Abstract: A videoconferencing station is disclosed which includes apparatus for establishing a wireless Personal Area Network (PAN) in the immediate vicinity of the videoconferencing station. In one preferred embodiment, the PAN is a Bluetooth piconet. A Bluetooth-enabled cellular telephone may then be used to make an audio connection via the telephone network to a remote user not in a conference room equipped with a videoconferencing station. The remote user may thereby participate in at least the audio portion of the videoconference. Video portions of the conference may similarly be transmitted if video-enabled phones are used.

Abstract: A wall plate adapter for coupling home network control signals to AC power wiring, where the wall plate adapter includes built-in signaling circuitry. The wall plate adapter includes a plate with a receptacle face with slots that are aligned with slots of an underlying AC receptacle. When prongs of a plug are inserted into the slots of the wall plate adapter, they touch contacts that are located in the slots of the receptacle face. The contacts are, in turn, coupled to the signaling circuitry, which may be located in an enlarged region of the wall plate. The signaling circuitry is only coupled to the AC power when a plug is inserted. The plug may be coupled to a transformer and a network device.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for a security device for residential and/or commercial use. A first magnetic member has a first magnet with a north and south pole, and a second magnetic member has a second magnet with a south and north pole. Contact between the north pole of the first magnet and south pole of the second magnet, or vice versa, completes an electrical circuit by conducting electricity between the first and second magnets, and a magnetic force between the first and second magnets holds the first and second magnets in contact. The electrical circuit is broken when a force sufficient to overcome the magnetic force is applied to separate the first and second magnets. When contact between the first magnet and second magnet is broken off, such as by opening a door or window, the electrical circuit is broken, and an alarm is triggered.

Abstract: A tamper detection switch is disclosed primarily for use in an enclosure of a security system component. The enclosure has a base and a cover that may be repositioned relative to the base. One of the cover and the base holds a conductive magnetic element free to translate within a predetermined range generally perpendicular to the respective cover or base. The other of the cover and the base holds at least two ferrous metal contacts of an open tamper circuit in proximity of a conductive magnetic element. In the closed position the conductive magnetic element bridges the ferrous contacts and closes the tamper circuit. Attempts to tamper with the enclosure separate the ferrous contacts from the conductive magnetic element, opening the tamper circuit and signaling a possible attack.

Abstract: A system for monitoring the pressure in a pneumatic tire supported on a wheel of a vehicle, the wheel being rotatable about an axis of rotation and defining a plane of rotation that is perpendicular to the axis of rotation. The system includes a housing mounted on the wheel of the vehicle and a sensor in the housing for measuring a pressure condition in the pneumatic tire. The system also includes a transmitter coupled to the sensor for generating a radio frequency output signal conveying the pressure condition measured by the sensor. The transmitter includes an antenna contained in the housing, where this antenna is configured to transmit the output signal according to a radial pattern. The system further includes an orientation mechanism operative to orient the housing during mounting of the housing to the wheel of the vehicle. The orientation mechanism may be further operative to orient the antenna within the housing.

Abstract: An upper bearing assembly for a pedestal crane comprises a partially dome-shaped kingpost head operably engaged by a bearing having a concave bearing face shaped to conform to a segment of said kingpost head, the bearing enclosed within a bearing retainer, the bearing retainer attached to the crane upper works.

Abstract: A method and article of manufacture are disclosed for manufacturing a robust tethered ball. The method includes steps of: (a) providing an elastic tether; (b) cutting the tether to a desired length so that the tether has an end portion that extends from an inner portion of the tether to an end of the tether; (c) folding the end portion of the tether straight back upon the inner portion of the tether so that the end portion of the tether including the end of the tether lies parallel to the inner portion of the tether; (d) securing the end portion of the tether to the inner portion; (e) coating the end portion of the tether including the end of the tether and the inner portion of the tether with an adhesive to provide adhesion between the tether and a liquid polymer; and (f) forming a solid ball on the end portion of the tether from the liquid polymer that completely includes the end portion of the tether, the end of the tether, and the inner portion of the tether.

Abstract: A multi-plate dual flow path heat exchanger includes a plurality of stacked plates 70 each having a central section 71 provided with a number of longitudinal channels 72 separated by upstanding zig-zag walls 75, the channels 72 being provided on their floors 72A with ridges 74, the floors and the ridges being of undulating form along the flow paths. Shallow ribs 75 extend laterally across the flow paths and in combination with the undulations assist in disruption of boundary layer flow.

Abstract: A modular electrical connector back shell apparatus that provides wire strain relief when using pre-wired modules for electrical wiring applications. The apparatus includes a housing, a modular frame insertable into the housing, and a plurality of modular connectors insertable into the modular frame. The housing includes a plurality of wire-tie receiving orifices for fastening the wires in the pre-wired modular connectors to the housing via a wire-tie inserted through at least two wire-tie receiving orifices and fastened around at least one wire.

Abstract: A heat exchanger has two inlets and two outlets for two counterflow air paths through a stack plates. The plates are vacuum-formed, each having a section with zigzag walls forming multiple flow channels between adjacent plates. The edges of the plates have walls that nest with one another and are retained and sealed between ribs on two side plates. Four grilles at the inlets and outlets have bars with recesses retaining the edges of pairs of plates, the bars being separated by spaces allowing air to flow between adjacent pairs of plates and into or out of the air paths.

Abstract: A right angle coaxial connector assembly 2 includes a shell subassembly 10 and a collar subassembly 70 in addition to a center pin contact 50 and a dielectric sleeve 60. The collar subassembly 70 is spring loaded relative to the shell subassembly 10. The collar assembly 70 is formed by two mating hermaphroditic housings 72. The shell subassembly includes a diecast rear shell 30 and a screw machined front shell 12 that includes flexible snap lock fingers 16 that are held in locking engagement with a mating connector by the collar subassembly 70.

Abstract: A golf cart screen assembly (30) comprises first and second mutually spaced apart rail members (34, 36), at least one protective panel member (38, 40) provided between the first and second rail members, the at least one panel member and the first and second rail members together defining a doorway. The golf cart screen assembly further comprises a door (56) slideably coupled between the first and second rail members and arranged for slideable movement between an open state, in which the doorway is open, and a closed state, in which the doorway is closed.

Abstract: A transport demultiplexor for demultiplexing an MPEG-2 compliant transport stream into a system data stream, a video data stream, and an audio data stream. The demultiplexor has frontend logic, a packet buffer, and data, video, and audio unloaders. The front end logic receives transport stream input packets, and delivers the transport stream packets to the packet buffer. The packet buffer, in turn, delivers system data to the system data unloader, video data to the video unloader, and audio data to the audio unloader.

Abstract: A fuel system for use with viscous fuels comprising a housing defining a supply passage through which fuel can flow, in use, from a source of viscous fuel towards a fuel pump, and a throttle member located within the housing and arranged to control the rate of fuel flow along the supply passage. The throttle member is angularly adjustable within the housing to adjust the permitted fuel flow rate between the source and the pump.

Abstract: A method of storing, in memory, table data. The table data has a packet ID (PID), a Table ID, and a Current/Next Indicator, a section number, and a version number. The first step in the method is specifying the PID ID, the Table ID, and the Current/Next Indicator. The next step is initializing the section number in a table section header to filter to ‘0’. Then, each table section is checked as received to determine if the table section is the last table section for the table. This is indicated in the table section header. If this is the last table section of the table the version number field is incremented, and the section number field is set to ‘0’. If, however, the section is not the last section, the section number is incremented, the next section of the table is incremented, and the next section of the table is stored in memory.

Abstract: A method of decoding a multiplexed, system layer bitstream. The bitstream is made up of packets of audio, video, and system data. Each packet has a packet header, and data packets. The first step in the process is demultiplexing the bitstream into separate audio and video bitstreams for decompression while maintaining synchronization of the video and audio. The system data and the audio and video packets are next loaded into buffers, from which they are unloaded for subsequent decoding. The decoding is in accordance with the system data entries. The method is characterized by storing the system data and the audio and video packets in a single buffer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to flow control devices (4) for use with cartridge filter cleaning systems. The flow control device (4) includes a cylindrical portion (8) which extends away from a conical portion (6). When the device (4) is used with a nozzle (9) attached to a blow tube (13) the device (4) will uniformly clean a dirty cartridge filter (5). The advantage of the invention is that the device (4) can be used in the current range of air flow rates and nozzle sizes that are used in the cartridge cleaning industry. Whereas the prior art systems (7) show deficient performance when used across the full range of air flow rates currently applicable in industry.

Abstract: An assist processor operates in conjunction with a data path of individual hardware functional units to decode an MPEG-2 compliant data stream. The assist processor has the capacity to assist in processing specific blocks of data, assist in processing every block of data, or assist in processing only blocks of data with an indicator or flag or specific bit or byte set. The assist processor, when notified, modifies the operation of the functional unit or the data that it is operating on, and if necessary, returns the data to the datapath of the hardware functional units. The hardware functional units may operate as an MPEG-2 transport demultiplexor.

Abstract: The present invention relates to valve constructions which allows two different flow rates to pass through said valve, whether by two separate control signals or by one control signal and the second flow rate being attained automatically or inherently after the first flow rate has passed through the valve. The invention also includes a filter material cleaning system and a method of operating a filter material cleaning system which utilizes this valve but which helps to prevent the factors which would cause the re-deposition of the filtered particulate material whether onto the row of filter bags being cleaned, and or an adjacent row to the row being cleaned or two adjacent rows to the row being cleaned.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for processing a datastream. The datastream contains systems data, which is in tables, other systems data, and payload data. The systems data is used, for example, to control the recovery of programs. The method includes parsing the tables to recover systems data to process the other transport layer data. The method further includes detecting errors in the transmission of table sections and error containing table sections and effectively not delivering the errored table sections to memory.