Abstract: Disclosed herein is an integrated heater and measurement (IHM) device comprising heating-sensing element(s) and heating-sensing circuit(s). A heating-sensing element generates heat and determines the temperature of the IHM device. In some embodiments, the heating-sensing element may operate in a plurality of modes: heating mode, sensing mode, and/or off mode. A controller may dynamically adjust the properties of the operation mode and/or time periods based on the determined temperature. The adjusted properties may include the duration of the heating mode, the ON time for a heating-sensing element, etc. The controller may adjust the duration of heating mode based on the temperature difference between the determined temperature and a set point temperature, such as decreasing the duration of the heating mode when there is a low temperature difference, and increasing the duration of the heating mode when there is a high temperature difference.

Abstract: In a data processing system having a data processor coupled to a SCSI channel disposed for transmitting and receiving data between the data processor and a peripheral storage subsystem, a bridge controller for expanding the maximum allowable number of disk drives connectable to the SCSI channel. The bridge controller comprises a microprocessor having input/output terminals coupled to a CPU bus; a memory having input/output terminals coupled to a DMA bus; a buffer coupled between the CPU bus and the DMA bus; a first transceiver coupled between the DMA bus and the SCSI channel; a second transceiver coupled between the DMA bus and the disk drives; and, a circuit for controlling the direction of data flow through the buffer. The circuit has input/output terminals coupled to the CPU bus and a control output coupled to a direction control input terminal of the buffer.

Abstract: The disclosed invention is an apparatus in a computer peripheral device for determining the direction of signal flow and data flow on a SCSI bus, which apparatus comprises a time delay means responsive to status signals of the SCSI bus. The time delay means generates a signal that defines an arbitration selection period of time for determining control of the SCSI bus. The apparatus further includes a first circuit means responsive to the arbitration selection signal and status signals of the SCSI bus. The first circuit means generates a plurality of signals that determine whether the peripheral device is an initiator of signals to be transmitted on the bus or is a target for receipt of signals present on the bus. Moreover, the apparatus includes a second circuit means that is responsive to the plurality of signals generated by the first circuit means and status signals of the bus. The second circuit means generates a pair of signals indicative of the direction of data and signal flow on the SCSI bus.

Abstract: The disclosed invention is a unique apparatus for converting signal formats. For example, the apparatus can convert from a single-ended to a differential format without the necessity of additional control circuitry. A cross-circuit arrangement prevents an undesired reversal of direction for conversion of signal formats.

Abstract: Understandability of synthesized speech is improved by random modulation: after a predetermined number of phonemes, the speech rate is changed by a random amount, with proportional changes in pitch and phoneme transition rate.

Abstract: A phoneme-based speech synthesizer that is particularly adapted for implementation on a single integrated circuit chip. The vocal tract is comprised of a fixed resonant filter and a plurality of tunable resonant filters whose resonant frequencies are controlled in accordance with the values of certain control parameters. The vocal tract is implemented utilizing a capacitive switching technique which eliminates the need for large valued components to achieve the relatively low frequencies of human speech. In addition, a novel digital transition circuit is included which gradually transitions the values of the vocal tract control parameters as they change from phoneme to phoneme. A unique glottal source generator is also disclosed which is adapted to digitally generate a glottal pulse signal in a manner which readily permits the glottal pulse to be spectrally shaped in any desired configuration.

Abstract: A completely self-contained, battery operated, portable voice system for the verbally handicapped which is sufficiently compact to be hand held. The system contains a preestablished vocabulary of words, phonemes, and phrases which are accessible by the non-verbal via a keyboard. The desired message is then phonetically spoken by a speech synthesizer contained in the unit upon the depression of a TALK key. For verbally handicapped persons with minimal motor capabilities, the present invention is adapted to be operable in a scrolling scanning or "scrolling" mode wherein the numerical display is automatically rotated in sequence and the selections entered by activating a sensor switch with a single body function to stop the display at the desired number.

Abstract: A highly simplified speech synthesizer that is capable of producing quality speech. The present speech synthesizer is adapted to be driven by an 8-bit digital input command word. Six of the bits are used for phoneme selection and the remaining two bits for inflection control. In a first embodiment, the system is adapted to generate twelve parameter control signals for each phoneme, with one of the parameters being utilized to control both high and low frequency fricative injection into the vocal tract. This embodiment also provides asynchronous excitation of the vocal tract by including a second fricative excitation control circuit that is adapted to inject white noise in parallel into the second and third resonant filters under the control of the vocal amplitude control signal. In a second embodiment, one of the twelve signal parameters is utilized as two separate control signals thus effectively providing thirteen control signal parameters.

Abstract: A highly simplified speech synthesizer that is capable of producing quality speech. The present speech synthesizer is adapted to be driven by an 8-bit digital input command word. Six of the bits are used for phoneme selection and the remaining two bits for inflection control. In a first embodiment, the system is adapted to generate twelve parameter control signals for each phoneme, with one of the parameters being utilized to control both high and low frequency fricative injection into the vocal tract. This embodiment also provides asynchronous excitation of the vocal tract by including a second fricative excitation control circuit that is adapted to inject white noise in parallel into the second and third resonant filters under the control of the vocal amplitude control signal. In a second embodiment, one of the twelve signal parameters is utilized as two separate control signals thus effectively providing thirteen control signal parameters.