Abstract: The present invention relates to a switch for processing data units, such as IF data packets. The switch can be implemented as a router that includes a plurality of input ports, a plurality of output ports and a switch fabric capable of establishing logical pathways to interconnect a certain input port with a certain output port. A characterizing element of the router is its ability to control bandwidth usage on a basis of a logical pathway. This prevents congestion to occur in the switch fabric and also at the level of the output ports. For every active logical pathway the router sets-up a bandwidth control mechanism including at least one queue to hold data units received at an input port. The bandwidth control mechanism performs an accounting operation to determine the average bandwidth usage and if less than a threshold requests for releasing data units in the switch fabric are sent to the switch fabric controller.

Abstract: The optical filter enhances the visual perception of a stationary white object such as a golf ball to help a user to locate the object when lost. The filter attenuates light transmission for colors having wavelengths over 500 nanometer such as the light reflected by the vegetation, and transmits colors having shorter wavelengths such as the light reflected by the ball. The filter is worn in an eyeglass frame.

Abstract: Flow control of packet based traffic by window is known. Novel modification is described which causes the flow control mechanism to reduce sending rate to some configured number rather than just reducing it by a fixed amount such as one half. The description also shows how the flow control mechanism can be constrained to a maximum rate. The configured numbers will assure that the connection can always run at a minimum rate but not more than a maximum rate. If the guaranteed minimum bandwidth is known and the round trip time between the end points is known or has been calculated, then the sender node needs only reduce its window to that which corresponds to a sending rate equal to that configured number. In this way the protocol will still probe for extra, opportunistic bandwidth but will be able to maintain the minimum rate. In a similar way a window that corresponds to the maximum rate can be calculated and used to constrain the maximum rate of sending.

Abstract: A method of monitoring telecommunications network traffic comprising the steps of: receiving a packet stream comprising packets each identified as belonging to one of at least three classes; calculating a difference between the numbers of packets received identified as belonging to a first and a second of said classes; and deriving a measure of traffic load on the network responsive to said difference. The invention also relates to a method for admission control based on the above method of monitoring and a method for overcoming admission control avoidance. It also relates to apparatus embodying these methods.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for reducing the amount of extracellular fluid in a blood cell suspension. The method includes providing a large volume of a blood cell suspension that includes blood cells and extracellular fluid. The blood cell suspension is washed with a wash solution under conditions sufficient to lower the concentration of the extracellular fluid in the blood cell composition at least 103-fold relative to the amount of extracellular fluid in the blood cell suspension. The method can also be used to lower the concentration of analytes (such as prions) in the blood cell suspension. Also provided is a blood cell suspension produced by the washing method.

Abstract: This patent describes a device that enhances the perception of a stationary white object such as a golf ball to improve the performance of the user in locating such objects during a round of golf. The device uses an optical filter that attenuates light transmission for light of wavelengths longer than approximately 500 &mgr;m (from the trees and grass) and transmits light having shorter wavelengths (from the ball). The filter is worn in an eyeglass type holder. These glasses are inexpensive, light and portable. They assist the user in avoiding costs, penalty strokes, and wasted time due to lost balls. To improve golf course efficiency through the reduction of round times.

Abstract: Congestion at a network node can be aggravated by having too many TCP connections. A simple method of avoiding the bad effects of too many TCP connections is to limit the number of connections. Limiting the number of connections is achieved by an admission control which delays or even discards the connection set-up packets. TCP traffic flows are monitored to generate packet loss characteristics and when a certain condition is met, a connection request queue is disabled.

Abstract: Transport networks are facing new challenges and opportunities because of the explosive growth of data traffic. Besides having to meet the ever increasing bandwidth demand, transport networks need to provide new functionalities for the support of data applications. Novel enhanced transport systems with inherent packet multiplexing to meet these challenges are described. It uses Internet protocols and technologies to implement these packet transport systems, and thereby re-use much of the existing Internet infrastructure already widely deployed.

Abstract: A method for treating a body fluid to at least substantially inactivate viral contaminants that may be present therein is provided. The method includes the steps of: providing a body fluid; adding to the body fluid a viral inactivating agent to create a resultant product; and passing the resultant product through a column including material having an affinity for the viral inactivating agent.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a lossy switch for processing data units, for example IP data packets. The switch can be implemented as a contained network that includes a plurality of input ports, a plurality of output ports and a lossy switch fabric capable of establishing logical pathways to interconnect a certain input port with a certain output port. A characterizing element of the switch is its ability to control the discard of data packets at a transport point within the switch. This control mechanism prevents and reduces congestion which may occur within the switch fabric and at the level of the input and output ports. The system also supports priorities, routing HI priority request data packets over the switch fabric before LO priority request data packets, and discarding LO priority data packets first when controlling congestion.

Abstract: A system for controlling the application of power from a battery (12) to an electrical system (18) as well as to a computer (30) that monitors the battery, includes a switch (52) in the power supply path between the battery and the computer. The switch is operated by a controller (40) that receives data representing the battery voltage and the current supplied to the electrical system (18). The controller includes a comparator for comparing the received voltage and current data to preset data values to produce a signal (46) to turn on the switch for a predetermined time to supply power to actuate the computer to perform its monitoring function when one of the current or voltage data received by the controller exceeds one of a predetermined high or low limit data value.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and apparatus for re-ordering data traffic units, such as IP data packets, that may have been miss-ordered during a transmission over a multi-pathway link between a source node and a destination node in a network. The re-ordering apparatus includes a storage medium for intercepting the IP data packets and holding the IP data packets to allow IP data packets delayed on slower pathways to catch-up. The IP data packets in the storage medium are re-ordered based on their sequence number in an attempt to restore the original order of the IP data packets. A maximal time delay variable determines how long a certain IP data packet can be held in the storage medium. The TP data packet is released prior to the maximal time delay variable or as the maximal time delay variable is exceeded.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of data communication networks. More specifically, it pertains to devices and methods for the management of bandwidth on links between routing nodes in data networks. The system is particularly useful for reducing congestion caused by high volume traffic streams. The invention provides a novel router that separates traffic on the basis of data type into separate queues buffers. The various queue buffers are associated with virtual output ports on a common physical link. A scheduler regulates the data release from the queue buffers into the physical link to control the bandwidth portion that is made available to each type of data.

Abstract: Methods for reducing or preventing the transmission of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy through blood or blood products are provided. The methods require the intact removal of leukocytes that are present in a blood product or an intermediate of a blood product prior to administering the blood product to a patient. To prevent or reduce the transmission of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies disease substantially all leukocytes are removed intact without significant lysis of such leukocytes.

Abstract: System and methods treat plasma carrying contaminants and cellular matter that are capable of entraining contaminants. The systems and methods separate cellular matter from the plasma by filtration, thereby removing contaminants entrained within the cellular matter. The system and methods add to the plasma a photoactive material. The systems and methods emit radiation at a selected wavelength into the plasma to activate the photoactive material and thereby eradicate the contaminant that is free of entrainment by cellular matter.

Abstract: An irrigation system for a field, wherein a circular central portion of the field is irrigated by a center pivot irrigation machine, comprising a buried primary water line which extends from a source of water to the vicinity of the field area to be irrigated. At least one, and normally several, header water lines are in fluid communication with the primary water line and extend therefrom with a three-way pulse valve being imposed in each of the header water lines. A plurality of distribution water lines are in fluid communication with each of the header water lines and extend therefrom downstream of the pulse valve. A plurality of spaced-apart, in-line pulse emitter valves are imposed in each of the water distribution lines and have a water discharge orifice associated therewith for discharging water outwardly from the water distribution line to the area immediately adjacent thereto.

Abstract: A method for purifying conventionally treated blood plasma to remove substantially all residual leukocytes while maintaining useful flow rates for medically useful amounts of plasma utilizes a disposable, heat-sterilizable filter employing one or more depth-type prefilters and at least one intermediate hydrophilic microporous membrane followed by at least one final hydrophilic microporous membrane having a smaller pore size than the intermediate membrane within a common housing. The purified plasma is preferably subjected to chemical treatment to destroy infectious agents such as hepatitis and HIV.

Abstract: A drive tower for a self-propelled irrigation system is described which is of the track type. The drive tower includes an elongated frame having opposite ends. A drive pulley is mounted at one end of the frame while a tail pulley is mounted at the other end of the frame. The drive pulley comprises a pair of spaced-apart, disc-shaped plates having spaced-apart rods secured thereto and extending therebetween at the periphery thereof for engagement with the interior surface of the belt. The interior surface of the traction belt is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced-apart lugs which are received between the rods on the drive wheel. The tail pulley and the idler pulleys have peripheries which receive the lugs on the inner surface of the belt. The exterior surface of the belt is also provided with a plurality of transversely extending traction lugs. The belt is driven by means of a double reduction gear drive.

Abstract: A self-propelled irrigation machine including an elongated main boom pivoted at one end to a center pivot and supported on a plurality of self-propelled, non-steerable drive towers. An extension boom is pivotally secured to the other end of the main boom for irrigating corner areas of the field. A steerable drive tower supports the extension boom and includes a pair of steerable drive wheels. The guidance and control for the extension boom utilizes GPS receivers as position sensors. The system is comprised of two GPS units, two microprocessor based smart boxes, a communications link running from the pivot to the steerable drive unit, and an angle sensor to monitor the angle of the corner arm steerable wheels.

Abstract: Multi-media networks will require that a data flow be given certain quality-of-service (QOS) for a network connection but pre-negotiation of this sort is foreign to the current data networking model. The real time traffic flow in the data network requires distinct limits on the tolerance to delay, and the variations in that delay. Interactive voice and video demand that the total delay does not exceed the threshold beyond which human interaction is unacceptably impaired. The present invention allows the network to discover the nature of the service for each traffic flow, classifies it dynamically, and exercises traffic conditioning by means of such techniques as admission control and scheduling when delivering the traffic downstream to support the service appropriately.