Patent Grant
7965735
The present invention relates to local area networks and, more particularly, to local area network topologies based on serial intelligent cells.
Bus Topology
Most prior art local area networks (LAN) use a bus topology as shown by example in
This prior art bus topology suffers from the following drawbacks:
1. From the point of view of data communication, the medium can vary significantly from one installation to another, and hence proper adaptation to the medium cannot always be obtained.
2. The bus topology is not optimal for communication, and hence:
a) the maximum length of the medium is limited;
b) the maximum number of units which may be connected to the bus is limited;
c) complex circuitry is involved in the transceiver in the network adapter;
d) the data rate is limited.
3. Terminators are usually required at the ends of the medium, thus complicating the installation.
4. Only one DTE can transmit at any given time on the bus, and all other are restricted to be listeners.
5. Complex arbitration techniques are needed to determine which DTE is able to transmit on the bus.
6. In case of short circuit in the bus, the whole bus malfunctions, and it is hard to locate the short circuit.
7. Addresses should be associated independently with any network adapter, and this is difficult to attain with bus topology.
Star Topology
A number of prior art network devices and interconnections summarized below utilize star topology.
The multiplexer is a common item of equipment used in communication, both for local area networks and wide-area networks (WAN's). It is used in order to provide access to a data communications backbone, or in order to allow sharing of bandwidth between multiple stations. As shown in
A popular multiplexer in use is the voice multiplexer, shown in
Similarly a small private branch exchange (PABX/PBX), as shown in
In the configurations described above, star topology is used in order to connect to the units to the multiplexer, which functions as the network hub. The disadvantages of star topology include the following:
1. A connection between each unit and the network hub is required, and the wiring required for this connection can involve a lengthy run.
Thus, when adding new unit, an additional, possibly lengthy, connection between the new unit and the network hub must be added.
2. No fault protection is provided: Any short circuit or open circuit will disrupt service to the affected units.
3. The multiplexer can impose extensive space and power requirements.
Computer Interfaces
Various interface standards have been established in order to allow interoperability between the PC (personal computer) or workstation and its various connected elements. These standards usually relate to both mechanical and electrical interfaces, and include industry standard architecture (ISA), extended industry standard architecture (EISA), Personal Computer Memory Card Industry Association (PCMCIA), intelligent drive electronics (IDE), small computer system interface (SCSI), and others. Each added hardware unit usually utilizes a specific software driver for interoperability with the specific platform. These protocols are applicable to small distances only, and allow units to be housed within or nearby the PC or workstation enclosures. For example, equipping a PC for video capture could involve a plug-in ISA card housed within the PC on the motherboard, a video camera connected to the card, and a software driver. This configuration does not allow remote video monitoring.
Relevant Prior Art
The use of the same wire pair or pairs for both power and data communication is well known, and is widely used in telecommunications, from “Plain Old Telephone Service” (“POTS”) to Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) and broadband services in the local-loop including other Digital Subscriber Line (xDSL) technologies. Such a concept is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,349 to Marcel, describing using two pairs for such a scheme. A DC-to-DC converter for such DC feeding is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,507,721 to Yamano et al.
The concept of power line communication (PLC) is also widely known. However, in most cases the connection is similar to a LAN environment, in which a single transmitter occupies the entire medium. Examples of such techniques include X-10 and the consumer electronics bus (CEBus, described in the EIA-600 standard). Much of this technology uses complex spread-spectrum techniques in order to accommodate problematic media (characterized by high amounts of noise and interference). Even with such improved technologies, however, the data rate obtained is relatively low.
Prior art in this field includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,684,826 to Ratner, U.S. Pat. No. 5,491,463 to Sargeant et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,504,454 to Daggett et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,351,272 to Abraham, U.S. Pat. No. 5,404,127 to Lee et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,133 to Howard, U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,801 to Spriester et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,772,870 to Reyes, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,782,322 to Lechner et al. Other patents can be found in U.S. Class 340/310 (sub-classes A/R and others) and International Class H04M 11/04.
The concept of using existing telephone wiring also for data communication is first disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,399 to Goodman et al., where video signals superimposed over the telephone signals are used. However, the scheme used is of the bus type and has the drawbacks of that topology. Similarly, the idea of data transmission over a public switched telephone network (PSTN) using the higher frequency band is widely used in the xDSL systems, as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,347 to Litteral et al. The patent discloses an asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) system. However, only a single point-to-point transmission is described over the local-loop, and existing in-house wiring is not discussed, and thus this prior art does not disclose how to configure a full multipoint network. Multiplexing xDSL data and the POTS/ISDN data uses FDM principles, based on the fact that the POTS/ISDN services occupy the lower portion of the spectrum, allowing for the xDSL system to use the higher bandwidth.
A home bus network using dedicated wiring is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,349 to Kubo et al., and a home automation network based on a power line controller (PLC) is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,579,221 to Mun. U.S. Pat. No. 4,714,912 to Roberts et al. is the first to suggest communicating data over power lines not in bus topology but as ‘break-and-insert’. However, only single conductor is used, and the receivers are all connected again using a bus topology.
In addition, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/734,921, Israel Patent Application No. 119454, and PCT Patent Application No. PCT/IL97/00195 of the present inventor disclose a distributed serial control system of line-powered modules in a network topology for sensing and control. These documents, however, do not disclose a local area network for data communications.
The prior art documents mentioned above are representative examples in the field. Certain applications are covered by more than one issued patent.
There is thus a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, a means of implementing a local area network for data communications which does not suffer from the limitations inherent in the current methods. This goal is met by the present invention.
The present invention is of a local area network for data communication, sensing, and control based on serially connected modules referred to as “serial intelligent cells” (SIC's). An example of a local area network of such devices according to the present invention is illustrated in
As noted above, SIC's in a communicating pair communicate bidirectionally. For example, SIC 704 can initiate communication (as a sender) to SIC 702 (as a receiver), but SIC 704 can just as well initiate simultaneous communication (as a sender) to SIC 700 (as a receiver). Bidirectional communication can take place simultaneously, and herein is taken to be equivalent to “full duplex” communication. In addition, as noted above, the communication between the SIC's of a communicating pair is independent of the communication between the SIC's of any other communicating pair, in that these communications neither preclude nor affect one another in any way. Furthermore, every communication between SIC's is a “point-to-point communication”, which term herein denotes a communication that takes place between exactly one sender and exactly one receiver. This is in contrast to a bus-based communication, in which there are many (potential) receivers and many (potential) senders. Consequently, in the topology according to the present invention, there is automatically a termination in the physical layer at each end of a connection (a SIC), both simplifying the installation and insuring more reliable communication.
The topology according to the present invention is superior to the prior art bus topology in the following ways:
1. There is no physical limit to the number of SIC's which may be installed in the network, and hence no physical limit to the number of DTE's in the network.
2. Point-to-point communication allows higher data rates over greater distances.
3. Point-to-point communication requires less complex circuitry than bus circuitry.
4. Several SIC's can transmit and receive simultaneously. For example, SIC 700 can communicate with SIC 702 while SIC 704 communicates simultaneously with SIC 706.
5. There is no need for arbitration, allowing more efficient utilization of the network. Furthermore, priorities can be assigned to each SIC or, alternatively, to each specific message to allow the data routing to take care of priorities.
6. Addresses may be assigned by the network.
7. In the case of failure of any conductor or SIC, the network can sense the fault immediately, and the specific location of the fault (up to the specific SIC pair) is easily obtained.
Therefore, according to the present invention there is provided a local area network for data communication, sensing, and control including a plurality of serial intelligent cells interconnected exclusively by electrically-conducting media into at least one communicating pair, wherein: (a) each of the electrically-conducting media interconnects no more than two of the serial intelligent cells; (b) each of the communicating pair includes one of the electrically-conducting media and exactly two of the serial intelligent cells; (c) each of the communicating pair engages in a communication exclusively over the electrically-conducting media; and (d) each of the communicating pair engages in the communication bidirectionally and independently of the communication of any other of the communicating pair.
The invention is herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The principles and operation of a local area network according to the present invention may be better understood with reference to the drawings and the accompanying description.
Power-supply 520 provides the required voltages for the SIC and payload operation, and also outputs the power to a second Power/data splitter/combiner 510, for coupling to the next SIC. Communication with the next (fed) SIC is performed via a second modem 512 connected to a second line interface 514 via power/data splitter/combiner 510, similar to power/data splitter/combiner 504 as previously described. Line interface 514 feeds to electrically-conducting medium 515, which connects to the next SIC. Modems 506 and 512 can be standard RS-485, RS-232, or any simple similar data interface transceiver. Alternatively, a complex transceiver can be used for achieving long ranges or high-speed operation. CPU and firmware contained in a control block 522 control and monitor the unit operation and communication, as well as control the payload through a payload interface 508 interfacing with a payload illustrated by a sensor/actuator 509. For example, interface 508 can implement a 4-20 ma standard interface. In a similar way, SIC 500 can be used for communication over the power line. To do this, payload interface 508 is replaced by a communication port and sensor/actuator 509 will be replaced by a DTE.
A SIC for use in data communications as shown in
Power-supply 620 provides the required voltages for the SIC and payload operation, and also outputs the power to a second telephony/data splitter/combiner 610, for coupling to the next SIC. Communication with the next (fed) SIC is performed via a second modem 612 connected to a second line interface 614 via telephony/data splitter/combiner 610, similar to telephony/data splitter/combiner 604 as previously described. Line interface 614 connects to an electrically-conducting medium 615, which connects to the next SIC. Modems 606 and 612 can be standard RS-485, RS-232 or any simple similar data interface transceiver. Alternatively, a complex transceiver can be used for achieving long ranges or high-speed operation. CPU and firmware contained in a control block 622 control and monitor the unit operation and communication, as well as control the payload through a payload interface 608 interfacing with a payload 609, which may include sensors and actuators. For example, interface 608 can implement a 4-20 ma standard interface. SIC 600 also includes an optional power/telephone interface 624, contained for example in a telephone outlet 625, as well as one or more communications interfaces, such as a communication interface 626 connected to a DTE 628.
In the case of DC line feeding, the power supply may be equipped with a line reversal function (for example, a diode-based bridge) in order to accommodate a possible wire reversal.
Note that a SIC can be implemented as single device with all component parts contained within one enclosure, but does not necessarily have to be so implemented. In the case of a SIC used for data communications or control applications, the hardware may be optionally divided between the SIC module and the DTE/Payload units. In the case of a SIC used for telephone applications, the hardware may optionally be divided between the SIC, the DTE payload unit, and the telephone outlet, such as telephone outlet 625, which allows connections to both telephone services (such as through a telephone 623) and the local area network (such through DTE 628). Telephone outlet 625 may be a wall outlet or jack. All or part of the SIC may be housed within a telephone outlet such as telephone outlet 625, if desired. Furthermore, for SIC's used only as repeaters, a payload interface is not necessary.
Power/data splitter/combiner 510 (
SIC Addressing
A SIC can include an address. Addresses of SIC's on the network can be assigned via automatic assignment by the local area network itself by algorithms known in the art, for example as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,336 to Smith et al. Addresses can also be assigned via manual assignment, such as by the setting of mechanical switches on the SIC unit. Addresses can also be determined by the DTE connected to the SIC, either by means of higher layers as done in most LAN systems, or physically be means of the connection to the SIC (such as by address lines).
SIC Powering
A SIC can receive electrical power locally, via a power source located near the SIC. However, one power source may be used to power some or all the SIC's in the local area network using dedicated power lines. These lines can be routed with the data communication wires. Alternatively, the same electrically-conducting media (the data communication wires) can be used to carry both electrical power and local area network data to the SIC's, by means of techniques well-known in the art, for example as in telephone systems. In such a case, a unit is required for coupling the power supply to the local area network. This can make use of a SIC (such as SIC 706 in
The DTE's, sensors, and actuators connected to the SIC's can also be locally powered from the SIC's, or can use the same power resources via the same channels as the SIC's. Part or all of a SIC can be housed within an electrical outlet so that the electrical outlet allows connection to the local area network as well as to electrical power.
Control
Although mainly intended to be used as communication network, the system according to the present invention can also be used as a platform to implement a sensing, control, and automation system. This is achieved by adding to one or more of the SIC's interfaces to sensors or actuators. The signals received by the sensors are transmitted over the network via logic contained in the SIC's or in the DTE's, which thereupon operate the relevant actuators. This automation function can be monitored by one or more of the DTE'S.
The operation of the control may be associated with data communicated over the network (for example, sensing the availability of power to a DTE) or may be independent of it, to allow control decisions to be made locally.
DTE Interface
The DTE interface can be a proprietary interface or any standard serial or parallel interface, such as ITU-T V.35, ITU-T V.24, etc. In addition, a telephone interface (POTS) or ISDN may be used. This can suit intercom or PBX applications.
Fault Protection
The SIC topology described above can be modified to allow for single failure correction. In such a case, the SIC's are connected in a network with redundant paths, such as a circular topology as shown in
Although circular topology as defined herein can be superficially similar to the Token Ring topology, there are major differences between them. One difference is in the data framing. The Token Ring uses the same frame structure throughout all communication links in the network, and this requires that the same framing must be recognized by all the cells in the network. In the SIC network according to the present invention, however, each communication link (between any two connected SIC's) is totally independent from all other network communication. Hence, a first SIC can communicate with a second SIC using one type of frame structure and protocol, while the same first SIC can communicate with a third SIC using a different type of frame structure and protocol.
In addition, in a Token Ring network, there is single direction of data flow at any given time from a single transmitter to one or more receivers, and usually, the direction of data flow is constant. The SIC network according to the present invention, however, does not impose any limitation on the data flow in any of the communication links. Full duplex, half duplex or unidirectional communication is possible, and can even vary from link to link throughout the network. This allows the SIC network to support two independent communication routes simultaneously, provided different segments are used. In
The above differences affect, for example, the vulnerability of the respective networks to faults. In case of single break or short-circuit anywhere in the medium, the Token Ring network will collapse, disabling any further communication in the system. As another example, in the network disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,918,690 to Markkula et al. (hereinafter referred to as “Markkula”), this fault affects the physical layer by disabling the media's signal-carrying capability. The Token Ring network will not function at all since the data layer functionality based on unidirectional transmission will not be supported. In contrast, however, a SIC network according to the present invention, will continue to function fully, except for the specific faulty link itself. All other links continue to function normally. Furthermore, the ability to localize the fault is not easily performed either in a Token Ring network or in the Markkula network. In the SIC network according to the present invention, however, it is simple and straightforward to trace the fault to the affected link.
Data Distribution Over Electrical Power Lines
An important configuration for a network according to the present invention uses the electrical power wiring of a building as a communication media. This can be used, for example, to implement an inexpensive ‘home LAN’. Typical house mains have a connection to single feeder with numerous distribution points and outlets. The principles according to the present invention specify a SIC to be located within each outlet and at each distribution point. This will allow SIC-based communications network, where communication takes place between each pair of SIC's connected via the wiring. In such a case it is also expected that the mains will also be used to power the SIC's. Aside from using the same wiring media, the electrical distribution and the communication system sharing the same mains can be totally decoupled.
Another configuration involves adding the SIC to the Mains wiring at points distinguished from the mains outlets. The preferred embodiment, however, consists of using the outlets points for both the electrical supply and the DTE connection points. This involves replacing all electrical outlets and distribution points with ‘smart’ outlets, having both electrical connections and a communications jack. In addition, such unit may include visual indicators (e.g. LED's) to show the communication status, and may also include switches or other means to determine the outlet address. Such a communication system could be used for applications associated with power distribution, as for example to control the load connected to a specific outlet, for remote on/off operation of appliances, timing of operations, delayed start, disconnection after pre-set time period, and so forth. Such a communication system could also be used to monitor the power consumed by specific outlets, such as for Demand Side Management (DSM) or Automatic Meter Reading (AMR), allowing remote meter reading.
The above described topology may also apply to existing wiring. One common example may be power wiring to consumers located in different locations. Such wiring typically relies on bus topology with taps. In order to use SIC technology, the wiring must be broken, and a SIC installed between both ends.
In a similar manner, a communication network employing the electrical power wiring of vehicles and vessel can be implemented, such as for aircraft, ships, trains, buses, automobiles, and so forth.
Implementing a Local Communication/Telephone System Using SIC's
In this application, existing telephone wiring (either POTS or ISDN) is used as the electrically-conducting media for the local area network, and is used for both local area network data communication and for telephony. The term “telephony” herein denotes any telephone or telephonic communication, including both including voice (POTS) and data (ISDN). Telephone outlets are usually connected in point-to-point topology without a distribution point. To set up a network, each outlet is replaced with SIC-based outlet. If there are distribution points, these distribution points must also be SIC equipped. This configuration results in a high-performance LAN between the telephone outlets. Aside from sharing the same media, the local area network can be decoupled from the telephone system. Alternatively, the local area network and the telephone system can be combined, such that telephony is digitally integrated into the local area network data.
The outside telephone service can be treated according to one of the following alternatives:
1. No telephone support. In this configuration, the connection to the network (usually to the public network) is cut, and the network is fully internal, with no external telephone service.
2. Telephone as Payload. In this configuration, the telephone capability is retained, and telephony data may be integrated into the data communication of the local area network. One of the SIC's (usually the one closest to a public telephone network interface) or other dedicated module interconnects (via the communication interface for example) to the network interface (NI). This unit emulates a telephone interface to the NI, so that public network operation is transparent and continues to perform as normal. However, the signals associated with the telephone interface, either the voice itself and the control/signaling (on hook/off hook, ringing, etc.) are digitized and transmitted in the network as data stream, as part of the communication taking place in the network. In the SIC's interfaced to telephones, these signals are converted back to analog (or in any original form) and thus can be used with standard telephones. In this case, telephone functionality is fully retained. However, failure in the communication network may result in loss of the telephone service. This can be improved by means of a system which disconnects the SIC's circuitry and restores the original wiring routing (this can be easily implemented by relays, which bypass the SIC's upon failure detection, manual intervention, or other relevant occasion).
3. Communication over POTS or ISDN. In this method, the electrically-conducting media interconnecting SIC's is the telephone wiring of a building. This method involves the known mechanism ‘POTS Splitting’, currently used in conjunction with xDSL technologies. This requires a filter which separates the low-frequency portion of the spectrum (usually carrying the POTS associated signals and power) from the high-frequency portion of the spectrum (used for communication). In such an application, the AC/DC units in the SIC are replaced with such POTS splitter modules. The low-frequency band (POTS related) is passed transparently (similar to the power pass), and branched to the telephone jack. The high-frequency band is used for the communication between the SIC's. This combining of high-frequency local area network communication on the same electrically-conducting media with low-frequency telephony data is a form of frequency-domain multiplexing.
In the latter two alternatives, each in-wall telephone outlet is replaced with a SIC based outlet having both a telephone jack and one (or more) communication jacks.
Computer Bus Extender
The SIC network can be used as a computer bus extender, such as an ‘ISA bus extender’, as illustrated in
Implementing Multiplexers and PABX/PBX Functionality
A network of SIC's may be used to implement a multiplexer or a PABX/PBX functionality, as illustrated in
In this example, the local area network functions as a multiplexer, wherein the bandwidth of the high data rate connection (PCM bus 916) is multiplexed through SIC 900 to SIC 902 and SIC 906, each of which may use a different portion of the bandwidth of the high data rate connection (PCM bus 916). Moreover, by the addition of telephones 908, 910, and 912, the local area network of
Other Applications of the Invention
A number of applications of the present invention have been discussed above. Additional applications include, but are not limited to: intercom, PABX/PBX, security systems, video surveillance, entertainment broadcasting services, time (clock) distribution, and audio/video signal distribution. The networks implemented by the present invention can extend locally within a single building or over a neighborhood.
While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments and applications, it will be appreciated that many variations, modifications and other applications of the invention may be made.
This is a continuation of copending parent application Ser. No. 10/178,223, filed Jun. 25, 2002, which itself is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/123,486 filed Jul. 28, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,480,510, issued Nov. 12, 2002
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2298435 | Tunick | Oct 1942 | A |
| 2680162 | Brehm et al. | Jun 1954 | A |
| 3539727 | Pasternack | Nov 1970 | A |
| 3699523 | Percher | Oct 1972 | A |
| 3739226 | Seiter | Jun 1973 | A |
| 3805265 | Lester | Apr 1974 | A |
| 3806814 | Forbes | Apr 1974 | A |
| 3835334 | Notteau | Sep 1974 | A |
| 3836888 | Boenke et al. | Sep 1974 | A |
| 3870822 | Matthews | Mar 1975 | A |
| 3872319 | Platzer | Mar 1975 | A |
| 3922490 | Pettis | Nov 1975 | A |
| 3924077 | Blakeslee | Dec 1975 | A |
| 3959772 | Wakasa et al. | May 1976 | A |
| 3968333 | Simokat et al. | Jul 1976 | A |
| 3975594 | Guntersdorfer | Aug 1976 | A |
| 4173714 | Bloch et al. | Nov 1979 | A |
| 4197431 | Vis | Apr 1980 | A |
| 4232200 | Hestad et al. | Nov 1980 | A |
| 4241243 | Ball | Dec 1980 | A |
| 4303993 | Panepinto, Jr. et al. | Dec 1981 | A |
| 4330687 | Foulkes et al. | May 1982 | A |
| 4335464 | Armstrong et al. | Jun 1982 | A |
| 4339816 | Reed | Jul 1982 | A |
| 4373117 | Pierce | Feb 1983 | A |
| 4381427 | Cheal et al. | Apr 1983 | A |
| 4390986 | Moses | Jun 1983 | A |
| 4395590 | Pierce et al. | Jul 1983 | A |
| 4413229 | Grant | Nov 1983 | A |
| 4415774 | Driver | Nov 1983 | A |
| 4417099 | Pierce | Nov 1983 | A |
| 4431869 | Sweet | Feb 1984 | A |
| 4484185 | Graves | Nov 1984 | A |
| 4493092 | Adams | Jan 1985 | A |
| 4507721 | Yamano et al. | Mar 1985 | A |
| 4507793 | Adams | Mar 1985 | A |
| 4509211 | Robbins | Apr 1985 | A |
| 4510493 | Bux et al. | Apr 1985 | A |
| 4523307 | Brown et al. | Jun 1985 | A |
| 4535401 | Penn | Aug 1985 | A |
| 4543450 | Brandt | Sep 1985 | A |
| 4551721 | Kozlik | Nov 1985 | A |
| 4578533 | Pierce | Mar 1986 | A |
| 4578537 | Faggin et al. | Mar 1986 | A |
| 4580276 | Andruzzi, Jr. et al. | Apr 1986 | A |
| 4583214 | Miyashita et al. | Apr 1986 | A |
| 4592069 | Redding | May 1986 | A |
| 4593389 | Wurzburg et al. | Jun 1986 | A |
| 4633217 | Akano | Dec 1986 | A |
| 4636914 | Belli | Jan 1987 | A |
| 4639714 | Crowe | Jan 1987 | A |
| 4642607 | Strom et al. | Feb 1987 | A |
| 4647725 | Dellinger et al. | Mar 1987 | A |
| 4651022 | Cowley | Mar 1987 | A |
| 4665544 | Honda et al. | May 1987 | A |
| 4670874 | Sato et al. | Jun 1987 | A |
| 4672605 | Hustig et al. | Jun 1987 | A |
| 4677646 | Dodds et al. | Jun 1987 | A |
| 4691344 | Brown et al. | Sep 1987 | A |
| 4714912 | Roberts et al. | Dec 1987 | A |
| 4724435 | Moses et al. | Feb 1988 | A |
| 4733380 | Havira | Mar 1988 | A |
| 4733389 | Puvogel | Mar 1988 | A |
| 4734932 | Lott | Mar 1988 | A |
| 4740963 | Eckley | Apr 1988 | A |
| 4742538 | Szlam | May 1988 | A |
| 4745391 | Gajjar | May 1988 | A |
| 4750094 | Krasik | Jun 1988 | A |
| 4755792 | Pezzolo et al. | Jul 1988 | A |
| 4761646 | Choquet et al. | Aug 1988 | A |
| 4766402 | Crane | Aug 1988 | A |
| 4772870 | Reyes | Sep 1988 | A |
| 4782322 | Lechner et al. | Nov 1988 | A |
| 4785448 | Reichert et al. | Nov 1988 | A |
| 4787082 | Delaney et al. | Nov 1988 | A |
| 4799211 | Felker et al. | Jan 1989 | A |
| 4803485 | Rypinski | Feb 1989 | A |
| 4803719 | Ulrich | Feb 1989 | A |
| 4807225 | Fitch | Feb 1989 | A |
| 4814941 | Speet et al. | Mar 1989 | A |
| 4815106 | Propp et al. | Mar 1989 | A |
| 4821319 | Middleton et al. | Apr 1989 | A |
| 4825349 | Marcel | Apr 1989 | A |
| 4852151 | Dittakavi et al. | Jul 1989 | A |
| 4866602 | Hall | Sep 1989 | A |
| 4872197 | Pemmaraju | Oct 1989 | A |
| 4896349 | Kubo et al. | Jan 1990 | A |
| 4901218 | Cornwell | Feb 1990 | A |
| 4903292 | Dillon | Feb 1990 | A |
| 4914688 | Kobayashi et al. | Apr 1990 | A |
| 4918690 | Markkula, Jr. et al. | Apr 1990 | A |
| 4924349 | Buehler et al. | May 1990 | A |
| 4924492 | Gitlin et al. | May 1990 | A |
| 4926158 | Zeigler | May 1990 | A |
| 4937811 | Harris | Jun 1990 | A |
| 4939728 | Markkula, Jr. et al. | Jul 1990 | A |
| 4969147 | Markkula, Jr. et al. | Nov 1990 | A |
| 4973954 | Schwarz | Nov 1990 | A |
| 4992774 | McCullough | Feb 1991 | A |
| 5010399 | Goodman et al. | Apr 1991 | A |
| 5014308 | Fox | May 1991 | A |
| 5018138 | Twitty et al. | May 1991 | A |
| 5025443 | Gupta | Jun 1991 | A |
| 5032819 | Sakuragi et al. | Jul 1991 | A |
| 5033062 | Morrow et al. | Jul 1991 | A |
| 5033112 | Bowling et al. | Jul 1991 | A |
| 5034883 | Donaldson et al. | Jul 1991 | A |
| 5065133 | Howard | Nov 1991 | A |
| 5068890 | Nilssen | Nov 1991 | A |
| 5089927 | Bulan et al. | Feb 1992 | A |
| 5089974 | Demeyer et al. | Feb 1992 | A |
| 5111497 | Bliven et al. | May 1992 | A |
| 5113498 | Evan et al. | May 1992 | A |
| 5114365 | Thompson | May 1992 | A |
| 5125077 | Hall | Jun 1992 | A |
| 5144544 | Jenneve et al. | Sep 1992 | A |
| 5148144 | Sutterlin et al. | Sep 1992 | A |
| 5150365 | Hirata et al. | Sep 1992 | A |
| 5157711 | Shimanuki | Oct 1992 | A |
| 5175764 | Patel et al. | Dec 1992 | A |
| 5181240 | Sakuragi et al. | Jan 1993 | A |
| 5192231 | Dolin | Mar 1993 | A |
| 5210788 | Nilssen | May 1993 | A |
| 5216704 | Williams et al. | Jun 1993 | A |
| 5220561 | Nuhn et al. | Jun 1993 | A |
| 5220597 | Horiuchi | Jun 1993 | A |
| 5224154 | Aldridge et al. | Jun 1993 | A |
| 5247347 | Litteral et al. | Sep 1993 | A |
| 5255267 | Hansen et al. | Oct 1993 | A |
| 5257006 | Graham et al. | Oct 1993 | A |
| 5265154 | Schotz | Nov 1993 | A |
| 5274631 | Bhardwaj | Dec 1993 | A |
| 5283825 | Druckman et al. | Feb 1994 | A |
| 5285477 | Leonowich | Feb 1994 | A |
| 5289359 | Ziermann | Feb 1994 | A |
| 5311114 | Sambamurthy et al. | May 1994 | A |
| 5311518 | Takato et al. | May 1994 | A |
| 5311593 | Carmi | May 1994 | A |
| 5323461 | Rosenbaum et al. | Jun 1994 | A |
| 5341370 | Nuhn et al. | Aug 1994 | A |
| 5341415 | Baran | Aug 1994 | A |
| 5343240 | Yu | Aug 1994 | A |
| 5343514 | Snyder | Aug 1994 | A |
| 5345437 | Ogawa | Sep 1994 | A |
| 5347549 | Baumann | Sep 1994 | A |
| 5351272 | Abraham | Sep 1994 | A |
| 5356311 | Liu | Oct 1994 | A |
| 5381462 | Larson et al. | Jan 1995 | A |
| 5391932 | Small et al. | Feb 1995 | A |
| 5400068 | Ishida et al. | Mar 1995 | A |
| 5402902 | Bouley | Apr 1995 | A |
| 5404127 | Lee et al. | Apr 1995 | A |
| 5406260 | Cummings et al. | Apr 1995 | A |
| 5414708 | Webber | May 1995 | A |
| 5420578 | O'Brien et al. | May 1995 | A |
| 5420886 | Ohmori | May 1995 | A |
| 5421030 | Baran | May 1995 | A |
| 5424710 | Baumann | Jun 1995 | A |
| 5425089 | Chan et al. | Jun 1995 | A |
| 5428608 | Freeman et al. | Jun 1995 | A |
| 5428682 | Apfel | Jun 1995 | A |
| 5440335 | Beveridge | Aug 1995 | A |
| 5446905 | Koshiishi | Aug 1995 | A |
| 5451923 | Seberger et al. | Sep 1995 | A |
| 5454008 | Baumann et al. | Sep 1995 | A |
| 5457629 | Miller et al. | Oct 1995 | A |
| 5461671 | Sakuragi et al. | Oct 1995 | A |
| 5469150 | Sitte | Nov 1995 | A |
| 5471190 | Zimmermann | Nov 1995 | A |
| 5473517 | Blackmon | Dec 1995 | A |
| 5475687 | Markkula, Jr. et al. | Dec 1995 | A |
| 5479447 | Chow et al. | Dec 1995 | A |
| 5483574 | Yuyama | Jan 1996 | A |
| 5491463 | Sargeant et al. | Feb 1996 | A |
| 5500794 | Fujita | Mar 1996 | A |
| 5504454 | Daggett et al. | Apr 1996 | A |
| 5513251 | Rochkind et al. | Apr 1996 | A |
| 5519731 | Cioffi | May 1996 | A |
| 5530748 | Ohmori | Jun 1996 | A |
| 5534912 | Kostreski | Jul 1996 | A |
| 5535336 | Smith et al. | Jul 1996 | A |
| 5539805 | Bushue et al. | Jul 1996 | A |
| 5539821 | Blonder | Jul 1996 | A |
| 5544243 | Papadopoulos | Aug 1996 | A |
| 5546385 | Caspi et al. | Aug 1996 | A |
| 5548614 | Stoll et al. | Aug 1996 | A |
| 5550900 | Ensor et al. | Aug 1996 | A |
| 5553138 | Heald et al. | Sep 1996 | A |
| 5557612 | Bingham | Sep 1996 | A |
| 5563782 | Chen et al. | Oct 1996 | A |
| 5568547 | Nishimura | Oct 1996 | A |
| 5569209 | Reitman | Oct 1996 | A |
| 5570085 | Bertsch | Oct 1996 | A |
| 5574256 | Cottone | Nov 1996 | A |
| 5574748 | Vander Mey et al. | Nov 1996 | A |
| 5579221 | Mun | Nov 1996 | A |
| 5581801 | Spriester et al. | Dec 1996 | A |
| 5583934 | Zhou | Dec 1996 | A |
| 5594789 | Seazholtz et al. | Jan 1997 | A |
| 5608447 | Farry et al. | Mar 1997 | A |
| 5608725 | Grube et al. | Mar 1997 | A |
| 5608792 | Laidler | Mar 1997 | A |
| 5610922 | Balatoni | Mar 1997 | A |
| 5613190 | Hylton | Mar 1997 | A |
| 5613191 | Hylton et al. | Mar 1997 | A |
| 5619505 | Grube et al. | Apr 1997 | A |
| 5623537 | Ensor et al. | Apr 1997 | A |
| 5625651 | Cioffi | Apr 1997 | A |
| 5625677 | Feiertag et al. | Apr 1997 | A |
| 5625863 | Abraham | Apr 1997 | A |
| 5627501 | Biran et al. | May 1997 | A |
| 5651696 | Jennison | Jul 1997 | A |
| 5652893 | Ben-Meir et al. | Jul 1997 | A |
| 5659608 | Stiefel | Aug 1997 | A |
| 5668814 | Balatoni | Sep 1997 | A |
| 5668857 | McHale | Sep 1997 | A |
| 5671220 | Tonomura | Sep 1997 | A |
| 5673290 | Cioffi | Sep 1997 | A |
| 5682423 | Walker | Oct 1997 | A |
| 5684826 | Ratner | Nov 1997 | A |
| 5696790 | Graham | Dec 1997 | A |
| 5699413 | Sridhar | Dec 1997 | A |
| 5706007 | Fragnito et al. | Jan 1998 | A |
| 5706157 | Galecki et al. | Jan 1998 | A |
| 5708701 | Houvig et al. | Jan 1998 | A |
| 5708705 | Yamashita | Jan 1998 | A |
| 5712614 | Patel et al. | Jan 1998 | A |
| 5712977 | Glad et al. | Jan 1998 | A |
| 5736965 | Mosebrook et al. | Apr 1998 | A |
| 5742527 | Rybicki et al. | Apr 1998 | A |
| 5748634 | Sokol et al. | May 1998 | A |
| 5751701 | Langberg et al. | May 1998 | A |
| 5754539 | Metz et al. | May 1998 | A |
| 5756280 | Soora et al. | May 1998 | A |
| 5768279 | Barn et al. | Jun 1998 | A |
| 5771236 | Sansom et al. | Jun 1998 | A |
| 5777769 | Coutinho | Jul 1998 | A |
| 5781617 | McHale et al. | Jul 1998 | A |
| 5790548 | Sistanizadeh et al. | Aug 1998 | A |
| 5793413 | Hylton et al. | Aug 1998 | A |
| 5796739 | Kim | Aug 1998 | A |
| 5799069 | Weston et al. | Aug 1998 | A |
| 5799196 | Flannery | Aug 1998 | A |
| 5801635 | Price | Sep 1998 | A |
| 5802173 | Hamilton-Percy et al. | Sep 1998 | A |
| 5805053 | Patel et al. | Sep 1998 | A |
| 5805597 | Edem | Sep 1998 | A |
| 5805806 | McArthur | Sep 1998 | A |
| 5809033 | Turner et al. | Sep 1998 | A |
| 5815681 | Kikinis | Sep 1998 | A |
| 5818710 | LeVan Suu | Oct 1998 | A |
| 5818821 | Schurig | Oct 1998 | A |
| 5822374 | Levin | Oct 1998 | A |
| 5822677 | Peyrovian | Oct 1998 | A |
| 5822678 | Evanyk | Oct 1998 | A |
| 5828558 | Korcharz et al. | Oct 1998 | A |
| 5828821 | Hoshina et al. | Oct 1998 | A |
| 5832057 | Furman | Nov 1998 | A |
| 5833350 | Moreland | Nov 1998 | A |
| 5835005 | Furukawa et al. | Nov 1998 | A |
| 5841360 | Binder | Nov 1998 | A |
| 5841841 | Dodds et al. | Nov 1998 | A |
| 5842032 | Bertsch | Nov 1998 | A |
| 5844596 | Goodman | Dec 1998 | A |
| 5844888 | Markkula et al. | Dec 1998 | A |
| 5845190 | Bushue et al. | Dec 1998 | A |
| 5848054 | Mosebrook et al. | Dec 1998 | A |
| D404721 | Tennefoss et al. | Jan 1999 | S |
| D405422 | Tennefoss | Feb 1999 | S |
| 5878047 | Ganek et al. | Mar 1999 | A |
| 5878133 | Zhou et al. | Mar 1999 | A |
| 5884086 | Amoni et al. | Mar 1999 | A |
| 5886732 | Humpleman | Mar 1999 | A |
| 5889856 | O'Toole et al. | Mar 1999 | A |
| 5892792 | Walley | Apr 1999 | A |
| 5895985 | Fischer | Apr 1999 | A |
| 5896443 | Dichter | Apr 1999 | A |
| 5896556 | Moreland et al. | Apr 1999 | A |
| 5898761 | McHale et al. | Apr 1999 | A |
| 5903213 | Hodge et al. | May 1999 | A |
| 5905781 | McHale et al. | May 1999 | A |
| 5905786 | Hoopes | May 1999 | A |
| 5910970 | Lu | Jun 1999 | A |
| 5912895 | Terry et al. | Jun 1999 | A |
| 5917624 | Wagner | Jun 1999 | A |
| 5917814 | Balatoni | Jun 1999 | A |
| 5929896 | Goodman | Jul 1999 | A |
| 5930340 | Bell | Jul 1999 | A |
| 5936963 | Saussy | Aug 1999 | A |
| 5938757 | Bertsch | Aug 1999 | A |
| 5940400 | Eastmond et al. | Aug 1999 | A |
| 5940738 | Rao | Aug 1999 | A |
| 5949473 | Goodman | Sep 1999 | A |
| 5956323 | Bowie | Sep 1999 | A |
| 5960066 | Hartmann et al. | Sep 1999 | A |
| 5963539 | Webber, Jr. et al. | Oct 1999 | A |
| 5963595 | Graham | Oct 1999 | A |
| 5963844 | Dail | Oct 1999 | A |
| 5968118 | Sutton | Oct 1999 | A |
| 5978373 | Hoff et al. | Nov 1999 | A |
| 5987061 | Chen | Nov 1999 | A |
| 5990577 | Kamioka et al. | Nov 1999 | A |
| 5991311 | Long et al. | Nov 1999 | A |
| 5991885 | Chang et al. | Nov 1999 | A |
| 5994998 | Fisher et al. | Nov 1999 | A |
| 5999518 | Nattkemper et al. | Dec 1999 | A |
| 6002682 | Bellenger et al. | Dec 1999 | A |
| 6009465 | Decker et al. | Dec 1999 | A |
| 6009479 | Jeffries | Dec 1999 | A |
| 6010228 | Blackman | Jan 2000 | A |
| 6011781 | Bell | Jan 2000 | A |
| 6011794 | Mordowitz et al. | Jan 2000 | A |
| 6011910 | Chau et al. | Jan 2000 | A |
| 6014386 | Abraham | Jan 2000 | A |
| 6014431 | McHale et al. | Jan 2000 | A |
| 6016519 | Chida et al. | Jan 2000 | A |
| 6021158 | Schurr et al. | Feb 2000 | A |
| 6026078 | Smith | Feb 2000 | A |
| 6026160 | Staber et al. | Feb 2000 | A |
| 6028867 | Rawson et al. | Feb 2000 | A |
| 6038300 | Hartmann et al. | Mar 2000 | A |
| 6038425 | Jeffrey | Mar 2000 | A |
| 6049471 | Korcharz et al. | Apr 2000 | A |
| 6049531 | Roy | Apr 2000 | A |
| 6055268 | Timm et al. | Apr 2000 | A |
| 6055633 | Schrier et al. | Apr 2000 | A |
| 6061261 | Chen et al. | May 2000 | A |
| 6064422 | Goolcharan et al. | May 2000 | A |
| 6069588 | O'Neill | May 2000 | A |
| 6069879 | Chatter | May 2000 | A |
| 6069899 | Foley | May 2000 | A |
| 6072779 | Tzannes et al. | Jun 2000 | A |
| 6072810 | Van der Putten et al. | Jun 2000 | A |
| 6075784 | Frankel et al. | Jun 2000 | A |
| 6081519 | Petler | Jun 2000 | A |
| 6081533 | Laubach et al. | Jun 2000 | A |
| 6087860 | Liu | Jul 2000 | A |
| 6097761 | Buhring et al. | Aug 2000 | A |
| 6107912 | Bullock et al. | Aug 2000 | A |
| 6108330 | Bhatia et al. | Aug 2000 | A |
| 6109959 | Burlinson et al. | Aug 2000 | A |
| 6111595 | Hertrich | Aug 2000 | A |
| 6111764 | Atou et al. | Aug 2000 | A |
| 6111936 | Bremer | Aug 2000 | A |
| 6114970 | Kirson et al. | Sep 2000 | A |
| 6115468 | DeNicolo | Sep 2000 | A |
| 6115755 | Krishan | Sep 2000 | A |
| 6123577 | Contois et al. | Sep 2000 | A |
| 6125448 | Schwan et al. | Sep 2000 | A |
| 6130879 | Liu | Oct 2000 | A |
| 6130896 | Lueker et al. | Oct 2000 | A |
| 6137865 | Ripy | Oct 2000 | A |
| 6137866 | Staber et al. | Oct 2000 | A |
| 6141330 | Akers | Oct 2000 | A |
| 6141339 | Kaplan et al. | Oct 2000 | A |
| 6144292 | Brown | Nov 2000 | A |
| 6148006 | Dyke et al. | Nov 2000 | A |
| 6151480 | Fischer et al. | Nov 2000 | A |
| 6157645 | Shobatake | Dec 2000 | A |
| 6157716 | Ortel | Dec 2000 | A |
| 6167043 | Frantz | Dec 2000 | A |
| 6167120 | Kikinis | Dec 2000 | A |
| 6175556 | Allen, Jr. et al. | Jan 2001 | B1 |
| 6175860 | Gaucher | Jan 2001 | B1 |
| 6178161 | Terry | Jan 2001 | B1 |
| 6181775 | Bella | Jan 2001 | B1 |
| 6181783 | Goodman | Jan 2001 | B1 |
| 6185284 | Goodman | Feb 2001 | B1 |
| 6186826 | Weikle | Feb 2001 | B1 |
| 6188557 | Chaundrhy | Feb 2001 | B1 |
| 6192399 | Goodman | Feb 2001 | B1 |
| 6195706 | Scott | Feb 2001 | B1 |
| 6205202 | Yoshida et al. | Mar 2001 | B1 |
| 6207895 | Engel | Mar 2001 | B1 |
| 6208637 | Eames | Mar 2001 | B1 |
| 6212204 | Depue | Apr 2001 | B1 |
| 6212274 | Ninh | Apr 2001 | B1 |
| 6215789 | Keenan | Apr 2001 | B1 |
| 6215855 | Schneider | Apr 2001 | B1 |
| 6216160 | Dichter | Apr 2001 | B1 |
| 6218930 | Katzenberg et al. | Apr 2001 | B1 |
| 6219409 | Smith et al. | Apr 2001 | B1 |
| 6222124 | Pritchard | Apr 2001 | B1 |
| 6222853 | Mesttinen | Apr 2001 | B1 |
| 6227499 | Jennison et al. | May 2001 | B1 |
| 6229818 | Bell | May 2001 | B1 |
| 6236664 | Erreygers | May 2001 | B1 |
| 6236718 | Goodman | May 2001 | B1 |
| 6239672 | Lutz, Jr. et al. | May 2001 | B1 |
| 6240091 | Ginzboorg et al. | May 2001 | B1 |
| 6240166 | Collin | May 2001 | B1 |
| 6243394 | Deng | Jun 2001 | B1 |
| 6243413 | Beukema | Jun 2001 | B1 |
| 6243446 | Goodman | Jun 2001 | B1 |
| 6243571 | Bullock | Jun 2001 | B1 |
| 6243818 | Schwan et al. | Jun 2001 | B1 |
| 6246695 | Seazholtz et al. | Jun 2001 | B1 |
| 6246716 | Schneider | Jun 2001 | B1 |
| 6246748 | Yano | Jun 2001 | B1 |
| 6252754 | Chaundhry | Jun 2001 | B1 |
| 6252755 | Willer | Jun 2001 | B1 |
| 6252957 | Jauregui et al. | Jun 2001 | B1 |
| 6256518 | Buhrmann | Jul 2001 | B1 |
| 6259676 | Kellock et al. | Jul 2001 | B1 |
| 6266348 | Gross et al. | Jul 2001 | B1 |
| 6272219 | De Bruycker et al. | Aug 2001 | B1 |
| 6278769 | Bella | Aug 2001 | B1 |
| 6282075 | Chaundhry | Aug 2001 | B1 |
| 6282189 | Eames | Aug 2001 | B1 |
| 6286049 | Rajakarunanayake et al. | Sep 2001 | B1 |
| 6288334 | Hennum | Sep 2001 | B1 |
| 6292517 | Jeffress et al. | Sep 2001 | B1 |
| 6295356 | De Nicolo | Sep 2001 | B1 |
| 6297450 | Yu | Oct 2001 | B1 |
| 6298037 | Sharifi | Oct 2001 | B1 |
| 6301337 | Scholtz et al. | Oct 2001 | B1 |
| 6310909 | Jones | Oct 2001 | B1 |
| 6314102 | Czerwiec et al. | Nov 2001 | B1 |
| 6317884 | Eames et al. | Nov 2001 | B1 |
| 6320866 | Wolf et al. | Nov 2001 | B2 |
| 6320900 | Liu | Nov 2001 | B1 |
| 6329937 | Harman | Dec 2001 | B1 |
| 6346964 | Rogers et al. | Feb 2002 | B1 |
| 6348874 | Cole et al. | Feb 2002 | B1 |
| 6349133 | Matthews et al. | Feb 2002 | B1 |
| 6353629 | Pal | Mar 2002 | B1 |
| 6359906 | Dyke et al. | Mar 2002 | B1 |
| 6362987 | Yurek et al. | Mar 2002 | B1 |
| 6364535 | Coffey | Apr 2002 | B1 |
| 6366143 | Liu et al. | Apr 2002 | B1 |
| 6380852 | Hartman et al. | Apr 2002 | B1 |
| 6385203 | McHale et al. | May 2002 | B2 |
| 6388990 | Wetzel | May 2002 | B1 |
| 6389110 | Fischer et al. | May 2002 | B1 |
| 6393050 | Liu | May 2002 | B1 |
| 6396391 | Binder | May 2002 | B1 |
| 6396837 | Wang et al. | May 2002 | B1 |
| 6404861 | Cohen et al. | Jun 2002 | B1 |
| 6414952 | Foley | Jul 2002 | B2 |
| 6420964 | Nishikaws | Jul 2002 | B1 |
| 6430199 | Kerpez | Aug 2002 | B1 |
| 6433672 | Shirmard | Aug 2002 | B1 |
| 6438109 | Karaoguz et al. | Aug 2002 | B1 |
| 6441723 | Mansfield, Jr. et al. | Aug 2002 | B1 |
| 6442195 | Liu et al. | Aug 2002 | B1 |
| 6445087 | Wang et al. | Sep 2002 | B1 |
| 6448899 | Thompson | Sep 2002 | B1 |
| 6449318 | Rumbaugh | Sep 2002 | B1 |
| 6449348 | Lamb et al. | Sep 2002 | B1 |
| 6452923 | Gerszberg et al. | Sep 2002 | B1 |
| 6456714 | Shima et al. | Sep 2002 | B2 |
| 6470053 | Liu | Oct 2002 | B1 |
| 6473608 | Lehr et al. | Oct 2002 | B1 |
| 6474829 | Clodfelter | Nov 2002 | B2 |
| 6475022 | Tamino | Nov 2002 | B2 |
| 6477595 | Cohen et al. | Nov 2002 | B1 |
| 6480122 | Oddy et al. | Nov 2002 | B1 |
| 6480510 | Binder | Nov 2002 | B1 |
| 6481013 | Dinwiddie et al. | Nov 2002 | B1 |
| 6483902 | Stewart | Nov 2002 | B1 |
| 6483903 | Itay et al. | Nov 2002 | B1 |
| 6490273 | DeNap et al. | Dec 2002 | B1 |
| 6492897 | Mowerly | Dec 2002 | B1 |
| 6493875 | Eames et al. | Dec 2002 | B1 |
| 6507322 | Fang | Jan 2003 | B2 |
| 6510204 | De Clercq et al. | Jan 2003 | B2 |
| 6518724 | Janik | Feb 2003 | B2 |
| 6519291 | Dagdeviren et al. | Feb 2003 | B1 |
| 6522352 | Strandwitz et al. | Feb 2003 | B1 |
| 6522515 | Whitney | Feb 2003 | B1 |
| 6522662 | Liu | Feb 2003 | B1 |
| 6535110 | Arora et al. | Mar 2003 | B1 |
| 6535580 | Strauss et al. | Mar 2003 | B1 |
| 6535587 | Kobayashi | Mar 2003 | B1 |
| 6535983 | McCormick et al. | Mar 2003 | B1 |
| 6539011 | Keenan | Mar 2003 | B1 |
| 6541878 | Diab | Apr 2003 | B1 |
| 6542465 | Wang | Apr 2003 | B1 |
| 6542585 | Goodman | Apr 2003 | B2 |
| 6543940 | Chu | Apr 2003 | B2 |
| 6546024 | Sharper et al. | Apr 2003 | B1 |
| 6546098 | Henderson | Apr 2003 | B1 |
| 6546494 | Jackson et al. | Apr 2003 | B1 |
| 6556564 | Rogers | Apr 2003 | B2 |
| 6556581 | He | Apr 2003 | B1 |
| 6560333 | Consiglio et al. | May 2003 | B1 |
| 6563816 | Nodoushani | May 2003 | B1 |
| 6567981 | Jeffrey | May 2003 | B1 |
| 6570890 | Keenan | May 2003 | B1 |
| 6572384 | Marchevsky | Jun 2003 | B1 |
| 6574237 | Bullman et al. | Jun 2003 | B1 |
| 6574242 | Keenan | Jun 2003 | B1 |
| 6574313 | Chea, Jr. et al. | Jun 2003 | B1 |
| 6577631 | Keenan | Jun 2003 | B1 |
| 6577882 | Roos | Jun 2003 | B1 |
| 6580254 | Schofield | Jun 2003 | B2 |
| 6580710 | Bowen et al. | Jun 2003 | B1 |
| 6580727 | Yim et al. | Jun 2003 | B1 |
| 6584122 | Matthews et al. | Jun 2003 | B1 |
| 6584148 | Zitting et al. | Jun 2003 | B1 |
| 6584197 | Boudreaux, Jr. et al. | Jun 2003 | B1 |
| 6587454 | Lamb | Jul 2003 | B1 |
| 6587479 | Bianchi et al. | Jul 2003 | B1 |
| 6587560 | Scott et al. | Jul 2003 | B1 |
| 6597732 | Dowling | Jul 2003 | B1 |
| 6601097 | Cheston et al. | Jul 2003 | B1 |
| 6611537 | Edens et al. | Aug 2003 | B1 |
| 6616005 | Pereira et al. | Sep 2003 | B1 |
| 6636505 | Wang et al. | Oct 2003 | B1 |
| 6639913 | Frankel et al. | Oct 2003 | B1 |
| 6640308 | Keyghobad et al. | Oct 2003 | B1 |
| 6643566 | Lehr et al. | Nov 2003 | B1 |
| 6650662 | Arnaud et al. | Nov 2003 | B1 |
| 6653932 | Beamish et al. | Nov 2003 | B1 |
| 6658098 | Lamb et al. | Dec 2003 | B2 |
| 6658108 | Bissell et al. | Dec 2003 | B1 |
| 6658109 | Steinke et al. | Dec 2003 | B1 |
| 6665404 | Cohen | Dec 2003 | B2 |
| 6674843 | Ham | Jan 2004 | B1 |
| 6674845 | Ayoub et al. | Jan 2004 | B2 |
| 6678321 | Graham et al. | Jan 2004 | B1 |
| 6680940 | Lewin et al. | Jan 2004 | B1 |
| 6681013 | Miyamoto | Jan 2004 | B1 |
| 6690792 | Robinson et al. | Feb 2004 | B1 |
| 6700970 | Aronson et al. | Mar 2004 | B1 |
| 6701443 | Bell | Mar 2004 | B1 |
| 6704824 | Goodman | Mar 2004 | B1 |
| 6710553 | Lagan | Mar 2004 | B2 |
| 6710704 | Fisher et al. | Mar 2004 | B2 |
| 6711260 | Russell et al. | Mar 2004 | B1 |
| 6714534 | Gerszberg et al. | Mar 2004 | B1 |
| 6721790 | Chen | Apr 2004 | B1 |
| 6724750 | Sun | Apr 2004 | B1 |
| 6725059 | Bell | Apr 2004 | B1 |
| 6731627 | Gupta et al. | May 2004 | B1 |
| 6732315 | Yagel et al. | May 2004 | B2 |
| 6735217 | Weber, Jr. et al. | May 2004 | B1 |
| 6738470 | Aronovitz | May 2004 | B1 |
| 6744883 | Bingel et al. | Jun 2004 | B1 |
| 6747859 | Walbeck et al. | Jun 2004 | B2 |
| 6747995 | Brown et al. | Jun 2004 | B1 |
| 6747996 | Holloway et al. | Jun 2004 | B2 |
| 6748078 | Posthuma | Jun 2004 | B1 |
| 6754235 | Van Der Putten et al. | Jun 2004 | B2 |
| 6757382 | Wilkes, Jr. et al. | Jun 2004 | B1 |
| 6760384 | Garreau et al. | Jul 2004 | B1 |
| 6763097 | Vitenberg | Jul 2004 | B1 |
| 6763109 | Hoskins | Jul 2004 | B1 |
| 6764343 | Ferentz | Jul 2004 | B2 |
| 6765149 | Ku | Jul 2004 | B1 |
| 6771774 | Phan et al. | Aug 2004 | B1 |
| 6775299 | Olson et al. | Aug 2004 | B1 |
| 6778549 | Keller | Aug 2004 | B1 |
| 6778646 | Sun | Aug 2004 | B1 |
| 6792323 | Krzyzanowski et al. | Sep 2004 | B2 |
| 6795539 | Culli et al. | Sep 2004 | B2 |
| 6804351 | Karam | Oct 2004 | B1 |
| 6813343 | Vitenberg | Nov 2004 | B1 |
| 6815844 | Kovarik | Nov 2004 | B2 |
| 6816512 | Lazarus et al. | Nov 2004 | B2 |
| 6819760 | Nayler | Nov 2004 | B1 |
| 6826174 | Erekson et al. | Nov 2004 | B1 |
| 6831976 | Comerford et al. | Dec 2004 | B1 |
| 6838997 | Davidson | Jan 2005 | B1 |
| 6839345 | Lu et al. | Jan 2005 | B2 |
| 6841979 | Berson et al. | Jan 2005 | B2 |
| 6842426 | Bogardus et al. | Jan 2005 | B2 |
| 6847718 | Hiraoka | Jan 2005 | B1 |
| 6853724 | Wang | Feb 2005 | B2 |
| 6854895 | Coffey et al. | Feb 2005 | B2 |
| 6856799 | Ritter | Feb 2005 | B1 |
| 6862353 | Rabenko et al. | Mar 2005 | B2 |
| 6864798 | Janik | Mar 2005 | B2 |
| 6868072 | Lin et al. | Mar 2005 | B1 |
| 6868117 | Mardinian | Mar 2005 | B1 |
| 6868265 | Zodnik | Mar 2005 | B2 |
| 6880020 | Rubinstein et al. | Apr 2005 | B1 |
| 6886181 | Dodds et al. | Apr 2005 | B1 |
| 6891881 | Trachewsky et al. | May 2005 | B2 |
| 6895089 | Wang | May 2005 | B2 |
| 6898413 | Yip et al. | May 2005 | B2 |
| 6901439 | Bonasia et al. | May 2005 | B1 |
| 6904149 | Keenum et al. | Jun 2005 | B2 |
| 6907458 | Tamassetti | Jun 2005 | B2 |
| 6912282 | Karam | Jun 2005 | B2 |
| 6917681 | Robinson et al. | Jul 2005 | B2 |
| 6932624 | Hoopes | Aug 2005 | B1 |
| 6933686 | Bishel | Aug 2005 | B1 |
| 6934300 | Tamasetti | Aug 2005 | B2 |
| 6940918 | Nayler et al. | Sep 2005 | B1 |
| 6940956 | Leach | Sep 2005 | B1 |
| 6943296 | Perret | Sep 2005 | B2 |
| 6943297 | Capella | Sep 2005 | B2 |
| 6943683 | Perret | Sep 2005 | B2 |
| 6946988 | Edwards | Sep 2005 | B2 |
| 6955560 | Biggs | Oct 2005 | B1 |
| 6956826 | Binder | Oct 2005 | B1 |
| 6973394 | Jaeger et al. | Dec 2005 | B2 |
| 6975713 | Smith et al. | Dec 2005 | B1 |
| 6980638 | Smith et al. | Dec 2005 | B1 |
| 6981892 | Kostalnik | Jan 2006 | B1 |
| 6993289 | Janik | Jan 2006 | B2 |
| 6996134 | Renucci et al. | Feb 2006 | B1 |
| 6996729 | Volkening et al. | Feb 2006 | B2 |
| 6998964 | Lomax, Jr. et al. | Feb 2006 | B2 |
| 6999433 | Baum | Feb 2006 | B2 |
| 7003102 | Kiko | Feb 2006 | B2 |
| 7006445 | Cole et al. | Feb 2006 | B1 |
| 7012922 | Unitt et al. | Mar 2006 | B1 |
| 7016377 | Chun et al. | Mar 2006 | B1 |
| 7023809 | Rubinstein | Apr 2006 | B1 |
| 7027483 | Santhoff | Apr 2006 | B2 |
| 7031394 | Vitenberg | Apr 2006 | B2 |
| 7034225 | Thompson | Apr 2006 | B2 |
| 7035270 | Moore, Jr. et al. | Apr 2006 | B2 |
| 7050546 | Richardson et al. | May 2006 | B1 |
| 7053501 | Barrass | May 2006 | B1 |
| 7054442 | Weikle | May 2006 | B2 |
| 7058174 | Posthuma | Jun 2006 | B2 |
| 7068649 | Fisher et al. | Jun 2006 | B2 |
| 7068682 | Campbell et al. | Jun 2006 | B2 |
| 7079647 | Tomobe | Jul 2006 | B2 |
| 7085238 | McBeath | Aug 2006 | B2 |
| 7088238 | Karaoguz et al. | Aug 2006 | B2 |
| 7095848 | Fischer et al. | Aug 2006 | B1 |
| 7099707 | Amin et al. | Aug 2006 | B2 |
| 7113574 | Haas et al. | Sep 2006 | B1 |
| 7116685 | Brown et al. | Oct 2006 | B2 |
| 7133423 | Chow et al. | Nov 2006 | B1 |
| 7145996 | Creamer et al. | Dec 2006 | B2 |
| 7149182 | Renucci et al. | Dec 2006 | B1 |
| 7167923 | Lo | Jan 2007 | B2 |
| 7190716 | Norrell et al. | Mar 2007 | B2 |
| 7194639 | Atkinson et al. | Mar 2007 | B2 |
| 7209945 | Hicks, III et al. | Apr 2007 | B2 |
| 7215763 | Keller et al. | May 2007 | B1 |
| 7221679 | Binder | May 2007 | B2 |
| 7239627 | Nattkemper et al. | Jul 2007 | B2 |
| 7239628 | Pendleton et al. | Jul 2007 | B1 |
| 7256704 | Yoon et al. | Aug 2007 | B2 |
| 7257106 | Chen et al. | Aug 2007 | B2 |
| 7263362 | Young et al. | Aug 2007 | B1 |
| 7274669 | Czerwiec et al. | Sep 2007 | B2 |
| 7283554 | Ophir et al. | Oct 2007 | B2 |
| 7292859 | Park | Nov 2007 | B2 |
| 7293103 | Lin et al. | Nov 2007 | B1 |
| 7301940 | Bernstein | Nov 2007 | B1 |
| 7305006 | Bella | Dec 2007 | B1 |
| 7308086 | Yoshitani | Dec 2007 | B2 |
| 7327765 | Ojard | Feb 2008 | B1 |
| 7340051 | Phillips et al. | Mar 2008 | B2 |
| 7346071 | Bareis | Mar 2008 | B2 |
| 7382786 | Chen et al. | Jun 2008 | B2 |
| 7408949 | Baum | Aug 2008 | B2 |
| 20010030470 | Waugh | Oct 2001 | A1 |
| 20010039660 | Vasilevsky et al. | Nov 2001 | A1 |
| 20010047418 | White | Nov 2001 | A1 |
| 20020015489 | Ben-David | Feb 2002 | A1 |
| 20020021465 | Moore et al. | Feb 2002 | A1 |
| 20020031114 | Terry et al. | Mar 2002 | A1 |
| 20020035624 | Kim | Mar 2002 | A1 |
| 20020038153 | Amodeo | Mar 2002 | A1 |
| 20020039388 | Smart et al. | Apr 2002 | A1 |
| 20020057581 | Nadav | May 2002 | A1 |
| 20020059634 | Terry et al. | May 2002 | A1 |
| 20020064039 | Clodfelter | May 2002 | A1 |
| 20020069417 | Kliger et al. | Jun 2002 | A1 |
| 20020076038 | Barrese et al. | Jun 2002 | A1 |
| 20020097821 | Hebron et al. | Jul 2002 | A1 |
| 20020104009 | Zodnik | Aug 2002 | A1 |
| 20020110236 | Karnad | Aug 2002 | A1 |
| 20020114325 | Dale et al. | Aug 2002 | A1 |
| 20020116720 | Terry et al. | Aug 2002 | A1 |
| 20020150100 | White et al. | Oct 2002 | A1 |
| 20020150155 | Florentin et al. | Oct 2002 | A1 |
| 20020154629 | Lohman et al. | Oct 2002 | A1 |
| 20020159402 | Binder | Oct 2002 | A1 |
| 20020166124 | Gurantz et al. | Nov 2002 | A1 |
| 20020166125 | Fulmer | Nov 2002 | A1 |
| 20020174423 | Fifield et al. | Nov 2002 | A1 |
| 20020180592 | Gromov | Dec 2002 | A1 |
| 20020194383 | Cohen et al. | Dec 2002 | A1 |
| 20020194605 | Cohen et al. | Dec 2002 | A1 |
| 20030039257 | Manis | Feb 2003 | A1 |
| 20030048895 | Kiko et al. | Mar 2003 | A1 |
| 20030061522 | Ke et al. | Mar 2003 | A1 |
| 20030062990 | Schaeffer et al. | Apr 2003 | A1 |
| 20030066082 | Kliger et al. | Apr 2003 | A1 |
| 20030099228 | Alcock | May 2003 | A1 |
| 20030107269 | Jetzt | Jun 2003 | A1 |
| 20030112965 | McNamara et al. | Jun 2003 | A1 |
| 20030133476 | Stone et al. | Jul 2003 | A1 |
| 20030146765 | Darshan et al. | Aug 2003 | A1 |
| 20030151695 | Sahlin et al. | Aug 2003 | A1 |
| 20030154273 | Caveney | Aug 2003 | A1 |
| 20030154276 | Caveney | Aug 2003 | A1 |
| 20030198246 | Lifshitz et al. | Oct 2003 | A1 |
| 20030198341 | Smith et al. | Oct 2003 | A1 |
| 20030206623 | Deichstetter et al. | Nov 2003 | A1 |
| 20030207698 | Shpak | Nov 2003 | A1 |
| 20040013098 | Tseng et al. | Jan 2004 | A1 |
| 20040033817 | Gorsulch | Feb 2004 | A1 |
| 20040073597 | Caveney | Apr 2004 | A1 |
| 20040087214 | Cho | May 2004 | A1 |
| 20040107445 | Amit | Jun 2004 | A1 |
| 20040121648 | Voros | Jun 2004 | A1 |
| 20040136384 | Cho | Jul 2004 | A1 |
| 20040147232 | Zodnik | Jul 2004 | A1 |
| 20040172658 | Rakib et al. | Sep 2004 | A1 |
| 20040198236 | Paine et al. | Oct 2004 | A1 |
| 20040204017 | Eckel et al. | Oct 2004 | A1 |
| 20040208167 | Kishida | Oct 2004 | A1 |
| 20040232768 | Hung et al. | Nov 2004 | A1 |
| 20040236967 | Korcharz et al. | Nov 2004 | A1 |
| 20040250273 | Swix et al. | Dec 2004 | A1 |
| 20040268160 | Atkinson et al. | Dec 2004 | A1 |
| 20050047379 | Boyden et al. | Mar 2005 | A1 |
| 20050053087 | Pulyk | Mar 2005 | A1 |
| 20050073968 | Perlman | Apr 2005 | A1 |
| 20050076148 | Chan | Apr 2005 | A1 |
| 20050078700 | Thompson et al. | Apr 2005 | A1 |
| 20050086389 | Chang | Apr 2005 | A1 |
| 20050097369 | Bowser et al. | May 2005 | A1 |
| 20050114325 | Liu et al. | May 2005 | A1 |
| 20050125083 | Kiko | Jun 2005 | A1 |
| 20050136972 | Smith et al. | Jun 2005 | A1 |
| 20050150100 | Merdan et al. | Jul 2005 | A1 |
| 20050152306 | Bonnassieux et al. | Jul 2005 | A1 |
| 20050152337 | Wurtzel et al. | Jul 2005 | A1 |
| 20050177640 | Rubinstein | Aug 2005 | A1 |
| 20050184915 | Nagel et al. | Aug 2005 | A1 |
| 20050208825 | Chan | Sep 2005 | A1 |
| 20050228889 | Cohen et al. | Oct 2005 | A1 |
| 20050245127 | Nordin | Nov 2005 | A1 |
| 20050272372 | Rodriguez | Dec 2005 | A1 |
| 20050273790 | Kearney | Dec 2005 | A1 |
| 20050281326 | Yu | Dec 2005 | A1 |
| 20060006817 | Chason | Jan 2006 | A1 |
| 20060029210 | Feugere | Feb 2006 | A1 |
| 20060079969 | Sequin | Apr 2006 | A1 |
| 20060104291 | Rodriguez | May 2006 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 33 29 336 | Dec 1983 | DE |
| 0241152 | Oct 1987 | EP |
| 0 961 466 | Dec 1999 | EP |
| 1343253 | Sep 2003 | EP |
| 2368979 | May 2002 | GB |
| 55-132197 | Oct 1980 | JP |
| 56-087192 | Jul 1981 | JP |
| 57204655 | Dec 1982 | JP |
| 58206257 | Dec 1983 | JP |
| 07-336379 | Dec 1995 | JP |
| 09-084146 | Mar 1997 | JP |
| 9623377 | Aug 1996 | WO |
| WO 9623377 | Aug 1996 | WO |
| WO 9750193 | Dec 1997 | WO |
| WO 9802985 | Jan 1998 | WO |
| WO 9953627 | Oct 1999 | WO |
| WO 0007322 | Feb 2000 | WO |
| WO 0143238 | Jun 2001 | WO |
| WO 02091652 | Nov 2002 | WO |
| WO 02102019 | Dec 2002 | WO |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20060062241 A1 | Mar 2006 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 10178223 | Jun 2002 | US |
| Child | 11272775 | US | |
| Parent | 09123486 | Jul 1998 | US |
| Child | 10178223 | US |
