Abstract: A device for repairing a stall cleaning tool that has a broken tine is a tine having a first clamping member integral therewith located at an end of the tine. The first clamping member has a clamping surface with at least one channel therein for receiving at least one structural member of the stall cleaning tool. A second clamping member has a clamping surface with at least one channel therein for receiving at least one structural member of the stall cleaning tool. The first and second clamping members are secured to one another with the clamping surfaces of the clamping members adjacent to one another and the channels in the clamping surfaces aligned with one another.

Abstract: A system and method for determining the resources available or used in a remote device is disclosed. The system can be used to determine whether the remote device is using expected resources as originally configured or to determine whether resources are available to support new or extended services. The method can be used to configure or reconfigure the remote device for its intended use or as reconfigure a remote device for new, different or extended purposes.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for executing instructions in a processor are provided. In one embodiment of the invention, the method includes receiving a plurality of instructions. The plurality of instructions includes first instructions in a first thread and second instructions in a second thread. The method further includes forming a common issue group including an instruction of a first instruction type and an instruction of a second instruction type. The method also includes issuing the common issue group to a first execution unit and a second execution unit. The instruction of the first instruction type is issued to the first execution unit and the instruction of the second instruction type is issued to the second execution unit.

Abstract: A web based interactive geographic information systems mapping analysis and methods for improving business performance including future scenario modeling are provided. The system uses a radical efficiency model to increase profitability since competitiveness can be improved by the radical efficiency model that allows businesses to reduce money wasted on bad initiatives. The system also gives businesses competitive intelligence on how to find new markets (expanding the pie) and to capitalize on competitors' inefficiencies and weaknesses to capture the competitors' market share (eating the competitor's slice of the pie). The system also shows businesses how to make more money by maximizing their strategic advantages against competitors and by identifying the best places and recommended strategies for business growth. The system also expands the list of potential vendors and customers a business can buy from and sell to. The system also provides advertisement recommendations for the business.

Abstract: A surface treating appliance includes a surface treating head, a hose and a main body including a fan unit for generating a flow of fluid and a rotary changeover valve. The changeover valve includes a valve body having a first section for receiving fluid flow from the surface treating head, a second section for receiving fluid flow from the hose, and third section for conveying fluid flow towards the fan unit; and a valve member which is selectively moveable between a first position which connects the second section to the third section, and a second position which connects the first section to the third section. To minimize the number of components of the main body, the valve body forms part of a casing for the fan unit.

Abstract: A surface treating appliance includes a surface treating head, a hose, and a main body including a fan unit for generating a flow of fluid, and a rotary changeover valve including a valve member which is selectively rotatable between a first position allowing fluid flow between the hose and the fan unit, and a second position allowing fluid flow between the surface treating head and the fan unit, the valve member comprising a hub having an internal surface shaped to receive a boss about which the valve member is selectively rotatable. To facilitate the breaking of seals by valve member and other parts of the appliance as the valve member moves away from one of its first and second positions, the external surface of the boss and the internal surface of the hub each has a profile generally in the form of a triangular prism, the profile of the external surface of the boss tapering towards the valve member.

Abstract: A system and method for determining the resources available or used in a remote device is disclosed. The system can be used to determine whether the remote device is using expected resources as originally configured or to determine whether resources are available to support new or extended services. The method can be used to configure or reconfigure the remote device for its intended use or as reconfigure a remote device for new, different or extended purposes.

Abstract: A system and method for determining the resources available or used in a remote device is disclosed. The system can be used to determine whether the remote device is using expected resources as originally configured or to determine whether resources are available to support new or extended services. The method can be used to configure or reconfigure the remote device for its intended use or as reconfigure a remote device for new, different or extended purposes.

Abstract: A system and method for providing tactile feedback on a touch screen display unit is provided. The tactile feedback unit has a gel layer for deforming discrete surface areas of a touch-screen display; and a tactile feedback controller for controlling the deformation by the gel layer. The tactile feedback unit is overlaid onto a liquid crystal display, OLED display, or other types of touch screen displays. Areas of the gel layer are individually controllable by the tactile feedback controller, such that areas of the gel layer that overlay control elements of a graphical user interface displayed on the touch screen display are activated. Additionally, contact with the touch screen display by a user at an area defined as a control element causes the corresponding area of the gel layer to provide a tactile feedback, such as deformation, vibration, etc.

Abstract: A system and method for determining the resources available or used in a remote device is disclosed. The system can be used to determine whether the remote device is using expected resources as originally configured or to determine whether resources are available to support new or extended services. The method can be used to configure or reconfigure the remote device for its intended use or as reconfigure a remote device for new, different or extended purposes.

Abstract: A system and method for providing tactile feedback on a touch screen display unit is provided. The tactile feedback unit has a gel layer for deforming discrete surface areas of a touch-screen display; and a tactile feedback controller for controlling the deformation by the gel layer. The tactile feedback unit is overlaid onto a liquid crystal display, OLED display, or other types of touch screen displays. Areas of the gel layer are individually controllable by the tactile feedback controller, such that areas of the gel layer that overlay control elements of a graphical user interface displayed on the touch screen display are activated. Additionally, contact with the touch screen display by a user at an area defined as a control element causes the corresponding area of the gel layer to provide a tactile feedback, such as deformation, vibration, etc.

Abstract: By employing a scaled method for calculating the intersection of a ray with two bounding planes, divide operations may be avoided, which may result in fewer clock cycles and, possibly simplified processing logic.

Abstract: A set top box with a firewall is disclosed. The set top box uses two separate ports to communicate with two respective communications networks. The first port communicates with the first network to receive programming information and the second port communicates with the second network to receive information. A firewall, in communication with one of the ports, is capable of receiving and analyzing information from the port. The firewall helps to prevent harmful or unauthorized information from reaching other components of the set top box. The firewall can receive information before other components associated with the set top box and the firewall can include various different forms of filtering.

Abstract: Methods and devices are disclosed for discouraging unauthorized modifications to set top boxes and gateways. Resource information is received that describing the number of disk drives and/or the capacity of each disk drive. A processor communicates with a database that stores configuration information. The processor compares the resource information to the configuration information. When the resource information differs from the configuration information, then the processor detects unauthorized modifications to the set top box.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for executing instructions in a processor are provided. In one embodiment of the invention, the method includes receiving a plurality of instructions. The plurality of instructions includes first instructions in a first thread and second instructions in a second thread. The method further includes forming a common issue group including an instruction of a first instruction type and an instruction of a second instruction type. The method also includes issuing the common issue group to a first execution unit and a second execution unit. The instruction of the first instruction type is issued to the first execution unit and the instruction of the second instruction type is issued to the second execution unit.

Abstract: A system and method for resource sharing are provided. The method includes storing an electronic programming guide (EPG) application and an EPG, determining when local memory of a local video device lacks capacity to download additional time of the EPG, and communicating with another device to transmit a resource request to the other device to download the additional time of the EPG to storage in the other device. The method also includes processing for display monitoring data that indicates remaining storage space in the storage of the other device, querying the other device to determine what programming is being viewed, and processing controls included in the EPG application that enable access to the storage of the other device to interact with the EPG stored on the other device through the local video device to schedule a programming event at the local video device.

Abstract: A system and method enables a set-top box to share the processing, communications, and storage resources of another local device, such as a personal computer, other set-top box, or an electronic appliance. The set-top box is interconnected with the other local devices using a “transmission medium such as wire, concentric cable, or a wireless medium. The interconnected devices form a resource sharing group that includes a control member. The control member receives a request for a resource from a requesting member, and then determines whether the resource is available from a set-top box that is a member of the resource sharing group. If the resource is available, the set-top box shares the resource, and uses the shared resource to perform a task. The system and method also enables members of the resource sharing group to share video, audio, and related content.

Abstract: An apparatus for covering goods, and goods stacked on a pallet with plastic wrap supplied in a roll comprises: a) a roll head adapted to rotatably carry the roll of plastic wrap, the roll head having a friction mechanism so that ease of rotation of the roll with respect to the head is controlled thereby facilitating stretching the wrap around the goods after an end portion of the wrap is initially secured adjacent to the goods; and, b) an elongate handle portion carrying the roll head and extending therefrom in a direction generally parallel to the axis of the roll of plastic wrap.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide methods and apparatus for pre-fetching bounding volume information while tracing a ray through a spatial index. According to one embodiment of the invention, a first ray may be traced through a spatial index and a traversal history may be recorded. Later, a subsequent ray may be issued into a three dimensional scene which may have a similar trajectory as the first ray. The subsequent ray may intersect the same bounding volumes as the first ray as it is traversed through the spatial index. Therefore, the recorded traversal history may be used to pre-fetch bounding volume information while traversing the subsequent ray through the spatial index. By pre-fetching the bounding volume information, the amount of time to traverse the subsequent ray through the spatial index may be reduced.

Abstract: An apparatus for covering goods, and goods stacked on a pallet with plastic wrap supplied in a roll comprises: a) a roll head adapted to rotatably carry the roll of plastic wrap, said roll head having a friction mechanism so that ease of rotation of the roll with respect to the head is controlled thereby facilitating stretching the wrap around the goods after an end portion of the wrap is initially secured adjacent to the goods; and, b) an elongate handle portion carrying the roll head and extending therefrom in a direction generally parallel to the axis of the roll of plastic wrap.