92results about How to "Competitive price" patented technology

An integrated process for the production of ethanol from woody plant material is provided, the process comprising: contacting a continuous flow of the plant material with a counter-current continuous flow of an aqueous ethanol solution at elevated temperature and pressure to provide plant material depleted of lignin; removing ethanol from the lignin-depleted plant material; contacting a continuous flow of the lignin-depleted plant material with water at elevated temperature and pressure to solubilize xylose within the plant material; and hydrolyzing cellulose present in the plant material to form glucose, which in turn is fermented to produce ethanol.

A system for accessing development components, including an online video clip library of templates and an online music clip library, and enabling online production of user-friendly, custom-integrated media products. The system includes a Web application on a Website for hosting services for producers / advertisers / users. The system also includes a search engine that indexes the video, interactive Web formatting screens for selecting development components and producing the Web products in said Web application, an online MIXER module for editing and playing said selected video, an online editing program, which allows the advertiser / user to edit his advertisement himself, outside WebServices accessible by said advertisers of said Web application via the internet for custom-integrating, encoding and formatting the video clips and a parallel platform in which content producer / users and commercial libraries could upload their raw material and set their price.

An integrated process for the production of ethanol from woody plant material is provided, the process comprising: contacting a continuous flow of the plant material with a counter-current continuous flow of an aqueous ethanol solution at elevated temperature and pressure to provide plant material depleted of lignin; removing ethanol from the lignin-depleted plant material; contacting a continuous flow of the lignin-depleted plant material with water at elevated temperature and pressure to solubilize xylose within the plant material; and hydrolyzing cellulose present in the plant material to form glucose, which in turn is fermented to produce ethanol.

A method and apparatus for bi-directionally auctioning using a computer network, wherein one or more purchase prices and an accumulated purchase quantity of goods at or above each purchase price are displayed in real time. A plurality of buyers participate competitively by registering a purchase price. A higher-price-accumulated purchase quantity is then determined by summing the quantity of similar goods at or above each registered purchase price. Sellers select an acceptable purchase price competitively by referring to each displayed purchase price and higher-price-accumulated purchase quantity. A transaction between a seller selecting first and all buyers who register goods at or above the selected purchase price is consummated. A similar bi-auction system for sellers making bids and a buyer purchasing a higher-price-accumulated quantity of goods is provided by implementing the present invention mutatis mutandis with sellers as buyers and vice-versa. In that case, the higher-price-accumulated amount is at or below each registered sale price.

A waterproofed and vapor-permeable sole for shoes, comprising a tread which is made of leather or similar material and is at least partially covered in an upward region by a membrane made of a material which is permeable to vapor and impermeable to water and is sealed in its peripheral regions with respect to the tread. The tread has through holes in which inserts made of plastic material such as rubber or the like are assembled hermetically, the inserts in turn having through holes.

The PCB manufactured by spraying conductive ink dispersed with Ag—Pd alloy nanoparticles and curing to form wiring according to the present invention provides reduced migration of Ag ions. Further, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing PCB which exhibits competitive price, and excellent conductivity and anti-migration. As one aspect of the present invention, a conductive ink comprising Ag—Pd alloy nanoparticles, wherein the Ag—Pd alloy nanoparticles includes Pd in the range of from 5 weight % to 40 weight %.

A shoe with permeable / breathable upper that covers, at least partially, an impermeable breathable sole, comprising a sole layer made of rubber connected internally to a wraparound upper made of synthetic or natural leather, the sole layer having nubs that pass through holes of the upper to constitute a tread, at least some of the nubs having at least one through hole, a breathable or perforated protective layer, a membrane permeable to vapor and impermeable to water and a breathable or perforated insole or anatomical inner sole being arranged in succession from below, at least at the holes of the nubs, above the sole layer, the protective layer and the membrane having edges substantially adjacent and joined hermetically to the sole layer and to the inner sole.

A mattress embodying a foam encasement surrounding individually wrapped coils and lacking a barrier separating upholstery layers from the coil assembly. Border material is affixed to sidewalls forming the foam encasement and the upholstery layer is tacked to a base of the foam encasement.

A warranty transaction system (30) includes a user interface (32) that receives a warranty request from a customer computer (20) using a communications network (12). The warranty request indicates an item a customer desires to cover under a warranty. The warranty transaction system (30) also includes a warranty generation engine (34) that generates one or more warranty packages that are consistent with the warranty request. The warranty packages are created according to one or more rules. The user interface (32) communicates the warranty packages to the customer computer (20), receives a selection of at least one warranty package from the customer computer (20), and communicates the selected warranty package to one or more warranty provider computers (40) using the communications network (12). In a more particular embodiment, the user interface (32) receives bids on the selected warranty package from one or more warranty provider computers (40) and communicates the bids to the customer computer (20). The user interface (32) receives an acceptance of a bid from the customer computer (20) and communicates the acceptance to the warranty provider computer (40) that communicated the accepted bid.

A system for accessing development components, including an online video clip library of templates and an online music clip library, and enabling online production of user-friendly, custom-integrated media products. The system includes a Web application on a Website for hosting services for producers / advertisers / users. The system also includes a search engine that indexes the video, interactive Web formatting screens for selecting development components and producing the Web products in said Web application, an online MIXER module for editing and playing said selected video, an online editing program, which allows the advertiser / user to edit his advertisement himself, outside WebServices accessible by said advertisers of said Web application via the internet for custom-integrating, encoding and formatting the video clips and a parallel platform in which content producer / users and commercial libraries could upload their raw material and set their price.

A flow control apparatus for regulating the flow of hot and cold water through a mixing valve and for preventing undiluted hot water from being inadvertently delivered to a common outlet includes a common chamber and a pair of diaphragm valves on opposite sides of the common chamber. It also includes a check valve in the common chamber for opening and closing the diaphragm valves. Conventional piping, preferably flexible piping is used to connect the mixing valve to a source of hot water and to a source of cold water. The diaphragm valves and check valve are connected and arranged to prevent the flow of hot water through the mixing valve in the absence of a flow of cold water. The flow control apparatus may also include a mechanism for overriding the mixing valve in order to deliver an undiluted flow of hot water to the common outlet.

A vacuum cleaner includes: a main body; a suction brush configured to draw particulates into the main body; a motor installed at the main body; and a decelerating unit configured to connect a driving shaft of the motor with an impeller to transfer a rotation force of the driving shaft to the impeller and to set the rotation speed of the driving shaft lower than that of the impeller.

An apparatus for analysing the condition of a machine, comprising: at least one input for receiving measurement data from a sensor for surveying a measuring point of the machine; data processing means for processing condition data dependent on said measurement data; said data processing means comprising means for performing a plurality of condition monitoring functions (F1, F2, Fn); and a logger for registering use of at least two of said condition monitoring functions (F1, F2, Fn); wherein said logger is adapted to register use of a first condition monitoring function a first rate; and said logger is adapted to register use a second condition monitoring function at a second rate.

A business method that provides industry specific education programs and industry specific professional services programs having a predefined contractual relationship with at least one entity is described. The contractual relationship has terms whereby the business delivers the industry specific education programs and the industry specific professional services programs to the entity in response to receipt of a value from the entity. Both the industry specific education programs and the industry specific professional services programs are based on industry classification system defining occupations and tax classifications within an industry segment of an industry sector core.

Platforms, systems, media, and methods that enable a direct sale of a product or a service comprising a processor configured to provide an application comprising: a software module for the user or the group of users to purchase a product directly from a manufacturer, provided that the buyer has the option to purchase the product from at least two manufacturers; a software module for selecting a shipping service for the product, provided that shipping is from the manufacturer to the user or the group of users, and provided that the user or the group of users has the option to purchase the service from at least two shipping providers; a software module for tracking the product through the manufacturing and shipping processes; and a software module for social networking comprises directly connecting to the manufacturer, the shipping provider, other users, or other group of users.

Disclosed is an offshore, manned, scalable, modular, floating, moored, nuclear power generating plant and multipurpose platform. The present invention is comprised of a Main Plant Control Deck, Central Plant Deck, and submerged Reactor-Generator Deck(s) integrated into the structure of a Spar or Cell Spar Platform. The Reactor-Generator decks are comprised of a plurality of modular, Naval Nuclear Pressurized Water Reactor Modules. Electricity generated is transmitted via submarine High Voltage Direct Current Cables to shore. Ancillary, co-generated services, e.g. desalinated water, are transmitted to shore via submarine pipelines. Multipurpose Topside Decks house vessel command, crew, and any ancillary and co-generation equipment. The present invention, constructed in a multi-path manufacturing process, provides exceptional economic, environmental, sustainability, security, safety, and operational advantages over the current art of power generation.

Provided is a tray transfer apparatus having a transfer plate arranged and configured to support a tray containing a number of semiconductor devices in an array of pockets. The tray transfer apparatus further includes a driving means arranged and configured for the movement and positioning of the transfer plate. The transfer plate is provided with a plurality of tray holders that may be selectively engaged to support a tray and with detecting means corresponding to the array of pockets provided in a supported tray. In instances in which one or more of the detecting means sense the presence of more than one semiconductor device in a corresponding pocket of a supported tray, the tray transfer apparatus will generate an alarm signal and / or suspend operation so that corrective measures may be taken.

A business method that provides industry specific education programs and industry specific professional services programs having a predefined contractual relationship with at least one entity is described. The contractual relationship has terms whereby the business delivers the industry specific education programs and the industry specific professional services programs to the entity in response to receipt of a value from the entity. Both the industry specific education programs and the industry specific professional services programs are based on industry classification system defining occupations and tax classifications within an industry segment of an industry sector core.

Computer systems and methods for providing a mortgage exchange with attributes of the NYSE, NASDAQ, CBOT, CME, NYMEX and other derivatives exchanges are disclosed. In one aspect, the resulting marketplace supports standardization, centralizes liquidity and provides price visibility of such assets. Further, the resulting marketplace provides the following benefits: being a lower-cost alternative to proprietary conduits; electronically linking separate pools of liquidity; enhancing transparency for buyers and investors; allowing the market to better price individual mortgage assets; and supporting technology advancements to better and more efficiently manage risks of investing in individual mortgages.

A suspension arm includes a metal ball housing, a metal bushing housing, a metal connecting portion connecting the metal ball housing and the metal bushing housing and a reinforcement member made of synthetic resin material wrapping the metal ball housing, the metal bushing housing and the metal connecting portion.

A suspension arm may include a metal portion including a hemispherical metal ball housing, a metal bushing housing, and a metal connecting portion, one end of the metal connecting portion being connected to the metal ball housing and the other end of the metal connecting portion being connected to the metal bushing housing, a bearing, made of synthetic resin material, disposed in and coupled to the metal ball housing, a ball stud, one end of which is disposed in and coupled to the bearing, and a reinforcement member, made of synthetic resin material, wrapping the metal portion and connecting the bearing to the metal ball housing.

A betting exchange method is provided that comprises receiving offers from at least one user and using proportional calculation to determine whether the offers satisfy transaction criteria among themselves; each of said offers comprises a buyer who request (buys) a bet of an outcome or a seller who provides (sells) a bet of an outcome. The invention also provided a bet trading system comprising a receiver to receive offers from at least one user, each of said offers comprises a buyer who requests (buys) a bet of an outcome or a seller who provides (sells) a bet of an outcome; and a decision-maker uses proportional calculation to determine whether the offers satisfy transaction criteria among themselves.

A frequency stabilizer includes: a delay line interferometer that receives an optical signal corresponding to one frequency mode of a pulsed laser, divides and transmits the received optical signal to a reference arm and a delay arm including an optical fiber delay line, and then outputs an interference signal between signals passing through the reference arm and the delay arm; a photoelectric converter that converts the interference signal into an electrical signal; a mixer that generates a baseband signal of the electrical signal by mixing a carrier frequency signal; and a feedback controller that transmits a control signal generated based on the baseband signal to the pulsed laser. The optical signal passing through the delay arm is weighted with a delay time caused by the optical fiber delay line compared to the optical signal passing through the reference arm, and the optical signal passing through the delay arm is frequency shifted to a carrier frequency of an oscillator. A carrier-envelope offset frequency of the pulsed laser is stabilized by an offset frequency stabilizer.

A water-soluble package, having a water-soluble foil defining a first compartment and at least one second compartment separate from the first compartment, wherein the at least one second compartment contains a functional depot.

The invention is directed to an insert for a backing plate assembly for a composition friction brake shoe. The insert is particularly useful in the formation of a universal brake shoe for use with a trolley car braking system. The insert includes a central member having a first and second set of attachment posts extending from the respective ends thereof. These first and second sets of attachment posts are adapted for securing a first and second backing plate strap, respectively, thereto. A key bridge extends through a back portion of the central member and is configured for attachment to a brake shoe. A flange guide support extends from a side portion of the insert and includes legs defining a channel that runs parallel to the insert. The flange guide support is adapted for contacting a wheel flange to align a brake shoe with the wheel during braking of the vehicle.

An information system for enabling a buyer subscriber and a seller subscriber to directly communicate, negotiate and order financial instruments, particularly fixed income instruments, without the need for an intermediary or inter-dealer broker. The information system is adapted to publish real-time bond offerings, provide search capabilities to allow users to locate bond offerings meeting specific criteria, send real-time notification of offerings entering the marketplace in which a user has a registered interest, manage and negotiate order privileges, provide a network for real-time communication between counter-parties in a transaction, and allow direct communication between a fully disclosed buyer subscriber and a fully disclosed seller subscriber. Also, the information system can cooperate or be integrated with existing industry systems, such as inventory management systems to import offering information, and back-office systems to export transaction information.

A suspension arm may include a metal ball housing, a metal bushing housing, a metal connecting portion including a ball housing annulus at an end portion thereof, wherein the metal ball housing is inserted and mounted in the ball housing annulus, and wherein the other end portion of the metal connecting portion is connected to the metal bushing housing, and a reinforcement member wrapping the metal ball housing, the metal bushing housing and the metal connecting portion.

A suspension arm may include a metal portion including a hemispherical metal ball housing, a metal bushing housing, and a metal connecting portion, one end of the metal connecting portion being connected to the metal ball housing and the other end of the metal connecting portion being connected to the metal bushing housing, a bearing, made of synthetic resin material, disposed in and coupled to the metal ball housing, a ball stud, one end of which is disposed in and coupled to the bearing, and a reinforcement member, made of synthetic resin material, wrapping the metal portion and connecting the bearing to the metal ball housing.

A water tap having a tap body, separate connections on the tap body for receiving supplies of hot water H, cold water C and further liquid F, a common discharge spout mounted on the tap body, and valves for controlling the supply of hot water H, cold water C and further liquid F from the tap body to the discharge spout, in which: the discharge spout is provided internally with two separate discharge passages which lead to a common discharge outlet; the tap body defines a route for hot water only which communicates with a first separate discharge passage in the discharge spout; the tap body also defines separate incoming routes for the cold water C and the further liquid F, and a common outgoing route for either the cold water C or further liquid F and such common outgoing route communicating with a second separate discharge passage.