Abstract: A gas-fired water heater is provided with a combustion shutoff system which precludes further combustion within the water heater's combustion chamber in response to a combustion temperature therein reaching a predetermined level correlated to and indicative of a predetermined, undesirably high concentration of carbon monoxide present in the combustion chamber. In various illustrated embodiments thereof, the combustion shutoff system is operative to terminate further combustion air inflow to the combustion chamber, or terminate further fuel flow to the burner portion of the water heater.

Abstract: A coolant nozzle is used in a machine tool having a rotating bit. The nozzle includes a through-aperture for accommodating the bit. The nozzle has a coolant inlet and a number of coolant outlets at more than one angular position about the through-aperture. Internal surface portions define one or more passageways between the inlet and the outlets.

Abstract: A resistance butt flash welding machine comprises two work piece clamping platens, at least one of which is movable with respect to the other, an electric servo motor operatively mechanically connected to the movable platen, and a programmable electrical control connected to the servo motor to control the motor, and programmed to regulate the pattern of timing of changes in motion of the movable platen, to control speed of the motion and to control the upsetting force applied to the movable platen required to forge together work pieces clamped in the platens. The process of use of the machine includes programming the programmable control.

Abstract: A resistance butt flash welding machine comprises two work piece clamping platens, at least one of which is movable with respect to the other, an electric servo motor operatively mechanically connected to the movable platen, and a programmable electrical control connected to the servo motor to control the motor, and programmed to regulate the pattern of timing of changes in motion of the movable platen, to control speed of the motion and to control the upsetting force applied to the movable platen required to forge together work pieces clamped in the platens. The process of use of the machine includes programming the programmable control.

Abstract: An oscillatory or pulsed first signal is operatively coupled to a first electrode placed between a conductive heating element and a seating region of a seat containing the heating element. A second signal substantially equal to the first signal is operatively coupled to a second electrode placed between the heating element and the first electrode. An occupant in the seat is sensed from a response to the first signal, responsive to which a safety restraint system may be controlled. In other embodiments, the second signal is operatively coupled to an electrode placed proximate to a side of the heating element away from the seating region of the seat, the second electrode comprises a sheath at least partially around at least a portion of the heading element, or the operative coupling of the first or second signals comprises AC coupling, for example, through an associated first or second capacitor.

Abstract: An on line data exchange method takes disparate data in disparate formats from parties who are part of a chain in an exchange such as insurers or commodity dealers and selects and translates the data into a common language in order to find data matches capable of resulting in a financial settlement. The method is particularly applicable to handling vehicle insurance claims by selection of Essential Data and seeking matches which indicate a common traffic incident.

Abstract: An oscillatory or pulsed first signal is applied to a seat heating element that is operatively connected to first and second impedances that isolate the first signal from the source and sink of power to the heating element. In another embodiment, third and fourth impedances are connected to the first an second impedances at respective nodes, and a second signal substantially equal to the first signal is operatively coupled to the nodes. In another embodiment, the first signal is applied to an electrode, and the second signal is applied to the heating element, which shields the electrode from influence by the seat. In another embodiment, the first signal is applied to a first electrode that is shielded from the heating element by a second electrode operatively coupled to the second signal. The impedances may, for example, be provided by inductors or electronic switches.

Abstract: A frozen aerated product is filled into a container having at least two compartments (A) and (B), said compartments being gastighlty separated from each other by an at least partially movable wall, compartment (A) containing a propellant and compartment (B) containing the frozen aerated product, compartment (B) being provided with a valve, wherein the propellant is first introduced into compartment (A), up to where a pressure of at between 1 barg and 10 barg is reached, then the frozen aerated product is introduced into compartment (B) until a pressure of between 5 barg and 12 barg, preferably above 8 barg, is reached.

Abstract: A radio controlled robotic toy having a main body chassis with at least two middle legs and at least two corner legs attached to the chassis, the legs being interconnected and driven by a linkage drive arm which is, in turn, operated by a radio-controlled electric motor which has computer electronics and software to control and cause movement of the legs for propelling the toy forward and backward. A six-legged walking animatronic robot toy is one of the preferred embodiments, including a moving head with jaw pincers, six moving legs, which yields a versatile, durable, speedy robot toy.

Abstract: An electrical outlet, having two or more contact slots, includes one or more switches associated with the contact slots. Electricity does not flow to the contact arms in the slots until all of the switches are moved into an on position. The switch(es) may not be moved into an on position unless the contact slots are properly accessed, such as occurs with the use of a conventional electrical plug. The switch(es) may be of any variety, including mechanical, optical, magnetic, proximity, etc.

Abstract: A method and apparatus in a computing platform located in an vehicle for restricting access to a plurality of software components, wherein the plurality of software components are used to interface with a plurality of devices located within the vehicle. A request is received from an application for a software component, wherein the request includes a data structure, wherein the software component is a requested software component. A determination is made as to whether the requested software component is present within the plurality of software components. An access level for the application is identified and a result is returned to the application based on whether the requested software component is present in the plurality of software components and based on the access level identified for the application.

Abstract: A method and apparatus in a vehicle computer system for providing location based services. A path is defined along which the vehicle is to travel. Responsive to receiving a request for a location, the path is used as a filter to identify the location. The position and/or directions of the vehicle also may be used to identify the location.

Abstract: A capacitive touch detector comprises means to improve selectivity—a narrow band buffer. Means for reducing the effect of noise comprise capacitive coupling of the buffer into the detector, which comprises a plurality of sensor pads of different inherent capacitances and means to approximate impedances which include said capacitances and are adapted to operate at respective frequencies to approximate the impedances. At least two multiplexers are arranged in series to lower capacitance loading of the sensor pads. A synchronous demodulator is arranged to be connected as a tracking filter to track the frequency of a capacitance-measuring signal from one to another of the sensor pads, possibly during a scan thereof.

Abstract: A system and method for accessing resources includes first and second data centers located at first and second respective geographic locations. The first center include a first file server and first data storage unit, while the second data center includes a second file server and second data storage unit. In one embodiment, the first data storage unit includes active resources designated for active use, while the second data storage unit includes standby resources designated for standby use in the event that the active resources are not available. A switch fabric and associated intelligent controller communicatively couple the first file server, the first data storage unit, the second file server, and the second data storage unit. The intelligent controller may route information through the switch in multiple different ways deemed appropriate in view of the failure conditions that affect the system.

Abstract: A system for providing a network service includes at least first and second data centers containing the same functionality and data content. The first data center designates a first group of resources as active, and another group of resources as standby resources. In a similar, but reciprocal, manner, the second data center designates a first group of resources as active, and another group of resources as standby resources. Users coupled to the first and second data centers may access active resources located in both the first and second data centers. In the event of a partial or complete failure of data center resources, the standby resources are activated and used to service user requests. In one embodiment, the data centers include a three-tier structure including a web access tier, an application logic tier, and a database management tier.

Abstract: A system and method having a number of call processors and servers which provide prepaid or debit card calling service to local areas is disclosed. The servers are linked via a wide area network (WAN) or some other communications network. The system maintains a single account record for each debit card customer. Each account record contains information such as an account balance and a rate billing plan for the customer. When a customer makes a prepaid call, a local call processor and server handle the call. The local server obtains the customer's record from another server via the WAN if the record is not already present in a local database. WAN traffic is reduced because most debit card users routinely call from the same local area and, as a result, most of calls from a particular customer are processed by the same local call processor and server.

Abstract: A process for building a platform compliance test for only software components necessary to an application is disclosed. Initially the application is parsed to reveal only component needed for performance of the application, those components names are then checked against components names which are available to the application. A compliance test consisting of compatibility tests associated with the available components is then generated and used to evaluate platforms in which the application is intended to be developed.

Abstract: An oscillatory or pulsed first signal is applied to a seat heating element that is operatively connected to first and second impedances that isolate the first signal from the source and sink of power to the heating element. In another embodiment, third and fourth impedances are connected to the first an second impedances at respective nodes, and a second signal substantially equal to the first signal is operatively coupled to the nodes. In another embodiment, the first signal is applied to an electrode, and the second signal is applied to the heating element, which shields the electrode from influence by the seat. In another embodiment, the first signal is applied to a first electrode that is shielded from the heating element by a second electrode operatively coupled to the second signal. The impedances may, for example, be provided by inductors or electronic switches.

Abstract: A drumhead patch particularly adapted for use on snare drums used in marching bands consists of a plastic layer adhered to a section of the playing surface of the snare drumhead membrane. A first portion of the patch defines a series of openings while a second portion has no openings. The patch alters the vibration characteristics of the membrane and presents alternative playing surfaces to the musician. A guiro effect is produced by dragging a drumstick over the openings in the first portion of the patch. The second portion produces distinctly different impact sounds than the playing surface of the drumhead membrane when struck by a beater. The patch may be positioned on the playing surface to meet the needs of a particular musician.

Abstract: An occupant discrimination system incorporates a position sensor for measuring the distance from a fixed structure within the vehicle to a first surface of an occupant or object on a vehicle seat, and a seat weight sensor for measuring the weight of the occupant or object. The position sensor generates a plurality of signal components that are combined with the weight and vehicle speed related measurements so as to form a signal space, from which a plurality of measures are calculated. A plurality of seat occupancy scenarios are defined and the likelihood of each seat occupancy scenario is functionally related to the plurality of measures. For a given measure state, the likelihood of each of the seat occupancy scenarios is calculated, and the most likely scenario is used to govern the control of a safety restraint system.