38results about How to "Small and cheap" patented technology

An aspect of the invention refers to a system for cleaning an external vehicle-mounted sensor surface. The system comprises an air nozzle arranged to discharge air onto a sensor surface; an air pump comprising a fluid inlet, an air outlet, an air-fluid interface and a variable volume compression chamber communicated with the air outlet; an air flow control device communicated with the air nozzle and the air outlet for controlling the flow of air therethrough; and a liquid pump communicated with the fluid inlet to supply a flow of pressurized liquid such that the volume of the compression chamber varies to generate a volume of pressurized air with an absolute pressure below 10 bar.

Three lenses formed of ZnS are used in combination. A first lens is a meniscus lens having a middle portion which is convex on an object side. A second lens has a middle portion that is a meniscus, which is concave on an object side and has positive refractive power, and a peripheral portion, which is convex on the object side. The first and second lenses have positive refractive power in combination. A third lens is provided adjacent to the second lens with a distance therebetween 1 mm or less and has a middle portion, which is a convex meniscus on an object side, and a peripheral portion which is concave on the object side. A diffraction surface is formed in either surface of the lens.

An infrared (IR) radiation sensor device (27) includes an integrated circuit radiation sensor chip (1A) including first (7) and second (8) temperature-sensitive elements connected within a dielectric stack (3) of the chip, the first temperature-sensitive element (7) being more thermally insulated from a substrate (2) than the second temperature-sensitive element (8). Bonding pads (28A) on the chip (1) are coupled to the first and second temperature-sensitive elements. Bump conductors (28) are bonded to the bonding pads (28A), respectively, for physically and electrically connecting the radiation sensor chip (1) to corresponding mounting conductors (23A). A diffractive optical element (21,22,23,31,32 or 34) is integrated with a back surface (25) of the radiation sensor chip (1) to direct IR radiation toward the first temperature-sensitive element (7).

System and method for measurement, DAQ, and control operations which uses small form-factor measurement modules or cartridges with a re-configurable carrier unit, sensors, and a computer system to provide modular, efficient, cost-effective measurement solutions. The measurement module includes measurement circuitry, e.g., signal conditioner and / or signal conversion circuitry, and interface circuitry for communicating with the carrier unit. The module communicates interface information to the carrier unit, which informs the computer system how to program or configure a functional unit on the carrier unit to implement the communicated interface, or sends the information directly to the computer system. The computer system programs the carrier unit with the interface, and the programmed carrier unit and measurement module together function as a DAQ, measurement, and / or control device. The carrier unit may receive multiple cartridges, each having a respective interface protocol, where the carrier unit is configurable to support the respective protocols sequentially and / or in parallel.

A single well servicing combination unit comprising: a hydraulic manifold removably connectable to the power-take-off of an external power source to drive a plurality of hydraulic pumps and motors that control a plurality of well servicing units mounted on said combination unit, said well servicing units being interconnectable by plumbing.

A six-axis force sensor includes a pair of members, and at least three legs scatteringly disposed between the pair of members on the periphery of the members. Each leg includes a T-shaped leg consisting of a cross beam supported at both ends thereof by one of the pair of members and extending on the periphery of the member in a circumferential direction, and a vertical beam extending from the center of the cross beam to a direction perpendicular to the cross beam and connected to the other of the pair of members. The strains on the legs are detected by first single-axis-type strain gauges and second single-axis-type strain gauges. A first single-axis-type strain gauge is attached to a surface of the cross beam facing the side opposite to the vertical beam or a surface of the cross beam facing the vertical beam, so as to be able to detect a strain generated in the cross beam in a longitudinal axis direction thereof, and a second single-axis-type strain gauge is attached to a side surface of the vertical beam facing in a circumferential direction, so as to be able to detect a strain generated in the vertical beam in a longitudinal axis direction thereof.

The invention obtains a voltage compensator for compensating voltage variation of a load 3 by superposing a compensation voltage outputted from a compensation circuit 2 on a power supply voltage in which unnecessary voltage compensation operation is stopped by quickly detecting turn-off of a breaker provided in the upstream. A voltage detecting section 5 for detecting a power supply voltage has a means for detecting the phase of the power supply voltage. When the phase of the power supply voltage varies more than a predetermined amount from a reference phase during compensation operation, a decision is made that a breaker in the upstream is turned off and compensation operation is ended.

A microelectromechanical resonant switch (“resoswitch”) converts received radio frequency (RF) energy into an output signal with zero quiescent power usage by using a resonant element with a passband input sensitivity of: <−60 dBm, <−68 dBm, and <−100 dBm. The resoswitch first accepts incoming amplitude- or frequency-shift keyed RF energy at a carrier frequency, filters it, provides power gain via resonant impact switching, and finally envelop detects impact impulses to demodulate and recover the modulating waveform. Mechanical gain may be used to amplify received signals, whose amplitudes may be binned, thereby preserving use of amplitude modulated (AM) signals. A second resoswitch may be used to control additional circuitry, whereby the first resoswitch detects a control signal output to the additional circuitry.

A cotton harvester row unit includes belt drive and a variable transmission to reduce noise and optimize spindle and doffer speeds of rotation while permitting spindle drum structure rotational speed to change with changes in harvester speed. In one embodiment, a variable speed motor drives the ring gear of a planetary gear set to vary the ratio of spindle and doffer speed to drum speed. The planetary gear set may be enclosed to also help reduce noise and to decrease grease consumption. Nearly constant spindle and doffer speeds may be maintained over a wide range drum rotational speeds, and the upper speeds may be limited to avoid operation above critical speeds of components. The transmission may be configured to reduce or completely eliminates gear meshing off of the drum centerline to thereby reduce row unit manufacture precision, and a relatively low power motor may be used to adjust the ratio of spindle and doffer speed to drum speed.

An object of the present invention is to provide a fuel cell system capable of starting below freezing point without increasing the size of the diluter. The fuel cell system 1 comprises an OCV purge execution unit 42 replacing gas retained in a fuel cell 10 by supplying additional anode gas from a supply device 20 to the fuel cell 10 when starting up the fuel cell. In addition, the fuel cell system 1 comprises a low temperature startup determination unit 41 determining whether to perform low temperature startup or normal startup on the fuel cell 10. The OCV purge execution unit 42 decreases the pressure of additional anode gas supplied from the supply device 20 and increases the total replacing amount of gas retained in the fuel cell 10 in a case of performing low temperature startup, as compared with a case of performing normal startup.

The invention claimed is a scanner which allows for any type of media, including embossed credit cards, with a thickness in the range of 0.1 mm to 1.5 mm to be inserted into the media path and remain in constant contact with the CIS as a result of a spring loaded roller, gear, and cantilever system. The input process, called a “kick start” method, allows for momentary lowering of the roller, and return, as it spins to grasp the media and continue pulling said media through the scan path. This apparatus stores energy provided by the motor within its spring and gear system, thus requiring less energy from the motor, and reduces manufacturing costs.

The subject matter discloses a method to determine a relative direction of a target RF transmitter, performed by a direction finding (DF) system comprising at least a pair of antennas having an electromagnetic-absorbing material between them, comprising conducting wireless communication between the target RF transmitter and each one of the antennas of the DF system, measuring the signal strength of the target RF transmitter received at each antenna, calculating the difference between the signal strength measured at each one of the antennas in the pair, and determining a relative direction of the target RF transmitter to be is the direction of the antenna within the pair of antennas in which the stronger signal was measured.

In an anesthesia vaporizer for vaporizing an anesthetic agent liquid and a method of vaporizing an anesthetic agent liquid in an vaporizer, an evaporation unit evaporates the anesthetic agent, a delivery unit intermittently adds a volume of said liquid to the evaporation unit in order to evaporate at least a portion of the volume of the liquid from the evaporation unit. A heat energy storage unit includes a phase change material (PCM) and is thermally coupled to at least a portion of the evaporation unit. The PCM has a phase shift temperature that is higher than the evaporation temperature of the anesthetic agent. The PCM in the heat energy storage unit is preferably at least partly liquid at an operative temperature of the vaporizer.

A method of processing one or more surfaces is provided, comprising: providing a switchable ion gun which is switchable between a cluster mode setting for producing an ion beam substantially comprising ionised gas clusters for irradiating a surface and an atomic mode setting for producing an ion beam substantially comprising ionised gas atoms for irradiating a surface; and selectively operating the ion gun in the cluster mode by mass selecting ionised gas clusters using a variable mass selector thereby irradiating a surface substantially with ionised gas clusters or the atomic mode by mass selecting ionised gas atoms using a variable mass selector thereby irradiating a surface substantially with ionised gas atoms. Also provided is a switchable ion gun comprising: a gas expansion nozzle for producing gas clusters; an ionisation chamber for ionising the gas clusters and gas atoms; and a variable (preferably a magnetic sector) mass selector for mass selecting the ionised gas clusters and ionised gas atoms to produce an ion beam variable between substantially comprising ionised gas clusters and substantially comprising ionised gas atoms. Preferably, the gun comprises an electrically floating flight tube for adjusting the energy of the ions whilst within the mass selector.

Provided is a lighting system comprising at least one lightning detection site including a local controller. The lightning detection site comprises one or more sensors configured for detecting data associated with at least one from the group selected from sound, electromagnetic field, and ambient light flashes. The local controller is configured to analyze the detected data to determine probability that a lightning strike occurred.

The subject matter discloses a method to determine a relative direction of a target RF transmitter, performed by a direction finding (DF) system comprising at least a pair of antennas having an electromagnetic-absorbing material between them, comprising conducting wireless communication between the target RF transmitter and each one of the antennas of the DF system, measuring the signal strength of the target RF transmitter received at each antenna, calculating the difference between the signal strength measured at each one of the antennas in the pair, and determining a relative direction of the target RF transmitter to be is the direction of the antenna within the pair of antennas in which the stronger signal was measured.

A device for generation a modulated electrical radio-frequency signal for a magnetic resonance application has a phase modulator that generates a phase-modulated radio-frequency base signal, an amplitude modulator that generates an amplitude-modulated supply voltage, and a non-linear transmission output stage that, to supply the radio-frequency base signal, is connected via a signal input with the phase modulator and, to feed in the supply voltage, is connected via a supply voltage input with the amplitude modulator. The amplitude modulator includes at least two switching power supplies connected in parallel and clocked phase-offset relative to one another.

A microelectromechanical resonant switch (“resoswitch”) converts received radio frequency (RF) energy into a clock output. The resoswitch first accepts incoming amplitude- or frequency-shift keyed clock-modulated RF energy at a carrier frequency, filters it, provides power gain via resonant impact switching, and finally envelop detects impact impulses to demodulate and recover the carrier clock waveform. The resulting output derives from the clock signal that originally modulated the RF carrier, resulting in a local clock that shares its originator's accuracy. A bare push-pull 1-kHz RF-powered mechanical clock generator driving an on-chip inverter gate capacitance of 5 fF can potentially operate with only 5 pW of battery power, 200,000 times lower than a typical real-time clock. Using an off-chip inverter with 17.5 pF of effective capacitance, a 1-kHz push-pull resonator would consume 17.5 nW.

An infrared detector comprising a plurality of bolometer detectors, bias circuitry for applying a bias to the bolometer detectors, and connectors for connecting the bolometer detectors together to form a network, wherein the bolometer detectors are arranged in an environment at substantially atmospheric pressure. A method for increasing the sensitivity of an infrared detector, having a plurality of bolometer detectors arranged in an environment at substantially atmospheric pressure so as to at least partly compensate for a reduction in the sensitivity of the infrared detector due to conduction of thermal energy from the bolometer detectors through the environment, the method comprising at least one of the steps of connecting the bolometer detectors together in at least one of series and parallel, and operating the bolometer detectors at a DC bias current.

A hoisting system for the at least one of an installation, a decommissioning and a maintenance of a wind turbine which comprises at least a foundation, a tower, a yawing part and a rotor of at least 80 m diameter with at least one blade, comprising a first hoisting device which comprises measures to establish a load carrying joint with an already built part of the wind turbine which is located above the foundation, wherein the hoisting system is characterized in that the ratio between the maximum hoist load of the hoisting device and the mass of the heaviest part is larger than 0.2 and smaller than 1 and in particular smaller than 0.8 and more in particular smaller than 0.7 and preferably smaller than 0.6, with the heaviest part being a heaviest part which is hoisted as one piece and which belongs to the yawing part of wind turbine.

The subject matter discloses a method to determine a relative direction of a target RF transmitter, performed by a direction finding (DF) system comprising at least a pair of antennas having an electromagnetic-absorbing material between them, comprising conducting wireless communication between the target RF transmitter and each one of the antennas of the DF system, measuring the time of flight (TOF) of the target RF transmitter received at each antenna, calculating the difference between the TOFs measured at each one of the antennas in the pair, and determining a relative direction of the target RF transmitter based on the TOF required to reach each of the antennas.

A hoisting system for the at least one of an installation, a decommissioning and a maintenance of a wind turbine which comprises at least a foundation, a tower, a yawing part and a rotor of at least 80 m diameter with at least one blade, comprising a first hoisting device which comprises measures to establish a load carrying joint with an already built part of the wind turbine which is located above the foundation, wherein the hoisting system is characterized in that the ratio between the maximum hoist load of the hoisting device and the mass of the heaviest part is larger than 0.2 and smaller than 1 and in particular smaller than 0.8 and more in particular smaller than 0.7 and preferably smaller than 0.6, with the heaviest part being a heaviest part which is hoisted as one piece and which belongs to the yawing part of wind turbine.

The subject matter discloses a method to determine a relative direction of a target RF transmitter, performed by a direction finding (DF) system comprising at least a pair of antennas having an electromagnetic-absorbing material between them, comprising conducting wireless communication between the target RF transmitter and each one of the antennas of the DF system, measuring the time of flight (TOF) of the target RF transmitter received at each antenna, calculating the difference between the TOFs measured at each one of the antennas in the pair, and determining a relative direction of the target RF transmitter based on the TOF required to reach each of the antennas.