Author: claimsbot

1. A tool insert comprising:
a substrate having a support surface and a support ring extending laterally from the support surface, the support ring being sized to define a recess within the confines thereof and a shelf about the periphery thereof, wherein the substrate is tungsten carbide substrate;
a layer of ultra-hard abrasive material located within the recess and bonded to the substrate and the support ring, the layer of ultra-hard abrasive material having a top surface, a portion of the periphery of the top surface providing a primary cutting edge for the tool insert; and
a protective layer bonded to the shelf about the support ring so as to protect the primary cutting edge, a periphery of the protective layer providing a secondary cutting edge for the tool insert, the depth of the protective layer being selected so as to be sufficient to protect the primary cutting edge whilst cutting, milling or drilling through a first substance but to expose the primary cutting edge upon encountering a second substance, wherein the protective layer is formed of tungsten carbide of a different grade to that of the substrate, or of tool steel, dependent on the first substance to be drilled.
2. A tool insert according to claim 1, wherein the support ring is integrally formed with the substrate.
3. A tool insert according to claim 1, wherein the protective layer is formed in situ during the formation of the tool insert.
4. A tool insert according to claim 1, wherein the protective layer is formed as a separate ring component which is bonded to the shelf portion of the support surface of the substrate.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

What is claimed is:

1. A sheet post-processing device, comprising:
a first sheet discharge path through which a sheet transported from an image forming apparatus is transported to sheet stacking means disposed in said image forming apparatus;
first sheet discharge path openclose means which is disposed in said first sheet discharge path, and closes said first sheet discharge path to temporarily support the sheet transported from said image forming apparatus, or opens said first sheet discharge path to transport the sheet transported from said image forming apparatus to said sheet stacking means;
processing means which is disposed in said first sheet discharge path and conducts post-processing with respect to the sheet temporarily supported by said first sheet discharge path openclose means;
sheet discharge path change-over control means that controls sheet discharge path change-over means that changes over a discharge path, to which the sheet discharged from said image forming apparatus is discharged, to said first sheet discharge path or a second sheet discharge path through which the sheet discharged from said image forming apparatus is discharged directly to said sheet stacking means;
error handling operation necessity judging means that judges whether error handling operation that should be conducted with respect to a sheet unsuitable for the post-processing by said processing means is conducted or not; and
error handling means that controls at least one of said first sheet discharge path openclose means and said sheet discharge path change-over means to conduct said error handling operation.
2. A sheet post-processing device according to claim 1, further comprising:
measuring means that measures the number of sheets that are temporarily supported by said first sheet discharge path openclose means;
storing means that stores the number of post-processing permissible sheets N which can be post-processed in said processing means; and
comparing means that compares the number of sheets M measured by said measuring means with the number of sheets N stored by said storing means, wherein:
said error handling operation necessity judging means judges that the error handling operation is conducted if a result made by said comparing means satisfies a relationship of M>N; and
said error handling means controls said first sheet discharge path openclose means so as to open said first sheet discharge path to transport the sheet temporarily supported by said first sheet discharge path openclose means to said sheet stacking means.
3. A sheet post-processing device according to claim 2,
further comprising sheet aligning means that aligns the sheets temporarily supported by said first sheet discharge path openclose means;
wherein if said error handling operation necessity judging means judges that the error handling operation is conducted, said error handling means controls said first sheet discharge path openclose means so as to align only the sheets temporarily supported by said first sheet discharge path openclose means through said sheet aligning means and so as to open said first sheet discharge path to transport the sheets temporarily supported by said first sheet discharge path openclose means to said sheet stacking means.
4. A sheet post-processing device according to claim 2,
wherein if said error handling operation necessity judging means judges that the error handling operation is conducted, said error handling means controls said first sheet discharge path openclose means so as to open said first sheet discharge path and transport the (M1)th and subsequent sheets to said sheet stacking means.
5. A sheet post-processing device according to claim 2,
wherein if said error handling operation necessity judging means judges that the error handling operation is conducted, said error handling means controls said sheet discharge path change-over means so as to transport the (M1)th and subsequent sheets to said second sheet discharge path.
6. A sheet post-processing device according to claim 5,
wherein when a relationship of MX>N is satisfied assuming that the number of sheets transported to said first sheet discharge path is X, said error handling means controls said sheet discharge path change-over means so as to transport the (MX1)th and subsequent sheets to said second sheet discharge path.
7. A sheet post-processing device according to claim 2,
further comprising sheet aligning means that aligns the sheets temporarily supported by said first sheet discharge path openclose means;
wherein if said error handling operation necessity judging means judges that the error handling is conducted, said error handling means controls said first sheet discharge path openclose means so as to temporarily support the (M1)th and subsequent sheets every given number of sheets, align the sheets by said sheet aligning means, and transport the sheets to said sheet stacking means.
8. A sheet post-processing device according to claim 7,
further comprising communication means that conducts communication with said image forming apparatus,
wherein if said error handling operation necessity judging means judges that the error handling operation is conducted, said error handling means, in controlling said first sheet discharge path openclose means so as to temporarily support the (M1)th and subsequent sheets every given number of sheets, notifies said image forming apparatus of a period of time between a last sheet of a given number of sheets and a succeeding sheet through said communication means, to widen an interval between the sheets transported from said image forming apparatus.
9. A sheet post-processing device according to claim 1,
wherein said processing means includes at least one of stapling means that binds sheets by stapling, punching means that punches the sheets, book binding means that binds the sheets by stapling and folds the sheets, and book binding means that adheres edges of the sheets with paste.
10. A sheet post-processing device according to claim 1,
further comprising communication means that conducts communication with said image forming apparatus,
wherein when said error handling operation necessity judging mean judges that the error handling operation is conducted on the basis of information on the sheets that are going to be post-processed in said processing means which is transmitted from said image forming apparatus by said communication means, said error handling means controls said sheet discharge path change-over means so as to transport the sheets transported from said image forming apparatus to said second sheet discharge path.
11. A sheet post-processing device according to claim 10,
wherein said error handling operation necessity judging means judges whether the sheets are suitable for post-processing by said processing means or not on the basis whether the sheets can be supported by said first sheet discharge path openclose means or not, and if the sheets cannot be supported by said first sheet discharge path openclose means, said error handling operation necessity judging means judges that the sheets are not post-processed.
12. A sheet post-processing device according to claim 11,
wherein whether the sheets can be supported by said first sheet discharge path openclose means or not is judged on the basis of a sheet size.
13. A sheet post-processing device according to claim 11,
wherein whether the sheets can be supported by said first sheet discharge path openclose means or not is judged on the basis of a sheet weight.
14. A sheet post-processing device according to claim 11,
wherein whether the sheets can be supported by said first sheet discharge path openclose means or not is judged on the basis of the number of sheets.
15. A sheet post-processing device according to claim 2,
wherein whether the sheets are suitable for post-processing by said processing means or not is based on whether the kind of sheets is suited to the post-processing by said processing means or not.
16. A sheet post-processing device according to claim 15,
wherein the kind of sheets can be physically identified, and includes at least one of a sheet different in the weight per one sheet, an OHP sheet, a glossy paper, a colored paper and a perforated paper.
17. A sheet post-processing device according to claim 1, further comprising communication means that conducts communication with said image forming apparatus;
wherein when said sheet post-processing device per se is in an abnormal state, error handling operation necessity judging means judges that the post-processing is not conducted regardless of the contents of information on a sheet which is transmitted from said image forming apparatus by said communication means.
18. A sheet post-processing device according to claim 1, further comprising communication means that conducts communication with said image forming apparatus;
wherein information on only the sheets that are going to be post-processed by said image forming apparatus is transmitted from said image forming apparatus through said communication means.
19. A sheet post-processing device according to claim 1, further comprising communication means that conducts communication with said image forming apparatus;
wherein information on all of the sheets that are subjected to an image forming process by said image forming apparatus is transmitted from said image forming apparatus through said communication means.
20. A sheet post-processing device according to claim 1,
wherein said first sheet discharge path openclose means is disposed above said sheet stacking means disposed on an upper surface of said image forming apparatus main body.
21. An error handling method with respect to a sheet that is not suitable for post-processing in an image forming apparatus having a sheet post-processing device that conducts the post-processing on the discharged sheet, wherein:
said sheet post-processing device comprises:
a first sheet discharge path through which the sheet transported from said image forming apparatus is transported to a sheet stacking means disposed in said image forming apparatus;
first sheet discharge path openclose means which is disposed in said first sheet discharge path, and closes said first sheet discharge path to temporarily support the sheet transported from said image forming apparatus, or opens said first sheet discharge path to transport the sheet transported from said image forming apparatus to said sheet stacking means; and
processing means which is disposed in said first sheet discharge path and conducts post-processing with respect to the sheet temporarily supported by said first sheet discharge path openclose means;
said image forming apparatus comprises:
image forming means that forms an image on the sheet;
said sheet stacking means; and
sheet discharge path change-over means that changes over a discharge path, to which the sheet discharged from said image forming apparatus is discharged, to any one of said first sheet discharge path and a second sheet discharge path along which the sheet discharged from said image forming apparatus is discharged directly to said sheet stacking means; and
said method comprises the steps of:
judging whether the error handling operation is conducted or not; and
if said error handling operation is conducted, controlling at least any one of said first sheet discharge path openclose means and said sheet discharge path change-over means to conduct said error handling operation.
22. An error handling method according to claim 21, further comprising the steps of:
comparing the number of sheets M that are temporarily supported by said first sheet discharge path openclose means with the number of post-processing permissible sheets N which can be post-processed in said processing means;
judging that the error handling operation is conducted if a relationship of M>N is satisfied; and
if said error handling operation is conducted, opening said first sheet discharge path to transport the sheets temporarily supported by said first sheet discharge path openclose means to said sheet stacking means.
23. An error handling method according to claim 22,
wherein if said error handling operation is conducted, aligning the sheets temporarily supported by said first sheet discharge path openclose means, and opening said first sheet discharge path openclose means so as to transport the sheets temporarily supported by said first sheet discharge path openclose means to said sheet stacking means.
24. An error handling method according to claim 22,
wherein if said error handling operation is conducted, opening said first sheet discharge path openclose means so as to transport the (Ml)th and subsequent sheets transported from said image forming apparatus to said sheet stacking means.
25. An error handling method according to claim 22,
wherein if said error handling operation is conducted, controlling said sheet discharge path change-over means so as to transport the (M1)th and subsequent sheets to said second sheet discharge path.
26. An error handling method according to claim 21, wherein:
assuming that the number of sheets temporarily supported by said first sheet discharge path openclose means is M, the number of sheets conveyed into said first sheet discharge path is X, and the permissible post-processing number of sheets that can be post-processed in said processing means is N, when a relationship of MX>N is satisfied, it is judged that the error handling operation is conducted; and
if said error handling operation is conducted, opening said first sheet discharge path openclose means so as to transport the sheets temporarily supported by said sheet discharge path openclose means to said sheet stacking means and controlling said sheet discharge path change-over means so as to guide the (MX1)th and subsequent sheets to said second sheet discharge path.
27. An error handling method according to claim 22, wherein:
if the error handling operation is conducted, temporarily supporting the (M1)th and subsequent sheets by said first sheet discharge path openclose means every given number of sheets;
aligning the sheets temporarily supported by said first sheet discharge path openclose means; and
opening said first sheet discharge path openclose means so as to transport the aligned sheets to said sheet stacking means.
28. The error handling method according to claim 27, wherein:
widening an interval between a last sheet of the given number of sheets and a sheet that is transported next when said first sheet discharge path openclose means temporarily supports the (M1)th and subsequent sheets every given number of sheets.
29. An error handling method according to claim 21,
wherein the post-processing includes at least one of stapling for binding the sheets by stapling, punching for punching the sheets, book binding operation for binding the sheets by stapling and folding the sheets, and book binding for adhering edges of the sheet with paste.
30. An error handling method according to claim 21, wherein:
transmitting information on the sheets that are going to be post-processed in said sheet processing means from said image forming apparatus to said sheet post-processing device; and
if it is judged that the error handling operation is conducted on the basis of the sheet information, controlling said sheet discharge path change-over means so as to guide the sheets transported from said image forming apparatus to said second sheet discharge path.
31. An error handling method according to claim 30,
wherein whether the sheets are suitable for the post-processing or not is judged on the basis whether the sheets can be supported by said first sheet discharge path openclose means or not, and if the sheets cannot be supported by said first sheet discharge path openclose means, it is judged that the sheets are not post-processed.
32. An error handling method according to claim 31,
wherein whether the sheets can be supported by said first sheet discharge path openclose means or not is judged on the basis of a sheet size.
33. An error handling method according to claim 31,
wherein whether the sheets can be supported by said first sheet discharge path openclose means or not is judged on the basis of a sheet weight.
34. An error handling method according to claim 31,
wherein whether the sheets can be supported by said first sheet discharge path openclose means or not is judged on the basis of the number of sheets.
35. An error handling method according to claim 21,
wherein the judgment on whether the sheets are suitable for the post-processing or not is judged on the basis of the number of sheets.
36. An error handling method according to claim 21,
wherein whether the sheets are suitable for the post-processing or not is based on whether the kind of sheets is suitable for the post-processing by said processing means or not.
37. An error handling method according to claim 36,
wherein the kind of sheets can be physically identified, and includes at least one of a sheet different in the weight per one sheet, an OHP sheet, a glossy paper, a colored paper and a perforated paper.
38. An error handling method according to claim 21,
wherein when said sheet post-processing device per se is in an abnormal state, it is judged that the post-processing is not conducted regardless of the contents of the sheet information.
39. A sheet post-processing device, comprising:
a first sheet discharge path through which a sheet transported from an image forming apparatus is transported to sheet stacking means disposed in said image forming apparatus;
first sheet discharge path openclose flapper which is disposed in said first sheet discharge path, and closes said first sheet discharge path to temporarily support the sheet transported from said image forming apparatus, or opens said first sheet discharge path to transport the sheet transported from said image forming apparatus to said sheet stacking means;
binder which is disposed in said first sheet discharge path and conducts post-processing with respect to the sheet temporarily supported by said first sheet discharge path openclose means;
sheet discharge path change-over controller that controls sheet discharge path change-over means that changes over a discharge path, to which the sheet discharged from said image forming apparatus is discharged, to said first sheet discharge path or a second sheet discharge path through which the sheet discharged from said image forming apparatus is discharged directly to said sheet stacking means;
error handling operation necessity judging means that judges whether error handling operation that should be conducted with respect to a sheet unsuitable for the post-processing by said processing means is conducted or not; and
error handling controller that controls at least one of said first sheet discharge path openclose means and said sheet discharge path change-over controller to conduct said error handling operation.

1. A system for communicating between a first control circuit portion and a remote second control circuit portion over an electrical power wiring of a building, the first control circuit portion having a user actuable control for remotely controlling an electrical load controlled by the second control circuit portion, the system comprising:
a transmitter in the first circuit portion for transmitting control information over the power wiring to the second circuit portion;
a receiver in the second circuit portion for receiving the control information transmitted over the power wiring by the first circuit portion for controlling the load; and further wherein
the first and second circuit portions each include a current responsive element coupled to the building power wiring for establishing a current signal loop in the building power wiring between the first and second control circuit portions for the exchange of the control information, and further wherein the electrical load comprises an electric motor.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein said current responsive elements each comprise a current transformer having a winding coupled to the building power wiring for establishing a current signal loop in the building power wiring between the first and second circuit portions for the exchange of the control information.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein said transmitter provides a modulated carrier signal onto said signal loop, wherein the carrier signal is modulated with said control information.
4. The system of claim 3, wherein said receiver receives said modulated carrier signal, demodulates the carrier signal and produces a detected signal containing said control information.
5. The system of claim 4, wherein the transmitter comprises a code generator for generating said control information in an encoded form and a modulator for modulating said encoded control information onto the carrier signal.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein the code generator comprises a pseudo random orthogonal code generator.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein the encoded control information comprises a first portion for providing synchronizing data for synchronizing a decoding operation, a second portion comprising a synchronization code and a third portion comprising message information for controlling said motor.
8. The system of claim 7, wherein the receiver comprises a median filter for removing impulsive noise signals from said modulated carrier signal.
9. The system of claim 6, wherein the code generator comprises a forward error correcting code generator.
10. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical load further comprises an electric light and the electric light and electric motor are capable of being independently controlled by the control information.
11. A method for communicating between a first control circuit portion having a first current responsive element and a remote second control circuit portion having a second current responsive element over electrical power wiring of a building to control the operation of an electrical load including an electric motor, the first control circuit portion having a user actuable control for remotely controlling the electric motor controlled by the second control circuit portion, the method comprising the steps of:
coupling the first current responsive element to the electrical power wiring;
coupling the second current responsive element to the electrical power wiring;
establishing a current signal loop in the electrical power wiring between the first and second current responsive elements;
transmitting control information over the electrical power wiring from the first control circuit portion to the second control circuit portion; and
receiving the control information at the second circuit portion for controlling the motor.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein said step of establishing a current signal loop in the building power wiring comprises the steps of:
providing first and second current transformers at the first and second current responsive elements, respectively, each of the first and second current transformers having a winding; and
coupling the windings of the first and second current transformers to the electrical power wiring.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein said step of transmitting comprises the steps of:
modulating a carrier signal with the control information; and
coupling the modulated carrier signal onto the signal loop.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein said step of receiving comprises the steps of:
demodulating the modulated carrier signal; and
producing a detected signal containing the control information.
15. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of transmitting comprises the steps of:
encoding the control information;
modulating a carrier signal with the encoded control information; and
coupling the modulated carrier signal onto the signal loop.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of encoding comprises the step of:
encoding the control information with a pseudo random orthogonal code.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of encoding comprises the steps of:
encoding the control information such that the control information has a first portion for providing synchronizing data for synchronizing a decoding operation, a second portion comprising a synchronization code and a third portion comprising message information for controlling the motor.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of receiving comprises the step of:
median filtering the modulated carrier signal at the second control circuit portion to remove impulsive noise signals from said modulated carrier signal.
19. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of encoding comprises encoding the control information as a forward error correction code
20. The method of claim 12, further wherein the electrical load further includes an electric light, the method further comprising the step of:
controlling the electric motor and the electric light with the control information independently of each other.
21. A load control system for controlling the power delivered to an electrical load from an AC voltage source, the system comprising:
a load control device coupled to the electrical load for control of the load, the load control device comprising a first current responsive element operatively coupled in series electrical connection between the AC source and the electrical load and a first communication circuit coupled to the first current responsive element for receiving message signals; and
a two-wire remote control device comprising a second current responsive element operatively coupled in series electrical connection between the AC source and the electrical load and a second communication circuit coupled to the second current responsive element for transmitting the message signals, the second current responsive element in series electrical connection with the first current responsive element; and
wherein the first current responsive element and the second current responsive element are operable to conduct a communication loop current the first communication circuit operable to transmit and the second communication circuit operable to receive the message signals via the communication loop current.
22. The system of claim 21, wherein the first communication circuit of the load control device and the second communication circuit of the two-wire remote control device are operable to both transmit and receive the message signals via the communication loop current.
23. The system of claim 22, wherein the first current responsive element comprises a first current transformer having a primary winding coupled in series electrical connection between the AC source and the electrical load and a second winding coupled to the first communication circuit, and
the second current responsive element comprises a second current transformer having a primary winding coupled in series electrical connection between the AC source and the electrical load and a second winding coupled to the second communication circuit.
24. The system of claim 23, wherein the first and second communication circuits each comprise a code generator operable to use Manchester encoding to generate an encoded signal from the message signal and a modulator operable to modulate the communication current loop with the encoded signal to produce a modulated signal.
25. The system of claim 24, wherein the first and second communication circuits each comprise a demodulator operable to demodulate the modulated signal to produce a detected encoded signal, and a median filter operable to remove impulsive noise signals from the detected encoded signal.
26. The system of claim 22, wherein the load control device is coupled to a plurality of electrical loads and is operable to individually control each of the plurality of electrical loads.
27. The system of claim 27, wherein the plurality of electrical loads comprises an electric motor and an electric light.
28. The system of claim 22, wherein the electrical load and the AC voltage source are coupled together at a common neutral connection and the load control device is coupled to the common neutral connection.
29. The system of claim 28, wherein the load control device comprises a capacitor coupled between the first current responsive element and the common neutral connection such that the communication loop current does not flow through the electrical load.
30. The system of claim 22, wherein the remote control device comprises a plurality of status indicators operable to provide an indication of the status of the electrical load.
31. The system of claim 30, wherein the first and second communication circuits are adapted to transmit and receive status signals.
32. The system of claim 22, wherein the remote control device and the load control device are operable to transmit the message signals using a system address; and
wherein the remote control device and the load control device are operable to receive the system address in response to applying power to the remote control device and the load control device, respectively.
33. The system of claim 32, wherein the remote control device comprises an airgap switch such that power is removed from the remote control device and the load control device when the airgap switch is open and power is applied to the remote control device and the load control device when the airgap switch is closed.
34. The system of claim 22, further comprising a plurality of two-wire remote control devices, each comprising a respective current responsive element operatively coupled in series electrical connection between the AC source and the electrical load and a respective communication circuit coupled to the respective current responsive element for transmitting and receiving the message signals.
35. The system of claim 22, further comprising:
a plurality of two-wire remote control devices, each comprising a current responsive element operatively coupled in series electrical connection between the AC source and the electrical load and a communication circuit coupled to the current responsive element for transmitting the message signals.
36. The system of claim 22, further comprising:
a plurality of load control devices, each coupled to the electrical load for control of the load, each of the load control devices comprising a current responsive element operatively coupled in series electrical connection between the AC source and the electrical load and a communication circuit coupled to the current responsive element for receiving message signals.
37. A two-wire load control system for control of the power delivered to a plurality of electrical loads from an AC voltage source, the plurality of loads and the AC voltage source coupled together at a common neutral connection, the system comprising:
a load control device coupled to the plurality of loads and operable to individually control each of the plurality of loads; the load control device comprising a first current responsive element coupled in series electrical connection between the AC source and the plurality of loads and a first communication circuit coupled to the first current responsive element for receipt of a message signal for controlling the plurality of loads;
a two-wire remote control device comprising a second current responsive element coupled in series electrical connection between the AC source and the plurality of loads and a second communication circuit coupled to the second current responsive element for transmission of the message signal for controlling the plurality of loads;
a capacitor coupled in shunt electrical connection with the plurality of loads;
wherein the capacitor, the AC source, the first current responsive element, and the second current responsive element are operable to conduct a communication loop current, the second communication circuit operable to transmit communication signals to the first communication circuit via the communication loop current.
38. A method for communicating a digital message from a two-wire remote control device to a load control device for independently controlling the power delivered to a plurality of loads from an AC voltage source, the method comprising the steps of:
coupling the two-wire remote control device in series electrical connection between the AC source and the load control device;
coupling a capacitor in shunt electrical connection across the plurality of loads;
conducting a communication loop current through the AC source, the two-wire remote control device, the load control device, and the capacitor, the loop current having; and
transmitting the digital message from the two-wire remote control device to the load control device via the current loop.
39. The method of claim 32, further comprising the step of:
independently controlling each of the plurality of loads in response to the digital message.
40. A method for assigning a system address to a first control device in a load control system for controlling the amount of power delivered to an electrical load from an AC voltage source, the method comprising the steps of:
coupling the first control device in series electrical connection between the electrical load and the AC voltage source via a power wiring, such that a load current is operable to flow on the power wiring from the AC voltage source to the electrical load through the first control device;
coupling a second control device in series electrical connection between the electrical load and the AC voltage source via a power wiring, the second load control device in series with the first control device such that a load current is operable to flow on the power wiring from the AC voltage source to the electrical load through the second control device;
applying power to the first and second control devices;
subsequently transmitting an address initiation request via the power wiring; and
receiving the system address via the power wiring.
41. The method of claim 40, further comprising the steps of:
choosing a random address to be the system address;
subsequently storing the random address as the system address in a memory; and
transmitting the system address via the power wiring.
42. The method of claim 41, further comprising the steps of:
transmitting a query message via the power wiring using the random address; and
determining whether a second control device responds to the query message.
43. The method of claim 40, further comprising the step of:
storing the system address in a memory in response to the step of receiving the system address.
44. The method of claim 40, further comprising the steps of:
determining whether the control device has the system address stored in a memory; and
subsequently transmitting the system address via the power wiring.
45. The method of claim 40, further comprising the step of:
entering an addressing mode in response to the step of applying power to the control device.
46. The method of claim 45, further comprising the step of:
exiting the addressing mode after a predetermined time after the step of entering the addressing mode.
47. A method of communicating a message signal from a first control device to a second control device, the message signal comprising a sequence of samples, the method comprising the steps of:
transmitting the message signal from the first control device;
receiving the message signal at the second control device;
examining a set of N sequential samples of the received message signal;
determining the median of the N sequential samples;
providing the median as an output sample; and
repeating the steps of examining a set of N sequential samples, determining the median, and providing the median.
48. The method of claim 47, further wherein the step of repeating further comprises examining a new set of N sequential samples of the received message signal;
wherein the new set of N sequential samples is determined by discarding the Nth sample of the N sequential samples and shifting the sequence of samples of the received message signal.
49. A method of filtering a received message signal comprising a sequence of samples, the method comprising the steps of:
examining a set of N sequential samples of the received message signal;
determining the median of the N sequential samples;
providing the median as an output sample; and
repeating the steps of examining a set of N sequential samples, determining the median, and providing the median.
50. The method of claim 49, further wherein the step of repeating further comprises examining a new set of N sequential samples of the received message signal;
wherein the new set of N sequential samples is determined by discarding the Nth sample of the N sequential samples and shifting the sequence of samples of the received message signal.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A method for producing ammonia comprising:
mixing
a first catalyst including a millimeter-sized, granular, ferrous material and a promoter, with
a second catalyst, distinct from the first catalyst, including discrete nano-sized ferrous catalyst particles that comprise a metallic core with an oxide shell,

such that the discrete nano-sized ferrous catalyst particles are dispersed onto the millimeter-size, granular, ferrous material, and at least some of the nano-sized ferrous catalyst particles adjacent to other of the nano-sized ferrous catalyst particles on a grain of the millimeter-sized, granular, ferrous material are discrete and separated from each other; and
reacting hydrogen gas (H2) and nitrogen gas (N2) at a high temperature within a range of about 200\xb0 C. and 600\xb0 C. in a reactor comprising the mixture of the first catalyst and the second catalyst, the dispersion further configured such that the adjacent nano-sized ferrous catalyst particles remain discrete and separated from each other on the grain of the millimeter-sized, granular, ferrous material after the production of ammonia from the hydrogen gas and the nitrogen gas at the high temperature.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the reacting the H2 gas and the N2 gas comprises doing so at pressures of less than about 100 atmospheres.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the high temperature is within the range of about 350\xb0 to 450\xb0 C.