Abstract: The invention generally relates to a method for muting an alerting portable device such as a ringing cell phone or alarming PDA. Specifically where muting is activated in a means not requiring direct contact with the keys of the device. The indirect contact such as a hand pat or smack is detected within the device by a sensor such as a microphone or accelerometer. Control circuitry detects active indirect contact and then mutes the alert, and or does some other programmable operation.

Abstract: An inspection system includes a number of inspection machines arranged in a row which sequentially inspect a bottle as it is conveyed through the machines. Each machine determines whether the bottle should be rejected as a result of each inspection and passes inspection data for that bottle in an Ethernet packet via an Ethernet cable connection to the processor of the next machine. The processor in the last downstream machine accordingly functions as a supervisory computer to all the machines.

Abstract: An inspection system includes a number of inspection machines arranged in a row which sequentially inspect a bottle as it is conveyed through the machines. The first machine determines whether the bottle should be rejected and passes any reject signal via a hardwired connection to the next machine. Following the inspection of the bottle by the second machine (and each subsequent machine prior to the most downstream machine) that machine will pass a reject signal via a hardwired connection to the next machine if either that machine has rejected the bottle or a reject signal has been received from the next upstream machine. The same thing happens in the most downstream machine except that a signal is sent to the rejector.

Abstract: An L.E.D. matrix light source illuminates a bottle at an inspection machine. A vertically periodic intensity pattern is defined to facilitate the identification of defects. The L.E.D. that locates the top of the bottle is identified and a peak of the pattern is located at that L.E.D.