Abstract: An atmospheric air pressure inflatable garment has an inner layer and outer layer define a confined space with a compressible material therein. The compressible material has resiliency and strength characteristics so that it compresses under atmospheric conditions when the air pressure in the confined space is reduced to sub-atmospheric pressure and an air passage adapted to permit passage of air into and out of the confined space but not water when a seal for sealing the passage is released. The garment is stored with the air removed and permitting atmospheric air to fill the space when the seal is opened raise the pressure in the space to atmospheric and causes the compressible material to expand separating the inner and outer layers and forming an insulation therebetween.

Abstract: Li-ion rechargeable battery cell electrode and electrolyte/separator elements formulated as layers of plasticized polymeric matrix compositions are laminated to form a unitary battery cell structure. The structure may be stored indefinitely, since it is essentially devoid of electrolyte solution which typically comprises a moisture-sensitive lithium salt. Prior to the battery's being put into service, at least a portion of the compatible polymeric composition plasticizer is displaced by contact with a lithium salt electrolyte solution or is removed by extraction with a selective solvent and replaced with the electrolyte solution by simple imbibition. The battery thus activated may then be charged and recharged in the usual manner.

Abstract: Method and system are described for testing SONET network elements (NE) against various SONET logical layer criteria or standards. A "basic" signal is developed or generated to meet many of the criteria in order to minimize the number of alarms or abnormal conditions reported by the NE. Simple procedures are provided to modify the basic signal. The test signals are utilized to test a network element's ability to detect and respond to incoming signal failures and maintenance signals, its payload mappings, and its use of various overload bits and bytes.

Abstract: A partially automated cross-connect method and system for temporarily provisioning telephone services through the remote activation of a cross-connect between a feeder cable pair and a distribution cable using a bus pair. Permanent cross-connects are deferred until a sufficient number are accumulated that warrant a dispatch to the cross-connect location by a telephone company technician. Where the technician would manually install permanent cross-connects in place of all the previously installed temporary cross-connects. The connections previously made using the bus pair would be deactivated freeing the bus pair for future temporary cross-connects.

Abstract: Acousto-optic polarization converters can be used as the primary optical components in a multi-channel wavelength-routing switch (101). Switching efficiency is decreased and the polarization converted wavelength channels are shifted towards each other, however, when closely neighboring channels are selected simultaneously. This degradation has serious consequences for many applications of the acousto-optic polarization converter. By applying counterpropagating acoustic waves from opposite ends of a converter (400) and using an acoustic absorber (417) to separate the left and right sides of the converter at a defined coupler crossover length, L.sub.x, this deleterious degradation is substantially reduced.

Abstract: In a telecommunication network, a method of creating, in response to inputs from an operator of a record creation system, a template for the creation of call processing services. Each call processing service is represented by a call processing record containing logically related call processing nodes and branches. In the method, a processor in the record creation system displays a selected call processing record to the operator. The operator then identifies which nodes in the call processing record will be made customizable. A customizable node is a node for which subsequent template users can specify predetermined expressions. After the node is selected, the processor displays to the operator all the expressions of the selected node and prompts the operator to identify which of the expressions will be customizable. The operator then identifies which expressions of the selected node will be customizable.

Abstract: A safety drinking container for controlled release of liquid contained therein, particularly hot beverages and the like. The safety container includes base and lid portions which engage one another in sealing relationship during use. In one preferred embodiment, the lid portion includes at least one drinking passage arranged to be covered by the mouth of an individual during consumption of a liquid, while the base portion is configured with an edge surrounding an opening in the base portion which discourages the individual from consuming the liquid directly from the base portion. In another preferred embodiment, the base portion includes a top having an opening formed therein. The opening is defined by an edge which discourages the individual from consuming the liquid directly from the base portion. The base portion including at least one drinking passage arranged to be covered by the mouth of the individual.

Abstract: Four QCIF video input signals generated by participants in a multiparty video conference are combined in the coded domain to produce a merged CIF video output signal. When the CIF video output signal is transmitted back to each party's video terminal, a combined 2.times.2 image is displayed. A video signal combiner (700) combines the input video signals in the coded domain by time-division multiplexing the inputs at the GOB level. In order to maintain frame synchronization between the inputs which may be arriving at different frame repetition rates, the combiner stores the inputs in buffers (706-709) and processes (710) the temporal reference (TR) numbers associated with each frame in each input before merging the GOBs from each input in accordance with the processed TR number. Specifically, the TR of each input is offset by an initial TR number associated with each input and determined at turn-on. The offset TR in each input is then mapped onto a scale of TR numbers that is common to each input.

Abstract: An improved method for design and testing using a CAD system incorporating the automatic production of a bloc-structured hexahedral grid of a mathematically defined volume from a previously generated surface definition of the volume. A surface definition of an object is designed and stored in a CAD format, then numerically scanned to detect major geometric features. A structured, hexahedral grid is projected through the volume with a grid density and spacing conforming to the major geometric features of the surface definition. All grid elements which do not intersect the volume within surface definition are discarded, and the remaining surface nodes are projected onto the surface definition of the volume. Highly distorted elements resulting from the projection are minimized by iteratively smoothing nodes on the corners, edges, and surfaces of the surface definition by applying a relaxation algorithm.

Abstract: Method for enabling each of several processors in a multi-processing operating system to schedule processes it will execute without a supervisory scheduler. The processes are executed on the basis of priorities assigned to the processes. More than one processor can schedule processes simultaneously so long as each processor schedules processes having different priority levels from those being processed by another processor.

Abstract: A system for controlling initialization and self test operations in a multiprocessor system facilitates the use of central processing units based around differing microprocessor types. More specifically, the present invention involves storing configuration information, initialization self-test code, and boot code specific to each processor, memory module, or I/O circuit board in non-executable form in a non-volatile memory, on the respective circuit board, and storing the executable portion of the boot code needed by the initial boot processor in a centrally accessible non-volatile memory.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for converting purified, partially purified or crude taxane mixtures into a protected precursor of 10-deacetylbaccatin III and into 10-deacetylbaccatin III. The process comprises three steps, the first of which includes contacting a mixture containing at least one naturally occurring taxane compound having the structure (II) ##STR1## in which R.sub.1 is phenyl, ##STR2## [an ester linkage at the C-13 position] with at least one hydroxy protecting group. The second step involves cleaving the ester linkage of the protected taxane thus giving rise to a protected precursor of 10-deacetylbaccatin III, the deprotection of which leads to 10-deacetylbaccatin III.

Abstract: In solid-state chemical sensors, such as the highly sensitive and selective sensor for the detection of halogenated compounds comprises a bead of sodium lanthanum fluoride silicate, having the molecular formula NaLa.sub.4 (SiO.sub.4).sub.3 F, the performance and lifetime are adversely affected by a build-up of insulating reaction product between two electrodes. To prolong the lifetime, intermittent sensor operation is achieved by applying a voltage between the sensor electrodes during only a small fraction of each measurement cycle and/or by reversing the voltage in successive measurement intervals and/or by switching the connections between additional reserve electrodes and/or by periodically exposing the sensor to chemically filtered air at regular time intervals during a major fraction of each measurement cycle. The response speed and sensitivity of the NaLa.sub.4 (SiO.sub.4).sub.

Abstract: A Nonpublished Number Messaging (NPNM) system allows a caller to leave a message for a party having a nonpublished telephone number. When a caller calls directory assistance to request a telephone number, an operator service system (OSS) switch routes the call to a directory assistance operator. The operator enters the requested listing into an operator console and a search is made in an OSS database (DB). When it is determined that the requested telephone number is nonpublished, the OSS switch routes the call to an audio response unit (ARU), which plays a recorded message, and then routes the call to a voice mail service (VMS) provider. The VMS Provider records a message left by the caller and then delivers it to the appropriate party.

Abstract: In a telecommunication network, a method of creating, in response to inputs from an operator of a record creation system, a general service specification for a call processing record. The call processing record includes logically related nodes and branches. In the method, a processor in the record creation system prompts the operator to identify at least one optional node, at least one required node, and at least one restricted node from a node set presented to the operator. Optional nodes are nodes which may appear in a call processing record associated with the general service specification; required nodes must appear in the call processing record associated with the general service specification; and restricted nodes cannot appear in the call processing record associated with the general service specification.

Abstract: A composition to lubricate or preserve rubber materials having, by weight, 5-10% graphite, 0.5-10% of a titanate ester and the balance isopropyl alcohol. A rubber material is lubricated or preserved by the steps of applying such a composition to a rubber material and allowing the composition to adhere to the rubber material. The composition may also contain 0.5-5% by weight of a fluorocarbon polymer and/or 0.02-5% by weight of a UV stabilizer. The composition and method are particularly suited for lubricating and/or preserving rubber windshield wiper blades.

Abstract: A particle suspension furnace having an upper injector section, an intermediate combustion section and a lower separation section. The injector section comprises a central fuel conduit for supplying a rich fuel/air mixture to a burner at the base of the injector section, and a concentric annular mixing chamber for supplying a mixture of reactive or meltable batch particles and oxygen to the burner. The fuel-rich burner flame diffuses radially-outwardly to consume the peripherally-supplied oxygen and form an oxygen/fuel combustion mixture having a predetermined selected stoichiometry which is variable above and below 1:1 stoichiometry depending upon whether a reducing or oxidizing atmosphere is desired. The suspended particles absorb heat to quench the burner temperature and reduce the NO.sub.x pollutant formation.

Abstract: Standard protocols, such as those commonly used on LAN networks, are used to connect nodes to an enterprise network via a wide area wireless network. Within the appropriate protocol stacks, the standard protocols are optimized by filtering some packets, eliminating and reducing the size of other fields and substituting still other fields to reduce the size of the data packets. The optimized data packets can be transmitted over the wireless WAN increasing WAN efficiency. The optimization is accomplished by inserting an additional optimization layer into the protocol stack between the existing layers. The optimization layer accepts the normal protocol signals generated by the surrounding layers amid generates outputs which mimic protocol layers which the surrounding layers expect. Consequently, the optimization layer operates transparently with respect to the existing protocol stack layers.

Abstract: A passband-flattened acousto-optic polarization converter (100) in which two acoustic waveguides (14, 20) are formed in a substrate and a separated by a small gap (18) such that the two acoustic waveguides act as a directional coupler in which acoustic power is transferred back and forth. An interdigitated transducer (12) launches a surface acoustic wave in the first acoustic waveguide, and an optical waveguide is formed in the middle of the second waveguide. A partial acoustic absorber (27) is formed over both acoustic waveguides at a crossover length at a distance from the transducer equal to the point at which the acoustic wave has transferred from the first to the second waveguides and back again. The partial absorber absorbs most of the acoustic amplitude with the attenuated acoustic amplitude being coupled back again to the second acoustic waveguide but at an opposite sign.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for statement level debugging. Statement level debugging refers to the ability to identify a statement in a source file, i.e. a breakpoint, and have program execution suspended at that point. Further, "stepping" through the execution of the program may be performed a statement at a time. In accomplishing this a column reference is added to debugging information generated in connection with an object module. The column reference provides for distinguishing the different statements in a line of a computer program. Statement level debugging allows for more precise control of the debugging of a program. Alternative means for specifying the statement are also described.