Abstract: A shingle coating asphalt composition is provided that is produced from a paving grade asphalt. The asphalt composition comprises a paving-grade asphalt that has been modified with one or more polymer additives; and a secondary additive comprising one or more of a viscosity reducing agent, a wax, a salt of a fatty acid ester, and an amide of a fatty acid. The shingle coating asphalt coating composition is used to make a shingle. The shingle includes a substrate, the asphalt, and roofing granules.

Abstract: Snap buttons can snap into garments, or other such articles, that are made for them and stay on until a user desires to change them. There are no sharp parts and placement and removal of the buttons is safe, quick and easy, with no need to insert pin holes in garments. A kit can include a garment with female spring snaps disposed therein to allow a user to insert buttons thereon. The kit can include a set of buttons. Buttons can also be provided separately or traded among friends or family to provide a unique, individualized look for each person.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for conditioning an audio input signal to enhance perception and reproduction of bass frequencies. Harmonics are generated and combined with a phase-shifted version of the audio input signal. Use of a controlled phase shift reduces or eliminates unwanted introduction of waveform asymmetry or D.C. offset.

Abstract: There are provided methods and an apparatus for processing audio signals. According to one aspect of the present invention there is included a method for processing audio signals having the steps of receiving at least one audio signal having at least a center channel signal, a right side channel signal, and a left side channel signal; processing the right and left side channel signals with a first virtualizer processor, thereby creating a right virtualized channel signal and a left virtualized channel signal; processing the center channel signal with a spatial extensor to produce distinct right and left outputs, thereby expanding the center channel with a pseudo-stereo effect; and summing the right and left outputs with the right and left virtualized channel signals to produce at least one modified side channel output.

Abstract: There are provided methods and an apparatus for processing audio signals. According to one aspect of the present invention there is included a method for processing audio signals having the steps of receiving at least one audio signal having at least a center channel signal, a right side channel signal, and a left side channel signal; processing the right and left side channel signals with a first virtualizer processor, thereby creating a right virtualized channel signal and a left virtualized channel signal; processing the center channel signal with a spatial extensor to produce distinct right and left outputs, thereby expanding the center channel with a pseudo-stereo effect; and summing the right and left outputs with the right and left virtualized channel signals to produce at least one modified side channel output.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for conditioning an audio input signal to enhance perception and reproduction of bass frequencies. Harmonics are generated and combined with a phase-shifted version of the audio input signal. Use of a controlled phase shift reduces or eliminates unwanted introduction of waveform asymmetry or D.C. offset.

Abstract: The vehicular roof rack cargo carrier system of the preferred embodiment includes rotary latch housing units that can be affixed to roof rack crossbars (also referred to as load bars) plus cargo carrier vessels that have exterior-positioned built-in retention rods. The rotary latch—retention rod system enables carriers to be securely attached to and easily disengaged from roof racks when the carriers themselves are filled with content. The carriers then become portable enabling designs with features such as wheels and handles. Taken altogether, the system enables the creation of content-filled cargo carriers that have product functionality and consumer purpose away from point of vehicle.

Abstract: A subband audio coder employs perfect/non-perfect reconstruction filters, predictive/non-predictive subband encoding, transient analysis, and psycho-acoustic/minimum mean-square-error (mmse) bit allocation over time, frequency and the multiple audio channels to encode/decode a data stream to generate high fidelity reconstructed audio. The audio coder windows the multi-channel audio signal such that the frame size, i.e. number of bytes, is constrained to lie in a desired range, and formats the encoded data so that the individual subframes can be played back as they are received thereby reducing latency. Furthermore, the audio coder processes the baseband portion (0-24 kHz) of the audio band-width for sampling frequencies of 48 kHz and higher with the same encoding/decoding algorithm so that audio coder architecture is future compatible.

Abstract: A multi-channel audio compression technology is presented that extends the range of sampling frequencies compared to existing technologies and/or lowers the noise floor while remaining compatible with those earlier generation technologies. The high-sampling frequency multi-channel audio is decomposed into core audio up to the existing sampling frequencies and a difference signal up to the sampling frequencies of the next generation technologies. The core audio is encoded using a first generation technology such as DTS, Dolby AC-3 or MPEG I or II such that the encoded core bit stream is fully compatible with a comparable decoder in the market. The difference signal is encoded using technologies that extend the sampling frequency and/or improve the quality of the core audio. The compressed difference signal is attached as an extension to the core bit stream. The extension data will be ignored by the first generation decoders but can be decoded by the second generation decoders.

Abstract: A subband audio coder employs perfect/non-perfect reconstruction filters, predictive/non-predictive subband encoding, transient analysis, and psycho-acoustic/minimum mean-square-error (mmse) bit allocation over time, frequency and the multiple audio channels to encode/decode a data stream to generate high fidelity reconstructed audio. The audio coder windows the multi-channel audio signal such that the frame size, i.e. number of bytes, is constrained to lie in a desired range, and formats the encoded data so that the individual subframes can be played back as they are received thereby reducing latency. Furthermore, the audio coder processes the baseband portion (0-24 kHz) of the audio bandwidth for sampling frequencies of 48 kHz and higher with the same encoding/decoding algorithm so that audio coder architecture is future compatible.

Abstract: A subband audio coder employs perfect/non-perfect reconstruction filters, predictive/non-predictive subband encoding, transient analysis, and psycho-acoustic/minimum mean-square-error (mmse) bit allocation over time, frequency and the multiple audio channels to encode/decode a data stream to generate high fidelity reconstructed audio. The audio coder windows the multi-channel audio signal such that the frame size, i.e. number of bytes, is constrained to lie in a desired range, and formats the encoded data so that the individual subframes can be played back as they are received thereby reducing latency. Furthermore, the audio coder processes the baseband portion (0-24 kHz) of the audio bandwidth for sampling frequencies of 48 kHz and higher with the same encoding/decoding algorithm so that audio coder architecture is future compatible.

Abstract: A subband audio coder employs perfect/non-perfect reconstruction filters, predictive/non-predictive subband encoding, transient analysis, and psycho-acoustic/minimum mean-square-error (mmse) bit allocation over time, frequency and the multiple audio channels to encode/decode a data stream to generate high fidelity reconstructed audio. The audio coder windows the multi-channel audio signal such that the frame size, i.e. number of bytes, is constrained to lie in a desired range, and formats the encoded data so that the individual subframes can be played back as they are received thereby reducing latency. Furthermore, the audio coder processes the baseband portion (0-24 kHz) of the audio bandwidth for sampling frequencies of 48 kHz and higher with the same encoding/decoding algorithm so that audio coder architecture is future compatible.