Abstract: Systems are provided for a fuel system comprising an external refueling request switch accessible at or near a refueling door, thus enabling methods that may include initiating depressurization of a fuel tank responsive to an operator engaging the refueling request switch. The status of depressurization may be communicated to the operator via on one or more LED displays located either inside the refueling assembly or located at the refueling door. In this way, refueling requests may be initiated by a refueling operator, and by relaying the status of depressurization to the operator, any confusion on the part of the operator may be avoided.

Abstract: A transmission signal having a sequence of logical frames embed therein, is constructed such that each logical frame has a useful data section, wherein consecutive access units of an access unit stream are consecutively inserted into the useful data section of the sequence of logical frames, wherein each logical frame into which a begin of an access unit falls, has an access unit table having, per begin of the access units falling into the respective logical frame, a pointer pointing thereto.

Abstract: A chroma subsampling having reduced artifacts is achieved by detecting high contrast areas in a luminance channel of an image to be chroma subsampled so as to partition the image into a first region composed of the high contrast areas and a second region distinct from the first region, with chroma subsampling the image in the first region using a first chroma subsampler and chroma subsampling the image in the second region using a second chroma subsampler, with the first chroma subsampler having a higher edge preserving property than compared to the second chroma subsampler. Thereby, bleeding artifacts may be avoided at least partially, while the saturation of the image may be substantially preserved.

Abstract: The ratio between coding quality on the one hand and coding rate on the other hand is increased. To this end, a global predictor and a local predictor are used in combination. The global predictor derives a global tone-mapping function based on a statistical analysis of pairs of values of co-located samples in the first tone-mapped version and the second version of the picture, and applies the global tone-mapping function onto the first tone-mapped version of the picture. The local predictor locally derives a locally varying tone-mapping function based on a statistical analysis of values of co-located samples in the second version of the picture and the globally predicted reference picture in units of sub-portions into which the globally predicted reference picture and the second version of the picture are partitioned, and applies the locally varying tone-mapping function onto the globally predicted reference picture.

Abstract: An image encoder includes an extreme value determiner, a floating point-to-integer converter and an encoder. The extreme value determiner determines minimal and maximal values of a floating point image value of each pixel of a part of an image, an image or a group of images. The floating point-to-integer converter maps the floating point image value of each pixel to an integer image value. The minimal floating point image value is mapped to a minimal integer image value of a predefined range of integer image values and the maximal floating point image value is mapped to a maximal integer image value of the predefined range of integer image values. The encoder encodes the integer image value of each pixel to obtain and provide encoded image data of the part of the image, the image or the group of images.

Abstract: A method for determining an order of values for an encoding parameter of a hybrid encoding scheme for each frame of a frame sequence for use for encoding the frame sequence by means of the hybrid encoding scheme is described. Using the hybrid encoding scheme, resulting distortions and compression rates for the frames of the frame sequence are established for the case of the complete encoding of the frame sequence, and for the case of the incomplete encoding of a real partial sequence of the frame sequence. Thereupon, establishing of estimated distortions and compression rates for frames of the frame sequence takes place, followed by determining the order of values for the encoding parameter of the hybrid encoding scheme based on the established resulting and estimated distortions and compression rates.

Abstract: A device for encoding a plurality of information signals using a joint computing power includes a plurality of encoders for encoding a respectively different one of the information signals using the joint computing power, wherein each encoder is controllable via at least one respective encoding parameter with regard to its encoding complexity/encoding distortion performance.

Abstract: A more accurate model parameter estimation is achieved by using a Kalman filter for discretely estimating the model parameters between the consecutive frames of the frame sequence and performing the correction of the time-discrete Kalman filter twice per frame, firstly using a measurement value which depends on a complexity measure of the current frame to achieve a primarily corrected state of the time-discrete Kalman filter, and secondly using a measurement value depending on an actual coding rate or distortion of the video encoder in encoding the current frame using a predetermined quantization which may have been determined by an estimation of the actual rate- or distortion-quantization function according to the primarily corrected state. A rate-quantization model function relates the quantization of the video encoder to the coding rate of the video encoder and is piecewise defined to exhibit quadratic and exponential functions in finer and coarser quantization intervals, respectively.

Abstract: A transmission signal having a sequence of logical frames embed therein, is constructed such that each logical frame has a useful data section, wherein consecutive access units of an access unit stream are consecutively inserted into the useful data section of the sequence of logical frames, wherein each logical frame into which a begin of an access unit falls, has an access unit table having, per begin of the access units falling into the respective logical frame, a pointer pointing thereto.

Abstract: The present invention relates to precipitated silica containing aluminum, which has an adjustable BET/CTAB ratio, a process for its manufacture and its use.

Abstract: A method generates a stream of data, wherein the stream comprises a plurality of encoded data blocks. The encoded data blocks comprise a plurality of self-contained blocks including all information for decoding the block and a plurality of blocks including only partial information for decoding. The distance of the self-contained blocks in the stream is varied dependent on the content encoded in the stream. The stream is a main stream, and wherein tuning into the main stream is effected via a secondary stream comprising at least a subset of the data blocks of the main stream encoded at a quality different from a quality of the data blocks of the main stream. The self-contained blocks are inserted at positions in the main stream where differences in the quality of the data encoded in the main stream and in the secondary stream are less detectable.

Abstract: A device for encoding a plurality of information signals using a joint computing power includes a plurality of encoders for encoding a respectively different one of the information signals using the joint computing power, wherein each encoder is controllable via at least one respective encoding parameter with regard to its encoding complexity/encoding distortion performance.

Abstract: Precipitated silicas which have a broad pore size distribution of the pores with a pore diameter smaller than that of the maximum of the derivative of the pore volume distribution function are useful, for example, for tires.

Abstract: In an arrangement for reprogramming at least two control devices connected to one another via a data bus, each of the at least two control devices includes a reprogramming module for effecting reprogramming of the each of the at least two control devices with new program data according to a first reprogramming protocol. A conversion module connected to the data bus receives the new program data using a second reprogramming protocol, and transmits the new program data onto the data bus using the first reprogramming protocol.

Abstract: A method for determining an order of values for an encoding parameter of a hybrid encoding scheme for each frame of a frame sequence for use for encoding the frame sequence by means of the hybrid encoding scheme is described. Using the hybrid encoding scheme, resulting distortions and compression rates for the frames of the frame sequence are established for the case of the complete encoding of the frame sequence, and for the case of the incomplete encoding of a real partial sequence of the frame sequence. Thereupon, establishing of estimated distortions and compression rates for frames of the frame sequence takes place, followed by determining the order of values for the encoding parameter of the hybrid encoding scheme based on the established resulting and estimated distortions and compression rates.

Abstract: An apparatus, including a substrate, having an internal surface where at least a portion of the internal surface has a smoothly varying curvature in three orthogonal directions. The apparatus also includes a photonic crystal disposed over and conformal to at least a portion of the internal surface having the smoothly varying curvature.

Abstract: Roasted coffee beans having reduced levels of acrylamide, coffee beans having reduced levels of asparagine, and an article of commerce. In one aspect, the invention provides a method for reducing the level of acrylamide in roasted coffee beans comprising reducing the level of asparagine in coffee beans. In another aspect, the invention provides a method for reducing the level of asparagine in coffee beans comprising adding an asparagine-reducing enzyme to coffee beans. In still another aspect, an article of commerce communicates to the consumer that the roasted coffee beans, coffee beans, product comprising roasted coffee beans or coffee beans, and/or article of commerce has reduced or low levels of asparagine and/or acrylamide.

Abstract: Precipitated silicas which have a broad pore size distribution of the pores with a pore diameter smaller than that of the maximum of the derivative of the pore volume distribution function are useful, for example, for tires.

Abstract: An apparatus, including a substrate, where at least a portion of the substrate has a convex surface, and a photonic crystal disposed over the convex surface. The photonic crystal is substantially conformal to at least a portion of the convex surface.

Abstract: The present invention relates to precipitated silica containing aluminum, which has an adjustable BET/CTAB ratio, a process for its manufacture and its use.