Abstract: An electrical enclosure in accordance with the principles of the invention includes one or more conductive straps connecting an enclosure door to an enclosure cabinet. The conductive strap may include a detachable connection at one, or both, ends and may be employed in combination with a conventional conductive gasket to form a substantially continuous conductive enclosure for electronics equipment. The conductive strap may include a detachable connection at one or both ends. The body of the conductive strap may be composed of solid or braided conductor material, such as a solid metal wire or braided metal wire. The strap may be employed in conjunction with a conventional conductive gasket and is connected to the gasket, the cabinet door, and the cabinet body in a manner that ensures that all three components are held at substantially the same electrical potential.

Abstract: An actuator circuit includes an H-bridge having sense and power FETs to drive a voice coil motor. A differential amplifier configuration is connected to the H-bridge. A bias circuit connected to the H-bridge and to current sources controls bias current through the one sense FET and one power FET and through the other sense FET and other power FET. A common mode feedback is circuit connected to the voice coil motor to provide common mode feedback to the differential amplifier configuration. The FETs, which may be unmatched, are operated to achieve class AB operation.

Abstract: A process for up-converting an existing video source signal having a low frequency (frames/second) to a high frequency signal for use with High Definition Television (HDTV). The process samples the existing frames in the existing video signal and calculates integer displacements of pels within the existing frames. A polynomial curve fit is then performed on the displacements to obtain estimates of horizontal and vertical displacements of each block in each existing frame. Based on the alignment of the blocks within a sampling grid on each frame, the blocks are segregated into groups. The block groups are then used to interpolate missing or required frames of the high frequency signal in a piecemeal manner by utilizing blocks of a particular block group to estimate a corresponding block in a frame of the high frequency signal.

Abstract: An electronic system having circuit cards insertable into a shelf unit, with shielding between adjacent circuit cards, is provided with a guide fin assembly having protruding guide fins between adjacent circuit card faceplates to limit cumulative tolerance build up between inserted circuit cards.

Abstract: Hardware-software co-synthesis is the process of portioning an embedded system specification into hardware and software modules to meet performance, power, and cost goals. Embedded systems are generally specified in terms of a set of acyclic task graphs. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a co-synthesis algorithm, called COSYN, starts periodic task graphs with real-time constraints and produces a low-cost heterogeneous distributed embedded system architecture meeting these constraints. In the present invention, clusters are selected for allocation during a synthesis phase using both priority levels and costs of communication for the clusters. In another embodiment, a power distribution architecture (PDA) derivation phase, following the synthesis phase, automatically derives a PDA for the embedded system, wherein the PDA defines power supply capacity and interconnection of any necessary power converters to meet power requirements of the embedded system.

Abstract: An improved telephone answering machine uses a personal computer or work station to analyze incoming caller data. Calls to be automatically answered by the answering machine can be answered with the accompaniment of a customized announcement to the caller based upon the caller's phone number, name or other data item received by the telephone answering device. Messages to be left by a caller can be stored on a computer storage media, including being segregated by calling number, name or other criteria. The improved answering machine includes the ability to retrieve messages from particular callers.

Abstract: The specification describes an interferometric in-situ end point detection technique for plasma etching in which the end point is predicted before any overetching occurs. It is based on the recognition that the wavelength of the monitoring beam can be selected so that only a single interferometric fringe appears before clearing. Knowing there is only one fringe, detection is simplified and the etching process can be terminated while a finite but small thickness of the layer remains. This allows etching partial thicknesses of layers. It also allows a two step etch process wherein the etch chemistry can be changed to a highly selective etch to complete clearing of the layer.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for resynchronizing a network manager to its agents. Each object instance of an agent in an object-oriented management scheme is assigned two special attributes, namely, DATASYNCH and UNIQUEID. UNIQUEID is a unique number assigned to each object instance. DATASYNCH essentially is a counter which is incremented each time a change occurs to an object instance. When resynchronization is necessary, the manager requests the UNIQUEID and DATASYNCH attributes from its agents and compares those values with the corresponding values stored in its database. With respect to any object instance which does not match in both its UNIQUEID and DATASYNCH attributes to the manager's database, the manager uploads those object instances from the agent's database and/or revises its database accordingly.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for implementing support for increased communication speed between data communication devices, including one or more high speed analog modems, connected to a digital communication network. The high speed analog modems communicate with the digital communication network via analog signaling pathways that also support voice communication across the digital communication network. Following the initiation of communication between an originating communication device and a terminating communication device connected to the digital communication network, determination is made as to whether the communication devices include at least one high speed analog modem and another data communication device capable of communicating at the increased data communication speed.

Abstract: A central controller, such as an RF distribution shelf (RFDS) of a hybrid fiber/coax (HFC) access system, keeps track of the different channels assigned to different remote units, such as the network interface units (NIUs) of the HFC system. Information about the different channel assignments (e.g., for upstream channels) is broadcast to the remote units as part of the overhead bits in each of the downstream channels. Each remote unit monitors the broadcast messages and, over time, updates its own version of the data structure containing the channel assignments, as appropriate. In one embodiment, the central controller also transmits a second type of broadcast message indicating when changes in the channel assignments occur.

Abstract: A limitation of using two-dimensional images, such as videos or photographs, to represent portions of a three-dimensional world occurs when the user moves within the world and views the world from a location different than from the original context of the two-dimensional image, i.e., from a location different than the image's ideal viewing point (IVP). View changes result in the image not aligning well with the surrounding objects of the three-dimensional world. This limitation is overcome by distorting the two-dimensional image so as to adjust the image's vanishing point(s) in accordance with the movement of the user. In this manner, as the user moves away from the ideal viewing point, the distortions act to limit the discontinuities between the two-dimensional image and its surroundings.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of using a getter layer on a semiconductor substrate having a first metal stack formed thereon to improve metal to metal contact resistance. The method comprises the steps of forming a getter layer, which may be titanium, on the first metal stack, wherein the getter layer has a higher affinity for oxygen or a higher getter capability than the first metal stack, substantially removing the getter layer by exposing the getter layer to radiation, and forming a second metal stack, which in an advantageous embodiment may also be titanium, on the first metal stack.

Abstract: A channel assignment system assigns channels to various cells by the optimal partitioning of the available radio frequencies into non-overlapping sets, the optimal grouping of co-user cells, and the best assignment of the former to the latter. The objective is the maximization of traffic handling capacity which, given the multitude of cells, is expressed as the maximization of a bottleneck capacity ratio. The capacity ratio for a cell is defined as the ratio of the number of radio frequencies assigned to the cell over the number of radio frequencies needed to meet blocking probability requirements. The solution to attain an optimal non-regular channel assignment is decomposed into two mathematical programs designated a Master Program and a Subprogram. These are solved iteratively with assistance from a channel set augmentation technique impelmented between solutions of the Master and Subprogram.

Abstract: A method for utilizing secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) analysis allows for the accurate determination of alkali elements in insulator materials by controlling the penetration depth of an electron beam used for charge neutralization so as to minimize the movement of alkali elements in the insulator. The method can be employed in connection with both magnetic sector SIMS instruments and quadrupole SIMS instruments.

Abstract: A preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a base member with first and second base portions that are angled relative to each other for aligning a longitudinal axis of the base member in a parallel relationship with a longitudinal axis of a pole. Preferably, first and second side walls extend outwardly from the base member for engaging mounting ribs of the splice closure. Preferably, the mounting ribs of the splice closure engage the bracket in a straddled configuration.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing back-up management of a network element in a multi-tiered network management system. Network elements have a primary element manager responsible for managing communications with that network element and a secondary element manager that can be at a geographically remote location responsible for assuming control of communications with the network element should the primary element manager become unable to do so.

Abstract: An automatic frequency control system including a binary non-resettable counter which counts periods of a reference signal. The system achieves control in two or more stages, including at least a coarse stage and a fine stage. A frequency divider generates AFC integration periods inversely proportional to the controlled frequency. A frequency divider includes a resettable counter which counts the number of periods of the controlled frequency and when the number of periods counted matches a stored integration period count value, the resettable counter is reset and the non-resettable counter is read. Switching between the coarse stage and the fine stage is based on an error count computed from the output of the non-resettable counter. A value ‘Error Correction’ is produced based on the value ‘Error Count’. A new value ‘Ctrl’ is produced based on the value ‘Error Correction’ and the control value ‘Ctrl’ during the previous AFC cycle.

Abstract: An optical fiber cable which is constructed so as to minimize optical transmission loss, and which comprises one or more compliant core units retained within a surrounding sheath. Each compliant core unit is composed of a bundle of parallel optical fibers, such as a stack of ribbons, enclosed in and supported by a compliant unitizing structure. The structure may derive its compliance from a foamed material, such as polyethylene, that is extruded to surround the fiber bundle. The foam material sufficiently cushions the bundle of fibers from external stresses that are applied when the cable is bent or encounters compressive loading.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electrolytic cell for use in a process for real time monitoring of a chemical bath used in the fabrication of a semiconductor wafer and having different metal ions therein. In one embodiment, the electrolytic cell comprises a fluid chamber having an inlet, an outlet and chamber walls, and channel electrodes coupled to the chamber walls. The inlet and outlet permit a throughflow of at least of a portion of the chemical bath. Each of the channel electrodes corresponds to one of the different metal ions. Each channel electrode is energized to a detection potential selected to provide electrical conduction when the corresponding different metal ion reaches a prescribed concentration.

Abstract: A system for organizing optical fibers includes a pedestal, a bracket and a fiber splice tray. The pedestal has a longitudinal passage through it. The pedestal has at least one hole on its side surface. The hole penetrates from the longitudinal passage to an exterior of the pedestal. The bracket is mounted to the pedestal near the hole. The bracket is capable of receiving and storing a plurality of fiber splice trays. Preferably, the pedestal includes a plurality of holes located around its perimeter and a plurality of brackets located between respective ones of the plurality of holes. Each tray is movable between a vertical position for storage and a horizontal position for accessing a fiber on the tray. The assembly has a single base mounted on the pedestal below the plurality of holes, at a distance from the bottom of the pedestal; and a single cover that joins with the base to form a sealed enclosure around the plurality of brackets and the fiber splice trays.