Abstract: A battery interconnect may include a desired current capacity, integrated fusible links, and be manufacturable using cost effective techniques. In some embodiments, a battery interconnect includes a busbar and relatively thinner links. A busbar carries larger currents and accordingly its cross-sectional areas are relatively larger to reduce ohmic losses. A link carries a much smaller current, and a fusible link is configured to break the circuit when the current is above a threshold, thus requiring a relatively small cross-sectional area. These sometime disparate length scales are addressed using several techniques such as layering a busbar and a foil sheet and pressing portions of a busbar to form the links. The links can be affixed to a plurality of battery cells to connect the cells in parallel or series.

Abstract: An exoskeleton device is capable of being positioned over an expandable instrument, such as a balloon catheter. The exoskeleton device may include an expandable section that receives an expander of the expandable instrument. Expansion of the expander may cause the expandable section of the exoskeleton device to expand and force the expandable section of the exoskeleton device against a surface to be treated. The expandable section may be capable of scoring the surface against which it is forced.

Abstract: An exoskeleton device is capable of being positioned over an expandable instrument, such as a balloon catheter. The exoskeleton device may include an expandable section that receives an expander of the expandable instrument. Expansion of the expander may cause the expandable section of the exoskeleton device to expand and force the expandable section of the exoskeleton device against a surface to be treated. The expandable section may be capable of scoring the surface against which it is forced.

Abstract: An exoskeleton device is capable of being positioned over an expandable instrument, such as a balloon catheter. The exoskeleton device may include an expandable section that receives an expander of the expandable instrument. Expansion of the expander may cause the expandable section of the exoskeleton device to expand and force the expandable section of the exoskeleton device against a surface to be treated. The expandable section may be capable of scoring the surface against which it is forced.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that uses a directory service to facilitate centralized device naming. The system operates by receiving a registration of a device at a computer system. Next, the system determines if the device has been registered with the directory service. If so, the system retrieves a name of the device from the directory service. If not, the system generates a device name for the device, and registers the device name with the directory service.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that uses a directory service to facilitate centralized device naming. The system operates by receiving a registration of a device at a computer system. Next, the system determines if the device has been registered with the directory service. If so, the system retrieves a name of the device from the directory service. If not, the system generates a device name for the device, and registers the device name with the directory service.

Abstract: A kernel device file system publication system for dynamically enumerating and configuring an instance of a device in the kernel device tree upon request by a user level application. The kernel device file system logically arranges system level devices in a hierarchical tree-like topology defining devices as nodes of a device tree to allow for a top-down access. The top-down access allows devices connecting to the computer system to be configured based on the physical path of the device. This process starts at a bus nexus and drives device configuration down the device tree. The bus configuration interfaces permit each nexus in the device tree hierarchy to participate in the device lookup and readdirs operations performed by the device file system. The device file system path operations are performed as an iterative sequence of bus configure operations, whereby each nexus controls the enumeration and configuration of that nexus' children.

Abstract: A performance muffler suitable for installation into an exhaust system for an internal combustion engine wherein either end of the muffler may be designated as the entrance end for the receipt of exhaust gases into the muffler without materially altering the functionality of the muffler. A method is disclosed.

Abstract: A performance muffler suitable for installation into an exhaust system for an internal combustion engine wherein either end of the muffler may be designated as the entrance end for the receipt of exhaust gases into the muffler without materially altering the functionality of the muffler. A method is disclosed.

Abstract: The invention provides efficient apparatus and methods for using direct memory access (DMA) to store and retrieve data and associated check information in fixed-size blocks on a data storage device. A DMA controller of the invention obtains check information from computer main memory rather than computing the check information internally. In accordance with some embodiments of the invention, the DMA controller implements additional registers to specify, for example, the location of check information in computer main memory. The DMA controller itself carries out interleaving of data with its associated check information as it transfers information between main memory and the storage device. In accordance with some aspects of the invention, scatter/gather capability is supported.

Abstract: The invention provides efficient apparatus and methods for using direct memory access (DMA) to store and retrieve data and associated check information in fixed-size blocks on a data storage device. A DMA controller of the invention obtains check information from computer main memory rather than computing the check information internally. In accordance with some embodiments of the invention, the DMA controller implements additional registers to specify, for example, the location of check information in computer main memory. The DMA controller itself carries out interleaving of data with its associated check information as it transfers information between main memory and the storage device. In accordance with some aspects of the invention, scatter/gather capability is supported.

Abstract: The UNIX.RTM. and MS-DOS.RTM. operating systems are supported in a multi-tasking computer. At the heart of the computer is a microprocessor having protected and non-protected modes. The computer includes special-purpose hardware which prevents the MS-DOS system and its applications, which execute in the non-protected mode, from interfering with the UNIX system and its applications, which execute in the protected mode. In particular, this hardware monitors addresses generated by the computer and, by selectively inhibiting the associated control pulses, prevents the MS-DOS system from, for example, writing in UNIX-system-allocated memory, or accessing I/O devices that the UNIX system is currently using. In addition, a context switching feature is provided whereby the user can select, via a keyboard operation, to have displayed on the computer video monitor at any given time the image generated from the current UNIX system screen data or the image generated from the current MS-DOS system screen data.

Abstract: The UNIX.RTM. and $MS-DOS sup R $ operating systems are supported in a multi-tasking computer. At the heart of the computer is a microprocessor having protected and non-protected modes. The computer includes special-purpose hardware which prevents the MS-DOS system and its applications, which execute in the non-protected mode, from interfering with the UNIX system and its applications, which execute in the protected mode. In particular, this hardware monitors addresses generated by the computer and, by selectively inhibiting the associated control pulses, prevents the MS-DOS system from, for example, writing in UNIX-system-allocated memory, or accessing I/O devices that the UNIX system is currently using. In addition, a context switching feature is provided whereby the user can select, via a keyboard operation, to have displayed on the computer video monitor at any given time the image generated from the current UNIX system screen data or the image generated from the current MS-DOS system screen data.