Author: claimsbot

1. A current control device, comprising:
at least one line socket configured to couple to a first power system;
at least one load socket configured to couple to a second power system; and
at least one micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) switching device coupled between said at least one line socket and said at least one load socket, said at least one MEMS switching device configured to selectably couple the first power system to the second power system.
2. A current control device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said current control device is configured to receive three-phase power from the first power system and to transmit three-phase power to the second power system.
3. A current control device in accordance with claim 2, wherein said current control device comprises at least three MEMS switching devices, at least one MEMS switching device coupled to each phase of the three-phase power.
4. A current control device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said current control device is configured to interrupt a fault current within less than about 1 millisecond after a fault is detected.
5. A current control device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said current control device further comprises a plurality of MEMS switching devices coupled together in a series-parallel configuration.
6. A current control device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said current control device further comprises a housing, said at least one MEMS switching device is enclosed within said housing.
7. A current control device in accordance with claim 6, wherein said current control device further comprises at least one current measuring device, said at least one current measuring device is enclosed within said housing.
8. A current control device in accordance with claim 6, wherein said current control device further comprises at least one transient voltage suppressor, said at least one transient voltage suppressor is enclosed within said housing.
9. A utility meter comprising:
a line electrical bus configured to couple to a first power system;
a load electrical bus configured to couple to a second power system; and
a current control device comprising:
at least one line socket configured to couple to said line electrical bus;
at least one load socket configured to couple to said load electrical bus; and
at least one micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) switching device coupled between said at least one line socket and said at least one load socket, said at least one MEMS switching device configured to selectably couple the first power system to the second power system.
10. A utility meter in accordance with claim 9, wherein said current control device is configured to receive three-phase power from the first power system and to transmit three-phase power to the second power system.
11. A utility meter in accordance with claim 10, wherein said current control device comprises at least three MEMS switching devices, at least one MEMS switching device coupled to each phase of the three-phase power.
12. A utility meter in accordance with claim 9, wherein said utility meter comprises a communication device that is configured to couple to said current control device to enable the first power system to remotely operate said current control device.
13. A utility meter in accordance with claim 9, wherein said current control device is configured to interrupt a fault current within less than about 1 millisecond after a fault is detected.
14. A utility meter in accordance with claim 9, wherein said current control device further comprises a housing, said MEMS switching device is enclosed within said housing.
15. A utility meter in accordance with claim 14, wherein said current control device further comprises at least one current measuring device, said at least one current measuring device is enclosed within said housing.
16. A utility meter in accordance with claim 14, wherein said current control device further comprises at least one transient voltage suppressor, said at least one transient voltage suppressor is enclosed within said housing.
17. A current control device for use in a utility meter, said current control device comprising:
at least one line socket configured to couple to an electric utility power distribution system;
at least one load socket configured to couple to a customer power distribution system; and
at least one micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) switching device coupled between said at least one line socket and said at least one load socket, said at least one MEMS switching device configured to selectably couple the electric utility power distribution system to the customer power distribution system.
18. A current control device in accordance with claim 17, wherein said current control device is configured to receive three-phase power from the electric utility power distribution system and to transmit three-phase power to the customer power distribution system.
19. A current control device in accordance with claim 18, wherein said current control device comprises at least three MEMS switching devices, at least one MEMS switching device coupled to each phase of the three-phase power.
20. A current control device in accordance with claim 17, wherein said current control device is configured to interrupt a fault current within less than about 1 millisecond after a fault is detected.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A method of fabricating a stent, comprising:
forming a tube comprising a bioabsorbable polymer, wherein the bioabsorbable polymer crosslinks when exposed to radiation;
exposing the bioabsorbable polymer to radiation sufficient to crosslink the bioabsorbable polymer; and
forming a stent body from the exposed tube comprising the crosslinked bioabsorbable polymer.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sterilizing the stent body through exposure to radiation, wherein the crosslinking reduces or prevents molecular weight degradation of the bioabsorbable polymer due to the sterilizing radiation.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising sterilizing the stent body with ethylene oxide at an elevated temperature above 30\xb0 C., wherein the crosslinking reduces or prevents mechanical property degradation of the bioabsorbable polymer due to the deleterious effect of EtO, humidity, and the elevated temperature of the ethylene oxide sterilization.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the radiation comprises e-beam radiation.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the radiation comprises \u03b3 (gamma) radiation.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising radially expanding the tube prior to the exposing step, wherein the stent body is formed from the expanded and exposed tube.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the tube comprises a crosslinking agent that induces the crosslinking of the bioabsorbable polymer when the tube is exposed to the radiation.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the tube comprises TAIC which induces crosslinking of the bioabsorbable polymer when the tube is exposed to the radiation.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the wt % of TAIC in the tube is 0.5-5%.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the radiation exposure is 20-40 kGy.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the bioabsorbable polymer comprises PLLA or a blend of PLLA and PDLA which forms a stereocomplex.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the bioabsorbable polymer is crosslinkable due to formation of bonds between different functional groups of the bioabsorbable polymer when exposed to radiation, the crosslinking is bonding between the functional groups without being linked by a crosslinking agent that is distinct or separate from the bioabsorbable polymer.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein the bioabsorbable polymer is a copolymer formed through copolymerization of one or more types of degradable functional groups with a highly reactive functional group, wherein the one or more types of degradable functional groups form a degradable polymer when polymerized or copolymerized.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the crosslinks comprise bonds between the highly reactive functional groups and the degradable functional groups.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein the highly reactive functional groups comprise an alkene or alkyne.
16. The method of claim 13, wherein the highly reactive functional groups comprise a lactone functionalized with an alkene or an alkyne group.
17. The method of claim 1, wherein the bioabsorbable polymer is a copolymer of the form AxBy, wherein A is L-lactic acid and B is an alkene or alkyne that can copolymerize with A, and wherein x is the mole % of A and y is the mole % of B in the copolymer.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein x is 90-96 wt % and y is 4-10 wt %.
19. The method of claim 17, wherein B is selected from the group consisting of a-allyl-\u03b4-valerolactone, a-diallyl-\u03b4-valerolactone, a-alkyne-\u03b4-valerolactone, a-allyl-\u03b4-caprolactone, a-diallyl-\u03b4-caprolactone, and a-alkyne-\u03b4-caprolactone.
20. The method of claim 1, wherein the bioabsorbable polymer is formed through a transesterification reaction between a degradable polyester and a diol or a triol followed by a chain extension conducted with the degradable polymer and an alkyne or alkyne.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein the degradable polyester is PLLA, the diol is PEG, the triol is 1,1,1-tris(hydroxymethyl)ethane, the alkene is glycidyl propargyl ether, and the alkyne is an alkyne valerolactone.
22. A method of fabricating a stent, comprising:
forming a tube comprising a bioabsorbable polymer, wherein the bioabsorbable polymer crosslinks when exposed to radiation;
forming a stent from the tube; and
exposing the stent to radiation sufficient to crosslink the bioabsorbable polymer,
wherein the bioabsorbable polymer is a polymer formed through a transesterification reaction between a degradable polyester and a diol or a triol followed by a chain extension conducted with the degradable polymer and an alkene or alkyne.

1. A method of searching for data using heterogeneous indices, comprising:
searching through a search index, using a first query, to identify a set of entities;
identifying a second query for searching through said set of entities;
for each of said set of entities, estimating a number of documents that would be identified in a search through said each entity to answer said second query;
on the basis of said estimating, forming a subset of said entities; and
sending said second query and said subset of entities to a search engine to search said subset of entities to answer said second query.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said estimating is based on previous searching through said set of entities.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the forming includes:
arranging the set of entities in a defined order; and
forming the subset of the entities based on said defined order.
4. The method according to claim 3, wherein:
the arranging includes arranging the specified entities in order based on the estimated number of documents that would be identified in said search through said each of the specified entities; and
the forming includes adding the specified entities to the subset, in ascending order of said estimated number of documents that would be identified in said search through said each of the specified entities, as long as a specified criteria is met.
5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising forming additional subsets of the specified entities, and sending said query and said additional subsets of the entities to the search engine until all of the specified entities have been included in one of the subsets of entities and sent to said search engine.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A method of assigning a channel according to mobility of a medical body area network (MBAN) device in an MBAN network, the method comprising:
receiving, by an MBAN master from the MBAN device, an association request signal including information about the mobility of the MBAN device;
transmitting, by the MBAN master to the MBAN device, an association response signal in response to the received association request signal; and
transmitting, by the MBAN master to the MBAN device, channel assignment information according to the information about the mobility included in the received association request signal,
wherein, when the information about the mobility of the MBAN device indicates that the MBAN device is a fixed device, the channel assignment information is transmitted to the MBAN device once through a non-beacon frame, and
wherein, when the information about the mobility of the MBAN device indicates that the MBAN device is a mobile device, the channel assignment information is transmitted to the MBAN device periodically through a beacon frame.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the MBAN comprises a wireless personal area network (WPAN).
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the association request signal further includes a capability information field.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein, when the information about the mobility of the MBAN device indicates that the MBAN device is a fixed device, all of time that a primary user does not use is assigned to the MBAN device.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein a time interval assigned for the MBAN device when the information about the mobility of the MBAN device indicates that the MBAN device is a fixed device is longer than a time interval assigned for the MBAN device when the information about the mobility of the MBAN device indicates that the MBAN device is a mobile device.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the beacon frame is broadcast and the non-beacon frame is unicast.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein, when the information about the mobility of the MBAN device indicates that the MBAN device is a mobile device having a low mobility frequency, periodicity of transmitting the channel assignment information is set longer.
8. A method of assigning a channel according to mobility of a medical body area network (MBAN) device in an MBAN network, the method comprising:
transmitting, by the MBAN device to an MBAN master, an association request signal including information about the mobility of the MBAN device;
receiving, by the MBAN device from the MBAN master, an association response signal in response to the transmitted association request signal;
receiving, by the MBAN device from the MBAN master, channel assignment information according to the information about the mobility included in the transmitted association request signal,
wherein, when the information about the mobility of the MBAN device indicates that the MBAN device is a fixed device, the channel assignment information is received from the MBAN master once through a non-beacon frame, and
wherein, when the information about the mobility of the MBAN device indicates that the MBAN device is a mobile device, the channel assignment information is received from the MBAN master periodically through a beacon frame.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the association request signal further includes a capability information field.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein, when the information about the mobility of the MBAN device indicates that the MBAN device is a fixed device, all of time that a primary user does not use is assigned to the MBAN device.
11. The method of claim 8, wherein a time interval assigned for the MBAN device when the information about the mobility of the MBAN device indicates that the MBAN device is a fixed device is longer than a time interval assigned for the MBAN device when the information about the mobility of the MBAN device indicates that the MBAN device is a mobile device.
12. The method of claim 8, wherein the beacon frame is broadcast and the non-beacon frame is unicast.
13. The method of claim 8, wherein, when the information about the mobility of the MBAN device indicates that the MBAN device is a mobile device having a low mobility frequency, periodicity of receiving the channel assignment information is set longer.
14. An apparatus configured to assign a channel according to mobility of a medical body area network (MBAN) device in an MBAN network, the apparatus comprising:
a memory device; and
a processor operatively connected to the memory device and configured to:
receive, from the MBAN device, an association request signal including information about the mobility of the MBAN device;
transmit, to the MBAN device, an association response signal in response to the received association request signal; and
transmit, to the MBAN device, channel assignment information according to the information about the mobility included in the received association request signal,
wherein, when the information about the mobility of the MBAN device indicates that the MBAN device is a fixed device, the channel assignment information is transmitted to the MBAN device once through a non-beacon frame, and
wherein, when the information about the mobility of the MBAN device indicates that the MBAN device is a mobile device, the channel assignment information is transmitted to the MBAN device periodically through a beacon frame.
15. An apparatus configured to assign a channel according to mobility of the apparatus in a medical body area network (MBAN) network, comprising:
a memory device; and
a processor operatively connected to the memory device and configured to:
transmit, to an MBAN master, an association request signal including information about the mobility of the apparatus;

receive, from the MBAN master, an association response signal in response to the transmitted association request signal;
receive, from the MBAN master, channel assignment information according to the information about the mobility included in the transmitted association request signal,
wherein, when the information about the mobility of the apparatus indicates that the apparatus is a fixed device, the channel assignment information is received from the MBAN master once through a non-beacon frame, and
wherein, when the information about the mobility of the apparatus indicates that the apparatus is a mobile device, the channel assignment information is received from the MBAN master periodically through a beacon frame.