Abstract: A handrail bracket comprised of a bracket body, bracket mount and a paddle pin. The bracket mount is secured to a wall via three mounting holes where screws are inserted to securely attach the mounting bracket to a wall. The bracket mount is also comprised of two inner channels and two outer channels that correspond to two inner protrusions and two outer protrusions of the bracket body. Once the bracket mount is attached to the wall, the bracket body is connected to the bracket mount by aligning the inner and outer bracket channels with the inner and outer protrusions of the bracket body. When the bracket mount and bracket body are engaged, a paddle pin or set screw is used to secure the bracket mount to the bracket body. Finally, two screws and a rail bracket are used to secure the bracket body to the handrail.

Abstract: A dual level current limit apparatus constituted of: an electronically controlled switch coupled between a load and a line voltage; and a control circuitry arranged to alternately: control said electronically controlled switch to limit the magnitude of current flowing therethrough responsive to the difference between a predetermined first function of the current magnitude and a predetermined reference voltage, and control said electronically controlled switch to limit the magnitude of current flowing therethrough responsive to the difference between said first function of the current magnitude and a predetermined second function of the load voltage.

Abstract: A dual level current limit apparatus constituted of: an electronically controlled switch coupled between a load and a line voltage; and a control circuitry arranged to alternately: control said electronically controlled switch to limit the magnitude of current flowing therethrough responsive to the difference between a predetermined first function of the current magnitude and a predetermined reference voltage, and control said electronically controlled switch to limit the magnitude of current flowing therethrough responsive to the difference between said first function of the current magnitude and a predetermined second function of the load voltage.

Abstract: A current sensing system constituted of: an impedance element; a switching network arranged to alternately couple a first end of the impedance element between a supply voltage and return, the impedance element arranged to develop a voltage there across reflecting a current flow to a load coupled to the second end of the impedance element; a first stage amplifier, a first and second input thereof respectively coupled to the first and second end of the impedance element, a power supply input thereof coupled to a voltage greater than the supply voltage and a return thereof coupled to the first end of the impedance element, the amplifier having a first and second output, the potential difference reflecting the impedance element voltage times a first stage gain; and a second stage amplifier, a first and second input thereof respectively coupled to a first and second output of the first stage amplifier.

Abstract: A current sensing system constituted of: an impedance element; a switching network arranged to alternately couple a first end of the impedance element between a supply voltage and return, the impedance element arranged to develop a voltage there across reflecting a current flow to a load coupled to the second end of the impedance element; a first stage amplifier, a first and second input thereof respectively coupled to the first and second end of the impedance element, a power supply input thereof coupled to a voltage greater than the supply voltage and a return thereof coupled to the first end of the impedance element, the amplifier having a first and second output, the potential difference reflecting the impedance element voltage times a first stage gain; and a second stage amplifier, a first and second input thereof respectively coupled to a first and second output of the first stage amplifier.

Abstract: A safety mechanism for a solar cell group, the safety mechanism constituted of: a signal receiver arranged to assert a permissive signal indicative of reception by the signal receiver of a predetermined signal; an electronically controlled switch arranged to provide in a closed state an effective short circuit across the output of the solar cell group responsive to the absence of the asserted permissive signal of the signal receiver; and a power harvester in communication with the solar cell group and arranged to provide electric power to the signal receiver when the electronically controlled switch is the closed state.

Abstract: A hysteretic power converter wherein an additional adjustment circuit, implemented as an offset correction loop, adds an offset to the comparator detection function to reduce the difference between the average output voltage and the regulation set point voltage. The adjustment circuit lies outside the main hysteretic regulation loop and therefore does not substantially impact the response time of the hysteretic loop, and is slow acting responsive to a low pass filter.

Abstract: A safety mechanism for a solar cell group, the safety mechanism constituted of: a signal receiver arranged to assert a permissive signal indicative of reception by the signal receiver of a predetermined signal; an electronically controlled switch arranged to provide in a closed state an effective short circuit across the output of the solar cell group responsive to the absence of the asserted permissive signal of the signal receiver; and a power harvester in communication with the solar cell group and arranged to provide electric power to the signal receiver when the electronically controlled switch is the closed state.

Abstract: A hysteretic power converter wherein an additional adjustment circuit, implemented as an offset correction loop, adds an offset to the comparator detection function to reduce the difference between the average output voltage and the regulation set point voltage. The adjustment circuit lies outside the main hysteretic regulation loop and therefore does not substantially impact the response time of the hysteretic loop, and is slow acting responsive to a low pass filter.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to improved systems and methods for reducing costs and increasing yields of cellulosic ethanol. In particular, the present invention provides plants genetically transformed for increased biomass, expression of lignocellulolytic enzyme polypeptides, and/or simplification of harvesting and downstream processing. Also provided are methods for processing biomass from these transgenic plants that involve less severe and/or less expensive pre-treatment protocols that are typically employed. Such methods allow, among other things, reduced costs associated with externally applied lignocellulolytic enzyme polypeptides.

Abstract: An electronically controlled four quadrant MOSFET based switch in which a pair of drivers are provided in cooperation with a MOSFET. A first one of the drivers is arranged such that when current flow through the MOSFET is to be enabled responsive to a first condition of the control signal, the gate of the MOSFET is driven with an appropriate voltage, and when current flow through the MOSFET is to be disabled responsive to a second condition of the control signal, the gate is driven towards a limit voltage. A second one of the drivers is arranged such that when current flow through the MOSFET is to be enabled the body diode connection of the MOSFET is driven towards the potential of the MOSFET source, and when current flow through the MOSFET is to be disabled the body diode connection is driven towards the limit voltage.

Abstract: A secondary side voltage regulation scheme applied to a multiple output flyback converter. The output with the highest error voltage is selected to control the primary switch. The remaining outputs are regulated by varying the length of time that current is allowed to flow into each output by controlling the on time of a switch connected in series with each of the outputs. The switching of the windings is achieved using a single N channel MOSFET for each output. Regulation of the outputs is performed using leading edge modulation. The body diode of the output MOSFET switches are held off during the start of the commutation period by the use of an active clamp on the primary side.

Abstract: An electronically controlled four quadrant MOSFET based switch in which a pair of drivers are provided in cooperation with a MOSFET. A first one of the drivers is arranged such that when current flow through the MOSFET is to be enabled responsive to a first condition of the control signal, the gate of the MOSFET is driven with an appropriate voltage, and when current flow through the MOSFET is to be disabled responsive to a second condition of the control signal, the gate is driven towards a limit voltage. A second one of the drivers is arranged such that when current flow through the MOSFET is to be enabled the body diode connection of the MOSFET is driven towards the potential of the MOSFET source, and when current flow through the MOSFET is to be disabled the body diode connection is driven towards the limit voltage.

Abstract: One aspect of the present invention includes a transmission that includes a cylindrical housing that includes a plurality of parts. The internal parts rotate in unison with the drive shaft, and the centrifugal force created by the rotation of the cone shaped impeller pushes the fluid throughout the transmission. The fluid pressure is used to change the gear ratio from low gear to high gear, and vice versa.

Abstract: A secondary side voltage regulation scheme applied to a multiple output flyback converter. The output with the highest error voltage is selected to control the primary switch. The remaining outputs are regulated by varying the length of time that current is allowed to flow into each output by controlling the on time of a switch connected in series with each of the outputs. The switching of the windings is achieved using a single N channel MOSFET for each output. Regulation of the outputs is performed using leading edge modulation. The body diode of the output MOSFET switches are held off during the start of the commutation period by the use of an active clamp on the primary side.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to improved systems and methods for reducing costs and increasing yields of cellulosic ethanol. In particular, the present invention provides plants genetically transformed for increased biomass, expression of lignocellulolytic enzymes, and simplification of harvesting and downstream processing. Also provided are methods for using these transgenic plants in the production of clean, marketable feedstocks for production of renewable fuels and chemicals and in other applications including phytoremediation.

Abstract: An illumination control circuit allows a user to set a desired brightness level and maintains the desired brightness level over temperature and life of a light source. The illumination control circuit uses a dual feedback loop with both optical and thermal feedbacks. The optical feedback loop controls power to the light source during normal operations. The thermal feedback loop overrides the optical feedback loop when the temperature of the light source becomes excessive.

Abstract: A system and method for on-line training of a support vector machine (SVM). The SVM is trained with training sets from a stream of process data. The system detects availability of new training data, and constructs a training set from the corresponding input data. Over time, many training sets are presented to the SVM. When multiple presentations are needed to effectively train the SVM, a buffer of training sets is filled and updated as new training data becomes available. Once the buffer is full, a new training set bumps the oldest training set from the buffer. The training sets are presented one or more times each time a new training set is constructed. An historical database of time-stamped data may be used to construct training sets for the SVM. The SVM may be trained retrospectively by searching the historical database and constructing training sets based on the time-stamped data.

Abstract: A system and method for preprocessing input data to a support vector machine (SVM). The SVM is a system model having parameters that define the representation of the system being modeled, and operates in two modes: run-time and training. A data preprocessor preprocesses received data in accordance with predetermined preprocessing parameters, and outputs preprocessed data. The data preprocessor includes an input buffer for receiving and storing the input data. The input data may be on different time scales. A time merge device determines a desired time scale and reconciles the input data so that all of the input data are placed on the desired time scale. An output device outputs the reconciled data from the time merge device as preprocessed data. The reconciled data may be input to the SVM in training mode to train the SVM, and/or in run-time mode to generate control parameters and/or predictive output information.

Abstract: A backlight intensity for a transflective display increases proportionately with increasing ambient light levels for a first range of ambient light levels and decreases proportionately with increasing ambient levels for a second range of ambient light levels to improve power efficiency. The second range of ambient light levels is higher than the first range of ambient light levels.