Abstract: A grounds maintenance apparatus such as a lawn mower adapted for movement from a horizontal operating orientation to a vertical storage orientation. Embodiments of the apparatus provide supplemental storage wheels adapted to permit rolling of the apparatus over a ground surface while in the vertical storage orientation.

Abstract: A walk-behind is configurable in a grass catching mode, wherein a debris container is attached to the mower in a grass collecting configuration to permit the collection of grass clippings. The mower may further be configured such that the debris container is stored on the mower in a stowed configuration. The debris container may be partially or fully supported by a handle of the mower when in the stowed configuration.

Abstract: A control system for controlling engagement of a first and second transmission of an all-wheel drive (AWD) walk-behind power equipment unit such as a lawn mower. The control system may include a mechanical load balancer to split an input drive force vector into two output force vectors. These two forces act upon associated first and second connection elements coupled to the first and second transmissions, respectively. One transmission may include a resistance element selected to sequence engagement of the first and second transmissions so that both transmissions begin driving their respective wheels at or near the same time even when the wheels associated with one transmission are more heavily-loaded than the wheels associated with the other transmission.

Abstract: A walk-behind mower that, in one embodiment, is configured in a grass catching mode, wherein a debris container is attached to the mower in a grass collecting configuration to permit the collection of grass clippings. The mower may further be configured in an alternative mode, wherein the debris container is stored on the mower in a stowed configuration. In one embodiment, the debris container may be partially or fully supported by a handle of the mower when in the stowed configuration.

Abstract: A grounds maintenance apparatus such as a lawn mower adapted for movement from a horizontal operating orientation to a vertical storage orientation. Embodiments of the apparatus provide supplemental storage wheels adapted to permit rolling of the apparatus over a ground surface while in the vertical storage orientation.

Abstract: A control system for controlling engagement of a first and second transmission of an all-wheel drive (AWD) walk-behind power equipment unit such as a lawn mower. The control system may include a mechanical load balancer to split an input drive force vector into two output force vectors. These two forces act upon associated first and second connection elements coupled to the first and second transmissions, respectively. One transmission may include a resistance element selected to sequence engagement of the first and second transmissions so that both transmissions begin driving their respective wheels at or near the same time even when the wheels associated with one transmission are more heavily-loaded than the wheels associated with the other transmission.

Abstract: A credit card size authentication card is manufactured using innovative sensor technology, processor technology, power generation and storage, panel display and integration technology. The front of the card has a data display and an exposed, biometric sensor. Internally the card has one or more flex boards that carry low profile, surface-mounted electronic components including a processor that provides the control functions and mathematical calculations to generate a series of random personal identification numbers (PINs) in the display. The random PINs are derived from a biometric seed number obtained during initialization of the card by a discrete user. The electronic circuitry controlling and interconnecting the processor, the sensor and the display is powered by a power system including a thin film battery, a thin film power generator and a low profile power regulator. The thin film power generator preferably comprises a thin film solar collector or RF antenna circuit for energy harvesting.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for providing error correction coding having a selectively variable degree of redundancy. The system and method include generating extended check symbols by performing a Reed-Solomon operation on unused check symbols that do not form a portion of an interleaved code word. An extended check symbol is generated from the unused check symbols appearing in a column of the unused check symbols. The extended check symbols are stored with the interleaved code words in a data storage device. The extended check symbols are retrieved from the data storage device with the corresponding interleaved code words. Following the decoding of the interleaved code words and the identification of uncorrectable errors therein, the extended check symbols are decoded to recover the corresponding unused check symbols for the previously uncorrectable interleaved code words.

Abstract: An improved single-stage snow thrower including a wheeled frame assembly for supporting the snow thrower upon a ground surface and a driven impeller capable of being placed in ground contact to forwardly propel the snow thrower across the ground surface. A handle assembly including a user interface is further provided to permit the operator to selectively control the normal force associated with the driven impeller, and thus selectively control the propulsive drive force of the snow thrower. A bail control assembly may be provided upon the handle to permit the operator to selectively control a downward movement of the impeller to selectively control the degree of impeller ground contact.

Abstract: Disclosed is a thermal asperity pointer processing apparatus and method for processing apparatus for generating erasure locations from a thermal asperity signal. The thermal asperity signal indicates an error burst in an interleaved data sector. The apparatus includes a thermal asperity pointer recorder, a storage unit, and a thermal asperity pointer processing unit. The thermal asperity pointer recorder is adapted to receive a thermal asperity signal and is configured to generate a thermal asperity event information associated with the thermal asperity signal. The thermal asperity event information includes a thermal asperity duration, a starting interleave number, and a starting interleave address of the thermal asperity signal in the interleaved data sector.

Abstract: Disclosed is a thermal asperity pointer processing apparatus and method for processing apparatus for generating erasure locations from a thermal asperity signal. The thermal asperity signal indicates an error burst in an interleaved data sector. The apparatus includes a thermal asperity pointer recorder, a storage unit, and a thermal asperity pointer processing unit. The thermal asperity pointer recorder is adapted to receive a thermal asperity signal and is configured to generate a thermal asperity event information associated with the thermal asperity signal. The thermal asperity event information includes a thermal asperity duration, a starting interleave number, and a starting interleave address of the thermal asperity signal in the interleaved data sector.

Abstract: An improved single-stage snow thrower including a wheeled frame assembly for supporting the snow thrower upon a ground surface and a driven impeller capable of being placed in ground contact to forwardly propel the snow thrower across the ground surface. A handle assembly including a user interface is further provided to permit the operator to selectively control the normal force associated with the driven impeller, and thus selectively control the propulsive drive force of the snow thrower. A bail control assembly may be provided upon the handle to permit the operator to selectively control a downward movement of the impeller to selectively control the degree of impeller ground contact.

Abstract: Disclosed is a Chien search circuit for determining roots to an error locator polynomial that is defined by a set of coefficients. The circuit includes N sub-Chien search circuits, each of which is configured to sequentially evaluate a subset of field elements from a specified set of field elements. Each sub-Chien search circuit includes a set of storage elements, a set of constant multipliers, an adder, and a comparator. The set of storage elements stores a set of values, and receives and stores the set of coefficients as the set of values. One storage element is associated with each coefficient. The set of constant multipliers is coupled to receive the set of values from the set of storage elements. One constant multiplier is associated with one storage element. Each of the constant multipliers is associated with a constant field element and is configured to multiply the received value and the constant field element to generate a product.

Abstract: The invention relates to a composition for the volumetric generation of radiation, wherein a first substance functions as a source of exciting radiation, and a second substance interacts with the exciting radiation to provide a second radiation. The compositions comprise a porous substrate which is loaded with: a source of exciting radiation, a component capable of emitting radiation upon interaction with the exciting radiation, or both. In the composition, a composite is formed from a carrier material and at least one of the source of the exciting radiation or the component which is capable of interacting with the exciting radiation. The composite is then employed for loading a porous substrate, preferably an aerogel substrate.

Abstract: A new type of RL light source consisting of a zeolite crystalline material, the intralattice spaces of which a tritiated compound and a luminophore are sorbed, and which material is optionally further dispersed in a refractive index-matched polymer matrix.

Abstract: The invention provides a process for loading an aerogel substrate with tritium and the resultant compositions. According to the process, an aerogel substrate is hydrolyzed so that surface OH groups are formed. The hydrolyzed aerogel is then subjected to tritium exchange employing, for example, a tritium-containing gas, whereby tritium atoms replace H atoms of surface OH groups. OH and/or CH groups of residual alcohol present in the aerogel may also undergo tritium exchange.

Abstract: A solid state radioluminescent composition for light source comprises an optically clear polymer organic matrix containing tritiated organic materials and dyes capable of "red" shifting primary scintillation emissions from the polymer matrix. The tritiated organic materials are made by reducing, with tritium, an unsaturated organic compound that prior to reduction contains olefinic or alkynylic bonds.