Abstract: A system for tracking locations of portable data storage media. The system includes media with a wireless tag storing metadata pertaining to its stored data. The tag is adapted to respond to an interrogatory signal by wirelessly transmitting a signal comprising the metadata, e.g., is a high frequency radio frequency identification (RFID) tag powered inductively to transmit contents of its memory. The system includes a stationary and mobile locators that includes tag readers transmitting the interrogatory signals to the media and receiving the metadata signals from the wireless tags. Mobile ones of the locators include a communication module receiving location data (e.g., Global Positioning System (GPS) data) and sending wireless signals made up of the received location data and the received metadata signals. The system includes a media tracker that receives signals from the mobile locator and determines and stores locations of the media typically along with a time stamp.

Abstract: A method and system for sharing data and interrogating data include establishing a level of trust between mutually mistrusting entities so that data may be shared therebetween based on the level of trust. The method and system include interrogating data provided from one of the entities to the other entity without the receiving entity having complete access to the data associated therewith.

Abstract: The present invention's unique utilization of an electrolytic solution renders more efficient the conduction of electricity between two objects (such as two parts of electrical or electromechanical machinery) in relative motion. According to typical inventive practice, the electrolytic solution is a “strong” electrolytic solution of a “dual-valance” nature, including two compatible solute compounds containing electron donor ions and electron acceptor ions. When inventively implemented at the current collector interface, the electrolytic solution serves to improve current transfer across the interface. During machine operation in which a brush (e.g., fiber brush) slidingly contacts a first machine part while being affixed to a second machine part, the inventive additive represents an auxiliary vehicle for conducting electrical current from one machine part to the other machine part.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide virtual reality tools used to develop improved infection control solutions. The virtual reality tools may be applied to a variety of health care environments to develop improved infection control solutions, including improved training systems for modifying human behavior regarding hand washing (or other infection control behaviors), improved systems for evaluating the effectiveness of a proposed infection control solution, and for a producer/seller of anti-microbial products to demonstrate the superiority of one product over another or the superiority of one proposed solution over another.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide virtual reality tools and simulations used for improved health care customer management. The virtual reality tools may be used by a product manufacturer or seller to assist in relationship management with health care partners including identifying improved solutions for a variety of problems, strengthening infection prevention processes and systems, improving order and flow in the operating room and other care-delivery environments, identifying benefits from new products, providing techniques for evaluating new health care systems and processes, etc.

Abstract: A method of, and system for, facilitating electronic commerce transaction comprises: steps for, or server component, receiving an indication of purchase of a first product from a first seller, sending an offer for a second product of a second seller to the first seller, allowing the first seller to accept and complete purchase of the second product without providing billing information of the customer to the second seller. The method and system may further provide a subscription management of multiple subscriptions from different subscription sellers.

Abstract: An integrated capacitor and inductor device for separate use as a capacitor and inductor. The device has a four-terminal arrangement having separate capacitor and inductor terminals, which allows connection as two independent circuit elements within one physical package. The device includes a hollow vessel having an exposed integrated capacitor element, in which the exposed integrated capacitor element comprises at least a portion of the hollow vessel. The device also includes a coil winding at least partially within the hollow vessel, electrically communicating with the integrated capacitor element. The integrated capacitor and inductor device may be configured in a plurality of shapes, using different materials to maximize the effects of electric and magnetic fields.

Abstract: A system and method for scheduling resources utilizes a data structure that supports quick sorting to find a highest priority eligibility key. The data structure provides for guaranteed storage efficiency, supports insertion and deletion, and assures that the worst-case operation to maintain its properties after assertion is O(log N) where N is the number of active keys.

Abstract: One form of the present invention contemplates a unique system for creating a customized bank card by a consumer/user based on instructions from a remote terminal. Other forms of the present invention contemplate unique apparatuses, systems, devices, hardware, software, methods, and combinations of these for creating customized bank cards.

Abstract: System and method for content-addressable holographic data storage, primarily optimized with respect to search performance. A structured representation of original data, such as represented by metadata, is provided and stored in a holographic data storage medium on which a search can be performed using a holographic correlator. Phase encoding of both data storage and search pages provides improvement of correlator system signal to noise ratio and dynamic range. Heterodyne detection is also used to provide amplification to a plurality of correlation signals by modulation thereof by a plurality of reference beams. In another aspect, increase in the storage density of the holographic data storage medium and the throughput of a holographic correlator is achieved by employing a content-addressable storage scheme, using a priori knowledge of content provided by metadata to organize data according to a selectable content relationship and store related data as a contiguous cluster.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for degaussing a water vessel. The invention involves the use of a light-weight reduced-size degaussing system that comprises a plurality of degaussing coils arranged in a plurality of axes. An electrical current is passed through the plurality of coils to create a degaussing field. The degaussing coils comprise a high temperature superconductor material, the coils cooled by a single-phase gaseous cryogen.

Abstract: A metallic fuel mixture including solidic powders such as silicon, aluminum and magnesium together with an oxidant, and steam and hydrogen are fed into a combustor to undergo combustion therein. The combustor is positioned within a steam chamber enclosure filled with water as working fluid which is heated by the combustion. The heated water within the stream chamber enclosure is thereby converted into pressurized steam fed into a turbine for operation thereof to impart rotation to a shaft thereby propelling a sea vessel within which the steam chamber enclosure is housed. During such combustion, discharge from the combustor of a liquid by-product occurs as outflow through an exhaust funnel into a collector from which the by-product is processed for ejection into seawater without signature detection.

Abstract: A processor for use in a router, the processor having a systolic array pipeline for processing data packets to determine to which output port of the router the data packet should be routed. In one embodiment, the systolic array pipeline includes a plurality of programmable functional units and register files arranged sequentially as stages, for processing packet contexts (which contain the packet's destination address) to perform operations, under programmatic control, to determine the destination port of the router for the packet. A single stage of the systolic array may contain a register file and one or more functional units such as adders, shifters, logical units, etc., for performing, in one example, very long instruction word (vliw) operations. The processor may also include a forwarding table memory, on-chip, for storing routing information, and a cross bar selectively connecting the stages of the systolic array with the forwarding table memory.

Abstract: A storage system that may include one or more memory devices, a memory interface device corresponding to one or more of the memory devices, which are organized in sections, and a section controller. In this system, a data request for the data may be received over a communications path by a section controller. The section controller determines the addresses in the memory devices storing the requested data, transfers these addresses to those memory devices storing the requested data, and transfers an identifier to the memory interface device. The memory device, in response, reads the data and transfers the data to its corresponding memory interface device. The memory interface device then adds to the data the identifier it received from the section controller and forwards the requested bits towards their destination, such that the data need not pass through the section controller.

Abstract: System and method for content-addressable search of holographically stored data primarily optimized with respect to search performance. A search is performed, by a holographic correlator system, on a structured representation of original data, stored in a holographic data storage medium. In a first aspect, orthogonal phase encoding of both data storage and search pages provides improvement of correlator system signal to noise ratio and dynamic range. In a second aspect, correlator incorporates heterodyne detection of a plurality of correlation signals, obtained by modulation and amplification thereof by a plurality of frequency-shifted reference beams. In a third aspect, the invention provides a method whereby multiple searches can simultaneously interrogate a single data storage location.

Abstract: A system for tracking locations of portable data storage media. The system includes media with a wireless tag storing metadata pertaining to its stored data. The tag is adapted to respond to an interrogatory signal by wirelessly transmitting a signal comprising the metadata, e.g., is a high frequency radio frequency identification (RFID) tag powered inductively to transmit contents of its memory. The system includes a stationary and mobile locators that includes tag readers transmitting the interrogatory signals to the media and receiving the metadata signals from the wireless tags. Mobile ones of the locators include a communication module receiving location data (e.g., Global Positioning System (GPS) data) and sending wireless signals made up of the received location data and the received metadata signals. The system includes a media tracker that receives signals from the mobile locator and determines and stores locations of the media typically along with a time stamp.

Abstract: A memory access scheme employing one or more sets of shift registers interconnected in series to which data may be loaded from or written into one or more memory devices. That is, data from the memory devices may be parallel loaded into the sets of shift registers and then serially shifted through the shift registers until it is output from the sets of shift registers and transferred to its destination. Additionally, the data may be read from and loaded into the memory devices to/from the sets of shift registers such that the shifting of the shift registers is uninterrupted during the reading and/or loading of data. Additionally, data from the memory devices may be loaded into two or more parallel chains of shift registers and then serially shifted through the shift register chains.

Abstract: A storage system that may include one or more memory sections, one or more switches, and a management system. The memory sections include memory devices and a section controller capable of detecting faults with the memory section and transmitting messages to the management system regarding detected faults. The storage system may include a management system capable of receiving fault messages from the section controllers and removing from service the faulty memory sections. Additionally, the management system may determine routing algorithms for the one or more switches.

Abstract: A scheduler utilizes a data structure in the form of an augmented, pruned, radix tree to implement 2-key scheduling.

Abstract: A system and method for scheduling resources utilizes a data structure that supports quick sorting to find a highest priority eligibility key. The data structure provides for guaranteed storage efficiency, supports insertion and deletion, and assures that the worst-case operation to maintain its properties after assertion is O(log N) where N is the number of active keys.