Abstract: A low power scannable asynchronous counter which is fully testable and which consumes low power in a functional mode consists of counter cells cascaded through NOR gate circuits to which clock signals are applied for each of the stages or cells. Each of the stages or cells comprises a flip-flop and a multiplexer which together operate as a toggle flip-flop only when all of the previous flip-flops are set. The result is that the flip-flop clock is forced high preventing any transition of the flip-flop internal clock tree for all stages or cells where the output is low. Thus, no power consumption of such stages takes place during functional operation. In the scan test mode, the counter operates as a shift register and it is fully testable.

Abstract: A power control system for a microprocessor, having multiple parallel operated execution units, functions to disable some of the execution units to conserve power and/or reduce heat. The execution units are disabled by preventing the application of clock pulses to these execution units. This operation is effected by a power control unit which enables and disables gates coupled between a source of clock signals and the execution units.

Abstract: An improved package and method for manufacturing extruded monofilament string trimmer line incorporates preconditioning of the line to provide a high moisture content. The line then is packaged in a sealed package with a removable cap to permit withdrawal of line from the package. A moisture-laden sponge may be placed within the bottom of the package to maintain a high humidity within the package. Copper chloride or cobalt chloride salts also may be coated on the line, or added to the plastic forming the line to provide a color indication of the relative moisture content of the line.

Abstract: A system and method is designed to recover and recycle waste lumber wood scrap products from construction sites and process this waste scrap lumber into lengths of recycled, usable lumber. The system processes "2.times.4" and to "2.times.6" lumber scraps from one or more construction sites and processes such material into recycled construction material in the form of finger jointed "2.times.4" and "2.times.6" lumber. The method and system accepts and utilizes random lengths of different species with different moisture contents. After the construction waste wood scrap products are delivered to a recovery site, unusable wood scrap products are removed. The usable products are processed by squaring the ends and cutting out defects; and the "2.times.4" sizes are separated from the "2.times.6" sizes.

Abstract: An improved child-resistant plastic safety closure for containers has a depending skirt on it for attaching the closure to the top of a container. The top of the closure has an opening through it, which extends over a major portion of the total area of the top. A lid with upper and lower surfaces is hinged at one edge of the opening in the top for closing the opening. Tongue-and-groove inter-engagement members between the lid member and the top, around at least part of the periphery of the opening, hold the lid closed in the opening. Diametrically-opposed, spaced-apart first and second fulcrum extensions are located on opposite sides of the opening a predetermined distance from the hinged edge of the lid member; and these fulcrum extensions are located below the lower surface of the lid member when it is closed in the opening.

Abstract: A magnetically enhanced membrane switch operator is constructed with a rigid ferromagnetic base plate. This base plate is spaced from a rigid ferromagnetic cover plate, which has an opening through it. A resilient flexible membrane sheet is suspended between the base plate and the cover plate, and is located in close proximity to the cover plate. The sheet carries a circular magnetic disk which, in the rest condition operation of the switch operator, is adhered by magnetic attraction to the cover plate. To operate the switch, sufficient force to overcome the magnetic attraction between the magnet and the cover plate, along with the force required to distort the resilient membrane sheet, is used to move the sheet toward the base plate. When the membrane sheet is moved into close proximity to the base plate, magnetic attraction between the base plate and the magnet facilitates closure of the switch at the end of its travel.

Abstract: A universal disk controller for microprocessor systems is capable of use as a PCI interface with either SCSI drives or IDE drives. To effect selection of the appropriate one of the IDE or SCSI drives for use with the interface, a configuration logic circuit is coupled with a PCI bus master interface to select an IDE state machine or an SCSI state machine, both of which are coupled with a combined IDE/SCSI interface having common pins for connection to the appropriate IDE or SCSI drive for operation with the controller. Consequently, separate chips for providing interfaces between a PCI bus and either an IDE or an SCSI drive are not required. The system permits switching between IDE and SCSI drives according to the application with which it is being used.

Abstract: An animal training device comprises a housing which is designed to be attached to an animal collar at a point on the collar diametrically opposite the point where a leash may be attached. The housing has a rear face, adjacent the neck of an animal when it is worn on the collar of such animal, and a front face. At least one pair of electrodes extends from the rear face of the housing; and a pressure sensitive transducer is located on the front face of the housing for engagement by the collar. An electronic circuit is located in the housing; and it is coupled between the pressure sensitive transducer and the electrodes to provide electrical stimulus pulses of varying intensity across the electrodes in response to changes on the pressure sensitive transducer, once the pressure crosses a pre-established threshold.

Abstract: A combined greeting card and calendar includes a calendar backing panel, which has first and second portions separated by a horizontal fold line. A card portion is formed from the same stock as the calendar backing portion and comprises a rectangular card, which is attached to the first portion of the calendar backing panel at a second fold line perpendicular to the horizontal fold line between the two portions of the calendar backing panel. A magnetic fastener may be attached to the back of the calendar backing panel to secure it to a metal surface.

Abstract: A flush control system, for releasing different amounts of water from the holding tank of a toilet into a discharge pipe, includes an auxiliary tank mounted in the toilet holding tank. The auxiliary tank has a volume which is less than the volume of the holding tank, and has one end wall assembly with a flapper valve communicating with the interior of the auxiliary tank and another flapper valve in a different wall communicating with the interior wall of the holding tank. A chamber is formed between the two walls in which the flapper valves are located. The bottom of this chamber has an opening which is placed over the discharge pipe opening in the bottom of the holding tank. A balancing aperture is formed through one of the other walls of the holding tank to permit water flow to take place between the auxiliary tank and the holding tank.

Abstract: An improved package and method for manufacturing extruded monofilament string trimmer line incorporates preconditioning of the line to provide a high moisture content. The line then is packaged in a sealed package with a removable cap to permit withdrawal of line from the package. A moisture-laden sponge may be placed within the bottom of the package to maintain a high humidity within the package. Copper chloride or cobalt chloride salts also may be coated on the line, or added to the plastic forming the line to provide a color indication of the relative moisture content of the line.

Abstract: A board game includes a main flat board member having a rectangular upper surface and player positions located at each edge of the board. A card holder display device is located at each of the player positions for aligning and removably displaying a predetermined number of flat rectangular cards, such as sports trading cards. The display device has individual compartments for each of the cards, and is constructed to permit insertion and removal of cards individually into each of the compartments. A transparent cover is provided for the cards located at each of the player positions; so that the cards are visible during the play of the game.

Abstract: A below-grade fuel delivery and storage system is constructed in the form of a fully vaulted system located under the dispenser area. The vault is made of concrete; and all of the plumbing, fill, vapor recovery locations and the bulk storage tank itself are located entirely within the vault. The fill pipes for tanks located within the vault extend through openings in the roof of the vault. Similarly, fuel delivery lines extend from the tanks upwardly through openings in the vault roof to dispensers located directly above the vault.

Abstract: A secure embedded memory management unit for a microprocessor is used for encrypted instruction and data transfer from an external memory. Physical security is obtained by embedding the direct memory access controller on the same chip with a microprocessor core, an internal memory, and an encryption/decryption logic. Data transfer to and from an external memory takes place between the external memory and the memory controller of the memory management unit. All firmware to and from the external memory is handled on a page-by-page basis. Since all of the processing takes place on buses internal to the chip, detection of clear unencrypted instructions and data is prevented.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling the operation of a digital computer system having a memory, visual display, and keyboard employs software for displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) in the form of representations of successive tasks. This display is effected in a format which contains, in part, an unchanging representation of at least a core plurality of the keys of the keyboard used with the digital computer system. This representation is displayed in the same arrangement used on the keyboard. The GUI then further indicates within the unchanging representation of the core plurality of keys, a dynamically changeable function representation of the functions to be performed upon operation of the corresponding one of the displayed keys. This changeable function representation changes in a hierarchal sequence in response to successive operations of selected ones of the keys, as indicated on the visual display of the GUI.

Abstract: A phase-frequency detector for a phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit has symmetrical phase detection characteristics and produces symmetrical activation times on the "up" and "down" outputs for connection to a PLL charge pump circuit. The symmetrical characteristics are accomplished by using RS latch circuits at the outputs of the phase-frequency detector to provide the same loads and the same propagation delay for both the "up" and the "down" outputs. In addition, cross-wired sequential gates are used for at least some of the gates in the logic gate array of the detector to produce the same propagation delays in the gates.

Abstract: A universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART) computer programming interface emulates three-wire interface control. A register select circuit is supplied with address signals from a host CPU and has a plurality of register outputs organized into first and second groups. One of these groups of outputs are those which are required for three-wire operation in communications devices; and these outputs are mapped to the appropriate communications devices or registers. The other group of outputs required for three-wire operation, but with no corresponding function in a communications device, are implemented by means of an UART emulator circuit producing a data output which is coupled to an internal data bus, along with the output of the registers for the communications devices.

Abstract: A relatively small, compact, portable, hand-held, pre-programmed, dedicated, automatic calculator for dietary fat control, having a limited number of data enter keys, a cusom program, a memory for storing user-entered data, said program, and user prompts, a command and control system for executing said program to solve and evaluate automatic mathematical equations, and a display panel for showing user prompts, user-entered data and final results. With a first program the calculator solves for the percentage of fat calories, and evaluates for per serving contained in a given food item under evaluation using fat grams and total calories as inputs.

Abstract: An improved filtration system for swimming pools and the like is disclosed, in which none of the water passing through the filter passes through the recirculating pump for the swimming pool. This is accomplished by connecting the water inlet of the filter directly with the floor drain and surface skimmer. The outlet from the filter is interconnected with an entrainment nozzle supplied with water under pressure from the recirculating pump for the pool. The pump withdraws water directly from the pool, and supplies that water under pressure to the entrainment nozzle, which then draws water through the filter from the outlet to mix such filtered water with the water supplied by the pump to the entrainment nozzle for return to a return outlet in the pool. As a consequence, water flowing through the filter is drawn through it by means of suction, rather than by supplying the water under pressure.