Abstract: The present invention provides a method of making a secure financial transaction over the internet comprising: a virtual credit card terminal (VCT) having a credit card means reader, a digital processing device operatively associated with said credit card means reader and encoding transaction programs that allows opening of an interactive terminal window for processing of the transaction, and wherein said virtual credit card terminal is registered with a VCT gateway.

Abstract: An RF-type amplification system, such as a classroom amplification system, employs technology adapted from a cordless telephone system to overcome interference. The amplification system includes a portable remote unit (87) and a base unit (82). Remote unit (87) includes: a microphone (151) for detecting a voice and generating corresponding voice signals; a transmitter (160, 161) which generates RF signals containing the voice signals as well as control signals provided by the central processing unit (179) of remote unit (87), and an antenna (168) for transmitting the RF signals and for receiving RF signals from base unit (82). Base unit (82) includes an antenna (107) which receives the RF signals transmitted by the remote unit and a receiver (108, 114, 115, 117) which detects the RF signals and separates the RF signals into the voice signals and control signals. The control signals are identified by a code detector (118) of base unit (82) and evaluated by a CPU (130).

Abstract: A device for applying a fluid coating, including a feed tube assembly having a plurality of feed tubes and valves for controlling the flow of fluid through each of the tubes, an extrusion tube coupled to each feed tube, and a fluid spreader coupled to the spreader tube.

Abstract: Improved signal to noise ratio to help speech comprehension in a noisy environment is accomplished by selectively downwardly expanding a speech and noise composite signal when the speech signal is absent, thereby lowering signal components which represent noise. An expansion control signal is extracted from the composite input signal. Operation is based on the assumption that when noise alone is present, the input signal amplitude is less than some reference level and that when speech and noise are present together, the input signal amplitude is greater than the reference level. The response rates of gain changes are quite rapid, and do not introduce distortion or other audibly noticeable artifacts of the processing. The amount of downward expansion of the noise alone is small compared to noise gates to further reduce processing artifacts.