Abstract: Peer-to-peer wagering is provided to customers matched over an interactive gaming network. A customer can match to another customer to play a gaming match of a video game over a gaming server or network. The two customers can access a wager portal with which to place a wager on the outcome of their gaming match. The customers agree to a wager over the gaming match via the wager portal. The wager includes a wager amount. The customers can each provide the wager amount to the wager portal. The customers can proceed with playing the gaming match. The wager portal monitors the match outcome by connecting to the gaming server to determine the outcome. The wager portal determines which customer won the gaming match and therefore won the wager. The wager portal transfers the wager amounts to the winning customer or customer account.

Abstract: A whirlpool system in which a plurality of Venturi-type jets are installed at various selected locations around a bathtub or other vessel wall. The jets are interconnected by airline and waterline tubing that is drastically sloped or arched to promote water drainage between uses. The tubing is co-extruded so that over the major portion of their path between jets, the airline tube and waterline tube are structurally joined so that the airline tube can help resist sagging of the waterline tube. In preferred embodiments, the airline tube is of smaller diameter and of a harder or higher durometer material or a malleable wire, preferably encased in plastic and co-extruded with the air and waterline tube, provides anti-sagging support of the tubes.

Abstract: A data storage system for transferring data between a host computer/server and a bank of disk drives through a system interface. The interface includes: a global memory; a plurality of front-end directors coupled between the global memory and the host computer/server; and, a plurality of back-end directors coupled between the global memory and the bank of disk drives. Each one of the first directors and each one of the second directors has a data pipe. Each one of such front-end directors passes front-end data between the global memory and the host computer through the data pipe therein and each one of the second directors passing back-end data between the global memory and the bank of disk drives through the data pipe therein.

Abstract: A spa comprised of a fluid enclosure having a floor and an upstanding sidewall includes a plurality of therapy stations within the enclosure. Each therapy station includes a hydrotherapy assembly and each such assembly includes a plurality of fluid jets in the floor or sidewall of the enclosure and a fluid inlet through the floor or sidewall of the enclosure. Each hydrotherapy assembly also includes a fluid pump having a suction port that is in fluid communication with the inlet and a discharge port that is in fluid communication with the jets. The pump is adapted to move fluid from the enclosure through the fluid inlet and suction port and back through the discharge port and the jets into the enclosure. A variable flow controller is also provided for each hydrotherapy station, which controller is adapted to control the flow of fluid from the discharge port of the pump through the jets into the enclosure.

Abstract: A data storage system wherein a host computer is coupled to a bank of disk drives through a system interface. The interface has a memory with a high address memory section and a low address memory section. A plurality of directors control data transfer between the host computer and the bank of disk drives as such data passes through the memory. A pair of high address busses electrically is connected to the high address memory and a pair of low address busses is electrically connected to the low address memory. Each one of the directors is electrically connected to one of the pair of high address busses and one of the pair of low address busses. A front-end portion of the directors is electrically connected to the host computer and a rear-end portion of the directors is electrically connected to the bank of disk drives.

Abstract: A suction-actuated control system (10) for a whirlpool bath/spa installation includes a suction-side transducer (52) connected in the suction inlet path and a controller (54). The suction-side transducer (52) transmits an air pulse to the controller (54) when pressure in the suction path drops below a pre-determined value caused, for example, by a full or partial blockage of a suction cover (26) by a wash cloth or an article of clothing. The controller (54) includes an electric switch (62) in circuit with the recirculation pump (34) and a bi-state controller (66) that actuates the electric switch (62) between its ON state and its OFF state. An abnormally low pressure in the suction path to the recirculation pump (34) caused by a full or partial blockage of the suction cover (26) will cause the controller (54) to shut-off the recirculation pump (34). After the obstruction is removed and a short time delay, the user can actuate a user ON/OFF control (56) to restart the pump (34).