Author: claimsbot

1. An arrangement for transmitting magnetic resonance signals respectively generated by individual antennas of a magnetic resonance local coil, said arrangement comprising:
a plurality of reception branches, each reception branch comprising one individual antenna of the local coil and an amplifier connected thereto that produces an amplified magnetic resonance signal as an output signal of that reception branch on a magnetic resonance signal acquired by the individual antenna;
a multiplexer having a plurality of multiplexer inputs respectively connected to said plurality of reception branches to receive the respective amplified magnetic resonance signals therefrom, said multiplexer emitting a resulting signal at a multiplexer output by time-multiplexing the respective amplified magnetic resonance signals from the reception branches;
a transmission path having a first end connected to said multiplexer output;
a receiver connected to a second end of said transmission path that receives said resulting signal from said multiplexer output via said transmission path and
said local coil having a local coil housing, and said plurality of reception branches and said multiplexer being contained in said local coil housing.
2. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein said transmission path is selected from the group consisting of optical transmission paths, hard-wired transmission paths, and radio transmission paths.
3. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein each transmission branch additionally comprises a filter that filters the amplified magnetic resonance signal in that transmission branch before the respective multiplexer input to which that transmission branch is connected.
4. An arrangement for transmitting magnetic resonance signals respectively generated by individual antennas of a magnetic resonance local coil, said arrangement comprising:
a plurality of reception branches, each reception branch comprising one individual antenna of the local coil and an amplifier connected thereto that produces an amplified magnetic resonance signal as an output signal of that reception branch on a magnetic resonance signal acquired by the individual antenna;
a multiplexer having a plurality of multiplexer inputs respectively connected to said plurality of reception branches to receive the respective amplified magnetic resonance signals therefrom, said multiplexer emitting a resulting signal at a multiplexer output by time-multiplexing the respective amplified magnetic resonance signals from the reception branches;
a transmission path having a first end connected to said multiplexer output;
a counter that is clocked by a clock signal, said counter being connected to said multiplexer and controlling the time multiplexing in said multiplexer;
said receiver comprising a clock signal generator that generates said clock signal and supplies said clock signal to said counter; and
a first coupling device connected between said multiplexer output and said first end of said transmission path and a second coupling device connected between said second end of said transmission path and said receiver, said first and second coupling devices operating in combination to couple said resulting signal from said multiplexer output into said transmission path and to couple said clock signal from said clock signal generator in said receiver into said transmission path.
5. An arrangement for transmitting magnetic resonance signals respectively generated by individual antennas of a magnetic resonance local coil, said arrangement comprising:
a plurality of reception branches, each reception branch comprising one individual antenna of the local coil and an amplifier connected thereto that produces an amplified magnetic resonance signal as an output signal of that reception branch on a magnetic resonance signal acquired by the individual antenna;
a multiplexer having a plurality of multiplexer inputs respectively connected to said plurality of reception branches to receive the respective amplified magnetic resonance signals therefrom, said multiplexer emitting a resulting signal at a multiplexer output by time-multiplexing the respective amplified magnetic resonance signals from the reception branches;
a transmission path having a first end connected to said multiplexer output;
a receiver connected to a second end of said transmission path that receives said resulting signal from said multiplexer output via said transmission path; and
a sample and hold circuit connected at a location selected from the group consisting of between said multiplexer output and said first end of said transmission path and between said second end of said transmission end and said receiver, and wherein said receiver comprises an analog-to-digital converter, with said resulting signal passing through said sample and hold circuit before reaching said analog-to-digital convert.
6. An arrangement as claimed in claim 5 wherein said multiplexer is configured to implement said time multiplexing to cause respective multiplexer inputs to be connected to said multiplexer output only for a duration that is a portion of a sample interval of said sample and hold circuit.
7. An arrangement for transmitting magnetic resonance signals respectively generated by individual antennas of a magnetic resonance local coil, said arrangement comprising:
a plurality of reception branches, each reception branch comprising one individual antenna of the local coil and an amplifier connected thereto that produces an amplified magnetic resonance signal as an output signal of that reception branch on a magnetic resonance signal acquired by the individual antenna;
a multiplexer having a plurality of multiplexer inputs respectively connected to said plurality of reception branches to receive the respective amplified magnetic resonance signals therefrom, said multiplexer emitting a resulting signal at a multiplexer output by time-multiplexing the respective amplified magnetic resonance signals from the reception branches;
a transmission path having a first end connected to said multiplexer output; a receiver connected to a second end of said transmission path that receives said resulting signal from said multiplexer output via said transmission path;
said receiver comprising:
an analog-to-digital converter; and
an equalizer connected downstream of said second end of said transmission path, preceding said analog-to-digital converter.
8. An arrangement for transmitting magnetic resonance signals respectively generated by individual antennas of a magnetic resonance local coil, said arrangement comprising:
a plurality of reception branches, each reception branch comprising one individual antenna of the local coil and an amplifier connected thereto that produces an amplified magnetic resonance signal as an output signal of that reception branch on a magnetic resonance signal acquired by the individual antenna;
a multiplexer having a plurality of multiplexer inputs respectively connected to said plurality of reception branches to receive the respective amplified magnetic resonance signals therefrom, said multiplexer emitting a resulting signal at a multiplexer output by time-multiplexing the respective amplified magnetic resonance signals from the reception branches;
a transmission path having a first end connected to said multiplexer output;
a receiver connected to a second end of said transmission path that receives said resulting signal from said multiplexer output via said transmission path; and
each reception branch additionally comprising a converter that converts the amplified magnetic resonance signal in that reception branch into an intermediate frequency and that supplies the amplified magnetic resonance signal at said intermediate frequency to the multiplexer input connected to that reception branch.
9. An arrangement as claimed in claim 8 wherein said converter is a single sideband mixer.
10. An arrangement for transmitting magnetic resonance signals respectively generated by individual antennas of a magnetic resonance local coil, said arrangement comprising:
a plurality of reception branches, each reception branch comprising one individual antenna of the local coil and an amplifier connected thereto that produces an amplified magnetic resonance signal as an output signal of that reception branch on a magnetic resonance signal acquired by the individual antenna;
a multiplexer having a plurality of multiplexer inputs respectively connected to said plurality of reception branches to receive the respective amplified magnetic resonance signals therefrom, said multiplexer emitting a resulting signal at a multiplexer output by time-multiplexing the respective amplified magnetic resonance signals from the reception branches;
a transmission path having a first end connected to said multiplexer output;
a receiver connected to a second end of said transmission path that receives said resulting signal from said multiplexer output via said transmission path; and
each amplifier in each reception branch generating an amplified positive magnetic resonance signal and an amplified negative magnetic resonance signal.
11. An arrangement as claimed in claim 10 wherein each reception branch comprises a switch connected downstream of the amplifier in that reception branch, said switch supplying either the amplified positive magnetic resonance signal or the amplified negative magnetic resonance signal to the multiplexer input connected to that reception branch.
12. An arrangement as claimed in claim 10 wherein the respective multiplexer inputs connected to the reception branches are first multiplexer inputs, and wherein said multiplexer comprises, for each of said reception branches, a second multiplexer input, and wherein, for each reception branch, the amplified positive magnetic resonance signal is supplied to the first multiplexer input and the amplified negative magnetic resonance signal is simultaneously supplied to said second multiplexer input.
13. An arrangement as claimed in claim 10 wherein the respective multiplexer inputs connected to said plurality of reception branches are first multiplexer inputs, and wherein said multiplexer comprises, for each of said reception branches, a second multiplexer input, and wherein the amplifier in each reception branch is connected to both of the first and second multiplexer inputs for that reception branch and simultaneously supplies the amplified positive magnetic resonance signal and the amplified negative resonance signal respectively to said first and second multiplexer inputs for that reception branch.
14. An arrangement as claimed in claim 13 comprising, in each reception branch, a phase shifter for 0\xb0 phase shifting connected between the amplifier and the first multiplexer input, and a phase shifter for 90\xb0 phase shifting connected between the amplifier and the second multiplexer input.
15. An arrangement for transmitting magnetic resonance signals respectively generated by individual antennas of a magnetic resonance local coil, said arrangement comprising:
a plurality of reception branches, each reception branch comprising one individual antenna of the local coil and an amplifier connected thereto that produces an amplified magnetic resonance signal as an output signal of that reception branch on a magnetic resonance signal acquired by the individual antenna;
a multiplexer having a plurality of multiplexer inputs respectively connected to said plurality of reception branches to receive the respective amplified magnetic resonance signals therefrom, said multiplexer emitting a resulting signal at a multiplexer output by time-multiplexing the respective amplified magnetic resonance signals from the reception branches;
a transmission path having a first end connected to said multiplexer output;
a receiver connected to a second end of said transmission path that receives said resulting signal from said multiplexer output via said transmission path; and
an analog-to-digital converter in said receiver, said analog-to-digital converter being connected downstream of said transmission path.

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 backup power supply, for providing energy to a coupled electrical device, said backup power supply comprising:
one or more ultra capacitors, electrically coupled to a source of energy, and configured for storing said energy;
a charging and discharging controller, coupled to said source of energy and to said one or more ultra capacitors, for monitoring a status of said source of energy and for regulating the charging and discharging of the one or more ultra capacitors; and

a multiphase boost converter, electrically coupled to said one or more ultra capacitors and including a variable energy recovery time factor, said multiphase boost converter configured for determining the amount of said energy presently stored by said one or more ultra capacitors in the form of a voltage level, and responsive to said determination, for increasing said variable energy recovery time factor as said voltage level of said energy stored by said one or more ultra capacitors decreases, for providing a relatively constant voltage from the stored energy of the one or more ultra capacitors.
2. The backup power supply of claim 1, further including a charging regulator, for regulating an energy current that is used to charge the one or more ultra capacitors.
3. The backup power supply of claim 1, wherein each said one or more ultra capacitors is rated for between about 3 to 10 volts.
4. The backup power supply of claim 1, wherein the multiphase boost converter is a buck boost converter.
5. The backup power supply of claim 1, wherein the backup power supply is configured for an ATX computer power supply.
6. The backup power supply of claim 1, wherein the one or more ultra capacitors are charging during normal operation of a coupled electrical device being supplied power.
7. The backup power supply of claim 1, wherein the charging and discharging controller signals the coupled electrical device being supplied power when the charging and discharging controller detects a switch between charging and discharging modes.
8. The backup power supply of claim 1, wherein the charging and discharging controller shuts off the voltage supplied by the one or more ultra capacitors when the voltage supplied by the one or more ultra capacitors drops below a predetermine voltage.
9. The backup power supply of claim 1, wherein said multiphase boost converter includes a two phase boost converter, and wherein whenever a first of said two phase boost converters is operative, the second of said two phase boost converters is inoperative.
10. A backup power supply, for providing energy to a coupled electrical device, said backup power supply comprising:
one or more ultra capacitors, electrically coupled to a source of energy, and configured for storing said energy;
a charging and discharging controller, coupled to said source of energy and to said one or more ultra capacitors, for monitoring a status of said source of energy and for regulating the charging and discharging of the one or more ultra capacitors; and
a two-phase buck type boost converter, electrically coupled to said one or more ultra capacitors and including a variable energy recovery time factor, said two-phase buck type boost converter configured for determining the amount of said energy presently stored by said one or more ultra capacitors in the form of a voltage level, and responsive to said determination of said voltage level, for increasing said variable energy recovery time factor as said voltage level of said energy stored by said one or more ultra capacitors decreases, thereby boosting said voltage level of said energy stored by said one or more ultra capacitors, for providing a relatively constant voltage from the stored energy of the one or more ultra capacitors, and wherein whenever a first of said two phase buck type boost converters is operative, the second of said two phase buck type boost converters is inoperative.

1. An identification document, comprising:
a document surface having information relating to the intended holder of the identification document provided thereon; and
a diffractive optically variable image device on the document surface, wherein the image device is based on at least a portion of the information on the document surface.
2. The identification document of claim 1, wherein the image device overlays at least a portion of the information.
3. The identification document of claim 1, wherein the information comprises an image, and the diffractive optically variable image device overlays at least a portion of the image.
4. The identification document of claim 1, wherein the document surface comprises a surface of a card.
5. The identification document of claim 1, wherein the image device is a multi-layer image device having multiple axes of diffraction.
6. The identification document of claim 5, wherein each layer of the diffractive optically variable image device has an axis of diffraction that is different from the axis of diffraction of every other layer.
7. The identification document of claim 5, wherein each layer of the diffractive optically variable image device results from a pixel segmentation process.
8. The identification document of claim 3, wherein the diffractive optically variable image device is located in registration with the portion of the information that it is based on.
9. The identification document of claim 1, wherein the image device comprises material that is printed onto the document surface.
10. The identification document of claim 5, wherein the layers include an uppermost layer, and the uppermost layer comprises microprinting.
11. The identification document of claim 1, further comprising an overlay over the document surface and over the image device.
12. The identification document of claim 1, wherein the diffractive optically variable image device is offset from the information on which it is based.
13. An identification document, comprising:
a document surface having information relating to the intended holder of the identification document provided thereon; and
a multi-layer diffractive optically variable image device on the document surface, wherein the diffractive optically variable image device has multiple axes of diffraction and is formed on the document surface.
14. The identification document of claim 13, wherein the information comprises at least one of an image or text, and the image device overlays at least a portion of the image or the text.
15. The identification document of claim 13, wherein the document surface comprises an image, and the diffractive optically variable image device overlays at least a portion of the image.
16. The identification document of claim 13, wherein the document surface comprises a surface of a card.
17. The identification document of claim 13, wherein each layer of the diffractive optically variable image device has an axis of diffraction that is different from the axis of diffraction of every other layer.
18. The identification document of claim 13, wherein each layer of the diffractive optically variable image device results from a pixel segmentation process.
19. The identification document of claim 15, wherein the diffractive optically variable image device is located in registration with the image on the document surface.
20. The identification document of claim 13, wherein the image device comprises material that is printed onto the document surface.
21. The identification document of claim 13, wherein the layers include an uppermost layer, and the uppermost layer comprises microprinting.
22. The identification document of claim 13, further comprising an overlay over the document surface and over the image device.
23. The identification document of claim 13, wherein the diffractive optically variable image device is based on at least a portion of the information on the document surface, and the diffractive optically variable image device is offset from the information on which it is based.
24. An identification document, comprising:
a document surface having information printed thereon; and
a diffractive optically variable image device on the document surface, wherein the diffractive optically variable image device is created after the information is printed on the identification document and is based on at least a portion of the information.
25. The identification document of claim 24, wherein the information comprises at least one of an image or text, and the image device overlays at least a portion of the image or the text.
26. The identification document of claim 24, wherein the document surface comprises an image, and the diffractive optically variable image device overlays at least a portion of the image.
27. The identification document of claim 24, wherein the document surface comprises a surface of a card.
28. The identification document of claim 24, wherein the image device is a multi-layer image device having multiple axes of diffraction.
29. The identification document of claim 28, wherein each layer of the diffractive optically variable image device has an axis of diffraction that is different from the axis of diffraction of every other layer.
30. The identification document of claim 28, wherein each layer of the diffractive optically variable image device results from a pixel segmentation process.
31. The identification document of claim 26, wherein the diffractive optically variable image device is located in registration with the image on the document surface.
32. The identification document of claim 24, wherein the image device comprises material that is printed onto the document surface.
33. The identification document of claim 28, wherein the layers include an uppermost layer, and the uppermost layer comprises microprinting.
34. The identification document of claim 24, further comprising an overlay over the document surface and over the image device.
35. The identification document of claim 24, wherein the diffractive optically variable image device is offset from the information on which it is based.
36. A method of producing an identification document, comprising:
providing an identification document having a document surface with information, including information relating to the intended document holder, formed thereon; and
forming a diffractive optically variable image device on the document surface that is at least in part based on at least a portion of the information.
37. The method of claim 36, wherein the image device is based at least in part on at least a portion of the information relating to the intended document holder on the document surface.
38. The method of claim 37, comprising segmenting the information on which the image device is based into a plurality of pixel segments; and
for each pixel segment, forming a diffraction grating layer, each diffraction grating layer having an axis of diffraction that is different from the other diffraction grating layers.
39. The method of claim 38, comprising forming the grating layers over the information that has been segmented.
40. The method of claim 36, comprising printing the diffractive optically variable image device on the document surface.
41. The method of claim 38, comprising printing the information that is segmented onto the document, and forming each diffraction grating layer comprises printing each diffraction grating layer.
42. The method of claim 41, comprising printing each diffraction grating layer such that the diffraction grating layers are registered with the printed information that has been segmented.
43. The method of claim 36, wherein providing an identification document comprises providing a card.
44. The method of claim 38, wherein each pixel segment comprises a range of pixel intensities of the information that has been segmented.
45. The method of claim 38, further comprising providing microprinting on an uppermost layer of the grating layers.
46. The method of claim 36, comprising forming the diffractive optically variable image device on the document surface offset from the information on which it is based.

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 truck for shredding and mixing products for zootechnical use, of the type that comprises, on a wheeled chassis that is self-propelled or towed, a container that is substantially shaped like an inverted frustum, is open in an upper region and contains shredding and mixing means which comprise at least two adjacent rotating main screw feeders, each one of said screw feeders having an external profile that lies on a substantially conical imaginary surface and at which shredding cutters are mounted, contrast cutters substantially shaped like circular sectors being hinged to the internal wall of said container by means of their respective vertices in a vertical arrangement in substantially radial positions and being insertable and removable through appropriately provided slots, said truck being characterized in that auxiliary screw feeders, suitable to avoid the formation of stagnation regions, are arranged between said main screw feeders, in the regions adjacent to the walls of said container.
2. The truck according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of said auxiliary screw feeders has a vertical axis.
3. The truck according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of said auxiliary screw feeders has a horizontal axis.
4. The truck according to claim 1, characterized in that each one of said auxiliary screw feeders comprises a conical body provided externally with a band that has a constant width and a spiral shape.
5. The truck according to claim 1, characterized in that each one of said auxiliary screw feeders comprises a cylindrical body provided externally with a band that has a constant width and a spiral shape.
6. The truck according to claim 1, characterized in that said container has a bottom that is shaped so as to form at least one front or rear region that is inclined with respect to the horizontal central portion, a respective one of said main screw feeders being arranged on said at least one region at right angles thereto and rotating therefore on an axis that is inclined with respect to the vertical.
7. The truck according to claim 1, characterized in that said container has a bottom that is shaped so as to form two regions, namely a front region and a rear region, that are inclined with respect to the horizontal central portion and on which said auxiliary screw feeders are arranged, the main screw feeders being arranged on said regions at right angles thereto and rotating therefore on axes that are inclined with respect to the vertical and converge upward.
8. The truck according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said main screw feeders have different dimensions.
9. The truck according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said main screw feeders have an inclined axis.
10. The truck according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said main screw feeders are arranged so that the respective profiles mutually intersect.