Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment, a device to be affixed to an automatic dishwasher rack in order to provide a means by which one can secure a number of chopsticks or similarly shaped items such that the items can be cleaned without risk of damaging either the dishwasher or aforementioned items.

Abstract: A new method for data compression utilizing a neural network or other statistical technique or pattern analysis is presented. This method represents the input data as a series of vectors (21) and uses any number of error functions to guide manipulation of a matrix (35) which stores similar vectors, as well as manipulating the vectors stored within. This matrix (35), which may be of any number of dimensions, any size in each of these dimensions, acts as a lookup table in the encoding and decoding processes of the compression method. Encoding works by comparing each sequential input vector (21) to the vector stored within the matrix (35) and writing the matrix address (45) which most closely represents the input vector (21). Decoding works by reading a series of matrix addresses (45) and sequentially outputting the corresponding vector stored within each matrix address (45).