Abstract: A method and apparatus for handling new and used railway car brake shoes is provided. The apparatus comprises a rack assembly, having an end wall interconnected between a pair of side walls and a grid member perimetrically secured to bottom edges of the side walls and end wall, which has the ends of the side walls abutted against one side of a rail of a railroad track and is secured to at least railroad tie of the railroad track. The method comprises storing new brake shoes in a plurality of the racks along the tracks, removing new shoes as needed to replace used shoes of railway cars, and replacing the used shoes in the racks.

Abstract: A system and method of using object sensitivity values and a cursor to select a graphical object from a plurality of graphical objects and sub-objects appearing on a display device. The plurality of graphical objects includes at least one container. A sensitivity value from the set of Normal, Opaque, Transparent, Invisible, Customized, and Automatic is designated for each of the objects. At authoring time, a sensitivity value from this set can be easily assigned to each of the objects, thus affecting the way hit testing proceeds over the objects. More particularly, an object is selected from the plurality of objects based on the position of the cursor, object position, object containment, and the sensitivity value of at least one of the objects.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for removing volatile organic compounds from an air stream wherein airborne adsorbent material is mixed with contaminated exhaust air in a vertical main column. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) within the exhaust air adhere to the adsorbent material and are thus removed from the air. The clean air exits the system and the saturated adsorbent material falls through the bottom of the main column and into a lower reservoir. The saturated adsorbent material is desorbed and recycled through the adsorber apparatus by being drawn up from the lower reservoir through a secondary column and deposited at the inlet to the main column. At the top end of the main column, the adsorbent material is once again dropped into the contaminated exhaust air flowing through the main column. This process is constant and adsorbent material is continuously being recycled through the system.

Abstract: Automated photolithography of integrated circuit wafers is enabled with a processor connected to a Rayleigh derator, a form factor generator, a logic synthesizer, a layout generator, a lithography module and a wafer process. The Rayleigh derator receives manufacturing information resulting from yield data in the wafer process, and this manufacturing data is then used to derate the theoretical minimum feature size available for etching wafer masks given a known light source and object lens numerical aperture. This minimum feature size is then used by a form factor generator in sizing transistors in a net list to their smallest manufacturable size. A logic synthesizer then converts the net list into a physical design using a layout generator combined with user defined constraints. This physical design is then used by the mask lithography module to generate wafer masks for use in the semiconductor manufacturing.

Abstract: A computer operating system Text Services Manager (TSM) operates as an interface between an application and a selection of text services, enabling the user to efficiently select from among a variety of text services without regard to the specific protocol requirements of the application. The TSM architecture consists of an application program which receives user input through the input event manager of the operating system toolbox routine. The TSM receives the user input event and controls the transmission of the event to a component manager for redirection to a specific text services component, based on the instructions of the TSM. The text services component processes the input method and returns the processed input to the TSM, where the TSM directs the generation of an appropriate protocol for return of the processed input event to the application.

Abstract: A method and apparatus read an existing computer vector shape and modify that vector shape to be scribble filled. The method includes the steps of receiving data defining a vector shape, creating a series of intersection lines overlaying the vector shape, generating intersection points that indicate where the intersection lines and the vector shape intersect, connecting by lines the intersection points at consecutive intersection line locations, and verifying that all the connecting lines are located within a boundary defined by the vector shape.

Abstract: A system for custom context switching comprises a thread accounting unit, a switching routine registration unit, a thread scheduling unit, a custom context switching unit, and a default context switching unit. The thread accounting unit creates a thread object for each thread present in a multithreaded execution environment, where the thread object includes data fields for storing a unique thread ID, a reference to a custom context switching routine, and a switching parameter signal. The switching routine registration unit stores a reference to a custom context switching routine in a particular thread object. The thread scheduling unit determines when rescheduling operations for transferring execution from one thread to another are required, and directs rescheduling operations.

Abstract: Circuit arrangements and methods are disclosed for upgrading an 040-based personal computer system using an optional, peripheral add-in card. In one embodiment, the present invention comprises a PowerPC-based microprocessor, such as the MPC601, having one megabyte of on-board direct mapped level 2 external cache memory arranged as tag and data blocks. The PowerPC-based board is inserted into a processor-direct data path sharing the data and address bus with the 040 microprocessor. System random access memory (RAM), I/O, and other functional blocks are present on the main board comprising the 040-based computer. The MPC601 is coupled via address and data buses to the tag cache, a bus translation unit (BTU), a read only memory (ROM) storing the operating system code for the PowerPC microprocessor, the data cache, a dual frequency clock buffer, and other interface components such as a processor-direct data path including address and data latches.

Abstract: Circuit arrangements and methods are disclosed for upgrading an 040-based personal computer system using an optional, peripheral add-in card. In one embodiment, the present invention comprises a PowerPC-based microprocessor, such as the MPC601, having one megabyte of on-board direct mapped level 2 external cache memory arranged as tag and data blocks. The PowerPC-based board is inserted into a processor-direct data path sharing the data and address bus with the 040 microprocessor. System random access memory (RAM), I/O, and other functional blocks are present on the main board comprising the 040-based computer. The MPC601 is coupled via address and data buses to the tag cache, a bus translation unit (BTU), a read only memory (ROM) storing the operating system code for the PowerPC microprocessor, the data cache, a dual frequency clock buffer, and other interface components such as a processor-direct data path including address and data latches.

Abstract: An ultrasound transducer device is disclosed which is intended to be used for continuous imaging of a patient's heart or other body organs for diagnosis or monitoring. The device consists of a spherical transducer assembly held by a patch which is coated with adhesive for attaching to the body surface of a patient. Provision is made for the manual adjustment of the orientation of the transducer assembly while in place on a patient to adjust the area scanned by the transducer. An alternate embodiment of the device discloses provision for remote controlled adjustment of the transducer assembly orientation.

Abstract: A system for secure medical and dental record interchange comprises a provider system and a payer system. The provider system includes a digital imager, a processing unit, a data transmission/reception device, and a memory having a provider management unit and a security unit. For each image acquired from the digital imager, the provider management unit generates a unique image ID, and creates an image relation structure having a source indicator, a status indicator, and a copy-from indicator. The provider management unit organizes images into a message for transmission to a payer system. The security unit performs message encryption, image signature generation, and message signature generation. The payer system includes a processing unit, a data transmission/reception device, and a memory having a payer management unit and a security unit. The payer system's security unit validates message signatures and image signatures received.

Abstract: An extensible simulation system and graphical programming method enable a simulation user to program the behaviors of objects in a simulation while requiring no knowledge of computer programming concepts or languages. The simulation user defines each object's behaviors by creating Graphical Rewrite Rules through programming by demonstration. The user can selectively abstract a given Graphical Rewrite Rule (GRR) such that it applies to states within the simulation according to hierarchical object types and object property conditions. The extensible simulation system comprises a Central Processing Unit (CPU), an input device, an output device, an external storage device, predetermined amounts of Random Access Memory (RAM) and Read-Only Memory (ROM), and an extensible simulator.