Abstract: The invention provides a digital dentistry system that utilizes a haptic interface and features a computer-based design application configured to allow the intuitive construction of irregular, amorphous three-dimensional structures typically seen in dental restorations, utilizing, where appropriate, the design skills of a user. In certain embodiments, the system provides a comprehensive digital solution for dental labs in the business of creating dental restorations such as partial frameworks, crowns, copings, bridge frameworks, implants and the like, with a sense of touch provided by a haptic interface device.

Abstract: The invention provides a system for modeling three-dimensional objects using hybrid geometric/volumetric representation, wherein sharp edges are created by a geometric representation that is connected to the volumetric representation. The system creates, maintains, and updates the hybrid representation according to user input. The system also provides for conversion of the hybrid representation into either a wholly geometric representation or a wholly volumetric representation, as may be needed for output to a given device, such as a display device, a printer, and/or a fabricating device.

Abstract: A method and system for providing role-based renditions of a shared document during a Web conference, in which different renditions of the shared document are provided to different Web conference participants based on the participants' roles in the conference. A participant with sufficient privileges, such as a presenter, is allowed to associate different participant roles with corresponding renditions through a user interface. The disclosed system further operates to dynamically adjust to the changing roles of participants during a Web conference, such that the rendition provided to any given user is changed in response to that user's role changing during the Web conference. The role of a Web conference participant may be based on any specific information obtained regarding that participant, such as information in a user profile in a user database, or other user information.

Abstract: The present invention provides overvoltage circuit protection. Specifically, the present invention provides a voltage variable material (“VVM”) that includes an insulative binder that is formulated to intrinsically adhere to conductive and nonconductive surfaces. The binder and thus the VVM is self-curable and may be applied to an application in the form of an ink, which dries in a final form for use. The binder eliminates the need to place the VVM in a separate device or for separate printed circuit board pads on which to electrically connect the VVM. The binder and thus the VVM can be directly applied to many different types of substrates, such as a rigid (FR-4) laminate, a polyimide or a polymer. The VVM can also be directly applied to different types of substrates that are placed inside a device.

Abstract: Circuitry for charging a battery includes a switch for coupling the power source to the battery. The switch is turned on and off in accordance with a periodic control signal including a plurality of periods. Each period includes a first duration during which the control signal is in a first state and a second duration during which the control signal is in a second state. The switch is turned on when the control signal is in the first state to couple the power source to the battery, and turned off when the control signal is in the second state to decouple the power source from the battery. Since the switch is periodically turned off while the battery is being charged, the average amount of heat generated by the switch is reduced, thereby preventing excessive thermal emission from the battery charging circuitry.

Abstract: A mooring facility for a tethered gas balloon comprises a building structure containing a hemispherical basin capable of receiving the lower portion of an inflated lighter-than-air gas balloon for mooring the balloon. The surface of the bowl structure is complementary to the surface contour of the lower portion of the balloon. A gondola is suspended beneath the balloon and occupies a central recess in the bowl structure when the balloon is moored. The balloon is tethered by a cable and can be raised and lowered between an elevated operating position and a lowered moored position. The facility avoids the need for a large space requirement and can be erected or installed in a built-up area in or adjacent to a town or city.

Abstract: A system for providing single sign-on (SSO) user names for Web cookies in a multiple user information directory environment. SSO access to multiple applications is supported in situations where multiple user information directories are deployed, and users may be known by multiple identifiers. Convenient specification is enabled for which of a user's multiple names is to be used in an SSO Web cookie that is passed from application to application to enable SSO operation. The user's SSO Web cookie user name is fully separated conceptually from the user's effective name for any given application within the SSO environment. The SSO Web cookie user name provided by the disclosed system is specified independently from the effective name by which the user is known when operating in the Web application that writes the SSO Web cookie back to the user's computer system. Use of an administratively supplied user name in the SSO Web cookie is facilitated.

Abstract: Software for generating a sensor simulation image comprises computer-readable instructions and identifies a visual image with a first resolution and identifies a material image with a second resolution, with the material image spatially correlated with the visual image. The software then generates a second material image with the first resolution using the visual image and the material image. Using the second material image, the software generates a sensor image, the sensor image comprising a plurality of texels and each texel storing a plurality of analogical parameters. Spatial frequency is added to the sensor image using a high frequency image. The software loads a thermal lookup table indexed by the plurality of analogical parameters and dynamically generates an at-aperture radiance image for one of a plurality of times of day using the reflectance image and the thermal lookup table and applying a radiometric equation.

Abstract: A supervised neural network for encoding continuous thermal curves comprises at least one input node operable to receive input data for predicting a temperature for a thermal curve at one of a plurality of times of day. The neural network further comprises a hidden layer of a plurality of hidden nodes, at least a portion of the hidden nodes communicably coupled to the one or more input nodes. The neural network also includes an output node communicably coupled to at least a portion of the hidden nodes and operable to predict thermal properties of a material or plurality of materials at the particular time of day.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for the transparent security for electronic mail (e-mail) messages. A method for transparently securing an e-mail message can include producing a secured form of an e-mail message and identifying at least one designated recipient of the e-mail message for whom a secured form of the e-mail message cannot be produced and understood. Consequently, the secured form can be selectively transmitted to designated recipients able to process the secured form, while an unsecured form of the e-mail message can be transmitted to those identified recipients unable to process the secured form without first requiring confirmation from a sender of the e-mail message to transmit the unsecured form instead of the secured form.

Abstract: A testbench for an integrated circuit (IC) design including a chain of scan circuits having a memory characteristic is verified by: (a) dividing the chain of scan circuits and creating a plurality of partitions, each partition including at least one logic cone output, each scan circuit belonging to one of the partition as a logic cone output; (b) generating a partitioned netlist for each partition from a full netlist for the IC design, the partitioned netlist including at least one logic cone, the logic cone extending from the logic cone output to at least one logic cone input; (c) generating a partitioned testbench for each partition from the full testbench based on the partitioned netlists; and (d) performing verification for the testbench by simulating the partitioned testbenches on the corresponding partitioned netlists.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for identifying functionally sensitized data paths in a logic circuit and storing the identified data paths in a representation of the logic circuit. The representation of the logic circuit includes a single occurrence of each identified data path along with a variable for each single name or path segment identified. The variable represents a number of times that path segment or signal name was functionally sensitized.

Abstract: A testbench for an integrated circuit (IC) design including a chain of scan circuits having a memory characteristic is verified by: (a) dividing the chain of scan circuits and creating a plurality of partitions, each partition including at least one logic cone output, each scan circuit belonging to one of the partition as a logic cone output; (b) generating a partitioned netlist for each partition from a full netlist for the IC design, the partitioned netlist including at least one logic cone, the logic cone extending from the logic cone output to at least one logic cone input; (c) generating a partitioned testbench for each partition from the full testbench based on the partitioned netlists; and (d) performing verification for the testbench by simulating the partitioned testbenches on the corresponding partitioned netlists.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for identifying functionally sensitized data paths in a logic circuit and storing the identified data paths in a representation of the logic circuit. The representation of the logic circuit includes a single occurrence of each identified data path along with a variable for each single name or path segment identified. The variable represents a number of times that path segment or signal name was functionally sensitized.

Abstract: The present invention provides overvoltage circuit protection. Specifically, the present invention provides a voltage variable material (“VVM”) that includes an insulative binder that is formulated to intrinsically adhere to conductive and nonconductive surfaces. The binder and thus the VVM is self-curable and may be applied to an application in the form of an ink, which dries in a final form for use. The binder eliminates the need to place the VVM in a separate device or for separate printed circuit board pads on which to electrically connect the VVM. The binder and thus the VVM can be directly applied to many different types of substrates, such as a rigid (FR-4) laminate, a polyimide or a polymer. The VVM can also be directly applied to different types of substrates that are placed inside a device.

Abstract: An integrated overvoltage and overcurrent circuit protection device for use in telecommunication circuits. The integrated circuit protection device combines a overcurrent device such as a fuse and a overvoltage protection device such as a thyristor to respectively protect against overcurrent conditions and transient overvoltages. Integration of multiple devices in a common package ensures proper coordination and matching of the components, reduces the final product cost and reduces the physical space required on a telecommunications circuit for overvoltage and overcurrent circuit protection.

Abstract: An electrical circuit protection device has an overcurrent protection portion and an overvoltage protection portion. The overcurrent protection portion has a surface. The overvoltage protection portion is disposed on the surface. In one preferred embodiment, the overcurrent portion includes a PTC device and the overvoltage portion includes a voltage variable material. A number of terminations are configured to connect the overcurrent protection portion and the overvoltage protection portion to a printed circuit board.

Abstract: The present invention provides communications between networked computing devices using a high-level Extensible Markup Language (XML) structure. A plurality of desired transactions to be communicated between the networked computing devices are defined and an XML schema is established for each transaction. Communication session state information is maintained on each computing device during a session. Text-based transaction messages are sent between the networked computing devices using Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP) and can include both data and instructions. In one preferred embodiment, the networked computing devices are an Internet web server and a wireless patient monitor and said text-based transaction messages are used to provide bi-directional transmission of data and instructions.

Abstract: An electrical circuit protection device has an overcurrent protection portion and an overvoltage protection portion. The overcurrent protection portion has a surface. The overvoltage protection portion is disposed on the surface. In one preferred embodiment, the overcurrent portion includes a PTC device and the overvoltage portion includes a voltage variable material. A number of terminations are configured to connect the overcurrent protection portion and the overvoltage protection portion to a printed circuit board.

Abstract: A building structure which simulates the appearance of a traditional log structure while incorporating modern wood framing construction techniques is disclosed. A number of interlocking log heads form the corner of the structure. Each log head abuts against a stud or post displaced a distance from the corner. Wall boards are affixed to extend horizontally over sheathing attached to studs and abut each log head. Small spaces between the wall boards are filled with a chinking element, which may be a wood strip covered with a suitable surface material to simulate actual chinking.