Abstract: A protective enclosure for an electronic device that has a protective shell that is capable of enclosing and substantially surrounding the touch screen device in a substantially watertight, substantially rigid and substantially crush-resistant manner. Modular units can be releasably connected in a rigid manner to the protective enclosure to form an integrated unitary device that is substantially crush-resistant and watertight unit. The modular units can be interchangeable and connect to the protective case using the same format.

Abstract: The invention provides a system and method for reducing pin count in an integrated circuit (IC) when interfacing to a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM). The SDRAM has a plurality of address lines and a plurality of data lines. The method includes connecting together the plurality of data lines and the plurality of address lines. The IC interfaces to the SDRAM through the connected plurality of address lines and the plurality of data lines.

Abstract: A system and method for remotely monitoring and controlling a data storage system comprising a web server that has an ability to send and receive communications with one or more data storage systems through the storage system's main data communication path or through an alternate path. The web server may include a routine which continuously monitors the status of the storage system as well as a routine which pushes changed data to a client device operating a browser. The system and method may consolidate the status and provide control of many different independent data storage systems simultaneously.

Abstract: Disclosed is a dynamically controlled, output slew rate pad driver that generates a controlled voltage on an interface node of an interface circuit, such as an input circuit, an output circuit, or a combined input/output circuit, to control the process of slewing the controlled voltage on the interface node. The slewing occurs substantially independently of capacitive loads connected to the interface node. Prior to initiation of the slewing process, an initial charge is generated on a storage capacitor. The storage capacitor is then connected to the gate of a driver transistor to charge the input parasitic gate capacitance of the driver transistor to approximately a gate threshold voltage of the driver transistor. A constant current source is also provided that is applied to the input of an integrating amplifier and an integrating capacitor that is connected to the interface node.

Abstract: The present invention includes the use of conducting polymers as sensors in distributed sensing systems, as sensors and operating elements in multifunctional devices, and for conducting-polymer based multifunctional sensing fabrics suitable for monitoring humidity, breath, heart rate, blood (location of wounds), blood pressure, skin temperature, weight and movement, in a wearable, electronic embedded sensor system, as examples. A fabric comprising conducting polyaniline fibers that can be used to distribute energy for resistive heating as well as for sensing the fabric temperature is described as an example of a multifunctional sensing fabric.

Abstract: Systems and methods for classifying e-mail messages as spam by combining outputs of a plurality of spam classifiers or classification tools using a fuzzy logic voting algorithm or formula are provided. According to one embodiment, a first classification value associated with an e-mail message and a second classification value associated with the e-mail message are received. The first classification value and the second classification value being indicative of whether the e-mail message is spam. Then, a single, aggregated classification value for the e-mail message is generated by combining the first classification value and the second classification value using a fuzzy logic-based voting mechanism.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for enabling precise, 3-dimensional, photoactivation localization microscopy (PALM) using selective, two-photon activation of fluorophores in a single z-slice of a sample in cooperation with time-gated imaging for reducing the background radiation from other image planes to levels suitable for single-molecule detection and spatial location, are described.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for generating and using timing constraints templates for IP cores that can be instantiated in an integrated circuit design. The templates include a plurality of timing constraint statements for inputs and outputs of the respective IP core. At least one of the statements includes a configurable variable, wherein the timing constraints template is configurable through the variable for each of a plurality of instances of the IP core in the integrated circuit design.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method and system for providing improved aeration of a fluid that is propelled though a pump to efficiently transfer oxygen and other gasses to a liquid body. In addition to the aeration, circulation of the liquid body may be performed to provide additional efficiency and benefit to the fluid system. In one embodiment, the apparatus performs efficient aeration by utilizing a venturi effect on the submerged intake manifold of a floating centrifugal pump. The aerated fluid is then directed to circulate the aerated liquid to a portion of the fluid body that is in greatest need of the gas that is being mixed with the fluid.

Abstract: There is provided by this invention a protective enclosure for a personal electronic device that is generally comprised of a shell that is capable of enclosing and substantially surrounding the electronic device disposed to make the shell substantially watertight, substantially rigid and substantially crush-resistant. The enclosure has a transparent flexible protective membrane that is integrally fixed on the shell so that the flexible protective membrane is positioned over the touch screen of the electronic device when the electronic device is enclosed in the shell. The flexible protective membrane having a back side that has a substantially planar smooth surface that is adjacent to the touch screen of the electronic device wherein tactile inputs on a front side of the flexible protective membrane are communicated to the touch screen through the transparent flexible protective membrane.

Abstract: Disclosed is an integrated LED bulb that utilizes LEDs and can be used as a standard replacement bulb for incandescent lights that operate on standard household current. One or more LEDs are disposed in a lens 102 that is capable of high optical transmission efficiencies. A base portion encapsulates a printed circuit board and connectors, as well as the LED pin leads to hold the package in a secure mounting. The lens can be molded directly to the base or can be removable. The base can be formed to fit standard threaded sockets or bayonet sockets.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus and method for the mixing of two microfluidic channels wherein several wells are oriented diagonally across the width of a mixing channel. The device effectively mixes the confluent streams with electrokinetic flow, and to a lesser degree, with pressure driven flow. The device and method may be further adapted to split a pair of confluent streams into two or more streams of equal or non-equal concentrations of reactants. Further, under electrokinetic flow, the surfaces of said wells may be specially coated so that the differing electroosmotic mobility between the surfaces of the wells and the surfaces of the channel may increase the mixing efficiency. The device and method are applicable to the steady state mixing as well as the dynamic application of mixing a plug of reagent with a confluent stream.

Abstract: A reference electrode including a water-impermeable, non-conductive substrate having a surface; an electrically conductive metal/metal salt mixture layer in contact with the surface; a water-soluble alkali metal salt layer; and a water-impermeable barrier layer overlaying a portion of the alkali metal salt layer and a portion of the metal/metal salt layer, and a method for preparing same are described. When the reference electrode is placed in a water sample to be tested, water enters the exposed portion of the alkali metal salt layer where it dissolves the salt forming a saturated solution in the region of contact between the alkali metal salt layer and the metal/metal salt layer.

Abstract: Disclosed is a product and method for transplanting biological fluids into a host animal (including humans) that have been collected from donor animals. These biological fluids have been purified and processed so that they are acellular, sterile, pathogen free, and a form that can be stored for considerable periods of time without degradation. In one embodiment, synovial fluid is harvested from a large number of donors to produce the transplantation compound. Donor fluid is collected from a number of joints per animal, and initially screened for obvious abnormalities (clarity, color, viscosity . . . etc.) and accepted or rejected on a joint-by-joint basis at the time of collection. The collected fluid is frozen in the field. Once in a laboratory setting, the fluid is warmed and spun down in a centrifuge. The supernate is collected, filtered, and mixed in large batches while the permeate is discarded.

Abstract: There is provided by this invention a portable, elastic, and resilient exercising sleeve that can be placed around the torso and the extremities of the body for performing muscle strengthening and conditioning exercises that is generally comprised of a large elastic oblong center section having connected at opposite ends thereof a plurality of smaller elastic positioning sections with the large oblong center section and the smaller positioning sections co-joined to form a one piece multiple muscle exercise device. The exercising sleeve is disposed to receive the extremities of the human body for stretching and strengthening the muscles.

Abstract: A scannable flip-flop and method are provided. The flip-flop includes a clock input, a normal data input, a test data input, a normal data output and a scan data output. The flip-flop has a normal operating mode during which the normal data output is enabled and the scan data output disabled and has a scan-shift mode during which the normal data output is disabled and the scan data output is enabled.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system that generates a write count value for indicating whether data can be read from a FIFO and a system that generates a read count value for indicating whether data can be written to a FIFO. Each of these systems operates in two separate clock domains. In the system that generates a write count value, write strobes are stored in parallel in a register in a first clock domain. The plurality of synchronizers trigger on a rising edge of the write strobe that is stored in the parallel register and generate an increment pulse in a second clock domain. An up/down counter reads the increment pulse in parallel and increments the up/down counter in parallel. A decrement signal from a read strobe decrements the up/down counter. The output of the counter is fed to a register that provides a write counter value to handshake logic that indicates whether data can be read from a FIFO without underflowing the FIFO.

Abstract: A system and method increase yield from semiconductor wafer electroplating. The aspects include a semiconductor wafer, the semiconductor wafer comprising a plurality of die areas. A plating ring for holding the semiconductor wafer in position during electroplating is also included, the plating ring substantially surrounding a circumference of the semiconductor wafer and having a width that varies in order to avoid overlap near edge die areas of the semiconductor wafer.