345results about "Vacuum gauge using compression chambers" patented technology

The invention relates to devices and methods for monitoring one or more athletic performance characteristic of a user. An example apparatus includes a sensing unit adapted to be attachable to a shoe of a user, the sensing unit including a first sensor adapted to monitor an movement of a foot of the user while the user is in motion, the first sensor comprising a gyroscopic sensor, processing means for determining a first performance characteristic of the user based upon an output from the first sensor, the first performance characteristic comprising a foot strike location of a foot of the user upon striking a ground surface, and transmitting means for transmitting a data package representative of the performance characteristic to a remote receiver.

A method of processing information in a tire pressure monitoring system includes the steps of: establishing a reference temperature; determining a pressure warning threshold at the reference temperature; measuring gauge pressure and gauge temperature within a tire cavity; correcting the gauge pressure to a filtered pressure value at the reference temperature using the Ideal Gas Law; and comparing the filtered pressure value against the pressure warning threshold to determine the necessity for a warning signal. In an advanced form of the invention, the method includes determining a pressure leak rate; predicting the time interval that the filtered pressure value will cross the pressure warning threshold at the leak rate and generating progressive warnings to the driver over the time interval. Fuzzy logic is used to quantify the probability of a warning state for each data point, allow for measurement error; and report the state of maximum probability to minimize the occurrence of false warning. A warning utility function is derived based upon a combination of the filtered pressure and leak rate.

Disclosed is a method and apparatus for determining whether an implantable drug delivery device is conforming to the performance requirements of the device or the needs of the patient. The system includes an implantable drug delivery device having stored therein at least one drug, a nonconformance monitor module monitoring pump parameters, an external programmer in telemetric communication with the implantable drug delivery device and having a nonconformance management module for determining whether the the device is conforming to performance requirements, and to determine what action should be taken if non-conformance is determined. If the nonconformance management module identifies nonconformance, it determines what action should be taken for the particular non-conformance. The nonconformance management module will either invoke a pump programming change, or schedule and appointment or notify the patient that a non-programming change should be made.

The systems and methods are provided for monitoring the forces and impacts to an object. The systems and method disclosed herein can be used to monitor forces and impacts to a human subject. In some implementations, the system can be disposed into conformal electronics that can be coupled directly to an object or disposed of other objects such as clothing and protective gear. The system can include a storage module to allow for data to be reviewed and analyzed. In some implementations, the system can also include an indicator. In some implementations, the indicator can be used to display real time analysis of impacts made by the system.

A method for evaluating a person for a sleep system, the method including: while the person is not positioned on an evaluating member, adjusting a pressure of a comfort layer inflatable member disposed within a comfort layer of the evaluating member to an initial comfort value; positioning the person on the evaluating member in a first position; while the person is positioned on the evaluating member in the first position, measuring a pressure of the comfort layer inflatable member as a first measured comfort value; calculating a difference between the first measured comfort value and the initial comfort value as comfort pressure 1; calculating a first optimal pressure level for the comfort layer inflatable member using comfort pressure 1; and recommending a sleep support member for the person using the calculated first optimal pressure level for the comfort layer inflatable member and using data measuring quality of sleep.

A module is operable to monitor at least a pressure within a tire of a wheel, the module being operatively mounted to said wheel, the module including:

• (a) a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure (P) and generating a corresponding pressure signal; and
• b1) an associated data memory including a data field containing data relevant to the functional status of the tyre.

A signal processor comprises wheel speed-detecting means for detecting a wheel speed signal including vibrational components of a tire, extraction means for extracting a resonant frequency of the vibrational components of the tire or a tire spring constant based on the wheel speed signals, air pressure-estimating means for estimating a tire air pressure based on the resonant frequency or the tire spring constant, and determining means for determining whether the estimated tire air pressure is abnormal or not by comparing with a determination value. Further, correcting means corrects at least one of the determination value, the estimated tire air pressure, the resonant frequency and the tire spring constant in response to a tire temperature. A temperature-sensing device is mounted inside the signal processor to detect a temperature associated with the tire temperature.

An apparatus and method for continuously monitoring selected parameters of reciprocating compressor cylinders is disclosed, the apparatus includes a plurality of sensors positioned to monitor selected parameters within the cylinder on either side of the piston, with the selected parameters including pressures on each side of the piston for each cycle, temperatures of the gas entering and exiting the cylinder, and vibrations of components such as a piston shaft within the cylinder. A calculator means in close proximity to the cylinder receives the signals from the sensors and analyzes the signals for each cycle of the piston. Output signals proportional to the monitored signals are transmitted to a remotely located computer. The output signals include pressure versus volume curves for each cylinder volume, horsepower consumed by the cylinder, inlet suction and outlet discharge gas temperatures of the gases moved through the cylinder, and compression and tension stress on the piston rod. Computer analyses compare monitored signals to pre-selected ranges of operating parameters to provide alarm signals to alert operators of the performance and mechanical conditions within the monitored reciprocating compressor cylinder. A method of operation for continuously monitoring selected parameters of reciprocating compressor cylinders is also disclosed.

In a tire air pressure estimating apparatus, wheel speeds of respective wheels are successively calculated when a vehicle is running. At least one of a tire resonance frequency and a tire spring constant is extracted from vibration frequency components included in a wheel speed signal with respect to each of tires. Tire air pressures of drive wheels are estimated based on the extracted tire resonance frequencies or the tire spring constants. Rotational state values (e.g. wheel speed values) of driven wheel tires are calculated based on the detected wheel speeds. Tire air pressures of driven wheels are estimated based on a deviation of the rotational state values of the driven wheel tires.

A field instrument and system for obtaining pressure, flow and temperature data from a facility. The field instrument includes an enclosure having an opening therein. An integrated analog sensor is sealingly contained within the opening. The field instrument further contains an external analog sensor. An analog to digital converter converts the analog signals to digital readings. An external digital sensor is also provided, with the digital output being communicated through a second opening within the enclosure. A control member that receives, stores and processes the digital readings is positioned within the enclosure. A communication module is included to transmit the digital readings to a remote computer. The communication module allows for two way communication between the field instrument and remote computer. The remote computer may be a server that allows for access by many users. The communication module also allows for locally accessing the digital readings via a serial port to a local terminal.

In a masker sound generation apparatus, an acquisition part acquires a sound signal, and a generation part generates a masker sound signal based on the acquired sound signal. Specifically, the generation part divides the sound signal acquired by the acquisition part into a plurality of sections each having a predetermined time length, then repeats a sorting process of sorting the divided sections as a process of changing the sequence of arrangement of the sound signal, and alters a manner of sorting the sections each time the sorting process is repeated.

A person shopping for a mattress is helped to select a physiologically suitable mattress by a system which uses a questionnaire to elicit important information from the person. The questionnaire is processed automatically to generate a recommendation of which available mattress system is most suitable for the person.

A pressure sensor senses a pressure of a fuel vapor system at a fuel vapor passage. An electronic control unit executes a post-depressurization period flow diagnosis to determine whether the fuel vapor passage is clogged based on a behavior of the pressure in the fuel vapor system, which is sensed with the pressure sensor in a sealed state of the fuel vapor system after introduction of a negative pressure into the fuel vapor system.

The invention relates to a system for monitoring a filter (3) used for filtering a fluid (5) in an aircraft engine (7), including:

• • pressure measurement means (27) for acquiring over time a differential pressure of the fluid (5) through the filter (3);
  • computing means (11) for computing a normalized differential pressure under reference conditions by normalizing the measured differential pressure according to conditions for exploiting the fluid (5);
  • storage means (13) for storing in memory a predetermined reference clogging curve (Cr) describing a time-dependent change of the normalized differential pressure depending on a pollutant mass injected into the filter (3);
  • computing means (11) for estimating the pollutant mass injected into the filter (3) by projecting a current value of said normalized differential pressure onto said reference clogging curve (Cr); and
  • computing means (11) for generating from said estimated pollutant mass a set of signatures defining the condition and the time-dependent change of clogging of the filter.

A perceptual weighting device for producing a perceptually weighted signal in response to a wideband signal comprises a signal pre-emphasis filter, a synthesis filter calculator, and a perceptual weighting filter. The signal pre-emphasis filter enhances the high frequency content of the wideband signal to thereby produce a pre-emphasized signal. The signal pre-emphasis filter has a transfer function of the form: P(z)=1−μz⁻¹, wherein μ is a pre-emphasis factor having a value located between 0 and 1. The synthesis filter calculator is responsive to the pre-emphasized signal for producing synthesis filter coefficients. Finally, the perceptual weighting filter processes the pre-emphasized signal in relation to the synthesis filter coefficients to produce the perceptually weighted signal. The perceptual weighting filter has a transfer function, with fixed denominator, of the form: W(z)=A(z/γ₁)/(1−γ₂z⁻¹) where 0<γ₂<γ₁≦1.

There is disclosed an encoding device capable of appropriately adjusting the dynamic range of spectrum inserted according to the technique for replacing a spectrum of a certain band with a spectrum of another band. The device includes a spectrum modification unit (112) which modifies a first spectrum S1(k) of the band 0≦k<FL in various ways to change the dynamic range so that a way of modification for obtaining an appropriate dynamic range is checked. The information concerning the modification is encoded and given to a multiplexing unit (115). By using a second spectrum S2(k) having a valid signal band 0≦k.

A system is provided for full-vehicle analytical road-loads prediction, which reduces the time and cost of modeling tires and tire-road interface, using road load simulations rather than actual measurements. The system includes a method to perform tire tests in a virtual environment, a road-load tire model for simulations in multibody environments; a tire model for FE simulations; and a comprehensive graphical user interface to support the user in all the steps of the analytical process.

A postural state attitude monitoring, caution, and warning system includes a multiple axis accelerometer carried by a node for generating output signals that are a function of positional orientation of the node along a path of attitude displacement of the node extending from a reference position of the node to a caution position of the node, and from the caution position of the node to a warning position of the node, and a signal device operatively coupled to the multiple axis accelerometer for issuing a caution signal in response to a caution positional state of the node at the caution position of the node and distally therebeyond to inside of the warning position of the node, and for issuing a warning signal different from the caution signal in response to a warning positional state of the node at the warning position of the node and distally therebeyond.

An apparatus and method are disclosed wherein at least one parameter associated with a core-annular flow (CAF) in a pipe is measured by sensing unsteady pressures associated with undulations formed at the interface of a core region and an annular region in the CAF at different axial locations along the pipe. The at least one parameter, which may include a flow velocity of the CAF, Mach number associated with the CAF, and a volumetric flow rate of the CAF, is determined using sensed unsteady pressures. The CAF may be developed from a shear thinning fluid, such as bitumen froth or from a wood pulp fiber suspension. Alternatively, the CAF may be developed from a lubricating fluid, such as water, and a fluid to be transported, such as oil, where the fluid to be transported forms the core region and the lubricating fluid forms the annular region.

An insole type navigation apparatus for indicating the direction of a user by interworking with a navigation device providing a road guidance service, includes: a GPS module mounted on the user's shoes and providing the user's location information to the navigation device; a plurality of vibration motors mounted in the insole of the shoes and indicating the recommended direction of the user's travel through vibrations; and a controller selectively driving vibration motors corresponding to each direction to inform the user about the direction of a destination, when the navigation device provides the road guidance service.

Grounded, circular movable electrode and divided electrodes, formed on a surface of a circular printed board, are opposed to each other via a double-face tape, functioning also as a spacer, with a slight gap interposed therebetween. As a pad is struck with a stick, the gap between the movable electrode and the divided electrodes changes so that capacitance between the movable electrode and the divided electrodes changes, in response to which signals are output from the divided electrodes. The divided electrodes are sandwiched between the grounded movable electrode and a grounded shielded electrode and thus are not influenced from external disturbances. As the pad is struck with the stick, the gap and hence capacitance between the movable electrode and any of the divided electrodes in the struck position changes, in response to which signals are output from the divided electrodes