Abstract: A method of failure protection in a digital transmission system having a plurality of transmission elements connected in a ring configuration over metallic media, said ring configuration being formed by at least two paths, one path as a normal path for the transmission at the normal status, another path as a backup path which forms a closed loop and has no connection with said normal path at the normal status, said normal path and said backup path having opposite transmission directions, said method comprising the step of connecting said normal path and said backup path in said transmission element through hardware when a failure happens in said normal path so as to maintain the transmission. A digital transmission system with less expensive transmission elements and better failure protection can be obtained accordingly.

Abstract: The present invention provides convenient access to items of information that are related to various descriptors input by a user, by means of a unitary interface which is capable of accessing information in a variety of locations, through a number of different techniques. Using a plurality of heuristic algorithms to operate upon information descriptors input by the user, the present invention locates and displays candidate items of information for selection and/or retrieval. Thus, the advantages of a search engine can be exploited, while listing only relevant object candidate items of information.

Abstract: A desktop storage device is provided comprising an elongated platform element adapted to be inserted and retained within an elongated container. The elongated platform element includes a lower platform upon which said pens, pencils and similar elongated objects rest, and an upper platform connected to the lower platform by means of an elongated connecting member. Disposed within the upper platform is at least one aperture, said aperture serving to allow the pens or pencils to be inserted therethrough, and further allowing the user to grasp the elongated platform in order to slide it out of the container. The elongated platform element is adapted to be inserted into and securely retained within the container. Pens and pencils may be inserted through the aperture in the upper platform, and thereupon come to rest on the lower platform, being bound by the interior surface of the container.

Abstract: Embodied in the flexile forms of both an endless-loop and as a linear-tape, a unique tooth flossing device for cleaning away bacteria between the teeth is set forth. Comprised of a nontoxic extrusion-molded thermo-plastic polyurethane having particular properties of excellent elasticity, almost film-like guage of thickness, and a natural random surface-texture serving to aid the flossing procedure. In use, a FLOSS-LOOP™ is simply held in the user's thumb-&-forefinger of both hands, so as to pre-stretch “thin” that portion to be slid vertically between the teeth. The exceptionally high stretched tensile-strength of this device enables it to endure the duress of insertion between the teeth, yet once interposed interstitially adjacent the gum-line, the release of excess tension upon the tensioned segment of the loop enables it to resume it's natural thickness-guage of approximately 0.325 mm(0.0128-inch).

Abstract: A method and device for determining whether a stream of digital words, each comprising a plurality of binary digits, represents data signals, or represents digitized voice is disclosed. The method comprises the step of testing the steadiness or randomness of an individual bit within a predetermined sequence of each said digital words. If the individual bit is tested to be random, the stream of digital words represents data signals; and if the individual bit is test to be steady, the stream of digital words represents voice signals. The device comprises a shift registers to store the predetermined sequence of the digital words, a counter to control the shift register, and a gate arrays to determine steadiness or randomness of the individual bit within the predetermined sequence of each said digital words.

Abstract: A hinge, particularly for rotatably coupling two parts of a pair of eyeglasses preferably made of plastics. The hinge is constituted by at least one first element, which merely allows the mutual positioning of the two components, and by at least one separate second element, which allows the mutual and temporary rotary coupling of the two parts.

Abstract: A necklace assembly for holding a pair of eyeglasses includes an elongated flexible necklace for wearing about the neck of a wearer and an eyeglass-holder assembly connected between first and second ends of the necklace. The eyeglass-holder assembly includes an eyeglass-holder loop having a temple-piece-receiver loop opening for receiving a temple piece of a pair of eyeglasses and a first and a second swivel linker. Each swivel linker has a necklace-side connector and a holder-loop-side connector rotatably joined together for full rotation about a swivel axis. The holder-loop-side connectors of the first and the second swivel linker are connected to the eyeglass-holder loop at locations spaced apart from one another about the loop. The necklace assembly also includes necklace/holder-assembly couplers connecting the respective ends of the necklace with the necklace-side connectors of corresponding swivel linkers of the eyeglass-holder assembly.