Abstract: The present specification relates generally to protective wheel accessories, and specifically to an improved apparatus for protecting a rim of a wheel of a vehicle. The rim protector includes a flexible strip with a rim protector portion, which is disposed along a length of the flexible strip and is configured to be seatable on and abut an outer surface of a circumference of a rim of a wheel. Opposite the rim protector portion, the flexible strip has an insertion edge, which is insertable between the rim of the wheel and a tire. The rim protector also includes a fastening mechanism, which allows the flexible strip to be securable in a substantially circular configuration, and at least one set of teeth disposed along a longitudinal axis of the flexible strip. A related method of installing a rim protector for a rim of a wheel of a vehicle is also described.

Abstract: An underwear garment for use by a male, that is, a person having a penis and a scrotum, may be characterized as including a genital pouch and a pair of side panels collectively formed in a mid-section of a front wall depending from a waistband so as to bisect said front wall. The pouch may be pear-shaped when viewed from the front. A lower extremity of the pouch extends under and rearwardly of the front wall so as to form a perineum portion for covering rearwardly past the scrotum and to the perineum of the user. The pouch also has a phallus supporting portion extending forwardly of a plane generally containing the front wall and forming therein an apex portion for containing the head of the penis of the user when the penis is hanging at rest. The pouch also has a scrotum supporting portion extending from and between the phallus supporting portion and the perineum portion for containing at least a portion of the scrotum of the user.

Abstract: An underwear garment for use by a male, that is, a person having a penis and a scrotum, may be characterized as including a genital pouch and a pair of side panels collectively formed in a mid-section of a front wall depending from a waistband so as to bisect said front wall. The pouch may be pear-shaped when viewed from the front. A lower extremity of the pouch extends under and rearwardly of the front wall so as to form a perineum portion for covering rearwardly past the scrotum and to the perineum of the user. The pouch also has a phallus supporting portion extending forwardly of a plane generally containing the front wall and forming therein an apex portion for containing the head of the penis of the user when the penis is hanging at rest. The pouch also has a scrotum supporting portion extending from and between the phallus supporting portion and the perineum portion for containing at least a portion of the scrotum of the user.

Abstract: A wide dynamic range optical receiver has low and high sensitivity signal channels for converting first and second portions of an optical input signal into voltage values representative of the various portions of the optical input signal. The voltage signals are converted into digital values by a converting means and a reconstruction is performed in a combining means to produce a digital output representative of the optical input signal. The wide dynamic range optical receiver may be used in an optical signal measurement instrument, such as an optical time domain reflectometer, where the optical return signal from a fiber under test is coupled to the wide dynamic range optical receiver in first and second portions with the first portion having an optical power level substantially less than the second portion.

Abstract: An address generator that provides equivalent time sampling for a time domain reflectometer generates read and write addesses for simultaneous application to an aquisition memory over an address bus. For each iteration of a repetitive input signal an excitation pulse is delayed by an amount, dt, that is an integer submultiple of a sampling period, T. Read addresses for each iteration of the repetitive input signal start from an initial address and increment by T/dt for each data sample. Corresponding write addresses are generated from the read addresses one sample time later so that the address on the address bus has a read address that is one address ahead of the write address. The acquisition memory reads out data from the read address for accumulation with corresponding sampled data while accumulated data is being input to the write address.

Abstract: An input signal is sampled by alternately coupling the input signal and a reference level to a sample storage element, whereby the magnitude of the signal stored by the storage element immediately following application of the input signal to the storage element is a function of the input signal magnitude and the magnitude of the signal stored by the storage element immediately preceding coupling of the input signal to the storage element is a function of the reference level.

Abstract: An input signal is sampled by alternately coupling the input signal and a reference level to a sample storage element, whereby the magnitude of the signal stored by the storage element immediately following application of the input signal to the storage element is a function of the input signal magnitude and the magnitude of the signal stored by the storage element immediately preceding coupling of the input signal to the storage element is a function of the reference level.

Abstract: An automatic masking system is used in an optical time domain reflectometer for implementing a method of compensating for relaxation transients in an optical receiver in the OTDR. The masking system drives an optical modulator that masks the optical reciver from high amplitude optical pulses in the return reflected light from a fiber under test. A masking pattern corresponding to the high amplitude optical pulses is generated from a first acquisition of data with the receiver unmasked from the return reflected light. The masking pattern is stored and used for generating a signal from the masking system to the optical modulator for blocking the high amplitude optical pulses in the return reflected light during a subsequent acquisition of data. In a third acquisition of data of the return reflected light, the optical modulator masks the receiver from the return reflected light.

Abstract: A digital time base with differential period delay uses the difference in period between a master oscillator and a voltage controlled oscillator phase-locked to the master oscillator to achieve small time delay increments. The oscillators are used to drive respective delay generator trigger channels that have programmable counters and state machines. A first programmable counter is a clock counter to generate a lock signal to initiate a delay sequence, the lock signals from the respective channels being input to a phase detector to generate an error signal to keep the VCO phase-locked with the master oscillator. A second programmable counter is a delay counter that is controlled by a delay state machine to generate a delay signal. The delay signal is input to respective trigger state machines to generate the desired trigger signals, the duration of the trigger signals being a function of a third programmable counter.