Abstract: A modifiable jewelry piece including a strand and one or more adjustable retainers. The adjustable retainers include an interior structure configured to establish a frictional engagement with the outer surface of the strand. The jewelry piece wearer may select the location of the placement of the adjustable retainer anywhere along the length of the strand. The interior structure may be a solid or semi-solid having high surface tension or rough surface profile. The interior structure may alternatively be a mechanical capturing device. The jewelry piece also includes one or two end connectors having a slot and flange arrangement for easy passage of beads thereover only when desired. The flange and slot are arranged for alignment with threaded and flanged beads.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an information security bot system for the mitigation of damage upon its victims, or enforcement of Identity Theft laws, by searching and inducing transactions with perpetrators of identity crimes (e.g. identity theft.). Searching is accomplished using a software spider search robot (“bot”) that turns any transmitted personal information in to a bit-keyed array that cannot betray any of the known information of the users. Transactions with perpetrators are induced and affected using machine generated natural language techniques. In instances of success, data (actual, bogus or “poisoned”) is transferred to or received from said perpetrators. This data can be used to protect victims or to ensnare perpetrators. In addition, the invention relates to offensive and proactive prevention of identity theft and other related crimes.

Abstract: A durable carrying device for transporting multiple items. The carrying device has a plurality of holding members that are capable of securely holding several heavy items, such as plastic bags filled with consumer goods, for easy carrying by a user of the device. The holding members specifically are arranged such as to hold the items closely to one another to minimize swinging of the items as they are being carried. Further, the carrying device includes a comfortable handle that allows the user to carry items with reduced discomfort to the hand. The durable construction of each of its elements and of its overall structure allows the carrying device to withstand the rigors associated with item carrying. The seamless design of the carrying device and the smooth finish of its surface make it easy to clean.

Abstract: A system and method that provides dynamic network policy management. The system enables a network administrator to regulate usage of network services upon initiation of and throughout network sessions. The system employs a method of identifying selectable characteristics of attached functions to establish static and dynamic policies, which policies may be amended before, during and after any session throughout the network based on the monitored detection of any of a number of specified triggering events or activities. Particular policies associated with a particular identified attached function in prior sessions may be cached or saved and employed in subsequent sessions to provide network usage permissions more rapidly in such subsequent sessions. The cached or saved policy information may also be used to identify network usage, control, and security. The system and method of the present invention provides static and dynamic policy allocation for network usage provisioning.

Abstract: A fouling removal system for use in a water-jet drive system is described. The fouling removal system includes a cutter arm assembly and an optional cutter stud. The cutter arm assembly includes a pivotable cutting blade located adjacent to the intake grate and arranged to sever any debris, such as seaweed and eel grass, clogging the intake grate. The cutter arm assembly may be tied into existing watercraft hydraulic systems to use a hydraulic cylinder to cause movement of the cutting blade across the surface of the intake grate. The optional cutter stud is located adjacent to the impeller within the water-jet drive system housing. The cutter stud acts to sever debris associated with the impeller blades, which, if left on the blades, would reduce the efficiency of the impeller. The present fouling system is capable of removing debris from the intake grate and impeller of a water-jet drive while a watercraft is stationary or is operating at any speed, including full speed.

Abstract: A fuel overflow prevention device for minimizing or eliminating fuel spillage during fuel storage container filling. The device may also minimize or eliminate some types of fuel spillage after filling. The device includes an overflow prevention chamber for receiving therein fluid from a fuel storage container vent tube. The overflow prevention chamber also includes a space for removably receiving and retaining therein the spout of an automatic shutoff fuel nozzle including a sensor port. A flow restriction interface is established between an interior portion of the overflow prevention chamber and the exit port of the spout. Fluid received from the vent tube into the overflow prevention chamber fills the space until covering the sensor port to a level sufficient to trigger automatic nozzle shutoff. The device optionally includes a vent tube extension to aid in regulating the fuel level within the container at which nozzle shutoff is triggered.

Abstract: An integral screen magnifier for the display of a portable electronic device. The magnifier either is the display of a faceplate of the device or is integrally connected to the faceplate. The screen magnifier is arranged to provide effective magnification of text and graphics visible on the device without detractions from the overall shape or appearance of the device. The screen magnifier being integrated with the faceplate of the portable electronic device. Either the screen magnifier and the faceplate are one inseparable unit or the screen magnifier is separable from the faceplate.

Abstract: A gyrostabilizer system that counteracts the natural rolling motion of a small boat or vessel. The invention constitutes an improvement in prior art systems of this type in that the system weighs less because it has a much lighter rotor made of composite materials spinning at much higher speeds. The gyrostabilizer system includes a lightweight rotor spinning at very high speeds to attain a large angular momentum. The mass of the rotor is concentrated away from the spin axis of the rotor to maximize angular momentum while minimizing weight. The rotor is mounted in a frame that, in turn, is mounted on gimbals so that the frame can be rotated about an axis that is normal to the longitudinal roll axis of the vessel. When the rotor is rotated about the gimbals, a torque is created that opposes the torque created by the sea and reduces the rolling motion of the vessel. The rotor may be mounted in an evacuated chamber to reduce air drag.

Abstract: An electrode connection system for connecting an electrode to a substrate, such as to human skin. The system includes a first connecting member and a second connecting member, wherein the first connecting member is connectable to an electrode, and the second connecting member is connectable to the substrate, either directly or through an attachment device, such as a bandage. In a first embodiment of the present invention, the first connecting member and the second connecting member may be reversibly and securely connected to each other by inserting a loop of one of the connecting members into a retaining groove of the other connecting member. In a second embodiment, the first and second connecting members may be reversibly and securely connected to each other by inserting a nub of one of the connecting members into a retaining basin of a locking groove of the other connecting member.

Abstract: A hierarchical, distributed Availability Management (AM) process for recovering from component failures in a data processing system. The hierarchy of AM elements track a failure modality hierarchy of the data processing system components. For example, the system hierarchy may include system cards, processors, and processes, in which case the associated AM elements may be implemented at a card manager (CM) level, a system manager (SM) level, and a process manager (PM) level. The AM hierarchy is designed to achieve a failure granularity so that failures in the lower levels of the hierarchy have less of an impact on the entire system. Each AM element is responsible for receiving failure notifications from processing system components associated with a next lower level of the hierarchy.

Abstract: A computer-enabled method and related system for allowing market survey contributors to provide their relevant market information and to access that information and the information of others in the same market. Each contributor is permitted to view its own specific private information and to view summary information of the entire market and aspects of the entire market but without being able to identify the other contributors. The system includes an information database, a query library and a computer program to query the database and evaluate and report on the database information in response to a query. Rules are set to deny access to information not provided by a contributor and to deny access to information with an insufficient number of contributors and/or number of points of data.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring and calibrating the measurement of small volumes of liquids. The small volumes of liquid are typically dispensed from liquid delivery devices, the delivery device often having multiple channels to analyze many samples at once. The liquid samples are delivered to one or more cells, typically in a multi-well plate, and positioned in a spectrophotometer for determining an absorbance of a chromophore in the liquid sample. Based upon an absorbance measurement and the concentration of the chromophore, a path length of the liquid sample is determined, from which a volume of the sample may be calculated. The method and apparatus provide various means for correcting for differences in the dimensions and/or other factors causing a non-linear deviation from the Beer-Lambert law. A system or kit may be provided including sets of sample solutions of varying dilution ranges for calibrating different liquid volumes.

Abstract: A vehicle ballast system for improving the balance of a vehicle. The system is particularly well suited for use in the bed of a pickup truck but is not limited to that deployment. The system includes one or more ballast units. Each ballast unit includes a frame set and a ballast element. The frame set retains the ballast element therein. The ballast element may be one or more concrete blocks. The frame set includes an upper frame and a lower frame. The respective frames are connected together in a manner to contain the ballast element using a front retaining rod and a rear retaining rod is preferably affixable to a bracket secured to the rear of the vehicle. A tether may be removably connected between the upper frame and a securing point of the vehicle. A shock-absorbing lanyard may be employed at the rear of the system as a restraint upon sudden deceleration of the vehicle.

Abstract: A single-pole type generator with low loss magnetic core is excited by a field coil that is part of a low loss series resonant circuit tuned to a desired AC power frequency, which may be frequencies such as 50 Hz or 60 Hz or 400 Hz. The series resonant circuit is excited at the resonant frequency. The resulting resonant behavior of the excitation circuit automatically provides the high driving voltages and sinusoidal energy storage patterns needed to efficiently modulate the magnetic field at the desired power frequency. This modulation of the excitation field is amplified by mechanical power from a rotating shaft and modulates the output current and voltage of a single phase output circuit of the single-pole type generator at that power frequency in a sinusoidal pattern thus delivering alternating current power without any requirement for further electronic rectification, commutation or processing.

Abstract: An apparatus and related method for optical calibration of spectrophotometers is described. The apparatus is a calibration plate including one or more cuvettes filled with solutions of interest. The cuvettes are sealed to prevent evaporation. The cuvettes also possess a compressible component to allow for expansion of the solution and a bubble control apparatus to ensure that the compressible component does not intersect the beam path. A piece of neutral density glass is optionally included in the apparatus to track optical changes of the solutions over time.

Abstract: A fluid separation system includes a tank with a storage chamber for retaining floating and non-floating particulates. The tank includes a baffle for retaining floating particulates within the storage chamber and for directing flow out of the storage chamber. The tank also includes a bypass with an inlet flow control zone and an outlet flow control zone. The flow control zones are separated by a weir sized and positioned to regulate the fluid flow through a baffle port into the storage chamber. The weir also provides control of the flow rate at which incoming fluid is diverted directly through the bypass to the tank outlet rather than into the storage chamber. The baffle and/or the weir may be curved, and the baffle may include a complex curve, to aid in the smoothing of the fluid flow within the storage chamber to improve particulate separation.

Abstract: A polymeric film and method for making the film. Mixing a structural material with a secondary material to form a unitary mixture prior to processing forms the film. For a printable film, the secondary material is a printable material. The unitary mixture is extruded and heated so as to cause the printable material to bloom to the surface of the mixture. The result is a film that is stiffer and that lays flatter than prior multi-layered films that were prone to curling. The rollers used to stretch the film during this heat-setting stage are preferably very smooth so as to enhance the transverse-direction strength and stiffness of the film. In another embodiment of the invention, the secondary material is a clarity-enhancing material that may be styrene-ethylene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer. The blend combination is a suitable replacement for polyvinyl chloride films in that it is soft, conformable, flexible and clear.