Abstract: The present invention is directed to Lean and Agile methods and their applications to manufacturing operations on production floors. A web assessable, modular, user modifiable, and graphically-enriched system and software is disclosed in this document. It provides real time Lean and Agile solutions to reduce production wastes and to enhance productivity and efficiency for manufacturing organizations.

Abstract: A module incorporating a flash memory and a flash memory controller. The flash memory controller receives data via a first interface which can be a PCMCIA type interface. The data is then stored in the flash memory. The controller is adapted to be able to selectively recall the data from the flash memory and transmit the data to one or more recipient devices via the PCMCIA type interface or by an alternate interface. The module incorporates a user input device that, when manipulated by the user, induces the controller to send the data via the alternate interface. In one embodiment, the alternate interface is comprised of a GSM interface which allows data stored in the flash memory to be transmitted via a cellular telephone to a pre-selected telephone number by the user manipulating the user input device.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for signal conditioning which reduces non-linear distortion caused by RF/FM transmitters by lowering the carrier frequency of the modem transmit signal. This is accomplished by lowering the highest frequency in the input signal to the RF/FM transmitter. In one embodiment, modem datapumps are modified so that the optimal modem carrier frequency is utilized for data modulation. The optimal carrier frequency is computed by placing the lowest frequency component in the transmit spectrum at the low band-edge of the RF channel. In other embodiments, a conventional modem transmit spectrum is shifted to the optimal carrier frequency, which is determined by the method described above. Another aspect of the present invention involves the modification of the receiving modem to operate with both conventional land-line modems and the present invention modified-carrier modems used in conjunction with the cellular telephone network.

Abstract: A communications card provides an electronic interface between a host computer and a transmission media line. The communications card includes a releasable adaptor which interconnects an electrical connector of the transmission media line to the communications card when in use. In a first attachment position, which may be used as a storage position, the adaptor integrates into the overall configuration of the communication card to present a configuration that conforms with PCMCIA communication card architecture. For certain PCMCIA socket configurations, this integrated attachment position may also be used as an operational position. In a second attachment position, the adaptor forms an extension of the communications card, extending away from the computer socket to accommodate more restrictive socket configurations. The communications card also includes an optional connector terminal to permit connection to an electrical media line connector of a second type.

Abstract: A system which determines whether one of a plurality of peripheral devices on a SCSI bus is providing termination power to a bus terminator and provides termination power from a power supply associated with a host device only when none of the peripheral devices are providing termination power. The system is further configured to only provide termination power from the host device when information signals are likely to be present on the information bus. Specifically, the system only provides termination power when the host device seeks access to the information bus to thereby limit consumption of the host device's power supply.

Abstract: A circuit for latching data signals emanating from a DRAM memory for an extended period of time. The circuit is implemented on an ASIC chip which is positioned external to an FPM DRAM-type memory device. The circuit is organized to have a system transceiver, a memory transceiver, a data-in bus, a data-out bus, and control logic. The data-in bus is directly connected to a memory processor or controller through the system transceiver and the data-out bus is directly connected to the memory through the memory transceiver. The data-in bus is connected to the memory through a tri-state buffer positioned in the memory transceiver and the tri-state buffer is normally in an on position thereby normally connecting the data-in bus to the memory. The data-out bus is connected to the memory processor through a tri-state buffer which is normally in an off position. Hence, the circuit is normally configured to write data.