Author: claimsbot

1. A circuit arrangement for counting X-ray radiation X-ray quanta in detector elements in a detector in an emitter-detector system of an X-ray CT system, the X-ray radiation including a multiplicity of X-ray quanta that can have a maximum energy and wherein the X-ray quanta registered in each detector element generate a signal profile with X-ray-quanta-energy-dependent voltage pulses with different heights, which may be superposed on one another, the circuit arrangement, in each detector element, comprising:
at least one first comparator with a first energy threshold less than or equal to the maximum X-ray-quantum energy; and
at least one second comparator with a second energy threshold greater than the maximum X-ray-quantum energy, the at least one first comparator and at least one second comparator being connected to the detector element, wherein the at least one first comparator and at least one second comparator each respectively generate a comparator output signal if their respective energy threshold is exceeded, the at least one first comparator and at least one second comparator including a logical interconnection, wherein at least a first comparator and a second comparator of the at least one first comparator and at least one second comparator are connected to the inputs of an XOR gate, and each XOR gate connected to the first comparator is connected to precisely one counter.
2. The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least two first comparators with different first energy thresholds are connected to the detector element and there is an XOR gate for each first comparator.
3. The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 2, wherein there is a time-delay circuit between a first comparator and the XOR gate thereof.
4. The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 2, wherein there is a dead-time circuit between a first comparator and the XOR gate thereof.
5. The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least one output of an XOR gate connected to a first comparator for a lower energy threshold includes a veto circuit, which, when triggered by the output from another first comparator with a higher first energy threshold, blocks the input of the counter of the first comparator with the lower energy threshold.
6. The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least two second comparators with different second energy thresholds are connected to the detector element, wherein the second comparator with the lowest energy threshold and the at least one first comparator are connected to a respective XOR gate, and there is an OR gate for each further second comparator.
7. The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one counter is connected to a rate correction circuit in order to correct the measured count rates of the X-ray quanta to an actual flux rate of X-ray quanta.
8. The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 7, wherein the rate correction circuit includes a lookup table, which converts the measured count rates of the X-ray quanta to an actual flux rate of X-ray quanta.
9. The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 7, wherein the rate correction circuit emulates a polynomial, which converts the measured count rates of the X-ray quanta to an actual flux rate of X-ray quanta.
10. The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the circuit arrangement is part of an application-specific integrated circuit on a detector.
11. An application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for use in a detector in an emitter-detector system of a CT system with a multiplicity of detector elements, the ASIC including at least one circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 1 for each detector element.
12. The application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) as claimed in claim 11, wherein the ASIC is connected to a plurality of detector elements.
13. An emitter-detector system of an X-ray CT system, comprising at least one circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 1.
14. The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 3, wherein there is a dead-time circuit between a first comparator and the XOR gate thereof.
15. The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 3, wherein at least one output of an XOR gate connected to a first comparator for a lower energy threshold includes a veto circuit, which, when triggered by the output from another first comparator with a higher first energy threshold, blocks the input of the counter of the first comparator with the lower energy threshold.
16. The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 4, wherein at least one output of an XOR gate connected to a first comparator for a lower energy threshold includes a veto circuit, which, when triggered by the output from another first comparator with a higher first energy threshold, blocks the input of the counter of the first comparator with the lower energy threshold.
17. An application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for use in a detector in an emitter-detector system of a CT system with a multiplicity of detector elements, the ASIC including at least one circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 2 for each detector element.
18. The application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) as claimed in claim 17, wherein the ASIC is connected to a plurality of detector elements.
19. An emitter-detector system of an X-ray CT system, comprising at least one circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 2.

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 keyless entry system comprising a transmitter and a receiver, for operating equipment as a keyless entry target using radio communication between the transmitter and the receiver,
wherein the transmitter includes:
a control switch configured to specify an operation of the equipment;
a transmission controller configured to generate operation information corresponding to the operation specified by the control switch, the operation information including a function code corresponding the control switch and a count value indicating a number of switching operations of the control switch; and
a transmission section configured to transmit the operation information using a plurality of radio signals in different frequency bands, the transmission section being controlled by the transmission controller;

and wherein the receiver includes:
a receiving section configured to receive the plurality of radio signals and detect the operation information from the plurality of received radio signals; and
a determination section configured to determine the specified operation of the equipment based on the function code and the count value included in the detected operation information.
2. The keyless entry system according to claim 1,
wherein the transmission section simultaneously transmits the plurality of radio signals each containing the same operation information, and
the receiving section receives the plurality of radio signals simultaneously.
3. The keyless entry system according to claim 1, wherein
the plurality of radio signals includes a first radio signal in a first frequency band and a second radio signal in a second frequency band substantially different from the first frequency band,
the transmitter includes a first transmission section for the first frequency band and a second transmission section for the second frequency band, and
the receiver includes a first receiving section for the first frequency band and a second receiving section for the second frequency band.
4. The keyless entry system according to claim 1,
wherein the plurality of radio signals have frequencies in a UHF band, the frequencies being separated from each other by 300 MHz or more.
5. The keyless entry system according to claim 1, wherein
the transmitter is a portable device carried by a user,
the receiver is an in-vehicle receiver mounted in a vehicle, and
the equipment is an in-vehicle equipment mounted in the vehicle.
6. The keyless entry system according to claim 1, wherein the determination section further determines if at least part of the operation information is missing from one of the plurality of received radio signals, and determines the specified operation of the equipment by recovering the missing operation information from the operation information detected in another of the plurality of received signals.
7. The keyless entry system according to claim 1, wherein the control switch includes:
a first switch corresponding to a first function; and
a second switch corresponding to a second function.

1. A treatment process comprising the steps of:
a) providing a feed stream comprising an elemental sulfur-bearing material and a dispersant, wherein said elemental sulfur-bearing material comprises an elemental sulfur-containing residue from a pressure leaching operation;
b) pressure leaching at least a portion of said feed stream at a temperature in the range of about 220\xb0 C. to about 275\xb0 C. in an oxygen-containing atmosphere in an agitated multiple-compartment pressure leaching vessel to form a product slurry comprising a sulfuric acid solution;
c) separating at least a portion of said sulfuric acid solution from said product slurry to yield a residue;
d) recovering at least one metal value from said residue.
2. The process of claim 1, wherein said elemental sulfur-bearing material comprises an elemental sulfur-containing residue from a pressure leaching operation carried out at a temperature in the range of about 140\xb0 C. to about 180\xb0 C.
3. The process of claim 1 wherein said step of recovering metal values from said residue comprises recovering at least one precious metal from said residue.
4. The process of claim 1 wherein said step of pressure leaching at least a portion of said feed stream comprises pressure leaching at temperatures above about 235\xb0 C.
5. The process of claim 1 wherein said step of providing a feed stream comprising an elemental sulfur-bearing material and a dispersant comprises providing a feed stream comprising an elemental sulfur-bearing material and a sufficient amount of ground sand or mineral processing tailings.
6. A treatment process comprising the steps of:
a) providing a feed stream comprising an elemental sulfur-bearing material, wherein said elemental sulfur-bearing material comprises an elemental sulfur-containing residue from a pressure leaching operation;
b) pressure leaching at least a portion of said feed stream in the presence of a dispersant at a temperature in the range of about 220\xb0 C. to about 275\xb0 C. in an oxygen-containing atmosphere in an agitated multiple-compartment pressure leaching vessel to form a product slurry comprising a sulfuric acid solution;
c) separating at least a portion of said sulfuric acid solution from said product slurry to yield a residue;
d) recovering at least one metal value from said residue.
7. The process of claim 6, wherein said elemental sulfur-bearing material comprises an elemental sulfur-containing residue from a pressure leaching operation carried out at a temperature in the range of about 140\xb0 C. to about 180\xb0 C.
8. The process of claim 6 wherein said step of recovering metal values from said residue comprises recovering at least one precious metal from said residue.
9. The process of claim 6 wherein said step of pressure leaching at least a portion of said feed stream in the presence of a dispersant comprises pressure leaching at least a portion of said feed stream in the presence of a sufficient amount of ground sand or mineral processing tailings.
10. A process for recovering metal values from an elemental sulfur-bearing solid residue of a pressure leaching process carried out at a temperature in the range of about 140\xb0 C. to about 180\xb0 C., the process comprising the steps of:
a) comminuting the elemental sulfur-bearing solid residue from the pressure leaching process carried out at a temperature in the range of about 140\xb0 C. to about 180\xb0 C. to produce a feed material;
b) forming a feed slurry by combining said feed material with a dispersant and a sufficient amount of fluid medium;
c) pressure leaching at least a portion of said feed slurry at a temperature in the range of about 220\xb0 C. to about 275\xb0 C. in an oxygen-containing atmosphere to yield a pressure leach product slurry comprising a sulfuric acid solution;
d) reducing the temperature and pressure of said product slurry;
e) separating at least a portion of said sulfuric acid solution from said product slurry to yield a solid residue;
f) recovering at least one metal value from said solid residue.
11. The process of claim 10 wherein said step of recovering at least one metal value from said solid residue comprises recovering one or more precious metals contained in said residue.
12. The process of claim 10 wherein said step of reducing the temperature and pressure of said product slurry comprises flashing said product slurry.
13. The process of claim 10, said process further comprising the step of utilizing at least a portion of said sulfuric acid solution in connection with other processing operations.
14. The process of claim 10 wherein said step of pressure leaching at least a portion of said feed slurry is conducted at a temperature in the range in excess of about 235\xb0 C.
15. The process of claim 10 wherein said step of forming a feed slurry comprises combining said feed material with a sufficient amount of ground sand or mineral processing tailings.
16. A process for the production of sulfuric acid and recovery of precious metals from an elemental sulfur-bearing material comprising the steps of:
a) providing an elemental sulfur-bearing material, wherein said elemental sulfur-bearing material comprises an elemental sulfur-containing residue from a pressure leaching operation;
b) pressure leaching said elemental sulfur-bearing material at a temperature in the range of about 220\xb0 C. to about 275\xb0 C. in an oxygen-containing atmosphere in an, agitated multiple-compartment pressure leaching vessel to form a product slurry comprising a sulfuric acid solution;
c) adding a dispersant during said pressure leaching step;
d) separating at least a portion of said sulfuric acid solution from said product slurry to yield a solid residue;
e) recovering at least one precious metal value from said solid residue.
17. The process of claim 16 wherein said step of providing an elemental sulfur-bearing material comprises providing an elemental sulfur-containing residue from a pressure leaching operation carried out at a temperature in the range of about 140\xb0 C. to about 180\xb0 C.
18. The process of claim 16 wherein said step of pressure leaching comprises pressure leaching at a temperature of about 235\xb0 C.

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. Toilet cleaning apparatus, said apparatus including dispensing means for dispensing fluid therefrom for cleaning said toilet and connection means for connecting said dispensing means to a fluid supply for providing a source of fluid to the dispensing means in use, said dispensing means including a housing having fluid inlet means and fluid outlet means, and wherein said housing includes two or more parts and said parts are rotatably mounted to each other in use.
2. Toilet cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the two or more parts of said housing are provided with complementary screw threaded portions to allow said parts to be rotatably mounted to each other.
3. Toilet cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said two or more parts are detachably attached to each other in use.
4. Toilet cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a compartment is defined in said housing and access to said compartment is provided by separating two or more of said housing parts.
5. Toilet cleaning apparatus according to claim 4 wherein a cleaning medium is contained in said compartment in use.
6. Toilet cleaning apparatus according claim 4 wherein the compartment is substantially elongate in form and is provided substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said housing.
7. Toilet cleaning apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the compartment is provided with location means for maintaining the position of a cleaning medium within the compartment in use.
8. Toilet cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the dispensing means includes control means for allowing a user to control the flow of fluid therethrough, the control means being actuated by at least partial rotation of one or more of said housing parts.
9. Toilet cleaning apparatus according to claim 8 wherein gripping means are provided on the exterior surface of at least the housing part associated with the control means.
10. Toilet cleaning apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said gripping means includes one or more protrusions protruding outwardly from an exterior surface of said housing part.
11. Toilet cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 wherein fluid flow control means are provided in said dispensing means for controlling the flow of fluid therethrough.
12. Toilet cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 wherein pressure control means are provided in said dispensing means for controlling the pressure of fluid flowing therethrough.
13. Toilet cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the housing includes at least three detachably attached parts; a first part with fluid outlet means associated therewith, a second part with fluid inlet means associated therewith and an intermediate part provided between said first and second parts.
14. Toilet cleaning apparatus according to claim 13 wherein a compartment is defined in said intermediate part.
15. Toilet cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said apparatus further includes a substantially flexible conduit or hose provided between the fluid inlet means of said dispensing means and the connection means.
16. Toilet cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the connection means includes a valve.
17. Toilet cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 wherein support means are provided for allowing the dispensing means to be supported in a suitable position when not in use.
18. Toilet cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the apparatus includes at least a toilet bowl.
19. Toilet cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the fluid outlet means are defined in a housing part and different housing parts having different arrangements of fluid outlet means can be provided.
20. Toilet cleaning apparatus according to claim 19 wherein the fluid outlet means are defined on a substantially planar or flat surface on said housing part.
21. Toilet cleaning apparatus according to claim 19 wherein at least a portion of the housing part is substantially U or J-shaped and the fluid outlet means are defined in said U or J shaped portion.
22. Toilet cleaning apparatus according to claims 11 or 12 wherein the fluid flow control means andor the pressure control means includes a valve arrangement movable between open and closed positions.
23. Toilet cleaning apparatus according to claim 22 wherein in the fluid flow control valve arrangement, fluid flows from an external surface of a valve andor valve housing to an interior surface of the valve or valve housing through one or more fluid apertures when said valve arrangement is in an open position.
24. Toilet cleaning apparatus according to claim 23 wherein the valve arrangement includes a closure element and a valve housing, the closure element being movably mounted with respect to said valve housing from an open position, wherein the closure element is a spaced distance apart from fluid inlet means and fluid can flow through said fluid inlet means, around at least part of an external surface of said closure element and through one or more fluid apertures defined in the valve housing to the interior of the valve housing; to a closed position, wherein the closure element engages with or adjacent said fluid inlet means to substantially prevent fluid flow through said fluid inlet means.
25. Toilet cleaning apparatus according to claim 22 wherein in the pressure control valve arrangement, fluid flows from an interior surface of the valve andor valve housing to an external surface thereof through one or more fluid apertures when said apertures are in an open position.
26. Toilet cleaning apparatus according to claim 25 wherein at least first and second fluid apertures are defined a spaced distance apart and longitudinally of said valve, said valve movable longitudinally with respect to sealing means to allow selective opening of said first andor said second fluid apertures.
27. Toilet cleaning apparatus according to claim 26 wherein the valve is movable with respect to the sealing means between a first position, wherein the first fluid aperture is open and fluid can flow therethrough and the second fluid aperture is closed and fluid is prevented from flowing therethrough; to a second position, wherein the first aperture is closed and fluid is prevented from flowing therethrough and the second aperture is open and fluid can flow therethrough.
28. Toilet cleaning apparatus according to claim 25 wherein the valve has a narrowing taper towards the outlet end of the dispensing apparatus, the one or more fluid apertures being provided towards said narrowing end of said valve.
29. A method of using toilet cleaning apparatus, said apparatus including dispensing means for dispensing fluid therefrom for cleaning said toilet and connection means for connecting said dispensing means to a fluid supply for providing a source of fluid to the dispensing means in use, said dispensing means including a housing having fluid inlet means and fluid outlet means, and wherein said housing includes two or more parts and said parts are rotatably mounted to each other in use, said method including the steps of directing the fluid outlet means of the dispensing means towards the interior of a toilet bowl and actuating the dispensing means to allow fluid to flow at a suitable located in said toilet bowl.