Abstract: Vibration damper with amplitude-selective damping force that includes a piston rod, which is guided with freedom of axial movement in a damping medium-filled cylinder. The piston rod carries a piston arrangement, which divides the cylinder into a working space on the side of the piston with the piston rod and a working space on the side of the piston opposite the piston rod, where a flow connection, which, as a function of the movement of the piston rod, determines a damping force by means of a switching ring, which moves axially between two stop surfaces, in conjunction with at least one axially movable valve ring in a switching ring groove. The switching ring cooperates with one stop surface to form the boundaries of an annular space adjacent to the working space on the piston rod side and with another stop surface to form the boundary of an annular space adjacent to the working space on the side of the piston opposite the piston rod.

Abstract: A vibration damper with amplitude-selective damping force includes a cylinder containing a damping medium, a piston rod which is axially movable in the cylinder, and a piston assembly arranged for axial movement in the damping medium, the piston assembly being connected to the piston rod and dividing the cylinder into a working space around the piston rod and a working space opposite the piston rod, the piston assembly includes a piston body having connecting channels for opposite directions of flow between the working spaces, and valve disks which open the channels in respective opposite directions. A pilot assembly includes an axially movable shifting ring which controls a flow connection between the working spaces as a function of movement of the piston rod, and a pair of stop surfaces which limit axial movement of the shifting ring, wherein the stop surfaces are independent of the piston body and the valve disks.

Abstract: A barrier system for a line leadthrough in an electric installation has mutually adjacent wall elements forming barriers that extend in an axial longitudinal direction and are spaced apart from each other, forming channels. The wall elements lie partially on a support, at least at their lower ends. The wall elements are joined by a plug element to the leadthrough. Slots having a width which corresponds to the wall thickness of the wall elements are arranged in the plug element. The wall elements can be inserted into the slots, thus permitting a barrier system to be quickly and easily assembled and disassembled.

Abstract: A specific electrode arrangement for a burner already exists with which the flame of the burner is influenced by using electrical fields, whereby these electrical fields pass through only areas of the flame in which a stabilizing and pollutant-reducing action occurs. According to at least one embodiment of the invention, the electrodes used to this end simultaneously serve both as probes for detecting flame properties as well as active field electrodes for influencing the flame properties. The probe signals can react to the voltage applied in an inertia-free manner to the electrodes without the involvement of mechanical elements. According to the associated device equipped with a burner and associated electrodes and with a power supply unit, the power supply unit furnishes a voltage that varies over time, and at least one measuring transducer exists that detects the current generated in the flame by the voltage between both electrodes and provides feedback to the power supply unit after amplification.

Abstract: A vibration damper including a cylinder filled with damping medium; a piston rod axially moveable in the cylinder; a piston mounted on the piston rod in the cylinder, the piston dividing the cylinder into a first working space around the piston rod and a second working space away from the piston rod; a valve opening communicating with the first working space; a valve ring on the piston rod and in the first working space, the valve ring being configured to influence an inflow into the valve opening; and a valve sleeve surrounding the piston rod. The valve ring is axially moveable in the valve sleeve.

Abstract: Particle concentration is monitored in a gas stream, in particular rust particle concentration in the exhaust gas stream of an internal combustion engine. A sensor in the gas stream collects the particles that are monitored. The sensor is integrated as a capacitive element in an electromagnetic resonant circuit excited by an alternating voltage. The sensor includes a non-conducting base body and two electrodes spaced apart from each other. A characteristic value of the resonant circuit varying on the basis of the particle load of the sensor is determined as a reference value when the sensor is unloaded. The change in the characteristic value due to the particle load is determined relative to the reference value.

Abstract: A method for reducing the particulate emissions containing carbon of diesel motors uses surface discharges to regenerate a filter. An appropriate wall flow filter is configured from alternately closed longitudinal channels. The electrodes are embedded in the filter material and are thus protected from erosion. Two electrodes are sufficient for selectively generating the surface discharges in the inlet channel of the wall flow filter as a result of a suitable geometric arrangement.

Abstract: In order to ignite fuel/air mixtures in at least one combustion chamber of a spark ignition engine, the following steps arc carried out: an HF gas discharge as the main discharge (6) is ignited in order to produce a plasma channel (11) in the region of the border between an ignition element and the combustion chamber, and an HF gas discharge as an auxiliary discharge (5) is previously or, at the most, simultaneously ignited in order to generate a flow (12) oriented towards that of the plasma channel (11). The auxiliary discharge (5) is positioned, from the combustion chamber, behind the main discharge (6), such that the oriented flow (12) presses the plasma channel (11) of the main discharge into the combustion chamber.

Abstract: A method of operating a combustor (10), to provide intimately mixed hot combusted gas (44) for a gas turbine (46), includes feeding gaseous oxidant (12) and gaseous fuel (16) into the combustor (10) near a combustion flame (28) which has a tip end (39) and a root end (29), where corona discharge occurs through adjustment of an electric field (34), and where the corona discharge causes ionized particles (36) to form and also causes intimate turbulent mixing of the gases.

Abstract: A vibration damper with amplitude-selective damping force includes a piston rod carrying a piston arrangement axially movably arranged in a cylinder and dividing the cylinder into two working spaces. A flow connection is present between the working spaces and controlled by an axially movable switching ring which cooperates with a working surface which faces the ring to define a pilot opening cross section. A bypass channel with at least two connecting openings to the flow connection is provided hydraulically in parallel to the flow connection. At least one connecting opening upstream of each of two stop surface of the switching ring. A check valve arrangement separates the bypass channel and the flow connection from each other in the different flow directions as a function of the movements of the piston rod, the check valve arrangement having two check valves which close in opposite directions.

Abstract: A vibration damper with amplitude-selective damping force includes a cylinder containing a damping medium, a piston rod which is axially movable in the cylinder, and a piston assembly arranged for axial movement in the damping medium, the piston assembly being connected to the piston rod and dividing the cylinder into a working space around the piston rod and a working space opposite the piston rod, the piston assembly includes a piston body having connecting channels for opposite directions of flow between the working spaces, and valve disks which open the channels in respective opposite directions. A pilot assembly includes an axially movable shifting ring which controls a flow connection between the working spaces as a function of movement of the piston rod, and a pair of stop surfaces which limit axial movement of the shifting ring, wherein the stop surfaces are independent of the piston body and the valve disks.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for enhancing user experience in a VOD system by providing a facility to remotely control a client device is disclosed. In one exemplary embodiment, a method to synchronize in-band and out-of-band settings of the client device is provided. In another embodiment, a method to perform synchronization of content catalogue on the client device with network-side counterpart with minimal burden on network bandwidth is provided.

Abstract: A set-top appliance for a video on demand service through which Internet content is available for download is identifiable through a unique identification number but becomes associated with the service (e.g., during an installation of the set-top appliance) using a pass phrase automatically generated from a database (e.g., dictionary of words and phrases) and provided to a customer of the VOD service via the set-top appliance. Use of such a pass phrase during the installation process relieves the user from having to remember the often lengthy and complex unique identification number for the set-top appliance.

Abstract: Information regarding new programs available for viewing within a video-on-demand (VOD) service is added to a program guide used by subscribers for downloading and viewing such programs through a user interface configured for use by content providers. In one embodiment, the content itself and metadata describing it are passed to the VOD service; while in other embodiments, only the location of the content is provided with the metadata. The content and metadata may be reviewed at the discretion of the service provider before it appears in the program guide.

Abstract: A virtual dictionary contains keywords extracted from metadata describing multimedia content. A virtual keyboard of alphanumeric characters is configured for display on a display device such that as a character is selected from the virtual keyboard using navigation and selection controls associated with a set-top appliance only those alphanumeric characters which appear in sequence in one or more of the keywords contained in the virtual dictionary are displayed on the display device for a next selection.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for managing download of content to a client device are disclosed. In one aspect, the download process is optimized for bandwidth usage by using criteria such as time of day, level of network activity and priority of download. In another aspect, download of content is prioritized based on certain rules, user inputs and pre-emptive events on the client device. A computer program embodying these methods and a multimedia client device adapted to run this program are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for reducing the particulate emissions containing carbon of diesel motors uses surface discharges to regenerate a filter. An appropriate wall flow filter is configured from alternately closed longitudinal channels. The electrodes are embedded in the filter material and are thus protected from erosion. Two electrodes are sufficient for selectively generating the surface discharges in the inlet channel of the wall flow filter as a result of a suitable geometric arrangement.