Abstract: In an improved election process, a voter constructs his or her vote message (potentially padded with a random string) and encrypts it. The voter then signs the encrypted vote and posts the signed, encrypted, vote on a bulletin board. After the voting booths have closed, a set of talliers decrypt the encrypted votes with the aid of the mix network, to obtain the final tally, but without revealing or being able to notice the relationship between votes cast and votes in the tally.

Abstract: Optical-to-electrical and electrical-to-optical signal conversion is substantially eliminated for performance of monitoring and maintenance functions within a wavelength-division-multiplexed optical network having a Network Control Element by detecting optical intensities of signals conveyed over wavelength channels at the optical layer. Values associated with the detected optical intensities are generated and conveyed to the Network Control Element. The Network Control element analyzes these values for the purposes of fault detection, channel power monitoring, channel signal to noise ratio determinations, channel continuity checks, and network provisioning.

Abstract: An apparatus for dissipating heat generated by components housed within modules on a circuit pack includes a first cover member having a deflectable cantilevered region that is defined by a U-shaped slot. A conductive post is mounted or otherwise formed on the underside of the cantilevered region so that the post extends downwardly into the module when the first cover member is secured to the module housing. The conductive post cooperates with a top surface of a component in the module so that heat generated from the component is transferred from the component through the conductive post and distributed along the first cover member. To further reduce interference caused by electromagnetic radiation passing through the U-shaped slot, a second cover member, which includes an opening that is sized for receiving and passing through the conductive post, is disposed between the module housing and the first cover member.

Abstract: A multistage optical switching network that uses a layout that provides equidistant paths between any input port and any output port. It uses a combination of double-surface sided micromechanical movable mirrors as the switches and stationary single-surface coated stationary mirrors.

Abstract: Automatic reduction of optical signal power supplied by an upstream network element by a prescribed amount is achieved by capturing and processing reflected optical energy that is generated within the optical fiber path as a result of a downstream fiber cut, open connector, or other potentially hazardous discontinuity. Generally, the power level of the reflected optical signal is detected and measured in the optical fiber path and the optical signal power supplied by the upstream network element is automatically reduced. The optical signal power may either be reduced by an amount corresponding to the measured reflected optical signal power or may be completely shut off until the faulty condition is resolved.

Abstract: The bit rate at which a digital wireless communications system communicates data in scattering environments may be significantly increased by using multiple antennas at both the transmitter and receiver and by decomposing the channel into m subchannels. In the same frequency band, m one dimensional signals are transmitted into a scattering environment which makes these transmitted signals appear spatially independent at the receive antenna array. The high bit rate is enabled by special receiver processing to maximize the minimum signal-to-noise ratio of the receiver detection process.

Abstract: A hydrostatic guidance system for a moving carriage upon a lathe bed or other such machining has a plurality of fluid, preferably air bearings mounted on the carriage and a pressurized fluid manifold device for routing the pressurized fluid to the air bearings. The several air bearings are located and oriented on the carriage adjacent the rails or ways of the machine so that the carriage is made to float, contact free, over the ways for smooth, jerk free movement. At least one of the air bearings is mounted on the distal end of a bendable beam which, under pressure of the air, maintains the gap between the bearing and the way despite variations in the straightness or linearity of the way so as to maintain a uniform velocity profile.

Abstract: Methods of estimating the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of a signal in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) system include the steps of representing the signal as a complex symbol and rotating the complex symbol in a complex plane so that the signal component of the function lies substantially on the real axis of the complex plane and the noise function lies substantially on the imaginary axis of the complex plane. By obtaining the means squared value of the complex symbol and the variance of the complex symbol and dividing them, an estimate for the SNR of the signal is obtained.

Abstract: In order to transmit an inter-frame coded video signal, such as an MPEG-coded video signal, over a packet-based network such as the Internet, the video signal associated with at least one video frame, is split (102, 402) into a high priority partition and a low priority partition. A systematic forward error erasure/correction (FEC) code (108), such as a Reed Solomon (n,k) code, is then applied to bytes in the high priority partition. The forward error/erasure corrected high priority partition bytes and the low priority partition bytes are then combined (110) into n packets for transmission over the packet network to a receiver/decoder. Each of the n transmitted packets contains a combination of both high priority partition data bytes and low priority partition information bytes. In k of those packets the high priority partition data bytes are all high priority partition information bytes and in n−k of those packets all the high priority partition data byte are parity bytes produced by the FEC coding.

Abstract: In response to an emergency event, an emergency announcement system (100) causes display of an escape route based upon a room location. A sensor (104) detects an emergency event. The sensor data (106) from the sensor relating to the emergency event is transmitted to an emergency server (122), the emergency server (122) determines the escape route and the escape route is sent to a display device (118) for use by the building occupants to escape the emergency.

Abstract: A coated fiber strand includes one or more coating layers located directly or indirectly on the strand and at least one heterogeneous region present in or on one or more of the coating layer(s). The heterogeneous region(s) preferably comprises a material useful for coding of the fiber. One particularly preferred embodiment relates to an optical fiber having a primary coating layer and a secondary coating layer where the heterogeneous region(s) defines one or more colored stripes in or on the secondary coating layer. A method for forming a coated fiber, such as an optical fiber, includes introducing at least one coating layer onto a fiber strand such that one or more coating layers directly or indirectly cover at least a portion of the surface of the strand. The method further includes introducing at least one heterogeneous region into or onto a coating layer(s). The fiber can then be treated, e.g., cured so as to provide a desired product. By this method, a desired functionality, e.g.

Abstract: A system and method for testing the integrity of a pair of optical fibers that are received by a specific customer facility through the optical fiber network of a telecommunications provider. In one embodiment, the system contains a monitor and test access module including a wavelength division multiplexer for each pair of optical fibers that lead to a customer facility and an optical tap and monitoring circuit for monitoring the optical signal transmitted from the customer facility. Monitoring of the optical signal generated from the customer location gives an indication of the general quality of the fiber optic connection. A remote fiber test system that includes an optical time domain reflectometer can be coupled through the monitor and test access module. The optical fibers can be tested one at a time, or the two optical fibers leading to the same customer facility can be looped together and tested at the same time.

Abstract: A fiber optic cable includes multiple differently sized stacks of optical fiber ribbons. The stacks include a central stack that is approximately centrally located in a jacket passage and peripheral stacks positioned radially around the central stack. A difference exists between the dimensions of the central stack and the dimensions of one or more of the peripheral stacks. Another fiber optic cable has multiple longitudinally extending stacks of optical fiber ribbons that are within a jacket passage. The stacks include a central stack that is approximately centrally located in the jacket passage, and peripheral stacks positioned radially around the central stack. Buffer encasements that respectively contain the peripheral stacks are longitudinally stranded around the central stack.

Abstract: Problems of fading in a multi-path environment are ameliorated, and the presence of reflective surfaces is turned from a disadvantage to an advantage, by employing a third polarization direction that effectively creates a third communication channel. This third communication channel can be used to send more information, or to send information with enhanced spatial diversity to thereby improve the overall communication performance. A transmitted signal with three polarization directions is created with a transmitter having, illustratively, three dipole antennas that are spatially orthogonal to each other. A received signal having energy content in three polarization directions is detected by a receiver having, illustratively, three dipole antennas that are spatially orthogonal to each other.

Abstract: The present invention permits the transmission of variable size PDUs using a Hierarchical Sequence Numbering Space approach that supports ARQ protocols in a variable transmission rate environment. Some of the key attributes of this scheme are: (1) Support for arbitrarily variable PDU sizes; (2) Variable length sequence numbers in protocol headers; (3) Variable depth sequence numbers in protocol headers; (4) Dynamic sequence number context to minimize the size of sequence numbers transmitted in PDUs; (5) Protocol control schemes to coordinate and communicate sequence number space information between peer protocol entities; and (6) Data structures and approaches for the efficient implementation of Hierarchical Sequence Number Space schemes.

Abstract: The specification describes MOS transistors for analog functions which have increased output impedance. The increased output impedance is the result of reduced drain depletion width. This is accomplished without adverse effects on other device parameters. The MOS transistor structures have an implant added to the lightly doped drain (LDD) with a conductivity type opposite to that of the LDD and a doping level higher than the channel doping. The added implant confines the spread of the depletion layer and reduces its width. A relatively small confinement results in a significant increase in output impedance of the device, and a corresponding increase in transistor gain.

Abstract: Semiconductor devices are imaged using two-photon absorption. The method is similar to conventional optical beam induced imaging except that the light beams used have frequencies (photon energies) insufficient to excite electrons across the semiconductor bandgap. Rather the instantaneous intensity of the lower frequency light is increased, as by using a pulsed laser source, so that electron transitions occur by two-photon absorption predominately in the localized region where the beam is focused. The result is minimal absorption during passage through the substrate and maximal absorption in the component-rich active layer where the beam is focused. This enhances imaging of fine-detail semiconductor devices. Specifically, the quadratic dependence of free carrier generation on the excitation intensity both enhances the resolution and provides a three-dimensional sectioning capability.

Abstract: In a wireless telecommunications network, apparatus and method for code gapping messages from mobile switching centers to switching control points. The switching control point, (SCP), sends a stand-alone message containing only code gap control information to each of the MSCs served by the SCP. The code gap control message specifies the types of messages which are to be subject to code gap control, as well as the code gap interval and overall timer interval. The message further specifies such details as the range of digits of calls for which messages are to be subject to code gap control. Advantageously, the specification of the details of code gap control is made more efficient.

Abstract: An analog-to-digital (A/D) converter system converts an analog input signal into a digital output value by combining a plurality of digital sample values. For example, an A/D converter converts an RF analog signal into digital sample values. The A/D system comprises averaging circuitry which takes the average of N digital sample values from the A/D converter. The average is produced as the digital output value for digital processing circuitry. The signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the A/D system is thereby increased because in the averaging process noise components tend to cancel due to their random nature. The increase in the SNR provided by averaging the digital sample values enables the use of higher sampling rates because the processing gain achieved by averaging the digital signal samples counters the degradation caused by clock jitter. As such, a higher speed A/D converter can be used to directly convert an RF analog signal, thereby reducing the need for frequency conversion stages.

Abstract: A cellular base station transmitter/receiver system is provided which combines adaptive array processing, for the uplink RF signals, and fixed beam switching, for the downlink RF signals. An example of the configuration employs at least four antenna ports, with all four ports being used to provide uplink RF signals to a receiver processor, two being used to supply narrow beam uplink signals and two being used to supply wide beam uplink signals. Two of the four ports are used to provide beam switched narrow beam downlink RF signals.