Abstract: A control system (1) for a complex process, particularly for controlling a combustion process in a power plant, a waste incinerator plant, or a cement plant, has a controlled system (14) and at least one controller (36), wherein the control system (1) is divided hierarchically into various levels (10, 20, 30, 40). The first level (10) represents the complex, real process to be controlled and is implemented by the controlled system (14). The second level (20) represents an interface to the process and is implemented by a process control system. The third level (30) represents the control of the process and is implemented by the at least one active controller (36). The fourth level (40) represents a superordinate overview and is implemented by a principal controller (44).

Abstract: A portable computing device includes at least a base portion of a lightweight material that includes at least a wedge shaped top case having a trough formed at an interfacing edge thereof. The trough includes a raised portion having a first contact surface and a receiving area, and a bottom case coupled to the top case to form a complete housing for at least a portion of the portable computing device for enclosing at least a plurality of operational components and a plurality of structural components. The portable computing device also includes at least a lid portion pivotally connected to the base portion by a hinge assembly. In the described embodiments, the lid portion has a display in communication with one or more of the plurality of components in the base portion by way of or more electrical conductors that electrically connect the base portion to the lid portion.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for quickly and easily authenticating large computer program. The system operates by first sealing the computer program with digital signature in an incremental manner. Specifically, the computer program is divided into a set of pages and a hash value is calculated for each page. The set of hash values is formed into a hash value array and then the hash value array is then sealed with a digital signature. The computer program is then distributed along with the hash value array and the digital signature. To authenticate the computer program, a recipient first verifies the authenticity of the hash value array with the digital signature and a public key. Once the hash value array has been authenticated, the recipient can then verify the authenticity of each page of the computer program by calculating a hash of a page to be loaded and then comparing with an associated hash value in the authenticated hash value array.

Abstract: A visually seamless method of joining a first piece of metal and a second piece of metal is described. The first piece of metal is placed in contact with an edge of the second piece of metal. In some embodiments, the edge includes a sacrificial lip. The first piece of metal forming a junction area with the edge of the second piece of metal, applying a forging force to the first piece of metal, the forging force having an effect of creating an extremely tight fit up between the first and the second pieces of metal, welding the first and the second pieces to form an assembly and forming a cosmetically enhancing protective layer on the surface of the assembly, the protective layer obscuring any visible artifacts on the surface of the assembly, the obscured visible artifacts including any discoloration or discontinuity created by the laser welding.

Abstract: A digital phase detector circuit and corresponding monitor and control logic is presented. The digital phase detector has two storage elements, where the data input of the first storage element receives a first clock signal and the data input of the second storage element receives a second clock signal. A time shifter shifts the second clock signal by a shift period, and transmits the shifted signal to the clock input of the storage elements. The signals applied to the data inputs are transmitted from the storage elements when the clock input receives the shifted second clock signal from the time shifter. A monitor and control module samples the data output from the storage elements after each shifted second clock signal is transmitted by the time shifter. The sampling of the output data provides the data used to determine the time relationship between the first and the second clock signals.

Abstract: A wooden cable reel has a drum made of a plurality of staves and flanges secured at the ends of the drum. A steel support ring is rolled from a strip to have a diameter corresponding to the interior diameter of the drum and the ends of the strip are welded together. The support ring extends around the interior of the drum intermediate its ends and is secured to the drum from the inside by fasteners extending through the ring and into the interior surface of the drum. The support ring resists inwardly directed forces applied to the drum when cable is wound onto the reel and thus prevents the drum from deforming or collapsing.

Abstract: Methods, Integrated Circuits (IC) and computer programs for decoding contacts in a digital resistive screen overlay (DRSO) are presented. The method includes coupling in succession columns of the DRSO to a first voltage while floating a remainder of the columns. Further, the method includes the operation of checking during a sampling time if each row of the DRSO is connected through closed switches in the DRSO to the column coupled to the first voltage. The sampling time is configured such that the sampling time for a given row is previous to the arrival time of a signal that started with the coupling of a column and that propagated to the given row through more than one closed switch in the DRSO.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for aesthetically treating cellulite skin by lipotomy, and to a device for implementing said method.

Abstract: An aircraft cargo restraint has a base configured for attachment to a cargo deck. A housing is rotatably mounted to the base about a first axis and is movable between an erect position and a stowed position. A head is movably disposed in the housing, and is movable between an extended position and a contracted position in directions that are substantially parallel to the first axis. The restraint includes a lock configured to releasably secure the housing in the erect position when the head is in the contracted position, and to permit movement of the head from the erect position to the stowed position when the head is in the extended position.

Abstract: More than one embodiment of a blank and carton are provided. In one embodiment, a blank forms a carton with an opening flap that forms a display header for the carton. The opening flap is defined along a tear line pattern in a side panel and an overlapped and adhered end flap configuration, with the overlapped portion defined along a fold line. The opening flap is foldable along the fold line to dispose interior surfaces of the overlapped end flaps in facing relationship with one another. A portion of the opening flap extends into the carton interior, and can be received into two tuck-in flaps formed in another side panel. A display header is formed of the exposed portion of the opening flap when the opening flap is oriented in a display configuration. In another embodiment, only one tuck-in flap is included.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a capacitive decoupling module and method for an integrated circuit that features providing multiple capacitive elements to decouple the power rails from the integrated circuit. The multiple capacitive elements are spaced-apart, along a first direction, from the integrated circuit. A first set of capacitive elements is closer to the integrated circuit than a second set of capacitive elements. The first set has a smaller capacitance than the second set.

Abstract: Handshaking circuits are provided in a communications cable and in a device operable to be mated with the communications cable. Before a device can utilize the power supply signal of such a communications channel, the two handshaking circuits must sufficiently identify one another over a power supply signal with a decreased voltage. The decreased voltage allows for a cable plug to be provided with a safe, protected power that cannot cause harm to a human. The decreased voltage also reduces the chance that a device can receive a primary power supply signal from the cable before the device sufficiently identifies itself. Accordingly, a laptop may be connected to a portable music player, but the voltage of the power supply signal provided by the laptop to the cable may be decreased on-cable until the handshaking circuit of the portable music player sufficiently performs a handshaking operation with a on-cable handshaking circuit.

Abstract: A ridge ventilation system includes a plurality of ridge vent sections configured to be arranged end-to-end along the ridge of a roof covering a vent slot formed therealong. Each ridge vent section has an elongated longitudinally flexible top panel with a central portion, edge portions terminating at extreme edges of the top panel, and ventilation grids extending beneath and along the edge portions spaced from extreme edges thereof. The space between the extreme edges of the top panel and the ventilation grids forms or defines an overhang configured to receive edges of shingles in a course of shingles installed next to the vent section and to inhibit the edges of the shingles from rising up. The ridge vent sections also have depending deflectors for deflecting blowing rain and snow that might enter through the ventilation grids and filter fabric may be affixed to the bottom of the ridge vent sections to provide additional deflection of rain and snow.

Abstract: A low dropout (LDO) voltage regulator with unconditional frequency compensation is presented. The low dropout voltage regulator is implemented using a two-stage operational amplifier. The first stage amplifier has two input transistors, each of which is connected to a diode-connected transistor. A transistor is connected in parallel to the diode-connected transistors to increase the gain of the first stage amplifier. The LDO voltage regulator has a compensation capacitance input between the first stage amplifier and the second stage amplifier and a voltage on the compensation capacitance input adjusts the current through the diode-connected transistors, as well as the gain of the first stage amplifier. The second stage amplifier receives output from the first stage amplifier, and a compensation capacitor is connected between the compensation capacitance input of the operational amplifier and the output node of the LDO voltage regulator.

Abstract: A method to configure a programmable device is disclosed. The method includes receiving a scrambled configuration data at the programmable device. A bit sequence of a device tag that is stored in the programmable device is verified by determining whether the bit sequence of the device tag stored in the programmable device matches a bit sequence of a device tag within the scrambled configuration data. If the bit sequences match, the scrambled configuration data is transferred to a data re-formatter for descrambling. The descrambled configuration data is then transferred to a configuration memory of the programmable device. Circuitry that enables the method is also disclosed.