Abstract: A housing for a microcell base station is provided that includes independent, selectively controlled heating elements for maintaining a desired range of operational temperatures within the housing. In particular, temperatures within the housing are sensed at different regions so as to provide a more accurate sensing of the temperature within the housing for independent control of the heating elements, despite hot or cold spots in the housing or the like.

Abstract: A speed control system for a device includes a microprocessor based module for established a window or speed range having an upper and a lower speed limit. Operator control of the speed of the device is permitted within the window. In a first mode, a windowed comparator is engaged immediately that the device speed attains the lower limit of the established speed range. In a second mode, the device speed must be substantially constant at a speed within the established speed range for a predetermined time before the windowed comparator is engaged.

Abstract: An arrangement for routing the possibility of switching telephone users to another preferred carrier without the intent of the telephone user. When a record has been made in a data base indicating a change of preferred carrier, the telephone user is provided with an announcement indicating the change when the user makes a toll call. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention the user simply is informed and if the user wants to undo the change the user contacts the local carrier. In accordance with another embodiment the user is provided with a validation code and must enter the validation code in order to effect the change of carriers. In accordance with another embodiment the user is provided with a number of options including the keying of a request to effect the change of carrier, or cancel the change of carrier. Advantageously, users are informed of a change of carrier before they make any calls using the new carrier and before they receive any telephone bills identifying the change.

Abstract: In a base station for providing wireless cellular service, an antenna arrangement is employed to transmit information to Mobile terminals, e.g., cellular radiotelephones, in a cell. The cell is divided into sectors. The antenna arrangement includes a number of antennas, each of which is used to serve one or more of the sectors. However, transmission of an antenna to a sector corresponding thereto is interfered by transmissions of other antennas to their corresponding sectors. To reduce such inter-sector interference in each sector, each antenna is designed to maximize beam efficiency of the sector, which is defined as a ratio of the power transmitted to the sector by the corresponding antenna to the total power radiated from the antenna.

Abstract: A system is provided for freeing laser bars stuck in a facet coating fixture. A roller device is provided that rolls into a facet coating fixture channel and applies a downward force to a stuck laser bar. The roller device and coating fixture combination provide an uncomplicated and reliable system for handling the bars.

Abstract: A housing for distributing conductors from a cable includes an enclosure, and an insertable chamber separator detachably mounted to and disposed within the enclosure for dividing the enclosure into chambers. The separator includes a first dividing wall for dividing the volume of the enclosure along a first plane and a second dividing wall for dividing the volume of the enclosure along a second plane.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for generating a sine wave signal for a desired phase input. The sine wave signal is generated by implementing a linear expansion of the sine function. An incoming phase value is divided into a base phase value and an incremental phase value. The sine value for each base phase value is stored in a look-up table. The sine values for phase values falling between base phase values are generated using a linear expansion of the sine function.

Abstract: Circuits embodying the invention include a baseband amplifier to whose input is applied a baseband input signal (I or Q). The gain of the amplifier is controlled by sampling the output of the amplifier and supplying the sampled signals to a dynamic histogram control (DHC) circuit which includes a memory circuit for storing a histogram which contains a statistically expected response of the sampled baseband signal. The DHC circuit includes circuitry for comparing the sampled signals to the stored histogram for producing a gain control signal which is then used to control the gain of the amplifier. In some embodiments, the DHC circuit may also include circuitry for producing an offset adjustment signal to control the direct current (dc) level of the signal being sampled and hence its symmetry.

Abstract: In a communications system, a multi-band power amplifier is employed to increase the power level of a signal for transmission over one of multiple frequency bands. In addition, a multi-band low noise amplifier is employed to scale the signal level of a signal received from one of the multiple frequency bands. In accordance with the invention, each multi-band amplifier is designed such that the gain values afforded by the amplifier to the components of the communication signal within the multiple frequency bands are significantly higher than the gain values to the signal components outside those bands.

Abstract: A technique for monitoring a radio in a base station for both catastrophic fault and intermittent faults is disclosed. Some embodiments of the present invention operate by observing and measuring the functionality of one radio with regard to other radios and inferring the status of the radios based on comparative statistical analysis of their respective functionality. An illustrative wireless telecommunications system comprises: N radios, each of which can receive a hail with substantially equal probability; N counters, each of which is uniquely associated with one of the N radios, that is incremented when a hail received by the associated server is acknowledged; and an alarm for indicating a fault with one of the N radios based on (1) a count, L, of the counter associated with the one of the N radios, and (2) a sum, S, of all of the counters.

Abstract: A process is provided for the formation of a thin film of gate dielectric or similar material on a silicon semiconductor substrate from an organic precursor by atomic layer epitaxy, wherein the organic precursor is introduced to react with the treated surface to form a bonded monolayer of reactive species. A second reactant is introduced to react with the surface to form the desired dielectric. After each step in the cycle, the reaction chamber is purged with an inert gas to prevent reactions except on the surface. The cycle is repeated tens to hundreds of times to achieve a desired final film thickness. No less frequently than every third cycle, the film undergoes a discrete treatment step wherein ozone is introduced into the chamber to oxidize carbon contaminants therein to form volatile products which are removed from the reaction chamber by purging with the inert gas.

Abstract: A three port filter device is formed from a thin film filter element and a pair of lensing devices. A focusing lensing device is used, with a dual-fiber termination disposed at the object plane of the focusing lensing device. A collimating lensing device is disposed between the focusing lens image plane and the thin film filter element. The third optical port is coupled to the collimated signal passing through the filter element. The focusing lens may be moved along the optical axis to modify the spacing of the dual-fiber termination image appearing at the image plane. The change in spacing results in changing the angle of incidence of the optical signal propagating toward the thin film optical element. Since the pass wavelength of the thin film element is a function of the angle of incidence, the movement of the focusing lens may be used to "tune" the pass wavelength of the thin film optical device.

Abstract: Apparatus for visualizing slices of transitive closures of entities having dependence relationships with one another. A preferred embodiment visualizes slices of programs. A display in a computer system includes reduced representations of the files, procedures, and lines making up a program. The user employs a pointing device to interactively select a reduced representation as the slice point and the apparatus computes the slice and changes the color of the reduced representations in the slice. The color of the reduced representation indicates the distance of the entity represented by the reduced representation from the slice point. The display may be rearranged so that files and procedures are ordered by distance from the slice point.

Abstract: A system for handling semiconductor and electronic elements secured to an adhesive surface is provided. According to one aspect of the invention, a vacuum is applied through holes in a loading base. Under the influence of the vacuum, the adhesive film is pulled down toward the loading base and stretched around a pick rod so that the adhesive film is peeled away from the element. Thus, adhesive contact between the film and the element is reduced and a vacuum pick or collet is able to lift the element from the adhesive film with minimal force applied to the surface of the element.

Abstract: In a cellular system, a new cell measures signal strengths of different channels being used by existing cells. The new cell generates a list of candidate channels corresponding to the channels with the greatest signal strength and transmits the list to the mobile switching center (MSC) of the cellular system. The MSC determines which of the candidate channels correspond to beacons in existing cells and transmits configuration information to the new cell for those corresponding existing cells. In this way, the new cell automatically receives configuration information on its neighbor cells. If the MSC determines that the number of candidate channels that are beacons is too small, the MSC will ask the new cell to transmit additional candidate channels (i.e., those having even lower signal strength).

Abstract: An outdoor battery cabinet is formed to include a cooling system to extend the life of the housed batteries. The cooling system comprises a ventilation system including an air intake unit, an exhaust unit and a thermostat control. The interior surface of the cabinet is covered with a layer of insulative material. The ventilation system is configured to turn "on" when the outdoor temperature drops below the interior cabinet temperature, thereby cooling the housed batteries. Once the outdoor temperature rises above the cabinet temperature, the ventilation system is turned "off" and the insulation in the cabinet functions to maintain the cooler ambient temperature within the cabinet. To minimize the effects of wind forcing air through the ventilation openings, the intake and exhaust louvers are located on the same side of the cabinet.

Abstract: A stress relief apparatus for a conductor has two bodies, at least one of which pivots so as to grip the conductor. The bodies have first and second contours, respectively. The contours face each other, so that the smallest distance between the first and second contours changes as the pivoting body pivots. First and second elastic members bias the first and second bodies, respectively, so that each of the first and second bodies engage a cable positioned between the first and second bodies. The bodies may both be pivoting bodies, and may be mirror images of one another. The contours of the bodies may have an elliptical shape. Alternatively, the bodies may have a circular shape, in which case each body pivots about a pivot point that is located at a non-zero distance from the center of that body.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an optical node, e.g., a so-called add/drop site, that receives an optical carrier signal formed from a plurality of component optical signals of respective wavelengths and a plurality of different identification signals which identify respective ones of the wavelengths. As is typically the case, the node includes a demultiplexer that demultiplexes the optical carrier signal and outputs the demultiplexed component optical signals to respective optical paths. Disadvantageously, each of the demultiplexed optical component signals includes all of the identification signals as a result of such demultiplexing. However, we dispose an optical translator unit in at least one of the optical paths to remove all of the identification signals from the one component optical signals and also reset the power level of that signal.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, an apparatus initiates a transaction and includes an acoustic data receiver, and microphone for receiving an audio signal having encoded data that is non-discernable by a listener and is transmitted as part of the audio signal. The microphone converts the sound waves into an electrical signal. A processor receives the electrical signal and retrieves transaction data that is part of the encoded data. A filter is associated with the microphone and removes a substantial portion of a human voice signal that may have been received within the microphone. Once the transaction data is retrieved, a telephone call can be originated and at least a portion of the transaction data can be transferred to a desired destination for initiating a transaction.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an integrated circuit package having improved EMI characteristics. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a ball grid array integrated circuit package is provided for attachment to a circuit board. The circuit package includes a substrate having a semiconductor die defining an electronic circuit formed thereon. A matrix of spherically-shaped package leads is disposed adjacent the substrate and opposite the semiconductor die. Conductive elements, such as bond wires, electrically connect circuit points on the semiconductor die to the package leads. Further, at least one conductive element electrically interconnects each of the leads that define a perimeter of the matrix of package leads, for electrical connection to ground. In the preferred embodiment, adjacent leads of the perimeter matrix are separated by a spacing that is no greater than 1/20 of the wavelength of the highest frequency electrical signal carried on any of the signal leads.