Abstract: A flexible memory overlaying apparatus and method stores repeatedly referenced information, e.g, common global variables, common code segments, interrupt service routines, and/or any other user or system definable information, in spare addressable circuits accessed by a memory aliasing or overlaying module. The memory aliasing module monitors (or snoops) memory access by a processor to redirect access to certain appropriate addressable circuits to provide faster access to the information than would be available in an access made from main memory. The memory overlaying apparatus and method provides an efficient context switching, e.g., during an interrupt, enables a reduction in the size of instruction code requirements, and helps avoid the occurrences of cache misses, and/or thrashing between cached pages.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the simultaneous measurement of the anterior and posterior corneal surfaces, corneal thickness, and optical aberrations of the eye. The method employs direct measurements and ray tracing to provide a wide range of measurements for use by the ophthalmic community.

Abstract: Customer premises telephone equipment and methods are provided for automatically recording telephone conversations based on a comparison of call related information (for incoming calls) or dialed telephone numbers (outgoing calls) to entries in a user defined automatic conversational record table. An automatic conversational record module compares the received or entered call related information, e.g., a telephone number, to the entries in the user defined automatic conversational record table and automatically activates recordation of the telephone conversation if a match is determined. The entries in the user defined automatic conversation record table may be entered manually, e.g., using a keypad, may be based upon previously received call related information, or may be transferred from other memory in the customer premises equipment, e.g., speed dial telephone numbers.

Abstract: Apparatus for displaying an image suspended in space comprises an object (1) for display, a retroreflector (2) receiving light from the object, a beamsplitter (3) in a path for light from the object to the retroreflector, and a concave mirror (4) between the beamsplitter and the retroreflector. The beamsplitter makes an oblique angle to the direction (6) of propagation of the light such that it transmits some light. Light from the beamsplitter is reflected by the mirror to the retroreflector which reflects it back via the mirror to the beamsplitter. This retroreflected light is reflected by the beamsplitter to form a real image (5) suspended in space. The use of a concave mirror improves viewability over apparatus including a converging lens because unwanted reflections from the surfaces of the lens are eliminated.

Abstract: A telephone line interface or data access arrangement (DAA) includes a shunt regulator in series with a line modulator. A sense resistor is placed in series between the shunt regulator and line modulator to provide a measurement of an amount of noise in the DAA shunt regulator, which is fed back to the line modulator. The line modulator is capable of adjusting the AC modulation and DC termination presented to the telephone line. The method includes drawing power from the telephone line using a shunt regulator, modulating the telephone line in series with the shunt regulator, sensing a level of noise in the shunt regulator, and feeding back the sensed level of noise to the line modulator.

Abstract: A method and apparatus allowing efficient access control to a common data bus by including an isolation device to separate the common data bus, a priority-based arbiter to control access to the internal portion of the common data bus including a processor or other bus master, and a time slot arbiter to control access to the external portion of the common data bus including multiple bus masters, an external memory interface, etc. The common external memory may be allocated for exclusive or non-exclusive use by the various devices utilizing either portion of the isolated common data bus. External devices accessing the external memory may communicate directly with one or more bus masters, e.g., on the internal portion of the common data bus.

Abstract: A method for correction of a simple astigmatism of a corneal surface of an eye is provided. The method provides a laser operable to produce a pulsed output laser beam. A scanning mechanism is positioned to operatively receive the pulsed output laser beam of the laser and operable to control the scanning of the pulsed output laser beam over a target surface to be ablated. A computer system is operatively connected to the scanning mechanism for control thereof with the computer system operable to determine a desired configuration of an ablation to be performed on the target surface and to define a boundary associated with the ablation.

Abstract: A wireless piconet transceiver is mounted in a vehicle, and a complementary fixed wireless piconet transceiver is mounted in a garage, service station, police squad car, etc., for communication with the vehicle when parked adjacent thereto. The vehicle establishes a temporary piconet network with the user's home piconet. Vehicle operational statistics are tracked and maintained in a centralized vehicle computer database. This database can be manipulated to store the data desired by the vehicle owner. Via a wireless piconet connection, this database can transmitted to another piconet device such as the owner's computer. This computer system can be part of a wireless piconet, such as Bluetooth, This provides the computer with the ability to communicate with external wireless devices such as a cell phone, PDA, computer, or a cordless telephone. This invention allows for the configuration, or selection of desired vehicle data to be tracked.

Abstract: A laminated artificial pinna having a concha, fossa and auditory canal. The auditory canal is constructed and arranged relative to the concha so that the distance from the center of the entrance of the auditory canal to the rear wall of the concha lies within the range of 15 mm to 20 mm, the distance from the center of the entrance of the auditory canal to the concha floor lies within the range of 9 mm to 15 mm, and the alignment of the turning point with the center of the entrance of the auditory canal is substantially horizontal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for improving the carbonation in a soda fountain drink when served in a cup. A carbonation concentrator is inserted between the fountain head and the bottom portion of the cup (e.g., at the top of the ice) to cause backpressure at a point within the fluid in the cup as the soda is poured, increasing the absorption of the CO2 carbonation into the poured fluid. The carbonation concentrator may be integrated into the fountain head, adapted to attach to an otherwise conventional fountain head, or integrated within the cup (i.e., disposable form). The carbonation concentrator may be attached to an otherwise conventional fountain head, formed integrally therewith, or to a lid. In disclosed embodiments, the carbonation concentrator is slid over the spout of a hand-held or wall-mounted fountain head and secured in an appropriate fashion.

Abstract: The present invention provides a synchronizing data protocol comprising one or more serial input-output (SIO) control word(s) and data passed across a high voltage interface, to allow the elimination of a frame synchronization signal (and corresponding AC coupling capacitors). The present invention has particular applicability to, e.g., time division multiplexed (TDM) data, serial data communication devices, or synchronous serial communication interfaces in general, and to the communication between a controller and a codec in an audio codec device in accordance with the AC '97 Specification, i.e., the AC Link. The synchronizing data protocol is implemented over a transmit data signal line to provide occasional synchronization (i.e., not frame-by-frame synchronization) between the two communicating devices. The master device includes a preamble insertion module to insert a predetermined preamble code word into the transmitted data stream.

Abstract: Apparatus for dispensing a predetermined volume of a liquid (18) comprises a reservoir (12) for the liquid, a channel (13) provided with an outlet (16) for conveying the liquid (18) from the reservoir to the outlet, and means for generating a pulse of gas. The apparatus is arranged such that the flow of gas causes a predetermined volume of liquid to be ejected from the outlet. The outlet comprises a pair of openings in the channel which face one another, the liquid being retained between the openings by surface tension in the absence of a flow of gas. The gas flow is directed towards one of said openings in use. The apparatus may be used to dispense volumes of a liquid reagent in the range 1 nl to 2 &mgr;l. The apparatus avoids contamination of the liquid, and dispensing head construction allows devices to be low cost disposable units. The apparatus is less sensitive to liquid viscosity than existing devices.

Abstract: A multiple agent system providing each of a plurality of agents, i.e., processors, access to a shared synchronous memory. A super agent is preferably that agent from among a plurality of agents which accesses a shared synchronous memory most frequently. The super agent has direct access to the shared synchronous memory, without negotiation and/or arbitration, while the non-super agents access the shared synchronous memory under the control of an arbiter and switch. Open windows are generated when the super agent is not accessing the shared synchronous memory. The non-super agents can be allowed interim access to the shared synchronous memory even before the super agent terminates ownership of the shared synchronous memory.

Abstract: The number of separate signals necessary in a serial interface are reduced by combining a transmit data signal with a clock signal having a rate equal to a multiple of a bit rate of the transmit data signal, before encoding for transmission. The number of separate signals in a serial interface may be reduced further by sigma-delta (&Sgr;/&Dgr;) encoding the transmit data into 1-bit samples, thus eliminating the need for a frame sync signal. By combining the transmit data with a higher rate clock signal, jitter in the recovered clock signal at the receiving end is greatly reduced or even eliminated. At the receiving end, the higher speed clock is recovered at the multiplied rate, used to latch the transmit data from the combined data and higher clock signal, and divided back to the data rate to provide an original bit clock along with an original transmit data signal.

Abstract: In one embodiment according to the invention, a telephone includes an answer and hold feature, whereby, in response to a user input, the telephone answers an incoming call, issues an outgoing greeting and maintains a connection status. Thus, the called party can unobtrusively cause the call to be held in the connected status until a time when the called party can conveniently enter into a conversation. For example, a wireless telephone according to the invention may include a controller, a user input unit, and an outgoing message unit. The controller may be adapted to cause the outgoing message unit to output a particular outgoing message in response to an incoming call and a particular indication from the user input unit. The controller may be further adapted to maintain a connection status of the incoming call so that a user can communicate at a point in time subsequent to the initiation of the outgoing message.

Abstract: Apparatus and processes of operating a telephone answering device (TAD) to record a message from a third party caller who calls when a first telephone line connected to the TAD is busy when the third party calls. After the third party hangs up, the automatic third party callback module calls the third party back based on a telephone number obtained from call related information, e.g., Caller ID information. The TAD may alternatively or additionally automatically answer selected third party callers to a second telephone line of the TAD possibly based on a match between call related information with respect to the third party caller, e.g., Caller ID, and pre-entered telephone numbers of those the user desires to have the TAD automatically answer when busy on the first telephone line.

Abstract: Apparatus and processes to provide a telephone answering device for receiving and recording a voice message from a caller to a user over a telephone line. The voice message is retrievable from the telephone answering device by the user from a remote location. After the user retrieves the message, but while the remote user is still on the telephone line, a calling module in the telephone answering device directs, at the remote user's request, a call back to the caller. The remote user is then connected to the call to the third party using the same telephone line without disconnecting the user from the original phone call.

Abstract: Telephone line service type identification is provided to a telephone technician in the field by the placement of one or more tuned circuit(s) across the telephone line. In one embodiment, an inexpensive tuned circuit such as a ceramic resonator forms a telecom service resonator ID device which is placed across a telephone line, either at the central office or at the customer premises. Injection of a test current at a predetermined frequency, and a suitable amplitude of the same indicates to the technician aspects of telecom service to that particular telephone line (e.g., the existence of POTS, ISDN, and/or xDSL) and or use of the telephone line by a home network such as HPNA. In another embodiment, a telecom service transponder ID device is formed to provide line service identification to an interrogating line technician. The telecom service transponder ID device is activated when the test signal including an appropriate frequency is present to cause excitation in the telecom service transponder ID device.

Abstract: A technique and apparatus allowing data transfer between multiple telephone devices on a common telephone line, e.g., to synchronize call related information such as Caller ID data. Data which may be transferred includes call related information to other devices on the common telephone line. The data transfer preferably occurs immediately after the call related information is received by a master device from the central office, e.g., between subsequent ring signals. Archival call related information relating to past incoming telephone calls may also be synchronized between the master and slave devices or between the slave devices using the data transfer.

Abstract: Detection of alerting or other tone signals in a composite signal are reliably detected with an improved false tone detect suppression technique which employs the use of a moving window analysis on a subset of frequencies detected within an underlying speech signal performed during each of a plurality of data frames. The composite signal is transformed during each data frame using a discrete Fourier transform comprising the so-called Goertzel Algorithm. All of the Goertzels relating to the tone detection are analyzed during each data frame, but only a subset of the Goertzels relating to the sweeping harmonic analysis of the underlying speech signal are analyzed during any particular data frame.