Abstract: A building management system comprises a measurement system for measuring a demand for resources inside the building and a collecting system for harvesting natural resources available outside the building. The building management system is further provided with a storage system for storing surplus resources and a sensor system for measuring resource availability outside the building and/or resources stored in the storage system. Further, a controller arranged to receive data from the measurement system, the sensor system and the storage system is provided. The controller controls the collecting system based on said data to tune the collection of resources by the collection system to a present and/or an expected demand for resources.

Abstract: A building management system (100) comprises a measurement system for measuring a demand for resources inside the building and a collecting system for harvesting natural resources available outside the building. The building management system is further provided with a storage system for storing surplus resources and a sensor system (112,114,116,118,120) for measuring resource availability outside the building and/or resources stored in the storage system. Further, a controller (102) arranged to receive data from the measurement system, the sensor system and the storage system is provided. The controller controls the collecting system based on said data to tune the collection of resources by the collection system to a present and/or an expected demand for resources.

Abstract: A domestic beverage dispensing device comprising conduit means (3) for supplying the beverage (2) from a keg (1) to a tap (5) and a cooling member (12). The cooling member (12) has a passage (13) surrounded by heat conductive material. A disposable tube (17) of deformable material forms at least a part of said conduit means (3) and extends through said passage (13). The deformability of the material of the disposable 5 tube (17) is such that the outer surface of the wall of the tube (17) abuts against the inner surface of said passage (13) when the beverage is pressurized.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a lighting system (1), having a laser (3), and a method carried out in such a system. The system is arranged to vary the coherence of outputted light, preferably periodically, such that the light, when projected onto a surface (7; 33), produces a varying amount of speckle. This has proven useful as a tool to attract the attention of a user viewing the light projected on the surface.

Abstract: A building management system (100) comprises a measurement system for measuring a demand for resources inside the building and a collecting system for harvesting natural resources available outside the building. The building management system is further provided with a storage system for storing surplus resources and a sensor system (112,114,116,118,120) for measuring resource availability outside the building and/or resources stored in the storage system. Further, a controller (102) arranged to receive data from the measurement system, the sensor system and the storage system is provided. The controller controls the collecting system based on said data to tune the collection of resources by the collection system to a present and/or an expected demand for resources.

Abstract: A screen-based host with processing and I/O facilities interacts with distributed items that are arranged for storing and exchanging digital information with the host. In particular, under proximity conditions and initially without user interaction, the items exchange accordingly with the host, but without requiring formatted berth facilities of the host. The various items through associated self-identifying evoke specific iconizing by the host for signaling to the user an associated service field. The host allows a user person to activate data processing operations with respect to the service field. During proximity conditions, the items keep abreast of host-generated results relevant to a corresponding service field. The host allows free styling of the items with respect to the item's physical shape.

Abstract: A variable focus lens (10) comprises a container having an interior chamber (16). An optical axis (24) extends through the chamber. A first fluid medium (18) and a second fluid medium (20) are disposed in the chamber. A meniscus (22) is arranged substantially perpendicular to the optical axis and between the first medium and the second medium in said chamber. The variable focus lens further comprises a meniscus control system for controlling a shape of the meniscus. The meniscus control system comprises a first control element (26) and a second control element (28, 30). The first control element is coupled to the meniscus and is moveable in a direction substantially parallel to the optical axis. The first control element and the second control element are configured to interact using an electric field or a magnetic field, thereby using proven and reliable techniques. Further, the interior chamber may be a closed chamber without any elements extending through the wall of the chamber.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a self supporting closed beverage container (1) of a paper based material (2) composed of a carton for comprising a low-carbonate beverage, wherein said beverage container comprises: —at least one inner liquid sealant polymeric layer (4) welded to the paper based material; and/or —an inner bag (11) for holding a beverage and which inner bag (11) has a deformable wall part which is compressible, for dispensing beverages from the container upon deformation of the flexible wall part caused by gas pressure produced by pressure means (12); and the beverage container (1) comprises: —at least one beverage delivering tube (5) having at least one flexible section, —at least one beverage outlet opening (6) through which a lower part (7) of said beverage delivering tube (5) extends to the bottom (8) of the inner beverage container (1) and the upper part of the tube extends outwards (9), —at least one gas pressure inlet opening (10); wherein said self supporting closed beverage container

Abstract: The present invention relates to a lighting system (1), having a laser (3), and a method carried out in such a system. The system is arranged to vary the coherence of outputted light, preferably periodically, such that the light, when projected onto a surface (7; 33), produces a varying amount of speckle. This has proven useful as a tool to attract the attention of a user viewing the light projected on the surface.

Abstract: A portable X-ray detector unit (10) comprising a detection panel (12) housed within a cassette (14), wherein a margin is provided around the detection panel (12), between a peripheral edge thereof and the inner wall of the cassette (14), at at least the corners (16) of the detection panel (12) such that shock absorption functionality may be provided at at least those corners (16), at least one side (18) of the unit (10) having little or no margin so as to maximise the active area of the unit (10) at that side (18) and enable harder-to-reach areas of a subject (200) to be imaged.

Abstract: An optical filter device (10) comprises a translucent medium (14) in which a light-blocking material is dissolved for filtering incident light. The optical filter has an optical axis (16) extending through the translucent medium. The translucent medium has a thickness distribution substantially parallel to the optical axis. The thickness distribution determines a length of an optical path through the optical filter device at different positions of the optical filter device. The length of an optical path determines a transmissivity. The optical filter device further comprises a control means (26, 32) for controlling the thickness distribution of the medium in order to control a transmissivity distribution of the optical filter device.

Abstract: Optical apparatus for modifying a radiation beam, the apparatus including a variable focus lens (1) comprising a first fluid (A) and a second fluid (B) wherein the fluids are immiscible and are separated from each other by a fluid meniscus (6; 106; 206; 306) which is configurable into a configuration which is arranged to modify a predetermined vergence of an input radiation beam (15; 32; 33) and a focus control system.

Abstract: A variable focus lens (10) comprises a fluid chamber (12) having an optical axis (20). One or more piezoelectric element (22) is disposed about the optical axis within a portion of the fluid chamber. First and second fluids (24,26) are disposed within another portion the fluid chamber and in contact with one another over a meniscus (28,36) extending transverse the optical axis, the first and second fluids being substantially immiscible and having different indices of refraction. The perimeter of the meniscus is fixedly located on a surface in relationship to the one or more piezoelectric element, wherein responsive to application of a voltage potential (32) to the one or more piezoelectric element, the one or more piezoelectric element controllably alters one or more of (i) a shape of the meniscus or (ii) a translation of the meniscus.

Abstract: A portable X-ray detector unit (10) comprising a detection panel (12) housed within a cassette (14), wherein a margin is provided around the detection panel (12), between a peripheral edge thereof and the inner wall of the cassette (14), at at least the corners (16) of the detection panel (12) such that shock absorption functionality may be provided at at least those corners (16), at least one side (18) of the unit (10) having little or no margin so as to maximise the active area of the unit (10) at that side (18) and enable harder-to-reach areas of a subject (200) to be imaged.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a remote controlled light device (100) comprising a light emitting element (112), which light device is arranged to, in response to a control signal, adjust a property of the light emitting element (112). Additionally, the present invention relates to a remote controlled lighting system and a method of providing feedback, in response to a control signal for adjustment of a property of the light device, to an operator of a remote controlled light device (100). There is provided a remote controlled light device (100) comprising a light emitting element (112), which light device is arranged to provide, in response to a control signal, an adjustment of a first property of the light emitting element (112) and a temporary change of a second property of the light emitting element (112), and wherein the change of the second property is communicated as a feedback signal to an operator of the light device (100).

Abstract: Optical apparatus for modifying a radiation beam, the apparatus including a variable focus lens (1) comprising a first fluid (A) and a second fluid (B) wherein the fluids are immiscible and are separated from each other by a fluid meniscus (6; 106; 206; 306) which is configurable into a configuration which is arranged to modify a predetermined vergence of an input radiation beam (15; 32; 33) and a focus control system.

Abstract: The present invention provides a reflective electrowetting device (200) comprising a fluid chamber that contains two immiscible fluids (205, 206) that are separated by a meniscus (208); the fluid chamber further comprises electrodes(203, 204), and a wetting surface (207) that has different wetting properties in respect of the two immiscible fluids (205, 206); electrowetting forces, provided by the interaction of lyophobic and electrostatic forces, are utilized to control the meniscus (208) such that light (210, 212) impinging the meniscus is reflected by total reflection at the meniscus; the present inventions furthermore provides a system and an array of such reflective electrowetting devices.

Abstract: An optical input device for measuring the movement of a finger (15) ia accommodated in a housing provided with a transparent window (12) for transmitting a measurement beam (13) from a diode laser (3) to the finger and radiation reflected by the finger to a detector (4). This feature prevents that grease and dust disturb and block the measuring beam.

Abstract: An optical input device for measuring the movement of a finger (15) ia accommodated in a housing provided with a transparent window (12) for transmitting a measurement beam (13) from a diode laser (3) to the finger and radiation reflected by the finger to a detector (4). This feature prevents that grease and dust disturb and block the measuring beam.

Abstract: In multimedia method a screen-based host with processing and I/O facilities interacts with distributed items that are arranged for storing and exchanging digital information with the host. In particular, under proximity conditions the items exchange accordingly with the host, but without requiring formatted berth facilities of the host. The various items through associated self-identifying evoke specific iconizing by the host for signalling to a user an associated service field. The host allows a user person to activate data processing operations with respect to the service field. During proximity conditions the item keeps abreast of host-generated results relevant to its service field. The host allows free styling of the items with respect to their physical shape.