Abstract: A shoe lace securement system has a pair of shoe lace securing mechanisms. Each of the pair of shoe lace securing mechanisms has a container having a hollow interior storing unused portions of the shoe lace. A mechanism secures one end of the shoe lace to the container. A first connector is coupled to a bottom surface of the container attaching the container to the shoe.

Abstract: A system and method for paying bills is disclosed that includes a bill from a payee. The bill includes text payee information that includes a due date, an account number, identification of the payee, an amount due, and payer information. The disclosed system also includes a statement disposed upon the paper bill that includes instructions for a payer to retrieve or take a photo of the bill and to send the picture to a billing text number on the statement. The bill can include one or more images and text. The one or more images can be processed by an image interpretive object and the text payee information can be processed by optical character recognition software for determining payment options that are the most likely to be paid, and the best prediction that the payee will receive payment due.

Abstract: An exercise and training device comprising a sleeved chest harness to which stretchable straps with handles are attached.

Abstract: An exercise and training device comprising a sleeved chest harness to which stretchable straps with handles are attached.

Abstract: A trailer coupling for a motor vehicle includes a base holder which can be or is securely mounted on the vehicle and further includes a coupling arm at the free end of which a coupling element is arranged for coupling a trailer and which protrudes towards the rear from the motor vehicle in a position of use, wherein the coupling arm can be releasably secured to the base holder or is mounted movably between the position of use and a position of non-use in which it is moved towards the motor vehicle. In the trailer coupling, it is provided that, for connection to the base holder, the coupling arm includes a holder part which can be secured to the base holder by means of a base holder fixing device and a coupling part on which the coupling element is located.

Abstract: A trailer coupling for a motor vehicle includes a base holder which can be or is securely mounted on the vehicle and further includes a coupling arm at the free end of which a coupling element is arranged for coupling a trailer and which protrudes towards the rear from the motor vehicle in a position of use, wherein the coupling arm can be releasably secured to the base holder or is mounted movably between the position of use and a position of non-use in which it is moved towards the motor vehicle. In the trailer coupling, it is provided that, for connection to the base holder, the coupling arm includes a holder part which can be secured to the base holder by means of a base holder fixing device and a coupling part on which the coupling element is located.

Abstract: A system for a universal serial bus (USB) device to perform power configuration to operate with a USB host. A connection to the USB host is enabled. Then a high-power configuration is reported to the USB host and successful enumeration by the USB host is monitored for. If such enumeration is not forthcoming within a preset time, the connection to the USB host is disabled and re-enabled, and a low-power configuration is then reported to the USB host. Optionally, the system can further ramp up power usage until a preset high-power configuration is reached, or until there is voltage sag on the VBUS and then either ramp power usage back down or measure the sag and set to a calculated power usage.

Abstract: An on-line thickness gauge (OLTG) and method are described herein that are capable of measuring a thickness of a moving glass substrate. In the preferred embodiment, the OLTG includes a Y-guide and a stabilizing unit that respectively captures and stabilizes the moving glass substrate. The OLTG also includes a laser instrument which contains a laser source and a detector. The laser source emits a beam at the front surface of the moving glass substrate. And, the detector receives two beams one of which was reflected by the front surface of the moving glass substrate and the other beam which was reflected by the back surface of the moving glass substrate. The OLTG further includes a processor that analyzes the two beams received by the detector to determine a distance between the two beams which is then used to determine the thickness of the moving glass substrate.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for processing a wide dynamic range analog signal which comprises multiple components such as a signal with an in-phase component and a quadrature-phase component in for example separate I and Q data channels, wherein each channel has a dynamic range compressor stage and an operator stage which processes the compressed signals. Optionally the apparatus has a dynamic range expander stage following the operator stage. A method according to the invention involves processing I and Q information after first independently compressing the dynamic range of the signal according to a logarithmic transfer characteristic over a frequency range of interest. A mathematical operation through a F(i,q) function (corresponding to the operator stage) is performed on the compressed components, thereby producing normalized components. The operating transfer function F(i,q) cross links the data channels to effect normalization based on amplitude of information in each of the channels.

Abstract: A bend die assembly retrofits compressible flanges to permit the flanges to be reinstalled around tubes to form a sealing contact. The bend die assembly includes a base and a bend die. The base includes a first body portion that couples to a second body portion to define a cavity. The bend die includes a base portion, a body portion, and a head portion, and is received within the base cavity. The bend die head portion receives the compressible flange and includes a plurality of expandable segments contoured to substantially conform to a contour of the compressible seal.

Abstract: A display interface connected between a computer and a CRT device processes predetermined blocks of display data from predetermined locations in a memory of the computer to form pixels having predetermined characteristics in the display fields of the CRT device. A CRT display format of parameters such as color, pixel shape and size, and field shape and size, is controlled by input FORMAT DATA. The display resolution can be varied to accommodate the amount of data to be displayed within the desired field dimensions. The display data is retrieved from memory in data blocks, each of which is identified by a BLOCK ADDRESS. A single data block may occupy the entire display field; or may be displayed in a subfield simultaneously with other data blocks, or portions of data blocks, in the remaining subfields. The FORMAT DATA determines the subfield number and arrangement.

Abstract: A musical instrument having a general body outline similar to that of a saxaphone. A front key panel having a plurality of keys mounted thereon is located for easy fingering access to the keys which are in the same general location as the fingering keys on a saxaphone. A rear control panel is provided for mounting instrument voice characteristic and special effects controls. A mouthpiece is provided for engagement by a player's mouth and a pressure transducer is carried in the mouthpiece for communication with the player's breath pressure and for producing a pressure signal corresponding thereto. The pressure signal is connected to a pressure attack circuit for producing a pressure attack signal. Finger pressure applied to predetermined combinations of keys provides predetermined combinations of key pulses for connection to a key decoder. The key decoder produces a binary output corresponding to the predetermined combinations of key pulses which ranges from zero to 1111.

Abstract: Self-focusing damage caused by diffraction in laser amplifier systems may be minimized by appropriately tailoring the input optical beam profile by passing the beam through an aperture having a uniform high optical transmission within a particular radius r.sub.o and a transmission which drops gradually to a low value at greater radii. Apertures having the desired transmission characteristics may readily be manufactured by exposing high resolution photographic films and plates to a diffuse, disk-shaped light source and mask arrangement.