Abstract: A method for playing language puzzle games involving a unit of meaning in the Chinese language made up of a string of characters in which each character in the string is decomposed into radicals having from one to four strokes and all of the radicals are combined, and randomly mixed, to become a group of radicals. A player is given a category clue for the unit of meaning, the combined group of radicals and a number of characters in the string of characters, and then the player is allowed to attempt to guess the unit of meaning based upon a preselected method of revealing information relating to the combined group of radicals to the player.

Abstract: A photo subject station used to capture information regarding a subject suitable for integration into a personalized, printed product and method of using same with children so that a personal identification of a child need not be saved to deliver a customized product to the child when the child takes part of a session, for example, at a school. The station uses a stool, a color background device, preferably two digital cameras and lights located at fixed positions in the station and a computer. The computer creates and stores a subject file for each subject that contains photographs of the subject (e.g., three frontal and three profile photographs with three different facial expressions, plus a rear photograph), an image data file associated with the photographs (which contains x-y coordinates used for scaling the photographs), a data file containing an identification related to the subject and a bit map skin file (derived from one of the photographs for use in fixing personalized skin color).

Abstract: A utensil for cutting and serving pastry or similar goods has operating handles made in form of tabs similar to ordinary scissors for fitting in operator's fingers, a spatula simultaneously used for cutting pastry or similar goods and holding a sliced piece and rigidly connected to the upper operating handle, blades bent in a form of a frame rigidly connected to the lower operating handle, a pusher for serving a piece of pastry or similar goods to a serving plate and a lever mechanism made in a form of pantograph for moving the pusher.

Abstract: A dual sprocket contact motion picture film printer maintains film steadiness when running a film negative in contact with an unexposed raw stock film by tensioning perforations along one film side against sprocket teeth of a full fitting sprocket and a shrinkage sprocket on the other side. The films pass through a fluid chamber before passing through a printer aperture and a vacuum pressure applied from one side of the chamber tensions the negative against the sprocket teeth while a positive fluid pressure applied from an opposite side tensions the raw stock against the sprocket. The films are self-aligned by the fluid forces maintaining equal tension on both sides of each film strip as the films pass the aperture of the film printer.

Abstract: An electrical mounting connector for a bi-pin fluorescent bulb has a lamp holder with two terminals and a cap with two pin guiding openings that snaps into the lamp holder such that two pins held in the two pin guiding openings will be held in contact with the two pin-shaped over a substantial portion of the pins along a parallel length of the pins. An alignment marking is provided on the lamp holder and a visual inspection point (such as a hole) is provided on the cap that compliment one another to provide a visual indication of when the lamp holder and the cap are properly assembled together. A drain is formed by one or more slots in the lamp holder to drain a space between the lamp holder and the cap accessed through pin guiding openings when the lamp holder and the cap are properly assembled together.

Abstract: Methods for increasing energy in men and women include ingesting internally, twice a day, products that include, for women, multivitamins, multiminerals, high-calcium bone support products, high-ORAC super food products, and enzymes, and, for men, multivitamins, multiminerals, prostate support products, high-ORAC super food products, and enzymes.

Abstract: A prefabricated in-wall water service box with a five sided deep drawn stainless steel enclosure that has an open side with a reservoir lip and three closed sides integral with a top and bottom so that a reservoir is formed that is drained through a drain hole into a stainless steel nipple that is welded to the bottom and extends downwardly from the drain hole while hot and cold water control valves are mounted inside the enclosure through holes to a fittings located outside the enclosure at its two side walls. A trim bezel with a planar facing flush with a mounting wall is secured to the enclosure when it is mounted to two studs by two mounting brackets affixed to the two side walls by stainless steel screws.

Abstract: The concentration of a gas species is detected by using a single beam NDIR gas sensor in which an infrared source element is driven at two different temperatures, a feed back loop senses an operation voltage of the source, a differential gain amplifier creates a high cycle amplified output during a high cycle and a low cycle amplified output during a low cycle while a controller synchronizes the source driver so that a signal processor can determine the gas concentration through use of the high cycle amplified output and the low cycle amplified output. The infrared source can be a non-genuine blackbody source such as an incandescent miniature light bulb when the sample chamber is a thermally insulated aluminum tube that is maintained at a preselected temperature greater than ambient so that the glass envelope of the bulb is maintained at an equilibrium temperature (such as approximately 30 degrees Celsius plus or minus two degrees Celsius) during its low cycle operation state.

Abstract: A fire detector and method for generating an alarm signal in response to a fire uses an NDIR sensor to generate a detector signal based upon one or more absorption bands selected from the 15.1? absorption band of CO2, the 6.27? absorption band of H2O and the 4.67? absorption band for CO and generates an alarm signal when a signal processor receives the detector signal and a preselected criterion is met that is indicative of the onset of a fire based upon an analysis of the detector signal using a detection algorithm that relies upon a trending pattern of the detector signal such as recognizing a substantial drop in the detector signal strength. The fire detector has a waveguide sample chamber (which can be of a re-entrant design) with at least one opening covered by a thin filtering membrane and a heat exchanger thermally connected to the sample chamber with at least one opening covered by another thin filtering membrane.

Abstract: Concentrations of N gas species can be detected from a single beam NDIR gas sensor having a differential infrared source and an (N+1)-passband filter (having a neutral passband and N absorption passbands for N gases) mounted at a single infrared detector by driving the infrared source with N input power levels to render the source into emitting at N distinct temperatures whose radiation outputs are characterized by N corresponding Planck curves which are dependent only upon the respective source temperatures and which link a Spectral Radiant Emittance MsubLamba with wavelength, measuring N detector outputs at the single infrared detector and detecting the concentrations of N different gas species, each of the N gas species having its own unique infrared absorption passband, by (a) setting up N causality relationship equations linking outputs of the detector respectively for N different source temperatures and a set of relevant parameters of the sensor components, (b) determining the values of all of the param

Abstract: A removable sun shade insert for a vehicle that is a substantially planar sun block with an insertion slot for holding the sun block in place in which the sun block and the insertion slot are sized so that the sun block is held in place against a windshield by a rear view mirror when the insertion slot is engaged with the rear view mirror. The insert can be detachably connected to a bound magazine and contain customizable advertisements. The insert can provide shade for either the driver's or a passenger's side of the vehicle, or even a side window.

Abstract: A fresh air controller interfaces directly with the electromechanical circuit of an air-conditioner to control its operating settings based upon detected Carbon Dioxide (CO2) level in Parts-Per-Million (PPM) using a “Capno-Switch” which is in essence a specially designed single-beam NDIR CO2 sensor enhanced with features and specifications to render it rugged, compact and very low-cost; unlike conventional single-beam NDIR CO2 sensors, the “Capno-Switch” is capable of providing long-term stability and accuracy in CO2 measurements.

Abstract: A system and components for interconnecting low power-to-power consuming electrical systems, such as emergency communications equipment, is disclosed. The system includes polarized, genderless, and color-coded connections for cabling, power splitting to sub cables, adapt between connector families, as well as inline fusing integrated into various power connectors. The connectors include cable and connectors, multi-port connectors as well as inline-fused cables. The system and cables are virtually universally connectable in any variation of fixed or temporary power distribution layouts or control signals distribution. It may be easily assembled and disassembled for transportation and storage or change of configuration. The system also can be configured to provide adapters for between different families of connectors.

Abstract: A method for detecting the concentration of one or more gas species by using infrared radiation emitted from one or more sources into a sample cell which is a hollow waveguide with multiple bends collectively greater than 180 degrees in three dimensions, the infrared radiation being quasi-focused into a beam with an angle of incidence between greater than approximately 0° and approximately 10° relative to a longitudinal axis of a first linear segment of the sample cell proximate the source, then detecting two or more signals in which one of the signals is used to compensate for water vapor. The methods can detect gas concentrations down to 1 ppm or less.

Abstract: A method for reducing the cost of demand control ventilation applications deploys wireless CO2 sensors inclusive of relative humidity and temperature throughout an indoor space without the need for wiring while utilizing the license-free 902-908 MHz ISM band by use of a Sequential Transmission Asynchronous Reception System (“STARS”) that is software controlled.

Abstract: A fire detector and method for generating an alarm signal in response to a fire uses an NDIR CO2 sensor to generate a detector signal based upon a 15? absorption band of CO2 and generates an alarm signal when a signal processor receives the detector signal and a preselected criterion is met that is indicative of the onset of a fire based upon an analysis of the detector signal using a detection algorithm that relies upon a trending pattern of the detector signal such as recognizing a substantial drop in the detector signal strength. The NDIR CO2 sensor can also generate a reference detector signal based upon a 9.0? neutral band with a FWHM=0.5? while the signal processor utilizes a detection algorithm that is based upon a synchronized output signal representative of CO2 concentration to generate an alarm signal when a preselected criterion indicative of the onset of a fire is met.

Abstract: An anti-telemarketing program uses the calling party identification of an incoming call to determine if the call is a telemarketing call by accessing a telemarketing database. The incoming call can be identified as a telemarketing call by direct correlation with a known telemarketing number or by indirect correlation by not being included within a list of known non-telemarketing numbers. If an incoming call is identified as a telemarketing call, and no override condition is set, the call will not be allowed to ring through to the desired phone line; instead, it will be terminated by a call progress tone or by a notification that the desired phone line does not accept calls from telemarketers. If an incoming call is not identified as a telemarketing call, it will be completed, and if it is from a telemarketer, the party receiving the call can designate the calling party identification from the call as belonging to a telemarketer.