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A system for monitoring air quality conditions, comprising, a multi-point air monitoring system comprising, a plurality of sensors for collecting air quality data from a plurality of at least partially enclosed areas; one or more data processing units for processing one or more air quality parameters based on the collected air quality data; and one or more communication devices for communicating the data from the sensor to the processing unit; and a signal processing controller that generates one or more blended air quality parameter signals via the multi-point air monitoring system based at least in part on one or more of the processed air quality parameters representative of data from a plurality of the sensors.

An Internet (or World-Wide-Web or other such public or private network) based business card and contact management system capable of conveying and managing advertising as well as traditional and other non-traditional business contact information. The invention is a system that: (1) accepts a Universal Contact Locator (UCL) as encoded on a business card in man and / or machine readable format and, when the Universal Contact Locator (UCL) is entered into a client program running on a client computer, (2) causes a web browser (or like program) and associated communications software to establish a communications session with a remote server computer which (3) accesses the stored contact and advertisement and news information of the card issuer associated with the Universal Contact Locator and (4) downloads the business contact and / or personal contact information and targeted advertisements and news items associated with the Universal Contact Locator to a client program running on a client computer which (5) loads the contact data into the Contact Management or Personal Information Management (PIM) system of the users choosing running on the users client computer and (6) stores the advertisements and news items downloaded from the server computer on the client computer's secondary storage device (i.e. hard disk) and (7) causes the advertisements and news items stored on the client computer's secondary storage device to be displayed to the user on a predetermined schedule in a portion of the client computer's output device (i.e. CRT or LCD panel).

Transistors fabricated on SSOI (Strained Silicon On Insulator) substrate, which comprises a strained silicon layer disposed directly on an insulator layer, have enhanced device performance due to the strain-induced band modification of the strained silicon device channel and the limited silicon volume because of the insulator layer. The present invention discloses a SSOI substrate fabrication process comprising various novel approaches. One is the use of a thin relaxed SiGe layer as the strain-induced seed layer to facilitate integration and reduce processing cost. Another is the formation of split implant microcracks deep in the silicon substrate to reduce the number of threading dislocations reaching the strained silicon layer. And lastly is the two step annealing / thinning process for the strained silicon / SiGe multilayer film transfer without blister or flaking formation.

Improved method and apparatus for parallel processing. One embodiment provides a multiprocessor computer system that includes a first and second node controller, a number of processors being connected to each node controller, a memory connected to each controller, a first input / output system connected to the first node controller, and a communications network connected between the node controllers. The first node controller includes: a crossbar unit to which are connected a memory port, an input / output port, a network port, and a plurality of independent processor ports. A first and a second processor port connected between the crossbar unit and a first subset and a second subset, respectively, of the processors. In some embodiments of the system, the first node controller is fabricated onto a single integrated-circuit chip. Optionally, the memory is packaged on plugable memory / directory cards wherein each card includes a plurality of memory chips including a first subset dedicated to holding memory data and a second subset dedicated to holding directory data. Further, the memory port includes a memory data port including a memory data bus and a memory address bus coupled to the first subset of memory chips, and a directory data port including a directory data bus and a directory address bus coupled to the second subset of memory chips. In some such embodiments, the ratio of (memory data space) to (directory data space) on each card is set to a value that is based on a size of the multiprocessor computer system.

A method and apparatus for noise cancellation in communications systems. The method is applicable in situations where an interfering signal or noise must be cancelled within a specified bandwidth. A sample of the interfering signal is used to synthesize a cancellation signal which is of equal amplitude but opposite phase to the original interference signal. Introduction of the cancellation signal into the interference signal path results in substantially complete suppression of the interference signal through vector subtraction of the superposed signal fields. Adaptive cancellation is also provided in that the frequency and bandwidth of the cancellation signal can be controlled. The adaptive nature of the cancellation loop also tracks out imbalances between the interference and cancellation signals caused by temperature variation and component tolerances. The adaptive nature of the cancellation system also allows the system to lock onto and track an interfering signal.

Sensor arrangement having sensor arrays arranged in crossover regions of row and column lines, each of the sensor arrays having a coupler and a sensor element, which influences current flow between a row and column line through the coupler, an accumulative current flow detector that detects accumulative current flow from individual electric current flows provided by the sensor arrays, and a decoder that determines a sensor element at which a sensor signal is present from the accumulative electric current flows. Accumulative current flows which satisfy a predetermined first criterion can be determined from the detected accumulative current flows, and from the accumulative current flows determined an accumulative current flow can be selected as an accumulative current flow which represents a sensor signal and which satisfies a predetermined second criterion, and the sensor element at which a sensor signal is present can be determined from the selected accumulative current flow.

The object of the invention is to provide a slotted current acquisition coil according to the Rogowski principle in which the printed circuit board base of the measuring coil can be opened to insert an electrical conductor to be measured without having to interrupt the latter. To this end, the two printed circuit board segments linked together by a hinge are opened. Twisting a single-piece printed circuit board also opens the arrangement for inserting the conductor to be measured.

Improved method and apparatus for parallel processing. One embodiment provides a multiprocessor computer system that includes a first and second node controller, a number of processors being connected to each node controller, a memory connected to each controller, a first input / output system connected to the first node controller, and a communications network connected between the node controllers. The first node controller includes: a crossbar unit to which are connected a memory port, an input / output port, a network port, and a plurality of independent processor ports. A first and a second processor port connected between the crossbar unit and a first subset and a second subset, respectively, of the processors. In some embodiments of the system, the first node controller is fabricated onto a single integrated-circuit chip. Optionally, the memory is packaged on plugable memory / directory cards wherein each card includes a plurality of memory chips including a first subset dedicated to holding memory data and a second subset dedicated to holding directory data. Further, the memory port includes a memory data port including a memory data bus and a memory address bus coupled to the first subset of memory chips, and a directory data port including a directory data bus and a directory address bus coupled to the second subset of memory chips. In some such embodiments, the ratio of (memory data space) to (directory data space) on each card is set to a value that is based on a size of the multiprocessor computer system.

A module standard for integrated circuit such as FPGAs is provided in which power supply voltages for daughtercards are not fixed in advance. Instead programmable power supplies are provided and a method is provided in which each daughtercard can specify the required power supply voltage. Thus, unlike prior-art systems, this modular system is backward and forward compatible with chips, such as FPGAs, from many process generations allowing easy upgrading as new FPGA families become available. A motherboard or baseboard for use with this invention includes a plurality of module connectors into which compatible modules or “daughtercards” can be plugged and a plurality of programmable power supplies. In a preferred embodiment there are four sets of module connectors and sixteen programmable power supplies. This allows each module to have four independently specifiable power supply voltages. A module may also connect several power supplies together in order to obtain higher current at a single voltage. Various schemes are described to ensure that the programmable power supplies will never deliver too high a voltage to the components on the modules.

An apparatus and method for fluid mixing comprising a housing having an internal chamber and a rotatable unit disposed in the chamber. Sufficient clearance is provided between the rotatable unit and the housing to create space for the mixing of the two or more dissimilar fluids. As one example, one fluid input arrives in the mixing chamber by suitable ducting in the housing and the other fluid input arrives in the mixing chamber via a passage in the rotatable unit, the fluids collide and mix and where preferably at least one array of surface irregularities are disposed on an exterior face of the rotatable unit. The refined fluid mixture leaves the apparatus from a exit in the housing preferably poritioned radially outwardly of the rotatable unit.