Abstract: A power supply apparatus for a light source includes an input-side rectifier (32) which converts an input AC signal to a DC signal, and a high-frequency inverter (36) which converts the DC signal to a high-frequency signal. An output-side rectifier (42) converts the high-frequency signal to a DC output signal for application to the light source. Power detecting means (52) detects the power supplied to the light source through the application of the DC output signal thereto, and develops a power representative signal. A control circuit (38), a summer (54) and an error amplifier (58) cooperate to control the high-frequency inverter (36) in accordance with the power representative signal in such a manner that power of a predetermined value can be supplied to the light source. An input current detector (60) detects the input AC signal current value and develops an input current representative signal.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods and systems for defining financial transaction components; defining mapping rules for taking individual financial transactions and breaking them down into their components, such as production services, billing services and settlement services. A data processing system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, creates a transaction instance corresponding to a financial transaction, creates a production service instance linked to the transaction instance by a first relation instance, and creates a billing service instance linked to the production service instance by a second relation instance. The data processing system, may also create other production service instances linked to the transaction instance using other relation instances, as well as, other billing service instances linked to the production service instances.

Abstract: Machine automated techniques are described for a method of data processing called Relationships Processing. A computing system is disclosed which provides for the high speed recording and extraction of data objects (entities) and for the development data representing a queried relationship between the entities. The system is expandable to handle the relatively voluminous data bases of large, commercial data repositories. A user defines set of entities and allowed relationships between the entities. The user can expand this set of allowed entities and relationships at any time during the life of the system without reprogramming or compiling of computer program code or disrupting concurrent operational use of the system. Large systems can now be built that are no longer limited to a scope of design requirements known during initial systems development.

Abstract: A relationships processing computing system provides for the recording and extraction of data objects (entities) and for development data representing a queried relationship between data objects (entities). The set of entities and relationships may be expanded at any time during the life of the system without reprogramming or compiling computer code and without disrupting concurrent use of the system. Complex inquiries, normally requiring multiple nested queries, may be performed without code level programming.

Abstract: Machine automated techniques are described for a method of data processing called Relationships Processing. A computing system is disclosed which provides for the high speed recording and extraction of data objects (entities) and for the development of data representing a queried relationship between the entities. Furthermore, methods and systems are disclosed to detect mandatory relations violation between entities by examining whether certain relations exist. The system is expandable to handle the relatively voluminous data bases of large commercial data repositories. A user defines a set of entities and allowed relationships between the entities. The user can expand this set of allowed entities and relationships at any time during the life of the system without reprogramming or compiling of computer program code or disrupting concurrent operational use of the system. Large systems can now be built that are no longer limited to the scope of design requirements known during initial system development.

Abstract: A relationships processing computing system provides for the recording and extraction of data objects (entities) and for development data representing a queried relationship between data objects (entities). The set of entities and relationships may be expanded at any time during the life of the system without reprogramming or compiling computer code and without disrupting concurrent use of the system. Complex inquiries, normally requiring multiple nested queries, may be performed without code level programming.

Abstract: Machine automated techniques are described for a method of data processing called Relationships Processing. A computing system is disclosed which provides for the high speed recording and extraction of data objects (entities) and for the development data representing a queried relationship between the entities. The system is expandable to handle the relatively voluminous data bases of large, commercial data repositories.A user defines set of entities and allowed relationships between the entities. The user can expand this set of allowed entities and relationships at any time during the life of the system without reprogramming or compiling of computer program code or disrupting concurrent operational use of the system. Large systems can now be built that are no longer limited to a scope of design requirements known during initial systems development.