Author: claimsbot

1. A suspension assembly for mechanically retaining a first article by bracing it against a distant second article, said suspension assembly comprising:
a tensile rod extending between first and second articles;
at least one first surface mechanically linked to the tensile rod, and
at least one second surface mechanically linked to the first article; wherein
said at least one first surface and said at least one second surface are braced against one another by tension in the tensile rod;
said at least one first surface and said at least one second surface have at least three separate points of contact between them;
at least one of said at least one first surface and said at least one second surface is non-planar; and
at least one of the points of contact is provided by a part of the surface which is convex and non-planar.
2. The suspension assembly according to claim 1, wherein:
at least one of the points of contact is provided by respective opposing portions of said at least one first surface and said at least one second surface; and
each of said opposing portions comprises a convex non-planar surface.
3. The suspension assembly according to claim 2, wherein the at least one convex non-planar surface is one of a sphere and a spheroid.
4. The suspension assembly according to claim 1, wherein one of said at least one first surface and said at least one second surface comprises a set of at least three objects retained together in fixed relative positions, which objects are one of spherical and spheroidal.
5. The suspension assembly according to claim 1, wherein one of said at least one first surface and said at least one second surface comprises an article having at least three surfaces retained together in fixed relative positions, said at least three surfaces being one of part spherical and part spheroidal.
6. The suspension assembly according to claim 1, wherein one of said at least one first surface and said at least one second surface comprises by an interior surface of a cup having a corresponding at least three protrusions on said interior surface.
7. The suspension assembly according to claim 1, wherein:
one of said at least one first surface and said at least one second surface has the form of an interior surface of a cup; and
said interior surface comprises one of a hollow pyramid or hollow truncated pyramid.
8. The suspension assembly according to claim 6, wherein:
an interior surface of the cup is in the form of one of a hollow hexagonal pyramid and a hollow hexagonal truncated pyramid; and
alternate sides of the hexagonal pyramid are larger than intervening sides therebetween.
9. The suspension assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said at least one first surface and said at least one second surface comprises a substantially planar backplate having a number of protrusions thereon.
10. The suspension assembly according to claim 1, wherein one of said at least one first surface and said at least one second surface is one of spheroidal and spherical.
11. The suspension assembly according claim 10, wherein an other one of said at least one first surface and said at least one second surface comprises at least three objects retained together in fixed relative positions, which objects are one of spherical, spherioidal, part spherical and part spheroidal.
12. The suspension assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least one first surface and the at least one second surface is braced against a corresponding one of the first or second articles through an adjustment device which may be adjusted to apply a mechanical tensile preload to the tensile rod.
13. The suspension assembly according to claim 1, wherein an intermediate object is provided, held in compression between first surface and second surface.
14. A suspension assembly comprising:
a tensile rod which passes between at least three rounded surfaces attached to an article; and
a rounded element attached to one end of the tensile rod, so as to bear on the rounded surfaces attached to the article.
15. The suspension assembly according to claim 14, further comprising a corresponding structure provided on a second article, at the other end of the tension rod.
16. A suspension assembly for mechanically retaining a first article by bracing it against a second article, said suspension assembly comprising:
a tensile rod which passes through a rounded surface attached to the first article; and
an element comprising a set of at least three rounded surfaced attached to an end of the tensile rod;
wherein each of the set of rounded surfaces bears on the rounded surface attached to the first article.
17. A suspension assembly for mechanically retaining a first article by bracing it against a second article, comprising:
a tensile rod which passes through a set of at least three rounded surfaces attached to the first article; and
an element comprising a rounded surface attached to an end of the tensile rod;
wherein the rounded surface bears on each of the set of rounded surfaces attached to the first article.
18. A cryostat comprising a cryogen vessel retained within an outer vacuum vessel by a suspension system comprising at least one suspension assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first article is the cryogen vessel and the second article is the outer vacuum vessel.

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

1-16. (canceled)
17. A method of providing content comprising the steps of:
receiving a command at a head-end or a server after one or more of a channel having been turned on or channels having been changed;
sending, from a buffer at the head-end or the server, to a customer-side, and at a rate substantially greater than a streaming content playback rate, a first content stream on a first connection carrying a content channel signal, the first connection being a point-to-point connection; and
sending, from the head-end or the server, to the customer-side, a second content stream on a second connection carrying the content channel signal, wherein the second connection is one of multicast, broadcast, and asynchronous-transfer-mode point-multipoint, and the second content stream is sent substantially at the playback rate,
wherein said second content stream is sent from the head-end, or the server, to the customer-side after the head-end, or the server, sends to the customer-side from the first content stream a predefined amount of channel content data, the predefined amount of channel content data corresponding to an amount of data for overcoming jitter during a playback of the content channel signal.
18. The method of claim 17, further comprising determining, at the head-end, that the predefined amount of channel content data has been sent in the first content stream.
19. The method according to claim 17, further comprising switching, at the head-end or the server, from sending the first content stream to sending the second content stream, wherein the switching occurs after sending the predefined amount of channel content data.
20. The method according to claim 17, wherein the content channel signal is comprised of streaming video andor streaming audio data.
21. The method according to according to claim 17, wherein the second content stream represents a real time broadcast.
22. The method according to claim 17, wherein the head-end includes a server.
23. The method according to according to claim 17, wherein:
the received command includes a channel change command to change from a first digital video or audio channel to a second digital video or audio channel,
sending the first content stream comprises sending content for the second digital video or audio channel, and
sending the second content stream comprises sending content for the second digital video or audio channel.
24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the second content stream comprises a digital subscriber line signal.
25. The method according to claim 23 in that the second digital video or audio channel is sent from the buffer by one of a digital subscriber line, a cable modem and an integrated services digital network.
26. A method of receiving content:
receiving, at a customer-side buffer and at a rate substantially greater than a streaming content playback rate, a first content stream on a first connection carrying a content channel signal, the first connection being a point-to-point connection; and
receiving, at the buffer, a second content stream on a second connection carrying the content channel signal, wherein the second connection is one of multicast, broadcast, and asynchronous-transfer-mode point-multipoint, and the second content stream is received at the buffer substantially at the playback rate,
wherein said second content stream is received at the buffer after the buffer receives from the first content stream a predefined amount of channel content data, the predefined amount of channel content data corresponding to an amount of data for overcoming jitter during a playback of the content channel signal.
27. The method of claim 26, further comprising switching, at the buffer, from receiving the first content stream to receiving the second content stream, wherein the switching occurs after receiving the predefined amount of channel content data.
28. The method according to claim 26 further comprising:
receiving a channel change command to change from a first digital video or audio channel to a second digital video or audio channel; and
changing from the first digital video or audio channel to the second digital video or audio channel upon receiving the second digital video or audio channel, wherein the first content stream includes content for the second digital video or audio channel and the second content stream includes content for the second digital video or audio channel.

1. A flip flop circuit comprising:
a master latch comprising a storage element, a first data leg, and a second data leg, the first and second data legs coupled to the storage element, and clock selection logic coupled to the first and second data legs, the clock selection logic having a select input for selecting between the first and second data legs; and
a slave latch coupled to the master latch.
2. The flip flop circuit of claim 1, wherein the clock selection logic comprises two NOR gates.
3. The flip flop circuit of claim 1, wherein each data leg receives a plurality of data inputs.
4. The flip flop circuit of claim 1, wherein each data leg comprises a combinatorial logic block that is coupled to a transmission gate.
5. The flip flop circuit of claim 4, wherein the combinatorial logic block is a single-stage of a multiplexer.
6. The flip flop circuit of claim 4, wherein the combinatorial logic block comprises at least one complex gate.
7. The flip flop circuit of claim 1, wherein the clock selection logic has a single clock input, the select input and the single clock input being operatively coupled by the clock selection logic to provide generated clocks, including a first generated clock output enabling a data output of the first leg to a first node of the storage element, and a second generated clock output enabling a data output of the second leg to the first node of the storage element.
8. The flip flop circuit of claim 7, wherein each generated clock is inverted for an active low enable input, to enable the data output of each data leg.
9. The flip flop circuit of claim 1, wherein the flip flop circuit has a single clock input.
10. The flip flop circuit of claim 9, wherein the slave latch comprises a transmission gate that drives a slave storage element.
11. The flip flop circuit of claim 9, wherein the slave latch has a data input that drives a transmission gate, an output of the transmission gate driving a slave storage element.
12. The flip flop circuit of claim 10, wherein the transmission gate is enabled by the single clock input.
13. The flip flop circuit of claim 12, wherein the single clock input is inverted for an active low enable input, to enable the transmission gate.

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 system comprising:
a lateral having a first end and a second end separated by a length of a lumen, at least one of the first end and second end configured to couple with a fluid supply, the length having a plurality of apertures in a wall of the lumen, each aperture in fluid communication with the lumen and disposed along a line substantially parallel with a length axis, the length configured to allow non- destructive coiling about a reel and non-destructive uncoiling and the length having a cross section sufficiently rigid to resist deformation associated with fluid in the lumen; and
a socket coupled to the length at a site of at least one aperture, the socket having a bore in fluid communication with the aperture.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein the lateral includes a polymer.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein the socket includes a check valve.
4. The system of claim 1 wherein the aperture has an aperture wall that includes a cylindrical bore.
5. The system of claim 1 wherein the aperture has an aperture wall that includes a counter bore.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein the socket includes threads.
7. The system of claim 1 wherein the socket is coupled to the length by an engagement feature.
8. The system of claim 1 wherein the socket is coupled to the length by a leak-resistant joint.
9. The system of claim 1 wherein the socket is coupled to the length with an interference fit.
10. The system of claim 1 wherein the socket is coupled to the length with a socket fusion joint.
11. The system of claim 1 wherein the socket is coupled to the length with a saddle fusion joint.
12. The system of claim 1 further including an application device coupled to the socket.
13. The system of claim 12 wherein the application device includes a riser.
14. The system of claim 12 wherein the application device includes an outer surface, the outer surface configured to extend based on fluid pressure in the lumen and configured to retract in the absence of fluid pressure.
15. The system of claim 12 wherein the application device has a profile substantially flush with an external surface of the lateral.
16. The system of claim 12 wherein the application device is removably coupled to the socket.
17. A system comprising:
a lateral having a first end and a second end separated by a length of a lumen, at least one of the first end and second end configured to couple with a fluid supply, the length having a plurality of apertures in a wall of the lumen, each aperture in fluid communication with the lumen and disposed along a line substantially parallel with a length axis, the length having a lateral wall configured to allow non-destructive coiling about a reel and non-destructive uncoiling and having a substantially rigid cross section, the length configured to resist deformation associated with fluid in the lumen, and at least one aperture having an aperture wall corresponding to the lateral wall, the at least one aperture having an aperture axis substantially normal to the length axis.
18. The system of claim 17 wherein the lateral includes a polymer.
19. The system of claim 17 wherein the aperture wall includes a cylindrical bore.
20. The system of claim 17 wherein the aperture wall includes a counter bore.
21. The system of claim 17 further including an application device coupled to the aperture.
22. The system of claim 21 wherein the application device includes an outer surface, the outer surface configured to extend based on fluid pressure in the lumen and configured to retract in the absence of fluid pressure.
23. The system of claim 22 wherein the outer surface is configured to retract to a position substantially flush with an external surface of the lateral.
24. The system of claim 21 wherein the application device is removably coupled to the aperture.
25. The system of claim 21 wherein the application device is coupled to the lateral with a socket fusion joint.
26. The system of claim 21 wherein the application device is coupled to the lateral with a saddle fusion joint.
27. The system of claim 21 wherein the application device is coupled to the length by an engagement feature.
28. The system of claim 21 wherein the application device is coupled to the length by a leak-resistant joint.
29. The system of claim 21 wherein the application device is coupled to the length with an interference fit.
30. The system of claim 21 wherein the application device includes a riser.
31. A system comprising:
a chassis having a wheeled frame and a bearing;
a reel rotatably coupled to the chassis and configured for transportation on the chassis; and
a lateral having a first end and a second end separated by a length of a lumen, at least one of the first end and second end configured to couple with a fluid supply, the length having a plurality of apertures in a wall of the lumen, each aperture in fluid communication with the lumen and disposed along a line substantially parallel with a length axis, the length having a lateral wall configured to allow non-destructive coiling about the reel and non-destructive uncoiling and having a substantially rigid cross section, the length configured to resist deformation associated with fluid in the lumen, at least one aperture having an aperture wall corresponding to the lateral wall, the at least one aperture having an aperture axis substantially normal to the length axis.
32. The system of claim 31 wherein the lateral is coupled to the reel by a joint.
33. The system of claim 31 wherein the reel is coupled to the chassis by a joint.