Abstract: Fractional bit rate encoding in a discrete multi-tone (DMT) communication environment allows the transmission of fractional bit rates, thus maximizing the use of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) available on each of the DMT carriers, or tones, while maintaining a constant power density over the entire frequency spectrum.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods and apparatus for transmitting a data-bearing signal and a non-data-bearing signal. One embodiment comprises communicatively coupling a data-bearing signal during a first time period and communicatively coupling a non-data-bearing signal during a second time period. The data-bearing signal has a first PSD. The non-data-bearing signal has a second PSD substantially the same as the first over a range of frequencies. The non-data-bearing signal has characteristics facilitating echo cancellation. Another embodiment comprises a line interface and a transmitter coupled to the line interface, comprising a data encoder and a periodic signal generator. The encoder is configured to produce a data-bearing signal with a first PSD. The periodic signal generator is configured to produce a non-data-bearing signal with a second PSD. The second PSD is substantially the same as the first PSD over a first range of frequencies.

Abstract: A transient pre-emptor includes a processor configured to detect transients in a communications system. After the processor detects a transient in the communications system, it causes a data communications equipment to suspend or reduce data transmission during the occurrence of a subsequent transient.

Abstract: The Invention concerns a latex with modified surface properties obtainable by a method which consists in adding a water soluble amphiphilic copolymer in a aqueous dispersion of a water-insoluble polymer obtained from ethylenically unsaturated monomers.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a latex with modified surface chemistry, which may be obtained by carrying out a free-radical emulsion polymerization in the presence of at least one ethylenically unsaturated monomer or at least one polymer containing residual ethylenically unsaturated bonds, of at least one free-radical polymerization initiator, of at least one water-soluble and/or water-dispersible monoblock, diblock or triblock polymer comprising at its end an active group capable of forming a radical, chosen from dithioesters, xanthates, thioether-thiones and diothiocarbamates. The invention similarly relates to redispersible powders that may be obtained by drying the said latices.

Abstract: Several embodiments of a space diversity trellis interleaver system are provided for communicating data over a plurality of separate communication paths in order to inhibit distortion caused by impulse noise or other correlated noise and enhance the data transmission rate of data communications. The transmitter is designed to receive a plurality of data streams from data terminal equipment (DTE), which can be one or more devices. One or more convolutional encoders, preferably trellis encoders, encode each of the data streams. In an alternative embodiment, more than one trellis encoder is used to trellis encode each data stream. Data segments from the convolutionally encoded data streams are interleaved with a switch. The plurality of interleaved convolutionally-encoded data streams are modulated and transmitted onto a respective plurality of separate communication paths. At the receiver, the plurality of data streams is received from the separate communication paths and demodulated.

Abstract: A system and method for providing a minimum burst duration in accordance with a regional standard and/or requirement. One embodiment comprises a first interface (204) configured to receive data to be communicated, a memory (208) configured to store a value corresponding to a regional minimum duration, a processor (202) configured to generate a frame, configured to compare a duration of the generated frame with the regional minimum duration, configured to add at least one padding symbol to the generated frame to generate a second frame, the second frame having a duration at least equal to the regional minimum duration, and a second interface (206) configured to communicate the second frame onto a communication channel.

Abstract: A digital subscriber line (DSL) driver allows a transmitter to monitor its own transmit spectrum at the subscriber loop and adjust the transmit spectrum based on detected line conditions, affected by the presence of bridged taps or any other impedance variations. The transmit spectrum is preferably equalized so that all carriers, or tones, transmit using the same power and exhibit the same margin. The invention is applicable to DMT and single carrier modulation formats.

Abstract: A composition and method for cleaning, sanitizing and maintaining contained bodies of water such as swimming pools, wading pools, fountains, ornamental ponds, etc. The composition includes pre-determined percentages of copper sulfate, zinc sulfate, and aluminum sulfate by weight. The composition and method reduce amounts of chlorine and an amount of labor associated with the cleaning, sanitization and maintenance of contained bodies of water.

Abstract: A symbol timing derivation system derives receiver timing from received symbols which avoids the need for a pilot tone, thereby reducing power consumption and expanding usable bandwidth. The system is implemented by using a calculation that finds the timing phase error. The timing phase error is then averaged and controls a phase locked loop (PLL). This PLL in turn controls a voltage-controlled oscillator, which handles the modem receiver timing. A centroid calculation can be included to bias the voltage-controlled oscillator to push the equalizer coefficients back to the ideal position. The system can be implemented in either a point-to-point modem environment or a multi-point environment, for example, but not limited to, MVL or DMT. The voltage-controlled oscillator may also be implemented to control transmitter timing, so that the central office modem and the remote modem will operate more-or-less synchronously, reducing the need for large equalizer corrections at either end.

Abstract: A mud flap holder assembly includes a mud flap support clip bifurcated at one of the ends thereof to define an open ended variable width slot. The mud flap is held in position by a bolt positioned in the slot with portions of the support clip defining the slot forming a detent frictionally releasably engaging the flap.

Abstract: One embodiment comprises a transmitter precoder operating on an input signal to produce an output signal for modulation. The output signal is transmitted using a constellation with a constellation density. The transmitter precoder comprises scaler logic, precoder logic and selection logic. The scaler logic scales the input signal to maintain constant power on the input signal independent of the constellation density. The precoder logic precodes the scaled signal to produce a dither signal limited to a range of values. The range is inversely proportional to the constellation density. The selection logic is operable in two states. In the first state, the selection logic combines the scaled signal with the dither signal to produce the output signal. In the second state, the selection provides the scaled signal as the output signal.

Abstract: A system and method for modulation on demand in a computing device, such as a personal computer, allows a central processor located in a computing device to perform the processing necessary to accomplish data communications without the need for an external processor. The system and method uses a novel modulation and accomplishes that modulation on the processor of a general purpose computing device.

Abstract: A thresholding noise estimator detects and samples an error signal during a sampling period. When the magnitude of a noise sample, also known as an error sample, is at least equal to a predefined threshold, the power of that error sample is calculated. At the end of the sampling period, the computed powers of the error samples (only those data samples having a magnitude at least equal to the predefined threshold) are averaged. This average power corresponds to an error indicator which quantitatively indicates the power for that portion(s) of an error signal which is at least equal to the threshold. Alternative embodiments provide for magnitude hysteresis, time hysteresis, or both magnitude and time hysteresis in the determination of an error indicator.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a latex with modified surface chemistry, which may be obtained by carrying out a free-radical emulsion polymerization in the presence of at least one ethylenically unsaturated monomer or at least one polymer containing residual ethylenically unsaturated bonds,of at least one free-radical polymerization initiator,of at least one water-soluble and/or water-dispersible monoblock, diblock or triblock polymer comprising at its end an active group capable of forming a radical, chosen from dithioesters, xanthates, thioether-thiones and diothiocarbamates. The invention similarly relates to redispersible powders that may be obtained by drying the said latices.

Abstract: The present invention relates to aqueous dispersions of water-insoluble polymers obtained from the polymerization of a mixture of monomers comprising: at least one unsaturated heterocyclic monomer (A): comprising at least one nucleophilic hetero atom, containing at least one exocyclic ethylenic unsaturation, and whose heterocycle comprises at least one ethylenic unsaturation, and optionally at least one ethylenically unsaturated functionalized monomer (B) and/or an aromatic monomer containing at least one exocyclic ethylenic unsaturation. The invention also relates to the use of these aqueous dispersions of polymers in processes for crosslinking latices obtained from the polymerization: of a monomer containing ethylenic unsaturation (D), and of an ethylenically unsaturated monomer containing an epoxide function (E), and/or of a polymer containing an epoxide function (EP).

Abstract: The invention concerns a novel binder for aqueous coating composition, comprising: at least a latex (A) prepared from ethylenically unsaturated monomers and having a carboxylic acid function, and at least a latex (B) prepared from ethylenically unsaturated monomers and havinging an epoxide function, and for which said latex particle size is not more than 50 nm.

Abstract: A water-redispersible powder composition comprising: at least a water-soluble film forming polymer, the polymer being prepared from at least an ethylenically unsaturated monomer; and at least a naphthalenesulphonate.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing aluminum sheet stock which includes hot rolling an aluminum alloy sheet stock, quenching and coiling the feedstock. Then, in a second sequence, the feedstock is uncoiled, annealed and quenched to a temperature for cold rolling.

Abstract: Lifting golf balls in a vertical tube from a lifting station using spaced apart motorized wheels with finger projections for projecting into side openings in the vertical tube. The golf balls are allowed to fall by gravity from an apex of the vertical tube to a diverter for directing the golf balls to a particular dispenser apparatus.