Abstract: Disclosed is a technique for forming integrated capacitors using a sequence of process steps that is fully compatible with standard silicon gate MOS integrated circuit processing. The capacitor comprises a polysilicon-oxide-TiN/metal combination. The lower plate, i.e. polysilicon plate, is interconnected at the gate level and the upper plate is interconnected typically at metal one.

Abstract: In accordance with the invention, a low inductance surface-mount connector comprises a slotted, hollow rectangular parallelepiped. The device permits interconnection by pick-and-place techniques, and the interconnection has advantageous qualities of compactness, low inductance, and mechanical compliance. A first circuit device having one or more circuit components is interconnected with a second circuit device by surface mounting such connectors on the first circuit device, providing corresponding solder pads on the second circuit device, and mounting the connectors of the first circuit device onto the pads of the second.

Abstract: A signal bias removal (SBR) method based on the maximum likelihood estimation of the bias for minimizing undesirable effects in speech recognition systems is described. The technique is readily applicable in various architectures including discrete (vector-quantization based), semicontinuous and continuous-density Hidden Markov Model (HMM) systems. For example, the SBR method can be integrated into a discrete density HMM and applied to telephone speech recognition where the contamination due to extraneous signal components is unknown. To enable real-time implementation, a sequential method for the estimation of the bias (SSBR) is disclosed.

Abstract: A successive approximation circuit and method are disclosed for digitally approximating a moving signal using an analog-digital converter (ADC) and a comparator for generating a comparison signal from the moving signal. An estimate register and a bit and conversion control circuit are provided, with the bit and conversion control circuit including a bit control circuit and a conversion control circuit, where the bit control circuit adjusts a current plurality of output bits to compensate for an error due to a slew rate to generate the digitally approximated moving signal. An adder is included for adding the control value to the current plurality of output bits to generate the next plurality of output bits. Alternatively, an adjustment selection circuit and a logic chain circuit are included.

Abstract: A memory system contains one or more active storage elements. Each active storage element includes a memory element and a processing element associated with the memory element. The memory element contains microcode for implementing a specific function. A first bus connects the processing element to a host processor. A second bus connects the processing element to a peripheral.

Abstract: A finite impulse response (FIR) filter characterization is performed using a modified least means squares approach that updates values of FIR filter taps as groups of taps, periodically. For the taps updated for a current input signal sample, future convolution values for future input signal samples are computed and also a partial estimate of the signal response is computed. The expected response is then computed by summing the partial estimate signal response and other partial estimates of the signal response which are computed from future convolution, missed tap update convolution and normalizes error signal values which have been previously computed at past input signal samples and stored in memory.

Abstract: Disclosed is a low distortion amplifier circuit of the predistortion type that employs a cuber circuit in the predistortion path to provide optimized signal energy at third order intermodulation frequencies, which cancels IMD products generated by the main power amplifier. The cuber circuit employs a pair of anti-parallel diodes that are biased with at least one D.C. source to produce a D.C. current flow through each diode. The input signal applied to the cuber circuit produces signal current flow in each diode to enable a third order output current to be extracted. A desired amount of third order power is thereby provided to realize minimal IMD power in the main amplifier output over a wide dynamic range of the input signal.

Abstract: Providing multimedia conference calls with communication type conversion for changing types of communication terminals on one multimedia conference call. In addition, users of communication terminals can change communication types during the multimedia conference calls. Also, a set of users can use additional communication types not presently in use by a multimedia conference call to enhance communication among the set of users.

Abstract: Playback of video content distributed on disks in successive data blocks for a plurality of viewers, involves accessing data for each viewer from a different one of the blocks on the disks within a time cycle, placing the accessed data from each block in respective buffers, reading out the data in the buffers sequentially in common cycles, and reading out the cycles. Preferably the content is in successive blocks over the discs on a round robin basis, and accessing includes accessing different blocks on the same disk within the time cycle.

Abstract: A process and apparatus providing local hunting of a telecommunication trunk in response to a request coming from an external base station or switching unit. This process and apparatus by utilizing the capabilities of a local switching module or node saves communication time and processor time of the overall system. If the local trunk hunt at the local switching module is unsuccessful, the request is forwarded to a centralized processor that subsequently notifies another switching module to hunt a trunk and set-up communication with the requesting external base station or switching unit. In such a case, the centralized processor uses status table data to select a switching module that should have a trunk available to fulfill the request of the external base station or switching unit.

Abstract: In accordance with the invention, phosphorous vapor is provided by in situ conversion of red phosphorous to white phosphorous and permitting the flow of vapor from said white phosphorous. The conversion is effected in a low pressure cell having a high temperature region for evaporating red phosphorous and a low temperature region for condensing the resulting vapor into white phosphorous. At room temperature equilibrium, the vapor pressure is dominated by the white phosphorous.

Abstract: A telephone subscriber of a privacy communications service is allowed to use a randomly selected non-assigned telephone number--instead of the subscriber's real telephone number--as a return phone number in a telephone message left for a called party. The non-assigned, randomly selected telephone number becomes inoperative after a threshold that may be pre-imposed by the subscriber is exceeded. According to a feature of the invention, the function of randomly selecting a non-assigned telephone number may also include replacing the calling party number with the randomly selected number. Hence, when a caller-id display unit receives the telephone number of an incoming call for which the privacy communications service is used, the randomly selected telephone number--as opposed to the real telephone number--is received and recorded by the caller-id display unit.

Abstract: A novel substrate for growth of material by chemical phase deposition includes a temperature monitoring zone formed by applying a coating of growth preventing material (e.g., SiO.sub.x or SiN.sub.x) to a portion of the substrate. The temperature of the substrate can be monitored during growth of a desired material using an optical pyrometer having its field of view directed at the temperature monitoring zone.

Abstract: A method for supporting end to end VC oriented service between mobile hosts. Included are protocols designed for a micro-cellular wireless environment in which mobile hosts make frequent transitions between cells. A VC rerouting procedure minimizes the effect of frequent hand-offs by extending routes and triggering a route rebuild only when performance as seen by an application degrades below a certain level. VC establishment and rerouting protocols assume the existence of separate signaling protocols for the wired and the wireless network, respectively. This minimizes the changes required to the signaling infrastructure used in the wired network while allowing the signaling in the wireless network to be customized for the unique requirements of that particular environment.

Abstract: Applicants have discovered an improved photodefined dielectric materials comprising poly(aromatic diacetylenes). The preferred poly(aromatic diacetylenes) are copolymers of aromatic diacetylenes. Specific examples are 1) a copolymer of 4,4'-diethynyldiphenyl ether and m-diethynyl benzene and 2) a copolymer of 4,4'-diethynyldiphenyl ether and 4,4'-bis(3-ethynylphenoxy)-2,2',3,3',5,5',6,6'-octafluorobiphenyl. These copolymers can be photochemically crosslinked in patterns with exposure of 30 mJ/cm.sup.2 .mu.m and 60 mJ/cm.sup.2 .mu.m, respectively, and patterns have been produced in 10 .mu.m thick films with features as small as 12 .mu.m.

Abstract: A progressive retry recovery system based on checkpointing, message logging, rollback, message replaying and message reordering is disclosed. The disclosed progressive retry system minimizes the number of involved processes as well as the total rollback distance. The progressive retry method consists of a number of retry steps which gradually increase the scope of the rollback when a previous retry step fails. Step one attempts to bypass a software fault by having the faulty process replay the messages in its message log. Step two will attempt to bypass the software fault by having the faulty process reorder and then replay the messages in its message log. Step three will attempt to bypass the software fault by having the processes which have sent messages to the faulty process resend those messages to the faulty process. Step four will attempt to bypass the software fault by having the processes which have sent messages to the faulty process reorder and then resend their in-transit messages.

Abstract: A call processing method where a transferring station can be disconnected from a call after the call is transferred to a third station, but where the call is automatically returned to the transferring station in response to either disconnect signaling or other predefined signaling, e.g., a flash or a dual-tone-multi-frequency (DTMF) tone, without requiring any station to dial the transferring station. The transferring station is for a subscriber to a new, transfer-with-return feature. The feature is invoked for the call either in response to a signal from the transferring station requesting invocation of the feature or because the subscriber has only the transfer-with-return feature and no other transfer feature. The call is also returned in response to a busy or no answer condition of the third station.

Abstract: A communication method wherein rate of information transfer with a given signal transmitted or received at a transceiver node is dynamically varied as a function of the relative quality of the transmission environment. The method employs a responsive buffering process at each communication node that permits this rate to be varied somewhat independently of the rate at which information is transferred to or from the transceiver node. In a particular application, the invention permits information to be exchanged between a wireless signal having a variable error correction bandwidth and a fixed bandwidth data stream.

Abstract: Si-based photodetectors according to the invention can have high speed (e.g.,.gtoreq.1 Gb/s) and high efficiency (e.g.,>20%). The detectors include a relatively thin (e.g.,<0.5.alpha..sup.-1, where .alpha..sup.-1 is the absorption length in Si of the relevant radiation) crystalline Si layer on a dielectric (typically SiO.sub.2) layer, with appropriate contacts on the Si layer. Significantly, the surface of the Si layer is textured such that the radiation that is incident on the surface and transmitted into the Si layer has substantially random direction. The randomization of the propagation direction results in substantial trapping of the radiation in the Si layer, with attendant increased effective propagation length in the Si. Detectors according to the invention advantageously are integrated with the associated circuitry on a Si chip, typically forming an array of detectors.