Abstract: The Gum Pad is a laminate composed of: (a) a synthetic base or backing layer which is configured to be held in place on the gingiva (gums) in the mouth; (b) an intermediate, reservoir layer for containing medication therein; and (c) a semi-permeable outer layer facing outwardly toward oral mucosal tissues in the mouth which will allow saliva to enter and dissolve the medication in the reservoir layer into solution and pass the diffused saliva-medication solution outwardly to the oral mucosal tissues. The backing layer is placed on the gum so that the semi-permeable outer layer faces outwardly toward the buccal mucosa. Saliva enters the semi-permeable layer and dissolves the medication in the reservoir layer, then diffuses outwardly through the semi-permeable layer to the mucosal tissues in the mouth where it is readily absorbed into the circulatory system.

Abstract: An electronic messaging system, and related method, employs a handwriting server component operable on a network with an email host server, and a client component operable with an email client on a client computer connected to the network. The client component sets up a graphical data capture area into which a user can enter handwritten or handdrawn input through a suitable graphical input device. The handwritten or handdrawn input is captured and sent as pixel data or an attached graphics file with an email message. The preferred form of the handwriting messaging component is as a Java applet downloaded to the web page of the email client or installed as a plug-in with the email client. The graphical email message may be sent to a server having a Java-based handwriting server component, a Domino server, a real-time messaging server, a standard Internet email server, or an Internet email server with a WAP interface to wireless PDAs and other digital communications devices.

Abstract: A system for capturing and docking an active craft to a passive craft has a first docking assembly on the active craft with a first contact member and a spike projecting outwardly, a second docking assembly on the passive craft having a second contact member and a flexible net deployed over a target area with an open mesh for capturing the end of the spike of the active craft, and a motorized net drive for reeling in the net and active craft to mate with the passive craft's docking assembly. The spike has extendable tabs to allow it to become engaged with the net. The net's center is coupled to a net spool for reeling in. An alignment funnel has inclined walls to guide the net and captured spike towards the net spool. The passive craft's docking assembly includes circumferentially spaced preload wedges which are driven to lock the wedges against the contact member of the active craft.

Abstract: A hands-free personal hydration delivery system has a tubing assembly that has one end that detachably connects to a feed tube for a container of fluid worn on the back or torso of a user. The other end of the tubing assembly is coupled to a bite valve which is opened when manipulated by the user's mouth to allow fluid to be drawn by suction applied by the user, and is closed when not being manipulated so as to cut off fluid flow in an air-tight condition. An intermediate portion of the tubing assembly is mounted on the user's head or to the user's headgear at a position of higher elevation than the user's mouth. This allows fluid to be drawn to the elevated position and flow downward from there to the user's mouth by gravity feed. The fluid flow can then continue with little suction effort due to the gravity feed and siphoning effect of fluid from the container.

Abstract: A method for continuously processing organic material includes the steps of: (1) jointly disposing at least two fermenting tanks in series with at least one stirring apparatus and at least one temperature detector; (2) supplying a certain amount of processing material into the first fermenting tank; (3) detecting temperature in each of the fermenting tanks and controlling amount of half fermented material to be transferred from a fermenting tank positioned at upper stream to a fermenting tank positioned at lower stream such that the temperature in each of the fermenting tanks maintains at temperature of “final phase of fermentation heat rising period” or “constant temperature period”; and (4) discharging composted organic material from the last fermenting tank properly when the processing material has been composted.

Abstract: A computer processing and programming method calls for creating a plurality of software entities (“molecules”) which can be dynamically configured to process data autonomously. The molecules can send and receive signals indicating the state of a molecule, whether or not a processing task is fulfilled, the results of a processing task, and whether or not the operation of a molecule is to be terminated, interrupted, reconfigured, or continued by creation of one or more “next” molecules. The molecules are created from a common set of software micro-components, which may be programmed in any programming languages to run in any operating system environments. The molecules may reside with a single computing resource, however, they are ideally suited to be deployed with distributed computing resources of different types on a network or in a parallel processing environment.

Abstract: A device for maintaining ingredients separately within a container, of the type having a removable container cap applied on a neck with a central opening, has a sub-container body mounted in the container neck which is formed with a proximate end having screw threads which can be engaged with internal screw threads in the container neck for holding them securely together to allow the ingredients to be shaken out of the sub-container body and mixed with fluid in the container. The sub-container body can have inner divider walls forming multiple compartments with respective orifices for dispensing ingredients selectively from the compartments. The sub-container body may be sealed to the underside of the cap with a sealing film, or seated on the neck rim and held by the cap. In one version, the proximate end of the sub-container body has a protruding shape with inclined walls for guiding it into the neck opening.

Abstract: An anaerobic digester system has a vertically upright vessel, a matrix arranged in the vessel supporting a microorganism biomass thereon, an input for supplying an input slurry of liquid and suspended solids at an upper portion of the vessel above the matrix, a gas output at the top of the vessel for withdrawing gas generated by anaerobic digestion of solids, and an effluent output at the bottom of the vessel for withdrawing liquid and remaining solids. The vessel has a preferred liquid height to diameter ratio of 2 to 1, and is constructed of inert fiberglass-reinforced plastic coated with a translucent blue gel pigment layer for filtering light at wavelengths that promote biomass cultivation. The matrix is formed as an array of panels mounted to a spindle with wheels fixed at spaced intervals along its vertical height, and the panel are made of a polyethylene grass matting providing a high surface area to volume ratio of at least 20 to 1.

Abstract: A device for maintaining ingredients separately within a bottle container of the type having a removable container cap has a sub-container body formed with squeezable plastic outer walls and inner divider walls forming multiple compartments having respective orifices for dispensing the ingredients contained therein. Each compartment can be separately opened (by removing a sealing element) and its ingredient can be dispensed into the container by squeezing on corresponding portions of the outer walls. In different embodiments, the device may be formed with the sub-container body in a cylindrical shape, the divider wall aligned with the cylinder axis or transverse to the cylinder axis, and the cylinder body snap-fitted to the underside of the cap or fixed to a collar which is held on the container neck by the cap.

Abstract: A personal emergency location system (PELS) employs a small battery-powered personal unit worn by a person who may be lost overboard. The personal unit has a GPS receiver and processor for determining the person's GPS location coordinates, and an RF transmitter for sending an RF emergency signal with the GPS coordinate data to a nearby vessel within a short range. The nearby vessel is equipped as a base station to receive the RF emergency signal and the person's GPS coordinate data and send out an RF broadcast signal of the person's position over a long range to the authorities or other rescue vessels. The personal unit is updated with the most current GPS data and recharged during inactive periods when the person on-board a vessel equipped as a base station. The personal unit sends the emergency signal until an acknowledgment signal is received from a base station, whereupon the personal unit is placed in a “Receive-Only” mode to save battery power.

Abstract: A non-linear non-circular coiled spring comprises a first coil portion of rectangular cross-section having a lateral length “a” and a longitudinal length “b”, a second coil portion of rectangular in cross-section having a lateral length “b” and a longitudinal length “a”, and a transition coil portion connecting the first coil portion and the second coil portion by gradually twisting one of first and second coil portions toward the other of first and second portions. The non-linear non-circular coiled spring is adapted to be used as a car suspension or a machine spring.

Abstract: A system of network site searching and listing employs a server which maintains a listings database containing site listings, provided by subscribers, each of which includes a title or description of the content of the respective site, a network address at which the site can be accessed, and a denominated value to be paid by the subscriber as a subscription fee for the site listing. In response to search queries, the server provides a search report of listings ranked according to the subscription fees paid by the subscribers. The higher the amount paid for a given subscription period in relation to other listers, the higher the site's ranking on the service's search reports. Through an account monitoring interface, subscribers can monitor the ranking of their listings and modify their account information and subscription fees automatically at any time. The denominated-values approach to rankings may be used in conjunction with the index search method or the category search method.

Abstract: The object of the invention is to provide a multiple board connector assembly which can be mounted on an electrically conductive panel without any necessity to provide the panel with a cross bar and is capable of enhancing the shield characteristics by electrically connecting upper and lower connectors and is of preventing external foreign matter from entering into contact pin area. A narrow pitch multiple board connector assembly including at least two board connectors which are stacked at a narrow pitch in a parallel manner with each other, each board connector having a contact housing which is surrounded by a shield shell made of a metal, each board connector being detachably connected with cable connector, said assembly is characterized in that a shield shell connecting fitting is adapted into a space between said two board connectors for filling the space with the fitting and for electrically connecting said board connectors with each other.

Abstract: An ultrasonic positioning system having multiple degrees of freedom of movement includes an array of piezoelectric ceramic elements grouped in pairs of adjacent ceramic elements of opposite deformation responses aligned in a first direction and also pairs aligned in a second direction, an elastic body bonded to the ceramic elements, and a moving body movably supported on the elastic body for movement in at least the two directions. The pairs of ceramic elements are activated with offset pairs of ceramic elements by electrical signals offset in phase to generate a traveling wave for driving the moving body. In a preferred embodiment, the ceramic elements have a length to width ratio of 2:1 with their lengths aligned in the X direction and widths aligned in the Y direction. When excitation signals having a frequency corresponding to either their length or width are applied, the ceramic elements can vibrate in two modes to drive the moving body in the X or Y direction.

Abstract: A system, a signal bearing medium embodying a program of machine-readable instructions, and a method employing Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites to determine the current pace, the distance traveled and speed of a person, for example a runner, are disclosed. A GPS receiver for receiving signals from GPS satellites is attached to the person. A processor processes the signals received at a plurality of points from sub-sets of GPS satellites to determine the Earth Centered Earth Fixed (ECEF) fix in the x, y, and z planes relative to the center of the earth of each point. The processor detects when the signals are received from a different sub-set of satellites and corrects for the resulting fix error. The processor calculates the relative distance of the segment between the ECEF fixes of each pair of sequentially adjacent points, and adds together the distances of the segments to determine the distance of the path traveled by the person, which is defined by the points.

Abstract: A gum growth pad (10) comprising has a nonporous first layer (12). An and an absorbent second layer (14) is placed upon the nonporous first layer (12). A gum tissue growth medication (16) in a liquid form is may be impregnated within the absorbent second layer (14) and then dried. A semi-permeable third layer (18) covers the absorbent second layer (14) with the dried gum tissue growth medication (16). A facility (20) is for sealing the nonporous first layer (12) to the semi-permeable third layer (18) about a periphery thereof.