Abstract: A method for handling interswitch handovers in a personal communication services (PCS) system where the original switching system that hosts the radio port control unit (RPCU) that first serves the call is designated as the anchor switch. The anchor switch maintains this status for the duration of the call and is always responsible for setting up the three-way connection to effectuate the interswitch handover regardless of how many additional new switching systems host RPCUs that serve the call as the mobile station moves through the system. The additional new switching systems hosting the new RPCUs always communicate with the anchor switch and the call is always routed from the anchor switch directly to the switching system hosting the RPCU serving the mobile station. Intermediate switches are dropped from the connection when the mobile station exits the areas they serve thereby eliminating the need to maintain connections through prior switching systems.

Abstract: In a preferred embodiment, an apparatus for amplifying a plurality of input signals is provided, including a power sharing amplifier network and a redistribution circuit. The power sharing amplifier network includes first and second distributing networks and a plurality of amplifiers coupled therebetween. Each amplifier amplifies a composite signal having an approximately equal amount of signal power from all of the input signals. The first distributing network receives and splits up the input signals, whereas the second distributing network receives and recombines the amplified signals from the amplifiers to provide amplified output signals, each corresponding to one of the input signals. The redistributing circuit provides a redistribution signal derived from the input signals, which is applied to the first distributing network.

Abstract: A one-piece (unipartite) jack receptacle 40 is molded from thermoplastic material into a generally rectangular shape to provide a compact structure for high-density optical terminations. The receptacle includes a pair of cavities 460, each having an opening in its front end, and each having an opening 422 in its back end for receiving a cylindrical alignment sleeve 440. A U-shaped opening extends from a top-side surface 415 of the receptacle into each cavity to form a cantilever 410, which may be used to hold the receptacle within a panel 200. Molded into the sidewalls of each cavity are retaining surfaces 432 for holding an optical connector within the cavity. The retaining surfaces are located directly beneath the U-shaped opening 463 to facilitate molding. Heretofore, comparable jack receptacles have been assembled from multiple parts; and this has become more costly and complex as the size of jack receptacles has decreased.

Abstract: A method identifies and models the distortion in a document using a two-dimensional nonlinear filter. The two-dimensional nonlinear filter is then used to improve the performance of optical character recognition systems in recognizing characters in documents that have been degraded, as for example by repeated photocopy reproductions or by fax transmission.

Abstract: Icon indicia are provided on input, output and plug-in power processing units to permit proper matching of plug-in units with each other and with the input and output power processing units in a power distribution system. The indicia are in a co-ordinated matrix format with input icons on a designated chroma background to identify input voltages and output icons on a second designated chroma background to identify output voltages. Icons and background chroma on the plug-in power processing units are coordinated with related icons and background chroma at the same matrix position on other plug-in units and/or the input and output units to assure the compatibility of all the units. A craftsman inserting a plug-in unit onto a shelf of the power chassis need merely compare the unit's icon and chroma background indicia with the input, output, or other unit's icons and associated chroma background indicia to be assured of inserting the correct plug-in unit into the particular shelf.

Abstract: A power plant system architecture includes a plurality of battery polarity switching circuits for providing uninterruptible power/voltage to a plurality of loads, each of which is powered by low frequency AC, and which is also powered by a DC voltage. DC voltage is substituted for the AC voltage applied to the load should the voltage polarity processing circuitry in the power plant fail.

Abstract: A multifunctional chip includes first and second electrically isolated bonding pads. The chip also includes a control circuit coupled to the second bonding pad. The control circuit commands the chip to perform the first function if the first and second bonding pads are coupled. Alternatively, the control circuit commands the chip to perform the second function if the first and second bonding pads remain electrically isolated. The coupling or isolation between the first and second bonding pads is determined by wire bonds. Therefore, the use of wire bonds selects the function for the chip.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for a portable communication device, such as a mobile radio terminal in a CDMA network, to identify its geographic location. A communication network comprises multiple base stations which transmit pilot signals, where the pilot signals of one base station are offset from the pilot signals of other base stations by integral multiples of a substantially fixed duration. Associated sync channel messages are also transmitted from which the geographic location of the base stations may be extracted. A portable communication device identifies its location by calculating the delay between the arrival time of a pilot signal from a primary base station and the arrival times of pilot signals from at least two other base stations. For each pair of base stations corresponding to one of the calculated delays, the portable communication device initially specifies its location as being on a selected one of three curves.

Abstract: A temporally-pipelined predictive encoder/decoder circuit for encoding or decoding an input signal containing a sequence of data frames received at a particular frame rate and frame data rate into an output signal having an equal frame rate employs a plurality of N predictive encoders/decoders. An input buffer may be used to extract the information for each data frame in the input signal and supply such information to a corresponding one of the encoders/decoders at rate of 1/N of the particular frame data rate. Each encoder/decoder generates corresponding encoded/decoded information as it is received as well as provides digitized frame information to the encoder/decoder processing the next received image frame. The encoded/decoded information is provided to corresponding frame buffers which temporarily store such information.

Abstract: A novel packaging of semiconductor elements, such as MCM tiles, with a variety of printed circuit or wired boards (PWB), the packages occupying a small size, at least in the vertical direction, relative to prior art OMPAC devices. The MCM tile includes an interconnection substrate with peripheral metallizations and at least one chip or integrated circuit (IC) mounted on the substrate by solder reflow or conductive adhesive technology. The PWB which may be a single level or a multilevel, is provided with an aperture for accommodation of at least one chip therein. Depending on the type of interconnection between the substrate and the PWB, the aperture may be larger than the substrate of the MCM tile for wire bonding interconnection or smaller than the substrate for solder reflow or conductive adhesive interconnection. In the wire bonding case, the MCM tile is positioned within the aperture resting on the surface of the PWB or of a structural member or of a heat sink which encloses one end of the aperture.

Abstract: Optical analog information processing capability is achieved by providing a SEED device configured to operate in a differential mode. This "differential SEED" utilizes pairs of input signal beams to represent bipolar analog data and to process those data in a linear fashion. The difference in the optical powers of the input signal beams is used to modulate the absorption of power supply beams in quantum well diodes, such that the difference in the absorbed powers in the quantum well diodes is proportional to the difference in the powers of the input signal beams. The differential SEED can be configured to perform various image processing operations on bipolar analog data, including, for example, image addition and subtraction, optical multiplication, and evaluating spatial derivatives.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a wide dynamic range power amplifier having a power amplification circuit for increasing the power of an incoming signal to an output power suitable for transmitting the signal over a communication medium, and a feedback circuit coupled between the output and gain control input of the power amplification circuit for changing the output power to a new, desired output power.The feedback circuit may include a digital step attenuator, a power detector, a reference D.C. voltage, and a comparator. To change the output power, the digital step attenuates the output power sensed by the power detector, from a first attenuation level to a second attenuation level, by an amount corresponding to the desired change in output power. The power conversion circuit converts the output power at the second attenuation level to a D.C. voltage for comparison with the reference D.C. voltage which corresponds to the output power at the first attenuation level.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention bias a field effect transistor with only a single voltage source and generally do not have the disadvantages of traditional "floated source" bias techniques. Furthermore, some embodiments of the present invention are capable of automatically compensating for the normal manufacturing variations that often result in the physical characteristics of individual FETs.

Abstract: An optical beam compressor formed of light transparent material for compressing optical signals emitted from an end of an optic fiber. The compressor has a substantially tapered shape extending between a first surface or base having a cross-sectional area, and a second surface or head having a cross-sectional area less than the base area. The compressor has an index of refraction greater than the index of refraction of the environment in which it is disposed, and can be positioned between the end of the optic fiber and a photodetector. Optical signals are provided from the free end of the fiber to the base of the compressor wherein the signals are compressed and transmitted or directed to the photodetector for detection.

Abstract: Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a current source comprises: a first and a second current path, the current paths being coupled so as to provide, during circuit operation, first and second currents through the respective current paths in a substantially predetermined direct proportion. The current source further includes an operational amplifier having its respective input terminals coupled to the first and second current paths, the operational amplifier being coupled in a feedback configuration so as to maintain substantially equal voltages between a first and second predetermined point respectively located along the first and second current paths. Furthermore, the respective first and second currents are related to the respective first and second voltages substantially in accordance with the junction diode equation.

Abstract: An integrated circuit output section has a controller that controls a plurality of drivers to transmit data signals over output lines in a group staggered manner to substantially reduce the generation of inductive noise or ground and power bounce. The controller staggers the transmission of the data signals in each group relative to the other groups to achieve a reduction in inductive noise of greater than 25% using relatively short total staggering times of less than five times the transition switching time of a driver for the groups of data signals. Also, an enhanced reduction in inductive noise is achieved with a total staggering time equal to or less than a driver transition switching time, wherein at least one group has a different number of data signals than the other groups.

Abstract: A mounting arrangement between connector modules of a double-sided modular connecting block and polarity sensitive current and voltage limiting circuit protection devices. Connector modules having multiple pairs of insulation displacement connecting (IDC) terminals are insertable into a mounting bracket to form the double-sided connecting block. Exclusionary posts are selectively molded into a front and rear side of the connector modules and correspond to each pair of terminals. The posts on the front of a connector module align and mate with a cavity included on a front-mounted current and voltage limiting protection device. Similarly posts molded in a different location on the rear side of the connector module align and mate with a cavity included in a rear-mounted protection module. The corresponding posts and cavities create an exclusionary key and slot interface which prevents circuit protection devices of improper polarity from being inserted within the wrong side of a connector module.

Abstract: This invention relates to arrangements for interconnecting a plurality of stand-alone switches by data and communication channels (the latter typically used for communicating voice signals) in such a way as to make the plurality of switches act as if they were one switch. The invention further relates to arrangements for permitting groups of lines, the groups connected to different stand-alone switches, to be treated essentially as if they were connected to a single switch. Each switch of a symbiotic network (a group of stand-alone switches) or a virtual symbiotic network (the grouping of the groups of lines) accesses pertinent data in its own data base or the data base of one of the other switches of the symbiotic or virtual symbiotic network and treats the results of such data base accesses as if they were made internally in the switch.

Abstract: An optical receiver, a method of converting an optical signal into an output electrical signal suitable for use by digital circuitry and an optoelectronic data processing system.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for recognizing connected and degraded text is presented. A text enhancement process which may be used in combination with text recognition comprises filtering a scanned image to determine whether a binary image value of an image pixel should be complemented, determining whether complementing the value of the pixel reduces the sharpness of wedge-like figures in the image, and complementing the binary value of the pixel when doing so does not reduce sharpness. Image preprocessing may also provide a line adjacency graph (LAG) based on a set of image pixels and the removal of a path from a LAG when the path is located either at the top or bottom of the set of image pixels and is of degree (1,0) or (0,1), respectively, and connected to a junction of the LAG.