Abstract: A travel pillow is provided in the form of a torus which is inflated and which has an integral bottom backing member adapted to coact with the seat back of a chair in a plane, train, bus, or automobile in which sleep is promoted regardless of movement of the individual's head during sleep periods because the pillow permits both rotation of the head within the torus during sleep and also movement of the pillow laterally and vertically as it slips against the seat back during natural sleep movements.

Abstract: An improved reinforced laminate for use in sails or other flexible sheet or membrane applications utilizes a pull-truded thin lightweight reinforcing sheet of unidirectional extruded monofilaments in which the reinforcing sheet or sheets form one or more uni-tapes laminated to a polymer film such as Mylar, or other extended sheet of material. The monofilaments are uniformly embedded in the uni-tape via an elastomeric polymer matrix, with the reinforcing sheet, when incorporated into sails via lamination resulting in sails with reinforcing monofilaments having diameters 5 times less than conventional strands or threads. The use of small diameter monofilaments greatly increases the monofilament-over-monofilament crossover density, resulting in a dramatic increase in shear strength, and Youngs' Modulus, with an accompanying dramatic decrease in weight. In one embodiment the improvement in specific modulus over conventional sail laminates is about six-fold.

Abstract: Active light-emitting components are integrated into a thin flexible plastic-wrap like film to provide an exceptionally large continuous display in which the film contains densely distributed light emitting elements addressed by a grid of transparent conductors. Inexpensive bulk processing techniques are used to produce plastic wrap with embedded components completely through the film to permit activation via a row column matrix. This topological layout provides mass redundancy of components, spatial decorrelation of component yields, and dramatic reduction in registration problems of metallic interconnects. The subject panel is especially well adapted to inexpensive flat panel TV screens or exceptionally large flat panel displays whose geometry is not limited to flat surfaces, but may take on curved or cylindrical configurations.

Abstract: A switch for digital communication networks includes a queuing system capable of implementing a broad class of scheduling algorithms for many different applications and purposes, with the queueing system including means for providing numerical tags to incoming cells or packets, the values of the tags being calculated when incoming cells or packets arrive at the switch. A queue and search module is provided to select cells or packets for transmission based on these tags. The combination of the tags and the queue and search module enables simple and fast implementations of a wide variety of scheduling algorithms, including algorithms for supporting communication traffic with real time requirements, continuous media such as audio and video, and traffic requiring very fast response. Furthermore, multiple classes of traffic are supported in a single network switch, each class having its own scheduling algorithm and policy.

Abstract: A low-level model-free dynamic and static hand gesture recognition system utilizes either a 1-D histogram of frequency of occurrence vs. spatial orientation angle for static gestures or a 2-D histogram of frequency of occurrence vs. space-time orientation for dynamic gestures. In each case the histogram constitutes the signature of the gesture which is used for gesture recognition. For moving gesture detection, a 3-D space-time orientation map is merged or converted into the 2-D space-time orientation histogram which graphs frequency of occurrence vs. both orientation and movement. It is against this representation or template that an incoming moving gesture is matched.

Abstract: A system for controlling traffic in a digital communication network to avoid data loss due to congestion utilizes both credit-based and rate-based traffic control approaches within a common framework, and adjusts the rate at which data is transmitted from a source in accordance with feedback in a form of credit values from a destination reflecting the ability of the network to transmit data and the destination to receive data. In one embodiment, the destination receives the information about network congestion, and, knowing its own capacity to receive more data, generates a credit in the form a numeric value which is fed back to the source so that the source adjusts its transmission rate to avoid data loss due to congestion in the network.

Abstract: A system is provided for determining the rule or set of rules which govern the generation of a string of integers so as to ascertain the nature of the data represented by the string of integers, with the integer generation rule permitting genetic code determinations, optimization of communication channels through received signal analysis, curve fitting and determination of integer coding. For the analysis, means are provided to generate strings of integers from trial programs that are optionally derived from sequences of binary numbers. Error coefficients are derived when the integer strings generated by the trial programs are compared to the initial integer string. Means are provided to select a reduced set of trial programs based on the derived error coefficients, with the process of selection of trial programs being iterated until a single trial program is selected as the best trial program.

Abstract: A system for reducing packing ring spin and opening up of the joints formed by the ends of a packing ring during break-in of trapezoidally-shaped mechanical braided packing involves utilization of additional warp yarns within the sides of the packing. These additional warp yarns bulge the packing at the sides of the packing above its horizontal centerline such that the outer portion of the packing is provided with a solid rectangular cross section. The solid section increases frictional contact between the rings and the stuffing box and between the rings themselves to eliminate packing ring spin. When the packing is wrapped around a shaft the bulging sides become flat for secure elongated anti-spin contact both between the packing rings and between the end ring and the bottom of the stuffing box.

Abstract: In integrated circuit testing, a system is provided for reducing testing time by decreasing the number of test vectors or patterns while maintaining high fault coverage through utilizing lists of undetected faults in an integrated circuit to determine the optimal weighting for a weighted random pattern generator that is used for testing the integrated circuit. Undetected faults are derived from testing a model of the circuit under test with a uniform weight pattern, with the circuit modified with each fault from a list of anticipated faults. Undetected faults from this first pass are used to generate another set of weights which are then used to apply test signals to the circuit for generating a further but diminished list of undetected faults. This process is iterative and is continued until the number of undetected faults is either zero or some low acceptable number.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for monitoring the operation of an encoder having a scale which is illuminated from a light source, in which light from the scale is detected by a detector, with the encoder having means coupled to the detector for detecting in-phase and quadrature signals representing scale position, means for detecting the phase difference between the in-phase and quadrature signals, and means responsive to the detected phase difference for adjusting the output of the light source to maintain its output at a predetermined level and for providing an error signal representing the amount of adjustment of the output of the light source.

Abstract: In connection-oriented packet or cell switching networks, a data transmission system and scheduling protocol utilizes both synchronous transmission and asynchronous transmission in an alternating pattern to provide each user with both a guaranteed transmission bandwidth or capacity to accommodate real-time communications, and bandwidth sharing among users to increase network utilization, while simultaneously eliminating network congestion to avoid data losses. The synchronous time slots provide for the bandwidth guarantees, while the asynchronous time slots are used to transmit data when a part of a previous synchronous time slot is not used. The asynchronous time slots also permit asynchronous data transmission using unallocated time within a given time frame. In one embodiment, time frames for data transmission are provided in which each time frame is composed of synchronous transmission times interspersed with asynchronous transmission times.

Abstract: A system is provided for generating the minimum synchronous bandwidth allocation h.sub.i for token ring networks in which this minimum bandwidth allocation is utilized by the node to request appropriate synchronous bandwidth reservation from the network manager. This permits the synchronous bandwidth allocation h.sub.i to be set dependent upon the minimum message generation period, T, the maximum message transmission time, C, the requested message delivery delay bound, d, and the target token rotation time of the network, TTRT. The system is not limited to d=T as is common in prior systems, but rather accommodates any value of d. As a result, the system is both simpler to implement, and covers many more applications having different message delivery time constraints. The calculation of h.sub.i is done by ensuring that the time that a node is allowed to transmit messages in the worst-case is no smaller than the time that the node needs to satisfy the message delivery time constraints.

Abstract: A network-based animated electronic meeting place is provided for business meetings, education, simulated classrooms, casual encounters, personal meetings, art auctions, parties and game playing, which includes a terminal for each participant on the network and local prestored animation graphics, with simulated participants in the form of animated characters or dolls being driven through sensing of each of the participants at their respective work stations, including their position, posture, gestures, audio content and optionally that persona which each individual wishes to be displayed at the animated electronic meeting place. In one embodiment, a user chooses how he represents himself on the screen through the use of a Persona or Character control.

Abstract: A compact portable transparency illuminator in the form of a thin light board includes a wafer-thin electroluminescent panel as the illuminating element, with the panel being no more than 1/32nd of an inch in thickness in one embodiment. In one embodiment, the panel is driven by an inverter or controller which converts battery power to 1,000-2,000 Hertz 120 volt AC. In general, the frequency at which the panel is driven is more than twice that normally utilized to drive electroluminescent panels in XY matrix displays to bring the color temperature of the light emitted to the 5,000-6,000 degree Kelvin range for true color viewing of the transparencies.

Abstract: An improved reinforced laminate for use in sails or other flexible sheet or membrane applications utilizes a pull-truded thin lightweight reinforcing sheet of unidirectional extruded monofilaments in which the reinforcing sheet or sheets form one or more uni-tapes laminated to a polymer film such as Mylar, or other extended sheet of material. The monofilaments are uniformly embedded in the uni-tape via an elastomeric polymer matrix, with the reinforcing sheet, when incorporated into sails via lamination resulting in sails with reinforcing monofilaments having diameters 5 times less than conventional strands or threads. The use of small diameter monofilaments greatly increases the monofilament-over-monofilament crossover density, resulting in a dramatic increase in shear strength, and Youngs' Modulus, with an accompanying dramatic decrease in weight. In one embodiment the improvement in specific modulus over conventional sail laminates is about six-fold.

Abstract: A novel class of energy-generating chemical processes or reactions uses cryogenically Prepared and stored materials exhibiting volcanic ground states having lifetimes exceeding several seconds. Energy generation is provided through activation of cryogenically prepared and stored material characterized by a volcanic ground potential surface in which its lowest rotation-vibration level has a lifetime sufficiently long to permit practical storage and subsequent energy release. Cryogenic preparation and storage provides that the material is kept in these lowest rotation-vibration levels, thereby avoiding thermodynamic population of the higher levels which are short-lived and therefore not suitable for practical use. In one embodiment, the He .sub.2.sup.++ v=0, J=0 level has been found to have a lifetime of 220 minutes making He.sub.2.sup.++ an ideal candidate for a fuel in which laser-induced fragmentation of He.sub.2.sup.++ into He.sup.+ +He.sup.

Abstract: A system is provided for monitoring signals from a linear or rotary encoder or scale to provide a warning of a malfunction of the encoder or to be able to predict a future malfunction. The system includes a feedback circuit for comparing the output of the detector in the encoder with a voltage reference and for either raising or lowering the voltage to the light source for maintaining constant maximum detected light amplitude regardless of dirt build-up on the scale with the amount of voltage correction to the light source being an indicator of the level of functioning of the encoder. The system also assures constant amplitude output signals from reflectance-type encoders in which the light source and detector are on the same side of the scale and in which the subject servo system maintains a constant amplitude reflected beam.

Abstract: An underwater acoustic communications system utilizes phase coherent modulation and demodulation in which high data rates are achieved through the use of rapid Doppler removal, a specialized sample timing control technique and decision feedback equalization including feedforward and feedback equalizers. The combined use of these techniques drammatically increases data rates by one and sometimes two orders of magnitude over traditional FSK systems by sucessfully combating fading and multipath problems associated with a rapidly changing underwater acoustic channel that produce intersymbol interference and make timing optimization for the sampling of incomming data impossible.

Abstract: An improved eddy current braking system for fly wheel braked exercise equipment includes the use of a flat aluminum disc and electromagnets to either side of the disc adjacent to the periphery thereof, with the electromagnets containing multiple pole pieces to multiply the torque so as to reduce heating and power consumption. The utilization of aluminum achieves a flat torque versus speed characteristic vis-a-vis copper discs over the normal operating speed range. Additionally, the utilization of aluminum prevents the warpage associated with copper.