Abstract: A barrel assembly for a pneumatic paintball gun includes a barrel body and a barrel insert. The barrel body has a breech end, a muzzle end, and a barrel bore extending longitudinally through the barrel body from the breech end to the muzzle end. The barrel insert has a breech end, a distal end, and an insert bore, and is configured to be removably housed within a breech portion of the bore of the barrel body. The breech end of the barrel body is configured to attach to a breech end of the paintball gun. The barrel insert collaborates with the barrel body to provide a firing bore for the barrel assembly which guides a paintball fired from the breech end of the gun through the barrel and out the muzzle end of the barrel body. The barrel insert can be constructed having a thin, flexible wall so as to permit lateral deformation of the barrel insert.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing a stopper from a bottle by rotating a threaded capsule surrounding the threaded neck of a bottle. The capsule is preferably received over a narrowed neck of the bottle to maintain the appearance of a foil-wrapped and cork-closed bottle. The bottle may be sealed with plugs (natural cork, synthetic cork, molded plugs), planar seals, or a combination thereof. The capsule may engage the stopper directly or by way of a stopper anchor. Aspects of the invention include preventing uncontrolled egress of stoppers from pressurized bottles, the resealing of various forms of bottles after removal of the stopper, locking the closure in place, and providing evidence of tampering.

Abstract: A barrel assembly for a pneumatic paintball gun includes a barrel body and a barrel insert. The barrel body has a breech end, a muzzle end, and a barrel bore extending longitudinally through the barrel body from the breech end to the muzzle end. The barrel insert has a breech end, a distal end, and an insert bore, and is configured to be removably housed within a breech portion of the bore of the barrel body. The breech end of the barrel body is configured to attach to a breech end of the paintball gun. The barrel insert collaborates with the barrel body to provide a firing bore for the barrel assembly which guides a paintball fired from the breech end of the gun through the barrel and out the muzzle end of the barrel body. The barrel insert can be constructed having a thin, flexible wall so as to permit lateral deformation of the barrel insert.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing a stopper from a bottle by rotating a threaded capsule surrounding the threaded neck of a bottle. The capsule is preferably received over a narrowed neck of the bottle to maintain the appearance of a foil-wrapped and cork-closed bottle. The bottle may be sealed with plugs (natural cork, synthetic cork, molded plugs), planar seals, or a combination thereof. The capsule may engage the stopper directly or by way of a stopper anchor. Aspects of the invention include preventing uncontrolled egress of stoppers from pressurized bottles, the resealing of various forms of bottles after removal of the stopper, locking the closure in place, and providing evidence of tampering.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing a stopper from a bottle by rotating a threaded capsule surrounding the threaded neck of a bottle. The capsule is preferably received over a narrowed neck of the bottle to maintain the appearance of a foil-wrapped and cork-closed bottle. The bottle may be sealed with plugs (natural cork, synthetic cork, molded plugs), planar seals, or a combination thereof. The capsule may engage the stopper directly or by way of a stopper anchor. Aspects of the invention include preventing uncontrolled egress of stoppers from pressurized bottles, the resealing of various forms of bottles after removal of the stopper, locking the closure in place, and providing evidence of tampering.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing a stopper from a bottle by rotating a threaded capsule surrounding the threaded neck of a bottle. The capsule is preferably received over a narrowed neck of the bottle to maintain the appearance of a foil-wrapped and cork-closed bottle. The bottle may be sealed with plugs (natural cork, synthetic cork, molded plugs), planar seals, or a combination thereof. The capsule may engage the stopper directly or by way of a stopper anchor. Aspects of the invention include preventing uncontrolled egress of stoppers from pressurized bottles, the resealing of various forms of bottles after removal of the stopper, locking the closure in place, and providing evidence of tampering.

Abstract: Apparatus and method are disclosed for data communication using sound. Generally, an apparatus for transmitting digital data comprises a data coder configured to convert the digital data into one or more types of sound parameters, and a sound synthesizer coupled to the data coder and configured to generate sound based on the one or more types of sound parameter. An apparatus for receiving digital data comprises a sound analyzer configured to receive sound and to extract one or more types of sound parameters from the received sound, and a data decoder coupled to the sound analyzer and configured to convert the extracted one or more types of sound parameters into the digital data.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing a cork from a bottle in which an anchor is embedded in the cork and a cork-pulling sleeve is provided for engaging the anchor for removal of the cork. The cork-pulling sleeve includes inner threads that mate with external threads on the neck of the bottle, and rotation of the cork-pulling sleeve in relation to the bottle extracts the cork.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the variable rate coding of a speech signal. An input speech signal is classified and an appropriate coding mode is selected based on this classification. For each classification, the coding mode that achieves the lowest bit rate with an acceptable quality of speech reproduction is selected. Low average bit rates are achieved by only employing high fidelity modes (i.e., high bit rate, broadly applicable to different types of speech) during portions of the speech where this fidelity is required for acceptable output. Lower bit rate modes are used during portions of speech where these modes produce acceptable output. Input speech signal is classified into active and inactive regions. Active regions are further classified into voiced, unvoiced, and transient regions. Various coding modes are applied to active speech, depending upon the required level of fidelity. Coding modes may be utilized according to the strengths and weaknesses of each particular mode.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing a stopper from a bottle by rotating a threaded capsule surrounding the threaded neck of a bottle. The capsule is preferably received over a narrowed neck of the bottle to maintain the appearance of a foil-wrapped and cork-closed bottle. The bottle may be sealed with plugs (natural cork, synthetic cork, molded plugs), planar seals, or a combination thereof. The capsule may engage the stopper directly or by way of a stopper anchor. Aspects of the invention include preventing uncontrolled egress of stoppers from pressurized bottles, the resealing of various forms of bottles after removal of the stopper, locking the closure in place, and providing evidence of tampering.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the variable rate coding of a speech signal. An input speech signal is classified and an appropriate coding mode is selected based on this classification. For each classification, the coding mode that achieves the lowest bit rate with an acceptable quality of speech reproduction is selected. Low average bit rates are achieved by only employing high fidelity modes (i.e., high bit rate, broadly applicable to different types of speech) during portions of the speech where this fidelity is required for acceptable output. Lower bit rate modes are used during portions of speech where these modes produce acceptable output. Input speech signal is classified into active and inactive regions. Active regions are further classified into voiced, unvoiced, and transient regions. Various coding modes are applied to active speech, depending upon the required level of fidelity. Coding modes may be utilized according to the strengths and weaknesses of each particular mode.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing a cork from a bottle in which an anchor is embedded in the cork and a cork-pulling sleeve is provided for engaging the anchor for removal of the cork. The cork-pulling sleeve includes inner threads that mate with external threads on the neck of the bottle, and rotation of the cork-pulling sleeve in relation to the bottle extracts the cork.

Abstract: Many of those having diabetes take a combination of slow and fast acting types of insulin. It is important that different forms of medicament do not become confused and that the patient does not receive an incorrect medicament. In order to meet the appropriate standard, certain dimensional restrictions are placed upon the cartridge. A medicament cartridge that meets the requirements of this standard and permits more ready discrimination between medicament cartridges having different contents is provided. The medicament cartridge of the present invention is provided with an electrical element having specified electrical properties located on an external face of a displaceable plunger.

Abstract: A barrel assembly for a pneumatic paintball gun includes a barrel body and a barrel insert. The barrel body has a breech end, a muzzle end, and a barrel bore extending longitudinally through the barrel body from the breech end to the muzzle end. The barrel insert has a breech end, a distal end, and an insert bore, and is configured to be removably housed within a breech portion of the bore of the barrel body. The breech end of the barrel body is configured to attach to a breech end of the paintball gun. The barrel insert collaborates with the barrel body to provide a firing bore for the barrel assembly which guides a paintball fired from the breech end of the gun through the barrel and out the muzzle end of the barrel body. The barrel insert can be constructed having a thin, flexible wall so as to permit lateral deformation of the barrel insert.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing a cork from a bottle in which an anchor is embedded in the cork and a cork-pulling sleeve is provided for engaging the anchor for removal of the cork. The cork-pulling sleeve includes inner threads that mate with external threads on the neck of the bottle, and rotation of the cork-pulling sleeve in relation to the bottle extracts the cork.

Abstract: A barrel assembly for a pneumatic paintball gun includes a barrel body and a barrel insert. The barrel body has a breech end, a muzzle end, and a barrel bore extending longitudinally through the barrel body from the breech end to the muzzle end. The barrel insert has a breech end, a distal end, and an insert bore, and is configured to be removably housed within a breech portion of the bore of the barrel body. The breech end of the barrel body is configured to attach to a breech end of the paintball gun. The barrel insert collaborates with the barrel body to provide a firing bore for the barrel assembly which guides a paintball fired from the breech end of the gun through the barrel and out the muzzle end of the barrel body. The barrel insert can be constructed having a thin, flexible wall so as to permit lateral deformation of the barrel insert.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for coding a quasi-periodic speech signal. The speech signal is represented by a residual signal generated by filtering the speech signal with a Linear Predictive Coding (LPC) analysis filter. The residual signal is encoded by extracting a prototype period from a current frame of the residual signal. A first set of parameters is calculated which describes how to modify a previous prototype period to approximate the current prototype period. One or more codevectors are selected which, when summed, approximate the error between the current prototype period and the modified previous prototype. A multi-stage codebook is used to encode this error signal. A second set of parameters describe these selected codevectors. The decoder synthesizes an output speech signal by reconstructing a current prototype period based on the first and second set of parameters, and the previous reconstructed prototype period.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the variable rate coding of a speech signal. An input speech signal is classified and an appropriate coding mode is selected based on this classification. For each classification, the coding mode that achieves the lowest bit rate with an acceptable quality of speech reproduction is selected. Low average bit rates are achieved by only employing high fidelity modes (i.e., high bit rate, broadly applicable to different types of speech) during portions of the speech where this fidelity is required for acceptable output. Lower bit rate modes are used during portions of speech where these modes produce acceptable output. Input speech signal is classified into active and inactive regions. Active regions are further classified into voiced, unvoiced, and transient regions. Various coding modes are applied to active speech, depending upon the required level of fidelity. Coding modes may be utilized according to the strengths and weaknesses of each particular mode.

Abstract: A paintball gun according to this invention comprises a pressure regulator, an electronic solenoid valve, a firing valve assembly, a pneumatic ram assembly, and a firing chamber. The pressure regulator is configured to provide low pressure gas to a solenoid valve to control loading and firing operations of the paintball gun. The pressure regulator is further configured to supply low pressure gas to the firing chamber via operation of the firing valve assembly during a firing operation. The firing valve assembly can be configured with an opening, a valve chamber, and an exit port in fluid communication with the firing chamber, each having a size sufficient to allow an appropriate volume of gas flow to be supplied to the firing chamber with no significant drop-off in pressure. The firing valve assembly can also be provided with an o-ring seated around the valve cap to provide sensitivity to the firing valve, allowing it to open and close quickly in order to ensure near instantaneous shutoff with minimal load.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for coding a quasi-periodic speech signal. The speech signal is represented by a residual signal generated by filtering the speech signal with a Linear Predictive Coding (LPC) analysis filter. The residual signal is encoded by extracting a prototype period from a current frame of the residual signal. A first set of parameters is calculated which describes how to modify a previous prototype period to approximate the current prototype period. One or more codevectors are selected which, when summed, approximate the error between the current prototype period and the modified previous prototype. A multi-stage codebook is used to encode this error signal. A second set of parameters describe these selected codevectors. The decoder synthesizes an output speech signal by reconstructing a current prototype period based on the first and second set of parameters, and the previous reconstructed prototype period.