Abstract: A computer system, configured for bandwidth-efficient use of internet resource has a storage system, in which are stored: (i) web data selected for storage based on (a) frequency of occurrence in downloads from the World Wide Web as determined with reference to a relevant population of users over a relevant period of time or (b) relative importance to the relevant population of users over the relevant period of time; and (ii) instructions that establish a local-reference computer process, running within a web browser computer process, which, responsive to a URL entered into a browser established by the web browser computer process, first accesses the storage system to determine whether web data corresponding to the entered URL is stored in the storage system, and, if so, causes the corresponding web data to be retrieved locally from the storage system and displayed in the browser.

Abstract: A method for managing flow of vehicular traffic includes advising drivers of directed vehicles to form a first pack of directed vehicles that has a lead vehicle and at least one trailing vehicle, advising each of the drivers of trailing vehicles in the first pack to maintain a selected inter-vehicle gap; receiving, from a driver of a first vehicle, information concerning an intended destination of the driver; and at least in part on the basis of the information, advising the driver of the first vehicle to join the first pack.

Abstract: A method for efficient contracting comprises receiving a request for a financial transaction having transaction parameters, selecting candidate transactions based on one or more of the transaction parameters and combining the selected candidate transactions to provide a transaction solution. The selecting may comprise calculating one or more figures of merit for the candidate transactions and sorting the candidate transactions based on the figures of merit. The combining may comprise representing the requested transaction as a three-dimensional object, representing the selected candidates as three-dimensional objects and tiling the three-dimensional object representing the requested object with the three-dimensional objects representing the selected candidates. The selecting and the combining may be repeated to provide multiple transaction solutions. The transaction solution may be sent to a party to the requested transaction.

Abstract: A system for providing telephony control over the Internet. The control over connections, voice and other services is directed from a client computer to a server computer over the Internet. The server computer controls a switch or a device with a similar functionality. The client may dynamically generate telephony scripts and upload them onto the server for execution.

Abstract: An automatic refueling station and method detects the arrival of a vehicle to be refueled at the refueling station. Upon detection of the vehicle, the vehicle is polled by the station to obtain information from the vehicle which identifies the vehicle and the customer associated with the vehicle. The information is stored on an identification transponder or tag affixed to the vehicle windshield. The system uses the identifying information to access a vehicle database and a customer database. The vehicle database can provide information about the vehicle such as the location of the vehicle's fuel filler opening, the size of the vehicle and other information related to a recommended fuel filling rate for the vehicle. The customer identifying information is used to access the customer database to obtain information such as customer billing information and the amount of fuel being purchased.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining the position and/or orientation of a transducing head positioned on one side of and close to a rotating transparent-core magnetic storage disk. Light is introduced into the disk to establish total internal reflection therein. A detector disposed on the other side of the disk opposite the head detects the intensity of light on the interior region of the disk. The detected intensity is representative of the separation of the head from the disk.

Abstract: The pumping apparatus disclosed herein recovers pumping energy required in feeding solution to a reverse osmosis unit. The reverse osmosis unit generates a purified product but also a concentrate stream which is discharged at a pressure only slightly lower than the feed pressure. The discharge flow is utilized to displace hydraulic fluid in a work exchange vessel and this displaced fluid is then boosted in pressure and supplemented by an additional flow of hydraulic fluid, the combined hydraulic fluid flow being then utilized to pressurize, through another work exchange vessel, the solution feed flow to the reverse osmosis unit.

Abstract: In the reverse osmosis pumping system disclosed herein, a pair of work exchange vessels are located at two different heights. By means of a dense working fluid coupling one side of each of the vessels, an increased static head is maintained on one side of the apparatus relative to the static head corresponding to the fluid to be filtered which occupies the other side. The pumping system is operated alternately in low and high pressure phases. During the low pressure phase, the mean height of the dense work fluid is raised and the resultant stored energy is utilized to induce flow through a reverse osmosis membrane unit during the high pressure phase of operation. As it is important that a constant pressure and flow be maintained at the membrane chamber, multiple pumping systems are preferably provided, operating in phase alternation, so that the filter itself may be operated under relatively constant pressure.