All The Claims

1. A system for altering a vehicle function, the system comprising:
one or more processors;
one or more memory modules communicatively coupled to the one or more processors; and
machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules that cause the system to perform at least the following when executed by the one or more processors:
determine a presence of a roof mounted article on a roof of a vehicle; and
disable at least one movable roof member function in response to the presence of the roof mounted article on the roof of the vehicle.
2. The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more sensing devices communicatively coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules further cause the system to perform at least the following when executed by the one or more processors:
determine the presence of the roof mounted article on the roof of the vehicle based on an output from the one or more sensing devices.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more sensing devices comprise one or more of a proximity sensor, a weight sensor, and a camera.
4. The system of claim 1, further comprising network interface hardware communicatively coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules further cause the system to perform at least the following when executed by the one or more processors:
determine the presence of the roof mounted article on the roof of the vehicle based on communication received by the network interface hardware from the roof mounted article.
5. The system of claim 1, further comprising tactile input hardware communicatively coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules further cause the system to perform at least the following when executed by the one or more processors:
receive tactile input on the tactile input hardware communicating information regarding the roof mounted article; and
determine the presence of the roof mounted article on the roof of the vehicle based on the received tactile input.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one movable roof member function that is disabled comprises an outboard function.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules further cause the system to perform at least the following when executed by the one or more processors:
provide a signal regarding the presence of the roof mounted article.
8. The system of claim 7, wherein disabling at least one movable roof member function in response to the presence of the roof mounted article on the roof of the vehicle comprises receiving an actuation signal indicative of a request to actuate a movable roof member, and not actuating a movable roof member actuator in response to the signal regarding the presence of the roof mounted article on the roof of the vehicle.
9. A system for providing a notification pertaining to a vehicle, the system comprising:
one or more processors;
one or more memory modules communicatively coupled to the one or more processors;
a satellite antenna communicatively coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the satellite antenna receives a signal from one or more global positioning system satellites; and
machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules that cause the system to perform at least the following when executed by the one or more processors:
transform the signal into a location of the vehicle;
determine a presence of a vehicle mounted article on the vehicle;
determine that the vehicle is proximate a structure having a passageway, wherein the passageway includes a clearance height; and
in response to determining that the vehicle is proximate the structure and determining the presence of the vehicle mounted article on the vehicle, generating a notification pertaining to the vehicle mounted article.
10. The system of claim 9, wherein the machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules further cause the system to perform at least the following when executed by the one or more processors:
determine the presence of the vehicle mounted article on the vehicle based on an output from a proximity sensor, a weight sensor, a camera, network interface hardware, a user input, or a combination thereof.
11. The system of claim 9, further comprising a speaker and a display communicatively coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the notification is an audible notification provided though the speaker, a visual notification provided on the display, or a combination thereof.
12. The system of claim 9, wherein the vehicle mounted article comprises a roof mounted article positioned on a roof of the vehicle.
13. The system of claim 9, wherein the machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules further cause the system to perform at least the following when executed by the one or more processors:
determine a maximum height of the vehicle with the vehicle mounted article; and
generate the notification when the maximum height of the vehicle with the vehicle mounted article differs from the clearance height by less than a threshold amount.
14. The system of claim 13, wherein the maximum height of the vehicle with the vehicle mounted article is determined by a proximity sensor, a camera, network interface hardware, a user input, or a combination thereof.
15. A system for providing navigation assistance to a vehicle, the system comprising:
one or more processors;
one or more memory modules communicatively coupled to the one or more processors;
a satellite antenna communicatively coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the satellite antenna receives a signal from one or more global positioning system satellites; and
machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules that cause the system to perform at least the following when executed by the one or more processors:
transform the signal into a location of the vehicle;
determine a presence of a vehicle mounted article on the vehicle; and
provide navigation assistance based on the determination that the vehicle mounted article is present on the vehicle.
16. The system of claim 15, wherein the machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules further cause the system to perform at least the following when executed by the one or more processors:
provide navigation assistance that comprises navigating the vehicle based on the determination that the vehicle mounted article is present on the vehicle.
17. The system of claim 16, wherein navigating the vehicle includes navigating an autonomous vehicle to a parking garage based on the presence of the vehicle mounted article.
18. The system of claim 15, wherein the vehicle mounted article comprises a roof mounted article positioned on a roof of the vehicle.
19. The system of claim 15, wherein the navigation assistance includes recommending a parking garage having a passageway with a clearance height larger than a maximum height of the vehicle with the vehicle mounted article.
20. The system of claim 19, wherein the navigation assistance includes identifying an area of the parking garage that can accommodate the vehicle with the vehicle mounted article.

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 process for removing one or more undesired (hydro)halocarbon compounds from a (hydro)fluoroalkene, the process comprising contacting a composition comprising the (hydro)fluoroalkene and one or more undesired (hydro)halocarbon compounds with an aluminium-containing absorbent, activated carbon, or a mixture thereof.
2. A process according to claim 1 wherein the (hydro)fluoroalkene is a C3-7 (hydro)fluoroalkene.
3. A process according to claim 2 wherein the C3-7 (hydro)fluoroalkene is a hydrofluoropropene.
4. A process according to claim 3 wherein hydrofluoropropene is a trifluoropropene or a tetrafluoropropene.
5. A process according to claim 4 wherein the trifluoropropene is 3,3,3-trifluoropropene (R-1243zf).
6. A process according to claim 4 wherein the tetrafluoropropene is EZ-1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (R-1234ze) or 2;3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (R-1234yf).
7. A process according to claim 1 wherein at least one (hydro)halocarbon is selected from the group consisting of: (hydro)fluoroalkanes, (hydro)fluoroalkenes (hydro)fluoroalkynes and (hydio)chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) species such as (hydro)chlorofluoroalkanes, (hydro)chlorofluoroalkenes, and (hydro)chlorofluoroalkynes.
8. A process according to claim 1 wherein the aluminium-containing absorbent is porous and comprises alumina or aluminosilicate.
9. A process according to claim 8 wherein the alumina comprises acidic functionality.
10. A process according to claim 8 wherein the aluminosilicate is a molecular sieve (zeolite) having pore sizes in the range 3 to 12 Angstroms.
11. A process according to claim 1 wherein the activated carbon is impregnated with an additive selected from a metal, a metal compound, a base and a mixture thereof.
12. A process according to claim 11 wherein the additive is an alkali metal salt.
13. A process according to claim 12 wherein the alkali metal salt is a base.
14. A process according to claim 1 wherein the or each undesired (hydro)halocarbon compound is present in an amount of from about 0.1 to about 1000 ppm, based on the weight of composition comprising the (hydro)fluoroalkene and one or more undesired (hydro)halocarbon compounds.
15. A process according to claim 1 wherein following the contacting step, the resulting composition comprises the (hydro)fluoroalkene and from about 0 to about 10 ppm of the or each undesired (hydro)halocarbon compounds.
16. A process according to claim 1 wherein the composition comprising the (hydro)fluoroalkene and one or more undesired (hydro)halocarbon compounds is a product stream from a process for producing the (hydro)fluoroalkene.
17. A process for removing one or more undesired (hydro)halocarbon compounds from a (hydro)fluoroalkene according to claim 16, which process is combined with one or more additional purification steps.
18. (canceled)

What is claimed is:

1. An analytical device for use in the detection of a target substance in a liquid sample, said device comprising a porous reaction membrane having an exposed sample-contacting surface and at least one receptor area located in a limited region of said exposed sample-contacting surface, wherein said reaction membrane contains at least one surfactant having a higher concentration within said limited region relative to the area peripheral to said limited region, and wherein said reaction membrane has been pre-treated with a surfactant-containing solution comprising at least about 0.2% surfactant that results in said higher concentration of said surfactant within said limited region.
2. The analytical device of claim 1 wherein said concentration of surfactant within said limited region is at least two times higher than that of said area peripheral to said limited region.
3. The analytical device of claim 1 wherein said at least one surfactant is selected from the group consisting of amine alkyl benzene sulfonates, sodium N-oleyl-N-methyltaurate, sodium olefin (C14-C16) sulfonate, ammonium lauryl sulfates, octyl phenoxy polyethoxy ethanols, polyethylene glycols having molecular weight less than about 8,000, dimethicone copolyols, and cholic acid surfactants and salts thereof.
4. The analytical device of claim 1 wherein said at least one surfactant is an anionic surfactant having a molecular weight of less than about 1,000.
5. The analytical device of claim 1 wherein said surfactant comprises a cholic acid surfactant or salt thereof.
6. The analytical device of claim 1 wherein said surfactant-containing solution comprises about 0.2% to about 15.0% surfactant.
7. The analytical device of claim 6 wherein said surfactant requires at least 10 minutes of stirring at room temperature to prepare a 10% solution in a solvent.
8. The analytical device of claim 6 wherein all of said exposed sample-contacting surface has been pre-treated with said surfactant-containing solution.
9. The analytical device of claim 8 wherein said surfactant-containing solution comprises about 0.2 to about 5.0% surfactant.
10. The analytical device of claim 8 wherein said surfactant-containing solution comprises about 0.5 to about 2.0% surfactant.
11. The analytical device of claim 1 wherein said limited region of said exposed sample-contacting surface has been pre-treated with said surfactant-containing solution and wherein portions of said exposed sample-contacting surface peripheral to said limited region have not been pre-treated with said surfactant-containing solution
12. The analytical device of claim 11 wherein said surfactant-containing solution comprises about 2.5% to about 15.0% surfactant.
13. The analytical device of claim 11 wherein said surfactant-containing solution comprises about 4.0% to about 12.0% surfactant.
14. The analytical device of claim 6 wherein said surfactant-containing solution is substantially protein-free, and wherein said reaction membrane has not been blocked with a protein-containing solution.
15. The analytical device of claim 1 wherein HIV antigen is located at said receptor area.
16. The analytical device of claim 1 having more than one receptor area.
17. The analytical device of claim 1 wherein said reaction membrane comprises nitrocellulose.
18. A method of determining the presence of at least one target substance that may be present in a liquid sample comprising:
a) applying said liquid sample to an exposed sample-contacting surface of a reaction membrane of an analytical device, said reaction membrane having at least one receptor area located in a limited region of said exposed sample-contacting surface to which said target substance, if present in said sample, specifically binds, wherein said reaction membrane contains a surfactant that is at a higher concentration within said limited region relative to portions of said reaction membrane that are peripheral to said limited region, and wherein said reaction membrane has been pre-treated with a surfactant-containing solution comprising at least about 0.2% surfactant that results in said higher concentration of said surfactant within said limited region;
b) applying a detection reagent to said reaction membrane that specifically binds to said target substance if present in said liquid sample; and
c) determining whether said detection reagent is present in said receptor area.
19. The method of claim 18 wherein said surfactant comprises one or more surfactants selected from the group consisting of amine alkyl benzene sulfonates, sodium N-oleyl-N-methyltaurate, sodium olefin (C14-C16) sulfonate, ammonium lauryl sulfates, octyl phenoxy polyethoxy ethanols, polyethylene glycols having molecular weight less than about 8,000, dimethicone copolyols, and cholic acid surfactants and salts thereof.
20. The method of claim 18 wherein said surfactant comprises an anionic surfactant having a molecular weight of less than about 1,000.
21. The method of claim 18 wherein said surfactant comprises a cholic acid surfactant or salt thereof.
22. The method of claim 18 wherein said target substance is an antibody, and said detection reagent is composition comprising Protein Acolloidal gold and about 0.5% to about 3.0% detergent.
23. The method of claim 22 wherein after said sample flows through said reaction membrane in step (a), said detection reagent is applied to said reaction membrane without the prior addition of a wash buffer.
24. A method of preparing an analytical device for determining the presence of at least one target substance in a liquid sample comprising:
a) assembling an analytical device comprising a porous reaction membrane having an exposed sample-contacting surface; and
b) applying a surfactant-containing solution comprising at least 0.2% surfactant to said exposed sample-contacting surface; and
c) allowing said reaction membrane to dry before using the analytical device in an assay.
25. The method of claim 24 wherein said surfactant-containing solution comprises at least one surfactant selected from the group consisting of amine alkyl benzene sulfonates, sodium N-oleyl-N-methyltaurate, sodium olefin (C14-C16) sulfonate, ammonium lauryl sulfates, octyl phenoxy polyethoxy ethanols, polyethylene glycols having molecular weight less than about 8,000, dimethicone copolyols, and cholic acid surfactants and salts thereof.
26. The method of claim 25 wherein said at least one surfactant is a cholic acid surfactant.
27. The method of claim 24 wherein said at least one surfactant is an anionic surfactant having a molecular weight of less than about 1,000.
28. The method of claim 24 wherein said surfactant requires at least 10 minutes of stirring at room temperature to prepare a 10% solution in a solvent.
29. The method of claim 24 wherein in step (b) all of said exposed sample-contacting surface is contacted with said surfactant-containing solution.
30. The method of claim 29 wherein said surfactant-containing solution comprises about 0.2% to about 5.0% surfactant.
31. The method of claim 30 wherein said surfactant-containing solution comprises about 0.5 to about 2.0% surfactant.
32. The method of claim 24 wherein in step (b) a limited region of said exposed sample-contacting surface is contacted with said surfactant-containing solution and wherein portions of said exposed sample-contacting surface peripheral to said limited region are not contacted with said surfactant-containing solution
33. The method of claim 32 wherein said surfactant-containing solution comprises about 2.5% to about 15.0% surfactant.
34. The method of claim 33 wherein said surfactant-containing solution comprises about 4.0% to about 12.0% surfactant.
35. The method of claim 24, that additionally comprises contacting a limited area of said exposed surface of said reaction membrane with a receptor molecule to form at least one receptor area.
36. The method of claim 35 wherein said receptor area is formed prior to step (b).
37. The method of claim 35 wherein said receptor area is formed after step (c).
38. The method of claim 35 wherein said receptor molecule comprises HIV antigen.
39. The method of claim 35 where more than one type of receptor molecule is used to form more than one receptor area.

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 process of removing paint from a non-water-soluble surface comprising contacting said paint on said surface with a composition comprised of water and a water-soluble alkoxylated aromatic alcohol containing at least two oxyalkylene moieties and an aromatic ring moiety which does not bear any alkyl substituent having more than 4 carbon atoms.
2. The process of claim 1 wherein the composition is additionally comprised of a water-soluble base.
3. The process of claim 2 wherein the base is selected from the group consisting of alkali metal hydroxides, alkali metal silicates, amines, and mixtures thereof.
4. The process of claim 2 wherein the base is an alkanolamine.
5. The process of claim 1 wherein said water-soluble alkoxylated aromatic alcohol is selected from the group consisting of ethoxylated phenols, ethoxylated benzyl alcohols, and mixtures thereof.
6. The process of claim 1 wherein said water-soluble alkoxylated aromatic alcohol contains from 2 to 10 oxyethylene moieties per molecule.
7. The process of claim 1 wherein said composition comprises from about 0.5 to about 30 weight percent of said water-soluble alkoxylated aromatic alcohol.
8. The process of claim 1 wherein said composition is maintained at a temperature of at least about 15 C.
9. The process of claim 1 wherein said composition is applied to said paint on said surface by spraying.
10. The process of claim 1 wherein said water-soluble alkoxylated aromatic alcohol is a mixture of compounds corresponding to the general structure
3
wherein m represents a positive integer which is from about 2 to about 10 on average for the mixture, each of R1-R4, independently for each and independently from one to another of the m instances of each R1-R4 in the same molecule, represents either a covalently bonded hydrogen atom or a covalently bonded methyl moiety, subject to the proviso that al least about 80 number % of the moieties indicated by the symbols R1-R4 in said mixture represent hydrogen atoms, Ar is a substituted or unsubstituted phenyl moiety, subject to the proviso that Ar contains no alkyl substituent containing more than 2 carbon atoms, R5 is selected from hydrogen or methyl, and p is 0 or 1.
11. A process of flushing paint from a non-water-soluble surface comprising contacting said paint on said surface with a composition comprised of:
a) water;
b) water-soluble ethoxylated aromatic alcohol selected from the group consisting of ethoxylated phenols, ethoxylated benzyl alcohols, and mixtures thereof, wherein said ethoxylated aromatic alcohol contains an aromatic ring moiety and an average of from about 2 to about 10 oxyethylene moieties per molecule but does not contain any alkyl substituent having more than 2 carbons on said aromatic ring moiety; and
c) water-soluble alkanolamine.
12. The process of claim 11 wherein said composition is additionally comprised of an alkali metal silicate.
13. The process of claim 11 wherein said composition is comprised of from about 10 to about 20 weight percent of water-soluble ethoxylated aromatic alcohol and from about 0.1 to about 2 weight percent water-soluble alkanolamine.
14. The process of claim 11 wherein water-soluble ethoxylated aromatic alcohol and water-soluble alkanolamine are present in said composition at a ratio by weight of from about 2:1 to about 30:1.
15. The process of claim 11 wherein said composition is applied to said paint by spraying.
16. The process of claim 11 wherein said non-water-soluble surface is a surface of a component of paint spraying equipment and said contacting is accomplished by circulating said composition through said component.
17. The process of claim 11 wherein said paint is uncured water-borne paint.
18. A process of flushing uncured water-borne paint from a non-water soluble surface of a component of paint spraying equipment comprising circulating a composition through said component to contact said uncured water-borne paint on said non-water-soluble surface, said composition comprising:
a) water;
b) from about 1.0 to about 20 weight percent of water-soluble aromatic alcohol selected from the group consisting of ethoxylated unsubstituted phenols, ethoxylated unsubstituted benzyl alcohols and mixtures thereof, wherein said ethoxylated aromatic alcohol contains an average of from about 2 to about 10 oxyethylene moieties per molecule;
c) from about 0.1 to about 2 weight percent of water-soluble alkanolamine;
wherein (b) and (c) are present in said composition in a weight ratio of from about 4:1 to about 20:1.
19. The process of claim 18 wherein said composition is additionally comprised of at least one additional component selected from the group consisting of surfactants, solvents, chelating agents and corrosion inhibitors.
20. The process of claim 18 wherein said composition is additionally comprised of from about 0.001 to about 0.1 weight percent alkali metal silicate.
21. A composition useful for removing paint from a non-water-soluble surface comprising:
a) water;
b) a water-soluble alkoxylated aromatic alcohol containing at least two oxyalkylene moieties per molecule and an aromatic ring moiety in each molecule which does not bear any alkyl substituent having more than 4 atoms; and
c) a water-soluble base.
22. The composition of claim 21 wherein the base is selected from the group consisting of alkali metal hydroxides, alkali metal silicates, amines, and mixtures thereof.
23. The composition of claim 21 wherein the base is an alkanolamine.
24. The composition of claim 21 wherein said water-soluble alkoxylated aromatic alcohol is selected from the group consisting of ethoxylated phenols, ethoxylated benzyl alcohols, and mixtures thereof.
25. The composition of claim 21 wherein said water-soluble alkoxylated aromatic alcohol contains from 2 to 10 oxyethylene moieties per molecule.
26. The composition of 21 wherein said composition comprises from about 0.5 to about 30 weight percent of said water-soluble alkoxylated aromatic alcohol.
27. The composition of claim 21 wherein said water-soluble alkoxylated aromatic alcohol is a mixture of compounds corresponding to the general structure
4
wherein m represents a positive integer which is from about 3 to about 10 on average, each of R1-R4, independently for each and independently from one to another of the m instances of each R1-R4 in the same molecule, represents either a covalently bonded hydrogen atom or a covalently bonded methyl moiety, subject to the proviso that at least about 80 number % of the moieties indicated by the symbols R1-R4 in said mixture represent hydrogen atoms, Ar is a substituted or unsubstituted phenyl moiety, subject to the proviso that Ar contains no alkyl substituent containing more than 2 carbon atoms, R5 is selected from hydrogen or methyl, and p is 0 or 1.
28. A composition useful for removing paint from a non-water-soluble surface comprising:
a) water;
b) water-soluble ethoxylated aromatic alcohol selected from the group consisting of ethoxylated phenols, ethoxylated benzyl alcohols, and mixtures thereof, wherein said ethoxylated aromatic alcohol contains an aromatic ring moiety and an average of from about 3 to about 10 oxyethylene moieties per molecule, but does not contain any alkyl substituent on said aromatic ring moiety having more than 2 carbons; and
c) water-soluble alkanolamine.
29. The composition of claim 28 wherein said composition is additionally comprised of alkali metal silicate.
30. The composition of claim 28 wherein said composition is comprised of from about 10 to about 20 weight percent water-soluble alkanolamine.
31. The composition of claim 28 wherein water-soluble ethoxylated aromatic alcohol and water-soluble alkanolamine are present in said composition at a ratio by weight of from about 2:1 to about 30:1.
32. A composition useful for removing paint from a non-water-soluble surface comprising:
a) water;
b) from about 1.0 to about 20 weight percent of water-soluble alkoxylated aromatic alcohol selected from the group consisting of ethoxylated unsubstituted phenols, ethoxylated unsubstituted benzyl alcohols, and mixtures thereof, wherein said ethoxylated aromatic alcohol contains an average of from about 3 to about 10 oxyethylene moieties per molecule;
c) from about 0.1 to about 2 weight percent of water-soluble alkanolamine;
wherein (b) and (c) are present in said composition in a weight ratio of from about 4:1 to about 20:1.
33. The composition of claim 32 wherein said composition is additionally comprised of at least one additional component selected from the group consisting of surfactants, solvents, chelating agents, and corrosion inhibitors.
34. The composition of claim 32 wherein said composition is additionally comprised of from about 0.001 to about 0.1 weight percent alkali metal silicate.