Abstract: A drill rod gripping apparatus to grip and impart rotational motion to a drill rod including a sled axially mounted at a frame and having first and second jaws moveably mounted at the sled to allow a substantially linear lateral movement across the sled to and from one another. A plurality of rod engagers are mounted at each jaw with at least one of the engagers including an abrasive surface formed from a coating to increase the frictional force between the drill rod and the gripping apparatus.

Abstract: A drill rod gripping apparatus to grip and impart rotational motion to a drill rod including a sled axially mounted at a frame and having first and second jaws moveably mounted at the sled to allow a substantially linear lateral movement across the sled to and from one another. A plurality of rod engagers are mounted at each jaw with at least one of the engagers including an abrasive surface formed from a coating to increase the frictional force between the drill rod and the gripping apparatus.

Abstract: A wireless communication receiver, such as the receiver included in a wireless communication transceiver implemented in a base station or in a mobile station of a wireless communication network, includes a parametric G-RAKE receiver circuit and a method that compute parametric scaling parameters on a per transmission interval basis. In one embodiment, measured impairment correlations are obtained for an individual transmission slot and used to estimate instantaneous values of the scaling parameters. One or both of those instantaneous values are then constrained according to one or more defined limits. In other embodiments, multiple transmission slots are used to increase the number of measurements available to estimate the scaling parameters, with parameter constraining optionally applied. Further embodiments use iterative methods and/or solve for one parameter, and use the results to obtain the other parameter(s).

Abstract: A Direct-Sequence Code Division Multiple Access (DS-CDMA) receiver and method of allocating probing correlators and combining correlators (fingers). A front-end processor converts received radio signals to baseband samples. Based on average path strengths, a controller adaptively allocates probing correlators to signal paths to de-spread certain received signals. Based on path power estimates, the controller adaptively allocates combining correlators to signal paths. The allocations may be made to minimize the total received power at the receiver, or to achieve acceptable performance for all users.

Abstract: A method and apparatus in a radio receiver for canceling interference from a high power, high data rate signal received in a combined signal that includes a contribution from the high power signal and a contribution from a lower power signal. It is first determined whether the high power signal was correctly received. A CRC checksum may be used to determine whether the high power signal was received with a good reliability. Thereafter, the contribution of the high power signal is removed from the received signal only if the high power signal was correctly received. The contribution of the high power signal may be removed by hard-subtracting the contribution of the high power signal from the received signal if all of the bits of the checksum are correct, and soft-subtracting the contribution of the high power signal from the received signal if most, but not all, of the bits in the checksum are correct.

Abstract: A searcher uses an input signal, and for example, a matched filter to generate a first set of candidate paths. A selector uses the input signal and the first set of candidate paths to generate a second set of paths. The second set of paths is used to configure the fingers of a RAKE receiver. According to one aspect of the invention, the first set of candidate paths contains M paths, and the second stage uses M correlators to generate a set of M correlation values. The second stage uses the M correlation values to select N paths that are used to configure the N fingers of the RAKE receiver. According to another aspect of the invention, the first set of candidate paths contains M paths, and the second stage uses a multiple of M correlators to track the M paths and generate a set of M estimates. The second stage uses the M estimates to select N paths that are used to configure the N fingers of the RAKE receiver.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are point mutations in the LMNA gene that cause HGPS. These mutations activate a cryptic splice site within the LMNA gene, which leads to deletion of part of exon 11 and generation of a mutant Lamin A protein product that is 50 amino acids shorter than the normal protein. In addition to the novel Lamin A variant protein and nucleic acids encoding this variant, methods of using these molecules in detecting biological conditions associated with a LMNA mutation in a subject (e.g., HGPS, arteriosclerosis, and other age-related diseases), methods of treating such conditions, methods of selecting treatments, methods of screening for compounds that influence Lamin A activity, and methods of influencing the expression of LMNA or LMNA variants are also described.

Abstract: A searcher uses an input signal, and for example, a matched filter to generate a first set of candidate paths. A selector uses the input signal and the first set of candidate paths to generate a second set of paths. The second set of paths is used to configure the fingers of a RAKE receiver. According to one aspect of the invention, the first set of candidate paths contains M paths, and the second stage uses M correlators to generate a set of M correlation values. The second stage uses the M correlation values to select N paths that are used to configure the N fingers of the RAKE receiver. According to another aspect of the invention, the first set of candidate paths contains M paths, and the second stage uses a multiple of M correlators to track the M paths and generate a set of M estimates. The second stage uses the M estimates to select N paths that are used to configure the N fingers of the RAKE receiver.

Abstract: A first searcher searches a first channel (e.g., a broadcast channel), a second searcher searches a second channel (e.g., a traffic channel), and the second searcher uses information from the first searcher to search the second channel. In one aspect of the invention, the first searcher generates a delay profile for the first channel. A second searcher uses the delay profile to generate a set of taps for the second channel. In another aspect of the invention, the first searcher is configured to find a maximum correlation value (or a set of maximum correlation values). The second searcher shifts a search finger by an amount equal to the delay corresponding to the maximum correlation value(s). The second searcher can also shift a code corresponding to the second signal by an amount equal to the sum of the delay corresponding to the maximum correlation value(s) and a predetermined value.

Abstract: A receiver can identify the source of a signal from an unsynchronized source. The receiver has an antenna for receiving two signals. The receiver correlates the first signal with a code to find a first location in time, and correlates the second signal with the same code to find a second location in time. The receiver calculates a time difference between the first location in time and the second location in time and uses the time difference to identify the source of the two signals. A group of base stations or directional antennas use the same long code and synchronization codes. However, each source shifts the long code by a different amount so that for any two sources there is a unique difference between the shifts in the long code. Each source shifts a set of synchronization codes the same amount as the long code. The synchronization codes can be any short code that is relatively easy for the mobile station to detect.

Abstract: A frequency synthesizer has a phase locked loop, a .DELTA..SIGMA. modulator, and a filter. The phase locked loop includes a frequency divider that controls the frequency of the phase locked loop output signal. The output of the .DELTA..SIGMA. modulator is fed through the filter and the output of the filter is used to control a division factor in the frequency divider. Compensation may be performed at the input to the .DELTA..SIGMA. modulator in order to compensate for the filtering performed between the .DELTA..SIGMA. modulator and the frequency divider. The filter may be used to reduce quantization noise in an input to the frequency divider, and thereby reduces phase noise in an output of the phase locked loop.

Abstract: A .DELTA..SIGMA. controlled phase locked loop modulation is used with limited oversampling factors while fulfilling the spectrum and/or phase noise requirements on the modulation in the phase locked loop. By filtering the quantization noise sufficiently then compensating for the distortion of the modulation at the input of the .DELTA..SIGMA. modulator, the required oversampling factor of the .DELTA..SIGMA. controlled phase locked loop modulators can be reduced without loss of performance. The distortion is mitigated by performing a compensation at the input to the .DELTA..SIGMA. modulator. The noise reduction obtained by lowering the bandwidth of the phase locked loop can then be traded to reduce the oversampling factor.

Abstract: An improved evaporator system for refrigeration systems, especially in environments where available space is restricted, the improvement including an inlet manifold disposed between an evaporator coil, which has a plurality of evaporator tubes, and a refrigerant expansion device. The inlet manifold is structured for more uniformly consistent and homogeneous composition of refrigerant received from the expansion device and delivered by the inlet manifold into each evaporator tube. The inlet manifold includes an elongated, endless refrigerant path through which refrigerant received from the expansion device circulates. The passageway has an elongated first portion spaced apart from, and generally coextensive with, an elongated second portion. Each of a plurality of inlet manifold outlets disposed in the first portion are connected to one of the plurality of the evaporator tubes.

Abstract: A method of using a collection apparatus as well as the collection apparatus itself. The latter includes collection receptacles, a drip nozzle, and a component for bringing about a relative movement between the receptacles and the drip nozzle at predetermined times to collect the drops emitted by the drip nozzle, in the different receptacles. The time between the drops is measured by a time measurement circuit. The lower and the upper time limits for a time interval within which the next drop is expected, are calculated by a time limit calculating circuit. A blocking circuit is adapted to compare the time measured after the latest drop with the calculated time limits, and to block the relative movement when the measured time lies between these time limits. The blocking circuit is adapted to permit the relative movement when the expected drop has been emitted within the time limits.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an asphalt cutter including a fork to be attached to a working machine or the like. A cutting disc is rotatably supported on a shaft attached to and extending between the legs of the fork. A guiding device, preferably in the shape of a housing, at least in part enclosing the cutting disc is provided with a slot through which the cutting disc is projectable. The guiding device is continuously shiftable in the longitudinal direction of the fork between a position in which the cutting disc is substantially retracted into the slot and a position in which the cutting disc extends a predetermined amount outwardly from the slot.