Abstract: Compositions including at least one curable fluoropolymer are disclosed which include at least one functional group for crosslinking the fluoropolymer, a curative capable of crosslinking the at least one fluoropolymer selected from the group consisting of functionalized biphenyl-based compounds, various monoamidine and monoamidoxime compounds as well as bisamidine compounds and combinations thereof; and at least one cure accelerator which may be an organic peroxide or an organic peroxide in combination with a colorant. Adhesive fluoroelastomeric compositions comprising colorants are also provided. The compositions described provide beneficial physical properties, increased plasma resistance, unique adhesive properties and/or reduced contamination associated with use of external adhesives. Methods for forming articles which incorporate fluoroelastomers bonded to metallic surfaces are also provided.

Abstract: A method (300) of extending battery life in a communication device having a plurality of receivers includes receiving information with a primary receiver that is configured to operate on a first network (303) and controlling a secondary receiver that is configured to operate on a second network that is independent from the first network in accordance with the information obtained with the primary receiver. A corresponding communication device (201) includes: a primary receiver (221) configured to operate on a first network (203); a secondary receiver (227, 233) configured and arranged to operate as a short range receiver with an access point (205, 207) that is independent of the first network; and a controller (225, 231, 237) that is configured to control the secondary receiver in accordance with information obtained from the primary receiver.

Abstract: A method of disposal of biowaste material which comprises drilling a first section of an injection well from the ground into a porous layer, drilling a second section of the injection well from a lower terminus of the first section of the injection well into the porous layer while drilling the same using underbalanced drilling techniques, drilling a first section of a production well from the ground to and into the porous layer, drilling a second section of the production well from the lower end of the first section thereof into the porous layer using underbalanced drilling conditions, making a geological measurement of the pore throat size and/or fracture aperture in the porous layer and treating the biowaste material introduced into the second section of the injection well by comminuting the same in a device such as a shear pump to an average particle size of approximately one-tenth to one-half, preferably one-seventh, of the average pore throat size in the porous layer, the measurement of the pore throat s

Abstract: Techniques for adjusting the dynamic range of an A/D converter in response to various conditions are disclosed. A value output by the A/D converter is utilized to determine if the A/D converter is operating at or above its current dynamic range capabilities (i.e., the AID converter is potentially “saturated” at its current dynamic range setting). If potentially saturated, the dynamic range of the A/D converter may be increased. If not, the dynamic range of the A/D converter may be decreased or may be unchanged. Alternately, an upcoming or enacted change in the gain settings of one or more gain stages that condition the analog signal input to an A/D converter may be used as a condition that results in an adjustment to the dynamic range of the A/D converter.

Abstract: Dynamic gain and phase compensation is provided in a radio frequency (RF) receiver (106) including at least one switched Low Noise Amplifier (LNA) (212) coupled to an RF gain control unit (226) providing a gain control signal to the at least one switched LNA (212) for control thereof. The RF receiver also includes an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter (222) for digitizing the RF signal and outputting an N-bit digital signal to the RF gain control unit (226). The method for gain compensation includes dynamically adjusting the N-bit digital signal to compensate for the at least one switched LNA (212) in response to the gain control signal. The method for phase compensation includes dynamically normalizing the N-bit digital signal into an M-bit signal range to derive an M-bit digital signal, where M?N and dynamically phase adjusting the M-bit digital signal to compensate for the at least one switched LNA (212) in response to the gain control signal.

Abstract: An automatic gain control (AGC) system for a receiver and corresponding method facilitate AGC in a receiver. The AGC system includes an on-channel detector 123 configured to provide an on-channel automatic gain control (AGC) indication; an off-channel signal detector 145 configured to provide an off-channel AGC indication; and a controller 143, 173 coupled to the on-channel AGC indication and the off-channel AGC indication and configured to provide a gain control signal corresponding to at least one of the on-channel AGC indication and the off-channel AGC indication.

Abstract: A method, system and program for generating parity in a data storage system are provided. The invention comprises organizing an incoming data block into a specified number of data stripes and cascading the data stripes into a parity creation mechanism. The parity creation mechanism creates a specified number of parity stripes based on the data stripes, wherein the number of parity stripes is independent of the size of the data block. The parity creation mechanism can operate offline to reconstruct lost data stripes and parity stripes without using critical system resources, wherein the number of devices required for stripe reconstruction is less than the combined number of data stripes and parity stripes.

Abstract: An automatically disconnecting plug has a rotatable drive member with a threaded central aperture. A threaded shaft extends through the central aperture. An electrically conductive coupling member is carried by the shaft. Upon rotation of the drive member, the coupling member is disconnected by being carried by the shaft into the interior cavity of the housing.

Abstract: Security is provided for a data set stored in a data storage canister. The data set has a data size when received for storage within the canister. At least one data security operation is performed on the received data set to generate secure data having a secure data size that may be different than the set data size. The secure data is stored on at least one data storage device within the canister. Any information about the secure data size is kept from the data producer sending the data set for storage.

Abstract: A method for reducing current drain in a communication device includes detecting (602, 604) interferers outside of a receiver passband of the communication device, measuring power levels and frequency offsets (608, 808) of the interferers and a transmitter of the communication device, and determining (609, 809) whether crossmodulation products exceed a noise spectrum threshold within the receiver passband. If the crossmodulation products exceed the threshold, the method includes calculating (605, 805) a receiver linearity required to achieve a desired signal-to-interference ratio and adjusting the receiver linearity calculated in the calculating step to achieve the desired signal-to-interference ratio.

Abstract: A method for reducing current drain in a communication device includes detecting (602, 604) interferers outside of a receiver passband of the communication device, measuring a power level and frequency offset (608, 808) of the interferers, and determining (609, 809) whether intermodulation products exceed a noise spectrum threshold within the receiver passband. If the intermodulation products exceed the threshold, the method includes calculating (605, 805) a receiver linearity required to achieve a desired signal-to-interference ratio and adjusting the receiver linearity calculated in the calculating step to achieve the desired signal-to-interference ratio.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for dynamic mixing of digital audio data. The system includes a storage interface to a digital storage. The digital storage maintains at least one general audio track file and at least one personalized audio track file. The system further includes a user interface engine. The user interface engine provides an interface to a user that allows the user to make a selection of the at least one general audio track file. The system further includes a mixing engine. The mixing engine associates the personalized audio track file with the user, retrieves the selected general audio track file and the personalized audio track file, and mixes the selected general audio track file and the personalized audio track file into a final audio track file.

Abstract: An improved method and system for determining the state of an operating system includes an operating system, a USB host controller that is driven by the operating system to send a polling signal to a USB device, and a management module that monitors the polling signal. If the polling signal has stopped, then the management module takes corrective action to restore the operating system. No specialized software or specialized hardware is required to determine the state of the operating system. The state of the operating system can be determined quickly and efficiently without adding to the costs of the system.

Abstract: A slotted file is created by connecting two side walls and a back wall. The side walls have etched grooves facing directly across from each other. The platelet has flanges that fit into the grooves. In one embodiment, a completed cube is formed when the platelets fill the slotted file.

Abstract: Ophthalmic surgical blades are manufactured from either a single crystal or poly-crystalline material, preferably in the form of a wafer. The method comprises preparing the single crystal or poly-crystalline wafers by mounting them and etching trenches into the wafers using one of several processes. Methods for machining the trenches, which form the bevel blade surfaces, include a diamond blade saw, laser system, ultrasonic machine, a hot forge press and a router. Other processes include wet etching (isotropic and anisotropic) and dry etching (isotropic and anisotropic, including reactive ion etching), and combinations of these etching steps. The wafers are then placed in an etchant solution which isotropically etches the wafers in a uniform manner, such that layers of crystalline or poly-crystalline material are removed uniformly, producing single, double or multiple bevel blades. Nearly any angle can be machined into the wafer, and the machined angle remains after etching.

Abstract: A disappearing interface system for a device, such as an appliance (e.g., a cooking range) having an interactive user interface, a light-emitting device (e.g., a LED), a microprocessor based LED fader electronic control system that uses a PWM signal to drive an A/D circuit to control the intensity (e.g., fade in/out) of the light-emitting device.

Abstract: A slotted file is created by connecting two side walls and a back wall. The side walls have etched grooves facing directly across from each other. The platelet has flanges that fit into the grooves. In one embodiment, a completed cube is formed when the platelets fill the slotted file.

Abstract: A system and associated method for providing access to at least one specified application within a software system. The software system comprises security software and a software tool suite. The security software is adapted to authorize a user to access at least one specified application on a computer system comprising a security standard. The software tool suite is adapted to create or modify a user profile for the user. The user profile comprises at least one transaction necessary for the user to access the at least one specified application. The software tool suite is adapted to integrate in real time the user profile into the security software. The software tool suite is adapted to create a user profile report in real time to verify that the user profile is in compliance with the security standard of the computer system.

Abstract: A system for object-based archival data storage includes an object-based storage subsystem having respective data storage devices, at least one file presentation interface that interfaces to client platforms, an administration interface having graphical user interface (GUI) and a command line interface (CLI), a meta data subsystem for storing meta data about files, and includes a virtual file subsystem having a virtual file server (VFS), a policy subsystem, and a scalable interconnect to couple the object-based storage subsystem, the at least one file presentation interface, the administration interface, the meta data subsystem, and the policy subsystem, wherein the policy subsystem provides system rules predetermined by a user for at least one of hash based integrity checking, read-only/write-ability/erase-ability control, and duplicate data treatment corresponding to files and file objects.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for managing a financial investment in a combination of timed purchases of stocks and sale of options. The system and method also relates to the selection of stocks and amount of shares to purchase when to purchase shares and when and how many option contracts to sell concerning the purchased stocks. The system and method also involves the selection of multiple positions in multiple stocks and options for different sized investment funds.