Abstract: A method of providing redundancy in an electrically alterable memory divided into addressable blocks within the memory. The electrically alterable memory should have more available blocks than required by the firmware. The method includes the steps of testing the memory to create block status information about good versus bad blocks, writing the block status information into a table in the electrically alterable memory, reordering the table so that contiguous series of entries in the table point only to good blocks, and then providing a block status array comprising block select registers which are initialized with the corresponding ones of the contiguous series of entries so that a nominal address to a bad block is redirected to a good block.

Abstract: A high speed current sense amplifier useful in memory devices, which includes a current-to-voltage amplifier that is coupled to a voltage amplifier. The current-to-voltage amplifier has an input impedance that is lower than its output impedance. The voltage amplifier has an input impedance that is larger than the input impedance of the current-to-voltage amplifier. The current sense amplifier can sense the current relationship between two current inputs in about 200 pico-seconds. Embodiments of the current sense amplifier enable current sensing either near the power supply voltage or near ground, thus eliminating the need for intermediate voltages. Embodiments of the current sense amplifier draw current from the current inputs only during the 200 pico-second sensing time and does not require external latching circuitry.

Abstract: A nonlinear resistive network, which includes switches in the data paths, is provided for identifying, isolating, and/or rejecting outliers in a sensor image. During normal operation, images are received with all the switches in a closed (conducting) state. If the data at a given pixel is different from its immediate neighbors by a predetermined threshold voltage, its switch is opened. A readout of the state of all the switches in the network yields a map of points sources, and a readout of the network voltages yields a noise-free image. Because the threshold voltage can be controlled externally, various strategies may be implemented for identification of the outliers in a computer vision system.

Abstract: A video switching system 108 automatically establishes video communications between an agent terminal 110 and a video communications device 104. A telephonic switch, such as an automatic call distributor (ACD) 102, selects which agent terminal 110 receives the video communications and generates reports relating to the video communications. A programmable switch 105 receives an initial request from the video communications device 104 to establish video communications. A computer system 112 detects the initial request and instructs the ACD 102 to select the agent terminal 110 which is to receive the video communications. The ACD 102 selects the agent terminal 110, or an agent associated with the agent terminal 110, using known methods and transmits the selected agent terminal 110 to the computer system 112. The computer system 112 instructs the programmable switch 105 to route the video communications to the selected agent terminal 110.

Abstract: A cordless telephone system connectable to the public switched telephone network having a base station and one or more handsets communicating with the base station by an RF link utilizing a DBPSK I and Q demodulator with a digital AGC loop. When R .angle..theta. is being received instead of I and Q data, the phase information (.angle..theta.) is connected to the I input of the DBPSK demodulator. The amplitude information (R) and the output of the digital AGC logic are applied as differential inputs to the Q input of the DBPSK demodulator. The I input to the AGC logic is set to zero. The Q input to the AGC logic is supplied with the R data. The AGC servo loop with the differential Q inputs to the DBPSK demodulator creates a high resolution A/D converter for R. The theta information is used to demodulate the incoming bipolar data, which may be either MSK or FSK, if a limiter-discriminator or other FM demodulator is used.

Abstract: A system for demodulating a FSK digital signal comprising: first and second frequency detectors connected to detect the frequency of the digital signal, the first frequency detector producing an output signal whenever the digital signal is detected to have a first frequency and the second frequency detector producing an output signal whenever the digital signal is detected to have a second frequency; first and second low pass filters each having an input connected to receive the output signal produced by a respective frequency detector and an output for providing a smoothed version of the signal at the respective filter input; and signal combining circuitry connected to the outputs of the first and second filters for providing a demodulated output signal representing the FSK digital signal.

Abstract: A polarizing beamsplitter includes a gradient index film, such as a rugate filter, embedded in an optical medium. The rugate filter is comprises a thin film having a sinusoidal variation in refractive index through its thickness. The embedding medium may include a pair of prisms with the rugate filter between joining faces of the prisms. The rugate filter is embedded so that an incident beam in the embedding medium forms an angle with respect to a normal from the plane of the rugate filter. Embedded at a non-orthogonal angle, the rugate filter is highly transmissive for both the p- and s-polarized broadband components of the incident beam. The beamsplitter is highly reflective, however, at an s-polarization narrow wavelength reflection band determined by the refractive index variations of the rugate filter. Polarizing beamsplitters may be fabricated with multiple reflection bands, including reflection bands in spectral regions other than the visible spectrum.

Abstract: A service evaluator system and method for evaluating, based on DNIS numbers, incoming telephone calls routed through a telephonic switch, such as an automatic call distributor (ACD) 100 is provided. Supervisory personnel select one or more dialed number identification service (DNIS) numbers for evaluation via a supervisory terminal 108. A DNIS evaluator circuit 120 of the ACD 100 stores the selected DNIS numbers. When a DNIS incoming telephone call is received by the ACD 100, the DNIS evaluator circuit 120 collects the DNIS number transmitted with the call. The DNIS evaluator circuit 120 determines whether any of the selected DNIS numbers match the collected DNIS number. If one of the selected DNIS numbers matches the collected DNIS number, the supervisor is connected to the call, preferably in a nonintrusive manner.

Abstract: A system for adaptively determining a bitwise weighting factor for coded binary data comprising a correction unit that provides an overall weighting factor representative of the sum of the products of the individual symbol probability factor times the bit value.

Abstract: An intercom system that allows a flight attendant and passengers to communicate to each other to order and fill service requests, and allows the passengers to view the flight attendant at the same time by way of a display located at the passenger's seat. The flight attendant receives passenger service requests and communicates by way of a flight attendant control unit and handset that is typically located in a service galley. Passengers communicate by way of passenger control unit and handsets located at each seat. A camera mounted in the galley allows passengers to view the flight attendant while making the service request. Using the aircraft audio and video intercom system saves a flight attendant extra trips to seats to receive each service request. Using the present invention, the flight attendant can receive the request in the galley and immediately deliver the item to the passenger, thus providing faster service and response time and eliminating unnecessary trips.

Abstract: A frequency acquisition and compensation device and method for direct sequence spread spectrum communications systems has an identification (ID) sequence in an acquisition frame which is received by a receiving station and an ID sequence stored in an ID register. A received acquisition frame is demodulated using dot product and cross product demodulation. An ID detector detects the ID sequence in the demodulated dot product, cross product, or inverse cross product acquisition frame. When the ID is detected by the dot product demodulator, the receive frame timing is adjusted to coincide with a time interval when the ID was detected. Also, when the ID sequence stored in the ID register matches either the dot product, cross product or inverted cross product of the received ID sequence, the system microcontroller updates the automatic frequency control value.

Abstract: An interrupt system (10) having a plurality of electrical devices (12) having a time frame in which to examine an interrupt acknowledgement cycle, first and second lines (14 and 16) electrically connected to each of the electrical devices (12), a device (18) for issuing an interrupt signal on the first line (14), with said devices (12) determining during its time frame whether the cycle is intended for itself, and selected electrical devices (12) asserting a common acknowledgement signal on the second line (16) indicating the cycle is being serviced, such that removal of any electrical device (12) does not compromise the system interrupt capability.

Abstract: A monitoring system and method for substantially automatically monitoring active incoming telephone calls being routed through a telephone switch, such as an automatic call distributor (ACD). The monitoring system includes a timing circuit which measures the length of time of each of the active incoming telephone calls routed through the ACD. The length of time of the active calls are sent to an organizing circuit which organized the calls in order of decreasing duration. Each of the active calls are then monitored by decreasing duration at a supervisor telephone. Concomitantly, a display video circuit sends a unique identification code to a supervisor terminal uniquely identifying the agent who is handling the currently monitored call. The calls to be monitored are further defined by selecting a call exceed duration value. Until the length of a call exceeds or equals the call exceed duration value, the call is not monitored.

Abstract: A fault isolation system for use in an integrated circuit. The fault isolation system includes multiple input shift registers which are connected end-to-end, serial output to serial input, for convenient interface with a test data input and test data output that are controlled by the test access port controller (tap controller) of conventional JTAG circuitry that is frequently provided in such integrated circuits. The multiple input shift registers include parallel inputs which receive test data from test nodes within functional blocks such as general circuit blocks and linear bus alleys. The multiple input shift registers are efficiently controlled by a global controller which talks to many local controllers. The global controller distributes control signals that are received by the local controllers.

Abstract: A data access arrangement (DAA) interface for alternately coupling a telephone set to a modem for operation in conjunction with and independent of the central office power supply line. The DAA interface provides an enhanced power supply to supply adequate power to the telephone set when the telephone set, or a computer coupled thereto, communicates with the modem independent of the central office line. Multiple relays are coordinated and controlled via an application program in communication with the modem which detects certain conditions representing incoming and outgoing telephone and data/facsimile calls, and commands the relays to respond to the conditions.

Abstract: This invention relates to a multiresonant actuator that moves an object with a minimum of rubbing contact thereby reducing to near zero the heat generated by rubbing contact and cutting the energy loss by this effect to near zero. The invention consists of a traveling wave actuator comprising a vibrator (4) having attached transducers (6a-c) fixed to a base. Traveling wave crests (44) are maintained in contact with a positionable object such as rotor (16) by a predetermined normal force. Traveling wave crests (54) passing along the vibrator (4) forcefully move the positionable object (16) by traction (52). Transducers are electrically segmented into groups. The components of each group are connected in electrical parallel but mechanical series. Groups of a transducer are connected in mechanical series. Each group is electromechanically sinusoidally resonated at a unique frequency, phase, and amplitude by a drive signal from a control means.

Abstract: A method and system for encoding an input signal for storage or transmission over a communications channel by transforming successive vectors of parameters of the input signal into a corresponding succession of index signals, each index signal being associated with a quantized vector that corresponds to an ordered set of values of the input signal parameters.

Abstract: A pitch estimation device and method utilizing a multi-resolution approach to estimate a pitch lag value of input speech. The system includes determining the LPC residual of the speech and sampling the LPC residual. A discrete Fourier transform is applied and the result is squared. A lowpass filtering step is carried out and a DFT on the squared amplitude is then performed to transform the LPC residual samples into another domain. An initial pitch lag can then be found with lower resolution. After getting the low-resolution pitch lag estimate, a refinement algorithm is applied to get a higher-resolution pitch lag. The refinement algorithm is based on minimizing the prediction error in the time domain. The refined pitch lag then can be used directly in the speech coding.

Abstract: A direct sequence spread spectrum communication system in a digital cordless telephone having a basestation and a handset that each implement an extended .linevert split.EE.linevert split.+.linevert split.E.linevert split.-.linevert split.L.linevert split.-.linevert split.LL.linevert split. time tracking system and peak matched filter demodulation within a related window to permit one sample per chip analog-to-digital conversion and demodulation for longer code sequences (providing savings in hardware and complexity) and to permit enhanced two sample per chip analog-to-digital conversion and demodulation for shorter code sequences (providing more robust fading immunity).

Abstract: A space vector data path for integrating SIMD scheme into a general-purpose programmable processor. The programmable processor uses a mode field in each instruction to specify, for each instruction, whether an operand is processed in either one of vector or scalar modes. The programmable processor also has a plurality of sub-processing units for receiving the operand and, responsive to an instruction as specified by the mode field in each instruction, for processing the operand in either one of the vector or scalar modes, wherein the vector mode indicates to the plurality of sub-processing units that there are a plurality of elements within the operand and the scalar mode indicates to the plurality of sub-processing units that there is but one element within the operand. For the vector mode, each element is processed by one of the sub-processing units concurrently to generate a vector result.