Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system for the restoration of an optical mesh network subsequent to the simultaneous failing of a large number of network connections due to a transmission failure. The system and method increase the restoration speed of a large number of failed network connections through connection aggregation. The system and method provide that connection aggregation is the logical bundling of a plurality of network connections across a network span. By enabling the bundling of these individual network connections transported over a particular span or spans, a network operator manages the bundle as if it were one network connection. The method and system provide that other network links support these bundled connections when the network segment that a managed bundle is traversing fails.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the structure of a bipolar plate for direction methanol fuel cell, the shape of a flow path and a fuel cell including them, more particularly, to the structure of a bipolar plate for direct methanol fuel cell using a flow path with a dispersion structure not the existing serpentine type for supplying a fuel to the new bipolar plate and functioning as a collector and the shape of a flow path. According to the present invention, a fluid flow resistance is decreased and a direct reaction region of a fluid and an electrode catalyst is increased in a bipolar plate, and therefore the performance of a fuel Cell can be improved.

Abstract: The present system uses point-to-point data links between intelligent network elements located in the feeder/distribution network to provide reliable, secure, bi-directional broadband access. Digital signals are terminated at the intelligent network elements, switched and regenerated for transmission across additional upstream or downstream data links as needed to connect a home to a headend or router. The intelligent network elements can be co-located with or replace the standard network elements to take advantage of existing network configurations. A tree-and-branch network architecture is therefore established in which each intelligent network element is assigned a routing ID employed in the point-to-point transmissions while leaving legacy analog signals unimpeded. In this manner, the data links are made over relatively short runs of coax cable, which can provide greater bandwidth than the typical end-to-end feeder/distribution connection between a home and the headend or optical network unit.

Abstract: A chassis for telecommunication gear including horizontal circuit boards includes an enclosure forming a front-accessible circuit board slot for receiving horizontal circuit boards. The circuit board slot has first connectors for receiving mating second connectors on the circuit boards, and multiple circuit board guides for guiding and securing horizontal circuit boards inserted into the slot. Adjacent pairs of the guides are spaced to receive circuit boards of predetermined widths, and at least one of the guides is removable so that it can be re-positioned within the slot for changing the spacing between adjacent pairs of the guides to receive circuit boards of different widths. The circuit boards may be telecommunication line cards.

Abstract: The present invention utilizes field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) to implement a parallel differential quadrature phase shift keying (DQPSK) precoder and a DQPSK optical transmitter with an automatic realignment process. The present invention can perform DQPSK preceding, modulation, and data stream realignment at any lower rate, and its upper rate is determined by capability in speed and logic resources and external connections of available integrated circuit technology.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for data structure locking. In one aspect, a proper subset of variables of a set of variables in a data structure are received. An access privilege to modify variables in the data structure to administrator accounts is assigned. A first administrator access request to modify a variable in the proper subset of variables is received, and the access privilege to modify the variable in the proper subset of variables for the first administrator account. A second administrator access request to modify the variable in the proper subset of variables is received, and an access timer that expires after a time period is initiated; the access privilege is disabled for the first administrator account in response to expiration of the access timer; and the access privilege for the second administrator account is enabled in response to expiration of the access timer.

Abstract: In various exemplary embodiments, the present invention provides a lightweight, maneuverable, thin-walled, transparent apparatus for use with a heavy-duty vacuum system for quickly and easily collecting and storing large volumes of bulky debris, thereby reducing the time needed for cleanup. The present invention also provides an improved vacuum manifold assembly that may be used in conjunction with various gas and electric blower/vacuum motors, both novel and conventional. The present invention further provides various gutter cleaning and other tools that may be used in conjunction with such a vacuum system. The gutter cleaning vacuum system including the improved hinged vacuum manifold assembly of the present invention has sufficient power and is designed such that the various gutter cleaning and other tools are effective, suction-wise, at great distances from the unit, such that an operator may use the gutter cleaning and other tools at great distances over his/her head, for example.

Abstract: In various exemplary embodiments, the present invention provides a golf club cleaning device that includes a cleaning portion including an upper and lower or concentrically-arranged cleaning surfaces; a flag portion disposed at a top end of the cleaning portion, the flag portion including a gripping means; and a spike portion disposed at a bottom end of the cleaning portion substantially opposite the top end of the cleaning portion, the spike portion including a support means for supporting the device in an upright manner when depressed into the ground. By grasping the flag portion, the spike portion is selectively disposed in the ground at a predetermined location associated with a golf course, practice range, or the like, thereby allowing a player to clean a golf club by selectively running the front face and/or rear face of the golf club horizontally and/or vertically across the one or more cleaning surfaces/materials of the cleaning portion.

Abstract: A system to detect the presence of a queen bee in a hive. The first system includes an RFID (radio frequency identification) tag (secured to the queen) and a RFID detection device secured adjacent the hive opening that sends an output that indicates the presence or absence of the queen bee. In a second embodiment, a bit of metal (thin foil) can be secured to the queen by means of an adhesive, and a metal detector can be positioned by the hive opening to detect the metal, and send an output that indicates the presence or absence of the queen bee. In a third embodiment, one or more infrared cameras can be positioned adjacent the hive entrance, coupled with detection scanning software that can detect the difference between a drone, a worker and a queen bee, and indicate the presence or absence of the queen bee.

Abstract: The present invention provides a software-based electro-optic modulator bias control system resident in an optical transceiver including an electro-optic modulator that includes an optical-to-electrical converter including a transimpedance amplifier, an analog-to-digital converter, and a software algorithm, wherein the software algorithm is operable for determining an optimum bias voltage applied to the electro-optic modulator by discovering a maximum average optical power transmitted by the electro-optic modulator, or quadrature point, wherein the quadrature point is discovered by determining at what bias voltage the slope of an average optical power transmitted by the electro-optic modulator, defined as an optical power change given an incremental bias voltage change, is equal to zero.

Abstract: The present invention provides a multi-dimensional standing wave probe for microscale and nanoscale measurement, manipulation, and surface modification, including: a filament having a first free end and a second end that is attached to at least one actuator to apply oscillation cycles to the filament; wherein the oscillation of the filament during at least one complete cycle of oscillation of the actuator causes the free end to move in a multi-dimensional envelope, producing a defined virtual probe tip at the free end, wherein a shape of the virtual probe tip is defined by both a characteristic shape of the oscillation of the free end and a geometry of the filament. Optionally, the actuator includes a monolithic crystal actuator. Preferably, the monolithic crystal actuator includes a crystal having zero grain boundaries. The monolithic crystal actuator also includes a plurality of thin flexure structures.

Abstract: The present invention provides a passive vehicle suspension system providing optimal camber gain and avoiding the “bump camber” problem. This vehicle suspension system utilizes a conventional sway bar and a kinematic system to rotate the tire(s) of a vehicle in a direction opposite the roll of the vehicle during turning or cornering, for example. The kinematic design allows for adjustability and optimization, providing optimal camber gain. Although an automotive vehicle suspension system is illustrated and described, and, specifically, a racing or everyday automotive vehicle suspension system, the concepts of the present invention are capable of much broader applicability.

Abstract: The present invention provides a signal distribution module for use in a directionless reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer application, including: a multi-cast switch having a plurality of input ports and a plurality of output ports; a plurality of optical amplifiers coupled to the plurality of input ports of the multi-cast switch, wherein the plurality of optical amplifiers form an optical amplifier array; a tunable optical splitter coupled to the plurality of optical amplifiers; and a pump laser coupled to the tunable optical splitter.

Abstract: This invention relates to a decorative assembly that is placed above a table to enhance the aesthetic appeal of the surrounding area. The present invention is an assembly that fits through the center hole of a garden or patio table designed to accommodate a center, pole supported umbrella. The invention comprises interchangeable, decorative elements that can be used year round in garden or patio table and has means to provide electricity to the decorative elements through any standard electrical outlet.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for collecting and converting solar energy into electrical energy by using a solar collector and one or more piezoelectric generators. The present invention includes new designs for solar collectors that concentrate solar energy, and mechanisms for transporting and transferring the concentrated solar energy directly into the working fluid (e.g., a liquid, a gas, or a phase change substance) of the one or more piezoelectric generators without heating the outside surface of the engines. The system includes one or more solar collectors and a delivery system to deliver concentrated energy from the collectors directly into working fluid of one or more piezoelectric generators. Advantageously, the delivery system avoids heating an outside surface of the one or more piezoelectric generators as is done in conventional designs.

Abstract: A simplified optical receiver architecture capable of tracking and demultiplexing polarization-multiplexed signals, dynamically compensating for PMD using a variety of polarization controller technologies, and reducing the number of delay line demodulators by two for both DPSK and DQPSK modulation is illustrated. Once polarization is stabilized at the first stage of the cascaded system of the present invention, subsequent stages can be simplified and cost reduced.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods and systems to stabilize an optical network against nodal gain changes through two nested control loops for controlling node gain and node output power. The present invention includes two nested control-loops running at different update speeds including: an inner, faster, control-loop which sets the gains and losses within a node to achieve a node-gain target, and a node-gain target for the inner loop is set by an outer, slower, control loop that whose target is the node output power. Advantageously, the present invention reduces the problem of concatenated overshoot by minimizing the control-loop response to events that occur at other nodes.

Abstract: A system and method for the collection, analysis, utilization, and/or reporting of user preference of content experienced by the user preferably for managing the distribution network of a content delivery environment, managing the selections of content available, reporting user selections of content available, and/or execution of user instructions as presented in the content.

Abstract: The present invention provides highly efficient system level EMI filtering in a dual feed Power Distribution Unit (PDU) using custom designed magnetic components that are uniquely designed to provide excellent performance under various load conditions. The PDU of the present invention includes filters for providing the necessary EMI filtering at all frequencies in the range between 200 Hz and 200 MHz under all load conditions including a single feed failure. Additionally, the present invention provides mechanisms for cooling EMI components using a combination of natural convection and conduction techniques at the board level to ensure no loss of EMI filtering performance. The present invention also includes blank panels made of formed Aluminum alloy sheet metal pieces or the like to direct air flow to components on printed wiring boards (PWB's) using air director plates.

Abstract: The present invention provides a natural language query system and method for processing and analyzing multimodally-originated queries, including voice and proximity-based queries. The natural language query system includes a Web-enabled device including a speech input module for receiving a voice-based query in natural language form from a user and a location/proximity module for receiving location/proximity information from a location/proximity device. The query system also includes a speech conversion module for converting the voice-based query in natural language form to text in natural language form and a natural language processing module for converting the text in natural language form to text in searchable form. The query system further includes a semantic engine module for converting the text in searchable form to a formal database query and a database-look-up module for using the formal database query to obtain a result related to the voice-based query in natural language form from a database.