Abstract: A method and apparatus for alerting an individual that an appliance has completed a specified event. This invention consists of assigning distinct audio signals to events performed by an appliance and distributing the distinct audio signals throughout a local area network upon the occurrence of an event. Each device would then selectively emit the distinct audio signal received. The devices may communicate which each other over conventional connections such as a home's existing electrical system, radio frequencies, intra red light, local area network wiring, or any combination of connections. The invention may incorporate the use of a device that is specifically placed or carried by a user resulting in the user being informed of all events occurring within the network. The transmission of the signal may be directly from device to device or may incorporate a distribution device to monitor events and control which devices emit the signal.

Abstract: A four-to-one multiplexer circuit constructed purely in CMOS technology and fabricated using only pass-gates and inverters. The resulting multiplexer is simpler to fabricate and operates faster than known similarly fabricated and constructed CMOS multiplexers.

Abstract: A module mount for use in electrically and mechanically mounting an encapsulated power rectifier module, having a plurality of rigid leads protruding from a major mounting surface thereof, in an orientation in which the major mounting surface is substantially normal with respect to a substantially planar circuit board. In one embodiment, the module mount includes (1) a substantially planar substrate having a plurality of apertures located to register with the plurality of rigid leads and (2) a plurality of power conductors, associated with the plurality of apertures, that electrically couple the plurality of rigid leads to an edge interface on the substrate, the edge interface adapted to be coupled to the circuit board.

Abstract: A shielded optical fiber adaptor for mounting in an opening of a conductive faceplate of electronic equipment. The adaptor has an insulative body with a conductive plate imbedded therein. The plate has an aperture within the body which allows passage of light from the optical fiber and extends outwardly of the body to contact the faceplate when the body is retained in the faceplate opening. The largest dimension of the plate aperture is no more than ten percent of the wavelength at the highest operating frequency of the electronic equipment.

Abstract: In accordance with the invention, a multiwavelength light source comprises a length of optical waveguide amplifier, a multiwavelength reflector for reflecting a plurality of different spectrally separated wavelengths optically coupled to one side of the amplifier and a low reflection output coupled to the other side. A broadband source is provided for passing broadband light to the multiwavelength reflector. In the preferred embodiment, the reflector is a plurality of reflective Bragg gratings, the waveguide amplifier is a length of rare-earth doped fiber (e.g. EDF) and the broadband source is the amplifier pumped to generate ASE. In operation, broadband light is transmitted to the gratings. Light of wavelength channels corresponding to the reflection wavelengths of the gratings is reflected back through the amplifier for further amplification before it arrives at the output.

Abstract: A data system, such as a computer network or a telecommunications system, has a base station and a number of nodes called network interface units (NIUs). Each NIU is assigned to one of a number of groups of NIUs. The base station transmits special data to the NIUs indicating which groups of NIUs are currently authorized to transmit upstream messages to the base station, where only the authorized NIUs are allowed to transmit upstream messages. When message collisions in the upstream direction becomes a problem, the base station can reduce the number of NIU groups that are authorized at any given time to transmit upstream messages, in order to attempt to reduce the rate of message collisions. In one possible embodiment, each NIU is assigned horizontal and vertical group words that identify to which group it is assigned. The special data contain additional horizontal and vertical code words that are monitored by the NIUs.

Abstract: An integrated circuit is disclosed that comprises structures that confine, shield and/or manipulate the electric fields generated within the integrated circuit so as to improve the performance of the integrated circuit. Such structures include, but are not limited to, transmission lines, capacitors, inductors, filters, and couplers. Although embodiments of the present invention are advantageous for use on many integrated circuits, they are particularly well suited for use with integrated circuits that are disposed on conductive substrates and that operate at high frequencies.

Abstract: An application module (A) running on a host computer in a computer network is failure-protected with one or more backup copies that are operative on other host computers in the network. In order to effect fault protection, the application module registers itself with a ReplicaManager daemon process (112) by sending a registration message, which message, in addition to identifying the registering application module and the host computer on which it is running, includes the particular replication strategy (cold backup, warm backup, or hot backup) and the degree of replication associated with that application module. The backup copies are then maintained in a fail-over state according to the registered replication strategy. A WatchDog daemon (113), running on the same host computer as the registered application periodically monitors the registered application to detect failures.

Abstract: Dibits (i.e., pairs of bits) in an input data stream are converted into a modulation signal (e.g., a &pgr;/4-DQPSK modulation signal) using a technique that relies on pre-computed filter output values to reduce the processing required to generate each sample in the modulation signal. The pre-computed filter output values are stored in one or more look-up tables, which are accessed in real time during signal conversion to retrieve values as needed. In one implementation, the dibits, which are represented by complex values in a complex symbol space, are converted into two streams of state variables: one stream for the even symbols and one stream for the odd symbols. In addition, a third stream of state variables identifies whether each of the corresponding symbols is an even symbol or an odd symbol. The three streams of state variables are used to generate address pointers that are used to access the pre-computed filter output values from the look-up tables.

Abstract: A compact high resolution omnidirectional or panoramic viewer has several cameras with a common virtual optical center. The field of view of each of the cameras is arranged to form a continuous 360 degree view of an area when taken as a whole. The cameras are positioned so that they each view a different reflective surface of a polyhedron such as a pyramid. This results in each camera having a virtual optical center positioned within the pyramid. The cameras may be positioned so that their virtual optical centers are offset from each other. The offsets produce narrow blind regions that remove image distortions received from the edges of the pyramid's reflective surfaces. The reflective pyramids may be stacked base to base or nested within each other to produce a more compact panoramic viewer. Using two or more reflective pyramids in such close proximity permits using many cameras with the same virtual optical center.

Abstract: A wireless terminal is dynamically placed into a call pickup group based on the location of the wireless telephone. Similarly, a wireless terminal is dynamically removed from a call pickup group on the basis of the location of the wireless terminal. A wireless terminal can be excluded from joining a call pickup group in a specific location.

Abstract: A method and electronic circuitry for providing a Digital to Analog converter analog output in Integrated Circuit Digital to Analog Converter applications, said analog output being stable over temperature and supply changes, independent on transistor parameters of a particular chip, and stable for transistor parameter variation from chip to chip. An integrated circuit reference cell is implemented; an internal (secondary) reference quantity determining the analog Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) output is generated; the said internal (secondary) reference quantity for the Digital to Analog converter is referenced to on-chip device specific internal (primary) reference output from the chip in question, and the said chip device specific internal (primary) reference output, is processed further in order to derive a fixed predetermined DAC reference value, that is equal for any chip; and said fixed predetermined DAC reference value is supplied to the digital input of said Digital to Analog converter.

Abstract: A fastener for removably mounting a housing to a shelf includes a base having an upper surface and a lower surface adapted for connection to a bottom panel of the housing at an edge portion of the housing. The base includes a front edge and a portion extending from the front edge which is turned under the base and is disposed spaced apart from the base and adjacent to a lower surface of the base to form a spring clip. The clip engages an edge portion of the shelf between the lower surface of the base and the portion extending from the base front edge.

Abstract: A power factor correcting eletrical converter apparatus receives an alternating electrical input signal from a power source. The apparatus preferably includes an input tracking circuit connected with the power source for tracking the input signal and providing the input signal at an input tracking node. The converter apparatus includes a rectifying circuit connected with the power source for receiving the input signal and generating a rectified input signal, and a filtering circuit connected with the rectifying circuit to filter and smooth the rectified input signal. An input sensing circuit is connected with the input tracking circuit for receiving the input signal and generating an input-indicating signal at an input-sensing node. An output circuit is connected with the filtering circuit for delivering the rectified boost signal to a load. The output circuit senses an electrical parameter associated with the load to produce an output-indicating signal at an output-sensing node.

Abstract: The invention is an optical assembly which includes at least two optical fibers, each having a coated portion and a bare portion at one end. A spacer is placed between coated portions of the fibers so as to produce a gradual bending of the bare portions and thereby reducing stress on the bare portions.

Abstract: A system for, and method of, manufacturing an integrated circuit (IC) and an IC manufactured by the method. In one embodiment, the system includes: (1) a library of reticle primitives, at least two of the reticle primitives containing patterns corresponding to circuit modules to be contained in the IC, (2) an interconnect reticle containing patterns corresponding to interconnecting conductors for electrically coupling the circuit modules and (3) lithographic equipment that employs the at least two of the recticle primitives and the interconnect reticle to create a lithograph of the circuit modules and the interconnecting conductors.

Abstract: A system and method for generating caller ID or caller ID-call waiting (CID or CIDCW) information with a user inputted message. In the present system and method, a central office receives a user inputted message and a destination number from a caller's phone, attaches the user inputted message to either the CID or CIDCW information of the caller to produce a destination message, and transmits the destination message to a display of a phone corresponding to the destination number. In this way, the caller's specially inputted message is displayed with the CID/CIDCW information on a display of the call receiving party.

Abstract: A digital carrier recovery system includes at least two modes of operation, namely, an acquisition mode and a tracking mode. The bandwidth of the carrier recovery loop filter is different for the acquisition mode and the tracking mode. In the acquisition mode, the digital phase-locked loop seeks and locks to the long term frequency offset of the received carrier signal. In the tracking mode, the digital phase-locked loop tracks the instantaneous variations in the carrier phase. Switching between the acquisition mode and the tracking mode is realized digitally, and includes programmable hysteresis, resulting in optimal performance in the presence of signals having high levels of phase noise (jitter). More specifically, the carrier recovery loop filter “locks” to the pilot signal of an incoming signal, e.g., a vestigial side band (VSB) video signal, by employing a so-called digital vector tracking phase-locked loop that demodulates the VSB signal.

Abstract: A board mountable power supply module is described. The power supply module includes a power train for converting an input voltage into a regulated output voltage and a controller operable to control the power train. The power train is connected to the input and output voltages through an input voltage pin, an output voltage pin and a common pin. The controller includes a multifunction control pin, which allows for disabling the power supply module and for trimming the output voltage. Additionally, two or more power supply modules can be connected in parallel to form a power supply that is capable of meeting increased load current requirements. Each of the multifunction control pins in the power supply is electrically connected together to improve current sharing between modules by reducing internal variances between modules.

Abstract: In accordance with the invention, an electrically modifiable optical fiber grating device is made by providing a fiber including a grating and forming a plurality of electrically conductive elements along the grating. In response to an electrical signal, the conductive elements modify the grating. In a preferred embodiment, a fiber grating is provided with a plurality of heating elements spaced to selectively heat different portions of the grating. This chirps the spacing between elements of the grating and thereby increases the bandwidth of the device.