Abstract: A method of treating a waste stream comprising feeding a waste stream into a reactor constructed and arranged for a fast start and maintained in a thermophilic temperature regime of between about 50° C. and 62° C. for a HRT of less than or equal to 48 hours, wherein the reactor contents are maintained at a pH less than or equal to 6.5; drawing a portion of the contents of the reactor and feeding the drawn contents into a second reactor which is maintained in a mesophilic temperature regime of between about 28° C. to 38° C. for a HRT of at least thirteen days; and replacing the contents drawn from the first reactor with more waste from the waste stream. Alternately, the waste stream may be initially treated in a mesophilic reactor, followed by treatment in a thermophilic reactor, or a single stage thermophilic reactor may be used.

Abstract: A speech encoding system for use with a digital cellular communication device and a receiving station, includes a mechanism for determining whether a voice communications packet needs to be treated as a data communications packet; a voice recognition mechanism for receiving instructions by voice command; and a control mechanism for responding to said voice command and controlling a controlled entity. A method for encoding a voice command generated on a digital cellular communication device and transmitted over a wireless communication network to a receiving station for controlling a controllable entity includes recognizing a voice command; determining whether the voice command needs to be treated as a data communications packet; encoding the voice command; connecting the voice command to a voice recognition mechanism; and controlling a controlled entity with the voice command.

Abstract: In a computer system having an embedded application, a method of dynamic system relocation, including creating a ROM version of an embedded application which is executable from ROM; creating a RAM version of the embedded application which is executable from RAM; comparing the RAM version of the embedded application to the ROM version of the embedded application to identify differences between the RAM version and the ROM version; storing the differences between the ROM version and the RAM version in a relocation table; storing the ROM version of the embedded application and the relocation table in ROM; on system initialization; conditionally copying the ROM version of the embedded application into RAM; modifying the copied ROM version now in RAM as a function of the differences stored in the relocation table; and executing the embedded application from the RAM version of the embedded application.

Abstract: A method for super-resolution scanning in a image capturing device includes capturing a first color component of the image at one-half of a full resolution, capturing a first luminance component at one-half of the full resolution, and generating a first color-luminance output signal therefrom; capturing a second luminance component of the image at the full resolution and generating a luminance output signal therefrom; capturing a second color component of the image at one-half the full resolution, capturing a third luminance component of the image at one-half the full resolution, and generating a second color-luminance output signal therefrom; converting the first and second luminance components of the first and second color-luminance output signals and the third luminance component signal to a luminance component signal of 2X full resolution; and processing the full resolution output signals and the 2X full resolution output signal to form a combined output signal.

Abstract: A system for interfacing a browser and a scanner includes a computer terminal having a browser loaded thereon; a communications network connected to the computer terminal; a HTTP server connected to the communications network; and a scanning device connected to the HTTP server, wherein the scanning device is controlled by the browser on the computer terminal, and wherein a data stream generated by the scanning device is transmitted to the browser and is manipulated thereby. A scanning device is controlled with a browser residing in a computer terminal includes loading the browser on the computer terminal, wherein the computer terminal is connected to the scanning device; setting scanning parameters for the scanning device from the browser; commanding the scanning device to scan an object, thereby creating a data stream representative of the scanned object; and manipulating the data stream with the browser.

Abstract: A method for robust human face tracking in the presence of multiple facial images includes taking a frame from a color video sequence as a current input image; filtering the current input image to form a filtered image; estimating the locations and sizes of faces in the filtered image based on a projection histogram of the filtered image; estimating face motion in the filtered image; and outputting the location and size of the tracked faces within the filtered image.

Abstract: A method for embedding and extracting visually imperceptible indicia in an image includes embedding a visually imperceptible indicia in an original image; testing a test image for an embedded visually imperceptible indica; and extracting the visually imperceptible indicia from the test image to determine if the test image is a copy of the original image.

Abstract: A method for color registration in a image capturing device includes arranging multiple rows and multiple columns of pixel capturing elements in a sensor array; capturing a luminance component of the image and generating a luminance output signal therefrom; capturing in another row and in alternate columns thereof, a first color component, capturing a luminance component in the remaining columns thereof, and generating a first color-luminance output signal therefrom; and capturing, in another row and in alternate columns thereof, a second color component, capturing a luminance component in the remaining columns thereof, and generating a second color-luminance output signal therefrom.

Abstract: A system for providing a voice response to an EMail message, wherein the voice response is generated by a thin client device and transmitted to a cellular, or similar, service and then to a world-wide communications network, includes a conversion mechanism co-located with the cellular service for converting the voice response into a voice data file which is transmitted over the world-wide communications network; an EMail server connected to the world-wide communications network for receiving conventional EMail and voice data files; an EMail-to-voicemail gateway for identifying voice data files; a voicemail interface for receiving voice data files from said EMail-to-voicemail gateway and converting said voice data files into voice streams; a voicemail system, including recipient voicemail boxes; for directing said voice streams into a recipient's voicemail box.

Abstract: An improved filter for use in a CDMA receiver having an RF front end for splitting a received signal into I and Q components, A/D converters for converting the I and Q components into I and Q digital components, a control processor for controlling the receiver, a system clock and a power supply, the improved filter including a matched filtering mechanism, wherein each filter includes: a separation mechanism to separate a digital I signal and a digital Q signal into MSB and LSB signal components; a MSB sub-portion having multiple MSB delay elements, a multiplier associated with each delay element, and a MSB adder for processing said MSB signal components; a LSB sub-portion having multiple LSB delay elements, a multiplier associated with each delay element, and a LSB adder for processing said LSB signal components, wherein said LSB sub-portion has fewer delay elements than said MSB sub-portion; a third adder for adding said processed MSB and LSB signal components to provide a filter output; and a half clock gen

Abstract: A spring arrangement in which the springs are coil springs and are disposed in adjacent rows with the coil springs in each row being spaced apart along the length or across the width of the arrangement, and wherein interconnecting or lacing wires interconnect the springs in a row and also the springs in the adjacent row to form rows of spaced interconnecting springs and with the coils of adjacent similar rows being juxtaposed, characterised in that the spacing apart of the coil springs in the rows is not constant/equal and some of the springs in each of the rows are more closely spaced together where greater support or firmer support is required.

Abstract: A method of visual progressive coding for an image includes transforming the image into a set of transform coefficients; dividing the set of transform coefficients into bands, wherein each band includes a group of transform coefficients having the same visual characteristics; assigning a set of active weights to each band; generating coding units; identifying a set of candidate coding units; determining the significance of each candidate coding unit; determining the visual significance of each candidate coding unit; encoding those candidate coding units having the largest visual significance; and updating the active weights.

Abstract: A method for enlarging a digital image includes selecting an initial image having a size N×N; determining a low frequency portion and a high frequency portion of the initial image; defining a model image having fixed bounds for each pixel therein; estimating a final image having a size pN×pN; determining a low frequency portion and a high frequency portion of the estimated final image; determining a pN×pN FFT; replacing the low frequency portion of the estimated final image with the low frequency portion of the initial image to form an intermediate estimated image; and modifying the intermediate estimated image by I-FFT to form a modified estimated image, correcting each pixel in the modified estimated image by a corresponding pixel in the model image to limit variation from the model image until the pixels of a final image are within the bounds of the model image.

Abstract: An aircraft headset includes a headset band, including a head element and a pair of ear cup supports slidably received in the head element, ear cups pivotally attached at one end of each ear cup support; and a microphone boom pivotally attached to one of the ear cups; an improved ear cup tensioning mechanism including a tongue extending laterally from each end of the headset band and a conformal tongue receiver located adjacent the other end of each ear cup support; wherein the tongue receiver is conformal with the tongue, and wherein the tongue and the tongue receiver are constructed and arranged to provide near-constant lateral pressure between the ear cups and a wearer's head.

Abstract: A method of estimating a motion field includes estimating a first motion vector component from a source average vector and a target average vector; displacing the search area according to the first motion vector component; and estimating a second motion vector component from the displaced search area.

Abstract: A system for automatic disposal of an unwanted output includes a print engine for generating a print job having an output; a finishing device connected to said print engine for finishing said print job, wherein said finishing device includes: an intermediate bin for receiving said output from said print engine, and for holding said output until said print job is complete; a waste bin for selectively receiving a cancelled print job; and at least one output bin for receiving a completed print job.

Abstract: A ride-on vehicle having a longitudinal axis includes a body; a rear axle having a crank portion therein and rotatably secured to the body; a pair of spaced-apart driven rear wheels eccentrically fixed to the rear axle; a forward crank rotatably secured to the body and driven by a vehicle rider; and a shaft extending between the rear axle crank portion and the forward crank; wherein rotation of the forward crank results in a driving force being transmitted through the shaft to the rear axle crank portion, thereby causing the vehicle to move along its longitudinal axis and wherein the body oscillates vertically when the vehicle moves along its longitudinal axis.

Abstract: A system for providing an on-screen electronic resource guide (ERG) includes an audio/visual display device; plural peripheral devices, each having an active mode and an inactive mode; an interface located between said audio/visual device and said peripheral devices; and an ERG generator for providing an ERG display for displaying programming available to said audio/visual display device from said peripheral devices when such devices are in their active mode. A method for providing an on-screen electronic resource guide (ERG) in an audio/visual display device having plural peripheral devices connected thereto over an interface, wherein each peripheral device has an active mode and an inactive mode includes generating an ERG display for displaying programming available to the audio/visual display device from said peripheral devices when such devices are in their active mode, and controlling a peripheral device from the ERG display.

Abstract: An antenna system for a multi-channel, two-way UHF underground communication includes a base radio station; a non-radiating coaxial cable attached to the transmit/receive connector on said base radio station; radiators affixed to said non-radiating coaxial cable at predetermined intervals along the length thereof, wherein said radiator is insulated from the center conductor of said coaxial cable; and bi-directional amplifiers spaced at predetermined intervals along the length of said coaxial cable.

Abstract: A power supply circuit for use with a RF power amplifier in a communications device includes a battery; a low impedance capacitor connected in series with the battery; a discharge blocking mechanism to prevent discharge of the capacitor until the occurrence of a triggering event; and a summing mechanism to combine the voltage from the battery with the voltage from the capacitor to power the RF power amplifier.