Abstract: A method and apparatus for maintaining orientation of a wafer with respect to the wafer holder and a source emission is disclosed.Briefly stated, a wafer is disposed on a wafer holder and displaced in translation only while made to continuously follow a planar closed path which allows the rotation of the wafer with respect to source of emission while keeping the wafer and the wafer holder uniformly aligned with respect to each other.

Abstract: The invention is characterized as a data processing architecture and method for multi-stage processing of mail, using knowledge based techniques. The system includes OCR-scanning a multipart address field of a mail piece at a sending location, the address field including at least two portions, a first stage routing portion (destination city, state, country, zip code) and a second stage routing portion (destination street address, building floor, corporate addressee internal routing). At the sending location, the image of the entire address field is captured by an OCR head and stored in memory. A serial number is printed on the mail piece. The first routing portion is then converted into sorting signals to sort the mail piece to a truck at the sending location which is to be dispatched to the city, state and country indicated in the first stage routing portion.

Abstract: A method for dividing a message into a plurality of message blocks and storing each of the plurality of message blocks on separate units within a distributed data storage system. Facilities for retrieving the information from the distributed data storage system and recreating the original message for replay are also provided. If a unit within the distributed data storage system fails, then a degredated version of the original message is recreated from the remaining units and their stored message blocks.

Abstract: Fully adaptive modem receiver for data-transmission systems which use trellis-coded modulation (TCM) and comprises an adaptive whitened-matched filter (WMF) and a reduced-state trellis decoder. The WMF consists of an adaptive linear equalizer with fractional-T spaced coefficients, and an adaptive linear predictor. The decoder combines the functions of equalization and TCM decoding. It employs combined intersymbol interference (ISI) and code states which exploit the set-partitioning structure of the underlying TCM code to provide full or reduced-state information about past ISI terms. The decoder branch metric cancels those ISI terms that are not, or are only partially, represented by the trellis states.

Abstract: Apparatus and method which provides a variable instruction stack. Instructions to be executed are fed into a single input multiple output stack register feeding from the lowest to the highest level. Instructions are provided with a valid bit to distinguish instructions requiring execution from those requiring no execution (NOOP). When an instruction not requiring execution (NOOP) propagates to the highest level, the execution unit receives an instruction in a lower level of the stack avoiding any idle time of the execution unit waiting for an executable instruction to propagate to the highest level.

Abstract: Thin film recording media are protected and lubricated by overcoating them with a carbon overcoat applying a lubricant to said overcoat and bonding the lubricant to the carbon overcoat by irradiating it by UV radiation.

Abstract: A method selects a storage system, performed by assigning values to preselected parameters relating to each storage system under review. Several performance factors are calculated, each performance factor being based upon one or more of the selected parameters. The performance factors are multiplied to derive a product which represents a single figure of merit.

Abstract: A thin film metal alloy magnetic recording disk has an improved protective overcoat which is both wear resistant and which creates a low level of stiction in a rigid disk file. In a preferred embodiment the overcoat is a film of essentially amorphous carbon or hydrogen-containing carbon with relatively small amounts of additives of iron (Fe), tungsten (W) or tungsten-carbide (WC). The structure of the overcoat is a relatively smooth planar carbon surface with discrete clusters of the additives which project slightly above the smooth carbon surface. The specific additives to the carbon overcoat improve the wear resistance of the disk and permit the sliders to contact the disks in contact start/stop (CSS) operation without damage to any of the disk file components.

Abstract: A device that contains a copper substrate; a rigidizing layer and/or a metal layer, and a non-graphitic hard carbon layer deposited on the rigidizing layer; and use as a heat sink or piston for electronic components.

Abstract: An improved data connector includes identical hermaphroditic mating members having inner cable clamping ground shields coupled by a grounding plug to an outer ground shield. The outer ground shield is formed from two sleeves one of each mounted on one of the hermaphroditic mating members and overlapping each other to encircle the contact portions of the connector when it is in mated relationship with a complimentary member.

Abstract: A dual resistance connector system is provided to allow the replacement of power regulators in a computer system without removing power from the operating voltage bus. The new power regulator can be "hot plugged" into the voltage bus without creating a voltage drop on the bus which could lead to voltage transients and logic errors. The low resistance bus bar is augmented by a retractable high resistance contact. The high resistance contact is configured to make electrical connection with the operating voltage bus before the low resistance contact. The establishment of a high resistance circuit allows charging of output filter capacitors without creating a large voltage drop on the operating voltage bus. As installation continues, the low resistance bus bar makes contact and is held in position by a fastener. The fastener is initially held out of electrical contact by a compression spring.

Abstract: A sigma-delta converter including a switching component controlled by a first clock having determined transitions for generating a train of sigma-delta code pulses corresponding to an analog input value. The sigma-delta includes circuits for generating a second clock of a same frequency as the first clock and having a negative transition followed after a defined period of time (d2) by a positive transition. The determined transitions of the first clock controlling the switching element occur during said defined period of time. There is also included a circuit controlled by the sigma-delta code pulse train and said second clock for generating a train of sigma-delta pulses insensitive to the mismatch of the rise and fall times of the switching element thereby improving the linearity and the signal-to-noise ratio of the converter.

Abstract: A distributed processing system includes a host and at least one connected work station. At the host there are included heuristic logic circuits which respond to information objects received at the host to determine the likelihood of use of each such object by the work station. Information objects likely to be used at the work station are voluntarily transmitted by the host to the work station prior to a request being made by the work station.

Abstract: A transducer head is located on a head arm. The head arm has a roller surface which contacts a fixed surface at a point of contact. The roller surface is attached to the fixed surface such that the roller surface may roll along the fixed surface without slipping. The roller surface and the fixed surface are such that a line between the point of contact and a disk center is always perpendicular to a line between the disk center and the transducer head for all positions as the roller surface rolls along the fixed surface.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for identifying a valid symbol or a string of valid symbols from a sequence of handwritten strokes. A method includes the steps of (a) generating in response to one or more handritten strokes a plurality of stroke labels each having an associated score; (b) processing the plurality of stroke labels in accordance with a beam search-like technique to identify those stroke labels indicative of a valid symbol or portion of a valid symbol; and (c) associating together identified stroke labels to determine an identity of a valid symbol or a string of valid symbols therefrom. An aspect of the invention is that each of the constraint validation filters is switchably coupled into a serial filter chain. The switches function to either couple a filter input to a stroke label or decouple the input and provide a path around the filter block. An application writer has available a plurality of constraint filters.

Abstract: A Japanese language sentence containing a word not registered in an electronic dictionary is divided by following a series of predetermined rules. When more than one division of such a sentence is possible, an evaluation is made in order to determine the best division of the sentence containing a word not registered in the dictionary.

Abstract: The structure consists of at least one glass-ceramic sheet (1) with holes (3) being filled with a conductive material (4) having a TCE slightly higher than that of the glass-ceramics and having undergone liquid phase sintering at the crystallization temperature of the glass-ceramic material (2) with the solid phase comprising conductive particles (5) and the liquid phase comprising at least a glass (6).The method comprises the steps of providing a green sheet comprising an organic vehicle and particles of a crystallizable first glass and having via holes, filling the via holes with a paste comprising an organic vehicle, and an inorganic material comprising conductive particles and at least a second glass being low viscous at the sintering temperature, firing the then present structure in a reducing, neutral or slightly oxidizing atmosphere with the temperature being slowly raised to said sintering temperature and slowly cooling the structure.

Abstract: The improved gate drive circuit provides a continuous gate current whenever there is sufficient anode-to-cathode voltage difference across the SCR. This approach described herein eliminates the need to monitor and reapply SCR gate current after each commutation due to load current distortions. Previous SCR gate driver designs used a pulse train of gate currents to provide a means of keeping the SCRs turned on. The pulsed gate control approach has gaps in the SCR's operation and requires significant circuitry that dissipates much more drive energy. Energy for this improved driver circuit is derived from the SCR anode-to-cathode voltage differential. This eliminates the need for individual power supplies to provide isolated gate signals for each SCR. This self-powering feature reduces the intricacy of controlling multiple SCRs in multi-phase or unreferenced power systems. Flexibility provided by this method allows high power SCRs to be directly interfaced to a digital processor-type controller.

Abstract: A linear actuator for positioning the heads of a disk file relative to tracks on the disks employs a ceramic material having wear properties superior to steel in guide surfaces for guiding a head supporting carriage running on rotary bearings in contact with the guide surfaces. The preferred ceramic material is tetragonally stabilized zirconia.

Abstract: A curable composition containing an epoxide component and zinc oxide and use thereof.

Abstract: A data processing system gives an application running on the operating system direct access to the output display. The system is operable in two modes. In the first mode, if the application displays text to the output display, the output data must go through every layer of the processing system before it reaches the output display. In the second mode, the application can output data directly to the output display without going through the many layers of the processing system. In this second mode, a buffer is defined by the application. Input data from the input devices are stored in this buffer. The application accesses the buffer for direct output to the display.

Abstract: Electronic device packaging structures useful for electrically interconnecting an electronic device to a substrate. The structure contains at least two metallization layers with dielectric layers between adjacent to metallization layers. The dielectric layers can have variable thickness. Beam leads can project inwardly in cantilevered fashion over a central aperture through the dielectric layers. The inner ends of the beam leads lie substantially in one plane and can be bonded to contact pads on integrated circuit electronic devices. Beam leads can project outwardly from the metallization layers over outer edges of the dielectric layers for bonding to contact pads on a substrate. Signal leads on metallization layers can be symmetrically arranged between ground and voltage leads to provide optimal impedance properties. These structures are useful for tape automated bonding applications.

Abstract: In a token ring transmission system, token loss causes selection of a leader terminal, which issues a new token. The leader terminal is chosen by selecting and storing a leadership selection reference value and then generating a succession of terminal identification signals and transferring them on the token ring transmission system. Each terminal receives the succession of signals and iteratively compares the terminal identification signals sequentially with the leadership reference signal. Each time a terminal identification signal exceeds the magnitude of the leadership reference signal, the leadership reference value is replaced with the value of the terminal identification signal. The first terminal detecting equality of a terminal identification signal with its leadership selection reference signal assumes leadership and issues a token.

Abstract: The present invention provides a logic synthesis method and system which begins with a set of register transfer statements describing the desired logic. These statements are converted to expressions in prefix form. Next, logic reduction is performed on the individual expressions. The modified expressions are then converted to a set of logical function blocks, some of which may not be primitive blocks. Logical reduction is performed on the global set of any remaining primitives. The output of the above process is then used to synthesize the logic circuit. Included in the invention are novel techniques for performing logic reduction on the individual expressions.

Abstract: Individual stages of a multistage electronic receiver include a pair of conductive isolation regions around each stage to isolate each stage from the other stages and thereby prevent feedback and external noise problems. Each pair of isolation regions includes a P+ ring and an N+ ring adjacent to each other to shunt hole carriers and electron carriers, respectively. Removal of the carriers does not have to wait for recombination of the carriers. The region which has the same conductivity type as the substrate extends entirely through an epitaxial or diffused layer to the substrate to collect hole carriers in the substrate.

Abstract: A side-by-side double row of electronics packages plug into a common backplane. Cooling air flows in an (upside down) omega-shaped path turning into one row of packages, flowing through that row, turning through an air-moving device into a plenum chamber, then turning into the second row of packages, and out of the second row turning again to an outlet.

Abstract: A method is described that gives local control to an application program during the drawing process when a "pickable" primitive intersects the pick window. This control is provided in such a way that the state of graphics workstation remains unaltered. Thus the application program is permitted to make "picking" or visualization decisions at the moment the pick occurs, and then resume execution of the display program wherever desired (typically, at the graphic instruction following the one that caused the pick). This capability enables application programs to provide greater functionality, usability and productivity to their users.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for maintaining currency in interrelated data which is referred to but not varied by users in a multi-user system which is on-line for 24 hours a day. Reference is had to the data through a data indexing construct available to each user. Currency is maintained by adding updated elements of the data when required by changed external conditions and storing the updated elements in the multi-user system concurrently with the previous version. A new indexing construct is built for the updated data version and users are switched to the construct when access to prior data elements is no longer required. Since only a single variable relating to the indexing construct must be changed in order to switch a user, an atomic operation is utilized to perform the switching.

Abstract: A superconducting device operable at temperatures in excess of 30.degree. K. and a method for making the device are described. A representative device is an essentially coplanar SQUID device formed in a single layer of high T.sub.c superconducting material, the SQUID device being operable at temperatures in excess of 60.degree. K. High energy beams, for example ion beams, are used to convert selected portions of the high T.sub.c superconductor to nonsuperconductor properties so that the material now has both superconductive regions and nonsuperconductive regions. In this manner a superconducting loop having superconducting weak links can be formed to comprise the SQUID device.

Abstract: A CSG solid modelling system 10 has a triple z-buffer architecture. For each pixel stored in a pixel memory 12 there are five storage entries grouped into five buffers including a front z-buffer (F) 16 which is employed to store the depths of a front face for a currently processed z-connected product, a back z-buffer (B) 18 which is employed to store the depths of a back face for the currently processed z-connected product and a final z-buffer (Z) 20 which stores the front faces of a displayed solid. Two other buffers are an intensity buffer (T) 22 for storing the intensities associated with the front face of the current z-connected product and a final intensity buffer (I) 24 for storing the intensities of the visible faces of the displayed solid. A bus 26 couples these various buffers together and to a processor 28 which may be a central processing unit or a peripheral processor.

Abstract: An improved photoimagable cationically polymerizable epoxy based coating material is provided. The material includes an epoxy resin system consisting essentially of between about 10% and about 80% by weight of a polyol resin which is a condensation product of epichlorohydrin and bisphenol A having a molecular weight of between about 40,000 and 130,000; between about 20% and about 90% by weight of an epoxidized octafunctional bisphenol A formaldehyde novolak resin having a molecular weight of 4,000 to 10,000; and if flame retardancy is required between about 35% and 50% by weight of an epoxidized glycidyl ether of tetrabromo bisphenol A having a softening point of between about 60.degree. C. and about 110.degree. C. and a molecular weight of between about 600 and 2,500. To this resin system is added about 0.

Abstract: The present invention provides an intrusion barrier for protecting against mechanical or chemical intrusion into an electronic assembly, especially one containing volatile memory. It includes a screen material surrounding the electronic assembly which screen material has formed thereon fine conductive lines in close proximity to each other. The lines are formed of conductive particles of material dispersed in a solidified matrix of a material which looses its mechanical integrity when removed from the screen. An electrical supply and signal detection circuit is provided which generates an output signal responsive to a given change in resistance of the conductive lines, such that if the resistance changes are a result of a mechanical or chemical attack, a signal is generated which can cause the erasure of the volatile memory.

Abstract: A sputtering apparatus in which the electrode for supporting the substrates upon which thin magnetic films are to be deposited has a polygon-shaped planar coil adjacent to a surface so that the coil can be energized to produce a uniform magnetic field at the surface of the substrates which is oriented normal to the polygon faces of the coil. This apparatus produces uniform easy axis of the thin magnetic films deposited on the substrates during relative motion between the substrates and the target electrode.

Abstract: The invention provides an arrangement for scanning bar codes applied to articles, such as UPC or EAN codes of goods in a supermarket cashier stand. A laser scanner is provided with a window through which the scanning rays exit before they impinge on a scanning area (11). The laser scanner (4) is arranged at the side of the transport flow and with its window (5) tilted to the rear and being above the transport plane (6). The different rays (20-23, 25-25c, 26-26c, 30a-30f, 31a-31f) of the cluster of scanning rays of scanner (4) are oriented such that they are concentrated and focused mainly on the scanning area (11) in front of the window (5), that they do not leave the transport plane (6) immediately opposite the window, and that generally a ray-free area is formed there where at least head and chest of an operating cashier (1) that sits opposite to the scanner (4) with its window ( 5), is situated.

Abstract: Disclosed is a multilayer circuit package having a buried thin film capacitor. The circuit package includes at least a power core, a ground core, a first signal core, a second signal core, and the integral, buried, thin film capacitor. The integral, buried, thin film capacitor serves to capacitively couple the first and second signal cores. Structurally, the first signal core includes at least one first wire that terminates in at least one first electrode, while the second signal core includes at least one second wire that terminates in at least one second electrode. At least a portion of the first electrode overlays at least a portion of the first electrode overlays at least a portion of the second electrode and is separated therefrom by a thin film of a dielectric material. The first electrode, the second electrode, and the thin film of dielectric material define the integral buried capacitor. The thin film capacitor is prepared by thin film methodology, with epitaxial deposition of the dielectric.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for maintaining active sessions between communicating logical units in a computer network when an application system fails without having to re-establish the active sessions. By activating a persistent sessions capability at one of the logical units, the active sessions can be suspended and maintained while attempts at recovery are made. Recovery attempts include restarting the failed application or switching the suspended sessions to an alternate instance of the logical unit. The suspended sessions are resynchronized with the application system and session activity is resumed.

Abstract: In an apparatus for sensing a distance between a sensor and a surface of a body being measured, a sensor body of the sensor is formed as a light waveguide for laser light. A light exit site for light diffracted within the sensor body is located at a surface thereof which faces away from the measured body. A detection particle is located at the surface of the sensor body, which faces the measured body. The detection particle has a substantially convex and rounded off form and a major dimension which is smaller than the wavelength of the light. The measured body is located in the optical near field of the detection particle. A detector device converts the optical energy of the diffracted light into an electrical detector signal. A continuous thin film is provided as a coating on the sensor. It substantially covers the detection particle and at least a part of the surface of the sensor body in the vicinity of the detection particle.

Abstract: A method of forming a bipolar transistor is provided, comprising the steps of: providing a semiconductor substrate including a first region of a first conductivity type; forming a layer of insulative material over a surface of the first region; forming a layer of conductive material over the layer of insulative material; patterning the first and second layers to form a generally vertical sidewall bounding an exposed portion of the first region surface; and epitaxially depositing a base region of a second conductivity type over the exposed portion of the first region surface and the sidewall such that the base region is in electrical contact with the second region.

Abstract: A recirculating filter system is provided for a sealed magnetic disk drive by providing a cartridge housing that mounts a filter medium closely adjoining the disk stack and substantially concentric therewith. The frame that mounts the filter medium also serves as a baffle or diverter to deflect air impelled by rotation of the disks to the rear of the filter medium. The remaining sides of the housing contact the cover or enclosure to define a dead box behind the filter medium wherein the velocity head of the air flow is converted to a potential head. Air impelled along the surface of the medium, at the side confronting the disk stack, provides some aspiration. A plenum formed at the radial outward side of the filter medium enables effective use of the entire medium surface. The recirculating air filter cartridge is not only compact within a corner of the cover or enclosure, but also is easily manufactured as a result of the simple filter medium configuration.

Abstract: A punching mechanism includes a permanent magnet and a pole-piece connected to one pole of the permanent magnet and spaced from the other pole by a gap. A movable coil is disposed at least partially within the gap. A punch actuator is connected to the movable coil, and conductors are provided for conducting an electrical current to the coil. Current is supplied to the coil to effect a punching action.

Abstract: A document processing system directs documents at a high rate of speed past an optical scanner which captures written information on the documents as video image data. The video image data is directed over a data channel to a host computer system where the data is stored on a mass data storage device for subsequent retrieval. A buffer is provided between the scanner and the data channel, which receives data a rate which varies in relation to the amount of information present on the documents. Data is extracted from the buffer at a rate which is limited by the host computer's channel transfer rate. A control means is associated with the buffer and is operable for controlling a hierarchy of actions ranging from slowing down the incoming data stream to stopping the data stream altogether in order to prevent any loss of video image data due to overfilling of the buffer.

Abstract: The method merges an alphanumeric data stream with a digitized image file. It comprises the steps of inputting a digitized image file in a first input terminal and storing the digitized image file on a first storage medium. The method then inputs an alphanumeric character string in a second input mechanism and stores the alphanumeric character string in a second storage medium. The method then converts the alphanumeric character string stored in the second storage medium into a bit pel image of the alphanumeric character string by substituting a two dimensional bit pattern of pels for each respective character in the string. The method then performs a logical combination of the bit pattern for each respective alphanumeric character with the digitized image at respective intended character locations in the digitized image area and outputs the logically combined digitized image with the alphanumeric character string superimposed thereon.

Abstract: An apparatus for decoding frames from a data link including a multiple entry expect/mask buffer an input for receiving multiple character frames, a comparator for comparing characters received from the data link with expected characters in the expect/mask buffer as masked by a mask also in the expect/mask buffer, a multiple entry header buffer for storing characters of frames received by the input, and a multiple entry compare buffer for storing in an entry the results of the comparison of the characters stored in the corresponding entry in the header buffer to expected characters as masked by the mask in a corresponding entry of the expect/mask buffer. Storage into the header buffer and the compare buffer is stopped by terminating events which are detected by a state machine. A data frame recognition circuit is provided which detects a variety of data frames from among the frames transmitted over the data link to the input of the apparatus.

Abstract: An automatic method to repair circuit shorts and near-shorts present in narrow bridges or remnants of bridges between circuit lines. By applying a voltage across a pair of lines, certain electrical phenomena take place at the area of the short or near-short. The electrical phenomena thus generated induce a localized etching in either a gas-phase or liquid-phase medium depending upon which embodiment is used.

Abstract: A process and structure for depositing metal lines in a lift-off process is disclosed. The process comprises the deposition of a four-layer structure or lift-off stencil, comprising a first layer of a lift-off polymer etchable in oxygen plasma, a first barrier layer of hexamethyldisilizane (HMDS) resistant to an oxygen plasma, a second lift-off layer and a second barrier layer. Once these layers are deposited, a layer of photoresist is deposited and lithographically defined with the metal conductor pattern desired. The layers are then sequentially etched with oxygen and CF.sub.4, resulting in a dual overhang lift-off structure. Metal is then deposited by evaporation or sputtering through the lift-off structure. Following metal deposition, the stencil is lifted-off in a solvent such as N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP).

Abstract: Dialkyl gold(III) .beta.-diketonates are synthesized in a two-step, one-pot process using a gold trihalide, an alkyl lithium compound and a .beta.-diketone.

Abstract: A message storage system and method having a plurality of message storage facilities with storage locations and a storage facility manager. The message storage system assigns individual names to messages as they are input into a message storage facility and stores the messages in free storage locations, while returning the name of the messages to the host devices which sent them.

Abstract: A communication link manager for problem determination and recovery of a failing resource on a communication link segment in a data communication network. When a problem occurs on a link segment, the using node passes link event data to the communication link manager for analysis. The communication link manager interacts with a configuration data base to determine the physical configuration of the failing link segment and the controlling link connection subsystem manager. The communication link manager directs the appropriate link connection subsystem manager to initiate tests of the various link connection components on the link segment under its control. When the failing resource is identified, the communication link manager initiates the appropriate non-disruptive recovery procedure through the link connection subsystem manager and prompts the data link control to restart the line.

Abstract: A nulling optical bridge is disclosed herein for the measurement of the difference in the relative power of more than one light beam. The bridge can be used to precisely measure the change in reflectivity and/or transmissivity of a semiconductor device or metal. The bridge operates by splitting at least one illumination source into a number of beams wherein one of said beams is made to traverse the sample whose change in transmissivity and reflection characteristics is to be measured. A rotating polarizer is used to equate the intensity of the variable and nonvariable beams under feedback servo control from a photodetector. The incremental quantity of rotation of the polarizer can be calibrated to correspond to a number of characteristics of the sample.