Abstract: The present invention provides a pill splitter designed for cutting pills in a relatively safe manner. The pill splitter includes a main body with a top housing and a bottom housing having a blade mounted thereto. The top housing has a slot defined therein for receipt of the blade. The top housing moves relative to the bottom housing. A lid is hingedly connected to the top housing. A locking mechanism is positioned on the lid for controlling the movement of the top housing relative to the bottom housing and the blade. In the protected position, when the locking mechanism is engaged, the top housing resides in front of the blade to prevent a user from contacting the blade. In the cutting position, when the locking mechanism is disengaged, the blade is routed through the slot in the top housing thereby exposing a cutting edge thereof for cutting a pill.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, an easily openable container includes an elastic member that is connected to the container when the closure is in an open condition. Thus, the elastic member is at rest when the cover closure is open and spring-biases the closure to an open condition. When the closure is closed against the spring-biasing of the elastic material, the elastic member is stretched and held stretched when the closure in the front of the closure is engaged, such as by a snap closure or any other releasable connection. When the locking mechanism is released, the closure pops open by contraction of the elastic member.

Abstract: A passive low power device for detection of boundary crossings includes a dual element pyro-electric infrared (PIR) sensor. The sensor is designed with a lens that provides a very narrow field of view and two pyro-electric elements that produce a waveform with two voltage swings of opposite polarity when a warm object moves past the sensor. The waveform is filtered and amplified before it is passed on to a comparator. The comparator triggers off the extremes of each waveform. The comparator includes two outputs that are normally high, but go low when a change in infrared radiation is detected. A processor makes an approximation of the zero crossing time based on the rising edge of the first comparator output. This approximate zero crossing time serves as an estimate of the boundary crossing time.

Abstract: A remote sensing system operable to collect sensor timing data comprising a central data hub for detecting the occurrence of an event and processing information about the detected event, the remote sensing system comprising a central data hub, at least one sensor having a simple clock operable to sense an event and transmit data to central data hub. By way of calculating the data transmitted by the at least one sensor, the central data hub can determine the time at which each event occurred and place a plurality of sensed events in sequence.

Abstract: A method for compressing images uses artificial intelligence and neural-network-based techniques to convert digital image data into symbolic data. The symbolic data is then further compressed using, for example, run-length-limited coding. The result is compressed data that represents the original image data at a high compression ratio. Such high compression ratios are useful, for example, in medical diagnostic and high-definition television applications.

Abstract: An integrated power unit for use in a bed of a pickup truck. A lower housing is sized to fit between the rear wheel wells of the pickup truck, and opposed upper housings extend over respective opposed sidewalls of the truck bed. The opposed upper housings are adjustable with respect to the lower housing, so that the integrated power unit may be used with various makes and models of pickup trucks. The lower housing contains an internal combustion engine for generating mechanical power, an alternator and electrically driven compressors. Ducting and baffles facilitate air flow and cooling in the lower housing. A fuel tank is formed by one of the upper housings, and a control panel is located in the other upper housing. Connections for electrical power and regulated and unregulated pneumatic power are available at the control panel.

Abstract: An ejection port gun lock includes an elongated body and a slide member which is slidably affixed to the body to move along a slide path (with the slide path being oriented generally parallel to the length of the body) between an engaged position within a gun ejection port and a disengaged position in the ejection port. A locking member is provided on the body adjacent to the slide path, and the locking member is movable between a locked position wherein it extends into the slide path to engage the slide member, and an unlocked position allowing motion of the slide member.

Abstract: A choke coil [e.g exceeding about three (3) henries] placed in parallel with the A/C line, that is, preferably across the A/C line's “hot” and “common” lines, quenching the reflected signal (or back emf) that is developed when any power amplifier or other load places it's demands upon the incoming A/C power line. Due to its electromagnetic characteristics, the choke tends to provide a momentary high current source of energy when needed by, e.g., a power amplifier (or other appropriate load) when transient demand is called for. The invention's parallel choke approach, due to the fact that it must be magnetically charged by electricity [either from the A/C line or back electromotive force (emf) from it's load] tends to have a reversing effect on this signal, preventing, eliminating or at least substantially reducing it's presence on the A/C line, thereby providing a greatly enhanced A/C power line signal quality for the load.