Abstract: A small fold-down optical frame holds a smart phone that is provided with reading software that enables those with vision impairment to be able to hear the written word as audible speech. The frame has a tray and a base and legs connecting them. The tray holds the smart phone and positions it so that its camera is placed directly over a coded symbol containing the content of the printed page. One corner of the base is shaped such that a vision-impaired person can place the frame, by feel or touch, at the proper location for the smart phone to pick up the coded symbol.

Abstract: A small fold-down optical frame holds a smart phone that is provided with reading software that enables those with vision impairment to be able to hear the written word as audible speech. The frame has a tray and a base and legs connecting them. The tray holds the smart phone and positions it so that its camera is placed directly over a coded symbol containing the content of the printed page. One corner of the base is shaped such that a vision-impaired person can place the frame, by feel or touch, at the proper location for the smart phone to pick up the coded symbol.

Abstract: A hand-held, compact fixed mounted or mobile optical symbol scanner assembly has a powered socket into which an active or passive illumination module can be installed. The socket has a recess centered at the optic axis, and the illumination attachment module has a male projection that plugs into this recess. Probe type electrodes on the attachment module fit into female socket electrodes on the socket member, so that power can be derived from the scanner for LEDs in the module. The module may convert the voltage to a level suitable for higher wavelengths, and may provide added control of the external LEDs to extend battery life.

Abstract: A hand-held, compact fixed mounted or mobile optical symbol scanner assembly that employs black-light emitting diodes to illuminate luminescent or fluorescent bar code symbols that are invisibly printed or formed the surface of an article. The scanner employs an array of far blue or UV LEDs or laser diodes. An optional nosepiece or shroud on the distal face of the scanner device limits glare from ambient light and also protects against stray UV light. A filter disposed in advance of the imager device blocks the illuminating wavelength but transmits the luminescent light from the target. With proper selection of optical filters and illumination LED wavelengths, the scanner can be used with inks or dyes that fluoresce when exposed to light in the visible spectrum.

Abstract: A hand-held, compact fixed mounted or mobile optical symbol scanner assembly has a powered socket into which an active or passive illumination module can be installed. The socket has a recess centered at the optic axis, and the illumination attachment module has a male projection that plugs into this recess. Probe type electrodes on the attachment module fit into female socket electrodes on the socket member, so that power can be derived from the scanner for LEDs in the module. The module may convert the voltage to a level suitable for higher wavelengths, and may provide added control of the external LEDs to extend battery life.

Abstract: An optical symbol scanner assembly has an illumination attachment to facilitate detection and decoding bar code symbols that are printed or formed on mirror-finish surfaces. A hand-held scanner has an array of LEDs or laser diodes on its distal face that produces light to illuminate the symbol. The illumination attachment is mounted on the distal face of the scanner device. At a distal end of the illumination attachment is a diffusion-treated surface such that the illumination leaving the attachment appears as a bar or zone of diffuse light. This is reflected off the bar code, so that the mirror-finish areas appear as the bright or high portions of the symbol and the diffuse areas thereof appear as the dark or low portions. The attachment may be in the form of a block or plate of a clear plastic, or may be formed as a prism.

Abstract: An hand-held optical symbol scanner assembly employs black-light diodes to illuminate luminescent or phosphorescent bar code symbols that are invisibly printed or formed the surface of an article. The scanner has an array of far blue or UV LEDs or laser diodes on its distal face, and a nosepiece or shroud mounted on the distal face of the scanner device. There can be a transparent plate at the distal end of the nosepiece, mounted at an angle to the optic axis, and a filter (yellow or orange) in advance of the imager device within the scanner.

Abstract: An optical symbol scanner assembly has an illumination attachment to facilitate detection and decoding bar code symbols that are printed or formed on mirror-finish surfaces. A hand-held scanner has an array of LEDs or laser diodes on its distal face that produces light to illuminate the symbol. The illumination attachment is mounted on the distal face of the scanner device. At a distal end of the illumination attachment is a diffusion-treated surface such that the illumination leaving the attachment appears as a bar or zone of diffuse light. This is reflected off the bar code, so that the mirror-finish areas appear as the bright or high portions of the symbol and the diffuse areas thereof appear as the dark or low portions. The attachment may be in the form of a block or plate of a clear plastic, or may be formed as a prism.

Abstract: A powered wireless link device powers a bar code scanner or other optical symbol reader and connects it with a remote computer terminal. The link device has a housing that contains a battery, a data-powered RF (or IR) interface unit, a serial data connector on the housing for connecting to a connector on the cord of the scanner, and a wiring assembly to connect data pins of the connector with corresponding pins of the interface unit, and leads that impose a dc voltage on selected pin or pins of the connector and the interface unit. The wiring arrangement may include a voltage regulator IC. The battery may be removable for replacement or recharging. The wireless link device can be belt worn, where the belt has holsters for the device and for the scanner. The link can be effective up to 500 feet or more, facilitating inventory control or similar functions. A link of over a mile is possible.

Abstract: An optical symbol scanner assembly includes an illumination assembly to facilitate detection and decoding small 2-D matrix bar code symbols or other optically read symbols that are laser etched or printed on the surface of microelectronics modules or other small articles. A hand-held scanner has an array of LEDs or laser diodes on its distal face that produces light to illuminate the symbol. There is also a focussing lens on the distal face and an imager device positioned behind the lens. The illumination assembly is mounted on the distal face of the scanner device. In this assembly, a lens barrel member has an optic axis aligned with the optic axis of the scanner, and a light pipe is positioned adjacent the lens barrel member. The light pipe has a flat proximal face against the array of LEDs, and an angulated distal face for projecting the illumination at a sharp angle relative to the optic axis. The tip of the illumination assembly is in near contact with the article to read the symbol.

Abstract: An optical symbol scanner assembly includes an illumination assembly to facilitate detection and decoding small 2-D matrix bar code symbols or other optically read symbols that are laser etched or printed on the surface of microelectronics modules or other small articles. A hand-held scanner has an array of LEDs or laser diodes on its distal face that produces light to illuminate the symbol. There is also a focussing lens on the distal face and an imager device positioned behind the lens. The illumination assembly is mounted on the distal face of the scanner device. In this assembly, a lens barrel member has an optic axis aligned with the optic axis of the scanner, and a light pipe is positioned adjacent the lens barrel member. The light pipe has a flat proximal face against the array of LEDs, and an angulated distal face for projecting the illumination at a sharp angle relative to the optic axis. The tip of the illumination assembly is in near contact with the article to read the symbol.

Abstract: A parallel computer system is disclosed comprising a plurality of high level processors joined together using a cross-point or cross-bar switch. The system includes an adapter between each processor and the switch. Protocol processing to drive the switch, transfer pages and schedule transmissions between the processors is performed by the adapter. The protocol use the notion of typed or tagged buffer management that allows a client to bind the semantics of a message being sent or received. These semantics specify behaviors in the protocol when message packets depart or when they arrive.

Abstract: Dynamic address translation structures and procedures are capable of multiple address translations for the same processor in a single cycle. According to one approach, a plurality of directory look aside tables (DLATs) are used to provide multiple address translation. The DLATs are accessed in parallel by separate virtual address generators. To avoid the problem of generating the same address multiple times for each of the DLATs, a generated address for one DLAT may be written to all the DLATs or, alternatively, if a miss occurs in one DLAT, a search is made of the other DLATs before the address is generated. In the former case, an address written to all the DLATs may overwrite an address that will be needed for a future translation by one of the other DLATs. This is avoided in the latter case, but translations in other DLATs are interrupted when a miss occurs in one of the DLATs. This, in turn, may be avoided by employing "shadow" DLATs which are copies of the DLATs.

Abstract: An address translation mechanism for generating real addresses, within a page. based on stride from a beginning translated address in the page. However, whenever there is a page crossing, an address must go to either the directory look aside table (DLAT) or buffer control element (BCE) to translate a virtual page-address to a real page-address. To avoid the delay this usually causes, the address translation request is sent out before the address is actually needed. This is done by predicting the next page-crossing while real addresses with the current page are being generated based on the stride value. The prediction is based on the stride value, operand size, and page mode.