Abstract: A method of connecting a telephone call through one of a plurality of networks where one of the plurality of networks is an internet protocol network is provided. A first factor for an acceptable quality of service level is received from a user. A second factor responsive to the quality of service for the internet protocol network is determined. The telephone call is connected through the internet protocol network if the second factor is greater than the first factor, otherwise, the telephone call is connected through one of the plurality of networks other than the internet protocol network.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a portable, personal breath tester device for testing the blood alcohol content of the user of the device. The breath tester comprises a circuit board, wherein a sensor, a liquid crystal display, and a processing unit are installed on and electrically connected to the circuit board. The processing unit receives a voltage signal from the sensor representing the blood alcohol content of the user and converts the voltage signal to a precise value that is displayed on the liquid crystal display.

Abstract: A system and method for transmission of video data to a wireless client. In one example embodiment, the present innovations include a proxy server that receives video data from a video server. The proxy includes buffers individually associated to wireless clients. In preferred embodiments, buffers are managed independently so as to optimize video streaming to clients.

Abstract: An oral care implement includes a material that invokes a sensory response when in contact with tissues or surfaces of a mouth of a user. In one embodiment, the material is provided in a two-dimensional or three-dimensional shape indicative of visually communicating the response to the user. The oral care implement may also include a soft tissue cleaner provided with the sensory material.

Abstract: An oral care implement has one or more components, such as a handle or a gripping portion thereof, prepared from an elastomeric propylene-ethylene copolymer. The elastomeric copolymer provides a comfortable and non-slippery gripping surface in a variety of conditions, including both wet and dry environments, and also provides flexible characteristics which are particularly well suited for hinged handle designs.

Abstract: A system and method for performing policy-based storage management using data related to access frequency and file attribute accumulation. A switch device provides transparency for transactions between a client and a storage network. The transparency allows objects (e.g., files or directories) to be moved (e.g., migrated) on the storage network without affecting a reference to the object used by the client (e.g., a file handle). A monitoring module generates accumulation data associated with the transactions for use in policy-based management. The accumulation data can describe uses of the file such as how often certain files are accessed, modifications to files such as creations of new directories or files, and other uses.

Abstract: A system and method for parallel file system traversal using multiple job executors is disclosed. The system includes a pool of job executors, a job queue, and a trigger tracker. An object, representative of a node in the filesystem, is added (i.e., pushed) to the job queue for processing by an job executor. The job queue assigns (i.e., pops) objects to job executors in accordance to a LIFO (Last In First Out) ordering. Then the job executor performs an action such as copy. In one embodiment, the trigger tracker follows the processing of a child nodes to a particular child node. Thus, the filesystem is being traversed by several job executors at the same time.

Abstract: Disclosed is an optical sensing device, which comprises a light source emitting a light; a beam splitter; an SPR sensor unit comprising a sensing surface; and a detecting mechanism; and a converting unit converting the first beam and the second beam from the optical device into a two-dimensional interference fringe pattern. From the above-mentioned configuration, an extra phase shift of a detection beam in SPR phase measurement is obtained. The differential measurement approach has shown to achieve a sensitivity figure significantly better than the best result that can be obtained from the prior art in the field of the measurement based on an SPR sensor.

Abstract: A regulated cascode current source has a current source circuit. A level shifter circuit is coupled to the current source circuit. The level shifter circuit has a circuit for independently controlling a voltage on a cascode node.

Abstract: Systems and methods to customize a namespace using a synthetic namespace. A NAS switch provides file migrations in a NAS storage network that are transparent to the clients. The NAS switch file handles are used to customize a namespace. More specifically, a synthetic namespace is generated from one or more file location tables that map the switch file handles to NAS file handles. The NAS file handles are independent of a physical export containing the objects referred to by the NAS file handles. In one example, the synthetic namespace presents a home directory corresponding to a location of a user.

Abstract: The apparatus is for securely fetching and positioning an SMD chip on a printed circuit board and soldering the same to the board. Two spring plates form the clasping fingers which are wedged apart to a width larger than the width of the SMD chip by an expander formed on an elongated rod slidably mounted within a vertical tubular housing. An SMD chip may be safely fetched by pressing the rod on the top of the SMD with a continuous depressing motion until the fingers clasp the SMD chip safely therebetween. A soldering unit with a bifurcate soldering head located juxtaposed to the fingers is operative to solder the SMD chip to the printed circuit board while the SMD chip is safely held in place.

Abstract: A NAS switch provides mirroring in a NAS storage network that is transparent to client. A source file server exports an original NAS file handles indicative of object locations on the source file server to the NAS switch. The NAS switch modifies the original NAS file handles to an internal file system and maps the original NAS file handles to a switch file handles independent of location. The NAS switch exports the switch file handles to a client. The client looks-up objects and makes NAS requests to the source file server using switch file handles. The NAS switch performs mirroring of a namespace when during processes such as data migration, data replication, and data snapshot.

Abstract: The present invention provides selective migration in a storage network in accordance with a policy. The policy can include rules that establish which objects are migrated from a source file server to a destination file server based on file attributes (e.g., file type, file size, last access time, frequency of access). For example, large multimedia files that consume I/O bandwidth on expensive or critical file servers, without adding much value to enterprise productivity, can be migrated to a commodity or less critical file server.

Abstract: A lighter with changeable flames, comprising: a fuel gas storing container having at least an outlet valve fixed therein, at least a moveable lever for controlling gas supply of said outlet valve, a quick flow nozzle connecting to the gas passages of said fuel gas storing container, characterized by further comprising: a bracket connecting to said container and having fixed therein an electrical igniter device with a wire, wherein a side of aid quick flow nozzle also includes a candlelight flame outlet tube connecting to said container and there is provided thereon with an ignition cavity, and said electrical igniter device has its wire extend into said ignition cavity in said candlelight outlet tube; a gas control switch provided between said candlelight outlet tube and said container for opening or closing gas passage of said candlelight flame outlet tube, which, when unactuated, has said electrical igniter operated and the gas flown out of said outlet valve ignited to produce candlelight flame, and, when a

Abstract: A safety device for a utility lighter includes a pusher button slidably mounted on a lighter housing for simultaneously lifting up the gas valve and compressing the piezoelectric unit, a restraining latch transversely extended in the lighter housing, and a safety rotor, which is rotatably connected to the pusher button, having a blocking latch to normally align with the restraining latch to block the upwardly movement of the pusher button for ignition. To ignite the lighter, an adult's thumb has to downwardly rotate the safety rotor to offset the blocking latch with the restraining latch and upwardly push the pusher button in one sequential manner.

Abstract: An illumination system employs a light distribution cylinder with an exterior surface in the form of a plurality of progressively smaller-diameter cylindrical steps. The outside surface of each cylindrical step is interrupted by V-shaped grooves perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder. Each surface of these V-shaped grooves acts to internally reflect divergent light from a light source positioned at the end of the tube. The light distribution cylinders may be solid or hollow and configured with bilateral symmetry to receive light from either end. The illumination system rearranges divergent directional light from a light source into non-directional light emitted in a cylindrical pattern useful for area illumination.

Abstract: A multiple-flame lighter, including: a lighter housing, a storage having an outlet valve, an inlet valve and a gas chamber for storing liquid fuel gas, a gas outlet control bar for controlling gas supply from said storage, and a windproof assembly connected to the gas pass of the storage, characterized in that it also includes: an electronic igniter, a flint igniter, an ignition controller, wherein between the sleeve and the windproof assembly there is provided with a flint igniter which is adjacent to the sleeve and a flame outlet which is connected to the gas pass of the storage. The single one lighter is simple in structure and may achieve powerful windproof effect and has advantages of long time service life, luminous application and less heat generation.

Abstract: A lighter comprises a lighter housing, a gas container for storing liquid inflammable gas, a combustion device connected to the gas container, and an igniter for igniting inflammable gas in the combustion device. The housing includes an upper cover and a case, wherein one side of the upper cover includes a protuberance forming a small hole thereon; a connector disposed below the protuberance of the upper cover for connecting the upper cover and the case, wherein the connector includes a recess portion coupling with the protuberance and having transverse holes on both sides of the recess portion; and a bolt for rotationally connecting the protuberance and the recess portion; wherein the case has at its edge port a longitudinal groove connected to the connector and having an opening at the edge port of the groove to couple with the protuberance of the upper cover.

Abstract: A lighter includes a flint igniter igniting a flame positioned adjacent to a torch nozzle thereof to light up gas emitted from the torch nozzle to form a torch in which the gas released from a gas container of the lighter is distributed to have portion emitted from a flame outlet for producing the flame while the other portion is emitted from the torch nozzle and ignited by the flame produced at the flame outlet. After lighting up the gas to form the torch, the gas from the flame outlet is blocked to stop the ignition flame.

Abstract: An igniter (or lighter) having a safety lock includes a housing; a gas supply in the housing and having an outlet valve; a combustion nozzle fluid connected to the outlet valve; a conventional igniter for igniting gas at the outlet nozzle; a finger-operable slider for opening the outlet valve and activating the igniter to ignite the gas when the slider is moved from its rest position; a finger-operable thumbwheel having a lock position for blocking movement of the slider from the rest position, and a spring biasing the thumbwheel to the lock position, wherein movement of the thumbwheel from the lock position is by finger operation in a direction opposite to finger operation of the first movable member from the rest position.