Abstract: Methods and devices for determining the operating mode of an implantable medical device are disclosed. A first device transmits a keep-alive signal to an implantable medical device. If the implantable medical device receives the keep-alive signal within a first time interval, the implantable medical device operates in a normal operating mode. If the implantable medical device does not receive the keep-alive signal with the first time interval, at least a portion of the implantable medical device is deactivated.

Abstract: Methods and devices for determining the operating mode of an implantable medical device are disclosed. A first device transmits a keep-alive signal to an implantable medical device. If the implantable medical device receives the keep-alive signal within a first time interval, the implantable medical device operates in a normal operating mode. If the implantable medical device does not receive the keep-alive signal with the first time interval, at least a portion of the implantable medical device is deactivated.

Abstract: The generation of personalised documents, or documents including variable data, may require one or more varying overlay images to be printed on top of a background image. In order to avoid the generation of the background image for each document separately, a method is provided to store the background image permanently and to merge it with the overlay images just before printing. A transparency notion may be introduced to avoid masking of the background image by horizontally oriented rectangular overlays. The overlay image and the background image may be generated by a process of multilevel halftoning, suitable for printing by an electrophotographic printing device, using colored toner.