Abstract: A cart or man-portable system and method for performing endoscopic procedures is provided. A portable display device, such as a laptop computer, is coupled to a handle comprising a miniature camera and fiber optic illumination subsystem. A sterile disposable portion is fitted over the illumination subsystem and inserted into a target area on a patient. Images of the target area are conveyed from the camera to the display device while an endoscopic procedure is performed, thus facilitating real-time diagnosis during the procedure.

Abstract: A protection device for a communication circuit that includes a sensor monitoring a protection device parameter and an indication module coupled to the sensor. The indication module generates an indication output as a function of the protection device parameter indicating a protection device event. The indication module receives power from an indication power source separate from the telecommunication signal. Also a method for protecting a telecommunication signal with a protection device including sensing a protection device parameter indicating a protection device event. The method also includes powering an indication module from an indication power source that is separate from the telecommunication signal. The method further includes generating an indication output from the indication module as a function of the protection device parameter indicating the protection device event.

Abstract: A system and method of information management for a distributed network of data sources comprises, in one example, obtaining information from at least one data source and storing the information in at least one data structure in accordance with previously stored configuration parameters. The system and method further includes receiving a query for selected information of the stored information and processing the stored information based on the query to generate an output representing the selected information.

Abstract: An apparatus including a handle; a first tubular body coupled to the handle and a second tubular body comprising a polymer material coupled to a distal end of the first tubular body and the distal end defining a guide face, wherein the first tubular body and the second tubular body are co-linearly aligned and collectively define a first lumen therethrough extending from an entry port to the guide face; wherein the second tubular body has a dimension adequate for insertion into a uterus of a human subject, and wherein the guide face comprises an outside diameter less than an outside diameter of the second tubular body. Also, a method of using a hysteroscope having a single operating channel.

Abstract: The present invention is related to methods and apparatus that can enhance the reliability of a hard drive by providing a built-in error check in the drive. Conventional hard drives can erroneously seek to an incorrect location on a platter of the hard drive. The erroneous seek corrupts the data stream and is difficult to detect and correct. Embodiments of the present invention can detect a logical block address assigned to a portion of the platter of the hard drive and thereby detect when an erroneous seek has occurred. Upon detection of an error, one embodiment of the present invention can further take corrective action to read from the correct portion of the platter.

Abstract: An apparatus including a handle; a first tubular body coupled to the handle and a second tubular body comprising a polymer material coupled to a distal end of the first tubular body and the distal end defining a guide face, wherein the first tubular body and the second tubular body are co-linearly aligned and collectively define a first lumen therethrough extending from an entry port to the guide face; wherein the second tubular body has a dimension adequate for insertion into a uterus of a human subject, and wherein the guide face comprises an outside diameter less than an outside diameter of the second tubular body. Also, a method of using a hysteroscope having a single operating channel.

Abstract: The present invention is related to methods and apparatus that can enhance the reliability of a hard drive by providing a built-in error check in the drive. Conventional hard drives can erroneously seek to an incorrect location on a platter of the hard drive. The erroneous seek corrupts the data stream and is difficult to detect and correct. Embodiments of the present invention can detect a logical block address assigned to a portion of the platter of the hard drive and thereby detect when an erroneous seek has occurred. Upon detection of an error, one embodiment of the present invention can further take corrective action to read from the correct portion of the platter.

Abstract: The present invention is related to methods and systems for improving the read performance of a drive array, such as a RAID 5 array, having an “n” number of drives so that the read performance is greater than (n−1) times that of an independent single drive. Formatting information for each of at least three drives is received. A first parity block size for use with corresponding first zones of the at least three drives is selected. A second parity block size different than the first parity block size is selected for use with corresponding second zones of the at least three drives. The first and the second parity block sizes are selected to increase the read performance from the drive array based on at least a portion of the formatting information.

Abstract: The present invention is related to methods and systems for providing different stripe sizes for different zones for at least a first of a plurality of mirrored drives to improve data rates. The first drive has a plurality of zones. In one embodiment, a first stripe size is selected for a first zone, and a second stripe size is selected for a second zone. The said second stripe size is different than said first stripe size.

Abstract: A controller and an associated method, which may be embodied within a disk array system, are disclosed for verifying, the integrity of command data written to a disk drive (preferably an Advanced Technology Attachment or ATA drive) before such command data is used to execute a command. The controller, which may be implemented in automated hardware or firmware residing external to the disk drive, initially writes the command data to the disk drive, and then reads back and verifies this data prior to initiating execution of the command. If the written-out and read-back command data are consistent, the controller initiates execution of the command; otherwise, the controller enters into an error state that prevents the potentially corrupt command data from being used by the disk drive. The controller may also read a status code from the disk drive more than once to reduce the likelihood of misread status information.

Abstract: The present invention is related to methods and systems for accessing multimedia data stored on a disk array to ensure that the transfer rate does not fall below a selected minimum transfer rate independent of where the multimedia data is stored on the disk array. In one embodiment, the sizes of blocks accessed are varied and the direction of access is selected to enhance read performance. A plurality of blocks are read whose sizes vary linearly as data is being read from a first disk in a backward direction, from an inner diameter side of the first disk, towards an outer diameter of the first disk. Blocks are read from a second disk in a forward direction, towards an inner diameter of the second disk.

Abstract: The present invention is related to methods and systems for reducing head movements during accesses to drives within a drive array by dynamically selecting which one of a first drive and a second drive is to be used to read data stored within a first logical address range. A first set of data is stored in both the first drive and the second drive. The logical block addresses accessed by at least a portion of read operations are monitored. The first drive is designated as a data source for data stored on both the first drive and the second drive in the first logical address range. The second drive is designated as a data source for data stored on both the first drive and the second drive outside the first logical address range. The designation of drives is performed at least partly in response to the monitoring act.

Abstract: An apparatus including a handle; a first tubular body coupled to the handle and a second tubular body comprising a polymer material coupled to a distal end of the first tubular body and the distal end defining a guide face, wherein the first tubular body and the second tubular body are co-linearly aligned and collectively define a first lumen therethrough extending from an entry port to the guide face; wherein the second tubular body has a dimension adequate for insertion into a uterus of a human subject, and wherein the guide face comprises an outside diameter less than an outside diameter of the second tubular body. Also, a method of using a hysteroscope having a single operating channel.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for providing precision on-chip termination of transmission lines are provided which enable the termination of transmission lines using on-chip resistors configured into networks, which have resistances related to the resistance of an external reference resistor. The external reference resistor is used to configure an on-chip reference resistor network so that it has a resistance related to the resistance of the external reference resistor. Termination resistor networks are then configured so that their resistances bear a predetermined relationship to the resistance of the on-chip reference resistor network. In one embodiment the resistance of each of the termination resistor networks is substantially the same as the characteristic impedances of each of the transmission lines.

Abstract: The present invention is related to methods and apparatus that can enhance the reliability of a hard drive by providing a built-in error check in the drive. Conventional hard drives can erroneously seek to an incorrect location on a platter of the hard drive. The erroneous seek corrupts the data stream and is difficult to detect and correct. Embodiments of the present invention can detect a logical block address assigned to a portion of the platter of the hard drive and thereby detect when an erroneous seek has occurred. Upon detection of an error, one embodiment of the present invention can further take corrective action to read from the correct portion of the platter.

Abstract: A system for generating a short-range wireless data communication link through an over-the-air channel on a predetermined radio frequency (RF) carrier. The system integrates conventional RF techniques into a low-power and low-cost system for establishing short-range wireless data communication. The system generates short-range wireless data communication links between a transmitting unit (500) that transmits an operating signal carrying data, and a receiver unit (1000) that receives the operating signal without a synthesizer or a heterodyne scheme.

Abstract: A process and implementing computer system in which a graphics subsystem 117 having an XY coordinate addressing system interfaces with a host computer system having a linear addressing configuration. The subsystem includes an internal graphics engine 325. The system CPU initiates data fetch and write requests to the host computer system memory 109. A subsystem host-XY circuit processes address requests between the subsystem and the host through the host system bus 105. A host system bus master circuit 315 is included in the subsystem 117 and is responsive to the host-XY circuit to access the host system bus 105 and effect the transfer of requested data through subsystem queuing units 303, 307 to the subsystem host interface bus 301 from which such requested data may be acquired by the graphics engine 325. In an alternate embodiment, the subsystem includes a subsystem master control unit or MCU to enable parallel or simultaneous operation of the Host XY unit and the graphics subsystem MCU.

Abstract: In a magnetic resonance apparatus for providing an image of a sample a birdcage resonator 12 is provided with its axis parallel to the magnetic field of the apparatus. A radio-frequency source 36 is connected to the resonator 12 so as to generate a magnetic field by a first resonance mode of the resonator and a detector 44, 46 is connected to the resonator 12 so as to detect any signal received by the resonator in its second, orthogonal mode.

Abstract: A process and implementing computer system in which a graphics subsystem 117 having an XY coordinate addressing system interfaces with a host computer system having a linear addressing configuration. The subsystem includes an internal graphics engine 325, a host interface bus 301 and a host interface bus master circuit 321 for initiating data fetch and write requests to the host computer system memory 109. A subsystem host-XY circuit 327, 317 processes address requests between the subsystem and the host through the host system bus 105. A host system bus master circuit 315 is included in the subsystem 117 and is responsive to the host-XY circuit 327, 317 to access the host system bus 105 and effect the transfer of requested data through subsystem queuing units 303, 307 to the subsystem host interface bus 301 from which such requested data may be acquired by the requesting graphics engine 325.

Abstract: A design control system suitable for use in connection with the design of integrated circuits and other elements of manufacture having many parts which need to be developed in a concurrent engineering environment with inputs provided by users and or systems which may be located anywhere in the world provides a set of control information for coordinating movement of the design information through development and to release while providing dynamic tracking of the status of elements of the bills of materials in an integrated and coordinated activity control system utilizing a repository which can be implemented in the form of a database (relational, object oriented, etc.) or using a flat file system. Once a model is created and/or identified by control information design libraries hold the actual pieces of the design under control of the system without limit to the number of libraries, and providing for tracking and hierarchical designs which are allowed to traverse through multiple libraries.