Abstract: A getter device including a substrate formed of a first getter material having a composition for gettering a first gas species, and a second getter material contacting an external surface of the substrate and having a composition for gettering a second gas species. The substrate has internal porosity connected to openings at its external surface, and the second getter material covers at least a portion of the external surface of the substrate but is absent from at least part of the internal porosity within the substrate so that the first getter material is exposed within the internal porosity for gettering the first gas species. According to a second aspect, a substrate is formed of a material transparent to radiation, and a film of getter material is deposited on the substrate to be sufficiently thin and/or porous so that the film is also transparent to the radiation transmitted through the substrate.

Abstract: A medicine holder encloses one or more medicines which are in their original labeled containers, and emits an alarm signal when each dose is due. The alarm is automatically silenced when the holder is opened to retrieve the medicine. The timer is then automatically restarted when the holder is closed. The dose regimen is determined by an easily-operated selector switch, and is visibly displayed.

Abstract: There is provided a no-blackout migration process for migrating plans between record keeping systems with continuous and uninterrupted client and participant access to the plans being migrated comprising the steps of: moving a plan to a staging data storage, extracting plan data, converting a financial data subset, converting all extracted plan data to converted plan data having a second format, transmitting the converted plan data to a second system data storage and loading to a second system data storage wherein the majority of the converted plan data loaded into the second system data storage is loaded through execution of a bulk copy program, executing post-import comparisons and auto-reconciliation jobs and executing a correction process if the second plan does not correspond to the selected plan in the first system, activating the second plan and deactivating the original plan, and migrating and loading pending transactions into the second data storage.

Abstract: The description relates to a control strategy for assisting regeneration of a particulate filter for a turbocharged diesel V-engine. The engine has a common-rail fuel injection system 6, 7 and two cylinder banks 1,2, each cylinder bank 1, 2 having a respective exhaust pipe, designated the low pressure (LP) exhaust pipe 3 and the high pressure (HP) exhaust pipe 4. The two exhaust pipes 3, 4 are in communication with one another by a connecting pipe 5 and have two exhaust gas turbochargers 30, 40 each connected in a respective one of the exhaust pipes. The LP exhaust pipe 3 being provided with an exhaust shut-off valve 80 in order to operate the engine either with a single turbocharger 40 when the valve 80 is in its closed position or with the two turbochargers 30, 40 when the valve 80 is in its open position. The LP exhaust pipe 3 is connected to a diesel particulate filter (DPF) 100 and the HP exhaust pipe 4 is connected to a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) 90 and to the DPF 100.

Abstract: This provides a system to emit a plurality of electronic signals, sent by a person(s) trapped by some disaster, such as collapse of building, earthquake, flood, etc. The plurality of signals provides a better chance that rescuers will receive at least one signal.

Abstract: A virtual vehicle sensor includes a neural network which produces a sensor output based on a linear combination of non-linear physical signals generated by conventional physical sensors. Instead of determining an output directly, the neural network determines the polynomial coefficients as functions of the physical signals indicative of other engine operating parameters. The sensor is manufactured using relatively limited data collection to calibrate a simulation model. The output of the simulation model is used for model-based mapping to generate more comprehensive maps used for training the neural network. The trained neural network is embedded in a controller and acts as the virtual sensor to monitor engine parameters which are difficult to measure or for which conventional physical sensors do not currently exist. The virtual sensor may be used to sense parameters such as in-cylinder residual mass fraction, emission levels, in-cylinder pressure rise during combustion, and exhaust gas temperature.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for increasing system functionality through a predefined interface is disclosed. Signal lines which are not used or which are not used in certain modes are connected to an interconnection device instead of being connected to an interface wherein the output of the interconnection device is connected to the interface where such lines would have been connected. The interconnection device also has a set of inputs for receiving signals from a device providing the desired functionality. A controller chooses between the two sets of inputs to control what signal lines are connected to the predefined interface. Accordingly, during certain modes of operation, the added functionality from a device whose output is being switched into the interface can be supported. In one embodiment, speaker phone capability is provided for even though the predefined PCMCIA interface does not support such capability.

Abstract: This invention relates to improved vinyl acetate-ethylene emulsions for use in formulating high performance paints without the need for coalescing solvents. These latexes are based on copolymers of vinyl acetate and ethylene optionally containing a comonomer such as an alkyl acrylate or methacrylate. Paints formulated from these latexes, without coalescing solvents, are characterized as having substantially no insolubles, the resin particles in the emulsion are characterized as having a particle size of from 0.2 to 0.35 microns measured as weight average by capillary hydrodynamic fractionation. In other words, the copolymer particles are characterized in that a small percentage, up to about 5% of the total number of particles in the latex, have an average size greater than 0.35 microns, and a small percentage have a size smaller than about 0.2 microns. Further the resin particles are essentially monodisperse.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for increasing system functionality through a predefined interface is disclosed. Signal lines which are not used or which are not used in certain modes are connected to an interconnection device instead of being connected to an interface wherein the output of the interconnection device is connected to the interface where such lines would have been connected. The interconnection device also has a set of inputs for receiving signals from a device providing the desired functionality. A controller chooses between the two sets of inputs to control what signal lines are connected to the predefined interface. Accordingly, during certain modes of operation, the added functionality from a device whose output is being switched into the interface can be supported. In one embodiment, speaker phone capability is provided for even though the predefined PCMCIA interface does not support such capability.

Abstract: A microprocessor/based telephone/facsimile controller which automatically gives priority to incoming messages. The ring voltage of an incoming message causes the microprocessor to close and latch the line between the telephone and the facsimile. When transmission is completed, the line is dropped and this condition is sensed causing the latch relay to open to prevent the facsimile from transmitting, no data being logged for incoming facsimile transmissions. Only a valid input code permits the coupling of the facsimile to the telephone line also initiating a timer. A broadcast mode latches the telephone line to permit delayed calls and multiple facsimile transmissions, each allocated to the user code which established the broadcast mode. A default time is utilized to accommodate the redial and use of the line for non-facsimile telephone transmission.

Abstract: An improved immunoassay for the polypeptide hormone thymosin .alpha..sub.1 is described. The assay employs an improved antibody which is elicited by an immunogen which has been prepared by coupling [Tyr.sup.1 ]-thymosin .alpha..sub.1 to an immunogenic carrier protein using a bifunctional diazonium coupling agent.