Author: claimsbot

1. A composition comprising a polymer matrix component that is substantially non-absorbing in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum and having dispersed therein:
(A) particle scattering colorant particles; and
(B) at least one luminescent substance;
\u2003wherein said particle scattering colorant particles:
(1) are selected from the group consisting of a semiconductor, metallic conductor, metal oxide or metal salt;
(2) have an average diameter in the smallest dimension of less than about 0.1 micron;
(3) have a minimum in the transmitted light intensity ratio in the 380 to 750 nanometer range that is shifted at least by 10 nanometers compared with that obtained for the same semiconductor, metallic conductor, metal oxide or metal salt having an average particle size above about 20 microns; and

\u2003wherein said luminescent substance further comprises at least one fluorescent substance, at least one phosphorescent substance or at least one fluorescent and at least one phosphorescent substance.
2. The composition of claim 1 wherein said particle scattering colorant particles comprise a metallic conductor selected from the group consisting of gold, platinum, copper, aluminum, lead, palladium, silver, rhodium, osmium, iridium, and alloys thereof; said particle scattering colorant particles have an average diameter in the smallest dimension of less than about 0.2 microns; said polymer matrix component is substantially non-absorbing in the visible region of the spectrum; and said particle scattering colorant has a minimum in the transmitted light intensity ratio in the 380 to 750 nanometer range that is shifted at least by 10 nanometers compared with that obtained for the same metallic conductor having an average particle size above about 20 microns.
3. The composition of claim 2 wherein said particle scattering colorant particles comprise colloidal particles.
4. The composition of claim 3 wherein the transmitted light intensity ratio of said particle scattering colorant has two minima in the visible wavelength region of the electromagnetic spectrum and the particle size distribution of said particle scattering colorant approaches a mononodal distribution.
5. A composition comprising at least one first composition and at least one second composition, and a luminescent substance dispersed within at least one of said first and said second compositions, said first composition comprising (A) a solid first matrix component in which there is dispersed (B) a non-liquid particle scattering colorant and, said second composition comprising (C) a solid second matrix component in which there is dispersed (D) an electronic transition colorant, dye or pigment;
said first and second compositions being located relative to one another such that said first composition is either disposed on and substantially exterior to said second composition on at least a part thereof or said first and second compositions are substantially mutually interpenetrating;
wherein:
(a) there exists at least one incident visible light wavelength and one incident light angle such that said first composition absorbs less than about 90% of light incident on said first composition;
(b) the absorption coefficient of said first composition is less than about 50% of that of said second composition at a wavelength in the visible region of the spectrum;
(c) the highest absorption peak of the particle scattering colorant does not fall in the visible region of the spectrum;
(d) either (i) said particle scattering colorant has a refractive index that matches that of said first matrix component at a wavelength in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum and has an average particle size of less than about 2000 microns, or (ii) the average refractive index of said particle scattering colorant differs from that of said first matrix component by at least about 5% in the visible region of the spectrum, the average particle size of said particle scattering colorant in the smallest dimension is less than about 2 microns, and said particle scattering colorant, when dispersed in a colorless, isotropic liquid having a substantially different refractive index, is characterized at wavelengths in the visible region of the spectrum as having an effective maximum absorbance that is at least about 2 times its effective minimum absorbance; and
(e) said luminescent substance comprises at least one fluorescent substance or at least one phosphorescent substance or at least one fluorescent and at least one phosphorescent substance.
6. The composition of claim 5 wherein said at least one first composition either absorbs or scatters more than about 50% of uniform radiation at the ultraviolet wavelength at which said at least one second composition undergoes the maximum rate of color fading.
7. The composition of claim 5 wherein said particle scattering colorant is substantially non-absorbing in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum.
8. The composition of claim 5 wherein the refractive index of said particle scattering colorant is substantially different than that of said first matrix component at all wavelengths in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum and wherein at least about 50% of all particles of said particle scattering colorant have a smallest dimension that is less than about 0.25 microns.
9. The composition of claim 5, wherein for said particle scattering colorant:
(a) the average particle size is from about 0.001 to about 0.4 microns;
(b) the average ratio of maximum dimension to minimum dimension for individual particles is less than about four; and
(c) the refractive index is substantially different than that of the matrix at all wavelengths in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum.
10. The composition of claim 5 wherein:
(a) the average particle size of said particle scattering colorant is less than about 1000 microns;
(b) both said first matrix component and said particle scattering colorant are substantially optically isotropic;
(c) there exists a wavelength in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum at which the refractive index of said first matrix component substantially equals that of said particle scattering colorant;
(d) the refractive index difference of said first matrix component and said particle scattering colorant is substantially dependent on wavelength in the visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum; and
(e) said first matrix composition is substantially non-absorbing at wavelengths in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum.
11. The composition of claim 10 wherein said particle scattering colorant and said first matrix component each exhibit refractive indices nF and nC, at 486.1 nm and 656.3 nm respectively, and wherein the difference in nF\u2212nC for said particle scattering colorant and said first matrix component is greater in absolute magnitude than 0.001.
12. The composition of claim 5 wherein said first and second matrix components comprise organic polymers.
13. The composition of claim 1 or claim 5 wherein said matrix component of claim 1 and at least one of said first and second matrix components of claim 5 comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of homopolymers and copolymers of polyamide, polyester, polyolefin, polyvinyl, acrylic, polysulfone, polycarbonate, polyarylate and polystyrene.
14. The composition of claim 5 wherein said first matrix component and said second matrix component are substantially mutually interpenetrating and wherein there exists a value \u03b1eveVe for said second composition and \u03b1svsVs for said first composition differ by less than a factor of ten at a wavelength in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum; wherein \u03b1e is the absorption coefficient for said electronic transition colorant; \u03b1s is the effective absorption coefficient for said particle scattering colorant; vs and ve are, respectively, the volumes of said at least one first and second compositions; and Vs and Ve are respectively the volume fraction of said at least one first composition that is said particle scattering colorant and the volume fraction of said at least one second composition that is said electronic transition colorant.
15. The composition of claim 5 comprising either an electronic transition colorant or a matrix polymer that displays electronic transition coloration, wherein dichroism in the visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum results from either preferential orientation of said electronic transition colorant or said matrix polymer.
16. The composition of claim 1 or claim 5 wherein at least one luminescent response is produced by a wavelength in the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum.
17. The composition of claim 1 or claim 5 wherein at least one luminescent response is produced by a wavelength in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum.
18. The composition of claim 1 or claim 5 wherein at least one luminescent response is produced by a wavelength in the ultraviolet region of the electromagnetic spectrum.
19. The composition of claim 1 or claim 5 wherein luminescent responses are produced by at least two excitation wavelengths selected from different members of the group consisting of the infrared, visible, and ultraviolet region of the electromagnetic spectrum.
20. The composition of claim 5 in which said particle-scattering colorant comprises a gas.
21. The composition of claim 20 wherein said gas is air.
22. The composition of claim 1 or claim 5, wherein said particle scattering colorant has an average particle size of less than 3 microns and comprises a plurality of layers, each of said layers having a different refractive index.
23. The composition of claim 22 wherein the refractive index difference is greater than about 5%.
24. The composition of claim 1 or claim 5 comprising at least one each of a fluorescent and a phosphorescent material.
25. The composition of claim 5 wherein said luminescent substance is dispersed in said first composition, said second composition or both.
26. The composition of claim 25 wherein said luminescent substance is dispersed in said first composition.
27. The composition of claim 25 wherein said luminescent substance is dispersed in said second composition.
28. The composition of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said fluorescent or phosphorescent material is represented by the formula Zn1\u2212xCdxS, wherein x is greater than zero and no greater than unity, said fluorescent or phosphorescent material further comprising at least one trace element selected from the group consisting of Cu, Ag, or Mn.

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 computer program product for managing a firewall for a first server added to a cluster of a plurality of other servers, the firewall comprising a multiplicity of rules of permitted message flows through the firewall, the computer program product comprising:
a computer readable storage media;
first program instructions to (a) identify a plurality of the rules of permitted message flows through the firewall to or from the plurality of other servers, respectively, for respective copies of a first application installed in the plurality of other servers, respectively, where the plurality of rules are substantially the same as each other except for designation of different respective ones of the plurality of other servers as a source or destination of the messages, and (b) identify another of the rules of permitted message flows through the firewall to or from one of the plurality of other servers for a second application installed in the one of the plurality of other servers but not installed in all other of the plurality of other servers; and
second program instructions, (a) responsive to the identification by the first program instructions of the plurality of rules, to automatically generate a new rule for the firewall, the new rule being substantially the same as the plurality of rules except the new rule designating the first server for another copy of the first application instead of the plurality of other servers for their respective copies of the first application, and (b) responsive to the identification by the first program instructions of the other of the rules, to determine not to automatically generate another rule for the firewall which is substantially the same as the other of the rules except for designation of the first server instead of the one of the plurality of other servers, regardless of whether the first server includes a copy of the second application; and wherein
the first and second program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media.
2. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising third program instructions to automatically install the new rule in the firewall; and wherein the third program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media.
3. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein:
the plurality of rules specify a permitted message flow through the firewall from the IP addresses of the plurality of computers, respectively.
4. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein:
the plurality of rules specify a permitted message flow through the firewall to the IP addresses of the plurality of computers, respectively.
5. A computer system for managing a firewall for a first server added to a cluster of a plurality of other servers, the firewall comprising a multiplicity of rules of permitted message flows through the firewall, the computer system comprising:
a CPU, a computer readable memory and a computer readable storage media;
first program instructions to (a) identify a plurality of the rules of permitted message flows through the firewall to or from the plurality of other servers, respectively, for respective copies of a first application installed in the plurality of other servers, respectively, where the plurality of rules are substantially the same as each other except for designation of different respective ones of the plurality of other servers as a source or destination of the messages, and (b) identify another of the rules of permitted message flows through the firewall to or from one of the plurality of other servers for a second application installed in the one of the plurality of other servers but not installed in all other of the plurality of other servers; and
second program instructions, (a) responsive to the identification by the first program instructions of the plurality of rules, to automatically generate a new rule for the firewall, the new rule being substantially the same as the plurality of rules except the new rule designating the first server for another copy of the first application instead of the plurality of other servers for their respective copies of the first application, and (b) responsive to the identification by the first program instructions of the other of the rules, to determine not to automatically generate another rule for the firewall which is substantially the same as the other of the rules except for designation of the first server instead of the one of the plurality of other servers, regardless of whether the first server includes a copy of the second application; and wherein
the first and second program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by the CPU via the computer readable memory.
6. The computer system of claim 16 further comprising third program instructions to automatically install the new rule in the firewall; and wherein the third program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by the CPU via the computer readable memory.
7. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein:
the plurality of rules specify a permitted message flow through the firewall from the IP addresses of the plurality of computers, respectively.
8. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein:
the plurality of rules specify a permitted message flow through the firewall to the IP addresses of the plurality of computers, respectively.

1. A snow plow having an adjustable vehicle mounting assembly, the snow plow comprising a main plow body comprising a moldboard having a plowing face and a pushing face opposed to the plowing face, the adjustable vehicle mounting assembly comprising:
two support frames carried by the pushing face of the moldboard, the support frames being longitudinally spaced from one another;
at least one guide shaft carried by each support frame;
the at least one guide shaft being substantially fixed relative to the support frames and the pushing face of the moldboard; and
two vehicle receivers securable to a plowing vehicle, each vehicle receiver being slidably received on a corresponding at least one guide shaft and adapted for non-rotating, parallel linear movement along the respective guide shafts toward and away from a surface-engaging edge of the snow plow within a limited range of motion.
2. The snow plow of claim 1, wherein each support frame carries a single guide shaft of polygonal cross-section and the vehicle receiver includes a corresponding sleeve in which the guide shaft is received.
3. The snow plow of claim 1, wherein each support frame carries at least two spaced-apart guide shafts and the vehicle receiver includes at least one guide bar having corresponding spaced-apart guide apertures in which the guide shafts are received.
4. The snow plow of claim 2, wherein:
each support frame comprises a pair of opposed, spaced-apart mounting plates;
each guide shaft is disposed between a respective pair of mounting plates;
each guide shaft is secured by mounting rods extending through opposed mounting apertures defined at opposite ends of the respective mounting plates and through correspondingly positioned shaft apertures defined through the guide shaft at opposite ends of the guide shaft.
5. The snow plow of claim 4, wherein the mounting rods are removable and replaceable to permit removal of the guide shafts to enable the vehicle receivers to be replaced with different vehicle receivers.
6. The snow plow of claim 3, wherein:
each support frame comprises a pair of opposed, spaced-apart mounting plates;
each pair of spaced-apart mounting plates being secured to one another by a pair of parallel, spaced-apart crossbars extending between the mounting plates;
the crossbars having mounting apertures defined therein, with the mounting apertures in each crossbar being in registration with the mounting apertures in the other crossbar in the pair of crossbars;
the guide shafts being mounted in the mounting apertures in the crossbars;
the guide shafts being secured in position by locking pins that are friction fit into rod apertures at one end of each guide shaft and by locating rings secured to apertures at the opposite end of each guide shaft.
7. The snow plow of claim 6, wherein the locking pins are removable and replaceable to permit removal of the guide shafts to enable the vehicle receivers to be replaced with different vehicle receivers.

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 of analyzing variations in an indicator of the behavior of a mechanism, the method being characterized in that it comprises the following operations:
extracting noise and any discontinuities from the indicator in order to obtain a trend;
comparing variations in the trend with one or more reference values;
indicating a fault of the mechanism as a function of the result of the comparison;
wherein, in order to extract any discontinuities, the following operations are also performed:
searching for and subtracting out any outlier data in the indicator data; and
extracting any edge data from the data obtained from said searching operation.
2. A method according to claim 1, in which, in order to find the times of the outlier data:
a moving median value of the indicator data is subtracted from the indicator data in order to obtain noisy data; and
the time is identified for which the ratio of the amplitude of the noisy data to the indicator data level is greater than a threshold.
3. A method according to claim 1, in which, in order to identify the presence of an edge in the data, variations in the scale coefficients corresponding to a wavelet transform of variations in the data are analyzed.
4. A method according to claim 3, in which a potential edge is identified in the data when the ratio bp of a mean of the sale coefficients to the standard deviation of the variations of these coefficients, exceeds a first determined value tp, and when the ratio bm of said mean of the scale coefficients to the level of the data exceeds a second determined value tm.
5. A method according to claim 1, in which, the following operations are also performed:
calculating the level of the noise;
comparing variations in the level of the noise with one or more reference values; and
indicating a fault of the mechanism as a function of the results of the comparison performed in operation.
6. A method according to claim 5, in which, in order to compare variations in the noise level with reference values, the following operations are performed:
calculating scale variation data of a wavelet transform of the noise level variations; and
comparing the scale variation data of the wavelet transform of the noise level with the reference values.
7. A method according to claim 3, in which use is made of the Haar wavelet and of the scale function associated with the Haar wavelet.
8. A method according to claim 1, in which, when an edge is detected, the time of the edge is compared with historical data concerning maintenance of the mechanism.
9. A method according to claim 1, in which the amplitude of the data is compared with at least one third reference value.
10. A method according to claim 4, in which a fault of the mechanism is diagnosed as a function of the results of the comparisons.
11. A method according to claim 1, further including the following successive prior operations:
normalizing variations of the indicator with reference to simultaneous variations of an operating parameter of the mechanism; and
then, in a training stage, determining reference values or thresholds for the rate of variation of at least one component of the indicator from the variations of the indicator during a period of operation without any fault of the mechanism.
12. A method according to claim 11, in which the normalization operation includes parametric modeling of the indicator or of measurements from the indicator is extracted.
13. A method according to claim 11, in which the normalization operation comprises filtering indication variation data.
14. A method according to claim 1, in which the mechanism is a rotorcraft transmission mechanism, the indicator is derived from vibration measurements performed on the rotorcraft in flight, and the operating parameter is the air speed of the rotorcraft.
15. A method according to claim 1, in which, in order to compare the trend variations with reference values, the following operations are performed:
calculating scale variation data of a wavelet transform of the trend data; and
comparing the scale variation data of the wavelet transform of the trend data with reference values.
16. Apparatus for diagnosing a mechanism as a function of data generated from vibration measurements performed on the mechanism, the apparatus being characterized in that it is programmed to perform the operations of a method comprising the following operations:
extracting noise and any discontinuities from the indicator in order to obtain a trend;
comparing variations in the trend with one or more reference values;
indicating a fault of the mechanism as a function of the result of the comparison;
wherein, in order to extract any discontinuities, the following operations are also performed:
searching for and subtracting out any outlier data in the indicator data; and
extracting any edge data from the data obtained from said searching operation.