Abstract: A thin, inexpensive, removable platen for a direct fingerprint reader without a permanently attached platen. A removable platen is formed as a transparent area on a credit card, passport or identification card or as a separate card. The portable platen on the card is inserted over an imaging area of the direct fingerprint reader. Light from the direct fingerprint reader passes through an optical surface formed on the underside of the portable platen, is reflected off the fingerprint and passes back through the optical surface to the imaging apparatus where the image is digitized and analyzed. The optical surface is formed such that the incident light is not refracted away from the fingerprint and the reflected light from the fingerprint is not refracted away from the imaging apparatus.

Abstract: A system for applying artificial intelligence technology to data stored in databases and generates diagnostics that are user definable interpretations of information in the database. The diagnostics are stored in a database which can be queried with downdrilling to the associated data which generated the diagnostic. A set of bidirectional links is maintained between selected data items in the first database and the corresponding diagnostics in the second database. The system acts as an information compiler in developing a map of the raw data dimension into the structured dimension of intelligent interpretation of the data in the diagnostic database.

Abstract: A disposable mask and suction catheter includes a mask having a front side and a back side, the back side being disposed in contact with a user's face during use. The disposable mask and suction catheter also includes a catheter tube having a first and a second end, the first end being removably attachable to a suction source for removing exhaled air and the second end being attached to the back side of the mask. The disposable mask and suction catheter helps to prevent fogging of glasses or other eyewear due to moist, exhaled air that escapes from behind the mask, and improves user comfort by constantly removing the warm, moist air behind and around the mask and drawing cool, dry air into the mask.

Abstract: A police radar utilizing digital data transmission from the antenna unit to a separately housed counting and display unit. The antenna has a double balanced mixer to suppress even order harmonics. The counting and display unit has a computer programmed to perform digital signal processing on the digital data received from the antenna to improve the quality and accuracy of calculated speeds for patrol speed, strongest target speed and fastest target speed. Fastest target speed can be displayed simultaneously with strongest target speed. Signal processing techniques are used to suppress false signals caused by double and triple bounce, harmonics, intermodulation products, video display terminal interference, etc.

Abstract: The invention is related to a method for preparing 4-alkyl-2-hydroxy-3,5-dichlorobenzene sulphonic acids by sulphonating 4-chloro-3-alkylphenol and by chlorinating 4-alkyl-2-hydroxy-5-chlorobenzene sulphonic acid present in an acidic reaction mixture. According to the invention, chlorination is carried out by adding, to the acidic reaction mixture, salts of hypochlorous and/or chloric acids and, when needed, hydrochloric acid or its salt.

Abstract: A new and useful method is disclosed for transferring information from cinema film at a first speed to broadcast quality video signals at a second and different, predetermined speed which may be greater or less than the first speed, in a telecine with an internal frame store using a beam of optical information signals.

Abstract: A variety of PC card interfaces to interface from many different types of input devices to Personal Digital Assistants or palmtop computers through PCMCIA slots. The disclosed interfaces can receive data in undecoded format from laser based, wand based or CCD based barcode scanning engines, decode the data to alphanumeric characters and pass the decoded data to the PDA via the PCMCIA 68 pin bus. Other PC card based interfaces are also disclosed which can accept input data in the form of ASCII or EBCDIC characters from virtually any type of input device which a standard serial or parallel output or custom output bus and input that data to the PDA through the PCMCIA bus. Some embodiments use programmed general purpose microprocessors to decode undecoded barcode scan data on the PC card. Other embodiments use custom-programmed, commercially available barcode decoding chips to decode incoming undecoded barcode scan data.

Abstract: A high speed switching technology suitable for implementing field programmable gate arrays using current mode logic in the high speed data path, and CMOS steering logic outside the high speed data path to enable the high speed switching logic and to implement multiplexer, selector and crossbar switch functions. High speed emitter follower logic compatible with the high speed switching logic for level shifting, buffering, and providing more current sink or source capacity is also disclosed.

Abstract: There is disclosed a variety of PC Card interfaces to interface from many different types of input devices to Personal Digital Assistants or palmtop computers through PCMCIA slots.The disclosed interfaces can receive data in undecoded format from laser based, wand based or CCD based barcode scanning engines, decode the data to alphanumeric characters and pass the decoded data to the PDA via the PCMCIA 68 pin bus. Other PC Card based interfaces are also disclosed which can accept input data in the form of ASCII or EBCDIC characters from virtually any type of input device which a standard serial or parallel output or custom output bus and input that data to the PDA through the PCMCIA bus.