Abstract: An integrated circuit including a primary operating circuit and an added-function circuit which reduces propagation delays during normal operation of the primary operating circuit, the primary operating circuit includes an input and an output, an associated voltage source and ground, a transistor positioned on the path from the voltage source to the output and a second transistor positioned on the path from ground to the output, the added-function circuit includes two transistors, each of which is coupled to a transistor of the primary operating circuit on the path from either the source or ground to the output, and the added-function circuit transistors have widths of at least two times the size of the primary operating circuit transistors such that when the added-function transistors are enabled, a pseudo-voltage source and a pseudo-ground are generated for the primary operating circuit transistors to reduce propagation delays in the primary operating circuit based on the added-function circuit.

Abstract: An incrementally continuous cleaving system allows for sequential flow of "material-to-be-cleaved" through a cleaving apparatus. In particular, a continuous feed tape membrane is used to support sequentially loaded optical bars (or, perhaps, wafers) that are then transported into a cleaving apparatus. The tape is advanced in small increments so that individual cleaving operations are performed at each scribe mark location on the top surface of the optical material. A vacuum pen (assisted by a detach pin) is then used to remove the cleaved section from the cleaving system. A conventional pick-and-place device may be used in the first instance to continuously load the bars (or wafers) onto the tape membrane.

Abstract: Interconnects in porous dielectric materials are coated with a SiC-containing material to inhibit moisture penetration and retention within the dielectric material. Specifically, SiC coatings doped with boron such as SiC(BN) show particularly good results as barrier layers for dielectric interconnects.

Abstract: A method for determining waveguide facet reflectivity from the electric field propagated from an optical fiber into an optical waveguide. The method determines the electric field propagated from the optical fiber into the optical waveguide by combining field terms resulting from multiple reflections occurring at an endface of the optical fiber and an input facet of the optical waveguide; determines the amount of optical field transmitted into the waveguide as a function of gap distance between the optical fiber and the waveguide; determines the optical power transmitted into the waveguide from the amount of field transmitted into the waveguide; and determines the waveguide facet reflectivity from the determined amount of optical power transmitted into the waveguide.

Abstract: Emergency service calls, such as 911 calls, are routed to specially trained operators at public service answering points (PSAPs). A PSAP switch, a special focus private branch exchange (PBX), is provided for interconnecting incoming PSAP calls to a PSAP position staffed by a PSAP operator. The PSAP position comprises a telephone facility for talking to the caller, and a PC for accessing and displaying data about the caller, i.e., the caller's address, and any special characteristics such as a caller's disability, etc. An ISDN, (Integrated Services Digital Network), line connects a tandem access switch used for routing PSAP calls with the PSAP switch. The ISDN facility is used for conveying information about the caller for display at the PC of the answering PSAP position. Advantageously, this arrangement provides an integrated system for communicating both the voice of the caller, and the data describing the caller to a PSAP operator.

Abstract: An article comprising a micro-machined, passively self-assembling inductor is disclosed. The inductor is fabricated using MEMS technology and advantageously utilizes materials compatible with CMOS such that inductor is monolithically integrable with a CMOS chip. The inductor includes passive self-assembly means by which the inductor loop is moved away from an underlying substrate, typically silicon, in the final steps of inductor assembly. Such passive self-assembly does not require separate actuation or monitoring steps.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for essentially eliminating ESD damage to integrated circuits being subjected to thermal shock testing includes the utilization of a static dissipative plastic carrier capable of withstanding high temperatures (e.g., 155.degree. C.) and exhibiting a surface resistivity in the range of, for example, 10.sup.10 -10.sup.12 .omega./.quadrature.. Such a static dissipative plastic support structure will therefore eliminate static buildup during integrated circuit testing and prevent ESD damage to the circuits.

Abstract: The outside distribution plant of the invention consists of a remote terminal such as a digital loop carrier, broadband distribution element or the like that receives telecommunications signals from a switching system or other network element. The signals are delivered to a variety of different types of line cards where each of the different types of line cards provide a different type of telecommunications service as is known in the prior art. Connection lines emanating from the line cards are connected to the inputs of a remotely controlled crossbar array where the inputs of the array can be selectively connected to the outputs of the crossbar array. The outputs of the crossbar array are connected to distribution lines that terminate at one of a plurality of feeder distribution interfaces that connect to customer lines that terminate at customer premise equipment.

Abstract: A technique for the blocking of individual programs and/or portions of programs transmitted in a source signal, e.g., a cable television signal. In particular, individual programs and/or portions of programs within a class of programs are blocked, while allowing for the viewing of certain other programs even within the same programming class. The transmitted source signal contains individual programs having a transparent program identifier and/or transparent content identifier associated with individual programs in the source signal transmission. As the source signal enters, e.g., a particular subscriber location, the source signal is monitored in accordance with a program viewing profile defined by the subscriber. That is, particular ones of the programs and/or portion thereof available in the source signal transmission supplied to the subscriber can either be unblocked, i.e., viewable, or blocked, i.e., unviewable, at the discretion of the subscriber.

Abstract: In a flyback converter receiving a high voltage DC input for generating a low voltage output, a power control circuit includes a peak current mode controller having as an input, the flyback converter output. The controller generates a feedback signal to the flyback converter for controlling the switching frequency of switches present in the flyback converter. The peak current controller includes a clock circuit. Circuitry monitors the high voltage DC input. The monitoring circuit generates a control signal which is applied to the controller clock circuit for controlling the switching frequency of the flyback converter to thereby control output power levels.

Abstract: For use in a synthesizer having a wave source that produces a periodic wave, frequency shifting circuitry for frequency-shifting the periodic wave and waveshaping circuitry for transforming the periodic wave into a waveform containing a formant, the frequency-shifting causing displacement of the formant, a circuit for, and method of, compensating for the displacement and a synthesizer employing the circuit or the method. In one embodiment, the circuit includes bias circuitry, coupled to the wave source and the frequency shifting circuitry, that introduces a bias into the periodic wave based on a degree to which the frequency shifting circuitry frequency shifts the periodic wave, the bias reducing a degree to which the formant is correspondingly frequency-shifted.

Abstract: An index generator and query expander for use in information retrieval in a corpus. A corpus is provided as an input to an inflectional analyzer, which produces a lemmatized corpus having base forms and associated inflections for each word in the original corpus. The lemmatized corpus is provided as an input to a disambiguator, which performs part of speech tagging and morpho-syntactic disambiguation to produce a disambiguated corpus. The disambiguated corpus is provided as an input to a derivational generator, which produces an expanded corpus having all possible valid derivatives of each word of the disambiguated corpus. The disambiguated corpus is provided as an input to a transformational analyzer, using a grammar and a metagrammar for analyzing syntactic and morphosyntactic variations to conflate and generate variants, producing an index to the corpus having a minimum of variants. Alternatively, a query expander is provided utilizing similar techniques.

Abstract: An assembly for transferring a wound coil disposed around a first mandrel onto a second mandrel. The first mandrel is radially expandable between first and second outer diameters and the coil is wound onto the first mandrel when in its larger, first outer diameter which is larger than the diameter of the second mandrel. The two mandrels are disposed in side-by-side coaxial relationship and the diameter of the first mandrel is reduced for reducing the radial stress of the wound coil against the first mandrel for facilitating movement of the coil off the first mandrel and onto the second mandrel.

Abstract: A technique for fabricating a dual damascene interconnect structure using a low dielectric constant material as a dielectric layer or layers. A low dielectric constant (low-.di-elect cons.) dielectric material is used to form an inter-level dielectric (ILD) layer between metallization layers and in which via and trench openings are formed in the low-.di-elect cons. ILD. The dual damascene technique allows for both the via and trench openings to be filled at the same time.

Abstract: A wireless terminal is dynamically placed into a call coverage group based on the auxiliary unit with which the wireless terminal is in communication. A wireless terminal can be in a plurality of call coverage groups and be assigned a relative position in each of these call coverage groups based on the auxiliary unit with which the wireless terminal is in communication. The call coverage groups are dynamic, and a wireless terminal will assume a different position within the call coverage group based on whether higher positions within the call coverage group assigned to other auxiliary units have wireless terminals in communication with these other auxiliary units. The wireless terminals of a call coverage group dynamically establish their position by communicating and identifying the other active wireless terminals and the auxiliary units to which these other wireless terminals are assigned with no involvement of the wireless switching system controlling the wireless terminals.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for efficiently determining whether a set of constraints input to a verification tool are mutually contradictory or overconstraining. A set of constraints are mutually contradictory or overconstraining when they define values for system-model variables and/or inputs that are inconsistent with each other at a given state or group of states of a system-model state machine. It has been found that when a set of constraints assign inconsistent values at a given state or group of states of the system-model state space, the verification tool will treat the given state or group of states as a so-called non-returnable state. That is, the verification tool will not recognize any paths from the given state or group of states to a set of reset states.

Abstract: A temperature compensated optical fiber grating device comprises a longitudinally extending optical fiber grating having a length and a packaging assembly for the grating comprising a first longitudinally extending body of material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and second and third longitudinally extending bodies of material having CTE's lower than the first CTE. The three bodies are mechanically attached at alternate ends to form a composite structure having an effective negative CTE between two ends to which the grating is attached. The resulting grating device can be made in compact form having an overall length less than 30% more than the grating (and preferably less than 10%) and can reduce the temperature dependent wavelength change in the grating to less than 0.2 nm/100.degree. C. and preferably less than 0.05 nm/100.degree. C. In a preferred embodiment, the packaging bodies include a cylinder enclosing the grating.

Abstract: A security override system for a locked box comprising a hasp portion connected to a bracket slideably mounted within a locked box, the hasp portion extending through an opening in an outer door of the box; the bracket being movable between a closed position, wherein the hasp portion mates with the opening to form a padlock receiving portion, and an open position, wherein the hasp portion does not mate with the opening to enable the selective insertion and removal of a locked padlock in the padlock receiving portion without first unlocking the padlock; a cam member attached to the box and controllable from outside the box; the cam member comprising a pushing portion positioned and dimensioned to cooperate with a corresponding cutout in the bracket such that the bracket is movable between the open position and the closed position by the interaction of the cam member pushing portion with the cutout.

Abstract: An interface between a parallel backplane bus of a physical layer of a communication device and a higher layer of the device is provided in a manner compatible with a serial bus architecture such as IEEE 1394. The interface includes a parallel backplane physical layer controller having multiple receive data lines for receiving data from the backplane bus, and multiple transmit data lines for transmitting data to the backplane bus. A link layer controller is coupled to the parallel backplane physical layer controller, and communicates with the parallel backplane physical layer controller over a data bus. The parallel backplane physical layer controller can provide an effective data bandwidth which is greater than its operating clock rate.

Abstract: The specification describes techniques for attaching double sided circuit boards having plated through holes to interconnection substrates using solder bump arrays. The through holes are filled with a high melting point solder which allows solder bumps to be located directly on the through hole thus saving board area and reducing the interconnection length.