Abstract: A housing has a base that includes a baseplate and a rail. The rail projects outwardly to an impact rim along a bottom edge of the rail. The rail includes a flexible web that couples the impact rim to the baseplate. A projecting contact surface on the impact rim is laterally offset from at least one bending axis through the flexible web. An impact to the contact surface is offset from the bending axis by a moment arm.

Abstract: A laminated anti-fatigue area rug comprises a bottom laminate of anti-fatigue material being rubber or vinyl having anti-slip properties for stability, a top laminate of cork with an upper wearing surface having a polyurethane coating and a middle bonding laminate of fiberglass cloth and adhesive material to bond the layers together. There resulting rug is sufficiently flexible that it may be rolled for storage without cracking the cork or delaminating.

Abstract: There is provided a satellite dish system for comprising a satellite dish mount providing an operable position and a stored position, a controller for effecting position changes for the satellite dish mount and a modem connected to the controller for coupling a computer to a data network via a communications satellite. There is also provided a method of aligning a satellite dish comprising the steps of determining satellite elevation in dependence upon geographic position, rotating the satellite dish at the determined elevation to locate a desired satellite, detecting a signal from the desired satellite and incrementally adjusting rotation and elevation of the satellite dish in dependence upon signal strength.

Abstract: A compression limiter includes a tubular-shaped wall having an outer surface and an inner surface forming a central passage. A plurality of perforations extend through the wall from the outer surface to the inner surface. A plastic component can be formed with the compression limiter by over-molding a plastic body over the compression coupler and extending the plastic body into the plurality of perforations. The compression limiter is thereby firmly secured to the plastic body. Different sized fastener openings can be formed within the compression limiter by extending the plastic body into the central passage of the compression limiter and/or substantially preventing the plastic body from extending into the central passage of the compression limiter.

Abstract: A distributed call recording method and system. A recording agent performs recording of a phone call, preparing of the recorded phone call for being subsequently archived, and transferring of the prepared phone call to a central archiving server through a secure connection. The recording agent is a software application runs on a computer system, which may be a generic personal computer or a phone for Voice/video Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) communication. The secure connection utilizes a connection-oriented transport protocol and a security application, providing Quality of Service and data integrity, respectively. A remote management server may be used for monitoring, configuring, and controlling operations of a recording agent through a management interface.

Abstract: Mechanisms for automatically generating code that tests capabilities of a test computing system to simulate a message exchange pattern. The code generation computing system uses a message exchange pattern definition to generate the simulation code. For each state in which the message exchange pattern definition allows valid messages to be transmitted, code is generated for that state that at least simulates the transmission of a valid transmission message. For each state in which the message exchange pattern definition allows valid messages to be received, code is generated for that state that simulates the receipt of a valid receipt message. If the transmission or receipt of the message causes a state transition to occur, code is generated that causes the appropriate state transition in the message exchange pattern.

Abstract: A user interface element for selecting items from a hierarchy of items can present a cell for each level in the hierarchy of items. Each cell can be associated with a level in the hierarchy and is operable to receive user input. In response to receiving user input directed to a cell, a collection of items can be presented where each presented item is from the level in the hierarchy associated with the cell. Each presented item can also be a child of a selected item in a cell associated with a higher level in the hierarchy.

Abstract: An improved transparent blade for a ceiling fan that includes a decorative insert is disclosed. The complete blade assembly provides a blade support, screw holes, and a blade field, which contours the interior area of the topside of the blade. The blade provides an open cavity area for easy and secure insertion and removal of a decorative insert which can be viewed by the room occupant through the clear bottom side of the blade field. The fixed blade is a single, durable, relatively thin flat member manufactured from injection-molded plastic. The present invention offers a fashionable appearance and adds value to a room's setting and ambience.

Abstract: A nearly balanced synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) structure that can be advantageously used in magnetoelectronic devices such as a magnetoresistive memory cell includes two ferromagnetic layers and an antiferromagnetic coupling layer separating the two ferromagnetic layers. The SAF free layer has weakly coupled regions formed in the antiferromagnetic coupling layer by a treatment such as annealing, layering of the antiferromagnetic coupling layer, or forming the antiferromagnetic coupling layer over a roughened surface of a ferromagnetic layer. The weakly coupled regions lower the flop field of the SAF free layer in comparison to untreated SAF free layers. The SAF flop is used during the write operation of such a structure and its reduction results in lower power consumption during write operations and correspondingly increased device performance.

Abstract: A value is hashed and then a lookup operation is performed in a content addressable memory based on the hashed value to generate a content addressable memory result, which is used in performing an operation. In one implementation, the content addressable memory result includes an address, and the operation performed includes retrieving a record from memory, comparing a key value stored in the record to the first value to identify the correct record, and then updating a statistics value in the record. In one embodiment, an original value is masked to generate the value which is hashed. In one implementation, the value corresponds to a masked or original flow identification value associated with a flow of packets.

Abstract: A method to switch a scalable magnetoresistive memory cell including the steps of providing a magnetoresistive memory device sandwiched between a word line and a digit line so that current waveforms can be applied to the word and digit lines at various times to cause a magnetic field flux to rotate the effective magnetic moment vector of the device by approximately 180°. The magnetoresistive memory device includes N ferromagnetic layers that are anti-ferromagnetically coupled. N can be adjusted to change the magnetic switching volume of the device.

Abstract: A ground based launch detection system consisting of a sensor grid of electro-optical sensors for detecting the launch of a threat missile which targets commercial aircraft in proximity to a commercial airport or airfield. The electro-optical sensors are configured in a wireless network which broadcast threat lines to neighboring sensors with overlapping field of views. When a threat missile is verified, threat data is sent to a centrally located processing facility which determines which aircraft in the vicinity are targets and send a dispense countermeasure signal to the aircraft.

Abstract: A spreadsheet application provides a rich programming and modeling environment. The spreadsheet application of the present invention does this by recognizing a new “object” data type in addition to the conventional spreadsheet data types: numbers, text, date, Boolean, and error. The object data type can be used to create an instance of an external object and store the object in a cell of a spreadsheet. Once an object has been created in a spreadsheet, the object can be invoked or accessed from any other cell or formula in the spreadsheet. The spreadsheet application of the present invention provides several special object functions that operate to enable a user to create and invoke an object. A user can directly call functions from objects that are installed on a local or remote machine, by integrating an object function within a spreadsheet formula. Thus, the user is provided with a tool for integrating outside data services into a spreadsheet and may take advantage of pre-existing objects.

Abstract: The present invention adds support for concurrency to a mainstream object-oriented language. Language extensions are provided that can enable programs to be developed that can either be run in one address space, distributed across several process on a single computer, or distributed across a local-area or wide-area network, without recoding the program. Central to this aspect is the notion of a service, which can execute its own algorithmic (logical) thread. Services do not share memory or synchronize using explicit synchronization primitives. Rather, both data sharing and synchronization is accomplished via message-passing, e.g., a set of explicitly declared messages are sent between services. Messages can contain data that is shared, and the pattern of message exchange provide the necessary synchronization.

Abstract: Mechanisms for automatically generating code that tests capabilities of a test computing system to simulate a message exchange pattern. The code generation computing system uses a message exchange pattern definition to generate the simulation code. For each state in which the message exchange pattern definition allows valid messages to be transmitted, code is generated for that state that at least simulates the transmission of a valid transmission message. For each state in which the message exchange pattern definition allows valid messages to be received, code is generated for that state that simulates the receipt of a valid receipt message. If the transmission or receipt of the message causes a state transition to occur, code is generated that causes the appropriate state transition in the message exchange pattern.

Abstract: A nearly balanced synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) structure that can be advantageously used in magnetoelectronic devices such as a magnetoresistive memory cell includes two ferromagnetic layers and an antiferromagnetic coupling layer separating the two ferromagnetic layers. The SAF free layer has weakly coupled regions formed in the antiferromagnetic coupling layer by a treatment such as annealing, layering of the antiferromagnetic coupling layer, or forming the antiferromagnetic coupling layer over a roughened surface of a ferromagnetic layer. The weakly coupled regions lower the flop field of the SAF free layer in comparison to untreated SAF free layers. The SAF flop is used during the write operation of such a structure and its reduction results in lower power consumption during write operations and correspondingly increased device performance.

Abstract: A packaged device adapter assembly for use with high density integrated circuit packages, e.g., micro lead frame packages, micro lead chip carriers, quad flat no lead packages, and micro ball grid array packages, etc., includes an alignment structure for aligning a packaged device therein.

Abstract: A spreadsheet application provides a rich programming and modeling environment. The spreadsheet application of the present invention does this by recognizing a new “object” data type in addition to the conventional spreadsheet data types: numbers, text, date, Boolean, and error. The object data type can be used to create an instance of an external object and store the object in a cell of a spreadsheet. Once an object has been created in a spreadsheet, the object can be invoked or accessed from any other cell or formula in the spreadsheet. The spreadsheet application of the present invention provides several special object functions that operate to enable a user to create and invoke an object. A user can directly call functions from objects that are installed on a local or remote machine, by integrating an object function within a spreadsheet formula. Thus, the user is provided with a tool for integrating outside data services into a spreadsheet and may take advantage of pre-existing objects.