Abstract: A fire resistant rope and method of making the same. The fire resistant rope comprises a core, a jacket, and a fire retardant coating. The core comprises a plurality of strands. Each core strand comprises a plurality of core yarns, and each core yarn comprises a plurality of high tensile strength fibers. The jacket comprises a plurality of jacket strands. Each jacket strand comprises a plurality of jacket yarns and each jacket yarn comprises a plurality of high temperature resistant fibers. The fire retardant coating formed on at least one of the core and the jacket. The fire retardant coating expands when subjected to temperatures above a state-change level. At least a portion of the expanded coating inhibits transfer of heat to the core. The state-change level is below a failure temperature defined by the materials from which at least some of the fibers forming the core are formed.

Abstract: A fire resistant rope and method of making the same. The fire resistant rope comprises high tensile strength fibers, high temperature resistant fibers, and a fire retardant coating. The fire retardant coating is applied to at least one of the high tensile strength fibers and the high temperature resistant fibers. The high tensile strength fibers are combined to form a core. The high temperature resistant fibers are combined to form a jacket that at least partly covers the core. The jacket is configured to inhibit movement of air to the core. The coating is configured to inhibit movement of air to the core.

Abstract: Cars of a car rental system are made operable by having a renter present a digital key issued from the car rental system. The digital key specifies the starting date and time of a given rental transaction, and the identification of the car the key is for. The digital key is further signed by the car rental system for authenticity. A prospective renter makes online reservation over the Web and downloads into a portable storage device a digital key which can be used to operate the reserved car on the day the reservation is made for. On the pickup day, the renter goes to the car and inserts the portable storage device into a slot on the car. Upon successful verification of the digital key, the car is enabled and the renter can keep the car until he or she wants to return the car. The return process starts by having the renter obtain a invalidated digital key from the car. Once the rental car invalidates the digital key provided by the renter, the renter can no longer operate the rental car.

Abstract: A fire resistant rope and method of making the same. The fire resistant rope comprises a core formed of high tensile strength fibers and a jacket formed of high temperature resistant fibers, where the jacket covers the core. The core comprises a plurality of strands, where each strand comprises a plurality of yarns and each yarn comprises a plurality of high tensile strength fibers. The jacket comprises a plurality of strands, where each strand comprises a plurality of yarns and each yarn comprises a plurality of high temperature resistant fibers. Optionally, a fire retardant material may be applied to the rope.

Abstract: A system produces of an empirical map of wireless communication coverage through a process of combining information from individual clients to produce a map which is then shared by all of the clients. The wireless coverage map aids in maintaining a reliable communications link. The empirical map is generated by combining information from a group of mobile wireless users. The group may consist of a fleet of trucks, taxicabs, government service vehicles, or the customers of a wireless service provider. The mobile vehicles must be equipped with a GPS device or be located by other means such as triangulation. While vehicles are moving, the quality of wireless communication, e.g., signal strength or communication continuity, is recorded for each vehicle as a function of positions. The data from all of the vehicles is combined to produce the empirical map. The empirical map may be maintained at a central site and subsets of the map replicated for individual vehicles.

Abstract: An improved harness (10) adapted to be worn by a person (12) preferably includes a continuous, unitary, non-segmented strap (34) which is threaded through an anchor member (36), side buckles (38, 40) and buckle connectors (78) to provide a harness allowing the person (12) to be secured by a standard safety belt (112). The harness presents first and second strap segments (96, 98) coupled to the anchor member (36) and extending over the shoulders (20, 22) of the person (12) and thence downwardly in crossing relationship to side buckles (38, 40) defining juncture regions (100, 102). The strap (34) is then extended rearwardly and threaded through the anchor member (36) to present third and fourth strap segments (104, 106). Finally, the strap (34) is extended downwardly from the side buckles (38, 40) and through the crotch (26) of the person upwardly for connection at the side buckles (38, 40) via buckle connectors (78).

Abstract: A system produces of an empirical map of wireless communication coverage through a process of combining information from individual clients to produce a map which is then shared by all of the clients. The wireless coverage map aids in maintaining a reliable communications link. The empirical map is generated by combining information from a group of mobile wireless users. The group may consist of a fleet of trucks, taxicabs, government service vehicles, or the customers of a wireless service provider. The mobile vehicles must be equipped with a GPS device or be located by other means such as triangulation. While vehicles are moving, the quality of wireless communication, e.g., signal strength or communication continuity, is recorded for each vehicle as a function of positions. The data from all of the vehicles is combined to produce the empirical map. The empirical map may be maintained at a central site and subsets of the map replicated for individual vehicles.

Abstract: A system produces of an empirical map of wireless communication coverage through a process of combining information from individual clients to produce a map which is then shared by all of the clients. The wireless coverage map aids in maintaining a reliable communications link. The empirical map is generated by combining information from a group of mobile wireless users. The group may consist of a fleet of trucks, taxicabs, government service vehicles, or the customers of a wireless service provider. The mobile vehicles must be equipped with a GPS device or be located by other means such as triangulation. While vehicles are moving, the quality of wireless communication, e.g., signal strength or communication continuity, is recorded for each vehicle as a function of positions. The data from all of the vehicles is combined to produce the empirical map. The empirical map may be maintained at a central site and subsets of the map replicated for individual vehicles.

Abstract: A mobile navigation system implemented as an embedded system in a vehicle is easy to use, does not detract the driver's attention from the road, and limits the number of choices presented to the user of the navigation system according to a predetermined set of preferences or personalized information. Choices are filtered according to a set of driver preferences, according to the vehicle's geographic position, direction of motion, and the driver's intended itinerary. The itinerary, including intermediate stops, is calculated on an external computing system. The information is downloaded from the computing system to a memory device such as, for example, a smart card. The information is then transferred from the smart card to the embedded vehicle navigation system.