Abstract: A fixture for testing an electronic assembly including a printed circuit board includes a pin housing. An array of electrical pins are mounted to and extend from the pin housing. An electrical connector is in logic communication with the electrical pins. A structure is provided which aligns the pin housing with respect to the printed circuit board with the electrical pins facing the printed circuit board. A device is provided which serves to secure the pin housing to the printed circuit board.

Abstract: This invention relates to a communications method and device which will allow a telephone connected to the Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN) through a switching device such as a Private Branch Exchange (PBX) to transfer data between the PSTN and a closed loop digital data network. A network interface microcontroller is installed in an analog or digital telephone connected to a closed loop digital data network. The microcontroller converts the digital network data into a form suitable for transmission through the PBX to the PSTN and converts data received from the PSTN through though PBX into the digital network protocol.

Abstract: A useful, novel, and nonobvious speech verification apparatus, method and media incorporating the same, as well as a secure interactive voice response ("IVR") system. The speaker verification apparatus and method involves a determination whether one or more speech samples captured from a speaker substantially matches a speaker template in a registration database. If no substantial match is found, alternate access control is utilized to allow the speaker to verify herself, without the use of speaker verification techniques. If alternative access control is able to verify the speaker, the captured speech samples are used to modify the corresponding speaker template. The so-modified speaker template may account for acoustic idiosyncrasies or anomalies perceived in the speech samples to improve verification rates in subsequent acoustic attempts.

Abstract: During a telephone call to a call center, in a first portion of the call is placed in a call queue, and the call center apparatus generates a pre-answer signal which is interpreted by a central office apparatus to meter and bill a cost of the call to a receiving party operating the call center. When the call is connected to an interactive device, e.g. a call center agent's telephone handset, the call center generates a call answer signal which is transmitted to the central office apparatus, and interpreted as a signal to meter and bill a second portion of the call, containing interactive communication to a caller.

Abstract: A system and method for extending the time period at which a facsimile response signal can be received before a time-out occurs without altering the underlying transmission protocol. The disclosed system and method determines a response time before which a response signal must be received by a transmitting facsimile station in order to avoid a time-out event. Before the response time arrives, the disclosed system and method generates and transmits a delay signal to the transmitting facsimile station which does not substantively interfere with ongoing communications. Instead, the delay signal causes the transmitting facsimile station to tickle an internal time-out counter which results in an extension of the response signal delay tolerance. Delay signal frames can be transmitted repeatedly to accommodate any desired time-out period.

Abstract: A system and method for transmitting aural signals across a wide area network (WAN) from a local phone coupled to a computer, e.g., a PC-phone, to a remote phone coupled to a KTS, PBX, or PSTN, for example. This capability is provided by the gateway unit of the present invention. The system of the present invention is quickly installed in a server or a personal computer coupled to a local area network. The system is connected to one or more of a PSTN, a private branch exchange, a key telephone system, a telephone, a facsimile machine, and a modem. In the case of voice transmission, a gateway unit translates received telephony signal into a format that is compatible with the telephone system or equipment connected thereto. The present invention can provide a voice quality that approaches, equals, or exceeds the voice quality of conventional telephone switched networks.

Abstract: The present invention facilitates an inter-mobile switching center (MSC) soft hand-off by creating a communication link between the MSCs through the base station controllers (BSCs). The routers in the BSCs are linked to form a virtual router. This faster link between the BSCs enables the same protocol to be used for intra-MSC soft hand-off used for inter-MSC soft hand-off.

Abstract: A method of reducing the perplexity of a speech recognition vocabulary and dynamically selecting speech recognition acoustic model sets used in a simulated telephone operator apparatus. The directory of users of the telephone network is subdivided into subsets wherein each subset contains the names of users within a certain location or exchange. A speech recognition vocabulary database is compiled for each subset and the appropriate database is loaded into the speech recognition apparatus in response to a requested call to the location covered by the subset. Furthermore, a site-specific acoustic model set is dynamically loaded according to the location of a calling party. An apparatus for carrying out the method is also discussed.

Abstract: Various operational measurements of a network element are determined in real time. These measurements are used to determine the call carrying capacity of the elements and the reaction of the network element to various call loads. Models of the network elements are generated from the operational measurements. Using an element's model, the network's reaction to various changes in a particular element can be determined without complex and expensive engineering work.

Abstract: The present invention is based on a tri-cellular grouping of three identical cells. Each cell of the tri-cellular group is driven by a directional antenna that radiates the cell from the center of the group. Multiple tri-cellular groups make up a cellular system having three axes at 0.degree., 120.degree., and 240.degree.. Each axis is comprised of seven total layers, one layer being a repeat of another of the layers. The 512 available system PN offsets are divided up into three groups of 24 offsets, one group for each axis. Each PN offset group is reused only in the direction to which it is assigned.

Abstract: To provide a highly reliable and easy-to-manufacture ink jet head connection unit, in which ink supply paths are formed by gluing a substrate on which head component is formed to other components, that is free of ink ejection failure and ink leakage. A head component and case component 240 equipped with opening 241 on the bottom of which supply port 257 for supplying ink to head component 210 and concave area 243 to be filled with an adhesive are formed, are provided. Space 248 to be filled with an adhesive for joining head component 210 and case component 240 when case component 240 and head component 210 are coupled, is formed inside the joined case.

Abstract: A printer driver comprising a separate page driver for analyzing print data and storing analysis data into a journal file, a journal file processor for retrieving the analysis data from the journal file, and a separate render driver for variably processing the print data depending on the type of stored analysis information, rendering the variably processed print data into picture elements having a reduced pixel depth, storing the picture elements into a band buffer, and providing the picture elements to a printer to produce high-quality printed images.

Abstract: A display including plural field emission devices arranged in a pixel matrix. Each of these field emission devices includes an opening in an insulating layer of a supporting substrate, an upwardly extending cathode having a tip disposed centrally within the opening, and a gate electrode disposed circumferentially about the rim of the opening aligned substantially concentric to the cathode tip. Also, thin film transistor transmission gates are disposed proximate to each of the field emission devices and are selectively operable to control transmission of data signals to the gate electrode of the field emission devices to which they are adjacent.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for controlling the frequency of a laser in an optical transmission system which involves applying a frequency modulation to the laser, determining an amplitude modulation present in the signal downstream of the laser and attributable to the frequency modulation, and discriminating a portion of the amplitude modulation which is substantially in phase quadrature with the applied frequency modulation. The frequency of the laser is controlled on the basis of the discriminated quadrature portion. An optical component downstream of the laser may have a response which converts FM to AM. The response and the frequency output of the laser can be locked to one another, without errors caused by unwanted AM in the transmitted signal modulation frequency.

Abstract: The invention provides a wrist-worn pulse wave measuring device capable of outputting data measured by the wrist-worn pulse wave measuring device to an external data processing device without using a large device body. In the pulse information processing apparatus, a connector piece of a sensor unit is mounted to a connector of a wrist-worn pulse wave measuring device when measuring the pulse. A data transmission connector piece is mounted to the connector of the pulse wave measuring device when transmitting data with a data processor. Whether the operating mode is the pulse measurement mode or the data transmission mode is determined by a signal discriminator which discriminates the signal input from the connector of the pulse wave measuring device.

Abstract: An image processing method and an image processing apparatus for determining the best digitizing threshold value, thereby enabling best-case digitizing across the entire input image, even when determination of a subject image within an image block is mistaken. The input image is separated into plural blocks; a temporary digitization threshold value is calculated for each of the separated blocks; the presence of text characters or other predetermined subject images is evaluated in each of the separated blocks; and block information for each of the separated blocks, including the temporary digitization threshold value, subject presence information, and the final digitization threshold value of each block for which said threshold value has been determined, is referenced to determine the final digitization threshold value for each block. Each block is then digitized using these best-case threshold values to achieve consistent, best-case digitization across the entire input image.

Abstract: A portable apparatus is provided which is easy to use, for measuring environmental and biological data and is useful for health care during exercise. The apparatus includes a measuring unit for measuring biological data, such as, a pulse rate and is disposed on a portion of a side portion of a wrist watch type apparatus body. The measuring unit is pressed by the user with his finger. At least one operation button is provided to operate an electrical circuit for processing the measured biological data.

Abstract: A system renders a print image while enabling reduction of the size of band memory. The printer driver includes a rendering driver comprising a driver interface, a drawing engine, an image and color library, band buffers and a color converter. The driver interface receives image data and drawing commands and transmits them to the drawing engine. The drawing engine divides the page into a series of bands, applies each drawing command for a band and renders the portion of an object in the band to a temporary buffer. To render an object, the drawing engine applies enhancement functions such as color biasing, image resolution enhancements, inverse dot gain transforms, etc. on the object and then applies a dithering function to convert intended color or gray-scale values of objects in the band to bi-level planar pixel matrices. By applying the dithering function before storing each band in band buffer memory, the size of the requisite band buffer memory is significantly reduced.

Abstract: A computer system includes a dual-panel monochrome or color liquid crystal display (LCD). A dynamic random access memory (DRAM) of the computer includes a defined virtual memory array representative of pixel locations of the dual-panel LCD. Pixel values are read from the virtual array of the DRAM and written to corresponding locations of the display by a display pipeline. The writing of pixel values to the display proceeds pixel-by-pixel across a row of pixels in a panel, and then to the next row of pixels until a panel is refreshed. The panels of the array are refreshed one at a time alternating between an upper panel of the display and a lower panel of the display. While one panel is being refreshed, the other panel is blanked. Consequently, the dual-panel display may be driven with a simplified structure of display pipeline, and with a reduced time requirement for access to the DRAM.

Abstract: A two-line sensor type image input and processing apparatus and method for accurately determining the current scan state, start of scanning and end of scanning events, as well as estimating scanning speed corresponding thereto, and for performing high precision distortion correction on the basis of these estimated scanning speeds.