Systems, devices and methods are disclosed. In an embodiment of one such method, a method of decoding received command signals, the method comprises decoding the received command signals in combination with a signal provided to a memory address node at a first clock edge of a clock signal to generate a plurality of memory control signals. The received command signals, in combination with the signal provided to the memory address node at the first clock edge of the clock signal, represent a memory command. Furthermore, the signal provided to the memory address node at a second clock edge of the clock signal is not decoded in combination with the received command signals. The memory command may be a reduced power command and/or a no operation command.

A first communication device and method therein for transmitting data information at fixed time instants on a radio channel to a second communication device in a radio communications network. First, the first communication device determines that the radio channel is available for transmitting data information to the second communication device during a time period determined by the first communication device. Then, the first communication device transmits a preamble on the available radio channel after the time period. The first communication device thereafter transmits the data information on the available radio channel to the second communication device at a next fixed time instant following the transmission of the preamble.

A time-division mechanism that a source station uses a proprietary frame for notifying switching from a normal bandwidth operation to a narrow bandwidth operation to at least one destination station in a wireless communication system, and uses a protection frame to reserve the service period for the narrow bandwidth operation without the interference from the normal bandwidth operation, wherein the service period of the narrow bandwidth operation is indicated in the protection frame.

A method, in a network node, for managing a wireless device is disclosed. The method comprises conducting spectrum opportunity detection within a spectrum band and indicating a result of the spectrum opportunity detection to the wireless device. For the purposes of the method, a spectrum opportunity comprises a channel within the spectrum band which is at least temporarily available for use by the wireless device. Also disclosed is a method in a wireless device in a network. The method comprises detecting an indication of a result of spectrum opportunity detection conducted by a network node within a spectrum band and if the indication indicates a detected spectrum opportunity, conducting one of a transmission or reception operation on the detected spectrum opportunity. Also disclosed are a computer program product for carrying out the above methods, a network node and a wireless device.

According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes an electromagnetic wave emitter, a wireless communication circuitry and a hardware processor. The electromagnetic wave emitter emits a first electromagnetic wave. The wireless communication circuitry communicates with another electronic apparatus according to a first standard, using a second electromagnetic wave. The first electromagnetic wave can be noise for a communication by the wireless communication circuitry. The hardware processor determines a period to be allowed to communicate with the another electronic apparatus according to the first standard. The electromagnetic wave emitter emits the first electromagnetic wave during the first period.

Provided is a method of assigning a slot, the method including transmitting an assignment request for at least one slot of a first frame to a terminal, determining whether an acknowledgement (ACK) of the assignment request is received from the terminal, in a slot corresponding to the at least one slot in a second frame which is a subsequent frame of the first frame, and determining whether the at least one slot for which the assignment request is transmitted has been assigned based on whether the ACK of the assignment request is received.

A remote maintenance system includes a maintenance management apparatus connected to a user apparatus and a communication relay apparatus connected to a remote-controlled apparatus. The maintenance management apparatus transmits, to the communication relay apparatus, message data whose destination is unique identification information of a mobile communication network assigned in advance to the communication relay apparatus. The communication relay apparatus notifies the maintenance management apparatus of an IP address that is dynamically assigned to itself upon reception of the message data. The maintenance management apparatus transmits, to the communication relay apparatus, information on remote operation received from the user apparatus whose destination is the notified IP address. The communication relay apparatus relays, to the remote-controlled apparatus, the information on the remote control received from the maintenance management apparatus.

In a paper or board machine drying line after the wire section, during dewatering a web's (W) width is affected in a direction crosswise to the web's traveling direction. Starting from an edge, at least one device (20A, 20B) brings about a force effect of a desired magnitude which is directed all the way to a desired arbitrary crosswise web position in order to modify web characteristics. A device in a paper or board machine line after the wire section has means for processing the web and for dewatering. The paper or board machine line after the wire section further has at least one device (20A; 20B) for directing a force effect at a desired partial area (WS) of the web (W) in the cross machine direction in order to modify the web's characteristics profile in the cross machine direction.

A device for stretching webs of material transversely to a travel direction thereof, includes at least one rotary stretcher extending transversely to the travel direction of the web of material. The stretcher is composed of at least two round tubes which are aligned axially with each other and are supported by ball-and-socket joints on links. The links are mounted adjustably on a base frame.

A stationary working surface of a one roll microcreper member is of plastic resin having low wear and friction properties. As a primary pressing member subject to concentrated force it is 0.040 inch thick. One or both opposed retarder members of a bladed microcreper are of the plastic. Thermoplastics meeting wear and friction limits, e.g. ultra high density polyethylene, are employed. Primary extensions, some having openings, slots or holes serve as flexible retarders to engage treated material. By a load-spreading surface, the thermoplastic primary member is restrained without distortion. By this surface being linear it slideably inserts into a mounting. By this surface being parallel to the roll axis the primary member is free for cross-machine thermal expansion. A primary member shown is sheet form, mounted between sheet metal members, one with a restraint surface. Sheet materials of polyolefins, wood pulp, etc. are dry microcreped at improved rates and materials not heretofore capable of being processed can now be processed.

A fabric separable fastener member is provided which comprises a fiber for a base fabric and a fiber for a fastening element firmly anchored by the fused fiber for the base fabric and which is excellent in flexibility and durability without a back-coated layer. The separable fastener member comprises (α1) a ground warp, (α2) a ground weft containing a binder fiber, and (α3) a pile yarn, and the pile yarn (α3) is anchored by the fused binder fiber. In the separable fastener member, each of the ground warp (α1), the ground weft (α2) and the pile yarn (α3) comprises a polyester fiber, the mass ratio of the ground warp (a1) relative to the ground weft (a2) is 40/60 to 80/20, and the mass ratio of the total amount of the ground warp (a1) and the ground weft (a2) relative to the pile yarn (a3) is 90/10 to 50/50.

An improved apparatus for correcting deflection in small diameter feed and retard rolls of an open width stabilizer so as to create a straight line nip with uniform pressure across the nip. The improved apparatus provides apparatus for adjusting deflection of the rolls to thereby maintain a desired size to a passageway between them so as to optimize compaction of a fabric web material. A wedge-like member is disposed between, and in moving relationship to, feed and retard roller bearings. The wedge-like member is asymmetrical, has feed and retard sides that engage the feed and retard roller bearings, respectively, and exerts reaction forces against each of the respective bearings. Improvement resides in the reaction forces causing the rolls the rolls to not deflect downwardly.

Systems, methods, and program product for facilitating electronic ordering of goods, services, or goods and services, or other products, through messaging over a financial services electronic payment network, are provided. A customer provides electronic order registration activation information for an electronic order transaction card. The customer is provided an electronic order card having a unique electronic payment network compatible electronic order card identifier including a non-financial transaction IIN and a customer number, and is provided a catalogue or list including product order codes each associated with a different product, to enable electronic ordering over the financial services electronic payment network. An electronic order card configured to interface with a conventional point-of-sale terminal can be used to facilitate the electronic ordering over the existing financial services electronic payment network when presented to the point-of-sale terminal with a product order code identifying a selected product.

A device for preventing jamming of a fibrous material subject to a compressive treatment in a stuffing chamber defined by a feed roll and a retard roll. The device includes an impact blade and a stabilizing apparatus. The impact blade is rigid and interchangeable. The stabilizing apparatus stabilizes the impact blade against moving away from the feed roll to prevent the jamming of the fibrous material between the feed roll and the impact blade during the compressive treatment of the fibrous material.

According to the present invention there is provided a method for opening a fabric, in which warp and weft yarns can be uniformly opened using a simple method without having to alter the fabric weaving procedure. The method is a method for opening a fabric (4) produced by weaving a warp yarn (2) and a weft yarn (3), each of which having a bundled plurality of fiber filaments (1). A contact body (6) is provided to a surface of the fabric (4) with a protective film (5) interposed therebetween, and the contact body (6) is caused to move over the fabric (4) obliquely, and in a relative manner, with respect to the longitudinal direction of the warp yarn (2) or the weft yarn (3), whereby the warp yarn (2) or the weft yarn (3) is spread.

A technique for maintaining secure network connections is disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the technique may be realized as a method for maintaining secure network connections. The method may comprise detecting a change of address associated with a first network element. The method may also comprise updating at least one first security configuration at the first network element. The method may further comprise transmitting at least one secure message from the first network element to a second network element, wherein the at least one secure message comprises information associated with the change of address. And the method may comprise updating at least one second security configuration at the second network element based at least in part on the at least one secure message.

A system and method detects malware on client devices based on partially distributed malware definitions from a central server. A server stores malware definitions for known malware. The server generates one or more filters based on the malware definitions and distributes the filter(s) to client devices. The server also distributes full definitions to the clients for a subset of the most commonly detected malware. The client device scans files for malware by first applying the filter to a file. If the filter outputs a positive detection, the client scans the file using the full definition to determine if the file comprises malware. If the full definition is not stored locally by the client, the client queries the server for the definition and then continues the scanning process.

Provided is a method for manufacturing a high-quality porous film. Here, while the porous film is being manufactured through forming micropores by stretching, a raw film is prevented from slipping on the surfaces of the respective rolls as much as possible even though the raw film includes oil or liquid paraffin as a solvent. The method is for manufacturing a porous film through forming micropores by successive biaxial stretching. A tensile force applied to the raw film F transferring from the longitudinal stretching machine (10) to the transverse stretching machine (50) is set not less than a stretching force necessary for the longitudinal stretching, and thus the raw film is prevented from slipping on a contact surface between the raw film and each roll of the longitudinal stretching machine (10).

A method, apparatus, program, and storage medium, for managing a network device by communicating with an information processing device and the network device via a network and managing the network device in response to a request from the information processing device. If a request for execution of a process, which needs particular authorization, upon the network device, is received from the information processing device, it is determined whether a command to invalidate a password of said network device has been received together with the process execution request. When the password of the network device is to be invalidated, a password invalidation request is transmitted to the network device. This technique makes it possible for an administrator of a network device to use it even when the administrator forgets the device password assigned to the network device without having to perform initialization which would cause all setting data to be lost.

An apparatus for pliabilizing tubular materials including a frame, a ring holder, and a mandrel assembly. The ring holder assembly is mounted to the frame and includes a circumferential ring, and a plurality of pairs of non-mechanically driven, rotatable wheels mounted around the ring and having a recess extending circumferentially around an outer edge. The mandrel assembly includes a mandrel having proximal and distal ends and a maximum outer circumference, and a plurality of non-mechanically driven, rotatable wheels spaced apart about a circumference of the mandrel and mounted thereto so as to extend radially beyond the maximum outer circumference. The wheels of the mandrel assembly are positioned between and so as to mate with respective pairs of the wheels of the ring holder assembly, and the wheels of the mandrel assembly are sized shaped to mate with the recesses of the respective pairs of wheels of the ring holder assembly.

A machine and a method for treating fabrics, comprise in combination a step of inducing substantially vertical vibrations in a quantity of fabric in the form of a substantially compact mass and a simultaneous step of drying the rest of the fabric in opened-out form.

A portable apparatus is removably and communicatively connectable to a network device to communicate authentication or authorization credentials of a user in connection with the user logging into or entering into a transaction with a network site. The apparatus includes a communications port to connect and disconnect the apparatus to and from the network device and to establish a communication link with the network device when connected thereto. A processor receives a secure message from the network security server via the port. The message has a PIN for authenticating the user to the network site, and is readable only by the apparatus. The processor either transfers, via the port, the received PIN to an application associated with the network site that is executing on the network device or causes the apparatus to display the received PIN for manual transfer to the application associated with the network site.

A method for the manufacture of an interwoven wicker, plastic strip basket, handbag or luggage which involves interweaving the wicker or plastic strips to form a body and to form a cover for the body of the basket and then anchoring by means of a tool the protruding ends of the strips of the body and of the cover to channel-shaped rails which rest on removable supports in the body, thus forming the frames of the body and cover.

A system for producing wooden barrel constructions of the type including a plurality of staves assembled in side-by-side relationship with the assembly defining a generally circular cross section. Each stave is provided with a central bilge portion whereby the finished barrel will have a large diameter central portion and smaller diameter end portions. The individual staves are characterized by a narrow end portion and a wide end portion with the width of the bilge portion exceeding one-half the sum of the widths of the end portions. The staves are assembled in the barrel so that wide and narrow end portions are located at each end of the barrel.

A pair of motor driven circular saws are mounted on opposite sides of a frame supported horizontal barrel stave carrying conveyor with the axes of the saws perpendicular to the direction of conveyor travel and their planes arranged in downwardly converging relation. Spring loaded guide rollers, forming a part of the saw driving motor supports, adjusts the position of the saws in a desired barrel stave edge trimming spaced-apart relation by contact with the respective opposing longitudinal sides of a barrel stave to be trimmed as it is moved by the conveyor between the saws. Lock means actuated by spring loaded pressure rollers overlying the position of the barrel stave when moved by the conveyor maintains the adjusted spaced-apart relation of the saws for the duration of the saw trimming action on each side of each stave moved through the machine by the conveyor.

A machine for producing circular products such as bottoms and lids of casks comprising a machine base, a blank feeding station, a blank sawing station, a blank chamfering station and a blank positioning station provided on said base in a circumferentially spaced relationship, a vertical main drive shaft rotatably mounted in said base, blank support means fixedly mounted on said drive shaft and having a plurality of spaced blank support discs, blank holding-down means fixedly mounted on said drive shaft and having a plurality of arms each having a downwardly extending shaft on which a blank holding-down member is journalled in opposition to the associated one of said support discs to hold a blank therebetween.

A method of making a basket-like or other decorative article from pine needles comprising the steps of twisting and arranging pine needles, stitching the pine needles with a sewing needle and thread, so as to form a surface or wall, forming a basket-like object, the outer and inner surfaces of which are sealed with a protective coating, such as varnish.

Disclosed is a new type of goods container which allows for economical transportation of bulk solids, especially low grade particulate matter. The container has a casing formed from woven metallic strips and is sealed from the inside. It is very strong and rigid providing it has been correctly filled and compacted. Novel apparatus for constructing the container is also provided as one method of filling and compacting the material to be transported. The container can be easily and quickly constructed at the filling site and scrapped at the end of its journey.

A support for a basket during weaving is disclosed. The support has a frame made up of a first column and a second column. A basket mold is supported on the first column and a foam rubber pad is rotatably supported on the second column. A hydraulic cylinder has a piston rod attached to the foam pad. The pad holds a basket bottom, having warp and weave members nailed to the basket bottom, to the basket mold. The basket can than be woven, the top handle installed and the completed basket removed from the mold.

A machine for making staves includes a first section and a second section with each section including components for cutting one side of a blank in a manner inclined to the blank's lengthwise axis. Conveyors on each section are equipped with lugs for propelling the blanks with each lug having a foot to support a lug engaged end of the blank against laterally applied loads imparted by wheel members. Additionally supporting each of the conveyed blanks on each section is a fence on each section with the lug foot and the fence serving to maintain the blank in a skewed position to present a displaced side edge to a cutter head. The fence on the second section additionally supports the blank against lateral loads applied in an opposite direction by wheels biasing the blank into fence and lug engagement to skew in an opposition direction. A cutter head on the second section of the machine completes shaping of the blank by cutting a second side edge inclined to the stave's lengthwise axis. A method of forming tapered articles from rectangular blanks is also disclosed.

The present invention relates to a machine and method for selecting and organizing staves for making barrels. The machine includes an input unit, including a stave-measuring station, a storage assembly for storing the staves awaiting allocation and receiving the staves from the input and measuring unit, a calculation unit able to select staves from those measured in such a way as to form a collection of staves ready to assemble into a barrel, and an output unit, in relation with the storage assembly, equipped with a stave-reorientation system. Staves used by the machine and in the method may be asymmetric about a horizontal axis. The staves selected by the calculation unit are advantageously delivered to the output unit in an order and a configuration that make for easy assembly of the barrel.

A robotic arm especially suited for laparoscopic surgery, having a torsional joint and a flexural joint forming serially arranged joints is described. The joints provide respective degrees of freedom for the arm, which further receives drive means for such joints. The robotic arm also has transmission means placed between the drive means have and the joints. The transmission means a first and a second assembly of three gear wheels, preferably conical gear wheels, and a train of three additional gear wheels, preferably straight-cut gear wheels, which couple the first and second assembly to form a differential mechanism.

A system includes a fan and a duct system. The fan is configured to be attached to the steering wheel. The duct system has a first portion and a second portion, and is configured to be coupled to an exterior surface of an armature of the steering wheel and enable air from the fan to be communicated from the fan to a surface of the steering wheel. The first portion includes a section extending along the armature of the steering wheel, and the second portion includes a plurality of nozzles extending radially from an outer surface of the first portion toward an outer surface of the steering wheel.

A tractor includes a prime mover, a driven implement selectively engaged with the prime mover, and a switch for selectively engaging and disengaging the driven implement with the prime mover. The switch has three positions including a disengaged position, a momentary position, and an engaged position located between the disengaged position and the momentary position. The prime mover can be started with the switch in the disengaged position. The prime mover can be started with the switch in the engaged position when the switch was previously moved to the momentary position before being moved to the engaged position, such that after operation of the prime mover is stopped, the prime mover can be restarted without changing the position of the switch.

An automatic shift device for an automated transmission for a vehicle includes a rotation shaft, a clutch ring, a clutch hub, a sleeve, a dog clutch portion, a shaft moving apparatus, and a control portion. The control portion includes a push force reduction control portion performing a push force reduction control reducing a push force of the sleeve that the shaft moving apparatus applies on the clutch rear teeth in response to a back and forth movement of the sleeve after the sleeve reaches an end surface of the clutch rear tooth. The control portion includes a retry control portion performing a retry control that re-applies the push force of the sleeve in response to a predetermined retry condition after the push force reduction control is performed.

A portable articulated arm coordinate measurement machine can include a base, a manually positionable articulated arm portion having opposed first and second ends, the arm portion including a plurality of connected arm segments, an electronic circuit that receives the position signals from the transducers, a first inclinometer coupled to the base, wherein the inclinometer is configured to produce a first electrical signal responsive to an angle of tilt of the base and an electrical system configured to record a first reading of the first inclinometer and a second reading of the first inclinometer, wherein the first reading is in response to at least one of a first force applied to the base and a third force applied to the mounting structure, wherein the second reading is in response to at least one of a second force applied to the base and a fourth force applied to the mounting structure.

A centerline marker holder used for engaging and sliding along a portion of two intersecting walls and sliding along an exterior or interior rounded or bull nose corner between the walls. The marker holder uses a pencil for drawing a centerline along a length of the corner. The marker holder includes a flat, first wall engaging member attached at an angle to a flat, second wall engaging member. Along a length of an intersection of the first and second wall engaging members is a centerline hole. The centerline hole is dimensioned to receive the pencil therethrough for marking the centerline. The marker holder also includes a plurality of offset holes from the centerline hole for drawing parallel offset lines at a selected distance from the centerline.

A probe deployment mechanism of a coordinate measuring machine provides for extending and retracting a probe. The probe is displaceable with respect to the actuator body connected to the measuring machine. A locator coupling secures the probe to the actuator body at the extended position for taking measurements. A drive coupled to the probe displaces the probe between the extended and retracted positions but at the extended position, the drive is releasable from the probe for kinetically isolating the locator coupling.

A machining tool assembly for manufacturing a firearm lower receiver includes a first and second side jig which are configured to be disposed on opposite sides of the firearm lower receiver and configured to removably attach to one another securing the firearm lower receiver therebetween. A drill block jig is removably attachable to the first and second side jigs disposed above the top surface of the firearm lower receiver, wherein the drill block jig comprises a plurality of through holes. A template spacer jig is removably attachable to the first and second side jigs disposed above the top surface of the firearm lower receiver, wherein the template spacer jig comprises a spacer aperture disposed through a template spacer thickness. A first and second pocket templates are removably attachable and disposed onto the template spacer jig. A router support plate is disposed onto either the first or second pocket templates.

A periodic permanent magnet (PPM) klystron has beam transport structures and RF cavity structures, each of which has permanent magnets placed substantially equidistant from a beam tunnel formed about the central axis, and which are also outside the extent of a cooling chamber. The RF cavity sections also have permanent magnets which are placed substantially equidistant from the beam tunnel, but which include an RF cavity coupling to the beam tunnel for enhancement of RF carried by an electron beam in the beam tunnel.

A data comparison apparatus 1 includes: an image acquisition unit 42 that acquires data of a plurality of motions; an interval identification unit 45 that identifies a predetermined interval that is common in data of the plurality of motions; a time period comparison unit 47 that compares the plurality of motions in the identified predetermined interval; and a notification unit 50 that notifies information corresponding to a comparison result of the time period comparison unit 47.

Systems and methods for sailboat mast alignment are provided. In some embodiments, a system for alignment of a sailboat mast comprises a mounting bracket configured for attachment to the mast, and one or more lasers pivotally connected to the mounting bracket to enable the one or more lasers to be positioned at an index angle relative to the mast on both sides of the mast.

A method of indicating an interference magnetic field at an electronic device includes: displaying a first arrow indicating a direction of magnetic north on a display of the electronic device, the direction of the first arrow corrected to remove interference caused by an interference magnetic field; and displaying a second arrow indicating a direction of a source of the interference magnetic field on a display of the electronic device.

The invention relates to an autonomous system for determining items of information representative of the movement of an articulated chain (CA—1, CA—2, CA—3) comprising at least two solid elements (ES1—1, ES2—1, ES1—2, ES2—2, ES3—2, ES1—3, ES2—3, ES3—3, ES4—3) and at least one articulation (ART1—1, ART1—2, ART2—2, ART1—3, ART2—3, ART3—3) connecting said two elements. The system comprises at least two devices (DISP1—1, DISP2—1, DISP1—2, DISP2—2, DISP3—2, DISP1—3, DISP2—3, DISP3—3, DISP4—3) for measuring inter-device distances, mounted fixedly on two distinct elements of said articulated chain and suitable for transmitting the measurements made. Moreover, the system comprises means for determining at least one distance separating two measuring devices based on at least one measurement supplied by a measuring device, and calculation means (CALC), mounted on said articulated chain, suitable for calculating items of information representative of the movement of said articulated chain based on the measurements transmitted by said devices for measuring inter-device distances.

A measurement gauge, comprising a pair of jaws biased in a closed position; a normalizing member surrounding one of the jaws when the pair of jaws is closed, the normalizing member biased in an extended position; a handle coupled to the pair of jaws and normalizing member such that movement from an extended handle position to an retracted handle position opens the pair of jaws and moves the normalizing member to an retracted position.

Systems and methods for providing aircraft heading information are provided. In one embodiment, an attitude heading reference device comprises: at least one interface for receiving heading information from one or more IRUs; at least one set of gyroscopes and accelerometers; a memory device for storing data representing heading information received via the at least one interface; and a heading calculator coupled to the at least one interface, the at least one set of gyroscopes and accelerometers, and the memory device. The heading calculator generating a heading output signal based on heading information when reliable heading information is received over the at least one interface; the heading calculator generating the heading output signal based on data from the memory device regarding previously reliable heading information and an output of the at least one set of gyroscopes and accelerometers when reliable heading information is not received over the at least one interface.

In a method for calibrating a star probe of an image measuring machine, the star probe includes one or more probe heads. Probe configuration information for the star probe is configured when there is no probe configuration file of the star probe stored in a storage device of the image measuring machine, and one of the probe heads to be calibrated is selected from the star probe. The method calibrates a radius value of the selected probe head, and calibrates the deviation between the center point of the selected probe head and the focus of the camera lens. The method further generates a star probe model of the star probe according to the probe configuration information and the probe calibration information, and displays the star probe model of the star probe on a display device of the image measuring machine.

To enable firm bonding to a member including a polyaryl ether ketone resin. A bonding method including: a bonding material applying step for applying, to the surface of a member including a polyaryl ether ketone resin, a bonding material including (A) a polymerizable monomer and (B) at least a portion of components for configuring a polymerization initiator, the content ratio of polymerizable monomers at least having two or more polymerizable functional groups in a (p2) molecule among all polymerizable monomers being 50% by mass or greater, and the content ratio of polymerizable monomers at least having one or more polymerizable functional groups and one or more functional groups capable of hydrogen bonding in a (p1h1) molecule being 5% by mass or greater; and a curing step for curing the bonding material. A bonding material and bonding kit using the bonding method.

The present invention provides a dental implant with a post section that can be implanted in a jaw with a designated mounting component. A crown may be attached to the mounting component. The cmounted components are designed in multiple sections, preferably in two sections, in which a first mounted component with an attached formed first contact pin can be firmly inserted into an allocated recess in the post section, and a second mounted section with an attached formed second contact pin can be inserted into the recess in the second mounted section.

The present invention provides an intraoral imaging and illumination apparatus (10) comprising a rear portion (12) and a front portion (14) removably connected to the rear portion (12). The front portion (14) is formed as a light guide (29). The rear portion (12) comprises an imaging device (16) and an illumination device (18). The illumination device (18) is adapted to couple light into the front portion (14) and towards a leading end (30) of the front portion (14) opposite the rear portion (12) so as to illuminate a first object (66). The imaging device (16) is adapted to image the first object (66).