Author: claimsbot

1. A rotary disk laser comprising:
at least two disks;
wherein each said disk contains a laser material;
at least one laser excitation source capable of creating excited lasing material in each said disk;
a mechanism for rotating each disk; and
at least one laser generator being operated using the excited lasing material in the said disks.
2. The rotary disk laser of claim 1 wherein at least one heat sink is disposed substantially adjacent at least a portion of at least one disk such that as the disk is being rotated, heat from different portions of the disk is transferred to the said heat sink.
3. The rotary disk laser of claim 1 wherein a disk displacement mechanism translates at least one disk to increase the portion of the disk, which is in communication with the laser excitation source.
4. The rotary disk laser of claim 1 wherein at least one laser excitation source is a laser diode.
5. The rotary disk laser of claim 4 wherein a focusing optic is used to collect the light from at least one said laser diode and to deliver it to at least one of the said disks.
6. The rotary disk laser of claim 4 wherein at least one laser diode is coupled to an optical fiber, which delivers the laser diode power to at least one of the said disks.
7. The rotary disk laser of claim 6 wherein a focusing optic is used to collect the light from at least one said optical fiber which is coupled to the said laser diode and to deliver it to at least one of the said disks.
8. The rotary disk laser of claim 1 wherein the disks are constructed of Yb-YAG ceramic, Yb-YAG, Nd-YAG ceramic, or Nd-YAG.
9. The rotary disk laser of claim 2 wherein at least one laser generator is a laser amplifier.
10. The rotary disk laser of claim 9 wherein the laser amplifier is capable of producing at least 100 kW of average power.
11. The rotary disk laser of claim 2 wherein at least one laser generator is a laser oscillator.
12. The rotary disk laser of claim 11 wherein the laser resonator is a geometrically unstable optical resonator.
13. The rotary disk laser of claim 12 wherein the said unstable optical resonator contains at least one mirror with variable reflectivity on its surface.
14. The rotary disk laser of claim 11 wherein the laser oscillator is capable of producing at least 100 kW of average power.
15. A rotary disk laser comprising:
a disk, containing laser material;
at least two laser excitation sources capable of creating excited lasing material in two different regions in the disk;
a mechanism for displacing the disk;
wherein the disk displacement mechanism is capable of transporting the excited lasing material created by the said laser excitation sources;
a heat sink disposed substantially adjacent at least a portion of the disk such that as the disk is being displaced, heat from different portions of the disk is transferred to the said heat sink; and
at least one laser generator being operated using the excited lasing material in the disk.
16. The rotary disk laser of claim 15 wherein the disk displacement mechanism rotates the disk.
17. The rotary disk laser of claim 15 wherein the disk displacement mechanism translates and rotates the disk.
18. The rotary disk laser of claim 15 wherein at least one laser generator is a laser oscillator.
19. The rotary disk laser of claim 15 wherein at least one laser generator is a laser amplifier.
20. A rotary disk laser comprising:
a disk stack;
a mechanism for displacing the disk stack;
wherein the disk stack contains at least two disks;
wherein at least one disk contains a laser material;
at least one laser excitation source capable of creating excited lasing material in the said disk containing laser material; and
at least one laser generator being operated using the excited lasing material in the disk.
21. The rotary disk laser of claim 20 wherein at least one laser generator is a laser oscillator.
22. The rotary disk laser of claim 20 wherein at least one laser generator is a laser amplifier.
23. The rotary disk laser of claim 20 wherein at least two disks have different functions in a rotary disk laser.
24. The rotary disk laser of claim 20 wherein at least one disk in the disk stack acts to remove the heat from the disk containing the laser material.
25. The rotary disk laser of claim 20 wherein at least one disk in the disk stack is made of a nonlinear optical material to convert a portion of the laser generator beam from one wavelength to another wavelength.
26. The rotary disk laser of claim 20 wherein at least two disks in the disk stack are diffusion bonded with each other.
27. The rotary disk laser of claim 20 wherein at least two disks in the disk stack are optically contacted with each other.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A method implemented within a computer system comprising a central processing unit (CPU) and a random access memory (RAM), the method comprising:
a. utilizing the CPU and RAM to obtain a history of online activities of a user;
b. utilizing the CPU and RAM to receive user preference information from the user;
c. utilizing the CPU and RAM to identify a plurality of online information resources linking to online resources viewed by the user, wherein each of the plurality of online information resources is associated with an online information source;
d. utilizing the CPU and RAM to generate a plurality of relevance scores for each of the identified online information resource; and
e. using the generated plurality of relevance scores to generate a ranked list of recommended online information sources, wherein a rank of each online information source is determined by aggregating at least some of the plurality of relevance scores of the identified online information resources according to the received user preference information,
wherein:
the ranked list comprises links to online sources that are not in the history of the online activities of the user,
the online information resource is a blog post,
the online resource viewed by the user is a visited web page,
the online information source is a source blog web page, and
the online source is a related web feed.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the history of online activities of the user comprises user’s web browsing history.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the history of online activities of the user is collected by intercepting requests of the user for Internet resources and transmitting the information on the requested online resources to a link analyzer.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying of the plurality of online information resources linking to online resources viewed by the user is performed by issuing a query to an online search engine.
5. The method of claim , wherein prior to the identifying, the history of online activities of the user is combined with online activities history of at least one other user.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated plurality of relevance scores comprises a popularity score indicating a number of other online resources linking to the identified online information resource.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated plurality of relevance scores comprises an activity score indicating a number of comments generated by the identified online information resource.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated plurality of relevance scores comprises a recency score indicating an age of the identified online information resource relative to a current date.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated plurality of relevance scores comprises a quickness score indicating a position of the identified online information resource in a temporarily ordered list of online information resources pointing to the online resource viewed by the user.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated plurality of relevance scores comprises a uniqueness score representing an inverse of a number of online resources from all sources referring to the online resource viewed by the user.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated plurality of relevance scores comprises a specificity score representing an inverse of a frequency of links to the online resource viewed by the user from the identified online information resource.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated plurality of relevance scores comprises a conciseness score representing a length of the identified online information resource.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a ranked list of recommended online information sources comprises calculating an aggregate score for each online information source by combining at least some of the plurality of relevance scores corresponding to identified online information resources associated with the online information sources.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the aggregate score is further based on popularity of the online information source.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein the aggregate score is further based on peer popularity of the online information source.
16. The method of claim 13, wherein the aggregate score is further based on precision of the online information source.
17. The method of claim 13, wherein the aggregate score is further based on uniqueness of the online information source.
18. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the generated ranked list of recommended online information sources to the user.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the generated ranked list of recommended online information sources is displayed by incorporating into a personal web page of the user.
20. The method of claim 18, wherein the generated ranked list of recommended online information sources is provided to the user via email.
21. The method of claim 1, wherein the user preference information comprises ranking criteria.
22. A computerized system comprising:
a. a web history collector module operable to obtain a history of online activities of a user;
b. a user interface operable to receive user preference information from the user;
c. a link analyzer module operable to identify a plurality of online information resources linking to online resources viewed by the user and generate a plurality of relevance scores for each of the identified online information resource, wherein each of the plurality of online information resources is associated with an online information source;
d. a recommender module operable to use the generated plurality of relevance scores to generate a ranked list of recommended online information sources, wherein a rank of each online information source is determined by aggregating at least some of the plurality of relevance scores of the identified online information resources according to the received user preference information; and
e. a display operable to display the generated ranked list of recommended online information sources to the user,
wherein:
the ranked list comprises links to online sources that are not in the history of the online activities of the user,
the online information resource is a blog post,
the online resource viewed by the user is a visited web page,
the online information source is a source blog web page, and
the online source is a related web feed.
23. A non-transitory computer readable medium embodying a computer executable instructions implementing a method comprising:
a. obtaining a history of online activities of a user;
b. receiving user preference information from the user;
c. identifying a plurality of online information resources linking to online resources viewed by the user, wherein each of the plurality of online information resources is associated with an online information source;
d. generating a plurality of relevance scores for each of the identified online information resource; and
e. using the generated plurality of relevance scores to generate a ranked list of recommended online information sources, wherein a rank of each online information source is determined by aggregating at least some of the plurality of relevance scores of the identified online information resources according to the received user preference information,
wherein:
the ranked list comprises links to online sources that are not in the history of the online activities of the user,
the online information resource is a blog post,
the online resource viewed by the user is a visited web page,
the online information source is a source blog web page, and
the online source is a related web feed.
24. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified plurality of online information resources are linked to online resources viewed by the user through a use of a link in the online information resource which points to the online resource viewed by the user.
25. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining a history of online activities of a user further comprises obtaining a list of online resources viewed by the user.

1. A device comprising:
a back plane having an optical fiber, the optical fiber of the back plane having a terminal end, the terminal end of the optical fiber of the back plane having a terminal surface oriented at an angle relative to a longitudinal length direction of the optical fiber of the back plane, and wherein the angle is substantially forty-five degrees, and wherein the terminal surface of the optical fiber of the back plane is metallized;
a daughter card; and
a shroud mounted to the daughter card, the shroud having an optical fiber and a lens, the optical fiber of the shroud having a terminal end, and wherein a longitudinal length direction of the optical fiber of the shroud is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal length direction of the optical fiber of the back plane, and wherein the terminal end of the optical fiber of the shroud is in optical communication with the lens, and wherein the lens is in optical communication with the terminal end of the optical fiber of the back plane, and wherein,
when a first light signal is transmitted from the optical fiber of the shroud to the optical fiber of the back plane, the first light signal exits the terminal end of the optical fiber of the shroud and enters and exits the lens, the first light signal then impinges a surface of the optical fiber of the back plane adjacent to the terminal end of the optical fiber of the back plane, the first light signal then enters the optical fiber of the back plane and, due to total internal reflection, is reflected off of the terminal surface of the optical fiber of the back plane so that the first light signal travels along the longitudinal length direction of the optical fiber of the back plane away from the terminal end of the optical fiber of the back plane, and wherein,
when a second light signal is transmitted from the optical fiber of the back plane to the optical fiber of the shroud, the second light signal travels through the optical fiber of the back plane toward the terminal end of the of the optical fiber of the back plane, the second light signal is then, due to total internal reflection, reflected off of the terminal surface of the optical fiber of the back plane and then exits the surface of the optical fiber of the back plane adjacent to the terminal end of the optical fiber of the back plane, the second light signal then enters and exits the lens, the second light signal then enters the optical fiber of the shroud through the terminal end of the optical fiber of the shroud.
2. A device according to claim 1 wherein the shroud contacts the back plane.
3. A device according to claim 2 wherein the back plane includes a first alignment pin aperture and a second alignment pin aperture.
4. A device according to claim 3 wherein the shroud includes a first alignment pin and a second alignment pin, and wherein the first alignment pin aperture of the back plane has a shape complementary to a shape of the first alignment pin of the shroud, and wherein the second alignment pin aperture of the back plane has a shape complementary to a shape of the second alignment pin of the shroud.
5. A device according to claim 4, further comprising an adhesive material which secures the lens to the shroud, and wherein the adhesive material has an index of refraction which is substantially the same as an index of refraction of a material of the lens.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. An echo canceller, comprising:
a first multi-band filter which receives a first input audio signal and generates a first plurality of sub-band signals, each of the first plurality sub-band signals comprising a respective sub-band of the first input audio signal;
a second multi-band filter which receives a second input audio signal and generates a second plurality of sub-band signals, each of the second plurality of sub-band signals comprising a respective sub-band of the second input audio signal;
a plurality of double talk detectors, each of the double talk detectors generating a double talk flag based on at least a respective one of the first sub-band signals and a respective one of the second sub-band signals; and
a plurality of non-linear processors, each of the non-linear processors receiving at least a respective one of the double talk flags from at least one of the double talk detectors, each of the non-linear processors processing the double talk flag to select an amount of attenuation to apply to respective error signals to generate a sub-band output signal having reduced echo.
2. The echo canceller of claim 1, further comprising:
a muti-band combiner, the muti-band combiner receiving each of the sub-band output signals and combining the respective sub-band output signals into a broadband output signal.
3. The echo canceller of claim 2, wherein the multi-band combiner receives each of the sub-band output signals from the respective non-linear processors.
4. The echo canceller of claim 2, further comprising:
a noise suppressor that generates a noise status indicator, the noise suppressor communicating the noise status indicator to each of the plurality of double talk detectors.
5. The echo canceller of claim 1, further comprising:
a plurality of adaptive filters, each of the adaptive filters receiving a respective one of the double talk flags and a respective one of the second sub-band signals, and filtering the second sub-band signal in accordance with the received double talk flag.
6. The echo canceller of claim 1, further comprising:
a plurality of adders, each of the adders receiving a respective one of the first sub-band signals and a respective one of the second sub-band signals, generating an error signal that is a difference of the first sub-band signal and the second sub-band signal, and communicating the error signal to a respective double talk detector.
7. The echo canceller of claim 6, wherein each of the respective error signals is also communicated to a respective one of the non-linear processors.
8. The echo canceller of claim 7, wherein each of the respective non-linear processors generates the respective sub-band output signal from the respective error signal.
9. The echo canceller of claim 6, further comprising:
a plurality of adaptive filters, each of the adaptive filters receiving a respective one of the double talk flags and a respective one of the second sub-band signals, and filtering the second sub-band signal in accordance with the received double talk flag to generate a filtered second sub-band signal;
wherein the second sub-band signals received by the adders are filtered second sub-band signals.
10. An echo canceller, comprising:
a first multi-band filter which receives a first input audio signal and generates a first plurality of sub-band signals, each of the first plurality sub-band signals comprising a respective sub-band of the first input audio signal;
a second multi-band filter which receives a second input audio signal and generates a second plurality of sub-band signals, each of the second plurality of sub-band signals comprising a respective sub-band of the second input audio signal;
a noise suppressor that generates a noise status indicator, the noise suppressor communicating the noise status indicator to each of a plurality of double talk detectors, each of the plurality of double talk detectors generating a double talk flag based on at least a respective one of the first sub-band signals, a respective one of the second sub-band signals, and the noise status indicator; and
a plurality of non-linear processors, each of the non-linear processors receiving at least a respective one of the double talk flags from at least one of the double talk detectors, each of the non-linear processors processing the double talk flag to select an amount of attenuation to apply to respective error signals to generate a sub-band output signal having reduced echo.
11. The echo canceller of claim 10, further comprising:
a plurality of non-linear processors, each of the non-linear processors receiving at least a respective one of the double talk flags from at least one of the double talk detectors, each of the non-linear processors processing the double talk flag to generate a sub-band output signal having reduced echo.
12. The echo canceller of claim 10, further comprising:
a plurality of adaptive filters, each of the adaptive filters receiving a respective one of the double talk flags and a respective one of the second sub-band signals, and filtering the second sub-band signal in accordance with the received double talk flag.
13. A method of cancelling echo in a duplex communication device, comprising:
receiving a first input audio signal and generating a plurality of sub-band signals, each of the first plurality of sub-band signals comprising a respective sub-band of the first input audio signal;
receiving a second input audio signal and generating a second plurality of sub-band signals, each of the second plurality of sub-band signals comprising a respective sub-band of the second input audio signal;
generating a plurality of double talk flags, each of the double talk flags based on at least a respective one of the first sub-band signals and a respective one of the second sub-band signals; and
processing each of the double talk flags to select an amount of attenuation to apply to respective error signals to generate a respective sub-band output signal having reduced echo.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:
combining the respective sub-band output signals into a broadband output signal.
15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:
generating a noise status indicator; and
communicating the noise status indicator to each of a plurality of double talk detectors, each of which generates a respective one of the double talk flags.
16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:
for each of the first sub-band signals, receiving a respective one of the double talk flags and a respective one of the second sub-band signals, and filtering the second sub-band signal in accordance with the received double talk flag.
17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:
for each of the first sub-band signals and the respective second sub-band signals, generating an error signal that is a difference of the first sub-band signal and the second sub-band signal, and communicating the error signal to a respective double talk detector.
18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:
communicating each of the error signals to a respective one of the non-linear processors.
19. The method of claim 17, wherein processing each of the double talk flags to generate a respective sub-band output signal further comprises processing the error signal.
20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:
for each of the first sub-band signals, receiving a respective one of the double talk flags and a respective one of the second sub-band signals, and filtering the second sub-band signal in accordance with the received double talk flag to generate a filtered second sub-band signal;
wherein generating the error signal comprises generating an error signal that is a difference of the first sub-band signal and the filtered second sub-band signal.