Abstract: An automated teller machine includes a processor on motherboard with BIOS on ROM which allows operation of hard disk via interface. The disk has at least one normal partition but also includes a hidden security partition not accessible under normal system control. Data relating thereto can be encoded for security reasons.

Abstract: Apparatus for improving the accessibility of a self-service terminal (SST) (50) comprises a sensor (52) for detecting the height of a user and a drive arrangement (84, 88) for moving a section of the terminal fascia incorporating a user-interfacing element such as a monitor (58) or keypad (62). The drive arrangement adjusts the position and orientation of the user-interfacing element to an optimum location relative to the detected height of the user.

Abstract: A system and method of locating a wireless device in a transaction establishment which relies on signal strength measurements and the known positions of receiving antennae. The system includes a number of transceivers each including a transmitter which transmits a first signal to the wireless device, a plurality of receivers including a plurality of antennae located throughout the transaction establishment and at least one signal strength determining circuit for determining signal strengths of second signals received by the antennae, and a control circuit for controlling transmission of the first signal and reception of the second signals. A storage medium contains the locations for each of the antennae. A computer coupled to the control circuit instructs the control circuit to transmit the first signal and determines a location of the wireless device in the transaction establishment from the signal strengths and from the locations of the antennae.

Abstract: A wireless telephone with record and playback capability is disclosed. The telephone has an operation module, which transmits near-end signals and receives far-end signals, and a record module which writes transmission packets formed from the near-end signals in a first location of a memory and reception packets formed from the far-end signals in a second location of the memory. A playback module reads the transmission packets and the reception packets from the memory, and decodes the transmission packets into transmission speech samples and the reception packets into reception speech samples using transmission and reception decoders, respectively. Further, the playback module has a mixer to mix the transmission speech samples with the reception speech samples to form mixed speech signals for playback on a speaker.

Abstract: A system for synchronization of the angular position of a rotating optical assembly in a bar code scanner having a rotating optical assembly. The optical assembly is rotated by a motor which produces a fixed number of pulses per rotation, the pulses occurring at equal intervals such that each pulse indicates a degree of angular rotation of the motor. The pulses are continuously monitored and counted. Timing is simultaneously monitored. A synchronization label is placed in the scanner such that light directed through the rotating optical assembly will strike the synchronization label and be reflected back to the rotating optical assembly when the rotating optical assembly is at a particular angular position, thus establishing an initial angular position of the rotating optical assembly. Once the initial angular position is established, timing is continuously monitored and pulses are continuously monitored and counted.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for detecting, collecting information about, and analyzing a queue. A video camera is positioned to view the queue, and a sequence of video images from the camera may be processed in order to perform the functionality of the present invention. The present invention may be implemented at checkout lanes in a retail establishment, in a bank, at customer service desks, at self-service kiosks, at banks, or any other location where a queue (line) of people or other objects may form. After detecting the queue, the present invention, may collect multi-dimensional information regarding the queue, including the number of people, etc., in the queue, the average service time for each person in the queue, as well as various other types of information regarding the queue. The present invention may thereafter analyze the collected information in various ways, based upon various criteria.

Abstract: An improved centrifugation bucket providing two axes of rotation for a pair of multi-well plates. The centrifugation bucket is adapted to be used with a centrifuge in order to effect material transfer between a pair of microwell plates. The centrifugation bucket comprises a yoke adapted to be attached to a rotor arm of a centrifuge, and a platform attached to the yoke. The yoke is adapted to be attached to the centrifuge by a hinge or hinges providing a primary axis of rotation and the platform is attached to the yoke by hinges or other connectors providing a secondary axis of rotation. Multi-well plates may be secured to the platform to allow transfer of materials between the plates. The primary axis of rotation is parallel to the direction of travel of the centrifugation bucket during centrifugation and the secondary axis of rotation is perpendicular to the direction of travel of the centrifugation bucket during centrifugation.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system for correcting improperly printed or otherwise defective bar codes. The system scans a bar code and determines whether the scanned bar code data is correct. If the scanned bar code data is incorrect, the system uses the incorrect scanned bar code data to create a scan-based printhead model. The correct data is entered manually, and the manually entered data is used to construct an active printhead model. The scan-based and active printhead models are then compared in order to identify printhead defects, which are stored to correct future bar code scans.

Abstract: A system for transmitting data over an erasure channel. A data block is divided into coarse and fine segments. The coarse segment is encoded using an error-correcting encoding process. The fine segment and the encoded coarse segment are combined and divided into packets, and the packets are transmitted over the erasure channel. When the data is received, the coarse segment is decoded. If data packets were lost during transmission, the coarse segment is reconstructed as the received data block. If no packets were lost, the fine segment is combined with the coarse segment and the entire data block as originally transmitted is reconstructed. For large numbers of packets, the system invention can achieve any point within the capacity region of an erasure channel.

Abstract: A booster for amplifying the signal of a mobile unit of a cellular telephone system. The booster includes a level determination device which produces a reference level based on a power level of a signal received from the mobile unit. The level determination device includes a step voltage circuit which produces a step voltage based on the power level of the signal received from the mobile unit. The step voltage is supplied to a resulting voltage circuit which produces a resulting voltage based on the step voltage, the resulting voltage suitably providing a reference level for the booster.

Abstract: A pipelined data processing unit includes an instruction sequencer and n functional units capable of executing n operations in parallel. The instruction sequencer includes a random access memory for storing very-long-instruction-words (VLIWs) used in operations involving the execution of two or more functional units in parallel. Each VLIW comprises a plurality of short-instruction-words (SIWs) where each SIW corresponds to a unique type of instruction associated with a unique functional unit. VLIWs are composed in the VLIW memory by loading and concatenating SIWs in each address, or entry. VLIWs are executed via the execute-VLIW (XV) instruction. The iVLIWs can be compressed at a VLIW memory address by use of a mask field contained within the XV1 instruction which specifics which functional units are enabled, or disabled, during the execution of the VLIW. The mask can be changed each time the XV1 instruction is executed, effectively modifying the VLIW every time it is executed.

Abstract: A line-driver receives as an input a Manchester-encoded digital data signal, which is then converted into an analog signal by a wave-shaping circuit. The wave-shaping circuit comprises a bank of current sources with a combined output, each current source being actuated by a switch controlled by a switching signal. The current sources are each scaled by a coefficient, and are actuated in a selected sequence during each input data pulse, thereby generating as a combined output a staircase pulse signal with n steps for each input data pulse.

Abstract: Processing element to processing element switch connection control is described using a receive model that precludes communication hazards from occurring in a synchronous MIMD mode of operation. Such control allows different communication topologies and various processing effects such as an array transpose, hypercomplement or the like to be efficiently achieved utilizing architectures, such as the manifold array processing architecture. An encoded instruction method reduces the amount of state information and setup burden on the programmer taking advantage of the recognition that the majority of algorithms will use only a small fraction of all possible mux settings available. Thus, by means of transforming the PE identification based upon a communication path specified by a PE communication instruction an efficient switch control mechanism can be used.

Abstract: A manifold array topology includes processing elements, nodes, memories or the like arranged in clusters. Clusters are connected by cluster switch arrangements which advantageously allow changes of organization without physical rearrangement of processing elements. A significant reduction in the typical number of interconnections for preexisting arrays is also achieved. Fast, efficient and cost effective processing and communication result with the added benefit of ready scalability.

Abstract: A system for detecting and decoding a supplemental barcode accompanying a primary barcode. A supplemental barcode is affixed to a product in the vicinity of a primary barcode. A scanner in a barcode reading system, such as a point of sale system, scans for a primary barcode. Upon detection of a primary barcode, the system inserts a delay while attempting to detect a supplemental barcode. Upon detection of a secondary barcode, the primary and supplemental barcode information is processed, for example by sending the information to a terminal connected to the scanner. Upon expiration of the delay without detection of a supplemental barcode, the primary barcode information is processed.

Abstract: A dryer for use with chemical compounds employs controlled vacuum, elevated temperature and dry, inert gas to dry the chemical compounds. The dryer includes a vacuum chamber into which trays containing the compounds are placed. The chamber includes heating elements which elevate the temperature of chemical samples placed within the chamber. Supplying and evacuating manifolds, each with a plurality of orifices for supplying and evacuating dry inert gas, provide a substantially laminar flow of dry inert gas just above the trays of chemical compounds which are to be dried. The laminar gas flow removes the unwanted vapor which tends to form above the tray of chemical compound, thus accelerating the drying process.

Abstract: A SIMD machine employing a plurality of parallel processor (PEs) in which communications hazards are eliminated in an efficient manner. An indirect Very Long Instruction Word instruction memory (VIM) is employed along with execute and delimiter instructions. A masking mechanism may be employed to control which PEs have their VIMs loaded. Further, a receive model of operation is preferably employed. In one aspect, each PE operates to control a switch that selects from which PE it receives. The present invention addresses a better machine organization for execution of parallel algorithms that reduces hardware cost and complexity while maintaining the best characteristics of both SIMD and MIMD machines and minimizing communication latency. This invention brings a level of MIMD computational autonomy to SIMD indirect Very Long Instruction Word (iVLIW) processing elements while maintaining the single thread of control used in the SIMD machine organization.

Abstract: Techniques for more accurately detecting the data rate of a frame of data in a cellular telephone system are described. Data is preferably received at one of four rates: full, half, quarter and eighth. A correlation is performed between the incoming soft data and the data generated by re-encoding and re-repeating the data. Variations on the approach make it readily possible to accurately perform rateset 1 or rateset 2 rate detection.

Abstract: A device for mounting an electronic price label (EPL) to a warehouse shelf which minimizes damage to the EPL from collisions and falls. The device includes a rail which contains the EPL, and a coupler for coupling the rail to an underside of the warehouse shelf. The coupler is weak enough to allow the rail to separate from the shelf when the EPL is struck by a vehicle.

Abstract: A parallel document buffer for holding a plurality of documents while recognition processing is performed on data captured from the documents. Information from each document in a document stream is captured, and passed to a recognition processor. Each document is then passed to one of a plurality of parallel buffer stages of a document buffer, and held until a specified processing time has elapsed. Upon expiration of the processing time, the document is returned to the document stream.