Abstract: A controller and a properly equipped peripheral device of a computer system easily exchange messages having a compressed data format. Both the controller and the peripheral device are configured to communicate using a predefined basic command set employing a predefined communications format. The controller first verifies that the peripheral device supports a second predefined communications format in addition to the first predefined communications format. Compared to the first format, the second format utilizes messages with greater compression, i.e., an optimized bit stream ("OBS"). The controller next sends the peripheral device a number of commands, including a command of the basic command set accompanied by an OBS enable code. In the case of a write operation, the controller also sends the peripheral device an encoded dataset having the second predefined communications format and representing an underlying unencoded dataset.

Abstract: In a disk drive in which a head disk assembly includes a slider suspension member and a parking ramp on which the suspension member rests when the disk drive is not operating, stiction forces between the suspension member and the parking ramp are overcome by applying simultaneously to the suspension member a dither in the form of rocking micromotion, and a bias force to move the suspension member at a low velocity required for loading a slider onto a disk without damage to the slider/disk interface.

Abstract: A reusable script execution scheduling part for compound documents in a document-centric processing environment. Document-centric computing environments having architectures similar to OpenDoc.TM. include a technique for executing scripts to interact with the compound document content. The CHRON part of this invention includes embedded objects for defining scheduled execution times for one or more scripts that may be opened within the compound document to provide a view of its contents. Either the ScheduleTime element or the ScriptEvent element of the CHRON part may be opened and edited in place. The reusable CHRON part sets up event scheduling with the operating system so that specified scripts are run according to specified ScheduleTimes.

Abstract: A system for the in-line expansion of a portion of the program body otherwise rejected as too expensive for full in-line expansion during intermediate code optimization by a compiler. The partial in-lining system first attempts the full in-line expansion of a procedure call by replacing it with the procedure body in the usual manner. If the procedure body is rejected for exceeding an in-lining threshold, a control flow graph for the procedure body is generated and examined for "emittable" subgraphs, each of which is replaced by a new procedure call to a new procedure body containing the emitted (expensive) subgraph. Following one or more subgraph emissions to eliminate the expensive portions of the original procedure body, the "reduced" procedure body is again passed to the in-line expansion process.

Abstract: The magnetic states of MR reproducing heads are reinitialized during media drive manufacturing by applying initializing magnetic fields to the transducers after they have been manufactured and incorporated into media drive assemblies.

Abstract: Logic for decreasing the number of cache lines dedicated to user data. When pools for allocation are selected using a dynamic storage allocation procedure, the size of a data block is compared to the size of the allocated pool. If the comparison results meet a predetermined criterion, the logic aligns the data to the beginning of a cache line and places the header in a separate cache line that may be deallocated. And if the data will fit within one-half of a cache slot in the allocated pool, then the line or lines having the header data can be re-used as the header is deallocated. Otherwise, user data blocks are placed in cache lines that are spatially local.

Abstract: A peak detector for extracting pulses in a magnetoresistive sensor circuit while suppressing the recovery transients created by thermal asperities. The disclosed peak detector circuit is a simplified variation of the standard magnetoresistive sensor peak detector circuit. The signal differentiation is performed ahead of the usual amplification to remove transient pulse amplitudes before they can affect the AGC gain. The resulting differentiated signal is processed by a modified amplitude qualification circuit to extract data output pulses. The thermal asperity transient recovery period is eliminated without additional circuit complexity, leaving only the initial thermal asperity pulse effects to be corrected by any suitable relatively simple error correction code (ECC).

Abstract: An apparatus for generating microcode in a scalable compound instruction set machine operates in response to compounding information indicating that two or more adjacent instructions are to be executed in parallel. Separate and independent microcode is held in control store for each possible instruction in a group. Microcode sequences for each instruction of a group of instructions to be executed in parallel are merged in response to the compounding information into a single microinstruction sequence.

Abstract: A digital computer system capable of processing two or more computer instructions in parallel and having a main memory unit for storing information blocks including the computer instructions includes an instruction compounding unit for analyzing the instructions and adding to each instruction a tag field which indicates whether or not that instruction may be processed in parallel with another neighboring instruction. Tagged instructions are stored in the main memory. The computer system further includes a plurality of functional instruction processing units which operate in parallel with one another. The instructions supplied to the functional units are obtained from the memory by way of a cache storage unit. At instruction issue time, the tag fields of the instructions are examined and those tagged for parallel processing are sent to different ones of the functional units in accordance with the codings of their operation code fields.

Abstract: A rigid packaging material having a coating of heat-sealable, anti-static plastic. A fiberboard sheet substrate is coated with a lamina of polyethylene made electrostatic-free by the addition of an organic anti-static compound. When skin-packaged with a film of heat sealable, anti-static plastic material, a static-sensitive item is completely enclosed by a static-free barrier package.

Abstract: A rigid packaging material having a coating of heat-sealable, anti-static plastic. A fiberboard sheet substrate is coated with a lamina of polyethylene made electrostatic-free by the addition of an organic anti-static compound. When skin-packaged with a film of heat sealable, anti-static plastic material, a static-sensitive item is completely enclosed by a static-free barrier package.

Abstract: A two-dimensional optical correlation apparatus includes a transmissive optical mask having a transmissivity pattern corresponding to a two-dimensional reference image and an input image buffer that stores a sequence of pixels corresponding to a raster-scanned input image. The input buffer includes a subimage frame corresponding to a particular segment of the raster-scanned format. As the pixels are serially shifted through the image buffer, every subimage in the input image appears at some time in the subimage frame. The subimage frame is connected to an array of optical emitters. As the input image pixels are serially shifted, the emitter array produces a succession of two-dimensional optical signals corresponding to the succession of input image subimages shafted through the subimage frame. The output of the emitter array is projected onto the transparent mask.

Abstract: A system for providing information to alter the software of an electronic data processor embedded in an electronic module includes a remote reprogramming module that conducts a sequence of operations to provide data to the processor which the processor uses to reprogram itself. The system employs a data link having a bi-directional transmission path connecting the processor and the reprogramming module. A controlled switching circuit is provided at each end of the transmission path. Under normal operating conditions, the transmission path is used to transit a function signal for a function performed by the electronic module. Periodically, the processor operates one switching network to capture the path for transmission of a reprogramming inquiry signal to the reprogramming module. At the same time, the function signal is diverted to an alternate path internal to the electronic module.

Abstract: A rigid packaging material having a coating of heat-sealable, anti-static plastic. A fiberboard sheet substrate is coated with a lamina of polyethylene made electrostatic-free by the addition of an organic anti-static compound. When skin-packaged with a film of heat sealable, anti-static plastic material, a static-sensitive item is completely enclosed by a static-free barrier package.

Abstract: An optical computing system is provided for performing a linear multiplication operation involving a matrix with bipolar values. A plurality of beams representing the values of a N.times.1 column matrix Q illuminate an optical mask having elements disposed in a two-dimensional (M+1).times.N array. Each element of the first M rows of the mask represents the offset of the value of a corresponding element in a known M.times.N matrix by a scalar constant c. Each element of row M+1 of the mask represents the value c. An array of photodetectors collects the light passing through the mask, with the light from each row of elements detected by a respective photodetector. The outputs of the first M photodetectors represent the product of Q and M after M has been offset by c. The output of photodetector M+1 represents the scalar value produced by the multiplication of Q and a row matrix represented by row M+1 of the mask matrix.

Abstract: A laminated packaging film useful for skin-packaging electrostatic-sensitive items and protecting the items from electrostatic damage during packaging and while the items are vacuumed, contained, and removed from packages. The film includes a pair of sheets of highly resistive, heat-sealable plastic between which is sandwiched a sheet of conductive, heat-sealable plastic. The film resists the buildup of static charges while the item is being packaged and forms a protective Faraday cage while the item is contained in the package.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for automatically calibrating sweep waveforms produced by a sweep generating circuit in response to digital time reference words produced by a system controller. Time interval measurements are made directly on sweep waveforms and sweep slope values are derived therefrom. The sweep slope values are used by the system controller to adjust the digital time reference words.

Abstract: A laminated packaging film useful for skin-packaging electrostatic-sensitive items and protecting the items from electrostatic damage during packaging and while the items are vacuumed, contained, and removed from packages. The film includes a pair of sheets of highly resistive, heat-sealable plastic between which is sandwiched a sheet of conductive, heat-sealable plastic. The film resists the buildup of static charges while the item is being packaged and forms a protective Faraday cage while the item is contained in the package.

Abstract: A digital apparatus for performing minimum-shift-keying (MSK) modulation includes an oscillatory circuit which provides two frequencies related in a predetermined manner, and also includes a processing circuit which divides a stream of digital data to be transmitted into two parallel substreams, one substream comprising even numbered bits from the serial stream and the other substream comprising odd numbered bits from the serial stream. A combining circuit selects one of the frequencies provided by the oscillatory circuit according to the equivalence or divergence of the states of the digital substreams, and further provides as an output the selected frequency waveform or its inverse according to the state of one of the substreams.

Abstract: A fiber optic system utilizing pulse-frequency modulation (PFM) for transmission of video information signals substantially enhances the signal-to-noise ratio of the transmitted video signals. FM processing gain is realized together with system noise reduction which results from operation of the fiber optic components in a pulsed mode. The amplitude of a video signal modulates the repetition frequency of a stream of narrow light pulses emitted by a laser diode. The pulses are transmitted through a low loss, wideband optical fiber to an avalanche photodiode biased at an optimum gain point. Further improvement is possible when preemphasis processing of the video signal is performed prior to transmission.