Abstract: A technique, specifically apparatus and accompanying methods for use therein, that, through continual computation, harnesses available computer resources during periods of low processing activity and low network activity, such as idle time, for prefetching, e.g., web pages, or pre-selected portions thereof, into local cache of a client computer. As the browser prefetches and stores each web page (or component thereof) in its local cache, the browser provides a suitable and preferably visual indication, through its graphical user interface, to a user that this item has been fetched and stored. Consequently, the user can quickly and visually perceive that a particular item (i.e., a “fresh” page or portion) has just been prefetched and which (s)he can now quickly access from local cache.

Abstract: An exhaust assembly for use with a motor vehicle having a combustion engine. The exhaust assembly includes an exhaust and a muffler having first and second gas flow routes. A control device controls the damping characteristic of the exhaust assembly by selectively dividing the gas flow by different amounts between the different gas flow routes. The control device, which may include a valve or a sliceable sleeve, is selectively operable by a user manually or electronically while the combustion engine is operating.

Abstract: A wheel-shaped pressure-resistant vessel for storing gaseous, liquid or liquefied fuel and which has a substantially rigid shape. Specifically, the vessel contains a substantially continuous shell of a fiber-reinforced resin. The shell has a central opening, an inner lining and an axial reinforcement member. The shell has a substantial mechanical equilibrium shape such that the axial member is situated in a central opening. The axial member contains an inner member and two end plates, with each of the end plates fixing the shell to the inner member. Further, the axial member is attached, through both end plates, to the shell such that outer surfaces of the shell are pulled towards each other, thus reinforcing the vessel and maintaining the vessel, even while it is pressurized, in its wheel-like shape.

Abstract: With the object of removing moisture from a system of N≳2 elongated hollow guiding members (20) for cable-like elements (27), in the system a gas flow (G) is maintained. The gas flow is supplied to the system by way of a gas-supply opening (29) of a coupling-in number (23) coupled to first ends (21) of a number of K hollow guiding members (20) and discharged from the system by way of a gas-discharge opening (30) of a coupling-out member (23) coupled to first ends (21) of the L=N−K remaining hollow guiding members. A coupling-through member (26) coupled to second ends (24) of the N hollow guiding members (20) provides a gastight coupling-through between the second ends (24) of the K hollow guiding members and the L second ends of the L remaining hollow guiding members. Preferably K=N−1, and the N−1 hollow guiding members are located within the Nth hollow guiding member.

Abstract: An electroacoustic transducer of the electret type, having a backplate situated above a diaphragm, with the backplate being provided with spacers. The diaphragm is clamped on a frame-shaped carrier located at an underside of the diaphragm. The carrier is provided with supporting portions which are vertically aligned with the spacers. In one embodiment, supporting posts are formed on the supporting portions to allow the carrier to rest on a case bottom. The resulting electroacoustic transducer can be easily assembled with a reduced risk of damage.

Abstract: A telecommunication system comprising a telecommunication network apparatus and at least one terminal. The terminal comprises a radiotelephone section and a pager section. The radiotelephone section and the pager section can be uncoupled from and coupled to each other. The telecommunication network apparatus comprises paging means for transmitting, to the pager section, calls from callers who form part of a preferred group if the pager section is uncoupled from the radiotelephone section. The terminal is provided with coupling detection means for detecting whether the pager section is uncoupled from the radiotelephone section and, if so, for transmitting an indication signal hereof to the paging means.

Abstract: Apparatus, and an accompanying method, for use in, e.g., a neural network-based optical character recognition (OCR) system (5) for accurately classifying each individual character extracted from a string of characters, and specifically for generating a highly reliable confidence measure that would be used in deciding whether to accept or reject each classified character. Specifically, a confidence measure, associated with each output of, e.g., a neural classifier (165), is generated through use of all the neural activation output values. Each individual neural activation output provides information for a corresponding atomic hypothesis of an evidence function. This hypothesis is that a pattern belongs to a particular class. Each neural output is transformed (1650) through a pre-defined monotonic function into a degree of support in its associated evidence function.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for generating and using both speaker dependent and speaker independent garbage models in speaker dependent speech recognition applications are described. The present invention recognizes that in some speech recognition systems, e.g., systems where multiple speech recognition operations are performed on the same signal, it may be desirable to recognize and treat words or phrases in one part of the speech recognition system as garbage or out of vocabulary utterances with the understanding that the very same words or phrases will be recognized and treated as in-vocabulary by another portion of the system. In accordance with the present invention, in systems where both speaker independent and speaker dependent speech recognition operations are performed independently, e.g.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for converting digital signals having a variable data rate to fixed data rate signals suitable for recording on a tape by a digital video tape recorder are disclosed. The methods include buffering of the received variable rate data, measuring the data rate of the received data for a fixed period of time and processing the buffered data to converted it into a fixed rate data stream. This processes is repeated for each of the fixed periods of time. Methods for increasing the recording time of a digital video tape recorder ("VTR") and for supporting multiple normal play modes of digital VTR operation, e.g., recording modes for recording SDTV and HDTV are also disclosed. To generate fixed data rate signals from variable data rate signals one or more of data padding and/or data reduction techniques are used.

Abstract: A Test Operation-Code (TSTOP) instruction pre-verifies the validity of a target instruction op-code prior to execution of the target instruction. The pre-verification function, contained within CPU execution unit microcode, sets a return value in a program status word to indicate one of four conditions:1. The target instruction is present and operable;2. The target instruction is present in the computer system, but unavailable on this central processor (e.g. an asymmetric feature).3. The target instruction is not present in this computer system.4. The TSTOP op-code is recognized, but the target instruction presence cannot be determined.The return value is testable by the program issuing the TSTOP instruction to determine whether the target instruction should be issued.

Abstract: A computer technique for providing a user-friendly environment which simplifies the construction of relativistic models of atoms and ionc. A computer includes a data processing system, a visual display unit and a data entry device. An operating system, a text/graphic interactive user interface and a number of atomic structure programs reside in the data processing system. The atomic structure programs perform atomic computations to calculate and construct mathematical atomic models based on specific atomic data which is input by an operator and retrieved from a stored atomic data base. The text/graphic interactive user interface includes the following programs: SMARTPET (SMART PEriodic Table tool), ATOMGRAF (ATOMic GRAph(F)ics), RASPIE (Relativistic Atomic Structure Program Interactive Environment), and ATOMBAS (ATOMic data BASe). SMARTPET presents atomic data in familiar formats so that a user can select and identify the atom or ion to investigated.

Abstract: A virtual storage computer system having token controlled storage protection. The computer system includes a processor, a real storage, and a virtual storage containing a user space and a system space. A virtual storage area in the user space provides a protected view of one or more pages of memory located in the real storage. A virtual storage area in the system space provides a token-accessible view of the corresponding pages of memory. To protect the pages of memory, a user program first requests that token controlled protection be provided via the virtual address in the user space and that a corresponding user token be returned by the processor. The user program stores the user token for later use when accessing the protected pages. When the user program requests access to the protected pages, the processor matches the user token with a system token to obtain a token-accessible view in the system space of the protected pages.

Abstract: Method for the polling of queues. A ratio table is derived from, for example, the numbers of elements in the queues at any one moment. The sum S is calculated of the ratio values R(x) to the various queues. Next, a correction factor C(x) is assigned to each queue, which correction factor is equal to S, decreased by the ratio value of that queue. Further an urgency factor U(x) is assigned to each queue. The queue to be polled next is, in each case, the queue with the highest value of U(x) or, for example where values of U(x) are equal, the first occurring queue with that value. Thereafter the urgency factor U(x) of the selected queue is reduced by the value of its correction factor C(x), whilst the urgency factor U(x) of the remaining queues is increased by their ratio value. The queue to be polled next is then again the queue with the highest value of U(x), and so forth. The method is pre-eminently applicable for ATM, eg. for the polling of subscriber terminals in a passive optical network.

Abstract: A digital video tape recorder ("VTR") that selects data useful for generating images during trick playback operation and records the data in trick play tape segments arranged on a tape to form fast scan tracks and multi-speed playback tracks. Each fast scan track comprises trick play tape segments located on a diagonal, relative to the length of the tape, of the same angle as the angle at which the heads of a VTR are expected to pass over the tape during trick play operation at a specific speed and direction of operation. Each multi-speed playback track comprises a plurality of trick play tape segments arranged parallel to the length of the tape. Data which is used for at least one mode of trick play operation is recorded in each trick play tape segment. Each fast scan track and multi-speed track crosses multiple normal play tracks.

Abstract: A token controlled page protection technique for use in a virtual memory computer system (99). Generally, this technique assigns a unique token (440) to each program when that program requests a protected page of memory. The token is also assigned to the protected page. This protected page of memory cannot be altered by any process, even the operating system, without presenting the correct token. Subsequently, the program may use the assigned token to access and alter the information stored within a protected page. However, to alter a protected page of memory, a token supplied by the program and a token associated with the protected page must match. In this manner, the protected page cannot be altered by any other programs other than the program having the correct token. Additionally, the program uses a special instruction to alter the protected page of memory such that the program associated with a protected page does not have to remove the page protection to alter the information within the protected page.

Abstract: Apparatus and accompanying methods for use preferably in a multi-system shared data (sysplex) environment (100), wherein each system (110) provides one or more servers (115), for dynamically and adaptively assigning and balancing new work and for new session requests, among the servers in the sysplex, in view of attendant user-defined business importance of these requests and available sysplex resource capacity so as to meet overall business goals. Specifically, systems and servers are categorized into two classes: eligible, i.e., goal-oriented servers running under a policy and for which capacity information is currently available, and candidate, i.e., servers which lack capacity information.

Abstract: Known systems based on stereoscopic video coding and video decoding code with inadequate efficiency because the left-hand picture and the right-hand picture are coded and decoded independently of one another by means of the encoders present in the system. As a result of providing one encoder with switching means to which a signal representing the left-hand picture and a signal representing the right-hand picture are fed, said encoder is able to base the prediction either on the left-hand picture or the right-hand picture, and this improves the prediction and, consequently, the efficiency of the coding.

Abstract: A battery or solar-powered apparatus for measuring and displaying optical power transmitted through an optical fiber. The apparatus has a measuring circuit comprising an optical detector (602), a current/voltage converter (704) and a control circuit (702) which provides timing signals and controls the power applied to the measuring circuit. The apparatus is secured within a housing (102) and is sufficiently small and light such that permanent, in-line attachment to the optical fiber is possible. In a first embodiment, a voltage proportional to the measured optical power is available at an output jack (214) attached to the housing (102). The jack further comprises a switch (1760) which enables power to the apparatus during a measurement period. An alternative embodiment comprises an analog/digital converter (1202) which provides a digital representation of the measured optical power.

Abstract: Methods of operating a digital video recording and playback device, such as a video tape recorder, to arrange trick play data into one or more groups, to generate error correction bits for each group of trick play data, e.g., a group of trick play data blocks, and to correct the data after being read back using the error correction bits is disclosed. The trick play data blocks are made to be smaller than normal play data blocks with multiple trick play data blocks being equal in size to a single normal play data block. By making a group of trick play data blocks equal in size to a single normal play data block, the group of trick play data blocks may be processed as a unit by the same error correction circuitry and in the same manner used to process individual normal play data blocks. In accordance with one embodiment, the error correction bits for a group of trick play data blocks are calculated treating the data in the group of trick play data blocks as a single unit.

Abstract: Automatic focusing apparatus for automatically matching focus with respect to an object in response to a video signal obtained from an image sensing device having an adjustable aperture, a lens, and an image sensor which receives incident light through the aperture and lens. The automatic focusing apparatus includes a circuit for integrating a high frequency component of a video signal every field to generate a focus evaluating value; a control unit for adjusting the position of a focusing lens so that the focus evaluating value attains the maximum value; memories for storing focus evaluating values of fields successively supplied from the focus evaluating value generating circuit, and memories for storing data relating to the various positions of the focusing lens which correspond to the focus evaluating values. The automatic focusing apparatus further includes a control device for controlling the speed at which the focusing lens position is adjusted.