Abstract: A pressure chamber has a chamber wall. The chamber wall includes a sensor integrated within the chamber wall, wherein the sensor integrated in the chamber wall comprises defects. A method of determining an effect of pressure on a material is further described. The method includes applying pressure to a material within a pressure chamber and to a pressure chamber wall of the pressure chamber, where the pressure chamber wall has defects. A signal from the defects is sensed while the material and the pressure chamber wall are under pressure. A property of the material is determined based on the sensed signal.

Abstract: A vehicle includes a pair of opposing-hinged doors having a first door and a second door. The first door includes a first edge and a second edge, and is moveable between a closed position, an intermediate position and an open position. The vehicle includes a slideable hinge assembly that moves laterally relative to a longitudinal axis of a body of the vehicle to move the second edge of the first door laterally away from the body and move the first edge parallel with the longitudinal axis and away from the second door when the first door moves from the closed position into the intermediate position. Once in the intermediate position, the first door is free to swing into the open position independently of the second door.

Abstract: A sliding-window multi-carrier communication system is described, wherein the carriers are orthogonal in a local sense, but not necessarily in a global sense. In one embodiment, the system allows a reduction of the length of the basis function time as compared to conventional OFDM systems. In some circumstances, the symbol time can be reduced almost to the basis function length even though the delay spread from channel-to-channel is significant. In one embodiment, a discrete Fourier transform DFT is used in the sliding-window receiver. In one embodiment, the DFT produces M outputs (one output for each of M channels) for each time-domain input. In one embodiment, the DFT produces outputs for M channels from N samples, where N is a basis function length. In one embodiment, the sliding-window receiver provides an adjustable basis-function length. In one embodiment, the basis-function length can be separately selected for each channel.

Abstract: A correlator for use in a timing recovery apparatus of a receiver in a multicarrier transmission system. The correlator locates the beginning of a data frame and initializes a pointer register with an address to a location within the receive signal buffer. Data is transferred to a signal converter from the receive signal buffer where the samples that are fed into the converter are determined by the address stored in the pointer register.

Abstract: A correlator for use in a timing recovery apparatus of a receiver in a multicarrier transmission system. The correlator locates the beginning of a data frame and initializes a pointer register with an address to a location within the receive signal buffer. Data is transferred to a signal converter from the receive signal buffer where the samples that are fed into the converter are determined by the address stored in the pointer register.

Abstract: A sliding-window multi-carrier communication system is described, wherein the carriers are orthogonal in a local sense, but not necessarily in a global sense. In one embodiment, the system allows a reduction of the length of the basis function time as compared to conventional OFDM systems. In some circumstances, the symbol time can be reduced almost to the basis function length even though the delay spread from channel-to-channel is significant. In one embodiment, a discrete Fourier transform DFT is used in the sliding-window receiver. In one embodiment, the DFT produces M outputs (one output for each of M channels) for each time-domain input. In one embodiment, the DFT produces outputs for M channels from N samples, where N is a basis function length. In one embodiment, the sliding-window receiver provides an adjustable basis-function length. In one embodiment, the basis-function length can be separately selected for each channel.

Abstract: A powerline network physical layer that allows multiple nodes to communicate digital data at high speed, with low error rates, using electrical powerlines in a home or office is described. The physical layer provides multiple channels by using Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM). Each FDM channel is independent and separately modulated to carry data using Differential Binary Phase Shift Keying (DBPSK) or Differential Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (DQPSK). The error rate on each FDM channel is monitored and the separate channel are used according to an error rate criterion. If a channel is presenting an error rate that is too high, the channel is either disabled, ignored, or reconfigured into a reduced-capacity mode that provides an acceptable error rate.

Abstract: An audio level dynamic range compression circuit 1 comprises a variable gain amplifier 6, an audio signal level averaging stage 8, an analog-to-digital converter 10, and a digital processor 12. The output from the averaging stage 8 is passed to the analog-to-digital converter 10 which has as its output a digital value representative of the level of the averaged audio signal. This digital value is then passed to the digital processor 12 which processes the digital value relative to a predetermined level of the averaged audio signal to produce a gain control output which varies in response to the digital value and which is passed to the variable gain amplifier 6 in order to compress the dynamic range of the output audio signal when the digital value is above the predetermined level. The gain control output is more rapid when the level of the averaged audio signal is rising than when the level of the averaged audio signal is falling.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for, in an optical data recorder, focusing a recording light beam on a recording medium. In the apparatus, an optical head has focusing means movable in a direction perpendicular to the recording medium for changing the focus position of the recording light beam on the recording medium.

Abstract: A storage capacitor having high dielectric constant materials and a method for forming same are described. The method solves the problems associated with fabrication of planar capacitors for DRAM chips constructed from inorganic oxides with perovskite structure. These materials are not readily etched by conventional ion etching techniques. These materials also react with silicon and silicon dioxide and the disclosed process avoids these interactions.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and method for controlling laser power in an optical recording system in the presence of multiple system degradations.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for, in an optical data recorder, maintaining a recording light beam in an on-track position on a recording medium. In the apparatus an optical head has a tracking arrangement movable in a direction parallel to the recording medium for changing the tracking position of the recording light beam on the recording medium.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and method for controlling laser power in an optical recording system. A recording system in accordance with the present invention includes an optical source for supplying an incident write signal to an optical medium, such that data may be recorded on the medium during an incident write pulse as a mark having a distinct reflectivity; a detector for detecting a reflection the incident write signal from the medium to provide a reflected write signal; a generator for generating a mark formation effectiveness signal from a reflected write pulse in the reflected write signal, to provide an indication of the quality of the mark; an error signal generator for generating an error signal from the mark formation effectiveness signal and a target value of the mark formation effectiveness signal; and a controller for controlling a write power level of the optical source by providing a partial correction of variation in the error signal.

Abstract: A storage capacitor having high dielectric constant materials and a method for forming same are described. The method solves the problems associated with fabrication of planar capacitors for DRAM chips constructed from inorganic oxides with perovskite structure. These materials are not readily etched by conventional ion etching techniques. These materials also react with silicon and silicon dioxide and the disclosed process avoids these interactions.