Abstract: A cold cathode fluorescent lamp controller constituted of a pulse generator exhibiting a cycle period; a burst dimming control operative to set a burst dimming duty cycle for the pulse generator; a comparator arranged to receive a signal indicative of the value of current through a load driven by the pulse generator and compare the received signal to a reference signal; an error detection circuit operative to shut down the pulse generator responsive to an output of the comparator indicating that the received signal is less than the reference signal for a predetermined number of cycles of the pulse generator; and a disable circuit arranged to prevent, when the set burst dimming duty cycle is less than a predetermined value, the shut down of the pulse generator responsive to the output of the comparator indicating the received signal is less than the reference signal.

Abstract: An invention is provided for allowing user association in a computer environment. The invention includes a central server having a subscriber database, the subscriber database storing a plurality of subscriber data entries, each subscriber data entry including characteristics of a related subscriber. The system also includes a plurality of user association and communication devices. Each user association and communication device is associated with a user database that stores calling criteria data indicating preferred characteristics of subscribers. In use, the central server facilitates a calling connection between at least two user association and communication devices based on the calling criteria data stored in a user database and characteristics stored in the subscriber database.

Abstract: An invention is provided for affording cellular telephone based asset tracking. Embodiments of the present invention establish a connection between a cellular telephone and an asset tracking device via a cellular telephone network. Positional data for the asset tracking device is provided to the cellular telephone via the asset telephone network, and positional data for the cellular telephone is determined. Once positional data for the asset tracking device and positional data for the cellular telephone are determined, asset indicia and cellular telephone indicia are displayed on a display of the cellular telephone. The asset indicia indicate a current position of the asset tracking device and the cellular telephone indicia indicate a current position of the cellular telephone.

Abstract: The present invention relates to devices and methods for removing a stop from a bottle. In certain embodiments of the present invention, a stabilizer is provided to prevent the stop from being pushed into the bottle and insert members are provided for removing the stop without the outside of the stop adhering to the inner wall of the bottle. Such embodiments allow, among other things, removal of the stop from the bottle without destruction or partial destruction of the stop, as is sometimes the case with conventional corkscrews, yet without the risk of pushing the stop into the bottle as is sometimes the case with non-corkscrew bottle stop removers.

Abstract: The present invention relates to devices and methods for removing a stop from a bottle. In certain embodiments of the present invention, a stabilizer is provided to prevent the stop from being pushed into the bottle and insert members are provided for removing the stop without the outside of the stop adhering to the inner wall of the bottle. Such embodiments allow, among other things, removal of the stop from the bottle without destruction or partial destruction of the stop, as is sometimes the case with conventional corkscrews, yet without the risk of pushing the stop into the bottle as is sometimes the case with non-corkscrew bottle stop removers.

Abstract: One or more quality indicators are established at a first communication device having antenna elements. The quality indicators indicate a quality of one or more communication links between the first communication device and one or more second communication devices. A modification is determined according to the quality indicators, where the modification describes at least one adjustment of one or more modulation features. At least some of a set of signals are modulated in accordance with the modification, where a signal is associated with an antenna element. The set of signals is sent from the antenna elements to yield a transmitted signal.