341results about How to "Life maximization" patented technology

A wireless headset for use with a separate communications device, such as a cellular telephone, includes automatic on / off capabilities to maximize battery life. By detecting a user's interaction, such as picking up the headset or placing it upon the user's body, the wireless headset automatically transitions from an inactive state to an active state. Techniques for automatic headset enabling include but are not limited to motion sensors, attitude or position sensors, proximity sensors, and contact sensors. These techniques may be used individually or in any combination. An internal timer allows the wireless headset to return to its inactive state a defined interval after cessation of movement or removal of the wireless headset. Including an optional sleep state further optimizes battery life. In the sleep state, only a portion of the wireless headset circuitry is enabled. Rather than transitioning from inactive to active, the headset transitions from inactive to sleep. In sleep, the headset periodically monitors for a signal from the separate communications device. Upon detection of such a signal, the wireless headset transitions to its active state, thereby providing full functionality to the user.

A test device for testing of analyte concentration in a fluid to be applied thereto, the device comprising a plurality of test members arranged in at least one stack and electrodes for engaging with electrode tracks on a test member. A pusher pushes a single test member from the stack so that it can engage with the electrodes. An actuation member is connected to the pusher, and moves it when operated by a user. The at least one stack of test members is enclosed in a magazine which is initially sealed by a moisture impermeable seal. A cutter is provided for slitting the seal and permitting a test member to be pushed from the magazine by the pusher when the first test member from the magazine is to be used.

In a packet communication network, a method and apparatus for packet switched transport is provided among intelligent nodes wherein the duty cycling of the intelligent nodes is minimized in order to maximize power life using a synchronization algorithm that assures all nodes are able to propagate information through the network without undue use of transmission and reception power. Frequency hopping time-division multiple access supports packet communication between intelligent nodes via assigned directed links, each link being assigned to a time-channel offset (cell) in a superframe, so that a link carrying a packet string between any two intelligent nodes is active only during its assigned time slot. The result is efficient use of spectrum and minimal expenditure of power.

A device for a node in a digraph network comprising is disclosed. The device comprises an internal time reference, a radio receiver, a radio transmitter. The device further comprises a temperature sensor for stabilizing the internal time reference against drifting with respect to an internal time reference of another node in the network and a microprocessor for managing the reception and transmission of information.

A temperature controlled heatable object is provided in which a temperature sensor is connected to a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag. The RFID tag is located within the handle of the object, and the temperature sensor is placed in contact with the object. In a first embodiment of the invention, the temperature sensor is partially imbedded within the object via a notch located in the side of the object. In a second embodiment of the invention, a temperature sensor is imbedded within a tunnel drilled within the base of the object. In a third embodiment, a temperature sensor is imbedded between the bottom of the object and a slab attached to the bottom of the object. The sensor can be located in a slot formed in either the slab or the bottom or the object. Handles and receivers for mounting the handles to the temperature controllable objects are also provided.

A unit dose medication compliance monitoring and reporting apparatus and system that includes a dispenser shell formed with dose compartments. A retainer sheet affixed to the shell seals each compartment and partially bursts upon dispensing. A sensor network and monitoring and reporting circuitry records dispensing times and determines an average time interval, which can be reported with other data on an integral data display. The system can thereby monitor and report patient compliance with prescription regimens. Additional data can be recorded and displayed for augmented patient compliance assistance and analysis, which data can include customized informational messages, telephone and other patient support contact information, unit doses dispensed and remaining, reminder alarms, identification data, prescription regimens, among other data. In myriad variations and alternative preferred configurations, the devices and systems have demonstrated efficacy in minimalist to complex monitoring and reporting applications ranging from routine prescription monitoring to detailed clinical trial assessments.

A low-power lock apparatus includes a drive motor connected to a finite power supply, the drive motor including a shaft and a predetermined number of windings, and a threaded rod axially connected to the shaft, the rod having a predetermined thread pitch. The shaft can drive a deadbolt or, alternatively, it can drive an escapement pin into a strike disposed in the deadbolt and substantially transverse to the movement path thereof In either embodiment a wireless transceiver and antenna disposed within the lock assembly controls the drive motor in response to wireless signals, as from a transceiver incorporated within a wireless low-frequency access card. The number of windings and / or the thread pitch are selected to maximize a life of the finite power supply.

The present invention provides, in at least one embodiment, a module device, system, and method for controlling or modifying a cargo's microenvironment in a reefer during transit. The system remotely gathers, controls and modifies reefer parameters during transit. Additionally, the system remotely gathers, controls and modifies cargo parameters in a microenvironment surrounding or within the cargo.

A method and apparatus to maximize spark plug life in pre-chamber spark plugs operating with ultra-lean mixtures and / or elevated engine BMEP is presented. Electrode erosion is reduced by spreading discharge energy over a wider surface area, maintaining fuel concentration in the spark gap, controlling gas static pressure during discharge, and maintaining safe electrode temperature. Energy is spread via a swirling effect created by periphery holes in an end cap, resulting in a lower specific energy discharge at the electrodes. Divergently configured electrodes reduce the spark voltage at high operating pressures and the energy required for ignition. The flow field generated at the electrodes prevents electrical shorts due to water condensation and avoids misfire. The center electrode insulation provides an effective heat transfer path to prevent electrode overheating and pre-ignition. The volume behind the electrodes provides a volume for burnt products from previous combustion cycles and leads to more reliable ignition.

A temperature controlled heatable object is provided in which a temperature sensor is connected to a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag. The RFID tag is located within the handle of the object, and the temperature sensor is placed in contact with the object. In a first embodiment of the invention, the temperature sensor is partially imbedded within the object via a notch located in the side of the object. In a second embodiment of the invention, a temperature sensor is imbedded within a tunnel drilled within the base of the object. In a third embodiment, a temperature sensor is imbedded between the bottom of the object and a slab attached to the bottom of the object. The sensor can be located in a slot formed in either the slab or the bottom or the object. Handles and receivers for mounting the handles to the temperature controllable objects are also provided.

In a packet communication network, a method and apparatus for packet switched transport is provided among intelligent nodes wherein the duty cycling of the intelligent nodes is minimized in order to maximize power life using a synchronization algorithm that assures all nodes are able to propagate information through the network without undue use of transmission and reception power. Frequency hopping time-division multiple access supports packet communication between intelligent nodes via assigned directed links, each link being assigned to a time-channel offset (cell) in a superframe, so that a link carrying a packet string between any two intelligent nodes is active only during its assigned time slot. The result is efficient use of spectrum and minimal expenditure of power.

An apparatus and method for delivering a plurality of medication includes providing first and second medicament on a medicament pack in separate containers for preventing either medicament from interfering with the stability of the other. In accordance with the method, the medicaments are preferably delivered in a single inhalation.

Event-driven processor architectures are particularly suited for use in multiple sensor node networks and simulators of such networks. A first variation of the processor is particularly suited for use in a sensor node in a wireless sensor network. Through use of the event-driven architecture and special message and timing coprocessors, this embodiment of the invention is optimized for low energy requirements and data monitoring operations in sensor networks. A second embodiment of the invention includes modifications necessary for use of the processor in a network simulation protocol.

A method and apparatus to maximize spark plug life in pre-chamber spark plugs operating with ultra-lean mixtures and / or elevated engine BMEP is presented. Electrode erosion is reduced by spreading discharge energy over a wider surface area, maintaining fuel concentration in the spark gap, controlling gas static pressure during discharge, and maintaining safe electrode temperature. Energy is spread via a swirling effect created by periphery holes in an end cap, resulting in a lower specific energy discharge at the electrodes. Divergently configured electrodes reduce the spark voltage at high operating pressures and the energy required for ignition. The flow field generated at the electrodes prevents electrical shorts due to water condensation and avoids misfire. The center electrode insulation provides an effective heat transfer path to prevent electrode overheating and preignition. The volume behind the electrodes provides a volume for burnt products from previous combustion cycles and leads to more reliable ignition.

A flash memory device with a wear-levelining mechanism includes at least one flash memory, a hot list, a bitmap, a source pointer, and a controller. The controller obtains a physical memory block with high erase count through the hot list, an erase count of the physical memory block, and an overall average erase count of the flash memory device. The controller further finds out a physical memory block which stores static data through managing the bitmap and the source pointer. The controller moves the static data to the physical memory block with high erase count, and releases the physical memory block which stores the static data to avoid the physical memory block with high erase count being worn down increasingly more seriously.

A turbine bucket airfoil has a conical fillet about the intersection of the airfoil tip and tip shroud having a nominal profile in accordance with coordinate values of X and Y, offset 1, offset 2 and Rho set forth in Table I. The shape parameters of offset 1, offset 2 and Rho define the configuration of the fillet at the specified X and Y locations about the fillet to provide a fillet configuration accommodating high localized stresses. The fillet shape may be parabolic, elliptical or hyperbolic as a function of the value of the shape parameter ratio of D1D1+D2at each X, Y location where D1 is a distance between an intermediate point along a chord between edge points determined by offsets O1 and O2 and a shoulder point on the fillet surface and D2 is a distance between the shoulder point and an apex location at the intersection of the airfoil tip and tip shroud.

An operating system for a medical device pump has a microprocessor controlling the operation of the pump features in a manner to minimize power consumption and maximize the life of the batteries powering the pump. The microprocessor associated with the medical device pump includes a modulation circuit that operates the pump on an intermittent basis and only when a pressure sensor indicates that the pressure asserted by the pump is at a threshold level. The operation of other sensors are powered only in situations when information from the sensor is needed, while other more essential sensors are operated on an intermittent basis by the modulation circuit. A fill sensor is operated intermittently, while a tilt sensor is only activated when a signal is received from the fill sensor. An optical sensor is only activated when the canister is removed from the pump housing, during which the pump is de-powered.

A system and method for automatically estimating the optimized cost of a part during the course of design of the part on a computer-aided design (CAD) system by a designer. The method includes extracting parametric features of a current design from the CAD system. Manufacturing cost drivers are identified on the basis of the parametric features. The manufacturing cost drivers are translated into costs using process models. The costs are simultaneously optimized with respect to a plurality of operations within specified machine constraints using an algorithm with dynamically linked structures to obtain estimates of optimized costs and cost reasoning. An estimate of optimized costs and cost reasoning is fed back to the designer as an output display on an output device.

A power-saving method of wireless communication device, which operates a sleep mode for minimizing power consumption except for an active mode for communication, initializes a sleep probability upon the device being turned on, operates the active mode for communication with starting an active mode timer, transits to the sleep mode when there is no packet to transmit or receive before the active mode timer expires; and determines an exit from the sleep mode on the basis of the sleep probability.

The invention discloses a storage system and a method based on a solid state medium. The storage system comprises at least one identification method of cold-hot data, the identification method is used for identifying the state of a logic page, and the state at least comprises a cold data state and a hot data state; the identification method comprises the following steps: if the logic page is updated for one or multiple times by a host in a preset time, judging that the logic page is in the hot data state; otherwise, if the logic page is not updated by the host for a long time, and the updating is carried out for one or multiple times to the storage physical address of the logic page by the action of a garbage recycle and abrasion balancing unit, judging that the logic page is in the cold data stage. According to the storage system and the method based on the solid state medium, the performances (reading and writing speeds and bandwidth) of the solid state storage can be improved, and the purpose of achieving maximal service life of the solid state storage system is realized by the reduction of the written data.

A turbine bucket includes a bucket airfoil having a tip shroud with leading and trailing edges defining leading and trailing edge profiles substantially in accordance with Cartesian coordinate values of X and Y at points 12-20 and 1-11, respectively, set forth in Table I. The X and Y values are distances in inches which, when respective points 12-20 and 1-11 are connected by smooth, continuing arcs, define the leading and trailing edge tip shroud profiles. An airfoil profile at 95% span is defined by Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z in Table II having the same X, Y origin along the radial Z axis as the origin of Table I. The profiled leading and trailing edges of the tip shroud relative to the airfoil profile afford optimum tip shroud mass distribution which maximizes creep life of the bucket. Stage efficiency is also improved by providing a tip shroud covering the airfoil throat.

Methods and systems for identifying, understanding, and predicting the degradation and failure of mechanical systems are disclosed. The methods include measuring and quantifying stressors that are responsible for the activation of degradation mechanisms in the machine component of interest. The intensity of the stressor may be correlated with the rate of physical degradation according to some determinable function such that a derivative relationship exists between the machine performance, degradation, and the underlying stressor. The derivative relationship may be used to make diagnostic and prognostic calculations concerning the performance and projected life of the machine. These calculations may be performed in real time to allow the machine operator to quickly adjust the operational parameters of the machinery in order to help minimize or eliminate the effects of the degradation mechanism, thereby prolonging the life of the machine. Various systems implementing the methods are also disclosed.

A method and apparatus for exciting gas that involves generating an alternating magnetic field unidirectionally through a magnetic core defining a gap, across the gap and through a plasma vessel that includes dielectric material. The magnetic field induces an electric field in the plasma vessel that generates the plasma.