Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to methods and apparatuses for additive manufacturing with improved powder distribution capabilities. Specifically, the methods and apparatuses of the present disclosure incorporate powder distribution vanes to improve the lateral deposition of powder from a hopper. Such methods and apparatuses have the potential to reduce powder overhead costs, mitigate associated health and environmental risks, and increase manufacturing efficiency.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to methods and apparatuses for additive manufacturing with improved powder distribution capabilities. Specifically, the methods and apparatuses of the present disclosure incorporate powder distribution vanes to improve the lateral deposition of powder from a hopper. Such methods and apparatuses have the potential to reduce powder overhead costs, mitigate associated health and environmental risks, and increase manufacturing efficiency.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for a communications network that executes a medium access control (MAC) protocol that permits multiple access to a shared medium or shared switching fabric. The MAC protocol uses a BANDWIDTH_ALLOCATOR to regulate access to the network by sending a permission message to a NODE, allowing it to transmit to a specific set of NODEs for a specific length of time. The medium and switching fabric can carry one or more protocols, each of varying framing format and native bitrate. The switching fabric provides a connection-oriented bufferless data transport service that preserves frame ordering. An illustrative embodiment uses a slotted master/slave time-division multiplexed access (TDMA) scheme to allow flexible provisioning of network bandwidth.

Abstract: The present invention describes a system for providing quality of service (QoS) features in communications switching devices and routers. The QoS provided by this system need not be intrinsic to the communication protocols being transported through the network. Preferred embodiments also generate statistics with the granularity of the QoS. The system can be implemented in a single application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), in a chassis-based switch or router, or in a more general distributed architecture. The system architecture is a virtual output queued (VOQed) crossbar. The administrator establishes policies for port pairs within the switch, and optionally with finer granularity. Frames are directed to unique VOQs based on both policy and protocol criteria. Policies are implemented by means of a scheduling engine that allocates time slices (minimum units of crossbar access).

Abstract: A switching device includes an ingress memory system having a VOQ-based design to provide an infrastructure for enabling fine-grained QoS and SLAs.

Abstract: Digital cameras are arranged at points of interest in a recreational venue to automatically photograph individuals participating in activities at such points in response to detection of identifying parameters uniquely to corresponding to respective individuals, such as respective radio frequency identification (RFID) tag code. The photographs are automatically transmitted for storage in a database from which they may be accessed for viewing or printing upon presentation and recognition of the identifying parameter.

Abstract: A method and system for identifying individuals, accessing and updating background information and directing appropriate personal interactions through use of an automatically readable tag, such as an RFID tag. Information encoded on the tag is communicated to a computer system that has a database, wherein identification information encoded on the tag is used as a key to retrieve the relevant background information and communicate that information to a portable display device. The system also takes a photograph of the individual being identified and automatically sends the photograph to the portable display device.

Abstract: A method and system for identifying individuals, accessing and updating background information regarding such individuals and directing appropriate personal interaction with the individuals. Presence of the individual may be detected by recognition of a biometric feature or by use of an automatically readable tag, such as an RFID tag. Information regarding the individual, such as a unique code corresponding to that individual, may be communicated to a computer system that has a database in connection with which the code is used as a key to retrieve relevant background information, which is then communicated over a wireless link to a portable display device. The system may also automatically capture an image of an individual being identified and may then transmit that image over a wireless link to the portable display device. Various systems may employ multiple RFID scanners, facial recognition, various image capture devices, and multiple portable display devices, such as PDA's.

Abstract: A method and system for identifying individuals, accessing and updating background information regarding such individuals and directing appropriate personal interaction with the individuals through use of an automatically readable tag, such as an RFID tag. Information encoded on the tag is communicated to a computer system that has a database in connection with which identification information encoded on the tag is used as a key to retrieve relevant background information, which is then communicated to a portable display device. The system may also automatically capture an image of an individual being identified and may then transmit the image over a wireless link to the portable display device. The system may employ multiple RFID scanners, various image capture devices, and multiple portable display devices, such as PDA's.