Abstract: A latch system adapted for use with a child vehicle seat has a securing belt, latches which are disposed at each end of the securing belt, and a connection member. The latches are adapted for connection to anchor points rigidly connected to the vehicle. The connection member has a loop portion through which the securing belt is slidably disposed and a connection portion adapted for permanent connection to the child vehicle seat.

Abstract: A latch system adapted for use with a child vehicle seat has a securing belt, latches which are disposed at each end of the securing belt, and a connection member. The latches are adapted for connection to anchor points rigidly connected to the vehicle. The connection member has a loop portion through which the securing belt is slidably disposed and a connection portion adapted for permanent connection to the child vehicle seat.

Abstract: A set of program elements (e.g., transcoders) are grouped together as an administrative unit. Instead of caching the individual outputs of each program element, preferably only the aggregate output of the set of program elements, taken as a whole, is cached. The inventive technique enables the effective re-use of intermediate content. In an illustrative client-server based implementation involving a transcoding service located at a server, the cached information may be shared across multiple server instances to obviate redundant processing. With the present invention, a caching mechanism in a complex software system may be extended in a user-configurable manner by setting up optimal intermediate caching points that are defined by groups of programs used in long computations.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a connector for coupling tether straps attached to child vehicle seats to anchorages provided on the vehicle, e.g., anchorages provided on the package shelf of the vehicle or anchorages located at the crease of the seat bottom and seat back. The latch provides advantages over the common “J” hook currently in use, including an actuator remote from a spring-loaded pin used to block the entrance to an anchorage receiving area. In addition, the connector may include an opening for attachment of a tether strap. In a preferred embodiment, the latch further includes a plate which is coupled to a strap length adjuster, the plate and adjuster being pivotally connected to permit side-to-side rotation of the adjuster relative to the latch to prevent bunching or twisting of the strap which can cause the belt to lose its ability to uniformly distribute a load across its width.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a latch for coupling tether straps attached to child vehicle seats to anchorages provided on the vehicle, e.g., anchorages provided on the package shelf of the vehicle or anchorages located at the crease of the seat bottom and seat back. The latch provides advantages over the common “T” hook currently in use, including a push button remote from the hook of the latch. In addition, the latch may include an opening for attachment of the tether strap. In one preferred embodiment, the latch further includes a plate which is coupled to a strap length adjuster, the plate and adjuster being pivotally connected to permit side-to-side rotation of the adjuster relative to the latch to prevent bunching or twisting of the strap which can cause the belt to loose its ability to uniformly distribute a load across its width.

Abstract: The invention disclosed herein relates to cooperative computing environments and information retrieval and management methods and systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods and systems for capturing and generating useful information about a user's access and use of data on a computer system, such as in the form of documents stored on remote servers, and making such useful information available to others. Documents on the computer system are accessible through a plurality of different methods, such as by specifying an identifier or locator for the document, activating a hyperlink in another document which points to the document, or navigating to the document through navigational commands in an application program such as a browser.

Abstract: The invention disclosed herein relates to cooperative computing environments and information retrieval and management methods and systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods and systems for capturing and generating useful information about a user's access and use of data on a computer system, such as in the form of documents stored on remote servers, and making such useful information available to others. Documents on the computer system are accessible through a plurality of different methods, such as by specifying an identifier or locator for the document, activating a hyperlink in another document which points to the document, or navigating to the document through navigational commands in an application program such as a browser.

Abstract: The invention disclosed herein relates to cooperative computing environments and information retrieval and management methods and systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods and systems for capturing and generating useful information about a user's access and use of data on a computer system, such as in the form of documents stored on remote servers, and making such useful information available to others. Documents on the computer system are accessible through a plurality of different methods, such as by specifying an identifier or locator for the document, activating a hyperlink in another document which points to the document, or navigating to the document through navigational commands in an application program such as a browser.

Abstract: Downstream buffer objects are slaved with the immediate upstream buffer object using a conventional “write remaining” method. The write remaining method can be invoked from each of a plurality of modules having access to the read and write pipes, and operates to slave not the data, but wrappers that point to the data and which therefore represent references to a single copy of the data stored as an upstream data buffer object, so that the actual data need exist in only one place after the write remaining method has been invoked, rather than requiring the data to be sequentially copied from one data buffer to the next. This method further has the benefit of allowing control to be returned to the module during the data transfer function, and of allowing additional data to be written to the outbound pipe.

Abstract: A child's ride-on vehicle including a body portion configured to carry a child rider and at least three wheels mounted to the body portion and configured to allow the body portion to travel. The vehicle also includes a drive system with an electric motor and a battery, the drive system being activatable and connected to at least one of the wheels to rotate the wheel upon activation to thereby cause the vehicle to travel. A primary motor control system is operatively connected to the drive system and configured to allow the child rider to control activation of the drive system. A primary steering system is operatively connected to at least one of the wheels and configured to allow the child rider to selectively steer the vehicle by causing at least one of the wheels to turn relative to at least one other wheel.

Abstract: A user interface apparatus and method for a computing or processing system employing a graphical user interface is presented. In order to provide a good user feel, and specifically to avoid a feeling of inertia or sluggishness in cursor motion as the user starts or stops movement, the apparatus and method provide a negative inertia transfer function. That is, the cursor movement signal produced by applying the input parameter to a transfer function in accordance with the invention is related to a sum of (i) the input parameter, and (ii) a signal related to the rate of change of the input parameter. This is preferably implemented as an additive high-pass transfer function. Preferred embodiments can employ analog circuitry or a digitally programmed transfer function algorithm.

Abstract: A safety gate that has a continuously adjustable width for insertion across a lateral opening such as a doorway. The gate has a generally U-shaped gate frame including two tubular frame members that are slidably connected in a telescoping relationship. A latch is operable to displace the telescoping portions by a pre-selected displacement relative to each other, so that part of the tubes are deflected and the gate frame applies an outward lateral force to the doorway opening sides to retain the gate across the opening. The gate includes a walk-through door with a door latch for latching the door closed and an indicator for indicating when it is not fully closed and latched. A force-distribution bar on at least one side of the gate distributes the force from that side of the gate so that it is applied at two points on that side of the doorway opening.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for storing digital information in a dense memory structure. A semiconductor substrate has a thin insulating layer formed thereon. Over the thin insulating layer is formed a dielectric charge-storage layer. A piezoelectric bimorph cantilever arm has a tip formed at its free end to access certain memory sites defined by charge-storage regions in the charge-storage layer. To write infromation in the form of charges into a memory site the tip contacts or is in close proximity to the surface of the charge-storage layer and an electric field is applied between the tip and the substrate to induce charges to tunnel through the thin insulating layer into the charge-storage layer where the charges are stored as trapped charges. Information is read from a storage-site by spacing the tip of the cantilever arm a distance from the surface of the charge storage layer and applying an electric field between the tip and the substrate.

Abstract: A cloth spreading apparatus 10 for spreading cloth from a cloth roll 16 supported by an expandable mandrel 20 onto a work surface 14. The apparatus includes a carriage assembly 24 movable on the work surface between first and second locations. A mounting frame assembly 26 is carried by the carriage and includes a shiftable subframe 118, 120, 122, 124, 126 and 128, a first pivotal portion 94 supported on the subframe and a second portion 96 rotatable 180.degree., the second portion being carried by the pivotal portion. A shifting motor 74 is provided to shift the subframe in response to a cloth edge sensing apparatus 58. A motor driven screw operated scissors jack assembly 102 is provided to pivot the pivotal portion. A cantilevered spring 200 is disposed between the pivotal portion and the rotatable portion and initially accelerates and then decelerates the rotatable portion as it moves 180.degree. from one position to another.

Abstract: A cutting machine comprising a housing having a base, a motor carried by the housing, a knife blade having a cutting edge and carried by the housing for reciprocal motion generally normal to the base in response to operation of the motor, a presser foot movably carried by the housing located in spaced relation to the blade cutting edge and movable toward and away from the base, and characterized by an elongated guard connected to the presser foot and located closely adjacent the blade edge and guided supported in the housing for movement along the blade edge in response to movement of the presser foot toward and away from the base. There is included an arrangement for releasing the presser foot when the motor is turned off allowing the pressure foot to rest on or near the base and maintain the guard in place along the blade edge when the motor is off.

Abstract: Apparatus for supporting and guiding a machine for operating on sheet material such as cloth while the material lies on a surface of a supporting structure having a pair of substantially parallel sides extending lengthwise of the structure, the apparatus comprising a carriage adapted for movement lengthwise of the supporting structure along a path substantially parallel to the sides, a guide arm on the carriage extending across the supporting surface between the sides and spaced from the surface, and a support arm connected to the guide arm extending at an angle thereto and located in spaced relation to the supporting surface, the support arm carrying at one end a machine for operating on the sheet material, and the support arm being pivotally movable about an axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the guide arm and along a plane disposed substantially perpendicular to the supporting surface.

Abstract: A side by side bicycle has a frame including rear forks, a transverse crank tube, an upright seat tube and an upright steering tube. A rear wheel is mounted in the rear forks, and a crankshaft is journalled in the crank tube. There is a first pair of cranked pedals on one end of the crankshaft on one side of the frame and a second pair of cranked pedals on the other end of the crankshaft on the other side of the frame. A chain and sprocket mechanism connects the crankshaft to the rear wheel. A steering spindle is journalled in the steering tube, and front forks are secured to the steering spindle and carry a front wheel. From the steering tube a duplex yoke has yoke bars that extend laterally at a variable orientation. At one end of one yoke bar there is a handle bar tube from which a handle bar post projects upwardly to carry a first set of handle bars. The other yoke bar at its opposite end carries a steering head with a steering sleeve rotatably mounted in it.