Abstract: A class of features related to voicing parameters that indicate whether the vocal chords are vibrating. Features describing voicing characteristics of speech signals are integrated with an existing 38-dimensional feature vector consisting of first and second order time derivatives of the frame energy and of the cepstral coefficients with their first and second derivatives. Hidden Markov Model (HMM)-based connected digit recognition experiments comparing the traditional and extended feature sets show that voicing features and spectral information are complementary and that improved speech recognition performance is obtained by combining the two sources of information.

Abstract: A circuit board connection device and method for use in an assembly having a first portion and a second portion, wherein a first circuit board is contained within the first portion of the assembly and a second circuit board is contained within the second portion of the assembly. A flat cable is connected to the second circuit board. The flat cable is flexible, yet is rigid enough to support its own weight. Consequently, the flat cable extends upwardly from surface second circuit board and terminates at a free end. A flat cable connector is provided on the first circuit board. The flat cable connector is sized to receive the free end of the flat cable. An alignment collar is placed over the flat cable connector. The alignment collar receives the free end of the flat cable and guides the free end of the flat cable into the flat cable connector as the first portion of the assembly is assembled to the second portion of the assembly.

Abstract: This invention uses a computer program to mine preexisting network configuration data located in a variety of preexisting source network configuration databases. The computer program either creates a new network configuration database from parts of existing network configuration databases or modifies an existing network configuration database. The computer program replaces the current system's reliance upon manual data entry by data engineers to configure the operation of a new telecommunication switch or replace the software in a telecommunication switch that was damaged or requires a new network configuration data configuration.

Abstract: In a building entrance protector having an input wire termination device and an output wire termination device, a barrier wall for isolating fusible link connections between the input wire termination device and the output wire termination device. The barrier wall comprising a fire-resistant plate for isolating the input wire termination device from the output wire termination device within the building entrance protector. The fire-resistant plate has a narrow opening comprised of a primary aperture and a wiring access slot. The wiring access slot permits insertion of terminated fusible links into the primary aperture which is capable of containing the fusible link connections between the input wire termination device and the output wire termination device.

Abstract: A weather hood is disclosed having a housing and a plurality of hood segments each formed from a pair of spaced apart pivot arms joined by a shell portion. The hood segments are pivotally mounted on the housing for rotation about an axis passing through the ends of the pivot arms. The hood segments pivot between a retracted position, wherein the hood segments are nested one within another within the housing, and an extended position, wherein the hood segments extend from the housing and are positioned adjacent to each other. Hooks extend from edges of the shell portions, each hook interengaging a hook on an adjacent hood segment or the housing to interlock the hood segments in the extended position and limit their rotation. A spring is connected between the housing to the lowermost hood segment to bias the hood segments into the retracted or extended position.

Abstract: A filter scheme for a battery power plant for supplying power to a load includes positive and negative voltage bus bars each having an input and an output, the output adapted to be connected to the load. A capacitor is connected between the bus bars adjacent to the output of power plant, and an inductor is connected to either one of the bus bars adjacent to the output of the power plant to reduce bus voltage transients.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and system for simulating the operation of a circuit using a computer-based simulator comprising: (a) distributing at least one signal upon to one or more simulation model subcircuit functions, which use the signal, upon a change in the signal; (b) scheduling one or more subcircuit functions that use the signal for execution according to a priority assigned to each subcircuit function; and (c) providing an output value to the simulator when no subcircuit functions are scheduled, otherwise, executing one or more subcircuit functions with the highest priority and returning to step (a) to repeat the process.

Abstract: A multifrequency laser (MFL) eliminates nonlinearities produced in the "shared" waveguide of the MFL laser (the section in which all the lightwaves from all the lasers pass) by either making the shared waveguide as short as possible to mimimize the production of mixing product signals or using a channel spacing that is unequal such that any mixing product signals formed from the multifrequency optical laser signal do not overlap in frequency with any of the signals of the multifrequency optical laser signal.

Abstract: A tunable optical grating device that can be digitally and latchably tuned comprises a length of waveguide including a grating region, and a movable body and fixed substrate attached to the waveguide proximal the grating region. The body is movable from a first position to at least a second position, and in some embodiments to a plurality of positions, along the length of the waveguide to apply a mechanical strain to the grating to shift the wavelength response of the device. The movable body is latchable between the various positions along the length of the waveguide to define a latchably tunable device so that a continuous supply of power is not needed to tune the device. The digitally and latchably tunable optical grating device is useful in WDM communication systems, particularly for adding or dropping channels and for dynamically gain-equalizing optical amplifiers.

Abstract: An electromagnetic interference (EMI) filter, method of manufacturing therefor and power converter employing the EMI filter. In one embodiment, the EMI filter includes (1) a filter circuit board located outside a chassis and having an aperture that receives therethrough a bus bar extending from within the chassis, (2) a capacitor, mounted on the filter circuit board and coupled to the bus bar, that receives from the bus bar at least a portion of EMI induced into the bus bar from within the chassis and (3) a conductor, mounted on the filter circuit board and coupled between the capacitor and the chassis, that receives the portion from the capacitor and returns the portion to ground via the chassis.

Abstract: A method is capable of detecting both abrupt and gradual scene changes. Consecutive frames of an image sequence (e.g., a video program) are first acquired and digitized. The images are subdivided into a plurality of rectangular regions. Block matching is performed between the current frame and the Dth previous frame to determine match signals that represent the likelihood that the regions of the first frame contain visual information substantially similar to respective matching regions of the second frame. The match signals are ordered beginning with the match signals defining the best match and ending with the match signals defining the worst match. The first S match signals are selected and averaged together, to obtain an instantaneous match (IM) signal S is user definable and is greater than zero and less than or equal to the number of regions into which each frame is divided. The IM signal provides a criteria for determining whether the first frame belongs to a scene different from the second frame.

Abstract: A retractable work table assembly for use with a housing such as an electrical panel is disclosed. The housing is mountable on a bracket to which a table member is slidably attached. The table member is formed from a flat plate which can have side panels around the perimeter to form a trough. The table member is attached to the upper end of the bracket via a biasing member, and is slidably movable between a retracted position in which the table member is positioned behind the housing, and an extended position in which the table member is positioned extending from the housing at a right angle. The table member can have a retaining member mounted on the flat plate for engaging the housing to retain the table member in the extended position.

Abstract: A DC coupled burst mode optical receiver circuit having improved sensitivity and improved dynamic range. The output of the receiver's photodiode is single endedly amplified by a main preamplifier and the main preamplifier's output is then converted, using an operational amplifier, e.g., with a gain of 1, to a differential signal which swings symmetrically around a threshold level. More specifically, the output of the main preamplifier is connected to one input of the operational amplifier. The output of a tracking preamplifier, which is identical to the main preamplifier, is coupled to the other input of the operational amplifier. The output of the tracking preamplifier is used to match the DC voltage of the main preamplifier, e.g., by being noise-free and by tracking changes in supply voltage, temperature, and the like. It is used to set the DC reference voltage for the standard operational amplifier functions.

Abstract: A QC laser comprises first and second optical confinement (i.e., cladding) regions, and an In-based, Group III-V compound, QC active region disposed between the confinement regions. At least the first confinement region and the active region having the shape of an elongated mesa. An i-type InP layer covers the sidewalls to provide efficient heat transport and effective low loss mode confinement. A metal layer makes ohmic contact with the top surface of the mesa and a rectifying contact with the i-InP layer.

Abstract: This invention relates to a system and method for cutting circuit board panels utilizing an in-line cutting mechanism. As the panel is transported into the cutting mechanism, adjustable rails are moved into position to properly guide the panel into the cutting head. The actual cutting operation is performed by transporting the panel between an upper cutting disk blade and a lower cutting disk blade. The distance between these two blades is adjustable and permits precision cutting of the panel with minimal stress to the circuit board and its components.

Abstract: An optimized optical transmitter for use with a 1.3 .mu.m directly-modulated DFB laser. A negative fiber dispersion is intentionally introduced into the system by selecting the operating wavelength to be less than the nominal zero-dispersion value. The introduction of the negative fiber dispersion reduces the system power penalty and results in an optical transmission system useful over relatively short lengths of standard single mode fiber (50 km, for example) without the need for additional amplification.

Abstract: The invention provides an improved process for fabricating masks suitable for use in SCALPEL and similar electron-based or ion-based lithographic processes. Specifically, the process allows use of commercially-available (100) oriented silicon substrates, and better control over the profiles of mask struts. Specifically, the struts of the mask are formed by plasma etching, using a fluorine-based gas, and a unique multilayer mask blank is fabricated to promote successful use of the plasma etch. According to an embodiment of the process, an etch stop layer is deposited onto the front surface of a silicon substrate, and a membrane layer is deposited over the etch stop layer. A scattering layer, typically tungsten, is deposited over the membrane layer. A patterning layer is deposited on the back surface of the substrate, and the desired grillage pattern for the struts is patterned into the patterning layer.

Abstract: A first register stores a value that can be used as a pointer to indirectly address a second register. The first register is referred to as a pointer register and the pointer as a register pointer. The second register may be a conventional register that stores a conventional register value (i.e., a data value or a pointer to a data value stored in external memory) or another pointer register. In certain embodiments, a pointer register can also be used to store conventional register values. Pointer registers of the present invention can be used to implement efficiently certain types of digital processing, such as circular buffers, vector processing, convolutional processing, and partitioned processing, using data in registers rather than memory.

Abstract: A wireless receiver includes a variable attenuator, a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR estimator), and a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) level detector. The RSSI level of the received signal is used as a primary criterion on setting the attenuator status. Once the attenuator is set based upon the RSSI readings, an SNR check is made to determine the possible presence of IM. Then, further adjustment on the attenuator status is made according to the SNR check.

Abstract: A full duplex, synchronous data set (10) includes primary signal processing circuitry which generates a modulated transmit data signal in response to serial data from a terminal interface (17). The modulated data signal is transmitted over a primary channel of a transmit line (11). The primary signal processing circuitry also receives modulated data signals from a primary channel of a receive line (12) and recovers therefrom a serial bit stream for presentation to the interface. The operating parameters of the primary signal processing circuitry are specified by a primary controller (30) over a plurality of buses (PA, PC, PD). The primary controller includes a microprocessor (310) and associated peripherals (315, 320, 325, 330, 335). The data set also includes secondary signal processing circuitry (40) which transmits and receives diagnostic and control information over respective secondary channels of the transmit line and receive lines.