Abstract: Disclosed is a method of identifying an anomalous sample in a group of complex samples. The method provides vapor phase molecules from each complex sample to a mass sensor to derive a mass spectrum representative of each of the complex samples. Further, the method provides all of the mass spectra to a computer in a data matrix. The method performs exploratory data analysis on the data matrix using at least one set of principal components and performs a classification analysis of such matrix using a soft independent modeling of class analogy technique to select masses exhibiting high discrimination power. The method performs a mass correlation analysis with the selected masses to determine at least three correlated masses. A comparison of the three correlated masses is made to a library of mass spectra to identify at least one candidate that is potentially indicative of the anomalous sample. A review is made of the one or more candidates to identified the anomalous sample.

Abstract: A frame-accurate video capturing system is described. The frame-accurate video capturing system captures a frame-accurate video segment into digital form. The system includes a start and stop frame capturing system that allows a user to identify a start frame and a stop frame of a desired video segment having a plurality of frames from an external video program. The frame-accurate video capturing system also includes a video segment capturing system that automatically captures the desired video segment of the external video program into digital form based on the start and stop frames captured by the frame capturing system. A method of accurately capturing a video segment from an external video program is also described.

Abstract: Apparatus for in-line flow-through sample treatment includes a sample channel that has a sample inlet and a sample outlet and is defined in part by inner surfaces of walls of a solid material and in part by an inner surface of a first membrane, and a first flushing channel that has an inlet port and an outlet port and is defined in part by inner surfaces of walls of a solid material and in part by an outer surface of the first membrane. An electric field is applied across the first membrane in liquids carried within the sample channel and the first flushing channel. The analytical stream flows from an upstream liquid analysis device, such as a liquid chromatographic column, into the sample inlet and through the sample channel and out from the sample outlet, and a flushing liquid flows into the inlet port and through the flushing channel and out from the outlet port. Charged particles (such as ions of inorganic salts) in the analytical stream move in a direction generally away from or toward the membrane.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for testing integrated circuit package devices using automatic testing equipment. The automatic testing equipment may be provided with a light source to enable the testing of image capture type integrated circuit devices. Alternatively, the automatic testing equipment may be provided with an imaging device, e.g., a camera, or both an imaging device and a light source to additionally enable the testing of display type integrated circuit devices.

Abstract: An application specific integrated circuit, for use with a circuit having a particular electrical characteristic, e.g. ringing or impedance, has an output pad with an output transistor having a drain connected to the output pad and a gate connected to the drain of a predriver transistor. A predriver time constant is derived from the gate-source capacitance of the output transistor and resistance of the predriver transistor. The predriver time constant is above a selected threshold based on the electrical characteristic such that the predriver transistor is operable to switch the output transistor at a sufficiently slow rate to avoid ringing.

Abstract: An apparatus, systems and method for locating nucleic acids in an array on a substrate have self-locating nucleic acid features. The nucleic acid features produce nucleotide-dependent location signals or optically detectable contrast between nucleotide-bound regions and non-nucleotide-bound regions of the substrate when scanned by an optical scanner. When used as analytical tools for monitoring gene expression and mutations in gene sequences, the nucleotide features are hybridized with nucleic acids of known or unknown sequences. The apparatus, systems and method locate both weakly and strongly hybridized nucleotide features on the substrate for identification of target nucleic acid sequences. The nucleotide feature signals or contrast are independent of the optical signals conventionally produced by the hybridized nucleotides. Therefore, the apparatus, systems and method locate all of the nucleotide features, hybridized or not, independently of the extent of hybridization.

Abstract: A display system has light source, display panel, conic mirror, and polarized reflector. The light from the light source is filtered by a diffuse reflective polarizer to contain light in a first linear polarization (for example, s-polarized light). That light is directed by the conic mirror toward the polarized reflector, and is reflected toward the display panel displaying images. The conic mirror and the polarized reflector is shaped such that the light telecentrically and uniformly illuminates the display panel. The light is reflected from the display panel being patterned by the image and rotated into a second linear polarization (for example, p-polarized light). The rotated light passes through the polarized reflector for viewing.

Abstract: A process, voltage, and temperature calibration system that shares a single calibration resistor among multiple calibration circuits. The use of single calibration resistor among several calibration circuits is accomplished through time division multiplexing. N-channel and P-channel field effect transistor calibration also share the same resistor. Turning on transistors in calibration circuits of the type not being calibrated creates a low impedance path from one terminal of the calibration resistor to a power supply. This biases the calibration resistor for the calibration circuit.

Abstract: A capacitor structure or an array of capacitors and a method of fabricating the structure utilize the contours of a cavity created in a layer stack to form two three-dimensional electrode plates. The three-dimensional electrode plates reduce the lateral size of the capacitor structure. The fabrication of the capacitor structure is compatible to conventional CMOS processing technology, in which the resulting capacitor structure may become embedded in a CMOS device. As an example, the capacitor structure may be fabricated along with a MOS transistor to produce a one-transistor-one-capacitor nonvolatile memory cell. Preferably, the three-dimensional electrode plates are made of platinum (Pt) or iridium (Ir) and the capacitor dielectric is a ferrous-electric material, such as lead-zirconate-titanate (PZT) or barium-strontium-titanate (BST).

Abstract: An optical mouse images as an array of pixels the spatial features of generally any micro textured or micro detailed work surface below the mouse. The photo detector responses are digitized and stored as a frame into memory. Motion produces successive frames of translated patterns of pixel information, which are compared by autocorrelation to ascertain the direction and amount of movement. A hold feature suspends the production of movement signals to the computer, allowing the mouse to be physically relocated on the work surface without disturbing the position on the screen of the pointer. This may be needed if the operator runs out of room to physically move the mouse further, but the screen pointer still needs to go further. The hold feature may be implemented with an actual button, a separate proximity detector or by detecting the presence of a characteristic condition in the digitized data, such as loss of correlation or velocity in excess of a selected limit.

Abstract: A “Gatling gun” via to interconnect circuitry from a first side of a substrate or printed circuit board, to a second side of the substrate or board. The present via structure comprises a center conductor via surrounded by a plurality of ground vias. The plurality of ground vias shield the center conductor via, thus providing electrical isolation for the conductor via from the rest of the circuitry. In one embodiment, the conductor via is electrically connected to a conductive pattern on the substrate by a wire bond.

Abstract: During the process of writing a grating, the fiber is placed in a support which has a surface cut-out such as a V-shaped groove. The side walls of this groove form an angle (&agr;) of 60° with respect to the direction of propagation of the radiation arriving from the source. The aforesaid surfaces have characteristics of high reflectivity with respect to the aforesaid radiation. Consequently, during the writing process, the core of the fiber is subjected to the action of a plurality of radiation fronts converging on the core. The first radiation front corresponds to the radiation arriving from the source and two other radiation fronts are obtained from this radiation by the effect of the reflection from the walls of the surface cut-out of the support. The preferred application is to the making of long-period gratings.

Abstract: A scale control method provides fine scale control in a measurement instrument and also provides scale control spanning wide adjustment ranges. The method detects the presence of the user input to a control sensor and establishes an acceleration factor for the input based on a rate at which events are generated by the control sensor. The acceleration factor modifies a defined scale step size that has a correspondence to the events generated by the control sensor. The defined scale step size, as modified by the acceleration factor, is added to a prior scale to establish a present scale. The present scale and prior scale are used to select a detent value from a series of detent values and to determine if a detent is applicable. When a detent is applicable, the present scale is set to the selected detent value and control of the scale parameters is then determined by this detent value.

Abstract: A variety of enhancements to a time synchronization protocol for a distributed system including techniques for improving accuracy by separating a unique timing point from a delimiter for the timing data packet. The enhancements include techniques that compensate for jitter associated with communication circuitry in the distributed system including jitter associated with physical interfaces and gateways in the distributed system. These techniques may involve specialized circuitry in the communication circuitry to compensate for jitter or special processing of received timing data packets or the introduction of follow up packets that inform receiving nodes of measured jitter or a combination of these techniques.

Abstract: A sensor for sensing in a gas stream a vapor of a liquid. The sensor includes a micropore and a wet temperature sensor. The micropore has an evaporation end and has a lumen to conduct liquid from a supply of the liquid for evaporation at the evaporation end. The wet temperature sensor has a heat sensitive part in contact with the liquid in the micropore. The heat sensitive part circumscribes the micropore and forms part of the lumen. Heat loss due to evaporation of the liquid when the wet temperature sensor wet with the liquid is placed in the gas stream will result in the temperature sensed by the wet temperature sensor being lower than the non-evaporative temperature of the gas stream. This lowering in temperature can be measured to determine the concentration of the vapor in the gas stream. An example of such a sensor has a thermocouple junction having micropores passing through the thermocouple junction.

Abstract: An apparatus and method providing flexible message differentiation of localized terms utilizing a resource bundle generator. In particular, the apparatus and method are accomplished by having a system and method for term localization differentiation. The message differentiation apparatus and method utilize a second key to assist the resource bundle generator in the localization of the input string. The second key should be descriptive and provide some context of the string to be translated. If the string being localized is a message, the second key should characterize the string in the proper context.

Abstract: A light source having emissions in a plurality of spectral bands. The simplest light source according to the present invention is constructed from first and second light sources and a dichroic beam splitter. The first and second solid state light sources emit light in first and second bands of non or only partially-overlapping wavelengths. The dichroic beam splitter combines light from the first and second solid state light sources by passing light in the first band while reflecting light in the second band to generate light having a spectral content in the first and second bands. The solid state light sources are preferably arrays of LEDs, VCSELs, or edge emitting semiconductor lasers. A light source having improved radiance in the green region of the spectrum can be constructed by utilizing first and second solid state light sources that emit in different bands in the green portion of the spectrum.

Abstract: The invention provides mass spectrometer systems, including time-of-flight mass spectrometers, and methods of performing mass spectroscopy. The systems are capable of operating in tandem or conventional mode. The systems include an ion reflector that, when operating in tandem mode, provides a discontinuous voltage to control the collision energy of the parent ions with the dissociation element. By controlling the collision energy, particular compositional information from the sample may be examined, such as specific bonding energies.

Abstract: A flip-flop having a sleep mode in which power consumption is reduced. The flip-flop comprises a clock input, a data input, an input stage, an input gate, an output stage and an output clamp. The input gate is interposed between the data input and the input stage and operates in the sleep mode to isolate the input stage from the data input. The output stage is coupled to the input stage and includes an output having a first output state and a second output state. The output clamp operates in the sleep mode to set the output stage to a predetermined state regardless of the data states at the data input and the clock input. The predetermined state is the one of the output states in which the leakage power consumption of the flip-flop is less than in the other of the output states. The predetermined state may alternatively be the one of the output states in which the leakage power consumption of circuitry connected to the output of the flip-flop is less than in the other of the output states.

Abstract: The present invention, in general, provides for a testing system and method for detecting defects within a circuit. A current signature of the quiescent current of the circuit is determined, and certain constant values are calculated based on the current signature using a linear iterative regression. A defect free state for the circuit associated with a minimum quiescent current (IDDQ) is then determined. The IDDQ of the circuit for this state is measured, and a signal indicating the IDDQ at this state is used along with the aforementioned constant values to create upper and lower threshold values. Thereafter, signals indicating the value of IDDQ for a plurality of other states are compared to the upper and lower threshold values. The circuit is determined to be defective if the values of any of the signals is greater than the upper threshold value or is less than the lower threshold value.