Abstract: A vaporizer device that uses a flame for vaporizing flavor and psychoactive compounds from smoking materials such as tobacco. The present device has a filter unit 34 with a porous flame filter 36. The flame filter 36 can be made of open-cell ceramic or metal foam, sintered ceramic or metal granules or other porous, heat resistant materials. In use, flame is supplied to the flame filter, and inhalation causes ambient air to enter the flame filter as well. The flame exhaust and ambient air are mixed within the flame filter and produce an air stream of intermediate temperature. The intermediate temperature air stream is hot enough to vaporize desirable components from the smoking material. The filter unit and pipe can attach with a ground glass joint.

Abstract: A vaporizer device that uses a flame for vaporizing flavor and psychoactive compounds from smoking materials such as tobacco. The present device has a filter unit 34 with a porous flame filter 36. The flame filter 36 can be made of open-cell ceramic or metal foam, sintered ceramic or metal granules or other porous, heat resistant materials. In use, flame is supplied to the flame filter, and inhalation causes ambient air to enter the flame filter as well. The flame exhaust and ambient air are mixed within the flame filter and produce an air stream of intermediate temperature. The intermediate temperature air stream is hot enough to vaporize desirable components from the smoking material, but generally is not hot enough to burn the smoking material. The temperature of the air stream can be controlled by adjusting the amount of flame supplied to the flame filter 36.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system for automatically identifying and selecting preferred classification and regression trees. The invention is used to identify a specific decision tree or group of trees that are consistent across train and test samples in node-specific details that are often important to decision makers. Specifically, for a tree to be identified as preferred by this system, the train and test samples must both agree on key measures for every terminal node of the tree. In addition to this node-by-node criterion, an additional tree selection method may be imposed. Accordingly, the train and test samples rank order the nodes on a relevant measure in the same way. Both consistency criteria may be applied in a fuzzy manner in which agreement must be close but need not be exact.

Abstract: An optical device package includes a substrate having an upper surface, a distal end, a proximal end, and distal and proximal longitudinally extending notches co-linearly aligned with each other. A structure is mounted to the substrate and has at least one recessed portion. The structure can be a lid or a frame to which a lid is bonded. An optical fiber is positioned within at least one of the proximal longitudinally extending notch and the distal longitudinally extending notch and within the recessed portion of the structure mounted to the substrate. The optical device package can also include conductive legs extending upwardly from bonding pads on the upper surface of the substrate to facilitate flip mounting of the optical device package onto a circuit board or other such platform.

Abstract: A multi-level optical device includes a substrate having a baseline level. At least one feature is disposed at a level above the baseline level. At least one feature is disposed at a level below the baseline level, or in the feature above the baseline level is located at a distance apart from the feature below the baseline level. The distance has an accuracy inn the range of approximately ±0.05 ?m to less than approximately ±1.0 ?m. A method of fabricating an optical device includes forming at least one feature at a level of above a baseline level of a substrate; and forming at least one feature at a baseline level below the baseline level of the substrate, wherein the feature at a level above the baseline level and the feature at a level below the baseline level are patterned in a single-mask step using a multi-level mask.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system for imposing constraints on the induction of decision trees to control where in the decision tree, and in what order specific attributes may be used as node splitters. The invention is used to force a decision tree to contain a specified attribute in one or more locations, or to require the construction of a decision tree in which nodes split using one group of attributes always appear above or always appear below nodes using another group of attributes. This constrained tree is grown and optionally pruned in the same way that a prior art tree is grown and optionally pruned, subject only to the constraints imposed by the method of the present invention.

Abstract: An apparatus for passively aligning first and second substrates having micro-components disposed thereon when the substrates do not include patterned surfaces which face each other. The apparatus includes a first depression which cooperates with an alignment sphere to mechanically engage a corresponding depression disposed on the front surface of the first substrate and a second depression which cooperates with a second alignment sphere to mechanically engage a corresponding depression disposed on the front surface of the second substrate. The first and second depression of the alignment apparatus and the alignment spheres cooperate to passively align micro-components disposed on each of the substrates.

Abstract: A method of fabricating optical filter is disclosed. The method includes providing the substrate and selectively etching the substrate to form a plurality of freestanding layers. A plurality of dielectric layers is disposed over an outer surface of each of the freestanding layers. The resultant optical filters may be used in a variety of applications including etalon applications.

Abstract: A multi-level optical device includes a substrate having a baseline level. At least one feature is disposed at a level above the baseline level. At least one feature is disposed at a level below the baseline level, or in the feature above the baseline level is located at a distance apart from the feature below the baseline level. The distance has an accuracy inn the range of approximately ±0.05 ?m to less than approximately ±1.0 ?m. A method of fabricating an optical device includes forming at least one feature at a level of above a baseline level of a substrate; and forming at least one feature at a baseline level below the baseline level of the substrate, wherein the feature at a level above the baseline level and the feature at a level below the baseline level are patterned in a single-mask step using a multi-level mask.

Abstract: An optical device is disclosed which includes a single-mode waveguide (700) which supports a first optical mode in a first region and a second optical mode in a second region. The waveguide includes a guiding layer (703) having at least one wing (750) extended outwardly from the guiding layer (703). The guiding layer (703) may desirably have a rib waveguide (706, 707) cross sectional shape at the wings. The wings (750) decrease in width along the length of the guiding layer to convert a rib waveguide mode at the wings to a channel waveguide mode.

Abstract: A text input keyboard with magnet-actuated proximity switches, and a stylus having a magnet at the tip. Each key of the keyboard has a magnet actuated switch. A key is selected by disposing the stylus magnet near the selected key and switch. The switch closes due to the magnetic field from the magnet, and the low resistance state of the switch is detected by a microprocessor. The switches can be connected in a matrix array. The proximity switches can each have a flexible ferromagnetic cantilever bendable by attraction to the magnet. The present keyboard is small and requires little power, and is well suited for use in portable electronic devices. The keyboard does not require pressing of the stylus against the keyboard, which facilitates fast typing and reduces user fatigue.

Abstract: An optical device package includes a substrate having a top portion with an a recess for receiving an optical semiconductor component and an elongated linear groove for receiving an optical fiber. The optical fiber is positioned within the groove in said substrate such that the top surface of the optical fiber is substantially at or below the upper surface of the substrate and the optical fiber is operatively aligned with the optical semiconductor component for the transfer of optical signals therebetween. A frame is hermetically sealed to the upper surface of the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical microbench having intersecting structures etched into a substrate. In particular, microbenches in accordance with the present invention include structures having a planar surfaces formed along selected crystallographic planes of a single crystal substrate. Two of the structures provided are an etch-stop pit and an anisotropically etched feature disposed adjacent the etch-stop pit. At the point of intersection between the etch-stop pit and the anisotropically etched feature the orientation of the crystallographic planes is maintained. The present invention also provides a method for micromachining a substrate to form an optical microbench. The method comprises the steps of forming an etch-stop pit and forming an anisotropically etched feature adjacent the etch-stop pit. The method may also comprise coating the surfaces of the etch-stop pit with an etch-stop layer.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to micromachining. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for combining directional ion etching and anisotropic wet etching and devices and structures fabricated thereby. The present invention is particularly applicable to silicon micromachining and provides architectures that combine crystallographic surfaces and vertical dry etched surfaces together in the same structure.

Abstract: An optical device package includes a substrate having an upper surface, a distal end, a proximal end, and distal and proximal longitudinally extending notches co-linearly aligned with each other. A structure is mounted to the substrate and has at least one recessed portion. The structure can be a lid or a frame to which a lid is bonded. An optical fiber is positioned within at least one of the proximal longitudinally extending notch and the distal longitudinally extending notch and within the recessed portion of the structure mounted to the substrate. The optical device package can also include conductive legs extending upwardly from bonding pads on the upper surface of the substrate to facilitate flip mounting of the optical device package onto a circuit board or other such platform.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention a fiber optic array is provided. The array includes a substrate having a fiber support surface. The array further includes an optical fiber having a fiber portion that includes an un-jacketed, un-buffered optical core segment. The un-jacketed, un-buffered optical core segment is placed in contact with the fiber support surface to orient the optical core segment at a selected position relative to the support surface. In addition, the array includes a solder glass chemically bonded to the optical core segment and the fiber support surface so that the optical core segment is secured at a predetermined location relative to the support surface of the substrate. A method for fabricating such a fiber optic array is also provided.

Abstract: A first waveguide holding member has a first transverse surface region and a first optical waveguide having an end terminating at the first transverse surface region. A second waveguide holding member has a second transverse surface region which confronts the first transverse surface region of the first waveguide holding member and a second optical waveguide having an end terminating at the second transverse surface region. A guide member is operatively coupled to the first and second waveguide holding members and guides the first waveguide holding member in a transverse direction relative to the second waveguide holding member so as to selectively optically couple and decouple the ends of the first and second optical waveguides.

Abstract: An apparatus for passively aligning first and second substrates having micro-components disposed thereon when the substrates do not include patterned surfaces which face each other. The apparatus includes a first depression which cooperates with an alignment sphere to mechanically engage a corresponding depression disposed on the front surface of the first substrate and a second depression which cooperates with a second alignment sphere to mechanically engage a corresponding depression disposed on the front surface of the second substrate. The first and second depression of the alignment apparatus and the alignment spheres cooperate to passively align micro-components disposed on each of the substrates.

Abstract: A text input device having a keyboard with magnet-actuated switches or magnetoelectric sensors, and a stylus with a magnet at the tip. Each key of the keyboard has a reed switch. A key is selected by moving the stylus magnet near to the selected key and switch. The magnet actuated switch closes due to the magnetic field, and the low resistance state of the switch is detected by a microprocessor. The switches can be connected in a matrix array. In an alternative embodiment, the switches are replaced with magnetoelectric sensors having mechanically coupled magnetostrictive and piezoelectric materials. The present keyboard is small and low power, and is well suited for use in portable electronic devices. The keyboard does not require pressing of the stylus against the keyboard, which facilitates fast typing and reduces user fatigue.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system for imposing constraints on the induction of decision trees to control where in the decision tree, and in what order specific attributes may be used as node splitters. The invention is used to force a decision tree to contain a specified attribute in one or more locations, or to require the construction of a decision tree in which nodes split using one group of attributes always appear above or always appear below nodes using another group of attributes. This constrained tree is grown and optionally pruned in the same way that a prior art tree is grown and optionally pruned, subject only to the constraints imposed by the method of the present invention.