Abstract: A system for use in a vehicle, including a steering element situated opposite a driver seat in a vehicle, the steering element including a plurality of proximity sensors encased in the periphery of the steering element operable to detect hand gestures along the outer periphery of the steering element, an interactive deck housed in the vehicle, for providing at least one of radio broadcast, video broadcast, audio entertainment, video entertainment and navigational assistance in the vehicle, and a processor housed in the vehicle, coupled with the proximity sensors and the deck, operable to identify the hand gestures detected by the proximity sensors, and to control the deck in response to thus-identified hand gestures.

Abstract: A controller including a chip package coupled with a light-based touch screen, emitter driver circuitry inside the chip package for selectively activating photoemitters that are outside of the chip package, detector driver circuitry inside the chip package for selectively activating photo detectors that are outside of the chip package, detector signal processing circuitry for generating detection signals representing amounts of light detected on the photo detectors, signal conducting pins for connecting the photoemitters to the emitter driver circuitry, signal conducting pins for connecting the photo detectors to the detector driver circuitry and to the detector signal processing circuitry, controller circuitry inside the chip package for controlling the emitter driver circuitry and the detector driver circuitry, and at least one input/output pin for outputting the detection signals to a host processor, for the host processor to identify one or more locations on the touch screen that are being touched.

Abstract: A light-based touch-sensitive surface, including a housing, a surface attached to the housing for receiving touch input, a plurality of light sources in the housing for emitting light that crosses the surface, a plurality of light receivers in the housing for detecting the light emitted by the light sources, a curved lens adjacent to the surface through which the light emitted by the light sources passes, including two substantially similarly curved exterior panels, one of which forms a curved rim for the surface, and a calculating unit in said housing, connected to the light receivers, for calculating a touch location based on an absence of light expected to be received by the receivers.

Abstract: A method for use by a touch screen in which light transmitted inside the screen is scattered by an object touching the screen from outside the screen, the method including activating emitter-receiver pairs for a plurality of emitters and receivers while an object is touching a screen from outside the screen, wherein light emitted by each emitter is transmitted inside the screen, wherein each emitter is associated with a limited number of receivers that detect significant light from such emitter while no object is touching the screen, and wherein the activated emitter-receiver pairs include pairs for which the receiver is not associated with the emitter in the pair, determining that receivers not associated with emitters detect significant light due to the object scattering the light emitted by the emitters, and deriving the location where the object is touching the screen from the determining.

Abstract: An electronic device, including a housing, a display mounted in the housing, a plurality of proximity sensors mounted in the housing near the edges of the display and directed outward from the display, for detecting presence of an object outside the display and near the edges of the display, and a processor mounted in the housing and coupled with the display and with the proximity sensors, for operating the device responsive to user activation of elements of a graphical user interface (GUI), the GUI including a displayed portion that is rendered by the processor on the display, and a virtual non-displayed portion that extends beyond the edges of the display, wherein the processor operates the device responsive to user activation of elements of the virtual portion of the GUI, based on the proximity sensors detecting presence of an object in the non-displayed portion of the GUI.

Abstract: A bushing including a bottom contact, and a tubular conductor, having a lower part having an end in electrical and mechanical contact with the bottom contact, and a draw rod arrangement, inside the conductor, arranged to exert sufficient contact pressure between the bottom contact and the conductor, and the draw rod arrangement includes a member in mechanical contact with the conductor and draw rod having a second end, fixedly connected to the bottom contact, and a first end in connection to the member and clamping means, the clamping means is adapted to apply a force, urging the member in the direction of the bottom contact to generate sufficient contact pressure between the bottom contact and the conductor. The member of the draw rod arrangement is arranged to apply the force to the lower part of the conductor.

Abstract: A touch screen system, including a housing, a display mounted in the housing, a plurality of light pulse emitters mounted in the housing below the display, a plurality of light pulse receivers mounted in the housing below the display, a first light guide, mounted in the housing along a first edge of the display, including a first substantially parabolic reflective surface for reflecting light pulses transmitted by the emitters, and a first substantially elliptical refractive surface, positioned substantially above the first substantially parabolic reflective surface, for refracting the reflected light pulses over the display, a second light guide, mounted in the housing along an opposite edge of the display, including a second substantially elliptical refractive surface for further refracting the light pulse refracted by the first substantially elliptical refractive surface, and a second substantially parabolic reflective surface, positioned substantially below the second substantially elliptical refractive s

Abstract: A touch screen, including a layer of light-transmissive material having an upper surface that is exposed for touch by one or more objects, a plurality of light emitters underneath the upper surface, a first lens assembly for directing light beams emitted by the light emitters into the layer at an angle such that the light beams, when entering the layer, remain confined to the layer by total internal reflection when the light beams are not absorbed by any of the objects touching the upper surface, a plurality of light detectors for detecting light beams and for generating outputs indicating the amounts of light detected, a second lens assembly for directing light beams at a surface of the layer towards the light detectors, and a calculating unit for determining respective one or more locations of the one or more objects touching the upper surface, based on outputs of the light detectors.

Abstract: A light guide for illuminating a display screen, including a vertical cone-shaped entrance surface including an aperture for admitting light beams emitted by an LED, a folding mirror for reflecting the admitted light beams at an angle of approximately 90°, and for horizontally collimating the admitted light beams, a horizontal guide for guiding the reflected light beams to an exit surface, and an exit surface positioned above a perimeter of a display screen for directing the guided light towards a portion of the display screen, the exit surface being tilted vertically from the horizontal at a slight angle to direct the guided light beams towards the display, and being shaped horizontally as a concave lens to spread the guided light beams horizontally over an angular expanse of the display screen.

Abstract: A light-based finger gesture user interface for an electronic device including a housing for an electronic device, a display mounted in the housing, a cavity, separated from the display, penetrating two opposite sides of the housing, a detector mounted in the housing operative to detect an object inserted in the cavity, and a processor connected to the detector and to the display for causing the display to render a visual representation in response to output from the detector.

Abstract: A test body for use in determining moisture content in a laminated insulation of a power transformer by measuring a dielectric frequency response of the test body. The test body has a laminated structure of the same material as the laminated insulation, and has a shape and a size to obtain moisture content characteristics that resembles the moisture content characteristics of the laminated power transformer insulation. The test body further includes electrodes, which are embedded in the laminated structure.

Abstract: A method and system for protecting software products from unauthorized use and distribution is described. The system comprises a client process executed on a client computer coupled to a producer computer over a network. The method comprises the steps of providing to a user a copy of the distributed software, the distributed software comprising an incomplete executable program requiring a security module to be installed prior to execution on the client computer. The user receives a registration code for use with the distributed software. Upon attempted execution of the distributed software the producer computer requests user registration from the user. Upon receipt of the registration information including the registration code from the user, the producer computer validates the registration code and constructing a security module for transmission to the client computer. The security module is integrated with the distributed software to allow execution of the executable program.

Abstract: An arc detector for detecting undesired arcs. The arc detector includes: an antenna for receiving an electromagnetic signal representing an arc; and a discriminator for analyzing a signal from the antenna, the discriminator including a spectrum analyzer arranged to detect whether the signal represents a normal arc or an undesired arc. The discriminator is arranged to detect whether the signal represents a normal arc or an undesired arc by comparing signal levels at frequencies of a spectrum of the signal corresponding to at least one partial reference spectrum, and determining the arc to be a normal arc if a deviation from the reference spectrum is less than a threshold deviation. A corresponding method is also presented.

Abstract: A DC switching device including a plurality of arc-extinguishing chambers and a plurality of contacting units conductively connected in series to each other, each of the contacting units including a stationary contact and a movable contact movable between a rest position and a working position, an air gap is formed between the contacts when the movable contact is moved from the working position to the rest position and each of the chambers enclosing a contacting unit and including a splitter plate unit including one or more splitter plates arranged for splitting and cooling an arc occurring in the air gap between the contacts. The chambers include a permanent magnet for generating a magnetic field between the contacting unit and the splitter plate unit and the splitter plates are made of non-ferromagnetic material, and the splitter plates of the chambers are made of ferromagnetic material.

Abstract: A light-based finger gesture user interface for an electronic device including a housing for an electronic device, a display mounted in the housing, a cavity, separated from the display, penetrating two opposite sides of the housing, a detector mounted in the housing operative to detect an object inserted in the cavity, and a processor connected to the detector and to the display for causing the display to render a visual representation in response to output from the detector.

Abstract: A light-based finger gesture user interface for an electronic device including a housing for an electronic device, a display mounted in the housing, a cavity, separated from the display, penetrating two opposite sides of the housing, a detector mounted in the housing operative to detect an object inserted in the cavity, and a processor connected to the detector and to the display for causing the display to render a visual representation in response to output from the detector.

Abstract: A DC switching device including a plurality of arc-extinguishing chambers and a plurality of contacting units conductively connected in series to each other, each of the contacting units including a stationary contact and a movable contact movable between a rest position and a working position, an air gap is formed between the contacts when the movable contact is moved from the working position to the rest position and each of the chambers enclosing a contacting unit and including a splitter plate unit including one or more splitter plates arranged for splitting and cooling an arc occurring in the air gap between the contacts. The chambers include a permanent magnet for generating a magnetic field between the contacting unit and the splitter plate unit and the splitter plates are made of non-ferromagnetic material, and the splitter plates of the chambers are made of ferromagnetic material.

Abstract: A method of attaching a component to a substrate, including providing a component guide attached to a substrate, the component guide having a cavity substantially conforming to contours of a portion of a component, attaching a first solder pad to the component, inserting the component into the guide cavity, providing a second solder pad, offset from the first solder pad and near the cavity, and inserting the component, the component guide and the substrate into an oven heating the solder pads, wherein the component is drawn further into the guide cavity by a capillary effect of the heated solder pads.

Abstract: A high voltage bushing including a voltage grading shield in two parts.

Abstract: A combination of a dental restoration and a plurality of attachment members is disclosed. The dental restoration includes a plurality of support members configured to be releasably attached to an attachment member. Each attachment member includes a first support surface facing in the coronal direction of the attachment member for supporting a corresponding support member, and a second support surface facing in the apical direction of the attachment member and towards the longitudinal axis of the support member and being configured for engagement with a support surface of a dental fixture. Each attachment member includes an attachment portion at a coronal portion for receiving a fastening member for releasably attaching one of the support members. The first support surface has an angle relative the longitudinal axis of the attachment member measured from its apical towards its coronal end that is larger than a corresponding angle of the second support surface.