2973results about How to "Maximize efficiency" patented technology

A power subsystem is actively optimized to improve total subsystem efficiency in a way that is responsive to changes in load requirements, power supply variations, and subsystem temperature variations. Detailed, multidimensional power loss models are developed for constituent devices which are then combined into a power subsystem containing a controller and circuity for measuring device operating parameters such as input and output voltage, output current, and temperature. Operating parameters are continually monitored, and set points are correspondingly changed based on the detailed power loss models to achieve maximum overall efficiency for the instantaneous operating state of the system.

Circuit modules and methods of construction thereof that contain composite meta-material dielectric bodies that have high effective values of real permittivity but which minimize reflective losses, through the use of host dielectric (organic or ceramic), materials having relative permittivities substantially less than ceramic dielectric inclusions embedded therein. The composite meta-material bodies permit reductions in physical lengths of electrically conducting elements such as antenna element(s) without adversely impacting radiation efficiency. The meta-material structure may additionally provide frequency band filtering functions that would normally be provided by other components typically found in an RF front-end.

A load balancing method and system for a transaction computer system having multiple database servers for at least one database, wherein database servers cooperate to provide a unified view of the data in the database. The method includes the steps of establishing connections to said multiple database servers for communicating with said database servers; and assigning transactions to respective ones of said multiple database servers to balance respective loads of said multiple database servers. Assigning each new transaction includes the steps of determining possible assignments of that new transaction to one or more of said multiple database servers, each said possible assignment to one of said multiple database servers being based on a load balancing scheme to balance respective loads of said multiple database servers; and assigning that new transaction to one of said multiple database servers as a function of said possible assignments of that new transaction, to balance respective loads of said multiple database servers.

A rotational antenna and a semiconductor manufacturing device provided with the same are disclosed. The rotational antenna includes a plurality of coils connected in parallel to a high frequency power source and arranged at a regular interval around an axis in a symmetrical relationship with respect to the axis, wherein an electromagnetic field for generating inductively coupled plasma is uniformly formed when the coils are rotated about the axis.

Systems and methods for providing high-quality region of interest (HQ-ROI) viewing within an overall scene by enabling one or more HQ-ROIs to be viewed in a controllable fashion, as higher quality ‘windows-within-a-window’ of regions (spatial subsets) of a scene.

Nano-architected / assembled solar cells and methods for their manufacture are disclosed. The solar cells comprise oriented arrays of nanostructures wherein two or more different materials are regularly arrayed and wherein the presence of two different materials alternates. The two or more materials have different electron affinities. The two materials may be in the form of matrixed arrays of nanostructures. The presence of the two different materials may alternate within distances of between about 1 nm and about 100 nm. An orientation can be imposed on the array, e.g. through solution deposition surfactant templation or other methods.

An agricultural robot system and method of harvesting, pruning, culling, weeding, measuring and managing of agricultural crops. Uses autonomous and semi-autonomous robot(s) comprising machine-vision using cameras that identify and locate the fruit on each tree, points on a vine to prune, etc., or may be utilized in measuring agricultural parameters or aid in managing agricultural resources. The cameras may be coupled with an arm or other implement to allow views from inside the plant when performing the desired agricultural function. A robot moves through a field first to “map” the plant locations, number and size of fruit and approximate positions of fruit or map the cordons and canes of grape vines. Once the map is complete, a robot or server can create an action plan that a robot may implement. An action plan may comprise operations and data specifying the agricultural function to perform.

The invention provides a method useful for detection of genetic disorders. The method comprises determining the sequence of alleles of a locus of interest, and quantitating a ratio for the alleles at the locus of interest, wherein the ratio indicates the presence or absence of a chromosomal abnormality. The present invention also provides a non-invasive method for the detection of chromosomal abnormalities in a fetus. The invention is especially useful as a non-invasive method for determining the sequence of fetal DNA. The invention further provides methods of isolation of free DNA from a sample.

The invention provides a method useful for detection of genetic disorders. The method comprises determining the sequence of alleles of a locus of interest, and quantitating a ratio for the alleles at the locus of interest, wherein the ratio indicates the presence or absence of a chromosomal abnormality. The present invention also provides a non-invasive method for the detection of chromosomal abnormalities in a fetus. The invention is especially useful as a non-invasive method for determining the sequence of fetal DNA. The invention further provides methods of isolation of free DNA from a sample.

A cooling system and method employing separation chutes and baffles is disclosed. The separation chutes separate the cooled air descending from a heat exchanger positioned above heat-generating equipment in an equipment room from heated air ascending from the heat-generating equipment. Separation of the airflows reduces turbulence and increases cooling efficiencies. The separation chutes are made of a variety of materials, both rigid and flexible, for a variety of applications.

A broadband power combining device includes an input port, an input waveguide section, a center waveguide section formed by stacked wedge-shaped trays, an output waveguide section, and an output port. Each tray is formed of a wedge-shaped metal carrier, an input antipodal finline structure, one or more active elements, an output antipodal finline structure, and attendant biasing circuitry. The wedge-shaped metal carriers have a predetermined wedge angle and predetermined cavities. The inside and outside surfaces of the metal carriers and surfaces of the cavity all have cylindrical curvatures. When the trays are assembled together, a cylinder is formed defining a coaxial waveguide opening inside. The antipodal finline structures form input and output arrays. An incident EM wave is passed through the input port and the input waveguide section, distributed by the input antipodal finline array to the active elements, combined again by the output antipodal finlines array, then passed to the output waveguide section and output port. A hermetic sealing scheme, a scheme for improving the power combining efficiency and thermal management scheme are also disclosed. The broadband power combining device operates with multi-octave bandwidth and is easy to manufacture, well-managed thermally, and highly efficient in power combining.

A fiber-based source for high-energy picosecond and nanosecond pulses is described. By minimizing nonlinear energy limitations in fiber amplifiers, pulse energies close to the damage threshold of optical fibers can be generated. The implementation of optimized seed sources in conjunction with amplifier chains comprising at least one nonlinear fiber amplifier allows for the generation of near bandwidth-limited high-energy picosecond pulses. Optimized seed sources for high-energy pulsed fiber amplifiers comprise semiconductor lasers as well as stretched mode locked fiber lasers. The maximization of the pulse energies obtainable from fiber amplifiers further allows for the generation of high-energy ultraviolet and IR pulses at high repetition rates.

A method and apparatus for treatment of the skin or other biologic tissue includes the ability to subject said skin or other tissue to temperature modulation and radiation, simultaneously. The apparatus that delivers warm or cold material to the treatment site to effect this modulation of temperature may be attached to the apparatus that delivers radiation or it may be a separate entity, that could be utilized with a variety of radiation generating equipment.

The present invention has been made in an effort to overcome the disadvantage that a user has to consciously adjust the positions of a wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver. The transmitting antenna for wireless power charging, which wirelessly transmits power to charge a device, includes a first antenna coil section for producing a magnetic field in a first direction, and a second antenna coil section for producing a magnetic field in a second direction. Accordingly, the three-dimensional transmitting antenna can minimize decreases in efficiency caused by the position and direction of the receiver and maximize reception efficiency at a particular point or within a particular range.

The invention provides a method useful for detection of genetic disorders. The method comprises determining the sequence of alleles of a locus of interest, and quantitating a ratio for the alleles at the locus of interest, wherein the ratio indicates the presence or absence of a chromosomal abnormality. The present invention also provides a non-invasive method for the detection of chromosomal abnormalities in a fetus. The invention is especially useful as a non-invasive method for determining the sequence of fetal DNA. The invention further provides methods of isolation of free DNA from a sample.

A method and system for dynamic soft handoff resource allocation in a wireless communications network includes determining a wireless path characteristic individually for each path of a macro diversity connection between a mobile device and a plurality of wireless sites. Wireless resources are allocated for the macro diversity connection between the mobile device and the wireless sites based on the wireless path characteristic. The wireless path characteristic includes a location-based characteristic, a congestion-based characteristic, a subscriber-based characteristic and / or a performance-based characteristic.

This invention relates to processes for the assembly of three-dimensional structures having periodicities on the scale of optical wavelengths, and at both smaller and larger dimensions, as well as compositions and applications therefore. Invention embodiments involve the self assembly of three-dimensionally periodic arrays of spherical particles, the processing of these arrays so that both infiltration and extraction processes can occur, one or more infiltration steps for these periodic arrays, and, in some instances, extraction steps. The product articles are three-dimensionally periodic on a scale where conventional processing methods cannot be used. Articles and materials made by these processes are useful as thermoelectrics and thermionics, electrochromic display elements, low dielectric constant electronic substrate materials, electron emitters (particularly for displays), piezoelectric sensors and actuators, electrostrictive actuators, piezochromic rubbers, gas storage materials, chromatographic separation materials, catalyst support materials, photonic bandgap materials for optical circuitry, and opalescent colorants for the ultraviolet, visible, and infrared regions.

The invention provides a method useful for detection of genetic disorders. The method comprises determining the sequence of alleles of a locus of interest, and quantitating a ratio for the alleles at the locus of interest, wherein the ratio indicates the presence or absence of a chromosomal abnormality. The present invention also provides a non-invasive method for the detection of chromosomal abnormalities in a fetus. The invention is especially useful as a non-invasive method for determining the sequence of fetal DNA. The invention further provides methods of isolation of free DNA from a sample.

The present invention is directed to nanowire structures and interconnected nanowire networks comprising such structures, as well as methods for their production. The nanowire structures comprise a nanowire core, a carbon-based layer, and in additional embodiments, carbon-based structures such as nanographitic plates consisting of graphenes formed on the nanowire cores, interconnecting the nanowire structures in the networks. The networks are porous structures that can be formed into membranes or particles. The nanowire structures and the networks formed using them are useful in catalyst and electrode applications, including fuel cells, as well as field emission devices, support substrates and chromatographic applications.

A command pattern recognition system based on a virtual keyboard layout combines pattern recognition with a virtual, graphical, or on-screen keyboard to provide a command control method with relative ease of use. The system allows the user conveniently issue commands on pen-based computing or communication devices. The system supports a very large set of commands, including practically all commands needed for any application. By utilizing shortcut definitions it can work with any existing software without any modification. In addition, the system utilizes various techniques to achieve reliable recognition of a very large gesture vocabulary. Further, the system provides feedback and display methods to help the user effectively use and learn command gestures for commands.

A catheter for use in a patient's heart, especially for mapping a tubular region of the heart, has a catheter body, a deflectable intermediate section and a distal a mapping assembly that has a generally circular portion adapted to sit on or in a tubular region of the heart. A control handle of the catheter allows for single-handed manipulation of various control mechanisms that can deflect the intermediate section and contract the mapping assembly by means of a deflection control assembly and a linear control assembly. The deflection control assembly has a deflection arm and a rocker member. The linear control assembly has a linear control member, an inner rotational member and a cam. A pair of puller members are responsive to the deflection control assembly to bi-directionally deflect the intermediate section. A third puller member is responsive to the linear control assembly to contract the generally circular portion of the mapping assembly.

Disclosed is an energy conversion apparatus. An energy conversion apparatus may comprise a control part controlling a length of a first time duration in which input current is inputted and accumulated, a length of a second time duration in which the accumulated current is provided to a load, and a length of a third time duration in which inverse current flows; and a DC-to-DC converter including an inductor, a output capacitor, and at least one switching element, wherein the input current is accumulated during the first time duration by switching the at least one switching element according to a control of the control part so as to perform input impedance matching, and the DC-to-DC convert provides a current corresponding to a difference between the accumulated current provided during the second time duration and the inverse current flowing from the output capacitor during the third time duration to the load.

A semi-automatic speech transcription system of the invention leverages the complementary capabilities of human and machine, building a system which combines automatic and manual approaches. With the invention, collected audio data is automatically distilled into speech segments, using signal processing and pattern recognition algorithms. The detected speech segments are presented to a human transcriber using a transcription tool with a streamlined transcription interface, requiring the transcriber to simply “listen and type”. This eliminates the need to manually navigate the audio, coupling the human effort to the amount of speech, rather than the amount of audio. Errors produced by the automatic system can be quickly identified by the human transcriber, which are used to improve the automatic system performance. The automatic system is tuned to maximize the human transcriber efficiency. The result is a system which takes considerably less time than purely manual transcription approaches to produce a complete transcription.

Disclosed herein is a reconfigurable platform management apparatus for a virtual reality-based training simulator, which enables a device platform to be reconfigured to suit various work environments and to fulfill various work scenario requirements of users. The reconfigurable platform management apparatus for a virtual reality-based training simulator includes an image output unit for outputting a stereoscopic image of mixed reality content that is used for work training of a user. A user working tool unit generates virtual sensation feedback corresponding to sensation feedback generated based on a user's motion to the outputted stereoscopic image when working with an actual working tool. A tracking unit transmits a sensing signal obtained by sensing a user's motion working tool unit to the image output unit and the user working tool unit.

The shaft (20) of an engine (19) is coupled to a turbine (28) of an organic Rankine cycle subsystem which extracts heat (45-48, 25) from engine intake air, coolant, oil, EGR and exhaust. Bypass valves (92,94, 96, 99) control engine temperatures. Turbine pressure drop is controlled via a bypass valve (82) or a mass flow control valve (113). A refrigeration subsystem having a compressor (107) coupled to the engine shaft uses its evaporator (45a) to cool engine intake air. The ORC evaporator (25a) may comprise a muffler including pressure pulse reducing fins (121, 122), some of which have NOx and / or particulate reducing catalysts thereon.

A power supply system that includes: a power supply coil and a power supply-side resonance coil that are provided at a facility; a power receiving coil and a power receiving-side resonance coil that are provided for a mobile unit; a power supply-side detection unit that detects a position of the power supply-side resonance coil; a power receiving-side detection unit that detects a position of the power receiving-side resonance coil; and an adjustment unit that adjusts a relative position of the power supply coil with respect to the power supply-side resonance coil and a relative position of the power receiving coil with respect to the power receiving-side resonance coil on the basis of the position of the power supply-side resonance coil and the position of the power receiving-side resonance coil.

A method, information processing system, and computer program storage product store data in an information processing system. Uncompressed data is received and the uncompressed data is divided into a series of vectors. A sequence of profitable bitmask patterns is identified for the vectors that maximizes compression efficiency while minimizes decompression penalty. Matching patterns are created using multiple bit masks based on a set of maximum values of the frequency distribution of the vectors. A dictionary is built based upon the set of maximum values in the frequency distribution and a bit mask savings which is a number of bits reduced using each of the multiple bit masks. Each of the vectors is compressed using the dictionary and the matching patterns with having high bit mask savings. The compressed vectors are stored into memory. Also, an efficient placement is developed to enable parallel decompression of the compressed codes.

A recuperated gas turbine engine system and associated method employing catalytic combustion, wherein the combustor inlet temperature can be controlled to remain above the minimum required catalyst operating temperature at a wide range of operating conditions from full-load to part-load and from hot-day to cold-day conditions. The fuel is passed through the compressor along with the air and a portion of the exhaust gases from the turbine. The recirculated exhaust gas flow rate is controlled to control combustor inlet temperature.

A microwave ablation system is disclosed. The system includes a microwave antenna assembly that includes an identification device configured to store an optimal frequency of the microwave antenna assembly. The system also includes a generator configured to couple to the microwave antenna assembly and to output microwave energy at an operational frequency. The generator is further configured to read the optimal frequency from the identification device and to configure the operational frequency to substantially match the optimal frequency.