Abstract: A personal sound delivery apparatus which can be worn by a person has speakers held close to the ears and does not include any insert into the auditory canal or any ear muff that could muffle or suppress other ambient sounds. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a wireless speaker is anchored by an arcuate hanger shaped and dimensioned to rest behind the ear. The speaker is positioned within a range from 0 to 20 centimeters (0 to 8 inches) from the auditory canal and may be surrounded by baffles that focus the incoming sound toward the entrance of the auditory canal. In other embodiments, a pair of speakers are embedded into the collar of a garment, a scapulary that rests upon the shoulders, a clamp that is bridging the nape of the neck, in pendants suspended from the neck, or hidden in a pair of earrings.

Abstract: Some of the embodiments herein provide a seamless cloud of storage. This storage may be content-addressable storage. An end application may or may not be exposed to the fact that content-addressable storage is used. Various embodiments herein provide event notification, which may allow applications or users to subscribe to particular events (such as storage of an X-ray by a particular entity). Some embodiments provide for a shared archive. A shared archive may provide homogeneous access to medical data, etc. that was previously stored into the CAS cloud by heterogeneous applications, varied data types, etc. Additionally, embodiments herein allow for the creation and distribution of virtual packages. For example, a user may create a virtual package for all images related to a patient so that she may have a virtual package of all of her medical data to present to a referring physician.

Abstract: Some of the embodiments herein provide a seamless cloud of storage. This storage may be content-addressable storage. An end application may or may not be exposed to the fact that content-addressable storage is used. Various embodiments herein provide event notification, which may allow applications or users to subscribe to particular events (such as storage of an X-ray by a particular entity). Some embodiments provide for a shared archive. A shared archive may provide homogeneous access to medical data, etc. that was previously stored into the CAS cloud by heterogeneous applications, varied data types, etc. Additionally, embodiments herein allow for the creation and distribution of virtual packages. For example, a user may create a virtual package for all images related to a patient so that she may have a virtual package of all of her medical data to present to a referring physician.

Abstract: Some of the embodiments herein provide a seamless cloud of storage. This storage may be content-addressable storage. An end application may or may not be exposed to the fact that content-addressable storage is used. Various embodiments herein provide event notification, which may allow applications or users to subscribe to particular events (such as storage of an X-ray by a particular entity). Some embodiments provide for a shared archive. A shared archive may provide homogeneous access to medical data, etc. that was previously stored into the CAS cloud by heterogeneous applications, varied data types, etc. Additionally, embodiments herein allow for the creation and distribution of virtual packages. For example, a user may create a virtual package for all images related to a patient so that she may have a virtual package of all of her medical data to present to a referring physician.

Abstract: Some of the embodiments herein provide a seamless cloud of storage. This storage may be content-addressable storage. An end application may or may not be exposed to the fact that content-addressable storage is used. Various embodiments herein provide event notification, which may allow applications or users to subscribe to particular events (such as storage of an X-ray by a particular entity). Some embodiments provide for a shared archive. A shared archive may provide homogeneous access to medical data, etc. that was previously stored into the CAS cloud by heterogeneous applications, varied data types, etc. Additionally, embodiments herein allow for the creation and distribution of virtual packages. For example, a user may create a virtual package for all images related to a patient so that she may have a virtual package of all of her medical data to present to a referring physician.

Abstract: An adhesive system is provided that comprises a layer of adhesive without any adhesive carrier layer or screen or the like, covered on a first release surface and covered on the opposite side by a second release surface. Methods of forming the system and methods using the system to lay down a uniform layer of adhesive which can be used to secure various flooring materials are also provided.

Abstract: A one component adhesive composition is provided, which can be formulated from substantially or totally bio-based, renewable raw materials. Such adhesives can be formulated to have high strength and/or low or substantially no VOC emissions. This can be achieved by utilizing polymers that are derived or extracted from renewable plant materials such as soybeans, corn, sunflowers, wheat, etc. Adhesive compositions in accordance with the invention can include oils. The composition preferably contains bio-based oils only, but need not be completely free of fossil fuel or synthetic based oils. It should also include drying oils and/or similarly acting polymers, co-polymers, and fatty acids. Plasticizers, such as hydrogen oxide, derived from renewable sources are utilized to impart performance properties to the formulated adhesive. Metal napthanates can be used to catalyze the drying and/or curing speed when the adhesive composition is applied to a substrate.

Abstract: A personal sound delivery apparatus which can be worn by a person has speakers held close to the ears and does not include any insert into the auditory canal or any ear muff that could muffle or suppress other ambient sounds. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a wireless speaker is anchored by an arcuate hanger shaped and dimensioned to rest behind the ear. The speaker is positioned within a range from 0 to 20 centimeters (0 to 8 inches) from the auditory canal and may be surrounded by baffles that focus the incoming sound toward the entrance of the auditory canal. In other embodiments, a pair of speakers are embedded into the collar of a garment, a scapulary that rests upon the shoulders, a clamp that is bridging the nape of the neck, in pendants suspended from the neck, or hidden in a pair of earrings.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of playing a card game between a player/dealer, which may be a computing device, and one or more players. Each of the one or more players may place a wager. A hand of two cards may be dealt to each of the one or more players and the player dealer. The cards may be dealt from one or more decks of cards, each deck including four Aces having a value of one or eleven, four each of cards having values of two through nine, and sixteen cards having a value of ten. The dealt hands may be evaluated adding the values of the two cards comprising each hand. A hand consisting of an Ace and one of at least some of the sixteen cards having a value of ten receives an additional value of 0.5, whereby the total hand value is 21.5.

Abstract: A system for lubricating a crankshaft lip seal having wear surfaces with a lubricant used with the crankshaft. The system includes a compressor housing portion, wherein the lip seal secured in the compressor housing portion for engagement with the crankshaft and a structure in the compressor housing portion for adequately providing lubricant to the lip seal surfaces. In a preferred embodiment the structure includes a bore having a reservoir for maintaining the lubricant in contact with the lip seal and a manner for controlling the amount of the lubricant in the reservoir.

Abstract: A processor communication register (PCR) contained in each processor within a multiprocessor system provides enhanced processor communication. Each PCR stores identical processor communication information that is useful in pipelined or parallel multi-processing. Each processor has exclusive rights to store to a sector within each PCR and has continuous access to read the contents of its own PCR. Each processor updates its exclusive sector within all of the PCRs, instantly allowing all of the other processors to see the change within the PCR data, and bypassing the cache subsystem. Efficiency is enhanced within the multiprocessor system by providing processor communications to be immediately transferred into all processors without momentarily restricting access to the information or forcing all the processors to be continually contending for the same cache line, and thereby overwhelming the interconnect and memory system with an endless stream of load, store and invalidate commands.

Abstract: A processor communication register (PCR) contained within a multiprocessor cluster system provides enhanced processor communication. The PCR stores information that is useful in pipelined or parallel multi-processing. Each processor cluster has exclusive rights to store to a sector within the PCR and has continuous access to read its contents. Each processor cluster updates its exclusive sector within the PCR, instantly allowing all of the other processors within the cluster network to see the change within the PCR data, and bypassing the cache subsystem. Efficiency is enhanced within the processor cluster network by providing processor communications to be immediately networked and transferred into all processors without momentarily restricting access to the information or forcing all the processors to be continually contending for the same cache line, and thereby overwhelming the interconnect and memory system with an endless stream of load, store and invalidate commands.

Abstract: A one component adhesive composition is provided, which can be formulated from substantially or totally bio-based, renewable raw materials. Such adhesives can be formulated to have high strength and/or low or substantially no VOC emissions. This can be achieved by utilizing polymers that are derived or extracted from renewable plant materials such as soybeans, corn, sunflowers, wheat, etc. Adhesive compositions in accordance with the invention can include oils. The composition preferably contains bio-based oils only, but need not be completely free of fossil fuel or synthetic based oils. It should also include drying oils and/or similarly acting polymers, co-polymers, and fatty acids. Plasticizers, such as hydrogen oxide, derived from renewable sources are utilized to impart performance properties to the formulated adhesive. Metal napthanates can be used to catalyze the drying and/or curing speed when the adhesive composition is applied to a substrate.

Abstract: A personal sound delivery apparatus which can be worn by a person has speakers held close to the ears and does not include any insert into the auditory canal or any ear muff that could muffle or suppress other ambient sounds. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a wireless speaker is anchored by an arcuate hanger shaped and dimensioned to rest behind the ear. The speaker is positioned within a range from 0 to 20 centimeters (0 to 8 inches) from the auditory canal and may be surrounded by baffles that focus the incoming sound toward the entrance of the auditory canal. In other embodiments, a pair of speakers are embedded into the collar of a garment, a scapulary that rests upon the shoulders, a clamp that is bridging the nape of the neck, in pendants suspended from the neck, or hidden in a pair of earrings.

Abstract: A composition and method which exhibits enhanced moisture sealing properties, suitable for use with flooring materials, such as concrete, and flooring installations, such as carpeting, wood, tiles, etc. are provided. The composition is preferably non-water-based and can form a non-aqueous barrier coating on the flooring substrate, and most preferably provides a desirable pH and blocks migration of alkaline salts through the substrate.

Abstract: A method of correcting defects in a storage array of a microprocessor, such as a cache memory, by operating the microprocessor to carry out a functional test procedure which utilizes cache memory, collecting fault data in a trace array during the functional test procedure, identifying a location of the defect in the cache memory using the fault data, and repairing the defect by setting a fuse to reroute access requests for the location to a redundant array. The fault data may include an error syndrome and a failing address. The functional test procedure creates random cache access sequences that cause varying loads of traffic in the cache memory using a test pattern based on a random seed. The functional test procedure may be carried out after completion of a nonfunctional, built-in self test of the microprocessor which sets some of the fuses.

Abstract: A method and data processing system for sequentially coupling successive, homogenous processor requests for a cache line in a chain before the data is received in the cache of a first processor within the chain. Chained intermediate coherency states are assigned to track the chain of processor requests and subsequent access permission provided, prior to receipt of the data at the first processor starting the chain. The chained intermediate coherency state assigned identifies the processor operation and a directional identifier identifies the processor to which the cache line is to be forwarded. When the data is received at the cache of the first processor within the chain, the first processor completes its operation on (or with) the data and then forwards the data to the next processor in the chain. The chain is immediately stopped when a non-homogenous operation is snooped by the last-in-chain processor.

Abstract: A method for sequentially coupling successive processor requests for a cache line before the data is received in the cache of a first coupled processor. Both homogenous and non-homogenous operations are chained to each other, and the coherency protocol includes several new intermediate coherency responses associated with the chained states. Chained coherency states are assigned to track the chain of processor requests and the grant of access permission prior to receipt of the data at the first processor. The chained coherency states also identify the address of the receiving processor. When data is received at the cache of the first processor within the chain, the processor completes its operation on (or with) the data and then forwards the data to the next processor in the chain. The chained coherency protocol frees up address bus bandwidth by reducing the number of retries.

Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods to realize the potential benefit of portable storage devices by taking advantage of standard PCs including an optical disk drive capable of reading an optical disk, such as a CD or a DVD, cost effective optical disks, and the Internet. In a preferred embodiment, an individual patient provides personal data to a healthcare service center. The healthcare service center then creates a portable optical disk for the patient to carry, if he/she so desires. The personal data that is written onto the portable optical disk is stored on a database management server database and is readable and updateable by the individual patient using his/her PC with an optical disk drive and connected to the Internet. The individual patient can choose to update his/her personal data on the portable optical disk and can receive a new portable optical disk that includes the update.

Abstract: A slab shaping system includes a slab shaping device. The slab shaping device includes a cutting device and de-burring device, wherein the cutting device and the de-burring device, respectively cut and de-burr a slab. According to an embodiment, the slab shaping system may include a plurality of spaced apart slab support beams that form at least one slot therebetween. According to an embodiment, the cutting device and de-burring device may be axially-aligned. A method for operating a slab shaping system is disclosed. The method includes the steps of positioning a plurality of slab support beams on a table to form at least one slot; positioning a slab over the slab support beams; positioning a cutting device and de-burring device of a slab shaping device in axial-alignment; and cutting and de-burring the cut in the slab along a length of the at least one slot.