Abstract: An apparatus for the heat treatment of a product, in particular a product contained within a hermetically sealed pouch or other plastic container, the apparatus having, a heating unit to contain a product as product is brought towards a treatment temperature and pressure, a sterilization unit to contain product at a pre determined treatment temperature and pressure to sterilize product, and a cooling unit to bring a product from the treatment temperature and pressure towards ambient; each unit being selectively sealable from another unit, the apparatus further having: a plurality of conduits carrying heat-exchange fluids allowing heat to be transferred between units; and having a heater, preferably producing steam, to supply heat to the apparatus; a heat-exchange unit enabling heat energy to be transferred from one conduit to another; and a hot well to retain a reservoir of heat exchange fluid at the highest temperature required by the apparatus.

Abstract: An acoustic treatment panel that is connected to an air intake of an aircraft nacelle, includes at least one acoustically resistive structure (30) and a reflective layer (32), between which are located—in a direction that is essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the nacelle—bands (34) of alveolar cells spaced in such a way as to allow the passage of hot air provided for a frost treatment, characterized in that it includes pipes (36) for hot air that are each delimited by at least one partition that extends from the acoustically resistive layer (30) up to the reflective layer (32) in such a way as to insulate the bands (34) of cells in the longitudinal direction.

Abstract: A system for providing protection to a processor system from the problems associated with power failures in the middle of processor operations is described. On detection of a power failure in the main power source, the processor power is maintained by means of a short-term secondary power source. Either immediately or after a momentary pause to override glitches, if power remains off the processor is notified that power will soon be removed and that an orderly shutdown is to take place. Once the protected system has completed its orderly shutdown, or after a length of time indicating that the orderly shutdown is improbable, power is removed from the system for a defined period and the system removes power from the protected processor system for at least a defined period of time, providing an assured hard restart. When external power is restored a normal running state is resumed after any power up sequencing. The orderly shutdown and hard reset can take place by command from the protected processor or system.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to monitor and document movement of bodies along or through selected regions is described for the directional counting of such bodies. The reduction of the consideration to selected regions avoids excessive calculation and allows the use of an inexpensive image acquisition and processor. Methods for the determining the direction of movement are described. A record is created for counting events for recording or downloading to a server for further manipulation.

Abstract: A docking station for a mobile robot comprising a base portion that is locatable on a floor surface and a rear portion that is pivotable with respect to the base portion, thereby permitting a user to place the docking station on the floor in an unfolded configuration but to store the docking station in a folded configuration.

Abstract: Articles of manufacture and a method of how to utilize the same in order to create a radiation shielding barrier wall assembly. A metal stud and a metal support bar and a metal restraining bar and a prefabricated radiation shielding lead panel whereby the assembly of these components in the manner as directed and in conjunction with commercially available preexisting metal stud components will result in all radiation shielding lead panels overlapping at all interior field joints, and will result in no punctures or damage in any way to the radiation shielding lead created by the attachment method, creating a radiation shielding leak-proof metal stud system.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to monitor and document that proper hygienic procedures are followed by food service providers consisting of a camera, a processor controlling the camera, and software to accomplish the hand washing monitoring. The criteria for identifying the start and end of a hand washing event by monitoring activity is selected areas is presented. A record is created of the wash event including a sequence of photograph during the event and additional related data such as start time, duration, location, and any employee identification. This record is available for recording or downloading to a server for further manipulation, including washer identification and statistical analysis.

Abstract: The present invention provides devices and methods for modulating or blocking renal sympathetic nerve activity by applying laser energy to the renal artery wall to effect ablation of the renal nerve or nerves. The devices and methods of the invention may be useful in the treatment of cardiovascular and renal disease resulting from hypertension. In addition the devices and methods of the invention may be useful for reducing reflex hypertension following cyclosporine administration after organ transplantation.

Abstract: Products for conferencing between a local and a distant party through an electronic channel include a portion installed to a fixed conferencing environment and another portion removable from the fixed environment for roaming conferencing. A breakout box detachable from the removable portion may be used having connections for installation-type conferencing elements such as speakers, microphones and other conferencing devices. The removable portion may include an acoustic echo canceler. The removable portion may be connected to a communication-handling device, such as a computer with VOIP software, or may be directly connected to a communication channel. Speakers or microphones in the removable portion may be automatically or manually disabled on connection with the fixed portion.

Abstract: This disclosure describes a virtual microphone for reducing common-mode noise for an individual pod in a multi-pod conferencing system that includes a base and a plurality of pods for local conference participants to communicate with remote conference participants. The described virtual microphone includes pod processor means and a loudspeaker that couples to a digital to analog converter that converts digital audio to analog audio, where the loudspeaker couples to the pod processor means. In addition, the virtual microphone includes three physical bi-polar microphones positioned at 120-degree intervals in the horizontal resting plane of the pod, where each individual physical microphone connects to a pair of audio ports with each audio port being equal distance from the loudspeaker, and where the physical microphones couple to analog to digital converting means, and further where the physical microphones couple to the pod processor means. Further, the virtual microphone includes virtual microphone means.

Abstract: A method of using a deduction information repository is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes retrieving a template from one or more repositories, modifying the template, and storing the template in the repository. Further, the template is an abstract representation of a payroll task, which is a payroll task that is included in a payroll procedure. The payroll task, in turn, includes a payroll operation of a plurality of payroll operations.

Abstract: A single serving filter pod encapsulated brewing press and thermal drinking receptacle allowing a user to brew coffee or tea within the device using premeasured sealed filter pods.

Abstract: A street light monitoring and real time data management system and methodology for collecting information from geographical distributed locations or individual sensor nodes dedicated to individual street lights of a multi-light street light system.

Abstract: Articles of manufacture and a method of how to utilize the same in order to create a radiation shielding barrier wall assembly. A metal stud and a metal support bar and a metal restraining bar and a prefabricated radiation shielding lead panel whereby the assembly of these components in the manner as directed and in conjunction with commercially available preexisting metal stud components will result in all radiation shielding lead panels overlapping at all interior field joints, and will result in no punctures or damage in any way to the radiation shielding lead created by the attachment method, creating a radiation shielding leak-proof metal stud system.

Abstract: A workpiece, such as a turbine engine component, comprises a substrate, a thermal barrier coating on the substrate, and a hard erosion barrier deposited over the thermal barrier coating. The erosion barrier preferably has a Vickers hardness in the range of from 1300 to 2750 kg/mm2. The erosion barrier may be formed from aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, or molybdenum disilicide. The erosion barrier may be formed using either an electrophoretic deposition process or a slurry process.

Abstract: An apparatus for the heat treatment of a product, especially a food product such as a food product contained within a hermetically sealed container or pouch of plastics or like material, for example for sterilization, pasteurization or cooking, having a heating unit to bring product from ambient towards a heat treatment temperature and pressure; a retort unit to apply a heat treatment to a product; and a cooling unit to allow product to be brought down from heat treatment temperature and pressure towards ambient; wherein each unit and retort is selectably sealable from the others and from ambient conditions.

Abstract: Conferencing products for conducting a conference between a local and two or more distant parties through an electronic channel, wherein distant party audio is routed to the distant parties to provide full audio. These conferencing products are capable of open-air interaction with participants in the locality of a product. Acoustic echo cancellation is applied, which may be accomplished through a single set of coefficients or by a plurality of coefficients and/or echo cancelers on different incoming audio streams and speaker combinations. Privacy modes are provided, whereby one distant party cannot hear the communications of another distant party; those modes including a coaching mode where the privacy is one-way and a mediation mode where the privacy is two-way. Detailed information on various example embodiments of the inventions are provided in the Detailed Description below, and the inventions are defined by the appended claims.

Abstract: An aircraft nacelle includes a first conduit for an air inlet and a second conduit for an engine, arranged end to end and connected by an annular flange, attached to the air inlet, and an annular flange, attached to the engine. The annular flanges are connected by a plurality of passage holes in the annular flanges and arranged in line with each other. Rods are housed in the passage holes. For at least one rod, the passage hole of one of the annular flanges has a diameter greater than the diameter of the rod allowing the rod to move in case of deformation of one of the two conduits. An angle profile is inserted between the rod and a cylindrical portion adjacent to the annular flange and. is connected to the adjacent cylindrical portion through the intermediary of at least one means for absorbing eventual deformations in radial direction.

Abstract: A pod encapsulated brewing machine allowing a user to brew coffee or tea within the device using premeasured sealed filter pods then eject the pod from the machine into a waste receptacle for disposal without the user having to touch the pod.

Abstract: A method of creating a deduction information repository. In one embodiment, the method includes creating a plurality of templates, wherein a payroll procedure consists of a plurality of payroll tasks, wherein each of the templates is an abstract representation of one of the payroll tasks. Each of the payroll tasks comprises at least one of a plurality of payroll operations. The templates are stored in a single repository. The single repository is configured to maintain the payroll tasks of the payroll procedure.