Abstract: A solar heat collection system for heating water, the system comprising in one embodiment a plurality of lengths of water conduit pipe inside lengths of water conduit jacket pipe and spaced apart therefrom, with an insulating medium contained between the pipe and jacket pipe. The lengths of water conduit pipe are fluidly connected together to provide a circulation system for the water such that solar heat energy may be provided to a heat load. A variety of connection methods for connecting the lengths of piping are provided and the lengths of piping may be flexible for a variety of solar heat system installations.

Abstract: An integrated circuit 2 includes a transaction master 4 connected via interconnect circuitry 10 to a transaction slave 12. The transaction slave 12 generates a transfer-complete signal (R Last or B) to indicate completion of a data transfer (either a read or a write). When this transfer-complete signal has been received by the transaction master 4, then the transaction master 4 generates a complete-acknowledgement signal RACK, WACK, which is passed back to the transaction slave so as to acknowledge receipt of the transfer-complete signal.

Abstract: A method for breeding, especially a method for breeding dairy cattle without use of heat detection prior to insemination.

Abstract: A method and system for improving Field Replacement Unit (FRU) isolation in memory sub-systems by monitoring Voltage Regulator Module (VRM) induced memory errors. A comparator compares the output voltage coming from the VRM to memory. If the comparator detects a VRM output voltage transient that is outside a rated threshold, then a counter is increased by one. If the counter exceeds a count threshold, a VRM error is posted. If a memory failure occurs within a predetermined period of time, then the VRM error pinpoints the VRM output voltage transient as being the likely cause of the memory failure.

Abstract: The disclosed invention provides an improved method that utilizes a liquid ladle slag in combination with a crushed material, such as a refractory brick, an alumina ladle brick or an aluminum dross, to manufacture a calcium aluminate product that can be used in the steel refining process.

Abstract: One embodiment of a garment item which allows wearers to count down or up to any occasion. The embodiment consists of a patch (13), frame (12) and separators (19) on the garment. In conjunction with our incomplete sentence slogans and the combination of numerical appliqués created from base (14) and hook (16), a wearer can look forward to almost any occasion and communicate his or her message to the world.

Abstract: The present invention provides a data processing apparatus and method for managing snoop operations. The data processing apparatus has a plurality of processing units for performing data processing operations requiring access to data in shared memory, with at least two of the processing units having a cache associated therewith for storing a subset of the data for access by that processing unit. A snoop-based cache coherency protocol is employed to ensure data accessed by each processing unit is up-to-date, and when an access request is issued the cache coherency protocol is referenced in order to determine whether a snoop process is required. Snoop control storage is provided which defines a plurality of snoop schemes, each snoop scheme defining a series of snoop phases to be performed to implement the snoop process, and each snoop phase requiring a snoop operation to be performed on either a single cache or multiple caches.

Abstract: An on-chip integrated circuit interconnect 16 uses a serialization technique to divide a transaction to be transmitted into a sequence of transmission packets which are serially transmitted over a narrower connection. The order in which bits of the transaction are allocated to transmission packets is selected such that higher priority bits required by a receiving slave device in order that it can commence processing the transaction are sent first. This reduces the latency of the system.

Abstract: An integrated circuit 2 includes a transaction master 4 connected via interconnect circuitry 10 to a transaction slave 12. The transaction slave 12 generates a transfer-complete signal (R Last or B) to indicate completion of a data transfer (either a read or a write). When this transfer-complete signal has been received by the transaction master 4, then the transaction master 4 generates a complete-acknowledgement signal RACK, WACK, which is passed back to the transaction slave so as to acknowledge receipt of the transfer-complete signal.

Abstract: A data processing apparatus comprises at least one source processor core, at least two destination processor cores, a message handler and a bus arrangement providing a data communication path between the source core, the destination cores and the message handler. The message handler has plurality of message-handling modules. At least one of the message-handling modules has a message receipt indicator that is modifiable by each of the destination processor cores to indicate that a message has been received at its destination. This message-handling module also has a transmission completion detector operable to detect, in dependence upon a message receipt indicator value that a message has been received by all of the at least two destination processor cores and to initiate transmission of an acknowledgement signal to the source processor core.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a communication system for a multi-blade server system includes a multi-drop serial bus network interconnecting a management module with each of a plurality of servers in a multi-server chassis. A first transceiver subsystem is configured for communicating over the serial bus network between the management module and each server within a first frequency band. A second transceiver subsystem is configured for simultaneously communicating over the serial bus network between the management module and the servers within a second frequency band higher than the first frequency band. A first signal-filtering subsystem substantially filters out signals in the second frequency band from the first transceiver subsystem. A second signal-filtering subsystem substantially filters out the signals in the first frequency band from the second transceiver subsystem.

Abstract: A bi-directional adjustable energy dissipating near zero leakage head loss valve comprising a valve body including and actuation shaft housing and a guide shaft mount disposed in opposition along the transverse valve actuation axis; a fixed plate having downstream orifices parallel to the flow axis; a mobile plate having upstream orifices parallel to the flow axis adapted to move along the transverse valve actuation axis: from a fully open position, wherein the upstream and downstream orifices are aligned to allow flow communication to a fully closed position, wherein the orifices are blocked by the mobile plate; a self adjusting taper ring located about the upstream inner perimeter of the valve body, the self adjusting taper ring having an inner surface engagingly biased against and parallel to the upstream side of the mobile plate, and having an outer surface engagingly biased against an upstream pipe gasket flange.

Abstract: A method and system for improving Field Replacement Unit (FRU) isolation in memory sub-systems by monitoring Voltage Regulator Module (VRM) induced memory errors. A comparator compares the output voltage coming from the VRM to memory. If the comparator detects a VRM output voltage transient that is outside a rated threshold, then a counter is increased by one. If the counter exceeds a count threshold, a VRM error is posted. If a memory failure occurs within a predetermined period of time, then the VRM error pinpoints the VRM output voltage transient as being the likely cause of the memory failure.

Abstract: A process for making microporous structures that can be used as a catalyst support. The microporous structures have high porosity and high thermal stability, combined with good mechanical strength and relatively high surface area. The process is useful for making titanium dioxide for catalyst structures for use for fuel cells, sensors, electrochemical cells and the like.

Abstract: A cable having an electrically conducting wire with a cross sectional shape defined by a simple closed curve having from three to eight concave portions separated by an equal number of convex portions. The simple closed curve has no point where the radius of curvature is less than one-sixth (?) of an overall radius of the wire and no point where adjacent curves or lines intersect at an angle. The alternating concave and convex portions of the cable's cross-sectional shape may have substantially the same curvature. The cross-sectional shape of the cable avoids sharp angles and fight curves.

Abstract: A battery unit (10) includes a plurality of trays (14) connected to one another and positioned on top of one another to define sides (16, 18, 20, 22) and top (24) and a bottom of the battery unit (10). A plurality of cells (12) are adjacent one and the other and connected with one another in overlapping relationship with each of the cells (12) extending over spaced openings (50) defined in the trays (14). A controller (54) is connected to the tray operably communicating with each of the cells (12).

Abstract: A system for improving Field Replacement Unit (FRU) isolation in memory sub-systems by monitoring Voltage Regulator Module (VRM) induced memory errors. A comparator compares the output voltage coming from the VRM to memory. If the comparator detects a VRM output voltage transient that is outside a rated threshold, then a counter is increased by one. If the counter exceeds a count threshold, a VRM error is posted. If a memory failure occurs within a predetermined period of time, then the VRM error pinpoints the VRM output voltage transient as being the likely cause of the memory failure.

Abstract: A data processing apparatus and method of handling write transactions in such an apparatus is provided. The apparatus has a plurality of devices, and bus circuitry providing connection paths between the plurality of devices. At least one of the devices has a bus master interface operable to generate write transactions for output via the bus circuitry, whilst at least one of the devices has a bus slave interface operable to receive the write transactions from the bus circuitry. A write transaction includes transferring a write address from a bus master interface to a bus slave interface and separately transferring write data from the bus master interface to the bus slave interface. In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the bus master interface is allowed to generate a write transaction such that the write data is received at the bus slave interface before the associated write address. This leads to a significant decrease in the complexity of the apparatus.

Abstract: A method and system for single session sign-on across multiple content servers using public/private key cryptography. Session certificates are issued by an authentication authority and stored or held in volatile memory by a browser. Session certificates are used by browsers to obtain session credentials from a session authority and stored or held in volatile memory by the browser. Use of public and private keys supports authentication and non-repudiation, and eliminates some of the disadvantages of permanent certificates and PKI.