Abstract: Techniques for Precision-Preserving Format-Preserving Encryption (PPFPE) to protect numeric values and strings with leading/trailing and special characters, while preserving their precision, both as a protected value (e.g., ciphertext) and when decrypted are provided. In one aspect, a plaintext string is parsed to detect a first and last sentinel characters, wherein any character(s) preceding the first sentinel character comprises a leading character(s) and any character(s) following the last sentinel character comprises a trailing character(s). Any leading character(s) preceding the first sentinel character and/or any trailing character(s) following the last sentinel character are passed through. A ciphertext string is generated by encrypting the first and last sentinel character using one or more subsets of a set of encryption characters; and encrypting the portion of the plaintext string between the first and last sentinel character using the set of encryption characters.

Abstract: Computing equipment may perform format-preserving encryption and decryption by partitioning an input string into first and second portions. The computing equipment may combine the first portion with the second portion after the second portion has been passed through a pseudorandom function using a format-preserving combination operation that requires inputs having a similar domain size. A data size adjustment engine may adjust the domain size of the output of the pseudorandom function to be similar to the domain size of the first string. In order to mitigate undesirable data overflows, the output of the pseudorandom function may be partitioned into a number of computationally simpler terms each having a modulo factor and a pre-computed constant value. The computing equipment may pre-compute the constant values in advance, thereby reducing the computational complexity required for performing the size adjustment operations without generating undesirable data overflows.

Abstract: A vertical axis wind turbine has a stationary circular core and a rotor rotatably supported about the stationary core. The rotor has a radially extending rotor arm with a wind engaging blade locate at its distal end. The blade has at least two straight blade sections of which at least one blade section is inclined obliquely at a first angle.

Abstract: A wind turbine structure has a vertical core that supports multiple stages of rotor support frames and power generating units, each rotor support frame comprising an annular carousel rotatably located about the core and having at least two radially extending arms, and at least one pair of propeller-type rotors located respectively at distal ends of the radially extending arms. Each rotor support frame can rotate around the vertical core independently. Each rotor support frame further comprises a wind deflector.

Abstract: A shaftless vertical axis wind turbine has a stationary hollow core having inner and outer circular walls with a void between the inner and outer walls. A rotor is rotatably supported about the core and has a plurality of radially extending rotor arms each having a wind engaging rotor blade located at a distal end.

Abstract: A wind deflector for a wind turbine has a vertical wind deflecting surface movable in a circular path about the wind turbine for facing a prevailing wind direction.

Abstract: Prior to a login session, a server computer stores a password verification value v for each of a plurality of authorized users. Each user generates a password verification value v from a secret value x that corresponds to the user's password. When a client computer attempts to establish a login session between the server computer and client computer, the following steps are performed. The server computer receives a user identifier and retrieves the password verification value for the user. The client computer generates a first public value wp by applying the one-way function to a first secret value ws, and sends wp to the server computer. The server computer generates a second public value yp by applying the one-way function to a second secret value ys, and sends yp to the client computer. The server computer also generates a server session key K1 by applying a first predefined session key generation function to wp, v and ys.

Abstract: A jump skate comprises a boot with a base attachment, a surface engager, and a link/spring mechanism, which uses large spring deformation to boost a skater in jumping.

Abstract: A jump skate comprises a boot with a base attachment, a surface engager, and a link/spring mechanism, which uses large spring deformation to boost a skater in jumping. The link/spring mechanism comprises at least two links and at least one spring (coil or wound). The links and the spring(s) are made of metallic, synthetic, or composite materials. The link/spring mechanism is connected to the boot and the surface engager with pin joints in such a way that allows large relative displacement with zero rotation between the boot and the surface engager, which offers improved control of the surface engager for skate jump/landing. The spring(s) is installed in such a way that it deforms with relative displacements between the boot and the surface engager. Thus a skater can first store energy into the spring(s) by forcing the boot down towards the surface engager and then jump to release the energy for further height.

Abstract: A jump skate comprises a boot with a base attachment, a surface engager, and a link/spring mechanism, which uses large spring deformation to boost a skater in jumping.The link/spring mechanism comprises at least two links and at least one spring (coil or wound). The links and the spring(s) are made of metallic, synthetic, or composite materials.The link/spring mechanism is connected to the boot and the surface engager with pin joints in such a way that allows large relative displacement with zero rotation between the boot and the surface engager, which offers improved control of the surface engager for skate jump/landing.The spring(s) is installed in such a way that it deforms with relative displacements between the boot and the surface engager. Thus a skater can first store energy into the spring(s) by forcing the boot down towards the surface engager and then jump to release the energy for further height.

Abstract: The present invention discovers the layup ofi. a multimaterial fully isotropic laminate that exhibits a concomitant stiffness isotropy in extension, shear, bending, and twisting; andii. a multimaterial quasi-homogeneous anisotropic laminate that has identical stiffness anisotropy in extension and bending as well as in shear and twisting.In addition, layups of the multimaterial fully isotropic laminate lead to a substantially new category of the single-material fully isotropic laminate.Although these laminate layups have distinctive applications as load-carrying structures, the approaches and models that generate these layups are closely related.

Abstract: The present invention discovers the layup ofi. a multimaterial fully isotropic laminate that exhibits a concomitant stiffness isotropy in extension, shear, bending, and twisting; andii. a multimaterial quasi-homogeneous anisotropic laminate that has identical stiffness anisotropy in extension and bending as well as in shear and twisting.In addition, layups of the multimaterial fully isotropic laminate lead to a substantially new category of the single-material fully isotropic laminate.Although these laminate layups have distinctive applications as load-carrying structures, the approaches and models that generate these layups are closely related.