Abstract: An apparatus for increasing the number of electrical I/O ports on an existing computer system chassis, while maintaining the RF shield of the chassis and without changing the design of the existing chassis, by the use of an I/O expansion box. The I/O expansion box comprises a bottom and a cover. The bottom has a base plate with openings for cables from the computer chassis to pass therethrough and has lips at the openings. The lips extend outwardly away from the recess and are used to attach the base plate to the chassis at its I/O port openings. The cover has a top with openings therein for the attachment of electrical cable connectors that are attached to the cables from the computer chassis. The number of openings in the top of the cover are greater than the number of openings in the base plate of the bottom.

Abstract: A peak detector for use in a fiber optic receiver has a capacitor, an input amplifier driving the capacitor, and a feedback differential amplifier coupled between the capacitor and an input of the input amplifier. The input amplifier is a complementary buffer with unity gain modified to include an additional transistor on one rail that receives an inverter voltage generated by the differential amplifier. The inverter voltage equals the difference between twice the capacitor voltage and an input voltage applied to the peak detector. The input amplifier in a positive peak detector functions so that the capacitor voltage tracks the input voltage when it exceeds the inverter voltage, and equals the average of the input voltage and inverter voltage when the input voltage is less than the inverter voltage. A negative peak detector operates similarly but with opposite polarity. The peak detector also contains transistors used to reset the capacitor voltage upon assertion of a reset signal.

Abstract: A peak detector for use in a fiber optic receiver has a capacitor, an input amplifier driving the capacitor, and a feedback differential amplifier coupled between the capacitor and an input of the input amplifier. The input amplifier is a complementary buffer with unity gain modified to include an additional transistor on one rail that receives an inverter voltage generated by the differential amplifier. The inverter voltage equals the difference between twice the capacitor voltage and an input voltage applied to the peak detector. The input amplifier in a positive peak detector functions so that the capacitor voltage tracks the input voltage when it exceeds the inverter voltage, and equals the average of the input voltage and inverter voltage when the input voltage is less than the inverter voltage. A negative peak detector operates similarly but with opposite polarity. The peak detector also contains transistors used to reset the capacitor voltage upon assertion of a reset signal.

Abstract: A single Reed-Solomon code is employed with modifications to allow information systems the freedom of selecting redundancy from 1 to R symbols, where R is the number of redundant symbols that the unmodified Reed-Solomon code employs. If P is the number of discarded redundancy symbols, then R-P redundancy symbols are retained, and the minimum distance of the modified code is 1+R-P. The system uses one of several alternative decoding schemes. One general scheme employs error-and-erasure decoding, and treats the P deleted symbols as erasures. Another general scheme operates directly on the shortened, modified code-word and modifies both the error syndromes and the error information derived from the syndromes to compensate for the deleted symbols.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for prioritizing a plurality of incoming electronic mail messages for a user uses a user created and modified rules-control (12) which is stored in a rules-store (12). Incoming messages are stored in a message store (11) and are screened individually by a rules test unit (13). The rules-test unit has a comparator (52) which matches keywords which are chosen by the user while creating the rules, add supplies signals to an action list unit (54). By applying the user created rules for deciding which messages constitute the priority messages for the user, a priority assigning unit (45) within an action portion (35B) of the rules-store (12) assigns a priority number (say from 1 to 5, 1 being the highest priority for example) to each screened message. Responsive to the assigned priority number of the screened message, the message is sent to a main folder store or forwarded or put away as appropriate. The user created rules can be modified by the user using a conventional keyboard.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for writing and reading servo data placed on a plurality of disk surfaces to minimize the degree of overlap of headers written or read by each write/read channel. Time division de-multiplexing (selecting) the writing of servo data to disk surfaces from each write/read channel and time division multiplexing the reading of servo data from the staggered headers contained on the disk surfaces coupled to each write/read channel increases the number of surfaces written to or read in a single rotation by each write/read channel. Disk surfaces are coupled to the write/read channels in groups to minimize the number of rotations required to write to or read from all the surfaces contained in the groups. Groups of surfaces may be sub-grouped. The headers of sub-groups are interleaved so that portions of the header written in a separate disk pass whose length is less than half the total length of the header may be written or read in the same rotation as another group of surfaces.

Abstract: A magnetic tape recording system which achieves very high track densities through utilization of a recording method and apparatus. A magnetic head is described in which the read head gaps are parallel to but laterally offset from the write head gaps. A head assembly is further provided in which the magnetic head is mounted on a rotary motor for aligning the head for writing and reading tracks at different azimuth angles, as well as a stepping motor and linear actuator for stepping the head between tracks. Also, a servo tracking method and apparatus is presented in which writing and reading take place under servo control. This servo allows alignment of the write head gap during writing, and the read head gap during reading, through observation of low frequency servo data blocks dynamically imbedded amidst adjacent track data. The utilization of this servo minimizes tracking error due to lateral tape motion.

Abstract: A three-port Josephson memory cell has one input port (a data line) and two output ports (first and second sense lines). The memory cell receives a write enable pulse on a write line to store a bit of data from the data line as circulating supercurrent. The memory cell also receives a first read enable pulse on a first read line to enable assertion of the stored data onto the first sense line, and receives a second read enable pulse on a second read line to enable assertion of the stored data onto the second sense line.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for identifying and synchronizing to two different fields in a disk drive employs different synchronization or "sync" patterns to reduce the chances of mis-identifying and false-identifying a field. Two very distinct synchronization patterns have been found that satisfy the d=1, k=7 run-length constraints of a data code used in the disk drive. During operation, one sync pattern is searched for to identify and synchronize to its associated field, then the field itself is read. This procedure is then repeated for the other sync pattern and its associated field. Also, the phase of a preamble preceding each sync character is established, so that the number of comparisons needed to find either sync character is reduced. A sync detector operates on cell pairs, and has a selector that selects which sync pattern to search for. The sync detector also has special features that enable it to find preamble and DC Erase fields in the disk cell stream.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus and method for processing electronic components in an ultrasonic bath. The apparatus includes a tray, which has a number of nests geometrically configured for the admission of the components. In one embodiment the tray is made of a polypropylene core which includes conductive carbon and glass beads as a filler. Plated over the core is a metallic sheath, which is actually formed of three layers of metal. The metal encapsulation of the core serves to appreciably reduce the amount of contaminants released by the tray during component processing. Additionally, the metallic sheath prevents static electricity from building up and damaging the components during processing, and provides added structural integrity to the polypropylene core at process temperatures which exceed the softening temperature of the core.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for positioning a cursor on a video display having a horizontal blank time and a vertical blank time, where the cursor is addressed by a match position representing the cursor hot point relative to the origin of a pixel matrix, including cursor position registers for providing (x,y) cursor positioning coordinates; adders for adding to the (x,y) coordinates values representing the horizontal and vertical blank times respectively; and subtracting circuits for subtracting from the result values representing the horizontal and vertical match positions to provide the actual screen position at which the cursor is displayed. Accordingly, partial blanking and variable cursor hot points are supported in a manner transparent to the cursor positioning software.

Abstract: Method and system for remote monitoring of high-risk patients using artificial intelligence. A plurality of high-risk patients can be simultaneously monitored without patient intervention. A patient hears questions in the doctor's voice at each monitoring encounter and responds. The patient's responses are recorded at a remote central monitoring station and can be analyzed on line or later. Artificial intelligence (AI) and voice technology (DECvoice) are combined to present to the patient, during a monitoring session or encounter, questions which would be selected from a plurality of different recorded questions. Questions to the patient are chosen using AI, based on the patient's response, by parsing. The monitor could take several forms such as for e.g., uterine activity strips, glucometers, blood pressure cuffs, pulse monitors, electroencephalographs, etc. Preferably, four telephone lines are dedicated to each patient, one for the monitor, one for the voice, one as a back up and one to sense failures.

Abstract: A staged CMOS output buffer has multiple output transistors connected in parallel and driven by corresponding predrivers. Each predriver has a first input from which an inactive output transistor can be turned on, and a second input from which the other, active output transistor can be turned off. The input to the output buffer is coupled directly to the second input of both predrivers to turn the output transistors off when switching begins, and a resistor-capacitor (RC) circuit is inserted between the first inputs to stagger the predriver turn-on times to reduce the peak and slope of the switching current. The predriver employs chains of pass transistors to achieve both tri-state functionality and the simultaneous turn-off necessary for the staged configuration. A split termination is also employed to reduce switching current, especially NMOS-PMOS crossover current.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for selecting a particular node from a plurality of nodes connected to a common bus to allow the node to use the bus. The nodes have a pre-determined priority. After initially enabling the nodes, the bus is monitored for a bus idle condition. It is then determined which of the nodes are enabled message nodes, which are enabled nodes that have a message to send on the bus. There is then arbitration between the enabled message nodes after the bus is in the bus idle condition for a first period of time, such that the enabled message node having the highest pre-determined priority among the enabled message nodes is disabled for arbitration purposes, and also at the same time selects a target and performs a transfer. This procedure is repeated until all the enabled message nodes have been disabled. Thereafter, all of the nodes on the bus are enabled when the bus is in the bus idle condition for a second period of time, which is longer than the first period of time.

Abstract: A semiconductor chip test jig for testing a chip 10 with "gull-wing" leads 11 comprises a body 20 and a cover 30. The body 20 has sets of fins or combs 23 which engage with the leads 11 to locate the chip 10 in the horizontal plane; the cover 30 has a set of "knife-edge" lead supports 35 formed to match a trim and form jig in the region of the leads 11 from where they emerge from the encapsulation of the chip 10 to their first bends; and the body 20 has a set of spring-loaded pins 24 which contact the leads opposite the lead supports.

Abstract: Circuitry is provided that interconnects a plurality of MR heads on a substrate with control circuitry using a lesser number of interconnecting paths. This reduces the number of required substrate pins to which the interconnecting paths are connected. The reduced number of substrate pins is such that it enables manufacturing and processing techniques to accommodate an increased number of MR heads on a given substrate over that which would be possible with the prior art interconnecting techniques.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing asynchronous communication between at least one central processing unit (CPU) and at least one associated memory unit with specially programmed timing signals to latch, select and transmit data between them.

Abstract: A thin film two-pole inductive magnetic head for a computer disk drive assembly. The head comprises a substrate, a first pole formed over the substrate, a gap layer formed over the first pole and a second pole formed over the gap layer. The first and second poles have their distal ends coupled together in a yoke region, while their proximal ends terminate at their tips in an air bearing surface. A leading surface of the first pole extends back toward the yoke region at an acute angle to the air bearing surface. The head reduces the amplitude and high frequency content of secondary pulses in a readback waveform so as to ease the task of electronically isolating the main pulses for downstream processing of the read data.