Abstract: The present invention is directed to a hand-held scanning device which contacts an object to be scanned only at substantially colinear points, e.g., via a roller. This configuration allows the scanning device to scan very close to the edge of an object to be scanned while remaining fully supported by the object. In order to counteract detrimental effects caused by tilting of the scanning device during a scan, the scan region of the scanning device is located close to the roller, a relatively high f-number lens is used and a widened illumination area is employed. The scanning device is also configured to provide for easy grasping by a user and to allow the user to view the scan region during a scan.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for compressing and displaying digital data, in particular beat-to-beat heart rate data in fetal monitoring, operates according to the principle of the "maximum absolute differences", i.e., the data discovered in a certain interval are compared with a start value, and the data with the highest absolute difference in relation to said start value is chosen as representative for the data discovered in such interval. This results in an effective data compression, without suppressing higher-frequency signal components--which are very important for certain applications--significantly.

Abstract: An electrical connection structure interconnects a first circuit member and a second circuit member and comprises a cantilever, a conductive needle, a terminal pad and a fixing element. The cantilever is formed in the semiconductor substrate and has an end remote from the semiconductor substrate. The conductive needle is at the end of the cantilever and is electrically connected to the first circuit member. The terminal pad is located on the second circuit member opposite the conductive needle tip when the first circuit member and the second circuit member are juxtaposed. The terminal pad is electrically connected to the second circuit member. The fixing element fixes the first circuit member juxtaposed to the second circuit member in a way that stresses the cantilever to apply a contact force between the conductive needle and the terminal pad.

Abstract: A multi-chip module including a multi-layer substrate and a patterned metallization layer formed on each layer of the substrate. A multi-tiered cavity is formed with an integrated circuit (IC) mounting surface at the bottom of the multi-tiered cavity. A plurality of ICs are mounted on the IC mounting surface of the cavity. A first set of wire bonds extends from at least one IC to the exposed portions of patterned metallization of at least two tiers of the multi-tiered cavity. A second set of wire bonds extends from the at least one IC to bond pads of an adjacent IC. A third set of wire bonds extends from the at least one IC to bond pads of the adjacent IC such that the third set of wire bonds has a higher loop height than the second set of wire bonds.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the design of computer systems incorporating virtual memory where a virtual page number is longer than the inherent basic data width of the designed computer system. Instead of storing an entire tag in page table entries, a reduced tag is stored. The reduced tag is sized to be no greater in length than the basic computer data width and therefore a single compare operation will ascertain whether there is a match between the reduced tag and the tag stored in a page table entry. To maintain uniqueness of the page table entries, any bits removed from the virtual address to form the reduced tag are used to form an index into the page table.

Abstract: A tunable laser that includes a laser amplifier and an acousto-optic filter (AOTF). The AOTF includes a waveguide having first and second ports. A first polarization filter passes light of a first polarization state, the first polarization filter being located between the laser amplifier and the first port of the AOTF. The laser also includes a first asymmetrical polarization rotator located between the first port of the AOTF and the first polarization filter. The first asymmetrical polarization rotator rotates the polarization of light traveling from the first port of the AOTF to the first polarization filter by 90.degree. while leaving unchanged the polarization of light traveling from the first polarization filter to the first port of the AOTF. A mirror reflects light leaving the second port of the AOTF back into the second port of the AOTF.

Abstract: An untagged branch prediction cache is exploited by relocating branches during a final pass in the compilation process, after all other optimizations have been applied, where a pass is made over the instructions in each subprogram, and all branches that use the branch prediction cache (BPC) are placed into buckets, where each bucket corresponds to a position in the BPC. Recorded with each branch is its expected direction (taken, not taken), based either on profiling data or on static heuristics. Each bucket is then inspected. For buckets containing branches whose predicted directions conflict, an attempt is made to move some of those branches to another bucket. If other branches' positions are affected, the bucket inspection process is restarted, after recalculation of the bucket positions of all BPC branches. Branches that have matching predicted directions, but that currently fall into separate buckets, may be moved into the same bucket, so that the histories of branches can reinforce one another.

Abstract: An apparatus for linearly displacing a cartridge engaging assembly along a predetermined displacement path and for supporting the cartridge engaging assembly at a fixed orientation relative to its displacement path. The apparatus includes single or multiple elongate flexible members fixedly secured to the cartridge engaging assembly at at least three points thereon, a flexible member engagement assembly (e.g. pulleys) fixedly positioned relative to the displacement path, and a drive assembly operatively connected to at least one elongate flexible member.

Abstract: A multiplier is modified to perform a tree addition. A first value is input to the multiplier in place of a first multiplicand. The first value is a concatenation of addends upon which the tree addition is performed. A second value is input into the multiplier in place of a second multiplicand. Each bit of the second value is at logic zero except for a first subset of bits. The first subset of bits are bits of the second value, starting with the low order bit, which are at intervals equal to a bit length of each addend. Each of the first subset of bits is set to logic one. In partial product rows in the multiplier which correspond to the first subset of bits, certain partial products are forced to logic zero. This is done in such a way that all the addends for the tree addition are aligned in columns of the multiplier. The partial products are then summed to produce a result.

Abstract: A programmable logic device (PLD) including a plurality of programmable tiles organized in blocks. Each block comprises a unique subset of the plurality of programmable tiles. A data bus extends to each of the blocks. An independent address circuit is provided within each block. A block select line is coupled to each block such that when the block select is line is asserted the address circuit of a selected block is capable of transferring data from the data bus to the plurality of programmable tiles and when the block enable line is deasserted the data bus is substantially electrically isolated from the address circuit and data bus.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for non-liquid solvent introduction of analyte into an analytical instrument and, more particularly, to a bonded liquid phase analyte trap with integral flow switching that may include a rapid solid-state heating and cooling device. The analyte trap includes a first wafer having a flow channel formed on its bottom side such that a second wafer attached to the bottom side of the first wafer encloses the flow channel and a stationary phase coating is chemically bonded to the walls of the flow channel to provide a mechanism for trapping analytes of interest.

Abstract: An intelligent battery having an advance low battery warning for a battery powered device is provided. The intelligent battery comprises a battery suitable for powering a battery powered device and a charge monitor circuit. The charge monitor circuit continuously measures the amount of electrical charge input and output from the battery. When the amount of charge remaining in the battery goes below a threshold amount, an advance low battery warning is generated, wherein the charge remaining in the battery is calculated by subtracting the amount of electrical charge output from the battery from the amount of electrical charge input into the battery. The low battery warning occurs independently of the output voltage of the battery such that an advance low battery warning may be provided for a battery that maintains a substantially constant output voltage until just prior to complete discharge.

Abstract: An interactive, information logging and processing tool that provides information regarding a process's data structure utilization to reduce the working set of a process's dynamically allocated memory. The actual working set (AWS) determinant determines which portions of the dynamically-allocated pages, referred to as the process's virtual memory (VM) working set (VWS) are actually used. It then determines the actual working set of a dynamically allocated memory for a given benchmark. The basic approach of the AWS determinator is to observe which data structures cause page faults when the targeted process is severely thrashing. AWS determinator includes a data logger and a data analyzer.

Abstract: An optical measurement system includes a test surface having disposed thereon a plurality reference markings and a plurality of test spots containing chemical and biological substances. Molecules of interest contained in the chemical and biological substances are tagged with optically detectable labels. A light source generates a beam of light which is then directed by a deflecting sub-system across the test surface, thereby individually impinging the test spots and the reference markings. Optical signals resulting from the impingement are detected by a detection means, which records such detection and the time of the detection. The reference markings have optically unique signatures to distinguish the markings from the optical signatures of the signals emitted from the chemical and biological substances in the test spots. The reference markings are spaced apart at known distances and serve to provide a constant calibration of the scan speed of the beam of light.

Abstract: A refill kit is provided with a variable volume refill reservoir for containing a quantity of ink and a hollow needle in fluid communication with the reservoir. To refill an ink supply, the hollow needle is inserted through a port in the ink supply and the variable volume refill reservoir is compressed to urge the ink within the refill kit into the ink supply. A septum within the port seals the port when the needle is withdrawn.

Abstract: To improve the function of a circuit for prefetching data accessed by a processor, a prefetch unit incorporates therein a circuit for issuing a request to read out one group of data to be prefetched and registers for holding the group of data read in response to the read request therein. The group of data are read out from a cache memory or a main memory under the control of a cache request unit. A plurality of groups of data can be prefetched. When data designation is made, the processor requests the cache memory to read a block to which the data to be prefetched belongs. A circuit is also included in the prefetch unit, wherein when prefetched data is subsequently updated by the processor, its updated data is made invalid. Elements of a vector complex in structure, such as an indexed vector or the like can be also read out. It is also possible to cope with an interrupt generated within the processor.

Abstract: A gas analysis apparatus for analysis of sample gas wherein the apparatus has a mechanism for cleaning optical elements such as reflectors and windows in the apparatus is provided. The gas analysis apparatus includes a light source for emitting light, a body having an isolated cavity in which the light emitted by the light source propagates, a detector for analyzing light scattered by the sample gas in the isolated cavity, and a spraying system connected to the body to spray a sublimable substance. The isolated cavity has one or more optical elements each with a surface. The spray of the sublimable substance is directed onto such a surface for in situ removal of contaminants. The body has a sample inlet port for introducing the sample gas into the cavity and an outlet port for venting gas from the cavity.

Abstract: A fluorescence spectrometer comprises a light source with a flashlamp (2), means (9) for selecting an excitation wavelength, a sample cuvette (11), means (16) for spectrally separating the radiation emitted from the sample cuvette (11), and detector means (18) for detecting the spectrally separated radiation. The detector means (18) comprise an avalanche photodiode, preferably an array of avalanche photodiodes. The use of a flashlamp in combination with avalanche photodiodes ensures high sensitivity in the determination of low sample concentrations, in particular when the sample composition changes over time as in liquid chromatography.

Abstract: An inkjet cartridge cooldown time system is used to monitor the ink level remaining in the cartridge to provide an early warning before the cartridge is completely empty, so the cartridge may be either refilled or replaced. An ink level monitoring method selects first and second cartridge temperatures. Then the cartridge is paused during a printing operation, such as during a form feed, to measure the cooldown time required for the cartridge to transition from the first temperature to the second temperature. The measuring step is repeated to compile a set of cooldown times. In a signaling step, the operator is alerted of the approach of an out of ink condition when a cooldown time has increased a selected value, such as at least 20%, over the compiled set of cooldown times. An inkjet printing mechanism is also equipped for using this method to monitor ink levels.

Abstract: A graphics processing circuit for use in a graphics accelerator that includes a clipping processor, with a vertex input data path operatively connected to a vertex data input of the clipping processor. A clipping preprocessor has a vertex data input operatively connected to the vertex input data path and a control output operatively connected to a control input of the clipping processor. The clipping preprocessor is constructed and arranged to perform an evaluation of a relationship between primitive vertex data from the vertex input data path and a clip region and to provide a signal on the control output based on this evaluation.