Abstract: A vessel, e.g., a bowl, suited for holding water or foodstuff for use as a pet bowl or human kitchen houseware may be. The bowl may have a modular design to allow for different portions of the bowl to have different attributes. The vessel is scaled for use by pets or humans. Generally, this means that an inner surface of the vessel defines a volumetric space of 60 cubic centimeters to 30 liters for holding water or foodstuff. The bowl has a water level, and, at the water level, the surface area of the bowl may be 56 cm to 900 square cm. To facilitate lifting and gripping by one or two human hands of a user, the vessel's outer surface may include one or more graspable elements disposed between the top and bottom of the vessel. Each graspable element is configured to receive one or more fingers of a user so that the user can grasp or otherwise engage the graspable element and lift the bowl from a surface when the bowl is upright on the surface.

Abstract: A vessel, e.g., a bowl, suited for holding water or foodstuff for use as a pet bowl or human kitchen houseware. The vessel is scaled for use by pets or humans. Generally, this means that an inner surface of the vessel defines a volumetric space of 60 cubic centimeters to 30 liters for holding water or foodstuff. The bowl has a water level, and, at the water level, the surface area of the bowl being 56 cm to 900 square cm. To facilitate lifting and gripping by one or two human hands of a user, the vessel's outer surface includes one or more graspable elements disposed between the top and bottom of the vessel. Each graspable element is configured to receive one or more fingers of a user so that the user can grasp or otherwise engage the graspable element and lift the bowl from a surface when the bowl is upright on the surface.

Abstract: Among the embodiments disclosed herein is an antenna assembly comprising the combination of a dielectrically loaded antenna and a housing, the housing incorporating a connector for coupling the antenna to host equipment. The antenna comprises an insulative core which has an outer surface and is shaped to define a central axis, and a laminate board on the central axis, the laminate board extending proximally from a proximal core surface portion oriented transversely with respect to the axis. The housing comprises a housing body which forms a hollow conductive shield for the laminate board, and is centered on the antenna axis, and the housing is shaped to provide a mounting surface which, in a cross-sectional plane perpendicular to the axis, defines a periphery of an area in the said plane which area is at least as great as the cross-sectional area of the said proximal portion of the antenna.

Abstract: A method to adjust a multi-path device reservation by supplying a computing device and a storage controller interconnected with a communication link. The method further reserves a data storage device in communication with the storage controller, where that data storage device reservation is held by a first communication path group comprising a first plurality of communication paths configured in the communication link. If the method detects a failed communication path configured in the first communication path group, the method configures a second communication path group by removing the failed communication path from the first communication path group, wherein the second communication path group maintains the data storage device reservation.

Abstract: Systems and methods for establishing a communications channel between a first user and a second user through a first communications system make use of contact information obtained from a second communications system. The contact information obtained from the second communications system is stored in a cross-reference database maintained on the first communications system. The information could be obtained by having the first communications system access the second communications system using the credentials of a user of the second communications system to obtain contact information stored on the second communications system for the user. The information in the cross-reference database allows the first communications system to determine a non-publically switched telephony network (PSTN) identifier of a telephony device associated with the second user. This identifier is then used to establish a communications channel between the first user and the second user.

Abstract: A IP telephony service allows customers to form user groups. Each user group can include multiple telephony devices that are associated with one or more users. One or more group identifiers would be associated with each user group. When an incoming communication is directed to a user group, a group identifier is used to retrieve a list of the members of the group, or a list of devices that correspond to the members of the user group. The communication is then sent to one or more members of the group, or to one or more of the devices that correspond to members of the user group. Handling preferences may determine how the incoming communication is delivered. In some instances, the incoming communication could be a telephone call. In other instances, the incoming communication could be a SMS message or an instant message.

Abstract: A IP telephony service allows customers to form user groups. A user group is established by collecting a plurality of identifiers that are associated with members of a group, and associating the member identifiers with a group identifier. The member identifiers could be telephone numbers of telephony devices for each of the members, or device IDs of IP telephony devices for members of the group. The group identifier could be any type of identifier, and in some instances, the group identifier could be a telephone number.

Abstract: A IP telephony service allows customers to form user groups. Each user group can include multiple telephony devices that are associated with one or more users. One or more group identifiers would be associated with each user group. When an incoming communication is directed to a user group, a group identifier is used to retrieve a list of the members of the group, or a list of devices that correspond to the members of the user group. The communication is then sent to one or more members of the group, or to one or more of the devices that correspond to members of the user group. Handling preferences may determine how the incoming communication is delivered. In some instances, the incoming communication could be a telephone call. In other instances, the incoming communication could be a SMS message or an instant message.

Abstract: Method, system and computer program product embodiments for, in an input/output (I/O) link handling complex instruction chains, a messaging scheme incorporating a method of error recovery between an initiator processor and a receiver processor, are provided. An operation initiation message is been sent from the initiator processor to the receiver processor for the receiver processor to begin work on an operation. If determined to be necessary, a terminate operation message is sent from the initiator processor to the receiver processor. The initiator processor withholds sending additional messages for the operation until a terminate operation response message is received. Once the terminate operation message is received, outstanding messages in process are flushed from the receiver processor. The receiver processor withholds sending additional messages to the initiator processor as the outstanding messages are completed.

Abstract: A method for facilitating input/output (I/O) communication for a processing operation is provided. An interrogate command is obtained by an I/O communications adapter. The interrogate command queries for status information of the processing operation to be provided in an interrogate response. A fixed number of resources and a time allocated to the interrogate command is throttled by pre-allocating the fixed number of resources needed for the interrogate command, and maintaining a timestamp for a interrogate message. The interrogate message is forwarded from the I/O communications adapter to a control unit. If the interrogate response is not received by the I/O communications adapter within a limited timeout period as measured by the timestamp, or if the interrogate message is received while the fixed number of pre-allocated resources are in use, the I/O communications adapter returns a busy response indicating the control unit is busy to prevent overrunning the control unit.

Abstract: A method to adjust a multi-path device reservation by supplying a computing device and a storage controller interconnected with a communication link. The method further reserves a data storage device in communication with the storage controller, where that data storage device reservation is held by a first communication path group comprising a first plurality of communication paths configured in the communication link. If the method detects a failed communication path configured in the first communication path group, the method configures a second communication path group by removing the failed communication path from the first communication path group, wherein the second communication path group maintains the data storage device reservation.

Abstract: Method, system and computer program product embodiments for, in an input/output (I/O) link handling complex instruction chains, a messaging scheme incorporating a method of error recovery between an initiator processor and a receiver processor, are provided. An operation initiation message is been sent from the initiator processor to the receiver processor for the receiver processor to begin work on an operation. If determined to be necessary, a terminate operation message is sent from the initiator processor to the receiver processor. The initiator processor withholds sending additional messages for the operation until a terminate operation response message is received. Once the terminate operation message is received, outstanding messages in process are flushed from the receiver processor. The receiver processor withholds sending additional messages to the initiator processor as the outstanding messages are completed.

Abstract: A method for facilitating input/output (I/O) communication for a processing operation is provided. An interrogate command is obtained by an I/O communications adapter. The interrogate command queries for status information of the processing operation to be provided in an interrogate response. A fixed number of resources and a time allocated to the interrogate command is throttled by pre-allocating the fixed number of resources needed for the interrogate command, and maintaining a timestamp for a interrogate message. The interrogate message is forwarded from the I/O communications adapter to a control unit. If the interrogate response is not received by the I/O communications adapter within a limited timeout period as measured by the timestamp, or if the interrogate message is received while the fixed number of pre-allocated resources are in use, the I/O communications adapter returns a busy response indicating the control unit is busy to prevent overrunning the control unit.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a sole unit for shoes, sandals, boots, and other articles of footwear. The sole unit comprises at least one spring unit having at least a top wall and a bottom wall that define an opening to allow the top and bottom walls to converge under force, absorbing energy on impact and releasing energy on rebound. Variations in the longitudinal profile, transverse profile, spring-wall thickness, and spring-wall shape permit control over spring force in response to compression. A spring unit may further comprise one or more dampeners to modify the energy-storing properties of the spring unit. A spring unit may further comprise one or more bumpers that come into contact at predetermined distances when compressing the spring unit, to further modify the dynamic response of the spring under a load.

Abstract: A specially adapted SMIF pod (20) receives and holds one particular type of reticle cassette (36) or reticle holder (132) selected from among dozens of different configurations thereof. The SMIF pod (20) may be interrogated to determine the particular type of reticle cassette (36) or reticle holder (132) carried therein. A reticle transfer system (50) receives a pair of such SMIF pods (20), interrogates each of the SMIF pods (20) to ascertain which type of reticle cassette (36) or reticle holder (132) the SMIF pod (20) carries, and automatically moves reticles (42) through a controlled environment from one reticle cassette (36) or reticle holder (32) to another reticle cassette (36) or reticle holder (132). A reticle reorienter (56) includable in the system (50) also permits automatically exchanging reticles (42) between a reticle carrier (144) and a reticle cassette (36) or reticle holder (132).

Abstract: A shoe having a shock absorbing bottom comprising one or more compartments filled with gas, for example air or nitrogen and which functions as a spring and one or more dampers which function to control rebound and vibrations. The damper can be viscoelastomeric material.

Abstract: A book clamp for a book binding machine has a first clamp member and a second clamp member. The second clamp member is adapted to the first clamp member and the second clamp member comprises a flexible spring plate which is coupled to the second clamp member.

Abstract: Tough, heat-formable sheet material and mouldable articles produced therefrom comprising a high-molecular weight synthetic resin as stiffening component wherein the stiffening component is a low-melting, highly-crystalline polyesterurethane formed by reacting polyester chains with isocyanate to obtain sufficient molecular weight to give desired properties.Products are especially suitable for use in shoe counters and can be formulated to combined desired mechanical properties with predetermined set-up times during which mouldability is retained to enable several shoe-making operations to be carried out without the need for further heating.

Abstract: Heat curable compositions, particularly solvent-based adhesive compositions suitable for use e.g. in flocking processes, are described and claimed. Known heat curable compositions require a relatively high temperature for cure. A one part non-toxic storage stable composition is provided which is cured by heat and comprises a polyurethane prepolymer formed from the reaction between a first NCO terminated prepolymer, an oxime blocking agent and a trifunctional primary amino compound used in a substantially stoichiometric amount to the amount of isocyanate groups of the first prepolymer available for reaction. The quantity of blocking agent is so chosen that statistically only one functional group of the triamine is reacted with the NCO groups of the first prepolymer available for reaction leaving two amine groups available for reaction with isocyanate groups of the prepolymer when they are unblocked by heating.

Abstract: Heat softenable adhesive, particularly in film form, and based on polyurethane from reaction of a diisocyanate and a polyester glycol including terephthalic acid and hexane diol, 1,6 units, especially useful in a shoe making method in which a film of the adhesive is disposed between the attaching surface of a shoe upper and edge portions of a mold and hot molten plastic is injected into the mold to melt and activate the adhesive and to form a tread member strongly adhered to the shoe bottom with the aid of the adhesive.