Abstract: An oral care system (1) comprising a sonic power toothbrush (2) which comprises a body (3), a brush member (4) mounted on the body (3), a brush head (5) which is supported by the brush member (4) at its end remote from the body (3) so as to be able to vibrate relative to the body (3) and which is provided with bristles (6) and an additive outlet (7), an additive container (8) connected to said additive outlet (7), driving means (9) for generating sonic frequency vibrations, and transmission means (29) for transmitting said sonic frequency vibrations to the brush head (5), wherein the toothbrush (2) comprises at least one further additive container (18). Instead of the user having to apply a first and a second additive manually to the brush head (5), these additives are already incorporated into the sonic-power toothbrush (2), which benefits the user-friendliness of the device.

Abstract: In order to improve an arithmetic decoder, the method of arithmetically decoding an arithmetically encoded information signal into an information signal including a serial sequence of n-bit symbols, is adapted to decode two subsequent symbols of the information signal in one decoding cycle if the first symbol to be decoded has the most probable symbol.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a power amplifier being preferably applied in mobile communication devices andusing an envelope tracking technique. It is the object of the invention to improve a power amplifier with respect to its efficiency by simultaneously enabling an adaptation of the supply voltage for the unit 110 to fast variations of an envelope signal. This object is achieved by providing a second DC/DC converter 140 for generating a variety of n+1 voltage levels and n threshold values both in response to a received power control signal representing a required output power of the RF output signal and by a first DC/DC converter 130 to select one of said n+1 voltage levels as the supply voltage for said unit 110 in response to the result of a comparison between the envelope signaland said n threshold values.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for maintaining a purged optical gap between a pellicle and a reticle in a photolithography system. A frame between a reticle and a pellicle maintains the purged optical gap. The frame defines first and second opposing surfaces. The first opposing surface defines a first opening, and is configured to mate with the pellicle. The second opposing surface defines a second opening, and is configured to mate with the reticle to enclose the optical gap between the pellicle and the reticle. At least one edge of the frame has an opening therethrough. A porous sintered material fills each opening through an edge of the frame.

Abstract: The invention relates to an AC plasma display panel (12) of the surface discharge type, and more specifically to the structure of the address electrodes (5) of the panel and of the phosphor elements, and to a plasma display panel device comprising such a panel. According to the invention, only one address electrode (5) is used for one out of every two columns. Scan electrodes (8) and common electrodes (7) may comprise transparent parts (11). These parts (11) may extend over one out every two cells in a checkerboard fashion. In a preferred embodiment, the columns may have alternating wide (15) and narrow (16) cells (2). Furthermore, each cell has a neighbor-cell of the same color on the same address electrode but in a neighboring column and in a neighboring row. The display panel device comprises a driving circuit (22) arranged such that in at least one of the sub-fields the neighboring cells are addressed simultaneously.

Abstract: A plurality of texture maps for a 3D computer model of an object are generated by processing images of the object, data defining the computer model, and data defining the relative positions and orientations of the images and computer model. A respective texture map is generated for the viewing position and direction of each image. Each texture map stores texture data for all parts of the computer model which are visible from the associated viewing position and direction and also texture data for all invisible parts of the computer model. Each texture map therefore stores texture data that can be used for rendering accurate images of the 3D computer model over a wide range of viewing positions and directions.

Abstract: A remote control comprises object keys and a selector for linking preset IR or RF code sets to the object keys. The remote control comprises:—a selector for the selection of an IR or RF preset code set by a user,—an activator for the activation of one or more links between an element of said preset IR or RF code set and an object key by the user after the selection,—a selector for the subsequent selection of a further preset code set by the user and—repeat means for repeating the steps a and b for the further preset code set until all object keys have been linked or the user terminates the process. This allows the user to combine more then one preset code set into a single code set.

Abstract: A record carrier according to the invention has a first area 3 for storing information and a second area 4 having an integrated circuit 4?. This integrated cixcuit has transmitting means for transmitting additional information and means for receiving a signal for power supply of the integrated circuit. The receiving means has a photodiode. The integrated circuit further has frequency control means for controlling the frequency transmitted by the transmitting means. The invention also relates to a device for reading a record carrier and an integrated circuit.

Abstract: Packaged detergent composition comprising a container that at least partly disintegrates in an aqueous environment, the detergent composition comprising at least one liquid and at least one solid substantially insoluble in the liquid and preferably having a size sufficient to be retained by a 2.

Abstract: The invention relates to a coupling module (1) via which communication becomes possible between different electronic appliances of an (in-home) network (30). To this end, the coupling module (1) can be expanded in modular fashion with transmitter and receiver modules (20-27), which in each case create a network interface with the electronic appliances, with the associated transmission protocol in each case. The coupling module (1) may preferably independently detect the connected appliances, and pass on incoming information to the particular addressee in the appropriate protocol.

Abstract: In a digital interface comprising a current limiter, a reference voltage proportional to the bus voltage is generated and the current limiter is switched on when the incoming digital signal is higher than the reference voltage and switched of when the incoming signal is smaller than the reference voltage. The “high/low-ratio” of the digital signal at the output of the interface is substantially improved by the use of the reference voltage.

Abstract: The invention relates to a response system for detecting, locating and responding to a person in an abnormal physiological condition, said system comprising positioning means (12) arranged to provide an information about an actual location of the person and monitoring means (11) arranged to monitor an abnormality in the physiological condition of the person, said monitoring means comprising a sensor (6) to acquire a signal related to a physiological condition of the patient, a processor (8) to process the acquired signal in order to establish where the abnormal condition has occurred, said processor being arranged to produce a trigger signal to generate an alarm, an alarm generating means (10) arranged to generate the alarm upon a receipt of the trigger signal, said alarm generating means being further arranged to provide an indication of a location of the person said indication of the location being provided by a positioning means (12).

Abstract: The present invention refers to the use of Compound B as angiogenic agent in combination with human growth factors.

Abstract: There is provided a novel vascular endothelial growth factor, herein designated VEGF-X, in addition to the nucleic acid molecule encoding it, a host cell transformed with said vector and compounds which inhibit or enhance angiogenesis. Also provided is the sequence of a CUB domain present in the sequence of VEGF-X which domain itself prevents angiogenesis and which is used to treat diseases associated with inappropriate vascularisation or angiogenesis.

Abstract: A radiation detector array for radial tracking error detection for a dual-wavelength optical scanning device. Three spot detectors (100, 102, 104) for conducting three spot radial tracking error detection at each of the two different wavelengths. Satellite spot detectors (102, 104) are divided into three detector elements and one switched depending on the wavelength currently being used for scanning.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method of visualising an internal hollow organ (3) of a subject based on a volumetric scan thereof. A number of three-dimensional images of the internal surface of the hollow organ are reconstructed. For each image an image (Li) is calculated for the left eye from a first view point li. Next an image for the right eye (Ri) is calculated from a second view point ri that differs from the first view point. The left eye image and the right eye image are combined into a pair (Li, Ri) to form a stereoscopic image that is shown using stereoscopic imager means. The invention also refers to a system and a computer program to carry out the method according to the invention.

Abstract: The invention relates to a secure data processing system including an unscrambling module [DSC] disposed on a dedicated hardware part [HW] of an integrated circuit and intended to unscramble a stream of data [SP] scrambled according to a scrambling key, a module [CM] for calculating an unscrambling key [Kp] disposed on said dedicated hardware part [HW] and intended to manipulate data under the control of a so-called calculation program stored on said dedicated hardware part [HW], a processor [CPU] for in particular controlling the functioning of the unscrambling [DSC] and calculation [CM] modules. Said system also includes a read only memory [SME] disposed on said dedicated hardware part [HW] for storing a secret key [Kp]. Said calculation program includes instructions for prompting said calculation module [CM] to use said secret key [L] and at least one data item [AC[n,p] or Kpc)] coming from outside the secure data processing system, in order to calculate an unscrambling key [Kp].

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for controlling a copy window during read-out of a domain expansion medium (10), wherein a switching time of an external magnetic field is derived from a reading pulse. A shift in the timing of said reading pulse is used for controlling the size of the copy window. Thereby, read-out errors due to changes in the size of the copy window can be prevented.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of embedding an additional layer of error correction into an error correcting code such as a product code in a DVD or a picket code in a DVR, wherein information is encoded into code words of said code and wherein a number of code words are arranged in the columns of code block. In order to provide an additional layer of error correction that can be easily implemented without losing compatibility improving the error correction capabilities a method is proposed comprising the steps of: reducing the length of each row of said code block by adding row symbols together according to a predetermined adding rule resulting in a reduced code block, encoding the shortened rows of said reduced code block using a horizontal error correcting code to obtain horizontal parities, embedding said horizontal parities as additional layer in said error correcting code.

Abstract: A color image (1) is compressed by associating a variable length color code with each color of the original colour image, and then forming bitplanes (51-54) each representing one bit position of the binary color codes for each pixel of the color image. The variable length codes are optimized, such as by a canonical Huffman algorithm. Compression is high, even for simple icons and special character images (e.g. 16×16 pixels). Decompression is simple, fast and resource inexpensive. Amongst many other uses, the image decompression is suitable for use in a cellular telephone having a color LCD display.