Abstract: The present invention relates to a housing for the installation of electrical components comprising a lower section and a cover connected to each other in a hinged manner by at least two flexible inner elements separated from each other outside the housing interior. The ends of the inner elements have a greater cross-section than the region lying between said ends and at least one of the ends is elastically embodied for a temporary reduction in cross-section. Openings leading into each other are provided in the cover and in the lower section, the cross-section of which permits access of the at least one end in the compressed state.

Abstract: Digital data storage conventionally requires an election to be made between retaining data on-line, which consumes expensive media, or moving it to a far cheaper archive medium, which is relatively inacessible. This specification discloses a hybrid arrangement in which all material is retained on-line, but is progressively degraded as it becomes less useful, with off-line storage of the source material. On-line browsing of an entire library remains possible, but without incurring the expense of maintaining the entire library at source quality on-line.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the electrostatic printing of dry or wet toners using a novel tiered printing plate allows for superior and efficient transfer of toner from the plate to the printed item. The process for producing the printing plate uses photo polymer film resist with a positive photo tool which after developing yields trenches between ridges of hardened photo polymer which hold the toner in desired pattern.

Abstract: An electronic device comprising a keyboard in which one or more key caps each overlie a switch, the switch being activated when a key cap is depressed a predetermined amount, in which a key cap is directly joined to a key mat at a first section.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for safely aligning the mouth of a sample container with the sample needle of a liquid sampling device. A guidance ring holds the mouth of the sample container in position under the sample needle. The sample container and guidance ring slide inside the sleeve guide to allow the mouth of the sample container to slide up the sleeve guide so that the sample needle can pierce the septum of the sample container. The sample needle is recessed in the sleeve guide so that the likelihood of needle sticks is greatly reduced.

Abstract: This invention relates to a system and method for placing event related information into a video broadcasting so that the added information does not interfere with or obscure the primary action of interest in the broadcast. The disclosed information could be implemented by using instructions from an event information gathering system to trigger the display of one of an appropriate set of pre-rendered animations in the broadcast video via a well known live video insertion system (48). The disclosed invention envisages the animation sequence having at least two parts (FIG. 4), namely a core or base sequence (34) which is always used, and a mid or a variable sequence (56, 58, 60) which is changed according to the actual data that needs to be displayed.

Abstract: Image templates are extracted from video images in real-time and stored in memory. Templates are selected on the basis of their ability to provide useful positional data and compared with regions of subsequent images to find the position giving the best match. From the position data a transform model is calculated. The transform model tracks the background motion in the current image to accurately determine the motion and attitude of the camera recording the current image. The transform model is confirmed by examining pre-defined image templates. Transform model data and camera sensor data are then used to insert images into the live video broadcast at the desired location in the correct perspective. Stored templates are periodically updated to purge those that no longer give valid or significant positional data. New templates extracted from recent images are used to replace the discarded templates.

Abstract: The invention intends to provide an ear-pick, which is capable of safely and securely remove earwax, and foreign objects such as insects and water. Endoscopic auditory canal cleaning apparatus comprising: an ear-pick main body, which is equipped with a scraping part at its distal end and is formed to guide light to said distal end; a light source, which generates said light; a light source generates light; a fiber scope, which captures images in the inside of the auditory canal; a display unit, which displays the images captured by the fiber scope; and a holding part, which holds the ear-pick main body and the fiber scope; wherein the fiber scope passes through a hollow opening provided in the holding part; and the holding part holds the fiber scope to be able to rotate freely.

Abstract: A maskless patterning apparatus allows for laser beam ablation of one or more layers of material while not etching an underlying different material layer. A micromirror array produces the desired complex pattern on the workpiece and a continuous feature and end point detection system provides location and material parameter changes to accurately control the pattern position and depth of etching. End point detection includes monitoring energy reflected from a specially prepared replica of the material to be ablated, whose thickness and consistency match the active workpiece area. The process terminates when the proper amount of material is removed.

Abstract: A clipboard apparatus includes a compact integrated slide viewer. The clipboard section comprises a top layer, a middle layer and a bottom layer plus a document holding, spring loaded clip attached to the upper edge of the multilayered board. According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the middle layer includes a cavity for receiving a rotatable wheel. Indicia on the rim of the wheel are viewable through a transparent window in the top layer of the multilayered clipboard. The wheel extends through an aperture in the side of the board so that the wheel can be rotated and information read off of the indicia through the transparent viewing window. According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the cavity is square and receives a rectangular slide that moves into and out of the cavity through a side aperture. Transparent windows on the top and bottom layers make it possible to view indicia on the slide from both sides of the multilayered clipboard.

Abstract: There is provided a system and method for ablating a surface of a work-piece comprising a radiation source for providing an ablating beam and a plurality of adjustable reflective masks having predetermined mask patterns thereon. The reflective masks are sequentially positioned relative to said radiation source and in the path of said ablating beam for reflecting said ablating beam onto the surface of the work-piece to ablate the work-piece.

Abstract: An apparatus for use in wave division multiplexing optical telecommunication systems includes a dual photodiode array which converts parallel and perpendicularly polarized light beams at given wavelengths to electrical signals which are digitized and used to rapidly and simultaneously determine all wavelengths and associated components of power and angle of polarization. This information can be displayed for monitoring purposes, or can be used to control signals travelling through optical fiber.