Abstract: A valve suitable for a fuel tank may include a valve housing having a housing part, and a float configured for closing a vent opening, the float being movably arranged inside the valve housing along a middle longitudinal axis running in an axial direction upward or downward. A lower section of the float faces away from the vent opening and faces toward the housing part of the valve housing. At least one spring element is at least partially arranged in or on the housing part and/or is at least partially formed by the housing part. The spring element contacts the float at least when the float moves downward in the valve housing.

Abstract: A valve device for a fuel tank of a motor vehicle includes, for example, a housing having a tank connection for connecting the valve device to a vent line going to or coming from the fuel tank, and a filter connection for connecting the valve device to a vent line going to or coming from an activated charcoal filter. The tank connection and the filter connection are fluidically connected to one another inside the housing through a vent duct. A valve is arranged inside the housing for opening and at least partially closing the vent duct, wherein the valve has a valve element that is movably mounted between an opening position and a closed position inside the housing along a longitudinal axis of the housing. An actuating element is accessible from outside the valve device, which is movably mounted along the longitudinal axis inside the housing and motion-coupled in such a way with the valve element that a movement of the actuating element in a closing direction moves the valve element in closing direction.

Abstract: A valve suitable for a fuel tank may include a valve housing having a housing part, and a float configured for closing a vent opening, the float being movably arranged inside the valve housing along a middle longitudinal axis running in an axial direction upward or downward. A lower section of the float faces away from the vent opening and faces toward the housing part of the valve housing. At least one spring element is at least partially arranged in or on the housing part and/or is at least partially formed by the housing part. The spring element contacts the float at least when the float moves downward in the valve housing.

Abstract: A valve assembly for a fuel tank includes a housing with a tank connection and a filter connection to respectively connect the valve assembly to the fuel tank and to an active carbon filter. The tank connection and the filter connection are or can be fluidically connected through a vent duct. A main vent valve with a valve element in the vent duct closes the vent duct in a closing position and opens it in a releasing position. A pilot valve to open the main vent valve is or can be fluidically connected to a pressure chamber of the main vent valve or to an overflow area. The overflow area fluidically connects or can fluidically connect the tank connection or a tank-side vent duct and the filter connection or a filter-side vent duct. Three check valves are also included.

Abstract: A valve has a valve housing, at least one valve opening, a valve element movably mounted inside the valve housing along a direction of movement B1, B2 between a closing position and an opening position, at least one spring element to reset the valve element from the opening position to the closing position, a carrier element movably mounted inside the valve housing along the direction of movement B1 and at least one sealing element attached to the carrier element. The at least one sealing element and the carrier element are a multi-component part, and may be for example a two-component part.

Abstract: A keyboard data input device includes a one-hand module having a finger section with groups of keys each of which fixedly assigned to a finger of the operator. The keyboard has a cover part which includes a palm rest section and grooves. A group of keys is sequentially arranged at the ground of said grooves to be reached by the outstretched or bent fingers when the operator's hand is in contact with the palm rest section. A thumb section located adjacent to the forefinger groove comprises a flat area which includes groups of command keys, and comprises further keys at an upright wall adjacent to the forefinger groove. The keyboard may be used for two-hand operation by providing two separate one-hand modules. The keyboard comprises a graphical multipurpose display visualize control information and characters typed in. The keyboard may further include a bar code scanner.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for improving recognition of patterns such as alphanumeric characters. A known recognition system is expanded to further include a complementary recognition system which is linked with the primary recognition system. An image that can not be positively recognized by the primary recognition system is passed on to the complementary recognition system and any characters not positively recognized by the complementary recognition are again passed on to a correction system. At the correction system, an operator classifies unrecognized characters which are then used to teach the complementary recognition system. Thus, the classified data of the correction system provide the training data for a continuous training process which is coupled with the correction system by a pattern adaptation system.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and system for handling E-mail messages in a communication system. According to the present invention in a communication system comprising one or several intermediate receivers any attachment in an E-mail message is detached in the intermediate receiver and stored. Furthermore the attachment is replaced with a reference to the stored attachment before the E-mail message is forwarded to the recipient. With the use of the present invention the attachment of the E-mail stays always as close as possible to the receiver location. Changes to E-mail handling components on the sender's side and in the transmitting network are not necessary. Since storage and transmission of redundant data is suppressed, there are considerable savings of transmission cost, disk space, and mailing time.

Abstract: A keyboard data input device includes a one-hand module having a finger section with groups of keys each of which fixedly assigned to a finger of the operator. The keyboard has a cover part which includes a palm rest section and grooves. A group of keys is sequentially arranged at the ground of said grooves to be reached by the outstretched or bent fingers when the operator's hand is in contact with the palm rest section. A thumb section located adjacent to the forefinger groove comprises a flat area which includes groups of command keys, and comprises further keys at an upright wall adjacent to the forefinger groove. The keyboard may be used for two-hand operation by providing two separate one-hand modules. The keyboard comprises a graphical multipurpose display visualize control information and characters typed in. The keyboard may further include a bar code scanner.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for recognizing written characters. In one aspect, a method for recognizing written characters comprises the steps of: recognizing written characters with each of a plurality of writing recognition units, each of the writing recognition units supplying reliability values for each recognized character; determining a confidence level for each of the written characters from the corresponding reliability value for the written characters; testing the agreement of the results from the writing recognition units for each of the recognized characters; evaluating a plurality of rules for each of the recognized character with the corresponding levels and agreements; and delivering the overall result of the writing recognition process.

Abstract: A spring band clamp is comprised of an annular spring band having a first end portion and a second end portion. Each end portion has a spreading jaw that projects beyond a periphery of the spring band. The first end portion has a tongue spaced from the spreading jaw of the first end portion extending radially outwardly from a U-shaped incision in the first end portion and has a free end surface extending perpendicularly with respect to a direction of extension of the tongue. An abutment is formed by a radially inner edge of the free end surface of the tongue. The second end portion has a slot extending in a circumferential direction. The first end portion projects through the peripheral slot in the second end portion. The spring band exerts a closing spring force, which is directed in the circumferential direction. The closing spring force is greater in an open position of the spring band clamp than in an operative position.

Abstract: A spring band clamp is comprised of an annular spring band having a first end portion and a second end portion. Each end portion has a clamping jaw that projects beyond a periphery of the spring band. The first end portion has a tongue extending radially outwardly from a U-shaped incision in the first end portion. An abutment is formed by a radial inner edge of a free end surface of the tongue. The second end portion has a slot extending in a circumferential direction. The first end portion projects through the peripheral slot in the second end portion. The clamping jaws extend substantially tangentially relative to the circumferential direction of the spring band. The spring band exerts a closing spring force, which is directed in the circumferential direction. The closing spring force is greater in an open position of the spring band clamp than in an operative position.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for pattern recognition and validation, especially of hand-written signatures. Original files of basic structures are established and stored in a reference image file. The structure to be verified is analyzed in the same way and with the same methods to find their significant basic structures. Information stored in the reference image file and information found as significant basic structures are compared. This comparison is performed in the order of significance sequentially or parallel for at least for some information entities. Validation is performed for each single comparison step and the results are weighted. If no clear result (either a match with a given confidence or a non-match is delivered) is obtained, a stepwise refinement of the recognition structures is performed by repeating the recognition and validation procedure, on a higher level of information, or with other words with finer details to be analyzed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the elimination of color from a multi-color image document is described. All color information for every picture element of the image of the document is provided concurrently and for every picture element PEL the image signal of all provided colors are analyzed and for every picture element that image signal of that color is selected which has the minimum contrast relative to the background of the image document.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically verifying a signature of an individual is described. The apparatus digitizes an image of the signature and provides a grey scale representation of each pixel. Next, the apparatus determines parameters of this digitized image and compares them to corresponding reference parameter values which were determined from a valid signature. The results of the comparison indicate if the signature to be verified is valid. The parameters include a center of gravity of the pixels within each row and columns of the digitized image, a center of gravity line for the centers of gravity for the rows or columns and the center of gravity for all pixels of the image. Other parameters include the positions of maximum grey scale pixels within each row or column, sums of grey scale values per column or row and the shape of a bow within the signature image.

Abstract: A circuit is provided to compensate for crosstalk between individual cells of a photodetector array by combining the signals produced by adjacent cells in the array together with a predetermined crosstalk factor.

Abstract: The invention relates to an opto-electronic scanning apparatus with a document support on a common frame, and a scanning head scanning a document in two different directions, which is characterized in that on the frame a first carrier (4; 27) is mounted that can be driven by a first driving means (5; 18) in the first direction, that on the first carrier (4; 27) a second carrier (12) is mounted which carries a scanning head (16, 17) operating in the second scanning direction only, that the scanning head (16, 17) on the second carrier (12) is linearly movable in the second scanning direction only, and that for each direction of movement a separate driving means is provided.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the elimination of color from a multi-color image document is described. All color information for every picture element of the image of the document is provided concurrently and for every picture element PEL the image signal of all provided colors are analyzed and for every picture element that image signal of that color is selected which has the minimum contrast relative to the background of the image document.