Abstract: System and method for analyzing position data from a vehicle equipped with a geographical position system to determine if the vehicle has adhered to a predetermined schedule, where the vehicle is scheduled to arrive at each one of a plurality of predetermined locations during a corresponding predetermined time window, the position data identifying a specific geographical location of the vehicle at a specific point in time. Position data from the vehicle is collected as the vehicle travels to the plurality of different locations, the position data identifying a specific geographical location of the vehicle at a specific point in time. Then the position data is analyzed to determine whether the vehicle was at each predetermined location during the corresponding predetermined time window. An exception report is automatically generated for each instance that the vehicle was not at one of the plurality of predetermined locations during the corresponding time window.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and method for problem solving using intelligent agents. The intelligent agents may be embodied as processor-readable software code stored on a processor-readable medium. The intelligent agents may include a brain agent to parse the input and direct the parsed input query to other intelligent agents within the system. The apparatus and method may use, for example, a personality agent, a language agent, a knowledge agent, a mood agent, a visual agent, sound agent, a tactile agent, and a smell/taste agent and various connectors to external data sources or other intelligent systems to interpret questions and provide responses back to the user. The apparatus and method may further parse questions in a conceptual manner. The apparatus and method may further optimize its system performance by evolving with and reacting to specific user interactions. Thus, the present invention may be configured to receive a human question and to output a human answer.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a mandrel for supporting a stent during a composition deposition process. The mandrel includes an elongated body for insertion into a longitudinal bore of a stent. The body comprises carbide.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for measuring the performance of a read channel. A number of detection techniques, such as SOVA and maximum-a-posteriori (MAP) detectors, produce a bit decision and a corresponding reliability value associated with the bit decision. The reliability value associated with the bit decision may be expressed, for example, in the form of log likelihood ratios (LLRs). The reliability value can be monitored and used as a performance measure. The present invention provides a channel performance measure that generally correlates directly to the BER but can be collected in less time.

Abstract: A new transport protocol between the IP layer and the DDP layer for use with RDMA operations. The embodiments all operate on a CEE-compliant layer 2 Ethernet network to allow the new transport protocol to be simplified, providing higher performance and simpler implementation. The new protocol allows a CEE-compliant layer 2 Ethernet network to provide data networking using IP, storage using FCoE, and RDMA using IP and the new transport protocol, without suffering the previous performance penalties in any of these aspects.

Abstract: Systems for and methods of detecting gravitational acceleration and gravity gradients are disclosed. The systems and methods include gravity gradiometers whose axes are substantially horizontal. In comparison with prior art systems, the systems presently disclosed provide one or both of more accurate measurements for the same amount of space, and smaller space requirements with the same or better accuracy.

Abstract: Embodiments of methods and systems comprise identifying failing media and/or drives for a media library. Error data can be collected from media libraries. For each tape exhibiting an error rate of interest, a determination can be made whether the tape would still have been of interest had it not been loaded in certain drives. This information can be analyzed to identify failing drives or tapes.

Abstract: A method for managing data packets passing through an Ethernet node having multiple ingress ports and multiple egress ports, the ingress ports receiving the data packets from at least one service, and the egress ports configured with at least one Logical Transport Resource (LTR) configured as a predefined path between one of the egress ports and a destination in the Ethernet network. The method comprises mapping one or more of the services to each of the at least one LTR, shaping each of the at least one LTR to a configured rate, and transmitting data packets to the Ethernet network via the egress ports.

Abstract: An aerosol spray actuator for a pressurized aerosol canister and in particular trigger or button actuated spray actuators having three main parts to simplify the mechanical moving parts of a spray actuator. An actuator button, an actuator base and finally a nozzle piece being inserted at the very end of a product dispensing passage embodied either in the body or the trigger part. A mechanism for permitting and blocking the actuation of the spray actuator is also provided so that inadvertent operation of the actuator can be prevented.

Abstract: A reach back secure communications terminal includes a modem to satellite interconnect board that captures DTMF tones, demodulates encrypted modem information, and converts both into an ASCII string for presentation to a data port of a satellite phone, allowing out-of-band control of a non-secure satellite system (e.g., AT command control of a data port) by a user on a secure side of an encryption device, by including the ability to interpret control signals and control the satellite system appropriately. A false dial tone is presented to the encryption device, and the data stream coming from the encryption device is monitored for the presence of dual-tone, multi-frequency (DTMF) tones representing control signals, the DTMF tones are converted to ASCII characters, which are in turn received as control signals by the satellite phone, allowing control of the functions of the satellite system directly from the secure side of the encryption device.

Abstract: A complex order processing system is implemented in an architecture that allows customer service representatives and customers to access the customer's accounts, service profiles, quotes, and orders. Account information can be entered and updated. Quotes can be generated for various configurations of products and services having different types of charges including one time fees, recurring fixed fees, and usage-based fees. The quotes can be saved, and later updated by the customer or by the system to reflect changes in the configuration of a product or service that is included in the quote. The quote can be converted to an order, and pending orders can be modified. Before allowing modification of a quote or order, the requested future state of a product or service is created by applying the prior active and unprocessed orders to the product or service. The portion of the product or service currently selected is also applied to the product or service, and the user can then reconfigure the product or service.

Abstract: A method and system for synchronizing a main database of a server and a local database of a handheld device. A user can use an application residing in the handheld device to make transactions in the local database. During a synchronization operation, the handheld device and server are coupled. The system then determines whether the application should be updated and, if so, causes the server to provide an update. The system also causes the handheld device to provide to the server information related to the transactions made by the user to the local database. The system causes the server to perform transactions on the main database based on the transaction information. The system also causes the server to extract data from the main database. The server can then provide at least some of the extracted data to the handheld device to update the local database.

Abstract: A graphical specification entry interface allows a circuit designer to define relative placement of repeating circuit component cells. The repetitive placement specifications are used to generate a repetitively structured circuit cell which may be subsequently installed into a physical circuit medium. The system simplifies user interaction in generating repetitive circuit structures such as semiconductor memory and, while affording heretofore unavailable topological diversity of such circuits.

Abstract: The present invention, in an exemplary embodiment, provides a therapeutic medical appliance, delivery device and method of use. In particular, plug therapeutic medical appliances are provided that allow for the interventional treatment of pulmonary disorders such as defects characterized by pulmonary blebs and/or diffused destructive parenchymal disease. The plug therapeutic medical appliances themselves combine many of the excellent characteristics of both silicone and metal therapeutic medical appliances while eliminating the undesirable ones. In particular, these therapeutic medical appliances are preferably self-expanding in nature and allow the predetermined differential selection of relative hardness/softness of regions of the therapeutic medical appliance to provide additional patient comfort. An exemplary embodiment also provides a family of delivery devices that facilitate flexibility, durability and/or proper installation of one or more medical appliances in a single procedure.

Abstract: An integrated circuit design system, method, and computer program product are provided that takes into account observability based clock gating conditions. In use, at least one condition is identified where an output of a first logic element is not a function of a first input of the first logic element, due to a second input of the first logic element. To this end, at least one second logic element may be disabled based on the identified condition for power savings or other purposes.

Abstract: A portable electronic device (100) includes a base (50), a cover (10) and a sliding mechanism (30). The cover is slidably mounted on the base via the sliding mechanism. The sliding mechanism includes a static member (31) fixed on the base, a sliding member (35) slidably mounted on the static member and fixed on the cover, and a linear motor (36) configured for driving the sliding member to slide on the static member. When the static member is electrified, the sliding member is floated by a magnetic repulsive power formed between the static member and the sliding member to slide on the static member without friction.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the invention, an object oriented autorouter is disclosed for routing nets in a circuit. The object oriented autorouter includes a routing data model (RDM); at least one routing engine, such as a single connection router (SCR), a topographical (TOPO) transformation engine, and a detail geometric (DETAIL) engine, and a command and control module (CCM) coupled together. The RDM reads and write data with a design database as well as reading one or more object oriented design constraints. Each of the routing engines have at least one action to operate on the design database to improve compliance of the circuit to a constraint. The CCM controls the overall routing process of the nets in the circuit and includes at least one director to invoke at least one of the routing engines to achieve compliance with one or more constraints.

Abstract: A patient hydration system including an infusion device for administering hydration fluid to a patient, and a hydration fluid measurement device responsive to a source of hydration fluid, a patient urine output measurement device. A controller is responsive to the hydration fluid measurement device and the patient urine output measurement device. The controller operates the infusion device, in response to the patient urine output measurement device and the hydration fluid measurement device, to hydrate the patient based on the patient's urine output. The controller also monitors the operation history of the infusion device thereby providing redundancy in the measurement of the amount of hydration fluid administered to the patient.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are various embodiments of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The ASIC includes a plurality of functional units. Each functional unit may include a plurality of connections. The ASIC may also include a plurality of input and/or output pins configured to couple the ASIC to a circuit board. A programmable client may be associated with each pin, and each programmable client may be programmed to selectively connect the pin with which it is associated to one of the plurality of connections of one of the plurality of functional units. In various embodiments, the programmable client may be embodied as a multiplexer or a crossbar switch. Further, the programmable client may be programmed using any of boot firmware, hardware jumpers, and/or non-volatile programming registers.

Abstract: A system and method for measuring recirculation of blood in a catheter designed for implantation in a human is described. In one variation, the system comprises an artificial circulatory system and an ultrasonic detection device for measuring and comparing the density of a circulated blood simulant with a later introduced bolus saline. The system may be configured to simulate a human heart by providing the flow, pressure and dimensions of a typical human heart. In addition to simulating the circulatory system of a normal human heart, the system may also be configured to simulate particular negative conditions of a patient, such as stenotic condition, which would affect the recirculation measurement.