Abstract: A gas burner including a burner body having a lower housing, an inlet conduit and a combustion surface element attached to the lower housing. A diffuser/reflector positioned within the body encourages even distribution and mixing of a combustible gas/air mixture. The diffuser/reflector is preferably of a sheet metal construction and includes a plurality of stamped openings with each of these openings having an overhanging guide plate. The combustion surface element includes a plurality of integrally formed rigidizing ribs and is made from a high temperature steel alloy wire cloth. The inlet conduit is secured directly or indirectly to an access door/bulkhead that is used to close off an access opening formed in a water heater wall through which the burner is installed. In one construction, an air scoop shrouds the inlet conduit and at least partially defines a flow path of primary air, substantially isolated from the combustion chamber.

Abstract: A rate controller in run-level domain transcoder, which receives a stream of compressed frames carried in a bit stream, selectively determines whether to quantize and/or threshold portions of a frame carried in the stream of frames. The rate controller determines the input size of the frame and based at least in part upon at least a desired size, requantizes and/or thresholds the frame such that the output size of the frame is approximately the desired size.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for routing voice communications to groups in a voice communication system using a voice hub system. The voice hub system allows a user to group communication devices into one or more logical networks and/or unit task organizations. The user can then select one or more of the communications groupings to transmit and receive voice communications. A user can change the communication grouping selections automatically changing the communication group that the voice hub system is transmitting and receiving voice messages.

Abstract: Disclosed is an author-centric search that facilitates identifying a source commonly associated with a topic by, for example, providing a ranked listing of experts in a field of knowledge related to a search phrase. The search phrase can be captured and parsed into the individual words (e.g., substrings) of the search phrase. Based on occurrences of the words in one or more documented communications, statistics can be generated to determine the relevancy of each documented communication in relation to the search phrase. Further, additional statistics can be generated describing the occurrence of multiple words in a documented communication and/or a distance of words between the search phrase words in a documented communication. The statistics can be utilized to generate expert scores. The expert scores can be sorted for and/or displayed to the user.

Abstract: The invention relates to an active oscillating guidewire (26) with varying stiffness to enable a safe crossing through an occluded vessel. The distal working zone (28) is made up of several distal segments (32, 34, 36, 38). A miniature engine is embedded in a segment (34).

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for synchronizing distribution of media with a scheduled media event. According to one aspect of the invention, a producer transfers selected content at a server in synchronization with a scheduled media event. Consumer sessions poll the server via a network and retrieve the selected content from the server for presentation thereby, whereby the information being presented at the consumers provides a user experience that is also in synchronization with the media event.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a high purity 2H-SiC composition and methods for making same. The embodiments represented herein apply to both thin film and bulk growth of 2H-SiC. According to one embodiment, the disclosure relates to doping an underlying substrate or support layer with one or more surfactants to nucleate and grow high purity 2H-SiC. In another embodiment, the disclosure relates to a method for preparing 2H-SiC compositions by nucleating 2H-SiC on another SiC polytype using one or more surfactants. The surfactants can include AlN, Te, Sb and similar compositions. These nucleate SiC into disc form which changes to hexagonal 2H-SiC material.

Abstract: A system is provided for linking software applications. The system comprises a message backplane configured to linked software applications by sharing messages associated with events occurring in a respective linked software application with one or more other linked software applications and a controller configured to instruct the message backplane to link software applications.

Abstract: A keyboard support having a generally flat keyboard supporting surface and a track extending along an outer periphery of the keyboard support. A mouse support has a generally flat mouse supporting surface and is coupled to the keyboard support by a track follower that engages the track for movement along the track. A coupling arm engages the track follower and allows pivoting of the mouse support with respect to the keyboard support.

Abstract: A photocrosslinked biodegradable hydrogel includes a plurality of natural polymer macromers cross-linked with a plurality of hydrolyzable acrylate cross-links. The hydrogel is cytocompatible and produces substantially non-toxic products upon degradation.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a keyboard support for movably supporting a keyboard with respect to a work surface of a workstation. The keyboard support includes a workstation engaging member adapted to be attached to an underside of the work surface, a keyboard engaging member for supporting a keyboard, and a linkage assembly mechanically coupling and providing relative movement between the workstation engaging member and the keyboard engaging member and thereby between the keyboard and the work surface. The keyboard support also includes a braking assembly adapted to allow relative movement of the keyboard engaging member with respect to the workstation engaging member in an unlocked position and to prevent relative movement of the keyboard engaging member with respect to the workstation engaging member in a locked position. The braking assembly comprises a roller assembly carried on a connector of the linkage assembly.

Abstract: One aspect of the present invention includes a Josephson magnetic random access memory (JMRAM) system. The system includes an array of memory cells arranged in rows and columns. Each of the memory cells includes an HMJJD that is configured to store a digital state corresponding to one of a binary logic-1 state and a binary logic-0 state in response to a word-write current that is provided on a word-write line and a bit-write current that is provided on a bit-write line. The HMJJD is also configured to output the respective digital state in response to a word-read current that is provided on a word-read line and a bit-read current that is provided on a bit-read line.

Abstract: An optical sensor device has a sensor unit which includes a light emitter (24), a light receiver (26), and a lens plate (12) that is used for coupling a pencil of rays, radiated by the light emitter (24), into and out of the pane and directing it onto the light receiver (26). The lens plate (12) includes a combined Fresnel structure (16a, 16b) having a Fresnel lens structure (18a, 18b) and a Fresnel reflector structure (20a, 20b) on a first surface (12a) facing the light emitter (24) and the light receiver (26), and a Fresnel reflector structure (22a, 22b) on an opposite, second surface (12b) facing the pane. This configuration is especially suitable for use as a rain sensor. Without the light emitter the sensor device is suitable to be used as a light sensor.

Abstract: The present invention is directed towards a frequency modulated (FM) burst mode optical system that allows optical signals having a common wavelength provided by a plurality of FM burst mode optical transmitters to be passively combined onto a single optical fiber. A single FM optical receiver receives the combined signals and processes them accordingly. Each FM burst mode optical transmitter includes an FM modulator, a carrier detect circuit and a laser. The FM modulator modulates a carrier signal, such as a 1.21 GHz signal, with received reverse electrical signals. When a subcarrier signal is detected by the carrier detect circuit, the laser is turned and the frequency modulated carrier signal is used to intensity modulate a laser to provide an optical signal. Due to the burst-mode transmission of optical signals, the optical signals can be passively combined and transmitted to a single optical receiver.

Abstract: A system maintains communication between a plurality of unmanned vehicles within an environment. The system includes a sensor component and an evaluator. The sensor component senses objects within the environment. The sensor component is located on a first unmanned vehicle. The evaluator evaluates data from the sensor component. The evaluator is located on the first unmanned vehicle. The evaluator compares data for the first unmanned vehicle and a second unmanned vehicle and determines whether a trajectory of one of the first and second unmanned vehicles may be modified to maintain communication between the first unmanned vehicle and the second unmanned vehicle.

Abstract: A system for dynamically anchoring a call initiated by a mobile unit can include call anchor logic programmed with anchoring criteria to determine if a new outbound call being initiated from the mobile unit should be anchored at an anchor point located outside of a service provider network for the mobile unit based on application of the anchoring criteria to input data. The call anchor logic provides an anchor control signal to cause the outbound call to be one of (i) anchored at the anchor point and (ii) connected to a called party without anchoring at the anchor point. Memory that stores the input data, the memory being accessible by the call anchor logic.

Abstract: A method is presented for characterizing properties of a specimen, such as a microstructure and a nanostructure. The method includes attaching a first end of the specimen to a first probe (204) and attaching a second end of the specimen, which is spaced apart from the first end by an intermediate portion, to a second probe that extends from a transducer (208). The method also includes causing a corresponding displacement of the specimen attached between the first probe and the second probe (224, 230). At least one parameter associated with the specimen is acquired (226, 232) during the corresponding displacement based on at least one output signal from the transducer. The properties of the specimen can be determined based on the at least one parameter (236, 238).

Abstract: An elongate, longitudinally oriented outer sleeve includes an outer sleeve surface defining a radially oriented proximal sleeve border, a radially oriented proximal sleeve rim intersecting the outer sleeve surface at the proximal sleeve border, an outer sleeve body enclosed by the outer sleeve surface and the proximal sleeve rim, and an elongate, longitudinally oriented stem-receiving cavity formed in the outer sleeve body and intersecting the proximal sleeve rim to define a stem-receiving aperture. A joint articulating member includes an elongate, longitudinally oriented stem, an articulating surface, and an interface rim. When the stem is at least partially inserted into the stem-receiving cavity, the proximal sleeve rim and the interface rim interact to change a longitudinal relationship between the outer sleeve and the joint articulating member responsive to relative radially-oriented rotation between the stem and the stem-receiving cavity.

Abstract: An apparatus (10) for helping to protect an occupant (20) of a vehicle (12) includes an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (14) having a deflated condition and an inflated condition. Tear stitching (200) interconnects portions (220 and 230) of the protection device (14) and is rupturable to permit the interconnected portions to move relative to each other. The tear stitching (200) includes a break point (210) and first and second segments (212) that extend away from the break point. The tear stitching (200) is arranged on the protection device (14) such that tension forces acting to rupture the tear stitching act primarily on the break point (210) so that the tear stitching ruptures first at the break point and then along the first and second segments (212) of the tear stitching.