Abstract: A fluorescent article is disclosed in which a U.V. light screening layer comprising a polymer having in its backbone repeating units of a U.V. light absorbing moiety, or a moiety capable of being transformed by Photo-Fries rearrangement into a U.V. light absorbing moiety, is disposed in operative screening relation to a layer containing a fluorescent colorant. The U.V. light screening layer affords surprisingly improved fluorescence protection as compared to prior U.V. light screening layers having only U.V. light absorbing additives.

Abstract: An apparatus for marking a target. The apparatus includes a soft rupturable capsule and a marking agent contained in the capsule. The capsule is rupturable on impact with the target to release the marking agent from the capsule. The marking agent has a visual staining component and an odorous staining component.

Abstract: Disclosed is a sanitary ware which has a self-cleaning function for releasing carboxyl-containing greasy stains or soils, such as fatty acids, fatty esters, metallic soaps (scum of soaps), proteins, amino acids, bacteria, and fungi, and deposited stains or soils, such as water scale and urinary calculi. This sanitary ware comprises at least a sanitary ware body and a glaze layer as an outermost layer of the sanitary ware, a monovalent metal component and/or a metal component having a measure of the electronegativity based on Pouling's rule of not more than 1 being provided so as to be releasable evenly and continuously, over the whole surface of the glaze layer as the outermost layer, in such an amount large enough to impart a self-cleaning function for releasing stains or soils to the surface of the glaze layer as the outermost layer, the metal component being suppliable from the glaze layer as the outermost layer and/or the sanitary ware body to the whole surface of the outermost layer.

Abstract: A pavement marker having improved daytime visibility comprises a transparent fluorescent top portion having a top surface and a front edge. Light received by the top surface of the top portion results in light being directed internally through the top portion and emitted from the front edge, thereby providing a daytime signal to drivers of oncoming vehicles. In an alternative embodiment, the top portion can comprise a polymer having in its backbone moieties that either absorb U.V. light or that are capable of undergoing rearrangement to moieties that absorb U.V. light, to provide greater fluorescent durability. The polymer can be present either within the fluorescent top portion or as a U.V. light screening layer on top of the top portion.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for separating processing for language understanding from an application and its functionality. The application for example contains functionality within a provided domain, whereby the domain and its functionality belongs to a speech controlled device such as a car-radio, a car-AC, a CD-player or almost any program controlled device.

Abstract: A switching system for switching data with rate conversion between a high speed bus and a low speed bus, comprising a double-buffered data memory having a read-only port and a write-only port, a plurality of registers and selectors for receiving and storing successive frames of data from one of either the high speed bus or low speed bus into the data memory via one of the write-only port or said read-only port, respectively; and a connection memory containing a plurality of entries each having a first bit indicating channel ON/OFF status, an additional plurality of bits identifying connection addresses for the received frames of data; and a further plurality of index bits for addressing and reading the data memory via the other one of the write-only port or read-only port in the event the first bit is set and thereafter outputting the data to the other one of the high speed bus or low speed bus.

Abstract: The present invention is a method for operating a computer system to retrieve information from a computer database. This method decomposes documents from the database into subdocuments and then inverts the database. Also, a query for retrieving documents from a database is decomposed into terms. The subdocuments from the inverted database and the terms from the query are then used to compute a score that indicates a quantitative relation between terms in the query and the subdocuments. The resulting list of the subdocuments and their scores is then reorganized into a heap form. The highest ranking subdocument is then selected by the computer and the text associated with this subdocument is displayed. The remainder of the subdocument score list is concurrently reheapified.

Abstract: The present invention is a panel seaming device that can seam both curved and straight panels. The panel seaming device accomplishes this task by incorporating a unique mechanical drive configuration that includes two gear box driven by a single motor and connected by a universal joint. This mechanical drive configuration and particularly, the universal joint allows the gear boxes to pivot amongst one another, thereby accommodating for the panel's profile change. In other words, as the panel passes through the seaming device and its profile changes, especially from a straight portion to a curved portion and vice versa, the gear boxes pivot amongst each other and accommodate for such change. Additionally, each gear box includes two portions, which also pivot amongst each other in a direction perpendicular to the direction that each of the first and second gear boxes is pivot. In other words, the portions of the gear boxes pivot in a direction perpendicular to the seam.

Abstract: Device for presenting fresh products, in particular (cut) flowers, provided with containers for the fresh products which are arranged one above another and filled with liquid, at least one of which containers accommodates a liquid overflow for draining liquid therein to an underlying container, with the special feature that the liquid overflow is formed at least substantially by an at least partially lowered side wall of the container.

Abstract: A vented non-metallic cap for equipment pedestals having high heat generating components is disclosed. The cap is constructed of a plastic base and a plastic top cover with a stainless steel insect screen between these elements. The base includes a central opening to allow the interior of a covered pedestal to vent heated air generated by newer equipment, and yet the appearance of the vented cap is similar to existing metal pedestal top covers, but has far superior thermal performance.

Abstract: The present invention is a more efficient compressor control system and a more efficient method of operating a multiple compressor system because the method and control system are a function of both the system pressure and the volumetric flow rate capacity of the system. Specifically, a compressor is loaded or unloaded from the compressor system after sensing the actual system pressure and volumetric flow rate capacity. The inventor(s) of the present invention have discovered that it is more efficient to control the compressors upon sensing both the pressure and volumetric flow rate capacity of the fluid. Moreover, controlling the compressor system in response to sensing both the pressure and volumetric flow rate capacity of the fluid insures that the appropriate blend of compressors is loaded to the system in order to produce the most suitable pressure and volumetric flow rate capacity.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for obtaining molecular markers for use as a diagnostic and quality control tool to identify genomic polymorphisms that arise during the process of tissue culture of in vitro propagated plants. By using a representational difference analysis (RDA) adapted for plant genomes, a set of nucleic acid difference sequences between normal and off-type plant genomes are obtained. The invention further provides a method for isolating sets of variant sequences which are common to many naturally occurring or tissue culture-generated off-types of the same cultivar or species, in addition to variant sequences present in all off-types, regardless of the phenotypic mutation, and/or in all off-types that exhibit the same mutation. Detection of somaclonal variation by the method of the invention may present an opportunity to optimize tissue culture conditions and to optimize plant multiplication rates without producing a significant number of off-types.

Abstract: A power distribution system is provided comprising a power regulator, a battery circuit, and a battery monitoring system. The power converter is provided for converting AC power to DC power and for providing DC power to a load. The battery circuit is coupled to the power regulator and the load and is operable to recharge by receiving DC power from the power regulator. The battery circuit is also operable to supply DC power to the load when there is an interruption of power from the load. The battery monitoring system comprises a field measurement device located in close proximity to the battery circuit, the field measurement device including an input mechanism for receiving current measurement data and an analog-to-digital converter for digitizing the received current measurement data. The battery monitoring system further comprises a monitor located remotely from the field measurement device, the monitor including a first communicator for receiving digitized data from the field measurement device.

Abstract: A multi-beam DBS satellite system capable of providing spectrally efficient regional programming is disclosed. The inventive system includes at least one DBS satellite having a repeater connected between multiple uplink antennas and multiple downlink antennas. The repeater has a switching processor and a formatting processor. The switching processor includes circuitry for filtering individual channels of information from the uplink frequency division multiplexed (FDM) beams received at the uplink antennas, and also includes circuitry for switching the channels of information to form a set of switched channels. These switched channels are then combined and routed to the formatting processor. The formatting processor converts the switched FDM information into a combined digital TDM signal that preferably corresponds to the DVB standard.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for low cost upgrading on demand of an optical fiber communication system from a single communication channel at one frequency to two communication channel systems at two different frequencies.

Abstract: A battery control system for controlling the connection of a plurality of batteries to a load is provided. The system comprises a plurality of switches and a plurality of controllers. Each switch is operable to connect or disconnect one of the batteries from the load. Each controller is operatively coupled to one of the switches. Each controller is operative to cause one of the switches to disconnect one of the batteries from the load.