Abstract: An apparatus for dry cutting asphalt, concrete and other hard construction materials. The apparatus has a forward direction of operation and includes a circular saw, blade guard, and vacuum collection means. The circular saw includes a housing having front and back ends, a rotatable shaft extending from the housing, a blade fixed to the shaft, and means for rotating the shaft and blade in a direction that upcuts the material when the saw is conveyed in the forward direction. The blade guard is mounted to the housing. The blade guard includes a cover surrounding the upper portion of the blade, a shoe surrounding the lower portion of the blade, and an adjustable connection interface between the cover and the shoe. The vacuum collection means is connected to the blade guard.

Abstract: An ignition coil for an internal combustion engine minimizes the propagation of cracks in the encapsulate material surrounding the components of the ignition coil and provides a supplemental dielectric barrier. In one embodiment, the ignition coil comprises a housing, an outer core, an inner coil, and a coil assembly. The housing includes a bottom wall connected to an outer wall extending around the periphery of the housing. The outer core is positioned inside the outer wall, while the inner core is positioned inside the outer core. The coil assembly includes a primary winding and a secondary winding concentrically positioned relative to each other. The coil assembly is mounted to the inner core and positioned inside the outer core. The housing further includes an inner wall extending along the inner periphery of the outer core and positioned between the outer core and the coil assembly to prevent propagation of cracks.

Abstract: A sealing device with film sealer for localized heating to bond film material as in one having a high temperature resistance (e.g., ceramic) substrate with a properly sized groove for receiving a heater element as in a flat faced wire band in a tight, flush to adjacent film presentation surface arrangement. A stacked ceramic plate set with a wire band received within a groove defined by a smaller height intermediate stack insert is a suitable substrate. The band is retained flush by a positioner fixer system that securely locks down one end for band tightening and the other end is provided at an access location of said housing body for clamping and tensioning the heater element into ready for use position within the groove. The edge sealer is suited for use as a product-in-bag sealing device (products such as air, foam, foodstuff, etc.) with the heater element placed in contact with film material to form a seal.

Abstract: An improved personal body grounding system includes a grounding pad having two or more ground leads conductively coupled to one or more grounded anchors having multiple ground contact points. A monitor tests the continuity to ground using the circuit created by the multiple ground contact points. The monitor includes multiple safety features in the event of a power surge. The system also includes an electrical meter to measure the personal body voltage of a user and a voltage gauge for measuring continuity to ground.

Abstract: A method and a carrier medium instructing a processor to execute a method. The method includes accepting a compressed video stream compressed by a compression method that uses macroblocks of possibly different macroblock types for each frame predictive encoding frames. The method further includes identifying a sequence of frames that are substantially visually indistinguishable and that include a predictively encoded frame and the at least one reference frame of the predictively encoded frame. The method further includes creating an ordered set of macroblocks, with the macroblock types of different macroblocks in the ordered set used to encode digital watermark information. The method further includes replacing the predictively encoded frame of the identified sequence with a newly-encoded predictively encoded replacement frame that contains the created ordered set of macroblocks, including the encoded watermarking information.

Abstract: A fresenel zoned microstructured optical fiber is described. The fiber is constructed of concentric zones, each zone being defined by discontinuities in the refractive index. The refractive index within each zone may either be constant or may vary, for example each zone being a section of a parabola or hyperbola. The fiber may be used as a lens, for example for coupling light between fibers with different core sizes.

Abstract: A network provides distributed database services based on replicating data records to a new storage location that is closest to consumers of the data records, based on comparing a network distance between the new storage location and an attribute identifying a center of activity of at least one data element, relative to the network distance between any existing storage location in the center of activity. If the new storage location is closer to the center of activity relative to any of the other existing stores locations, than at least the one data element associated with the center of activity is copied to the new storage location. Multiple centers of activity may be utilized for respective data records, enabling data records to be copied on a per-record basis, or grouped as needed.

Abstract: A network has a file system configured for providing a selected version of a first file to a client, having requested the file, based on detecting that the client has opened a second file having an identified relationship with the first file. Files are identified as having a relationship based on membership in a file group, wherein each file group identifies only one version of each file specified in the corresponding file group; hence, multiple file groups can identify files associated with respective versions of a file set. In response to determining the first file belongs to a file group, the file system identifies the version of the second file opened by the client, and selects the version of the first file to be provided to the client based on determining the file group associated with the version of the second file opened by the client.

Abstract: A network provides distributed computing services based on participation in respective resource groups by computing nodes, each resource group including a corresponding resource requirement for any computing node that joins the corresponding resource group for execution of the corresponding distributed computing service. Each computing node, in response to determining its corresponding available node capacity, is configured for selectively creating and joining at least one new resource group for execution of a corresponding distributed computing service having a corresponding resource requirement, and/or selectively joining at least one of the available resource groups, based on the corresponding available node capacity satisfying the corresponding resource requirement. Each computing node also is configured for selectively leaving any one of the joined resource groups based on determined conditions.

Abstract: Each data file of a distributed file system is identified by a corresponding globally-unique object identifier that is independent of any attribute of the data file. A node in the distributed file system has a file system that includes a plurality of directory entries, where each directory entry has a file name field, an attributes field, and an object identifier field configured for specifying a globally-unique object identifier. The globally-unique object identifier is universally reachable by any node of the distributed file system and uniquely identifies the data file, enabling the data file to be universally identifiable by any node based on the corresponding object identifier. The data file can be stored independently of a device file system based on providing a resolution between the data file name and its object identifier, followed by a resolution between the object identifier and a selected location for the data file.

Abstract: A network provides distributed client services based on participation in respective resource groups by computing nodes, each resource group including a corresponding resource requirement for any computing node that joins the corresponding resource group for execution of the corresponding distributed client service. Each computing node, in response to determining its corresponding available node capacity, is configured for selectively creating and joining at least one new resource group for execution of a corresponding distributed client service having a corresponding resource requirement, and/or selectively joining at least one of the available resource groups, based on the corresponding available node capacity satisfying the corresponding resource requirement. Each distributed client service also includes service attributes that define parameters for execution of the distributed client service, and data attributes that define the attributes required for data to be used in the distributed client service.

Abstract: Techniques for locating an object such as a data item or service on a node in a distributed system on a computer network include receiving communication cost data that indicates a cost of physically transferring data among nodes in a computer network. A node identifier for a node is determined based on the communication cost data such that a distance between two node identifiers for a pair of nodes is based on a cost of physically transferring data between the pair of nodes. For a particular object that has a particular object identifier, a closest node is determined among the plurality of nodes based on the particular object identifier and node identifiers corresponding to the nodes. The object is located through the closest node, such as by retrieving it or a pointer or an identifier for another node that is still closer to the object.

Abstract: A Domain Name System (DNS) server is configured for dynamically selecting, for a client device, a selected resolution from available resolutions, the selected resolution identifying at least one destination for the specified service. The dynamic selection of the selected resolution is based on an attribute of the client device and/or a determined attribute of the network. Hence, the selected resolution directs the client device to a specific server based on prescribed selection criteria, for example service level agreements, the location of the client device, network performance or detected congestion conditions, authentication of the user of the client device, etc. The selected resolution also can be for enforcement of load balancing policies.

Abstract: A selection resource executed within the network is configured for selecting from among a plurality of servers, distributed throughout the network at respective network-based server locations in each configured for providing a specified service, a selected server for providing the specified service for a client device at a network-based client location. The selection resource selects the selected server based on the corresponding server location relative to the client location, and causes a request having been generated by the client device to be sent to the selected server. Hence, the selection resource optimizes client-server interactions in a distributed computing network, based on the client location and the server location.

Abstract: A selection resource executed within the network is configured for selecting from among a plurality of servers, distributed throughout the network at respective network-based server locations in each configured for providing a specified service, a selected server for providing the specified service for a client device at a network-based client location. The selection resource selects the selected server based on the corresponding server location relative to the client location, and causes a request having been generated by the client device to be sent to the selected server. Hence, the selection resource optimizes client-server interactions in a distributed computing network, based on the client location and the server location.

Abstract: A selection resource executed within the network is configured for selecting from among a plurality of servers, distributed throughout the network at respective network-based server locations in each configured for providing a specified service, a selected server for providing the specified service for a client device at a network-based client location. The selection resource selects the selected server based on the corresponding server location relative to the client location, and causes a request having been generated by the client device to be sent to the selected server. Hence, the selection resource optimizes client-server interactions in a distributed computing network, based on the client location and the server location.

Abstract: A magnetic core assembly for an ignition coil assembly allows unique exterior shapes to be formed by an outer insulation layer, while speeding up the manufacturing process. Generally, the magnetic core assembly comprises a core of ferromagnetic material and an overmold over the exterior of the core. The overmold generally comprises an insulating layer injection molded over the core. Various structures may be incorporated into the core assembly for injection molding, while a second insulative layer provides additional thermal and electrical insulation.

Abstract: Distributed data, having been stored in a distributed storage system as a collection of distributed data elements, is recovered based on connection of multiple user nodes, each user node having stored selected distributed data elements as a corresponding portion of the distributed data during replication of the distributed data elements throughout the distributed storage system. Each distributed data element is identifiable by a corresponding unique object identifier (OID). Each user node includes a discovery resource for discovering reachable user nodes, a local cache configured for identifying at least the corresponding portion of the distributed data based on the respective OIDs, and an identification service module configured for resolving a data object to a corresponding OID, via the corresponding local cache, or based on sending a query to the reachable user nodes. Hence, user nodes can recover distributed data based on exchanging resolution information and OID information.

Abstract: A battery powered, electrically driven screwdriver has an elongated body with a narrow forward portion disposed toward the working end, and a relatively larger rearward portion disposed distal from the working end. A tapering transition connects the narrow forward portion with the larger rearward portion. At least one fingertip- operable switch is mounted on the forward portion. The at least one fingertip switch is disposed at a position consistent with a pad of a human index finger when the screwdriver is held in a “pencil” style of grip. One embodiment includes a drive system capable of applying limited torque to said surgical screws, wherein said torque is limited at or below said predetermined, known maximum torsion capability of specific surgical screws.

Abstract: A pencil ignition coil assembly module (40) that has a frusto-conically tapered core (46) and encapsulation (280) surrounding the side of the core. Features (216, 230, 234) center the core to a bobbin 48. A retainer (240, 240A) captures the core within the bobbin.