211results about How to "Minimize disturbance" patented technology

In a system and method for determining vital sign information of a subject the subject is illuminated with radiation, and radiation reflected from the subject is received. A region of interest is located in a first phase. Said illumination is controlled to locally illuminate, in a second phase, the located region of interest with radiation allowing determination of vital sign information. Finally, vital sign information of the subject is determined from the radiation reflected from said region of interest and detected in said second phase.

Apparatus and methods are described, including apparatus for use with a subject who shares a bed with a second person. A motion sensor detects motion of the subject and motion of the second person, and generates a motion signal in response thereto. A control unit identifies components of the motion signal that were generated in response to motion of the subject, by distinguishing between components of the motion signal that were generated in response to motion of the subject, and components of the motion signal that were generated in response to motion of the second person. The control unit analyzes the components of the motion signal that were generated in response to motion of the subject and generates an output in response thereto. Other applications are also described.

A monolithic 3-D dynamic memory structure includes independently addressable strings of dual-gate devices. In each dual-gate device charge is deliberately stored on one side of the dual-gate. Although the stored charge may leak away, the stored charge in a dual-gate device of the present invention need only be refreshed at much longer intervals than conventional DRAM cells.

The invention relates to sewable tamper detection elements for radio frequency identification devices, and to radio frequency identification devices with such tamper detection elements. The devices can be sewn into a seam of a garment so that the tamper detection element is partially inside the garment, e.g. as part of a care label. This makes removing the device difficult without breaking the tamper detection element, and thereby shoplifting attempts can be more reliably noticed. For this purpose, the tamper detection element is formed so that sewing through it does not break the element. The radio frequency identification device may be formed asymmetric so that the tamper detection element is on a different side from the antenna elements with respect to the chip. In this manner, the disturbance from the tamper detection element to the antenna can be minimized. The tamper detection element may be formed so that it contains a transparent opening on which text can be printed.

The method of taking a remotely operated vehicle to the ocean floor to land on and move along a subsea pipeline above or below the seafloor and repeatedly circulate seawater which has been heated electrically, mechanically, or chemically across the outer surface of the pipeline to melt hydrates or paraffins which have formed on the inside of the pipeline.

An electro-kinetic air conditioner for removing particulates from the air creates an airflow using no moving parts. The airflow is subjected to UV radiation from a germicidal lamp within the device. The conditioner includes an ion generator that has an electrode assembly including a first array of emitter electrodes, a second array of collector electrodes, and a high voltage generator. The device can also include a third or leading or focus electrode located upstream of the first array of emitter electrodes, and/or a trailing electrode located downstream of the second array of collector electrodes, and/or an interstitial electrode located between collector electrodes, and/or an enhanced emitter electrode with an enhanced length in order to increase emissivity.

An electro-kinetic air conditioner for removing particulates from the air creates an airflow using no moving parts. The airflow is subjected to UV radiation from a germicidal lamp within the device. The conditioner includes an ion generator that has an electrode assembly including a first array of emitter electrodes, a second array of collector electrodes, and a high voltage generator. The device can also include a third or leading or focus electrode located upstream of the first array of emitter electrodes, and/or a trailing electrode located downstream of the second array of collector electrodes, and/or an interstitial electrode located between collector electrodes, and/or an enhanced emitter electrode with an enhanced length in order to increase emissivity.

The present invention provides a method and device for production, extraction and delivery of an aerosol mist with ultrafine droplets. A high frequency wave generating device or other process generates very small particles or droplets from a reservoir of liquid or material to be atomized. A helical flow of a carrier gas medium such as air is directed into a container and creates a high throughput aerosol of air and fine droplets. The aerosol is delivered through a suitable outlet such as by deflecting the aerosol upwards and providing a tube centrally situated with respect to the helical flow such that the aerosol will discharge through the tube in high quantity of throughput and high quality of stable aerosol of very fine mist droplets. The methods described utilize in-situ extraction of fine mist droplets using helical flow behavior as opposed to forced convection ejection of mist or inertial separation of droplets by separators.

An electro-kinetic air conditioner for removing particulates from the air creates an airflow using no moving parts. The airflow is subjected to UV radiation from a germicidal lamp within the device. The conditioner includes an ion generator that has an electrode assembly including a first array of emitter electrodes, a second array of collector electrodes, and a high voltage generator. The device can also include a third or leading or focus electrode located upstream of the first array of emitter electrodes, and/or a trailing electrode located downstream of the second array of collector electrodes, and/or an interstitial electrode located between collector electrodes, and/or an enhanced emitter electrode with an enhanced length in order to increase emissivity.

A phase-change random access memory device may include a phase-change pattern, a first electrode structure connected to the phase-change pattern, and a second electrode structure spaced apart from the first electrode structure and connected to the phase-change pattern, wherein at least one of the first electrode structure and the second electrode structure includes a plurality of resistor patterns connected to the phase-change pattern in parallel.

A headspace instrument (10, 70) operates to equilibrate a vapor phase of a headspace sample in a sample loop (40, 74). The sample is equilibrated by flow through the headspace between variable volume chambers (28, 50, 86, 90). The volume of the variable volume chambers are changed in coordinated relation so that a constant total volume is always maintained. An aliquot of the equilibrated sample in the sample loop is delivered to an analytical instrument. The headspace instrument enables delivering a vapor sample from a headspace under conditions which do not disturb the thermodynamic equilibrium between the vapor phase and the non-vapor phase of the sample and avoids having the sampling process impact the results of the analysis. Alternative forms of the headspace instrument enable the conduct of concentration dependent processes and absorption and desorption experiments.

Methods and apparatus for controlling a controlled oscillator using a phase-locked loop (PLL) or frequency-locked loop (FLL) having a digital loop filter with programmable filter parameters. An exemplary PLL (or FLL) includes a digital loop filter having one or more of the programmable filter parameters, which are changed by increments during operation in order to minimize disturbances (e.g., settling transients) as the loop bandwidth of the PLL is varied from a narrow loop bandwidth to a wide loop bandwidth, or vice versa. By changing the loop filter parameters in increments the loop bandwidth can be varied with substantially no perturbation. The end result is a much faster frequency switching time, improved settling dynamics, and predictable and stable loop operating performance. According to another aspect of the invention, one or more of the programmable filter parameters are changed in order to oppose a change in tuning sensitivity of the controlled oscillator (e.g., in order to maintain a constant loop bandwidth). By holding the loop bandwidth constant, switching time is maintained substantially constant under all conditions. This allows design and production margins to be reduced in a frequency agile system, and also relaxes the tuning sensitivity linearity requirements of the controlled oscillator.

A liquid crystal display device of a multiple-domain in-plane switching mode applies to mutually engaged comb-shaped electrodes for each pixel region. The comb-shaped electrode has bent portions each in a double V shape which is formed as a comb-tooth pattern by causing a bent tip being bent into a V shape to protrude further outward. This structure stabilizes turning directions of liquid crystal molecules in the vicinity of a boundary between each two neighboring regions of multiple domains and suppresses display coloring attributable to a change in a view angle.

Methods and systems for autonomously interacting with persons in a public environment to store and transport their personal material items are described herein. A service robot includes one or more secure storage cells, and is configured to collect items such as personal belongings, refuse, etc., from users and transport the collected items to different locations. The service robot maneuvers through a crowded environment autonomously, avoiding collisions with people and objects, and minimizing disturbances to traffic flow. Users indicate a desire to store and transport items to a desired location. In response, the service robot unlocks a lid of a storage cell, and the user is able to load material items. In some examples, access to the storage cell is controlled based on access codes. In some examples, access to the storage cell is controlled based on receipt of an electronic payment.

An ultrafiltration device and method for the removal of excess fluid in hypervolemic patients and/or removal of toxins in the blood including for patients suffering from either renal or cardiovascular disease is disclosed. An embodiment of the device includes a housing containing multiple large bore hollow fiber membranes which are connected to the patient's vascular system via a connecting element comprising bifurcated fluid pathway elements to physiologically channel the blood flow either to or from each hollow fiber membrane of the device, a channel to direct the fluid removed by the device to a suitable collection container or the patient's bladder, and controls that control excessive removal of the water from the patient. Devices can be either worn extracorporeally or surgically implanted in order to allow for continuous fluid removal with ambulatory freedom.

The transmission type liquid crystal display device of this invention includes: gate lines; source lines; and switching elements each arranged near a crossing of each gate line and each source line, a gate electrode of each switching element being connected to the gate line, a source electrode of the switching element being connected to the source line, and a drain electrode of the switching element being connected to a pixel electrode for applying a voltage to a liquid crystal layer, wherein an interlayer insulating film formed of an organic film with high transparency is provided above the switching element, the gate line, and the source line, and wherein the pixel electrode formed of a transparent conductive film is provided on the interlayer insulating film.

The present invention relates to a radar level gauge (1) comprising an antenna (2), a tank sealing (3), an electronics unit (4) and a waveguide feed (5) between the electronics unit (4) and the antenna (2). The waveguide (5) is essentially straight and has a 90°-symmetric cross section and is further arranged to accommodate two essentially orthogonal waveguide modes. The waveguide (5) further has a length (l) below two times the range resolution of said radar level gauge (1). The present invention further relates to a method for improved radar level gauging using a radar level gauge (1) as above.

A perpendicular recording write head has ferromagnetic first and second pole pieces which are connected at a back gap and an insulation stack with a write coil layer embedded therein is located between the first and second pole pieces and between a head surface of the write head and the back gap. The second pole piece has a pole tip which is located at the head surface and a recessed ferromagnetic write shield layer. A nonmagnetic isolation layer is located between the second pole piece and the write shield layer and at least one ferromagnetic stud is magnetically connected between the first pole piece layer and the write shield layer and is located between the head surface and the insulation stack.