Abstract: Method and system for starting an internal combustion engine of a hybrid vehicle, adapted to rotate a drive shaft providing torque via a transmission unit comprising a first clutch connecting the engine to an input shaft of a gearbox connected to a torque converter connected to a second clutch connecting the torque converter to the at least one driving wheel, where the input shaft is connected to an electric machine; the method comprising: disengaging the second clutch to a predetermined torque level such that there is a slip in the second clutch; engaging the lock-up clutch; engaging the first clutch to bring the engine to a first rotational speed; disengaging the first clutch when the engine has reached the first rotational speed; starting the engine, and engaging the first clutch when the engine has started and rotates with a second rotational speed.

Abstract: A method and a device for protecting an electric motor in a pod unit for propulsion of marine vessels against shaft bending shocks when the blades of the pod propeller hit ice blocks or other hard objects, said motor having a drive shaft, a rotor and a stator, said shocks tending to momentarily bend the drive shaft (3) to such an extent that the rotor (41) will come into contact with the stator. The rotor is prevented from coming in detrimental contact with the stator by providing at least two members, which together form a radial plain bearing having mating arcuate bearing surfaces, which during normal operation of the motor are spaced from one another by a gap and come in contact with one another only at extreme loads with short durations.

Abstract: A voltage supply unit for a vehicle is described, the voltage supply unit having a first output adapted to supply a first voltage to a first load and a second output adapted to supply a second voltage to a second load. The second voltage is obtained by a DC/DC converter powered by the first voltage, where the low voltage side of the DC/DC converter is connected to the second output and the high voltage side of the DC/DC converter is connected to the first output. Two different voltages can thereby be supplied by the use of one battery.

Abstract: A voltage supply unit is described, provided with a first output adapted to supply a first voltage to a first load and provided with a second output adapted to supply a second voltage to a second load. The voltage supply unit includes a first battery stack, a second battery stack and an electronic control unit, wherein the electronic control unit is adapted to regulate the energy state of the first battery stack to a first energy state, and to regulate the energy state of the second battery stack to a second energy state, where the first energy state differs from the second energy state. Power characteristics of the voltage supply unit can be optimized by allowing the energy states of the first and the second battery stacks to differ.

Abstract: A vented keg closure (1) for use with a keg (30) that contains a fermenting beverage, with the closure (1) comprising a filter member (41) disposed within an airway of the closure (1) that communicates between an internal headspace (36) of the keg (30) and an environment external to the keg (30). The closure (1) has a first configuration wherein the filter member (41) is located at a first position at which it filters gas flowing through the airway. The closure (1) also has a second configuration wherein the filter member (41) is located at a second position at which gas flow through the airway can be increased by at least partially bypassing the filter (41). The extent of movement between the first and second configurations is controlled by the gas pressure difference across the airway.

Abstract: The co-registration error can be estimated by performing a number of additional iterative co-registrations, each iteration having a starting point dictated by the found co-registration transformation, and using a set of initial parameters different to that of the co-registration being tested. The spread in the resulting co-registrations can then be used as the estimate of the co-registration error. The variations in the set of initial parameters can include (i) the candidate transformation which the iteration uses as its starting point, adopting starting points that are offset from the co-registration being tested, (ii) the sample points used for the mutual information metric (or whichever metric is used to optimise the transformation), and (iii) the region-of-interest that is selected. Ideally, all three are varied to some extent within the plurality of additional co-registrations that are performed, and an average value is taken.

Abstract: A vented keg closure (1) for use with a keg (30) that contains a fermenting beverage is described. The closure (1) comprising a filter member (41) disposed within an airway of the closure (1) that communicates between an internal headspace (36) of the keg (30) and an environment external to the keg (30). The closure (1) has a first configuration wherein the filter member (41) is located at a first position at which it filters gas flowing through the airway. The closure (1) also has a second configuration wherein the filter member (41) is located at a second position at which gas flow through the airway can be increased by at least partially bypassing the filter (41). The extent of movement between the first and second configurations is controlled by the gas pressure difference across the airway.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of segmenting an image using scribble segmentation is provided. An image is segmented by constraining the membership value of a subset of image elements, solving a weighted biharmonic equation subject to the constrained membership values wherein the weights are determined from similarities between image elements, and determining the final segmentation based on the membership value of each image element. An image may also be segmented by constraining a membership value of a subset of image elements, determining the unknown membership values given the constraints by solving a linear equation system using a multigrid technique, and updating a coarser level of the multigrid hierarchy to account for additional constraints using patch matrices.

Abstract: A method of and a device for protecting an electric motor (4) in a pod unit (1) for propulsion of marine vessels against shaft bending shocks when the blades (2) of the pod propeller hit ice blocks or other hard objects, said motor (4) having a drive shaft (3), a rotor (41) and a stator (42), said shocks tending to momentarily bend the drive shaft (3) to such an extent that the rotor (41) will come into contact with the stator (42). In accordance with the present invention, the rotor (41) is prevented from coming in detrimental contact with the stator (42) by providing at least two members (61, 62), which together form a radial plain bearing (6) having mating arcuate bearing surfaces (611 and 621, respectively), which during normal operation of the motor (4) are spaced from one another by a gap and come in contact with one another only at extreme loads with short durations.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for locating teats of an animal uses an automated three-dimensional image capturing device and includes automatically obtaining and storing a three-dimensional numerical image of the animal that includes a teat region of the animal; making the image available for review by an operator; receiving manually input data designating a location of the teats in the image; from the designated location of the teats, creating a teat position data file containing the location co-ordinates of each defined teat from within the image; updating an animal data folder with the teat position data file. The method references the teat position data file containing the location co-ordinates of each defined teat during an animal related operation involving connecting a milking or cleaning apparatus to the teats of an animal.

Abstract: The co-registration error can be estimated by performing a number of additional iterative co-registrations, each iteration having a starting point dictated by the found co-registration transformation, and using a set of initial parameters different to that of the co-registration being tested. The spread in the resulting co-registrations can then be used as the estimate of the co-registration error. The variations in the set of initial parameters can include (i) the candidate transformation which the iteration uses as its starting point, adopting starting points that are offset from the co-registration being tested, (ii) the sample points used for the mutual information metric (or whichever metric is used to optimise the transformation), and (iii) the region-of-interest that is selected. Ideally, all three are varied to some extent within the plurality of additional co-registrations that are performed, and an average value is taken.

Abstract: An industrial robot and an industrial robot transmission system for the transmission of movement to a robot part, including a motor and a gearbox containing a lubricant. The gearbox is provided with an integrated moisture absorbing device including a moisture absorbing material adapted to absorb moisture contained in the gearbox. The invention is also related to a method for preventing the deterioration of a lubricant due to absorption of moisture, inside an industrial robot used in surroundings with high humidity, which is characterized by integrating a moisture absorbing device including a moisture absorbing material in a robot part containing the lubricant.

Abstract: A Video Call Distributor, including systems and methods, for distributing high quality real time video calls over an IP Packet-Based Wide Area Network and for routing those calls based on an ability to communicate and leverage existing routing rules and logic of a call management system, such as a traditional PBX-based.

Abstract: The present invention relates to systems and methods for recording usage of real-time audio, video and data communication services over packet-based networks. The present invention can collect call detail record information from a network gatekeeper and analyze the call detail record information to determine its validity. After checking validity, the invention can combine the call data with information retrieved from a customer database and store the combined record in billing database. The billing database can be accessed by modular billing modules to generate a customized invoice.

Abstract: A Video Call Distributor, including systems and methods, for distributing high quality real time video calls over an IP Packet-Based Wide Area Network and for routing those calls based on an ability to communicate and leverage existing routing rules and logic of a call management system, such as a traditional PBX-based.

Abstract: A conferencing system and method having, a conferencing unit to initiate a remote conference, wherein the remote conference is initiated by inputting a conferencing identifier into the conferencing unit; more than one client associated with the conferencing identifier; and a conference network device to determine which of the clients has an active connection to the conferencing system; wherein the remote conference is established between the conferencing unit and one of the clients based on the determination of the conference network device.

Abstract: The disclosed systems and methods provide a centrally located call manger for authorizing calls from a caller to a recipient. In particular, the systems and methods relate to using a centralized store of authorization parameters relating to one or more appliances, callers, recipients, or content types. Packet-based communications between a caller and a recipient can be allowed or denied based on the stored authorization data.

Abstract: A method of automatically improving the usability of a medical picture is disclosed. An input medical picture, comprising an array of intensity data, is improved by automatically controlling at least one intensity parameter, such as brightness or intensity, in order to increase the entropy of at least a part of the array of intensity data. Hereby, a remarkable improvement in the intensity resolution of various parts, especially in soft tissue, is achieved.

Abstract: The present invention relates to systems and methods for recording usage of real-time audio, video and data communication services over packet-based networks. The present invention can collect call detail record information from a network gatekeeper and analyze the call detail record information to determine its validity. After checking validity, the invention can combine the call data with information retrieved from a customer database and store the combined record in billing database. The billing database can be accessed by modular billing modules to generate a customized invoice.

Abstract: The invention relates to a packaging for a tool with sharp edge, said packaging comprising a suspension device (3). The packaging also comprises a protective sheath (1) and means for supporting the tool (2) in different positions on the sheath, including a first position adapted for sales exposure in which at least a major part of the tool is free of the sheath and exposed for inspection by a prospective buyer, and a second position in which the tool is inserted in the sheath and ready to be handled by a user.