Abstract: A universal box top lid is adapted to be attached to the opened top of a variety of different sizes of food packaging boxes. The lid is designed to fit over the opened box top with an opened bag containing the food product inside the box being held open by an apron formed on an inner wall of the lid. The lid is provided with a cap closure that can be opened when it is desired to dispense the food product contained in the packaging box and bag, and can be closed to preserve the food product.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for injecting lift gas or other fluid into a production conduit of an oil well via one or more wear resistant downhole gas lift flow control devices which each comprise: a tubular valve housing (1) comprising a flow passage (2) having an upstream end (9) which is connected to a lift gas supply conduit and a downstream end (10) which is connected to the interior of the production conduit; a flapper type valve body (3) which is pivotally connected to the valve housing (1) and is arranged in the flow passage (2) such that if the valve body is pivoted in the open position the valve body is oriented substantially parallel to the flow passage and that if the valve body is pivoted in the closed position the valve body is oriented substantially perpendicular to the flow passage and is pressed against a ring shaped valve seat (4), thereby blocking passage of lift gas through the flow passage (2); a valve protection sleeve (5) which is slidably arranged in the flow passage (2) between a first posi

Abstract: A modification to the card game blackjack in which bets are pushed, if the total of the cards in the player's and the dealer's hands are of equal value and add up to 21 or less, or if the total of the cards in the dealer's hand equals a predetermined value between 22 and 26 and the total of the cards in the player's hand is 21 or less.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for injecting lift gas or other fluid into a production conduit of an oil well via one or more wear resistant downhole gas lift flow control devices which each comprise: a tubular valve housing (1) comprising a flow passage (2) having an upstream end (9) which is connected to a lift gas supply conduit and a downstream end (10) which is connected to the interior of the production conduit; a flapper type valve body (3) which is pivotally connected to the valve housing (1) and is arranged in the flow passage (2) such that if the valve body is pivoted in the open position the valve body is oriented substantially parallel to the flow passage and that if the valve body is pivoted in the closed position the valve body is oriented substantially perpendicular to the flow passage and is pressed against a ring shaped valve seat (4), thereby blocking passage of lift gas through the flow passage (2); a valve protection sleeve (5) which is slidably arranged in the flow passage (2) between a first posi

Abstract: A system capable of transmitting and receiving high frequency video signals across various lengths of a twisted pair cable while maintaining video quality is presented. The system includes a transmitter and a receiver tandem coupled together over twisted pair cable. Each video component is mixed with a reference signal in the transmitter and driven differentially onto the twisted pair cable. Upon detection of a signal in the twisted pair cable, the receiver adjusts its internal gains until the known characteristic of the reference signal is achieved. The receiver than automatically adjusts the skew & DC offset. Thus, the receiver is able to automatically measure the degradation in video quality and appropriately compensate the video signals for the accumulated degradation caused primarily by the transmission between the transmitter and the receiver. The compensated video may subsequently be provided to a video display device.

Abstract: A feedback circuit for restoration of DC in video signals is presented. A sample pulse representing the back porch of an incoming video signal is generated from the horizontal sync signal. The sample pulse triggers a sample and hold circuit to acquire the correct offset voltage in the output signal during this back porch period. The offset voltage feeds back through a summing node upstream of either the circuit causing the offset or an input amplifier thereby restoring the video signal to the desired DC voltage level with respect to ground.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatic compensation of insertion loss in video signals transmitted over conductors is presented. The present invention is particularly applicable to the transmission of video over long lengths of CAT-5 or similar twisted-pair cables. A reference signal having a known form and strength (e.g. a pulse signal) is provided to each pair of conductors carrying a component of a video signal from a transmitter to a receiver. The receiver includes adjustable gain amplifiers for each conductor pair over which a component of the video signal is transmitted. The gains of the amplifiers are initially set at an initial level (e.g., their maximum gain) to allow detection of the reference signal. Once the reference signal is detected in a conductor pair, the amplifier gains are adjusted such that the level of the reference signal is restored approximately to its original form and strength.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatic reduction of noise in video signals transmitted over conductors is presented. The present invention provides an adjustable amount of noise filtering matched to the amount of gain provided by an adjustable gain amplifier to a received video signal. One or more stages of a multi-stage discrete gain amplifier is provided with a corresponding noise filter circuit. The filter circuit is matched to the frequency response of and the amount of gain provided by the discrete gain amplifier stage. When the amplifier stage is applied to the received signal, the corresponding noise filter for that stage is invoked as well. In that manner, the amount of noise filtering applied to a video signal automatically varies with the amount of amplification provided to that signal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatic detection and compensation of skew between color components of a video source transmitted over a plurality of twisted pair conductors are presented. The system includes a receiver configured to receive separate components of a video source over each twisted pair conductor in a twisted pair cable. Each color component includes a reference signal. High speed comparators and samplers are used to detect the reference signal and measure the skew between the color components. Delay is applied to the first arriving color components to synchronize them in time with the last arriving color component. Skew measurement is continuous and adjustment is automatic while the receiver is receiving a video signal.

Abstract: A simple universal hash apparatus and method include input means for inputting at least one of a plurality of Plaintext blocks into an integrity aware encryption scheme using at least one of two secret keys to obtain a plurality of Ciphertext blocks; Plaintext checksum means for computing a Plaintext checksum value from said plurality of Plaintext blocks; Ciphertext checksum means for processing said plurality of Ciphertext blocks and a third key to obtain a Ciphertext checksum; and combination means for combining said Plaintext checksum and said Ciphertext checksum to obtain the simple universal hash value.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus and method for non-contact/non-destructive measurement of the geometry of molded ophthalmic lenses and the precision molds and tooling used in the manufacture of the ophthalmic lenses. In particular the present system uses micro computed tomography to measure the geometries.

Abstract: A reservoir production control system includes a plurality of wells for producing a reservoir linked to a central computer over a downhole communication network and a surface communication network. Both the downhole and the surface communication networks are wireless communications paths for transmitting downhole data and surface data to the central computer. Both networks include a series of interconnected tubing or pipe that allows transmission of data over electrically isolated portions of the pipe and tubing. After integrating and analyzing all relevant data and comparing the data with a reservoir model, the central computer initiates changes in a plurality of downhole control devices associated with the wells, thereby optimizing the production of the reservoir.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a vehicle identification electronic chip, a transmitter/receiver, and an ignition system is disclosed. The vehicle identification electronic chip supplies a vehicle identification number to a remote device in response to an activation signal. The apparatus may further include an on/off switch. The transmitter/receiver may receive a stop signal from the remote device and cause the on/off switch to turn the ignition system off in response to the stop signal.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a yellow ink for inkjet printing and, in particular, to a yellow ink comprising a combination of specific yellow colorants. The present invention further pertains to an ink set comprising this yellow ink. The ink and ink set are particularly advantageous for printing on plain paper.

Abstract: The present invention provides for sanitary use of public toilets. By using this device, women, children and disabled persons will no longer subject themselves to using unsanitary public toilets. The user holds the urination opening under the urine stream. The urine is collected in the device and flows through the neck of the device and out the exit port. This device, which is preferably funnel shaped, consists of a semi-rigid biodegradable layer sandwiched between a tissue layer and a semi-permanent water barrier layer, can be flushed down the toilet immediately after use. After use and prior to flushing the user can use the tissue layer to clean the user's genitalia. The device can also be used in the collection of urine samples without exposing the user hands to the urine stream or spray.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to inkjet ink with long latency and, more particularly, to an aqueous inkjet ink comprising a self-dispersing pigment and certain water soluble vehicle components which, in combination, provide long latency.

Abstract: A fuel-fired water heater has main and pilot burners disposed in its combustion chamber. All of the primary combustion air utilized by the main and pilot burners during firing thereof is supplied thereto via an enclosed path extending to the burners from outside of the combustion chamber. A burner clogging detection system is operative to shut down further combustion, upon sensing a condition of the pilot burner flame indicative of a predetermined degree of pilot burner clogging, prior to the main burner being clogged to an unacceptable degree by particulate matter entrained in incoming combustion air being delivered to the main burner. The pilot burner may be mounted on the main burner in a variety of locations thereon.

Abstract: This invention relates to an apparatus and method for measuring the thickness of mold components and/or lenses during a manufacturing process. In particular, the present invention uses fiber optic interferometry to measure the center thickness of ophthalmic lenses created by a double-sided molding process.