Methods and apparatuses for circuit design are described. In one embodiment, the method comprises determining a distribution of nets of a circuit, the distribution of the nets comprising numbers of blocks that each of the nets has in each of a plurality of partitions of the circuit in a partitioning solution, moving a first block of the circuit from a source partition to a destination partition to modify the partitioning solution, and updating the distribution of the nets after the moving.

A proposed feature vector for a first deign is received and an existing feature vector for an existing design is retrieved for a given task. The proposed design is evaluated against the existing design using task-based scores associated with each design and based on their performances for the given task.

Devices, systems, and methods for treating a heart of a patient may make use of structures which limit a size of a chamber of the heart, such as by deploying a tensile member to bring a wall of the heart toward (optionally into contact with) a septum of the heart. The implant may include an electrode or other structure for applying pacing signals to one or both ventricles of the heart, for defibrillating the heart, for sensing beating of the heart or the like. A wireless telemetry and control system may allowing the implant to treat congestive heart failure, monitor the results of the treatment, and apply appropriate electrical stimulation.

Methods and devices for cardiac signal analysis in implantable cardiac therapy systems. Several signal processing and/or conditioning methods are shown including R-wave detection embodiments including the use of thresholds related to previous peak amplitudes. Also, some embodiments include sample thresholding to remove extraneous data from sampled signals. Some embodiments include weighting certain samples more heavily than other samples within a sampled cardiac signal for analysis.

It is critical in an inductively link medical implant, such as a visual prosthesis or other neural stimulator, to adjust the external coil to a location to maximize communication between the external coil and internal coil. Converting the signal strength between the coils to a signal easily discernible by a clinician, preferably an audible tone, facilitates the adjustment of the external coil to a preferred location.

A signal conditioner for use with a controller and a burner receives an input signal from the controller. A conversion circuit generates a primary output signal corresponding to the input signal to control the burner. The signal conditioner also includes a delay circuit. The delay circuit overrides the primary output signal generated by the conversion circuit and substitutes a delay signal to the burner at a predetermined level for a predetermined time. The signal conditioner may also include a temperature override circuit, which receives a temperature of air from the burner. If the temperature is above or below established limits, the temperature override circuit substitutes a temperature override signal to the burner.

A signal processing apparatus executes a plurality of microprograms stored in a microprogram memory device in a time-sharing manner, so as to perform arithmetic operations on a digital signal entered by a signal input device. A delay memory device that delays the digital signal. The delay memory device has a plurality of delay areas that are independently provided for the respective microprograms, such that each of the microprograms that is being executed uses a corresponding one of the plurality of delay areas so as to delay the digital signal, and a common area that can be accessed by all of the microprograms. As a result, data such as tables for use in common by the plurality of microprograms can be stored, and the stored data can be easily used by each microprogram, without making the system complicated or increasing the cost of the apparatus.

Methods and apparatus related to the detection of low-rate visible light communication (VLC) signals and the recovery of information communicated by the VLC signals are described. Various methods and apparatus are well suited for embodiments in which a device, e.g., a smartphone, including a camera which uses a rolling shutter. The rolling shutter facilitates the collection of different time snapshots of a received low rate time varying VLC signal with different pixel rows in the image sensor of a frame corresponding to different time snapshots. In some embodiments, demodulation is used to recover and identify a single tone being communicated in a frame from among a plurality of possible alternative tones that may be communicated, each different tone corresponding to a different set of information bits.

A signal transmission device drives a light-emitting element and outputs an optical signal depending on a data signal from an electronic device. The device includes an element driving portion which supplies a driving current to the light-emitting element, wherein the driving current is obtained by superimposing a modulation current on a bias current, the modulation current being dependent on the data signal indicating emitting information of the light-emitting element. A temperature compensation portion of the device controls the bias current and the modulation current depending on the temperature so that a temperature-current characteristic of the light-emitting element is reproduced based on the voltage which is dependent on the temperature and the voltage which is independent from the temperature, thereby performing current control depending on the temperature.

This invention concerns real-time multi-impairment signal performance monitoring. In particular it concerns an optical device, for instance a monolithic integrated photonics chip, comprising a waveguide having an input region to receive a signal for characterization, and a narrow band CW laser signal. A non-linear waveguide region to mix the two received signals. More than one output region, each equipped with bandpass filters that extract respective discrete frequency bands of the RF spectrum of the mixed signals. And, also comprising (slow) power detectors to output the extracted discrete frequency banded signals.

A WDM optical signal is transmitted through a tunable optical filter and is polarization-nulled to find optical signal to noise ratio of individual WDM channels. The polarization nulling can be performed using a heuristic multipoint extrema search method, such as Nelder-Mead method. A plurality of checkpoints can be included in the search to verify the progress and to improve the overall robustness of a real-time polarization nulling.

An optical transport network system includes a plurality of NEs, each transmitting wavelength-multiplexed optical signals. Each NE includes a routing information DB that is used to store reachable area information, which contains identifiers of other NEs in a range within which the optical signals can be transmitted from the own NE without using an REG. A FROM NE includes a path candidate searching unit that searches for a plurality of path candidates for transmitting optical signals from the FROM NE to a TO NE. The TO NE includes a path selecting unit that selects a path for transmitting optical signals from among a plurality of path candidates. The path selecting unit obtains the number of times for which the REG is used for each of the plurality of path candidates; and, based on each number of times that is obtained, selects a path for transmitting the optical signals.

A method for adjusting an optical signal includes determining a polarization dependent loss (PDL) value associated with the optical signal, determining an angle between the optical signal and one or more axes of PDL, determining an amount of nonlinear phase noise due to PDL and nonlinear effects upon the optical signal based upon the PDL value and the angle, determining a phase rotation based upon the amount of nonlinear phase noise, and applying the phase rotation to the optical signal.

An optical receiver circuit is disclosed in which a number of electrical signals are processed to extract data encoded therein. The electrical signals may be compared during the process to selectively remove one or more waveforms from one or more corresponding electrical signals. Various data signals, each including one or more waveforms, may then be processed to extract the encoded data. The optical receiver circuit reduces, or eliminates, electrical offsets which may be present in one or more of the electrical signals to reduce corresponding errors in the encoded data signals.

The present invention provides molecular biosensors capable of signal amplification, and methods of using the molecular biosensors to detect the presence of a target molecule.

The present invention is applied to a frequency converter used for a receiver. The frequency converter according to the present invention includes an LO signal generator (11) that generates an LO signal and outputs the LO signal; and a mixer (10) that multiplies a received signal that has been band-limited to a usable bandwidth of said receiver by the LO signal so as to convert the frequency of the received signal and outputs the resultant signal. Said LO signal generator is capable of varying a phase resolution.

A voltage regulator coupled to an unregulated DC input voltage source by an input terminal, and to a load by an output terminal is disclosed. The voltage regulator converts an input voltage at the input terminal to an output voltage at the output terminal. The voltage regulator includes one or more slaves, and each slave includes a switching circuit which serves as a power switch for alternately coupling and decoupling the input terminal to an intermediate node. The voltage regulator also includes a filter coupled to the slaves, the filter including one or more inductor banks each of which having a predetermined number of inductors.

A servo processor for an optical disk drive is provided that includes: an analog-to-digital converter for converting versions of photodetector output signals into digital signals; and a digital signal processor configured to receive the digital signals, the digital signal processor being further configured to determine a focus error signal (FES) and a tracking error signal (TES) from the digital signals, the digital signal processor being further configured to process TES and FES through servo algorithms to produce tracking and focus control signals.

A custom brace and method for fabricating the custom brace includes marking a body with reference points and/or other indicators. Multiple images of the body from multiple angles are then obtained. The images are used to determine the contours of the body and the other markings are located and used to design the custom brace. Fenestrations can be added to the brace design. The custom brace can be fabricated with the fenestrations as a single piece structure or in multiple pieces that are assembled to complete the custom device.

A device is described for generating a control signal for controlling a passenger protection arrangement of a motor vehicle, having a first acceleration sensor for generating a first acceleration signal, having a second acceleration sensor for generating a second acceleration signal, having a first structure-borne noise sensor for generating a first structure-borne noise signal, having a second structure-borne noise sensor for generating a second structure-borne noise signal, and having an evaluation circuit, the evaluation circuit (being configured for generating a combination signal from the first structure-borne noise signal and the second structure-borne noise signal, the evaluation circuit being configured for generating the control signal as a function of the first acceleration signal, the second acceleration signal and the combination signal.

Beamformer coefficients may include a plurality of sets of theoretical statistical data for theoretical signals. Each theoretical signal may have its own particular attributes. The statistical data may be used in computing beamformer coefficients for application by a beamformer to signals received at a device. Signals are received at an input of the device. A respective plurality of weights is determined, for the theoretical statistical data sets, based on an analysis of the extent to which the signals have the particular attributes of the theoretical signals. The theoretical are retrieved, and a statistical data set is calculated for the signals by performing a weighted sum of the theoretical statistical data sets using the determined respective plurality of weights. Beamformer coefficients are computed based on the calculated statistical data set for the signals, which are used by a beamformer to the signals for generating a beamformer output.

Audio signals are processed for use in a communication event. A data store may be queried to obtain an indication of an echo direction, which relates to a direction from which audio signals output from the audio output are likely to be received at a microphone array (plurality of microphones) of a device. Beamformer coefficients of an adaptive beamformer of the device are determined in dependence upon the received indication of the echo direction. Audio signals are received at the microphone array. The adaptive beamformer applies the determined beamformer coefficients to the received audio signals, thereby generating a beamformer output for use in the communication event. The beamformer coefficients are determined such that echo suppression is applied to audio signals received at the microphone array from the indicated echo direction.

A method for design of a fuel assembly for nuclear reactors, including structural components made from zirconium alloy: the mean uniaxial tensile or compressive stress to which the components are subjected during the assembly life is calculated, the zirconium alloy of which the components are made is selected according to the following criteria: those components subjected to an axial or transverse compressive stress of between −10 et −20 MPa are made from an alloy with a content of Sn between Sn=(=0.025σ−0.25)% and Sn=−0.05σ%: those components subjected to such a stress of between 0 et −10 MPa are made from an alloy the Sn content of which is between Sn=traces and Sn=(0.05σ+1)%: those components subjected to such a stress of between 0 and +10 MPa are made from an alloy the Sn content of which is between Sn=0.05% and Sn=(0.07σ+1)%: and those components subjected to such a stress of between +10 and +20 MPa are made from an alloy the content of SN of which is between 0.05% and 1.70%. A fuel assembly made according to the method.

A method of providing information including providing a communication session of at least one of audio and video media and applying automatic recognition to media transferred on the communication session. An advertisement is selected by a processor, based on the automatic recognition and non-advertisement information is selected by the processor, responsive to the automatic recognition. The selected advertisements and the selected non-advertisement information, are presented during the communication session.

A virtual channel table for broadcasting protocol and a method for broadcasting by using the virtual channel table includes identification information identifying and permitting discrimination of active and inactive channels contained in the virtual channel table. At a receiver, the virtual channel table transmitted from the transmitting side is parsed, thereby determining whether the current received channel is an active or inactive channel.

A unified system of programming communication. The system encompasses the prior art (television, radio, broadcast hardcopy, computer communications, etc.) and new user specific mass media. Within the unified system, parallel processing computer systems, each having an input (e.g., 77) controlling a plurality of computers (e.g., 205), generate and output user information at receiver stations. Under broadcast control, local computers (73, 205), combine user information selectively into prior art communications to exhibit personalized mass media programming at video monitors (202), speakers (263), printers (221), etc. At intermediate transmission stations (e.g., cable television stations), signals in network broadcasts and from local inputs (74, 77, 97, 98) cause control processors (71) and computers (73) to selectively automate connection and operation of receivers (53), recorder/players (76), computers (73), generators (82), strippers (81), etc. At receiver stations, signals in received transmissions and from local inputs (225, 218, 22) cause control processors (200) and computers (205) to automate connection and operation of converters (201), tuners (215), decryptors (224), recorder/players (217), computers (205), furnaces (206), etc. Processors (71, 200) meter and monitor availability and usage of programming.

This invention relates to compositions and methods comprising “lymphotoxin-β-receptor blocking agents”, which block lymphotoxin-β receptor signalling. Lymphotoxin-β receptor blocking agents are useful for treating lymphocyte-mediated immunological diseases, and more particularly, for inhibiting Th1 cell-mediated immune responses. This invention relates to soluble forms of the lymphotoxin-β receptor extracellular domain that act as lymphotoxin-β receptor blocking agents. This invention also relates to the use of antibodies directed against either the lymphotoxin-β receptor or its ligand, surface lymphotoxin, that act as lymphotoxin-β receptor blocking agents. A novel screening method for selecting soluble receptors, antibodies and other agents that block LT-β receptor signalling is provided.

Compositions and methods for the treatment of asthma and inflammatory ocular disorders are disclosed.

A conveying apparatus has a conveying path to supply a plurality of products for consumption having soft parts and intended for processing to a processing device. A conveying intermediate space has conveying surfaces that face one another and receive the products for consumption between them while applying pressure thereto. A first conveying surface comprises a flexible surface-deformable conveying cover and a row arrangement of pressure elements that are arranged next to one another in a row extending transverse to the conveying direction, each having a pressure-applying transverse profile extending transverse to the conveying direction, and are held to be displaceable in the height dimension direction of the conveying intermediate space against a restoring force such that each pressure element co-operates with the surface-deformable conveying cover during the passage of the products for consumption through the conveying path in order to form a variable conveyor cross-section.

A gaming system used in a wager-based electronic gaming machine is described. The gaming system is configured to provide picture in a picture capabilities on the electronic gaming machine. In one embodiment, the gaming system can include a first gaming device and a second gaming device where the first gaming device controls the second gaming device. The first gaming device can be configured to receive data and/or communicate with an electronic gaming machine controller, a value input device and value output device. The second gaming device can be configured to receive touchscreen data from a touchscreen display and first video data from the first gaming device and second video data from the EGM controller. Under control of the first gaming device, the first video data and second video data can be output in various sizes and locations on the touchscreen display.

Systems and methods are provided that may be implemented to provide a mechanical indicator to correlate magnetic disk drive IOP performance with features of mechanical and/or acoustic vibrational frequencies that are generated and captured or sensed outside of the disk drive itself. In one example, disk drive PES data may be collected concurrently with the capture of mechanical and/or acoustic vibrational data at different and progressive locations of vibration source, vibration path and vibration receiver in a disk drive operating environment, e.g., such as for disk drives installed within a server and/or storage chassis enclosure. In such case, PES threshold may be utilized to correlate performance of Drive IOP or drive servo-mechanical performance as a function of measured characteristics of vibration source/s that impart vibration to a disk drive.

A method and system provide a magnetic transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS). The method provides a first read sensor stack and defines a first read sensor in a stripe height direction from the first read sensor stack. The stripe height direction is perpendicular to the ABS. A shield is provided on the first read sensor stack and in a down track direction from the first read sensor stack. A second read sensor stack is provided. The shield is between the first read sensor and the second read sensor stack in the down track direction. Both the first read sensor and the second read sensor are defined from the first read sensor stack and from the second read sensor stack, respectively, in a cross-track direction. The cross-track direction is substantially perpendicular to the down track direction and substantially perpendicular to the stripe height direction.

A pylon is provided for providing visual signals to race participants. The pylon includes a base. A shell is carried on the base. The shell is formed having an outer wall surrounding an internal chamber. The internal chamber includes a wedge-shaped portion which carries a wedge-shaped luminaire. An upwardly-extending tube is carried by the base. The tube is nested within the internal chamber and carries the shell. A power source is provided which provides electricity to the luminaire. A wireless transmitter is provided which is used by a user to turn the luminaire on and off, which luminaire provides visual signals to the race participants.

A cabinet structure for a switchgear assembly. The cabinet structure includes a cabinet having upper and lower vents and a breaker cradle for holding a circuit breaker having primary disconnects for connecting the circuit breaker to bus bars. The cabinet further includes an air passageway located between the upper and lower vents, wherein the air passageway extends vertically through the primary disconnects and the cabinet. Further, the cabinet includes a fan module having at least one fan for drawing outside air through the lower vent, the air passageway and the primary disconnects for cooling the primary disconnects.

A light directing composite film includes a planar top major surface, a planar bottom major surface, a plurality of lenticular lens elements disposed between the top major surface and the bottom major surface, and a plurality of light reflection regions and light transmission regions disposed between the plurality of lenticular lens and the planar bottom major surface.

A device for inputting command signals to a marine vessel control system includes a lever that is selectively operable in a joystick mode and a lever mode. In the lever mode, the lever is confined to pivoting about a horizontal axis to thereby input throttle and shift commands to the control system. In the joystick mode, the lever is freely pivotable in all directions away from a vertical axis that is perpendicular to the horizontal axis to thereby input throttle, shift, and directional commands to the control system.

A method and system for determining a location of a first device that emits a signal: provide at least three sensors separated and spaced apart from each other; at each of the sensors, receive the signal emitted by the first device; determine the received signals for each of the sensors; determine cross-correlations of the received signals for pairs of the sensors; and determine the location of the first device from the magnitudes of the cross-correlations of the received signals.

A system and method of identifying changes utilizing radio frequency polarization includes receiving a reflected and/or transmitted polarized radio frequency signal at a receiver, filtering, amplifying and conditioning the received signal, converting the received signal from an analog format to a digital format, processing the digital signal to elicit a polarization mode dispersion feature of the received signal, and comparing the polarization mode dispersion features to a known calibration to detect a change in a characteristic of the target object.

A signal processing device, which includes an echo signal input module for inputting echo signals from an antenna discharging electromagnetic waves to a predetermined area and receiving the echo signals reflected on a target object, an echo signal level detection module for detecting a level of each of the echo signals from each location within the predetermined area, a target object detection module for detecting the target object based on the levels of the echo signals, a correlation processing module for performing scan-to-scan correlation processing of a plurality of scans, and a level adjustment module for adjusting the levels of the echo signals after the scan-to-scan correlation processing. The level adjustment module adjusts the levels of the echo signals corresponding to the locations where the target object detection module detects the target object.

Enhancing search capacity of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers. A method for searching satellite signals in a receiver includes performing a plurality of searches sequentially. The method also includes storing a result from each search of the plurality of searches in a consecutive section of a memory. Further, the method includes detecting free sections in the memory. The method also includes concatenating the free sections in the memory to yield a concatenated free section. Moreover, the method includes allocating the concatenated free section for performing an additional search.

An inductive power outlet for providing power to an electric load via an inductive power receiver includes at least one primary inductive coil wired to a power supply via a driver configured to provide a driving voltage across the primary inductive coil such that a secondary voltage is induced in a secondary inductive coil associated with the inductive power receiver. The driver may include a controller configured to receive feedback control signals from the inductive power receiver indicating if more or less power is required. The controller may be further configured to adjust the driving voltage according to the control signals.

An electric motor, having a stator (465), a rotor (470), and an apparatus for evaluating a signal provided for controlling said motor (110), comprises a receiving unit (430, 440) for receiving a control signal (PWM_mod), which is a pulse width modulated signal (PWM) onto which a data signal (DIR, DATA) is modulated. An evaluation unit (440) is provided for evaluating the modulated control signal (PWM_mod). The unit is configured to extract, from the modulated control signal (PWM_mod), data provided for operation of the motor (110). The control apparatus includes a signal generator (450) configured to generate, on the basis of the extracted or ascertained data provided for operation of the motor (110), at least one control signal for the motor (110), such as a commanded direction of rotation. Piggybacking other control data onto the PWM power level signal reduces hardware investment, by permitting omission of a signal lead which would otherwise be required in the motor structure.

In order to process a motor signal (Ia, Um) of a DC motor (4), in particular of an adjustment drive of a motor vehicle, the armature current (Ia) and the motor voltage (Um) of the DC motor (4) are detected and used for determining the back-emf (E) of the DC motor (4), wherein the determined back-emf (E) is used to generate a useful signal (Sf, SEFL), which is in particular speed-proportional, from the armature current signal (Ia) for position sensing or for evaluating an excess force limitation.

Methods and apparatus for transferring one or more substrates from a first pressure environment to a second pressure environment is provided. In one embodiment, a load lock chamber is provided. The load lock chamber comprises a first circular housing, and a second circular housing disposed within and movable relative to the first circular housing, one of the first circular housing or the second circular housing comprising a plurality of discrete regions, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of discrete regions are in selective fluid communication with one of at least two vacuum pumps based on the angular position of the second circular housing relative to the first circular housing.

An improved traffic sign is discussed. The traffic sign includes road reflectors, which reflect available light towards a driver indicating road lane divisions. A sensor module coupled with a vehicle can convert the reflected light to a binary word. The sensor module can further convert the binary word into traffic information, wherein a vehicle-mounted display displays information selected from received traffic information based on priority, time of receipt, and relevance. The improved traffic sign can also include an RFID tag configured to transmit traffic information to a vehicle-mounted receiver.

The present invention provides methods, devices, compositions (e.g., capture complexes), and kits useful for enhancing the detection of antibodies in a test sample. The methods, devices, and compositions utilize detectable Fc-binding molecules such as Protein A, Protein G, and/or an Fc-specific antibody to amplify the signal of a detected antibody in immunoassays, such as lateral flow assays.

An apparatus for joining two hollow organ sections with an annular array of surgical staples includes a staple cartridge, an anvil, a buttress member, and a buttress mount. In particular, the staple cartridge includes a plurality of surgical staples in an annular array. The anvil includes an anvil member and a shaft extending therefrom. The anvil member defines a plurality of staple pockets for deforming the surgical staples. The anvil is movable relative to the staple cartridge component between spaced apart and approximated positions to adjustably clamp tissue between the staple cartridge and the anvil. The buttress member is concentrically aligned with the plurality of staple pockets defined in the anvil member. The buttress mount is detachably secured with the shaft of the anvil. The buttress mount includes at least one support member radially extending outward to secure the buttress member to the anvil member.

A display device has a video circuit for pixels arranged in a matrix. The video circuit includes a digital data store section; a transfer-data processing section for generating a data signal at a time assigned to one of gray scale levels for the data in synchronism with a supplied clock; a gray-scale voltage generator for generating gray-scale voltages; a selection gate circuit for successively generating gate pulses associated with the gray-scale voltages, in synchronism with the clock; and a gray-scale voltage selector circuit for receiving the data signal via a selection-data transfer line provided for each of plural columns of the pixels, and for successively selecting the gray-scale voltages from the gray-scale voltage generator, in synchronism with the gate pulses. The gray-scale voltage selector circuit outputs as the video signal, one of the gray-scale voltages selected from the successively selected gray-scale voltages in synchronism with the data signal.

A camera module with a lens barrel containing a lens, and a lens carrier that slidably receives the lens barrel. Each of the exterior surface of the lens barrel and the interior surface of the lens carrier include a seating surface formed thereon. One of the exterior surface of the lens barrel and the interior surface of the lens carrier include a plurality of protrusions for controlling the relative position of the lens barrel and the lens carrier. The other of the exterior surface of the lens barrel and the interior surface of the lens carrier include a plurality of channels that are sized and arranged so as to slidably receive the protrusions to allow for the lens barrel to be slid into the lens carrier. The channels also each include a transverse section to allow the lens barrel to be pivoted about an optical axis of the lens barrel.

An aspect of the present invention provides an interchangeable lens camera having a camera body and a lens unit that is freely attachable and detachable to the camera body. In the interchangeable lens camera, a communications unit in the camera body sends via communications terminals (MT_MOSI and MT_MISO) an INTR_BUSY control instruction that instructs whether to make notification with a busy signal (INTR_BUSY signal) for any operation out of a plurality of types of operations that can be executed, and the lens unit or camera body communications unit sets the busy signal (INTR_BUSY) to an ON state (low level) only during the period of operation of the type indicated by the INTR_BUSY control instruction.