All The Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method for transmitting GPS signals for high altitude satellite GPS users
2. The system includes a GPS signal generation system, multiple GPS broadcast antennas, an antenna control system and antenna control mechanism.
3. One antenna is mounted on the satellite panel pointing to earth for transmitting GPS signal to earth. The other antenna is (or multiple antennas are) mounted on the antenna control mechanism for transmitting GPS signal to outer space.
4. The antenna control mechanism is mounted on the backside panel of GPS satellites.
5. The GPS broadcast antenna control system uses the position (withwithout velocity) of the GPS satellite and the designated high altitude satellites to select antennaantennas, if multiple broadcast antennas are used.
6. The GPS broadcast antenna control system uses the position (withwithout velocity) of the GPS satellite and the designated high altitude satellites to determination the pointing direction of the GPS outer space broadcast antennaantennas.
7. The antenna control mechanism receives the command from the antenna control system to point the antenna, described in 3, to the desired orientation.
8. The antenna is selected by the antenna control system to point the antenna to a designated high altitude satellite location, if multiple antennas are used.
9. The GPS satellites provide GPS signals to multiple high altitude satellites.

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 composition, comprising:
a thermoplastic polyamide resin, wherein the thermoplastic polyamide resin is selected from the group consisting of polyamide 6, polyamide 610, and polyamide 66;
a compound of formula (I) or a salt thereof:
(R1)NH\u2014R\u2014(OH)n\u2003\u2003(I)
\u2003wherein:
R is a substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic, cycloaliphatic or arylalkyl hydrocarbon-based radical, optionally comprising N, S, O andor P heteroatoms, wherein the \u2014(OH) substituents of the compound of formula (I) are borne by aliphatic carbons of the R group,
R1 is a hydrogen atom or a substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic hydrocarbon-based radical, optionally comprising N, S, O andor P heteroatoms, and
n is greater than or equal to 2, provided that, if R1 is substituted with \u2014OH, then n is greater than or equal to 1, andor

a reaction product comprising polyamide resin covalently bonded with residues of the compound of formula (I); wherein the composition further comprises a reinforcing filler selected from glass fibers.
2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition comprises:
polyamide resin covalently bonded with residues of compound of formula (I),
polyamide resin not bonded with a residue of compound of formula (I), and
compounds of formula (I) not bonded with polyamide resin.
3. The composition of claim 1, wherein the mole proportion of compound of formula (I) covalently bonded to polyamide resin is between 10% and 100%.
4. The composition of claim 1, wherein n is between 2 and 20.
5. The composition of claim 1, wherein the compound of formula (I) comprises tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane, 3-amino-1,2-propanediol, 2-amino-1,3-propanediol, 2-amino-2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, 3-methylamino-1,2-propanediol, diethanolamine, bis(2-hydroxypropyl)amine, N,N\u2032-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediamine, aminopropyldiethanolamine, andor salts thereof.
6. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition is obtained by adding from 0.05% to 20% by weight of compound of formula (I), relative to the total weight of the composition.
7. The composition of claim 1, wherein the polyamide is a semicrystalline polyamide with an apparent melt viscosity of between 0.5 and 1200 Pa\xb7s, measured according to standard ISO 11443 at a shear rate of 1000 s\u22121 at a temperature equal to 20\xb0 C. above the melting point of the polyamide.
8. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition comprises between 20% and 90% by weight of polyamide, relative to the total weight of the composition.
9. The composition of claim 1, wherein said composition comprises at least one impact modifier.
10. An article made by forming the composition of claim 1.
11. The article of claim 10, wherein the article is an article of the waterglycol cooling circuit, an article of the air circuit, or an article of the oil circuit.
12. The article of claim 10, wherein the article is a radiator tank, a transfer pipe, a thermostatic tank, a degassing tank, a radiator, a turbo pipe, an airair exchanger, an air inlet or outlet box of a turbo cooler, an air intake collector and the associated pipework, an article of the exhaust gas recycling circuit, a catalytic converter, a part of the engine-fan group, an intermediate cooler, a cylinder head cover, an oil sump, an oil filtration unit, a distribution sump or oil-transporting assembly pipework.
13. A process for making a polyamide composition according to claim 1, comprising mixing at least one polyamide, andor precursors thereof, with a compound of formula (I).
14. The composition of claim 1, wherein the compound of formula (I) comprises tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane or a salt thereof.
15. A polyamide composition made by the process of claim 13.
16. A method for stabilizing andor improving the fluidity of a polyamide resin, comprising adding a compound according to formula (I), andor a salt thereof:
(R1)NH\u2014R\u2014(OH)n\u2003\u2003(I)

wherein:
R is a substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic, cycloaliphatic or arylalkyl hydrocarbon-based radical, optionally comprising N, S, O andor P heteroatoms, wherein the \u2014(OH) substituents of the compound of formula (I) are borne by aliphatic carbons of the R group,
R1 is a hydrogen atom or a substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic hydrocarbon-based radical, optionally comprising N, S, O andor P heteroatoms, and
n is greater than or equal to 2 or, if R1 is substituted with \u2014OH, is greater than or equal to 1,
and a reinforcing filler selected from glass fibers, to the polyamide resin andor a precursor thereof.
17. A process for making a polyamide composition, comprising mixing at least one polyamide resin selected from polyamide 6.6, polyamide 6.10, polyamide 6, their blends, and their (co)polyamides, and a reinforcing filler selected from glass fibers, with a compound according to formula (I):
(R1)NH\u2014R\u2014(OH)n\u2003\u2003(I)

wherein:
R is an aliphatic radical,
R1 is a hydrogen atom or an aliphatic radical, which may optionally be substituted with \u2014OH, and
n is greater than or equal to 2 or, if R1 is substituted with \u2014OH, is greater than or equal to 1,
andor a salt thereof.

What is claimed is

1. A method for sequencing a deck of playing cards comprising the steps of:
feeding playing cards of a deck of playing cards one at a time to an imaging device;
comparing the image of each playing card from the imaging device with a plurality of stored images corresponding to each playing card contained in a standard deck of playing cards to identify the position each playing card of the deck of playing cards occupies in a properly sequenced deck of cards; placing each playing card of the deck of playing cards in a temporary storage device;
following the placement of all of the playing cards of the deck of playing cards in the temporary storage device, removing the playing cards, one at a time, from the storage device to form a properly sequenced deck of cards; and
delivering the properly sequenced deck of cards to a predetermined location.
2. The method according claim 1 wherein the step of placing each card in the temporary storage device comprises placing each card in the storage device in a position identified with the rank and suit of each such card in a properly sequenced deck of cards.
3. The method according to claim 2 further including the step of determining whether a playing card is a duplicate of one previously placed in the temporary storage device, and if the playing card is a duplicate, ejecting the duplicate playing card.
4. The method according to claim 3 further including the step of determining whenever two or more cards are fed simultaneously from the deck of playing cards to an imaging device and ejecting the two or more cards without placing the two or more cards in the temporary storage device.
5. The method according to claim 1 further including the step of determining whether a playing card is a duplicate of one previously placed in the temporary storage device, and if the playing card is a duplicate, ejecting the duplicate playing card.
6. The method according to claim 5 further including the step of determining whenever two or more cards are fed simultaneously from the deck of playing cards to an imaging device and ejecting the two or more cards without placing the two or more cards in the temporary storage device.
7. The method according to claim 1 further including the step of determining whenever two or more cards are fed simultaneously from the deck of playing cards to an imaging device and ejecting the two or more cards without placing the two or more cards in the temporary storage device.
8. Apparatus for sequencing a deck of playing cards including in combination:
a hopper for holding a deck of playing cards and designed to permit removal of playing cards therefrom, one at a time;
a device for removing playing cards from the hopper one at a time;
an imaging device for imaging at least one side of a playing card and providing an output signal corresponding to the image of the playing card;
a channel for guiding a playing card removed from the hopper to the imaging device;
a temporary storage device for storing cards supplied thereto;
a control processor responsive to an output signal from the imaging device for determining the position of each card in a properly sequenced deck of cards;
apparatus for depositing cards passing from the imaging device into the temporary storage device;
mechanism operated by the control processor for removing cards from the temporary storage device, one at a time, in the order of a properly sequenced deck of cards; and
apparatus for delivering cards removed from the temporary storage device to a predetermined location.
9. The sequencing apparatus of claim 8 wherein guide channels are provided between the hopper, the imaging device, the temporary storage device, the removal mechanism and the predetermined location to permit gravity movement of cards throughout the apparatus.
10. The card sequencing apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the temporary storage device comprises a tray member having a plurality of storage compartments therein at least equal in number to the number of cards in a deck of playing cards and further wherein the mechanism for removing cards from the temporary storage device removes cards from the compartments of the tray member one compartment at a time.
11. The apparatus according to claim 10 further including a reverse card flipping mechanism located between the imaging device and the predetermined location for flipping a card from one face to the other in response to identification of reverse face of a card from the imaging device.
12. The sequencing apparatus according to claim 11 further including a device for ejecting cards whenever predetermined conditions are detected by the imaging device.
13. The sequencing apparatus according to claim 12 further including a device for ejecting all of the cards stored in the temporary storage device following removal of all of the cards from the hopper whenever the number of cards deposited in the temporary storage device is less than the number corresponding to a complete deck of playing cards.
14. The apparatus according to claim 8 further including a reverse card flipping mechanism located between the imaging device and the predetermined location for flipping a card from one face to the other in response to identification of reverse face of a card from the imaging device.
15. The sequencing apparatus according to claim 8 further including a device for ejecting cards whenever predetermined conditions are detected by the imaging device.
16. The sequencing apparatus according to claim 8 further including a device for ejecting all of the cards stored in the temporary storage device following removal of all of the cards from the hopper whenever the cards deposited in the temporary storage device do not make a complete deck of playing cards.

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. An electro-catalyst composition for use in a fuel cell, said composition comprising:
(a) a catalyst un-supported or supported on an electronically conducting solid carrier; and
(b) an ion-conductive and electron-conductive coating material in physical contact with said catalyst, coated on said catalyst, andor coated on a surface of said carrier, wherein said coating material has an electronic conductivity no less than 10\u22124 Scm and ion conductivity no less than 10\u22125 Scm.
2. The electro-catalyst as defined in claim 1, wherein said electronic conductivity is no less than 10\u22122 Scm and said ion conductivity is no less than 10\u22123 Scm.
3. The electro-catalyst as defined in claim 1, wherein said coating material comprises a proton-conducting polymer.
4. The electro-catalyst as defined in claim 3, wherein said proton-conducting polymer is selected from the group consisting of poly(perfluoro sulfonic acid), sulfonated polytetrafluoroethylene, sulfonated perfluoroalkoxy derivatives of polytetrafluoroethylene, sulfonated polysulfone, sulfonated poly(ether ketone), sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone), sulfonated polystyrene, sulfonated polyimide, sulfonated styrene-butadiene copolymers, sulfonated poly chloro-trifluoroethylene, sulfonated perfluoroethylene-propylene copolymer, sulfonated ethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene copolymer, sulfonated polyvinylidenefluoride, sulfonated copolymers of polyvinylidenefluoride with hexafluoropropene and tetrafluoroethylene, sulfonated copolymers of ethylene and tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), polybenzimidazole (PBI), their chemical derivatives, copolymers, blends and combinations thereof.
5. The electro-catalyst as defined in claim 4, further comprising an electronically conducting polymer which forms a polymer blend with said ion-conducting polymer.
6. The electro-catalyst as defined in claim 1, wherein said coating material comprises an electrically conducting polymer.
7. The electro-catalyst as defined in claim 1, wherein said coating material comprises an electrically conducting polymer selected from the group consisting of sulfonated polyaniline, sulfonated polypyrrole, sulfonated poly thiophene, sulfonated bi-cyclic polymers, their derivatives, and combinations thereof.
8. The electro-catalyst as defined in claim 1, wherein said coating material comprises a mixture of an ion-conducting polymer and an electron-conducting polymer.
9. The electro-catalyst as defined in claim 1, wherein said coating material comprises an ion-conducting polymer which is also electronically conducting.
10. The electro-catalyst as defined in claim 1, wherein said coating material comprises an ion-conducting andor electron-conducting polymer and said catalyst or both said catalyst and its supporting solid carrier is embedded in said polymer.
11. A precursor electro-catalyst composition comprising:
(a) a catalyst dissolved or dispersed in a liquid medium; and
(b) an ion-conducting and electron-conducting polymer dissolved or dispersed in said liquid medium, wherein an electronic conductivity of said polymer, when measured in a solid state, is no less than 10\u22124 Scm and ion conductivity of said polymer, when measured in a solid state, is no less than 10\u22125 Scm.
12. The precursor electro-catalyst composition as defined in claim 11 further comprising a carrier carbon material for supporting said catalyst, wherein said catalyst comprises a transition metal element.
13. The precursor electro-catalyst composition as defined in claim 11 wherein said said polymer comprises a proton-conducting polymer selected from the group consisting of poly(perfluoro sulfonic acid), sulfonated polytetrafluoroethylene, sulfonated perfluoroalkoxy derivatives of polytetrafluoroethylene, sulfonated polysulfone, sulfonated poly(ether ketone), sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone), sulfonated polyimide, sulfonated styrene-butadiene copolymers, sulfonated polychlorotrifluoroethylene, sulfonated perfluoroethylene-propylene copolymer, sulfonated ethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene copolymer, sulfonated polystyrene, sulfonated polyvinylidenefluoride, sulfonated copolymers of polyvinylidenefluoride with hexafluoropropene and tetrafluoroethylene, sulfonated copolymers of ethylene and tetrafluoroethylene, polybenzimidazole, their chemical derivatives, copolymers, blends, and combinations thereof.
14. The precursor electro-catalyst composition as defined in claim 11, wherein said polymer comprises an electronically conducting polymer.
15. The precursor electro-catalyst composition as defined in claim 11, wherein said polymer comprises an electrically conducting polymer selected from the group consisting of sulfonated polyaniline, sulfonated polypyrrole, sulfonated poly thiophene, sulfonated bi-cyclic polymers, their derivatives, and combinations thereof.
16. A fuel cell electrode comprising an electro-catalyst composition defined in claim 1.
17. A fuel cell membrane-electrode assembly comprising an electro-catalyst composition defined in claim 1.
18. A fuel cell comprising an electro-catalyst composition defined in claim 1.
19. The fuel cell membrane electrode assembly as defined in claim 17, further comprising a porous catalyst backing layer with a primary surface coated with an ion-conductive and electron-conductive material which is in electronic contact with said electro-catalyst composition.
20. The fuel cell membrane electrode assembly as defined in claim 19 wherein said porous catalyst backing layer comprises a carbon paper or carbon cloth.