Abstract: A method of apportionment between a first and at least one second user of a banking operation carried out by the first user. The method includes: receiving an apportionment request originating from a terminal of the first user, the apportionment request including an identifier of the first user, an identifier of a group of users of an instant messaging service, and an amount to be apportioned; obtaining a characteristic of the identified group of users; calculating according to an apportionment rule and the characteristic of the group of users; apportionment of the amount among the users belonging to the group; updating, according to the calculated apportionment, a balance associated with each of the users of the group, and sending an instant message addressed to at least one member of the group, including at least the updated balance associated with the at least one member of the group.

Abstract: Detecting presence or absence of product in a reservoir by transmitting a signal affected by the product. The signal is detected from among other signals with which it is subsequently received by discrimination and delivery of an output signal whose level is set by the discrimination, and by sampling. Pairs of samples are correlated to obtain a true correlation value SR, where the instantaneous value of correlation between the state value B(i) and the state value B(i+Z) is summed, Z being the number of samples taken during a period T of the signal to be detected. A rate calculation is performed, during which the rate &rgr; of samples representing the presence of the signal is measured, and theoretical correlation mean values are evaluated. A decision is made by comparison of the true correlation value SR with each theoretical correlation mean value.

Abstract: Measuring the electrical resistance of a resistive body, in particular a reservoir containing a printing product such as ink. According to the invention, the resistive body is used to define a capacitance arrangement formed from a capacitive branch which includes a capacitor electrically connected to the resistive body and this is incorporated in a resonant circuit that includes a variable capacitor. The resonant circuit is supplied with a fixed frequency, and as the capacitance of the variable capacitor is varied the peak of the signal is sought. The amplitude of the peak is representative of the resistance of the resistive body.

Abstract: In order to determine a distribution of product present in a reservoir (112), particularly a distribution of ink in the reservoir of an image transfer device, a device includes electrodes (121, 122) disposed in contact with the product in the reservoir, a circuit (117) for successively supplying the electrodes with an excitation signal (SE) causing an electromagnetic radiation from the product, a receiving antenna (116) for sensing the electromagnetic radiation caused by the respective supplying of the electrodes, and a circuit (115) for processing the radiation sensed into a signal representing the distribution of product contained in the porous body inside the reservoir.

Abstract: According to the invention, electrical connection members are provided, arranged between the chassis and the carriage carrying capacitor plates corresponding respectively to the reservoirs, in order to put into service each plate corresponding to a reservoir, at a predetermined position of the carriage, a common contact element of these connection members being connected to an oscillator.

Abstract: Determining the quantity of an electrically conductive product contained in a reservoir made of electrically insulating material having at least one storage cavity. A resonant circuit is formed, including a capacitive arrangement formed at least part from the reservoir. A measurement procedure is defined according to which a plurality of excitation signals are applied to the resonant circuit having different frequencies, and a plurality of measurement signals are made. A processing procedure is defined which identifies the instantaneous resonant frequency of the resonant circuit, measures the width, for a given amplitude level, of the resonance peak, and derives therefrom an item of information representing the quantity of product contained in the storage cavity. At least one determination cycle is effected, consisting of triggering the measurement procedure and the processing procedure, and capturing the instantaneous value of the item of information.

Abstract: A device determines a quantity of product present in a reservoir, particularly a quantity of ink in the reservoir (112) of an image formation device, such as a printer (10). In a preferred embodiment, the devices includes means (120, 113, 123) of connecting the said product to a predetermined potential, means (121, 122) of establishing a first electrical field through the product, and adapted to establish a second electrical field different from the first electrical field, means (122), of measuring electrical fields in order to produce first and second electrical signals representing electrical fields, and means (100) of processing the first electrical signal in order to produce a signal representing the quantity of product, and adapted to process the second electrical signal in order to detect the interruption of the connection of the product to the predetermined potential, the said interruption corresponding to a predetermined quantity of product present in the reservoir (112).

Abstract: For determining the quantity of an electrically conductive product contained in a reservoir made of electrically insulating material, having at least one storage cavity: a resonant circuit is formed, including a capacitive arrangement comprising at least part of this reservoir; a processing procedure is defined, consisting of identifying, from a plurality of signals corresponding to different frequencies, the value of a characteristic of this resonant circuit, deriving from this value of the characteristic a measurement of the resistance constituted by the product contained in the reservoir in the said capacitive arrangement and deriving therefrom the instantaneous value of an item of information representing the quantity of product contained in the reservoir from a pre-established correlation law; and a least one determination cycle is effected, consisting of triggering the measurement procedure and the processing procedure, and capturing the instantaneous value of the said item of information.

Abstract: A device and a method for determining the quantity of product present in a reservoir, and more particularly determining with precision when there is a predetermined quantity of product in the reservoir. The invention applies to an ink reservoir in an image formation device, such as a printer. According to the invention, the product is connected to a predetermined potential and an electrical field is established through the product present in the reservoir. The electrical field passing through the product is measured in order to produce an electrical signal representing the electrical field, and the resulting electrical signal is processed in order to produce a signal representing the quantity of product present in the reservoir and to detect the interruption of the connection of the product to the predetermined potential, where the interruption corresponds t the predetermined quantity of product in the reservoir.

Abstract: Determination of the quantity of liquid product contained in a reservoir, with the help of a capacitive arrangement. The invention is applicable to a reservoir (112) comprising a compartment (166) where the product is in the captive state, for example impregnating a porous body, and the conductive electrodes (221, 222) associated with this compartment are situated on either side of the volume where the product is in the captive state and offset with respect to one another in order to be located respectively in the vicinity of two opposite ends of this volume. When the reservoir has another compartment where the product is in the free state, the electrodes of the capacitive arrangement are advantageously L-shaped.

Abstract: Determination of the quantity of consumable product, notably of ink, remaining in a reservoir. A capacitor (36) is formed on each side of the reservoir (24) and a resonant circuit including this capacitor is formed with a circuit forming a notional inductor (74), such as a gyrator, and another capacitor (68), the capacitor (36) being integrated into the circuit forming a notional inductor.

Abstract: An apparatus for transmitting binary information between a first device carried by a first body and a second device carried by a second body, movable with respect to the first body along a path within a given range of movement, includes at least one first electrically conductive main plate on the first body along the path of the second body and a second electrically conductive main plate on the second body. The first and second main plates remain opposite each other, at a constant distance from each other, when there is a relative movement of the second body with respect to the first body within the range of movement along the path, such that the first and second main plates form a main capacitor with a constant capacitance.

Abstract: In order to monitor the consumption of a normally electrically conductive product contained in a storage chamber of a reservoir made of electrically non-conductive material, the storage chamber is disposed in a capacitive arrangement and a measurement procedure is defined, according to which, in response to an excitation signal applied to the capacitive arrangement, a measurement signal is obtained (at 122), one characteristic of which has an amplitude which varies substantially with the quantity of product contained in the storage chamber. Before deducing the value of information representing the quantity of product available in the reservoir from this amplitude, the measurement signal has filtering applied to it, according to which it is multiplied by a reference signal of frequency at least approximately equal to that of the excitation signal (at 121) and the multiplied signal is applied to a low-pass filter.

Abstract: A device determines a quantity of product present in a reservoir, particularly a quantity of ink in the reservoir (112) of an image forming device, such as a printer (10). The device includes an electrode (120) disposed in contact with the product in the reservoir, a circuit (117) for supplying the electrode with an excitation signal (SE) causing an electromagnetic signal radiated by the product, a receiving antenna (116) for sensing the electromagnetic signal, and a circuit (115) for processing the electromagnetic signal sensed into a signal representing the quantity of product present in the reservoir.

Abstract: Detecting a quantity of a product remaining in a reservoir subjected, during use of the product, to a driving movement. The reservoir is driven in accordance with reference signals representing target movements. The reference signals including at least one test reference signal. The position of the reservoir in response to the test reference signal is detected. The quantity of product remaining in the reservoir is determinable from the detected position. Alternatively, a change in temperature caused by moving the reservoir in response to the test reference signal is detected, and the quantity of product remaining in the reservoir is determinable from the change in temperature.

Abstract: The object of the invention is the detection of a given threshold (optionally zero) for filling, with an electrically conductive product, a reservoir made of electrically insulating material having a storage cavity connected to an outlet channel. An excitation signal is applied to the cavity, in periodic square waves, and a measurement signal is taken off, one characteristic of which varies substantially with the quantity of product contained in the cavity reaches the filling threshold. From this characteristic, by comparison with a reference threshold, a binary signal C,C′ is derived, which is filtered digitally whilst multiplying it (convolution product) by a signal which is identical to it, but with a delay equal to a multiple, at least equal to one, of the period of the square waves.

Abstract: Determination of the quantities of products contained in reservoirs grouped together next to one another by using a capacitive arrangement associated with these reservoirs. According to the invention, electrodes of the capacitive arrangement (121a, 122a-121b, 122b-121c, 122c) respectively associated in pairs with the reservoirs (112a, 112b, 112c) are selected, the transmitted signals (Si) are successively detected, measured and stored, and each measurement is corrected by correction values depending on at least certain of the other measurements.

Abstract: In order to monitor the state of a reservoir made of electrically insulating material containing a normally electrically conductive product, ink for example, the free end of the outlet channel of the reservoir is connected to a predetermined potential and two measurement procedures are defined, the first of which results in a first measurement signal, a characteristic of which varies mainly with the quantity of product contained in the storage cavity of the reservoir, and the second of which results in a second measurement signal, a characteristic of which varies mainly with the electrical conductivity of the channel between its ends.During the measurements, an abnormality correction procedure (or a simple alarm procedure) is triggered when the characteristic of the second measurement signal indicates a low electrical conductivity of the channel (absence of product) whilst the characteristic of the first signal indicates that there is still product in the storage cavity.

Abstract: Device for determining quantities of products contained in adjacent ones of plural reservoirs, by using a capacitive arrangement. According to the invention, two electrodes of the capacitive arrangement are disposed between two reservoirs and are in each case either sending electrodes to which a signal is applied, or receiving electrodes which transmit a signal. By virtue of this arrangement, it is possible to reduce parasitic coupling between different capacitors of the capacitive arrangement.

Abstract: In order to monitor the consumption of a normally electrically conductive product contained in a reservoir made of electrically insulating material, a measurement procedure is defined according to which there is taken off a measurement signal in response to an excitation signal applied to a storage cavity in this reservoir, this signal being such that a characteristic, such as the voltage, of the measurement signal varies substantially with the quantity of product contained in the cavity, and with a utilisation parameter of this product. A procedure for determining this utilisation parameter and a processing procedure giving an item of information on the quantity of product remaining in the reservoir as a function not only of the said characteristic but also of the instantaneous value of the utilisation parameter, are also defined. In the field of printing, this parameter can be the density of printing of the printed pages, or the temperature.