Abstract: A lifting device for mounting to a vehicle includes a lifting surface having dimensions that fit a cargo area of the vehicle, the lifting surface being configured to carry a cargo; a telescoping assembly coupled to the vehicle and configured to horizontally extend by telescoping further than the vehicle; a lifting mechanism coupled to the telescoping assembly and to the lifting surface, the lifting mechanism being configured to move the lifting surface vertically to lift or lower the lifting surface. The lifting device further includes an actuating assembly in communication with the telescoping assembly and the lifting mechanism, the actuating assembly being configured to actuate the telescoping assembly to move horizontally in and out of the cargo area of the vehicle and to actuate the lifting mechanism to move vertically down to a loading surface and up to the cargo area of the vehicle.

Abstract: A subsea-replaceable fuse assembly has at least one fuse and a wet-mateable fuse connector element. The connector element is arranged to connect the fuse assembly to a subsea electrical load requiring protection of the fuse. The fuse connector element has conductor elements that are electrically connected to the fuse. A corresponding method of protecting a subsea electrical load includes connecting a fuse to the load underwater in a wet-mating operation effected between connector elements that are electrically connected, respectively, to the fuse and to the load.

Abstract: A drain covering device is described with built in temperature sensors and lights which signal various measured temperatures which are acceptable, cold, or hot for an intended use. The device is easily separable and can be rinsed and stored using an attached suction cup.

Abstract: An illumination stacker game is described having audiovisual signals for placing rings of different colors onto a central core. Upon placement, sensors determine which ring has been placed and provide audiovisual feedback as to whether the ring placed is the one which was requested in the game sequence. Different levels of difficulties and different audiovisual modes of communication are involved including multiple languages.

Abstract: A dual bow sighting apparatus includes a mounting member configured for attachment to the archery bow. An upper sight assembly is coupled to an upper end of the mounting member at a predetermined vertical elevation, the upper sight assembly having an upper frame section and a pendulum sight pivotally coupled to the upper frame section. A lower sight assembly is coupled to a lower end of the mounting member and positioned at a vertically adjustable elevation relative to the upper sighting assembly, the lower sight assembly having a lower frame section and a vertical sight pin extending upwardly from the lower frame section. An elevation adjustment assembly is coupled to the mounting member and having a linkage in communication with the lower sight assembly such that actuation of the linkage by a user changes a vertical distance between the upper and lower sight assemblies, respectively.

Abstract: An illumination stacker game is described having audiovisual signals for placing rings of different colors onto a central core. Upon placement, sensors determine which ring has been placed and provide audiovisual feedback as to whether the ring placed is the one which was requested in the game sequence. Different levels of difficulties and different audiovisual modes of communication are involved including multiple languages.

Abstract: A drain covering device is described with built in temperature sensors and lights which signal various measured temperatures which are acceptable, cold, or hot for an intended use. The device is easily separable and can be rinsed and stored using an attached suction cup.

Abstract: A subsea-replaceable fuse assembly has at least one fuse and a wet-mateable fuse connector element. The connector element is arranged to connect the fuse assembly to a subsea electrical load requiring protection of the fuse. The fuse connector element has conductor elements that are electrically connected to the fuse. A corresponding method of protecting a subsea electrical load includes connecting a fuse to the load underwater in a wet-mating operation effected between connector elements that are electrically connected, respectively, to the fuse and to the load.

Abstract: A tie towel may comprise a tie and a towel. The tie may comprise a terry cloth belt of similar composition to a typical cotton towel, or may comprise another material, for example, a cotton/polyester blend or microfiber. The tie may also further comprise an elastic material. The tie may be secured to the towel by weaving the tie through loops on the towel or by other means for securing the tie to the towel. The tie towel may be secured onto a user's body by wrapping the tie around the body and attaching the ends of the tie to one another by tying a knot or by other means such as a buckle, buttons, a hook and loops, or Velcro.

Abstract: A system for safely and effectively winding a garage door spring features a hub assembly having a cylindrical hub with a cylindrical channel located there through. The hub assembly features a wheel gear located around the hub and a plurality of engagement prongs designed to snuggly engage a torsion spring winding cone. The hub assembly is divided into a first hub component and a second hub component. The system features a base with a semi-cylindrical notch and an arcuate lid pivotally located thereon. A plurality of support rollers are adjustably located around an inside of the notch and the lid. The hub assembly is positioned on the support rollers. A worm gear that interfaces with the wheel gear is attached to a drive shaft assembly that features a drive shaft that extends from the base for remote operation of the worm gear.

Abstract: A dipstick assembly includes a lock system. A cap has a blade, cable or extension for measuring fluid levels. The locking system has the ability to limit the assembly of a locking dipstick to one radial position. The cap has an engagement end. A cup has a receiving end. The engagement end of the cap is removably sealably disposable in the receiving end of the cup. The lock system may include a pair of slots on the cap and a pair of lugs on the cup, and a tab on the cap and a shoulder/recess on the cup that cooperate to limit the system to one way assembly. The tab and recess also provide a visible lock indicator to confirm that the slots and lugs, which are not visible, are fully engaged and locked.

Abstract: A dipstick assembly includes a lock system. A cap has a blade, cable or extension for measuring fluid levels. The locking system has the ability to limit the assembly of a locking dipstick to one radial position. The cap has an engagement end. A cup has a receiving end. The engagement end of the cap is removably sealably disposable in the receiving end of the cup. The lock system may include a pair of slots on the cap and a pair of lugs on the cup, and a tab on the cap and a shoulder/recess on the cup that cooperate to limit the system to one way assembly. The tab and recess also provide a visible lock indicator to confirm that the slots and lugs, which are not visible, are fully engaged and locked.

Abstract: A winding tool for tightening a torsion spring for a sectional overhead door. The winding tool features two half hub assembles that wrap around an overhead door shaft, wherein a translational sprocket is disposed on the hub assemblies. The hub assemblies connect to the winding cone of a torsion spring via fingers that engage the hub assemblies. A winding box is removably attached to the hub assemblies. The winding box features a worm gear that engages the translational sprocket. A handle bar can be rotated with a drill to cause rotation of the worm gear. Rotation of the worm gear causes rotation of the translational sprocket and ultimate winding of the torsion spring.

Abstract: In response to the detection of an external event by the first thread, the first thread sends a quiesce event to each additional thread of the application and suspends execution. The quiesce event may be either a suspension event requesting suspension of the additional threads or a termination event requesting termination of the additional threads. Each additional thread, upon receiving the quiesce event, checks its environment to determine whether it is holding any critical system resource. If the additional thread determines that is not holding any critical system resource and that it is therefore safe to quiesce, the additional thread quiesces. Before quiescing, the last additional thread to quiesce resumes the first thread, which is now free to perform critical operations without interference from the additional threads. If the quiesce type is suspension, the first thread resumes the additional threads upon completing its critical operations, whereupon the application resumes its normal operation.

Abstract: A real-time signal processing engine robustly detects, localizes, tracks and classifies ground targets based on radar signals from a multistatic radar system. The system differentiates between different targets based on an optimized cost function, which can include the total returned normalized pulse energy. The local transmitters/receivers can communicate with each other via the transmitted radar signals.

Abstract: Described are methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for topological mapping using a conductive infrastructure. A conductive infrastructure of a structure is excited with an excitation signal. The radiated signal is received, the radiated signal being based on the excitation signal and an impedance discontinuity within the conductive infrastructure. A location associated with the impedance discontinuity is determined based on the received radiated signal.

Abstract: Genetically adaptive neural network systems and methods provide environmentally adaptable classification algorithms for use, among other things, in multi-static active sonar classification. Classification training occurs in-situ with data acquired at the onset of data collection to improve the classification of sonar energy detections in difficult littoral environments. Accordingly, in-situ training sets are developed while the training process is supervised and refined. Candidate weights vectors evolve through genetic-based search procedures, and the fitness of candidate weight vectors is evaluated. Feature vectors of interest may be classified using multiple neural networks and statistical averaging techniques to provide accurate and reliable signal classification.

Abstract: A real-time signal processing engine robustly detects, localizes, tracks and classifies ground targets based on radar signals from a multistatic radar system. The system differentiates between different targets based on an optimized cost function, which can include the total returned normalized pulse energy. The local transmitters/receivers can communicate with each other via the transmitted radar signals.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for enabling a listening daemon in a client/server system to execute a specified task on behalf of a user. Upon receiving a user request, the listening daemon sets an environment variable in accordance with the user identity specified in the request and issues a system call to the operating system kernel to spawn the user task specified in the request. In response to the system call, the operating system kernel creates a new address space for the specified user task and creates a security environment for the user task in accordance with the environment variable before starting the user task in the new address space.