Abstract:
An apparatus and method for airplane deployment over water of survival kit apparatus is provided. A pair of deflated, inflatable rafts are contained in a rigid container shell having a removable tail cone. A stabilizer drogue may be used to longitudinally stabilize the container prior to tail cone release and assist with the tail cone removal after release. The tail cone is mechanically released and removed from the container shell at a predetermined time after deployment from an aircraft, thereby pemitting the container shell contents to be removed. The life rafts are contained in the container shell so that one life raft having associated with it an aerodynamic brake is released after the tail cone has been removed, with the container and second life raft continuing their trajectory downwards. The rope joining the two life rafts is continuously payed out as the first left raft falls to the water and the container with the second life raft therein continues its trajectory. The second life raft is removed from the container shell mechanically after the container shell contacts the surface of the water. The apparatus and method of the invention results in the pair of inflated rope-joined life rafts being deployed on the water surface at spaced locations.
Abstract:
Embodiments of the invention provide an interface for simultaneously inputting multiple data parameters for a software application. Generally, a single user input made using the input interface results in multiple data parameters being received by the application. In one embodiment, the input interface may be defined with a plurality of dimensional nodes, where each dimensional node corresponds to a dimension of input that may be specified for the software application using the input interface.
Abstract:
There is provided a method of automatically identifying and characterizing spectral peaks of a spectrum generated by an analytical apparatus and reporting information relating to the spectral peaks to a user, comprising the steps of receiving the spectrum generated by the analytical apparatus; automatically subtracting a baseline from the spectrum so as to generate a baseline-corrected spectrum; automatically detecting and characterizing the spectral peaks in the baseline-corrected spectrum; and reporting at least one item of information relating to each detected and characterized spectral peak to a user. In embodiments, baseline model curve parameters or peak model curve parameters are neither input by nor exposed to the user prior to the reporting step.
Abstract:
Methods are disclosed for automatically analyzing a chromatography/mass spectrometry spectrum characterized by at least a time-related variable, a mass-related variable and an ion-abundance-related variable, comprising the steps of: receiving a portion of the spectrum from a chromatography/mass spectrometry apparatus while the chromatography/mass spectrometry apparatus is concurrently generating another portion of the spectrum; automatically subtracting a baseline from the portion of the spectrum so as to generate a baseline-corrected spectrum portion; automatically determining if at least one spectral peak occurs in the baseline-corrected spectrum portion; and reporting information relating at least to the number of peaks automatically determined in the portion of the chromatography/mass spectrometry spectrum.
Abstract:
The present invention provides nucleic acids, as well as vectors, cells, and plants (including plant parts, seeds, and embryos) containing the nucleic acids. In particular, molecular tools are provided in the form of nucleic acids that encode reverse transcriptases. The invention also features methods for manipulating such nucleic acids. In addition, the invention features methods to introduce nucleic acids containing retroelements or retroelement sequences into cells.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus for communicating fixed-length data packets through an intermediate computer network. The method comprises receiving a data packet characterized by a fixed-length packet format, and constructing a remnant packet characterized by the fixed-length packet format, which includes inserting at least a portion of the data packet routing information in the data field of the remnant packet. The method also comprises communicating the remnant packet, receiving the remnant packet and constructing a reconstructed data packet, which includes Inserting data packet routing information obtained from the remnant packet in the address field of the reconstructed packet. The apparatus comprises a communication network node comprising a receiver, transmitter, computer memory and processor for performing the foregoing method steps.
Abstract:
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for arbitration among the inputs of a crossbar cell switch. The input cells of the crossbar cell switch are stored at their respective input ports in input queues prior to switching. The first cell of each input queue is known as the Head of Line (HoL) cell. For each set of HoL cells that may be directed to a specific output port, the HoL cell with the largest input port queue size is assigned to be switched during the current switching epoch. The method and apparatus for arbitration allows the crossbar cell switch to operate with smaller input queues, increasing the throughput of the switch and minimizing both the transit delay for the data cells through the switch and the buffer size needed to accommodate input queues.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to distributed ATM switches for use within an ATM network including processing satellite links. The functionality of the distributed ATM switch is preferably performed at three distinct locations. The first location is at a user earth terminal configured to perform at least one user plane function. The second location is at a network operations center configured to perform at least one control plane function. Finally, the remaining ATM switch functionality is performed within the payload of a processing satellite.
Abstract:
Measuring apparatus for determining the position of a point in a measuring volume relative to a datum point at which three mutually perpendicular axes intersect, includes a probe member supported for movement within that volume. Errors due to rotations about the various axes are corrected by providing additional transducers on each axis, there being (n+1) transducers where n is the number of rotations for which correction is required. The embodiments described have three X-axis transducers X.sub.1, X.sub.2 and X.sub.3 and three Y-axis transducers Y.sub.1, Y.sub.2 and Y.sub.3 which, with the appropriate circuitry correct for pitch and yaw errors about the two axes. For the Z-axis only two transducers, Z.sub.1 and Z.sub.2, are required. The circuit means combines the various transducer outputs to derive corrected values of the three co-ordinates.