All The Claims

1. A method comprising:
transmitting an alarm notification from a protected premises to an alarm routing service;
the alarm routing service identifying a central monitoring station from the alarm notification and forwarding the alarm notification to the central monitoring station based upon the identification of the central monitoring station;
the alarm routing service establishing a first voice connection between the protected premises and the alarm routing service and a second voice connection between the alarm routing service and the central monitoring station through a location of the alarm routing service in response to the alarm notification;
the alarm routing service transferring the first and second voice connections to a three party conferencing device of the alarm routing service;
the alarm routing service establishing an end-to-end connection between the protected premises and central monitoring station via the first and second voice connections within the three party conferencing device; and
the alarm routing service recording, from the three party conferencing device, audio on the end-to-end connection between the protected premises and the central monitoring station.
2. The method as in claim 1 further comprising saving the recorded audio under an account number of the protected premises.
3. The method as in claim 1 further comprising using one of a short message service, a general packet radio service, 1XRTT and Internet Protocol to transmit the alarm notification to the alarm routing service.
4. The method as in claim 1 wherein the step of establishing the end-to-end connection further comprises the protected premises initiating a voice connection between the protected premises and the alarm routing service.
5. The method as in claim 4 wherein the step of initiating the voice connection between the protected premises and the alarm routing service further comprises the alarm routing service transferring a voice connection system address of the alarm routing service to the protected premises.
6. The method as in claim 5 wherein the step of transferring the voice connection system address of the alarm routing service to the protected premises further comprises defining the voice connection system address as a telephone number.
7. The method as in claim 4 wherein the step of establishing the end-to-end connection further comprises a dialer within the alarm routing service initiating a voice connection between the alarm routing service and central monitoring station.
8. The method as in claim 7 wherein the step of recording further comprises establishing a three party conference connection between the protected premises, the central monitoring station and a recorder.
9. An apparatus comprising:
an alarm panel of a protected premises that transmits an alarm notification from the protected premises to an alarm routing service;
a processor of the alarm routing service that identifies a central monitoring station from the alarm notification and forwarding the alarm notification to the central monitoring station based upon the identification of the central monitoring station;
a processor within the alarm routing service that establishes a first voice connection between the protected premises and the alarm routing service and a second voice connection between the alarm routing service and the central monitoring station through a location of the alarm routing service in response to the alarm notification; the processor within the alarm routing service transferring the first and second voice connections to a three party conference device of the alarm routing service; the three party conference device of the alarm routing service that establishes an end-to-end connection between the alarm panel and central monitoring station via the first and second voice connections; and
a recording device within the alarm routing service that records audio from the three party conferencing device on the end-to-end connection between the protected premises and the central monitoring station.
10. The apparatus as in claim 9 further comprising an account number that identifies the saved recorded audio.
11. The apparatus as in claim 9 wherein the alarm notification further comprising one of a short message service, a general packet radio service, 1XRTT and Internet Protocol.
12. The apparatus as in claim 9 wherein the processor that establishes the first and second voice connections further comprises a connection with a cellular transceiver within the protected premises that initiates a voice connection between the protected premises and the alarm routing service.
13. The apparatus as in claim 12 wherein the cellular transceiver that initiates the voice connection between the protected premises and the alarm routing service further comprises a connection with the processor within the alarm routing service that transfers a voice connection system address of the alarm routing service to the protected premises.
14. The apparatus as in claim 13 wherein the voice connection system address of the alarm routing service to the protected premises further comprises a telephone number.
15. The apparatus as in claim 12 wherein the processor that establishes the first and second voice connections is within a dialer within the alarm routing service that initiates a voice connection between the alarm routing service and central monitoring station.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claims which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. An image-sensing apparatus comprising:
a photoelectric conversion device, having a plurality of photosensitive devices that produce electric signals in accordance with brightness of light incident thereon, for converting logarithmically the electric signals produced by the individual photosensitive devices;
a brightness distribution evaluator for evaluating brightness distribution of the subject by determining frequencies of different brightness values sensed by the individual photosensitive devices in accordance with the electric signals output from the photoelectric conversion device,
a determiner for determining a brightness range of the subject to be targeted by level conversion by detecting hem portion brightness of a subject in accordance with the brightness distribution evaluated by the brightness distribution evaluator, wherein the determiner calculates an effective area of the brightness distribution by determining the number of brightness frequency ridges in the brightness distribution of the subject and, if there is more than one brightness frequency ridge in the brightness distribution, removing each brightness frequency ridge having an integrated area smaller than a predetermined proportion of the integrated area of the largest brightness frequency ridge of the brightness distribution, and wherein the determiner determines the hem portion brightness based on the effective area; and
a converter for performing level conversion on the electric signals for a single frame output from the photoelectric conversion device and for cutting at least a portion of the hem portion brightness of the electrical signals for the single frame output in such a way that the brightness range of the subject as determined by the determiner is adapted to a dynamic range of an output device used to reproduce an image.
2. An image-sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 1,
wherein the determiner determines as the brightness range of the subject a range from lowest brightness to highest brightness represented by the electric signals output from the photoelectric conversion device.
3. An image-sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
wherein the determiner evaluates two adjacent brightness frequency ridges by determining if the brightness frequency trough between the two adjacent brightness frequency ridges is higher than a predetermined threshold and evaluates the two adjacent brightness frequency ridges as one brightness frequency ridge if the brightness frequency trough is higher than the predetermined threshold.
4. An image-sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 1,
wherein the determiner determines as the hem portion brightness of the subject a range from a first brightness to a second brightness, the first brightness being a brightness at which a value obtained by integrating the effective area with respect to brightness from maximum brightness downward becomes greater than a first predetermined proportion of a value obtained by integrating the entire effective area with respect to brightness, the second brightness being a brightness at which a value obtained by integrating the effective area with respect to brightness from minimum brightness upward becomes greater than a second predetermined proportion of the value obtained by integrating the entire effective area with respect to brightness.
5. An image-sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 1,
wherein the determiner determines the brightness range of the subject in accordance with a shape of the effective area.
6. An image-sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 1,
wherein the determiner determines as the hem portion brightness of the subject a range from a brightness at which the frequencies of different brightness values first reach a first predetermined frequency when checked from maximum brightness downward in the effective area to brightness at which the frequencies of different brightness values first reach a second predetermined frequency when checked from minimum brightness upward in the effective area.
7. An image-sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 1,
wherein the determiner determines as the brightness range of the subject a range between values entered from outside as minimum and maximum brightness of the brightness range of the subject.
8. An image-sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 1,
wherein the converter performs calculation necessary to achieve the level conversion of the electric signals output from the photoelectric conversion device by using minimum and maximum brightness of the brightness range of the subject as determined by the determiner.
9. An image-sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 8,
wherein the conversion is achieved by converting signal levels x of the individual electric signals output from the photoelectric conversion device into signal levels y using the following formula:
y
=
Ma
–
Mi
WL
–
BL
\u2062

(

x
–
BL

)
where x represents signal levels of the individual electric signals output from the photoelectric conversion device, y represents signal levels output from the converter, Ma represents a maximum level that the output device can handle, Mi represents a minimum level that the output device can handle, BL represents the lowest brightness of the brightness range of the subject as determined by the determiner, and WL represents the highest brightness of the brightness range of the subject as determined by the determiner.
10. An image-sensing apparatus comprising:
a photoelectric conversion device, having a plurality of photosensitive devices that produce electric signals in accordance with brightness of light incident thereon, for converting logarithmically the electric signals produced by the individual photosensitive devices;
a brightness distribution evaluator for evaluating of the subject by determining frequencies of different brightness values sensed by the individual photosensitive devices in accordance with the electric signals output from the photoelectric conversion device.
a determiner for determining a brightness range to be targeted by level conversion by detecting a hem portion brightness of a subject in a frame of electric signals output from the photoelectric conversion device, wherein the determiner calculates an effective area of the brightness distribution by determining the number of brightness frequency ridges in the brightness distribution of the subject and, if there is more than one brightness frequency ridge in the brightness distribution, removing each brightness frequency ridge having an integrated area smaller than a predetermined proportion of the integrated area of the largest brightness frequency ridge of the brightness distribution, and wherein the determiner determines the hem portion brightness based on the effective area; and
a converter for performing level conversion on the frame of electric signals output from the photoelectric conversion device and for cutting at least a portion of the hem portion brightness of the electrical signals for the single frame output in such a way that the brightness range of the subject as determined by the determiner is adapted to a dynamic range of an output device used to reproduce an image.
11. An image-sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 10,
wherein the determiner determines as the brightness range of the subject a range from lowest brightness to highest brightness represented by the electric signals output from the photoelectric conversion device.
12. An image-sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:
wherein the determiner evaluates two adjacent brightness frequency ridges by determining if the brightness frequency trough between the two adjacent brightness frequency ridges is higher than a predetermined threshold and evaluates the two adjacent brightness frequency ridges as one brightness frequency ridge if the brightness frequency trough is higher than the predetermined threshold.
13. An image-sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 12
wherein the determiner determines as the hem portion brightness of the subject a range from a brightness at which the frequencies of different brightness values first reach a first predetermined frequency when checked from maximum brightness downward in the effective area to brightness at which the frequencies of different brightness values first reach a second predetermined frequency when checked from minimum brightness upward in the effective area.
14. An image-sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 10,
wherein the determiner determines as the hem portion brightness of the subject a range from a first brightness to a second brightness, the first brightness being a brightness at which a value obtained by integrating the effective area with respect to brightness from maximum brightness downward becomes greater than a first predetermined proportion of a value obtained by integrating the entire effective area with respect to brightness, the second brightness being a brightness at which a value obtained by integrating the effective area with respect to brightness from minimum brightness upward becomes greater than a second predetermined proportion of the value obtained by integrating the entire effective area with respect to brightness.
15. An image-sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 10,
wherein the determiner determines the brightness range of the subject in accordance with a shape of the effective area.
16. An image-sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 10,
wherein the determiner determines as the brightness range of the subject a range between values entered from outside as minimum and maximum brightness of the brightness range of the subject.
17. An image-sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 10,
wherein the converter performs calculation necessary to achieve the level conversion of the electric signals output from the photoelectric conversion device by using minimum and maximum brightness of the brightness range of the subject as determined by the determiner.
18. An image-sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 17,
wherein the conversion is achieved by converting signal levels x of the individual electric signals output from the photoelectric conversion device into signal levels y using the following formula:
y
=
Ma
–
Mi
WL
–
BL
\u2062

(

x
–
BL

)
where x represents signal levels of the individual electric signals output from the photoelectric conversion device, y represents signal levels output from the converter, Ma represents a maximum level that the output device can handle, Mi represents a minimum level that the output device can handle, BL represents the lowest brightness of the brightness range of the subject as determined by the determiner, and WL represents the highest brightness of the brightness range of the subject as determined by the determiner.
19. An image-sensing apparatus comprising:
a photoelectric conversion device, having a plurality of photosensitive devices that produce electric signals in accordance with brightness of light incident thereon, the photoelectric conversion device having the capability of converting the electric signals produced by the individual photosensitive devices according to a conversion function;
a brightness distribution evaluator for evaluating brightness distribution of the subject by determining frequencies of different brightness values sensed by the individual photosensitive devices in accordance with the electric signals output from the photoelectric conversion device.
a determiner for determining a brightness range to be targeted by Level conversion by detecting a hem portion brightness of a subject, wherein the determiner calculates an effective area of the brightness distribution by determining the number of brightness frequency ridges in the brightness distribution of the subject and, if there is more than one brightness frequency ridge in the brightness distribution, removing each brightness frequency ridge having an integrated area smaller than a predetermined proportion of the integrated area of the largest brightness frequency ridge of the brightness distribution, and wherein the determiner determines the hem portion brightness based on the effective area; and
a converter for performing level conversion on the electric signals for a single frame output from the photoelectric conversion device and for cutting at least a portion of the hem portion brightness of the electrical signals for the single frame output in such a way that the brightness range of the subject as determined by the determiner is adapted to a dynamic range of an output device used to reproduce an image.
20. An image-sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 19,
wherein the determiner determines as the brightness range of the subject a range from lowest brightness to highest brightness represented by the electric signals output from the photoelectric conversion device.
21. An image-sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 19, further comprising:
wherein the determiner evaluates two adjacent brightness frequency ridges by determining if the brightness frequency trough between the two adjacent brightness frequency ridges is higher than a predetermined threshold and evaluates the two adjacent brightness frequency ridges as one brightness frequency ridge if the brightness frequency trough is higher than the predetermined threshold.
22. An image-sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 19,
wherein the determiner determines as the hem portion brightness of the subject a range from a first brightness to a second brightness, the first brightness being a brightness at which a value obtained by integrating the effective area with respect to brightness from maximum brightness downward becomes greater than a first predetermined proportion of a value obtained by integrating the entire effective area with respect to brightness, the second brightness being a brightness at which a value obtained by integrating the effective area with respect to brightness from minimum brightness upward becomes greater than a second predetermined proportion of the value obtained by integrating the entire effective area with respect to brightness.
23. An image-sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 19,
wherein the determiner determines the brightness range of the subject in accordance with a shape of the effective area.
24. An image-sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 19,
wherein the determiner determines as the hem portion brightness of the subject a range from a brightness at which the frequencies of different brightness values first reach a first predetermined frequency when checked from maximum brightness downward in the effective area to brightness at which the frequencies of different brightness values first reach a second predetermined frequency when checked from minimum brightness upward in the effective area.
25. An image-sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 19,
wherein the determiner determines as the brightness range of the subject a range between values entered from outside as minimum and maximum brightness of the brightness range of the subject.
26. An image-sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 19,
wherein the converter performs calculation necessary to achieve the level conversion of the electric signals output from the photoelectric conversion device by using minimum and maximum brightness of the brightness range of the subject as determined by the determiner.
27. An image-sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 26,
wherein the conversion is achieved by converting signal levels x of the individual electric signals output from the photoelectric conversion device into signal levels y using the following formula:
y
=
Ma
–
Mi
WL
–
BL
\u2062

(

x
–
BL

)
where x represents signal levels of the individual electric signals output from the photoelectric conversion device, y represents signal levels output from the converter, Ma represents a maximum level that the output device can handle, Mi represents a minimum level that the output device can handle, BL represents the lowest brightness of the brightness range of the subject as determined by the determiner, and WL represents the highest brightness of the brightness range of the subject as determined by the determiner.

1. A metal foil electrode comprising
i) a reinforcement layer formed from a porous substrate, and
ii) first and second layers of metal foil formed comprising lithium andor sodium, wherein the reinforcement layer is disposed between the first and second metal foil layers and bonded (preferably pressure bonded) together to form a composite structure having a thickness of 100 microns or less.
2. A metal foil electrode as claimed in claim 1, wherein the composite structure has a thickness of 60 microns or less.
3. A metal foil electrode as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the metal foil is formed of lithium metal.
4. A metal foil as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the porous substrate is formed from a non-conducting material.
5. A metal foil as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the porous substrate is formed from a fibrous material.
6. A metal foil as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fibrous material is a material formed from polymer fibres.
7. A metal foil electrode as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the porous substrate is formed of a material selected from at least one of non-woven fabric, woven fabric and polymer mesh.
8. A metal foil electrode as claimed in claim 7, wherein the non-woven or woven fabric is free from metal.
9. A metal foil electrode as claimed in claim 7 or 8, wherein the porous substrate is formed from a non-woven polypropylene fabric.
10. A metal foil electrode as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the reinforcement layer has a density of less than 6 gcm3.
11. An electrochemical cell comprising a metal foil electrode as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.
12. An electrochemical cell as claimed in claim 11, which is a lithium-sulphur cell comprising the metal foil electrode as the anode, a sulphur-containing cathode and an electrolyte.
13. An electrochemical cell as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 12, wherein the cell is a reversible electrochemical cell.
14. A method of forming a metal foil electrode, which comprises:
providing a reinforcement layer formed from a porous substrate,
providing first and second layers of metal foil formed from lithium andor sodium,
placing the reinforcement layer between said first and second layers of metal foil, and
applying pressure to bond the layers together to form a composite structure,
whereby the thickness of the composite structure is at least 25% less than the sum of the initial thicknesses of the reinforcement layer, first layer of metal foil and second layer of metal foil.
15. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the metal foil electrode is an electrode as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10.
16. A method as claimed in claim 14 or 15, which further comprises the step of cutting the composite structure.
17. A method as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein the thickness of the composite structure is at least 50% less than the sum of the initial thicknesses of the reinforcement layer, first layer of metal foil and second layer of metal foil.
18. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the thickness of the composite structure is at least 75% less than the sum of the initial thicknesses of the reinforcement layer, first layer of metal foil and second layer of metal foil.
19. A method as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 18, wherein the thickness of the composite structure is less than the sum of the initial thicknesses of the first layer of metal foil and second layer of metal foil.
20. A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the thickness of the composite structure is less than the initial thickness of the first layer of metal foil or the second layer of metal foil.
21. A method as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 20, which further comprises using the electrode as an anode of an electrochemical cell.
22. A method as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 21, wherein the pressure bonding step is achieved by calendaring the layers together to form a composite structure.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claims which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A method of detecting an abnormality of a capacitor in a circuit in which two or more capacitors are connected in series, the method comprising:
measuring capacitance of the circuit from both ends of the circuit;
storing the measured capacitance of the circuit and hours of use of the circuit during the measurement in a storage unit;
calculating a decrease rate of the capacitance according to the hours of use of the circuit based on capacitance data of the circuit and data of the hours of use of the circuit stored according to a plurality of times of measurement; and
determining whether an abnormality is generated in at least one capacitor configuring the circuit by comparing the measured capacitance of the circuit and capacitance expected according to the calculated decrease rate.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining includes determining that the abnormality is generated in the capacitor in a case where the measured capacitance of the circuit is beyond a predetermined range from the capacitance expected according to the calculated decrease rate.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
estimating the number of abnormalities by calculating average capacitance of unit capacitors configuring the circuit based on the capacitance expected according to the calculated decrease rate, and estimating the number of capacitors in which the abnormality is generated based on the calculated average capacitance, the number of capacitors configuring the circuit, and the measured capacitance of the circuit.
4. A method of detecting an abnormality of a capacitor in a circuit in which two or more capacitors are connected in series, the method comprising:
measuring capacitance of the circuit from both ends of the circuit;
storing the capacitance of the circuit according to a plurality of times of measurement and hours of use of the circuit during the measurement in a storage unit; and
determining whether the measured capacitance of the circuit is larger than capacitance of the circuit which is measured and stored just before the measurement by a predetermined value, and determining that the abnormality is generated in at least one capacitor configuring the circuit when it is determined that the measured capacitance of the circuit is larger than capacitance of the circuit which is measured and stored just before the measurement by the predetermined value.
5. An apparatus for detecting an abnormality of a capacitor in a circuit in which two or more capacitors are connected in series, the apparatus comprising:
a measuring unit configured to measure capacitance of the circuit from both ends of the circuit;
a storage unit configured to store the measured capacitance of the circuit and hours of use of the circuit during the measurement; and
a determining unit configured to determine whether an abnormality is generated in at least one capacitor configuring the circuit by comparing the measured capacitance of the circuit and predetermined expected capacitance.
6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the predetermined expected capacitance is capacitance of the circuit measured and stored just before the measurement of the capacitance, and
the determining unit determines that the abnormality is generated in said at least one capacitor by determining whether the measured capacitance of the circuit is larger than the capacitance of the circuit measured and stored just before the measurement of the capacitance by a predetermined value.
7. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:
a calculation unit configured to calculate a decrease rate of the capacitance according to hours of use of the circuit based on capacitance data of the circuit and data of the hours of use of the circuit stored according to a plurality of times of measurement,
wherein the determining unit compares the measured capacitance of the circuit and the expected capacitance.
8. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:
a calculation unit configured to calculate a decrease rate of the capacitance according to hours of use of the circuit based on capacitance data of the circuit and data of the hours of use of the circuit stored according to a plurality of times of measurement; and
an abnormality number estimating unit configured to calculate average capacitance of unit capacitors configuring the circuit based on the capacitance expected according to the calculated decrease rate, and estimate the number of capacitors in which the abnormality is generated based on the calculated average capacitance, the number of capacitors configuring the circuit, and the measured capacitance of the circuit.