Abstract: The RF impedance of a metal trace at gigahertz frequencies is reduced by forming the metal trace to have a base region and a number of fingers that extend away from the base region. When formed to have a number of loops, the metal trace forms an inductor with an increased Q.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for de-bowing personalized cards which includes a first contact member. The first contact member can be positioned for contacting a personalized card received by the apparatus and for displacing the personalized card against a bow occurring therein. The first contact member contacts and displaces a portion of the personalized card on one side of the personalized card and at an area that is generally centered horizontally and vertically. A second contact member can be supported by the frame for contacting the personalized card on a side opposite the first contact member. The second contact member being arranged and configured to contact an opposite side of the personalized card at a plurality of positions proximate the perimeter of the personalized card. In this manner, the first and second contact members cooperate to bend substantially the entire surface area of the personalized card against the occurring bow.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for laminating personalized cards, which includes a frame that supports a supply spindle for delivering a patch film disposed on a web to a personalized card. The frame supports a platen structure for affixing a portion of the patch film to a portion of one side of the personalized card when the supply spindle delivers the patch film to the personalized card. The frame supports a take-up spindle for receiving the web after the patch film has been delivered to the personalized card. The frame supports a lamination assembly for laminating the entire patch film to the entire side of the personalized card after the personalized card has had the patch partially affixed thereto.

Abstract: An access control method for a resource, the resource having associated a current authentication identifier for providing access to the resource, a previous authentication identifier and an incorrect authentication submissions limit, the method being responsive to receiving an authentication submission from an entity requesting access to the resource, wherein the authentication submission does not correspond to the current authentication identifier, the method comprising the steps of: preventing access to the resource by the requester; in response to a determination that the authentication submission does not correspond to the previous authentication identifier, and the incorrect authentication submissions limit is met, causing the current authentication identifier to become revoked; and in response to a determination that the authentication submission does correspond to the previous authentication identifier, maintaining the current authentication identifier for providing access to the resource.

Abstract: An automated tool for determining the server-side technology underlying a dynamic Web site acquires one or more root Internet addresses, identifies hyperlinks within a specified link depth of each root internet address, extracts a file extension from a file name associated with each identified hyperlink, designates one or more dominant file extensions based on an analysis of occurrence data, and maps at least one dominant file extension to its corresponding server-side technology. The automated tool may, among other purposes, be used to generate sales leads or to develop a suitable migration path for a dynamic Web site.

Abstract: A bearing cap assembly 5 generally comprising at least one bearing cap 10 having a mini-cap bearing cap 20 and a mini-cap 14. The bearing cap 10 having a shaft bore for receiving a balance shaft and a crankshaft bore for receiving a crankshaft upon connection of the bearing cap assembly 5 to an engine. The bearing cap 10 has a fault line extending between the mini-cap bearing cap 20 and the mini-cap 14 whereby split fracturing the bearing cap 10 along the fault line separates the mini-cap bearing cap 20 from the mini-cap 14. The balance shaft is secured between the mini-cap bearing cap 20 and the mini-cap 14.

Abstract: Systems for providing stimulation with an implantable system control unit and for optimally positioning that system control unit include a system control unit configured to provide a stimulus to a patient with a member attached to the system control unit for pulling the system control unit into position within the patient. Methods of optimally positioning the implantable system control unit within a patient such that the system control unit is proximal to target tissue that is to be stimulated by the system control unit include threading a member through a patient's body using a needle, the member passing proximal to the target tissue and being attached to the system control unit, and pulling the system control unit into place with the member.

Abstract: A media cartridge autoloader is disclosed which includes a media cartridge picker having a turntable capable of supporting a media cartridge and rotating to change the orientation of the media cartridge. A turntable rotating mechanism configured to rotate the turntable and a media cartridge transport mechanism configured to transport the media cartridge onto and off of the turntable are provided on the turntable. A mail slot through which the media cartridge is inserted or ejected, a media drive into which the media cartridge is loaded, and a media cartridge storage section configured to store the media cartridge are provided. The mail slot, the media drive, and the media cartridge storage section are arranged around the media cartridge picker. The media cartridge picker includes a turntable lifting mechanism that raises and lowers the turntable.

Abstract: The present invention is for a chopper and wide-spread impeller spreader that feeds crop residue from the chopper into the spreader at a specific upward angle to more fully utilize the momentum the crop residue achieves in the chopper. The spreader incorporates air intake holes and air fins above the impellers to keep crop residue moving through the impellers without plugging of discharge material. These improvements provide the desired wide-spread broadcast, while preventing crop residue from plugging the spreader.

Abstract: A system and method for personalizing cards and other secure identification documents. The card personalization system and method provide improved data integrity, system reliability, and system performance. Improvements to card handling and processing within the modules, improved card transfer between modules, improvements to control of the modules, and other improvements are set forth, all of which contribute, individually and collectively, to achieving these goals.

Abstract: An integrated DC—DC converter circuit in which multiple switched circuits operate in parallel to drive the output electrode with multiple pulsed charging voltages such that the corresponding respective output ripple voltage components combine with destructive interference, thereby reducing the net output ripple voltage.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling and obtaining service from a pull-based management server is presented. A BIOS of a client indicates whether a previous boot up of the client was to the pull-based management server. An indicator in the BIOS is checked by a checking mechanism. A changing mechanism will change a boot sequence of the client if the indicator signifies that the previous boot up was to the pull-based management server. The changing mechanism orders the boot sequence of the client to boot to a local computer-readable medium before booting to a remote management server. Additionally, a boot sequence setting mechanism on a remote computer will have the client boot to a remote management server before booting to a local computer-readable medium.

Abstract: In a method of reducing the fringing capacitance of a MOSFET, the nitride spacers on the sides of the MOSFET gate are etched away to form trenches, which are plugged to define air spacers.

Abstract: The system and method for n-dimensional parametric analysis solves the problem of finding conditional overlap probabilities for M objects of N dimensions each by decomposing N-dimensional feature spaces into 3-dimensional feature spaces. Intersectors for objects in N-dimensional feature space are used to identify density intersection cubes in the three dimensional feature spaces. Density intersection cubes are split into single density cubic sub-regions that can be associated with other cubic sub-regions of a same density. In association with other single density cubic sub-regions of a same density, the single density cubic sub-regions are recomposed back into an N-dimensional space, becoming single density hyper cubic sub-regions. Ambiguities, among the original M objects of N dimensions may be quantified in terms of the hyper volumes of the single density hyper cubic sub-regions.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for a heat sink to dissipate the heat sourced by the encapsulated transistors in a SOI wafer. The apparatus includes a transistor formed in the active silicon layer of the wafer. The active surface is formed over an oxide layer and a bulk silicon layer. A heat sink is formed in the bulk silicon layer and configured to sink heat through the bulk silicon layer, to the back surface of the wafer. After the transistor is fabricated, the heat sink is formed by masking, patterning and etching the back surface of the wafer to form plugs in the bulk silicon layer. The plug extends through the thickness of the bulk layer to the oxide layer. Thereafter, the plug is filled with a thermally conductive material, such as a metal or DAG (thermally conductive paste). During operation, heat from the transistor is dissipated through the heat sink. In various embodiments of the invention, the plug hole is formed using either an anisotropic plasma or wet etch.

Abstract: An imaging head for an imaging system and a method of obtaining a three-dimensional image with the head and system. The imaging head consists of a digital camera and laser rangefinder fixedly aligned on a common boresight. A rotation stage rotates the camera and rangefinder together as they acquire range and image data of a selected scene. The data is combined to produce the three-dimensional image without the need for a separate calibration process. The method alows a low resolution scan to be made of a scene and an area to be selected for a high resolution scan. The method also allows a number of scans from different positions to be knitted into a single image to overcome line-of-sight limitations.

Abstract: The RF impedance of a metal trace at gigahertz frequencies is reduced by forming the metal trace to have a base region and a number of fingers that extend away from the base region. When formed to have a number of loops, the metal trace forms an inductor with an increased Q.

Abstract: A method for enabling database access to an OLE DB compatible database by a client using a JAVA JDBC Application Program Interface. A JDBC Driver program provides a bridging functionality between the using JDBC client and the OLE DB database.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for establishing a set of cells used to support a soft handoff. The apparatus is used in a wireless communication system including a plurality of cells and at least one wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) having at least one beam antenna which is configured to transition between a switch beam mode and an omni-directional beam mode. The WTRU communicates with a serving cell while the beam antenna is in the switch beam mode. The WTRU performs measurements on cells neighboring the serving cell to determine measurement results associated with the cells. The WTRU then determines whether each of the measurement results exceeds a predetermined threshold. A set of cells associated with the measurement results that exceed the predetermined threshold is established. If the number of cells in the set reaches a predetermined number, the beam antenna transitions from the switch beam mode to the omni-directional beam mode.

Abstract: Configurable virtual output queues (VOQs) in a scalable switching system and methods of using the queues are provided. The system takes advantage of the fact that not all VOQs are active or need to exist at one time. Thus, the system advantageously uses configurable VOQs and may not dedicate memory space and logic to all possible VOQs at one time.