Abstract: Communicating with a distributed service in the network computing environment. A method for communicating with a distributed service includes referencing a configuration registry to determine resources and permissions in a potential distributed service entry. A potential distributed service entry identifies a distributed service corresponding to the potential distributed service entry that is authorized to exist by virtue of an entry in the configuration registry for the potential distributed service entry specifying that the distributed service may exist, whether or not the distributed service corresponding to the potential distributed service entry exists. The method further includes using the resource information, attempting to contact the distributed service corresponding to the potential distributed service entry. Permissions of the distributed service corresponding to the potential distributed service entry are verified to match permissions of the potential distributed service entry.

Abstract: Forceps for grasping tissue during a medical procedure. The forceps include a body, a jaw pivotally mounted on the body for movement between a grasping position and a releasing position, and a lever operatively connected to the jaw to drive the jaw from the grasping position to the releasing position. The forceps include a digit engagement member rotatably mounted on the lever. The digit engagement member has an engagement surface configured to engage a digit of an operator's hand during use.

Abstract: Described is a fingertip electrosurgical medical device useful for tissue grasping and tissue cutting, coagulating, welding and ablating in open and laparoscopic surgery applications. The electrosurgical medical device has a finger cuff assembly that attaches to the distal end of a surgeon's finger. An electrode is attached to, or is intrinsically part of, the finger cuff assembly. This electrode is connected to at least one electrically conductive wire that is adapted to transmit electric current to the electrode. The electrode may take any number of shapes depending upon the surgical procedure. Generally, two finger cuff assemblies are used in an opposable relationship to facilitate energy transfer or tissue grasping functions performed by the surgeon.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for accessing information content that enables handheld or mobile device users, for example, to quickly and efficiently navigate images contained within the information content to access other areas of the information content. A user of the handheld device will request and receive information content, such as requesting a web page, for viewing. The user can select a navigation mode to receive a display only of interesting images pertaining to the webpage. The user can then thumb through the images and select an image of interest. The device will then display the portion of the web page associated with the selected image. Thus, the user can select an image to switch the view on the device back to a conventional browser viewing mode, for example.

Abstract: The invention involves durable and protective data storage disc cases. A case includes two portions that join to form an inner support at the center of a disc and an outer support surrounding the disc at its outer diameter. The inner and outer supports prevent the case from contacting, and possibly scratching, the data surface of a disc within the case, even when the case is subjected to a compressive force. Furthermore, the case may secure a disc by holding the disc at its center using a spindle and by holding the outer edge, beyond the data surface, on a rim at the outer support. In this manner, a disc is centered on the spindle, and further constrained by the rim at its outer edge. This secures the disc when the halves of the case are closed and allows the disc to be freely removed once the case is opened.

Abstract: A domain controller hierarchy includes one or more hub domain controllers in communication with one or more local domain controllers, such as local domain controllers at a branch office. The hub domain controller(s) is writable, while the local domain controller(s) is typically read-only. Non-secure and secure information is partitioned to specific local domain controllers at the one or more hub domain controllers. The non-secure and secure information is then passed from the hub domain controller only to the local domain controller associated with the given partition at the hub domain controller on request. For example, a user requests a logon at a client computer system at a local branch office, and the logon is passed from the local domain controller to the hub domain controller. If authenticated, the user logon account is passed to the local domain controller, where it can be cached to authenticate subsequent requests.

Abstract: Resources in a computerized environment can be organized into objects and resource groups, which are, in turn, managed by one or more resource control lists. For example, a computer system (i.e., an accessor) can be represented by an object at a managing computer system. The computer system object includes a resource control list that indicates what groups of objects can be accessed, and/or what groups of objects cannot be accessed. A request by the computer system for a resource, such as a user object, can involve the managing computer system identifying the computer system object, reviewing the resource control list for the computer system object, and then reviewing whether the requested resource is found in an accessible group. Additional implementations relate to ensuring that resources are accessed appropriately, such as at a point when all resource updates have been sent, received, and implemented for the given resource.

Abstract: A domain controller hierarchy includes one or more hub domain controllers in communication with one or more local domain controllers, such as local domain controllers at a branch office. The hub domain controller(s) is writable, while the local domain controller(s) is typically read-only. Non-secure and secure information is partitioned to specific local domain controllers at the one or more hub domain controllers. The non-secure and secure information is then passed from the hub domain controller only to the local domain controller associated with the given partition at the hub domain controller on request. For example, a user requests a logon at a client computer system at a local branch office, and the logon is passed from the local domain controller to the hub domain controller. If authenticated, the user logon account is passed to the local domain controller, where it can be cached to authenticate subsequent requests.

Abstract: A system, apparatus and/or method is provided for fabricating an integrated capacitor during the fabrication of a transistor employing chemical mechanical polishing of a gate electrode of the transistor. Components of the integrated capacitor, particularly the lower electrode of a parallel plate capacitor in one form thereof, and an outer plate of a cylindrical-like capacitor in another form thereof, are defined by the polish stop layer during chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) of a gate of the transistor. According to an aspect of the subject invention, the polish stop layer may be an oxide or a nitride.

Abstract: An arbitration elimination scheme for a bus. In a preferred embodiment, a programmable counter determines when a SCSI bus idle condition is reached and when a portion of an arbitration window for the bus has passed without participants. If there are no participants for arbitration, the SCSI initiator eliminates arbitration by asserting SEL and issuing initiator/target IDS. If any other device attempts to arbitrate at this time, the device sees SEL asserted and does not attempt to participate in arbitration.

Abstract: A silent mirroring protocol is provided, which eliminates the arbitration/selection times associated with all nexuses after the first nexus. During the initial SCSI bus negotiation, the initiator determines the transfer mode capability of all targets. The initiator establishes a group identification. Participants of the group recognize the group and look for an individual identification within the group. The initiator performs arbitration/selection with attention to the leader of the group. The initiator uses a message out phase with a vendor command to select a participant for a data block transfer. Each participant snoops the bus and recognizes when it is the target. If the initiator has more data to mirror, the process is repeated. When the last data block is transferred, the initiator sends a message out to the last participant, which is interpreted by the target leader as a command to release the bus. Each participant reselects the nexus initiator and returns a status.

Abstract: Systems for improving radio reception on a mobile device are provided. In exemplary embodiments, the system comprises a headset apparatus having a plurality of antenna elements. In exemplary embodiments, the plurality of antenna elements may be positioned in such a manner as to result in low-correlation between the plurality of antenna elements. For example, at least one of the antenna elements may be vertically oriented near a plug of the headset apparatus. Further antenna elements may be oriented vertically, horizontally, or both near an earpiece of the headset apparatus or above a juncture where a left and right cord of the headset apparatus splits. Exemplary embodiments may also comprise a receiving device configured to receive RF signals from the plurality of antenna elements and process these signals for playback on the headset apparatus.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide hand grips for use with various items having handles. In one embodiment a hand grip includes an elongate body having an elongate lumen formed therein for receiving a portion of an elongate handle of an item to be carried. The elongate body includes an elongate channel formed by a first side and a second side of the elongate body to provide access to the elongate lumen by an elongate handle.

Abstract: An automated tightening shoe where a tightening mechanism is actuated which operates in one direction to cause automatic tightening of the shoe about a wearer's foot and which releases to allow loosening of the shoe. Shoe laces are led to the interior of the tightening mechanism in the heel whereat the laces are operatively associated in a tightening or in a loosening direction with the tightening mechanism. The tightening mechanism includes a rotatable central shaft which may have drums mounted thereto, a ratcheted coupling collar or ratcheted cam disk, a ratcheted actuator spool, a compression spring, a return spring, a ratchet wheel, and a release lever including a pawl and a cam actuator bar, all of which extend along the central shaft and operate to tighten as well as to allow loosening of the shoe laces.

Abstract: An interface for personal communications systems is described which provides rapid identification of a caller and limited access based on a variety of parameters obtained from caller identification information encoded by the telephone company. The incoming telephone call information is compared to a preprogrammed access matrix to determine if the caller is authorized to access the personal communications system connected to the interface. A telephone call screening method and apparatus which incorporates the encoded caller identification is also described.

Abstract: An innovative circuit is disclosed that enhances performance on a SCSI bus by pipelining nexuses in order to associate all nexus attributes on a per nexus basis. For example, a pipeline of nexuses is created so as to associate all of the nexus attributes from different connections involved. A plurality of load stages is provided whereby each load stage can latch all nexus attributes received at that stage. The latched nexus attributes can be loaded and stored at that stage or shifted to the next stage. As a result of the loading and shifting operations, a pipeline of nexuses is created that associates all of the nexus attributes received from the different connections on a per nexus basis. Therefore, all types of data traffic can be processed concurrently on a SCSI bus, which enhances data throughput and bus performance.

Abstract: The invention includes method and apparatus for controlling the stability of a burner, preferably a low NOx burner, of a natural draft heater. The method includes measuring the draft over a time period and generating a measured output from which a draft function is determined that defines the relationship between the draft and time during the time period. A value for the burner stability is defined that is representative of a stable burner operation. The draft function is compared to the stable burner value to determine a differential value, and the operation of the fired heater is adjusted in response to the differential value. The apparatus includes means for measuring the draft over a time period and means for generating a measured output from which a draft function is determined that is proportional to the cyclic variation of the draft during the time period.

Abstract: An automated tightening shoe is provided where a tightening mechanism operates to cause automatic tightening of the shoe laces about a wearer's foot and which releases the laces to allow loosening of the shoe. The shoe laces travel to the interior of the tightening mechanism located at the heel whereat the laces are operatively associated in a tightening or a loosening direction with the tightening mechanism. The tightening shoe further has a locking mechanism for locking said at least one lace in a tightened condition and a release mechanism for unlocking the locking mechanism and releasing the shoe laces. The release mechanism includes a lever arm which projects rearwardly from the rear of said shoe. Depression upon the lever arm causes the locking mechanism to unlock and release the shoe laces from being in a tightened condition.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a brazing sheet comprising an aluminum 3xxx series core alloy wherein at least one side thereof is provided with an aluminum clad material comprising from 0.7-2.0% Mn, 1.3-3.0% Zn, 0.05 Mg max, and 0.05-0.4% Cu. In one embodiment another side of the core is provided with an aluminum alloy comprising at least 5.5% Si. There are further provided methods for preparing brazing sheets as described herein as well as methods for use of brazing sheet materials including as tube stock and as heat exchangers, as well as other applications.

Abstract: A call routing system comprises a signaling processor with an internal cache memory. The signaling processor receives a signaling message and searches the cache memory with a called number to determine whether or not the called number has an associated location route number or if a query is required. If the query is required, the signaling processor transfers the query and receives a response that indicates whether or not the called number has the associated location route number. If the called number has the associated location route number, the signaling processor processes the location route number to select a connection. If the called number does not have the associated location route number, the signaling processor processes the called number to select the connection. If the response is received, the signaling processor updates the cache memory to indicate whether or not the called number has the associated location route number.