Abstract: A gas-fired or briquette-burning barbecue grill that outputs extremely high BTUs from a removable, vertical firebox that is backwardly inclined so as to provide a combination of direct and indirect heating. In addition, multiple cooking grids positioned at various vertical levels across the face of the firebox provide an enormous cooking area for grilling, broiling, and searing. Inclination minimizes ash avalanche during briquette burning and also increases the effective heating area applied to multiple cooking grids of gas-fired and briquette-burning grills. A top grid located directly over the firebox provides a surface for searing or high-temperature cooking (i.e., direct heating), a mid-level cooking grid provides medium temperature indirect and/or partial direct heating cooking, and a lower main cooking grid provides indirect medium temperature for broiling or baking.

Abstract: A broiler pan cooking grid for a barbecue grill that catches and/or routes grease drippings, as well as permitting convection of heated air through the structure. The grid may be used with conventional horizontal barbecue grills or with grills having a vertical hearth or firebox. The grid assembly preferably comprises sheet metal having cutouts stamped in the upper surface, e.g., elongated slots or perforations, and a series of elongated troughs stamped in the lower surface. The elongated troughs of the lower layer route grease drippings to a grease box or tray that is disposed along the front edge of the cooking grid assembly. As series of stiffening rods are sandwiched between the layers to provide rigidity when using thin sheet metal. Preferably, the grid assembly is supported in an inclined position by the barbecue grill, but the lower sheet metal stamping may itself be formed to contain the grease or to effect the flow of grease to a grease box.

Abstract: An opening/closing apparatus of a damper for adjusting a blowing amount of air out of an air diffuser comprises a case mounted at the center of the diffuser in a predetermined size and shape and having an indicating scale portion to be properly positioned at the front surface thereof; a rotating shaft passed through the center portion of the case and extended in a predetermined length out of the case; a rotating manipulation portion including a knob integrally fixed to one end of the rotating shaft; and an indicating operation portion cooperated with the rotating manipulation portion to enable an indicator to direct the indicating scale, thereby confirming the exact opening or closing degree of the damper.

Abstract: A photosensitive polymer represented by the following formula, and a resist composition including (a) a photosensitive polymer represented by the following formula: ##STR1## where R.sub.1 is a C.sub.1 to C.sub.20 aliphatic hydrocarbon, R.sub.2 is t-butyl, tetrahydropyranyl or 1-alkoxy ethyl, 1/(1+m+n) is from 0.0 to about 0.4, m/(1+m+n) is 0.5, and n/(1+m+n) is from about 0.1 to about 0.5, and (b) a photoacid generator (PAG).

Abstract: An encoding and decoding method compressing and error-correction encoding an input 8-bit data to immunize the input data to noise and other signal distortion causing factors. The error-corrected data is encoded to 9-bit codewords modulated to be suitable for the channel characteristics of the storing device. A signal is generated for the input 8-bit data encoded to modulation codes, then pre-compensated and recorded. The generated signal is processed to be easily detected by reproducing the 9-bit codewords. The processed signal is detected to minimize an error rate. The detected signal is decoded according to channel characteristics, and recovered to the input 8-bit user data through error correction and compression decoding.

Abstract: A laser therapy system and method of cutting and vaporizing a tissue body which includes a fiber optic which is inserted into the lumen of a catheter and operable between an extended position wherein a distal end portion of the fiber optic is positioned to cut and vaporize a tissue body and a retracted position wherein the fiber optic is received within the lumen of the catheter. The catheter incorporates at a distal end portion a means for removing attached tissue fragments and the like from the distal end portion of the fiber optic such that tissue fragments stuck to the distal end portion of the fiber optic can be removed while the catheter and fiber remain at the treatment site. This improved system eliminates the need to completely remove the fiber optic during the cutting and vaporization procedure in order to remove the fragments and debris.

Abstract: The present invention allows a single display controller design to be used in multiple markets by providing an additional stand-alone circuit which converts conventional analog CRT display signals to digital flat panel display or other digital display signals. A single VGA CRT controller may be implemented in both desktop and portable (e.g., laptop) markets thereby reducing the cost of the display controller through the economies of scale. For a laptop or other digital display markets, the apparatus of the present invention may be applied to a conventional analog CRT controller to convert analog CRT signals to digital laptop signals to generate a display on a flat panel display or other digital device. In addition, the apparatus of the present invention may be incorporated into a stand-alone flat panel display intended for use as a replacement for conventional CRT monitors. The apparatus of the present invention accepts a conventional analog CRT input and outputs digital flat panel display signals.

Abstract: A portable stretching apparatus can be deployed in a manner that allows one limb of a user to be restrained on a base unit supporting the user's body while another limb is stretched by pulling a cable at one end to move the other limb attached at the other end of the cable. A cable handling device is arranged so that it can be moved at any position across the width of the stretching device. A measuring device allows a user to measure the relative extent of a stretching exercise.

Abstract: An amorphous communication network having no traditional wireless backbone has plural roving or migratory access node or terminal devices that are carried or transported along with individuals. Each wireless node has a user interface and a local ID, e.g., an IP address, URL, telephone number. Voice, data, or video is transferred to other migratory nodes or to a conventional land-based telephone or data terminal via a PSTN, Internet, ATM network, etc. A geolocation detector in the node, such as a GPS, keeps track of the instantaneous position, which is conveyed to a locally or remotely stored database. A local processor accesses this database to determine node-to-node paths to a destination when said node operates as a source. A node captures a transmitted message when the destination address in the message matches its local address, or otherwise forwards the message towards a destination if the address does not match. Acknowledgements are sent between nodes upon successful receipt of information.

Abstract: A photosensitive polymer, a dissolution inhibitor, and a chemically amplified photoresist composition containing the photosensitive polymer and the dissolution inhibitor are provided. The photosensitive polymer is a copolymer polymerized with 5-norbornene-2-methanol derivative monomer having a C.sub.1 to C.sub.20 aliphatic hydrocarbon as a side chain, and a maleic anhydride monomer. The dissolution inhibitor is a tricyclodecane derivative or a sarsasapogenin derivative, each having an acid-labile group as a functional group. The chemically amplified photoresist composition containing the photosensitive polymer and/or dissolution inhibitor has a strong resistance to etching and excellent adherence to underlying layer.

Abstract: A coding/decoding method for high density data recording/reproduction, and an encoder/decoder. In the coding method for encoding an 8-bit binary data symbol X.sub.k (k=1, 2, 3, . . . , 8), received from a storage device or a communications channel, into a 9-bit codeword Y.sub.l (l=1, 2, 3, . . . , 9), the number of a maximum transition run (MTR) is limited to a predetermined number, and the number of zero run lengths of the codeword whose MTR is limited is then limited to a predetermined number. Then, a pattern providing a bad effect on detection of a signal is removed from the codeword whose zero run length is limited. In the rate 8/9 modulation code having an MTR of 3, the code rate is high, and the path of the Viterbi detector is reduced as in the rate 2/3 RLL(1,7) code having an MTR of 2, thereby decreasing the delay and complexity of the detector.

Abstract: An asymmetric network communication system for use in a client-host environment having independent forward and return channels operating at different speeds and/or under different protocols on the same or different communication media to provide efficient utilization of shared resources. A network manager, such as a hybrid access system, effects transmission of packetized data on a forward (downstream) channel from the host server to multiple client devices coupled with a shared downstream media at 10 or more megabits per second while simultaneously providing selectable multiple lower speeds of operation on shared or dedicated return (upstream) channels from the client devices to the host server depending on bandwidth availability, bandwidth demand, service level authorization, etc, for the return channel.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory device having a delay locked loop includes a delay locked loop and a voltage supply unit. The delay locked loop reduces the skew between a clock and data. The voltage supply unit supplies the voltages required by the delay locked loop when the delay locked loop is operating and is deactivated when the delay locked loop is not operating.

Abstract: An optimal diagnosis point detector for noninvasive diagnosis of blood constituents and a noninvasive diagnosis device using the same.

Abstract: A sampling clock signal recovery device and method for providing the sampling clock signal recovery device, in a receiving terminal of a discrete multitone (DMT) system, for accurately recovering a sampling clock signal by reducing sampling-induced jitter noise, i.e., by removing additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) from the receiving terminal of the DMT system, and stably recovering a sampling clock signal. The above is accomplished by determining whether the phase error is smaller than a predetermined threshold value. If the phase error is equal to, or greater than the predetermined threshold value, then the instant invention corrects the sampling clock signal by the phase error. However, if the phase error is less than the predetermined threshold value, then the instant invention calculates an average value of some or all of decision error values, and corrects the sampling clock signal by the average value. Thus, a sampling clock signal is more accurately recovered.

Abstract: A load restraint system and method for securing cargo within transport containers such as intermodal containers including first and second load restraining strips with an adhesive coating on one surface of the strips for adherence to sidewalls of an intermodal container and a locking load restraining strip for bonding the free ends of the first and second load restraining strips together into a load restraining system.

Abstract: A pucker free garment seam providing a garment with a tailored and wrinkle free appearance. The pucker free seam and method for production utilizes a bonding strip which contains at least a thermal adhesive component which is inserted between first and second garment components sewn together along the seam. A sufficient amount of heat and pressure is applied to the seam which causes the adhesive of the bonding strip to flow onto the surfaces of the garment components and into interstices thereby creating a seam and permanently bonding the first and second garment components together along the seam to eliminate puckering associated with shrinkage of the sewing thread.

Abstract: An air-to-fuel (A/F) ratio sensor includes an insulation layer, two solid electrolyte layers made of a porous composite ceramic formed at both sides of the insulation layer, each solid electrolyte layer having an internal electrode layer on its boundary surface with the insulation layer and an external electrode layer on its other surface, and a diffusion barrier layer made of a porous composite ceramic, covering one of the external electrode layers. The A/F ratio sensor provides a linear A/F ratio signal by controlling only a pumping current for a reference partial pressure of oxygen. Thus, the A/F ratio sensor operates by a simpler driving principle, thereby simplifying the driving circuit thereof.

Abstract: An ink composition for an ink jet printer. The ink composition contains an oligomeric dispersant, a pigment and a solvent. The oligomeric dispersant simultaneously has a hydrophilic group capable of interacting with water soluble solvent and an anchoring group capable of interacting with the pigment. The ink composition provides good printing properties, water fastness, light fastness and storage stability, by using less amount of dispersant.

Abstract: A pucker free collar seam providing a garment with a tailored and wrinkle free appearance. The pucker free seam and method for production utilizes a bonding strip, which contains at least a thermal adhesive component which is inserted between a first surface of a first collar component and an interlining along a seam. A sufficient amount of heat and pressure is applied to the seam, causing the adhesive of the bonding strip to flow onto the surfaces of the collar components and the interlining, thereby creating a compressed seam and permanently bonding a first collar component, a second collar component and an interlining together along the seam to eliminate puckering associated with the shrinkage of sewing thread relative to the collar fabric.