Abstract: A low-cost, portable and highly-mobile “speed bump” which incorporates a plurality of electronic cameras, illumination devices, and range finders. The system can be rapidly and temporarily deployed to achieve increased security at facilities and events likely to be terrorist targets, and at checkpoints to achieve an element of surprise to terrorists and smugglers. As a vehicle drives over the imaging speed bump, range finders measure the position of the vehicle wheels in order to properly mark the position at which various images are captured. Image frames are “stitched” together to form a complete image of the undercarriage for display to a guard, officer or soldier. Reference images for a particular make and model of vehicle, as well as previously captured images of a specific vehicle may be used to detect anomalies in the vehicle's undercarriage.

Abstract: An application program and system feature reactivation process and apparatus for use in a graphical user interface of a computer-based system. A user-selectable feature reactivation button is quickly defined or “programmed” through a first use, allowing subsequent reactivation of the system feature by simply operating the reactivation button while a pointer is located anywhere on the screen within a user input area. The reactivation button may be on a pointing device such as a mouse, trackball, trackpoint, keypad, stylus, etc. The invention eliminates the need to repeatedly relocated the pointer to a feature activation push button on the screen to and from the user input area, and eliminates excess user hand movement from the pointing device and the keyboard.

Abstract: An enhanced Secure Shell (SSH) protocol having fine-grained access security policy management and enforcement. Via an authorization application programming interface (aznAPI), remote user protocol connections and sessions may be added to the protected object space of a policy management system so that a system administrator may set permissions to access or use a particular secured system resource for each user, and by groups of users. Thus, when a user accesses the system by Secure Shell, rather than having full, unlimited use and access to system resources once authenticated, the user is granted permission to access only the system resources allowed in the security policy or policies.

Abstract: Diagnostic codes from a vehicle or other system in transit are transmitted to an opportunity server, which forwards the codes to a supplemental diagnostic service provider. The diagnostic service provider determines if supplemental diagnostics software functions are available, and if so, downloads them to the vehicle. After executing the supplemental diagnostics, the vehicle reports updated codes to the opportunity server. Multiple cycles of selection, downloading and execution of supplemental diagnostics may be performed until fault isolation is achieved, following which the opportunity server issues requests for bids to potential repair service provides. Responding offers are received, coalesced and presented to the operator. The operator of the vehicle is presented with one or more coalesced offers, upon selection of which, a service is scheduled.

Abstract: A mass is levitated with respect to a base, at least one of which is comprised of a diamagnetic material, with the levitated mass also having a permanent magnetic property. A second permanent magnet is optionally configured such that it attracts the levitation mass away from the base to overcome gravitational force on the mass, thereby suspending the mass over the surface of the base. The mass is contained in a nonmagnetic, non-shielding and optionally optically-transparent housing so as to limit its excursion within a range of levitation positions. A position measurement means such as a laser interferometer, capacitance detector, or pickup coil is configured to measure positional deviations of the mass in response to incident pressure wave, the output of which being an electronic signal representing the pressure wave.

Abstract: An improved source-level debugger for object-oriented application programs which may include linked native language dynamic load libraries. The debugger is compatible with the Java Platform Debugger Architecture (“JPDA”), and provides new capabilities such as patching of Java variables and reading and writing strings from and to the application under test and being run by a local or remote Java Virtual Machine.

Abstract: An enhanced e-mail reader and composer having automatic addressing functions to extract addresses and information regarding previous recipients of chain-forwarded electronic messages and e-mail, and having automatic addressing of new electronic messages in reply to all or some of those previous recipients. The enhanced e-mail reader is also capable of automatically adding these previous recipients to an electronic address book. An enhanced e-mail composer provides an enhanced electronic message header which indicates a chain of addresses for previous recipients of a chain-forwarded message, and interoperates with the enhanced e-mail reader.

Abstract: An alarm device which automatically activates a patrol car horn, siren, emergency lights, and/or voice annunciator on a public address loud speaker upon the unauthorized release of a seat belt by a detainee. A relay and control switch are installed in conjunction with the existing seat belt switch circuit underneath a patrol car seat such that they are undetectable by an occupant. After the seat belt is engaged by an officer, the officer may activate a control switch to arm the alarm. Subsequently, if the detainee releases the seat belt, the relay is activated which provides power to the patrol car horn, siren, or lights. This not only warns the officer, who may be outside and far away from the patrol car, but also may startle the would-be escapee. The alarm may be employed in a front passenger seat, as well as in either rear passenger seat.

Abstract: An enhancement to computer network maintenance technology which reduces redundant and inaccurate fault reporting and alerting based upon implementation of logic which determines the most likely single point of failure. In modern computer and telephone networks, certain single points of failure result in the false appearance of multiple failures. However, by analyzing the pattern of apparent failures in view of the known network topology, a single point of failure can be determined as the root cause of the multiple failure indications. An enhancement to the currently-available network maintenance technology, including software applications executing on network server platforms, provides this fault determination logic, filters spurious and incorrect failure reports, and posts failure reports only for the single point failure.

Abstract: A mass is levitated with respect to a base at least one of which is comprised of a diamagnetic material, and the levitation mass also having a permanent magnetic property. A second permanent magnet is configured such that it attracts the levitation mass away from said base surface with sufficient magnetic force to overcome gravitational force on the mass, thereby suspending the mass over the surface of the base. The mass is levitated at room temperature, eliminating need for cryogenic mechanisms and materials, and is contained in a nonmagnetic, non-shielding optically-transparent housing so as to limit its excursion within a range of levitation positions. A non-intrusive position or distance measurement means may be optionally configured with the system, such as a laser interferometer, thereby allowing the levitated mass to act as a gravimetric device.

Abstract: Three steel rods are formed into a shape for a collar, necklace, anklet or belt, with one rod disposed between the other two rods. The middle rod has a larger radius of curvature than the top and bottom rods, and a plurality of rare earth magnets are placed between the middle rod and the outer rods. Each magnet is oriented such that all of the magnets have their same polar ends pointed towards the top and bottom rods. The magnets are bonded to the rods using a magnetically conductive material, to form a magnetic circuit which produces a unipolar magnetic field along the top and bottom rods towards the center of the U-shaped appliance such that the wearer of the appliance may receive unipolar biomagnetic therapeutical benefits of the magnets.

Abstract: A database is employed for the recording of assigned computer disk drive letters, but database is distribute across multiple drives and media, rather than centralizing the database as prior art systems have done. Fragments of the database are stored within the unused portion of disk space located after partition tables but before the beginning of a partition, thereby forming one or more Shadow Partition Tables. In these Shadow Partition Tables, the drive letter assignments or logical volume assignments for the particular piece of media and partition are stored. A method for automatically determining relationship between entries in the normal partition tables and the Shadow Partition Tables is employed which is compatible with industry standard disk format definitions, while allowing enhanced drive letter assignment management especially useful for removable disk media.

Abstract: A connector and connection system useful in the building and construction industries for joining two substantially planar composite fiber panels together in which at least a part of the connecting device also acts as a guiding means allowing the two panels to be joined together in alignment with one another. The connector and connection system is especially useful for joining a plurality of compressed straw building panels to form a straight wall, partition or similar structure in substantially the same plane, said structure being constructed without having any external fittings or without having to mask or otherwise hide any fasteners, fittings or the like across the joint between the panels.

Abstract: A display with inherent means for avoiding moiré patterns in displayed digitized images having a two-dimensional array of non-uniformly spaced display elements such as LEDs, LCD, or TFT. Pixels within the display are non-uniformly spaced such that a fundamental pattern or “frequency” is not established, thereby avoiding the possibility of display physical characteristics interfering with image features, avoiding apparent moiré patterns and other display artifacts. If the source data for the image is a standard data set which represents data samples at uniformly-spaced pixels, the method interpolates the pixel values for the non-uniformly spaced display elements of the new array.

Abstract: A reconfigurable office partition system that includes movable rigid panels each comprised of a core panel mounted within a perimeter frame. Said core panel comprised of a matrix of compressed straw or other cellulose-based natural fiber lined by paper or paperboard suitable for accepting a variety of surface treatments, and also suitable for accepting nails, screws or other means for hanging or otherwise attaching articles thereon. Frames comprised of vertical and horizontal rails specially adapted to engage said core panels and further adapted to releasably and slidably attach to a series of specialty connectors.

Abstract: A disposable, aseptic package for storage and serving of perishable beverages, such as human breast milk. The package is generally cylindrical in shape, the top of which is provided with a circular flange about the circumference of the package, such that the filled package can be dropped down into a cylindrical outer holder. The package is held with its top surface near the top of a holder by the flange. A dispensing assembly, such as a nipple assembly or straw assembly, is mounted atop the holder. As the dispensing assembly is mounted on the holder, a penetrating conduit engages the top surface of the package and punctures it, thereby providing a via for the beverage to flow freely from the package to the dispensing assembly, such as through a nipple or through a straw.

Abstract: A quad-processor arrangement having 6 communications paths, one path between each of every possible pair of processors. Each processor is provided with a local memory which can be accessed by the local processor as well as by the other processors via the communications paths. This allows for efficient data movement from one processor's local memory to another processor's local memory, such as commonly done during signal processing corner turning operations. The communications paths are controlled and interfaced to the processors through field programmable logic, which allows the board to be configured both statically and dynamically to optimize the data transfer characteristics of the module to match the requirements of the application software. The programmable logic may be configured so that the module emulates other existing board architectures in order to support legacy applications.

Abstract: A GUI control for entering a user selection from a list of possible selections in which the user can “spin” through a list of items shown on preview and postview option lists. The control allows the user to spin forwards and backwards, with a preview list of items and a postview list of items being displayed on opposing sides of the currently selected item dialog box. By providing visibility to the upcoming and recently past selections during the spin, a user can operate the spin control at a higher speed, thereby reducing the amount of time necessary to find the desired item on the list.

Abstract: A system and method for control of data and boot records associated with multi-layer logical volumes allows the logical volume data area containing the fake EBR to be deterministically and efficiently accessed by using a “top down” control methodology. Control of the logical volume manager (“LVM”) data area is distributed. An LVM data area is placed on each aggregate as well as on each partition, and the fake EBR is placed in the LVM data area of the topmost aggregate. The topmost aggregator controls access to the fake EBR, and only this aggregator must provide API functionality to access the fake EBR. This allows the fake EBR to be found and accessed only by new software applications which are “aware” of the fake EBR, while allowing legacy aggregators to continue to function correctly and allowing legacy software applications to continue to interwork with legacy aggregators through their unchanged APIs.

Abstract: A broadcast receiver such as a radio, television, or web browser, which automatically tunes to a preselected signal source upon initialization for a predetermined period of time. During this period of time, the user of the system may receive useful information or directions, such as directions to exit an airport or train station, instructions to orient a new user with a rental car or rental receiver, news, traffic reports, weather reports, instructions regarding hotel facilities or check-in and check-out procedures. In an enhanced form of the invention, the receiver may be automatically tuned to a series of signal sources on a timed basis. Upon conclusion of the predetermined time interval, the radio is optionally re-tuned to a user's preferred radio station or the last signal source which was tuned prior to shut off.