Abstract: A device and system for purifying a fluid is provided. The system includes a tank having an interior space and a media container disposed within the interior space. A valve is provided that cooperates with an element within the interior, the valve being movable between an open and a closed position. The valve being biased to the open position when the element is not positioned within the interior space, wherein the interior space is fluidly coupled to the atmosphere in the open position. The valve further being configured to move to a closed position when the element is positioned within the interior space.

Abstract: A device and system for purifying a fluid is provided. The system includes a tank having an interior space and a media container disposed within the interior space. A valve is provided that cooperates with an element within the interior, the valve being movable between an open and a closed position. The valve being biased to the open position when the element is not positioned within the interior space, wherein the interior space is fluidly coupled to the atmosphere in the open position. The valve further being configured to move to a closed position when the element is positioned within the interior space.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for protecting user privacy by providing an inaccurate measure of network systems automatically initiates one or more non-user requested accesses to one or more network systems. The data received from the host system corresponding to the one or more non-user requested accesses is then automatically ignored.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for masquerading online is provided. A user supplies one or more transformation factors by selecting aspects of a stored user profile or by specifying desired attributes directly. The transformation factors are subsequently used to disguise the user's identity by generating suggested masqueraded output or by altering the user's input based upon the transformation factors. User input is received that is to be transmitted. The user input is then transformed into a masqueraded user output. The resulting masqueraded user output conforms to the transformation factors while maintaining the same basic meaning as the original user input. The masqueraded user output is then transmitted in place of the original user input.

Abstract: Method and apparatus of mutual exclusion for executing protected code in a computer system. If an interrupt occurs during the execution of protected code, then the computer system is reconfigured to exclude interrupts having a lower priority than the current exclusion level and the interrupt is either deferred (if it has a lower priority than the current dessired exclusion level) or serviced (if it has a priority higher than the current desked exclusion level). In some embodiments, for computer systems which use a programmable interrupt controller (PIC), the PIC is reprogrammed. In other systems using a software-controlled interrupt handling, the kernel of the operating system is informed of the change in exclusion level. In summary, the system is only configured to a new exclusion level if an interrupt actually occurs, and thus, the latency resulting from reconfiguration is not incurred if an interrupt is not generated during the execution of the protected code.

Abstract: Graphical, video, and audio dam is integrated into a single processing environment. The present invention employs an integrated graphics/video controller (IVC) which interfaces with application software through a graphics API and a video API. The IVC receives graphics commands through the graphics API and video commands through the video API. A mask driver produces information from the graphics commands including clipping information, graphics information and mask information. A blender uses the mask information, the graphics information, and the clipping information for combining or compositing graphics images with video images. The video commands of the video command stream provide functions for configuring the operation of the IVC. These functions include commands for loading software video decoders in a decoder block within the IVC. Video data transferred to the IVC via the video API may be encoded in a variety of different formats.

Abstract: A card having an uninterrupted strip of magnetizable material affixed to the surface of a substrate can carry a machine readable code in the form of a magnetized pattern. By removing alternate magnetized segments, in a column of parallel rifts across the strip, the machines readable code becomes non-alterable, since a uniform, unidirectional magnetization of the remaining material restores the original code.

Abstract: Alarm system for monitoring pressurized vehicular tires for their gas mass, basically comprising a wheel unit for at least some of the tires of the vehicle, and a common receiver. Each wheel unit has an antenna made of a flexible material in the form of an open annulus, suitable to be snapped into and held by its resilience against the inner periphery of the respective tire, a continuous wire loop being embedded in the annulus for transmitting signals but optionally also for receiving power. At symmetrical location about the inside of the antenna, an electro-magnentic power generator module, a gas-mass monitoring sensor module, and a signal transmitter are mounted, electrically interconnected, for giving a preferably two-bit signal indication to the common receiver. The latter may have signal decoding and alarm circuitry to display at least two different conditions, namely a warning and an alarm condition.

Abstract: This relates to a cryptographically secure communication system employed with an analog input, an analog output and a transmission medium each having a given low frequency pass band with a predetermined bandwidth. The input analog signal is sampled and then quantized to have an amplitude equal to one of a predetermined number of discrete amplitude levels. This quantized signal is applied together with a first sequence of signal representing randomly and with substantially equal probability the discrete amplitude levels to a modulo - M adder to encrypt the sample pulses. These encrypted sample pulses are converted to an encrypted analog signal for propagation through the transmission medium. The encrypted analog signal is received from the medium and then sampled and quantized to provide the encrypted amplitude samples at the receiver.

Abstract: An electromagnetic power generator for installation in the interior of a vehicular tire, working on the principle of deriving energy from the fact that a portion of the tire becomes flattened once every revolution, causing a change in the length of the corresponding chord. A small closed magnetic circuit is alternately opened and closed by this movement, by means of a flexible strap coupled between the tire interior and the magnetic circuit. The circuit is reclosed by magnetic attraction.

Abstract: A vehicle tire gas mass sensor having a sealed cylinder containing a non-toxic and inert gas. The cylinder is sealed at one end with a diaphragm and contains a sealable plug at an opposite end for admitting the inert gas. Sealing is permanent after the introduction of gas. The diaphragm moves freely in response to pressure differential between the inside predetermined pressure of the inert gas and pressure existing in the environment in which sensor is installed. The sensor is defined by a first, second and third contacts which are responsive to diaphragm movement caused by pressure differentials in the cylinder. In turn opening and closing of the contacts actuates alarms for indicating such pressure differential. Equilibrium conditions as between the interior and environment of the sensor are reflected by the movement of diaphragm to compensate for temperature variation occurring at these locations.