Abstract: A four-cycle, four-cylinder, premixed charge compression ignition internal combustion reciprocating free piston engine with a variable piston stroke and a compression ratio that varies as needed to provide charge ignition, to offer the potential of higher efficiency, lower emissions, and multi-fuel operation. The engine does not have a crankshaft, and therefore does not provide direct rotary output. Instead its free pistons oscillate, in a manner similar to a two cycle free piston engine. For many applications, such as piston pumps and compressors, the engine provides an output directly driven by the oscillating pistons. In other applications, such as but not limited to use as a gas generator for a power turbine, the engine provides an indirect means of producing rotary power. When the engine is used with high-speed power turbines, the power turbine may be directly coupled to a high-speed alternator for electrical power output.

Abstract: An oil sample is subjected to nuclear electromagnetic irradiation downhole, and the electron and/or mass density of the oil sample is determined by measuring the attenuation of the irradiation and relating the attenuation to the electron density. If the irradiation is high energy gamma ray irradiation, the attenuation is considered to be a function of Compton scattering only, which in turn is related to the electron density of the sample. If X-rays are utilized, attenuation is preferably measured in two energy windows. Using the two different attenuation values found in the different windows, the attenuation due to Compton scattering can be found and related to the electron and/or mass density of the sample. In addition, attenuation due to photoelectric absorption may also be determined and related to the presence of one or more heavy elements in the oil (e.g., sulfur) and/or sanding.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method of monitoring flow in a flow pipe. According to the invention, the method comprising the following steps: providing a flow pipeline having a unique photon detector at a first position on the periphery of said pipe, a first photon source at a second position on the periphery of of said pipe, said detector and first source defining a first chord across said pipe, and one or more additional photon sources at positions on the periphery of said pipe defining one or more additional chords across said pipe; determining the density across said first chord from the count rate detected from the first source by the detector; and determining the densities across said one or more additional chords from the count rate detected from the one or more additional sources by the detector in order to determine the deposition of solid in the pipe.

Abstract: A method of playing a draw poker game includes the steps of placing a bet on at least one hand; receiving a deal of five playing cards from a standard 52-card deck; choosing which cards to hold and which cards to discard; drawing replacement cards; and receiving a payout. The amount of the payout is based on the poker hand ranking of each resulting hand. Unlike conventional draw poker, the discarded cards are placed back into the deck prior to the draw. The amount of the payout may also be based on whether any of the discarded cards is drawn as a replacement card. The game may be implemented as video poker on a computer network, wherein a server acts as the “house” and a player plays by using a client network terminal. The video poker game may enable a player to play multiple hands simultaneously.

Abstract: A wind-shielding device for motorcycles, particularly for modern sport-style motorcycles commonly termed, “sportbikes”. The device affords operators of sportbikes a means to enjoy motorcycling during winter months or any other time when the outdoor temperature is below that generally considered ideal for motorcycling, as typical of early spring and late fall, without enduring direct exposure to frigid on-coming air. The device conforms to and fits over a sportbike's factory-installed (original equipment) fairing and vastly improves wind protection. The present invention can be fabricated of an inexpensive and sufficiently rigid acrylic, polycarbonate, fiberglass, or other suitable material using common molding techniques. The device also protects the motorcycle's original equipment fairing and painted surfaces from potentially damaging stones and other airborne road debris.

Abstract: A system and method for providing side wagering in a wager-based game. Side wagers made by an observer of the wager-based game are accepted, where the side wager is associated with an event that is uncertain at the time the side wager is made. The event is associated with at least one player of the wager-based game. A payout based on the side wager is calculated and provided to the observer if the event occurs. In one embodiment of the invention, player ratings may also be provided to facilitate the making of side wagers.

Abstract: Expandable and contractible buoyancy modules are assembled to the risers of a deepwater exploration spar or other offshore structure to provide an upwardly directed buoyancy force to offset at least a portion of the weight of the riser. The buoyancy modules have a fabricated pressure tight expandable and contractible envelope composed of rubber or rubber-like material which is mounted onto a tubular member having a central passage for receiving the riser to be supported. The tubular member projects beyond the respective upper and lower ends of the envelope and defines upper and lower riser joint connectors and buoyancy module travel stops which secure the buoyancy module to the riser and provide for force transmission from the buoyancy module to selected locations along the length of the riser or to the upper end of the riser.

Abstract: An engine mount for a gas turbine comprises a first compliant structure having a range of compliant movement governed by a first stiffness value. The mount further comprises stiffening means which act upon the compliant structure through part of the range of compliant movement such that the mount has at least two modes of operation, a first mode governed only by the first stiffness value of the compliant structure, and a second mode governed by both the first stiffness value and the stiffening means.

Abstract: A system for treating a fluid comprising solids and particulates where the system includes a separation device that includes a chamber having an outlet and an inlet, and a separation panel within the chamber that is located above and in fluid communication with the inlet, where the separation panel includes a plurality of openings sized smaller than the solids and larger than the particulates. The separation panel also includes a plurality of deflectors to deflect the solids away from the separation panel while the fluid passes through the openings in the separation panel to remove the solids from the fluid. The inlet is preferably located tangentially to the separation panel.

Abstract: A technique for blind source separation (“BSS”) of statistically independent signals with low signal-to-noise plus interference ratios under a narrowband assumption utilizing cumulants in conjunction with spectral estimation of the signal subspace to perform the blind separation is disclosed. The BSS technique utilizes a higher-order statistical method, specifically fourth-order cumulants, with the generalized eigen analysis of a matrix-pencil to blindly separate a linear mixture of unknown, statistically independent, stationary narrowband signals at a low signal-to-noise plus interference ratio having the capability to separate signals in spatially and/or temporally correlated Gaussian noise. The disclosed BSS technique separates low-SNR co-channel sources for observations using an arbitrary un-calibrated sensor array.

Abstract: A system for treating a fluid comprising solids and particulates where the system includes a separation device that includes a chamber having an outlet and an inlet, and a separation panel within the chamber that is in fluid communication with the inlet, where the separation panel includes a plurality of openings sized smaller than the solids and larger than the particulates. The separation panel also includes a plurality of deflectors to deflect the solids away from the separation panel while the fluid passes through the openings in the separation panel to remove the solids from the fluid. The system also includes a maturing area, in fluid communication with the separation device, to receive the fluid, where one or more additives are added to the fluid in the maturing area to create formed and enlarged particles from the particulates in the fluid, and where the formed and enlarged particles are removed from the fluid by the separation device.

Abstract: Cigarettes are manufactured using modified automated cigarette making apparatus. Those cigarettes possess smokable rods having paper wrapping materials having additive materials applied thereto as patterns. The additive materials, which can have the forms of liquid or paste formulations (e.g., aqueous formulations incorporating starch or modified starch), are applied to a continuous paper web on the cigarette making apparatus. The formulation is applied to the paper web using application apparatus possessing rollers a series of roller. For example, additive material is applied to the roll face of a transfer roller due to roll interaction of that transfer roller with a pick-up roller; roll interaction of the transfer roller with an application roller causes transfer of the additive material from the transfer roller to the application roller; and additive material from the application roller is transferred to the paper web that passes between the application roller and a back-up roller.

Abstract: An image processing application employs the concept of integral pre-multiplied alpha channel, and combines the techniques of multi-resolution representation, graph-structured representation, and automatic and intelligent data type conversion in order to permit a computer user to mix and manipulate both raster and vector based images in a single user interface while remaining unaware of the different data types underlying the images.

Abstract: A wellbore tool for measuring the density of a fluid flowing in a wellbore by a photon attenuation technique includes a tube defining a flow path for the fluid, a photon source at one end of the tube, and a photon detector arranged to receive photons which have passed along the tube. In a preffered implementation, a source which emits coincident photon pairs, preferably 22Na, is used. In this embodiment, the tube defining the fluid flow path has first and second relatively straight and aligned measurement portions disposed on opposite sides of the photon source, so that each measurement portion receives a respective photon of some of the coincident pairs for transmission longitudinally along it. Respective detectors at the other ends of the measurement portions receive respective ones of the photon pairs. The detected coincident photons are counted, and the density of the fluid is derived from the count rate.

Abstract: An image processing application employs the concept of integral pre-multiplied alpha channel, and combines the techniques of multi-resolution representation, graph-structured representation, and automatic and intelligent data type conversion in order to permit a computer user to mix and manipulate both raster and vector based images in a single user interface while remaining unaware of the different data types underlying the images.

Abstract: This invention provides vaccines comprising staphylococcal wall teichoic acid (WTA); vaccines comprising antibodies that specifically bind WTA; staphylococcal organisms deficient in WTA; and methods of treating patients suspected of having a staphylococcal infection.

Abstract: A system and method in a multi-channel detection system for multi-rate filter bank applications for converting overlapping rectangular two-dimensional (2D) regions into a new set of non-overlapping rectangular regions for the efficient reconstruction of a signal wherein each non-overlapping region has a maximum extent in a major dimension is described. Overlapping regions are split into marked regions in a non-uniform grid and merged along the major dimension and along the minor dimension to form non-overlapping regions wherein no two non-overlapping rectangular regions have an adjacent edge orthogonal to the major dimension thereby increasing the efficiency of data compression and reducing error-rates.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a retaining wall block that is resistant to damage and wear caused by the environment it is placed into. The deterioration resistant block is generally a hollowed frame or shell of a deterioration resistant material that is lightweight and is configured to accept and retain any type of filling material. The filling material provides weight and stability to the retaining wall block and also provides weight, stability and security to a retaining wall constructed of such blocks.

Abstract: A technique for blind source separation (“BSS”) of statistically independent signals with low signal-to-noise plus interference ratios under a narrowband assumption utilizing cumulants in conjunction with spectral estimation of the signal subspace to perform the blind separation is disclosed. The BSS technique utilizes a higher-order statistical method, specifically fourth-order cumulants, with the generalized eigen analysis of a matrix-pencil to blindly separate a linear mixture of unknown, statistically independent, stationary narrowband signals at a low signal-to-noise plus interference ratio having the capability to separate signals in spatially and/or temporally correlated Gaussian noise. The disclosed BSS technique separates low-SNR co-channel sources for observations using an arbitrary un-calibrated sensor array.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for authorizing a prepaid network service in a data network. A network end station issues a request for a prepaid network service. At a network node, such as a router serving as a gateway for selecting services, a determination is made about whether a user associated with the end station is authorized to access the prepaid network service. Network traffic from the end station is forwarded to a service provider only when the user is authorized to use the prepaid network service. Specific embodiments provide message flows among a mobile station, gateway support node, router, and authentication server that support providing prepaid services in a packet-switched network for mobile communication. In certain embodiments, a connection is held open for an end station while a prepaid quota value is refreshed at a portal, thereby reducing overhead and precluding the need to repeat user logon steps.