Abstract: An improved surface acoustic wave device includes a film of a magnetostrictive material disposed on a substrate and spaced apart input and output transducer elements disposed on the film. The input element causes horizontally polarized shear waves to propagate along the film via the magnetostriction of the film. The shear waves propagating along the film are received by the output transducer element. The SAW device can be integrated on a microelectronic circuit useable in single chip radio frequency applications.

Abstract: A tool for gathering empirical RF signal quality measurements that are accurately correlated with the position at which they are made is disclosed. In particular, the tool is particularly useful indoors where satellite positioning system receivers often cannot be used. This advantage is found in an illustrative embodiment of the present invention in which the illustrative embodiment uses the technique of dead reckoning to determine the position at which RF signal quality measurements are made by estimating a new position based on an old position and an estimate of the course and distance traveled since the old position.

Abstract: The combination of a light pipe and a face plate having an opening to receive the light pipe. The light pipe and the face plate opening are formed with complementary polarizing features so that the light pipe can only be inserted into the opening with a predetermined angular orientation about its axis. After insertion into the opening, the light pipe is rotated about its axis to lock it in place. The face plate may then be secured to the edge of a circuit board with the light pipe in alignment to receive light emitted from an indicator light source mounted to the circuit board.

Abstract: A radio communications system is that can determine the location of an RFID Tag. The radio communication system includes at least one Interrogator for generating and transmitting a modulated radio signal to one or more Tags. The Interrogator is at a known location, and is in motion with respect to the Tag at a known velocity. One or more Tags of the system receive and demodulate the modulated radio signal, which contains a first information signal which specifies which Tag or Tags should respond using Modulated Backscattering. The Tag generates a subcarrier signal, and backscatter modulates the reflection of the radio signal using the subcarrier signal, thereby forming a reflected signal. The Interrogator receives and demodulates the reflected signal. The Interrogator then determines the Tag's relative direction from the location and velocity of the Interrogator, and from the Doppler shift of the subcarrier signal. More than one of such measurements allow the location of the Tag to be determined.

Abstract: A gas plasma process without argon sputtering for removing photoresist, etch residues and other contaminants involved in etching vias in integrated circuit devices is disclosed. The process involves placing the substrate having etched vias or contact holes in a suitable low bias reactor; applying to the substrate surface a mixture of gases at low bias selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen, fluorine, hydrofluorocarbon and fluorinated methane and amine gases to both remove the photoresist layer and alter the composition of the residues such that the residues are soluble in water; and rinsing the substrate with deionized water. The plasma process should be carried out at temperatures of less than about 100 degrees C. to avoid mobile ion contamination problems and oxidation of the etch residues.

Abstract: A bracket for mounting electronic instruments, such as antennas, on a building or pole or wall, is able to pivot in two perpendicular planes and be securely locked in position. The bracket can slide from an extended position to a retracted position to conserve space. A key plate allows the instrument to be removed from the bracket, and another instrument quickly installed without needing realignment. A screw is provided for fine angular adjustment.

Abstract: A Voltage Controlled Oscillator (VCO) mitigates the effects of package parasitics by providing positive feedback connections, to sustain a desired oscillation, external to the IC package, thereby mitigating the effect of the bond wires and internal parasitics to allow the oscillation to be controlled by the desired external components. The VCO includes an electronic circuit with gain that is at least part of an integrated circuit (IC) and a package for the IC. A passive resonant circuit may be provided external to the IC package. The positive feedback of the electronic circuit is provided through at least one additional lead of the package, such that the connection is external to the package.

Abstract: An active circuit for delivering three phase AC input power received from a three phase rectifier to a boost converter and a method of operating the same. In one embodiment, the active circuit includes a phase selection switching circuit, coupled to the rectifier, that selects an inner phase of the three phase AC input power. The active circuit also includes a switching network, coupled to the phase selection switching circuit and the rectifier, that controls a current waveshape of the inner phase and a current waveshape of at least one other phase, thereby to reduce harmonics associated with three phase AC input current.

Abstract: A system and method employing a rate 16/17 (0,5) code constructed in accordance with a set of pivot bits and a set of corrections for predefined code violations limits the number of consecutive zeros seen by a channel to five. The rate 16/17 (0,5) code is suitable for magnetic or similar recording media and may be employed in partial response maximum likelihood read channels. A feature of the constructed code is a high transition density which allows for more frequent timing and gain control updates, which results in lower required channel input signal to noise ratio for a given channel performance. Each constructed codeword is block encodable and block decodable, and the code construction allows for efficient circuit implementation in both an encoder and a decoder.

Abstract: Co-Existence Dynamic Channel Assignment (DCA) techniques for overlay macrocellular systems facilitate the coexistence of embedded autonomous underlay microcellular (e.g., indoor) systems. The co-existence of the two systems without excessive mutual interference is achieved through systematic deterministic exclusion of predefined subsets of the universal channel set from the dynamic assignment to the overlay macrocells. The sets of channels are made available to the underlay systems. The exclusion is done with minimal DCA performance degradation. Multiple deterministic exclusions methods are described.

Abstract: A chassis for containing electromagnetic interference ("EMI") generating equipment and methods of operation and manufacturing thereof. The chassis includes: (1) a cabinet having a base wall, the base wall having hinge race slots located along a forward edge thereof, lances between the hinge race slots and the forward edge forming hinge pins and (2) a door having arcuate hinge races extending from a hinge edge thereof and through corresponding ones of the hinge race slots to cooperate with the hinge pins to form hinges for the door. The hinge races have locking tabs extending laterally therefrom. The locking tabs have bent portions preventing the hinge races from being withdrawn from the hinge race slots.

Abstract: A battery grid has a thickness which is greater at the top than at the bottom to achieve a uniform compressive force on a grid stack exerted by the side walls of a battery container.A plastic wedge is disposed between the side walls of the battery container and the stack of grids to improve the distribution of compressive forces.

Abstract: A modified index strip having an extension with integrated push caps for wire termination. The integrated push caps simplify the operation of and allows connection or rearrangement of a single pair of conductors. The modified index strip having alternating height teeth and a pedestal extension with integrated push caps. The push caps fit over alternating height teeth of a prior art connector module mounted on the modified index strip. Each integrated push cap having a pair of ribs for snubbing and seating a pair of conductors into the insulation displacement connectors of the connector module. One or more pair of chambers are provided at the pedestal extension for isolating and gripping the ends of the conductors. Each push cap is maintained in a closed position by a latching mechanism and a recess-protuberance locking mechanism.

Abstract: A method of transporting a laser bar, such as from a facet coat holding fixture, and an apparatus for implementing the same. A vacuum collet is automatically positioned at a predetermined position vertically and horizontally offset with respect to a facet of the laser bar. A vacuum is then applied to the vacuum collet to pull the laser bar against it and hold the laser bar in place. Since the vacuum collet is offset horizontally as well as vertically from the bar, the laser bar flips by 90.degree. when the vacuum is applied such that the laser bar longitudinal surface winds up abutting a bottom surface of the vacuum collet, and contact with the laser bar facets is substantially avoided. The vacuum collet is then transported while the vacuum is maintained to thereby transport the laser bar.

Abstract: Content-addressable memory (CAM) is reconfigured using column muxing, such that, for example, for 2:1 column muxing, each pair of vertically adjacent cells in a conventional cell array is reconfigured as a pair of horizontally adjacent cells in the cell array of the present invention. This reconfiguration doubles the number of columns in the cell array of CAM memory having a given size, but reduces the number of rows by a factor of two. This two-fold reduction in the number of rows reduces the bit-line loading by a factor of two, thereby improving CAM performance. In addition, the sharing of search-data lines between columns in the cell array allows column support circuitry to be laid out within a two-column pitch, which affords a more efficient layout of this circuitry relative to prior-art CAM memory whose column support circuitry was laid out within a one-column pitch.

Abstract: For use with a boost converter having a boost inductor couplable to a source of electrical power, a rectifier coupled to the boost inductor and a boost switch coupled across the rectifier, the boost converter operable in discontinuous mode, a circuit for, and method of, providing a reduced output voltage from the boost converter. In one embodiment, the circuit includes an autotransformer, coupled across an output of the boost converter, having an intermediate tap that provides a reduced output voltage at the output.

Abstract: A power module for mounting in an array of electrical equipment which may have differing sizes, although within any given panel the equipment is all of the same size. The power module contains common circuitry mounted within a housing. Mounting brackets of varying size are secured to the housing to adapt the module for different sized panels.

Abstract: A checkpoint and restoration system is disclosed to provide checkpoint and restoration techniques for user application processes which save the process state, including the volatile state and desired portions of the persistent state, during normal execution, and thereafter restore the saved state. A lazy checkpoint technique is disclosed which delays the taking of the persistent state checkpoint until an inconsistency between the checkpointed volatile state and a portion of the persistent state is about to occur. The disclosed checkpoint and restoration system allows a user or a user application process to specify selected portions of the persistent state to be excluded from a checkpoint. A selected portion of the pre-restoring process state, such as a return value argument, may be protected before restoring the user application process to a checkpointed state, so that the pre-restoration values of the protected state are retained following restoration of the checkpoint.

Abstract: The specification describes a photolithography process using multiple exposures to form z-dimension patterns. Multiple exposures at different thickness levels are made using photomasks aligned with a latent image of alignment marks formed during the first exposure. The latent image is visible to the alignment system of commercial steppers.