All The Claims

1. A method of forming surface accessible metal nanodots, comprising the steps of:
(a) performing ion-exchange with a solution of the metal ions and an ETS zeolite; and
(b) activating the ion-exchanged ETS zeolite.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the ETS zeolite comprises ETS-4 or ETS-10.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the metal comprises silver, copper, nickel, gold or a member of the platinum group.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein the metal comprises silver.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the activation step comprises drying or annealing the material.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the activation step is performed under reducing conditions.
7. The method of claim 5 wherein the activation step is performed under oxidizing conditions.
8. The method of claim 5 wherein the activation step is performed at a temperature greater than about 75\xb0 C. and less than about 500\xb0 C.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the activating step is performed at a temperature between about 75\xb0 C. and 400\xb0 C.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the ion-exchange occurs with an excess of metallic ions.
11. An ETS supported metal nanoparticulate material, comprising surface-accessible metal nanodots having a particle size less than about 100 nm.
12. The material of claim 11 wherein the nanodots have a particle size less than about 50 nm.
13. The material of claim 12 wherein the nanodots have a particle size less than about 15 nm and greater than about 5 nm.
14. The material of claim 11 wherein the metal comprises silver, copper, nickel, gold or a member of the platinum group, or mixtures thereof
15. The material of claim 14 wherein the metal comprises silver.
16. The material of claim 11 wherein the ETS material comprises ETS-10.
17. A method of selectively adsorbing a noble gas from a gas stream containing the noble gas, using an adsorbent comprising metal nanodots formed from the process of claim 1, or comprising the material comprising metal nanodots of claim 11, the method comprising the step of passing the gas stream over the surface accessible metal nanodot ETS.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein the noble gas comprises xenon.
19. The method of claim 18 which occurs at a temperature between 20\xb0 C. and 150\xb0 C.
20. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of releasing the xenon from the adsorbent by heating the adsorbent under a reduced pressure.
21. The method of claim 20 wherein the xenon is released from the adsorbent by heating to about 150\xb0 C. under a full or partial vacuum.
22. The method of claim 17 wherein the noble gas comprises argon.
23. The method of claim 22 wherein the method comprises a method of producing substantially pure oxygen from a gas stream comprising oxygen and argon.
24. A method of preventing or treating an infection in a body part by contacting the body part with metal nanodots formed from the process of claim 1, or the material comprising metal nanodots of claim 11.

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 manufacturing an automotive instrument panel for eliminating distortion in an area of vibration welded air bags, said method comprising:
providing a weld fixture including at least one pre-stressor protrusion;
placing the at least one pre-stressor protrusion against an instrument panel;
generating a force to press the weld fixture against the instrument panel to create compression in a first surface of the instrument panel where the weld fixture contacts the instrument panel and to create tension in a second surface of the instrument panel, the second surface opposite to the first surface; and
vibration welding an air bag chute to the instrument panel such that a weld bar of the air bag chute is welded to the second surface of the instrument panel.
2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the instrument panel comprises:
a substrate layer,
a foam layer connected to the substrate layer, and
a cover layer connected to the foam layer, wherein placing the at least one pre-stressor protrusion includes placing the at least one pre-stressor protrusion against the cover layer of the instrument panel, and wherein vibration welding further comprises vibration welding the air bag chute to the substrate layer.
3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one pre-stressor protrusion is convex in shape.
4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one pre-stressor protrusion comprises a smooth curved shape.
5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the weld fixture comprises a plurality of pre-stressor protrusions.
6. A method according to claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of pre-stressor protrusions is convex in shape.
7. A method according to claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of pre-stressor protrusions comprises a smooth curved shape.
8. A method according to claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of pre-stressor protrusions are substantially aligned along a surface of the weld fixture.
9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the weld fixture further includes at least one hole, and wherein generating a force to press the weld fixture against the instrument panel comprises creating a vacuum.
10. A method according to claim 1, further comprising: cooling the instrument panel.
11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the second surface of the instrument panel is subject to thermal shrinkage that is substantially equal to the tension created in the second surface of the instrument panel.
12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the first surface of the instrument panel is substantially flat after cooling the instrument panel such that the first surface of the instrumental panel has a shape that is different from the shape of the at least one pre-stressor protrusion.
13. A method of manufacturing an automotive instrument panel, said method comprising:
providing a weld fixture including a plurality of pre-stressor protrusions;
placing at least one of the plurality of pre-stressor protrusions against a first surface of an instrument panel;
pressing the weld fixture against the instrument panel, thereby creating compression in the first surface of the instrument panel and creating tension in a second surface of the instrument panel, wherein the second surface is opposite to the first surface;
vibration welding a weld bar to the second surface of the instrument panel; and
cooling the instrument panel.
14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the second surface of the instrument panel is subject to thermal shrinkage that is substantially equal to the tension created in the second surface of the instrument panel.
15. A method according to claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of pre-stressor protrusions is convex in shape.
16. A method of manufacturing an automotive instrument panel, said method comprising:
providing a weld fixture including a plurality of pre-stressor protrusions;
providing an instrument panel including:
a first layer; and
a second layer;

placing at least one of the plurality of pre-stressor protrusions against the first layer of the instrument panel;
pressing the weld fixture against the instrument panel, thereby creating compression in the first layer of the instrument panel and creating tension in the second layer of the instrument panel;
vibration welding a weld bar to the second layer of the instrument panel; and
cooling the instrument panel.
17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the instrument panel further comprises a third layer disposed between the first layer and the second layer.
18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the third layer comprises a foam layer.
19. A method according to claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of pre-stressor protrusions is convex in shape.

1. A system for testing a circuit, comprising:
a software model of the circuit;
a circuit simulator adapted to simulate the circuit based on the software model; and
a circuit simulation verifier adapted to provide an input to the circuit simulator and adapted to receive an output from the circuit simulator;
wherein execution of the circuit simulation verifier is controlled by user input.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein execution of the circuit simulation verifier is halted by user input.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein execution of the circuit simulation verifier has been halted, and wherein execution of the circuit simulation verifier is restarted by user input.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuit simulation verifier comprises a plurality of code statements and wherein user input executes only one statement of the circuit simulation verifier.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuit simulation verifier comprises a variable and wherein user input determines a value of the variable.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein execution of the circuit simulation verifier comprises execution of a plurality of threads.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein execution of the circuit simulation verifier comprises collection of information and wherein the collected information comprises one element of a group containing a memory allocation of a variable, a value of a variable, a value change of a variable, a code statement that has been executed, a timestamp, and a clock cycle.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuit simulation verifier has been executed through a first execution point to a second execution point, and wherein user input restores the circuit simulation verifier to the first execution point.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein user input indicates the first execution point by specifying one element of a group containing a name of a variable, a line number of a code statement, a timestamp, a clock cycle, and a point of a waveform.
10. The system of claim 8, wherein the circuit simulation verifier had a first state at the first execution point and wherein the circuit simulation verifier had a second state at the second execution point, and wherein user input changes the state of the circuit simulation verifier from the second state to the first state.
11. The system of claim 10, wherein the state of the circuit simulation verifier comprises one element of a group containing a timestamp and a clock cycle.
12. The system of claim 10, wherein the state of the circuit simulation verifier comprises one element of a group containing a value of a variable and an execution point of the circuit simulation verifier.
13. A computer program product containing a computer readable medium for testing a circuit, the computer readable medium comprising:
a first program code for modeling the circuit;
a second program code for simulating the circuit based on the first program code; and
a third program code for providing an input to the second program code and for receiving an output from the second program code;
wherein execution of the third program code is controlled by user input.
14. A user interface for testing a circuit, comprising:
a window for displaying a state of a circuit simulation verifier; and
a control for receiving user input, the state of the circuit simulation verifier being modified responsive to the received user input.

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 opening an account with a financial institution via an account management system having an account opening service, the account management system including a memory module, an inputoutput interface, and a processor, the method comprising:
electronically storing in the memory module at least one rule for opening an account with a financial institution;
electronically receiving, by the inputoutput interface, account application information from a remote device over at least one network, the account application information including personal information of a customer requesting to open an account;
electronically receiving, by the inputoutput interface, funding source information from the remote device over at least one network, the funding source information specifying at least one funding source;
electronically receiving, by the inputoutput interface, transmitted configuration information;
processing the transmitted configuration information so as to modify functionality of the account opening service, wherein the functionality comprises;
determining with the processor, based on the account application information, at least one risk score specifying a risk to the financial institution of transferring funds from the at least one funding source to the account;
comparing the at least one rule with the at least one risk score by the processor in order to determine a decision regarding the account application information by comparing the at least one rule with the at least one risk score in order to determine whether to accept the account application information and open the account;
determining a set of parameters for at least one funding constraint based upon the risk score;
electronically transmitting, by the inputoutput interface, the decision and the parameters to the remote device over the at least one network;
electronically transmitting, by the inputoutput interface, the decision and the parameters to the financial institution over the at least one network; and
providing an account-opening solution in accordance with the decision and the parameters.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparing the at least one rule with at least one risk score by the processor in order to determine at least one funding constraint associated with the account includes comparing the at least one rule with at least one risk score in order to determine a maximum funding amount for the account.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparing the at least one rule with at least one risk score by the processor in order to determine at least one funding constraint associated with the account includes comparing the at least one rule with at least one risk score in order to determine a hold time for funds transferred to the account.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising electronically receiving the at least one rule from an individual associated with the financial institution over at least one network.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising opening the account with the financial institution by way of the processor and associating the at least one funding constraint with the account.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transferring funds to the account by way of the processor via at least one of a credit card transaction, a debit card transaction, an ACH transaction, and a wire transfer.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining at least one risk score with the processor based on the account application information includes determining a risk score specifying a risk to the financial institution of opening the account for the customer.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining at least one risk score specifying a risk to the financial institution of transferring funds from the at least one funding source includes determining a risk score based on attempting to match at least a portion of the account application information with at least a portion of the funding source information.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining at least one risk score with the processor based on attempting to match at least a portion of the account application information with at least a portion of the funding source information includes processing previously-collected debit data with the processor.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparing the at least one rule with the at least one risk score by the processor in order to determine a decision regarding the account application information includes applying the at least one rule to the at least one risk score in order to determine whether to open the account.
11. An account management system for opening an account with a financial institution via an account opening service, the system comprising:
an electronically-implemented memory configured to store at least one rule for opening an account with a financial institution and a rules engine application;
an electronically-implemented inputoutput interface device configured to receive:
account application information from at least one remote device over at least one network and
transmitted configuration information;

an electronically-implemented processor programmed to:
process the transmitted configuration information so as to modify functionality of the account opening service, the functionality configured to;
determine at least one risk score based on the account application information, the at least one risk score specifying a risk to the financial institution of opening the account for the customer;
execute the rules engine application to compare the at least one rule with the at least one risk score in order to determine a decision regarding the account application information;
determine a set of parameters for at least one funding constraint based upon the risk score; and
provide an account-opening solution in accordance with the decision and the parameters.
12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one funding constraint includes a maximum funding amount for the account.
13. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one funding constraint includes a funding hold time for funds transferred to the account.
14. The system of claim 11, wherein the inputoutput interface electronically transmits the decision and the at least one funding constraint to the remote device over at least one network.
15. A system for opening an account with a financial institution, the system comprising:
an account management system having an account opening service;
at least one network; and
at least one remote device configured to electronically transmit account application information and configuration information to the account management system over the at least one network;
wherein the account management system is configured to:
process the transmitted configuration information so as to modify functionality of the account opening service, the functionality configured to;
generate at least one risk score based on the account application information;
compare at least one rule to the at least one risk score in order to determine a decision regarding the account application information;
determine a set of parameters for at least one funding constraint based upon the risk score;
electronically transmit the decision and the parameters to the at least one remote device over the at least one network; and
provide an account-opening solution in accordance with the decision and the parameters.