Abstract: A coiled hose and system for storing the coiled hose are disclosed. The coiled hose has a memory for maintaining a consistent coiled configuration about a central axis. The coiled hose includes a kink resistor. The system for storing the coiled hose may be wall mountable or ground mountable.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a DCT unit for transforming blocks of pixels into respective blocks of transform coefficients, entropy encoders for encoding respective partitions of the DCT blocks where at least one partition comprises bit-plane data from each block of transform coefficients, and a scan output manager for storing the entropy encoded partitions in a buffer of fixed memory size. The manager manages the storing of the coded partitions in the buffer whereby during the storing of the coded partitions if it is determined the buffer is full, a coded least perceptually significant partition currently stored in the buffer is overwritten by data from a coded more perceptually significant partition.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for converting a hydrocarbon feedstock to propylene comprising: contacting an olefinic hydrocarbon feedstock boiling in the naphtha range with a catalyst comprising a zeolitic catalyst selected from the group consisting of medium pore zeolites having a ratio of silica to alumina above 200 and pore diameter less than 0.7 nm under cracking conditions to selectively produce propylene. The preferred catalyst comprises of a zeolite having an 8, 10, or 12 membered ring pore structure. The preferred catalysts are selected from the group consisting of zeolites from the families MFI, MEL, MTW, TON, MTT, FER, MFS, and the zeolites ZSM-21, ZSM-38 and ZSM-48. Preferably the method is carried out to produce propylene with greater than 50% specificity, more preferably, the propylene to butylene ratio is at least 2:1 or a propylene to ethylene ratio of at least 4:1. The olefinic hydrocarbon feedstock consists essentially of hydrocarbons boiling within the range of 18° to 220° C.

Abstract: Apparatus for mixing two fluids has separate supply lines for delivering the fluids to a mixing head. Flow rate of fluid in one supply line is monitored by arranging a pressure transducer to measure a pressure drop across an orifice in an orifice plate arranged in the supply line and a controller is responsive to the detected flow rate to control flow rate of fluid in the other supply line to achieve a desired flow ratio of both fluids at the mixing head for producing a mixed fluid having the correct proportions of both fluids. The fluids may be a concentrate syrup and a plain or carbonated water to produce a beverage.

Abstract: A charge storage device comprising: a first electrode; a second electrode being opposed to and spaced apart from the first electrode; a porous separator disposed between the electrodes; a sealed package for containing the electrodes, the separator and an electrolyte in which the electrodes are immersed; and a first terminal and a second terminal being electrically connected to the first electrode and the second electrode respectively and both extending from the package to allow external electrical connection to the respective electrodes, wherein the gravimetric FOM of the device is greater than about 2.1 Watts/gram.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a perfumed detergent tablet, the tablet comprising a clay mineral compound, and the perfume comprising less than 0.6% of Schiff-base by weight of the perfume composition.

Abstract: Water supplied from a bottle 1 is pre-chilled in a reservoir 3. A two-part water pump 11 transfers water under pressure through a jet nozzle 14 into an oxygen space 17 in a PET pressure vessel 12, which entrains oxygen into the water. The pressure vessel is received in a conductive holder 18 and is cooled by a peltier element 19 provided with cooling fins 20. The holder 18 forms a capacitive level sensor with a probe 32 inside the vessel, which starts the pump 11 when oxygenated water is drawn off via a draw tube 28 and discharge valve 31. When the water level in the oxygenating vessel is restored a solenoid valve 25 opens to restore the oxygen pressure in the vessel. For hygiene purposes the pumping body can be removed from the pump motor and replaced together with the reservoir 3 and oxygenating vessel 12 along with the associated tubing.

Abstract: A submarine casing for a submarine cable is shielded by a metal sheath from the deleterious effects of hydrogen generated from a sea-earth by electrolysis. Cylindrical parts (3,4) are covered by a wrapped metal sheet (8) and tapering parts by a fitted or shrunk sleeve (9) overlapping the sheets and having a metal lining (10), making up the sheath.

Abstract: The method encodes a digital image to provide a compressed representation of the image. The method initially performs a multi-level 2-D Discrete Wavelet Transform on the digital image, which is arranged in a hierarchical order of sub-bands. The method then tiles each sub-band to form a number of blocks of transform coefficients. The method then encodes each bitplane of each block from a maximum bitplane to a minimum bitplane in the following manner. The method divides a current bitplane into a number of first areas and/or a number of second areas, wherein each first area comprises a number of coefficients having corresponding most significant bits in the current bitplane or less and each second area comprises a number of coefficients having corresponding most significant bits in a bitplane greater than the current bitplane. The method then codes the significance of each first area in the current bitplane; and codes a corresponding bit of each coefficient in each second area of the current bitplane.

Abstract: A twisted pair and/or coaxial cable fed, integrated residence gateway controlled set-top device provides a plurality of services. One service is lifeline service which may be provided over the coaxial cable via a cable modem of the integrated residence gateway or over the twisted pair facility. An integrated residence gateway is coupled to either or both of the coaxial cable or twisted pair and distributes the bandwidth facilities available over either service vehicle to customer devices including a set top box. A network service platform (NSP) is coupled to a cable facilities management platform (FMP) for providing services for cable television subscribers as well as telecommunication service subscribers such that an interexchange or telephone company would control the network services to the subscribers. The NSP architectural concept may permit the interexchange or telephone company to be the single service provider of information to subscribers on an equal basis.

Abstract: The present invention is based on our surprising finding that, by selection of the appropriate sheet resistance of the current distribution member in conjunction with a suitably low impedance at the interface between the current distribution member (2) and the adhesive substrate (4), the incidence of peripheral hot spots and edge effects associated with high current density can be substantially reduced.

Abstract: A method of reconstructing an image, where the input image data is preferably part I or part II compliant JPEG2000 coded data, or pixel data of the original image. The method selects (810) an output resolution R, and then determines a number of sub-passes to extract from each block code based on the selected resolution. The method then extracts (830) the determined sub-passes and the remaining sub-passes are discarded. The method then reconstructs 840 the image from the extracted sub-passes. The reconstructed image can be in the form of the selected resolution of the original image, or it can be in the form of compressed image data of the selected resolution of the original image.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for automatic discovery of network devices with data forwarding capabilities. In one embodiment, the present invention sends SNMP queries to sets and/or ranges of IP numbers to determine whether a network device exists at each IP number and whether the network device has IP forwarding capabilities. The set of IP numbers searched may be specified by specifying ranges or subnets or by providing a list of discrete IP numbers. When a new network device with IP forwarding capabilities is discovered, that network device (identified by its IP number and SNMP description field) is added to a list of discovered network devices. The list is displayed to the network manager, who has the option of selecting none, one, or more than one of the network devices on the network device list for management by the network manager's network management system.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for providing uninterrupted, attenuated RF signal and AC power to downstream multiple port taps, while an upstream multiple port tap is being serviced. A multiple port tap includes a tap housing, an assembly for receiving a main signal from an upstream element and an assembly for outputting the main signal to a downstream element. The tap also includes circuitry that couples the signal receiving assembly to the signal outputting assembly. The tap circuitry used in the tap includes a signal attenuator for maintaining a level predetermined RF signal and AC power level across the tap. A housing cover plate is positioned on the housing for covering the main opening to the housing. The cover plate includes at least one subscriber connection port operatively coupled to the circuitry for delivering a signal to a subscriber. The tap further includes a signal and power bypass having a variable attenuator for coupling to the signal receiving means and signal outputting means.

Abstract: A heat transfer tile (1) of improved efficiency for beating or cooling a room, and a method for forming such a tile. The tile comprises a flat facing sheet (12), a heat exchange element and an insulation board (20), and the heat exchange element is a channelled member (15) comprising a first, flat plate (16) adjacent to the facing sheet (12) and a second, shaped plate (17) welded to the first plate (16), wherein the configuration of the shaped plate provides an elongated channel (18) between the plates (16, 17) for passage of a heating or cooling fluid through the tile.

Abstract: In a cable system for connecting to an electrical apparatus, an earthing electrode assembly includes an earthing electrode, a mechanism for attaching the electrode to the cable while maintaining electrical insulation from the cable, and an electrical connection of the electrode to the electrical apparatus, the connection being long enough that the electrode is located at a distance from the apparatus such that the apparatus is substantially protected from the electrochemical effects resulting from operation of the electrode. The earthing electrode may include a titanium core which is coated with platinum or a mixed metal oxide of tantalum and iridium. Methods of attachment are also disclosed.

Abstract: A frequency jitter compensation radar system which frequency modulates a transmitter laser beam with simultaneously generated up- and down-chirped frequency modulated signals. The frequency modulated transmitter beam is used to scan a target and a reflected light beam is received for each pixel location of a radar system. The reflected light beam is heterodyned with a local oscillator laser beam and upon detection two separate electrical signal channels are provided representing tb up- and down-chirped frequency modulated signals. These up- and down-chirped signal channels are compressed and are further processed as the return signals of a radar system as by averaging the peak detection measurement from the two channels for each pixel to provide frequency jitter compensation commonly resulting from speckle from a target. Electro-optic or acoustic-optic arrangements may be used to frequency modulate the transmitter laser beam.

Abstract: The apparatus comprises a discrete wavelet transform (DWT) engine, a code block manager, and an entropy encoder. The code block manager comprises at least one controller, which losslessly compresses the transform coefficients and stores them in a code block storage for buffering. The entropy coder comprises at least one entropy encoder, each comprising a decoder for decoding the losslessly compressed transformed coefficients prior to entropy encoding.

Abstract: The method decompresses blocks of a compressed image (202,204,206,208) and boundary filters the blocks (210). The method one-dimensionally filters across those boundary regions having a common boundary in accordance with a predetermined formulae, wherein the one-dimensional filtering is applied perpendicular to the common boundary.