Abstract: This invention provides a game plan that is implemented prior to or in a sporting event to create parity between two mismatched teams in a given competition. A preferred game plan includes a series of counter-measures or tactics so that the burdened team is still free to use its personnel within the established or traditional structure of the game. In one or more alternative embodiments of this invention, parity can be created by alteration in the basic structure or play of the game, for example, creating a hybrid game of an unequal number of players, and scoring rules biased in favor of the inferior team.

Abstract: A fragrance dispensing device suitable for incorporation into a plush figure. In one of the preferred embodiments of this invention, the fragrance dispensing device comprises a hollow body in the form of a sphere or a ball having a slit valve or a one-way valve disposed within the wall of the hollow body. A scented cartridge is inserted into the hollow body through the valve or some other resealable opening in the hollow body. In the preferred embodiments of this invention, the fragrance dispensing device is encompassed within an appendage or the head of a stuffed animal figure. Once the hollow is charged with the fragrance cartridge, it can be compressed so as to force a discrete charge of scented air from within the hollow body, into its surrounding core material which make the filler of the stuffed animal figure. The amount of fragrance dispensed from within the hollow body is based, in part, upon the volume of the hollow body and the partial pressure of the fragrance within the cartridge.

Abstract: A virtual learning system environment which provides for progressive education of children, at their own pace, through enhancement in both language arts (e.g. spelling, reading comprehension) and physical skills (interactive prompts). The system of this invention includes a microphone for sensing an audible word or command, a video camera for sensing bodily movement, and means for effecting a computer generated response to said audible word or command, or said bodily movement, wherein said response includes both graphical depiction of the letters of said audible word or command, an object image corresponding to bodily movement or said audible word or command, and an action or object related to said bodily movement or said audible word or command, or any combination thereof, so as to effect a progressive learning or teaching experience.

Abstract: A communications system for transporting connectionless datagrams over a connection-oriented network is arranged to remove the address resolution function and the connection setup function from a sending host and combine them in a third-party connection server in conjunction with channel management at connection-oriented routing points. The third party request protocol can be used for Classical connectionless over a connection oriented network, legacy LAN emulation and Routing Over Large Clouds.

Abstract: A communications system for transporting connectionless datagrams over a connection-oriented network is arranged to remove the address resolution function and the connection setup function from a sending host and combine them in a third-party connection server in conjunction with channel management at connection-oriented routing points. The third party request protocol can be used for Classical connectionless over a connection oriented network, legacy LAN emulation and Routing Over Large Clouds.

Abstract: A method for a client to locate a particular service from a service provider on wide area computer networks. The method includes multicasting of an advertisement from a service provider, which advertisement is detected by a Service Broker and in turn multicast into the wide area computer network. A client queries the network when seeking a particular service and receives in turn the address of the Broker and a Server to obtain the service desired.

Abstract: A sliding support for a legged article, such as an article of furniture, that can be attached to the article without the need for a separate fastener. The support will not become dislodged if the article of furniture is moved, can be reused many times, and will not damage the legs of the furniture. The support includes a resilient element for gripping the legs of an article of furniture and a slidable element for contact with the floor. The interengagement of the two elements assures that the support will not become dislodged as the article is moved.

Abstract: A system and method for image reconstruction of defects in solid materials based on mode-converted Rayleigh waves (MCRW). The system and method isolate the Rayleigh wave signals from the specular reflection signals although the Rayleigh wave signal amplitude is much weaker than the specular signal. It was shown that an image of defects within a solid material could be successfully restored by MCRW image method. This system and method also provide an accurate representation of the defect shape.

Abstract: A sports training system for monitoring and comparing a golfer's swing to a desired norm or standard at the point of impact of a golf ball, so as to thereby detect deviation (e.g., hook or slice) from such desired norm or standard. The system of this invention is capable of permitting the golfer to refine his swing by display of the relative position of the club face and ball at point of impact, club angle at impact and the club speed at impact. Thus, the golfer is able to adjust one or more of these variables at a time and detennine the likely result or effect upon the other(s).

Abstract: Reversibly expandable structures are formed from loop assemblies comprising interconnected pairs of polygonal shaped links. Each loop assembly has polygon links with at least three pivot joints and at least some of the polygon links have more than three pivot joints. Additionally, these links lie essentially on the surface of the structure or parallel to the plane of the surface of the structure. Each polygon link has a center pivot joint for connecting to another link to form a link pair. Each link also has at least one internal pivot joint and one perimeter pivot joint. The internal pivot joints are used for connecting link pairs to adjacent link pairs to form a loop assembly. Loop assemblies can be joined together and/or to other link pairs through the perimeter pivot joints to form structures.

Abstract: A brush/container combination specifically designed for cleaning tires. A unique sealing disk prevents leakage while a tongue attached to the container cover accommodates the brush used in the tire cleaning operation.

Abstract: This application is directed to a linkage system which provides continuous rotation to two or more interconnected quadrilaterals. The basic element of the linkage system is a multi-level link which provides firstly, a non-rotatable connection between two sub-links lying, in separate parallel planes and secondly, a rotatable connection for a further link lying in another parallel plane between the planes of the sub-links. By various interconnections between link elements, the quadrilaterals the linkage system will form various geometric patterns as the linkage is rotated. As the quadrilaterals lie in different planes, they may be continuously rotated with respect to each other. The linkage system may be used as a toy, a novelty item and as an educational tool.

Abstract: A process and system for database storage and retrieval are described along with methods for obtaining semantic profiles from a training text corpus, i.e., text of known relevance, a method for using the training to guide context-relevant document retrieval, and a method for limiting the range of documents that need to be searched after a query. A neural network is used to extract semantic profiles from text corpus. A new set of documents, such as world wide web pages obtained from the Internet, is then submitted for processing to the same neural network, which computes a semantic profile representation for these pages using the semantic relations learned from profiling the training documents. These semantic profiles are then organized into clusters in order to minimize the time required to answer a query. When a user queries the database, i.e., the set of documents, his or her query is similarly transformed into a semantic profile and compared with the semantic profiles of each cluster of documents.

Abstract: Domestic vacuum cleaner with multiple cyclones arranged in cascade, in which a first tangential cyclone supplied with a flow of dust-laden air captures the coarser particles in a first container arranged below said first cyclone and discharges the air flow, partially purified, into a first internal duct coaxial with the first cyclone and housing an axial swirling device which concentrates the residual particles in a peripheral fraction of the flow, which is conveyed by a capturing ring into a second tangential cyclone, while the residual fraction of flow passes through the ring and is conveyed by a second duct, axially aligned with the first duct, to a suction unit.The captured fraction of flow conveyed into the second cyclone deposits the residual particles in a second container arranged below the second cyclone and thus purified is sucked into the second duct by the fraction of flow passing through the ring, which acts as an extractor nozzle.

Abstract: Reversibly expandable structures are formed from loop assemblies comprising interconnected pairs of polygonal shaped links. Each loop assembly has polygon links with at least three pivot joints and at least some of the polygon links have more than three pivot joints. Additionally, these links lie essentially on the surface of the structure or parallel to the plane of the surface of the structure. Each polygon link has a center pivot joint for connecting to another link to form a link pair. Each link also has at least one internal pivot joint and one perimeter pivot joint. The internal pivot joints are used for connecting link pairs to adjacent link pairs to form a loop assembly. Loop assemblies can be joined together and/or to other link pairs through the perimeter pivot joints to form structures.