Abstract: A System for validating a flow calibration factor for a Coriolis flow meter. In accordance with the present invention, the period of oscillation of a flow tube is measured as a material of a known density flow through the flow tube. The period of oscillation is used in an equation derived from an equation used to calculate the density of material flowing through the flow tube to find a result. The result is then compared to a result derived from the known density of the material to detect a possible error condition in the flow tube. If an error condition exists an error signal is generated that indicates the Coriolis flow meter should be inspected.

Abstract: The invention monitors the driving range and tracks golf balls from users at the driving range and informs those users of characteristics such as driving distance. A solid state camera images the range, and preferably one or more tee-off positions, and collects frames of image data to track a ball's motion through space. Simulation routines augment that track and assist in isolating the start location as well as where the ball lands, or would have landed had it not been obstructed (e.g., by a net). Preferably, the invention also determines the ball's position in 3-D to increase the accuracy. In one technique, two or more solid state cameras are used, and synchronized, to specify stereoscopic imaging. In another technique, the ball's energy or physical extent is used to determine an absolute distance between the camera and the ball. A computer at the club house monitors the entire system and further manages a network including an array of displays at the several tee off positions.

Abstract: A system for communicating with a card distribution center for selecting, ordering, and sending social expression cards using a personal computer. The user can enter names and addresses of card recipients into the system wherein the information is maintained in a database. The system displays digitized images of the cards on a display screen which are retrieved from a card database. From the cards displayed, the user can select cards for designated recipients and enter personalized messages and a digitized signature. The user may then send the order to a card distribution center, which processes the order, retrieves and prints the selected card images, including any user messages or user signature, and mails the cards to designated recipients or customers. The system maintains a database of all recipients, addresses, associated occasions and dates, card preferences, relationships and order history.

Abstract: A method for the non-surgical treatment of soft tissue lesions includes placing a contact point near the lesion and causing the patient to move in a manner that produces a longitudinal sliding motion of soft tissues, e.g., nerves, ligaments, and muscles, beneath the contact point. Treatments are continued at sequential time intervals until the symptoms produced by the lesions are alleviated.

Abstract: A hardware implemented command queuing system in a hardware accelerated command interpreter engine. The command queuing system is an integral component of an autonomous hardware accelerated command interpreter type data processing engine that executes a programmable set of data processing commands in response to a stimulus from a host processor. The command queuing system is a configuration of registers and logic blocks that interact with a local host processor and other components within the command interpreter engine itself. The local host processor generates the commands to execute and the command queuing system queues the commands for seriatim execution by components within the command interpreter system.

Abstract: The dynamic test unit presents the operator with a dynamically changing visual representation of the voice terminal under test and its present state. This visual representation provides the operator with an enhanced visual comparison of voice terminal under test with the virtual representation to verify both the type of voice terminal under test and its present state. By providing a visual representation of the voice terminal under test, only minimal operator training is required and the test facility interface is made language independent. The dynamic test unit can also display visual images of the signals that are applied to the voice terminal under test and the signals received therefrom to enable the operator of the test facility to precisely analyze the operation of the voice terminal under test.

Abstract: A write synchronization system in a headerless format magnetic disk device. The system transmits encoded synchronization signals containing disk administration information such as servo burst information between a servo controller and other disk controller components such as a hard disk controller and a microprocessor or digital signal processor. The servo controller interprets the disk administration information read from the magnetic disk and sends an encoded signal to the other disk controller components for each servo burst encountered on when reading the disk. The disk administration information in the signals can be verified by comparing the contents of a present signal to the contents of at least one previous signal to determine if a servo burst from a sequence of servo bursts has been missed. A missing servo burst can also be identified by measuring the time interval between signals from the servo controller.

Abstract: The present automated vehicle travel path determination system which computes a travel path for a vehicle from an origination point to a destination point based on the operating characteristics of the vehicle as well as phenomena extant in the multidimensional space, which phenomena have an impact on the cost of operation of the vehicle. This vehicle travel path determination system can concurrently consider a plurality of vehicle operating characteristics in selecting the travel path. The travel path is optimized for a weighted selection of a number of cost factors, which weighted selection represents a desired combination of cost factors for the operation of this particular vehicle. This vehicle travel path determination system also considers the time varying nature of the phenomena that exist within the multidimensional space and the impact these time varying phenomena have on the vehicle as it traverses the travel path.

Abstract: The multi-media presentation generation system combines media objects of multiple diverse types into an integrated multi-media presentation. The resultant multi-media presentation can be defined in an output-independent representation, which the multi-media presentation generation system converts into a representation that is optimized for the destination storage and/or presentation medium selected by the author. The multi-media presentation generation system uses a page based document layout paradigm to regulate the spatial relationships among the plurality of objects contained within the multi-media presentation. The page based document layout system partitions document pages, as defined by the author, into a plurality of objects, each of which is independently editable by the author. A multi-media authoring tool extends the capabilities of the page based document layout system to enable an author to merge both static and dynamic objects in a page layout environment to create the multi-media presentation.

Abstract: An integrated curcuit includes a layered superlattice material having the .sub.formula A1w1.sup.+a1 A2.sub.w2.sup.+a2 . . . Aj.sub.wj.sup.+aj S1.sub.x1.sup.+s1 S2.sub.x2.sup.+s2 . . . Sk.sub.xk.sup.+sk B1.sub.y1.sup.+b1 B2.sub.y2.sup.+b2 . . . Bl.sub.yl.sup.+bl Q.sub.z.sup.-2, where A1, A2 . . . Aj represent A-site elements in a perovskite-like structure, S1, S2 . . . Sk represent superlattice generator elements, B1, B2 . . . Bl represent B-site elements in a perovskite-like structure, Q represents an anion, the superscripts indicate the valences of the respective elements, the subscripts indicate the number of atoms of the element in the unit cell, and at least w1 and y1 are non-zero. Some of these materials are extremely low fatigue ferroelectrics and are applied in non-volatile memories. Others are high dielectric constant materials that do not degrade or breakdown over long periods of use and are applied in volatile memories.

Abstract: A power supply control unit for a lamp having a luminous means and an at least partly electrically conductive lamp housing comprises a first and a second line via which a power supply signal can be applied to the luminous means and which are insulated from the lamp housing. The electrical power to be applied to the luminous means is switched or controlled by means of a switching device in the first or second line. A control circuit comprises an oscillator and an evaluation circuit, the oscillator issuing at an output thereof a signal which in terms of frequency differs from the power supply signal and is electrically coupled to the lamp housing. To control the switching device, the evaluation circuit responds to frequency and/or amplitude changes of the oscillator signal brought about by contacting of the lamp housing.

Abstract: The low power child locator system consists of a lightweight, low power radio frequency transmitter beacon worn by the child and a radio frequency directional receiver that can be used to direct the user to the radio frequency beacon transmitter. The transmitter can be programmed to generate a unique signal to prevent its output radio signal from being received by another receiver. The transmitter-receiver pair therefore communicates to the exclusion of other transmitters and receivers that are operational in the vicinity of the transmitter-receiver pair. Since the child is assumed to not have traveled a great distance from their original location, the radio frequency directional receiver operates as a simple signal strength indicator, using a plurality of narrow beam antennas to enable the user to vector in on the transmitted signal.

Abstract: A knife folder for folding a sheet material comprises a sheet-material feeder for feeding the sheet material in a first direction, a folder for folding said sheet material, and a sheet-material conveyer used for conveying the sheet material and comprising at least one pair of rotating conveying components whose axes of rotation are arranged in a second direction substantially at right angles to the first direction. The folder pushes the folded sheet material between the conveying components of the at least one pair of conveying components when it is at its folding position. The sheet material is advanced up to a stop. The folder comprises a knife extending in a third direction substantially at right angles to said first and said second direction. The sheet material can be conveyed in the third direction by actuating the conveying components.

Abstract: A liquid precursor containing a metal is applied to a substrate, RTP baked, and annealed to form a layered superlattice material. Special polyoxyalkylated precursor solutions are designed to optimize polarizability of the corresponding metal oxide materials by adding dopants including stoichiometric excess amounts of bismuth and tantalum. The RTP baking process is especially beneficial in optimizing the polarizability of the resultant metal oxide.

Abstract: A multiple client memory arbitration system supporting simultaneous arbitration access to a local cache memory and a remote cache memory for mirrored write operations to both the local cache memory and the remote cache memory by one of a local arbitration device or a remote cache memory at a time. The enhanced arbitration system includes active/active failover control by a surviving one of the local arbitration device or the remote arbitration device that have participated in the mirrored write operations between the respective local cache memory and the remote cache memory.

Abstract: A full enclosure chassis system with tool-free access to hot-pluggable circuit boards therein. The system includes a front access plate that can be opened and closed from the front of a primary chassis when mounted within a secondary chassis so that only the front access panel is externally accessible. When the front access plate is in an open position, circuit boards within the full enclosure chassis system can be hot-pluggably removed and inserted without powering down the system or disrupting any component of the system. The full enclosure chassis system supplies standard connector access to components external to the system by way of standard connectors off the backplane at the back panel of the system. No tools are required to open and close the front access plate or to remove and insert a circuit board from within the system.

Abstract: A precursor liquid comprising several metal 2-ethylhexanoates, such as strontium, tantalum, and bismuth 2-ethylhexanoates, in a xylenes/methyl ethyl ketone solvent is prepared, and deposited on a substrate. In one embodiement the substrate is placed within a vacuum deposition chamber, the precursor liquid is misted, and the mist is flowed into the deposition chamber while maintaining the chamber at ambient temperature to deposit the precursor liquid on the substrate. In another embodiment, the precursor is spin-coated on the substrate. The liquid is dried, baked, and annealed to form a thin film of a layered superlattice material, such as strontium bismuth tantalate, on the substrate.

Abstract: A rigidizing cover plate for a printed circuit board mounted terminal block eliminating the instability of a 110D terminal block when it is mounted on the printed circuit board. The cover plate is a one piece injection molded polycarbonate plate that can be color coordinated to augment the existing 110D terminal blocks. The cover plate is formed with a plurality of apertures to enable the craftsperson to access the 110D terminal blocks that are mounted on the printed circuit board. The apertures formed in the cover plate contact the base of the corresponding 110D terminal block and provide lateral support for the terminal block to prevent movement of the terminal block with respect to the printed circuit board. The cover plate, when secured to the printed circuit board, functions not only as a stabilizer, but also as a protective shroud for the printed wiring board traces.