Abstract: Described herein are systems, methods, devices, and other techniques for implementing smart windows, smart home systems that include smart windows, and user devices and applications for control thereof. A smart window, or photovoltaic window, may include a photovoltaic configured to generate electrical power from incident light onto the photovoltaic window, store the electrical power, and send the electrical power to an electronics package or various electrical loads including a wireless communication system, sensors, or window functions. The photovoltaic window may communicate with various smart home system devices such as hub devices and user devices, which may include the reception of control data at the photovoltaic window and the transmission of sensor data captured by the window sensors.

Abstract: Described herein are systems, methods, devices, and other techniques for implementing smart windows, smart home systems that include smart windows, and user devices and applications for control thereof. A smart window, or photovoltaic window, may include a photovoltaic configured to generate electrical power from incident light onto the photovoltaic window, store the electrical power, and send the electrical power to an electronics package or various electrical loads including a wireless communication system, sensors, or window functions. The photovoltaic window may communicate with various smart home system devices such as hub devices and user devices, which may include the reception of control data at the photovoltaic window and the transmission of sensor data captured by the window sensors.

Abstract: Described herein are systems, methods, devices, and other techniques for implementing smart windows, smart home systems that include smart windows, and user devices and applications for control thereof. A smart window, or photovoltaic window, may include a photovoltaic configured to generate electrical power from incident light onto the photovoltaic window, store the electrical power, and send the electrical power to an electronics package or various electrical loads including a wireless communication system, sensors, or window functions. The photovoltaic window may communicate with various smart home system devices such as hub devices and user devices, which may include the reception of control data at the photovoltaic window and the transmission of sensor data captured by the window sensors.

Abstract: Described herein are systems, methods, devices, and other techniques for implementing smart windows, smart home systems that include smart windows, and user devices and applications for control thereof. A smart window, or photovoltaic window, may include a photovoltaic configured to generate electrical power from incident light onto the photovoltaic window, store the electrical power, and send the electrical power to an electronics package or various electrical loads including a wireless communication system, sensors, or window functions. The photovoltaic window may communicate with various smart home system devices such as hub devices and user devices, which may include the reception of control data at the photovoltaic window and the transmission of sensor data captured by the window sensors.

Abstract: Described herein are systems, methods, devices, and other techniques for implementing smart windows, smart home systems that include smart windows, and user devices and applications for control thereof. A smart window, or photovoltaic window, may include a photovoltaic configured to generate electrical power from incident light onto the photovoltaic window, store the electrical power, and send the electrical power to an electronics package or various electrical loads including a wireless communication system, sensors, or window functions. The photovoltaic window may communicate with various smart home system devices such as hub devices and user devices, which may include the reception of control data at the photovoltaic window and the transmission of sensor data captured by the window sensors.

Abstract: Described herein are systems, methods, devices, and other techniques for implementing smart windows, smart home systems that include smart windows, and user devices and applications for control thereof. A smart window, or photovoltaic window, may include a photovoltaic configured to generate electrical power from incident light onto the photovoltaic window, store the electrical power, and send the electrical power to an electronics package or various electrical loads including a wireless communication system, sensors, or window functions. The photovoltaic window may communicate with various smart home system devices such as hub devices and user devices, which may include the reception of control data at the photovoltaic window and the transmission of sensor data captured by the window sensors.

Abstract: A method and system for use in an establishment with an attendant responsible for monitoring and handling activity on a group of electronic gaming machines in a gaming establishment. Once a player has gaming credits available for play on an electronic gaming machine, the player may elect to continue play, cash-out or transfer credits to a different electronic gaming machine in the establishment. In the event the player elects either a cash-out or a transfer, the player alerts the attendant and the attendant executes a sequence of operations on the system to make a hand pay to the player, provide a credit voucher or to transfer the available credits to a different electronic gaming machine.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to audiovisual content authoring methods and systems and in particular to novel menu systems and the production thereof, for example implemented for DVD-Video discs. In one aspect, the present invention relates to a method of authoring an audiovisual product, for example a DVD-Video disc, comprising the steps of providing audiovisual content, generating at least a first menu (505) and a second menu (510), each menu comprising at least one menu option (506, 511), arranging the first menu (505) to be displayed during playback of the audiovisual content and arranging a menu option (506) of the first menu to cause display of the second menu during playback of the audiovisual content. Such a method facilitates hierarchical menu generation for DVD-Videos and the like.

Abstract: Provided is a system and method for safeguarding digital objects consisting of digital assets. The system includes a unique identifier in each digital asset and a database with a record of each unique identifier, the database further structured and arranged to correlate at least two digital assets as distinctly related. A client is in communication with the database. The client is adapted to receive a subset of the digital assets and analyze each digital asset to determine the unique identifier embedded therein. The client is further adapted to query the database with the determined unique identifier to validate each digital asset, the validation further including confirmation of distinctly related digital asset received. An associated method is also provided.

Abstract: Provided is a system and method for safeguarding digital objects consisting of digital assets. The system includes a unique identifier and an impairer in each digital asset, the impairer distinct from the unique identifier. A database is provided with a record of each unique identifier. A client is in communication with the database. The client is adapted to receive a subset of the digital assets and analyze each digital asset to determine the unique identifier embedded therein. The client is further adapted to query the database with the determined unique identifier to validate each received digital asset. In response to proper validation, the impairer is removed from the received digital asset. An associated method is also provided.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to audiovisual content authoring methods and systems and in particular to novel menu systems and the production thereof, for example implemented for DVD-Video discs. In one aspect, the present invention relates to a method of authoring an audiovisual product, for example a DVD-Video disc, comprising the steps of providing audiovisual content, generating at least a first menu (505) and a second menu (510), each menu comprising at least one menu option (506, 511), arranging the first menu (505) to be displayed during playback of the audiovisual content and arranging a menu option (506) of the first menu to cause display of the second menu during playback of the audiovisual content. Such a method facilitates hierarchical menu generation for DVD-Videos and the like.

Abstract: An optical instrument monitors PCR replication of DNA in a reaction apparatus having a temperature cycled block with vials of reaction ingredients including dye that fluoresces in presence of double-stranded DNA. A beam splitter passes an excitation beam to the vials to fluoresce the dye. An emission beam from the dye is passed by the beam splitter to a CCD detector from which a processor computes DNA concentration. A reference strip with a plurality of reference emitters emit reference beams of different intensity, from which the processor selects an optimum emitter for compensating for drift. Exposure time is automatically adjusted for keeping within optimum dynamic ranges of the CCD and processor. A module of the beam splitter and associated optical filters is associated with selected dye, and is replaceable for different dyes.

Abstract: An optical instrument monitors PCR replication of DNA in a reaction apparatus having a temperature cycled block with vials of reaction ingredients including dye that fluoresces in presence of double-stranded DNA. A beam splitter passes an excitation beam to the vials to fluoresce the dye. An emission beam from the dye is passed by the beam splitter to a CCD detector from which a processor computes DNA concentration. A reference strip with a plurality of reference emitters emit reference beams of different intensity, from which the processor selects an optimum emitter for compensating for drift. Exposure time is automatically adjusted for keeping within optimum dynamic ranges of the CCD and processor. A module of the beam splitter and associated optical filters is associated with selected dye, and is replaceable for different dyes.

Abstract: An optical instrument monitors PCR replication of DNA in a reaction apparatus having vials of reaction ingredients. A beam splitter passes an excitation beam to the vials. An emission beam from the reaction ingredients can be passed by the beam splitter to a detector from which a processor can compute DNA concentration. A reference strip with a plurality of reference emitters can be provided which emits reference beams of different intensity, from which the processor can select an optimum emitter for compensating for drift. Exposure time can be automatically adjusted for keeping within optimum dynamic ranges of the detector and processor. A module of the beam splitter and associated optical filters can be associated with a selected dye, and can be replaceable for different dyes.

Abstract: An instrument for monitoring replication of DNA is provided.

Abstract: An optical instrument monitors PCR replication of DNA in a reaction apparatus having a temperature cycled block with vials of reaction ingredients including dye that fluoresces in presence of double-stranded DNA. A beam splitter passes an excitation beam to the vials to fluoresce the dye. An emission beam from the dye is passed by the beam splitter to a CCD detector from which a processor computes DNA concentration. A reference strip with a plurality of reference emitters emit reference beams of different intensity, from which the processor selects an optimum emitter for compensating for drift. Exposure time is automatically adjusted for keeping within optimum dynamic ranges of the CCD and processor. A module of the beam splitter and associated optical filters is associated with selected dye, and is replaceable for different dyes.

Abstract: A sample tube including a cylindrical part and a conical part is described. The cylindrical part can include, a first wall portion having a first wall portion thickness, a second wall portion having a second wall portion thickness, and a shoulder including a planar first surface and a conically beveled second surface disposed between the first wall portion and the second wall portion. The first wall portion can be disposed closer to the planar first surface than the conically beveled second surface. The conical part can be shaped as a frustrum of a cone having a conical part wall thickness. The frustrum can include a wider-end and a narrower-end. The wider-end of the frustrum can be in contact with the second wall portion of the cylindrical part. At least one of the first wall portion thickness and the second wall portion thickness can be greater than the conical part wall thickness.

Abstract: A multiprocessor system includes a number of sub-processor systems, each substantially identically constructed, and each comprising a central processing unit (CPU), and at least one I/O device, interconnected by routing apparatus that also interconnects the sub-processor systems. A CPU of any one of the sub-processor systems may communicate, through the routing elements, with any I/O device of the system, or with any CPU of the system. Communications between I/O devices and CPUs is by packetized messages. Interrupts from I/O devices are communicated from the I/O devices to the CPUs (or from one CPU to another CPU) as message packets. CPUs and I/O devices may write to, or read from, memory of a CPU of the system. Memory protection is provided by an access validation method maintained by each CPU in which CPUs and/or I/O devices are provided with a validation to read/write memory of that CPU, without which memory access is denied.

Abstract: A multiprocessor system includes a number of sub-processor systems, each substantially identically constructed, and each comprising a central processing unit (CPU), and at least one I/O device, interconnected by routing apparatus that also interconnects the sub-processor systems. A CPU of any one of the sub-processor systems may communicate, through the routing elements, with any I/O device of the system, or with any CPU of the system. The CPUs are structured to operate in one of two modes: a simplex mode in which the two CPUs operate independently of each other, and a duplex mode in which the CPUs operate in lock-step synchronism to execute each instruction of identical instruction streams at substantially the same time. Communications between I/O devices and CPUs is by packetized messages. Interrupts from I/O devices are communicated from the I/O devices to the CPUs (or from one CPU to another CPU) as message packets. CPUs and I/O devices may write to, or read from, memory of a CPU of the system.

Abstract: A multiprocessor system includes a number of sub-processor systems, each substantially identically constructed, and each comprising a central processing unit (CPU), and at least one I/O device, interconnected by routing apparatus that also interconnects the sub-processor systems. A CPU of any one of the sub-processor systems may communicate, through the routing elements, with any I/O device of the system, or with any CPU of the system.Communications between I/O devices and CPUs is by packetized messages. Interrupts from I/O devices are communicated from the I/O devices to the CPUs (or from one CPU to another CPU) as message packets, and stored at an interrupt queue in memory. Storage of the interrupt data will initiate an internal interrupt to notify the receiving CPU. The receiving CPU can then access the interrupt queue, examine the interrupt data, and determine what action to take.