290results about How to "Simple and low-cost" patented technology

Method and system for measuring physiological parameters. The method includes capturing a sequence of images of a human face and identifying the location of the face in a frame of the video and establishing a region of interest including the face. Pixels are separated in the region of interest in a frame into at least two channel values forming raw traces over time. The raw traces are decomposed into at least two independent source signals. At least one of the source signals is processed to obtain a physiological parameter.

Reactive sensors typically exhibit nonlinear response to the combination of an excitational signal (e.g., sinusoidally oscillating signal) and a physical parameter under measure (e.g., position of magnetic core member). Such sensors are typically sensitive to temperature variation. Systems and methods are disclosed for compensating for the nonlinear and / or temperature dependant behavior of reactive sensors and for calibrating the post-compensation output signals relative to known samples of the physical parameter under measure (e.g., position). One class of embodiments comprises a housing containing at least part of a reactive sensor, a monolithic integrated circuit and a timing reference (e.g., an oscillator crystal). The integrated circuit includes a waveform generator for generating a sensor exciting signal, a detector for detecting the response of the sensor to the combination of the exciting signal and the under-measure physical parameter, a temperature compensating unit and a Pade' Approximant based, nonlinearity compensating unit. The temperature compensating unit and the Pade' Approximant nonlinearity compensating unit are tuned by use of digitally programmed coefficients. The coefficients calibrate the final output as well as compensating for nonlinearity and temperature sensitivity. A highly accurate measurement of the under-measure physical parameter is made possible even though each of the sensor and compensating circuitry may be relatively simple, compact, and low in cost.

A method and apparatus for filtering data packets in a shared-medium or point-to-multipoint communications network. A filter unit is sent a data packet carrying a filter tag value in a packet addressed to the filter unit. The value is stored in the filter unit and subsequently received packets not addressed to the filter unit itself are forwarded only if they carry the stored filter tag. An embodiment of particular interest applies the method to Ethernet frames over a telecommunications access network (including optical or wireless networks), and uses the VLAN tag field to carry the filter tag information.

A nozzle is provided for a fleet fuel dispensing system. The nozzle includes an input port that is adapted to receive fuel through a fuel supply hose, and a spout that is configured to dispense fuel into a fuel entry receptacle of a vehicle. A valve assembly is configured to couple the input port with the spout, and is further configured to selectively facilitate the passage of fuel from the input port to the spout. A status light is associated with the nozzle and includes a single LED that is connected with a fleet management system. The status light is configured to selectively illuminate as directed by a fleet management system. The illumination provides information as to whether a vehicle is authorized to receive fuel from the spout. A fuel dispensing system having such a nozzle is also provided.

A lightweight remote payment terminal is disclosed with the capability of capturing a tip amount and a signature authorizing a credit card transaction. The remote payment terminal allows diners to complete restaurant credit card transactions with minimal involvement from restaurant staff. A remote payment system is also disclosed that incorporates multiple remote payment terminals and one or more transaction servers. The transaction servers configure individual remote payment terminals with billing information, and the remote payment terminals capture information about credit cards that may be used for payment. A method of paying for credit card transactions is disclosed in which the non-tip portion of a bill is communicated to a remote terminal from a transaction server and the remote terminal is used to capture a tip amount and an authorizing signature. The transaction server obtains authorization to charge a credit card supplied by a user of the remote payment terminal either after or while the remote payment terminal captures information relating to the credit card transaction, including the user's signature.

The invention provides a sensor for measuring both impedance and ECG waveforms that is configured to be worn around a patient's neck. The sensor features 1) an ECG system that includes an analog ECG circuit, in electrical contact with at least two ECG electrodes, that generates an analog ECG waveform; and 2) an impedance system that includes an analog impedance circuit, in electrical contact with at least two (and typically four) impedance electrodes, that generates an analog impedance waveform. Also included in the neck-worn system are a digital processing system featuring a microprocessor, and an analog-to-digital converter. During a measurement, the digital processing system receives and processes the analog ECG and impedance waveforms to measure physiological information from the patient. Finally, a cable that drapes around the patient's neck connects the ECG system, impedance system, and digital processing system.

A piston particularly adapted for heavy-duty diesel engine applications is fabricated from a separate head portion and base portion having circumferentially extending joining surfaces that are heated prior to bonding to an elevated temperature sufficient to enable bonding of the joining surfaces, and thereafter the joining surfaces brought into contact with one another and twisted to attain a permanent metallurgical weld at the interface of the joining surfaces. The head portion has an eccentric combustion bowl and crown. The joined head portion and base portion together form a monobloc piston having a closed gallery which is adapted to receive a cooling fluid, such as oil. The combustion bowl has a substantially uniform bowl sidewall thickness. The piston and method are particularly adopted for use with steel alloys and other high temperature metal alloys.

An omni-directional treadmill combined with electronic perception technology operates to control the active surface of the treadmill to maintain the position of the user in the center of the active surface. The active surface of the treadmill has power driven belts that move to control the position of the user on the belts. The electronic perception technology employs pulsed infrared light combined with time-of-flight measurement to determine spatial coordinates of cloudpoints.

A surface pressure distribution sensor includes a row-line portion and a column-line portion that face each other with a certain spacing therebetween by a spacer. The row-line portion includes a glass substrate, multiple row lines formed on the glass substrate so as to extend in parallel to each other in a first direction, and an insulating film that covers the row lines. The column-line portion includes a flexible film and multiple column lines formed on the flexible film so as to extend in parallel to each other in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

One aspect disclosed herein relates to a method for forming a strained semiconductor structure. In various embodiments of the method, a number of recesses are formed in a surface of a first semiconductor wafer such that the surface of the first semiconductor wafer has a number of raised areas and a number of recessed areas. A surface of a second semiconductor wafer is bonded to the raised areas of the first semiconductor wafer in an environment having a first pressure. The surface of the second semiconductor wafer is bonded to the recessed areas of the first semiconductor wafer in an environment having a second pressure. The second pressure is greater than the first pressure to influence the second semiconductor wafer into contact with the first semiconductor wafer in the recesses in the surface of the first semiconductor wafer. Other aspects are provided herein.

A gated peak detector produces phase-independent, magnitude-only samples of an RF signal. Gate duration can span as few as two RF cycles or thousands of RF cycles. Response is linearly proportional to RF amplitude while being independent of RF phase and frequency. A quadrature implementation is disclosed. The RF magnitude sampler can finely resolve interferometric patterns produced by narrowband holographic pulse radar.

An infusion system, method and device for infusing therapeutic fluid into the body of a patient are provided. The device includes a driving mechanism including a plurality of gears, wherein at least one gear is adjacent to another gear. The device includes a gear in the plurality of gears having plurality of teeth and at least another gear in the plurality of gears having a plurality of teeth. The plurality of teeth of another gear interact with the plurality of teeth of the gear. At least one tooth in the plurality of teeth of the gear is elastically deformable for causing at least one tooth to elastically deform upon meshing with a tooth in the plurality of teeth of another gear and further for causing reduction of noise associated with operation of the driving mechanism.

Provided are a method and device for operating an internal combustion engine having exhaust-gas recirculation, the method and device allowing a diagnosis of an exhaust-gas recirculation cooler during normal operation of the internal combustion engine. In this context, a variable characteristic of the functioning of the exhaust-gas recirculation cooler is monitored. The variable characteristic of the functioning of the cooling device is ascertained as a function of a measured value. The variable characteristic of the functioning of the exhaust-gas recirculation cooler is specified on the basis of an intact exhaust-gas recirculation cooler. The ascertained value of the variable characteristic of the functioning of the exhaust-gas recirculation cooler is compared to the predefined value. An error is detected when the ascertained value of the variable characteristic of the function of cooling device deviates from the specified value.

An object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor thin film device which employs a silicon oxide thin film having an equivalent level of high insulating performance to those currently used in electronic devices, through a low-temperature printing process on a plastic substrate having plasticity or other types of substrates at a temperature equal to or lower than the heat resistant temperature of the substrate, and to provide a method for forming the device. The semiconductor thin film device is formed as follows: a coating film of a silicon compound including a silazane structure or a siloxane structure is formed on a plastic substrate having plasticity; the coating film is converted into a silicon oxide thin film; and the thin film is utilized as part of an insulating layer or a sealing layer.

Disclosed are a method, an apparatus, and a computer recording medium for video-based handwriting input for biometric Signature Data Collecting. The invention is implemented by finding out all of the relative positions among all light points of light sources when all light sources mounted on a stylus are turned ON; capturing an image including effective strokes and digital data of pen pressure with a digital camera, when a user writes on a writing surface with a stylus having a light source (e.g. LED) indicating x-y coordinates of strokes, said images are time-stamped; wherein the stylus comprising a micro-switch, when the stylus touches the writing surface, the micro-switch is turned on to let the light source indicating x-y coordinates of strokes ON and generate a “light point”; and extracting effective stroke images and digital data of pen pressure by comparing the captured images with the light point on the stylus. Moreover, the invention discloses a low-cost, wireless method and apparatus for handwriting input which enables a user to write on a paper without a touch sensor provided for a computer system equipped with an embedded digital camera.

In a knife, the combination, comprising a cartridge, a blade carried by the cartridge, a holder supporting the cartridge so that the blade projects from the holder, a shield for the blade, carried to be displaced relative to the holder and blade to expose the blade, for cutting.

A multilayer structure in which all the magnetic elements have the windings edged in the inner layers and the magnetic core which surrounds the winding has the legs penetrating through the multilayer structure. The interconnection between the magnetic elements and the rest of electronic components is done through the layers of the multilayer board, horizontally and vertically through via. For higher power components special cuts are performed in the multilayer board to accommodate the body of the components which may be connected to an external heatsink. The winding arrangement in the transformer is done in a such way to minimize and even eliminate the common mode noise injected through the capacitance between primary and secondary winding. The input filter is constructed to exhibit a differential and a common mode impedance. Supplementary capacitors are incorporated in the multilayers structure to offer a low impedance to the noise to short it to the source, or for injecting currents of opposite polarity to cancel the common mode current transferred through the transformer's inter winding capacitance and through the parasitic capacitance of the switching elements to the secondary. The insulation between winding can be in accordance with the safety agency requirements, allowing much shorter creapage distances inside of the multilayer PCB structure than in the air due to the compliance with coating environment.

A functional film comprises a substrate film and a functional layer formed on the substrate film. In the film, the functional layer is a cured layer of a coated layer, the coated layer contains a resin binder comprising a plurality of resins capable of phase separating from each other, a curable resin(s), and a hollow silica particle, and the hollow silica particles accumulate and gather near a side opposite to a side adjacent to the substrate film.

A development apparatus according to an embodiment comprises a development tank which accommodates developer containing toner and carrier, an agitating screw which agitates and transports the developer in the development tank, and a development roller which is provided close to or in contact with a photosensitive body and visualizes an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive body. The toner and the carrier are externally replenished to the development tank, and excess developer in the development tank is discharged through a developer discharge outlet to outside of the development container. In the development container, the development apparatus further comprises a flow regulating member for regulating a flow of the developer. The flow regulating member is provided facing the developer discharge outlet and extending vertically upward with respect to a bottom plane of the development tank.

The present invention relates to a process for producing a wiper arm for a window wiper device for a motor vehicle, with an upper arm portion, on which a mount is provided, in order to fix the wiper arm detachably to a wiper drive of the window wiper device, and a lower arm portion, which is pivotably connected to the upper arm portion, as well as at least one wiper blade holder which is pivotably connected to the lower arm portion, characterized by producing the wiper arm in a multi-component injection-molding process in which, in a first process step, the upper arm portion is injection-molded along with at least one first pivot pin formed on it by means of a first material component in a partial portion of a cavity, in a second process step the lower arm portion, pivotably connected to the upper arm portion, is injection-molded along with at least one second pivot pin formed on it by means of a second material component in a second partial portion of the cavity by encapsulation of the first pivot pin, and in a further process step at least one wiper blade holder is injection-molded by means of a third material component in a further partial portion of the cavity by encapsulation of the second pivot pin.

Simple methods and low-cost apparatuses for remote geolocation of subjects in an indoor environment. Each subject wears or caries a device that transmits low-power radio-frequency (RF) signals. A gateway unit in each room may relay the received low-power signals to a server on the Internet via an existing available wireless network such as WiFi or a cellular network that is connected to the Internet, and the server may determine which room each subject is located and send the information to registered users inside and / or outside the subjects' indoor environment.

The present invention relates to a hydraulic vehicle brake equipped with a parking brake device, in particular for motor vehicles, including a brake housing in which a hydraulic service pressure chamber is delimited by a brake piston, wherein the parking brake device acts on the brake piston and, in the applied condition, can be locked by means of a locking device, and an energy accumulator cooperating with the brake piston is equipped with at least one integrated spring element. In order to realize a simple and low-cost parking brake function that complies with legal requirements, according to the invention, the parking brake device is operable by a pressure that is introduced into the service pressure chamber and enables charging the energy accumulator.

A liquid dispensing device using a piezoelectric member in connection with an atomizing head and a passive metering method to supply liquid to the atomizing head. Preferably, the device is used to but not limited to dispensing of fragrances, insecticides or other aromatic solutions. The piezoelectric member does not vibrate the nozzle plate through which the liquid is dispensed. The passive metering method relies only on surface tension forces within the supply passageway. The device can work with a wider range of liquid properties than existing piezoelectric devices of this type. The passive metering method is robust and consistent, enabling larger and more varied liquid reservoirs because the reservoir height is not a factor in determining the performance of the device. The atomizing head functions with a wider range of liquids than atomizers whose nozzle plates are directly excited.