Abstract: A telephone system with a caller ID logging feature includes a plurality of telephone stations which share a plurality of telephone lines connected to the telephone system. Each one of the plural telephone lines is associated with one or more of the telephone stations. A control processor (CPU) monitors the incoming calls on the telephone lines connected to the telephone system, and also receives caller ID information from the Central Office of the telephone service provider. For unanswered incoming calls and answered calls which are to be stored, the CPU stores the associated caller ID information in a memory as a caller ID record including data indicating the telephone lines on which the incoming call was received. The stored caller ID records for each telephone line are accessible from telephone stations that are associated with that telephone line. Therefore, only one record is required which all users may access, thereby increasing the efficiency of the memory over prior art systems.

Abstract: A method of responding to overload in a real time control system. Overload is measured through the use of a control parameter such as the occupancy of a control processor or the number of entries in a queue of a module of the system. The overload indication is reduced to one of a plurality of levels. The levels corresponding to a longer term more serious overload are based on control parameter measurements over a longer period of time than the less serious short term overload levels. With autonomous control, each module of the system determines its own overload level and performs overload control actions corresponding to that level. In integrated system overload control, a centralized processor receives overload indications from each of the modules of the system and requests an appropriate overload control action of each module. Advantageously, these arrangements allow the system and its modules to respond to overload more rapidly and to return to normal operation more rapidly.

Abstract: An approach to synthesizing missing pixels in video images. The invention synthesizes an outermost ring of pixels within a block of missing pixels, based on adjacent, known, pixels. Then, the invention synthesizes the next-outermost ring, using, in part, pixels synthesized in the outermost ring, and proceeds in this manner to the innermost ring.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting counterfeit currency are disclosed wherein a currency bill encoded with security data is scanned by a currency scanning terminal placed at a currency exchange location such as a store or a bank. The security data can include the currency bill's serial number and a corresponding code number, and is preferably magnetically encoded on a magnetic medium affixed to or embedded in the bill. The currency scanning terminal reads the security data and transmits it via a communications link to a programmable security computer. The security computer responds to receipt of the security data by comparing the transmitted security data with previously stored security data and generating a comparison result. If the comparison result is true, the security computer calculates an updated security code, stores the updated security code in the data store, and transmits the updated security code to the currency scanning terminal.

Abstract: An integrated circuit device has an analog block connected to a sigma-delta modulator. Analog signals from internal nodes in the analog block are fed to the sigma-delta modulator. The sigma-delta modulator produces digital representations of the analog signals. The digital representations are forwarded to a processor for analysis of the internal node signal. The above structure may be integrated within the framework of existing digital test structures to form a built-in self-test scheme.

Abstract: The present invention is a base station that may be adjusted to varying altitudes along a vertical support but will not temporarily suspend wireless communications services to all mobile telephones within its associated cell when being serviced. In one embodiment, the base station of the present invention comprises a plurality of micro-cells and a plurality of independently moveable carriages. Each of the plurality of micro-cells being associated with a sector of a cell, and comprising a radio unit and a directional antenna for providing wireless communications services to mobile telephones within the associated sector. Each of the micro-cells are mounted to one of the plurality of carriages, which are independently and moveably mounted to a vertical support.

Abstract: A stable single-mode wavelength selectable ring laser operates at a single wavelength which is selectable from any channel passband of a multiple-channel wavelength multiplex/demultiplexer element (e.g., an arrayed waveguide grating router (AWGR)). A Fabry-Perot semiconductor optical amplifier (FP-SOA) is connected together with the AWGR to form a ring laser structure where the FP-SOA is used as an intra-cavity narrow-band mode-selecting filter to stabilize ring laser oscillation to a single axial mode. This is the first time that a FP-SOA is used in a fiber ring laser as a mode-selecting interferometer with gain.

Abstract: An optical fiber ribbon in which a plurality of optical fibers are held in an array has a matrix material for bonding to the fibers to form the ribbon. The matrix material has certain characteristics which serve to enhance fiber access, among which are an elastic modulus from 600 to 1200 MPa at room temperature, from 100 to 280 MPa at 100.degree. C., and from 15 to 45 MPa at temperatures greater than 170.degree. C. The matrix material swells in ethanol more than 15% by volume within 20 minutes, and is virtually immune to the action of cleaning solvents. The matrix material has a surface tension of 20-35 mJ/m.sup.2 as do the color coding inks which identify the fibers.

Abstract: The present invention, in one embodiment provides for use in a semiconductor device having a metal or dielectric layer located over a substrate material, a method of forming an anti-reflective layer on the metal layer and a semiconductor device produced by that method. The method comprises the steps of forming a dielectric layer, such as an amorphous silicon, of a predetermined thickness on the metal layer or dielectric and forming a gradient of refractive indices through at least a portion of the predetermined thickness of the dielectric layer by an oxidation process to transform the dielectric layer into an anti-reflective layer having a radiation absorption region and a radiation transmission region. In advantageous embodiments, the dielectric layer may be a substantially amorphous, non-stacked silicon layer. Additionally, the thickness of the dielectric layer may range from about 4.5 nm to about 150 nm.

Abstract: Techniques for more accurately detecting the data rate of a frame of data in a cellular telephone system are described. Data is preferably received at one of four rates: full, half, quarter and eighth. A correlation is performed between the incoming soft data and the data generated by re-encoding and re-repeating the data. Variations on the approach make it readily possible to accurately perform rateset 1 or rateset 2 rate detection.

Abstract: A solid state laser comprises a cavity resonator in the form of a generally cylindrical body and, located within the resonator, an active region which generates lasing light when suitably pumped. The resonator has a relatively high effective refractive index (n>2 and typically n>3) is sufficiently deformed from circularity so as to support at least one librational mode (e.g., a V-shaped or a bow-tie mode, the latter being presently preferred for generating relatively high power, directional outputs). Specifically described is a Group III-V compound semiconductor, quantum cascade (QC), micro-cylinder laser in which the resonator has a flattened quadrupolar deformation from circularity. This laser exhibits both a highly directional output emission and a three-order of magnitude increase in optical output power compared to conventional semiconductor micro-cylinder QC lasers having circularly symmetric resonators.

Abstract: A safety device for a platform cable hoist within a latticework tower including a plurality of skid members which are flexed inwardly when there is tension from a lift cable. Brake members are secured to the skid members and, in the event the cable fails, the skid members deflect outwardly so that the brake members, which have hook portions at their upper ends, engage transverse braces of the tower. Between the hook portions and the skid members, the brake members are formed with an energy absorbing portion which absorbs kinetic energy from the falling platform to slow and stop its descent.

Abstract: A method for high velocity coating optical fibers includes passing a fiber with diameter l at velocity V through a coating container to which liquid coating material with viscosity .mu. is supplied under pressure p. Unwanted bubble formation in the coating is prevented by adjusting one or more of the parameters V, l, .mu., and p using the relationship:S=pl/.mu.Vwhere S is a constant characteristic of the coating container/die structure.

Abstract: An inexpensive to produce and small profile programmable filter bank with a high quality factor that applies an adjustable frequency response to an input signal to produce a filtered output signal. In a preferred embodiment, the programmable filter bank includes an input for receiving the input signal, an output for transmitting the filtered output signal and a set of interconnected individually selectable filter elements, where each filter element provides a predefined fixed frequency response. A control unit, such as a digital state machine or a microprocessor is connected to the filter elements and enables a user to select one or more filter elements in order to generate a desired overall frequency response, for application to the input signal, that is formed of the combination of the frequency responses of the selected filter element(s).

Abstract: A connector testing system includes a bridge clip having a body and at least one test lead having a fixed end connected to the body and a free end having a projection formed thereon, and a connector having a top portion and a housing having at least one test channel therein. At least one terminal strip is disposed within the connector and a portion of the terminal strip is disposed within the at least one test channel. A flap is connected to the housing for sealing the at least one test channel when the flap is in a first position and for sealing the at least one test channel and securing the bridge clip to the connector at a second position.

Abstract: In spread spectrum systems, such as CDMA-based systems, the presence of even narrow-band interference, such as that caused by jamming at a particular frequency, can adversely affect all of the current users in the system. According to the present invention, interference is detected and characterized by accumulating statistics for each energy spectrum in the system (e.g., for both the forward link band and the reverse link band in a telecommunication system). In particular, since a spread spectrum is ideally flat across the entire frequency band, narrow-band interference can be detected based on a significant deviation between the signal strength at any one frequency and the average signal level across the entire band. Similarly, wide-band interference can be detected based on the variance level over the entire frequency band. In a preferred embodiment, a pair of receivers are designed to perform background interference-detection processing for both the forward and reverse link.

Abstract: A method of making a semiconductor device includes forming at least one opening, having vertical sidewalls and a bottom, in a first dielectric layer adjacent a substrate. A second dielectric layer is formed to line the vertical sidewalls of the at least one opening, and has a relatively lower etch rate than the first dielectric layer. A conductive layer is deposited to fill the at least one opening and an upper surface of the semiconductor wafer is cleaned. The method preferably includes the steps of depositing a barrier layer lining the second dielectric layer and the bottom of the at least one opening, and chemically mechanically polishing the semiconductor wafer with the second dielectric layer protecting upper edges of the barrier layer and conductive layer.

Abstract: A slot antenna has an array of slot pairs where the E-plane beamwidth of the transmitted energy can be controlled. The antenna includes at least one pair of slots which are fed by a microstrip, and electric field barriers positioned between and parallel to the slots. The electric field barriers extend between the front and rear panels of the slot antenna. The distance between the electric field barriers is used to adjust or tune the antenna to a particular transmit or receive frequency, and the distance between the slots is used to control the E-plane beamwidth of the transmitted energy. When the slots are placed closer together, the beamwidth becomes wider, and when the slots are moved further apart, the beamwidth becomes narrower. In one embodiment, the electric field barrier is a series of closely spaced conductors, and in another embodiment, the electric field barrier is a conductive strip.

Abstract: A DC--DC converter includes a transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding. The secondary winding includes first and second terminals. An input circuit is connected to the primary winding for coupling an input DC voltage to the primary winding. A first output channel is coupled to the first terminal of the secondary winding, and is connected to a first output. The first channel includes a first diode connected in series with a first inductor. A second output channel is coupled to the first terminal of the secondary winding, and is connected to a second output. The second channel includes a second diode connected in series with a second inductor. A first and a second capacitor connect the first and second outputs to the second terminal of the secondary winding. A third diode connects the first output channel to the second terminal of the secondary winding. A fourth diode connects the second output channel to the second terminal of the secondary winding.

Abstract: A surface-mountable magnetic device comprising: (1) a multi-layer circuit containing a plurality of windings disposed in layers thereof, the multi-layer circuit having first and second lateral recesses associated therewith, the first and second lateral recesses intersecting the layers of the multi-layer circuit, (2) a conductive substance disposed within the first and second lateral recesses and electrically coupling selected ones of the plurality of windings and (3) a magnetic core mounted proximate the plurality of windings, the magnetic core adapted to impart a desired magnetic property to the plurality of windings, the device locatable proximate a substantially planar substrate to allow the first and second lateral recesses to act as conductors between the plurality of windings and electrical conductors on the substantially planar substrate, the plurality of windings and the magnetic core substantially free of a surrounding molding material to allow the magnetic device to assume a smaller overall device v