Abstract: A screening bucket for wood cooking pellets with a spring-loaded sifting screen to facilitate the separation of wood dust from the cooking pellets stored in the bucket. The user pours a supply of wood pellets into the bucket, and the dispenses the pellets from the screening bucket into the grill or stove as needed. The wood pellets are dispensed through a pellet port in the lid of the bucket, while the dust is discharged through a dust port in the bottom of the bucket. A spring-loaded sifting screen captured on a retainer pin near the bottom pf the bucket allows to use to shake and tap the bucket to facilitate separation of the dust from the pellets.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method, computer system, and computer program product for mitigating vibration damage to a distributed storage system is provided. The present invention may include classifying at least two of the drives comprising the distributed storage system as vulnerable and not vulnerable, respectively, and responsive to detecting that a site associated with the distributed storage system is at risk of a vibration event, turning off the vulnerable drives at the site; creating a thin mitigation layer comprising thin-provisioned volumes associated with standard volumes comprising the vulnerable drives; routing read IO addressed to the standard volumes instead to associated partner volumes; routing write IO addressed to the standard volumes instead to the thin-provisioned volumes; and responsive to determining that the site is no longer at risk of a vibration event, turning on the vulnerable drives and copying states from the thin-provisioned volumes to the standard volumes.

Abstract: Method and system are provided for dynamic rebuild capability in redundant array of independent disks (RAID) arrays using compressing drives. The method includes providing an array including a physical rebuild area for the multiple drives of the array and dynamically adjusting a number of allocated rebuild zones available within the rebuild area, wherein each allocated rebuild zone has capacity to store a drive rebuild based on a current physical usage of the multiple drives of the array.

Abstract: Provided is a computer-implemented method, system, and apparatus for a visual identification of a port and a previously connected cable of a link in a network environment including a network switch or a network device. The apparatus having an LED arrangement at a port assembly configured for illumination at the port and configured to provide illumination via the cable to a remote end of the link. An identifier providing component controls the LED arrangement based on a unique attribute of the link including: detecting a status change of a link; obtaining the unique attribute related to the link from a layer of a protocol received on both ends of the link; selecting an identifier based on the unique attribute related to the link; and instructing the LED arrangement to be configured to provide a light output of the selected identifier.

Abstract: Method and system are provided for dynamic rebuild capability in redundant array of independent disks (RAID) arrays using compressing drives. The method includes providing an array including a physical rebuild area for the multiple drives of the array and dynamically adjusting a number of allocated rebuild zones available within the rebuild area, wherein each allocated rebuild zone has capacity to store a drive rebuild based on a current physical usage of the multiple drives of the array.

Abstract: Provided is a pet accessory comprising a leash having a distal end configurable to engage an animal and further defining a finger loop, with a proximal end defining a handle. Also included is an elastic resiliently deformable cradle shaped and configured for operatively receiving a ball therein, the cradle configured so that the leash is slidably receivable through at least a portion of an outer periphery thereof so that folding the leash about the outer periphery engages the ball in the cradle, wherein the pet accessory is usable to lead an animal and as a sling to cast the ball.

Abstract: Provided is a computer-implemented method, system, and apparatus for a visual identification of a port and a previously connected cable of a link in a network environment including a network switch or a network device. The apparatus having an LED arrangement at a port assembly configured for illumination at the port and configured to provide illumination via the cable to a remote end of the link. An identifier providing component controls the LED arrangement based on a unique attribute of the link including: detecting a status change of a link; obtaining the unique attribute related to the link from a layer of a protocol received on both ends of the link; selecting an identifier based on the unique attribute related to the link; and instructing the LED arrangement to be configured to provide a light output of the selected identifier.

Abstract: A biometric voice command and control switching device has a microphone assembly for receiving a currently spoken challenge utterance and a reference utterance, and a voice processing circuit for creating electronic signals indicative thereof. The device further includes a memory for storing the electronic signals, and a processor for comparing the electronic signals to determine if there is a match. If there is a match, an interface circuit enables the operable control of the controlled device.

Abstract: The invention provides a multi-phase digital pulse width modulator (MP-DPWM) to implement a distribution scheme which applies the duty cycle in the fastest possible manner with restriction on the number of switching actions per phase and cycle, and additionally takes the number of available phases into account. It modulates switching signals according to a duty cycle input command, their previous switching states, and the current switching cycle. The controller is adapted to additionally take the residue of the previous subcycle into account. In the control scheme: each phase is allowed switch up to twice per cycle; only the next phase in the cycle is additionally turned on, at the start of a subcycle, and if a phase is still on at the end of a subcycle it can be kept on for longer, if required.

Abstract: The invention provides a multi-phase digital pulse width modulator (MP-DPWM) to implement a distribution scheme which applies the duty cycle in the fastest possible manner with restriction on the number of switching actions per phase and cycle, and additionally takes the number of available phases into account. It modulates switching signals according to a duty cycle input command, their previous switching states, and the current switching cycle. The controller is adapted to additionally take the residue of the previous subcycle into account. In the control scheme: each phase is allowed switch up to twice per cycle; only the next phase in the cycle is additionally turned on, at the start of a subcycle, and if a phase is still on at the end of a subcycle it can be kept on for longer, if required.

Abstract: A digital SMPC (1) comprises an SMPS Transformer primary side (2) and an SMPS secondary side (3). Opto-couplers (4) perform bi-directional communication between primary side and secondary side communication circuits (5, 6). The primary side communication circuits (5) are connected via a loop controller (7) to the primary side (2). The secondary side communication circuits 6 are connected to the secondary side 3 via an ADC (8). The analogue-to-digital converter (ADC, 8) digitises the output voltage V0 on the secondary side. The secondary side communication module (6) encodes this value and uses the data couplers (4) to transmit it over the isolation barrier. The primary side communication module (5) receives and decodes the value and provides it to the loop controller module (7). The loop controller (7) is implemented as a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) or a hardware PID-controller.

Abstract: A computer implemented method includes extracting query information from a report, generating database information characterizing table and column metadata for a data source, and analyzing the relationships between the query information and the database information to identify a table and column invoked by the report.

Abstract: A method of communicating an image file is provided. The method comprises generating at least one scene map based on knowledge of the composition of a targeted area, and reordering data in an image file using the at least one generated scene map such that data corresponding to image segments with similar properties is placed near each other in the image file.

Abstract: A client-server based electronic medical record replaces paper records in outpatient clinics. The Internet provides physicians with the ability to use a Java-based client program to generate legible, complete notes for patient encounters that comply with HCFA guidelines. A pen-like input device for entering data into an electronic medical record is provided with one end which serves as a stylus or pointing device for being placed in contact with a touch screen and another end which has a microphone element for receiving speech signals. A microphone activation button or lever is provided to enable and disable speech recognition.

Abstract: A client-server based electronic medical record replaces paper records in outpatient clinics. The Internet provides physicians with the ability to use a Java-based client program to generate legible, complete notes for patient encounters that comply with HCFA guidelines. A pen-like input device for entering data into an electronic medical record is provided with one end which serves as a stylus or pointing device for being placed in contact with a touch screen and another end which has a microphone element for receiving speech signals. A microphone activation button or lever is provided to enable and disable speech recognition.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for checking/updating existing software on a user's computer utilizes a graphical user interface (GUI). The GUI enables the user, without knowing what software exists on the computer, to download a text file from a remote server and check whether the software on the remote server is contained on the user's computer. The user can also download and automatically install a new or updated program via the GUI.

Abstract: A software architecture for a personal computer enables control of an attached television set as a graphic output device, where the software architecture includes a dynamically linked library storing executable library routines that can be called by a computer system routine across an application programming interface, and a hardware extraction layer having hardware-specific routines that are called by a selected library routine to perform a specific hardware operation. The hardware-specific routines control operation of a graphics core configured to control the television set, for example by detecting whether the television set is attached to thecomputer system. Additional operations supported by the dynamically linked library include automatically adjusting the size and resolution of Windows (or portions thereof) output to the television set.