Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a robot system for duct cleaning, by which it is possible to detach and remove dust, dirt, etc. inside ducts almost completely and to reduce personnel cost and other cost, and which can be applied to any type of duct. The present invention provides a robot system for duct cleaning used for detaching and removing dust, dirt, etc. attached and accumulated inside the duct. The robot system comprises a robot unit for detaching and removing dust inside the duct and a hose of a dust collector connected to the duct and used for sucking the detached dust. By injecting the air from the air hose made of freely flexible material in backward direction, the robot is moved forward.

Abstract: Sparseness is reduced in an input digital signal which includes a first sequence of sample values. An output digital signal is produced in response to the input digital signal. The output digital signal includes a second sequence of sample values, which second sequence of sample values has a greater density of non-zero sample values than the first sequence of sample values.

Abstract: The present invention relates to electronic monetary systems in general, and in particular to measures for making their use easier for an average user. The present invention is based on the idea that the use of electronic money is greatly simplified for a non-expert user, if the Internet Service Provider of the user takes care of the payments, and adds corresponding charges on the user's telephone bill. Such functionality requires the intervention of the ISP in the transmissions between a user and a third party, i.e. intercepting the electronic payment requests sent by a merchant. According to the present invention, the ISP uses electronic money on behalf of the user, and charges the payments on the user's telephone bill. The ISP can take care of all technical details necessary for obtaining different forms of electronic money in a centralized manner, and all users of the ISP can use the electronic money obtained by the ISP simply by allowing the ISP to add corresponding charges to their telephone bills.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for human artificial insemination and embryo transplanting are provided wherein a catheter is utilized having an extremely flexible barrel which has sufficient flexibility and softness to avoid irritation or trauma of the walls of the cervix and uterus. The catheter is made of high elasticity polyvinyl chloride and is more than ten times as flexible as prior art catheters. The method includes positioning the female recipient in a flat, supine position with pelvis elevated and legs flexed. The cervical canal, internal os and the lower segment of the uterine cavity are expanded with a speculum to minimize the distance from the vaginal opening to the uterine cavity and to minimize contact between the barrel of the catheter and the cervical and uterine walls. The soft and extremely flexible barrel of the catheter is inserted through the vaginal opening, through the cervical opening and into the uterine cavity and introducing either semen or an embryo into the uterine cavity.

Abstract: A system for inhibiting the transmission of an access request message from a mobile station when either the system is incapable of granting access at the class of service desired by the mobile or access by the mobile at that class of service would increase the interference level of the target base station or a neighboring base station past its interference capacity. In one embodiment, each base station broadcasts a maximum data rate access parameter and any mobile receiving that parameter and seeking access at a greater data rate refrains from transmitting an access request message. In another embodiment, each mobile calculates from its path loss to the base station the power level it must transmit in order to gain access as well as the effect of that transmission on the interference level of both the target base station and neighboring base stations. If transmission at the required power level would increase the interference level of any base station past its maximum capacity, the transmission is inhibited.

Abstract: The present invention provides a decorative door chime particularly well suited to festive occasions. The chime includes a speaker which is suspended on one side of the door by a strap, and a door-knocker actuated trigger switch suspended on the other side of the door by the strap. The strap encloses the electrical connections between the speaker and the trigger. The sound generator plays songs, tone sequences, recorded voice messages, etc., in response to actuation of the trigger switch.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus, computer program and system for managing data. The computer program has at least one code segment to control system data stored in a first database and client data stored in a second database and several code segments that define a first set of objects linked to the first database, a second set of objects linked to the second database, and one or more minions. In addition, there are code segments to manage ajob queue, and one or more agent processes. There is also a code segment to provide an interface between a user and the code segment to manage the job queue.

Abstract: A subscription record within a telecommunication system is sub-divided into three separate registers, namely, a user, a subscription and a terminal register. The use of three separate registers within the system allows several terminals to be associated with one user, several users to be associated with one terminal, several subscriptions to be associated with one user, and several users to be selectively associated with one subscription. The subscription records include a list of allowed users for each subscription account. Additionally, the subscription records include a schedule that defines allowable usage time for each user. The user records include a schedule which defines what subscription accounts will be charged at specified times during the week.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for wrapping a napkin about silverware items into a wrapped arrangement involves a worktable within which is provided an upwardly-opening trough for accepting a napkin and silverware items positioned therein. The napkin is automatically placed over the opening of the trough in a spread condition and then silverware items are automatically directed onto the napkin so that the silverware falls to the bottom of the trough thereby positioning the napkin between the silverware and the bottom of the trough. A rotatable blade is positioned within the trough for automatically spinning the napkin and silverware items about the longitudinal axis of the trough until the napkin and silverware items are wound in a wrapped arrangement. The wrapped arrangement is thereafter removed from the trough in preparation of a subsequent napkin-wrapping operation.

Abstract: A method for decoding a suppressed-carrier modulated signal in the presence of a pilot tone, comprising the steps of:extracting the pilot signal from the modulated signal;obtaining the suppressed carrier by multiplying the pilot signal by the pilot signal in quadrature;adjusting the level of the suppressed carrier; andreconstructing the modulating signal.

Abstract: A fiber optic interferometric sensor (10, 70) includes a sensing fiber (32, 92) which forms a closed optical path around a current-carrying conductor (44, 94). The sensing fiber (32, 92) has a predetermined number of twists which causes a predetermined amount, T, of circular rotation of the polarization state of the light waves traveling on the optical path, thereby reducing a scale factor error introduced by linear birefringence in the sensing fiber.

Abstract: The apparatus and method of the present invention extract samples of emissions within a stack or duct through the use of a probe. The sample is transported from the probe through a transport device into a mass-monitoring device in which the amount of particulate matter contained in the sample of the emissions is continuously analyzed. The apparatus of the present invention includes a transport device which has a porous inner tube completely sealed inside a solid outer tube. The outer tube of the transport device is supplied with gas through a transpiration port in the outer tube. The gas permeates from the outer tube through the porous inner tube in order to reduce deposition by keeping the particulate matter suspended within the porous inner tube.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods of and means for producing ethylene by chilling the ethylene plant demethanizer heat exchange train with a refrigerated stream or streams from a cryogenic natural gas plant effective to provide ethylene level refrigeration, by condensing the ethylene distillation tower overhead with ethylene level refrigeration stream or streams from the cryogenic natural gas plant, by refluxing the ethylene plant demethanizer distillation column with a predominantly liquid methane mixture from the cryogenic natural gas plant, and by combinations thereof. Significant advantages in capital and operating costs associated with ethylene production.

Abstract: Speech or voice activity in an audio signal is defected without using a speech coder. Pitch period information and signal energy information are extracted from the audio signal, and a decision regarding the presence or absence of voice is made based on that information.

Abstract: A mechanism capable of achieving an arbitrarily specified spatial compliant behavior is presented. The mechanism is a parallel connection of multiple individual elastic components that connect a support body to a single compliantly floated body. Each elastic component is, in itself, a low friction 6 degrees of freedom (DOF) mechanism that provides compliant constraint along and/or about a single axis. The elastic components are of three functional types: 1) a "line spring" which resists only translation along its axis, 2) a "torsional spring" which resists only rotation about its axis, and 3) a "screw spring" which resists a specified combination of translation along and rotation about its axis. Through proper selection of the connection geometry, spring constant, and functional type of each elastic component, a spatial compliant mechanism capable of passive force guidance is realized.

Abstract: A nestable tray for holding food and a beverage glass at social gatherings, wherein the tray has an aperture and a slot continuous with the aperture and extending to the exterior of the tray for receiving the stem of a stemmed glass.

Abstract: A packaging container for cartridge ammunition includes a box for accommodating the cartridge ammunition and an adapter sleeve disposed in the box and having a rear portion formed as a centering sleeve for surrounding a rearward sabot flange of the cartridge ammunition when situated in the packaging container. The rear portion of the adapter sleeve is affixed to an inner wall of the box. The adapter sleeve further has a forwardly conically tapering front portion having a frontal terminus for engaging a rearwardly oriented side of a frontal sabot flange of the cartridge ammunition when situated in the packaging container. The front portion of the adapter sleeve is provided with elongated apertures oriented along the box length and extending to and breaking through the frontal terminus for dividing the front portion of the adapter sleeve into radially resilient fingers.