Abstract: Provided is a novel ion-pair charge-transfer complex polymer suitable for use as a photo-functional material which shows extremely fast photoresponses in the wide wavelength range from visible to near infrared regions, and thermally stable, wherein the acceptor is a substituted bipyridinium cation expressed by the formula (I) below. In the formula, X represents a group bonded at the 4- or 2-position relative to the nitrogen atoms of the bipyridinium group and selected from the group consisting of phenyl, biphenyl, thienyl, bithienyl, terthienyl, furyl, fluorenyl, pyrenyl, perylenyl, and vinyl groups, or X may not be present so that the pyridinium groups are directly connected; and Z represents a polymer preferably from the ring-opening polymerization of an oxazoline derivative (e.g. one substituted with phenyl group). The anion as the donor is selected, for example, from chloride, bromide, iodide, tetraphenylborate or derivatives thereof.

Abstract: An adjustable weighing scale includes first and second scale sections deployable in a full-width configuration and an extended-width configuration. A connecting member extends between the scale sections. Load sensing apparatuses are mounted on the scale sections and output signals related to a portion of the full weight of an associated object on the scale. An output device receives the signals and communicates the full weight sensed by the scale in appropriate units.

Abstract: Power conversion systems and methods are presented for damping common mode resonance, in which inverter or rectifier switching control signals are selectively modified according to a damping resistance current value computed using a predetermined virtual damping resistance value in parallel with an output or input capacitor and a measured output or input voltage value to mitigate or reduce common mode resonance in the converter.

Abstract: A method is provided for operating a computing device to create a document structure model of a computer parsable text document utilizing recognition of at least one ordered sequence of identifiers in the document. The method includes converting a computer parsable text document of any format to an alternative structured language format to form a converted document. The text of the converted document is fragmented into an ordered sequence of text fragments within a text format. The text fragments are enumerated to obtain a sequence of terms. At least one optimal sub-sequence of terms is identified from among the sequence of terms, with an optimal sub-sequence being one or more longest increasing sub-sequence(s). The computer parsable text document is annotated with tags, with the tags including information derived from identification of the optimal sub-sequence(s). The annotated document is displayed on the graphical user interface.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for applying films (10) to interior wall sections of the bodywork (7) of a vehicle with the aid of an instrument or robot (6) comprising a multi-membered articulated arm (18, 19) and gripping elements (21) for the films. To reduce the mounting time, the robot (6) is driven through an opening (14) in the interior of the bodywork (7), the films (10) to be applied are transported by transport elements (11) to the vicinity of the interior or into the interior of the bodywork (7) and the delivered films (10) are taken from the transport elements by the robot (6) and its gripping elements (21) and are applied to the respective interior wall sections.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a portable household food cooker capable of receiving a food mixture and producing food items in a continuous fashion. The continuous food cooker generally includes a housing and a hopper. The hopper is disposed above the housing for receiving the food mixture and for dispensing the food mixture into the cooker. The continuous food cooker also includes a hot roller assembly for forming and cooking the food mixture, a hot roller drive assembly operatively attached to at least one roller, and a cutter for cutting the produced food item at a desired length. The hot roller assembly includes at least one rotatable roller and at least one heating element for heating the at least one roller. The at least one roller and the at least one heating element are disposed internally to the housing.

Abstract: A control system for a pneumatically operated mast has a first control, a second control, and a positioning member. A first serial link communicates the first control with the second control. A second serial link communicates the second control with the positioning member. A relay system communicates with the first and second control and the positioning member. The relay system accommodates a 12 voltage or 24 voltage source.

Abstract: A method is provided for authenticating debit card transactions engaged in by a cardholder on a communications network.

Abstract: A novel sub-structure of a thick film dielectric electroluminescent display and a thick film dielectric electroluminescent display incorporating the same is provided. The sub-structure comprises a barrier layer between a substrate and a thick film dielectric layer. The barrier layer is chemically inert with respect to the substrate and the thick film dielectric layer and the barrier layer inhibits diffusion of at least one chemical species therethrough. This sub-structure results in a higher capacitance for the thick dielectric layer, which provides higher display luminance and a reduced tendency for dielectric breakdown of the thick dielectric layer. The barrier layer permits for lower cost substrates, such as glass, to be used.

Abstract: Isolated LED power sources and DC-DC converters therefor are presented in which the DC-DC converter includes a self-oscillating inverter driving an output rectifier for operating an LED array of one or more LEDs, where the inverter uses a control transformer with core having a Curie temperature set to a maximum operating temperature of one or more power supply components to reduce inductances of secondary windings in the inverter oscillation circuitry to lower the power supplied to the load so as to prevent the inverter from overheating.

Abstract: This disclosure provides methods, systems and apparatus to manage spot colors for an image marking device. Specifically, disclosed is a spot color control method including selecting a gain matrix K from a plurality of gain matrices, the gain matrix K being selected to satisfy performance criteria associated with the rendering of the target spot color, the performance criteria including an acceptable spot color error associated with the rendered spot color relative to the target color, an acceptable actuator energy utilized to achieve the acceptable spot color error and a total toner/ink usage acceptable to render the spot color.

Abstract: A snowshoe (1) whose webbing includes a flexible wall (4) maintained in tension inside a framework (2) by portions of the flexible mounting wall which define flexible mounting projections. Supplemental protection parts (8) are disposed surrounding the mounting projections to protect them from wear and impact.

Abstract: An installation tool assembly for advancing a fitting's swage ring onto a fitting's connector body while a conduit is received in the connector body to mechanically and sealingly connect the fitting to the conduit includes a body defining at least two spaced apart piston chambers, a fixed jaw connected to the body and adapted to engage one of the connector body or the swage ring, and a movable jaw connected to the body and movable relative to the fixed jaw. The movable jaw is adapted to engage the other of the connector body or the swage ring. Pistons are disposed in the at least two spaced piston chambers. The pistons and the movable jaw are configured such that movement of the pistons in a first direction moves the movable jaw toward the fixed jaw thereby moving the swage ring axially onto the connector body to mechanically and sealingly connect the connector body to the conduit received therein when the fixed and movable jaws are engaged to the connector body and swage ring.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described that employ high-intensity lasers to set up a thin plasma sheet, also called a waveguide or “hot shell”, in the atmosphere as a function of beam intensity and geometry. A laser beam can be spread and directed with physical optics (e.g., lenses, mirrors, other optical elements, etc.) to generate a thin inverted cone-shaped hot shell waveguide in the atmosphere. The hot shell of the waveguide has a different index of refraction (n) from that of the surrounding air layers and as such serves to internally reflect portions of the entering solar rays entering an aperture in the hot shell, toward the tip of the cone and a solar energy storage component positioned there, thus providing a virtual solar energy concentration system. In another embodiment, the solar energy storage component shuts down or otherwise rejects incoming solar energy when fully charged, to mitigate damage to system components.

Abstract: A multi-channel light source has different channels for generating illumination of different channel colors corresponding to the different channels. An electrical power supply selectively energizes the channels using time division multiplexing to generate illumination of a selected time-averaged color.

Abstract: A stacking unit (1) for storing bottles, cans or other articles (7) having circular cross sections comprises a strip (2) of sheet material formed along one side of the strip with at least three part circular cavities (6). The free end walls (5) of the cavities (6) at opposite ends of the strip (2) are of sufficient rigidity to retain the articles in place in the unit under the weight of other articles stacked on the row in the unit. The cavities respectively forming convex wall portions (4) on the opposite side of the strip (2). The stacking unit (1) can be seated on a first row of articles in order to stack a second row of articles on the first row.

Abstract: The invention is related to cavity resonators, a method for producing a cavity resonator, and a band pass filter system comprising cavity resonators. A cavity resonator (100) according to the invention comprises a printed circuit-board (10); an upper electrically conductive cap (20) having a three-dimensional structure (21); and a lower electrically conductive cap (30) having a three-dimensional structure (31). The structures of the upper cap (20) and the lower cap (30) are identical and the two caps (20, 30) are mounted on opposite sides of the printed circuit-board (10).