Abstract: A photodetector capable of normal incidence detection over a broad range of long wavelength light signals to efficiently convert infrared light into electrical signals. It is capable of converting long wavelength light signals into electrical signals with direct normal incidence sensitivity without the assistance of light coupling devices or schemes. In the apparatus, stored charged carriers are ejected by photons from quantum dots, then flow over the other barrier and quantum dot layers with the help of an electric field produced with a voltage applied to the device, producing a detectable photovoltage and photocurrent. The photodetector has multiple layers of materials including at least one quantum dot layer between an emitter layer and a collector layer, with a barrier layer between the quantum dot layer and the emitter layer, and another barrier layer between the quantum dot layer and the collector.

Abstract: A method for automatically aggregating objects and determining a hierarchical organization of these objects and aggregates by exploiting known or computed priorities and correlations.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a radio receiver for receiving a radio signal, a first circuit for beating the signal to zero intermediate frequency in phase and quadrature shifted signals, a circuit for amplifying the in phase and quadrature shifted zero intermediate frequency signals, a second circuit for beating the amplified intermediate frequency signals to predetermined non-zero intermediate frequency in phase and quadrature shifted signals, a summer for summing the non-zero signals, and a circuit for applying the summed signals to a discriminator to obtain an output signal. Other embodiments are extended POCSAG for enhanced battery saving, paging sequence numbers for reception integrity control, digital AFC, script control of the pager for organizer/schedule applications, a vibrator holster for improved pager format and saving of battery power, intelligent low battery detection, and features arising from electronic on/off function.

Abstract: Presenting audio signals to a user is comprised of receiving audio signals to be presented, separating the audio signals into plural discrete frequency components extending from a low frequency to a high frequency, translating each of the frequency components into control signals, and applying the control signals to an array of tactile transducers for sensing by the user.

Abstract: A bias circuit for a pair of field effect transistor (FET) stages comprising a circuit for AC coupling a signal amplified by a first stage to the input of a second stage, a power source for supplying DC operating current to both of the stages in series, a circuit for sensing current drawn by the second stage and in response thereto for controlling bias of the first stage, and a circuit for blocking AC signals amplified by the first stage from being passed via a DC operating current path to the second stage, whereby the same DC operating current is passed through both first and second stages and is blocked from passing through the AC coupling circuit.

Abstract: An antenna comprising at least one dipole, the dipole comprising a pair of arms drooping relative to a plane orthogonal to a central axis, end portions of the arms being bent back toward the central axis. In one form of the invention the arms are bent back toward the central axis in at least one plane which is parallel to the central axis, and in another form of the invention the dipole arms are bent in the same rotational direction out of a pland which includes the central axis.

Abstract: An aircraft mounted antenna system comprising a plurality of linear blade antenna arrays mounted on an upper portion of an aircraft fuselage. The blade arrays are symmetrically placed on the fuselage about a plane vertically bisecting the upper portion of the fuselage. The placement of the blade arrays is such that large scanning angle gain losses are minimized as the blade arrays on one side of the fuselage hand off the satellite tracking, acquisition, and communication to the blade arrays on the other side of the fuselage as the scanning angle increases.

Abstract: A method of imaging an object contained in a medium, having a specific impedance which is different from the specific impedance of the medium, comprising applying current to the medium at various locations at a surface of the medium, extracting current at other locations, detecting voltages produced by the current which has passed through the medium from the surface of the medium at various other locations, successively determining a location and shape and conductivity of the object with increasing accuracy by processing values of the detected voltages, determining a region in the medium in which the object is located from values of the detected voltages which are within upper and lower threshold values, applying acceleration procedures to the conductivities within the region in the course of iterative refinement of these values in the course of an imaging procedure, subsequently restricting further determination of the location of the object with increasing accuracy to voltages obtained from the region of th

Abstract: A production line irradiation apparatus used to sterilize medical equipment, food or agricultural and waste materials. The apparatus is compact in size and allows a continuous throughput of products to be irradiated, while preventing harmful radiation from escaping. The apparatus comprises: primary shield means for blocking radiation; secondary shield means for blocking radiation; an irradiation device; and conveyor means. The primary shield means further includes a central cavity therein and a channel extending therethrough which intersects the cavity and accommodates the conveyor means. The secondary shield means comprises a plurality of discrete open containers, the containers having front and rear walls, the walls being substantially the size of the channel opening. The walls of the primary and secondary shield means are of sufficient density to fully attenuate the radiation produced by the irradiation device.

Abstract: A telephone dialer for connection to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) and to a station apparatus, for receiving digits dialed from the station apparatus and for adding digits or substituting digits for the dialed digits and for redialing digits to the PSTN wherein the redialed digits are comprised of the dialed and added digits or comprised of substituted digits, the dialer further comprising an adjustable hold circuit for connection to the PSTN during an interval when the redialed digits are being output, for holding a line associated with the PSTN in an offhook condition, the adjustable hold circuit having a load connectable to the PSTN line which is variable with PSTN line voltage at the dialer such as to draw a variable current sufficient to meet predetermined current and voltage criteria of the line at the dialer.

Abstract: An improved top fed quadrafilar helical antenna that provides circular polarization with near uniform gain over the upper hemisphere. The antenna comprises a pair of crossed printed circuit boards with two feed lines and two horizontal arms per board and four piecewise linear conductors. Each arm is connected to a feed line and to the end of a conductor that is piecewise linearly attached to the edges of the crossed printed circuit boards.

Abstract: A parallel to serial converter comprising a parallel word latch for receiving a series of words comprised of parallel data words, a shift register for receiving the parallel data words and for storing bits of a parallel data word in a series of shift register stages upon receipt of a first enable signal, and for providing a serial stream of bits at a serial clock rate, a circuit for receiving a serial clock signal and for providing the serial clock signal to the shift register to enable shifting of the stored bits to an output as the serial stream of bits, and a controller for generating the enable signal and for applying the enable signal to the shift register and parallel word latch, said controller being comprised of a counter for counting input clock pulses at a serial bit rate and for providing the enable signal upon counting plural input clock pulses, the counter being comprised of active elements restricted to plural combination multiplexed flip/flops.

Abstract: The invention is a floated gimbal instrument platform that provides a stable optical path for optical instruments. The instrument platform has an outer vessel with a transparent viewing port, an inner vessel also with a transparent viewing port, a transparent suspending fluid filling the outer vessel and in which the inner vessel floats in neutral buoyancy, an optical instrument secured inside the inner vessel, spacing studs which centrally position the inner vessel within the outer vessel, and jets which align the second viewing port with the first viewing port, the jets being used to rotate the inner vessel in the suspending fluid. Any misalignment between the viewing ports can be compensated by rotating the inner vessel and any translational forces applied to the platform is dampened by the fluid, thereby eliminating jitter.

Abstract: A handset comprising a sealed unit receiver and a loudspeaker, first apparatus for providing sound from the receiver to the ear of a user when the ear of the user is sealed to the handset, and second apparatus for providing sound from both the receiver and from the loudspeaker to the ear of the user when the ear of the user is only partly sealed to the handset.

Abstract: The invention is an integrated circuit data storage array with storage cells disposed in an array of rows and columns with each cell having a number of subcells. The physical location of the subcells substantially reduces the space taken by horizontal data line used for accessing columns. This is accomplished by locating subcells of the same row number, the same bit number, and different column number adjacent to each other in the horizontal direction. As a result, a horizontal data line only extends between adjacent subcells and significantly reduces the wasted layout of multibit horizontal data lines.

Abstract: A bi-directional global data bus scheme for use in a random access memory which optimizes the performance of the data path for read and write operations while offering a uniform read and write frequency to the external processor or controller is presented. The system makes use of a dual local data bus structure which allows the column address to change on every clock cycle since the two parallel local data paths are activated on alternate clock cycles and therefore operate at half the nominal operating frequency. For the read operation, the global data buses operate differentially at the nominal operating frequency. For the write operation, the global data buses operate at half the nominal operating frequency with each global data bus of a complementary data bus pair being dedicated to either one or the other local data paths for every other clock cycle.

Abstract: An electrostatic discharge protection circuit comprising a static discharge input node, a first NMOS FET having its drain connected to the input node and its source and substrate connected to Vss, a first switch apparatus comprised of a first PMOS FET and a second NMOS FET having the source and substrate of the first PMOS FET connected to the input node, the drain and substrate of the second NMOS FET connected to Vss, the drain of the first PMOS FET connected at a junction to the drain of the second NMOS FET, and the gates of the first PMOS FET and of the second NMOS FET connected to Vdd and the junction connected to the gate of the first NMOS FET.

Abstract: A method of determining an error detection code (EDC) on incoming data which includes a reserved bit field, comprising applying the incoming data to inputs of both an input data CRC (IDC) calculator and to an input data and reserved field CRC (IDRC) calculator, calculating the EDC on successive input data words and recursively updating the EDC in both the IDC and IDRC calculators, selecting a payload of the input data as a system output signal for all payload words, and subsequently selecting a output EDC word from the IDRC calculator in a time immediately following a final payload word which contains the reserved field.

Abstract: A broadband light amplifier comprising a pair of signal transmission and amplification arms, one for carrying a short wavelength signal in a short optical wavelength band and another for carrying a longer wavelength signal in a longer optical wavelength band, an optical amplifier in each arm for amplifying a respective signal carried therein, and a wavelength division optical multiplexer for combining the amplified signals into a single optical fiber, the amplifier being devoid of a circulator.

Abstract: A resistor having a diffused impurity region in a semiconductor substrate, an insulated gate surrounding and defining the resistor, and a pair of separated conductive contacts to the diffused region within the boundary of the insulated gate for applying and receiving current passing through the resistor.