Abstract: A user interface being configured to display a plurality of icons representing physical items, display a drag region, provide an option for the user to select items for storage in a storage unit by dragging and dropping the icons onto the drag region, display an estimated amount of storage space to store the selected items, display an estimated cost to store the selected items, provide at least one or an option for the user to self-deliver the selected items, provide an option for the user to select options associated with the storage of the selected items, receive identify information from the user, receive payment information from the user, and provide a confirmation to the user.

Abstract: A short (60-70 mm) endonasal speculum for performing operations within and around the sellar region of the human head includes two side members each of which is composed of a handle and an elongated blade. The handles are attached to each other by a hinge and one of the handles includes a variable dilation control that is used to open the speculum. The elongated blades are arcuate in cross section and have distal ends that are opposed to each other in a trapezoidal configuration, either up or down, which permits greater visualization and access into the regions above and below the sella and greater instrument maneuverability within the speculum.

Abstract: In a wide area communications network such as the Internet, a public server and an associated database store and make available to a private server personal information relating to an individuals emotional or some other mental or physical state. The private server includes functionality to interpret the personal information it receives or gathers from the public server in order to identify at least one reaction instruction which can be used by a multimedia communications device to convey to a user the state of an individual by generating a human perceivable reaction which can be playing multimedia content in combination with movement if the multimedia communications device is a robot.

Abstract: A robot movement control device is connected to a communications network in a remote location relative to a robotic device that is also connected to the communications network. The robot movement control device is an electronic device with a video display for displaying a real-time video image sent to it by a camera associated with the robot. A robot movement control overlay is displayed in the field of the real-time video image at the robot control device and robot control commands are generated by selecting locations within the boundary of the movement control overlay which include speed and directional information. The control commands are sent by the robot control device over the network to the robot which uses the commands to adjust its speed and direction of movement.

Abstract: A lever assembly for use with electronic modules has a handle lever with a self-sprung cantilevered handle section. The cantilevered handle section can be flexed with respect to the non-cantilevered portion of the handle lever during module insertion to automatically engage a catch that prevents the handle lever from inadvertently or accidentally being released and unseating the module. Once the flexing force is removed, compression of the handle section remains at the catch, such that the handle section continues to apply leverage force in the closure direction to hold the module securely in place.

Abstract: In one embodiment of a network device, multiple packet sources contend for access to a packet processing pipeline. The packet processing pipeline tracks the usage of lookup resources by each of the multiple packet sources. When a packet source is detected to be using more than an acceptable allocation of the lookup resources, access to the packet processing pipeline for that source is limited or curtailed to bring that source back within an acceptable allocation of resources. This backpressure mechanism can be used to control sources that, although within a bandwidth limit, are submitting a packet type mix that is consuming unfair percentages of lookup resources in an oversubscribed system. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: A circuit board comprises a center segment distributing power and low-speed signaling, and outer segments for high-speed signaling. The segments use dielectric materials with different dielectric constants, with the outer segments supporting higher-speed signal transmission.

Abstract: A communications network gateway receives a stream of information formatted to be compatible with a first sub-network and it receives a stream of information formatted to be compatible with a second sub-network. The frames in the second stream are extracted and modified to be compatible with the transmission format of the first sub-network. The two streams of information are then aggregated for transmission over a logical network link in a manner that optimizes the bandwidth utilization of the overall communications network.

Abstract: A physical layer device distributes a high-speed packet data stream to multiple lower-speed physical channels, and reverses the process to receive a high-speed packet data stream that has been distributed across multiple lower-speed physical channels. The packet data is distributed by removing interpacket gap characters from between packets and using a different control character to delineate packets. Interpacket gap characters can then be used to delineate equal-length frames distributed to each of the multiple physical channels. Each frame consists of a concatenation of fixed-size blocks of packet data. By selecting a frame size larger than the average packet size, overhead on the multiple physical channels can actually be lower than the overhead on the single high-speed channel, allowing the aggregation to achieve line rate operation at the high-speed rate.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a hybrid backplane coding scheme transmits data using lengthy sequences of scrambled data, separated by 8b/10b control character sequences that prepare the receiver for the next scrambled sequence and permit realignment if necessary. Several lanes are coded separately in this manner, and then multiplexed on a common channel. Alignment sequences in the control character sequences, as well as scrambler seeds, are set to avoid synchronization of patterns generated among all lanes, which would tend to confuse a receiving serdes and/or phase-locked loop that recovers timing from the multiplexed scrambled signals.

Abstract: Methods of designing a backplane, a backplane, and a packet switch using such a backplane are disclosed. The backplane comprises communication channels that connect each of a set of first card slots to each of a set of second card slots. Instead of forcing the backplane to route the communication channels to match a preset card configuration, the backplane communication channels are routed so as to reduce crosstalk and attenuation on at least the most difficult routing pairs. The cards perform logical translation of their backplane traffic to conform to the physical pin assignment for the particular card slot in which they are inserted. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Abstract: Traffic engineering using a label-switching protocol is enhanced for label-switched paths that traverse a logical link that is an aggregation of component links. In one embodiment, a label edge router is provided with information regarding the bandwidth capabilities and loading of the component links of a LAG. The label edge router is then allowed to set up paths that traverse a specific component link of a LAG, and reserve bandwidth on such a component link. Other traffic may continue to be distributed across the LAG membership.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a hybrid backplane coding scheme transmits data using lengthy sequences of scrambled data, separated by 8b/10b control character sequences that prepare the receiver for the next scrambled sequence and permit realignment if necessary. Advantageously, the sender of the scrambled data can be changed during the control character sequence. The hybrid backplane coding scheme can be designed such that the power spectral density of scrambled data and control character sequences are similar, which permits good performance with high-speed electrical differential receivers. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: A virtual link aggregation-capable service provider network and network edge device are described. In at least one embodiment, the service provider edge devices forward packets across the service provider network between pairs of customer ports, including link aggregation packets that would ordinarily be consumed by the edge device. This allows the customer to bridge a link aggregation across a service provider network. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for preventing an unstable BGP Peer from repeatedly initializing unstable BGP connections. In one embodiment, BGP speakers are penalized for causing errors that result in BGP restarts. When a speaker accumulates enough penalty points, its peer notifies it that it has been dampened (prevented from establishing a BGP connection). A memory decay function allows the speaker to automatically attempt a new connection once a given amount of time has passed. The method allows at least two, and possibly more, BGP speakers to avoid network and processor costs from servicing unstable BGP peerings.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for epoch retransmission in a packet network device are described. In at least one embodiment, epoch receivers check received epoch data for errors. When an error is detected, a receiver is allowed to request that the entire epoch be retransmitted. All epoch senders retain transmitted epoch data until the time for requesting a retransmission of that data is past. If retransmission is requested by any receiver, the epoch is “replayed.” This approach mitigates the problem of dropping multiple packets (bundled in a large epoch) due to an intraswitch error with the epoch. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Abstract: Transparent point-to-point connectivity is provided between an incoming interface on an ingress node and an outgoing interface on an egress node in a network. An address associated with the egress node is circulated to the nodes in the network and a next hop address toward the egress node address is determined at each node. A label value is circulated along with the egress node address to the nodes. Examples of label values can include VLAN Ids or Multi-protocol Label Switching (MPLS) labels. If data is received having the label value, the node receiving the data identifies the next hop address associated with that label value and transfers the data to the next hop associated with the identified next hop address.

Abstract: An accelerated boot process for a multiprocessor system and system components for use with the process are disclosed. Each processor caches at least one compressed system image in local nonvolatile memory. The processors boot concurrently, each using a local image. After a master processor is booted, the other processors verify with the master that each has booted a correct image version. Various redundancy and fallback features are described, which guarantee that all cards can boot and operate even if the preferred local system image contains a defect.

Abstract: A medical diagnostic imaging system is employed to generate two or more diagnostic images with each image generated using a different imaging modality. The imaging system includes an imaging device for generating the diagnostic image information, an operator interface for controlling the operation of the imaging device, an imaging device control module that operates on the diagnostic image information generated by the imaging device and sends the processed image information to a display device. After first generating two or more test images that are used to identify target tissue and to derive functions that are later used during the diagnostic process to identify target tissue and to assign vector magnitudes to the identified target tissue, two or more diagnostic images are then generated and the color in each image is quantified.

Abstract: A method that changes the selection of a 2:1 multiplexer that receives a first output signal from a first framer and a second output signal from a second framer. The first output signal is the same as the second output signal. An apparatus having a framer and a 2:1 multiplexer that receives an inbound signal from the framer. A first multiplexer receives at least one signal from another framer and the 2:1 multiplexer has an input coupled to an output from the first multiplexer. A second multiplexer receives at least one signal from the other framer and the second multiplexer has an output coupled to an input of the framer for an outbound signal.