Abstract: Glass preforms are cleaned by contacting each preform (11) with supercritical carbon dioxide which dissolves residual index-matching oil on the preform. The liquefied carbon dioxide is then converted to gaseous carbon dioxide which conveniently separates the index-matching oil so that it can be recovered and reused. The gaseous carbon dioxide is likewise recycled for use in cleaning other preforms, and so there is substantially no waste.

Abstract: A fiber-optic cable routing and storage device adapted to store a significant length of fiber-optic cable in a relatively small footprint while ensuring that a minimum bend radius is provided for the stored cable to prevent damage thereto.

Abstract: A humidity sensor which utilizes microwave energy to determine a particular humidity value, e.g., a relative humidity, a specific humidity, or a dew point, without the need for delicate moving parts. The microwave humidity sensor requires little if any maintenance over a significantly long operational life, and is capable of highly accurate humidity measurements even at the extremes (e.g., toward 0% relative humidity and toward 100% relative humidity. In the disclosed embodiment, a microwave generator/transmitter is continuously or periodically pulsed to cause a known amount of microwave energy to be propelled through a metal tube structure, e.g., a waveguide tube structure. A microwave detector measures the amount of microwave energy at the other end of the tube structure.

Abstract: This invention provides telecommunication companies and operators of private branch exchanges (PBXs) with the ability to detect the use of modem calls and bill the user accordingly. By detecting a modem call, the telecommunication company and PBX operator can bill the modem call differently than a voice call. Billing rate structure plans can be created based on the connection time of the modem call, the number of bits transferred during the modem connection, or a combination of both connection time and number of bits transferred.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for “adjusting” an identified or measured time-of-arrival of the first-arriving component of an incoming to more accurately reflect the time-of-arrival of the line-of-sight component of the incoming signal by reducing the so-called time-shift due to multipathing. In accordance with the principles of the present invention, the adjustment to the identified time-of-arrival of the first-arriving component is based on at least one parameter of an RF model that characterizes the scattering hostility of the RF environment in which the incoming signal traveled. The resultant adjusted time-of-arrival reflects the time at which the line-of-sight component of the incoming signal would have arrived if the RF environment were scatter-free.

Abstract: In a mobile communication system, independent versions of a signal are transmitted over plural antennas. The antennas are either spatially separated or orthogonally polarized with respect to each other so that the independent versions of the signal are not subjected to correlated fading. Each independent version of the signal is transmitted from a respective antenna a fixed delay after transmission of a previous version of a signal from a different antenna. The fixed delay is at least one information bit of the signal. Received versions of the signal are equalized in an equalizer or RAKE architecture to provide a composite signal. The equalizer has respective sets of equalizer taps that are separated from adjacent sets of equalizer taps by the fixed delay. The RAKE architecture has respective sets of RAKE fingers that are separated from adjacent sets of RAKE fingers by the fixed delay.

Abstract: The invention provides techniques for improving the performance of pipelined processors by eliminating unnecessary stalling of instructions. In an illustrative embodiment, a compiler is used to identify pipeline dependencies in a given set of instructions. The compiler then groups the set of instructions into a code block having a field which indicates the types of pipeline dependencies, if any, in the set of instructions. The field may indicate the types of pipeline dependencies by specifying which of a predetermined set of hazards arise in the plurality of instructions when executed on a given pipelined processor. For example, the field may indicate whether the code block includes any Read After Write (RAW) hazards, Write After Write (WAW) hazards or Write After Read (WAR) hazards. The code block may include one or more dynamic scheduling instructions, with each of the dynamic scheduling instructions including a set of instructions for execution in a multi-issue processor.

Abstract: An antenna for use with portable radio and telephone equipment includes a main radiator and a shield plate. One end of the shield plate is attached to the outer conductor of a coaxial cable abutting the shield plate. The main radiator is attached to the inner conductor of the coaxial cable a predetermined distance away from the shield plate. The main radiator and shield plate are mounted inside an antenna housing. The shield plate includes a head section having a pair of deformable tabs forming a positioning clip for holding the outer conductor of the coaxial cable. The inner conductor of the coaxial cable extends beyond the positioning clip for attachment to the main radiator.

Abstract: A small form factor, multi-fiber connector having the footprint of a LC connector for high density applications is disclosed. A multi-fiber ferrule, which may or may not be stacked, is received in the front end of the housing. A spring member is disposed within the housing for axially urging the multi-fiber ferrule outwardly to maintain the end face of the ferrule flush with the device to which it is coupled. The housing includes an end cap which snaps into the housing body and holds the spring member. Thus, a multi-fiber stackable connector in accordance with the present invention is relatively simple in construction and assembly, inexpensive, and user friendly.

Abstract: A semiconductor device having a buried doped layer of semiconductor material and a non-alloyed contact to the buried doped layer. The non-alloyed contact is made ohmic by the presence of an underlying delta-doped monolayer. The semiconductor device is made by placing a stop-etch layer on top of a buried doped layer and forming at least one delta-doped monolayer in either the stop-etch layer or the buried doped layer. Layers of semiconductor material disposed above the stop-etch layer are removed with an etchant to define an active region of the semiconductor device. The stop-etch layer prevents the etchant from removing the delta-doped monolayer. A non-alloyed metal film is then deposited over the delta-doped monolayer to form an ohmic contact to the buried doped layer.

Abstract: A wireless telecommunications system architecture is disclosed that is capable of supporting a centralized block radio architecture and of distributing the information-bearing signals from the block radio to geographically-dispersed radio heads using relatively low-cost cable (e.g., twisted-pair, etc.). In accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, a radio multiplexes, modulates, and channel codes one or more information-bearing signals and upconverts them, not to radio frequency, but to an intermediate frequency that can be transmitted over a low-cost cable. Co-located with each radio head is an upconverter that upconverts the intermediate frequency signal to radio frequency in preparation for radiation by an antenna.

Abstract: In a telephone network, different telephones are connected to a telephone line in a parallel manner. When two or more of the telephones are in use and conduct electricity, known as an “off-hook” condition, they are oftentimes provided with varying amounts of loop current from the telephone line to drive their telephone circuitry. To balance the respective loop current supplies to the off-hook telephones, at least one inventive balancing network is used and connected to one of the off-hook telephones which has the least operating resistance, with respect to all other off-hook telephones.

Abstract: A method for estimating and read durations, in response to requests to read data blocks stored in the disk drives in a computer system having a plurality of disk drives. Each disk drive has a disk cache with a non-zero fence parameter value coupled to a host computer via a common bus. The method according to one embodiment, comprises the steps of: (a) measuring an overhead period corresponding to the time during which a request to read is transmitted to a disk drive via the bus; (b) measuring an expected minimum positioning time corresponding to the shortest time required for a disk drive to locate said data block; (c) measuring mechanism-to-cache read time corresponding to the time required for a disk drive to transfer a data portion BC to a disk cache; (d) measuring the time required to transfer data blocks stored in each of said disk caches to the host; and (e) adding the times measured at steps (a) through (d).

Abstract: A system for routing data packets in a packet network. Packets are classified as either type-1 or type-2. Each type is routed to its destination on a smallest-delay path. However, each type can experience a different time delay between nodes in the network. Thus, the smallest-delay path for a type-1 packet may be different from that for a type-2 packet, even if the origin and destination of both types are the same. Further, these time delays can change. The invention monitors the changes, and continually identifies the smallest-delay paths for the packets.

Abstract: A strict-sense nonblocking N×N spatial optical cross connect that employs planar lightwave beam steerers. The beam steerers allow for a modular design without requiring two-dimensional chip-to-chip waveguide interconnections. The modular design and the fact that the number of electrical control leads scales as NlogN in turn allows the possibility of constructing large, robust, solid-state cross connects. A cascaded beam-steerer design that substantially relaxes phase shifter strength requirements is also described.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a crossconnect module that comprises a housing adapted for mounting within a crossconnect panel. In an example embodiment, the module includes first and second transmitting connectors connected to each other with a first transmission path and first and second receiving connectors connected to each other with a second transmission path. Further included is a monitoring connector, a signal splitter disposed within the housing along one of the first and second transmission paths, and a third transmission path extending from the signal splitter to the monitoring connector. In use, a portion of a signal transmitted along one of the first and second transmission paths is diverted by the signal splitter to the third transmission path so that the diverted portion of the signal can be monitored via the monitoring connector.

Abstract: A dual-mode receiver uses a hybrid cost function that provides for automatic constellation phase recovery regardless of whether a CAP signal or a QAM signal has been transmitted. In one embodiment, the receiver uses a hybrid cost function that is the superposition of a QAM-based cost function and a CAP-based cost function. In another embodiment, the receiver comprises an adaptive filter that alternates between a QAM-based cost function and a CAP-based cost function. In addition, a method is described that uses information about (a) the expected constellations, and (b) the values before and after a rotator of the receiver for deciding what type of signal is being received.

Abstract: An assembly includes a temperature sensor having an operating range that includes a normal operating temperature of a cryogenic vacuum pump and a temperature of the pump following a dump. The assembly may be included in a semiconductor processing apparatus for performing an implant operation on a wafer. The apparatus includes: a chamber containing a wafer; an ion source that provides ions to be implanted in the wafer; a cryogenic vacuum pump that maintains a vacuum in the chamber; and a temperature sensor having an operating range that includes a normal operating temperature of the pump and a temperature of the pump following a dump. A circular mounting bracket may be used to mount the temperature sensor on an exterior surface of the pump. An alarm may be activated when the sensed temperature indicates that a dump condition exists. An inert gas, such as nitrogen, may be introduced into the semiconductor wafer processing apparatus when the sensed temperature indicates that a dump condition exists.

Abstract: A splice holder for optical fiber splices capable of holding multiple single fiber splices, ribbon fiber splices and combinations thereof comprising a base, at least two opposed rows of a plurality of retention members having openings for accepting single splices and lateral members extending in the area between said opposed retention members for accepting ribbon splices. The splice holder is preferably formed of unitary construction from a flexible material. The splice holder can be attached to a splice tray by adhesive, double sided tape or by the use of tabs on the splice holder which can slide under engagement means on the splice tray.

Abstract: A holding apparatus including a fixture is described. The fixture of the holding apparatus, which receives a semiconductor laser bar for optical coating, includes a base and a pair of walls. The walls and the base have inner surfaces, and the walls have a top surface upon which the laser bar rests. An extending portion of the semiconductor laser bar fits in a cavity formed by the base and the walls. The facet edges of the laser bar do not extend horizontally beyond the walls of the fixture. A coating apparatus applies a coating to the facet edges of the laser bar without contacting any coating material on the extending portion.