Abstract: In a universal, reusable system for molding concrete or other settable fluids for use in building construction, an apertured composite plastic panel is provided for use in the framing system in which the plastic panel, rather than being of a honeycomb structure, includes a single face sheet which serves as a pour side surface, with an array of truncated pyramids having central apertures extending rearwardly from the back side of the sheet.

Abstract: A dynamic balance sport performance system is provided for the dynamic testing of an individual so as to be able to provide appropriately configured shims to be placed adjacent the individual's foot in a shoe for the purpose enabling the individual to perform better in whatever sport he/she is participating. In one embodiment, an automatic system is provided for simulating shim insertion in a shoe in which two footbeds spaced apart by a predetermined distance are provided with a quadrature arrangement of hinged shim plates which are individually adjustable to predetermined shim angles. After one of the individual plates has been set, with the individual seeking to maintain his/her elbow in a horizontal position, pressure is applied to the individual's elbow until such time as a load sensor senses a predetermined load indicating that a predetermined pressure has been applied to the elbow of the individual.

Abstract: A musical instrument comprises a plurality of keys (10-19), a processor means (20) connected to said keys and arranged to provide an output signal to be utilized in the generation of notes. A data storage means (22) is connected to said processor means (20) and contains a set of data (22a) associated with each key (10-10), each set of data including a predetermined sequence of pitch values. Each time a key (10-19) is struck the processor means (20) reads an item of data in sequence from the data set (22a) and generates an output signal that includes a consecutive one of said pitch values.

Abstract: A fluid mixing system is provided to permit rapid mixing of a prestored powdered substance such as powdered milk with a liquid in which, in one embodiment, baby bottles are stacked one atop the other in fluid communication, with an internally carried stemmed disk preventing powdered contents of the upper bottle from entering the liquid carried by the lower bottle until the stemmed disk is dislodged from the aperture between the bottles, the stemmed disk falling into the lower bottle such that the mixing can occur without opening or separating the two bottles. The invention thus allows the separate storage of two pre-measured fluent materials within the same container, and to facilitate the mixing and dispensing of those materials at a later time without opening the container. The benefits of this are that the user can prepare in advance mixtures of materials which, if stored in a combined state, will sour, harden, or otherwise become unusable without mixing the two ingredients until the time of use.

Abstract: In the subject invention, source information indicating an author, designer r other source of a three-dimensional computer model is embedded in the low-order digits or bits of floating point values representing vertices in the model. The changes in these low-order bits are undetectable visually because the lower-order bits provide more accuracy than is needed to display an image. In one embodiment, the first floating point value representing the model has its least significant digits in its mantissa set to a code representing the first character of the source information. The second floating point value in the model has its least significant digits in the mantissa set to a code representing the second character of the source information. With the third and following floating point values, a similar pattern is followed. Additional other methods may be used and a variety of pattern making and encoding techniques would allow someone to determine the source of a model and whether it was modified.

Abstract: A context-based dictionary entry access system includes selecting and rang an entry based on the part-of-speech assigned to the given word in a sentence. The entries corresponding to the word in context are first selected, followed by availability of entries that are not relevant to the current context. The part of speech of the given word in context is selected based on the utilization of a part-of-speech tagger such that only those entries are selected in which the corresponding word makes syntactic sense in the sentence.

Abstract: A system is provided for eliminating time-consuming, unnecessary transfers f data over networks such as the the World Wide Web while at the same time guaranteeing timeliness of the data used by recipients. Timeliness is assured by immediately sending small data-notification messages whenever data becomes relevant or changes. Efficiency is guaranteed by transmitting the data itself only when requested by the recipient of a data-notification message. In particular, recipients are alerted to the presence of, and changes in, data they might use by data-notification messages containing a timestamp, the data location, and a checksum. Based on the timestamp, the recipient can determine whether the data-notification message contains timely information or should be ignored. Based on the data location and checksum, the recipient can determine whether it already has the current version of the data in question, for example stored in a cache.

Abstract: A universal reusable system is provided for molding concrete or other settable fluids for use in building construction. In the subject system, apertured composite plastic panels and frames, prestressed by the presence of an array of removable and interchangeable oversized plastic plugs, are positioned and held in place by a framing system which utilizes a combination of apertured strips used as base guides and both vertical and horizontal channels, as well as dowels and plugs. The use of apertured panels and framing system provides for a reusable assembly whose dimensions can be readily set on site for each application and whose rectilinearity is maintained either by the dowel-aperture combination or by a combination of oversized plugs in adjacent members to be joined and connectors therebetween.

Abstract: A golf ball is provided which changes color or other indicia after significant immersion in water to indicate that the ball has been recovered from a water hazard and may not have predictable flight characteristics which may result in loss of carry and roll. In one embodiment, a microencapsulated dye layer is formed immediately below the final gloss coat, with controlled dye release causing a stained look to the ball after significant immersion in water.

Abstract: An asynchronous transfer mode computer network system in which a first coter executes a first plurality of application programs, and a second computer executes a second plurality of application programs. The asynchronous transfer mode network connects the first computer to the second computer, for supporting communication between application programs on the first computer and application programs on the second computer. An application program on the first computer and an application program on the second computer are assigned an application channel having a period, a message size and a deadline. A plurality of application channels are assigned to a single virtual channel on the asynchronous transfer mode network, wherein the virtual channel has a bandwidth determined as a function of a sum of the message sizes of the application channels and the larger deadline of the application channels. Messages with an earliest deadline are transmitted firstover their assigned virtual channel.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a discourse manager which permits effective collaboration between a user and a computer agent. The system operates according to a theory of collaborative discourse between humans, with the computer agent playing the same role as a human collaborator. The present invention does not concern the internal operation of a particular agent, but relates rather to the structures for managing a collaborative discourse between any type of agent and the user. The discourse manager includes a memory in which application-specific recipes are stored and a memory in which the discourse state is stored. Each recipe specifies a set of actions or subtasks which are performed to achieve an objective. The discourse state includes structures to track the agent's and user's current objectives, a selected recipe for each objective, and completed steps in each recipe.

Abstract: In a grammar checking system in which a sentence is first tagged as to pa of speech, the probability of the sequence of the parts of speech being correct is utilized to correct improper use of troublesome words, especially those identical sounding words which are spelled differently. The system corrects word usage based not on the probability of the entire sentence being correct but rather on the probability of the sequence of the parts of speech being correct. As part of the subject invention, the parts of speech sequence probability is utilized in part of speech sequence verification, underlying spelling recovery, auxiliary verb correction, determiner correction, and in a context-sensitive dictionary lookup.

Abstract: A system is provided to automatically control input permission when multi users and/or software agents interact with a single, shared application in a window-based computing environment, and to indicate to all users which user or software agent currently is providing input or seeking input permission. The system operates by providing each user and agent with a specialized cursor icon that is used for displaying input-permission status and for requesting and relinquishing input-permission. Cursors have three modes with distinct appearances indicating whether the corresponding user or agent has, does not have, or desires input permission. Cursors are replicated on all displays, so that all users can at all times easily see who has or desires input permission. Users interact with the input-permission system by moving and clicking their mouse. Software agents achieve the same effects by sending control requests directly to a software interface provided as part of the invention.

Abstract: A system assures smooth motion in a distributed virtual reality environment y categorizing the information to be transmitted as to the predictability of future motion and applying appropriate smoothing algorithms based upon knowledge of what the future motion is likely to be. The system switches between a linear interpolation algorithm for less predictable data and a Catmull-Rom spline for more predictable data.

Abstract: A network protocol and interface using direct deposit messaging provides low overhead communication in a network of multi-user computers. This system uses both sender-provided and receiver-provided information to process received messages and to deposit data directly in memory and to conditionally interrupt a host processor based on control information. Message processing is separated into data delivery, which bypasses the host processor and operating system, and message actions which may or may not require host processor interaction. In this protocol, a message includes an indication of the operation desired by the sender, an operand specified by the sender and an operand which refers to some information stored at the receiver. The receiver ensures that the desired action is permitted and then, if the action is permitted, performs the action according to both the operand specified by the sender and the state of the receiver.

Abstract: An out-of-round indicator for golf balls utilizes an indicator module inserted into a golf ball sleeve or carton, with the module including a cup at its base into which the golf ball is dropped. The indicator includes a cantilevered arm extending from the base and spring loaded towards the surface of the golf ball, such that a surface of the arm contacts the surface of the golf ball, with the distal portion of the arm having a laterally extending tab or flag with differently colored spaced vertical markings. In one embodiment, a stationary vertically-extending support rises from a side of the base and has a vertical slot at its distal end overlying the tab, such that when the golf ball is rotated in the cup, the marking which appears through the slot indicates the out-of-roundness of the ball as the ball is rotated. The golf ball sleeve or box is provided with an aperture to permit rotation of the golf ball in the cup when the module is in the sleeve and when the golf ball is dropped into the cup.

Abstract: A system for simultaneously creating similar constructive solid geometry G) representations for multiple objects in bit map or voxel form iteratively creates, mutates and optimizes a population of potential CSG representations of the objects. The system includes a first part which creates and revises two identical populations of CSG representations. Initially, the populations are randomly generated. Thus, each CSG tree includes a random number of primitives of different types, sizes and positions. The primitives are randomly organized in a tree structure which includes randomly selected boolean operators at the nodes. The trees are then modified through an evolutionary process to improve the CSG representations of the objects. Corresponding trees in each population are randomly mutated in the same manner to form new trees. Mutations can include (1) changes in types of primitives, (2) changes in a subtree structure, (3) addition of new subtrees, and (4) deletions of subtrees.

Abstract: A compact convenient hand-held, accelerometer-based computer control device s utilized to control on-screen animated characters presented by a computer-driven display in which the movement, persona, or style of the character is controlled through movement of the device in a predetermined pattern which results in recognizable patterns of accelerations that are detected to give the on-screen character a particular persona or style determined by the user. Thus, the system requires only a series of easily learned hand movement patterns for corresponding character control. In an alternative embodiment, once a movement has been determined, the style or emotional content of the movement is specified directly from gross accelerometer output without pattern matching. In another embodiment, the outputs of two or more accelerometers are combined, with the combined waveforms constituting a language for graphical object control.

Abstract: A system is provided to enhance the capability of a display system which format digital images of different types from multiple input data streams for a high-resolution screen of arbitrary shape and size, with the display system adapted to receive independent data streams from different data sources at the same time and control how and where the images from the data streams are presented on the screen in a type-independent manner. The screen layout is controlled by an active screen format that specifies which data streams are to be received, where on the screen to present the images and how to present the images. Type-independent data formatting is accomplished by choosing the preprocessing handler/transformation handler pair suitable for the type of a data stream and activating the handlers so that they restore images from the data stream and transform them to fit on the preallocated portion of the screen on the fly.

Abstract: A packet based data transmission system includes a flexible optimized nonocking transmit interface that incorporates optimized buffer modes, dynamic and static chaining, streaming and the utilization of small packet formats. Static chaining refers to connecting together the linked list for successive packets for the same transmit channel or virtual channel. Dynamic chaining refers to means by which the network interface performs this chaining automatically, thereby solving a blocking problem. On the transmit side, streaming refers to initiating the transmission of packet data before the entire packet data has been presented to the interface. This, in turn, permits more rapid recycling of the buffer space. On the receive side, streaming refers to initiating the processing of packet data before the entire packet has been received.