Abstract: A raising and lowering device, particularly suitable for incapacitated human or animal patients. The device includes a load carrying support having at least one elongated arm including a proximal end section and distal end section. The arm is pivotable on the device at the proximal end section and movable by pivoting between an operating position in which the support is positioned for carrying said load, and a stored position in which the arm forms a graspable handle allowing an operator to carry the device. The invention also relates to components suitable for use with the device.

Abstract: A novel medium, method and system for proving a turbine meter for use with natural gas. The novel test medium is a gas having the following characteristics: (a) Density>2×Density of Natural Gas; (b) Dynamic Viscosity<Dynamic Viscosity of Natural Gas; and (c) Ideal gas behavior for approximately 15° C.<T<25° C. and 1 bar<P<50 bar. The method and system make use of the novel test medium. Also disclosed is a novel method and system for cooling a test medium circulating in a turbine meter prover system involving injecting liquefied test medium into said circulating test medium.

Abstract: A method of making plastic materials, such as plastic lumber, wherein recyclable plastics are sorted into at least two categories and the recyclable plastics in each category are then shredded and chipped, extruded, and mixed with selected colour concentrates to produce the plastic materials of a selected colour. This invention allows for the control of the selected colour to enable replication of such colour of the plastic materials, regardless of any variation in colour of the recycled plastics in each category.

Abstract: A package restraint system wherein a plurality of straps are secured around an item in a container for shipping purposes. A plurality of frictional pads and a plurality of flaps attached to the inner surfaces of the container further restrict any movement of the item in the container.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to the field on antennas and more specifically, to a low profile horizontally polarized sector antenna. The antenna includes a printed circuit board that has a dielectric substrate provided with a pair of first and second opposed faces and at least one dipole element formed on the dielectric substrate. The at least one dipole element has a pair of first and second, oppositely extending, dipole arms. The first dipole arm is formed on the first face of the dielectric substrate and the second dipole arm is formed on the second face thereof. The at least one dipole element has a width W corresponding to the span between the first and second dipole arms. The printed circuit board is also provided with a feed network that is operatively connected to the at least one dipole element. The antenna further includes a pair of conductive boards mounted to the dielectric substrate to stand proud of the second face thereof.

Abstract: A method of encoding an input video signal for communication over a computer network, the method comprising the steps of: i) applying a three-dimensional wavelet-based temporal and spatial decomposition to produce a plurality of spatio-temporal subbands; ii) quantizing the coefficients of the spatio-temporal subbands with a uniform scalar quantizer to produce a significance map; and iii) run-length and adaptive arithmetic coding of the signal by encoding the significance map, encoding the signs of all significant coefficients, and encoding the magnitudes of significant coefficients, in bit-plane order starting with the most significant bit-plane.

Abstract: A slot antenna comprising: a first and second boards each having an edge attached to respective opposite edges of a center board to form an essentially C-shaped open-ended channel having an inner surface and an outer surface; the center board having a slot for radiating signals defined in an electrically conductive layer bonded to an outer surface thereof and an electrically conductive feed line bonded to an inner surface thereof; the slot having a drive point being a portion of the feed line undercrossing the slot between opposite edges of the slot; the first and second boards each having an electrically conductive layer bonded to an outer surface thereof to reduce nulls, thereby providing an essentially omni-directional radiation pattern for the slot; and, a connector for coupling the signals to the antenna.

Abstract: A bale moistening and handling apparatus including: an open-topped tank for containing liquid for moistening bales; means for gripping at least one bale; a boom, the boom having a first end and a second end, the bale gripping means mounted on the boom proximate to the first end; a mast, the mast adapted to slidably carry the second end of the boom, the mast operable to rotate about its longitudinal axis; and, means for operating the bale gripping means, the boom, and the mast; wherein a bale located at a first location can be submerged in the liquid in the tank to moisten the bale and thereafter be removed and deposited at a second location.

Abstract: A system and method for use in a real time system and for processing a signal with a low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The system comprises a model for modeling an expected signal and a filter that uses the model for filtering the signal. The filter is used for generating a prediction of the signal and an error variance matrix. The system further comprises an adaptive element for modifying the error variance matrix such that the bandwidth of the filter is widened, wherein the filter behaves like an adaptive filter.

Abstract: A plumb bob apparatus comprises a rigid surface mount member for coupling at a proximal end to a surface. The surface mount member is rotatable about its axis. The plumb bob apparatus further includes a rigid device support member for pivotally coupling at a proximal end to a distal end of the surface mount member. When the plumb bob apparatus is coupled to the surface, the device support member will align vertically. The plumb bob can be mounted on a substantially vertical surface.

Abstract: An instrument for measuring reliably and instantaneously the chemical quality of cooking oil, and for distinguishing between color changes due to chemical changes and color changes due to the presence of minute size food particles in various oils.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of operating a bingo game using a game server on a network, comprises (a) providing a plurality of unique game cards and enabling a plurality of players to each purchase at least one unique game card by using a remote game client computer, at least one purchased card is a winning game card; (b) suspending the purchase of game cards; (c) after step (b), generating numbers to obtain a sequence of calls; (d) applying the sequence of calls to each purchased game card and identifying the at least one winning game card; (e) after step (d), transmitting the sequence of calls applied in step (d) to each remote game client computer which has been used to purchase at least one game card; and, (f) on each remote game client computer, repeating the sequence of calls applied in step (d) until the at least one winning game card is identified.

Abstract: A dynamic random access memory for storing one of N levels in each of a plurality of memory cells, the memory cells having storage capacitors coupled to bitline pairs through switches for writing and reading data to and from the memory cells, the memory comprising: at least N−1 bitline pairs, each bitline pair being divided into N−1 sub-bitlines by first switches therebetween; the sub-bitline pairs of each bitline being coupled to adjacent sub-bitline pairs by second switches therebetween, to form N−1 groups of sub-bitlines each for producing one of N−1 reference voltages; sense amplifiers coupled to each sub-bitline pair; N−1 sub-bitline pairs each having reference cells for selective coupling thereto; (N−2)(N−1) sub-bitline pairs each having generate cells for selective coupling thereto; and sub-bitline pairs being selectively connected in a group through switches such that: the sub-bitlines in the group are precharged to one of a plurality of voltages; one of the (

Abstract: An asynchronously pipelined SDRAM has separate pipeline stages that are controlled by asynchronous signals. Rather than using a clock signal to synchronize data at each stage, an asynchronous signal is used to latch data at every stage. The asynchronous control signals are generated within the chip and are optimized to the different latency stages. Longer latency stages require larger delays elements, while shorter latency states require shorter delay elements. The data is synchronized to the clock at the end of the read data path before being read out of the chip. Because the data has been latched at each pipeline stage, it suffers from less skew than would be seen in a conventional wave pipeline architecture. Furthermore, since the stages are independent of the system clock, the read data path can be run at any CAS latency as long as the re-synchronizing output is built to support it.

Abstract: A high gain printed loop antenna comprises a first and second loop arranged symmetrically about a feed network, wherein each of the loops include pairs of substantially parallel radiation sections which when excited in phase from the feed network improves the gain of the antenna. Each of the parallel radiation sections are joined by patch elements such that the width of the patch elements is greater than the width of other portions of the loop. Thus, the patch elements allow for an increased variance in the path of a surface current through the loop.

Abstract: A CAM cell comprises a pair of SRAM cells, each of which comprise a pair of cross coupled inverters for storing a data value and a pair of access devices for accessing a complementary pair of bit lines. The CAM cell further comprises a pair of compare circuits, each for comparing said data value stored in one of said SRAM cells with a search data value provided on a corresponding search line. The CAM cell has an equivalent number of n-channel and p-channel devices. The CAM cell uses p-channel transistors as access transistors to the SRAM cells in order to improve the efficiency of the layout of the cell array. The implementation ensures a balanced number of p-channel and n-channel devices per cell while still providing excellent functional characteristics.

Abstract: This invention describes an improved high bandwidth chip-to-chip interface for memory devices, which is capable of operating at higher speeds, while maintaining error free data transmission, consuming lower power, and supporting more load. Accordingly, the invention provides a memory subsystem comprising at least two semiconductor devices; a main bus containing a plurality of bus lines for carrying substantially all data and command information needed by the devices, the semiconductor devices including at least one memory device connected in parallel to the bus; the bus lines including respective row command lines and column command lines; a clock generator for coupling to a clock line, the devices including clock inputs for coupling to the clock line; and the devices including programmable delay elements coupled to the clock inputs to delay the clock edges for setting an input data sampling time of the memory device.

Abstract: A system and method for use in a real time system and for processing a signal with a low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The system comprises a model for modeling an expected signal and a filter that uses the model for filtering the signal. The filter is used for generating a prediction of the signal and an error variance matrix. The system further comprises an adaptive element for modifying the error variance matrix such that the bandwidth of the filter is widened, wherein the filter behaves like an adaptive filter.

Abstract: A frequency multiplier circuit comprising a delay line receiving at one end thereof a reference clock for generating clock tap outputs from respective ones of a plurality of period matched delay elements; a clock combining circuit responsive to pairs of tap outputs for generating a rising and falling edge of an output clock pulse from respective ones of the pairs whereby the output clock period is less than the input clock period.