Abstract: Shipping containers that are wider than standard 8-foot (2.44 m) wide shipping containers and methods of shipping such extended width shipping containers are disclosed. The extended width shipping containers include: a roof; a base; a front end; a back end; two side panels; at least one door rotatable about a door rotation axis substantially perpendicular to the roof and the base; two pairs of end rails substantially perpendicular to the roof and the base; and two pairs of corner posts substantially perpendicular to the two side panels and the door rotation axis; wherein the corner posts are configured to support a greater compressive load than the end rails. Methods of shipping an extended width shipping container include: loading the shipping container with cargo; rotating the shipping container to a shipping orientation; placing the shipping container in an 8-foot (2.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a hearing aid with a housing for accommodation of a signal processor for processing an audio signal into an audio signal compensating a hearing loss and a receiver that is connected to an output of the signal processor for converting the processed compensated audio signal into a sound signal, and wherein the housing is attached to an earpiece part adapted for positioning in the ear canal of the user in such a way that the housing extends through a central part of the earpiece part.

Abstract: A system for locking a container door to a container body is provided. The system includes a rotating member coupled to the door. The system further includes a cover covering the rotating member and an opening formed through the cover. The system also includes a handle coupled to the rotating member and extending though the opening, the handle being moveable through the opening for rotating the rotating member between a locked and an unlocked position. Moreover the system includes a lock for preventing rotation of the rotating member to the unlocked position.

Abstract: A hearing aid includes a shell for accommodation of a signal processor for processing an audio signal into a processed audio signal, and a receiver that is connected to an output of the signal processor for converting the processed audio signal into an acoustic sound signal, and a flexible elongated member with a first end attached to the shell, and a second free end, wherein the flexible elongated member comprises a lumen for housing a wire that is for providing current to an electronic device, the flexible elongated member having a shape for stabilizing the shell relative to a user's ear.

Abstract: Shipping container locking assemblies for engagement with cylindrical locks are disclosed. The locking assemblies include: a plate mounted on a portion of a first door, the plate having an aperture; a bracket mounted on a first side of the plate and surrounding most of a periphery of the aperture of the plate; and a tab connected to a portion of a second door, the tab having an aperture at a first end, and the tab being configured to extend through the aperture of the plate.

Abstract: The invention relates to an appliance comprising a water tank, a housing including a chamber having an opening for receiving a fill of brew preparation, a chamber closure part having an outflow orifice and mounted to move between an open position and a closed position; means connected to the tank to act during a brewing cycle to deliver a certain volume of water raised to a brewing temperature, from said tank to said chamber. According to the invention, the appliance essentially consists in a portable structure comprising a head containing at least one chamber, a body including at least handle means making it possible, during the brewing cycle, to place the outflow orifice facing down towards a cup.

Abstract: A storage container includes forklift pockets extending laterally near a bottom surface of the container from a lower side of the container, each pocket having an end opening located at the lower side of the container. Pocket covers are mounted to the storage container such that the end openings of the forklift pockets are covered.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an adaptor for a BTE hearing aid with a housing to be worn behind the ear, an earpiece for insertion in the earcanal, and a signal transmission member for transmission of a signal from the housing at a first end of the member to the earpiece at a second end of the member, the signal transmission member having a connector at the first end, wherein the housing and the connector of the signal transmission member are not adapted for mutual mechanical interconnection, wherein the adaptor has a first end that is geometrically adapted for mechanical connection with the connector of the signal transmission member and a second end that is geometrically adapted for mechanical connection with the housing, so that the signal transmission member and the housing can be mechanically interconnected through the adaptor whereby the variety of signal transmission member units to be kept in stock by a hearing aid dispenser is substantially minimized.

Abstract: A storage container is provided, having a first container and a second container. Each of the first and second containers includes top and bottom front rails, first and second front corner posts, and first and second side panels. In each of the first and second containers, the top and the bottom front rails and the first and second front corner posts are disposed at a front end thereof to define an opening into the interior thereof. The front end of the first container and the front end of the second container face each other. The first and second side panels of the first container are spaced to define a first interior width therebetween. The first and second front corner posts of the first container are spaced to define a second interior width therebetween. The first and second interior widths of the first container are substantially equal to each other.

Abstract: A system enabling an application desiring access to a resource addressable by a URI to produce a response to an authentication challenge to a request to access the URI without including code specific to an authentication system and/or method is provided. The system includes an authentication manager that can pass an authentication challenge to authentication modules and/or objects operable to produce a response to the authentication challenge. The system may also include a cache adapted to store one or more responses to the authentication challenge communicated from the authentication modules, with such cache also being employed to facilitate pre-authenticating test challenges and/or pseudo-challenges.

Abstract: The invention provides a vacuum cleaner comprising in particular a structure mounted on transport members (R, R?) and carrying an electrically-driven turbine (T) for acting through a filter membrane (M) to establish suction in a collector (S) of particles picked up from the floor and entrained to the collector by a flow of air via a transfer duct (C), characterized in that said turbine (T) comprises a set of blades (P) and a nozzle (1) having a box constituted by an upstream portion (11) in the form of a volute centered on the axis of the blades and a diverging downstream portion (12) into which the upstream portion opens out and that communicates with the outside.

Abstract: A method of detecting unwanted objects or faults in containers containing a fluid or liquid includes: (a) moving the containers along a path of travel; (b) providing; a light source emitting light of a specific spectral distribution, wherein the containers and their contents are at least partly transparent or translucent at the specific spectral distribution; (c) providing a camera for detecting light at the specific spectral distribution, wherein (1) the path of travel intersects a field of view defined by the camera, and (2) the camera registers a sequence of digital images as the containers pass between the light source and the camera; (d) selecting a part of each of the digital images that corresponds to the outline of a specific container; and (e) processing a sequence of the parts of the digital images so as to detect the unwanted objects or faults in the specific container.

Abstract: A Decentralized System Services (DSS) architecture defines a framework for building fault-tolerant distributed applications across decentralized and heterogeneous systems. DSS enables “complexity through composition” by defining distributed designs as compositions of limited function and observable services which may be quickly and dynamically assembled to perform higher level functions. DSS defines a standardized interaction between distributed services using sessionless, asynchronous communications with explicit failure semantics. Accounting for latency, failure and state management all become a natural part of the design process. DSS includes a runtime implementation for managing concurrent services—the Common Concurrency Runtime (CCR), a protocol for service interactions—the Web Services Application Protocol (WSAP), and a set of required service behaviors which provide for composibility, location independence, and fault tolerance—Distributed Protocol Oriented Programming (DPOP).

Abstract: Using a message exchanger (“message exchanger”), data messages are exchanged between entities in a decentralized, distributed, potentially heterogeneous, network environment. The message exchanger employs XML (extensible Markup Language). To accomplish this, the entities on both ends of the message exchange understand, identify, and parse the message format. The message exchanger defines such a mechanism. Data messages are broken down into two portions—one portion (the body) is intended from an ultimate destination and the other portion (the header) is intended for intermediate destination and/or the ultimate destination. The body may be defined so that it must be understood by the ultimate destination. The header may be defined so that it must be understood or changed. Regardless, the data in the body is delivered intact to the ultimate destination. The message exchanger defines a message envelope exchange format in XML over a transport protocol, such as HTTP (HyperText Transport Protocol).

Abstract: An apparatus and method is provided for resolving virtual network names using one or more name routers. A conventional Uniform Resource Locator (URL) naming scheme is extended by allowing any component to be mapped to an address. The resolution process occurs recursively through a plurality of name routers. Resolution can be contextual, such that the same virtual network name may be resolved differently depending on the identity of the client or other parameters.

Abstract: A modular power converter that is easily adapted to a wide variety of applications separates the substantially constant power conversion functions from the largely application specific components of the power converter. A core power conversion module is provided that includes the converter functions and thermal systems of a typical power converter. An output connector is adapted to couple the core module to an application specific module that may contain application specific components such as magnetics, filters, contactors, relays, current sensors, etc. An easily reconfigurable cabinet is included that is readily adaptable to particular applications.

Abstract: A linear position array detector system is provided which imparts light energy to a surface of a specimen, such as a semiconductor wafer, receives light energy from the specimen surface and monitors deviation of the retro or reflected beam from that expected to map the contours on the specimen surface. The retro beam will, with ideal optical alignment, return along the same path as the incident beam if and only if the surface is normal to the beam. The system has a measurement device or sensor within the path of the retro or reflected beam to measure deviation of the retro beam from expected. The sensor is preferably a multiple element array of detector-diodes aligned in a linear fashion. A unique weighting and summing scheme is provided which increases the mechanical dynamic range while preserving sensitivity.

Abstract: Multiple copies of web services reside on associated computing devices, each having an associated reputation. A client may desire to access the web service having the highest or best reputation to be ensured of a greater degree of accuracy and confidence. The client does a search, and attaches to whichever web service has the highest reputation. By running multiple copies of the web services, they may vote amongst themselves on the results in the event that one or more of the services starts giving incorrect or otherwise inconsistent results. Combining the voting with reputation data associated with each copy of the web service allows a service's reputation to be dynamically adjusted based upon how faithfully it computes the results of work items sent to it.

Abstract: Described is a Web Services Application Protocol (WSAP) comprising a SOAP-based protocol that defines a web service application model based on a set of common message operations. WSAP provides a foundation for defining web services in terms of how they interact with each other. In WSAP, the behaviors of a service are each provided with an individual port, (e.g., URI), whereby the service's behaviors may be interacted with directly. WSAP also defines shared semantics for operations that identify what a message is, what the processing of message is, and how it affects the state/behavior of the receiver. The ordering of messages also provides context to what is occurring. As a result of the known characteristics of the operations and the ordering, an intermediary can process exchanged messages to add value to communications. A SOAP processing model defines composing multiple web services to run in parallel or sequentially.