Abstract: An optical barrier made of tungsten (W) or titanium-tungsten (TiW). A layer of the optical barrier material is deposited over a transparent layer such as indium tin oxide (ITO). The optical barrier material is then patterned using photolithography processing steps and hydrogen peroxide as an etchant. The patterned optical barrier material acts as a light-shielding layer over a light-sensing device to form a dark reference device or dark pixel.

Abstract: A display element manipulation system and methodology for use in a computer-based system for providing a user with the ability to graphically manipulate a selected positionable display element presented on a display device. The display element manipulation system includes a display element selector configured to determine permissible adjustment directions for a selected positionable display element. The display element manipulation system also includes a display element position determinator configured to determine an adjustment command representing a desired adjustment direction and position for the selected display element.

Abstract: A system and methodology for use in a signal measurement system having a graphical user interface. The measurement invocation system is configured to provide graphical control elements on the graphical user interface such that the selection of a control element invokes a measurement operation on a selected displayed waveform. The measurement invocation system automatically performs a waveform measurement function when graphically associated by a user with a waveform displayed in a waveform display region of a graphical user interface is disclosed. The measurement invocation system includes a measurement toolbar manager configured to display on the graphical user interface one or more measurement icons. Each of the icons corresponds to a waveform measurement function. The toolbar manager identifies which of the one or more measurement icons has been selected by the user.

Abstract: In order to improve the noise performance of a charge balance type photodiode array by reducing error influences, e.g. due to offset voltages, flicker and/or thermal noise, on a desired signal a compensation circuit is inserted in each channel of this array. The basic concept under lying this compensation circuit is to effect a correlated double sampling method without any significant increase in space or power demand for the silicon chip of at least one channel of said photodiode array. Because the wanted signal is primarily an amount of charge, the compensating circuit comprises a switchable compensating capacitor to compensate an error contribution of the desired signal. In a first “calibration period” the compensating capacitor is charged or discharged in dependence on the actual noise contribution. In a second compensation period the compensation capacitor provides a voltage which is used to correct a predetermined reference voltage to insure compensation of the error contribution.

Abstract: The circuit includes an electro-optical mixer, such as an electro-optical Mach-Zehnder modulator, with non-linear behavior. The modulator receives as input an optical signal (Pin) at the frequency to be divided, in addition to an electric signal (e3) at a given frequency, usually corresponding to the frequency deriving from such division. The output optical signal (Pout) from modulator exhibits a modulation spectrum containing the frequency difference between the frequency to be divided and at least one harmonic of the frequency of the above electric signal. After having been converted into an electric signal (e1), the output signal of the mixer is subjected to a filtering action to extract the above frequency difference component. This latter one is then used both as electrical signal (e3) for the mixing, and as output signal from the divider (e2). The preferred application is to OTDM systems, to extract a synchronism signal as tributary signal frequency.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for fabricating an array of biopolymers on a substrate using a biopolymer or biomonomer fluid, and using a dispensing head. The head has a reservoir chamber and at least one jet which can dispense droplets onto a substrate. The jet includes a capillary delivery chamber communicating with the reservoir chamber, which delivery chamber has an orifice. The jet further includes an ejector which, when activated, causes a droplet to be ejected from the orifice. The method includes loading the head by positioning the head with the orifice adjacent and facing a biomonomer or biopolymer fluid, and providing a load pressure to the reservoir chamber. The load pressure is sufficiently negative such that the fluid is drawn into the reservoir chamber through the orifice and delivery chamber, while simultaneously being insufficient to result in ambient atmosphere entering the delivery chamber through the orifice once the head has been loaded and no further fluid is facing and adjacent the orifice.

Abstract: Apparatus for extracting a primary signal from a GSM signal containing co-channel interference partitions a signal burst into successive segments. Known characteristics of the GSM signal channel are used to estimate propagation path characteristics in respect of the first segment, and these are used to demodulate the segment. The demodulated signal is then used in a recursive process to estimate revised propagation path characteristics which are used for demodulating the subsequent segment. The demodulated segments and the estimated path characteristics are also used to derive segment signals representing the primary signal component alone, and these segment signals are used to reconstitute the primary signal. The derived primary signal can be subtracted from the received signal to extract the co-channel interfering signal. The apparatus functions with an omni-directional antenna, mounted for example on a moving vehicle.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a switching element or a matrix of switching elements includes providing a waveguide substrate having at least two waveguides that intersect at a trench such that optical coupling between the waveguides is dependent upon the presence or absence of an index-matching fluid at the intersection of the waveguides with the trench. Fluid is supplied to the trench via a fluid fill-hole that extends through a heater substrate in a direction that is generally perpendicular to a substrate surface on which at least one heater is fabricated. In the preferred embodiment, the fluid fill-hole is formed in a step of inductively coupled plasma (ICP) reactive ion etching (RIE). The waveguide substrate having at least two waveguides and the heater substrate having the heaters and the fill-hole are bonded together after the substrates are aligned such that the trench is in fluid communication with at least one fluid fill-hole and is in thermal communication with at least one heater.

Abstract: A mount for directional devices such as cameras, optical devices or laser devices, providing independent orthogonal adjustment of panning alignment of such devices in a horizontal plane in combination with independent adjustment of rotation alignment of such devices about a vertical axis parallel to the optical axis. In a preferred embodiment, a CCD camera is aligned over a Liquid Crystal Display under test. Threaded adjustment screws angularly separate opposing plates disposed along each of x-, y- and z-axes. This angular separation generates a moment about the axis of rotation, causing a corresponding shift in the camera's alignment. Structure is also provided to compensate for differential thermal behavior of opposing plates. The inventive mount is advantageously designed to be reversible so that left-handed and right-handed embodiments can be nested to facilitate a multi-camera deployment.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and instrument for testing a device. The device under test (DUT) may be an electronic device, circuit, PCB, or product. The present invention compares events measured on a known good DUT with events measured on a potentially faulty DUT. Events on the DUT may be stimulated by injecting one or more input signals into the DUT. Events are observed and measured at signal nodes termed “observation nodes.” Events at the observation nodes are recorded and compiled into event lists. Event lists for a potentially faulty DUT are time aligned and compared with event lists for a known good DUT to determine whether the potentially faulty DUT is or is not actually faulty. The present invention can intelligently adapt the selection of observation nodes, on the basis of information about a DUT, to produce the most useful event lists for comparison.

Abstract: A method and system is presented for optimizing the number of required measurements to obtain in real-time by an automated tester that tests a device under test. During a test run, historical measurements are obtained and tracked. Each subsequent iteration the test attempts to re-measure the fewest number of measurements in real-time to obtain an accurate reflection of whether the device being tested passes or fails based on the real-time measurements and substituting historical measurements for those required measurements that were not taken in real-time.

Abstract: An optical element constructed from a transparent support having a curved surface and a layer of a polarization-dependent film that is affixed to the curved surface. The polarization-dependent film passes linearly polarized light of a predetermined polarization while reflecting linearly polarized light having a polarization orthogonal to the predetermined polarization. The element is constructed by applying a layer of a transparent adhesive either to the layer of polarization-dependent film or to the curved surface. The support and layer of polarization-dependent film are then heated to a temperature above the temperature at which the polarization film can be deformed. The support and layer of polarization-dependent film are then pressed together so as to deform the layer of polarization-dependent film to cause the layer of polarization-dependent film to conform to the curved surface.

Abstract: An improved linear scan geometry laminography system that allows for generation of high speed and high resolution X-ray laminographs using an electronic detector operating in a time-domain integration mode coupled with a moving source of X-rays. In one embodiment, the improved scanning laminography system does not require any mechanical motion of the object being inspected, the X-ray source or detectors. Higher speed is achieved over conventional laminography systems due to the electronic nature of the scan. The same architecture also allows for both two-dimensional radiography and digital reconstruction techniques. Usage of the technique provides for higher throughput, higher resolution, and simpler designs than do currently available systems. An analysis of different system design parameters for the basic X-ray imaging architecture utilizing time-domain integration to generate cross-sectional images is included to facilitate specific design configurations.

Abstract: An electrical contact breaker switch has a cavity or space that forms first and second chambers and a plurality of channels. The switch also has at least two solid electrodes formed with electrode components exposed apart from each other within the cavity. A conductive fluid held within the cavity functions as a contact for putting the electrode components of two specific solid electrodes in a “closed” state when in contiguous form and in an “open” state when in non-contiguous form. A form modification unit, which includes the first and second chambers, modifies the form of the conductive fluid.

Abstract: Timing errors in digital transmission systems such as MTIE (340) in Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) systems are measured with data samples (225) processed in a first stage (260) to produce in real-time a first, time-varying series of measurements (300) for a given parameter over observation intervals of a first magnitude, each observation interval being many times longer than the sample period of the input series. Subsequent stages (280, 280′) derive further series of measurements, corresponding to increasingly longer observation intervals, derived by treating previous observation intervals as sub-intervals. The first stage (260) derives intermediate results for a pre-determined interval and repeats for successive sub-intervals, the intermediate results stored in a first first-in, first-out (FIFO) data set (300) and updated at least once per sub-interval and the required parameter derived (335).

Abstract: Integrated circuitry for use with an ultrasound transducer of an ultrasound imaging system is disclosed. According to one embodiment of the invention, unique transducer circuitry comprises a low-voltage circuit and a high-voltage circuit including at least one high-voltage FET to drive an ultrasound transducer element. The low-voltage circuit and the high-voltage circuit are monolithically formed on a single substrate. The low-voltage circuit may include high density digital logic circuitry to generate transmit signals to the transducer element, as well as low noise analog receive circuitry to process signals received from the transducer element. The high-voltage FET of the high-voltage circuit comprises a lightly-doped drain region to increase the breakdown voltage of the high-voltage FET. The low and high-voltage circuits may be fabricated together on a single substrate using conventional low-voltage CMOS processing techniques.

Abstract: An integrated packaging system that comprises an integral mechanical support, a printed circuit board and the optical communications device. The mechanical support includes a first support element and a second support element. The first support element extends at a non-zero angle from the second support element. The printed circuit board includes a first portion and a second portion in contact with the first support element and the second support element, respectively. The optical communications device is mechanically coupled to the first support element of the mechanical support and is electrically connected to the first portion of the printed circuit board. The integrated packaging system preferably provides automatic alignment between the optical communications device and one or both of an optical element and an optical fiber. In this case, the first support element includes a device alignment feature.

Abstract: A method for interpolating a first color value associated with a first color and a second color value associated with a second color for use in generating a pixel that represents a portion of a digital image, based on a third color value that is associated with a third color. A first matrix is created and stored, comprising first coefficient values that are associated with a other values of the first color for pixels that surround the current pixel of interest. A second matrix is stored that holds second coefficient values that are associated with a second color value. Each of the first coefficient values is bitwise shifted by a pre-determined power of 2. The first color value is created and stored by applying the first coefficient values to the other values of the first color using a bitwise shift operation. The first color value is bitwise shifted by a complement of the pre-determined power of 2.

Abstract: Methods are disclosed for immobilizing a substance to a surface. A surface is employed that comprises a linking group consisting of a first portion comprising a hydrocarbon chain, optionally substituted, and a second portion comprising an alkylene oxide or an alkylene imine wherein the alkylene is optionally substituted. One end of the first portion is attached to the surface and one end of the second portion is attached to the other end of the first portion chain by means of an amine or an oxy functionality. The second portion terminates in an amine or a hydroxy functionality. The surface is reacted with the substance to be immobilized under conditions for attachment of the substance to the surface by means of the linking group. Compositions of matter and reaction systems are also disclosed.