Patents Assigned to Alsthom
  • Patent number: 6002755
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for providing a subscriber (SUB1) with information relating to call-charges for telecommunication services associated with a communication link, as well as a call-charge device (CHARGE), a subscriber terminal (TE4) and a service unit for carrying out the method. The call-charge device (CHARGE) receives one or several of the call-metering messages (MP) associated with the communication link and calculates while the communication link is operative, from these messages (MP) the charges (CH) accrued for the communication link. The call-charge device (CHARGE) then associates with the calculated charges (CH) an acoustic signal and generates an electric signal (ES) which corresponds to the associated acoustic signal. The acoustic signal is subsequently conveyed to the subscriber (SUB1) with the help of an electro-acoustic transducer (LS) which is controlled by the electric signal (ES).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Assignee: Alcatel Alsthom Compagnie Generale d' Electricite
    Inventors: Lothar Krank, Wolfgang Lautenschlager, Uwe Stahl, Hartmut Weik
  • Patent number: 5996512
    Abstract: An apparatus for recycling municipal waste as energy includes a shredder for shredding the waste, and removing rejects, the rejects from the shredder being sorted into a first stream of inert matter that is substantially unpolluted with organic matter and into a second stream of inert matter that is substantially polluted with either organic matter or with combustible heavy elements; a first outlet for removing the second stream of inert matter; a circulating fluidized bed reactor for receiving the shredded waste and producing gases with solid particles therein; a cyclone for separating out the solid particles and receiving the gases output by the reactor; a recuperator boiler into which the gases output by the cyclone are discharged and which is provided with a first set of heat exchangers, the boiler including a dust-filtering hopper; a second outlet for removing the solid particles from the dust-filtering hopper; a second set of heat exchangers disposed in a chamber into which the gases are fed after trans
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignee: GEC Alsthom Stein Industrie
    Inventors: Jean-Xavier Morin, Jean-Pierre Peyrelongue
  • Patent number: 5997616
    Abstract: A molecular sieve moisture absorption device for electrical apparatus containing a dielectric gas includes a box in which the molecular sieve is placed. The box is closed by a plate provided with a valve through which the inside of the box is evacuated. The plate is held in place on a shoulder of the box by the action of pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the box after the inside of the box has been evacuated. A gasket is placed between the plate and the shoulder to ensure that the inside volume of the box is leakproof. The device can be stored independently of the apparatus. When the device is mounted on the apparatus, evacuating the case of the apparatus causes the plate to separate from the box, thereby putting the molecular sieve into contact with the inside volume to be treated of the case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignee: GEC Alsthom T & D SA
    Inventors: Roger Ledru, Antoine Tolossi
  • Patent number: 5994999
    Abstract: A low voltage link for converting on/off orders between a relay building and remote high or medium voltage electrical disconnection apparatus, the link being mainly constituted by a bundle of electrical lines extending from the building to the remote apparatus, each line serving to convey an on/off order in the form of a voltage step. The voltage step transmitted on each line is converted, at the end of the line close to the electrical apparatus, into a two-state optical signal by an electro-optical conversion unit associated with said line, said optical signal then being delivered to an opto-electronic conversion unit associated with the electro-optical conversion unit in order to deliver a two-state electrical control signal to the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Assignee: GEC Alsthom T & D SA
    Inventor: Gerard Ebersohl
  • Patent number: 5995391
    Abstract: A control arrangement for a multilevel convertor employs an AC reference signal which is locked to the AC system frequency and is compared with a number of DC threshold levels. Intersections of the reference signal and threshold levels triggers the firing and turning-off of GTOs within the convertor to produce the desired multilevel voltage output. Normal changes in system voltage, for example, are compensated by variation of the phase relationship of the reference signal with respect to the system voltage, and/or of the voltage values of the threshold levels. Sudden and drastic changes, especially reductions, in system voltage level are sensed and used to alter the amplitude of the reference signal so as to reduce the difference between the convertor multilevel voltage and the system voltage, thereby reducing the stress on the GTOs during faults.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Assignee: GEC Alsthom Limited
    Inventors: Mark Davies, Philip J Fitz, Keith Abbott
  • Patent number: 5987966
    Abstract: A device for continuously measuring the quantity of coal inside a ball grinder including an ultrasound wave or electromagnetic wave emitter and a wave receiver. The emitter and the receiver are disposed so that the wave passes through at least part of the interior of the grinder. The receiver is associated with an electronic circuit for deducing the quantity of coal by comparing the signal received with data obtained from previous calibration measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: GEC Alsthom Stein Industrie
    Inventors: Daniel Fontanille, Jacques Barbot
  • Patent number: 5991375
    Abstract: The invention concerns a method of operating a communications network of a network operator (OPA), which is interconnected with one or more further communications networks of one or more further network operators (OPB to OPZ) via one or more gateways respectively, as well as such a communications network and an interworking facility (GATECEN) for such a communications network. For each gateway, a gateway switching center (GATE.sub.-- EX) exchanges information-bearing data with a switching facility (GATE) of the respective further communications network via at least one bearer channel. Furthermore the interworking functions (STP, KDE, TAR, FUNC1 to FUNC3) are performed for all connections via the one or more bearer channel(s) which support the interconnection of the communications network via the respective gateway with the respective further communications network of the respective other network operator (OPB to OPZ).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: Alcatel Alsthom Compagnie Generale d'Electricite
    Inventors: Uwe Stahl, Wolfgang Lautenschlager
  • Patent number: 5989037
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of renovating a cabinet for electronic card drawers, the method comprising steps consisting in:creating an unpluggable electronic drawer having connectors on its back face;mounting an adapter intermediate mechanical support in the cabinet to be renovated, which support supports a set of floating backplane connectors for the unpluggable electronic drawer;creating a free zone Z between said back supports for the backplane connectors of the cabinet, and said intermediate supports; andfitting adapter wiring between said back supports and said intermediate supports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: Gec Alsthom Transport SA
    Inventor: Christian Ruque
  • Patent number: 5991294
    Abstract: The invention concerns a method of establishing a multichannel connection comprising N channels, two switching facilities, a communications network, and a transmit-side and a receive-side access facility to a communications network. When a multichannel connection (SLOT3, SLOT7; SLOT5, SLOT28) is established through a switching network (DSN), first the transit times (T1, T2, T3) of more than N channels through the switching network (DSN) are determined (MONIT). Then N channels are selected from said more than N channels by means of an algorithm (CONTR), which uses the determined transit times (T1, T2, T3) as input values. Subsequently the selected N channels are assigned as channels to the multichannel connection (SLOT3, SLOT7; SLOT5, SLOT28), and for their synchronization the channels are delayed in accordance with the determined transit times (T1, T2, T3). This method is also applicable to end-to-end multichannel connections and single channel connections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: Alcatel Alsthom Compagnie Generale D'Electricite
    Inventors: Gert Willmann, Johannes Conradt, Wolfgang Staiger
  • Patent number: 5984773
    Abstract: A regulating apparatus and a regulating method for regulating the internal pressure P.sub.i of a ventilated, closed volume subjected to variations in external pressure P.sub.e, the apparatus including at least two compensation circuits enabling the intake air flow rate q.sub.1 and the extraction air flow rate q.sub.2 to be adjusted in real time so that the difference between these two flow rates algebraically compensates for the leakage flow rate q.sub.f, and maintains the internal pressure P.sub.i inside the volume at a constant level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignee: GEC Alsthom Transport SA
    Inventors: Yves Gervais, Gilles Mariaux, Gerard Mineaud, Alain Guinot, Pierre Andre
  • Patent number: 5981889
    Abstract: A spring drive mechanism for power switch gear. The mechanism includes an engagement shaft free to rotate about its own axis and carrying both a large toothed wheel and a cam. An engagement spring constituted by a traction spring is coupled to the large toothed wheel at an attachment point by a chain. The large toothed wheel meshes with a small toothed wheel which is coupled via a gear train to a driving gearwheel secured to an outlet shaft of a drive motor. In the predetermined direction A of rotation, the large toothed wheel includes a discontinuity in its teeth, thereby generating a gap which constitutes a zone without teeth, and in which a retractable tooth is disposed. Following the retractable tooth, the large toothed wheel has an additional discontinuity in its teeth over at least two meshing steps. This mechanism is advantageous as switchgear for a circuit breaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Gec Alsthom T & D AG
    Inventor: Rolf Niklaus
  • Patent number: 5983233
    Abstract: In an object environment, among the plurality of objects interact, one or several objects in the number of objects are allocated to a component. The naming management is distributed over the components. Each component manages the naming of the component or components which immediately follows it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Alcatel Alsthom Compagnie Generale d'Electricite
    Inventor: Olivier Potonniee
  • Patent number: 5979367
    Abstract: A dense fluidized bed exchanger includes a casing the vertical longitudinal walls of which consist of tubes conveying a heat-conducting fluid, the casing being divided lengthwise into chambers separated from each other by a baffle consisting of a wall consisting of tubes conveying a heat-conducting fluid. The vertical longitudinal walls consist of horizontal tubes and the baffle extends from the bottom wall of the casing to a height less than that of the latter and consists of superposed hairpin-shape transverse extensions of tubes of each of the vertical longitudinal walls disposed perpendicular to the tubes and extending to the opposite vertical longitudinal wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: GEC Alsthom Stein Industrie
    Inventors: Jean Aubry, Djamel Daoud, Alain Quaranta
  • Patent number: 5982442
    Abstract: For image transmission, image data is compressed block by block, and the compressed data is transmitted and decompressed. Due to an information loss during transmission, discontinuities are visible in pictures thus restored, particularly at block boundaries ("blocking effect"). The higher the bit rate, the more visible the discontinuities will be. This is improved by refining the prior art filter. Information for reducing the error is derived from the boundaries of the block, and the filter size is enlarged to 2.times.n+1 pixels, with n=2, 3, 4 preferably limited to one half the number of pixels on one side making up the block. Besides the signal and noise activity of a block, the filter determines both the pixels inside the block and the pixels outside the block. The determination is made by means of the one-dimensional filter in the horizontal and vertical directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Alcatel Alsthom Compagnie Generale d'Electricite
    Inventor: Philippe Guntzburger
  • Patent number: 5979636
    Abstract: An automatic system for phasing advancing articles having a planar supporting base and a method of phasing objects with this device. The method allows the collection in real time of data concerning the position of the articles (OG), transmit it to an aggregation center (MCR), storing it in a data structure and reprocessing it for determining variations of speed to be imparted to the articles, and sending commands to interfacing means (MAL) towards motors (4). The system comprises individually motorized transport modules (MCS) disposed on a frame (T) and defining a sliding plane for the objects, optical sensors (SO) disposed interstitially to MSC modules for detecting instantaneous data on the position of the objects, and automatic steering and control means (UGC) for changing the speed of the articles so as to create a predetermined gap therebetween, by receiving from sensors (SO) feed back data and changing the speed of modules MSC by acting on a main shaft (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Alcatel Alsthom
    Inventors: Giuseppe Vanacore, Lanfranco Reali
  • Patent number: 5977862
    Abstract: A polymer high voltage current limiter comprising, per phase, a fast circuit-breaker pole, a semi-fast protection circuit-breaker pole, and a set of polymer-based elements having very low resistivity, filled with carbon black, and connected in series and in parallel, wherein each element comprises a carbon-filled polymer matrix of elongate shape and including in its interior two parallel metal conductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: GEC Alsthom T & D SA
    Inventor: Van Doan Pham
  • Patent number: 5970883
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a link tilt device for a tilting cross-member suitable for being disposed in a bogie frame in such a manner as to be suspended from the bogie frame by means of the links, secondary suspensions being disposed between the tilting cross-member and the vehicle body, wherein the middle cross-members of the bogie frame, the links, and the tilting cross-member form an assembly such that the angular stiffness between the bogie frame and said vehicle body is a characteristic that is predetermined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1999
    Assignee: GEC Alsthom Transport SA
    Inventor: Jean-Daniel Nast
  • Patent number: 5968122
    Abstract: A scheme for propagating, between views of a network, status information for elements of the network in a way that mirrors how the network is maintained. The propagation scheme divides the elements of the network into either connections or equipment, groups the elements in each of these two partitions into increasingly higher-level views and propagates status of fundamental and compound objects between the different views to help locate the source of any malfunction of the network. This status propagation scheme is particularly suited for monitoring a wide-area network, where there are more connections and more complex equipment than in a typical local area network, these connections are usually more geographically disbursed, and most importantly these connections are maintained by different people than those who maintain the other equipment of the network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: Alcatel Alsthom Compagnie Generale d'Electricite
    Inventors: John K. Schlosser, Joel Rariden, Bhalchandra R. Ketkar, Gregory A. Bathrick
  • Patent number: 5959274
    Abstract: Operating mechanism for actuating an operating rod (13) of a circuit-breaker including at least one interrupter chamber filled with a pressurized dielectric gas, said operating mechanism using a tripping spring (21) held charged when the circuit-breaker is closed by a selectively operable tripping abutment (23). The operating mechanism has a resetting member formed by a member (34) moving through a wall of a sealed and closed enclosure (32) communicating with the pressurized interrupter chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Assignee: GEC Alsthom T & D SA
    Inventor: Michel Perret
  • Patent number: D416881
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: Gec-Alsthom Limited
    Inventor: Peter Ross