Abstract: Techniques and tools for supporting multiple operating systems in consumer electronic devices. For example, techniques and tools are described that allow quickly switching between operating systems in video disc players that support different media types while reducing wait time and mitigating possible negative impacts to user experience.

Abstract: A system for dispersing water to the root zone of one or more plants beneath the soil's surface, comprising a perforated hollow cylindrical tube, ending in a spike, with an internal filter, which is driven into the ground to deliver water to the root zone of a plant or plants is disclosed.

Abstract: A method and device for generating haptic feedback over a touch surface using plasma actuation are disclosed. A haptic device includes a touch surface, plasma, and a substrate. In one embodiment, the touch surface, which can be made of flexible and/or deformable materials, is capable of sensing one or more events. The substrate is situated adjacent to the touch surface with a separation gap, which physically separates the substrate from the touch surface. The substrate provides haptic feedback in response to the event(s). The plasma is capable of accumulating at one or more pockets located in the separation gap, and configured to facilitate the haptic feedback via energy transfer.

Abstract: A computing device has two or more software stacks, each stack simultaneously running a different operating system. Only one enabled operating system at a time has control of hardware resources of the computing device. Each disabled operating system has its device drivers disabled. The drivers may be disabled by stopping device driver messages to devices at a firmware layer unassociated with any operating system. The drivers may be disabled by having their associated operating system dynamically unload them when the operating system is disabled. In some instances, the drivers may be modified to include a “stop” control that tells the driver to stop communicating with its associated device, and a “resume” control that tells the driver to resume communication. When an operating system is disabled, the operating system may send a “stop” message to its device drivers. Drivers associated with messages passed between operating systems may remain enabled.

Abstract: Techniques and tools for supporting multiple operating systems in consumer electronic devices. For example, techniques and tools are described that allow quickly switching between operating systems in video disc players that support different media types while reducing wait time and mitigating possible negative impacts to user experience.

Abstract: A method of and system for authorizing purchases made over a computer network is provided. In accordance with the present invention, a consumer electronically transmits an ATM card number over the network to an on-line merchant from which the consumer desires to make a purchase. The on-line merchant then electronically forwards the ATM card number to a third party contractor, such as a bank, that will oversee and authorize the transaction. The third party contractor subsequently determines an authentication token type associated with the card and electronically prompts the consumer for the appropriate type of authentication token, such as a PIN or biometric signature or the like. The consumer then inputs and electronically transmits the authentication token over the network to the third party contractor, bypassing the on-line merchant.

Abstract: A system for dispersing water to the root zone of one or more trees beneath the soil's surface, comprising a perforated hollow cylindrical tube, ending in a spike, with an internal filter, which is driven into the ground to deliver water to the root zone a tree or trees.

Abstract: A method of and system for making purchases over a computer network using an ATM card or the like is provided. In accordance with the invention, a consumer transmits his ATM card number over the network to an on-line merchant. The on-line merchant then forwards the ATM card number to a third party contractor, such as a bank, that will oversee and authorize the transaction. Simultaneously or thereafter, the consumer transmits his PIN over the network to the third party contractor, who verifies that the ATM card number and PIN are valid.

Abstract: A real time clock assembly includes paired crystal oscillators that experience changes in frequency responsive to temperature. The differences in frequency changes between the paired crystal oscillators are utilized to determine a temperature utilized to compensate for those shifts in frequency. The predictability of frequency responsive to temperature variations by the paired crystal oscillators is utilized for the determination of temperature.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are disclosed for aligning components of an ion optics system particularly as applied to mass spectroscopy apparatus. An apparatus comprises a base having a front face, a rear face and at least one side face, and at least two supports. Each of the supports has at least one face. Each of the supports is affixed to the base by alignment of a portion of at least one face of the base and a portion of at least one face of the support thereby resulting in the alignment of the supports relative to one another. At least one of the supports has attached thereto a component of an ion optics system for a mass spectrometer. In a mass spectroscopy apparatus the support mating faces and the base mating faces are configured and dimensioned such that, when the support mating faces are brought together in registration with the respective base mating faces, the components are optically aligned within acceptable tolerances. Also disclosed are apparatus for making electrical in high vacuum environments.

Abstract: An apparatus and process are described in which a plurality of preloaded catalyst samples tubes can be serially and automatically moved from a support to a reaction zone where each catalyst sample can be heated and a preheated reagent feed contacted with the sample and the effluent fed to a product collection and analysis system.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are disclosed for treating an input set of weightless binary tuples to order the Hamming values thereof. In the general case, the tuples are thermometer coded in a common direction (left or right) and thereafter an orthogonal thermocoding operation is applied in which orthogonal tuples, each taking a bit from a respective bit position of the thermocoded tuples, is subjected to a thermocoding operation in a common direction (up or down). At the completion of this operation the tuples represent the Hamming values of the input tuples, ranked in Hamming value order. The first thermocoding operation may be omitted where the input tuples are already in thermometer code. Also described is a scheme, which uses a tagging procedure to give the result in terms of the original weightless binary tuples, whereby the input pattern information is preserved.

Abstract: A neural pattern matcher is made up of an array of first sum and threshold SAT1 devices 18 each of which receives a number of inputs and a threshold value, and fires a 1 output if the number of inputs exceeds the threshold value. The outputs of the array of the SAT1 devices may be considered as a 2D image or generic template against which new data supplied into the registers 26 making up a data plane 24 are correlated at a correlation plane 20 of EX-NOR gates 22. The outputs of the EX-NOR gates themselves may be summed and thresholded by a seconded sum and threshold device 28 to provide a neural output ‘1’ or ‘0’ indicating match or no match. The matcher may therefore behave as a neural auto-associative memory which continually adapts to the input data to recognize data of a particular specified class.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically gathering research data for a website. The method includes forming questions in a question set that are a measure of a research metric to be gathered for the website, partitioning the question set into a plurality of subsets of questions, identifying participants to query, and only presenting a subset of questions from the question set to each participant. Responses are gathered from each participant to the questions presented for the research metric and the participants' responses are combined to produce an index of the research metric.

Abstract: The detection of low energy neutrons is improved using a capture material which reacts to incident particles or electromagnetic energy by emitting radiation which is more easily detected by a conventional solid state detection device.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for decorating an ATV part with a camouflage pattern, wherein the ATV body part is made from a polyolefin. The method includes first fluorinating the ATV body part to increase adhesion and then applying a design to the part using a hydrographic process. The method may also optionally include applying a base primer. A clear coat may also be applied. The ATV body part is preferably made from high-density polyethylene.

Abstract: The present invention, a percussion instrument aid is useful to aid in the creation of acoustic vibrations, or more generally, music. The subject instrument includes a striking pad and a striking tip, positioned distally on a lever arm. Further, the lever arm is pivotally attached at a pivot joint to a brace, the brace having a percussion device attached distally from where the lever arm is pivotally attached. The instrument aid is used by displacing the striking pad with a force conveyed by a hand. As the striking pad is displaced, the pivotally attached lever arm is also displaced thereby causing a complementary displacement of the striking tip. The displacement of the striking tip eventually impacts upon the percussive device causing the characteristic vibrations of the percussive device.

Abstract: A nozzle mount assembly for use in soft excavation. The assembly includes a vacuum tube, nozzle ports, and a wear ring. The vacuum tube defines air flow passages including an open lower end of the vacuum tube and air relief slots located near its lower end. The nozzle ports are defined by a manifold having air troughs located between the nozzle ports. Each nozzle port is configured to receive a high-pressure fluid nozzle. One nozzle port is angled toward the center of the vacuum tube, and two nozzle ports are angled away from the vacuum tube. The nozzle port angled toward the center of the vacuum tube is configured to direct a fluid stream through an air relief slot in the vacuum tube.

Abstract: A compact disc box container assembly for holding a number of compact disc container boxes and for displaying, illuminating, and viewing the facial informational indicia of the disc boxes. The holder comprises a pair of opposing longitudinal sides defining a structure with angularly disposed channels, at least two tray members, and at least a pair of end caps slidably engaged to the longitudinal sides. The composition of the composing material includes a fluorescent dyestuff for the illumination of the disc boxes, especially from the edges of the elements that make-up the assembly.