Abstract: A method of providing connections to a chip having contact pads on the surface thereof, comprising: locating a discrete solder element on each pad; and melting the discrete solder elements so as to cause each of them to adhere to the respective pad, thereby forming a solder bump extending from the surface of the chip; wherein the size of each discrete solder element relative to the area of the pad on which it is located is such that the height of each bump is less than 70% of the diameter of the solder element that formed it.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for estimating the pitch period of a signal. The method includes identifying a first candidate pitch period by performing a search only over a first range of potential pitch periods. The method further includes determining a second candidate pitch period by dividing the first candidate pitch period by an integer, wherein the second candidate pitch period is outside the first range of potential pitch periods. The method further includes selecting as the estimate of the pitch period of the signal the smaller of the candidate pitch periods that is such that portions of the signal separated by that candidate pitch period are well correlated.

Abstract: A charge pump circuit causes a current to flow either into or out of another circuit in dependence on a current output by first and second current paths, each including a current source and a current control device having two switched nodes, and a control node arranged to control a current flow between the first and second switched nodes. The charge pump further includes a capacitive element and a switching arrangement arranged such that, during a first time period, the capacitive element is in communication with a respective one of the current paths, whereby a current output by the first current path causes an electrical charge to be formed on a first capacitive plate and a current output by the second current path causes an electrical charge to be formed on a second capacitive plate, and during a second time period, the electrical charge formed on the first and second capacitive plates during the first time period is discharged to form a current at an output node.

Abstract: Methods and systems to manufacture lattice-based sandwich structures from monolithic material. Such methods and systems eliminate the bonding process which is conventionally used to join lattice based truss cores to facesheets to form sandwich structures. This bonded interface is a key mode of failure for sandwich structures which are subjected to shear or bending loads because the nodes transfer forces from the face sheets to the core members while the topology for a given core relative density dictates the load carrying capacity (assuming adequate node-bond strength exists). An aspect comprises a core and related structures that provide very low density, good crush resistance and high in-plane shear resistance. An aspect of the truss structures may include sandwich panel cores and lattice truss topology that may be designed to efficiently support panel bending loads while maintaining an open topology that facilitates multifunctional applications.

Abstract: A method for transferring data from a first switch to a second switch selectively by line-switching or by packet-switching as well as to a switch for carrying out the method. Data packets are thereby first transferred packet-switched through a packet-switching network to the second switch. With the presence of a corresponding control signal a line-switching connection is established from the first switch to the second switch and the data are then transferred through this connection. Where applicable a renewed changeover to a packet-switching transfer is carried out. A flexible packet-switching or line-switching data transfer linked with dynamic costs between the junctions of a telecommunications network is enabled.

Abstract: A radio frequency amplification stage comprising: an amplifier for receiving an input signal to be amplified and a power supply voltage; and a power supply voltage stage for supplying said power supply voltage, comprising: means for providing a reference signal representing the envelope of the input signal; means for selecting one of a plurality of supply voltage levels in dependence on the reference signal; and means for generating an adjusted selected power supply voltage, comprising an ac amplifier for amplifying a difference between the reference signal and one of the selected supply voltage level or the adjusted selected supply voltage level, and a summer for summing the amplified difference with the selected supply voltage to thereby generate the adjusted supply voltage.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for modifying the operating mode of a technical communications group platform (TCGPL) of a telecommunications network (TC network) for at least one driving object 1 which is controlled by a subscriber object (SUBC), by modifying by means of at least one modifying object 2 the operating mode of at least one object 3 which is to be modified or has been modified, and a telecommunications group platform (TCGPL) for producing technical communications group processes (TCGPs). The invention further relates to a method for managing technical communications group processes (TCGPs) with the steps: provision of a driving object which defines at least one further object to be provided; making available of at least one modifying object for the provision of the further object defined by the driving object; generation of an algorithm from the modifying object; and provision of the further object by execution of the algorithm.

Abstract: The present invention relates to KVM switches that contain both remote and local ports and provide a user of the local port with a similar WEB based interface experience as that experienced by the remote user.

Abstract: A mixer for downconversion of RF signals includes at least one RF transistor (305); at least one switching pair (303) connected to the drain current (301) of the at least one RF transistor (305); and a common mode sensing component (300) configured to detect deviations in the common mode output of the switching pair (303) from a specified output; wherein the deviations modify the current of the at least one switching pair (303).

Abstract: A directed vapor deposition (DVD) method and system for applying at least one bond coating on at least one substrate for thermal barrier coating systems. To overcome the limitations incurred by conventional methods, the DVD system uses an electron beam directed vapor deposition (DVD) technique to evaporate and deposit compositionally and morphologically controlled bond coats at high rate. The present DVD system uses the combination of an electron beam and a combined inert gas/reactive gas carrier jet of controlled composition to create engineering films. In this system, the vaporized material can be entrained in the carrier gas jet and deposited onto the substrate at a high rate and with high materials utilization efficiency. The velocity and flux of the gas atoms entering the chamber, the nozzle parameters, and the operating chamber pressure can all be significantly varied, facilitating wide processing condition variation and allowing for improved control over the properties of the deposited layer.

Abstract: A communications system includes a first and second device capable of transmitting and receiving RF communications; a controller for the first device capable of receiving or transmitting a code via a non-RF communication; a controller for the second device capable of receiving the code via a non-RF communication; and a processor for authenticating the first device for RF communication with the second device using the received code.

Abstract: A radio transceiver comprising: a signal receiver for receiving signals in the form of bursts according to a first protocol; a transmitter for transmitting signals in the form of bursts according to a second protocol, the first and second protocols being such that signals of the first and second protocols are mutually interfering; a transmission scheduler for predicting, based on the timings of signal bursts of the first protocol received by the receiver, the timings of future bursts of the first protocol and arranged to influence the transmitter to transmit bursts according to the second protocol so as to avoid the signal bursts of the first protocol as predicted.

Abstract: A methodology and system for applying coatings onto the interior surfaces of components, includes a vapor creation device, a vacuum chamber having a moderate gas pressure and an inert gas jet having controlled velocity and flow fields. The gas jet is created by a rarefied, inert gas supersonic expansion through a nozzle. By controlling the carrier gas flow into a region upstream of the nozzle an upstream pressure is achieved. The carrier gas flow and chamber pumping rate control the downstream pressure. The ratio of the upstream to downstream pressure along with the size and shape of the nozzle opening controls the speed of the gas entering the chamber. Vapor created from a source is transported into the interior regions of a component using binary collisions between the vapor and gas jet atoms. These collisions enable the vapor atoms to scatter onto the interior surfaces of the component and deposit.

Abstract: A phase-locked loop arranged to generate an output signal having a first frequency that is a static value times the frequency of a reference signal, the phase-locked loop comprising a signal generator arranged to generate the output signal, a divider arranged to receive the output signal and divide the output signal to form a feedback signal, the divider being arranged to vary the divisor by which the output signal is divided to cause the output signal to have a frequency that is said static value times the frequency of the reference signal, a comparison unit arranged to compare the feedback signal with the reference signal, one or more current generators arranged to output current pulses in dependence on said comparison, a summation unit arranged to receive the current pulses output by the current generator(s) and form a single current pulse therefrom and a loop filter arranged to filter the single current pulse to form a control signal for controlling the signal generator, the phase-locked loop being arrang

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a thermal barrier coating system (90) in communication with at least a portion of at least one substrate (92). The method includes: depositing a first bond coat (94) on at least a portion of at least one substrate (92); depositing a first thermal barrier coat (96) disposed on the bond coat (94); whereby the deposition occurs in one or more chambers to form the thermal barrier coating system (90); and wherein the deposition of the first bond coat (94) (or subsequent bond coats) and the deposition of the first thermal barrier coat (96) (or subsequent thermal barrier coats) is performed without out-of-chamber handling of the thermal barrier coating system (90).

Abstract: Method and peripheral device to facilitate the installation of software on a host device to allow communication between that host device and a peripheral device. On connection to a host device a peripheral device presents in a first mode. In the first mode the device identifies itself as a Human Interaction Device and transmits information to the host device to facilitate the installation of the software. Subsequently the peripheral device operates in a second mode in which it identifies itself according to its real function.

Abstract: A method and system for optimizing and keeping operational a wireless link layered network in which a system control and modifying message (SCMM) is elicited from nodes receiving information packets and based upon whether the node originating the SCMM is from a link layer level which is equal to or less than the link layer level eliciting the SCMM, rerouting or adjusting future transmissions can be effected or items like a current time at a receiving node and a most recent utilization rate of a receiving node can be adjusted, recorded or set.

Abstract: An interference rejection unit for at least partially rejecting a narrowband interferer from an input signal, the unit comprising: an interferer detector for detecting the phase of an interferer in the input signal; a signal generator for generating a cancellation signal in dependence on the phase detected by the interferer detector; and a signal combiner for combining the input signal with the tone cancellation signal to generate an output signal in which the interferer is at least partially cancelled from the input signal.

Abstract: A method for providing information to a first terminal system and/or a second terminal system which connected to each other through a network and are subject to a potential or actual handover, provides convenience information about the execution of the potential or actual handover to at least one of the first and the second terminal systems, prior to or with the start of the handover, and provides in addition to at least one of the first and the second terminal systems a commercial communication relating to a commercial measure, whereby the commercial communication is provided in correlation with the provision of the convenience information.