Abstract: A non-vented shell earplug for insertion into the ear canal has multiple chambers configured as coupled acoustic resonators. Each chamber is provided with an acoustic element having inertia and resistance coupling the chamber to its neighbor to form multiple resonant chambers. The dimensions of the individual acoustic elements set the frequency response of the earplug, and determine the attenuation characteristics of the resonators. Unlike the single chamber resonator of the prior art, the multiple-resonator earplug provides attenuation in both low and high frequency segments of the noise spectrum. Additionally, the present invention teaches placing loudspeaker and/or sound sensing transducer for sound communication purposes and active noise control within the earplug, with their sound field patterns directed into a chamber for coupling to the ear canal. The use of multiple resonators enhances the high frequency communications response of the earplug.

Abstract: An extended travel balance including a channel having a first end and a second end, a bottom pulley connected at the second end of the channel, and a bottom guide connectable at a location between the first end and the bottom pulley, and preferably between the bottom pulley and fixed pulleys of the end carriage. The bottom guide and top guide are not part of the tensioned parts in the channel and can, therefore, be stored separately from the channel with its tensioned parts—e.g., springs, pulleys, and pulley cord. Multiple bottom guide and top guide configurations can be mated to the channel with its tensioned parts without interfering with the operation of either. Fixed pulleys and bottom pulley of the end carriage are advantageously connected by an intermediate tensioned connector with all said parts held in tension between and by the connection of the bottom pulley to the tensioned pulley cord and the connection of the bottom pulley to the second end of the channel.

Abstract: A curl spring sash shoe cassette improves upon the suggestions of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,353,548 and 5,463,793 by providing a mounting bracket that holds an uncurled length of the curl spring and is securely mounted on top of the shoe cassette to maintain an assembly of the shoe body, the curl spring, and the mount during shipment to a window manufacturer. The mount can receive two mounting screws to resist torque caused by curl springs and sash weight. The shoe is also improved to facilitate removal and reinsertion of sash pins into the tilt lock cams of the shoes and ensure that shoe body halves do not rotate relative to each other when sash tilting splays the body halves apart to lock them in a shoe channel.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a separate learning system and method using a two-layered neural network having target values for hidden nodes. The separate learning system of the present invention includes an input layer for receiving training data from a user, and including at least one input node. A hidden layer includes at least one hidden node. A first connection weight unit connects the input layer to the hidden layer, and changes a weight between the input node and the hidden node. An output layer outputs training data that has been completely learned. The second connection weight unit connects the hidden layer to the output layer, changing a weight between the output and the hidden node, and calculates a target value for the hidden node, based on a current error for the output node.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and system for providing call intermediation services. The method for providing the call intermediation services allows a user to automatically make a call with a company if a user inputs only the telephone number on the web. After confirming the company profile of the Internet portal site, a user can speak by telephone with a person in charge of a company without a waiting time for call connection, and the user can rapidly acquire necessary information by means of query and response.

Abstract: More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for the detection of a target, e.g. pathogen in a human body fluid wherein a body fluid sample is collected with a swab member.

Abstract: The present invention provides a site assembled swimming pool comprising a plurality of upstanding staves arranged in side by side relation and held together by upper and lower L-shaped rails, a coping extending entirely around and in releasably secured relation to the rails that fasten the upper edges of the staves together, and a flexible liner and cover releasably secured to the coping. The wooden staves include opposing vertical edges one of which includes a modified tongue and the other of which includes a groove. When assembled, the tongue of one stave engages the groove of the adjacent stave, thereby interconnecting the two staves.

Abstract: An actuator for use in fenestration systems having a swinging sash or door is characterized by the use of a linear member running continuously from an actuating assembly to a locking pin assembly. The linear member can be a flexible linear member, allowing it to convey motion to the locking pin assembly around corners. The locking pin assembly has a moveable locking pin with an actuator and an extension that can engage a keeper. The linear member has multiple actuator engagement sites along its length where the actuator of the locking pin can engage the linear member. The linear member can then be used to move the locking pin with respect to the locking pin assembly so that the extension can engage or disengage a keeper. The locking pin assembly can be mounted on a fenestration frame and the keeper opposingly mounted on a window or door mounted in the fenestration frame.

Abstract: A method for efficiently allowing users to select or view images from a large quantity of images that are stored on various medias. The method groups images according to specific parameters and displays a sub set of these parameters allowing users to quickly select or determine if the image that they are seeking is in that particular storage area or media.

Abstract: The hand tool is used to extract a fastener from a material. The hand tool has a head with two pivotally joined halves including at least one pair of gripping jaws. The tool head preferably includes tips that may be used to dig beneath a fastener head that is flush with or set below a surface. The tool includes a pair of handles operable to close the gripping jaws. The handles are preferably offset above the plane of the tool head such that they operate as a lever in cooperation with a fulcrum on the bottom of the tool head to extract the fastener.

Abstract: A curl spring mount has a separate cover that can snap fit into the mount to cover and protect the curl springs. A portion of the cover disposed over the vertical space occupied by the curl springs is arranged outside a jamb channel so that the curl springs can occupy the full width of the channel. A shield portion of the cover extends transversely of the jamb channel above the curl springs to protect them from dirt.

Abstract: A variable cam timing phaser for an internal combustion engine with at least one camshaft includes a housing (144), a rotor (138), and a phaser control valve (168). The phase control valve is offset from a center axis of rotation through the camshaft of the phaser and may also be parallel to the center axis of rotation. The phaser control valve directs fluid flow to shift the relative angular position of the rotor relative to the housing. The phaser may be cam torque actuated, oil pressure actuated, or torsion assist.

Abstract: A blade tensioner system for a chain that imparts tension to a chain that drivingly connects to a driven shaft to a drive shaft in an engine. The blade tensioner comprises a blade shoe and mating block. The blade shoe has an arcuately curved chain sliding face, a proximal end portion, and a distal end portion having a pair of tapered sides joined by a bottom and at an angle. The mating block has a channel with a pair of tapered sides joined by a bottom and at a second angle for receiving the distal end portion. When load on the chain increases, the tapered sides of the distal end portion and the bottom contact and wedge with the tapered sides of the channel of the mating block, damping chain vibration.

Abstract: A hydraulic tensioner comprising a piston slidably inserted in a piston bore of a housing having rack teeth on an outer circumference thereof, a piston spring biasing the piston in a protruding direction, a pawl member having teeth engageable with the rack teeth of the piston to permit protruding movement of the piston but to block reverse movement of the piston provided in a pawl hole of the housing, and a pawl spring in a pawl spring hole of a generally elliptical cross-section that biases the pawl member in an engaging direction of the teeth of the pawl member with the rack teeth of the piston. A long axis of the generally elliptical cross-sectional shape of the pawl spring is oriented toward an axial direction of the piston. Wire portions of the pawl spring substantially follow the long axis that contacts an upper surface of the pawl member.

Abstract: A novel transceiver structure is proposed to increase the achievable data rate for ultra wideband transmitted reference (UWB-TR) systems. For every Ns pulse pairs during one symbol transmission, the data pulses are weighted by one of the M-ary orthogonal sequences, thus carrying additional log2 M-bit information. Furthermore, by utilizing a pair of balanced matched filters before the cross correlator, the minimum separation between the reference and data pulses is significantly reduced without causing any inter-pulse interference (IPI), which in turn reduces the minimum required frame length in order to avoid the inter-frame interference (IFI). As a result, the invented TR system can achieve higher data rates than the conventional TR system, while maintaining superior bit-error-rate (BER) performance even with lower transmit power.

Abstract: A double-sided fiber-based display includes a plasma tube array sandwiched between two electro-optic materials. The electro-optic materials are preferably sandwiched between two fiber arrays. The two fiber arrays contain wire electrodes to set the charge in the plasma tubes and are parallel to each other and orthogonal to the plasma tube array. The fibers can be alternatively coated with a transparent conductive coating, such as a carbon nanotube film, to spread the voltage across the surface of the fiber. The plasma tubes contain wire electrodes to ignite a plasma along its entire length. The tube surfaces that are in contact with the electro-optic materials are preferably thin and flat. The fiber and plasma tube wire electrodes are preferably directly connected to a circuit board which houses electronics to address the display.

Abstract: A beverage dispenser and method of operation, in which incoming water for beverage preparation is heated by a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger. The heated water may be mixed with cold water using controlled valves, to generate a selected temperature stream. This controlled-temperature stream may be mixed with beverage concentrate or sprayed over coffee grounds to brew fresh coffee.

Abstract: An Enterprise Service Delivery Technical Architecture includes a Technical Model, and a Technical Delivery Framework, and is designed to facilitate the development of complete enterprise service management solutions. The use of the Enterprise Service Delivery Technical Architecture as the framework for an enterprise systems management technical solution results in solution designs created to be independent of the technology platform being managed with a view that meets the overall business requirements that span the technology platforms within a business environment. An information technology infrastructure already in place for a customer is analyzed and broken down to its very lowest level building blocks. Then the building blocks within the model of the technical architecture are mapped with the building blocks of the customer's information technology infrastructure to determine which of the building blocks of the model are to be used for the customer's information technology operation.

Abstract: A tensioner for imparting tension to a chain having a body, a resilient chain guide element, at least one blade spring, and at least one bracket. The body of the tensioner has a surface with a profile of the path of a new chain and a groove found longitudinally along the length of the surface. The resilient chain guide element, on the surface of the body has a chain contact surface and two ends wrapped around the ends of the body, with the chain guide being sufficiently larger than the body, such that the chain contact surface is capable of being biased away from the body. The blade spring is present in the groove with its end in the containments means of the groove, biasing the chain guide out and away from the body.

Abstract: An efficient long-wavelength light-emitting diode has a resonant-cavity design. The light-emitting diode preferably has self-organized (In,Ga)As or (In,Ga)(As,N) quantum dots in the light-emitting active region, deposited on a GaAs substrate. The light-emitting diode is capable of emitting in a long-wavelength spectral range of preferably 1.15-1.35 ?m. The light-emitting diode also has a high efficiency of preferably at least 6 mW and more preferably at least 8 mW at an operating current of less than 100 mA and a low operating voltage of preferably less than 3V. In addition, the light-emitting diode preferably has an intensity of maxima, other than the main maximum of the emission spectrum, of less than 1% of an intensity of the main maximum. This combination of parameters makes such a device useful as an inexpensive optical source for various applications.