurities. The process includes continuous casting or strip casting slabs with the above composition.

Abstract: A continuous kneading machine for doughs comprises a tub-shaped container, open at the top, which contains at least one pair of identical synchronously counterrotating kneading shafts. A series of U-shaped bracket components are attached to each kneading shaft longitudinally. The U-shaped bracket components are angularly offset relative to each other around the shaft circumference, with each bracket component being inclined in the direction of motion, such that the bracket components form a helical profile along the kneading shaft. A "manual" type of kneading is achieved due to the shearing off, pulling apart, and pressing together actions of the inventive shaft and bracket configuration.

Abstract: An information carrier is in the form of a composite laminate with a first, a second and a third layer having refractive indices n3, n4, n5 respectively. The second layer forms structures by only partially covering the first layer. The third layer covers over the second layer or the first layer in direct contact therewith. The surface on the first layer has surface elements with first and second diffraction structures which produce a visually verifiable authenticity feature or which serve for reading out the information contained in the structures formed by the second layer. The refractive indices n4 and n5 are substantially real in the visible range and therefore the second and third layers are transparent. The differences .vertline.n4-n3.vertline. and .vertline.n5-n3.vertline. are greater than 0.2 over large parts of the visible range so that the first diffraction structures produce visible diffraction effects independently of the structures formed by the second layer.

Abstract: A housing for an electrical component which protects the electrical component sealed therein and reduces mechanical stress on the electrical component includes two housing sections which are connected to each other, a support for the electrical component located within the housing, and attachment connections for mounting the housing on a mounting point, e.g., of a motor vehicle chassis. To reduce the mechanical stress imposed upon the electrical component, and to obtain a good seal of the housing interior against dirt, etc., the two housing sections are connected to each other directly or via an intermediate piece. The housing interior is sealed by one or two seals, made from elastically or plastically deformable material, which are located between the faces of the support and the housing sections associated with them. The attachment connections are located on one of the two housing sections.

Abstract: An austenitic carbide-strengthened nickel/chromium/iron foregeable alloy comprises (in % by weight) 0.2 to 0.4% carbon, 25 to 30% chromium, 8 to 11% iron, more than 2.4 to 3.0% aluminum, 0.01 to 0.15% yttrium, 0.01 to 0.20% titanium, 0.01 to 0.20% niobium, 0.01 to 0.10% zirconium, 0.001 to 0.015% magnesium, 0.001 to 0.010% calcium, max 0.030% nitrogen, max 0.50% silicon, max 0.25% manganese, max 0.020% phosphorus, max 0.010% sulfur, balance nickel and unavoidable melting conditioned impurities. The quantity of precipitable carbon C* is in the range 0.083% to 0.300%, where C*=C.sub.tot. -(C.sub.diss. +C.sub.fix.Ti +C.sub.fix.Nb +C.sub.fix.Zr).

Abstract: A network security device is connected between a protected client and a network. The network security device negotiates a session key with any other protected client. Then, all communications between the two clients are encrypted. The inventive device is self-configuring and locks itself to the IP address of its client. Thus, the client cannot change its IP address once set and therefore cannot emulate the IP address of another client. When a packet is transmitted from the protected host, the security device translates the MAC address of the client to its own MAC address before transmitting the packet into the network. Packets addressed to the host, contain the MAC address of the security device. The security device translates its MAC address to the client's MAC address before transmitting the packet to the client.

Abstract: A method and system for performing inverse telecine processing requires a minimum amount of memory capacity. Specifically, the inverse telecine processing technique requires only first and second dual field buffers. The first dual field buffer has a first even buffer (1E) and a first odd buffer (1O). The second dual field buffer has a second even buffer (2E) and a second odd buffer (2O). The input video sequence to be processed comprises a sequence of video fields of alternating even and odd parity. The even fields of the input sequence are written into the even buffers of the two dual field buffers on an alternating basis and the odd fields of the input sequence are written into the odd buffers of the dual field buffers on an alternating basis. This order is changed (i.e., toggled) when a repeat field is detected. The repeat field is dropped by writing over it with the next field of the same parity in the input sequence.

Abstract: A multistep process for producing 8-chloro-6-(2-fluorophenyl)-1-methyl-4-H-imidazo?1,5a!?1,4! benzodiazepine (midazolam) comprises treating a compound of Formula II with a lower alkyl dithiol to produce a compound of Formula III, wherein n=2 or 3, converting the compound of Formula III to a compound of Formula VII, and then treating the compound of Formula VII with a deprotecting agent, thereby producing midazolam. Novel intermediate compounds are also disclosed.

Abstract: A low power consumption oscillator circuit is provided with an oscillator. The oscillator responds to a voltage by producing an oscillating signal at its output having an amplitude that depends on the level of the voltage. Furthermore, the low power consumption oscillator circuit has a level shifter. Illustratively, according to one embodiment, the level shifter includes a pull-up driver and a pull-down driver connected in parallel between the oscillator output and an output of the level shifter. The pull-up driver is configured so as to refrain from conducting current between a biasing input of the pull-up driver and the level shifter output simultaneously with the pull-down driver when the oscillating signal exceeds a certain voltage level. The level shifter illustratively includes an intrinsic PMOS device.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for blending pixels of a source object and a destination plane of view of 3-D space. The source object overlaps the destination plane of view. Furthermore, the 3-D space may contain an atmospheric light diffusion, i.e., fog or smoke, which produces a "fog effect." The apparatus includes multiplexer circuitry which receives first, second, third, fourth and fifth control signals. The multiplexer circuitry also receives a fog blend factor, a source alpha, a destination alpha, a source color, a destination color, a fog color and one. In response to the control signals, the multiplexer circuitry selects three outputs. In particular, in response to the first, second and third control signals, the multiplexer selects as the first output, either: the destination alpha, the source alpha, the fog blend factor, one, the destination color, or one minus one of the aforementioned choices.

Abstract: An optical data carrier for use as a WORM memory contains memory cells where each memory cell is physically represented by a diffraction pattern. The content of each memory cell is a one bit information having a binary value "0" or "1". If a memory cell is altered by applying thermal energy it represents the complementary binary value. The unaltered memory cells are also used as security elements. This means that upon reading the content of an unaltered memory cell with a readout beam, the unaltered memory cell bends this reading beam into a plurality of different beams of predetermined outgoing directions. The intensities of these reflected beams are measured and compared with stored values. The data carrier is only then an authentic data carrier and not a fraudulent imitation, if the measured intensities of the reflected beams of such an unaltered memory cell lie within predetermined ranges.

Abstract: A method for operating a disk storage system, comprising a disk and forming part of a communications network, simultaneously maintains the continuity of a plurality of data streams. Typically, each stream transfers video data to or from the disk storage system. Illustratively, each of the data streams is produced in the network at a rate of W.sub.base bits/sec and consumed by the disk storage system or produced by said disk storage system and consumed in the network at a rate of W.sub.base bits/sec. One I/O transaction is performed for each stream in each of a plurality of I/O cycles of duration S/W.sub.base, wherein in each I/O transaction a segment of S bits is retrieved from or stored in the disk. The number of streams whose continuity can be maintained in this manner is limited by the number of I/O's which can be performed in a cycle of duration S/W.sub.base. More generally, when a stream has a bit rate (A/B)W.sub.

Abstract: An ESD protection circuit for use in a CMOS output buffer circuit has been disclosed. The ESD protection circuit provides a high ESD failure threshold in a small layout area to protect the output buffer against ESD failure. The output buffer includes a pull-up PMOS device and pull-down NMOS device whose common drain is connected to an output pad. The source of the PMOS device is connected to VDD and the source of NMOS device is connected to VSS. The ESD protection circuit is formed by a PTLSCR device and an NTLSCR device. The PTLSCR (NTLSCR) is formed by inserting a short-channel thin-oxide PMOS (NMOS) device into a lateral SCR structure. These MOS devices reduce the turn-on voltage of the lateral SCR to the snapback breakdown voltage of the MOS rather than the original switching voltage of the SCR. The ESD protection circuit also includes two parasitic diodes D.sub.p between output pad and VDD and D.sub.n between output pad and VSS.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for drawing one or more surfaces. The system includes a drawing processor, a frame buffer with z buffer and a display device, such as a display monitor. The drawing processor can perform all of the following steps. A first pixel in a first row is selected. The first pixel is near a first point at which a projection onto a plane of view of a first edge of a first surface intersects the first row of pixels in the plane of view. A first distance from the first point to a second point on the first surface is determined. The first point is a projection onto the plane of view of the second point. The first distance is then corrected by a first value representing a difference in distance between the first distance and a distance from the first pixel to a third point on the first surface. The first pixel overlies, e.g., and is centered at, a point that is a projection onto the plane of view of the third point.

Abstract: A deep fryer includes a fryer body containing therein frying oil and a basket movably received within the body to be lifted/lowered down. An L-shaped base member is fixed on top rim of the fryer body, having a vertical section received within the body and a horizontal section extending out of the body to which a handle is pivoted so that the handle is rotatable between a horizontal position and a vertical position. Two U-shaped members are provided, each having a central section rotatably supported on the vertical section of the base member and two legs rotatably attached to and accommodating the basket therebetween. A link received inside and pivoted to the horizontal section of the base member having a first end connected to an arm of the first U-shaped member and a second end opposite to the first end and movably received an arc slot formed on the handle so that by rotating the handle relative to the base member the U-shaped member is driven via the link to lift/lower down the basket within the fryer.