Abstract: A system utilizing a software program used to write other software application programs for the implementation of guideline applications for use in situations where a qualification decision or next course of action determination must be made. The system uses questions with limited choice answers. Data provided in answer to the questions causes a second program application to be automatically generated based on the answers. The second application then elicits responses in an interactive manner. Qualification decisions and courses of action are suggested as an output of the second application. Means are provided for evaluating the reliability of the suggestions based on consistency of answers and fatigue of the user. Means are also provided for editing either application program.

Abstract: A codeword forcing technique is applied which provides gradual degradation of an audio output during fading such that analog degradation in a fading signal environment is simulated.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for eliciting customer input to construct advertising/marketing campaigns. The metaphor elicitation technique method and apparatus provides a series of steps on an apparatus for eliciting from a customer the important aspects associated with a particular topic about which a marketing program is to be devised. The customers interact with a file of images which are designed to pictorially represent important sensory aspects of a topic being studied. The images and subsequent graphical maps and related constructs are then used to create an appropriate marketing/advertising campaign for the product or subject matter being studied.

Abstract: An access control system which uses a password token scheme for controlling user access to data within computer systems. The key component in the access control system is an optical token card that is capable of receiving optically encoded information directly from the CRT display of a standard personal computer and processing the information for use in identification and authentication procedures, cryptographic key management schemes, and administrative procedures such as maintaining audit trails. This design permits the use of much longer strings of challenge input data without the addition of peripheral readers to the system.

Abstract: A process for evaluation of an individual's food choices based upon selected factors and dietary guidelines is disclosed. The DINE System provides a method and apparatus which allows an individual to determine how well or poorly the person is eating. The invention analyzes the food an individual eats and determines certain predictor and follower nutrients that will give rise to an assessment of how a person's diet matches with various dietary guidelines established by governmental and/or other entities. The invention provides the results of the analysis to the individual complete with messages regarding over or under consumption of key nutrients so that the individual can correct the diet thereby resulting in better eating habits. The invention also gives the individual a "score" by which the person can immediately assess how well he or she is doing with respect to the various guidelines. The higher the number the better the diet.

Abstract: A portable voice and data encryption device designed to be used with normal wideband telephone and cellular telephones, computers and facsimile machines to transmit voice and data in encrypted form. The V/DED comprises a voice and data encryption module, an encryption and control module, and a modem module. The modem module can adapt its data rate to account for the changes in the signal strength between the sending and receiving sites. The encryption and control module senses the change in data rate of the modem module during transmission and synchronizes the activities of the voice and data module so that the amount of data being produced for encryption and transmission matches the data rate being experienced by the modem module. The V/DED very simply connects to the wall jack of a normal PSTN with the computer, telephone, or facsimile machine plugging directly into the V/DED.

Abstract: A chlorination and dechlorination apparatus and method for the treatment of wastewater or other fluid comprising a chlorinator, a contact tank, and a dechlorinator. The contact tank is a vessel having an inlet opening and an outlet opening and is divided into two contact chambers by a baffle which runs vertically the entire length of the contact tank. A baffle opening is provided at the lower end of the baffle to allow passage of fluid from the first contact chamber to the second contact chamber. The chlorinator includes a chlorine tablet feeder and the dechlorinator includes a dechlorination tablet feeder. The fluid under treatment flows from inlet opening to the outlet opening in a plug-flow pattern. Previous to entering the contact chambers, the fluid washes over and dissolves chlorine tablets stacked in the chlorine tablet feeder. After flowing through the contact chambers, the fluid washes over and dissolves dechlorination tablets stacked in the dechlorination tablet feeder.

Abstract: A material handling adjustable conveyor comprising an adjustable boom, and front-end material handling device with four degrees of freedom to allow loads to be lifted and rotated into position and placed or removed from an over-the-road vehicle or unloaded from such a vehicle. During the loading or unloading procedure, the load is only supported by the front-end material handling device. Some of the load is borne by the floor of the cargo vehicle when more than minimal torsion forces are applied to the front-end material handling device. The material handling device is computer controlled based upon the dimensions of the vehicle being loaded and unloaded and further comprises sensors for fine adjustment of front-end handling device motion during the course of the loading or unloading. Other senors can be used to measure and record the internal dimensions of a cargo vehicle.

Abstract: A method for culturing insect cells using fish serum. The method uses serum extracted from the blood of fish to culture insect cells for various purposes. The technique has the key advantages of consistent quality, low cross reactivity, safety from infectious agents that would endanger researchers or humans and animals receiving cell culture products as therapy and has appropriate nutrients to maintain the growth of insect cells. Fish serum is used together with designated defined medium to allow insect cells to grow and populations to be maintained. The method may also be used to prevent the attachment of insect cells to cultureware. Serum is derived from the blood of captive stocks of fishes raised under control conditions.

Abstract: A swivel utilizing multiple angular contact bearings arranged in such a manner as to provide preloading for two-directional axial and radial thrust stability. This bearing arrangement of angular contact ball bearings applied to swivels adds capabilities of compression and side loading. The boring operations for which the present invention is primarily intended commonly take place in a pressurized environment of liquid and dirt slurry, thereby making sealing of the bearing cavity critical to the exclusion of foreign material which would damage the bearings. The rigidity of the assembly provided by the preloaded bearings creates critical stability in the seal area. The swivel provides the capability for bi-directional axial load support, radial load support, and a sealed inner bearing structure for both passive swivel and power driven swivel products. A particular load capacity is obtained through application of counterpoised arrangements of particular sizes of angular contact ball bearings.

Abstract: A shape for chlorination and dechlorination tablets which reduces pillaring and wicking effects during fluid treatment and offers a consistent dissolution rate during the chlorination or dechlorination process. The opposing surfaces of the stacked tablets are formed by a combination of concave and convex shapes. The shape of the opposing surfaces prevents the formation of a central pillar, resulting in the formation of a side pillar instead. During the formation of the side pillar, the fluid contact surface area of the tablets gradually increases to compensate for the diminishing periphery of the tablets. As a result, the dissolution rate of the tablet is kept substantially constant over the course of tablet dissolution. The shape of the opposing surfaces of the stacked tablets also only provides for minimum contact between adjacent tablets, slowing the moisture diffusion speed and minimizing wicking effects.

Abstract: A material handling adjustable conveyor comprising an adjustable boom, and front-end material handling device with four degrees of freedom to allow loads to be lifted and rotated into position and placed or removed from an over-the-road vehicle or unloaded from such a vehicle. During the loading or unloading procedure, the load is only supported by the front-end material handling device. Some of the load is borne by the floor of the cargo vehicle when more than minimal torsion forces are applied to the front-end material handling device. The material handling device is computer controlled based upon the dimensions of the vehicle being loaded and unloaded and further comprises sensors for fine adjustment of front-end handling device motion during the course of the loading or unloading. Other senors can be used to measure and record the internal dimensions of a cargo vehicle.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for the assembly of biofilm support structure modules from individual sheets of biofilm support structure. The apparatus consists of a number of dowel rods protruding from a base. Hollow tubes are placed over the rods. Alignment holes are made in the biofilm support structure sheets such that the sheets may be slid over the tubes. When the required number of biofilm support structure sheets have been stacked in this fashion, caps are attached to the ends of the tubes, holding the biofilm support structure sheets in place. The assembled biofilm support structure modules may then be placed in a wastewater treatment plant. The tubes may also be used as passages for outside air or water, allowing the biofilm support structure sheets to be cleaned while still inside the treatment plant.

Abstract: A system for increasing the security of a computer system, while giving an individual user a large amount of flexibility and power. To give users the most power and flexibility, a standard object that has the capability to embed objects is used. To allow users even more flexibility, a standard object tracking mechanism is used that allows users to distribute multiple encrypted embedded objects to other individuals in a single encrypted object. By effecting compartmentalization of every object by label attributes and algorithm attributes, multi-level multimedia security is achieved.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for ensuring the security of messages communicated on a network. The system employs different levels of security to ensure that communication integrity is not breached. A user must first enter a valid password to clear the access control subsystem. The sending user must also possess valid cryptographic information and belong to a particular organization and/or be located at a particular device in order to encrypt a plain text message that is to be transmitted over the network. The device and organization information, along with receiving user information specified by the sending user, will then be grouped into a header which will be appended to the outgoing encrypted message. In order to receive a transmitted message, a receiving user must be the particular receiving user and be part of the particular group specified by the sending user, and must be attempting to receive the communication at the device specified in the message header.

Abstract: An improved golf cup and in particular to a golf cup which has all the features of a normal golf cup and conforms with the appropriate Professional Golfer's Association (PGA) rules and regulations but, additionally, has been modified to provide a means to contain an advertisement. The advertisement can be inserted and removed at will, without disturbing the normal functioning of the cup. The advertisement is in the form of a flexible insert that can be snapped into an indentation in the inner wall of the golf cup. A small hole is placed within the recessed area to facilitate the insertion of a screwdriver or like device to assist in the removal of the advertising insert which has been snapped into place. The advertising insert is constructed of a light, flexible durable material which is flat when not inserted into the golf cup and is, therefore, easy to handle, store and ship.

Abstract: A filter for removal of biochemical oxygen demand and suspended solids utilizing multi-layer filtration media. The filter media includes plastic particles, sand, and garnet and is operated under an automatic control condition. Fine filtering is accomplished by a sludge cake which develops at the upstream face of the filter media. For cleaning the filtration media, deposited sludge is removed from the filter bed by backwashing in a short time period at a high strength backwash flow rate.

Abstract: A chlorination and dechlorination apparatus and method for the treatment of wastewater or other fluid including a chlorinator, a contact tank, and a dechlorinator. The contact tank is a vessel having an inlet opening and an outlet opening and is divided into two contact chambers by a baffle which runs vertically the entire length of the contact tank. A baffle opening is provided at the lower end of the baffle to allow passage of fluid from the first contact chamber to the second contact chamber. The chlorinator includes a chlorine tablet feeder and the dechlorinator includes a dechlorination tablet feeder. The fluid under treatment flows from the inlet opening to the outlet opening in a plug-flow pattern. Previous to entering the contact chambers, the fluid washes over and dissolves chlorine tablets stacked in the chlorine tablet feeder. After flowing through the contact chambers, the fluid washes over and dissolves dechlorination tablets stacked in the dechlorination tablet feeder.

Abstract: A method of passing tones transparently over narrowband channels without having to detect the tones at the transmit side is described. This method requires neither separate handling of tones for the transmission purpose, nor prior knowledge of the characteristics of the signaling tones used. It is a relatively general method that can be applied to systems using a variety of speech coding techniques utilizing a frame structure.

Abstract: A lottery game card vending machine on which multiple games are available for play. The user can select any specific game desired. If an additional element of chance is desired by the player, the player can select a random selection function whereby a processing means comprising a random number generator adapted to the number of games available on the lottery machine is initialized upon actuation of a switch by the player. When the player actuates the random game selection switch the processing means randomly selects a lottery game/card to be played based upon the random number generated at the time the select button is actuated. The visual indicia will also light one at a time in a sequence, eventually stopping such that the indicia of the game selected by the random number generator is illuminated. The indicia may be lights or light emitting diodes (LEDS), for example, used to indicate the different games.