Abstract: A native application built for a mobile device can embed non-native JAVA code that may be executed by a JAVA virtual machine also embedded as a library within the native application. Enterprise applications may be extended for use by mobile devices. Business logic for an application may be constructed just once and then used in both enterprise applications and mobile device applications.

Abstract: A compressor blade having an airfoil that comprises oppositely-disposed convex and concave surfaces, oppositely-disposed leading and trailing edges defining therebetween a chord length of the airfoil, a forward-most nose of the airfoil located at the leading edge and having a profile, a blade tip, and an erosion-resistant coating. The coating is present on the concave surface near the trailing edge, optionally present on the nose, optionally present on the convex surface, wherein the convex surface is free of the erosion resistant coating within at least 20% of the chord length from the nose. The thickness of the coating on the concave surface, the convex surface, and the nose is such that, if the gas turbine engine is exposed to an erosive environment, deterioration of the concave surface, the convex surface and the leading edge does not form a pronounced cusp at an intersection of the convex surface and leading edge.

Abstract: A bushing includes a bronze backing layer having a first axial end, a second axial end, and a central opening, the bushing having a cylindrical shape and a porous bronze layer. PTFE or other suitable low friction material is impregnated into the porous bronze layer at one of a radially inner or outer surface of the bushing. A PTFE or other suitable low friction material topical layer is disposed adjacent the impregnated layer. The bushing may optionally comprise a flange which also includes the bronze backing layer, the porous bronze and impregnated layer, and the topical layer on an axially inner or outer surface.

Abstract: A native application built for a mobile device can embed non-native JAVA code that may be executed by a JAVA virtual machine also embedded as a library within the native application. Enterprise applications may be extended for use by mobile devices. Business logic for an application may be constructed just once and then used in both enterprise applications and mobile device applications.

Abstract: A noninvasive method for the affixing of a transmission in a downhole housing wherein the housing is deformed, creating an oval cross section, and inserting the transmission into the housing with the greatest cross section of the transmission being positioned along the major axis of the oval created and, thereafter, releasing pressure to cause said housing to return to its normal circular cross section.

Abstract: In a splined drive wherein the teeth of a male spline and the teeth of a female spline are interposed in driving relation, a plurality of friction inhibitors in a string interposed between at least some of said male splined teeth and said female splined teeth and stops disposed at either end of said string of friction inhibitors to limit longitudinal travel of the string, with springs, or other elastic devices, interposed between the string of friction inhibitors and stops to center the friction inhibitors between the stops.

Abstract: A food portion preparation station has an integral portion weight sensing system configured for portion control. A fry ribbon with integral portion weight sensing includes a weight sensor and software to weigh individual orders of comestibles such as french fries in selected portion sizes and as the operator is adding comestibles to the container, an instant indication is provided on a display showing the operator that a full order or portion is delivered while avoiding unnecessary loss in excessive portions, thereby preserving the restaurant owner's profit margin. Comestibles are taken from a holding area and placed into a container having a selected portion size corresponding to an assigned weight. The fry ribbon structure incorporates the weight sensor and each weighed portion is moved laterally along the queue defined by ribbon area for retrieval and service to a customer.

Abstract: A system for disengaging a power supply at the surface of a well from a downhole assembly having a pump for pumping fluid in the well to the surface thereof. A captured spline assembly interposed in the rod string, selectively connected to the downhole assembly to provide torsional drive.

Abstract: In a well extending from the surface of the earth to a deposit of production fluid there beneath, a system for delivering the contents of the deposit to the earth's surface. The system comprising a rod string capable of being driven by a source of motive power at the earth's surface, including an internally overshot assembly rod at the end of the rod string; a downhole assembly, including a pump and receiver with a shaft extending upwardly from the downhole assembly, the receiver shaft being connectable to the overshot assembly such that rotation of the rod string and overshot assembly drives the pump to push the production fluid to the surface of the earth.

Abstract: A system for connecting and disconnecting a rod string from a downhole assembly in which a captured spline assembly is encased in a receiver attached to the downhole assembly and an on-off tool separating the rod string from the downhole assembly.

Abstract: In a gear transmission, pairs of spur drive gears provided with a helical cut spline on the inner diameter of the spur drive gears are mounted on a drive shaft provided with helical cut splines on the outer diameter of the drive shaft. The pairs of spur drive gears engage pairs of spur driven gears provided with a helical cut spline on the inner diameter of the spur driven gears mounted on a driven shaft provided with helical cut splines on the outer diameter of the driven shaft. In operation, there is equal load sharing among spur drive gears engaging the spur driven gears.

Abstract: A transportable and repositionable portion control system 10 has an integral portion weight sensing system 90 configured for use with an optional fry ribbon bridge assembly 190 in a portion control method. The portion 14 is held in a portion indexing area, or corral 20 on an upper surface 22 of the scale 10. A portion indexing area 20 is defined between spaced, upstanding container supports 24 and 26 which diverge from one another in a “V” shape and the spacing between the rails is selected to allow a selected variety of known containers such as a cup to be placed on surface 22 between the rails to ensure that the carton is properly located for the weight measurement that is to be carried out by the scale 10.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to distributed control of a platoon of vehicles with nonlinear dynamics. Distributed receding horizon control algorithms are presented to derive sufficient conditions that guarantee asymptotic stability, leader-follower string stability, and predecessor-follower string stability, following a step speed change in the platoon. Vehicles compute their own control in parallel, and receive communicated position and velocity error trajectories from their immediate predecessor. Leader-follower string stability requires additional communication from the lead car at each update, in the form of a position error trajectory. Communication from the lead car is required only once at initialization. Provided an initially feasible solution can be found, subsequent feasibility of the algorithms are guaranteed at every update. The theory is generalized for nonlinear decoupled dynamics, and is thus applicable to fleets of planes, robots, or boats, in addition to cars.

Abstract: A surgical stapling instrument comprises a cartridge device with a row of staples and a wavy first tissue interface, and an anvil having a wavy second tissue interface which cooperates with the first tissue interface for clamping tissue therebetween and forming the staples exiting from the cartridge device, a staple driving device adapted to drive the staples out of the cartridge device towards the anvil, wherein the staples are non-symmetrical U-shaped with two legs protruding toward the anvil and a transverse basis connecting the legs, wherein the basis is inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction of the legs and has a length greater than the staple projection on a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the legs.

Abstract: A direct drive pump employs an on-off tool to attach the drive rod string to a floating pump drive shaft in both torsion and tension. The downward thrust on the drive shaft, as well as the weight of the drive rod string, is born by a thrust bearing in the drivehead at the surface. A floater pump is used with this direct drive pump to permit the free vertical movement of the drive shaft. When a tandem direct drive pump is employed a housing containing a tandem pump drive shaft connector connects the shafts in an upper and lower tandem pump to permit the two to freely move in the tandem direct drive pump.

Abstract: Distributed control of vehicles with coordinating cars that implement a cooperative control method, and non-coordinating cars that are presumed to follow predictable dynamics. A cooperative control method can combine distributed receding horizon control, for optimization-based path planning and feedback, with higher level logic, to ensure that implemented plans are collision free. The cooperative method can be completely distributed with partially synchronous execution, and can afford dedicated time for communication and computation, features that are prerequisites for implementation on real freeways. The method can test for conflicts and can calculate optimized trajectories by adjusting parameters in terminal state constraints of an optimal control problem.

Abstract: Various devices are provided for allowing multiple surgical instruments to be inserted through a single surgical access device at variable angles of insertion, allowing for ease of manipulation within a patient's body while maintaining insufflation. Safety shields and release mechanisms are also provided for use with various surgical access devices.

Abstract: Avatar cloning in a virtual world may include receiving an input indicating that a user desires to access a cloning feature and allowing a cloned avatar to be cloned from the user's avatar.

Abstract: Avatar cloning in a virtual world may include receiving an input indicating that a user desires to access a cloning feature and allowing a cloned avatar to be cloned from the user's avatar.