Abstract: Methods and devices are provided for encoding/decoding structured documents, particularly XML documents, wherein a bit stream or part of a bit stream is produced from a schema as a function of a metaschema with the aid of an encoding method. According to the present invention, at least one of the following optimization processes is carried out: separation of anonymous types from element declarations and attribute declarations and encoding as own type, the type definition thereof being instantiated in the schema definition as a top level element; normalization of the syntax trees on the encoder side; replacement of the character strings of type names; and transmission of information for the inheritance tree. The decoding takes such optimization processes into account and conversely produces a schema from the bit stream.

Abstract: The invention is essentially based on, in the schema definition, which is known to the encoder and to the decoder or transmitted from the encoder to the decoder, specifying information for calculating code concerning the elements or data types contained in the name subspace and enabling this information to be clearly assigned in this manner to each code in the name subspace. Only a portion of the entire name space including the number of the elements or data types lacking for the code calculation have to be transmitted for the configuration of a code which generally means a significantly smaller volume of data than the volume of data that would be required for the entire name space. In addition, the code tables are smaller than in entirely known name spaces which requires less storage space in the codec and enables a faster encoding and decoding.

Abstract: The invention is essentially characterized in that two different schema branch codes are used, whereby one of the two is utilized far more frequently and, as a consequence, effects a compression. The schema branch code and position code are combined, and the bit length for the schema branch code is transmitted therewith. This results in simplifying the search function in such a manner that the first part, alone, specifies the type of the referenced element and that an improvement in the extensibility is achieved based on a schema version number to be transmitted and on firmly prescribed extension strategies that are also familiar to the decoder.

Abstract: The aim of the invention is to encode string-based data types, which have for example a tree-type structure, in such a way that signal bits (flags) for optional sections and/or for length information concerning the codes that are of variable length are placed in a defined sequence at the beginning of the created bitstream, thus accelerating the search for data by means of a sorting process and bit mask queries. The invention also relates to a more efficient encoding of the #position field by, among other things, the assignment of code fragments for each group of regular expressions.

Abstract: A fluid friction clutch, in particular for the fan of the radiator of an internal combustion engine, is described. A valve element (22) controlling the clutch is operated via a solenoid control by means of a piston rod (24) which is guided coaxially in the drive shaft (12) of the clutch. The piston rod (24) includes an anchor (28), which is guided in the drive shaft (12). An actuator coil (34) is received in the magnet body (32), which is seated rotatably upon the drive shaft (12). The drive shaft (12) guiding the anchor (28) is provided with a non-magnetic separation gap (38).

Abstract: To determine the noise contained in a picture, it is proposed first to determine homogeneous picture regions of the picture (100-102) and then to measure the high-frequency signal component in these homogeneous picture regions (BR). The measurement of the high-frequency signal components is here averaged over many measurement points, i.e. over many homogenous picture regions (BR), and is processed into a noise figure (NOISE_SUM) (103-104). In this way, the quality of the picture can be measured directly in the picture content.