Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for extracting and utilizing the energy contained in molten slags generated from metal producing and refining operations. The energy is extracted while the slag is contained within a containment vessel, such as a slag pot, after the slag has been discharged from a furnace. The energy is accessed by immersing into the slag a temperature-resistant treatment vessel, such as, a cylindrical vessel made of graphite, having an internal cavity. The energy from the slag is transmitted by direct contact with the surface of the treatment vessel. The treatment vessel and slag may be moved relative to each other to overcome the low thermal conductivity of the slag. Any substance placed within the cavity is thereby heated without directly contacting the molten slag. The methods and systems provide for high temperature chemical reactions, energy conversions, or transfer operations within the internal cavity.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for extracting and utilizing the energy contained in molten slags generated from metal producing operations. The energy is extracted while the slag is contained within a vessel, such as, a slag pot, after the slag has been discharged from a furnace. The energy is accessed by immersing into the slag a thermally stable treatment vessel, such as, a vessel made of graphite, having an internal cavity. The energy from the slag is transmitted by direct contact of the slag with the surface of the treatment vessel. The treatment vessel and slag may be moved relative to each other to overcome the low thermal conductivity of the slag. Any substance placed within the internal cavity is heated without directly contacting the molten slag. The methods and systems provide for high temperature chemical reactions, energy conversions, or transfer operations within the internal cavity.

Abstract: A sport event transducer having an output element that can emit a perceivable output in response to an event that relates to a sport team, for example by emitting an audio-visual output when a particular football team scores. The transducer can be removable attached to a sport garment such as a cap or jersey, or can be an integral part of the garment. A transmission system remotely controls such transducers in response to sport team events by broadcasting an RF signal carrying team event messages, for example by transmitting an FM radio-data broadcast that carries a team event message embedded in the FM signal as RDS data. The sport event transducer receives and decodes such RF broadcast signals. If the transducer receives a team event message that relates to the transducer's affiliated team, the transducer's output element emits an audio and/or visual output signal in response to the message.

Abstract: A sport event transducer having an output element that can emit a perceivable output in response to an event that relates to a sport team, such as for example by emitting an audio-visual output when a particular football team scores a touchdown. The transducer can be removable attached to a sport garment such as a cap or jersey, or can be an integral part of the garment. A transmission system remotely controls such transducers in response to sport team events by broadcasting an RF signal carrying team event messages, such as for example by transmitting an FM radio-data broadcast that carries a team event message embedded in the FM signal as RDS data. The sport event transducer receives and decodes such RF broadcast signals. If the transducer receives a team event message that relates to the transducer's affiliated team, the transducer's output element emits an audio and/or visual output signal in response to the message.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling a plurality of sport event transducers, each of which includes an output element that can emit a perceivable output in response to an event that relates to a sport team, such as for example by emitting an audio-visual output when a particular football team scores a touchdown. The system remotely controls such transducers in response to sport team events by broadcasting an RF signal carrying team event messages, such as for example by transmitting an FM radio-data broadcast that carries a team event message embedded in the FM signal as RDS data. The sport event transducer receives and decodes such RF broadcast signals. If the transducer receives a team event message that relates to the transducer's affiliated team, the transducer's output element emits an audio and/or visual output signal in response to the message.

Abstract: A sport event transducer having an output element that can emit a perceivable output in response to an event that relates to a sport team, such as for example by emitting an audio-visual output when a particular football team scores a touchdown. The transducer can be removable attached to a sport garment such as a cap or jersey, or can be an integral part of the garment. A transmission system remotely controls such transducers in response to sport team events by broadcasting an RF signal carrying team event messages, such as for example by transmitting an FM radio-data broadcast that carries a team event message embedded in the FM signal as RDS data. The sport event transducer receives and decodes such RF broadcast signals. If the transducer receives a team event message that relates to the transducer's affiliated team, the transducer's output element emits an audio and/or visual output signal in response to the message.

Abstract: A hand held data entry controller includes a chassis having a handle portion which is shaped to fit in the user's hand, and a cursor controller, such as a track ball, attached to the chassis for providing a signal representative of a desired cursor position on a display screen. In another embodiment, the data entry device further includes at least one command button for providing a command signal representative of a desired command. The data entry device may also include a microphone attached to the chassis for providing an acoustic speech signal representative of a user's speech. In this embodiment, the device may also include a voice command button, attached to the chassis, for providing, in response to a user's input, a command signal indicating whether the acoustic speech signal represents a spoken command.

Abstract: The tundish flux composition of the invention employs solid recycled ladle metallurgy furnace (LMF) slag as a fluidizing and refining base ingredient in a mixture of raw materials. The preferred recycled LMF slag material comprises about 35% to about 65% CaO, about 10% to about 35% Al2O3, about 1% to about 10% SiO2, about 3% to about 15% MgO, about 0.3% to about 10% FeO, about 0.1% to about 5% MnO, about 0.1% to about 0.15% P2O5, and about 0.1% to about 0.5% S. The tundish flux composition comprises from about 10% to about 80% of recycled LMF slag with the balance being raw materials selected from a calcium oxide source, a fluorine source, a magnesium oxide source, a carbon source, a silica source, a sodium source, a potassium source, and mixtures of these raw materials.

Abstract: The tundish flux composition of the invention employs solid recycled ladle metallurgy furnace (LMF) slag as a fluidizing and refining base ingredient in a mixture of raw materials. The preferred recycled LMF slag material comprises about 35% to about 65% CaO, about 10% to about 35% Al2O3, about 1% to about 10% SiO2, about 3% to about 15% MgO, about 0.3% to about 10% FeO, about 0.1% to about 5% MnO, about 0.1% to about 0.15% P2O5, and about 0.1% to about 0.5% S. The tundish flux composition comprises from about 10% to about 80% of recycled LMF slag with the balance being raw materials selected from a calcium oxide source, a fluorine source, a magnesium oxide source, a carbon source, a silica source, a sodium source, a potassium source, and mixtures of these raw materials.

Abstract: An improved voice input peripheral operates in at least two modes, a portable mode (in which the peripheral records a user's voice in the peripheral's memory) and a "local mode" (in which the peripheral downloads the contents of its memory to a computer and is used to control the computer. The peripheral includes a microphone, pointer, a pair of buttons, a bar graph display screen, a loudspeaker and a transmitter. While the user is away from the computer, he places the peripheral in the portable mode. In this mode, the microphone, pointer and pair of buttons allow the user to control the peripheral to store the user's voice in the peripheral's memory. The loudspeaker and bar graph assist the user in locating and listening to desired portions of the recorded voice. When the user returns to the computer, he places the peripheral in the local mode.

Abstract: A portable voice recording device has a microphone for generating an electrical microphone signal representative of an acoustic speech signal, a memory device for storing a memory signal representative of the electric signal, and an output port controller for rapidly transmitting the memory signal to a remote device at a rate greater than the rate at which the microphone signal was generated.

Abstract: A video game controller for allowing a local player to play a video game against a remote player who is located, for example, in a different home than the local player. The controller receives a plurality of image control commands from a local input device operated by the local player. The controller includes a modem which transmits the local image control commands to a remote game controller connected to a transmission line. The modem also receives from the remote game controller a plurality of remote image control commands. The video game controller then generates a sequence of game image frames in response to the local and remote image control commands. The video controller generates the sequence of local image frames in synchronism with an identical sequence of remote image frames. The video controller determines a current status F of the sequence of local image frames. It receives a local image control command S.sub.

Abstract: A process of refining steel in a ladle using solid granules or briquettes made from recycled LMF slag and raw materials to make a desulfurizing addition, a slag conditioner or synthetic refining slag is described. The preferred recycled LMF slag material generally comprises of 35% to about 65% CaO; 10% to about 35% Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 ; 1% to about 10% SiO.sub.2 ; 3% to about 15% MgO; 0.3% to about 10% FeO; 0.1% to about 5% MnO; 0% to about 0.5% P.sub.2 O.sub.5 ; and 0.1% to about 0.5% S. The ladle refining additive comprises from about 10% to about 90% of a recycled ladle metallurgy furnace slag and the balance of raw materials selected from the group consisting of: a calcium oxide source; soda ash; fluorspar; borax; calcium carbonate; aluminum source; calcium aluminate; alumina source; metallic calcium, magnesium, sodium and their oxides, fluorides and carbides; and mixtures of all of the foregoing.

Abstract: The invention relates to a portable voice recording device. The device includes a microphone for generating an electrical signal representative of an acoustic speech signal. An analog to digital converter receives the electric signal from the microphone and generates a digital memory signal representative of the electric signal. A memory device stores the digital memory signal. In response to a user's request, a digital to analog converter converts the memory signal to an analog electrical signal which drives a loudspeaker to generate an acoustic reproduction of the original speech signal. Also, in response to a user's request, the device transmits the memory signal to an output terminal for transmission to a processing device.

Abstract: A reagent for desulfurizing molten iron comprising calcium carbide and/or lime and an asphaltite. The reagent may contain, in addition, magnesium which is either uniformly distributed within the reagent mixture, or stored separately and added to the mixture during fluidized transport of the reagent just prior to injection to vary the addition of magnesium for any given injection.

Abstract: Iron is desulfurized with a compacted article composed of calcium carbide and a gas-generating solid whereby the article is disintegrated during desulfurization resulting in a substantial total consumption of the carbide and a resultant decrease of residual carbide in the slag produced.