Abstract: An automotive vehicle includes an electrical circuit capable of being electrically connected with an electrical grid, a propulsion electrical bus electrically connected with the circuit, a power conversion module electrically connected with the propulsion electrical bus, and a power storage unit electrically connected with the power conversion module.

Abstract: A solar powered hybrid power system including a solar charge collector; a charge storage system comprising at least a first charge storage device adapted to receive and store charge from said solar charge collector; wherein said charge storage system further comprises a power electronic circuit selectively connectable to at least a second charge storage device, said power electronic circuit adapted to transfer said stored charge to said at least a second charge storage device at a selectable voltage level.

Abstract: Cameras, radios, televisions, set top boxes, telephones, kitchen appliances, and other electrical devices have their own IP address, and communicate using an internetworking protocol. Of particular interest are those devices that utilize some form of mass storage. Communication of the packets between or among elements can occur using any suitable package switched network (or combination of networks), including the Internet. The preferred protocol for communicating packets is IP, and communication of the packets between elements can advantageously occur by virtualizing a native bus using IP. It is especially contemplated that the inventive elements can be disaggregated outside the housing of a device, at distances of several meters or more. Communication can be hard wired, or can include wireless aspects. Adapters are also contemplated that permit traditional elements to be addressed by their own IP addresses.

Abstract: Communication protocols, systems, and methods that facilitate communication between disaggregated elements, and also to devices adapted to function as such disaggregated elements, particularly across peer-to-peer (masterless) and include one or more unique features such as packet atomicity, blind ACKs, NAT bridging, locking, multicast spanning and mirroring, and authentication.

Abstract: Communication protocols, systems, and methods that facilitate communication between disaggregated elements, and also to devices adapted to function as such disaggregated elements, particularly across peer-to-peer (masterless) and include one or more unique features such as packet atomicity, blind ACKs, NAT bridging, locking, multicast spanning and mirroring, and authentication.

Abstract: Included are nylon and polyurethane urea compositions such as in the form of powders, beads and flock to be included in extruded and molded articles containing a thermoplastic resin such as nylon 12. The addition of the powders, beads or flock improve flexibility and shape retention of such molded articles, for example in eyewear frames.

Abstract: Methods of transferring data to a target device are presented. A protocol supports sending packets to individual disaggregated elements of the target device. Each packet can be individually addressed to an element using a distinct network address. Data is sent to the target device by sending one or more packets encapsulating protocol commands that provide instructions to the elements.

Abstract: Methods of transferring data to a target device having disaggregated elements are presented. Packets having network addresses assigned to the elements and location addresses within the elements are received. The packets are routed to the elements using the network addresses.

Abstract: Cameras, radios, televisions, set top boxes, telephones, kitchen appliances, and other electrical devices have their own IP address, and communicate using an internetworking protocol. Of particular interest are those devices that utilize some form of mass storage. Communication of the packets between or among elements can occur using any suitable package switched network (or combination of networks), including the Internet. The preferred protocol for communicating packets is IP, and communication of the packets between elements can advantageously occur by virtualizing a native bus using IP. It is especially contemplated that the inventive elements can be disaggregated outside the housing of a device, at distances of several meters or more. Communication can be hard wired, or can include wireless aspects. Adapters are also contemplated that permit traditional elements to be addressed by their own IP addresses.

Abstract: Structures and methods for hindering molded part deformation during densification are discussed. Such devices and techniques can help alleviate stresses that tend to result in part deformation during firing, sintering, or other densification processes, and thus reduce the need for secondary straightening operations post-densification. In some instances, a support structure is utilized to orient a molded greenbody in a preferred direction to reduce deformation during firing (e.g., orienting a thin tail section is a plane parallel to the direction of gravity). The support structure can also be part of, or the entirety of, a thermal mass to help alleviate stresses that lead to part deformation. Though such structures and methods can be used for any molded piece, it can be particularly used to create a portion, or an entirety of, a medical device such as a jaw of an surgical instrument.

Abstract: Systems and methods ensure that datagrams retain integrity in light of the problems associated with the internetworking protocol's use of datagram identifiers drawn from a first pool of datagram identifiers. The methods involve controlling the use of datagram identifiers to ensure that only certain identifiers are allowable. A second pool of datagram identifiers is created that is different from the first pool. A datagram identifier is drawn from the second pool and assigned to a datagram in a manner that the datagram identifier is controlled from being reused during the lifetime of the datagram. In alternative embodiments the number of available datagram identifiers is either increased through optional header fields, or reduced through tracking allowed datagram identifiers. A first host notifies a second host of an allowed identifier. The second host uses the allowed identifier as a datagram identifier.

Abstract: Resource command messages comprise commands and command urgency or importance information that is interpreted by a resource device and is coupled with information relating to the resource device to determine when to process the command within the resource command message. Resource devices comprising a plurality of resource nodes provide increased performance, responsiveness, and load balancing by multiple resource nodes processing the same resource command message in parallel.

Abstract: Cameras, radios, televisions, set top boxes, telephones, kitchen appliances, and other electrical devices have their own IP address, and communicate using an internetworking protocol. Of particular interest are those devices that utilize some form of mass storage. Communication of the packets between or among elements can occur using any suitable package switched network (or combination of networks), including the Internet. The preferred protocol for communicating packets is IP, and communication of the packets between elements can advantageously occur by virtualizing a native bus using IP. It is especially contemplated that the inventive elements can be disaggregated outside the housing of a device, at distances of several meters or more. Communication can be hard wired, or can include wireless aspects. Adapters are also contemplated that permit traditional elements to be addressed by their own IP addresses.

Abstract: Cameras, radios, televisions, set top boxes (118), telephones, kitchen appliances, and other electrical devices have their own IP address, and communicate using an internetworking protocol. Of particular interest are those devices that utilize some form of mass storage. Communication of the packets between or among elements can occur using any suitable package switched network (or combination of networks), including the Internet (142). The preferred protocol for communicating packets is IP, and communication of the packets between elements can advantageously occur by virtualizing a native bus (120) using IP. It is especially contemplated that the inventive elements can be disaggregated outside the housing of a device, at distances of several meters or more. Communication can be hard wired, or can include wireless aspects. Adapters are also contemplated that permit traditional elements to be addressed by their own IP addresses.

Abstract: Modules and methods that provide virtual device communication via information packets addressed to the virtual devices. Virtual devices aggregate capabilities of target devices and represent the aggregate as an operational device to remote systems. Physical device elements and virtual devices contained within modules are able to communicate and cooperate over extended distances in a peer-to-peer fashion via a virtual bus tunnel offering addressing and data transport functionality. Such modules and methods can be combined with disk drives to form RAID-like storage structures.

Abstract: A storage device has partitions that are separately addressed by distinct IP addresses. This allows direct access of the partitions, on a peer-to-peer basis, by any other device that can communicate using IP. Preferred storage devices support spanning between or among partitions of the same device, as well as between or among different storage devices. Both multicast and proxy spanning are contemplated. Combinations of the inventive storage devices with each other, and with prior art storage devices are contemplated, in all manner of mirroring and other arrangements. In still other aspects of the invention, a given storage device can comprise one or more types of media, including any combination of rotating and non-rotating media, magnetic and optical, and so forth.

Abstract: A topology independent storage array. In a preferred embodiment the topology of the array is reconfigurable due to information control packets passed among storage nodes comprising the array. The topology of the array, as determine by the relationship between data sets stored within the array's storage nodes and storage maps of the storage node, can be reconfigured without requiring a complete duplication of the entire array. In especially preferred embodiments, the topology of the storage array follows a Z-10 or a Z-110 configuration where storage devices store one or more mirrored parts of a data set per storage device.

Abstract: Cameras, radios, televisions, set top boxes, telephones, kitchen appliances, and other electrical devices have their own IP address, and communicate using an internetworking protocol. Of particular interest are those devices that utilize some form of mass storage. Communication of the packets between or among elements can occur using any suitable package switched network (or combination of networks), including the Internet. The preferred protocol for communicating packets is IP, and communication of the packets between elements can advantageously occur by virtualizing a native bus using IP. It is especially contemplated that the inventive elements can be disaggregated outside the housing of a device, at distances of several meters or more. Communication can be hard wired, or can include wireless aspects. Adapters are also contemplated that permit traditional elements to be addressed by their own IP addresses.

Abstract: Communication protocols, systems, and methods that facilitate communication between disaggregated elements, and also to devices adapted to function as such disaggregated elements, particularly across peer-to-peer (masterless) and include one or more unique features such as packet atomicity, blind ACKs, NAT bridging, locking, multicast spanning and mirroring, and authentication.

Abstract: A digital potentiometer includes a string of impedance units in series. The string includes identical first and second sets of impedance units whose individual impedance values increment by a power of two. One of a plurality of switches is coupled in parallel with each respective impedance unit. The switches that are coupled to the first set of impedance units receive logical control signals complementary to logical control signals received by the respective switches coupled to the second set of impedance units, so that for every impedance unit of the first set that is bypassed (not bypassed), the identical impedance unit of the second set is not bypassed (bypassed). The string may include only the first and second sets of impedance units, or may include at least one third impedance unit in series with the first and second sets in a multi-stage design.