Abstract: A soldering iron provided with a soldering tip that melts solder at a distal end, having inside said soldering tip a substantially cylindrical insertion fit recess portion extending from a proximal end of the soldering tip to the distal end, opening at the proximal end, and a heater formed into a coil shape and whose surface is covered with an insulating oxide film being fittingly inserted into the insertion fit recess portion.

Abstract: A corrective/ophthalmic lens comprising an impact lip extending from an anterior lens edge and a radial groove adjacent and parallel to the lens lip posterior surface, an eyewear system containing a corrective/ophthalmic lens and a method of making a lens is provided. The lens impact lip size is variable, determined by frame function and the degree of impact protection that is necessary. A posterior surface of the lens impact lip is beveled with a curvature that preferably substantially matches and coincides with the lens anterior curves, producing a lip with no corrective, low residual power effect or negative image effects. Due to the absence of image change and effects through the lens impact lip, in one aspect the present invention eliminates restrictions to the size of the impact lip.

Abstract: A multicasting conferencing system is described wherein permanently or temporarily assigned addressing may be used. When permanently assigned multicast addressing is used, several channel parameters are assigned to a multicast session, and any terminals desiring to “tune in” to the multicast session simply invoke those parameters from a storage location at which they have been previously stored.

Abstract: Simultaneous pressure and position information is accurately measured in a sensor realized by utilizing first and second sensor elements that each exhibit a decreasing width over the length of the sensor element and that are arranged overlapping each other and in a substantially complementary orientation to one another with respect to the width so that the point of narrowest width of the first sensor element overlaps the point of the widest width of the second sensor element. Pressure applied to the sensor causes each sensor element to generate an electrical signal that is proportional to both the applied pressure and the surface area at the location of the applied pressure. As a result of the complementary orientation and overlapping for these sensor elements, the first and second sensor elements generate an asymmetric pair of signals that uniquely define the applied pressure by position and magnitude.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for converting original data into a plurality of sub-bands using wavelet decomposition; encrypting at least one of the sub-bands using a key to produce encrypted sub-band data; and transmitting the encrypted sub-band data to a recipient separately from the other sub-bands.

Abstract: A scanner with a compact scan engine having a light source for generating a light beam is provided, optionally with a polygon scan mirror as well. A seat with the compact scan engine attached thereto is utilized, and the scan engine is significantly smaller than the scanner housing.

Abstract: An improved mount for, and method of mounting an, optical structure is provided, wherein the optical structure has at least one mounting surface. The mount has a mounting section with at least one surface extending therealong for receipt thereagainst of a portion of the at least one mounting surface of the optical structure. The at least one surface of the mounting section has at least one opening extending therethrough, or at least one cavity therein, for receipt of adhesive. The adhesive will at least partially fill the at least one opening/cavity and touch a portion of the at least one mounting surface of the optical structure in order to mount the optical structure.

Abstract: An apparatus includes: a head; a metal wire having a first end coupled to the head and a second end coupled to a stop member; and a body having a cavity for receiving and locking the head such that when the head is locked in the cavity it cannot be removed without destroying the apparatus, wherein the head and the metal wire are operable to pass through one or more apertures of an object and the head is operable to lock in the cavity such that the body and the stop member retain the wire in engagement with the aperture and maintain the apparatus locked to the object.

Abstract: A carabiner tool assembly is provided. The tool assembly comprises in one embodiment a body portion for storing a tool having a longitudinal length and a carabiner assembly. The body portion comprises an outside shell forming an interior chamber and an opening extending through the outside shell through to the interior chamber, the opening being sized to be only slightly larger than needed to pass the tool through in a direction along the longitudinal length of the tool. The carabiner assembly comprises a first leg having a selectively openable gate assembly, the first leg extending from a first section of the body portion. A second leg extends from a second section of the body portion and a third leg extends between and connects the first and second legs, wherein the first, second and third legs of the carabiner assembly define another opening. The carabiner assembly can also have only two legs.

Abstract: Systems and methods for dynamically updating ranking of items retrieved in response to a search query are provided. Specifically, systems and methods according to the invention preferably decrease a value associated with a selected item and increase a value of non-selected items that, prior to the selection, had a lesser weight than the selected item. Alternatively, if the list was ranked from higher value to lowest value, than the selected item would be rewarded by an increase in its score and the non-selected items that previously had a higher value would have their respective values decreased. It should be noted than any and all values and weights described herein may be normalized to ensure appropriate results. Alternative embodiments of the invention are directed to methods and systems for classifying groups of items into meta-products and then updating the rankings of the items based at least in part on the meta-product classification.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for establishing a voice call to a PSTN extension for a networked client computer, and routing the voice call off of the network, is provided. In a first embodiment, the apparatus comprises a storage medium having stored therein a plurality of programming instructions for implementing a set of communication services for facilitating establishment of the voice call to the PSTN extension, and an execution unit, coupled to the storage medium, for executing the plurality of programming instructions. The set of communication services include services for receiving a Push-To-Talk™ request from the networked client computer, requesting the voice call, and in response, determining the PSTN extension. The Push-To-Talk™ request includes identification information of an originating web server of the Push-To-Talk™ option, and the determination of the PSTN extension is made in accordance with the originating web server's identification information.

Abstract: An optical scanning system in which plural scan lines are sequentially scanned, and parameters association with the scanning are monitored. If one or more parameters change during the scanning operation, the system automatically begins rescanning, rather than continuing to scan the entire frame. This results in a system that operates more quickly than prior art systems, which have to waste an entire frame.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed that achieve sub-harmonic signal processing, stereo-width expansion, sub-woofer signal processing, and tube distortion emulation to achieve various desirable acoustic effects when used to modify an input signal containing, for example, music content.

Abstract: An apparatus for locking a door trim panel to a door module includes: at least one hook depending from an inwardly directed surface of said door trim panel; an elongate locking element having a first end and a second end, the first end being connected to an end of the hook by way of a hinge; at least one receiver depending from an opposing surface of said door module and being operable to engage said hook, the receiver including an edge directed toward the opposing surface of the door module; and a cleat depending from the surface of the door trim panel and operable to engage the second end of the locking element when the locking element is a locking position, wherein the edge of the receiver engages the locking element and prevents the hook from disengaging from the receiver once the second end of the locking element engages the cleat.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus provide for pre-charging a bit line and a complementary bit line of an SRAM memory cell of the SRAM memory to a voltage level below a power supply level, Vdd, of the SRAM memory prior to writing data to the memory cell.

Abstract: A integrated optical circuit comprises an interferometer having a first optical path and a second optical path configured for regenerating an input signal entering the first path by interference at a first coupler between continuous wave (CW) signals from the two optical paths, and a third optical path configured such that a canceling signal passing therethrough cancels, at a second coupler, a traveling signal from the first arm. When the device is operated in a counter-propagative mode, the traveling signal is the CW signal from the first arm. When the device is operated in a co-propagative mode, the traveling signal is the input signal from the first arm.

Abstract: A novelty figurine and carabiner storage assembly is provided. The figurine comprises a head portion, a body portion located proximate to the head portion, and at least one carabiner attachment assembly extending from the body portion for selectively allowing the figurine to be attached to or removed from another item able to receive the attachment assembly. The carabiner attachment assembly comprises at least first and second leg assemblies, with one of the leg assemblies having a selectively openable gate assembly extending therealong. The body portion has at least one substantially hollow interior section and at least one selectively openable door assembly for access into the substantially hollow interior section.