Abstract: An optical switch having an insulator under a heater element is disclosed. The insulator reduces the heat loss thereby making the switch more efficient. The insulator is fabricated embedded in the underlying substrate on which the heater and the optical intersection are fabricated. A method of fabricating the optical switch having an insulator is disclosed. A trench is etched on the substrate and filled with oxide or other suitable insulating material. Then, the heater and the optical intersection are fabricated above the insulator.

Abstract: An electronic circuit consists of a voltage regulator and an electrostatic discharge (ESD) shunt. The voltage regulator maintains a prescribed voltage for the voltage supply of the chip. The ESD shunt protects the chip circuitry from undesirable levels of current or voltage. The voltage regulator and the ESD shunt share the functionality of a single, very large transistor. This combination results in a circuit with a smaller area, much smaller than if the two circuits had been built separately. With the reduction in area, both circuits can be manufactured on a single chip.

Abstract: A device for stabilizing the operating wavelength (&lgr;) of an electro-optical component having a nominal operating wavelength (&lgr;0) by a wavelength influencing circuit adapted to be driven by a control signal. The device comprises a semiconductor photodiode adapted to be impinged upon by the radiation generated and/or processed by the component and to generate an output signal which is indicative of a difference of the wavelength of the radiation ((&lgr;) with respect to the nominal operating wavelength (&lgr;0, &lgr;i). The semiconductor photodiode includes a plurality of layers jointly defining two opposite diodes generating opposite photocurrents as a result of radiation impinging onto the photodiode. The opposite photocurrents are adapted to generate the control signal to effect the stabilization action.

Abstract: An optical fingertip tracker, which may be a pseudo trackball, responds to the motion of the texture on one of the user's digits pressed against an image input aperture to produce motion signals processed within an appliance to be controlled. The appliance may have a minimal GUI, such as an LCD display having only a modest number of low resolution pixel locations and/or preestablished characters or icons. An appliance control parameter is set or adjusted in response to translation of the fingertip along a particular axis. E.g., to enter a parameter value (volume) a changing bar graph can be displayed. The display might even be omitted; to set the tone control of an audio appliance it can be sufficient to simply adjust the tone until the result is as desired. A numeric display of control parameter digits may be desirable, as when moving the fingertip tunes a receiver. There can be several particular axes along which fingertip movement changes an associated appliance control parameter.

Abstract: A planar array of lenses are configured and independently translatable along in-plane X and Y axes by corresponding MEMS actuators such that a light beam emanating from the facet of a first selected optical fiber in an adjacent bundle of fibers can be deflected in a first predetermined manner by a first one of the lenses, reflected off of an adjacent co-planar mirror back to the array of lenses, and deflected in a second predetermined manner by a second one of the lenses and focused on the facet of a selected second optical fiber in the bundle. In an alternate embodiment, the planar mirror is replaced with a second array of MEMS actuated lenses so that light pulses from a selected optical fiber in an input bundle can be steered to a selected optical fiber in an output bundle.

Abstract: A data processing apparatus (3) is coupled to receive messages from a telecommunications network (1), in order to collate messages relating to the same transaction into a transaction record for further analysis. The apparatus (3) receives messages from the networks having different formats (protocols). For each input message, a data packet processing module (7) including a data packet routing module (8) and a memory 9, in which is stored a predetermined set of routing rules, compares the contents of one or more fields or subfields in the message with the routing rules in order to determine a destination for each message. The data packet routing module 8 thus routes the messages according to the routing rules to different subsequent processing modules (10), such as transaction builders, or to none of them, if the routing rules are not met.

Abstract: In a shielding scheme for circuit boards, conductive shields have contoured mating surfaces that become flat, or co-planar, at the circuit board-shield interface when the shields are fastened to opposite sides of the circuit board. The contoured mating surfaces compensate for deformation of the shields resulting from the fastening so that uniform mechanical pressure is applied at all designated points along the circuit board-shield interface even though fastening points are intermittently spaced throughout the shields. When compressible conductive gaskets are optionally interposed between the shields and the circuit board, stops are included to accommodate for the thickness of the gasket. High signal isolation is achieved without correspondingly high contact area on the circuit board and without closely-spaced fastening points. Low assembly time and manufacturing cost results for shielded circuit board assemblies incorporating the shielding scheme.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for controlling the shutter open time in an opto-electronic device is presented. A frame of pixel intensity data is collected and the average pixel intensity value is across said frame is calculated and compared to a first threshold. If the average pixel intensity is outside a first intensity range defined by said first threshold, the shutter open time is adjusted in a first direction. Otherwise, the peak pixel intensity value across the frame is found and compared to a second threshold. If the peak pixel intensity value is outside a second intensity range defined by said second threshold, the shutter open time is adjusted in said first direction. If the peak pixel intensity value is not outside a second intensity range, the peak pixel intensity value is compared to a third threshold. If the peak pixel intensity value is outside a third intensity range defined by the third threshold, the shutter open time is adjusted in a second direction.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for managing circuit tests. In a first embodiment of the invention, a number of electrical characteristics of a number of electrical components which exist in a circuit are identified, and the number of electrical components are then grouped in response to the number of electrical characteristics. Thereafter, and for each group of electrical components, a circuit test which is common to the electrical components of the group is established. When the execution of a test results in a false fail, the test is debugged, and the debugged test is then associated with each other component in its group. Much of a programmer's debug effort is therefore “proactive” rather than “reactive”. Preferably, a test history log is maintained for each component group so that previously abandoned test solutions are not repeated as tests are debugged.

Abstract: Pressure-actuated bi-stable optical switching is provided. In this regard, a pressure-actuated bi-stable optical switch includes an optical path and a cavity intersecting the optical path. The cavity defines a first position along the optical path and a second position displaced from the optical path. An index-matching liquid, which exhibits an index of refraction closer to an index of refraction of the optical path than to that of a vacuum, is arranged within the cavity. A pressure generator generates pressure that selective moves the liquid between the first and second positions. Additionally, a potential profile maintains the liquid in the one of the first and second positions to which it was most recently moved while the pressure generator is not generating pressure. Methods, systems and other switches also are provided.

Abstract: A system for manipulating optical signals in an optical switch utilizes a light-absorbing region. The region efficiently converts light to thermal energy and is in thermal communication with an index-matching fluid disposed within an intersecting gap between a first input optical waveguide and a first output optical waveguide. In one embodiment, exposing the region to optical radiation elevates the temperature of the fluid within the gap, resulting in vaporization of the fluid into gas. Filling the gap with gas creates a refractive index mismatch that causes light from the first input waveguide to be diverted to a second output waveguide. In another embodiment, the manipulation of optical signals is achieved by exposing a light-absorbing fluid to the source radiation.

Abstract: A semiconductor test data analysis system (1) automatically recording, during an analysis operation, operation information of the analysis operation, including analysis conditions or an analysis procedure for input test data, or analysis information obtained by the analysis operation. The analysis system includes a processing means (101), an analysis target data storage means (109), which stores the test data as analysis target data, a historical data storage means (107), which stores as historical data either operation information of the analysis operation or analysis information obtained by the analysis operation, and a display data storage means (112), which stores analysis information obtained by the analysis operation, which stores analysis display data generated by the processing means for the purpose of displaying the analysis information obtained by the analysis operation.

Abstract: A data analysis method, apparatus, and storage medium having computer readable program instructions embodied therein for use on a spreadsheet software having a plurality of cells displayed as a two-dimensional table on a computer including assigning to a first cell a definition of array representation data including a single array or multiple arrays of data, displaying to the first cell a first array display button, and selectively displaying the array representation data in a graphical or table format using an array data display device when the array display button is selected.

Abstract: A pumping arrangement, for example for liquid chromatography, comprises a first liquid reservoir at a first height level, connected via a first hydraulic path to a pumping means; a second liquid reservoir at a second height level, connected via a second hydraulic path to the pumping means; and filtration devices arranged in the first and in the second hydraulic path. Each filtration device comprises an outer member (1) forming a first chamber (6), and an inner member (2) arranged within the outer member and forming a second chamber (5). The inner member (2) is porous and acts as a filter for liquid flowing from the first chamber to the second chamber. The arrangement ensures efficient filtering and prevents undesired backflow of liquid.

Abstract: Optical packaging assemblies and methods of making the same are described. In one aspect, an optical packaging assembly includes a package housing, a hermetically sealed optical device housing, and an optical fiber alignment assembly. The package housing includes an optical fiber feedthrough and a package electric feedthrough. One or more optical fibers extend through the optical fiber feedthrough. The hermetically sealed optical device housing is mounted within the package housing and includes an optical window and a device electric feedthrough that is electrically connected to the electric feedthrough of the package housing. At least one optical device is mounted within the hermetically sealed optical device housing in optical alignment with respect to the optical window.

Abstract: A memory tester supports testing of multiple DUT's of the same type at a test site. The tester can be instructed to replicate the segments of the test vectors needed to test one DUT on the channels for the other DUT's. This produces patterns of transmit and receive vectors that are n-many DUT's wide. Conditional branching within the test program in response to conditions in the receive vectors (DUT failure) is supported by recognizing several types of error indications and an ability to selectively disable the testing of one or more DUT's while continuing to test the one or more that are not disabled. Also included are ways to remove or limit stimulus to particular DUT's, and ways to make all comparisons for a particular DUT appear to be “good.

Abstract: The pivot-less Watt linkage supports a first rigid element relative to a second rigid element and permits relative motion between the rigid elements. The pivot-less Watt linkage comprises an elongate, rigid, floating beam, an elongate first flexible beam, an elongate second flexible beam and a flexible member. The first flexible beam extends in a first direction from a first point on the floating beam to the first rigid element. The second flexible beam extends in a second direction, substantially opposite the first direction, from a second point on the floating beam to the first rigid element. The second point is spatially separated from the first point along the length of the floating beam. The flexible member extends in the first direction from a third point on the floating beam to the second rigid element. The third point is intermediate between the first point and the second point.

Abstract: An optical measuring unit for measuring an optical property of an incoming optical beam comprises a polarization converter receiving the incoming optical beam and providing a first output beam and a second output beam thereof, which are spatially separated and with substantially matching states of polarization. A polarization dependent analysis unit receives the first and the second output beams from the polarization converter, and measures the optical property of both the first and the second output beams. The polarization converter comprises a polarization dependent beam splitter splitting up an incoming optical beam into a first output beam of the polarization converter and into a second beam, each with a defined state of polarization but different from each other.

Abstract: Systems and methods of monitoring thin film deposition are described. In one aspect, a thin film deposition sensor includes an acoustical resonator (e.g., a thin film bulk acoustical resonator) that has an exposed surface and is responsive to thin film material deposits on the exposed surface. A substrate clip may be configured to attach the thin film deposition sensor to a substrate. A transceiver circuit may be configured to enable the thin film deposition sensor to be interrogated wirelessly. A method of monitoring a thin film deposition on a substrate also is described.

Abstract: An integrated polysilicon fuse and diode and methods of making the same are provided. The integrated polysilicon fuse and diode combination may be implemented in a programmable cross point fuse array. The integrated polysilicon fuse and diode may be used in a random access memory (RAM) cell. The polysilicon diode may be isolated from a substrate and other devices, use less area on a substrate, and cost less to manufacture compared to other diodes.