Abstract: A protective case includes a first shell member and a second shell member connected generally in a clam shell manner. Each shell includes a centrally disposed rigid portion. Each shell member further includes a first flexible portion, which extends from a first side of the rigid portion to adjacent the first side wall boundary of the case, so as to form a portion of the top wall boundary and the bottom wall boundary of the case. A second flexible portion also extends from the second side of the rigid portion to adjacent the second side wall boundary of the case. A zipper is disposed along the top wall boundary and extends from the first side wall boundary to the second side wall boundary. The zipper operatively connects the rigid portion and the flexible portions of the first shell member to the respective corresponding rigid portion and first and second flexible portions of the second shell member.

Abstract: The result of eight find_min_16 of lookup-min_16, find_max_l6x, lookup_max_16 instructions may be stored in memory storage units of operand storage 24, using SIMD at addressing techniques detailed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/929,992, filed Aug. 30, 2004 and entitled SIMD PROCESSOR AND ADDRESSING METHOD.

Abstract: A bath brush comprises a handle attached to a bristle block that contains bristles. A tank mounted inside the handle can be filled with liquid soap, liquid detergent, or other liquids to be used in washing the body. A pushbutton connected to a pump allows a user to select a measured amount of liquid while keeping the liquid from spilling, as it may when poured from a bottle. A check valve keeps liquid from running back into the tank and another check valve passes liquid from the pump to the bristle block but prevents anything from running back into the pump. While the bath brush is useful for anyone who is showering, bathing in a tub, or taking a sponge bath, it is especially useful for someone whose balance is compromised enough that he or she needs to hold on to something in the shower.

Abstract: A composite drain plug for an automobile engine. The drain plug is made up of a hollow metal sleeve that is flanged at one end and closed at the other end. There is a core portion filling the hollow sleeve and having a head portion and a stub flange adjacent the flanged end of the sleeve. A circumferential sealing bead is bonded to the stub flange. The core portion is a glass-filled polymer and the sealing bead is made from a material which includes a cross-linked elastomer dispersed in a thermoplastic carrier.

Abstract: A ball hitch coupler including first and second sidewalls spaced apart and generally parallel. First and second pins extend transversely between the first and second sidewalls spaced apart along a length of the first sidewall and the second sidewall. At least one of the first and second pins is removable and the first and second pins are disposed adjacent a neck portion of a ball to movably connect the ball hitch coupler to the ball between the first pin and the second pin.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for dual pass adaptive tessellation includes a vertex grouper tessellator operably coupled to receive primitive information and an index list and a shader processing unit coupled to the vertex grouper tessellator. During a first pass, the shader processing unit receives primitive indices generated from the primitive information and an auto-index value for each of the plurality of primitive indices. The method and apparatus further includes a plurality of vertex shader input staging registers operably coupled to the shader sequence, wherein the plurality of vertex shader input staging registers are coupled to a plurality of vertex shaders such that in response to a shader sequence output, the vertex shaders generate tessellation factors. The tessellation factors are provided to the vertex grouper tessellator such that the vertex grouper tessellator generates a per-process vector output, a per primitive output and a per packet output during a second pass.

Abstract: A device (10) for reducing vibration effects on position measurement includes a receiver (12) for providing position signals (13); and a vibration control circuit (18) operative to control position information generation based on the position signals (13), to prevent position information generation during mechanical vibration of the device (10). A method for reducing vibration effects on position measurement includes receiving position signals through a receiver; and controlling position information generation based on the position signals to prevent the position information generation during mechanical vibration of the device.

Abstract: A video synchronization signal removal circuit in which a synchronization signal component of an incoming video signal is detected whereupon a reference signal corresponding to a black video level is substituted substantially during the synchronization signal interval.

Abstract: Methods for directly comparing the light spectral power distribution of a natural light source to the light spectral power distribution received on the target area of an outdoor accelerated weathering device, comparing the spectral measuring assembly on accelerated weathering devices with traceable spectral measuring assemblies measuring the same light source at the same instant in time, comparing different outdoor accelerated weathering devices to one another with respect to continuous direct measurement of each such device in a collection relating the quality of each single device back to a single standard measured by all devices and rationalizing the results of different methods of weatherability testing.

Abstract: In a specific embodiment of the present invention, a monitor detect pin associated with a connector for a flat panel display (FPD) is monitored by a detect module. When an external flat panel device is connected, the monitor detect pin is activated. In response to the monitor detect pin being activated, a system interrupt is generated. System software can determine whether to drive FPD. When an external FPD is disconnected, the transmission minimized differential signaling drivers are disabled.

Abstract: The optimized primitive filler is used in a computer system, such as a computer system that displays graphic images. A first step of the method it is determined if a primitive is totally outside a predetermined screen region or at least partially within the predetermined screen region. The primitive is then discarded if the primitive is totally outside the screen region. If the primitive is not totally outside the screen region, at least a portion of the primitive is identified that lies within the screen region. Then only those pixels in the portion of the primitive that is inside the screen region are filled. These steps are executed for each primitive of a plurality of primitives that forms a scene of which the screen region is the portion that the computer system displays. No pixels are filled in primitives which are totally outside the screen region, and no pixels are filled in portions of primitives that are outside the screen region.

Abstract: Control device 1 having a changeover valve 5, a pump 4 delivering operating medium, in particular a motor-operated pump or a hand pump, connection devices for connecting the control device 1 to at least two tools, in particular a first lifting cylinder 2 and a second lifting cylinder 3 or the like, the changeover valve 5 being operable in particular by hand; wherein a) the changeover valve 5, when the operator lets go of it, can be brought automatically into a basic position in which no pressure build-up in the region of the tools is possible, b) a control valve 7 is provided between the changeover valve 5 and the tools, and c) the control valve 7 can likewise be operated by hand by an operator.

Abstract: A modulator (10) and method provides a programmable phase rotation for supporting different modulation formats and different phase rotations. The modulator (10) includes a programmable symbol counter (32) and symbol phase rotation logic (31) operatively responsive to programmable phase rotation size data (36) and programmable counter size data (30). The modulator (10) can be used to communicate with different modulation formats employing different phase rotation conventions as used in different communication systems. The symbol phase rotation logic (31) produces rotated in-phase data (20) and rotated quadrature data (22) in response to receiving at least received symbol data (24), programmable phase rotation size data (36), and symbol count data (32) based on programmable counter size data (30). According to another embodiment, the phase rotations of the modulator (10) may be dynamically selectable such that the phase rotations may be selected to accommodate changes in channel characteristics in real time.

Abstract: A method of optimizing debt collection attitudinally classifies debtors into one of several attitudinal segments. The approach uses an assessment of current attitudes rather than past behaviors as to predict future behavior. Each segment can be addressed with an offer, which is a combination of attributes which together, have an expected, measurable, and predictable response from the debtor. Debt collection requires the expenditure of resources, at least one of which the availability of a relatively small number of debt collectors. The offers that can be extended to debtors are identified on a debtor-by-debtor, offer-by-offer basis to identify the best offer to propose to each debtor by the limited number of debt collectors in order to maximize the economic return from all debtors.

Abstract: A multi-channel video signal processing circuit with a bias control and respective video channel gain controls. The bias signal, which corresponds to a nominal video signal brightness level, is shared among the video channels which, in accordance with respective video gain control signals, process incoming component video signals to provide corresponding outgoing component video signals such that each one of the outgoing component video signals has a nominal outgoing video signal brightness level related to the bias signal and a corresponding one of the gain control signals.