Abstract: A cleaning device for cleaning a filter arrangement which has a first fluid connection, a second fluid connection, and a filter assembly between the first and second fluid connections and which has a surface to which contaminants can adhere. A generator device for generating a gas-fluid mixture includes a receiving chamber for receiving a fluid, and a pressurized gas generating device. A first pipe assembly is connected to the generator device so that the gas-fluid mixture can be provided under pressure into the filter arrangement. A second pipe assembly is connectable to the second fluid connection and a collection device. The collection device collects the gas-fluid mixture and contaminants entrained from the filter arrangement. The first pipe assembly has a deflection pipe section which allows the receiving chamber to be filled with fluid without fluid entering the filter arrangement before the gas-fluid mixture is generated.

Abstract: A processing system includes a particle beam column for generating a particle beam directed to a first processing location; a laser system for generating a laser beam directed to a second processing location located at a distance from the first processing location; and a protector including an actuator and a plate connected to the actuator. The actuator is configured to move the plate between a first position in which it protects a component of the particle beam column from particles released from the object by the laser beam and a second position in which the component of the particle beam column is not protected from particles released from the object by the laser beam.

Abstract: A processing system includes a particle beam column for generating a particle beam directed to a first processing location; a laser system for generating a laser beam directed to a second processing location located at a distance from the first processing location; and a protector including an actuator and a plate connected to the actuator. The actuator is configured to move the plate between a first position in which it protects a component of the particle beam column from particles released from the object by the laser beam and a second position in which the component of the particle beam column is not protected from particles released from the object by the laser beam.

Abstract: A processing system includes a particle beam column for generating a particle beam directed to a first processing location; a laser system for generating a laser beam directed to a second processing location located at a distance from the first processing location; and a protector including an actuator and a plate connected to the actuator. The actuator is configured to move the plate between a first position in which it protects a component of the particle beam column from particles released from the object by the laser beam and a second position in which the component of the particle beam column is not protected from particles released from the object by the laser beam.

Abstract: A processing system includes a particle beam column for generating a particle beam directed to a first processing location; a laser system for generating a laser beam directed to a second processing location located at a distance from the first processing location; and a protector including an actuator and a plate connected to the actuator. The actuator is configured to move the plate between a first position in which it protects a component of the particle beam column from particles released from the object by the laser beam and a second position in which the component of the particle beam column is not protected from particles released from the object by the laser beam.

Abstract: A processing system includes a particle beam column for generating a particle beam directed to a first processing location; a laser system for generating a laser beam directed to a second processing location located at a distance from the first processing location; and a protector including an actuator and a plate connected to the actuator. The actuator is configured to move the plate between a first position in which it protects a component of the particle beam column from particles released from the object by the laser beam and a second position in which the component of the particle beam column is not protected from particles released from the object by the laser beam.

Abstract: Image signals are encoded following a spatial decomposition pattern that is based on a selected location within the image. The resulting sequence of sets of encoded image signals may be transmitted to a remote node for decoding and display. The display of the decoded signals is progressively updated as subsequent sets of encoded image signals are received and decoded. In a prefeired embodiment, the first set of encoded image signals comprises DC transformed signals corresponding to the original image, while the subsequent sets of encoded signals comprise AC transformed signals corresponding to the original image.

Abstract: The invention includes to establishing a network phone call connection between a caller and a callee. The network includes a caller connected to the network through a first network access provider. The callee is connectable to the network through one of a first or a second network access provider. A network phone call connection between the caller and callee may be established by creating a look-up service and a callee connection service. Subsequent to the creation of the look-up service and the callee connection service, the invention determines whether the callee is connected to the network. If yes, a network phone call connection to the callee is established. If no, the look-up service and callee connection service is employed to connect the callee to network. Then, once this is done, a network phone call connection to the callee is established.

Abstract: Image signals are encoded following a spatial decomposition pattern that is based on a selected location within the image. The resulting sequence of sets of encoded image signals may be transmitted to a remote node for decoding and display. The display of the decoded signals is progressively updated as subsequent sets of encoded image signals are received and decoded. In a preferred embodiment, the first set of encoded image signals comprises DC transformed signals corresponding to the original image, while the subsequent sets of encoded signals comprise AC transformed signals corresponding to the original image.

Abstract: A signal is encoding, in part, by generating the transform of the signal in a transform domain. The coefficients of the transformed signal are then ordered according to a statistical model of the transform. Decoding of the encoded signal generates progressively accurate approximations of the fully reconstructed signal. If, for some reason, decoding is truncated, a useable partial result will nevertheless be available. In a preferred embodiment, natural image signals are encoded by ordering the coefficients of the transformed signal generated by applying a discrete cosine transform. Decoding of the encoded signals generates progressively accurate approximations of the fully reconstructed image. The invention has particular application to systems with limited and/or variable transmission, storage, and/or decode processing bandwidth.

Abstract: The transition from the display of a first image to the display of a second image is accomplished by progressively fading-in from the first image to the second image. The second image is received sequentially in two or more sets of signals. As each set of second-image signals is received, a new display image is generated using the first image and all of the available signals for the second image. For each new display image, the weighting of the second-image signals increases relative to the weighting of the first-image signals.

Abstract: An image is divided into a plurality of blocks and a first transform is applied to each of the blocks to generate a plurality of first transformed blocks, wherein each of the first transformed blocks comprises a DC first transformed signal and a plurality of AC first transformed signals. A second transform is applied to the DC first transformed signals for all of the first transformed blocks to generate a plurality of second transformed signals. The second transformed signals are encoded and then the AC first transformed signals are encoded.

Abstract: A wide-band FM receiver for satellite-transmitted NTSC color television signals includes a novel tracking filter circuit for extending the noise threshold of the receiver. The tracking filter circuit includes a voltage steerable bandpass filter and a feedback control loop that provides a different loop gain for portions of the feedback signal having frequencies corresponding to the spectral components of the chrominance signal and for portions of the feedback signal having frequencies corresponding to the spectral components of the luminance signal. The control loop comprises a loop amplifier, a comb filter and a low-pass filter for separating the feedback signal according to frequency, and two attenuators to allow the setting of different loop gains for the two frequency-separated portions of the feedback signal.

Abstract: A frequency converter circuit includes an input voltage-to-current converter which delivers signal current to a tuned IF circuit via a current steering circuit controlled by a local oscillator. In a preferred embodiment voltage-to-current conversion is effected without introducing unwanted harmonics by a double-gate MOSFET. Current steering is performed by a pair of push-pull connected transistors alternately driven into saturation by the local oscillator so that they alternately deliver signal current to the tank circuit in opposite senses. A current-limited diode clamps the output signal level in response to high input current levels to prevent over-driving an output filter.