Abstract: A case (1), such as a suitcase or trolley case, with a seat (6) is disclosed. The case has a channel (7A, 7B) provided near or along a surface (such as the rear surface 4B) of the case, and the seat is movable between a first stowed position in which the seat is held within the channel and a second seating position in which at least part of the seat lies substantially flat along the top surface (4C) of the case. The seat may be stowed within a pocket (5) along the surface of the case, with the channel being housed inside the pocket. Alternatively, the surface of the seat may also act as the case surface when the seat is in the stowed position.

Abstract: The present invention provides an architecture for translating closed captioning text originally provided with a video program from one language to another and presenting the translated closed captioning text with the video program to a viewer. As such, the viewers are able to receive the closed captioning text in languages other than that used for the closed captioning originally provided with the video program. The original closed captioning text may be translated from one language to another by a centralized closed captioning processor, such that the customer equipment for various subscribers can take advantage of centralized translation services. Once the original closed captioning text is translated, the translated closed captioning text may be delivered to the customer equipment in different ways.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed towards apparatuses, systems and methods for providing improved sensor-based patient monitoring and tracking. In accordance with one aspect, a method is provided for adjusting a vital sign alarm threshold of a vital status sensor as a function of a patient's GPS data, which may comprise: altitude data, velocity data, and position data. In accordance with another aspect, a method is provided for adjusting one or more alarm detection parameters based in part on a patient's calculated heart rate variability (HRV) data. According to yet another aspect, an electronic triage tag is configured to include a colored card insertion region for inserting a colored card for preventing the device from being inadvertently activated, an LCD screen and a series of LEDs for displaying the triage status of a patient (red, yellow, green, black).

Abstract: A private messaging system including multiple interoperating, yet potentially competing, trusted couriers. A method and apparatus are provided for the purpose of distributing a trusted courier such that foreground and background messages are handled independently by separate components.

Abstract: A system and method for minimizing the environmental impact of water handling equipment such as heat exchangers and water handling systems, as for example those located at an LNG receiving facility. The system and method utilizes a low-speed pump impeller to flow the warmant through the annulus of the heat exchanger to minimize biota destruction caused by the pump impellers. Further, the system and method places the water intake pipes at levels in the source or reservoir for the water where biota concentration is at a minimum such that biota flowing through the annulus is minimized. No biocide, scale or corrosion inhibitors are injected during normal operation. The system or a portion of the system is shut down periodically to allow injection to a flush fluid containing biocide, scale inhibiters, and/or corrosion inhibitors. The flush is then drained and recovered.

Abstract: A system for remotely monitoring electrical equipment in an enclosed cabinet, having an ultrasonic detector located in the enclosed cabinet and detecting ultrasonic emissions generated by the electrical equipment, e.g., arcing, and heterodyning those ultrasonic emissions into an audio signal, a data converter which generates a digitized version of the audio signal, and a processing unit located remotely from the enclosed cabinet which receives the digitized signal over a transmitting line, and analyzes the digitized signal to determine whether there is an actual or potential failure condition.

Abstract: In the past, “compensated” salt caverns have operated with a compensating liquid, such as brine to displace a stored liquid, such as crude oil, when the stored liquid is needed on the surface. Virtually all of the stored liquid in a compensated salt cavern can be expelled from the salt cavern when it is filled with the compensating liquid. In the past, “uncompensated” salt caverns have been used to store gases, such as natural gas. Uncompensated caverns operate without any compensating liquid; instead they rely on pressure. Some of the stored gas (cushion gas) must always be left in an uncompensated salt cavern. This invention breaks with convention and uses a compensating liquid in a salt cavern to store gases which is a technique believed to be previously unknown. “Cushion gas” is not required because the compensating liquid displaces virtually all of the gas in the salt cavern.

Abstract: A focal point reflector is used in conjunction with a dual heterodyne circuit to reduce reception nulls that can occur when performing ultrasonic measurements. The focal plane reflector is a flat non-porous or reflective material, such as printed circuit board (PCB) that is placed behind and in parallel with an ultrasonic array of piezoelectric transducers. In accordance with the invention, the addition of the focal point reflector to the array of piezoelectric array permits the reflection of ultrasonic energy that may “fall” between the crystals in the array and then back into the crystal elements.

Abstract: The methods and apparatus for transporting compressed gas includes a gas storage system having a plurality of pipes connected by a manifold whereby the gas storage system is designed to operate in the range of the optimum compressibility factor for a given composition of gas. The pipe for the gas storage system is preferably large diameter pipe made of a high strength material whereby a low temperature is selected which can be withstood by the material of the pipe. Knowing the compressibility factor of the gas, the temperature, and the diameter of the pipe, the wall thickness of the pipe is calculated for the pressure range of the gas at the selected temperature. The gas storage system may either be modular or be part of the structure of a vehicle for transporting the gas. The gas storage system further includes enclosing the pipes in an enclosure having a nitrogen atmosphere. A displacement fluid may be used to offload the gas from the gas storage system.

Abstract: A pet food that comprises a mixture of kibbles and pellets. The pellets comprise a plurality of ingredients, one or more of which are nutrients, such as antioxidants, vitamins or minerals, that have a potency that is free of substantial thermal degradation. The pellets are made by a cold forming process at temperatures below the thermal degradation temperatures of the ingredients.

Abstract: The Dual Gas Facility stores natural gas in one or more man-made salt caverns typically located in a single salt dome or in bedded salt. The Dual Gas Facility can access different sources of natural gas. A first gas source is from a natural gas pipeline(s) and a second gas source is from LNG. Depending on economic conditions, supply conditions and other factors, the Dual Gas Facility can receive gas from the natural gas pipeline(s) and/or from LNG to fill the salt caverns. Of course, the LNG must be warmed before being stored in a salt cavern.

Abstract: A battery protection structure is described. The structure provides battery overcharging protection while allowing for minimal battery voltage drop during normal battery operation. One resistance element sets voltage drop during normal operation, and the sum of two resistance elements sets the maximum battery charging current which will be allowed. The structure provides protection against single component failures.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention facilitates efficient metering in a packet network environment by providing a single metering message, which contains sufficient information to provide the complete call tariff model for a particular call. The media gateway receiving the message can analyze the information provided in the message to determine how to provide metering pulses for all phases of the call, as well as any one-time charges, such as setup and add-on charges. Another embodiment of the invention provides a way for handling fractional pulse counts in an efficient manner. Yet another embodiment facilitates the handling of situations where charge intervals do not divide evenly into the phase duration of the phase associated with the call. In still another embodiment, the amount of information necessary to deliver the parameters of the call tariff model is minimized to reduce the overhead necessary for facilitating the metering process.

Abstract: A system and method for eliminating confusion associated with checking valves, wherein additional test points are added to the measurement of a valve for ensuring the verification of the actual sources of leaks or turbulence. A base line measurement for the valve is established by measuring the level of ultrasonic sound at the two points upstream from the valve. The level of the ultrasound at two downstream points is then measured. The value of the ultrasound at the downstream test points is compared to the values of the ultrasound at the upstream test points. If the values of ultrasound at the downstream test points are higher than the values of the ultrasound at the upstream test points, then the valve is leaking. If the values of the ultrasound at the downstream test points are close to or lower than the values of the ultrasound at the upstream test points, then the valve is not leaking, i.e., the valve is good.

Abstract: A selector valve arrangement (4 or 6) primarily for a shower bath unit comprises a radially directed and angularly movable flow directing ported valve member (40 or 60) within a valve chamber (41 or 61) having ports (45-48 or 63-65) with which porting (44 or 66) of the valve member (40 or 60) selectively communicates on appropriate rotational positioning of the valve member (40 or 60). The valve member (40 or 60) receives fluid (usually water) for distribution through a selected port or ports (45-48 or 63-65) from an on/off fluid flow control inlet valve (43 or 30). In one arrangement a spindle (42) for rotating the valve member (40) is also axially operable and releasably lockable (49, 50) for operating the on/off flow valve (43).

Abstract: An electronic message system that includes a messaging infrastructure to transport an electronic message, where the message includes a message header, a first messaging agent and a second messaging agent in communication with the messaging infrastructure, and a message server to route the message from the first messaging agent to the second messaging agent, where the network server is in communication with the messaging infrastructure, and where the message header is encrypted when being transported by the messaging infrastructure. Also, a method of transporting an electronic message, that includes sending the message from a sender to a message server, where the message server verifies the sender is a sending agent that is registered with the message server, decrypting a message header in the message to ascertain the recipients to receive the message, verifying the recipients are recipient agents that are registered with the message server, and sending the message.

Abstract: A system and method for eliminating confusion associated with checking valves, wherein additional test points are added to the measurement of a valve for ensuring the verification of the actual sources of leaks or turbulence. A base line measurement for the valve is established by measuring the level of ultrasonic sound at the two points upstream from the valve. The level of the ultrasound at two downstream points is then measured. The value of the ultrasound at the downstream test points is compared to the values of the ultrasound at the upstream test points. If the values of ultrasound at the downstream test points are higher than the values of the ultrasound at the upstream test points, then the valve is leaking. If the values of the ultrasound at the downstream test points are close to or lower than the values of the ultrasound at the upstream test points, then the valve is not leaking, i.e., the valve is good.

Abstract: A focal point reflector is used in conjunction with a dual heterodyne circuit to reduce reception nulls that can occur when performing ultrasonic measurements. The focal plane reflector is a flat non-porous or reflective material, such as printed circuit board (PCB) that is placed behind and in parallel with an ultrasonic array of piezoelectric transducers. In accordance with the invention, the addition of the focal point reflector to the array of piezoelectric array permits the reflection of ultrasonic energy that may “fall” between the crystals in the array and then back into the crystal elements.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting leaks and mechanical faults by way of an ultrasonic device. An output from a variable gain amplifier is supplied to a pair of heterodyning circuits, i.e., a dual heterodyning circuit. At each respective heterodyning circuit, the output signal from the variable gain amplifier is multiplied by a local oscillator that is internal to each circuit. The dual heterodyning circuit is used to provide an enhanced input transducer signal for spectral analysis. This permits the capture of low level frequency components for extraction during spectral analysis. The dual heterodyning circuit of the present invention to provide the enhanced spectrum to thereby permit an easy determination of whether the resonance is mechanical or electrical becomes clear. In addition, fault frequencies are also more easily discernable. In other words, the enhanced signal output provides a lower signal to noise ratio such that the ease with which frequency components are analyzed is increased.

Abstract: An externally-powerable sensor is described for detecting ultrasonic energy and for providing an accurate indication of the level of such energy to an external monitoring device over a wide dynamic range. A first electrical signal proportional to the detected ultrasonic energy is chopped by the output of a free-running multivibrator to generate a signal having a frequency differing from the frequency of the first signal by an amount within the audio frequency range. Such difference signal is selectively amplified to concentrate the spectral energy of the difference component in a lower portion of the audio range. A low pass filter extracts, from the so-concentrated difference signal, a modified audio signal whose frequency content is at the lower end, illustratively 0-6 KHz, of the spectrum of the concentrated difference signal. The output of the low pass filter is processed to generate a DC output current that is proportional to the detected ultrasonic energy level.