Abstract: A shopping cart conveyor that inhibits the loading of a non-compliant shopping cart onto the conveyor. In one aspect, the invention provides a conveyor comprising a track operable to guide the shopping cart between a first location and a second location, a gate assembly including a door movable between a closed position inhibiting entry to the track and an open position allowing entry to the track, a lock for securing the door in the closed position, and a sensor (e.g., an ultrasonic sensor, an optical sensor, a radar sensor, an infrared sensor, an RFID reader, a magnetic sensor, and a mechanical sensor) positioned to detect the presence of a shopping cart. In another aspect, the conveyor is configured to move the gate from the closed position to the open position when the sensor detects the presence of a shopping cart. Preferably this is done using a drive mechanism coupled to the gate.

Abstract: Wastewater treatment controls that maintain the ORP of a mixed liquor at a relatively stable value during a wastewater treatment process such as an aerated-anoxic wastewater treatment process. The wastewater treatment control may compare a setpoint value of ORP and a measured value of ORP of the mixed liquor, generate a control signal based at least in part on the comparison, and control a biological nutrient removal control parameter using the control signal. Values corresponding to the control signal may be acquired and utilized to adjust the setpoint value of ORP to maintain stable operating conditions of the wastewater treatment process.

Abstract: In video signal processing, diagonal lines or slopes are detected in the input material, and an adaptive spatial filter having positive, negative and linear filter apertures is employed. The positive filter aperture is employed upon detection of any positive slopes in excess of a defined positive threshold; the negative filter upon detection of negative slopes, and the linear filter otherwise.

Abstract: An automatic oven cooks or bakes a food product over a timed period of time during which a burner delivers heat to the oven cavity. Thermocouple sensors in the cavity control a modulator which regulates the amount of gas flowing to the burner to maintain a uniform temperature in the oven. A conveyor carries the food product in order to time the baking period.

Abstract: An optical signal receiver apparatus is comprised of a photodiode for converting an input photo-signal into a photoelectric current and an integrated circuit having a transimpedance amplifier for converting the photoelectric current into a voltage signal and amplifying it. The power source line of the photodiode can be shortened by supplying a power source current to the photodiode through a current detector in the integrated circuit. In addition, a current drain circuit is used to drain a DC current from the input side of the transimpedance amplifier on the basis of the detection result obtained by the current detector. The current drain circuit is operated when a photoelectric current is output from the photodiode.

Abstract: A mixed-signal-controlled phase-locked loop is provided. This loop includes a mixed-signal-controlled oscillator circuit for generating an oscillating signal having an oscillating frequency and a phase in response to a digital control signal and an analog control signal, a phase-frequency detector circuit electrically connected to the mixed-signal-controlled oscillator circuit, detecting the phase and the oscillating frequency of the oscillating signal and comparing the phase and the oscillating frequency with those of a reference signal to generate an error signal after the phase and oscillating frequency are detected, and a mixed-control-signal-producing circuit electrically connected to the mixed-signal-controlled oscillator circuit and the phase-frequency detector circuit for receiving the error signal to output the analog control signal and the digital control signal to the mixed-signal-controlled oscillator circuit.

Abstract: The invention provides a vehicle door assembly including two entrances. Both entrances are surrounded by a frame assembly for mounting on the vehicle. One of the entrances is at about the height of the vehicle floor, while the other is lower than the vehicle floor and opens into a stairwell that leads up and into the vehicle. The floor-level door may be suitable for use with an appliance for assisting passengers to enter the vehicle, such as a lift or a ramp. The door assembly includes doors for closing the entrances. The door assembly may be mass-produced as a modular component and mounted on a conventional vehicle that has been specially modified to accept the door assembly.

Abstract: For connecting an object having protruding portions protruding reverse to each other in a first direction, a connector includes a housing for guiding the object to an inserted position in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, a contact held by the housing, and an actuator movable in a predetermined direction with respect to the housing so as to bring the object into press contact with the contact. The housing has receiving portions for receiving the protruding portions, respectively. The actuator has cover portions to face the receiving portions and to cover the protruding portions, respectively, when the object is brought into press contact with the contact. The cover portions respectively having slant surfaces to be engaged with the protruding portions of the object, when the object is located at a position deviated from the inserted position, to force the object towards the inserted position following the movement of the actuator to bring the object into press contact with the contact.

Abstract: A probe is provided so as to obtain an electrical contact between a semiconductor device having a plurality of first electrodes as external terminals and an inspection substrate having a plurality of second electrodes so as to inspect the semiconductor device. A first substrate has through holes formed at positions corresponding to the first electrodes. Probe pins are fixed in the through holes. A second substrate has a rewiring layer for extending a pitch of the first electrodes and penetration electrodes for drawing out the first electrodes to a back surface. A contact is disposed between the penetration electrodes and the second electrodes and has conductivity and elasticity only in a vertical direction.

Abstract: Clumping cellulosic animal litter comprising a cellulosic substrate coated with a first coating of a dual adhesive and surface active agent, and a second coating of guar gum, and the method of making such particles.

Abstract: A geolocation system for geolocating a mobile transceiver operating in a CDMA communication system is disclosed having improved time of arrival extraction which allows the extracting of time of arrival information of weak CDMA emissions. The improved time of arrival extraction is accomplished by breaking the received CDMA emission into M identical processing stages. Each stage performs despreading/demodulating at over sampled chip offsets from the next processing stage. The P-point fast Fourier transform of the M stages is taken and in effect a two dimensional time versus frequency cross ambiguity function is created. The peak of the function may be interpolated to create an accurate estimate of the time of arrival of the emission from the mobile transceiver, thus improving the accuracy of time of arrival measurements and adjusting for doppler frequency shifts that may otherwise corrupt the measurements when integrating over a long period of time.

Abstract: A lightly doped n-type semiconductor layer is epitaxially grown on a heavily doped n-type semiconductor substrate, and a heavily doped n-type impurity region, a lightly doped p-type deep guard ring and a heavily doped p-type shallow impurity region are formed in said lightly doped semiconductor layer in such a manner that a diode has a major p-n junction between the heavily doped n-type impurity region and the heavily doped p-type shallow impurity region and other p-n junction between the lightly doped n-type semiconductor layer and the lightly doped p-type guard ring, wherein the other p-n junction is wider in area than the major p-n junction so that the breakdown voltage is adjustable without increase of parasitic capacitance dominated by the other p-n junction.