Abstract: A light weight portable pressure washer with improved vibration damping includes a plate member disposed between the engine and the supporting frame of the pressure washer. The plate member is mounted to the base of the engine and extends laterally beyond the base of the engine and is supported on the frame of the pressure washer by multiple elastomeric vibration isolators. The plate member and the frame may be constructed of stainless steel or of aluminum, and the frame components may be joined without welding.

Abstract: An appliance that includes a host device and a memory unit with a primary memory, and a method of operating the appliance. According to one aspect of the appliance, the primary memory is nonvolatile and the memory unit also includes a volatile memory a power sensor and a controller. When the power sensor detects interruption of power to the memory unit, the controller copies data selectively from the volatile memory to the primary memory. Power for this copying is provided by a secondary power source such as a battery or a capacitor. According to another aspect of the appliance, the appliance includes primary and secondary power sources, and the memory unit also includes a charge pump whose functions include both boosting power from the primary source for the primary memory and charging the secondary source.

Abstract: A data storage device includes one or more non-volatile, blockwise erasable data storage media and a mechanism for sanitizing the media in response to a single external stimulus or in response to a predetermined physical or logical condition. Optionally, only part of the media is sanitized, at a granularity finer than the blocks of the medium. Setting a flag in an auxiliary nonvolatile memory enables an interrupted sanitize to be detected and restarted. Optionally, a “death certificate” verifying the sanitizing is issued. Preferably, the media are configured in a manner that allows atomic operations of the sanitizing to be effected in parallel.

Abstract: A matched filter requiring no high-speed processor and which consumes less power is disclosed. Partial filters 301–30N obtained by dividing number of matched filter taps by N are provided with a controller 341 for controlling which partial filters are enabled. The controller 341 is supplied with maximum amount of delay of an input signal and with symbol timing. On the basis of the maximum amount of delay, the controller 341 enables only the minimum number of partial filters 301–30n that are capable of executing an amount of computation that is required in one symbol period. The enabled partial filters are used multiple number of times per symbol period and the output, each time, integrated sample by sample. Since the disabled partial filters will not operate, it is possible to reduce power consumption and computation time.

Abstract: A flexible sleeve for containing a pot and/or floral grouping and/or growing or retaining medium. The flexible sleeve has a body and a flap. The body has an outer peripheral surface, an inner peripheral surface and a skirt. The flap is connected to the inner peripheral surface of the body, preferably near the skirt. The flap is adapted to be positioned in: a storage position extending downward, a receiving position extending upward, and a deployed position extending substantially inwardly from the inner peripheral surface of the body when the body is in an open configuration. The flap can be a sheet, or may be folded or slitted. Water or other chemicals may be impregnated into the flap to aid in the maintenance of the floral grouping or growing medium. The flap may also be used to secure the sleeve about the pot and/or floral grouping and/or growing or retaining medium.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method for detecting and isolating sugarcane proteins that interact with the HC-Pro and P1 proteins of SrMV and other proteins involved in gene silencing, particularly in sugarcane. The method uses a two hybrid assay with an HC-Pro, P1, or other silencing-related protein-containing bait protein and a prey protein containing a polypeptide encoded by a DNA molecule in a cDNA library. The method also includes identification of false positives through reverse two-hybrid assays and using in vitro techniques such as farwestern blots or pull down assays where plant physiological conditions may be replicated. Finally, interactions may be confirmed in planta. Some novel proteins used in and discovered using the these methods are also identified. Methods of using viral and plant proteins to regulate silencing in plants such as sugarcane are also discussed.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a unitized MEA assembly for use in a fuel cell or a fuel cell stack assembly. In the embodiments of the invention, the MEA is made integral to the frame to reduce certain risks and disadvantages associated with nonstabilized MEAs in fuel cell applications. Specifically disclosed are two preferred embodiments of the unitized MEA assembly of the present invention and methods for making same.

Abstract: An above resonance circulator/isolator and method for manufacturing the same is described. In one implementation, the above resonance circulator/isolator includes a magnet, a spacer, a single ferrite element, a center conductor and a pole piece. The center conductor is sandwiched between the magnet and the single ferrite element with the spacer interposed between the magnet and the center conductor. The pole piece is coupled to the single ferrite element, such that the single ferrite element is sandwiched between the center conductor and the pole piece. Magnetic shielding is not necessary in particular implementations.

Abstract: A method is provided for the efficient, low cost removal of acetol from a phenol stream. The method results in removal of substantially all of the acetol from the phenol stream without the formation of substantial amounts of additional methylbenzofuran. The method also avoids the use of expensive reagents and capital intensive distillation equipment.

Abstract: Relatedness between genes is quantified by constructing nonlinear models predicting gene expression. Effectiveness of the model is evaluated to provide a measurement of the relatedness of genes associated with the model. Various types of models, including full-logic or neural networks can be constructed. A graphical user interface presents results of the analysis to allow evaluation by a user. Each gene's contribution to the measurement of relatedness can be shown on a graph, and graphical representations of models used to predict gene expression can be displayed.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for maintaining transparent mode radio bearers in a Radio Access Network (RAN) of a third generation mobile telecommunications network. The method relates to managing the radio resources allocated to a user equipment (UE) in said radio access network (RAN). The method generally comprises communicating a message from a radio resource controller (RRC) of the RAN to the UE where said message is arranged to instruct the UE to transition from a dedicated channel connection state to a lower activity connection state and to store in its memory transparent mode (TM) radio bearer (RB) information associated with said dedicated channel connection state. By storing TM RB information associated with the dedicated channel connection state, the UE can be reconfigured to the dedicated channel connection state without the RAN having to perform a radio bearer setup procedure.

Abstract: Interoperability is achieved between wireless user communication devices that have different speech processing formats and/or attributes. A first wireless user communication device includes a primary speech codec that encodes a first speech message using a first speech encoding format. The encoded speech is then sent to a second wireless user communications device that includes a primary speech codec supporting a second speech encoding format. The first user device receives from the second user device a second speech message encoded using the second speech encoding format. The second speech message is then decoded by the first user device using a second speech decoder supporting decoding of the second speech encoding format. But the first communication device does not support speech encoding using the second speech encoding format—regardless of whether the first communication device includes or does not includes an encoder for encoding speech using the first speech encoding format.

Abstract: A reflector structure in a liquid crystal display having light condensing effect comprises mainly an active device substrate, a condenser having diffraction or refraction effect being formed above the substrate, a spacing layer being formed above and covering the condenser, and a reflective unit being formed above the spacing layer. The condenser can be a holographic diffraction unit, micro prisms or micro lens unit. It can be on a TFT substrate or a color filter. The color filter can be located at the same or opposite side with the TFT substrate. The spacing layer may be an over coat layer, a color filter, a color filter and an over coat layer on the color filter, or a substrate. The reflective unit also has various structures, reflective angles, and reflective effects. The invention utilizes the condenser to collect light. 60% to 95% of unused backlight is collected. The backlight gain is over 120% to 400%, thereby greatly saving the power consumption for the backlight source.

Abstract: A bimorphic polymeric photomechanical actuator, in one embodiment using polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) as a photosensitive body, transmitting light over fiber optic cables, and controlling the shape and pulse duration of the light pulse to control movement of the actuator. Multiple light beams are utilized to generate different ranges of motion for the actuator from a single photomechanical body and alternative designs use multiple light beams and multiple photomechanical bodies to provide controlled movement. Actuator movement using one or more ranges of motion is utilized to control motion to position an actuating element in three dimensional space.

Abstract: A sleeve used to wrap items such as potted plants. The sleeve may have an open or closed bottom. When closed, the bottom may have a gusset for allowing expansion upon the depositing of the pot into the sleeve. The sleeve has a detachable upper portion. The sleeve has a bonding material disposed upon an inner and/or outer portion of the sleeve for crimping the sleeve adjacent the pot to hold the sleeve about the pot.

Abstract: A switch matrix including a plurality of microstrip pairs arranged to form a grid and switches to couple the microstrip pairs where they cross. Each microstrip pair includes a first microstrip and a second microstrip for passing signals. The signals on the first and second microstrips are such that the electromagnetic forces produced by each one are canceled out by the other. By canceling out the electromagnetic forces, undesirable coupling between microstrips that cross and between microstrips and the substrate are minimized, thereby allowing inexpensive substrates such as silicon to be used.

Abstract: A detector for breaks in screens and filters employed in material separators includes a transmitter of RF signals and a receiver of RF signals located to either side of a screen. The separator includes a chamber having a barrier to RF signals with a path through the barrier being defined through the screen mount. The screen mount receives a screen to extend fully across the path.

Abstract: A system of optimally recharging a battery cell while powering a device connected to the battery pack, in which an electronic switch connects a battery pack power-output either to the battery cells or to a second power-input contact. When not recharging, the battery-pack power-output contact is connected to the battery cells, thereby powering the device from the cells. When recharging via a charging unit, the battery pack's power-output terminal is uncoupled from the cells and coupled to a power source of the charging unit, thereby powering the device from the charging unit. At the same time, a voltage is supplied to the battery cells, thereby recharging them. The switching may be activated by a voltage supplied by the charging unit to a temperature monitoring thermistor in the battery pack. In this way, the battery pack's power output may be automatically switched whenever it is placed in the charging unit.

Abstract: A multi-accessory vehicle audio system is providing that includes a plurality of vehicle audio accessories, the vehicle audio accessories generating a corresponding plurality of audio signals; and an audio switching device. The audio switching device includes an input section for receiving the audio signals from the vehicle audio accessories, a switching section operatively coupled to the input section for receiving the audio signals, a controller operatively coupled to the input section for receiving the audio signals and operatively coupled to the switching section for providing control signals to control the switching section and to regulate the output of the audio signals from the switching section according to an instruction set, and an output section operatively coupled to the switching section for receiving the regulated audio signals outputted from the switching section.

Abstract: A process of determining an imminent-collision between a vehicle and an object, said vehicle having a sensing system for obtaining one or more images representing at least one observed object within a field of detection, said process comprising: (a) obtaining one or more images representing an observed object within said field of detection; and (b) determining that a collision between said vehicle and said observed object is imminent when the ratio of the probability that said observed object is actually within a collision zone to the probability that said observed object is actually within a safe zone is greater than a certain value.