Abstract: A new and distinct Pittosporum plant is provided. Attractive green foliage with irregular light yellow margins is displayed. The growth is vigorous. An upright and columnar growth habit is displayed. The new cultivar has been found to root very easily under customary mist propagation conditions. The plant is well suited for providing attractive ornamentation when grown in the landscape.

Abstract: A new cultivar of Hydrangea macrophylla named ‘PEACE’ that is characterized by its free-flowering and reblooming habit, its well-developed mop-head type inflorescences comprised of double sterile flowers that are white in color, and its strong stems that resist rain and wind damage.

Abstract: A new and distinct cultivar of Alstroemeria plant named ‘Jaofi’, characterized by its erect and strong flowering stems; vigorous growth habit; large dark purple and white-colored flowers with greyed purple-colored flecks and streaks, flowers arranged in symmetrical umbels; and excellent postproduction longevity.

Abstract: A new and distinct cultivar of Zonal Geranium plant named ‘Fiwobic’, characterized by its upright and rounded plant habit; freely branching habit; vigorous growth habit; star-shaped dark green-colored leaves; freely flowering habit; star-shaped red purple and white bi-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Abstract: A new and distinct cultivar of Calibrachoa plant named ‘Suncalkulemo’, characterized by its outwardly spreading to trailing plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching and flowering plant habit; early and long flowering period; yellow-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Abstract: A new Calibrachoa plant named ‘Cal Omgise’ particularly distinguished by the medium sized, variegated orange and yellow flowers, deep green foliage, initially mounding then more spreading and decumbent plant habit with vigorous growth.

Abstract: A new and distinct cultivar of Diascia plant named ‘Dew Drops’, characterized by its compact, outwardly spreading and mounding plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and bushy growth habit; early and freely flowering habit; white-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Abstract: A new and distinct Tiarella cordifolia plant characterized by its lobed foliage with purple markings and white blooms on a clump forming plant that produces many runners.

Abstract: A thermal type flow rate measuring device can certainly prevent adhesion of water droplet onto a sensor element and thus achieve high reliability. The thermal type flow rate measuring device includes an auxiliary passage defined within a main passage for introducing a part of fluid flowing through the main passage, a sensor disposed within the auxiliary passage for detecting flow rate of the fluid and capturing means formed on an inner periphery of the auxiliary passage for capturing liquid contained in the fluid and transferring the captured liquid.

Abstract: A switching field effect transistor includes a substrate; a Mott-Brinkman-Rice insulator formed on the substrate, the Mott-Brinkman-Rice insulator undergoing abrupt metal-insulator transition when holes added therein; a dielectric layer formed on the Mott-Brinkman-Rice insulator, the dielectric layer adding holes into the Mott-Brinkman-Rice insulator when a predetermined voltage is applied thereto; a gate electrode formed on the dielectric layer, the gate electrode applying the predetermined voltage to the dielectric layer; a source electrode formed to be electrically connected to a first portion of the Mott-Brinkman-Rice insulator; and a drain electrode formed to be electrically connected to a second portion of the Mott-Brinkman-Rice insulator.

Abstract: A container is made from an elongated sheet having a front surface, a rear surface, and a first end, a second end, a top edge and a bottom edge. The sheet includes a removable portion and a remainder portion. Both the removable portion and the remainder portion have identifying indicia printed thereon. The elongated sheet is preferably made of an uniaxially oriented material. The rear surface has an adhesive coating applied thereto. An adhesive reducing coating is applied to the adhesive coating adjacent to the first end of the elongated sheet.

Abstract: A DC to DC buck pulse width modulator converter circuit includes an input, a high side output and a low side output. A high side switch is electrically connected between a common output node and a voltage supply, and controls a flow of current therethrough dependent upon the high side output. A low side switch is electrically connected between the common output node and ground, and controls a flow of current therethrough dependent upon the low side output. A virtual ground amplifier includes a second input electrically connected to ground. A current feedback resistor is electrically connected intermediate the common output node and a first input of the virtual ground amplifier. A variable impedance component is electrically connected to an output of the virtual ground amplifier and to the first input of the virtual ground amplifier. The impedance of the variable impedance component is varied dependent upon the output of the virtual ground amplifier.

Abstract: A quadrifilar helix antenna is provided having a feedpoint for the antenna connecting to individual helical antenna elements. A capacitive network, distributed along the length of the antenna, constitutes a variable frequency shunting network. At each position a first capacitive structure, that may comprise a single capacitor or multiple capacitors in series, interconnects a first pair of opposite antenna elements; a second capacitive structure interconnects the second pair of opposite antenna elements. As an applied frequency increases, the capacitive structures progressively short the opposite antenna elements thereby electrically reducing the antenna length.

Abstract: The present invention provides a graphics processing unit for rendering objects from a software application executing on a processing unit in which the objects to be rendered are received as control points of bicubic surfaces. According to the method and system disclosed herein, the graphics processing unit includes a transform unit, a lighting unit, a renderer unit, and a tessellate unit for tessellating both rational and non-rational object surfaces in real-time.

Abstract: An optical disc drive for recording and playing back a recordable-type optical disc includes a driving mechanism for rotating the optical disc, an optical pick-up for writing and reading data to and from the optical disc, signal processor for processing signals read out from the optical disc by means of the optical pick-up, a CPU for controlling the driving mechanism, the optical pick-up and the signal processor. The optical disc drive is further equipped with a detecting device for detecting an ATIP error and a counter for counting the number of ATIP errors. The optical disc drive counts the number of ATIP errors caused in a predetermined time based on the synchronization signal (SUBCODE-SYNC) produced by a clock provided in the optical disc drive after the synchronization signal (SUBCODE-SYNC) has been synchronized with a synchronization signal (ATIP-SYNC) obtained from a reference optical disc.

Abstract: A method and a communications system in which a request for data transmitted by an airborne transmitter over a low-bandwidth air-to-ground communication system uplink and received by a ground-based receiver. The requested data is then transmitted over a high-bandwidth communication system downlink, such as a DBS satellite system downlink, preferably using an MPEG-2 compression technique, and received by an airborne receiver located on the same aircraft as the airborne transmitter. The received request for data is transmitted to a data network that contains the requested data, such as the Internet or a private data network, using circuit-switched techniques. According to the invention, the requested data includes one of video information, audio information and textual information.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling multi-mode radio access, more particularly, to a method and apparatus that supports multi-mode reconfigurable, quality of service (QoS) and seamless handoff in different radio systems so as to provide wire-line like QoS guarantee. The apparatus includes a network layer, a radio adaptation layer, a radio system layer and a physical layer. Therein, the radio adaptation layer is used to control the radio modules disposed in the radio system layer to support the QoS needed in the upper layer. The radio adaptation layer is also used to build up, correct and seamlessly change the radio link, and ensures that the packets from the upper layers can be orderly delivered to the lower layer with preset QoS.

Abstract: A system and method for information content-independent synchronization with a received signal. A variable of the signal (e.g., average energy or magnitude) which is related to the energy distribution, is measured over a period of time. The signal's information bearing point is found at the point within the information period of the signal with the highest averaged energy. The point may be found, for example, by detecting the sample point with highest average energy, or by correlating multiple sample points to a stored template. Interpolation may be performed to locate an information bearing point that is between sample points. Because the relative energy content of the signal is effectively independent of the specific information content, synchronization with the information bearing point is accomplished without requiring the insertion of any special information content or fixed content patterns into the signal.

Abstract: A network for providing a telecommunications service with automatic speech recognition to a telecommunications user, including a switch in communication with a telecommunications device associated with the telecommunications user for detecting a terminating trigger specific to the telecommunications service in response to an incoming communication to the telecommunications device from a calling party, and an intelligent resource server in communication with the switch for receiving the incoming communication from the switch, for placing an outgoing communication to the telecommunications device via the switch, the outgoing communication including an audible message identifying the calling party, and for automatically recognizing a predetermined keyword spoken by the telecommunications user in response to the outgoing communication.

Abstract: A reconfigurable add-drop multiplexer (R-OADM) comprises an array of channel waveguides coupling two groups of diffractive element sets on a slab waveguide. The channel waveguides include switchable reflectors or are coupled to other channel waveguides by optical switches. Switching a reflector to reflect or setting a switch to couple two waveguides results in a corresponding wavelength channel being added or dropped. Switching the reflector to transmit or setting the switch to uncouple the two waveguides allows the corresponding wavelength channel to pass through the R-OADM without being added or dropped.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method for transferring an image from one substrate to another. The method includes providing an image transfer sheet that is comprised of a substrate layer, a release layer and an image-imparting layer that may comprise a low density polyethylene or other polymeric component having a melting temperature within a range of 90°-700° C. An image is imparted to the low density polyethylene area with an image-imparting medium. A second image-receiving substrate is provided. The second image-receiving substrate is contacted to the first image transfer sheet at the polymer layer. Heat is applied to the image transfer sheet so that the low density polyethylene encapsulates the image-imparting medium and transfers the encapsulates to the image-receiving substrate, thereby forming a mirror image on the image-receiving substrate.

Abstract: An electronic device and coupled flexible circuit board and method of manufacturing. The electronic device is coupled to the flexible circuit board by a plurality of Z-interconnections. The electronic device includes a substrate with electronic components coupled to it. The substrate also has a plurality of device electrical contacts coupled to its back surface that are electrically coupled to the electronic components. The flexible circuit board includes a flexible substrate having a front surface and a back surface and a plurality of circuit board electrical contacts coupled to the front surface of the flexible substrate. The plurality of circuit board electrical contacts correspond to plurality of device electrical contacts. Each Z-interconnection is electrically and mechanically coupled to one device electrical contact and a corresponding circuit board electrical contact.

Abstract: A system and method for assisting an integrated GPS/wireless terminal unit in acquiring one or more GPS satellite signals from the GPS satellite constellation. The invention includes a method for narrowing the PN-code phase search. That is, by accounting for the variables in geographic location and time delay relative to GPS time, the systems and methods of the present invention generate a narrow code-phase search range that enables the terminal unit to more quickly acquire and track the necessary GPS satellites, and thereby more quickly provide accurate position information to a requesting entity.

Abstract: A golf club head has a body having a top, a sole, a toe end, a heel end, and a forward wall. The forward wall defines a front opening about which a face support is disposed. The face support receives a face plate, thereby enclosing the front opening of the body. The face support includes portions proximate to the top, the toe end, and the heel end, each portion having a peripheral member extending rearward from the forward wall and a rear member extending inward from the peripheral member, with respect to the front opening. The face support can be combined with a preferred face construction and weight elements to optimize club head performance to help a golfer achieve greater distance and control.

Abstract: A polyaxial orthopedic device for use with rod implant apparatus includes a screw having a curvate head, a two-piece interlocking coupling element which mounts about the curvate head, and a rod receiving cylindrical body member having a tapered socket into which both the screw and the interlocking coupling element are securely nested. The interlocking coupling element includes a socket portion which is slotted and tapered so that when it is radially compressed by being driven downwardly into the tapered socket in the cylindrical body it crush locks to the screw. The securing of the rod in the body member provides the necessary downward force onto the socket portion through a contact force on the top of the cap portion. Prior to the rod being inserted, therefore, the screw head remains polyaxially free with respect to the coupling element and the body.

Abstract: The present inventions comprise a A method of estimating a minimum range for a target with respect to a first point of interest, independent of actual, range to the target, comprising obtaining three bearing data points; using the three bearing data points to determine a speed contribution Vos cos (??) of a first point of interest to a distance from a relative velocity vector over a time frame comprising t0 to t0?; determining an angle ?? as defined by the bearing relative to ownship's heading at the point in time of closest approach to a second point of interest; and calculating a minimum range using a predetermined formula.

Abstract: Navigation apparatus, methods, and programs merge and correct a plurality of types of past traffic information. The apparatus, methods, and programs may store a plurality of types of past traffic information, each type of past traffic information having a priority and may merge the stored past traffic information in accordance the priorities. The apparatus, methods, and programs may detect adjacency relationships among the plurality of links; and, if a detected link number indicates that the corresponding link is not adjacent to adjacent links, replaces the detected link number for the link, the replaced link number indicating that the link is adjacent to the adjacent links.

Abstract: The purpose of the invention is to present advertisements properly to users. To realize this, a web server sends necessary related information, which includes links for download, to a client machine in accordance with a download request of the client machine. When the client machine requests start of download, by use of the link the web server, in response to the start of download request, distributes designated predetermined contents, and an advertisement supply server distributes predetermined advertisement contents. When there occurs an instruction from the client machine of forced termination of distribution of advertisement contents by the advertisement supply server, the advertisement distributing server terminates distribution of advertisement contents and sends a forced termination flag, which shows forced termination of distribution, to the web server. The web server, in response to reception of the flag, ceases distribution of contents.

Abstract: In a reproduction apparatus, for reproducing an original signal conveyed as main data by a data medium such as a recording disk or broadcasting system, with medium protection data which are specific to the data medium being conveyed together with the main data, the apparatus includes a section for generating apparatus protection data which are specific to the reproduction apparatus, a section for combining the apparatus protection data with the medium protection data to define a protection level, and a section for applying the protection level to restrict reproduction of the original signal, with stepwise variations in restriction occurring in accordance with changes in protection level. The medium protection data may include information for specifying restricted reproduction of portions of the original signal, such as by producing degraded resolution within specified regions of specified frames of a video signal.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for portable digital entertainment system which melds direct microwave communications with digital technology to provide a system for “on demand” distribution of digital data, such as songs or video games. The apparatus includes a microwave cellular tower capable of transmitting and receiving a plurality of digital transmissions, a storage unit of user selectable songs and games coupled to the microwave cellular tower through a selection processor for managing the exchange of song and game selections between the storage unit and the microwave cellular tower, and a plurality of user portable digital cellular devices exchanging digitally encoded transmissions with the microwave cellular tower in response to a user's song or game selection request. The portable digital cellular devices include a liquid crystal display window which allows a user to select a desired song to be heard or game to be played.

Abstract: A flash memory device including a first memory array, a control circuit coupled to the first memory array, and a second independent memory array coupled to the control circuit. The first memory array includes a plurality of memory blocks each having a memory cell. The memory cell may be a nonvolatile flash memory cell. The control circuit controls the programming, erasing, and reading of the memory cells. The second memory array includes a plurality of block lock-bits each corresponding to one of the plurality of memory blocks. The state of each block lock-bit indicates whether the memory cell in the corresponding memory block is locked. The second memory array may also include a master lock-bit that indicates whether the block lock-bits are locked.

Abstract: A protective helmet cap having improved ventilation. The helmet cap includes a cap piece, a cap bill, and a plurality of apertures designed to increase ventilation of the wearer's head under the cap piece. The helmet cap offers impact protection to the wearer's head while also being more comfortable to wear due to the increased ventilation. The helmet cap may also includes structure that helps secure the helmet cap to the wearer's head. The helmet cap may be constructed from a variety of different materials, and may also include additional additives designed to enhance selected characteristics of the helmet cap.

Abstract: A head strap for helmets, particularly welders' helmets, is configured in three parts and can therefore be provided with a separate forehead band. The head strap offers the possibility of connecting the helmet with the head strap in resilient or fixed manner, and, in this connection, of displacing the helmet relative to the head strap and/or rotating it between defined positions. Additional convenient adjustment possibilities for the back-of-the-head band and the head band are also implemented.

Abstract: A fastening element for securing a facemask to an outer shell of a protective helmet is disclosed. The fastening element comprises an end portion defining an aperture and a first tab and a second tab each flexibly connected to the end portion. The first tab defines a first tab aperture and the second tab defines a second tab aperture. The first tab and second tab also define a slot therebetween. A combination comprising a facemask and a fastening element is also disclosed. The facemask can comprise at least one substantially horizontal member and at least one substantially vertical member intersecting the substantially horizontal member. The fastening element is connectable to the facemask. Also disclosed is a helmet comprising an outer shell, a facemask and a fastening element for securing the outer shell to the facemask.

Abstract: The invention is directed to protective helmets having vents with a manually operable vent shutter and methods of using same. In one embodiment, a helmet includes an outer shell, an upper liner, a lower liner, and a vent shutter positioned within a space defined by the upper and lower liners. The helmet includes at least one vent formed through the outer shell, upper liner, and lower liner. The helmet further includes an actuator assembly operable to move the vent shutter to open and close the at least one vent. The actuator assembly includes an engagement member, such as a gear. The engagement member engages the vent shutter and effects movement of the vent shutter when rotated relative to the vent shutter about the rotation axis. In another embodiment, the upper liner may be omitted and the vent shutter may be disposed between the interior of the outer shell and the lower liner.

Abstract: A combination neck brace incorporated into a body protector which is formed as an entire integrated unit to be worn to protect the neck and the body of a user, including the concept of a foam rubber protector which surrounds the neck region of the body and is incorporated into and made a part of a plastic or fiberglass protective shield which has a body portion that extends around the entire torso of the body so that the neck protector portion is incorporated into the torso protector portion to perform a full integrated unit. The neck protector portion has a rotatable hinge member than enables a neck protector portion to be moved forwardly so that the head can be inserted through the neck protector section and thereafter return to its original position to tightly envelope the neck and provide the protective shield to the neck and head area.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a foot pedal toilet flush device, which comprises a first bar member, a second bar member, a set of hinge members, and a bias system to allow a person to flush a toilet using a foot pedal connected to the toilet's flushing system.

Abstract: A filter for preventing hair from becoming clogged in a drain which comprises a flat annular strainer and a magnetic rim on the periphery of said flat annular strainer.

Abstract: A dual flush volume pressurized flush device. A pressurized tank includes a tray for controllably retaining water during a flush event. The tray retains a certain volume of water when a reduced flush is activated, such that the entire volume of the tank is not flushed. In a full flush event, the activation causes substantially the entire volume of the tank to be flushed, including the volume of water inside the tray. A controllable water retention tray valve is positioned in the tray and provides a controllable release for the water in the tray.

Abstract: A portable restroom is designed to provide features which enhance the comfort and appeal to users. These features include a rigid and stable structure, including a rigid floor structure, thus providing a sense of security to the user. Further, flushing and fresh water capabilities are achieved by using a dual tank structure made capable by the base design itself. This dual tank structure is achieved utilizing a unique siphoning pump to provide appropriate functionality.