Abstract: A system for automated manufacturing of apparel that includes a fabric dispenser operable to dispense a first web of fabric and a second web of fabric, the first web of fabric forming a front of an apparel and the second web of fabric forming a back of the apparel. The system includes an adhesive dispenser configured to apply discrete non-contiguous adhesive masses to the first web of fabric. The system includes one or more presses operable to join the first web and the second web along the side seams and shoulder seams of the apparel.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described that provide for automated manufacturing of garments using cutting, folding tools and adhesive dispensers operating on continuous webs of fabric webs to manufacture garments in an efficient manner while improving quality and overcoming material handling issues resulting from the properties of fabrics.

Abstract: Kiosk systems are used for personalizing articles. The articles may include an item to be personalized assembled with components of packaging in a pre-hooped configuration. The system may include a housing and a personalization system within the housing. The personalization system may include a plurality of system components for personalizing the article. The system may also include a conveying system within the housing. The conveying system may be used to transfer the article in the pre-hooped configuration between the system components of the personalization systems. The system may also include a control system in the housing and/or remote from the housing. The control system may receive a personalization order and in response the control system may control the system components of the personalization systems and the conveying system so that the article is personalized without human intervention once within the housing.

Abstract: Kiosk systems are used for personalizing articles. The articles may include an item to be personalized assembled with components of packaging in a pre-hooped configuration. The system may include a housing and a personalization system within the housing. The personalization system may include a plurality of system components for personalizing the article. The system may also include a conveying system within the housing. The conveying system may be used to transfer the article in the pre-hooped configuration between the system components of the personalization systems. The system may also include a control system in the housing and/or remote from the housing. The control system may receive a personalization order and in response the control system may control the system components of the personalization systems and the conveying system so that the article is personalized without human intervention once within the housing.

Abstract: Kiosk systems are used for personalizing articles. The articles may include an item to be personalized assembled with components of packaging in a pre-hooped configuration. The system may include a housing and a personalization system within the housing. The personalization system may include a plurality of system components for personalizing the article. The system may also include a conveying system within the housing. The conveying system may be used to transfer the article in the pre-hooped configuration between the system components of the personalization systems. The system may also include a control system in the housing and/or remote from the housing. The control system may receive a personalization order and in response the control system may control the system components of the personalization systems and the conveying system so that the article is personalized without human intervention once within the housing.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described that provide for automated manufacturing of garments using cutting, folding tools and adhesive dispensers operating on continuous webs of fabric webs to manufacture garments in an efficient manner while improving quality and overcoming material handling issues resulting from the properties of fabrics.

Abstract: A creeper includes a frame having opposed side rails with first and second ends. A first wheel is carried by and extends above each side rail and is spaced a first distance from the first end of the side rails. A second wheel is carried by and extends above each side rail and is spaced a second distance from the second end of the side rails. The first distance is less than the second distance, and the wheels are spaced from each other a third distance which is less than the first and second distances. A fender is carried by each side rail and each fender covers a pair of the first and second wheels.

Abstract: A method for incorporating a queuing device as a lossless processing stage in a network device in a communications network, comprising: monitoring a depth of a queue in the queuing device, the queue for receiving packets from an upstream device within the network device, the queuing device acting as a discard point by discarding packets when the queue is full; and, if the depth passes a predetermined threshold, sending a message to the upstream device to reduce a rate at which packets are sent to the queuing device to prevent the queue from filling and thereby preventing packet discarding and loss by the queuing device.

Abstract: A weighted covering resistant to uplift. The weighted covering includes a central area and a periphery where a plurality of weights which may be permanently affixed are disposed to resist uplift of the weighted covering. The plurality of weights may be configured and arranged about the periphery so as to not substantially impinge on the central area. In an embodiment, the weighted covering comprises a washable beach towel and/or blanket with a central portion of a substantially soft absorbent material. The plurality of weights may include of a relatively soft heat resistant material.

Abstract: The invention provides a system and method of controlling timing of release of traffic for a communication switch. The traffic originates from at least one source, is directed to a common ingress point of the switch and is directed to a common egress point in the switch. The egress point has a maximum egress transmission rate. The traffic has at least one datastream. Each datastream has a requested transmission rate. The method comprises, for each datastream, establishing a maximum cell release rate such that a sum of each of the maximum cell release rate does not exceed the maximum egress transmission rate and utilizing the maximum cell release rate to govern release of local traffic in the datastream from the ingress point.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for maintaining access control lists (ACLs) within TCAM on a line card in a data packet router, the rules being applied to incoming data packets. Each interface may be associated with multiple ACLs, and multiple interfaces may be associated with single shared ACLs. The shared ACLs include rules applicable to more than one interface. Other ACLs are specific to a particular interface. When searching for a rule to apply to an incoming data packet, the filter searches both the specific ACL and the shared ACLs associated with the interface over which the data packet arrived. Using the shared ACLs, duplication of common rules is reduced, thereby reducing the total number of rules stored on the line card and saving memory storage space. The invention is also applicable to sets of rules other than ACLs.

Abstract: The packet rate limiting method and system is used for detecting and blocking the effects of DoS attacks on IP networks. The method uses an ACL counter that stores an action parameter in the first 3 most significant bits and uses 13 bits as a packet counter. A rate limit is enforced by setting the packet counter to an initial value, and resetting this value at given intervals of time. The action parameter enables the ACL to accept or deny packets based on this rate limit. If the number of packets in the incoming flow saturates the packet counter before the reset time, the packets are denied access to the network until the counter is next reset. The denied packets may be just discarded or may be extracted for further examination.

Abstract: A method for identifying faulty modules within telecommunication devices, such as ATM switches, involves generating and attaching verification codes, such as a CRC or checksum codes, to data packets at an upstream location determining the integrity of the verification codes at each of multiple downstream location within a telecommunication device; and signaling an error condition where a corrupted data packet has been detected. A verification code may be written to a field of a data packet which is not used while the packet is in transit through the telecommunication device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for buffering data units in a communication switch that allows for configurable monitoring of the buffer contents is presented. Such an apparatus includes a context table that stores a plurality of independent group identifiers for each connection. Although the group identifiers may include a partition group identifier and a loss group identifier that is dependent on the partition group identifier, additional group identifiers are included in the context table for each connection that are independent of other group identifiers in the context table. Such a context table may be dynamically reconfigured in order to group connections for buffer monitoring operations related to congestion detection, traffic shaping, and data admission with respect to buffering. When a data unit is received corresponding to a particular connection, the context table is referenced to retrieve the set of group identifiers corresponding to that connection.

Abstract: The backpressure flow control mechanism is widely used in telecommunications network. Actions of the flow control scheme are not instantaneous in that latency always exists between action and reaction, resulting in a flow control round trip time. This flow control round trip time causes ambiguity in determining the amount of traffic in transit. The invention monitors the amount of traffic which is on the way toward the queue during the past period of the round trip time, thus eliminating the ambiguity. A more precise control of traffic flow is possible, realizing reduction of storage space in the queue by one half. In one embodiment, the invention keeps a historical record of flow control signals sent back during the most recent flow control round trip time.

Abstract: A method for incorporating a queuing device as a lossless processing stage in a network device in a communications network, comprising: monitoring a depth of a queue in the queuing device, the queue for receiving packets from an upstream device within the network device, the queuing device acting as a discard point by discarding packets when the queue is full; and, if the depth passes a predetermined threshold, sending a message to the upstream device to reduce a rate at which packets are sent to the queuing device to prevent the queue from filling and thereby preventing packet discarding and loss by the queuing device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for sending packets from traffic flows to queues in a network element is provided. Each traffic flow has a packet size parameter indicating a sizing constraint for its packets. The method includes the step of grouping the traffic flows into groups utilizing the packet size parameter of each traffic flow. The method further includes the step of sending packets only from traffic flows of one group to at least one designated queue. Traffic flows of the one group are identified utilizing the packet size parameter of each traffic flow.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for buffering data units in a communication switch that allows for configurable monitoring of the buffer contents is presented. Such an apparatus includes a context table that stores a plurality of independent group identifiers for each connection. Although the group identifiers may include a partition group identifier and a loss group identifier that is dependent on the partition group identifier, additional group identifiers are included in the context table for each connection that are independent of other group identifiers in the context table. Such a context table may be dynamically reconfigured in order to group connections for buffer monitoring operations related to congestion detection, traffic shaping, and data admission with respect to buffering. When a data unit is received corresponding to a particular connection, the context table is referenced to retrieve the set of group identifiers corresponding to that connection.

Abstract: The packet rate limiting method and system is used for detecting and blocking the effects of DoS attacks on IP networks. The method uses an ACL counter that stores an action parameter in the first 3 most significant bits and uses 13 bits as a packet counter. A rate limit is enforced by setting the packet counter to an initial value, and resetting this value at given intervals of time. The action parameter enables the ACL to accept or deny packets based on this rate limit. If the number of packets in the incoming flow saturates the packet counter before the reset time, the packets are denied access to the network until the counter is next reset. The denied packets may be just discarded or may be extracted for further examination.