Abstract: This invention is related to a printer and printing method that prints on recording media with water soluble ink by using an ink jet printer. It is related to the printing method that can create printed images with supreme durability especially on recording media or stiff panels of different thickness with water absorbent surfaces, like wood boards, porous plastic boards, and the like, and on a recording media with water resistant surfaces, like plastic boards, glass or metal plates and the like, to which an emulsion adhesive layer is applied for a printing layer. The printer of the invention has features enabling movement past the print head of media of different thickness and formed as panels while the image surfaces of the panels are vertically properly spaced from the print head for printing.

Abstract: Sheet post processing apparatus is disclosed in a compact form for receiving from an image forming machine successive sheets of printed material and performing post processing thereto, by feeding sheets into the apparatus at the output speed of the image forming machine, by stopping the leading edge of the sheets by feed rolls, performing a first post process on the sheet, upstream of the feed rolls, then feeding the processed sheet, by said feed rolls, at a higher speed by either a bypass path to a receiver or through a divergent path by a diverter to an inclined tray beneath the first processor for performance of a different post process and then from the inclined tray to a stacker by an additional output feed associated with the inclined tray.

Abstract: A sheet or set receiving post processing machine has a plurality of vertically spaced sheet or set receiving trays extending generally horizontally at an incline, a sheet delivering infeed with vertically spaced gates, and a vertically movable sheet sender extending horizontally between each infeed location and a selected tray, wherein the sheet sender has a stapler for stapling sets of sheets thereon and wherein the sender has first and second offsetting devices for offsetting sets of sheets, whether or not stapled, and for feeding the sets to the trays in offset relation.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for receiving and assembling sheets in a binding station at which thermal binding strips are automatically supplied to the side edges of the assembled sets, the sheet receiving trays at the binding station are laterally moved apart to allow a set of assembled bound or unbound sheets to gravitate to a stapling station at which an assembled set of sheets may be stapled together, and the trays forming the stapling station are moved laterally apart to allow the stapled set to gravitate to a stacker tray which is allowed to move downwardly as progressive sets are deposited on the stacker tray and the stacker tray is moved upwardly to a set receiving position following removal of finished sets.

Abstract: A method of smoothing Kalman Filter position states forming a "groundtrack" in a receiver used in a satellite based positioning system (e.g. GPS). In such systems, data pairs including an incoming value and a "raw" reliability estimate (e.g. a standard deviation) are normally fed directly to the Kalman Filter. The Kalman Filter computes the resultant and an overall uncertainty estimate by applying a "weight" to each successive incoming value based on its reliability. The Kalman Filter also estimates incoming values based on past values.The method involves the unique steps of replacing the raw reliability with a "modified" reliability if the incoming value is too far from the estimate in view of an adjustable limit envelope defined by the current uncertainty estimate and reliability value. If the difference between what we get and what we expect is small, then the reliability value is passed without modification.

Abstract: A system for decimating a source signal with a source sample rate by a non-integer factor to a sink signal with a sink sample rate is disclosed. The system first determines a decimation factor based on a ratio of the source sample rate to the sink sample rate. The system then decimates the source signal by the decimation factor to an intermediate ("IM") signal with an IM sample rate which is larger than the sink sample rate. The IM signal is then applied to a sample-rate converter to down convert to the sink signal with the sink sample rate, using a decimation factor between only 1 and 2.

Abstract: A communications detector for detecting remote user hang-up or disconnection by a telephone answering machine (TAM). The remote hang-up detector (RHUD) may operate in conjunction with a modem and does not affect transmission and receipt of modem signals and modem performance. An optically isolated voltage detector indicates to the TAM that the remote user has hung up by detecting reversal or interruption of the loop current supplied by the central office, thereby causing the local user or modem to likewise hang up.

Abstract: A method for configuring a program-controlled integrated circuit which contains default configuration data and includes input/output lines connectable to at least one external source of configuration data, the method including: a) determining whether an external source of configuration data is connected to the input/output lines; b) in response to a determination that an external source of configuration data is connected to the input/output lines, configuring the integrated circuit in accordance with that configuration data from that source; and c) in response to a determination that an external source of configuration data is not connected to the input/output lines, configuring the integrated circuit in accordance with the default configuration data.

Abstract: A low-power stop mode "snooze" timer is implemented in the processing unit of a communication system, which runs without the use of the usual crystal-controlled oscillator. The "snooze" timer is implemented by a second oscillator with associated timer circuit. The second oscillator runs continually and feeds a timer which is loaded with a suitable value. The timer, when timed out or expired, will reactivate the main processing functions, thus allowing the successful reception of an external signal from a remote transmission source. To compensate for the inaccuracy of the second oscillator due to its dependence upon voltage, process and temperature, the snooze timer's output is calibrated during the wake-up periods against a timing signal derived from the internal crystal-controlled timing source. This calibration compensates for the inherent frequency instability of the second oscillator and allows a timing signal of sufficient accuracy to be maintained over the stop cycle.

Abstract: A high speed current sense amplifier useful in memory devices, which includes a current-to-voltage amplifier that is coupled to a voltage amplifier. The current-to-voltage amplifier has an input impedance that is lower than its output impedance. The voltage amplifier has an input impedance that is larger than the input impedance of the current-to-voltage amplifier. The current sense amplifier can sense the current relationship between two current inputs in about 200 pico-seconds. Embodiments of the current sense amplifier enable current sensing either near the power supply voltage or near ground, thus eliminating the need for intermediate voltages. Embodiments of the current sense amplifier draw current from the current inputs only during the 200 pico-second sensing time and does not require external latching circuitry.

Abstract: A method of providing redundancy in an electrically alterable memory divided into addressable blocks within the memory. The electrically alterable memory should have more available blocks than required by the firmware. The method includes the steps of testing the memory to create block status information about good versus bad blocks, writing the block status information into a table in the electrically alterable memory, reordering the table so that contiguous series of entries in the table point only to good blocks, and then providing a block status array comprising block select registers which are initialized with the corresponding ones of the contiguous series of entries so that a nominal address to a bad block is redirected to a good block.

Abstract: A system for demodulating a FSK digital signal comprising: first and second frequency detectors connected to detect the frequency of the digital signal, the first frequency detector producing an output signal whenever the digital signal is detected to have a first frequency and the second frequency detector producing an output signal whenever the digital signal is detected to have a second frequency; first and second low pass filters each having an input connected to receive the output signal produced by a respective frequency detector and an output for providing a smoothed version of the signal at the respective filter input; and signal combining circuitry connected to the outputs of the first and second filters for providing a demodulated output signal representing the FSK digital signal.

Abstract: A cordless telephone system connectable to the public switched telephone network having a base station and one or more handsets communicating with the base station by an RF link utilizing a DBPSK I and Q demodulator with a digital AGC loop. When R .angle..theta. is being received instead of I and Q data, the phase information (.angle..theta.) is connected to the I input of the DBPSK demodulator. The amplitude information (R) and the output of the digital AGC logic are applied as differential inputs to the Q input of the DBPSK demodulator. The I input to the AGC logic is set to zero. The Q input to the AGC logic is supplied with the R data. The AGC servo loop with the differential Q inputs to the DBPSK demodulator creates a high resolution A/D converter for R. The theta information is used to demodulate the incoming bipolar data, which may be either MSK or FSK, if a limiter-discriminator or other FM demodulator is used.

Abstract: A synthesizer system includes a CPU and host memory operating a software routine. The software routine stores a first part of each waveform signal in a sample pool of host memory and provides remaining portions of selected musical sounds from the hard drive to a stream cell array without an audio perceivable delay. The synthesizer system utilizes a caching system which allows low cost, high storage devices to be utilized in an audio synthesizer system. MIDI control signals are provided to an audio processor for selecting appropriate digital waveform signals.

Abstract: A system and method for generating NTSC and PAL formatted composite video signals in a computer. Digital pixel data may be processed by software to form component video pixel data, which may include luminance and chrominance components. A chrominance look-up table is provided in a display memory and is used for modulation of the chrominance components in accordance with NTSC and/or PAL formats. The modulated components are then combined to form digital composite video pixel data which may be stored in a frame buffer in the display memory. Alternatively, a pixel clock frequency equal to an integer multiple of the carrier frequency may be used and modulation in accordance with the NTSC and PAL formats may be accomplished by inverting, setting to zero or leaving unmodified the chrominance components. The architecture of this system greatly reduces hardware complexity and bandwidth requirements.

Abstract: Aspects of the present invention provide a system for selectively processing a video signal in accordance with instructions from application software. The system contains a video decoder for converting an analog video signal to digital video data, and a controller for formatting and routing the digital video data. A list of control structures may be loaded into a memory associated with the controller. The control structures contain formatting and routing information used by the controller to process different portions of the video stream. The number and content of control structures as well as the correlation between the control structures and selected portions of the video stream may be flexibly determined by application software. In particular, the control structures may be configured such that certain portions of the video stream are routed to the CPU for processing, while other portions are routed to a display driver and output on a display device.

Abstract: A frequency acquisition and compensation device and method for direct sequence spread spectrum communications systems has an identification (ID) sequence in an acquisition frame which is received by a receiving station and an ID sequence stored in an ID register. A received acquisition frame is demodulated using dot product and cross product demodulation. An ID detector detects the ID sequence in the demodulated dot product, cross product, or inverse cross product acquisition frame. When the ID is detected by the dot product demodulator, the receive frame timing is adjusted to coincide with a time interval when the ID was detected. Also, when the ID sequence stored in the ID register matches either the dot product, cross product or inverted cross product of the received ID sequence, the system microcontroller updates the automatic frequency control value.

Abstract: A system and method for generating composite video signals in a computer. Digital pixel data may be processed by software to form component video pixel data, which may include luminance and chrominance components. A chrominance look-up table is provided in a display memory and is used for modulation of the chrominance components. The modulated components are then combined to form digital composite video pixel data which may be stored in a frame buffer in the display memory. Video control information is precalculated and stored in the display memory in advance. The digital composite video pixel data and video control information are then recovered from the display memory to produce a formatted stream of video data. The architecture of this system greatly reduces hardware complexity and bandwidth requirements. In addition, the process may be controlled by a media stream controller which is also adapted for audio and graphics processing.

Abstract: A data access arrangement (DAA) interface for alternately coupling a telephone set to a modem for operation in conjunction with and independent of the central office power supply line. The DAA interface provides an enhanced power supply to supply adequate power to the telephone set when the telephone set, or a computer coupled thereto, communicates with the modem independent of the central office line. Multiple relays are coordinated and controlled via an application program in communication with the modem which detects certain conditions representing incoming and outgoing telephone and data/facsimile calls, and commands the relays to respond to the conditions.

Abstract: An inverter receives an energizing voltage with a particular magnitude (e.g. 1.5 V) at a first terminal and produces the voltage at a second terminal. The received and produced voltages are differentially introduced to a stage which produces a single-ended bias voltage (e.g. 3 V) related to the second terminal voltage. The bias voltage is servoed to regulate the second terminal voltage (e.g. 1.5 V) and the bias voltage (e.g. 3 V) regardless of energizing voltage variations. In response to the bias voltage and a variable input voltage, a pass transistor in a buffer produces a first control voltage different from the bias voltage by the pass transistor threshold voltage for input voltages greater than the bias voltage less the pass transistor threshold. The first control voltage corresponds to the input voltage for input voltages less than the bias voltage less the pass transistor threshold.