Abstract: A finger ring comprising a shank with a commemorative outer surface design and a dihedral setting pivotably-mounted in an aperture in the shank and having a design element on at least one face of the setting. In an embodiment, the design element on at least one face of the setting is co-commemorative with the design on the shank. In an alternate embodiment a finger ring is disclosed with a uniformly-tapered shank having an ornamented outer surface and a setting pivotably-mounted in an aperture in the shank. The setting has first and second faces, and in an embodiment one of the faces comprises a design element that is co-commemorative with a design element on the shank.

Abstract: An adaptive controller generates a sequence of dither signals for each of a plurality of control parameters. Each dither signal sequence is uncorrelated with every other dither signal sequence. Each nominal control signal has the first of its respective dither signal values simultaneously summed with it to form the control parameter values used by the controller. Updated control signals are applied in parallel to the controller outputs and a performance measure is taken and stored. The second signals in the dither control sequences are then summed with their respective nominal controls and applied in parallel to the controller and a second performance measure is taken and stored. This process is repeated for the length of the dither control signal sequence to yield a sequence of performance measurements. The sequence of performance measurements is correlated with each of the dither sequences, forming sequences of correlator outputs, one for each control signal.

Abstract: An adaptive controller generates a sequence of dither signals for each of a plurality of control parameters. Each dither signal sequence is uncorrelated with every other dither signal sequence. Each nominal control signal has the first of its respective dither signal values simultaneously summed with it to form the control parameter values used by the controller. Updated control signals are applied in parallel to the controller outputs and a performance measure is taken and stored. The second signals in the dither control sequences are then summed with their respective nominal controls and applied in parallel to the controller and a second performance measure is taken and stored. This process is repeated for the length of the dither control signal sequence to yield a sequence of performance measurements. The sequence of performance measurements is correlated with each of the dither sequences, forming sequences of correlator outputs, one for each control signal.

Abstract: A central controller, such as an RF distribution shelf (RFDS) of a hybrid fiber/coax (HFC) access system, keeps track of the different channels assigned to different remote units, such as the network interface units (NIUs) of the HFC system. Information about the different channel assignments (e.g., for upstream channels) is broadcast to the remote units as part of the overhead bits in each of the downstream channels. Each remote unit monitors the broadcast messages and, over time, updates its own version of the data structure containing the channel assignments, as appropriate. In one embodiment, the central controller also transmits a second type of broadcast message indicating when changes in the channel assignments occur.

Abstract: A method for linearizing amplifiers by measuring the intermodulation products at the output of the linearized amplifier using minimum additional hardware without the performance problems associated with pilot tones. In one embodiment, the amplifiers are adaptively linearized using performance monitoring radios. Specifically, the performance monitoring radios are used to measure the signal levels of the intermodulation products in unused communication channels. Such measurements are then used to adaptively linearize the amplifiers and reduce the levels of intermodulation products.

Abstract: A method for improving the linearity of a signal coupling device having a ferrite core transformer comprises the step of demagnetizing the ferrite core. The resulting signal coupler has substantially zero remanent magnetism.

Abstract: A two-color infrared detector (50) is provided comprising elements (10, 110, or 210) having one or more diodes (58, 158 and 168) and a metal insulator semiconductor ("MIS") device (56 and 156). The infrared detector (50) may be referred to as a vertically integrated capacitor diode. The diodes comprise regions (12, 14, 16, 112, 114, and 116) of semiconductor materials which are operable to generate electron-hole pairs when struck by infrared radiation (40) having first and second wavelengths. The capacitor (156) includes a gate (24) provided by the MIS device which is operable to generate a potential well in the first semiconductor region (12 and 112) in conjunction with an insulator layer (22) and collect charges generated by the first wavelength of infrared radiation (40). The layers of semiconductor material may be varied to enhance the performance of the resulting infrared detector.

Abstract: A HgCdTe S-I-S (semiconductor-insulator-semiconductor) two color infrared detector wherein the semiconductor regions are group II-VI, preferably HgCdTe, with different compositions for the desired spectral regions. The device is operated as a simple integrating MIS device with respect to one semiconductor. The structure can be grown by current MBE techniques and does not require any significant additional steps with regard to fabrication.

Abstract: A HgCdTe S-I-S (semiconductor-insulator-semiconductor) two color infrared detector wherein the semiconductor regions are group II-VI, preferably HgCdTe, with different compositions for the desired spectral regions. The device is operated as a simple integrating MIS device with respect to one semiconductor. The structure can be grown by current MBE techniques and does not require any significant additional steps with regard to fabrication.

Abstract: A HgCdTe S-I-S (semiconductor-insulator-semiconductor) two color infrared detector wherein the semiconductor regions are HgCdTe with different compositions for the desired spectral regions. The device is operated as a simple integrating MIS device with respect to one semiconductor. The structure can be grown by current MBE techniques and does not require any significant additional steps with regard to fabrication.

Abstract: A two color infrared detector (10) is described comprising a heterojunction diode and a metal insulator semiconductor ("MIS") device. The diode comprises first (12) and second (14) semiconductor regions which are operable to generate electron-hole pairs when struck by infrared radiation having first and second wavelengths respectively. The gate (24) of the MIS device is operable to generate a potential well in the first semiconductor region conjunction with an insulator layer (22).