Abstract: A public interactive information network (“PIIN”) that effectively rebuilds and reactivates the public pay telephone system. This network and the interactive information terminal described herein provides many new uses for the public telephone infrastructure including delivery of information and content relevant to the individual citizen in real time at the citizen's location. The terminal replaces a pay telephone in any booth or kiosk. A touch screen and a processor controlled by a main program and a suite of software applications stored in the terminal responds to user selections to provide the interactive access to information. The terminal automatically switches between passive and active display modes and receives user selections by touching the display.

Abstract: An exemplary reconfigurable workpiece support fixture according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a base, and a plurality of spaced-apart plates are removably attachable to the base. Each plate defines a plurality of notches along an angular profile. A plurality of spaced-apart manifolds are receivable in the plurality of notches, and each manifold spans across the plurality of plates. A plurality of attachment devices are removably attachable to the plurality of manifolds.

Abstract: An exemplary reconfigurable workpiece support fixture according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a base, and a plurality of spaced-apart plates are removably attachable to the base. Each plate defines a plurality of notches along an angular profile. A plurality of spaced-apart manifolds are receivable in the plurality of notches, and each manifold spans across the plurality of plates. A plurality of attachment devices are removably attachable to the plurality of manifolds.

Abstract: An exemplary reconfigurable workpiece support fixture according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a base, and a plurality of spaced-apart plates are removably attachable to the base. Each plate defines a plurality of notches along an angular profile. A plurality of spaced-apart manifolds are receivable in the plurality of notches, and each manifold spans across the plurality of plates. A plurality of attachment devices are removably attachable to the plurality of manifolds.

Abstract: An exemplary reconfigurable workpiece support fixture according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a base, and a plurality of spaced-apart plates are removably attachable to the base. Each plate defines a plurality of notches along an angular profile. A plurality of spaced-apart manifolds are receivable in the plurality of notches, and each manifold spans across the plurality of plates. A plurality of attachment devices are removably attachable to the plurality of manifolds.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided that facilitate semiconductor processing, including etch processes. The invention provides real-time two-dimensional etch rate control. Prior to starting an etch process, a control model is selected that relates to the etch process. A formula or function description is developed from the model and solved to obtain process parameter values that are predicted to produce the desired etch rates. During the fabrication etch process, critical dimension measurements of a polysilicon gate are obtained. From these measurements, the etch process is modified so as to achieve a desired horizontal etch rate and a desired vertical etch rate. The etch process results in a polysilicon gate having a desired rectangular profile.

Abstract: Systems and methodologies are provided that adapt and control desired fabrication processes by utilizing a control model based solution. A suitable control model is obtained or derived from one or more other control models. A formulaic description is then obtained that predicts one or more desired outputs based on various process settings and inputs. A suitable solution to the description that achieves the desired outputs and is relatively close to ideal processing conditions is obtained utilizing a heuristic. The solution includes process control parameters or settings that are employed to control and/or modify a fabrication process.

Abstract: The method for abstracting high levels of &bgr;-glucan from a grain product such as oat or barley grain to produce a &bgr;-glucan product containing at least about 18% by weight &bgr;-glucan is provided. The &bgr;-glucan product can be produced as an agglomerated food additive having at least about 18% by weight &bgr;-glucan. Methods are provided for enriching a food product with the &bgr;-glucan agglomerated food additive to produce an enriched resulting food product.

Abstract: The method for abstracting high levels of &bgr;-glucan from a grain product such as oat or barley grain to produce a &bgr;-glucan product containing at least about 18% by weight &bgr;-glucan is provided. The &bgr;-glucan product can be produced as an agglomerated food additive having at least about 18% by weight &bgr;-glucan. Methods are provided for enriching a food product with the &bgr;-glucan agglomerated food additive to produce an enriched resulting food product.

Abstract: The method for abstracting high levels of &bgr;-glucan from a grain product such as oat or barley grain to produce a &bgr;-glucan product containing at least about 18% by weight &bgr;-glucan is provided. The &bgr;-glucan product can be produced as an agglomerated food additive having at least about 18% by weight &bgr;-glucan. Methods are provided for enriching a food product with the &bgr;-glucan agglomerated food additive to produce an enriched resulting food product.

Abstract: The method for abstracting high levels of &bgr;-glucan from a grain product such as oat or barley grain should produce a &bgr;-glucan product containing as least about 18% by weight &bgr;-glucan is provided. The &bgr;-glucan product can be produced as an agglomerated food additive having at least about 18% by weight &bgr;-glucan. Methods are providing for enriching a food product with the &bgr;-glucan agglomerated food additive and resulting food products results are provided.

Abstract: Rotary fluid compressor comprises a stator housing and a crankshaft rotatable about an axis of rotation and having a crank pin offset relative to the axis of rotation. A rotor is disposed by a bearing assembly on the crank pin for orbiting motion about the axis of rotation in the stator housing. An annular spring is assembled between the bearing assembly and either the rotor or the crank pin with the spring radially compressed to an extent to provide a controlled spring preload that, in combination with a controlled spring rate, maintains radial sealing force between the rotor and the stator housing between preselected minimum and maximum design values.

Abstract: A watertight and airtight seal is useful for use between two structures having relative movement therebetween. The seal apparatus includes a first adhesive bead (38) disposed on a first structural member (12) and a second adhesive bead (44) disposed on a second structural member (22). An elastomeric member (30) includes a first flange (34) portion bonded to the first adhesive bead and a second flange portion (36) bonded to the second adhesive bead (44). The elastomeric member also includes a flexible portion disposed between the first and second flange portions, this flexible portion being operative to freely flex during relative motion between the first and second structural members. This flexibility substantially reduces stress otherwise imparted on the first and second adhesive beads during such movements in the absence of the flexible portion, thereby improving the durability of the seal.

Abstract: A hydraulic lash adjuster mechanism for an internal combustion engine having a body portion with a bore formed in the body portion having a bottom surface. A plunger having a top surface is slidingly received within the bore of the body portion. The plunger has an internal channel with a bleed hole formed therein connecting the top surface of the plunger to a high pressure chamber formed between the bottom surface of the bore and the bottom of the plunger. The body portion has a valve opening formed therein that is in fluid communication with an engine fluid supply. A check valve mechanism selectively opens and closing the valve opening in response to pressure differences between the engine fluid reservoir and the high pressure chamber. The diameter and length of the bleed hole and the force applied to said top surface of said plunger control the leak down rate of the hydraulic lash adjuster to eliminate lash in the engine valve train components.

Abstract: A fuel vapor emission control system for an automobile includes a fuel filler pipe, a filler cap, a check valve, a fuel tank, a carbon canister or other vapor storage device, a reservoir, and a vapor tube for conducting fuel vapor from one or more tank vent valves located on the fuel tank. The system reduces the amount of vapor mass which exits the fuel tank to the carbon canister by condensing some of the vapor sent to the canister during refueling. Fuel entering the filler pipe is used as a condensing agent. The system also reduces the amount of vapor pumped to the vapor storage device during diurnal cycles by permitting the volume of the fuel tank to change in response to changes in pressure within the tank.

Abstract: A hydraulic lash adjuster mechanism for an internal combustion engine, the adjuster having a body with a bore formed therein, a plunger slidingly received within the bore, and a high pressure chamber formed between the bottom of the bore and the plunger. The plunger has a fluid chamber formed therein to receive engine fluid through an inlet opening and is in communication with a first check valve mechanism for regulating the flow of fluid from the fluid chamber through a valve opening into a high pressure chamber. A leak path allows fluid to escape from the high pressure chamber due to increased force on the plunger. The high pressure chamber is in communication with a second check valve mechanism for allowing fluid to leak from the high pressure chamber at an increased rate in response to increased force on the plunger.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling a vapor recovery system. The system uses a vapor sensor canister containing activated charcoal and two temperature probes. The sensor provides a differential temperature measurement that can be monitored and processed to determine hydrocarbon content in the vapor recovery system.

Abstract: There is disclosed herein an electronic circuit assembly using a bonding material/phase change material system for electronic device heat burst dissipation. One embodiment of the assembly comprises: a substrate having a substrate surface with a preselected mounting site located thereon; a predetermined amount of phase change material disposed on the substrate surface at the preselected mounting site; a predetermined amount of bonding material arranged on the substrate surface at the preselected mounting site so as to substantially surround the predetermined amount of phase change material; and an electronic device having a heatspreader portion, the device being oriented such that the heatspreader portion is positioned at the preselected mounting site over the predetermined amounts of phase change material and bonding material, the heatspreader portion being attached to the substrate surface by the bonding material.

Abstract: An air inlet duct is provided for a heat exchanger of a vehicle. The heat exchanger having a top portion and a bottom portion for receiving air from an air inlet duct. The duct has an outer wall that fits against the heat exchanger and a center baffle for dividing air flow equally to the top and bottom portions of the heat exchanger. The center baffle has at least one member with a vertical portion dividing the air inlet into a plurality of vertical sections and at least one horizontal portion combining alternate ones of the vertical sections and directing air flowing therethrough to the top portion of the heat exchanger and also combining other alternate ones of the vertical sections and directing air flowing therethrough to the bottom portion of the heat exchanger so that the top and bottom portions receive substantially equal air flow.

Abstract: An adaptive fuel control system and method directed for use in a motor vehicle powered by a fuel-injected engine and having a fuel tank and a fuel rail and which is operative to run on a plurality of fuels and fuel blends. The system includes a refueling mixer which acts as a fluid damper to slowly introduce new fuel into the fuel rail and correspondingly slow the rate at which new fuel composition is mixed with existing fuel. A stratification mixer is also utilized to re-mix components of blended fuels which may have separated at cold temperatures. An Exhaust Gas Oxygen sensor (EGO) monitors engine exhaust gases and generates a corresponding electrical signal when the air/fuel mixture of the fuel switches between rich and lean. Finally, an electronic control assembly communicates with the EGO and the fuel injectors to generate and store in memory an updatable extended adaptive fuel control table of air/fuel ratio multipliers for selected engine load/engine speed cells.