Abstract: A system may have a support structure that separates an exterior region from an interior region. The system may include a lighting system with interior and/or exterior lights with adjustable diffusers. An interior light may be used as a task light, a cabin light, a sensor indicator light, or a trim light. Adjustments to the adjustable diffusers can be used to adjust the angular spread of emitted light for operation in different lighting modes.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to compositions and methods for the recovery of olefins from a mixture. The compositions of the present invention comprise: (1) a transition metal ion; (2) a counter anion; (3) a ligand selected from the group consisting of a bidentate ligand and a tridentate ligand, wherein the ligand comprises at least two nitrogen atoms, and wherein each of the nitrogen atoms comprises a lone pair of electrons; and (4) a polar solvent with a boiling point of at least about 200° C. The methods of the present invention comprise: (1) providing the aforementioned compositions; (2) bonding at least a portion of the olefins in a mixture to the transition metal ion in the composition to form a complex; (3) separating the complex from the mixture; and (4) recovering the olefins from the complex.

Abstract: Self-metallizing polyimide films are created by doping polyamic acid solutions with metallic ions and solubilizing agents. Upon creating a film, the film is exposed to coherent light for a specific time and then cured. The resulting film has been found to have a metallic surface layer and a metallic subsurface layer (interlayer). The layer separating the metallic layer has a uniform dispersion of small metal particulates within the polymer. The layer below the interlayer has larger metal particulates uniformly distributed within the polymer. By varying the intensity or time of exposure to the coherent light, three-dimensional control of metal formation within the film is provided.

Abstract: An automated pricing system (10) is provided. The system (10) obtains inventory information, specifying the rates and/or availability of a plurality of travel arrangements, from one or more computer reservation systems (24). The inventory information is stored in a database (14) along with one or more portfolios of information (relating to a travel agency and each business entity customer of the travel agency) that can be used to discount the listed rates of the travel arrangements. In response to a specific travel itinerary from a customer, the system (10) automatically retrieves the inventory and/or discount information from the database (14) and determines the lowest-priced, available travel arrangements conforming to the itinerary. Consequently, a travel agent using the system (10) does not have to spend time manually determining the lowest-priced travel arrangements.

Abstract: An automated system (10) is provided for identifying alternate low-cost travel arrangements. The system (10) obtains inventory information specifying the rates and/or availability of a plurality of travel arrangements, from one or more computer reservation systems. The inventory information is stored in a database (14) along with one or more portfolios of information (relating to a travel agency and each business entity customer of the travel agency) that can be used to discount the listed rates of the travel arrangements. In response to travel request information received from a customer, the system (10) automatically retrieves the inventory and/or discount information from the database (14) and determines a plurality of low-cost alternate travel arrangements that are available to the customer Consequently, a travel agent using the system (10) does not have to spend time manually identifying alternate low-cost travel arrangements.

Abstract: An automated travel planning system (10) is provided. The system (10) includes a database (12) which stores information relating to each individual traveler and business entity customer of a travel agency and also information relating to the travel agency itself. This information may include, for example, data concerning the frequent flyer/renter programs in which a traveler participates, smoking and seating preferences for a traveler, preferred travel vendors of a business entity, restrictions on fare classes (e.g., business or coach classes only) imposed by a business entity on its employees, and promotions available to a travel agency. When travel request information is received from a specific customer (individual and/or business entity) of the travel agency, the system automatically retrieves information relating to the customer from the database and also information relating to the travel agency.

Abstract: An automated system (10) is provided for selecting an initial computer reservation system. The system (10) includes a database (12) which stores data relating to each computer reservation system (30) utilized by a travel agency. The database (12) also contains one or more informational portfolios that can be used to determine the computer reservation system preferences of various parties, such as, for example, an individual traveler, a business entity employing the traveler, and the travel agency. In response to travel request information received from a customer, the system (10) automatically retrieves data/information from the database (12) and determines a target computer reservation system which most likely will be used to book travel arrangements. Consequently, the system (10) optimizes the hits-to-bookings ratio for each computer reservation system (30) utilized by the travel agency.

Abstract: An improved earth's magnetic field sensing compass utilizes a flat, toroidal flux valve in which pickoffs sense mutually perpendicular components of the magnetic field and the fields are nulled by the closed loop feed back of nulling currents into respective pairs of the sensor pickoffs.