Abstract: A system and method for using a window mechanism to control transmission of a multicast in a computer network to curb congestion. In one embodiment, the system includes: (1) a packet monitor that tracks, for each receiver of the multicast, unacknowledged packets transmitted to each receiver and (2) a multicast manager, associated with the packet monitor, that controls transmission of further packets of the multicast to prevent the unacknowledged packets transmitted to any of each receiver from exceeding a maximum number associated with each receiver.

Abstract: A system, apparatus and method are provided for providing information to a called party of multiple leg telecommunication sessions, such as in a flexible alerting service. The preferred system includes a home location register coupled to a mobile switching center. The home location register has, stored in a memory, a plurality of secondary directory numbers associated with a primary directory number, such as an ANSI compatible pilot directory number. The mobile switching center has an interface for receiving an incoming call leg designating the primary directory number and for differentially processing and routing each outgoing call leg associated with each secondary directory number, of the plurality of secondary directory numbers, the mobile switching center further providing in each outgoing call leg, of a plurality of outgoing call legs, first called party information distinguishing each outgoing call leg as a multiple leg telecommunication session.

Abstract: A method of making a semiconductor with a passivating film for copper interconnects includes the step of etching a first set of trench openings within a second oxide layer and then through an etch stop layer that has been deposited over a first oxide layer on a semiconductor substrate. At least a second set of openings are etched in the first oxide layer within the bounds defined by each of a first set of openings. A copper layer is deposited and a passivating film formed on top of the deposited copper layer by depositing one of either a chromate or chromite on the deposited copper layer and forming a respective copper chromate or copper chromite composition. The passivating film is chemically mechanically polished with a slurry containing a respective nitric acid when the passivating film is formed from a chromite and ammonium hydroxide when the passivating film is formed from a chromate.

Abstract: In a method for conflict resolution among remote hosts in a wireless network where remotes make bandwidth requests to the base station via uplink frames partitioned into one or more reservation minislots, a collision occurs where two or more remotes have transmitted a request in the same minislot. Each remote is characterized by a stack level, and only remotes with a stack level equal to 0 are permitted to transmit access request packets. Newly active remotes are allowed to join in with those remotes already having stack level 0 during any particular conflict resolution period by setting their stack levels to 0 and entering the request state. If the stack level of a remote is 0, the remote randomly picks a minislot for transmission of an access request. If the outcome is SUCCESS, and the queue at the remote is empty, the remote transmits the current packet after receiving a transmit permit and exits the request state.

Abstract: A self-sealing pressure valve assembly which eliminates O-rings by providing a tapered annular projection on one side of a wall closely surrounding an opening through which the valve is installed. A complementary engaging projection is provided on a locking member of the valve assembly. In addition, the wall opening and the valve body are tapered on the side opposite the projections. Thus, the projections provide a seal on one side of the wall and the tapers provide a seal on the other side of the wall when the locking member fully engages the valve body, as by threads.

Abstract: The disclosed superconducting multipole RF filter comprises a multiplicity of coupled circular disk resonators designed for operation in the TM 010 mode. The disk resonators are arranged in a co-axial stack, with a circular metal spacer sandwiched between any two neighboring disk resonators. Each metal spacer has a central through-aperture, with a conductive member disposed in the through-aperture and electrically connecting the two neighboring disk resonators that are sandwiching a given metal spacer. A disk resonator comprises two circular members, each circular member comprising a circular dielectric substrate, exemplarily a LaAlO.sub.3 wafer. Superconducting layers (typically YBCO) are disposed on each major surface of the substrate. The two members are joined together such that conductive layers (typically gold) electrically connect the two outside superconducting layers. The disclosed RF filter has good power handling capability, is compact, has good heat removal and relatively simple tuning.

Abstract: A fastener for detachably coupling a housing, such as a battery pack, to an appliance, such as a wireless terminal, is disclosed. In use, the fastener is disposed in a housing. When a user applies a force to the fastener to release the housing from the appliance, the fastener rotates about an axis, causing an engagement feature of the fastener to rotate away from the appliance, thereby decoupling the fastener from the appliance. The fastener includes a biasing member which provides a restoring force that keeps the fastener coupled to the appliance in the absence of a decoupling force. In some embodiments, the fastener includes various features suitable for reducing stress that accumulates in the biasing member as it rotates during decoupling. Such features include a stress-reducing surface, and an offset between the stress-reducing surface and the axis of rotation.

Abstract: A network interface unit is disclosed having two layers of equipment and a hinged arrangement that allows the layers of the equipment to be swung out away from each other to facilitate maintenance and to decrease wiring density, while at the same time also providing side expansion capabilities of the network interface unit.

Abstract: A system for, and method of, generating a spread spectrum code position modulated waveform and a wireless local area network (LAN) containing the system or the method. The system includes: (1) a spread-spectrum encoder that receives and encodes portions of an information signal with a multi-chip code having a predetermined length to create therefrom a stream of sequences, each of the sequences having the predetermined length and (2) a transmitter that periodically transmits the each of the sequences at a time interval that differs from the predetermined length, a data rate of transmission of the information signal thereby allowed to increase.

Abstract: A preferred embodiment of the housing incorporates an enclosure defining an interior cavity. A thermal bed is supported within the cavity and is configured to retain an optical integrated circuit within the cavity. First and second fiber members also are provided that each include a circuit end for engaging and optically communicating with the optical integrated circuit, and a coupling end for engaging a coupling. Preferably, the couplings are mounted to the enclosure so that an external fiber member can engage a coupling and optically communicate with the optical integrated circuit.

Abstract: A controller for a polyphase discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) boost converter, a method of controlling a DCM boost converter and a DCM boost converter incorporating the controller or the method to reduce its input current distortion. The DCM boost converter (which typically has only a single switch) includes: (1) a ripple detector, coupled to a polyphase input of the DCM boost converter, that develops a ripple signal based on an input ripple voltage and (2) a harmonic modulator, coupled to the ripple detector, that develops a ramp signal based on the ripple signal and a control signal and controls a switching frequency and a duty cycle of a switch in the DCM boost converter based on the ramp signal and an output voltage excursion signal.

Abstract: A backup power supply for use with a power plant having a primary power supply that provides primary power to an AC bus for subsequent conversion to DC power and a method of providing backup power to the AC bus. In one embodiment, the system includes a battery charger/inverter, coupled to the AC bus and couplable to a battery, that operates in a normal mode to convert a portion of the primary power to charge the battery and operates in a battery backup mode to convert DC power from the battery to provide the backup power to the AC bus.

Abstract: A pressure-sensitive, flame-retardant adhesive is disclosed comprising a composition fabricated with the polymerization of acrylic esters, dibromostyrene, and vinyl phosphonic acid, with or without acrylic acid, mixed with dispersions of antimony trioxide. The adhesive composition preferably is an emulsion polymer fabricated with dibromostyrene, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, n-butyl acrylate, and vinyl phosphonic acid, mixed with Sb.sub.2 O.sub.3 in an approximate ratio of 100 parts polymer per about 8-12 parts Sb.sub.2 O.sub.3. Preferred polymers are those containing at least about 11.6% to 15.6% bromine and from 0.25 to 2.5% phosphorous. The adhesive is particularly advantageous in fabricating optical circuit devices.

Abstract: A nearly spherical view is provided using five cameras. Four cameras provide a 360 degree view of an area using a four sided pyramid shaped element. The four sides of the pyramid shaped element are reflective and reflect images from four different directions. Each camera is positioned to receive a reflected image from one of the reflective sides of the pyramid. The four cameras are arranged so that they share a common virtual optical center. A fifth camera with a wide angle lens is positioned with the camera's optical center positioned at the common virtual optical center. The fifth camera has a view in the direction of the pyramid's base to provide a nearly spherical view when combined with the 360 degree view of the other cameras.

Abstract: A wireless terminal and auxiliary system are disclosed that enable the wireless terminal to determine its location based on signals transmitted from navigation satellites. In particular, the tasks of signal acquisition and signal processing required of a wireless terminal in the prior art are divided between the wireless terminal and the auxiliary system in accordance with the illustrative embodiment. The auxiliary system assists the wireless terminal by acquiring information about the satellites' ephemerides, by partially processing it and by transmitting the partially processed information to the wireless terminal in a form that is useful to the wireless terminal. The wireless terminal then uses the partially processed information from the auxiliary system to assist the wireless terminal in acquiring the ranging signals from the navigation satellites quickly and when they are weak.

Abstract: A remote call redirection system located within a local access network which directs data traffic destined for the Internet to a channel connected directly to the Internet thereby reducing congestion within the local access network due to data traffic destined for the Internet.

Abstract: The voltage-controlled current source receives a control voltage from an operational amplifier which itself receives a reference voltage at one input from a bias circuit. The voltage-controlled current source applies current to the base of the amplifier's main transistor. The base of the transistor is also coupled to the input node of the amplifier through a DC-blocking capacitor and through a feedback loop to the other input of the operational amplifier. The voltage-controlled current source operates to maintain the voltage at the base of the transistor relatively constant for a wide range of input signal levels. As a result, the amplifier is able to operate at relatively low power supply voltages (e.g., as low as 2V) without suffering from premature gain compression at relatively high input signal levels (e.g., as high as 0.4V).

Abstract: A chassis system for housing a plurality of circuit boards, such as PCI standard bus boards, provides a rack-mountable chassis having an open front side and a motherboard with a plurality of board connectors arranged side-by-side with respect to the front end. The boards are mounted in individual frameworks that facilitate ready installation and removal from the chassis. In particular, the chassis includes a plurality of tracks on its top, aligned with each of the motherboard connectors. The tracks receive a track-engaging portion of each framework. A board-carrying portion of the framework is connected to the track-engaging portion by a lifter mechanism, such as a set of sloped slots and interengaging rollers. The framework can be inserted and removed from the chassis with the board connector raised above the motherboard connector.

Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a server system computes a feasible stretch value for use in scheduling job requests. A stretch value provides an indication of the delay experienced by each job to complete, when the server processes many jobs concurrently. For a set of job requests, a processing time is calculated for each job request based on, for example, the characteristics of the job and the server system. Thereafter, an estimated stretch value for the set is selected. The server system computes a deadline for each job to be the arrival time of the job request plus the product of the processing time and the estimated stretch value. Thereafter, each job request is scheduled, based on an "earliest deadline first" arrangement, wherein the job request that has the earliest deadline is scheduled first, the job request having the next earliest deadline is scheduled second, etc.The selected stretch value is deemed feasible if each pending job in the set can be completed prior to its deadline.