All The Claims

1. A shipboard water treatment system comprising:
a source of seawater in a sea chest;
a ballast tank fluidly connected to the sea chest;
a shipboard cooling water system fluidly connected to the sea chest;
a first sensor disposed to measure and transmit a first measured signal representative of an oxidation reduction potential (ORP) of seawater in the sea chest;
a second sensor disposed to measure and transmit a second measured signal representative of an ORP of seawater in the ballast tank;
a biocide source that produces a biocide containing stream disposed to introduce a biocide into the seawater in the sea chest via a first flow path comprising a first line that delivers the biocide containing stream into the sea chest, to introduce the biocide into the seawater in the ballast tank via a second flow path split from the first flow path comprising a second line, and to receive seawater withdrawn from the cooling water system; and
a controller disposed to receive the first measured signal from the first sensor and to receive the second measured signal from the second sensor, and configured to generate and transmit an output signal, based at least partially on the first measured signal, the second measured signal, and a target ORP value in a range of from about 200 mV to about 1000 mV, to the biocide source to regulate a rate of introduction of the biocide into the seawater in the ballast tank, and into the seawater in the sea chest to achieve a target biofouling control value in water introduced into the shipboard cooling water system.
2. The shipboard water treatment system of claim 1, wherein the biocide source comprises an electrolyzer configured to generate a halogen-based biocide.
3. The shipboard water treatment system of claim 2, wherein the electrolyzer comprises an inlet fluidly connected to the source of seawater, and configured to generate a hypochlorite compound.
4. The shipboard water treatment system of claim 3, wherein a first outlet of the electrolyzer is fluidly connected to an outlet of the source of seawater at a point downstream thereof and upstream of the inlet of the electrolyzer.
5. The shipboard water treatment system of claim 4, wherein a second outlet of the electrolyzer is fluidly connected downstream of the inlet of the electrolyzer and upstream of an inlet of a ballast tank.
6. The shipboard water treatment system of claim 2, wherein the electrolyzer comprises an inlet fluidly connected to the source of seawater, and configured to generate a hypochlorite compound and an oxygenated species.
7. The shipboard water treatment system of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to provide the output signal that regulates an operating current density through the electrolyzer of at least about 1,000 Amp m2.
8. The shipboard water treatment system of claim 7, wherein a target ORP value for the seawater in the ballast tank is in a range of from about 500 mV to about 750 mV.
9. The shipboard water treatment system of claim 7, further comprising a degassing tank fluidly connected downstream of the electrolyzer.
10. The shipboard water treatment system of claim 1, wherein the target ORP value is based on a regulated disinfection requirement.
11. The shipboard water treatment system of claim 1, wherein electrocatalytically generated agents utilized in disinfection of ballast water are also used to inhibit biofouling of a shipboard cooling water system.
12. The shipboard water treatment system of claim 11, wherein a lower oxidizer concentration is used for biofouling than for disinfection.
13. The shipboard water treatment system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control biofouling of the shipboard cooling water system when the ship is not conducting ballasting operations.
14. The system of claim 13, wherein biofouling control of the shipboard cooling water system is performed when the ship is not conducting ballasting operations.
15. The shipboard water treatment system of claim 1, configured to:
withdraw a portion of seawater from the sea chest;
introduce the portion of seawater into the biocide source;
withdraw a balance of seawater to be introduced into the ballast tank from the sea chest;
filter the balance of the seawater to form a filtered seawater; and
introduce the filtered seawater into the ballast tank.
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 display device with a plurality of gas discharge tubes sandwiched between a front support plate and a plurality of rear support plates, said display device comprising:
a plurality of display electrodes formed on a surface of said front support plate facing said plurality of gas discharge tubes to extend across tube axes of said plurality of gas discharge tubes;
a plurality of signal electrodes formed on surfaces of said plurality of rear support plates facing said plurality of gas discharge tubes to extend along the longitudinal direction of said plurality of gas discharge tubes; and
another rear support plate for supporting said plurality of rear support plates, said other rear support plate being disposed on surfaces of said plurality of rear support plates opposite to said surfaces facing said plurality of gas discharge tubes.
2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein members projecting from said plurality of rear support plates are disposed on edges of said plurality of rear support plates extending in the longitudinal direction of said plurality of gas discharge tubes.
3. The display device according to claim 1, wherein fillers are disposed in spaces formed between front-side surfaces of edges of said plurality of rear support plates extending in the longitudinal direction of said plurality of gas discharge tubes and outer peripheral surface portions of said plurality of gas discharge tubes disposed near said edges.
4. The display device according to claim 1, wherein said other rear support plate has a higher reflectivity than said front support plate.
5. The display device according to claim 1, wherein said other rear support plate has a lower dielectric constant than said front support plate.

1. A method comprising:
receiving, over a network, an electronic communication comprising words;
matching, using a computing device, the words of the electronic communication to words in prior search queries, where the prior search queries are associated with online content; and
returning, over the network, a reply to the electronic communication, the reply comprising a representation of the online content.
2. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising:
verifying that the electronic communication does not comprise content to be filtered out.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein it is verified that the electronic communication does not comprise content to be filtered out by applying a set of rules to the words of the electronic communication.
4. The method of claim 2 additionally comprising:
determining that the electronic communication comprises content potentially relating to an information need of a user.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein the content potentially relating to an information need of a user comprises an explicit question by the user.
6. The method of claim 4 wherein the content potentially relating to an information need of a user comprises content that suggests the user is seeking information relating to a topic.
7. The method of claim 4 wherein it is determined that the electronic communication comprises content potentially relating to an information need of a user by applying a set of rules to the words of the electronic communication.
8. The method of claim 4 wherein it is determined that the electronic communication comprises content potentially relating to an information need of a user by inputting the words of the electronic communication to a trained classifier.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the representation of the online content comprises a link to the online content.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic communication is received from a website.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein the electronic communication is a message posted by a user on the website.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the reply is returned to the user via the social networking website.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein the words of the electronic communication are additionally matched to titles associated with online content.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the words of the electronic communication are additionally matched to keywords associated with online content.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein the words of the electronic communication are additionally matched to predefined rules associated with online content.
16. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising:
receiving, over the network, feedback from a user relating to the reply.
17. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising:
storing, using the computing device, the online content on computer-readable media operatively connected to the computing device, wherein the reply to the electronic communication comprises a link to the online content on the computer-readable media.
18. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising:
displaying the online content to a user, wherein the online content comprises a plurality of online content items; and
receiving a selection of one of the plurality of online content items from the user, wherein the reply to the electronic communication comprises a representation of the one of the plurality of online content items.
19. A machine readable media embodying instructions, the instructions causing a data processing system to perform a method, the method comprising:
receiving an electronic communication comprising words;
verifying that the electronic communication does not comprise content to be filtered out by applying a first set of rules to the words of the electronic communication;
determining that the electronic communication comprises content potentially relating to an information need of a user by applying a second set of rules to the words of the electronic communication;
matching the words of the electronic communication to words in prior search queries, where the prior search queries are associated with online content; and
returning a reply to the electronic communication, the reply comprising a representation of the online content.
20. A computer system comprising:
a memory; and
at least one processor coupled to the memory to:
receive an electronic communication comprising words;
verify that the electronic communication does not comprise content to be filtered out by applying a first set of rules to the words of the electronic communication;
determine that the electronic communication comprises content potentially relating to an information need of a user by applying a second set of rules to the words of the electronic communication;
match the words of the electronic communication to words in prior search queries, where the prior search queries are associated with online content; and
return a reply to the electronic communication, the reply comprising a representation of the online content.
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. In a non-contact tonometer of a type having a cylinder, a piston received by said cylinder for axially directed movement relative thereto, and a driven member for causing said piston to move in a first axial direction relative to said cylinder in a compression stroke to generate a fluid pulse, the improvement comprising:
said piston being independent of said driven member with respect to axial alignment of said piston with said cylinder.
2. The improvement according to claim 1, wherein said driven member includes an abutment end arranged to engage said piston such that said driven member pushes said piston during said compression stroke.
3. The improvement according to claim 2, wherein said abutment end of said driven member includes a protective cap.
4. The improvement according to claim 1, wherein said driven member includes an abutment end arranged to engage an intermediate member connected to said piston such that said driven member pushes said intermediate member and said piston during said compression stroke.
5. The improvement according to claim 4, wherein said abutment end of said driven member includes a protective cap.
6. The improvement according to claim 4, wherein said intermediate member is a piston rod.
7. The improvement according to claim 1, further comprising a spring acting between said cylinder and said piston for urging said piston in a second axial direction opposite said first axial direction in a return stroke of said piston.
8. A non-contact tonometer comprising:
a cylinder;
a piston received by said cylinder to define a fluid compression chamber, said piston being movable relative to said cylinder in a first axial direction to compress fluid within said compression chamber and in a second axial direction opposite said first axial direction;
an electromotive drive having a driven member arranged to cause said piston to move in said first axial direction, said piston being independent of said driven member with respect to a radial degree of freedom such that said piston is freely self-aligning relative to said cylinder;
a fluid discharge tube in flow communication with said compression chamber to direct a fluid pulse along a test axis to transfigure a cornea of a patient;
applanation detection means for monitoring said cornea and providing applanation signal information indicative of a state of applanation of said cornea caused by said fluid pulse;
means for determining a fluid pressure within said plenum chamber corresponding to said state of applanation of said cornea; and
means for correlating said fluid pressure with an intraocular pressure of said eye.
9. The non-contact tonometer according to claim 8, wherein said electromotive drive is a linear solenoid.
10. The non-contact tonometer according to claim 8, wherein said electromotive drive is a rotary solenoid.
11. The non-contact tonometer according to claim 8, wherein said driven member includes an abutment end arranged to engage said piston such that said driven member pushes said piston during said compression stroke.
12. The non contact tonometer according to claim 11, wherein said abutment end of said driven member includes a protective cap.
13. The non-contact tonometer according to claim 8, wherein said driven member includes an abutment end arranged to engage an intermediate member connected to said piston such that said driven member pushes said intermediate member and said piston during said compression stroke.
14. The non-contact tonometer according to claim 13, wherein said abutment end of said driven member includes a protective cap.
15. The non-contact tonometer according to claim 13, wherein said intermediate member is a piston rod.
16. The non-contact tonometer according to claim 8, further comprising a spring acting between said cylinder and said piston for urging said piston in said second axial direction to return said piston to a stroke start position thereof.
17. The non-contact tonometer according to claim 8, wherein said electromotive drive forces said driven member away from an initial reference position to cause said piston to move in said first axial direction, and said electromotive drive includes means for returning said driven member to said initial reference position.
18. The non-contact tonometer according to claim 17, wherein said driven member and said piston are linked by a push-pull coupling permitting free radially directed movement of said piston independent of said driven member while providing movement of said piston in said second axial direction as said driven member returns to said initial reference position.
19. The non-contact tonometer according to claim 18, wherein said push-pull coupling includes a first U-shaped configuration associated with said driven member and a second U-shaped configuration associated with said piston, wherein said second U-shaped configuration overlaps with and is inverted relative to said first U-shaped configuration.
20. The non-contact tonometer according to claim 16, wherein said electromotive drive forces said driven member away from an initial reference position to cause said piston to move in said first axial direction, and said electromotive drive includes means for returning said driven member to said initial reference position.
21. The non-contact tonometer according to claim 20, wherein said means for returning said driven member to said initial reference position is a spring.
22. The non-contact tonometer according to claim 21, wherein said spring for urging said piston in said second axial direction causes said piston to move more slowly to said stroke start position than said spring for returning said driven member causes said driven member to return to said initial reference position.
23. A non-contact tonometer comprising:
a cylinder;
a piston received by said cylinder to define a fluid compression chamber, said piston being movable relative to said cylinder in a first axial direction to compress fluid within said compression chamber and in a second axial direction opposite said first axial direction;
a linear solenoid having a driven plunger arranged for transmitting force to said piston by contact therewith to move said piston in said first axial direction, said piston being adjacent but unattached to said driven plunger;
a fluid discharge tube in flow communication with said compression chamber to direct a fluid pulse along a test axis to transfigure a cornea of a patient;
a light source spaced from said fluid discharge tube for emitting a beam of light toward said eye for reflection by a cornea of said eye;
a light sensitive detector arranged to receive corneally reflected light and provide applanation signal information indicative of corneal transfiguration caused by a fluid pulse generated by said fluid pump and directed at said eye through said fluid discharge tube;
a pressure transducer arranged to detect fluid pressure within said plenum chamber and provide pressure signal information indicative of said plenum pressure; and
signal processing means for receiving said applanation signal information and said pressure signal information and calculating an intraocular pressure value therefrom.
24. The non-contact tonometer according to claim 23, wherein said driven plunger includes an abutment end arranged to engage said piston such that said driven member pushes said piston during said compression stroke.
25. The non-contact tonometer according to claim 24, wherein said abutment end of said driven plunger includes a protective cap.
26. The non-contact tonometer according to claim 23, further comprising a spring acting between said cylinder and said piston for urging said piston in a second axial direction opposite said first axial direction to return said piston to a stroke start position thereof.
27. The non-contact tonometer according to claim 26, wherein said spring bears against a front wall of said cylinder and a leading surface of said piston.
28. The non-contact tonometer according to claim 27, wherein said spring is a coil spring that is coaxial with said piston and said cylinder.
29. The non-contact tonometer according to claim 28, wherein said leading surface of said piston includes a recess for receiving a portion of said spring.