Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes an optical monitoring system configured to optically communicate with an interior of a rotary machine. The optical monitoring system is configured to redirect a field of view toward different regions of a component within the interior of the rotary machine while the rotary machine is in operation, and to capture an image of each region.

Abstract: A support bar for a turbine diaphragm that facilitates reduced maintenance cycle time and cost is provided. In one aspect, the support bar is secured to the turbine diaphragm vertically rather than horizontally, allowing access to remove a lower diaphragm half without having to remove the rotor for maintenance.

Abstract: A damper assembly for use in an industrial duct used for venting contaminated gasses having particulate matter suspended therein. The damper assembly removes precipitate from the duct that was deposited by the contaminated gas and particulate matter. The damper assembly includes an articulating member which is movable between an open position and a closed position along a first axial direction. Opposing blades are disposed on opposite sides of the articulating member. Each of the opposing blades define a distal edge and are pivotable about axes that are substantially parallel to one another. A link couples each blade to the articulating member such that the motion from the articulating member is transfer to the blades. Each link is coupled to the blade between the distal edge and the respective parallel axis.

Abstract: There present invention relates to a method for managing the automatic provision of a subscriber network identifier from a central network server to a subscribed communication device, the method comprising receiving notification at the central server relating to a change in the current location for the subscribed device, and determining from the notification whether a new subscriber network identifier is to be provisioned from the central server. The method further comprises selecting a subscriber network identifier on the basis of the current location, if the determining step has determined that a new subscriber network identifier is to be provisioned, and outputting the selected subscriber network identifier for transmission to the subscribed device. The present invention also relates to managing the automatic connection of a subscribed communication device to a network, where a preferred network and preferred subscriber network identifier may be used.

Abstract: A method of managing identities for use in a mobile telecommunications device in a telecommunications network is described. First of all, an identity management process is triggered. After this, one or more parameters associated with the mobile telecommunications device is detected. The identity management process than has the following features. An identity management rule determined by the one or more parameters is detected. An identity database is then searched. Each record of the identity database comprises an identity and additional identity information for each identity, wherein the searching prioritises records according to the identity management rule. An identity is then selected when a record conforming to the identity management rule is found in said searching. The active identity of the mobile telecommunications device is then changed to be the selected identity when the active identity is not already the selected identity.

Abstract: An improved pushchair frame (10) of a type that can be collapsed for ease of transport or storage etc. The frame comprising a push/pull handle (12), a front wheel frame (14) on which at least one front wheel (16) is rotatably mounted and a rear wheel frame (18) on which at least one rear wheel (20) is rotatably mounted. The frame comprising a seat mounting yoke (22) to which the front and rear wheel frames are coupled, at least one of the front and rear wheel frames being pivotably coupled to the yoke, the frames having an operating position in which they are spaced from one another and a stowed position in which they are generally adjacent one another. The seat mounting yoke is rotatable, relative to at least one of the front and rear wheel frames, between an operating position and a stowed position in which the yoke is located generally adjacent one of the front and rear wheel frames. A retaining means maintains the yoke and the front and rear wheel frames in their operating position.

Abstract: The invention relates to improvements in security substrates for security documents. The security substrate has at least two sets of regions having a machine detectable characteristic, in which only a first set of regions is applied to a first surface of the substrate. At least two sets of regions together form a machine readable code.

Abstract: An airbag is provided which includes at least one fabric panel and a structural seam. The structural seam includes an adhesive but does not include stitching. Such stitching tends to weaken the fabric of airbags and causes a higher denier fabric with higher strength to be used to offset the loss in strength, but this in turn produces an airbag of greater weight due to the high denier fabric. By providing an airbag with a structural seam provided by an adhesive without stitching, an airbag may be lighter and may be inflated in less time.

Abstract: A pushchair seat (10) comprising a seat back (18) mounted for pivotable movement relative to a seat base (20). A bumper bar (14) is pivotably coupled to and carried by the seat (10) and is moveable between a stowed position generally adjacent to the seat base (20) and a deployed position spaced from the seat back (18) and the seat base (20). Drive mechanisms (16) are provided at each end of the bumper bar (14) and comprise a selectively engageable coupling mechanism in the form of a clutch mechanism (30, 32) and a control mechanism (34, 56, 58). The coupling mechanism couples movement of the seat back (18) between its stowed position and its operating position into a corresponding movement of the bumper bar (14) between its stowed position and its deployed position.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for preparing activated charcoal from a precursor material comprising high mineral content plant or algal material by heating the precursor material under suitable conditions sufficient to produce activated charcoal therefrom. The invention also provides various applications of the activated charcoal per se.

Abstract: A vulcanizable layered composition comprising at least two layers and at least one tie layer. The first layer of the two layers comprises an fluid permeation prevention layer, the second layer of the two layers comprises at least one high diene rubber, and the tie layer comprises about 50 to about 100 weight % of at least one halogenated isobutylene containing elastomer; up to about 50 weight % of at least one high diene elastomer; about 20 to about 50 weight % of at least one filler; up to about 30 weight % of at least one processing oil; about 1 to about 20 parts per hundred (phr) of at least one tackifier; and about 0.2 to about 15 parts per hundred of rubber (phr) of a curing system for the elastomers. The fluid permeation prevention layer preferably comprises a thermoplastic engineering resin component and an elastomer component.

Abstract: Various aspects described or referenced herein are directed to different methods, systems, and computer program products for facilitating and/or enabling user controllable granularity in multi-player gaming environments for enabling a user (e.g., Target Player) to selectively allow/prevent game event influence/outcome by other players and/or groups of players participating in a multi-player game. At least a portion of the game event influence/outcome techniques disclosed herein may be operable to provide event influence/outcome functionality for facilitating user controllable granularity in multi-player gaming environments for enabling individual players of that game to granularly and selectively control the degree and/or type of influence other players of the game may have on game event outcomes relating to the game being played by that individual player.

Abstract: Various aspects described or referenced herein are directed to different methods, systems, and computer program products for facilitating and/or implementing automated facial detection and eye tracking techniques implemented in commercial and consumer environments. Various types of commercial devices may be configured or designed to include facial detection & eye tracking component(s) which may be operable to facilitate and/or provide one or more of the following operation(s)/action(s)/feature(s) (or combinations thereof): facial feature detection functionality for identifying facial features associated with a user that is interacting with the commercial device; facial expression recognition functionality for detecting and recognizing facial expressions associated with a user that is interacting with the commercial device; eye tracking functionality detecting and tracking eye movements associated with a user that is interacting with the commercial device.

Abstract: Various aspects described or referenced herein are directed to different methods, systems, and computer program products for leveraging player's social marketing potential in gaming environments. In one embodiment, a gaming system may be configured or designed to provide functionality for automatically and/or dynamically determining Player Social Marketing Potential (PSMP) Score(s) for one or more identified user(s)/player(s) based upon selected information, criteria, considerations and/or objectives. The gaming system may also be configured or designed to facilitate and/or enable the influencing of outcomes of selected game-related activities, events, and/or situations using the respective PSMP Score(s) of one or more user(s)/player(s).

Abstract: Various aspects described or referenced herein are directed to different methods, systems, and computer program products for facilitating dynamic, real-time adjustment and rendering of lighting, shading, and/or other display characteristics associated with stationary virtual objects and/or dynamically movable virtual objects. In at least one embodiment, the dynamic rendering of pixels for a selected virtual object within a given scene may be performed in real-time using predefined light source influence criteria representing the amount of light intensity or light influence which each individual light source (of the scene) has on the pixel being rendered.

Abstract: An analysis instrument comprises plural modules connected together over a data network, each module comprising an analysis apparatus operable to perform biochemical analysis of a sample. Each module comprises a control unit that controls the operation of the analysis apparatus. The control units are addressable to select an arbitrary number of modules to operate as a cluster for performing a common biochemical analysis. The control units communicate over the data network, repeatedly during the performance of the common biochemical analysis, to determine the operation of the analysis apparatus of each module required to meet the global performance targets, on the basis of measures of performance derived from the output data produced by the modules. The arrangement of the instrument as modules interacting in this manner provides a scalable analysis instrument.

Abstract: A contactor assembly includes a stationary contact, an arc contact, an arc arrestor, and a magnetic intensifier. The magnetic intensifier is constructed to be secured in generally close proximity to the stationary contact. During communication of power through the contactor assembly, the magnetic intensifier accentuates a magnetic field associated with the stationary contact and increases the magnitude of a magnetic force directed to the arc arrestor. A pair of arc guides extend along the magnetic intensifier and, cooperatively with the magnetic force, ensure efficient, repeatable, and expedient transfer of a circuit termination arc to the arc arrestor. Such a construction increases the operable range and lifecycle of the contactor by reducing the damage associated with propagation of the circuit termination arc.

Abstract: A surface inspection system includes a beam source subsystem, a beam scanning subsystem, a workpiece movement subsystem, an optical collection and detection subsystem, and a processing subsystem. The optical collection and detection system features back collectors disposed in the back quartersphere, outside the incident plane, for collecting light scattered from the surface of the workpiece. The back collectors are disposed at a relative minimum in the portion of scattered light attributable to haze relative to the portion of scattered light attributable to defect scatter portion, or, alternatively, at a relative minimum in the Rayleigh scatter.

Abstract: In a method for generating a business process model project, a computer receives a data file comprising text, descriptive of a business process. The computer searches a sentence in the text for a keyword indicative of existence of a corresponding business artifact stated elsewhere in the sentence. In response, the computer identifies an indicator in the sentence, the indicator designating a name of the corresponding business artifact. The computer identifies a business artifact based on the keyword and the indicator. The computer generates a business process model project based in part on the business artifact.

Abstract: A system and methods providing for minimizing the arc energy delivered to the pads of a plurality of contactors using a single control coil based on monitoring the electrical sine waves of the three alternating current electrical poles and calculating the instant to energize or deenergize a single control coil. The remainder of the contactors will make or break based on an offset in time from the making or breaking of the control contactor.