Abstract: A percussion drill, and methods of using the same, including a shank in mechanical alignment with a piston-hammer and a valve in fluid communication with the piston-hammer. The percussion drill further includes an internal hydraulic dampening system for reducing the velocity of the piston-hammer when the shank is forward of a power position relative to the velocity of the piston-hammer when the shank is in a power position. Preferably, the internal hydraulic dampening system includes mechanical alignment of a portion of the piston-hammer with a port in fluid communication with the valve, operable to reduce fluid flow into an area surrounding the valve when the piston-hammer is forward of its position relative to its normal operation.

Abstract: A flexible cable including an outer sheath having an inner surface, the inner surface forming a channel to receive at least one conductor and a support member. At least one conductor and support member are positioned within the channel to substantially resist deformation of the outer sheath.

Abstract: A mold and a process for preparing a customized hot pour product formed of a hot pour material. The process comprises the steps of providing a mold having a top part with a pour space and a base part, applying hot pour material into the mold through the pour space and allowing the hot pour material to cool, removing the top part of the mold to provide a first exposed surface, and releasing the base part to provide a second exposed surface. The mold may be customized to include inserts, removable members, projections, recesses, and combinations thereof in the base part and/or top part, thereby providing for a hot pour product with one or more exposed surfaces that are embossed, debossed, or both.

Abstract: A semiconductor product includes a portion made of copper, a portion made of a dielectric and a self-aligned barrier between the copper portion and the dielectric portion. The self-aligned barrier includes a first copper silicide layer comprising predominantly first copper silicide molecules, and a second copper silicide layer comprising predominantly second copper silicide molecules. The proportion of the number of silicon atoms is higher in the second silicide molecules than in the first silicide molecules. The second copper silicide layer is positioned between the copper portion and the first copper silicide layer. A nitride layer may overlie at least part of the first copper silicide layer.

Abstract: An electrical connection board includes electrical connection terminals on one face with a view toward connecting with a semiconductor component and electrical connection tracks connected respectively to these terminals. The terminals are arranged in a square matrix having two orthogonal directions. On its face, the board includes a multiplicity of identical adjacent connection groups, each group having N adjacent terminals and N tracks placed along this direction while extending towards an edge of the matrix. The terminals of a group are offset by one pitch relative to the terminals of an adjacent group. The board and a semiconductor component are connected together by electrical connection balls.

Abstract: A process to make the cache memory of a processor consistent includes the processor processing a request to write data to an address in its memory marked as being in the shared state. The address is transmitted to the other processors, data are written into the processor's cache memory and the address changes to the modified state. An appended memory associated with the processor memorizes the address, the data and an associated marker in a first state. The processor then receives the address with an indicator. If the indicator indicates that the processor must perform the operation and if the associated marker is in the first state, the data are kept in the modified state. If the indicator does not indicate that the processor must perform the operation and if the processor receives an order to mark the data to be in the invalid state, the marker changes to a second state.

Abstract: A method of filtering an image filter is disclosed. The filter is provided for a digital camera including image sensors sensitive to light, a color filter placed over sensitive elements of the sensors and patterned according to a Bayer mosaic pattern layout and an interpolation algorithm joining together the digital information provided by differently colored adjacent pixels in said Bayer pattern. The filter is adaptive and includes a noise level computation block for operating directly on a said Bayer pattern data set of for each color channel thus removing noise while simultaneously preserving picture detail.

Abstract: A setup and calibration unit for a barrier operator is operable to communicate with the operator's own controller. The calibration unit includes a control circuit connected to a visual display and to a set of switches controlled by switch actuators for placing the operator controller in a controller run mode or calibration mode, scrolling through selected actions displayed on the display in one direction or the other, a set/clear function and display backlighting for user interaction with the setup and calibration unit. The setup and calibration unit is particularly adapted for use with upward acting sectional and roll-up doors and other types of barriers movable between open and closed positions by motorized operators. The calibration unit may be operably connected to the operator controller via hard wiring, a radio frequency link or an infrared or visible light transmission link.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes at least one photosensitive element capable of delivering an electrical signal when light of at least one wavelength of the visible spectrum reaches it, and an electrooptic system functioning as an electrochemical shutter. The electrooptic system is located in the path of at least one light ray capable of reaching the photosensitive element and possesses at least one optical property, dependent on electrochemical reaction, that can be modified by an electrical control signal. The optical property is preferably transmission.

Abstract: A system and method for topology constrained Quality of Service (QoS) provisioning between a plurality of sites in a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is disclosed. The method comprises enabling graphical definition of relationships between the plurality of sites of the VPN and enabling graphical definition of at least one QoS rule for at least one pair of sites of the plurality of sites of the VPN based at least in part on the defined relationship.

Abstract: A reluctance machine includes a stator and a rotor. The stator and rotor have a same number of poles. The rotor is configured to rotate about an axis of rotation. Each stator pole is formed of a primary stator pole and an auxiliary stator pole. The auxiliary stator pole is axially aligned with the primary stator pole in the direction of the axis of rotation. Each rotor pole has a length extending in the direction of the axis of rotation sufficient to at least partially cover the primary stator pole and axially aligned auxiliary stator pole. The primary stator poles are actuated with an alternating magnetic field orientation, and the auxiliary stator poles are also actuated with an alternating magnetic field orientation. The field orientations for the primary and auxiliary stator poles are, however, opposite each other such that a primary stator pole its axially aligned auxiliary stator pole have opposite magnetic field orientations.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for online transfer of a balance from a first credit account associated with an account holder to a second credit account associated with the account holder. Account data associated with the first credit account is obtained. The account data comprises at least the financial institution with which the first credit account is held. A determination is made as to whether the financial institution with which the first credit account is held is related to the financial institution with which the second credit account is held. The first credit account is identified as being not eligible for a balance transfer to the second credit account if it is determined that the first credit account is held with a financial institution that is related to the financial institution with which the second credit account is held.

Abstract: In a method for detecting the cadence of a sequence of images, each pixel in each current field in the sequence of images is compared to at least one pixel in at least one previous field. A pixel motion phase value is assigned to each pixel in the field as a function of the result of that comparison. For each block of pixels in the current field, a block motion phase value is determined from the motion phase values of the pixels in the block. The current field is segmented into at least one region, with each region comprising a whole number of blocks, as a function of at least the determined block motion phase values. A region motion phase value is assigned to each region, based on the block motion phase values for the blocks in the region.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a substrate and at least one active region. A transistor produced in the active region separated from the substrate. This transistor includes a source or drain first region and a drain or source second region which are connected by a channel. A gate structure is position on top of said channel and operates to control the channel. The gate structure is formed in a trench whose sidewalls have a shape which converges (narrows) in the width dimension towards the substrate. A capacitor is also formed having a first electrode, a second electrode and a dielectric layer between the electrodes. This capacitor is also formed in a trench. An electrode line is connected to the first electrode of the capacitor. The second electrode of the capacitor is formed in a layer shared in common with at least part of the drain or source second region of the transistor. A bit line is located beneath the gate structure. The integrated circuit may, for example, be a DRAM memory cell.

Abstract: A barrier operator system, such as a garage door operator system, includes one or more remote control units, such as an inside remote control unit, an external wall mounted remote control unit and portable vehicle disposed remote control units which include speech recognition modules for recognizing spoken command signals to open or close a garage door or energize or de-energize lighting associated with the garage. The speech recognition modules are operably connected to interface or microcontroller circuits for operating a radio frequency transmitter for sending signals to operate lighting, and/or the barrier operator to move a barrier between open and closed positions, and possibly perform other functions.

Abstract: A planar transistor device includes two independent gates (a first and second gates) along with a semiconductor channel lying between the gates. The semiconductor channel is formed of a first material. The channel includes opposed ends comprising dielectric zone with a channel region positioned between the gates. The dielectric zones comprises an oxide of the first material.

Abstract: A gantry tower spraying system with a cartridge/receptacle assembly includes a gantry and a spray assembly coupled to the gantry to allow for translational movement of the spray assembly along the gantry. The spray assembly includes a receptacle for receiving a cartridge containing a cosmetic liquid for skin treatment, and a spray nozzle coupled to the receptacle for receiving the cosmetic liquid and dispensing the cosmetic liquid in a spray. The receptacle has an inner surface of a size and shape to generally conform to a size and shape of a portion of an outer surface of the cartridge. The spraying system can further be provided with an oscillation mechanism adapted to cause oscillation of the spray nozzle. The bottle can be provided with a keying mechanism for engaging a corresponding key structure of the receptacle.

Abstract: A method of optimizing the scheduling of ships entering and leaving a harbor, the method comprising the steps of: a. Combining information from an automated identification system about each ship with scheduling information about each ship from a dispatching system to produce a combined ship ID/schedule for each ship; b. Tracking the latitude and longitude of each ship using GPS to produce tracked latitude and longitude of each ship; c. Comparing the tracked latitude and longitude of each ship to existing maps of the harbor; and d. Continually comparing the ID/schedule for each ship with the tracked latitude and longitude of each ship. The alerts are sent whenever the tracked latitude and longitude of each ship does not match the expected latitude and longitude of each ship at a given time. The method tracks and records whenever a pilot embarks or disembarks from a ship.

Abstract: An electronic plug-in module for accommodation in a module rack with a mounting rail, wherein the plug-in module includes a circuit board, a front plate and a mounting device, the mounting device comprises a bearing part, a tensioning part and a fixation element, the bearing part is fixed on front plate, and the tensioning part is connected frictionally to the fixation element and the bearing part in such a manner that a force, by means of which the plug-in module is held with its front plate in a defined position relative to the module rack, is exerted onto the plug-in module transversely to the insertion direction of the plug-in module.