Abstract: A method for manufacturing a membrane electrode assembly of a fuel cell by solvent pretreatment to the electrolyte membrane of the membrane electrode assembly is disclosed. A prepared electrolyte membrane is soaked in alcohol solvent for pre-expanding the electrolyte membrane at first, a catalyst layer is uniformly coated onto at least one side of the pre-expanded electrolyte membrane, and then the electrolyte membrane is dried for evenly shrinking the electrolyte membrane and the catalyst layer. Finally, the electrolyte membrane with catalyst layers is interposed between two gas diffusion electrodes, and the resulting sheet is pressed with heating to form the membrane electrode assembly.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling an operative setting of a communications link is provided. The communications link is capable of acquiring a plurality of operative settings. Audio quality in the communications link under different operative settings is compared and an operative setting is selected at least in part on the basis of this comparison. A control signal is sent to at least one component in the communications link to cause the communications link to attempt to acquire the selected setting.

Abstract: In a TDMA mobile-to-mobile connection, the end-to-end audio signal quality as well as system performance can be improved by providing digital signal processors the capability to automatically switch configuration such that each digital signal processor in a mobile-to-mobile communication connection can automatically identify a TDMA mobile-to-mobile connection and bypass the speech encoding and decoding processes within the digital signal processors. The two digital signal processors are virtually connected at the channel codecs.

Abstract: A switchable anti-reverse mechanism for a fishing reel having an inner assembly which is fixedly mounted to the pinion of the fishing reel. The front end portion of the inner assembly is mounted to the rotor of the fishing reel. An outer assembly includes a housing having a plurality of slots and a cylindrical member having an opening extending coaxially with the pinion axis. The inner assembly is positioned within the opening of the outer assembly. The anti-reverse mechanism also includes means for allowing relative rotation around the pinion axis between the inner and outer assemblies in the line-winding direction and preventing relative rotation between the inner and outer assemblies in a reverse direction which is opposite to the line-winding direction. A plunger is movable along the plunger axis from a lock position to an unlock position, the plunger axis being parallel to the pinion axis.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and devices for processing data frames representative of audio information in digitized and compressed form. The method comprises the steps of classifying successive data frames into frames containing speech sounds and non-speech sounds, altering parameters of the data frames identified as containing non-speech sounds for eliminating or at least substantially reducing artifacts that distort the acoustic background noise. In addition, the data frame identified as containing non-speech sounds are low-pass filtered. Finally, a signal level compensation is effected to avoid undesired fluctuations in the signal level.

Abstract: A disc reader has a housing and a data disc loading tray movable between open and closed positions. A plurality of sensors at a nest in the tray sense the presence of a disc and whether the disc is correctly positioned in the nest. When the tray is open and a new disc is loaded into the nest, the tray is automatically closed after a relatively short time delay. When the tray is open and empty or open with an old disc in place, the tray is automatically closed after a relatively long time delay.

Abstract: In methods and apparatus for distinguishing stationary signals from non-stationary signals, a set of Linear Predictive Coding (LPC) coefficients characterizing spectral properties of the signal for each of a plurality of successive time intervals, including a current time interval, is determined. The LPC coefficients are averaged over a plurality of successive time intervals preceding the current time interval, and a cross-correlation of the LPC coefficients for the current time interval with the averaged LPC coefficients is determined. The signal is declared to be stationary in the current time interval when the cross-correlation exceeds a threshold value, and is declared to be non-stationary in the current time interval when the cross-correlation is less than the threshold value. The methods and apparatus are particularly applicable to detection of transitions between an absence of speech state, characterized by a stationary signal, and a presence-of-speech state characterized by a non-stationary signal.

Abstract: In a TDMA mobile-to-mobile connection, the end-to-end audio signal quality as well as system performance can be improved by providing digital signal processors the capability to automatically switch configuration such that each digital signal processor in a mobile-to-mobile communication connection can automatically identify a TDMA mobile-to-mobile connection and bypass the speech encoding and decoding processes within the digital signal processors. The two digital signal processors are virtually connected at the channel codecs.