Abstract: An lock actuator assembly for a vehicle door permits either manual or power actuation thereof. The assembly includes a housing with an upwardly-facing recess and a hollow passage formed therethrough. The assembly also includes an actuator with an upper portion extending through the housing and into the recess. The actuator is movable between a locked position and an unlocked position. The assembly may include a solenoid located below the housing and operable to move the actuator. The housing may include side walls on opposite sides of the recess, with portions of the side walls located close to the actuator on both sides thereof, to resist unauthorized acess to the actuator. Selected portions of the housing side walls may extend inwardly into the recess to form blocking bosses which are situated in close proximity to the actuator, to partially block access thereto.

Abstract: An lock actuator assembly for a vehicle door permits either manual or power actuation thereof. The assembly includes a housing with an upwardly-facing recess and a hollow passage formed therethrough. The assembly also includes an actuator with an upper portion extending through the housing and into the recess. The actuator is movable between a locked position and an unlocked position. The assembly may include a solenoid located below the housing and operable to move the actuator. The housing may include side walls on opposite sides of the recess, with portions of the side walls located close to the actuator on both sides thereof, to resist unauthorized acess to the actuator. Selected portions of the housing side walls may extend inwardly into the recess to form blocking bosses which are situated in close proximity to the actuator, to partially block access thereto.

Abstract: An integrated circuit contains a microprocessor core, program memory and separate data storage, together with analog and digital signal processing circuitry. The ALU is 16 bits wide, but a 32-bit shift unit is provided, using a pair of 16-bit registers. The processor has a fixed length instruction format, with an instruction set including multiply and divide operations which use the shift unit over several cycles. No interrupts are provided. external pins of the integrated circuit allow for single stepping and other debug operations, and a serial interface (SIF) which allows external communication of test dat or working data as necessary. The serial interface has four wires (SERIN, SEROUT, SERCLK, SERLOADB), allowing handshaking with a master apparatus, and allowing direct access to the memory space of the processor core, without specific program control.

Abstract: A sealing apparatus for a closure includes an elongated seal strip having a longitudinal length and including a flexible and resilient seal portion defining a substantially hollow cavity. The sealing apparatus further includes a bumper member comprising a bumper element positioned within the cavity. Methods of making a sealing apparatus are also disclosed.

Abstract: A sealing apparatus for a closure includes an elongated seal strip having a longitudinal length and including a flexible and resilient seal portion defining a substantially hollow cavity. The sealing apparatus further includes a bumper member comprising a bumper element positioned within the cavity. Methods of making a sealing apparatus are also disclosed.

Abstract: The invention comprises an encoder for encoding a stegotext and a decoder for decoding the encoded stegotext, the stegotext being generated by modulating the log power spectrogram of a covertext signal with at least one key, the or each key having been added or subtracted in the log domain to the covertext power spectrogram in accordance with the data of the watermark code with which the stegotext was generated, and the modulated power spectrogram having been returned into the original domain of the covertext. The decoder carries out Fast Fourier Transformation and rectangular polar conversion of the stegotext signal so as to transform the stegotext signal into the log power spectrogram domain; subtracts in the log power domain positive and negative multiples of the key or keys from blocks of the log power spectrogram and evaluates the probability of the results of such substractions representing an unmodified block of covertext in accordance with a predetermined statistical model.

Abstract: An integrated circuit contains a microprocessor core, program memory and separate data storage, together with analog and digital signal processing circuitry. The ALU is 16 bits wide, but a 32-bit shift unit is provided, using a pair of 16-bit registers. The processor has a fixed length instruction format, with an instruction set including multiply and divide operations which use the shift unit over several cycles. No interrupts are provided. external pins of the integrated circuit allow for single stepping and other debug operations, and a serial interface (SIF) which allows external communication of test dat or working data as necessary. The serial interface has four wires (SERIN, SEROUT, SERCLK, SERLOADB), allowing handshaking with a master apparatus, and allowing direct access to the memory space of the processor core, without specific program control.

Abstract: An integrated circuit contains a microprocessor core, program memory and separate data storage, together with analogue and digital signal processing circuitry. The ALU is 16 bits wide, but a 32-bit shift unit is provided, using a pair of 16-bit registers. The processor has a fixed length instruction format, with an instruction set including multiply and divide operations which use the shift unit over several cycles. No interrupts are provided. External pins of the integrated circuit allow for single stepping and other debug operations, and a serial interface (SIF) which allows external communication of test data or working data as necessary. The serial interface has four wires (SERIN, SEROUT, SER-CLK, SERLOADB), allowing handshaking with a master apparatus, and allowing direct access to the memory space of the processor core, without specific program control.

Abstract: A device for the controlled release of vapour and a method of dispensing a volatile medium into the air. The device includes a carrier impregnated with a volatile medium and a wrapper of flexible material surrounding said carrier for retaining the volatile medium on the carrier. Said wrapper has a plurality of contiguous tear strips arranged in longitudinal sequence disposed over the carrier that may be successively removed to expose a portion of the carrier of increasing size without any need to provide for relative movement of the wrapper and carrier. The method of dispensing a volatile medium into the air includes providing such a device, removing a first tear strip to expose a portion of the carrier, and subsequently removing an additional tear strip to expose a fresh area of carrier to maintain the concentration of volatile medium at a desired level.

Abstract: Ultrasonic apparatus for visualizing the internal organs of the human body using an ultrasonic array probe is characterized by means for digitising the ultrasonic echo signals and means for processing the digitised signals. Data may be sampled from each array element excited separately, or on a group of elements sequentially with a very small time increment between samples. Processing of data can include switching the transmit carrier frequency between scans, compensation for ringing effects in the transducers, synthetic aperture focussing techniques, software envelope or transform demodulation, attenuation or time gain correction and data compression.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a cylinder block comprising one or more cylinders, the or each cylinder being adapted to receive a piston therein, the method comprising making a cylinder liner by squeeze casting, in an aluminium-silicon alloy produced from a melt consisting essentially of the following composition by weight: Silicon 14% to 16%; Copper 1.9% to 2.2%; Nickel 1.0% to 1.4%; Magnesium 0.4% to 0.55%; Iron 0.6% to 1.0%; Manganese 0.3% to 0.6%; Silicon Modifier 0.02% to 0.1%, with the balance being aluminium and any avoidable impurities, the cylinder liner having an essentially eutectic microstructure containing not more than 10% primary alpha-aluminium dendrites and being substantially free from intermetallic particles exceeding 10 .mu. in diameter, placing the cylinder block in a mold and casting therearound an aluminium alloy to provide a main cylinder block body with the cylinder liner entrapped therein.

Abstract: Aqueous oil-in-water emulsion scratch cover compositions for covering scratches, blemishes and other damage to finished wooden articles such as furniture, wooden trim and wooden floors with characteristics comparable to volatile organic solvent-based scratch cover compositions are described which are substantially free of added volatile organic solvents and conventional surfactants. These emulsion compositions comprise 2-10% of an animal, vegetable or mineral oil that is a liquid and substantially nonvolatile at 25.degree. C., 0.0001-1% of at least one organic solvent soluble dye that is soluble in the oil and is substantially water insoluble, an effective amount, preferably 0.01-5%, of a polymeric electrostatic emulsifier such as an acrylates/C.sub.10 -C.sub.30 alkyl acrylate cross polymer that takes the place of conventional surfactants with the balance comprising water, and optionally, non-ionic waxes, nonionic nonvolatile silicone fluids, pigments or no more than about 1% of nonionic surfactants.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring Polarization Mode Dispersion (PMD) of a single mode optic fiber by providing a PMD measuring instrument with a light source. Light is transmitted serially through the optic fiber being tested and an artefact with a known, stable PMD value. The artefact biases the total PMD measured by the instrument away from zero. The PMD of the optic fiber may then be determined by data reduction of the total measured PMD. The method may also be used to calibrate a PMD instrument.

Abstract: A brake disc, for a disc brake assembly comprising at least one portion affording a wear surface, said portion comprising a rigid porous ceramic body infiltrated with a light metal alloy.

Abstract: A brake caliper has the effective modulus of elasticity of the material increased by inserting a honeycomb-like ceramic piece made of a material having a higher modulus of elasticity in a die and casting metal to fill the die, substantially encase the ceramic and substantially fill the pores of the same, and squeeze forming the molten metal to ensure substantial filling of the pores of the ceramic.

Abstract: A check valve which is positioned in the vacuum air line of an internal combustion engine. The check valve includes a single-piece valve body having an outlet port and two or more inlet ports, with one outlet port located substantially in line with the inlet port and connected by a venturi tube. The second inlet port is separated from the main air flow line by the valve stem and a diaphragm which allows communication there between and prevents back pressure. The second inlet port communicates with the outlet port through the valve stem and a second venturi tube which provides a vacuum boost to a device, usually vehicle brakes, connected to the inlet.

Abstract: A squeeze formed aluminum-silicon cylinder liner for an internal combustion engine is produced from a melt consisting essentially of the following composition by weight: silicon 14% to 16%, copper 1.9% to 2.2%, nickel 1.0% to 1.4%, magnesium of 0.4% to 0.55%, iron 0.6% to 1.0%, manganese 0.3% to 0.6%, silicon modifier 0.02% to 0.1%, with the balance being aluminum and any unavoidable impurities, the as-formed article having an essentially eutectic microstructure containing not more than 10% of primary alpha-aluminum dendrites and being substantially free from intermetallic particles exceeding 10.mu. in diameter. The growth rate R of the solid phase during solidification is from 1,000 to 2,500 .mu./s and the temperature gradient G at the solid/liquid interface, expressed in .degree.C./cm is such that the ratio G/R is from 100 to 1,000.degree. Cs/cm.sup.2.

Abstract: A squeeze formed aluminium alloy article, such as a piston, is formed with a re-entrant cavity (14) with reinforced edges by locating an isostatically compacted salt core (10) and annular alumina-silicate fibre pad (11) in the mould cavity of the squeeze forming press prior to introduction of the molten metal therein. The core (10) is subsequently dissolved from the squeeze formed article to provide a reinforced corresponding shape to the article which does not require subsequent machining.

Abstract: A squeeze formed aluminum alloy article, such as a piston, is formed with a re-entrant cavity (14) by locating an isostatically compacted salt core (10) in the mould cavity of the squeeze forming press prior to introduction of the molten metal therein. The core (14) is subsequently dissolved from the squeeze formed article to provide a corresponding shape to the article which does not require subsequent machining.

Abstract: A check valve which is positioned in the vacuum air line of an internal combustion engine. The check valve includes a single-piece valve body having an outlet port and two or more inlet ports, with one outlet port located substantially in line with the inlet port and connected by a venturi tube. The second inlet port is separated from the main air flow line by the valve stem and a diaphragm which allows communication there between and prevents back pressure. The second inlet port communicates with the outlet port through the valve stem and a second venturi tube which provides a vacuum boost to a device, usually vehicle brakes, connected to the inlet.