Abstract: A control device for at least two partial fluid ducts comprises a common fluid supply duct and a common fluid removal duct. The fluid supply duct is connected with the fluid removal duct by at least two partial fluid ducts. A filtering device, a valve device each having a blocking element, and a stop valve are each located in a corresponding partial fluid duct. Each blocking element of the valve device operates in such a way that the blocking element can be moved between a first (open) position, in which the fluid flowing through the partial fluid duct in which it is located is filtered, and a second (closed) position, in which the fluid is filtered in the other partial fluid duct, whereas at the same time the filtering device provided in the partial fluid duct in which it is located is washed by the fluid flowing in the reverse direction. Furthermore, each blocking element can be brought from the first position into the second position and vice-versa by rotating the blocking element.

Abstract: A rechargeable battery set includes a power supply encased in a housing, a rescue alarm electrically connected to and powered by the battery via a switch so that when the switch is turned on, sounds of high decibels are generated and emitted by a speaker or buzzer incorporated inside the housing and a pair of retractable electrodes arranged within the housing to be electrically connected to the power supply via a high voltage generation circuit under the control of the switch and manually extendible out of the housing to provide an electric shock for user's body protection purpose. A flash generator is also mounted within the housing and connected to the power supply to generate a flash signal for rescue purpose.

Abstract: A process for the verification of an antilock braking system (ABS) in a vehicle to check for correct connection of the component wheel sensors (3, 4, 17, 18, 19, 20), braking pressure modulators (7, 9, 12), and brake cylinders (5, 6, 10, 11, 13, 14) is proposed. The method can be used in a new installation of the ABS or when resuming operation after repair of the system. In a first step, the user causes a single sensed wheel to rotate. This actuates a testing mode in the ABS electronic controller (8). The electronic controller (8) then actuates the modulator belonging to the rotated wheel. From the response of the sensed wheel and/or the actuated modulator, the user recognizes whether the matching between the sensor of the rotated wheel and the actuated modulator is correct. This procedure is then repeated with the other sensed wheels.

Abstract: A flotation system for a building (300) is disclosed including a watertight basement (540) having a unitary piece of concrete forming the floor and walls (615) of the watertight basement (540). Rollers (610) are attached to the watertight basement (540). As floodwater rises or recedes, the rollers (610) roll along guide posts (310) located near corners of the watertight basement (540). Attached to the guide posts (310) are a ratchet system (620) for moving the watertight basement (540) along the guide posts (310) and maintaining it at a desired height. One preferred embodiment includes pressurized cylinders (1550) for lifting the building (300) prior to a surge of floodwater. In one embodiment, the floatation system includes pressurized cylinders (1740) for lifting a foundation (1725) and a building structure (1725) off of a concrete slab (1720) prior to a rising floodwater.

Abstract: An intracorporeal ligature tying device enables a surgeon to tie various types of knots within the body cavity of a patient during endoscopic surgery. The tying device comprises: (a) a needle holder having a longitudinal channel running though the length of the needle holder, the needle holder having a proximal end and a distal end; (b) a longitudinal groove located on an outside surface of the needle holder, the groove terminating at a location on the needle holder prior to the distal end of the needle holder, at least a final portion of the groove being covered; and (c) a wire located in the groove, the wire being made from a memory material. The wire is slidably positioned within the groove so that in a retracted position, the wire terminates in the covered portion of the groove, and in an advanced position, an end of the wire extends beyond the covered portion of the groove and forms a hook to aid in tying a ligature within a patient's body.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a lead frame design for IC packaging to reduce chip stress and deformation and to improve mold filling. The die-pad is split into several sections which are jointed together by flexible expansion joints. The split die-pad allows relative motion between the pad and the chip during die attach cure. It also breaks down the total die pad area (and length) that is rigidly attached to the chip into smaller sections. These two factors reduce the magnitude of coefficient-of-thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch and out of plane deformation of the assembly, resulting in lower chip stress and deformation and improved package moldability.

Abstract: A clock recovery circuit is disclosed for recovering the data of a non-return to zero signal received at an optical transceiver. The clock recovery circuit includes an active element mixer for doubling the frequency of the received non-return to zero encoded digital signal. The mixer includes a delay element for delaying the received non-return to zero signal and an exclusive-OR circuit for exclusive-ORing the delayed and received non-return to zero signals. A SAW filter is also provided for recovering a clock from the frequency doubled signal outputted by the mixer.

Abstract: A process for depositing a layer of uniform thickness on an uneven surface of a substrate is disclosed. The layer could be deposited by plasma or chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The uneven surface of the substrate has horizontal surfaces and vertical sidewalls and is located on a movable platform. The platform is tilted and rotated as the layer is deposited so that the ions or the flow of chemical vapor reaches the horizontal surface and the sidewall at a similar incident angle. Thereby, the layer is evenly deposited and has a uniform thickness with proper coverage and planarization.

Abstract: A membrane switch including a plurality of upper dot-pads and a plurality of lower dot-pads is provided to enhance the operational sensitivity while avoiding unexpexted actuation of membrane switch is provided. The plurality of upper dot-pads are provided during the print process of the top switch-pad and distributed to surround the top switch-pad. A plurality of lower dot-pads corresponding the plurality of upper dot-pads are provided during the print process of the bottom switch-pad and distributed to surround the bottom switch-pad. Each of the plurality of upper dot-pads has a lower-edge and each of the plurality of lower dot-pads has an upper-edge. As the top membrane is free of an external force, the lower-edge of top switch-pad is spaced from the upper-edge of bottom switch-pad by a first dimension greater than a second dimension by which the lower-edge of each upper dot-pad is spaced from the upper-edge of each lower dot-pad.

Abstract: A memory architecture is disclosed for storing macroblocks of an anchor picture. Each macroblock is an i.times.j matrix of p blocks of n.times.m pixels, where i,j,m,n and p are integers, p>1 and p=i.multidot.j. The blocks of each macroblock are consistently ordinalled with an ordinal q, 0.ltoreq.q.ltoreq.p-1. The memory architecture enables p parallel decoding engines to simultaneously access different blocks of a predictive macroblock of pixels identified in the anchor picture. The memory architecture includes p simultaneously addressable memories. Each of the memories is for storing pixel data of mutually different blocks of each macroblock of the anchor picture. Specifically, each of the p memories is assigned to at least one q.sup.th ordinalled block of each macroblock of the anchor picture, which at least one q.sup.th ordinalled block is different from the ordinalled blocks assigned to each other memory. Each of the memories only stores the corresponding at least one q.sup.

Abstract: A rate control algorithm for an MPEG-2 compliant encoder of the present invention has embodiments useful for constant bit rate and variable bit rate encoding.In particular, the invention relates to a three stage hierarchial motion vector determination.

Abstract: An information carrier is in the form of a composite laminate with a first, a second and a third layer having refractive indices n3, n4, n5 respectively. The second layer forms structures by only partially covering the first layer. The third layer covers over the second layer or the first layer in direct contact therewith. The surface on the first layer has surface elements with first and second diffraction structures which produce a visually verifiable authenticity feature or which serve for reading out the information contained in the structures formed by the second layer. The refractive indices n4 and n5 are substantially real in the visible range and therefore the second and third layers are transparent. The differences .vertline.n4-n3.vertline. and .vertline.n5-n3.vertline. are greater than 0.2 over large parts of the visible range so that the first diffraction structures produce visible diffraction effects independently of the structures formed by the second layer.

Abstract: A method and system for performing inverse telecine processing requires a minimum amount of memory capacity. Specifically, the inverse telecine processing technique requires only first and second dual field buffers. The first dual field buffer has a first even buffer (1E) and a first odd buffer (1O). The second dual field buffer has a second even buffer (2E) and a second odd buffer (2O). The input video sequence to be processed comprises a sequence of video fields of alternating even and odd parity. The even fields of the input sequence are written into the even buffers of the two dual field buffers on an alternating basis and the odd fields of the input sequence are written into the odd buffers of the dual field buffers on an alternating basis. This order is changed (i.e., toggled) when a repeat field is detected. The repeat field is dropped by writing over it with the next field of the same parity in the input sequence.

Abstract: A multistep process for producing 8-chloro-6-(2-fluorophenyl)-1-methyl-4-H-imidazo?1,5a!?1,4! benzodiazepine (midazolam) comprises treating a compound of Formula II with a lower alkyl dithiol to produce a compound of Formula III, wherein n=2 or 3, converting the compound of Formula III to a compound of Formula VII, and then treating the compound of Formula VII with a deprotecting agent, thereby producing midazolam. Novel intermediate compounds are also disclosed.

Abstract: A network security device is connected between a protected client and a network. The network security device negotiates a session key with any other protected client. Then, all communications between the two clients are encrypted. The inventive device is self-configuring and locks itself to the IP address of its client. Thus, the client cannot change its IP address once set and therefore cannot emulate the IP address of another client. When a packet is transmitted from the protected host, the security device translates the MAC address of the client to its own MAC address before transmitting the packet into the network. Packets addressed to the host, contain the MAC address of the security device. The security device translates its MAC address to the client's MAC address before transmitting the packet to the client.

Abstract: An ESD protection circuit for use in a CMOS output buffer circuit has been disclosed. The ESD protection circuit provides a high ESD failure threshold in a small layout area to protect the output buffer against ESD failure. The output buffer includes a pull-up PMOS device and pull-down NMOS device whose common drain is connected to an output pad. The source of the PMOS device is connected to VDD and the source of NMOS device is connected to VSS. The ESD protection circuit is formed by a PTLSCR device and an NTLSCR device. The PTLSCR (NTLSCR) is formed by inserting a short-channel thin-oxide PMOS (NMOS) device into a lateral SCR structure. These MOS devices reduce the turn-on voltage of the lateral SCR to the snapback breakdown voltage of the MOS rather than the original switching voltage of the SCR. The ESD protection circuit also includes two parasitic diodes D.sub.p between output pad and VDD and D.sub.n between output pad and VSS.

Abstract: An optical data carrier for use as a WORM memory contains memory cells where each memory cell is physically represented by a diffraction pattern. The content of each memory cell is a one bit information having a binary value "0" or "1". If a memory cell is altered by applying thermal energy it represents the complementary binary value. The unaltered memory cells are also used as security elements. This means that upon reading the content of an unaltered memory cell with a readout beam, the unaltered memory cell bends this reading beam into a plurality of different beams of predetermined outgoing directions. The intensities of these reflected beams are measured and compared with stored values. The data carrier is only then an authentic data carrier and not a fraudulent imitation, if the measured intensities of the reflected beams of such an unaltered memory cell lie within predetermined ranges.

Abstract: A surgical drill guide and retractor for treating mandibular fractures includes an adjustable length sleeve having an inner segment slidably mounted within an outer segment. The adjustable length sleeve also has a through-going lumen which connects a first opening at an end of the outer segment with a second opening at an end of the inner segment. The lumen is dimensioned for slidably receiving a drill bit or other instrument therein. A handle slidably retracts the inner segment into the outer segment to expose a preselected length of a drill bit or other instrument inserted through the lumen of the sleeve. A proximal end of the drill guide includes a mandibular retractor which is inserted intraorally or extraorally and has a retractor blade shaped to retract the cutaneous region laterally away from the bone. The retracting blade also has an aperture which allows surgical instruments to be inserted through the aperture to the bone.

Abstract: A deep fryer includes a fryer body containing therein frying oil and a basket movably received within the body to be lifted/lowered down. An L-shaped base member is fixed on top rim of the fryer body, having a vertical section received within the body and a horizontal section extending out of the body to which a handle is pivoted so that the handle is rotatable between a horizontal position and a vertical position. Two U-shaped members are provided, each having a central section rotatably supported on the vertical section of the base member and two legs rotatably attached to and accommodating the basket therebetween. A link received inside and pivoted to the horizontal section of the base member having a first end connected to an arm of the first U-shaped member and a second end opposite to the first end and movably received an arc slot formed on the handle so that by rotating the handle relative to the base member the U-shaped member is driven via the link to lift/lower down the basket within the fryer.