Abstract: A fuel and emissions control method for an internal combustion engine of a vehicle includes performing passive evaluation of individual cylinder fuel control (ICFC) multipliers by determining whether any of the ICFC multipliers exceed an ICFC multiplier threshold and, in response, determining first and second cylinder fuel-air (FA) imbalances during first and second passive evaluation stages, respectively, separated by a passive evaluation delay period, and based on a comparison between the first and second cylinder FA imbalances, either (i) passing, by the controller, the evaluation and maintaining, by the controller, the ICFC multipliers or (ii) failing, by the controller, the evaluation and (a) resetting, by the controller, the ICFC multipliers and (b) increasing, by the controller, the passive evaluation delay period and repeating the passive evaluation.

Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment, a method includes receiving a loan application from a debtor with unsecured debt; receiving financial transactions data associated with the debtor; parsing the financial transactions data into predetermined data features; verifying the income of the debtor on the loan application with the parsed financial transactions data; ranking the parsed financial transactions data based on the predetermined data features; and analyzing the parsed financial transactions data to determine a first probability of default by the debtor with a loan having a lower interest rate than an interest rate of the unsecured debt. The loan application includes income, payments/expenses, assets, and liabilities/debt to determine a stated net income for verification with a calculated net income. The income verification provides the calculated net income for comparison with the stated net income and a measure of reliability of the input data in the loan application.

Abstract: A rotational vibration isolator for a sensor is disclosed. The isolator comprises a first enclosure surrounding the sensor and a second enclosure surrounding the first enclosure, with a spherical gap between the enclosures. A fluid is supplied into this gap, the density of the fluid being sufficient to support the first enclosure in a condition of neutral buoyancy. The first and second enclosures are connected by springs of low spring constant.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a simple, low cost ballast for fluorescent lamps that incorporates an integrated circuit and a number of ballast protection functions to cost effectively enhance its reliability. End of lamp life circuitry is provided to shut down the ballast when rectification currents due to lamp aging exceed a predetermined level. This circuitry also functions to stop the ballast operation when the lamp's voltage exceeds a predetermined cutoff level for a set period of time. Re-ignition circuitry is provided that restarts the ballast when new lamps are installed without shutting off the ballast. Multiple striking attempt circuitry is provided that initiates a predetermined number of striking attempts such that cold or old lamps are quickly ignited without the introduction of excessive flickering.

Abstract: A tire deflating blade perimeter protection system having a control box in communication with a plurality of interconnected modules, each module being a base block with a plurality of blades pivotally connected to a center shaft such that the blades rotate between an armed, up, position and a retracted, down, position wherein the height and angle of the blades in the armed position are adjustable. Each blade is disposed in a blade aperture in the base block wherein the blade aperture is open through the base block to allow for the passage of dirt and debris through the module. A control box ramp is adapted to be placed over the control box as means of protecting the control box from an on-coming vehicle. An extension assembly connecting the control box to the modules extends and raises the control box in relation to the modules.

Abstract: A fault-tolerant router first and second router matrix card. The first and second router matrix cards receive a common set of 4n parity encoded input digital audio data streams and respectively generates therefrom, first and second sets of M output digital audio streams. As the first and second sets of data streams propagate along the first and second router matrix cards, respectively, one or more health bits are set whenever an error or other type of fault condition is detected. First and second parity check circuits are configured to detect parity errors and/or assess the relative health of the first and second sets of data streams and one of the two sets of data streams is selected as the output of the fault-tolerant router based upon either the parity error analysis, health analysis or both.

Abstract: The present invention provides, in one embodiment, a semiconductor wafer (100) dicing process. The dicing process comprises removing circuit features (120) from a street (115) located between dies (105) on a semiconductor substrate (102) using a first blade (135), such that the semiconductor substrate is exposed, and cutting through the exposed semiconductor substrate using a second blade (190). The first blade has a surface (140) coated with an abrasive material (145) comprising grit particles (150), having a median diameter (155) of at least about 25 microns. The grit particles are adhered to the first blade with a bonding agent (160) having a hardness of about 80 or less (Rockwell B Hardness scale). The grit particles have a concentration in the bonding agent ranging from about 25 to about 50 vol %. Another embodiment of the invention is a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device (200).

Abstract: With a continuous source of data relating to transactions, the data may be segmented and processed in a data flow arrangement, optionally in parallel, and the data may be processed without storing the data in an intermediate database. Data from multiple sources may be processed in parallel. The segmentation also may define points at which aggregate outputs may be provided, and where checkpoints may be established.

Abstract: Active sites (18) on a semiconductor wafer (14) are protected from particulate and fluid contaminants (40,42)while the wafer (14) is sawed into chips (16) by a tape (62) carrying a pattern of adhesive (64) which is congruent and registerable with saw paths (15) between the active sites (18). Adhering the tape (62) to the wafer (14) encapsulates each active site (18) beneath a non-adherent protective envelope which if formed by adhesive-free portions (68) of the tape (62) as sawing occurs along the saw paths (15) and the congruent adhesive pattern (64). After sawing, the adhesive (64) is treated, as by directing UV through the tape (62), to release the tape (62) from the chips (16).