Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the voltage applied to a shield interposed between an induction coil powered by a power supply via a matching network, and the plasma it generates, comprises a shield, a first feedback circuit, and a second feedback circuit. The power supply powers the shield. The first feedback circuit is connected to the induction coil for controlling the power supply. The second feedback circuit is connected to the shield for controlling the voltage of the shield. Both first and second feedback circuits operate at different frequency ranges. The first feedback circuit further comprises a first controller and a first sensor. The first sensor sends a first signal representing the power supplied to the inductive coil to the first controller. The first controller adjusts the power supply such that the power supplied to the inductor coil is controlled by a first set point. The second feedback circuit further comprises a second sensor, a second controller, and a variable impedance network.

Abstract: A line driver couples a data transceiver to a transmission line having a load impedance Z via a transformer with a turns ratio of 1:n, the data transceiver transmitting signals in a first frequency range and receiving signals in a second frequency range different from the first frequency range. The line driver includes an input port for receiving an input signal voltage, an output port for supplying an output signal voltage to the transformer, and a differential amplifier having a low pass filter for amplifying the input signal voltage and outputting an amplified signal voltage. The line driver further includes termination resistors having a resistance Rt, where R t = Z 2 ? n 2 × k ( 0 < k ? 1 ) , and a positive feedback path for coupling the output signal voltage from the output port to an appropriate node of the differential amplifier so that a synthesized output impedance substantially matches the load impedance Z over the second frequency range.

Abstract: A home automation module having an externally powered communications port. The module includes an automation microprocessor for controlling the module, a communications port for enabling the module to draw power in limited quantities from an external source, a receiver/transmitter section, a power line carrier (PLC) coupler for enabling the transfer of signals between the module and a main while electrically isolating the module from the main, a zero-crossing detector for monitoring the phase of the power on the main while maintaining substantial electrical isolation of the module from the main, and a boost regulator for enabling the module to derive sufficient power from the communications port to drive the PLC coupler during signal transmissions from the module to the main. The detector maintains substantial electrical isolation through an opto-isolator. The boost regulator stores up power over time so that sufficient power will be available when the demand is made.

Abstract: A system for wireless remote control of a gateway and ordering or invocation of services provided by a headend. The remote control includes a video display and user input device or keyboard and can decompress and display compressed streaming video in some embodiments. Some species of the remote control can act as web browsers, appliance control, TIVO function control, an IP telephony telephone, a cellular telephone and/or an MP3 player. In some embodiments, the gateway and/or headend can implement TIVO-like functions under control from a wireless remote of custom design or implemented on a Personal Digital Assistant.

Abstract: A multiple port system includes a plurality of port devices, each port device including a control register set, and a control bus coupled to the plurality of port devices. The control bus provides a control signal to each port device, and the control signal includes port address information and register address information. The control register set includes a set of registers responsive to the control signal if the port address information indicates the corresponding port device, and a designated register responsive to the control signal if the port address information indicates one of the plurality of the port devices and the register address information indicates the designated register.

Abstract: A receiver with reduced near field noise is described. The receiver has a far range receiving section configured to sense a desired signal that includes near field noise. The receiver further includes a near range receiving section configured to sense a near field noise reference signal. An adaptive noise canceller (ANC) of the receiver is configured to detect the magnitude of an error vector from the far range receiving section. The ANC is configured to adjust the phase and gain of the near field noise reference signal in response to the magnitude of the error. Accordingly, the ANC can generate a corrected near field noise reference signal that is added to the desired signal with an adder. The near field noise is canceled by the addition of the corrected near field noise signal. The ANC uses a least mean square technique to determine the amount of correction needed.

Abstract: A circuit dynamically biases switching elements in a current-steering digital-to-analog converter (DAC), The DAC includes, in each cell, a current source coupled to a current node, a first switching element coupled between the current node and a first DAC output node, and a second switching element coupled between the current node and a second DAC output node. The circuit includes first and second inputs coupled to the first and second DAC output nodes, respectively, first and second outputs coupled to the first and second switching elements, respectively, and a third output coupled to the first and second switching elements. The first and second outputs provide a first ON bias voltage and a second ON bias voltage to control the first and second switching elements, respectively, such that a voltage at the current node is maintained at a predetermined voltage. The third output provides a common OFF bias voltage.

Abstract: A method for providing single step log-on access for a subscriber to a computer network. The computer network is differentiated into public and private areas. Secure access to the private areas is provided by a Service Selection Gateway (SSG) Server, introduced between a conventional Network Access Server (NAS) and an Authentication Authorization and Accounting (AAA) Server. The SSG Server intercepts and manipulates packets of data exchanged between the NAS and the AAA Server to obtain all the information it needs to automatically log the user on when the user logs on to the NAS. An authorized user is thus spared the task of having to re-enter username and password data or launch a separate application in order to gain secure access to private areas of the network.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises an input device and an actuator. The input device has an interface portion. The interface portion defines a selectively adjustable orifice having a range of sizes. The interface portion defines a plane and a longitudinal axis. An actuator is coupled to the interface portion of the input device. The actuator is configured to apply a haptic feedback force inwardly with respect to the longitudinal axis within the plane to at least three locations of the interface portion when a change in a size of an object disposed within the interface portion is sufficient to adjust the size of the orifice.

Abstract: Hot-electron injection driven by hole impact ionization in the channel-to-drain junction of a p-channel MOSFET provides a new mechanism for writing a floating-gate memory. Various pFET floating-gate structures use a combination of this mechanism and electron tunneling to implement nonvolatile analog memory, nonvolatile digital memory, or on-line learning in silicon. The memory is nonvolatile because the devices use electrically isolated floating gates to store electronic charge. The devices enable on-line learning because the electron injection and tunneling mechanisms that write the memory can occur during normal device operation. The memory updates and learning are bidirectional because the injection and tunneling mechanisms add and remove electrons from the floating gate, respectively. Because the memory updates depend on both the stored memory and the pFETs terminal voltages, and because they are bidirectional, the devices can implement on-line learning functions.

Abstract: A communication device for relaying data associated with a surveillance system is envisioned. The communication device has a plurality of inputs for communicatively coupling the communication device with a plurality of surveillance sensors, each of the plurality of inputs associated with one of a plurality of surveillance sensor data streams. Also present is a wireless communication system for inputting and outputting a data stream, the data stream being directed to another remote wireless communication device. This data stream contains the surveillance sensor data. The communication device also has a communication junction communicatively coupled to the wireless communication device and the plurality of inputs. The communication junction coalesces the data from the plurality of inputs into the data stream.

Abstract: Detecting a signal disruption of an AC-signal by a DC-current in a powered networking system includes receiving an AC-signal from the networking system; analyzing the AC-signal based on a predetermined characteristic of the AC-signal and generating an analysis output; then comparing the analysis output with a predetermined reference source wherein the comparing detects the AC-signal disruption in the powered networking system.

Abstract: A liposome suspension forms spontaneously upon adding a lipid composition to an aqueous solution. The liposomes include diacylglycerol-PEG compounds. The melting point of the diacylglycerol-PEG is below about 40 degrees C., and the acyl chains of the diacylglycerol-PEG are greater than or equal to 14 carbons in length. Such liposome suspensions are useful for a variety of purposes, including the delivery of therapeutic agents.

Abstract: A pipelined processor such as an averaging filter including at least one subtractor section and at least one adder section. Both of the subtractor section and the adder section have a plurality of adder logic units. In comparison to the conventional processor, the processor of the present invention is streamlined by the application of one or more of three techniques. First, there is the interleaving approach where the subtractor section and the adder section are interleaved with one another. Second, there is the one delay feedback approach where the adder section includes a one delay feedback for each of the adder logic units. Third, there is the delay enable signal output approach where the averaging filter includes a delay enable signal output for each of the adder logic units of the adder section.

Abstract: Many communications protocols involve a collection of communication channels collectively forming the dimensions of a finite dimensional vector space, of which at any point in time, only a subset of those channels or dimensions must be received. Messages on these channels are time progressions in at least the actively used dimensions of the vector space which have been linearly transformed to create a sample list transported across at least one physical transport layer to a receiver. The linear transform may further include an estimation of the effects of the transport of the sample list across the one or more physical layers to the receiver. This invention uses at least portions of pseudo-inverses of the linear transform in various ways within receivers and receiver portions of transceivers.

Abstract: A force feedback wheel is provided on a mouse or other interface device manipulated by a user. A sensor detects a position of the mouse in a workspace and sends a position signal to a connected host computer indicating that position. A rotatable wheel is mounted upon the manipulandum and rotates about a wheel axis, where a wheel sensor provides a wheel signal to the host computer indicating a rotary position of the wheel. A wheel actuator coupled to the rotatable wheel applies a computer-modulated force to the wheel about the wheel axis. The mouse can be a standard mouse or a force-feedback mouse, where forces are applied in the mouse workspace. The host computer is preferably running a graphical environment, where the force applied to the wheel can correspond with an event or interaction displayed in the graphical environment. The wheel can also be included on other devices such as remote controls and radios.

Abstract: A method optimizes the performance of multiple communication links in a data telecommunication system that has two or more remote units and a central unit. Each remote is coupled to the central unit through a communication link. A Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) value is measured for each communication link at the central unit. The transmission power level of the remote unit with the highest SNR value is adjusted to reduce interference between adjacent communication links. The transmission power level of all remote units is then increased to overcome noise in the communication links.