Abstract: This machine for postage metering a flat object (6) such as an envelope or a label comprises a horizontal opening for inserting an object, leading to two stops (8, 9) at right angles, a device for holding the object by gripping it between a fixed upper ceiling (2) comprising a window (2′) and a lower plate (3) vertically movable by means of a drive mechanism, an ink jet printing device (1) whose nozzles are disposed inside the window (2′) of said ceiling, and a sensor (10) of the presence of an object in the vicinity of the corner of the stops (8, 9), which starts the drive mechanism of the plate (3) for gripping the object (6) and the printing cycle. A motorized transverse rake (4) moves the object (6), while it is gripped, in front of the printing device (1).

Abstract: One aspect of the invention is the construction of mixtures of Bayesian networks. Another aspect of the invention is the use of such mixtures of Bayesian networks to perform inferencing. A mixture of Bayesian networks (MBN) consists of plural hypothesis-specific Bayesian networks (HSBNs) having possibly hidden and observed variables. A common external hidden variable is associated with the MBN, but is not included in any of the HSBNs. The number of HSBNs in the MBN corresponds to the number of states of the common external hidden variable, and each HSBN is based upon the hypothesis that the common external hidden variable is in a corresponding one of those states. In one mode of the invention, the MBN having the highest MBN score is selected for use in performing inferencing.

Abstract: There is described a support system enabling supporting an object such as a platform (1) free from vibration, in that bearing elements (50) have a stiffness (k) which at a working point (z0) equals zero. A bearing element (50) comprises two magnectic couplings (51, 52) provided by permanent magnets (61, 63). One coupling (51) has a positive stiffness (k51), and the other coupling has a negative stiffness (k52); in the working point, the absolute values of those stiffnesses are equally great. Alternatively, electrostatic couplings are used.

Abstract: A point of presence with data collecting means (24; 43) arranged for collecting predetermined data and having a first output for outputting said predetermined data at a first transmission rate, the point of presence having forwarding means (22, 28(1), 28(2); 44) with a forwarding means output for outputting data to a dedicated telecommunication network (8) at a second transmission rate differing from said first transmission rate, said point of presence also having feedback means (26(1), 26(2), 26(3), 26(4); 46, 48; 46, 48, 26(5), 52) having a feedback input and a feedback output, said feedback means being arranged to receive said predetermined data at said first transmission rate from said data collecting means (24; 43), said forwarding means (22, 28(1), 28(2); 44) being connected to said feedback output for receiving said predetermined data and forwarding these predetermined data to said dedicated telecommunication network (8) at said second transmission rate.

Abstract: The invention refers to a device for an electric fence. The device include an electric unit (1) which is connectable to an electrically conducting fence (2) and which includes a voltage generator (4) arranged to apply a relatively high electric voltage to said fence (2). Furthermore, the device include a proximity detector (5), which is arranged to sense a state at which an animal is at least in contact with or in the proximity of said fence (2), and a control unit (6), which is connected to the voltage generator (4) and the proximity detector (5) and arranged to activate the voltage generator (4) to apply the relatively high electric voltage to the fence (2) in response to the state. The proximity detector (5) is arranged to detect the state by sensing an electric parameter, which substantially depends on the capacitance between the fence (2) and ground.

Abstract: A digital access arrangement for (i) isolating downstream components from twisted pair copper wire and (ii) separating upstream and downstream communications channels. The line isolation is performed with relatively small, lightweight components, such as an optical isolation unit for example, and can be operated with signals modulated at relatively high frequencies and having relatively high data rates and amplitudes.

Abstract: For a digital communications receiver, a clock and data signal recovery circuit and method use an all digital delay locked loop timed by an on-chip transmit clock signal. The digital delay locked loop includes a phase detector and loop filter. The phase detector determines, for each data signal rising or falling edge, if the current delay of a reference clock signal leads or lags the data signal edge. The loop filter examines the stream of such lead/lag indications, performs a nonlinear filtering process thereon, and in response increases or decreases the clock signal phase appropriately.

Abstract: An isolated microorganism capable of selectively degrading epichlorohydrin or related halopropanol compounds is described. The microorganism is a representative of Agrobacterium spp and comprises a nucleic acid molecule encoding a polypeptide having enantioselective epoxide hydrolase activity.

Abstract: Apparatus, specifically a circuit (100, 200), for a highly accurate, low cost temperature sensor, particularly one using silicon thermometry and which can be implemented by an application specific integrated circuit, that also possesses a high degree of linearity and a wide dynamic range. The inventive circuit advantageously utilizes either a mixed-signal approach or a digital core and provides independent adjustment, through two point calibration, of slope and ambient output offset values, with a zero offset adjustment advantageously accomplished through use of a digital tear. Specifically, given the inherent linearity of silicon thermometry, zero offset and desired output voltage are set, independently of each other, at a first predefined ambient calibration temperature as effectively two separate offset values, while slope (span) is set at a second predefined calibration temperature (typically a full scale temperature) different from the first temperature.

Abstract: A digital PLL's stability and immunity to jitter are improved by deriving the correction to the state machine count from an average over several computations of the phase error, and re-initializing the computation of the phase error to the residual error remaining after the correction. The PLL stability is improved by retaining all of the phase errors measured during a succession of plural phase measurement intervals and by retaining the residual error in the next cycle of cumulative phase error. The plurality of phase errors thus obtained are averaged together starting from the residual error left over from the previous cycle, and the state machine internal count is corrected (updated) in accordance with this average, rather than according to an instantaneous phase error. As a result, the performance of the PLL is less susceptible to jitter-induced temporary excursions in the phase error, a significant advantage.

Abstract: In rows (1) of data elements (11, 12), there may occur special data elements, such as control characters. By replacing each special data element (12) by a replacement data element (14), which contains a positional indication of a next special data element (12′) and which does not correspond to a special data element (12), it is possible to reproducibly remove all special data-elements from the row (1) without the length of the row increasing essentially. only one single supplementary data element (13) is required for transmitting the positional indication of the first special data element.

Abstract: A cooling apparatus for cooling an electrical device 1 using a flow of coolant comprises a cooling unit 3. The cooling unit 3 is in contact with the device 1 and includes a channel 6 for transporting the coolant past the device 1. In a preferred embodiment, the sectional area of the channel 6 decreases between the inlet and the outlet of the channel 6. The velocity of the flow of coolant past the device 1 can be modified, thus improving the efficiency of cooling.

Abstract: Apparatus, and accompanying methods for use therein, for a telephony gateway intended for use, e.g., paired use, at opposite ends of a data network connection, in conjunction with at each end, e.g., a private branch exchange (PBX) for automatically routing telephone calls, e.g., voice, data and facsimile, between two peer PBXs over either a public switched telephone network (PSTN) or a data network, based on, among other aspects, cost considerations for handling each such call and called directory numbers, monitoring quality of service (QoS) then provided through the data network and switching (“auto-switching”) such calls back and forth between the PSTN and the data network, as needed, in response to dynamic changes in the QoS such that the call is carried over a connection then providing a sufficient QoS. To support auto-switching, the apparatus embeds, using call independent signaling, certain call-specific information, as non-standard data, within various conventional H.

Abstract: In a system having an DSP, an ASIC and a memory, in which the ASIC generates a number of different competing interrupts for the DSP to service, the ASIC has an interrupt request control module which automatically provides the DSP with a vector pointing to the memory location of the interrupt service routine for the currently pending interrupt request having the highest priority of all pending requests. The DSP reads this vector and uses it to access the interrupt service routine in the memory. Reading of this vector causes the interrupt request to be de-asserted, which causes the next highest priority pending interrupt request to become the highest priority pending interrupt request. As a result, a new vector is presented for the next read by the DSP.

Abstract: A digital camera includes a CPU. The CPU releases a bus according to a bus-release request from a memory control circuit, and supplies a bus grant signal to the memory control circuit. Accordingly, the image data from a first signal processing circuit is written into a VRAM according to DMA. When the writing of the image is ended, the memory control circuit cancels the bus release request. The CPU accesses to the VRAM through the bus, to utilize the VRAM as a working memory.

Abstract: Matching (e.g., via correlation or similarity process) entities having attributes, some of which have associated values. The values of the attributes may be adjusted based on number of entities that have values for a particular attribute so that the values decrease as the number increases. The attributes of the entities may be harmonized and provided with default values so that entities being matched have common attributes defined by the union of the attributes of the entities being matched. The attributes of the entities may be expanded and provided with default values so that the entities being matched have attributes that neither had originally. Match values may be normalized to provide a weight value which may be used to predict an attribute value of a new entity based on known attribute values of known entities. The weight values may be tuned such that relatively high weights are amplified and relatively low weights are suppressed.

Abstract: Matching (e.g., via correlation or similarity process) entities having attributes, some of which have associated values. The values of the attributes may be adjusted based on number of entities that have values for a particular attribute so that the values decrease as the number increases. The attributes of the entities may be harmonized and provided with default values so that entities being matched have common attributes defined by the union of the attributes of the entities being matched. The attributes of the entities may be expanded and provided with default values so that the entities being matched have attributes that neither had originally. Match values may be normalized to provide a weight value which may be used to predict an attribute value of a new entity based on known attribute values of known entities. The weight values may be tuned such that relatively high weights are amplified and relatively low weights are suppressed.

Abstract: The invention performs speech recognition using an array of mixtures of Bayesian networks. A mixture of Bayesian networks (MBN) consists of plural hypothesis-specific Bayesian networks (HSBNs) having possibly hidden and observed variables. A common external hidden variable is associated with the MBN, but is not included in any of the HSBNs. The number of HSBNs in the MBN corresponds to the number of states of the common external hidden variable, and each HSBN models the world under the hypothesis that the common external hidden variable is in a corresponding one of those states. In accordance with the invention, the MBNs encode the probabilities of observing the sets of acoustic observations given the utterance of a respective one of said parts of speech. Each of the HSBNs encodes the probabilities of observing the sets of acoustic observations given the utterance of a respective one of the parts of speech and given a hidden common variable being in a particular state.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for analyzing tasks performed by computer users by (i) gathering usage data, (ii) converting logged usage data into a uniform format, (iii) determining or defining task boundaries, and (iv) determining a task analysis model by “clustering” similar tasks together. The task analysis model may be used to (i) help users complete a task (such help, for example, may be in the form of a gratuitous help function), and/or (ii) to target marketing information to users based on user inputs and the task analysis model. The present invention also provides a uniform semantic network for representing different types of objects in a uniform way.

Abstract: Cooling apparatus is used to cool equipment, for example electrical equipment, using a fan. In an embodiment described, the cooling apparatus comprises a duct for communication with the fan and for transporting air past the equipment. The duct may include a diffuser for improving the air flow in the duct.