271results about How to "Useful application" patented technology

A system and method of estimating the body shape of an individual from input data such as images or range maps. The body may appear in one or more poses captured at different times and a consistent body shape is computed for all poses. The body may appear in minimal tight-fitting clothing or in normal clothing wherein the described method produces an estimate of the body shape under the clothing. Clothed or bare regions of the body are detected via image classification and the fitting method is adapted to treat each region differently. Body shapes are represented parametrically and are matched to other bodies based on shape similarity and other features. Standard measurements are extracted using parametric or non-parametric functions of body shape. The system components support many applications in body scanning, advertising, social networking, collaborative filtering and Internet clothing shopping.

A system and method for interaction with television programming uses either existing analog television programming with interactive content transmitted via separate communications channel or digital television with embedded interactive content in conjunction with a powerful viewer interface to provide a fully interactive television experience that is dynamic and personalized to each viewer.

System and method for real-time, automatic, recognition of large time-scale driving patterns employs a statistical pattern recognition framework, implemented by means of feed-forward neural network utilizing models developed for recognizing, for example, four classes of driving environments, namely highway, main road, suburban traffic and city traffic, from vehicle performance data. A vehicle control application effects changes in vehicle performance aspects based on the recognized driving environment.

A material for organic electroluminescence device with specific structure. An an organic electroluminescence device comprising a cathode, an anode and an organic thin film layer which is sandwiched between the cathode and the anode and comprises at least one layer, wherein at least one layer in the organic thin film layer contains a material for the organic electroluminescence device described above. An organic electroluminescence device with excellent efficiency of light emission, without pixel defects, which is superior in heat resistance and prolonged lifetime is obtained.

This invention concerns an epoxy coating for use as a non-skid surface for applications such as the deck of an aircraft carrier. The epoxy coating can be formulated from (a) an amine curing agent, (b) an epoxide-containing toughening agent such as a polysulfide and / or a polythioether, (c) an epoxy resin, (d) a rubber toughening agent, and (e) an optional fire retardant, a glass fiber thixotrope and impact toughening agent, an optional pigment, an optional corrosion inhibitor, an optional moisture penetration inhibitor, an optional ultraviolet light stabilizer, an optional abrasive aggregate, or a combination thereof.

This invention relates to the field of recombinant antibody technology. It provides novel recombinant IgY antibody constructs for diagnostic and therapeutical applications. The bivalent antibody constructs display a heterotetrameric or homodimeric format stabilized by disulfide bonds. The constant heavy chain domains CH2-CH4 are partly or completely of avian origin, whereas the VH, VL, CL, and CH1 domains as well as the hinge region may be of avian origin or derived from any other species. The invention allows to combine the advantages of IgY antibodies with those of established mammalian monoclonal antibodies. IgY antibody constructs comprising nonglycosylated IgY constant heavy chain domains allow to reduce unwanted interactions with C-type lectins, e.g., in human sera. Furthermore, chimeric IgY antibody containing mammalian VH, VL, CL, and CH1 domains as well as a mammalian hinge region provide a higher molecular stability than IgY antibodies in acidic conditions and, thereby, are especially suited for peroral therapeutic applications.

A body part is scanned to produce a first set of imaging data. A target lesion in the imaging data is identified. The body part is rescanned at a subsequent time so as to produce a second set of imaging data. The target lesion is identified in the second set of imaging data and the size of the target lesion is measured in the first and second sets of imaging data to determine two apparent image volumes corresponding to the first and second sets of imaging data. A change in size is estimated by comparing the first and second apparent lesion sizes. A variance on the change in size is estimated so as to determine a bound on the change in size measurement.

A method and system of monitoring a processing system and for processing a substrate during the course of semiconductor manufacturing. As such, data is acquired from the processing system for a plurality of observations, the data including a plurality of data parameters. A principal components analysis (PCA) model is constructed from the data and includes centering coefficients. Additional data is acquired from the processing system, the additional data including an additional observation of the plurality of data parameters. The centering coefficients are adjusted to produce updated adaptive centering coefficients for each of the data parameters in the PCA model. The updated adaptive centering coefficients are applied to each of the data parameters in the PCA model. At least one statistical quantity is determined from the additional data using the PCA model. A control limit is set for the statistical quantity and compared to the statistical quantity.

A delivery appliance for delivering an expandable annular device, particularly an expandable intravascular device, to a desired location in a lumen, includes an annular array of supporting strips extending from a proximal end of the annular array to a distal end of the annular array, to define an annular supporting surface for the expandable annular device. Each of the supporting strips is laterally deformable to radially expand or radially contract the annular array and the annular supporting surface defined thereby. A connecting stem passes through the annular array of supporting strips and has a distal end coupled to the supporting strips at the distal end of the annular array for axial movement therewith, and a proximal end passing through the proximal end of the annular array of supporting strips for axial movement with respect thereto. The proximal end of the connecting stem is axially movable in opposite directions to move the distal end of the annular array axially away from or towards, the proximal end of the annular array to radially contract or radially expand the annular supporting surface.

The present invention relates to aliphatic polyester microfibers, films having a microfibrillated surface, and methods of making the same. Microfibers of the invention can be prepared by imparting fluid energy, typically in the form of high-pressure water jets, to a highly oriented, highly crystalline, aliphatic polyester film to liberate microfibers therefrom. Microfibrillated films of the invention find use as tape backings, filters for particulate contaminants, such as face masks and water or air filters, fibrous mats, such as those used for removal of oil from water and those used as wipes, and thermal and acoustical insulation. Microfibers of the invention, when removed from the film matrix may be used in the preparation of woven or nonwoven articles and used as wipes for the removal of debris or dust from a surface. The microfibers and microfibrillated articles of the invention may be biodegradable, rendering them useful for geotextiles.

Three-dimensional single or multilayer polymer scaffolds for use in tissue engineering and other applications are provided. These scaffolds typically include at least two layers of biodegradable polymer of similar thickness, wherein each layer of polymer further includes a plurality of substantially uniform structural features having predetermined geometries, and wherein each layer of polymer is attached to the other layers of polymer to form predefined spatial relationships between the structural features of each layer.

Modified surfaces, substrates, and methods of producing and using such substrates and surfaces are provided. The substrates and surfaces provide either non-reactive surfaces or low density reactive groups, preferably on an otherwise non-reactive surface, for use in different applications including single molecule analyses.

A video transcoding method is provided for transcoding a first signal stream compressed by a first coding scheme to a second signal stream compressed by a second coding scheme. The method employs an adaptive frame rate and a joint temporal-spatial rate control technique, such that the overall quality of compressed MPEG video can be significantly enhanced when the transcoding is controlled in the joint temporal (picture or frame rate) and spatial (quantization) domains. One embodiment considers transcoding from high bit rate video with larger image size (e.g. 4CIF / 4SIF, CIF) coded by one coding technique, e.g., MPEG-2 to a lower bit rate video with smaller image size (e.g. CIF, QCIF) coded by the same or another coding technique, e.g., MPEG-4.

Described herein are tissue grafts derived from the placenta that possess good adhesion to biological tissues and are useful in would healing applications. In one aspect, the tissue graft includes (1) two or more layers of amnion, wherein at least one layer of amnion is cross-linked, (2) two or more layers of chorion, wherein at least one layer of chorion is cross-linked, or (3) one or more layers of amnion and chorion, wherein at least one layer of amnion and / or chorion is cross-linked. In another aspect, the grafts are composed of amnion and chorion cross-linked with one another. In a further aspect, the grafts have one or more layers sandwiched between the amnion and chorion membranes. The amnion and / or the chorion are treated with a cross-linking agent prior to the formation of the graft. The presence of the cross-linking agent present on the graft also enhances adhesion to the biological tissue of interest. Also described herein are methods for making and using the tissue grafts.

A self-regulated system and method for cooling switching power supplies that take parasitic effects of switching which would normally be dissipated as heat in a typical RC snubber circuit, and use that waste energy to power a cooling element to automatically cool semiconductor switches of the power supplies and any DC or AC systems. The cooling element can be a variable speed fan, a liquid pump, a Peltier device, or the like, in which case the system and method provide power to the cooling element in proportion to the amount of current delivered to the power supply, and so the cooling system automatically adjusts itself to the level needed to protect the power supply.

The present invention provides electrochemical cells capable of good electronic performance, particularly high specific energies, useful discharge rate capabilities and good cycle life. Electrochemical cells of the present invention are versatile and include primary and secondary cells useful for a range of important applications including use in portable electronic devices. Electrochemical cells of the present invention also exhibit enhanced safety and stability relative to conventional state of the art primary lithium batteries and lithium ion secondary batteries. For example, electrochemical cells of the present invention include secondary electrochemical cells using anion charge carriers capable of accommodation by positive and negative electrodes comprising anion host materials, which entirely eliminate the need for metallic lithium or dissolved lithium ion in these systems.

A system and method of estimating the body shape of an individual from input data such as images or range maps. The body may appear in one or more poses captured at different times and a consistent body shape is computed for all poses. The body may appear in minimal tight-fitting clothing or in normal clothing wherein the described method produces an estimate of the body shape under the clothing. Clothed or bare regions of the body are detected via image classification and the fitting method is adapted to treat each region differently. Body shapes are represented parametrically and are matched to other bodies based on shape similarity and other features. Standard measurements are extracted using parametric or non-parametric functions of body shape. The system components support many applications in body scanning, advertising, social networking, collaborative filtering and Internet clothing shopping.

Devices incorporating an interferometric stack in a photovoltaic device and method of manufacturing a photovoltaic device comprising an interferometric stack. In one example, a photovoltaic device includes a photovoltaic active layer, an absorber layer, and a first optical resonant cavity layer. The optical resonant cavity layer is disposed between the absorber layer and photovoltaic active layer forming an interferometric modulator. The interferometric modulator is configured to reflect a uniform color. In another example, a method of manufacturing a photovoltaic device includes depositing a photovoltaic active layer on an interferometric stack. The interferometric stack can include an absorber layer and a first optical resonant cavity. The photovoltaic active layer is deposited on the optical resonant cavity and the formed photovoltaic device is reflects a uniform color.

A gear bearing drive provides a compact mechanism that operates as an actuator providing torque and as a joint providing support. The drive includes a gear arrangement integrating an external rotor DC motor within a sun gear. Locking surfaces maintain the components of the drive in alignment and provide support for axial loads and moments. The gear bearing drive has a variety of applications, including as a joint in robotic arms and prosthetic limbs.

A hand-supportable digital imaging-based bar code symbol reader comprises: an automatic object presence detection subsystem; a multi-mode area-type image formation and detection subsystem having narrow-area and wide-area image-capture modes of operation; a multi-mode LED-based illumination subsystem having independently controllable LED illumination arrays; an automatic light exposure measurement and illumination control subsystem; an image capturing and buffering subsystem; an image-processing bar code symbol reading subsystem; an input / output subsystem; and a system control subsystem for controlling the subsystems. The hand-supportable imaging-based bar code reader employs a method of intelligently illuminating objects during image capture, wherein the LED illumination arrays are independently controlled during particular moments of object illumination to generate digital images of objects which, through digital image analysis, are determined to be substantially free of noise (i.e. intense spatial intensity variations) caused by specular-type reflection of illumination off objects during illumination and imaging operations.

A system and method for placing reference locators on a streaming video image taken from a camera mounted on a vehicle. Sensors monitoring the camera field of view and direction of the optical axis along with sensors monitoring the vehicle's position are used to generate a video overlay having various indicia. The calculated positions of the indicia may be compared to the position of landmarks taken from the video image to compensate for any inaccuracies in the calculated position taken from the various sensors.

A capacitive touch panel of the present invention is characterized by including a plurality of detection period setting section 18 to 20 and electrode range setting section 21. Detection is performed by setting a detection period for electrodes 3 and 4, which are situated in a range previously determined with reference to the electrodes 3 and 4 where a touch input is detected, so as to become larger than a detection period achieved before detection of the touch input.

A light-weight composite material with enhanced structural characteristics includes, in one embodiment, a compositionally modulated nanolaminate coating electrically deposited into an open, accessible void structure of a porous substrate. As a result of including a nanolaminate within the void structure, the composite can include a greater amount of nanolaminate material per unit volume than can be achieved by depositing a nanolaminate material solely on a two-dimensional surface. In addition, the nanolaminate material as well as other material electrodeposited to form the composite is compositionally modulated so that discontinuities between layers are minimized and potentially eliminated. The light-weight but structurally enhanced composite material can be used in a number of different applications including, but not limited to, ballistic applications (e.g., armor panels or tank panels), automotive protection applications (e.g., car door panels, racing shells) and sporting equipment applications (e.g., golf club shafts and tennis racket frames).

A biocompatible adherent sheet for use in surgical and medical procedures for sealing the tissues of a living mammal is provided. The biocompatible adherent sheet includes a carrier sheet including a biocompatible polymer and a modified chitosan evenly disposed on one or both sides of the carrier sheet. Methods of preparing a biocompatible adherent sheet and methods of using a biocompatible adherent sheet are also provided. The biocompatible adherent sheet may also include a bioactive agent.

A stereo calibration method is proposed to calibrate an interface's shape and position when the measurement system is in one media and measures deformation and strain of an object that is submerged in a different media. After the interface's shape and position are modeled by parameters, an explicit model of object points as measurement is established taking account of refraction happening at the interface. Efficiency and convergence are assured by using measurement of object points to acquire initial estimates for refraction angles at the interface. Then, an optimization method is performed to get the optimized value of interface parameters. Last, based on the resulting interface parameters, 3-dimensional positions of object points in all the subsequent measurement could be reconstructed accurately. Therefore, the distortion induced by refraction in the measurement is corrected. Numerical simulations of the proposed calibration process confirm that it is both robust and accurate for a range of experimental conditions, even in the presence of Gaussian noise in the measurement.

A method and apparatus for detecting leakage of flowing liquids from pipes includes an upstream flow-rate sensor positioned between a source of a flowing liquid which is conducted from a source to a destination terminal such as a VAV heat exchanger, and a downstream flow-rate sensor positioned between an outlet port of the destination terminal and a return line for the flowing liquid. The apparatus includes electronic control circuitry which is responsive to a differential flow-rate between upstream and downstream measured flow rates which exceeds a predetermined limit value in removing a valve-opening signal to the upstream shut-off valve, thus closing the valve to interrupt flow of liquid through the valve if the differential flow-rate signifies a leak. Optionally, the apparatus also includes a downstream shut-off valve positioned between the destination terminal and a return line, which is also closed in response to a differential flow-rate exceeding the limit value.

A method and system of monitoring a processing system and for processing a substrate during the course of semiconductor manufacturing. As such, data is acquired from the processing system for a plurality of observations, the data including a plurality of data parameters. A principal components analysis (PCA) model is constructed from the data and includes centering coefficients. Additional data is acquired from the processing system, the additional data including an additional observation of the plurality of data parameters. The centering coefficients are adjusted to produce updated adaptive centering coefficients for each of the data parameters in the PCA model. The updated adaptive centering coefficients are applied to each of the data parameters in the PCA model. At least one statistical quantity is determined from the additional data using the PCA model. A control limit is set for the statistical quantity and compared to the statistical quantity.

A sprayable polymeric material and a process for preparing the material which contains a fibrous material, dispersed throughout the polymeric material. A restriction free spray nozzle is provided for mixing and spraying the polymeric material having a fibrous material, the nozzle having a restriction free check valve. A reinforced structure, and a method of making the structure are provided, the structure having layers of the polymeric material (both film and foam) containing the fibrous material. A flexible liner is provided of a porous geotextile fabric and a polyurethane composition comprising the fibrous material sprayed over the geotextile fabric.

A method and apparatus for forming an electrically and / or thermally conducting interconnection is disclosed wherein a first surface and a second surface are contacted with each other via a plurality of nanostructures disposed on at least one of the surfaces. In one embodiment, a first plurality of areas of nanostructures is disposed on a component in an electronics package such as, illustratively, a microprocessor. The first plurality of areas is then brought into contact with a corresponding second plurality of areas of nanostructures on a substrate, thus creating a strong friction bond. In another illustrative embodiment, a plurality of nanostructures is disposed on a component, such as a microprocessor, which is then brought into contact with a substrate. Intermolecular forces result in an attraction between the molecules of the nanostructures and the molecules of the substrate, thus creating a bond between the nanostructures and the substrate.