Abstract: The field of this invention is classifying animal behaviors. In particular the fields of this invention include using animals in vivariums, such as rodents, particularly mice. When two mice socialize, a first mouse vocalizes a call and the second mouse vocalizes a response. Ultrasonic calls and responses are compared to video behaviors of the same mice, and then a table is constructed where each line comprises a particular call and response, a corresponding video behavior, and a correlation weight.

Abstract: A doorway interconnection and method of creating an airtight seal between two doorways includes a first temporary membrane creating an airtight seal on a first doorway and a second temporary membrane creating an airtight seal on a second doorway and a gasket between the two doorways, and vents and valves to place and remove a sterilizing fluid in the inter-doorway volume. Such a system may be used to attach a sterile modular building unit to a sterile facility without losing the sterility of either the facility or the module building unit. Access to the membranes may be from one direction only. The gasket may provide motion and sound isolation between. Additional elements limit relative motions between the first and second doorways.

Abstract: An animal identification code is described comprising two numbers, one of which is encoded into a human-readable marking and the other of which is encoded into a machine-readable marking, where the two numbers and the two encodings are different. The combination of the two numbers, plus additional information not marked on a first animal, such as time of read, is looked up a first table to determine conditional validity and from there to a second table to determine a valid and unique animal ID associated with the animal, a primary key. The animal may be a rodent in a vivarium and the markings may be tattooed on the animal tail. The second marking may be a vine code with a spine where the spine is aligned with the animal tail. The first number may be unique within a first animal population such as an animal study. The combination of the first and second marking may be reused on a second animal wherein the lifetimes of the first and second animal do not overlap.

Abstract: An animal monitoring device and method comprising an animal cage and associated electronics slab is described. The device is suitable for use in a modular vivarium implemented in one or two racks adjacent to walls in a holding pod. There is a one-to-one relationship between fixed slabs and removable cages. A single camera provides range of functions: its field of view includes the entire area of the cage accessible to an animal; it may observe water level in a water bottle; it may observe food level in a food tray; it may view activity on an exercise device; it may read the rear of cage card. The shape of the food tray is specialized to meet these requirements. An inner-cage frame holds elements in fixed locations within the cage. The cage is free of electronic penetrations. Supply and return air for the cage passes through the slab.

Abstract: Methods of automatically measuring a reaction time of an animal, in a cage, to a stimulus, are described. First, an animal is detected, then a second apparatus waits for the animal to be fully on the apparatus. A first apparatus outside the cage then provides a stimulus. A second, sterilizable, wireless apparatus inside the cage measures a response of the animal such a jerk, using an accelerometer. The first and second apparatuses time-synchronize. The second device transmits wirelessly the response time data, after optional preprocessing, to the first apparatus. For multi-housed animals, an ID of the animal is determined. The second apparatus may comprise an animal weight scale.

Abstract: An animal identification code is described comprising two numbers, one of which is encoded into a human-readable marking and the other of which is encoded into a machine-readable marking, where the two numbers and the two encodings are different. The combination of the two numbers, plus additional information not marked on a first animal, such as time of read, is looked up a first table to determine conditional validity and from there to a second table to determine a valid and unique animal ID associated with the animal, a primary key. The animal may be a rodent in a vivarium and the markings may be tattooed on the animal tail. The second marking may be a vine code with a spine where the spine is aligned with the animal tail. The first number may be unique within a first animal population such as an animal study. The combination of the first and second marking may be reused on a second animal wherein the lifetimes of the first and second animal do not overlap.

Abstract: A method of reading degraded symbols is described. A symbol has an initial shape, which is marked on an object. Marks, shapes, symbols, and object ID are managed separately. A symbol library with symbols and associated shapes is initially created. Shapes in the library are updated from shapes of marks as the marks degrade over time. A read mark is compared to all the shapes in the library to determine a most likely shape. A selection set is used to limit symbol selection, based on the comparison, to valid symbols. The symbol library and selection set may be customized to each usage of the method. Comparison methods use probability distributions. Confidence values are used to validate output, generate warnings, and to control updating of the library. Weighted averaging may be used at the level of shapes, comparison distributions, or selections. One application is reading tattooed marks on rodent tails in a vivarium.

Abstract: A method of reading arbitrary symbols is described. Symbols may degrade over time. Shapes of symbols as they degrade are used to update an initial symbol library, which is created based on actual markings, rather than idealized symbols. Marks associate with shapes, which associate to symbols, which in aggregate associate with an object ID. A read mark is compared to all the shapes in the library to determine a most likely shape. A selection set is used to limit shape selection, based on the comparison, to shapes of valid symbols. Comparison methods use probability distributions. Confidence values are used to validate output, generate warnings, and to control updating of the library. Weighted averaging based on confidence values or age of reads may be used at the level of shapes, comparison distributions, or selections.

Abstract: An animal identification code is described comprising two numbers, one of which is encoded into a human-readable marking and the other of which is encoded into a machine-readable marking, where the two numbers and the two encodings are different. The combination of the two numbers, plus additional information not marked on a first animal, such as time of read, is looked up a first table to determine conditional validity and from there to a second table to determine a valid and unique animal ID associated with the animal, a primary key. The animal may be a rodent in a vivarium and the markings may be tattooed on the animal tail. The second marking may be a vine code with a spine where the spine is aligned with the animal tail. The first number may be unique within a first animal population such as an animal study. The combination of the first and second marking may be reused on a second animal wherein the lifetimes of the first and second animal do not overlap.

Abstract: A method of generating animal identification codes is described. A first and second number are selected, then each number is compared respectively against previously used first and previously used second numbers in a pool. Such comparing uses a computed distance based on how the numbers will be encoded and marked on an animal, such as a Hamming distance of printed symbologies. If the distance computed for either the first or second number is below a distance threshold, that number is discarded and another number is selected. When both numbers pass the distance test, they are added as a pair into the pool. Pairs from the pool may be encoded and marked on an animal. The encoding of the first number may generate a human-readable mark while a different encoding of the second number generates a machine-readable mark.

Abstract: Objects and their placement within a particular scene may be characterized using structured light with no or minimal manual intervention or calibration to the scene. The structured light pattern may be rendered with visible light, yet imperceptible to users, by generating a set of opposing excursions in one or more image properties for durations which are shorter than the integration time of the human eye. A set of assumptions and ongoing testing of those assumptions against physical objects identified within the environment allows characterization of the scene and the objects therein.

Abstract: A vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication transponder for use in V2V communication, safety, optimization and anti-collision systems wherein the transponder records and shares observed traffic signal timing and phasing, and uses this information to make recommendations or perform automatic operation to optimize parameters such as safety, gas mileage, travel time, and overall traffic flow. Methods for sharing and making recommendations are described. Embodiments include considerations of traffic and road history in recommendations. No central authority, road-side equipment, (RSU), or pre-determined lane maps are required. Embodiments include a hybrid protocol using both TDMA and CSMA. Some embodiments are free of MAC and IP addresses. Embodiments include equipped vehicles and V2V system using the transponder.

Abstract: A method of reading animal identification marks is described. Starting with a series of image frames of an animal, the location and angle of the animal is determined, then the curvature of the animal tail. Using modified frames with a straightened tail, character areas are identified. For a given output character set of a number encoding method, the probability is computed for each character in the set, of that character in each character area, for each frame. The probabilities for the character set for each character area are summed over the frames. Then, the most probable character is chosen for each character area. The chosen characters are combined into a number and verified as being a currently valid animal ID. If the number is not valid, a next most probable character is chosen. This method may be applied separately for a human-readable marking and a machine-readable marking, both on one animal.

Abstract: Augmented reality environments allow users in their physical environment to interact with virtual objects and information. Augmented reality applications are developed and configured to utilize local as well as cloud resources. Application management allows control over distribution of applications to select groups or all users. An application programming interface allows simplified control and distribution of tasks between local and cloud resources during development and post-development operation. This integration between local and cloud resources along with the control afforded by application management allows rapid development, testing, deployment, and updating of augmented reality applications.

Abstract: The present invention features a personal computing device that may be powered by a single battery having a single lithium-ion cell or by a plurality of lithium-ion cells connected in parallel. The personal computing device may provide computing power comparable to that of conventional laptop computers and execute an operating system and application software comparable to that executed by conventional laptop computers. Furthermore, the battery's time between charging, when used to power the personal computing device, may be similar to the time between charging of a multi-cell battery when used to power a conventional laptop computer.

Abstract: Methods of measuring gut transit time in animals are presented. Steps include fasting an animal, then feeding it a food containing a fluorescent dye, and then monitoring bedding for fluorescent droppings by using an ultraviolet (UV) fluorescent excitation light that is in the visible range of the animal, and thus is perceived by the animal as daylight, while turning off human-visible white light so that a camera may record UV emissions without faint emission light being burned out by human-visible light. Such methods are fully automatic with continual monitoring in the home-cage of the animal. Animals may be multi-housed with automated animal-ID. A single camera may be used to observe fluorescent emission light, animal activity under white light, and animal activity under infrared (IR) light. The method may be repeated to create a measurement sequence to determine matching to a disease model.

Abstract: A wireless, sterilizable scale comprising a moving module, on which an animal sits or explores, and a fixed module that measures the weight of the animal on the moving module. The fixed module comprises a compliant membrane or gasket, through which the weight of the moving modules and animal is mechanically coupled. The fixed module comprises three load cells arranged in a triangle so as to support the moving module, through the membrane, such that its tilt is limited. The fixed module is sealed by the membrane and comprises the load cells, batteries and electronics. The fixed module, including an internal moving platform, may be chemically sterilized. The moving module may be sterilized using heat sterilization. IR communication transmits a series of weight values at two different data rates. The scale may be in a sterile cage free of electrical penetrations. A system comprises a vivarium comprising such cages.

Abstract: A sterile scale is described suitable for automated use in animal cages. A case is covered by a flexible membrane that provides both sealing against pathogens and mechanical compliance for transfer of weight on an above weighing platform through a single sealed penetration in the membrane to a load cell in the case. The membrane comprises a perimeter that is attached and sealed to the case with a membrane frame, a penetration area, penetrated by a rigid weight-bearing element, and an isolating compliance area. A skirt on the weighing platform surrounds the case, protecting detritus from entering from below onto the membrane, while providing open-air movement. The weighing platform and case are easily separated permitting fluid-based sterilization of both. The weight-bearing element may contain an electrical connection from the case to the platform, through the membrane.

Abstract: An animal cage is described suitable for automated use in a vivarium. The cage comprises a study animal; bedding; pathogens; a wireless, a sterilizable scale comprising a sterile case comprising a flexible, penetrated membrane; and a penetrating fastener penetrating the membrane. The comprises four internal volume areas with respect to pathogen content: (1) volume between the membrane and a weighing platform, free of bedding; (2) a sterile volume inside the scale case below the membrane; (3) a vertical channel fluidly connecting the inside of the cage with the first volume; and (4) the inside of the cage outside of the above three volumes. These four volumes are sterilely isolated from air outside the cage. Electronics in the scale communicate wirelessly, through the cage, to cage-associated electronics outside the cage, using narrow beam communications free of device-ID specific protocol. The scale may be disassembled, sterilized in a fluid, re-assembled, and re-used in a different cage.

Abstract: A communicating sterile scale is described suitable for automated use in animal cages. An upper module provides a weighing platform, electronics, upward facing wireless communication elements, a protecting skirt, and interface to a combined weight-bearing and electrical penetration element. A lower module provides a case, internal electronics, load cell, power source, sterile-sealed flexible complaint membrane and a combined weight bearing and electrical penetration element through the membrane. The upper and lower modules are easily separable for sterilization by immersion in a sterilizing fluid. The power source in the case may be charged through same electrical penetrating element. The membrane comprises a perimeter that is attached and sealed to the case, a penetration area penetrated by the rigid weight-bearing element, and an isolating compliance area. The skirt on upper module protects detritus from entering from below onto the membrane, while providing open-air movement.