Abstract: The invention provides a method and system for treating disorders of the genito-urinary tract and other disorders in other parts of the body. A particular treatment can include one or more of, or some combination of ablation, nerve modulation, three-dimensional tissue shaping, drug delivery, mapping, stimulating, shrinking (by creation of a pattern of thermal lesions) and reducing strain on structures by altering the geometry thereof and providing bulk to particularly defined regions. The particular body structures or tissues can include one or more of, or some combination of regions, including the bladder, esophagus, vagina, penis, larynx, pharynx, aortic arch, abdominal aorta, thoracic aorta, large intestine, small intestine, sinus, auditory canal, uterus, vas deferens, trachea and all associated sphincters. In one aspect of the invention, a catheter is deployed in the body.

Abstract: A system for selectively reporting the position of a person, animal, vehicle, or other mobile object utilizes a low power remote tracking device with a one-way tone-only paging receiver, wireless telephone transceiver, and location-sensing device such as a GPS unit. The paging receiver responds to remotely initiated activation signals to selectively power-up the location-sensing device and transceiver. The location-sensing device determines position, whereupon the transceiver places a call to report the tracking device's position. Position reports may be transmitted upon request, or repeatedly upon a predetermined schedule.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for forwarding information regarding a called party to a third party, for a call originated from a calling party to the called party. The information may comprise a telephone number of the called party and the call may be forwarded along with the information, so that the third party can provide a telephone service (e.g., centralized voice mail). At a telephone switch coupled to the third party, the forwarded call is received with the identifying information via a first signaling protocol (e.g., SS7). A second signaling protocol (e.g., SMDI, ISDN PRI) is used between the switch and the third party. The identifying information is retrieved from one field of the first protocol and stored in a different field of the second protocol.

Abstract: A railroad switch assembly comprises a basket that directly actuates a torsional assist rod. The basket is located at a lower elevation than the assist rod, preferably in a hollow tie and preferably between the switch machine and the running rail.

Abstract: A method of determining if one web site has the same information as another web site includes receiving a signal to select a form configured to find data in a file containing information displayed on a web site and accessed via a network, applying the selected form to the file and selectively identifying item information available in the file, copying identified item information to a first data file, the identified item information being related to a specific product or service, and comparing the first data file and a second data file to determine if the specific product or service of the first data file is related to the specific product or service of the second data file.

Abstract: A system and method for automated design verification. A test bench stimulates a simulated design with test vectors. A coverage analysis tool monitors output data from the simulated design and identifies portions of the simulated design that remain to be tested. A test generator produces and sends test vectors to the test bench which exercise (i.e., test) the portions of the simulated design that the coverage analysis tool has indicated still remain untested. In the method, a first step executes a simulated design on a test bench. A second step interprets the simulated design as if this design were a state diagram composed of a set of basic blocks interconnected by transition arcs. A third step generates test vectors to exercise some of the basic blocks and transition arcs. A fourth step reports the basic blocks and transition arcs which have not been tested. A fifth step generates a new set of test vectors to exercise the as yet untested basic blocks and transition arcs.

Abstract: A method of macro-compressing a software product made up of one or more separate software packages matches strings having a predetermined minimum length with each other. The matching strings are expanded in size by including adjacent software. A compressed software object is formed by producing software blocks from the largest expanded matching strings and including assembly information that tells how to reconstruct the remaining strings from the software blocks. The software packages may either be data objects or executable objects. A method of producing a maximally compressed software product first macro-compresses the software product, and subsequently micro-compresses it. Micro-compression matches strings of the macro-compressed software product, each having a predetermined maximum size and separated from each other by a maximum distance, and eliminates redundant strings.

Abstract: A power mediation method and circuit for powering a communications controller based device using battery cells that exhibit non stable power delivery characteristics. The use of a servo-loop creates an energy potential in an energy storage element and maintains that required energy potential using the functionality of the communications controller that concurrently draws required power from the energy storage element.

Abstract: An ESD protective transistor comprises a heavily doped p-type base region which is arranged in a lightly doped p-well and which is provided with a first terminal. Furthermore, a heavily doped n-type emitter region is arranged in the lightly doped p-well. A heavily doped n-type collector region is separated from the lightly doped p-well through a lightly doped n-type region and is provided with a second terminal. The heavily doped n-type emitter region is not short-circuited with the heavily doped base region viy a common electrode and is of floating design. The doping types of the respective regions may be reversed.

Abstract: A force or pressure sensor structure has a membrane and a counter-structure, both being provided with electrodes for determining capacitors. There are at least two capacitors connected in series or in parallel for determining a desired pressure/capacitance dependence or a desired force/capacitance dependence. The counter-structure preferably is fixed and has a multiplicity of electrode areas in the shape of segments of a circle in order to assemble electrode areas obtained by optimization in a series or parallel connection. The interconnection of the individual elementary capacitors are preferably realized by a multilayer construction. The same membrane and an identical evaluation circuit can be used for any pressure/capacitance or force/capacitance dependence desired, with only the multilayer construction requiring modification for a different dependence. The electrode structures can preferably be defined by a few specifications, such as e.g., length, width, spacing or angle, radius, respectively.

Abstract: A method of use provides an extremely efficient manner of ordering a radio program occurring at approximately the time presented, minimizing the need to remember any details. The method is embodied in a range of tactile and voice controls which people in motion need to have. Security options include voice signatures, button sequences and fingerprint identification. User feedback is embodied in both audio and visual display formats. A method of controlling a radio is claimed which provides for placing an order, querying the ordering system for additional information, initializing a user's identifying signature, initializing a session by identifying a user, if the user is not properly identified, blocking access to ordering, and in certain embodiments, calling the police. A radio device is claimed supporting an IF signal source containing essential information on the radio program, an embedded controller, user interface as well as a radio transceiver by which the ordering transaction is carried out.

Abstract: A device for seat supervision in motor vehicles has a pulsed monochromatic light source for the short-time illumination of a supervised space. An image sensor array (ISA) is also provided for recording an image of the supervised space. The ISA is provided with a global electronic shutter unit which permits the illumination time of the ISA to be adjusted independently of a readout clock of the ISA. A synchronization unit for synchronizing the operation of the pulsed laser source and the ISA is provided. Also provided is a control unit for controlling the light source and the ISA so as to create a first image of the supervised space during illumination of the same at a first time and to create a second image of the supervised space without illumination of the same at a second time. Finally, a unit for creating a difference image from the first and second images is also provided.

Abstract: Provided are a method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for estimating delays of networks. An automated design system comprises a computer configured to identify a critical path in a network, calculate a delay for the technology-mapped version of the network, calculate a delay for the technology-independent version of the network, calculate a scale factor from the technology-mapped and technology-independent delays, and apply the scale factor to all the delays in the technology-independent network.

Abstract: A device for a hierarchical connection of a plurality of functional units in a processor comprises a first connector with at least two inputs and an output, which is adapted for connecting one of the inputs to the output, a second connector with at least one input and an output, which is adapted for connecting the input to the output, and a buffer connected between the output of the second connector and the input of the first connector for buffering, for at least one clock cycle, a signal applicable to the at least one input of the second connector before H is forwarded to a further input of the first connector. The output of the first connector is connected to an input of a first functional unit. An output of a second functional unit is connected to a first input of the at least two Inputs of the first connector. The at least one input of the second connector is connected to a third functional unit.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for non-destructively estimating a tissue property, such as hydration, of a living subject utilizes in vivo spectral measurements made by irradiating skin tissue with near infrared (NIR) light. The apparatus includes a spectroscopic instrument in conjunction with a subject interface. The resulting spectra are passed to an analyzer for further processing, which includes detecting and eliminating invalid spectral measurements, and preprocessing to increase the signal-to-noise ratio. Finally, an estimation model developed from an exemplary set of measurements is applied to predict the tissue hydration for the sample. The method of tissue hydration measurement provides additional information about primary sources of systematic tissue variability, namely, the water content of the epidermal layer of skin and the penetration depth of the incident light.

Abstract: A novel approach to measuring the overall and layer-by-layer thickness of in vivo skin tissue based on near infrared absorbance spectra is described. The different biological and chemical compounds present in the various layers of a tissue sample have differing absorbance spectra and scattering properties that enable them to be discerned and quantified, thus allowing an estimate of the thickness of the tissue being sampled. The method of the invention also yields the chemical composition of the absorbing and/or scattering species of each layer. Additionally, a method of path length normalization for the purpose of noninvasive analyte prediction on the basis of skin thickness and layer constituents is provided.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for non-invasively quantifying the hydration of the stratum corneum of a living subject utilizes in vivo spectral measurements made by irradiating skin tissue with near infrared (NIR) light. The apparatus includes a spectroscopic instrument in conjunction with a subject interface. The resulting NIR absorption spectra are passed to an analyzer for further processing, which includes detecting and eliminating invalid spectral measurements, and preprocessing to increase the signal-to-noise ratio. Finally, a calibration model developed from an exemplary set of measurements is applied to predict the SC hydration for the sample. The method of SC hydration measurement provides additional information about primary sources of systematic tissue variability, namely, the water content of the epidermal layer of skin and the penetration depth of the incident light.

Abstract: In a method of producing three-dimensional circuits, a first and a second substrate are first provided, each of said substrates having arranged therein a plurality of components which have been tested with regard to their operability. The second substrate is diced so as to obtain a plurality of individual chips, each individual chip comprising at least one component. Subsequently, the individual chips are arranged on the first substrate and connected to said first substrate so that operative components in said first substrate are connected to individual chips including an operative component, and so that non-operative components in said first substrate are connected to chip elements having no function, so as to obtain a three-dimensional complete structure. Finally, the three-dimensional complete structure is diced so as to obtain three-dimensional circuits.

Abstract: A voice messaging system. The voice messaging system includes a set of geographically distributed devices in which voice messages are stored and logic that causes voice messages to be stored in respective devices in the set of devices from which messages can be efficiently retrieved. The logic may cause voice messages to be stored in a device from the set of devices closest to a location from which the user has retrieved messages. A voice message system comprising logic that receives and stores messages from callers for respective users and logic that selects and plays a message not left by a caller to a user. The message is selected based on information about the user, and the message not left by a caller may comprise an advertisement. A method of storing messages in a voice messaging system that has a plurality of voice mail boxes associated with a plurality of subscribers.

Abstract: A spray dispenser for a range hood having a motor housing and at least one motor, fan and grease tray. The spray dispenser is positioned externally to the motor housing and directs a spray of cleaning fluid at the fan and into the motor housing. The spray dispenser has a nozzle, a hose and a source of cleaning fluid. The nozzle may be releasably connected to either the motor housing or to the tray. If the nozzle is connected to the motor housing, the tray must be dimensioned to accommodate the nozzle when the tray is connected to the motor housing. Alternatively, if the nozzle is connected to the tray, it may extend through apertures in the tray or be connected to the bottom of the tray. The nozzle may be equipped with a drip catcher to ensure that no cleaning fluid drips on the cooking surface below.