Abstract: Optical reflective star device for transmitting signals between a plurality of transceivers, provided with a plurality of ports for distributing each signal supplied to one port over the other ports. The reflective star device is made up of a plurality of star elements having a plurality of reflection branches and a plurality of through-connections between the star elements. An optical amplifier is disposed in at least one of the reflection branches and/or through-connections.

Abstract: A bar code signal essentially forms a cross-section of a bar code pattern which through irradiation luminesces from the background of a carrier under fluorescent action. Detection is performed by testing the bar code signal F(t) within each area (ZG1, TIS) within which a bar may be expected, against a bar criterion (THR, MTHR) obtained by prediction, with the aid of a prediction table (TABLE 1), from a local background signal value (AGR) locally derived from the bar code signal F(t). In this method use is made of the fact that, first, between the bars the background of the carrier is invariably present, making a periodical reliable background approximation from the bar code signal value possible, and, second, there is a certain correlation between a background and the additive signal contribution as a response of the bars luminescing from that background under irradiation.

Abstract: An interactive communication and transport system in which communication for the purpose of requests takes place between requesting receiving stations (B) and one or more request-processing transmitting stations (A) provided with a source (1-4) of information of separately specifiable bulk data (including picture data) via a relatively low-speed communication path in a first network (6), and the forwarding of the requested bulk data to receiving stations (B) specified in the requests by transmitting devices (14-17) takes place in a packet-switched mode via a relatively high-speed transmission path in a second network (10). Temporary destination addresses are assigned to the receiving stations (B) for the forwarding, and permission is granted for forwarding to the transmitting workstations (A) on request.