Author: claimsbot

We claim:

1. A method for dynamically setting up a configurable subset of a customer’s catalog and saving the subset as an item in the customer’s catalog, wherein the customer’s catalog was derived from one or more ancestor catalogs and a customer is able to set up and save the subset without intervention by administrators of the one or more ancestor catalogs, the method comprising the steps of:
creating a base catalog;
deriving the customer’s catalog at least from the base catalog;
setting up, by the customer, a configurable subset of the customer’s catalog;
saving the subset as an item in the customer’s catalog; and, accounting for products ordered from the subset in a same manner that is used for the customer’s catalog, wherein products include goods, services and capabilities.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:
identifying the configurable subset of the customer’s catalog as an offering released by the customer.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of deriving further comprises:
using a rules based management system to derive the customer’s catalog.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of saving comprises:
saving the subset as a sub-catalog to the customer’s catalog.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of setting up further comprises:
setting up the configurable subset in real-time or near real-time.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of accounting further comprises:
determining a price for products in the subset based on a roll up of component prices, wherein each product comprises one or more components.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of setting up and saving further comprise:
setting up and saving more than one subset of the customer’s catalog.
8. In a rules based management system, a method for allowing a customer to create and save a subset of a customer’s catalog without intervention by an administrator of the management system, wherein everything ordered from the subset is accounted for as if it had been ordered from the customer’s catalog, the method comprising the steps of:
selecting products from the customer’s catalog to be included in the subset, wherein the products may include services and capabilities;
saving the subset as an item in a list of items associated with the customer’s catalog;
adding an explicit rule to a filter associated with the customer’s catalog, wherein the explicit rule excludes all items from the customer’s catalog except the subset;
accessing the customer’s catalog by the customer or an employee of the customer, so that the explicit rule is applied to the list of items; and,
generating a new catalog for the customer, wherein the new catalog consists of the subset.
9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of:
identifying the subset as an offering released by the customer.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein each of the steps are accomplished in real-time or near real-time.
11. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of:
accounting for products ordered from the subset in a same manner that is used for the customer’s catalog, wherein products include goods, services and capabilities.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of accounting further comprises:
determining a price for products in the subset based on a roll up of component prices, wherein each product comprises one or more components.
13. In a rules based management system, a method for allowing a customer to create and save a sub-catalog consisting of a subset of a customer’s catalog, without intervention by an administrator of the management system, wherein everything ordered from the sub-catalog is accounted for as if it had been ordered from the customer’s catalog, the method comprising the steps of:
selecting products from the customer’s catalog to be included in the subset, wherein the products may include services and capabilities;
saving the subset as an item in a list of items associated with the customer’s catalog;
creating a filter to be used to generate the sub-catalog, wherein the filter includes an explicit rule that excludes all items from the sub-catalog except the subset;
accessing the sub-catalog by the customer, or an employee of the customer, so that the filter is applied to the list of items; and, generating the sub-catalog for the customer, wherein the sub-catalog consists of the subset.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:
identifying the sub-catalog as an offering released by the customer.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein each step is accomplished in real-time or near real-time.
16. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:
accounting for products ordered from the sub-catalog in a same manner that is used for the customer’s catalog, wherein products include goods, services and capabilities.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of accounting further comprises:
determining a price for products in the sub-catalog based on a roll up of component prices, wherein each product comprises one or more components.

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 mechanical ventilator apparatus for supplying breathing gas to humans, the ventilator comprising:
a ventilator arrangement; and
a processing unit configured to obtain flow signals from sensors indicative of at least breathing gas flow;
wherein said processing unit is arranged to analyze said flow signals with respect to kinetic energy content relating to a breathing effort of a patient by applying said flow signals to a derivative procedure in order to deduce said kinetic energy content via a calculation of \xbd\u03c1V2, where \u03c1 is a density of breathing gas and V is a speed of a breathing flow gas, and said derivative procedure further comparing an output from said derivative procedure to at least one predetermined trigger level, to trigger a response if said kinetic energy content reaches said trigger level, and to trigger at least one of an inspiratory phase or an expiratory phase of a breathing cycle using a supply of said breathing gas according to said reached trigger level.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said derivative output is indicative of the inhalation start phase.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said derivative output is indicative of the exhalation start phase.
4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said processing unit is further configured to receive a signal indicative of pressure, and to use said signal indicative of pressure in said analysis for kinetic energy content together with said signal indicative of breathing gas flow.
5. A method for facilitating breathing in connection with a mechanical ventilator arrangement, comprising the steps of:
acquiring a breathing gas flow signal;
processing said breathing gas flow signal for kinetic energy content by applying said breathing gas flow signal to a derivative procedure to deduce said kinetic energy content relating to a breathing effort of a patient, wherein the kinetic energy content is deduced via a calculation of \xbd\u03c1V2, where \u03c1 is a density of breathing gas and V is a speed of a breathing flow gas;
determining if said kinetic energy content has reached at least one predetermined trigger level by comparing an output from said derivative procedure with said trigger level; and
responding to said reached trigger level by changing control signals for said mechanical ventilator, wherein said control signals trigger at least one of an inspiratory phase or an expiratory phase of a breathing cycle using a supply of breathing gas.
6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the steps of:
measuring a breathing gas pressure; and
using said pressure measurement in said processing for kinetic energy content.
7. A system for facilitating breathing when using a mechanical ventilator arrangement, comprising:
at least one sensing means for acquiring a flow signal indicative of at least flow of breathing gas to a patient;
a breathing gas tubing and breathing gas distribution means;
a mechanical ventilator apparatus; and
a processing unit;
wherein said processing unit is arranged to process flow data obtained from a breathing gas flow measurement using said sensing means, to determine kinetic energy content relating to a breathing effort of a patient from said flow data by applying said flow signal to a derivative procedure to deduce said kinetic energy content via a calculation of \xbd\u03c1V2, where \u03c1 is a density of breathing gas and V is a speed of a breathing flow gas, and said derivative procedure further comparing an output from said derivative procedure with at least one predetermined trigger level, to determine if said predetermined trigger level is reached from said comparison, and to output control signals to said mechanical ventilator apparatus to trigger at least one of an inspiratory phase or an expiratory phase of a breathing cycle using a supply of breathing gas.
8. The system according to claim 7, further comprising:
sensing means for measuring breathing gas pressure;
said processing unit being arranged to process data from both flow and pressure measurements in order to deduce kinetic energy content.
9. A computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, control a mechanical ventilator apparatus, to perform a method, comprising:
obtaining flow signals from at least one sensing means for measuring flow of breathing gas to a patient;
applying said flow signals to a derivative procedure to deduce a kinetic energy content relating to a breathing effort of a patient, wherein the kinetic energy content is deduced via a calculation of \xbd\u03c1V2, where \u03c1 is a density of breathing gas and V is a speed of a breathing flow gas;
comparing an output from said derivative procedure with at least one predetermined trigger level;
determining from said comparison if said predetermined trigger level has been reached; and
transmitting control signals to trigger at least one of an inspiratory phase or an expiratory phase of a breathing cycle using a supply of breathing gas to said mechanical ventilator if said predetermined trigger level has been reached.
10. The computer readable medium according to claim 9, wherein said output from said derivative procedure is indicative of the inhalation rise phase.
11. The computer readable medium according to claim 9, wherein said output from said derivative procedure is indicative of the exhalation fall phase.
12. The computer readable medium according to claim 9, further comprising using data obtained from measurement of breathing gas pressure together with flow measurements in determining said kinetic energy content.

1. An apparatus comprising:
a cage of a fluid regulator, the cage having a central aperture;
a valve stem to be received by the central aperture; and
a diaphragm coupled to the valve stem, wherein an integral protrusion of the cage is to constrain a peripheral edge of the diaphragm against a removable portion of a valve body when the cage is coupled to the valve body.
2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising a second integral protrusion to be received by a recess of the valve body to constrain the cage relative to the valve body.
3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the central aperture has a first shape and the stem has a second shape complementary to the first shape to prevent rotation of the stem.
4. The apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein the first and second shapes comprise hex shapes, square shapes, pentagonal shapes, oval, or triangular shapes.
5. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the cage comprises first and second removable portions to access a sealing disc, the first and second removable portions on opposite sides of the cage.
6. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising first and second discs coupled to the valve stem, the second disc to engage a spring to affect the motion of the first disc relative to an orifice.
7. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, the cage further comprising a threaded portion to receive a valve stem guide to align the valve stem.
8. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the central aperture aligns the valve stem.
9. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the valve stem has a removable stem portion threadably coupled to the valve stem.
10. An apparatus comprising:
a valve body of a fluid regulator;
a cage disposed in the valve body, the cage to engage a diaphragm;
a valve stem to move along a central aperture of the cage; and
a removable portion of the valve body at a first end of the valve body where the stem enters the valve body, the removal of the removable portion to allow access to a first sealing disc from the first end.
11. The apparatus as defined in claim 10, further comprising a second removable portion at a second end of the valve body to allow access to the first sealing disc from the second end, the second end opposite the first end.
12. The apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein removing the removable portion allows removal of the cage from the valve body.
13. The apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein a peripheral edge of a diaphragm is captured between the removable portion and the cage.
14. The apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the cage further comprises a protrusion on an external surface of the cage to be received by an aperture of the valve body.
15. The apparatus as defined in claim 10, further comprising a second sealing disc coupled to the valve stem, the second sealing disc to engage a seat ring when a shaft of a slam-shut device is rotated.
16. A method comprising:
removing a removable portion of a valve body, the removable portion on a first end of the valve body where a stem is to enter the valve body;
removing a cage from the valve body through a first aperture provided by the removal of the removable portion, wherein a second aperture of the cage aligns the stem; and
accessing a sealing disc of the valve body via the first aperture.
17. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein removing the removable portion and removing the cage occurs simultaneously.
18. The method as defined in claim 16, further comprising removing a portion of the stem to access the disc.
19. The method as defined in claim 16, further comprising removing the sealing disc from the valve body via the first aperture.
20. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the valve body further comprises a second removable portion on a second end of the valve body opposite the first end.

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 speech synthesis system implemented using at least one hardware implemented processor, the system comprising:
a speech segment database referencing speech segments having a plurality of different types of speech representational structures including:
i. statistical state model based speech signals, and
ii. template based speech signals;

a speech segment selector for selecting from the speech segment database a sequence of statistical state model based and template based speech segment candidates corresponding to a target text;
a speech segment sequencer for generating from the speech segment candidates sequenced statistical state model based and template based speech segments corresponding to the target text; and
a speech segment synthesizer for combining the sequenced statistical state model based and template based speech segments to produce a synthesized speech signal output corresponding to the target text.
2. A speech synthesis system according to claim 1, wherein the different types of speech representational structures include statistical state model-based speech signals augmented with template information.
3. A speech synthesis system according to claim 1, wherein the speech segment selector uses a statistical state model for selecting the speech segment candidates.
4. A speech synthesis system according to claim 3, wherein the speech segment selector uses template information to augment the statistical state model.
5. A speech synthesis system according to claim 1, wherein the different types of speech representational structures share at least one parameter component.
6. A speech synthesis system according to claim 5, wherein the shared parameter component is encoded differently in different speech representational structures.
7. A speech synthesis system according to claim 1, wherein the speech segment sequencer uses static observations in generating the sequenced speech segments.
8. A speech synthesis system according to claim 1, wherein the speech segment sequencer uses observations from the speech segment selector in generating the sequenced speech segments.
9. A speech synthesis system according to claim 1, wherein the speech segment sequencer uses static observations and observations from the speech segment selector in generating the sequenced speech segments.
10. A speech synthesis system according to claim 1, wherein the speech segment selector uses statistically derived cost-functions for selecting the speech segment candidates.
11. A speech synthesis system according to claim 1, wherein the speech segment sequencer uses statistically derived cost-functions for generating the sequenced speech segments.
12. A speech synthesis system according to claim 1, wherein the speech segment selector uses empirical rules for selecting the speech segment candidates.
13. A speech synthesis system according to claim 1, wherein the speech segment sequencer uses empirical rules for generating the sequenced speech segments.
14. A speech synthesis system according to claim 1, wherein the speech segment selector uses psycho-acoustic rules for selecting the speech segment candidates.
15. A speech synthesis system according to claim 1, wherein the speech segment sequencer uses psycho-acoustic rules for generating the sequenced speech segments.
16. A speech synthesis system according to claim 10, wherein the statistically derived cost-functions are based on sequences of speech segment observations.
17. A speech synthesis system according to claim 16, wherein the sequences of speech segment observations are described by a Markov process.
18. A speech synthesis system according to claim 11, wherein the statistically derived cost-functions are based on sequences of speech segment observations.
19. A speech synthesis system according to claim 18, wherein the sequences of speech segment observations are described by a Markov process.
20. A method of speech synthesis comprising:
with a system implemented using at least one hardware implemented processor:
referencing in a speech segment database speech segments having a plurality of different types of speech representational structures including:
i. statistical state model based speech signals, and
ii. template based speech signals;

selecting from the speech segment database a sequence of statistical state model based and template based speech segment candidates corresponding to a target text;
generating from the speech segment candidates sequenced statistical state model based and template based speech segments corresponding to the target text; and
combining the sequenced statistical state model based and template based speech segments to produce a synthesized speech signal output corresponding to the target text.
21. A method according to claim 20, wherein the different types of speech representational structures include statistical state model-based speech signals augmented with template information.
22. A method according to claim 20, wherein a statistical state speech model is used in selecting the sequence of speech segment candidates.
23. A method according to claim 22, wherein the statistical state speech model is augmented by template information.
24. A method according to claim 20, wherein the different types of speech representational structures share at least one parameter component.
25. A method according to claim 24, wherein the shared parameter component is encoded differently in different speech representational structures.
26. A method according to claim 20, wherein static observations are used in generating the sequenced speech segments.
27. A method according to claim 20, wherein observations from the selecting the sequence of speech segment candidates are used in the generating the sequenced speech segments.
28. A method according to claim 20, wherein static observations and observations from the selecting the sequence of speech segment candidates are used in the generating the sequenced speech segments.
29. A method according to claim 20, wherein statistically derived cost-functions are used for selecting the speech segment candidates.
30. A method according to claim 20, wherein statistically derived cost-functions are used for generating the sequenced speech segments.
31. A method according to claim 20, wherein empirical rules are used for selecting the speech segment candidates.
32. A method according to claim 20, wherein empirical rules are used for generating the sequenced speech segments.
33. A method according to claim 20, wherein psycho-acoustic rules are used for selecting the speech segment candidates.
34. A method according to claim 20, wherein psycho-acoustic rules are used for generating the sequenced speech segments.
35. A method according to claim 29, wherein the statistically derived cost-functions are based on sequences of speech segment observations.
36. A method according to claim 35, wherein the sequences of speech segment observations are described by a Markov process.
37. A method according to claim 30, wherein the statistically derived cost-functions are based on sequences of speech segment observations.
38. A method according to claim 37, wherein the sequences of speech segment observations are described by a Markov process.