Abstract: A method and apparatus for on-chip inter-network performance optimization using configurable performance parameters have been described.

Abstract: Dental formations, including teeth, gums and supporting bone structure within the oral cavity, can be mapped by ultrasonic scanning technique, thus allowing examination and diagnosis of conditions within the intraosseous environment, including hard and soft tissue. The mapping technique can provide highly resolved details of formations, such as teeth and bridges, and their resident defect, including caries and cracks. The mapped data allow for a more precise and accurate diagnosis for the dental patient, and it provides the dentist with a detailed archive for diagnosis.

Abstract: The present invention provides for the scheduling of requests to one resource from a plurality of initiator devices. In one embodiment, scheduling of requests within threads and scheduling of initiator device access is performed wherein requests are only reordered between threads.

Abstract: A system and method for providing service guarantees for data flows between an initiator component and a target component. For each data flow, a set of channels is selected to carry the data flow from initiator to target. The individual performance guarantees of the selected channels are aligned to be uniform in units and the individual guarantees are aggregated to provide an end-to-end service guarantee for a particular flow.

Abstract: A communication system including at least two functional blocks, wherein an first functional block communicates with a second functional block by establishing a connection, wherein a connection is a logical state in which data may pass between the first functional block and the second functional block. One embodiment includes a bus coupled to each of the functional blocks and configured to carry a plurality of signals. The plurality of signals includes a connection identifier that indicates a particular connection that a data transfer is part of, and a thread identifier that indicates a transaction stream that the data transfer is part of.

Abstract: An in-wall speaker has a variably tuned vibration absorber to absorb and dissipate vibrations in the speaker and surroundings that tend to cause distortions. The vibration absorbing device, including a stack of viscoelastic damping plates, is secured to the speaker or connected structure via a trapezoidally shaped tuning plate, which provides a varying degree of cantilever in different portions of the stack of plates. The effect is to absorb vibrations over a broad range of frequencies.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for mapping the structure and topography of dental formations such as peridontium and teeth, both intact and prepared, for diagnosis and dental prosthetics and bridgework by using an ultrasonic scanning technique. This method can provide highly resolved details of orally situated dental formations thus enabling diagnosis and the preparation of precision moldings and fabrications that will provide greater comfort and longer wear to the dental patient.

Abstract: The present invention provides for an on-chip communications method with fully distributed control combining a fully-pipelined, fixed-latency, synchronous bus with a two-level arbitration scheme where the first level of arbitration is a framed, time-division-multiplexing arbitration scheme and the second level is a fairly-allocated round-robin scheme implemented using a token-passing mechanism. Both the latency and the bandwidth allocation are software programmable in real-time operation of the system. The present invention also provides for a communications system where access to a shared resource is controlled by the above communications protocol. Access to and from the shared resource from the subsystem is through a bus interface module. The bus interface modules provide a level of indirection between the subsystem to be connected and the shared resource. This allows the decoupling of system performance requirements from subsystem requirements. Communication over the bus is fully memory mapped.

Abstract: A vibration absorbing device for a speaker enclosure is tuned upon installation to the speaker enclosure to achieve maximum attenuation of vibrations in a selected frequency range. The vibration absorber, which includes a series of vibration damping plates separated by spacers, is positioned at varying degrees of overhang on a mounting plate on a panel of the enclosure until attenuation of the desired frequency band is maximized. Then the absorber is secured to the speaker enclosure with an appropriately sized permanent mounting plate.

Abstract: A vibration attenuating device for loudspeaker enclosures and other mechanical vibrating bodies includes one or more damping plates of viscoelastic material positioned to receive vibration energy transferred from the vibrating body. The vibration energy is transferred away from the speaker enclosure or other body and is dissipated as heat due to the internal molecular structure of the viscoelastic material, suppressing noise normally produced by the vibrating body. In various different embodiments, the vibration damping device includes damping plates shaped or mounted in such a way as to provide for attenuation of a wide band of frequencies of vibration. The damping plates themselves may each have a configuration providing for continuously varying frequency response along the length or circumference of the plate, and there may be included a plurality of different-sized plates, each responding essentially to a different frequency band.

Abstract: A method and apparatus improve the playback fidelity and quality of a compact disk player by controlling charge conditions in the zone of interaction between the playback read head and a CD. In one form of apparatus, an electrode is associated with the read head, and an ion generator coupled to the electrode provides an electrostatic field. The introduction of random noise to the field potentiates or enhances the improvement.

Abstract: A vibration attenuating device for loudspeaker enclosures and other mechanical vibrating bodies includes one or more damping plates of viscoelastic material positioned to receive vibration energy transferred from the vibrating body. The vibration energy is transferred away from the speaker enclosure or other body and is dissipated as heat due to the internal molecular structure of the viscoelastic material, suppressing noise normally produced by the vibrating body. In various different embodiments, the vibration damping device includes damping plates shaped or mounted in such a way as to provide for attenuation of a wide band of frequencies of vibration. The damping plates themselves may each have a configuration providing for continuously varying frequency response along the length or circumference of the plate, and there may be included a plurality of different-sized plates, each responding essentially to a different frequency band.

Abstract: A baffle with holes formed therein is mounted in a sleeve which surrounds the needle of an ultrasonic handpiece so as to reduce bubbles in the irrigation fluid supplied to the handpiece and thus improve the visibility at the operating site. As irrigation fluid is supplied to the handpiece, it contacts the ultrasonic motor which tends to cause bubbles and by providing the baffle with openings, the bubbles are restricted from passing the baffle and obstructing the vision of the surgeon using the ultrasonic handpiece.

Abstract: In an ultrasonic handpiece with irrigation an aspiration passages, an opening is made between the aspirating passage and the irrigating passage so as to remove bubbles from the operating site so that the surgeon's vision will not be obstructed.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for accurately determining the horizon position of a celestial body is disclosed in the form of inner and outer detector portions arranged generally-concentrically relative to an optical axis. Difference-determining electrical circuitry determines a difference between the outputs of the two detectors.

Abstract: A sonic generator comprises a resonant bar, a housing and magnetic excitation units connected between the resonant bar and the housing. The magnetic excitation units are connected to the bar at highly stressed points using a mounting connection which is a sleeve having an inside diameter slightly greater than the outside diameter of the bar. A resilient elastomer such as urethane is mounted between the sleeve and the resonant member. The sonic generator may be used for grinding purposes and, in particular, may be used to grind material exceptionally fine with reduced power consumption. The bar is substantially unrestrained so as to allow substantially free vibration.

Abstract: A sonic generator comprises a resonant bar, a housing and magnetic excitation units connected between the resonant bar and the housing. The magnetic excitation units are connected to the bar using a mounting connection which is a sleeve having an inside diameter slightly greater than the outside diameter of the bar. A resilient elastomer such as urethane is mounted between the sleeve and the resonant member.

Abstract: A cassette and a cassette receptacle assembly are provided for use in an ocular surgical system. The cassette includes a housing which defines an arcuate race. A flexible tube extends across the race and conveys a fluid when compressed by the rollers of a roller pump. A slot is defined by the housing at the point where the tube forms a bend prior to entering the race. The slot has a height which is preferably smaller than the diameter of the tube and therefore prevents the tube from flattening as the rollers urge it away from the slot. The cassette mounting assembly includes a pair of cams which urge the cassette into a locked position with respect to the roller pump.

Abstract: A vented ultrasonic transducer for a medical handpiece which is provided with a number of vents which extend from the interior mounted crystal drive motor to the rear end of the handpiece so as to allow the handpiece to be rapidly sterilized with a flash autoclave and the vent tubes allow moisture to pass in and out of the handpiece and prevent moisture from remaining in the handpiece and shorting out the crystal electrical drive after sterilization has been completed.

Abstract: An improved ultrasonic lithotriptor probe for performing fragmentation and removal of calculi deposits in the kidney and upper ureter wherein high frequency sound waves are utilized to disintegrate the calculi or stones based on placing the probe against the stones and causing them to disintegrate due to the ultrasonic energy. The probe is coupled to a transducer which drives it and the probe is hollow and aspiration is utilized to remove the particles of the stone through the probe. The probe extends into the transducer which prevents the probe from clogging. Also, the end of the probe which engages the stone is provided with a slit so as to prevent it from being clogged by the stone so as to cause the aspiration to be interrupted when the end of the probe extends into the confines of the stone in that the split will allow liquid to pass through the probe and continue to cool it and to remove fragments through the probe.