Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the compressive strength of masonry units based on airborne sonic signals generated by stimulating the samples with short duration, mechanical impulses are described. The non-destructive testing apparatus consists of a specimen support unit which mechanically isolates the masonry unit from the environment and from the support, a mechanical stimulator, and an acoustic response detector. The signals recorded are analyzed to extract the pertinent features which are then used to compute the compressive strength of the sample. The pertinent signals are deduced through a calibration of the masonry type being analyzed (material and shape) based on physical analysis of the sample's normal modes of vibration, or through Finite Element Analysis of the vibrations, or through direct empirical calibration. This non-destructive testing method is low-cost, readily implemented and provides a reliable technique for compressive strength estimation.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the compressive strength of masonry units based on airborne sonic signals generated by stimulating the samples with short duration, mechanical impulses are described. The non-destructive testing apparatus consists of a specimen support unit which mechanically isolates the masonry unit from the environment and from the support, a mechanical stimulator, and an acoustic response detector. The signals recorded are analyzed to extract the pertinent features which are then used to compute the compressive strength of the sample. The pertinent signals are deduced through a calibration of the masonry type being analyzed (material and shape) based on physical analysis of the sample's normal modes of vibration, or through Finite Element Analysis of the vibrations, or through direct empirical calibration. This non-destructive testing method is low-cost, readily implemented and provides a reliable technique for compressive strength estimation.

Abstract: One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for parsing tabular data of a document. That is, a document may comprise arbitrarily formatted content (e.g., an equipment inspection report generated by an engineer). Respective rows of the document may be clustered into one or more row clusters based upon row proximity and/or numeric content (e.g., rows having similar numeric content may comprise logically related information). One or more vertical clusters may be generated within respective row clusters based upon vertical overlap. In this way, row clusters and/or vertical clusters may be searched for one or more values that may be assigned to a search term. For example, a row cluster may comprise a search term “Average temp”. One or more vertical clusters within the row cluster may be searched for a word that matches a pattern criteria (e.g., a two digit number), which may be assigned to the search term.

Abstract: One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for parsing tabular data of a document. That is, a document may comprise arbitrarily formatted content (e.g., an equipment inspection report generated by an engineer). Respective rows of the document may be clustered into one or more row clusters based upon row proximity and/or numeric content (e.g., rows having similar numeric content may comprise logically related information). One or more vertical clusters may be generated within respective row clusters based upon vertical overlap. In this way, row clusters and/or vertical clusters may be searched for one or more values that may be assigned to a search term. For example, a row cluster may comprise a search term “Average temp”. One or more vertical clusters within the row cluster may be searched for a word that matches a pattern criteria (e.g., a two digit number), which may be assigned to the search term.

Abstract: The method operates in a telecommunications network having at least one subscriber terminal corresponding to at least one subscriber at a subscriber location. The method implements a message waiting indication service for indicating the presence of a data message corresponding to the at least one subscriber in a data message platform. The method begins in step 100 by receiving the data message at the data message platform. A message waiting signal is generated as shown in step 102. The message waiting signal is transmitted to the telecommunications network as shown in step 104 and a message waiting indication signal is generated at the telecommunications network as shown in step 106. Finally, a message waiting indication signal is transmitted to the subscriber terminal in response to the message waiting signal.

Abstract: A method of minimizing throughput delay in constant-bit-rate services carried over packet-based networks subject to variable delays, comprises, in one embodiment, the steps of receiving incoming packets in a buffer, reading out bits from the buffer at a clock frequency fi, continually monitoring the buffer fill level Li, determining the maximum fill level Lmaxj over a plurality of successive samples, determining the minimum fill level Lmink over a plurality of successive samples, adjusting the clock frequency fi to cause the maximum fill level Lmaxj to tend toward a target value TargetLmax, and adaptively changing said target value TargetLmax so that the minimum fill level Lmink tends toward a predetermined set-point. The rate of change of the target value TargetLmax is significantly slower than the rate of adjustment of clock frequency. The invention can be applied to other types of clock recovery.

Abstract: A clock recovery unit provides a clock recovery function in the receiving entity of a system to implement adaptation of constant bit-rate (CBR) services over an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) or ATM-like network. Incoming cells are periodically sampled for buffer fill level L.sub.i. The maximum fill level of undelayed cells Lx.sub.j is extracted from successive series of a predetermined whole number M of buffer-fill samples L.sub.i. A frequency adjustment logic unit provides at its output a bit stream at a given clock frequency f.sub.j. The frequency adjustment logic unit makes incremental adjustments to the clock frequency f.sub.j tending to cause the steady state mean of the fill level Lx.sub.j, or its derivative, to move toward zero.