Abstract: A trailer and hitch system for a mobile robot. The trailer includes a front Ackerman steering linkage, a releasable locking mechanism for releasably positioning the Ackerman steering linkage in a turned position to arrest the trailer, a tow bar extending upwardly from the Ackerman steering linkage and terminating in a lunette ring, and spaced skid members extending downwardly and rearwardly. The mobile robot includes a hitch assembly for the lunette ring. The hitch assembly has a frame including a slot for the lunette ring and a guide portion for guiding the lunette ring into the slot, a latch pivotable with respect to the frame and biased to close the slot, and a decoupling mechanism configured to move the latch to release the lunette ring from the slot. A robot arm is maneuverable to engage the decoupling mechanism.

Abstract: A document is operatively coupled to a printing device, either directly or through a network such as the Internet. A print schedule is stored that keeps track of when a document should be printed on the printing device. When the print schedule indicates the document should be printed, the document is automatically transmitted to the printing device without user intervention. The printing device automatically prints the document, again without user intervention. The document can be stored on a electronic device, such as a personal computer connected to the printing device, or can be stored on a document server accessible to the printing device through the Internet. A user profile is stored that contains information about the recipient of the document, such as name, email address, household income, and interests. This user profile is updated when a document is printed on the printing device.

Abstract: A method for and apparatus capable of generating a personalized activity publication includes the receipt of a publication profile from a requesting user. A lesson plan based, at least in part, on at least a subset of a plurality of information in accordance with the received publication profile is dynamically generated. Periodically, a targeted publication is assembled for delivery to the requesting user to satisfy at least a subset of the lesson plan generated from the publication profile.

Abstract: A system and method for creating a new destination data structure in memory populated with data from fields of an existing source data structure. A representation of the source is selected, dragged over, and dropped onto an icon representing a program module. The source and the program module are each associated with a type of data structure. If these types of data structures are different, then the destination is created in memory of the type associated with the program module. Once the destination is created, the data within the source is transformed to populate predetermined fields of the destination. One way of populating the destination is by determining which field in the destination corresponds to a given field in the source. Data from a given field of the source is loaded into the corresponding field of the destination.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed for decelerating and absorbing impact of a re-entry vehicle suitable for payloads that are relatively light as well as payloads weighing several tons or more. The apparatus includes four inflatable legs displaced equidistantly from each other around a capsule or housing which contains a payload. The legs are inflated at a designated altitude after entering Earth's atmosphere to slow the descent of the re-entry vehicle. Connected between each of the four legs are drag inducing surfaces that deploy as the legs inflate. The drag inducing surfaces are triangularly shaped with one such surface being connected between each pair of legs for a total of six drag inducing surfaces. The legs have drag inducing outer surfaces which act to slow the descent of the re-entry vehicle.

Abstract: A prefabricated panel system which can be erected to form a watertight surface such as the roof or walls of buildings is described. The panels are structurally sufficient to bridge between spaced support beams. Each panel includes a rectangular sheet metal support subpanel having corrugations extending between and bridging the support members. A surface panel assembly comprising a Hypalon membrane intimately bonded to a thin, flat metal sheet by an epoxy adhesive is mounted on the corrugated subpanel by a foamed insulating layer. The corrugated metal panel extends beyond the foam and the surface panel assembly to form a corrugated lip. Hypalon fastener halves are disposed along each edge of the Hypalon sheet on flexible flaps for extending over the joint between adjacent panels and mating with similar fastener halves along edges of adjacent panels to form a watertight mechanical interconnection between the Hypalon membrane on adjacent panels.