Abstract: A watercraft steered under power by water-jet propulsion utilizes a water intake ramp in its hull to create a nozzle-like effect to accelerate water loading to the jet pump through a ventral water inlet when under power. The hull has a pair of longitudinal stabilizers that form a tunnel in which the ramp is located. A canopy, which can be removable, encloses a passenger compartment with a steering wheel and one or more passenger seats. Two wings flank the passenger compartment and a pair of hull ramps run steeply downward from the leading edge of each of the wings and extends to the bottom of the hull while a pair of air scoops flanks each side of the passenger compartment and is located above the pair of wings. The forward-most beginnings of the pair of stabilizers relative to a nose section and the pair of wings ride above the surface of the water when the watercraft is under power and the watercraft rides on the back of the pair of stabilizers.
Abstract: An electronic card that can function as an anonymous credit card or banking card for use on or off the Internet utilizes a magnetic storage medium affixed to the card that can be read by a standard magnetic stripe reader. An encoder generates a data packet that is stored in a designated portion of the magnetic storage medium, which can be a magnetic stripe. The data packet can contain a personal coupon and an alias. A computer or microprocessor generates the personal coupon after a Personal Identification Number is input into the card.
Abstract: A thermal barrier for a Dewar vessel combines an insulative vapor plug and a vapor barrier. The plug is sized so as to define an open space between it and the neck portion of the Dewar vessel to allow venting of vaporous cryogen from the inner vessel of the Dewar vessel through a Dewar opening. The vapor barrier provides an interference between the plug and the neck portion that disrupts venting of vaporous cryogen but does not form an airtight seal that would block venting and cause unacceptable build-up of pressure within the inner vessel. Multiple vapor barriers, especially four or more, provide multiple interferences that create multiple chambers between the plug and the neck portion. Each interference disrupts migration of vaporous cryogen as an incremental increase (e.g., 2 psig or less) in vapor pressure of each chamber causes the chamber to breach and then another incremental increase in vapor pressure of the liquid cryogen in the vaporous state is required to breach each successive chamber.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 8, 2001
Date of Patent:
April 1, 2003
Inventors:
R. Kevin Giesy, Mark Ventura, Funn Roberts
Abstract: Cryptographic methods and systems are disclosed. The cryptographic methods provide transparent encryption and decryption of documents in an electronic document management system. The cryptographic system adds a software module to an electronic document management system which traps file I/O events and performs cryptographic functions on the relevant documents before passing control back to the electronic document management system.