Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method capable of providing an estimated premium without extensive and repetitive questioning. The present invention utilizes unique assumptions to dramatically reduce the amount of information that must be provided by the customer. In one embodiment, the present invention utilizes a mainframe computer system, an application server, and an external rules management system to interact with the customer via an attractive graphic user interface. Once logged onto the website of the present invention, the customer may choose to engage in a fast quote process which utilizes assumptions, driver information, and vehicle information to assess the risk associated with insuring the customer and then calculates an estimated cost to insure.

Abstract: A wet electrolytic capacitor that contains a hermetically sealed lid assembly is disclosed. More specifically, the lid assembly contains a lid (e.g., titanium) that defines an internal orifice. A conductive tube may extend through the orifice that is of a size and shape sufficient to accommodate an anode lead. An insulative material is also provided within the orifice to form a hermetic seal (e.g., glass-to-metal seal), such as between the conductive tube and the lid. The lid assembly also includes a liquid seal that is formed from a sealant material. The liquid seal coats a substantial portion of the lower surface of the lid and hermetic seal to limit contact with any electrolyte that may leak from the casing. To help achieve such surface coverage, the sealant material is generally flowable so that it can be heated during production of the capacitor and flow into small crevices that would otherwise remains uncoated.

Abstract: A relatively thin planar anode for use in a wet electrolytic capacitor is provided. An anode leadwire is embedded within the anode and extends in a longitudinal direction therefrom. The wire may be formed from any electrically conductive material, such as tantalum, niobium, aluminum, hafnium, titanium, etc., as well as electrically conductive oxides and/or nitrides of thereof. To reduce the tendency of the leadwire to pull out of the anode due to stresses encountered during manufacturing (e.g., sintering) and/or use of the capacitor, the manner in which the wire is inserted is selectively controlled in the present invention. That is, at least a portion of the wire within the anode is bent at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the wire. This “bend” reduces the ease to which the wire can be pulled out in the longitudinal direction after the anode is pressed and sintered.

Abstract: A relatively thin planar anode for use in a wet electrolytic capacitor is provided. Through a combination of specific materials and processing techniques, the present inventors have surprisingly discovered that the resulting anode may possess a high volumetric efficiency, and yet still be able to operate at a high voltage and capacitance, thus resulting in a capacitor with a high energy density. More particularly, the anode is a pressed pellet formed from an electrically conductive powder that contains a plurality of particles (including agglomerates thereof). The particles may have a flake-like morphology in that they possess a relatively flat or platelet shape. The present inventors have discovered that such a particle morphology can optimize packing density, and thus reduce the thickness of the anode and improve volumetric efficiency.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to power switches for aircraft. According to a first aspect, the present invention provides an integrated solid state power switch for fault protection in an aircraft power distribution system. The integrated solid state power switch is formed of semiconductor material that provides a field effect transistor (FET) channel that is operable during normal device operation to provide an operating current flow path and a bipolar transistor channel that is operable during device overload conditions to provide an overload current flow path. A method for manufacturing such an integrated solid state power switch is also described. Various embodiments of the invention provide automatic overload current protection for aircraft systems without the need to use bulky switches or heavy cooling equipment.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and system for propagating routing information in a wireless network. In an exemplary embodiment, the method includes defining a set of artery nodes to propagate distance vector routing information throughout the wireless network. The set of artery nodes may broadcast distance vector routing information to neighboring network nodes. The method may also include receiving distance vector routing information by the neighboring nodes to modify distance vector routing tables defined within each of the neighboring nodes. The set of artery nodes may then re-broadcast distance vector routing information in order to propagate distance vector routing information throughout the wireless network.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an enhanced magnetic directional mount for mounting, positioning, and orienting an electronic device such as a camera. In this enhanced mount, the base mounting surface is configured to maximize the extent of adjustment and ease of adjustability of the electronic device, and the base mounting surface and housing mounting surface are designed to provide smooth and secure movement in the electronic device position. Additionally, the enhanced magnetic mount includes attachments designed to affix the magnetic mount to a horizontal or vertical flat surface such as a desk or a wall, and an attachment designed to effectively mount and use the electronic device from a window.

Abstract: A wet electrolytic capacitor that contains a hermetically sealed lid assembly is disclosed. More specifically, the lid assembly contains a lid (e.g., titanium) that defines an internal orifice. A conductive tube may extend through the orifice that is of a size and shape sufficient to accommodate an anode lead. An insulative material is also provided within the orifice to form a hermetic seal (e.g., glass-to-metal seal), such as between the conductive tube and the lid. The lid assembly also includes a liquid seal that is formed from a sealant material. The liquid seal coats a substantial portion of the lower surface of the lid and hermetic seal to limit contact with any electrolyte that may leak from the casing. To help achieve such surface coverage, the sealant material is generally flowable so that it can be heated during production of the capacitor and flow into small crevices that would otherwise remains uncoated.

Abstract: A wet electrolytic capacitor that contains a sintered anode positioned with an interior space of a metal casing is provided. The anode and metal casing are of a size such that the anode occupies a substantial portion of the volume of the interior space. More particularly, the anode typically occupies about 70 vol. % or more, in some embodiments about 75 vol. % or more, in some embodiments from about 80 vol. % to about 98 vol. %, and in some embodiments, from about 85 vol. % to 95 vol. % of the interior space. Among other things, the use of an anode that occupies such a large portion of the interior space enhances volumetric efficiency and other electrical properties of the resulting capacitor.

Abstract: A single communication interface for controlling multiple smart appliances. The communication interface can be integral with an appliance and have a port for communicating with at least one other appliance or energy consuming devices. The communication interface can be a separate module connectable to a plurality of appliance or energy consuming devices. A wireless or wired connection can be established between the communication module and an energy management device for controlling the smart appliances or energy consuming devices connected to the communication module. One or more of the appliances or energy consuming devices can be wirelessly connected to the communication interface.

Abstract: The present invention features methods and compositions for treating a patient who has a neurological deficit. The method can be carried out, for example, by contacting (in vivo or in culture) a neural progenitor cell of the patient's central nervous system (CNS) with a polypeptide that binds the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor and directing progeny of the proliferating progenitor cells to migrate en masse to a region of the CNS in which they will reside and function in a manner sufficient to reduce the neurological deficit. The method may include a further step in which the progeny of the neural precursor cells are contacted with a compound that stimulates differentiation.

Abstract: The present invention is a wireless communication system and method. In an exemplary embodiment, the system includes a plurality of transceiver nodes arranged in a network and configured to communicate between transceiver nodes using an Orthogonal Domain Multiple Access (ODMA) frame structure, each of the plurality of transceiver nodes having neighboring nodes. Each ODMA structure may include a plurality of bootstrap slots for each of the plurality of transceiver nodes. Further, a plurality of correlation sequences may be defined within each of the plurality of bootstrap slots in which each correlation sequence included within the plurality of correlation sequences is located in a separate antenna sector and sub-sector. Addition of the plurality of correlation sequences to each of the plurality of bootstrap slots allows for recursive directional determination of which antenna sector and sub-sector is to be used to communicate with one of the plurality of transceiver nodes.

Abstract: A method for generating a drive signal for a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) scanner is provided. The method includes generating the drive signal for the MEMS scanner using a direct digital synthesis, numerically-controlled oscillator. For a particular embodiment, the drive signal is generated by receiving a summation of (i) an initial control word and (ii) an accumulated correction signal generated based on a comparison of a horizontal drive signal for the MEMS scanner and a horizontal sensor signal received from the MEMS scanner. The summation is added to a phase accumulator output, an address is extracted from the phase accumulator output, and a digital lookup table output is addressed based on the extracted address. The digital lookup table output is converted into an analog signal with a digital-to-analog converter, the analog signal is filtered to generate the drive signal, and the horizontal drive signal is generated based on the drive signal.

Abstract: A septage treatment system and process designed to eliminate liquid discharge to groundwater. The system and process use primary treatment, secondary treatment, and tertiary treatment. The tertiary treatment uses a greenhouse system to reclaim septage waste after it has gone through primary and secondary treatment. The greenhouse system fosters ecologically sound usage of septage waste to minimize the environmental impact of septage waste.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved method for solvent liquefaction of biomass to produce liquid products such as transportation fuel. The method uses a novel solvent combination that promotes liquefaction relatively quickly, and it reduces the need to transport large amounts of hydrogen or hydrogen-carrying solvents. It operates at lower pressure than previous methods, does not require a catalyst or hydrogen gas or CO input, and provides very high conversion of biomass into a bio-oil that can be further processed in a petroleum refinery. It also beneficially provides a way to recycle a portion of the crude liquefaction product for use as part of the solvent combination for the biomass liquefaction reaction.

Abstract: A water heater includes: an inner tank having an internal cavity configured to hold water therein; a heating device residing in the internal cavity; an outer lining that surrounds the inner tank, a gap being present between the outer lining and the inner tank; and insulation material located in the gap. The gap is under a vacuum of between about 5 and 200 microns. In this configuration, the water heater can have an R value in excess of 500. With this level of insulative capacity, water stored in the water heater may lose only 2° F. or less over a 24 hour period, thereby substantially outperforming conventional water heaters.

Abstract: A system for suppressing undesirable oscillations in a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) scanner is provided. The system includes a tunable notch filter and a MEMS scanner. The tunable notch filter is operable to receive an original drive signal and to generate a compensated drive signal based on the original drive signal. The MEMS scanner, which is coupled to the tunable notch filter, is operable to receive the compensated drive signal and to be driven by the compensated drive signal without oscillating at a first mode resonance frequency.

Abstract: A flexible barrier film has a thickness of from greater than zero to less than 5,000 nanometers and a water vapor transmission rate of no more than 1×10?2 g/m2/day at 22° C. and 47% relative humidity. The flexible barrier film is formed from a composition, which comprises a multi-functional acrylate. The composition further comprises the reaction product of an alkoxy-functional organometallic compound and an alkoxy-functional organosilicon compound. A method of forming the flexible barrier film includes the steps of disposing the composition on a substrate and curing the composition to form the flexible barrier film. The flexible barrier film may be utilized in organic electronic devices.

Abstract: A three-quarter bridge power converter includes a first switch configured to selectively couple a switch node to a higher voltage. The power converter also includes a second switch configured to selectively couple the switch node to a lower voltage. The power converter further includes a third switch configured to selectively cause a third voltage to be provided to the switch node when the first and second switches are not coupling the switch node to the higher and lower voltages. The third switch may be configured to selectively couple the switch node to an energy storage or energy source, such as a capacitor. The third switch may also be configured to selectively couple an energy storage or energy source to ground, where the energy storage or energy source is coupled to the switch node.

Abstract: The system herein disclosed automatically detects whether an engine control unit instance number of a multi-engine marine vessel needs changing. Each engine control unit is electronically paired with a respective servo controller. A vessel controller is in communication with the servo controllers. The vessel controller commands in turn each servo controller to switch on its paired engine control unit, read the instance number of its paired engine control unit, switch off its paired engine control unit, and convey the instance number back to the vessel controller. The vessel controller then compares the instance numbers of the engine control units. If at least two instance numbers of the engine control units are duplicates of each other, the vessel controller ascertains that at least one of the instance numbers of the engine control units needs to be changed and assigns a new instance number to one of the engine control units.