Abstract: An inlet duct for use with an engine is presented. The invention includes a duct structure, at least one spike disposed along an interior surface of the duct structure, and an inlet throat formed by one or more apexes disposed along an equal number of spikes. The inlet throat corresponds to the minimum cross-sectional area through which airflow passes as otherwise allowed by the maximal obstruction formed by the apex(es) within the duct structure. Each spike is bounded by a longitudinal ridge and a lateral ridge along an upper end and a base. The ridges intersect at the apex. A portion of each spike upstream of the inlet throat functions primarily as a supersonic diffuser and downstream as a subsonic diffuser. Airflow is isentropically compressed and then expanded within the inlet duct so that greater-than-subsonic flow at an input end is reduced to subsonic flow at an output end.

Abstract: An inlet duct for use with an engine is presented. The invention includes a duct structure, at least one spike disposed along an interior surface of the duct structure, and an inlet throat formed by one or more apexes disposed along an equal number of spikes. The inlet throat corresponds to the minimum cross-sectional area through which airflow passes as otherwise allowed by the maximal obstruction formed by the apex(es) within the duct structure. Each spike is bounded by a longitudinal ridge and a lateral ridge along an upper end and a base. The ridges intersect at the apex. A portion of each spike upstream of the inlet throat functions primarily as a supersonic diffuser and downstream as a subsonic diffuser. Airflow is isentropically compressed and then expanded within the inlet duct so that greater-than-subsonic flow at an input end is reduced to subsonic flow at an output end.

Abstract: An inlet duct for use with an engine is presented. The invention includes a duct structure, at least one spike disposed along an interior surface of the duct structure, and an inlet throat formed by one or more apexes disposed along an equal number of spikes. The inlet throat corresponds to the minimum cross-sectional area through which airflow passes as otherwise allowed by the maximal obstruction formed by the apex(es) within the duct structure. Each spike is bounded by a longitudinal ridge and a lateral ridge along an upper end and a base along a lower end. The longitudinal ridge and the lateral ridge intersect at the apex. In preferred embodiments, the longitudinal ridge is at least partially non-linear so as to properly conform to the interior surface of the duct structure. The portion of each spike upstream of the inlet throat functions primarily as a supersonic diffuser. The portion of each spike downstream of the inlet throat functions primarily as a subsonic diffuser.

Abstract: An inlet duct for use with an engine is presented. The invention includes a duct structure, at least one spike disposed along an interior surface of the duct structure, and an inlet throat formed by one or more apexes disposed along an equal number of spikes. The inlet throat corresponds to the minimum cross-sectional area through which airflow passes as otherwise allowed by the maximal obstruction formed by the apex(es) within the duct structure. Each spike is bounded by a longitudinal ridge and a lateral ridge along an upper end and a base along a lower end. The longitudinal ridge and the lateral ridge intersect at the apex. In preferred embodiments, the longitudinal ridge is at least partially non-linear so as to properly conform to the interior surface of the duct structure. The portion of each spike upstream of the inlet throat functions primarily as a supersonic diffuser. The portion of each spike downstream of the inlet throat functions primarily as a subsonic diffuser.

Abstract: An inlet duct for use with an engine is presented. The invention includes a duct structure, at least one spike disposed along an interior surface of the duct structure, and an inlet throat formed by one or more apexes disposed along an equal number of spikes. The inlet throat corresponds to the minimum cross-sectional area through which airflow passes as otherwise allowed by the maximal obstruction formed by the apex(es) within the duct structure. Each spike is bounded by a longitudinal ridge and a lateral ridge along an upper end and a base along a lower end. The longitudinal ridge and the lateral ridge intersect at the apex. In preferred embodiments, the longitudinal ridge is at least partially non-linear so as to properly conform to the interior surface of the duct structure. The portion of each spike upstream of the inlet throat functions primarily as a supersonic diffuser. The portion of each spike downstream of the inlet throat functions primarily as a subsonic diffuser.

Abstract: Balloon catheters for delivery of prosthetic hear valves is provided. The balloon catheters are configured to deploy a prosthetic heart valve through inflation. The balloon catheters are further configured with one or more retention bumpers to reduce or prevent migration of the prosthetic heart valve during delivery. Balloon catheters described herein are configured with substantially incompressible retention bumpers that promote longitudinal inflation fluid flow.

Abstract: An inlet duct for use with an engine is presented. The invention includes a duct structure, at least one spike disposed along an interior surface of the duct structure, and an inlet throat formed by one or more apexes disposed along an equal number of spikes. The inlet throat corresponds to the minimum cross-sectional area through which airflow passes as otherwise allowed by the maximal obstruction formed by the apex(es) within the duct structure. Each spike is bounded by a longitudinal ridge and a lateral ridge along an upper end and a base along a lower end. The longitudinal ridge and the lateral ridge intersect at the apex. In preferred embodiments, the longitudinal ridge is at least partially non-linear so as to properly conform to the interior surface of the duct structure. The portion of each spike upstream of the inlet throat functions primarily as a supersonic diffuser. The portion of each spike downstream of the inlet throat functions primarily as a subsonic diffuser.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for optimizing a SyncML slow sync between a proprietary client and server. When a slow sync is detected, the client and server can depart from the normal SyncML protocol and process summary data without having to compare all items on a field-by-field basis.

Abstract: A method for processing software layout can include exporting layout setting information from design elements of a software; formatting the layout setting information, and storing it in a layout characteristic file; and importing the layout setting information in the layout characteristic file into design elements of another software. Layout information of each language can be stored in a customizable layout characteristic file.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for optimizing a SyncML slow sync between a proprietary client and server. When a slow sync is detected, the client and server can depart from the normal SyncML protocol and process summary data without having to compare all items on a field-by-field basis.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for optimizing a SyncML slow sync between a proprietary client and server. When a slow sync is detected, the client and server can depart from the normal SyncML protocol and process summary data without having to compare all items on a field-by-field basis.

Abstract: A system for automatically providing notifications to a user regarding interesting content, which automatically collects information regarding persons that are important to the user, as well as indications of important content sources. The important content sources are then monitored for actions performed by one of the important persons for the user, and notifications are generated to the user in the event that the important person performs an action on a document or other information item stored in the important content source. Important persons for a user may be determined through a communication application used by the user, such as an electronic mail program, instant messaging program, or the like, in response to indications of persons that the user has either sent messages to and/or received messages from. The notifications may be provided through the user's communication application, by electronic mail messages, instant messages, or the like.

Abstract: A system for minimizing the time required to initiate and terminate an instant messaging session. An initial message in an instant messaging session is checked to determine whether it has any significant content. If the received initial message has insignificant content, then a non-intrusive notification is provided to the user, without changing the current focus in the user interface. A pre-composed response message may also be automatically transmitted to the initiating user, requesting that a more significant message be sent. When an initial message in an instant messaging session is received that is determined to have significant content, the user is promptly notified in a different manner, which may be intrusive such that the current focus of the user interface is changed to a new window or the like containing the newly initiated instant messaging session.

Abstract: A follow-on message processing system for an integrated information management application. The follow-on message processing system includes a client computer coupled to a network, an email client coupled to the client computer, and a follow-on message controller coupled to the email client. The email client receives an email and a follow-on command from another email client. The follow-on command is associated with the email received from the other email client. The follow-on message controller interrupts access to the email client in response to a determination that an email draft is in progress. The email draft in progress is associated with the received email.

Abstract: A system for forcing e-mail addresses into the Bcc: field of transmitted messages in order to enforce user privacy. A user interface enables a user to indicate that their e-mail address is not to be included in a “To:” or “Cc:” field of an e-mail message from another user when the number of e-mail addresses contained in those fields exceeds a threshold size. The user's e-mail address and the associated threshold are stored for future reference when new messages are sent by the other user. Subsequently, when a new message is generated by the other user in which the number of e-mail addresses contained in the “To:” and/or “Cc:” field exceeds the threshold, then the disclosed system moves the user's e-mail address from the “To:” or “Cc:” field to the “Bcc:” field of the message before the message is transmitted to its recipients. Privacy messages may either be sent individually to specific users, or may be automatically generated as a result of a general privacy setting being indicated by the user.

Abstract: A system that persistently maintains and exposes one or more previous object hierarchies to which an object belonged across one or more hierarchy destroying operations, such as operations that delete parent objects, add parent objects subsequent to addition of their descendent objects, forward objects to or from the hierarchy, and/or modify hierarchy determining rules. A user interface object allows user access to one or more persistent hierarchies for the corresponding object. A hierarchy list or the like allows a user to select a desired one of the persistent hierarchies. A persistent hierarchy can be accessed in the disclosed system through a display object associated with any object within the hierarchy, including the root, leaves, and any intervening objects. When objects are deleted, “ghost” objects are maintained and displayed to the user in the hierarchical positions of the deleted objects when a persistent hierarchy is displayed.

Abstract: A system for providing version control for documents attached to electronic mail messages in which a user's personal document library is used to store documents attached to the email messages the user sends and/or receives. Each time an attached document is transmitted or received within a message thread, a different version of the document is created and stored in the personal document library. The multiple document versions created allow the disclosed system to provide the user with the options of opening the most recent version of an attached document and/or opening the version of the attached document that is associated with the specific opened message. An attached document is represented within an email message using a URL (Uniform Resource Locator), where the stored URL points to the version of the attached document for that message that is stored in the user's personal document library.

Abstract: A system for minimizing the time required to initiate and terminate an instant messaging session. An initial message in an instant messaging session is checked to determine whether it has any significant content. If the received initial message has insignificant content, then a non-intrusive notification is provided to the user, without changing the current focus in the user interface. A pre-composed response message may also be automatically transmitted to the initiating user, requesting that a more significant message be sent. When an initial message in an instant messaging session is received that is determined to have significant content, the user is promptly notified in a different manner, which may be intrusive such that the current focus of the user interface is changed to a new window or the like containing the newly initiated instant messaging session.

Abstract: A system for minimizing the time required to initiate and terminate an instant messaging session. An initial message in an instant messaging session is checked to determine whether it has any significant content. If the received initial message has insignificant content, then a non-intrusive notification is provided to the user, without changing the current focus in the user interface. A pre-composed response message may also be automatically transmitted to the initiating user, requesting that a more significant message be sent. When an initial message in an instant messaging session is received that is determined to have significant content, the user is promptly notified in a different manner, which may be intrusive such that the current focus of the user interface is changed to a new window or the like containing the newly initiated instant messaging session.

Abstract: A system for blending synchronous and asynchronous computer communication applications that determines when a user of a synchronous communication application, such as an instant messaging application, attempts to send a message to another user that is unavailable for synchronous communications, and that forwards the message from the synchronous communication application to an asynchronous communication application for delivery. The forwarded message may be an email message, and the system may operate to determine a destination electronic mail address of the destination user for inclusion in the forwarded message, and include an indication in the forwarded message that it has been forwarded from the synchronous communication application. This indication enables the asynchronous communication application to perform special processing with regard to the forwarded message.