Abstract: Described is an apparatus and a method for pulling an integrated circuit I/O pad to a known state and providing a current path between the pad and a source of potential during periods when an I/O voltage is likely to be floating. At least one I/O transistor coupled between the I/O pad and a source of potential is provided. Also provided is a combinatorial circuit connected to the I/O transistor to turn on the I/O transistor during periods that the I/O voltage is likely to be floating.

Abstract: An electromagnetic wavelength filter that allows the transmission of electromagnetic energy within a narrow range of wavelengths while reflecting incident electromagnetic energy at other wavelengths. The filter includes at least one cavity region; and at least two reflectors surrounding the at least one cavity region, at least one of the reflectors being an omni-directional reflector. The omni-directional reflector includes a structure with a surface and an index of refraction variation perpendicular to the surface, and the omni-directional reflector is specifically configured to exhibit high omni-directional reflection for a predetermined range of frequencies of incident electromagnetic energy for any angle of incidence and any polarization.

Abstract: The invention relates to a load-bearing vehicle roof of so-called sandwich construction, wherein the material layer included in the vehicle roof comprises polymeric materials, laminate materials and/or metal layers. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for manufacturing such a vehicle roof. The load-bearing vehicle roof according to the invention comprises an outer cover layer (1), a core (3) and an inner cover layer (4) which together form a load-bearing structure. The load-bearing vehicle roof according to the invention is characterized in that at least one insulating layer (5) and/or a decorative layer (6), intended to be visible from a passenger compartment within a motor vehicle, is/are provided inside the inner cover layer (4), and that the insulating and/or the decorative layers (6) are provided as layers of the load-bearing vehicle roof before mounting onto the motor vehicle.

Abstract: Arrangements using air trench cladding enables minimization of the evanescent tail to suppress light coupling to radiation modes, resulting in low-loss bends and splitters. Structures including sharp bends and T-splitters without transmission loss, crossings without crosstalk, and couplers from/to fibers and with out-of-plane waveguides without substantial loss are provided with such air trench claddings. Air trench sidewall cladding of waveguides pushes evanescent tails toward top and bottom claddings to enhance coupling between vertically positioned waveguides. Fabrication processes using wafer bonding technology are also provided.

Abstract: A resonator system is disclosed for use in illuminating an input to a diffractive element. The system includes a source of an electromagnetic field having a wavelength of &lgr;, and first and second optical elements, each of which is at least partially reflecting. The first and second optical elements are separated from one another such that the optical path between the optical elements has a distance ( 2 ⁢ m + 1 ) ⁢ λ 4 , wherein m is an integer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a sight for firearms, which sight comprises a sight house being applicable onto the upper side of a weapon and in this house a diopter provided unit turnably arranged around a horizontal axis, whereby a cylindrical sight unit is present in the sight house which sight unit comprises segmented extending diopter apertures turnably and horizontally arranged on a threaded bolt which runs between walls of said sight house.

Abstract: A two-stage amplifier includes a first stage and a second stage that are DC-connected through a coupling capacitor Cp. A charge pump generates a bias voltage Vp that is applied across the coupling capacitor Cp leads to maintain the time average of the voltage across said coupling capacitor constant.

Abstract: Fluid dispensing apparatus (10) for selectively dispensing desired quantities of a fluid under pressure. The apparatus includes a base plate (14) having a dispensing passage (16) extending about a first axis (18); a valve arrangement (20) associated with the dispensing passage (16), and a piezoelectric transducer (22) acting on the valve arrangement (20) to effect displacement of the valve arrangement between a first position in which the dispensing passage (16) is closed and a second position in which the dispensing passage is connected to a source of the fluid under pressure. The valve arrangement (20) includes a slide valve (24), with the slide valve and the piezoelectric transducer (22) being arranged such that during at least initial displacement of the valve arrangement from the second position towards the first position, the slide valve (24) is displaced in a direction transverse to the first axis (18).

Abstract: A micromachined variable capacitor structure is used as a modulation mechanism for a differential parametric amplifier. The capacitance of the capacitor structure is modulated by a control signal while a differential signal is applied to the capacitor structure. Modulation of the capacitance produces a signal representative of the input differential voltage. This signal is provided to an amplifier. Once the signal is amplified, a demodulator demodulates the amplified signal to provide an amplified version of the differential signal. The variable capacitor structure also allows for internal feedback, which permits the parametric amplifier to be used as a galvanically isolated differential measurement amplifier. A number of techniques are used to remove common mode and other errors from the modulated difference signal, thereby eliminating them from the amplified output.

Abstract: A high-definition radar imaging system and method receives image data and adaptively processes the image the data to provide a high resolution image. The imaging technique employs adaptive processing using a constrained minimum variance method to iteratively compute the high-definition image. The high-definition image I is expressed in range and cross-range as I(r,c)=min&ohgr;HR&ohgr;, where &ohgr; is a weighting vector and R is a covariance matrix of the image data. A solution for I(r,c) is approximated by i) forming Y=[x1 . . . xK]T/{square root over (K)} where x1 . . .

Abstract: Customized implants for use in reconstructive bone surgeries where anatomical accuracy and bone adaptation are important, such as plastic and craniomaxillofacial reconstructions. This implant comprises a porous surface layer and a tough inner core of interpenetrating phase composite. The porous surface layer enhances the biocompatibility, tissue ingrowth, and implant stability. The tough inner core improves the mechanical properties of the implant with a high fracture toughness and a low modulus. The anatomical accuracy of the implants will minimize the intra-operative manipulation required to maintain a stable host bone-implant interface.

Abstract: A data transmitter is having a source of data. The data is transmitted in response to clock pulses provided by a clock pulse generator. A buffer having a fixed data storage capacity is provided for storing the data transmitted by the source of data, such data being stored in response to the clock pulses. A framer is provided for retrieving the stored data in response to a data strobe signal produced by the framer and fed to the buffer. The buffer produces a control signal representative of the level of the buffer. A level signal is fed to the clock pulse generator. A superframe strobe signal samples the level of the buffer and produces a level signal representative of the sampled level of the buffer. A clock pulse generator is provided for producing the clock pulses for the data source and the buffer at a rate selected in accordance with the level of the buffer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel antimycobacterial compounds and in particular to antimycobacterial compounds comprised of derivatives of phenyl 4-aminosalicylate. This invention further relates to methods for their preparation, to their use as therapeutic agents and to pharmaceutical compositions containing them. The novel methods of the invention yield derivatives of phenyl 4-aminosalicylate on a multi-gram scale and in high purity for subsequent biological evaluation in drug discovery.

Abstract: A clock selection circuit for selecting one of a plurality of clocks as an output clock. When the selection circuit switches between two of the plurality of clocks for output, the currently output clock is removed from the output. The removal of the currently output clock is performed synchronously to the currently selected clock. The newly selected clock is then coupled to the output. Coupling of the newly selected clock is performed synchronously to the newly selected clock.

Abstract: A process for the production of a compound of the formula: wherein R1 is hydrogen, alkyl, C1-C16 substituted alkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, aralkyl, substituted aralkyls, alkenyl, substituted alkenyl, alkynyl, substituted alkynyl, cyano, carboxy, carboxy esters, carboxamido, N-mono substituted and N,N-disubstituted carboxamido with alkyl, aralkyl and aryl groups; R2 is hydrogen, alkyl C1-C16 substituted alkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, aralkyl, substituted aralkyls, alkenyl, substituted alkenyl, alkynyl, substituted alkynyl; R3 is alkyl C2-C6, branched alkyl, aryl C2-C, substituted aryl and R4 is halogen or H.

Abstract: A system and method of tracking ambient signals, detecting or receiving desired signals, and suppressing undesired signals. An array of sensors receives ambient signals and generates N channels of data. A transformation device accepts the data from the array and generates N′ channels of data. An adaptive processor accepts the N′ channels of data from the output of the transformation device and processes the N′ channels of data to update the settings of the transformation device, such that only N′ degrees of freedom are adaptively manipulated by the adaptive processor at an instant, the manipulation being done in a manner that instantaneously senses changes in signal environment and adjusts the settings of the transformation device in a closed-loop. The adaptive processor optionally combines these N′ channels to produce system output beam(s) that remove residual interference present out the output of the transformation device.

Abstract: A periodic dielectric structure having a three-dimensional photonic bandgap and a method of fabricating same. The structure includes a plurality of stacked first and second two-dimensionally periodic slabs arranged in an alternating sequence. The first two-dimensionally periodic slabs comprising lower dielectric rods surrounded by higher dielectric material. The second two-dimensionally periodic slabs include higher dielectric rods surrounded by lower dielectric material. The rods of the first or second two-dimensionally periodic slabs are laterally offset from the rods of a nearest consecutive two-dimensionally periodic slab of the same type.

Abstract: A truncated right circular conical cage for trapping crustaceans comprises circumferential spaced fill wires converging from a circular base of the cage to a reduced diameter upper opening of the cage. Mutually spaced line wires encircle the cage and intersect the fill wires at cross over locations to thereby define discrete openings. The line wires are secured to the fill wires at the cross over locations, and are indented between the cross over locations to accommodate the convergence of the fill wires.

Abstract: An optical switch device includes a rolling shutter or membrane attached at one of its edges to a substrate near an optical port in the substrate. The rolling shutter can assume one of two states. In a first closed state, the membrane is uncoiled onto the substrate over the port such that light directed at the port impinges on the shutter. In a second open state, the membrane is rolled up away from the port such that light directed at the port impinges on the port. In one embodiment, a mirror is formed on the membrane such that when the membrane is in the closed state over the substrate, light directed at the port is reflected by the mirror. In one configuration, the optical port includes a hole or aperture such light passed through the port without interference. The device can include a latch electrode the far end of the membrane such that when it is rolled out, it can be held in position by a latching voltage applied across the latch electrode and the substrate.

Abstract: A trellis decoder identifies the closest points from each coset in a four dimensional trellis decoder by reading a received point and determining upper and lower threshold values in a signal constellation to define a decode region within the constellation. The dimensions of the decode region are based on the number of bits of information in the received signal. The decoder translates the received point in four directions to provide four image points. Any imaged point that transitions outside the constellation decode region is mapped into the decode region to ensure that the four image points are within the decode region of the constellation. For each of the cosets, bit extraction is then performed to find the closest point to the received point. Once the closest coset points are identified, the trellis decoder performs a maximum likelihood sequence estimation using the Viterbi algorithm to determine the received sequence.