Abstract: Two or more wavelength routers are cascaded together to form a passband filter with low levels of crosstalk between different channels of a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) stream. Cascading wavelength routers is a technique that can be used to efficiently realize wide and flat passbands, but high levels of cross-talk may result from multi-path interference caused by grating lobes, which produce unwanted transmission paths between the two routers. Spatial filtering can be applied to inhibit the propagation of light-energy along the unwanted paths, and it can be implemented using any suitable techniques including pinholes, reflectors, waveguides, and multi-mode interferometers (MMIs). The resulting passband filter can be designed to generate levels of crosstalk similar to those of conventional passband filters that rely on a single waveguide router.

Abstract: A pad grid array plastic package includes a laminated plastic body with a centrally located cavity, an IC unit secured within the cavity, and an encapsulating organic polymer, such as epoxy, enclosing the cavity. The laminated body includes a substrate and a structural member on top of the substrate and having a centrally located aperture forming the cavity. The substrate is provided with metal patterns on both planar surfaces thereof, through-plated vias electrically connecting the metal patterns, and a grid array of contact pads on the bottom surface of the substrate, electrically connected to the metal pattern. The structural member provides strength and rigidity to the laminate and is sufficiently thick to enable protection of the IC unit when the cavity is enclosed with the encapsulating polymer. Also disclosed is a method of making the package and a laminate with the cavity, metal patterns and grid pad array for use in assembling the package.

Abstract: For use with a controller, couplable to a network of first and second comparators, that disables a power converter an actual output current thereof exceeds a threshold output current, an integrated protection circuit and method of operating the same. In one embodiment, the integrated protection circuit includes: (1) a sensor that senses an actual input voltage of the power converter and (2) an isolation circuit, coupled to the first comparator, that selectively decouples the first comparator from the controller, the second comparator causing the controller to disable the power converter when the actual input voltage falls below a threshold input voltage thereby allowing the protection circuit to provide both overcurrent and undervoltage protection.

Abstract: A system and method that overcomes the deficiencies of prior television/multimedia system integrity monitoring schemes by providing a system and method wherein a remote field component receives a test signal from a given source via a particular signal path, and, in response, provides feedback indicative of the received test signal to the source via a standard voiceband telephone connection. This enables the invention to facilitate simple, economical real-time testing/monitoring of television/multimedia distribution systems. The invention is particularly suited to television/multimedia systems that employ terrestrial cables as a means to distribute signals to end-users or remote nodes, but can also be applied to wireless signal distribution systems.

Abstract: A system in which a private base station supports the registering of multiple mobile stations and generates a personalized call delivery feature for each registered mobile station is provided. Each mobile station registers separately with the base station when within communication range of the base station. When registration of a mobile station with a private base station is performed, the private base station generates a local unique address for each one of the multiple mobile stations registering with the private base station. This unique address for a registered particular mobile station is also sent to the private base station location register.

Abstract: The outside distribution plant of the invention consists of a remote narrowband terminal such as a digital loop carrier and a remote broadband terminal such as broadband distribution element or the like that receive narrowband and broadband telecommunications signals, respectively, 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 selected ones of the broadband 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 diplex filters.

Abstract: A single planar antenna for use in two frequency bands includes radiating portions for the two bands joined by a connecting portion and spaced from a ground plane. Each radiating portion is formed as a planar inverted F-antenna. A grounding pin interconnects the connecting portion and the ground plane and a single feed pin connects the connecting portion to the input/output port of transceiver circuitry.

Abstract: An electronic encoder circuit and method for providing a set of quadrature waveforms whose frequency is related to the amplitude of an analog input signal. Broadly stated, the electronic encoder circuit comprises conversion circuitry that generates a digital signal from an analog signal that, in a typical application, will be representative of the speed or frequency of a master machine, process or assembly line. The conversion circuitry is connected to a microcontroller that processes the digital signal and produces a potentially modified digital signal as an output. The output digital signal from the microcontroller is received by additional conversion circuitry that generates an encoded analog signal whose frequency is related to the original input analog signal. Phase shifting circuitry generates quadrature waveforms through operation on the encoded analog signal. The quadrature waveforms can then be used to drive or control a slave device.

Abstract: A power supply and a method of manufacture therefor. The power supply includes: (1) a circuit board containing conductors for interconnecting electrical components of the power supply, (2) a thermally-conductive case having an integral electrically insulating layer, the thermally-conductive case forming a reservoir to receive the circuit board therein, (3) a power semiconductor device having a body connected in thermal communication with the thermally-conductive case and terminals coupled to the conductors of the circuit board, (4) an encapsulant, located within the reservoir, the encapsulant ensconcing the power semiconductor device and the electrical components and (5) electrical leads extending from the power supply that allow the power supply to be coupled to a printed wiring board.

Abstract: A multi-dimensional adaptive method and system which can be forced to converge to any predetermined solution of interest. Disturbances are input to the system along with reference signals. Error sensors (detectors) receive the disturbances and the cancelling signals and output error signals. Compensation is determined such that the compensation converges to an arbitrary solution, is not unique and is Hermitian and positive definite.

Abstract: Polyphase channelizing transmitters convert multiple signal channels into a single stream for transmission and corresponding polyphase channelizing receivers process the received stream to recover signals corresponding to the original signal channels. The filter transfer functions for both the transmitters and receivers are designed to have non-recursive numerators and recursive denominators. Such filters can be realized using non-recursive (e.g., finite impulse response (FIR)) filters and recursive (e.g., infinite impulse response) filters on opposite sides of a Fourier transform. For a given application, polyphase structures of the present invention may require fewer coefficients to implement than conventional (e.g., FIR-based) solutions and will therefore be less complex and less expensive.

Abstract: Improved telecommunication apparatus is realized with a structure that is tailored to interact with the telecommunication network strictly in packet format. The apparatus includes circuitry for creating either control or information packets, where each packet comprises a header portion and a payload portion. The apparatus also includes an identifier module that enables the apparatus to identify itself to the telecommunication network with an identifier signal that is unique to it. The packet format allows the apparauts to provide a myriad of services that in today's environment are implemented within the telecommunication network, including for example, call transfer, call forwarding, bridging, call waiting etc.

Abstract: An improved messaging system (100, 900) enables a message recipient to take notes electronically while retrieving messages, such as by electronically extracting and separately recording a portion of a received message in a scratchpad area (250, 1050) of his or her mailbox (111, 911) or by dictating into a telephone (102, 103), typing on a terminal (902, 903) keyboard, or entering on a Touch-Tone telephones' keypad, words and/or numbers, into the scratchpad area, for subsequent use by the message recipient. The messaging system then enables the message recipient either to retrieve the electronic notes from the scratchpad area, or to automatically place a call to a telephone number that is contained in the electronic notes in the scratchpad area. An improved graphical user interface (915) provides the message recipient with easy access to, and control over, this functionality of the messaging system.

Abstract: An integrated optical device (e.g., a wavelength router) is formed on a substrate, where the device has a compressive force within the plane of the device and the substrate has at least one non-straight edge. The device is formed by annealing the substrate wafer and then separating the device by cutting along one or more non-straight or curved lines. When the device layer is much thinner than the substrate and when the coefficient of thermal expansion of the substrate material (e.g., silicon) is greater than that of the device material (e.g., silica), the annealing process generates the compressive force. This in turn enables the device to be separated from a wafer by cutting along non-straight lines using either a laser or a milling machine without fear of cracks and fissures propagating over time into the device. The present invention enables manufacturing with greater yields since curved devices, such as wavelength routers, can be more efficiently packed onto a single wafer.

Abstract: An optical multiplexer/demultiplexer 500 comprises first and second star couplers 41, 42 that are interconnected by a number of optical waveguides 430 of unequal length (i.e., a grating). The multiplexer/demultiplexer functions to distribute optical signals in a first-wavelength region .lambda..sub.A (around 1550 nm) from one input port 401 of the first star coupler 41 to individual output ports 426 of the second star coupler 42 according to wavelength. The first star coupler includes at least one other input port 402 for receiving optical signals in a second wavelength region .lambda..sub.B (around 1310 nm) to be broadcast to all output ports of the second star coupler. In order to properly broadcast the optical signals in the second wavelength region, a power splitter 50 is connected in series with the other input port(s) of the first star coupler. The combined width w.sub.1 of the output port(s) of the power splitter is greater than the width w.sub.

Abstract: A communication jack assembly suitable for high data rate applications, includes a wire board having conductive paths that extend between a jackwire terminal region at a first portion of the board and a wire-connection terminal region at a second portion of the board. A number of spring jackwires extend through the jackwire terminal region, to connect with a communication plug when placed in the jackwire terminal region. The jackwires connect at one end to corresponding conductive paths on the wire board, and the conductive paths form a part of at least one communications signal path when the plug is connected to the jackwires. The conductive paths may be configured to compensate for crosstalk otherwise developed in a signal path once the plug is mated with the jack. A dielectric terminal housing is formed to protect the wire-connection terminal region on top of the wire board, and a cover is formed to protect the connection terminal region on the bottom of the board.

Abstract: A grounding connector for use in a rack for receiving at least one module, the module rack having a power outlet associated therewith, the power outlet having a ground receptacle and power receptacles, a connector to allow a module insertable into the rack to be grounded via the power outlet and methods of operation and manufacture therefor. The connector includes: (1) a bracket coupled to a chassis of the module and (2) a ground pin coupled to the bracket and projecting from the chassis to engage and make an electrical connection within the ground receptacle, the connector remaining disengaged and electrically disconnected from the power receptacles thereby to prevent electrical power from being transmitted from within the power outlet.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for verifying the behavior of properties or functions of a system by forming a reduced model for each property of the system, and running a given simulation operation on the reduced model to verify the behavior of each said property. When a property or function does not behave as expected, the system model is adjusted, and only those functions having a property affected by the adjustment are rechecked. In one illustrative embodiment, a system model is reduced by eliminating all variables having no effect on the function or property being checked. The resulting reduced model can be further reduced by adjusting the range of each variable therein to a minimum range necessary to check the behavior of that specific property. If it becomes necessary to change the system model in order to fix a problem relative to one property, then only those properties having a reduced model affected by that change or fix are re-verified.

Abstract: A system for, and method of, empirically determining stress in a molded package and a power module embodying the system or the method. In one embodiment, the system includes: (1) a sensor, having a magnetic core exhibiting a known complex permeability in a control environment, that is embedded within the molded package and therefore subject to the stress and (2) a measurement circuit, coupled to the sensor, that applies a drive signal to the sensor, measures a response signal received from the sensor and uses the drive signal and the response signal to determine a complex permeability under stress of the core. The magnitude of the stress can then be determined from the core's complex permeability under stress.