Abstract: A missile system and a method of missile guidance in which a bus missile is launched from a launch station remote from a target with the bus missile carrying a plurality of sub-missiles. The sub-missiles are then launched from the bus missile during flight of the bus missile. The sub-missiles are arranged to deploy ahead of the bus missile and are guided to the target under the control of a guidance beam generated in and transmitted from the bus missile.

Abstract: A high frequency charger includes a charge circuit for charging a depleted battery and a boost circuit for jump-starting a vehicle. Two separate high frequency transformers are provided for the charge and boost circuits. A selector switch selectively activates at least one of the charging circuit and the boost circuit.

Abstract: The method of global rendering allows a three dimensional scene to be rendered accurately and viewed correctly from multiple angles and directions at once. The method includes the steps of placing an object representing a multidimensional texture map into a database, replacing the object with a bounding geometry that completely encloses the object, sampling the bounding geometry with a sample of interest, extracting pixel information from the sample of the bounding geometry, and displaying the rendered object using the extracted pixel information.

Abstract: A reluctance electric machine comprising: (a) a stator part (4) with stator teeth (12) of magnetically conductive material that are provided with coil windings (24); (b) and a rotor part (6) arranged coaxially with respect to the stator part (12) and located opposite the stator part (12) so as to leave free an air gap (8) therebetween; (c) the rotor part (6) having a number of discrete poles (20) of magnetically conductive material that project in the direction towards the stator part (12), characterized in (d) that cooling with channelled coolant flow is provided at least for partial sections of the coil windings (24) of the stator part (12).

Abstract: A portable heater/cooler system comprises a thermal electric module conducting a current through the module; a heater/cooler cavity coupled to the thermal electric module; a variable speed fan for blowing air over the thermal electric module and into the cavity; a first temperature sensor coupled to the thermal electric module for measuring the temperature of the module; a second temperature sensor coupled to the heater/cooler cavity for measuring the temperature in the cavity; and a microprocessor for adjusting a speed of the fan and the current flow through the thermal electric module as a function of the measured temperatures of the thermal electric module and the cavity.

Abstract: A method of generating and utilizing a scene model from a sequence of video frames produces a three-dimensional scene model, useful for video processing. The method separates foreground and background data. It uses an estimate of relative motion of an observer to project each frame onto a coordinate system of the three-dimensional scene model. It then merges the background data of a given frame into the scene model.

Abstract: An optical CDMA encoder-decoder is constructed by combining arrayed-waveguide gratings, matrix optical switches, and delay lines, otherwise by combining arrayed-waveguide grating and variable delay lines, thus providing an encoding process that a wavelength change with respect to time in optical pulses. The light includes a wide spectrum band width inserted into a CDMA encoder/decoder and is demultiplexed by arrayed-waveguide gratings. Each wave length according to the demultiplexed spectrum component spreads out in the time region based on delay time differences produced by delay lines having differential optical lengths. Thus, in CDMA, the dependency of wavelengths on delay time can be set arbitrarily.

Abstract: A device for delivering or withdrawing a substance from a patient includes a support member, a skin penetrating device and an advancing assembly for advancing the skin penetrating device to an operating position. The advancing assembly includes a supply spool for supporting a web having the skin penetrating devices attached thereon and a take up spool for receiving the web with the spent skin penetrating devices. The support has a bottom wall with at least one opening for exposing the skin penetrating device for penetrating the skin of a patient. In one embodiment the skin penetrating devices are micro needles having a length of about 50-2000 microns.

Abstract: An optical transmitter includes a light source emitting input light; and a modulator modulating the input light in accordance with an input electric signal to generate an optical transmission signal. The transmitter also includes a monitor which detects frequency fluctuation of the optical transmission signal. The modulator is controlled so as to optimize the amount of frequency fluctuation of the optical transmission signal.

Abstract: Given a trajectory and unit pointing vectors determined based on a planar or other approximation of a shock wave, a method and apparatus are provided to calculate times the sensors should have detected, based on a conical geometry of the shock wave. A difference between the calculated times and the actual times measured by the sensors may be minimized. The minimization may be performed by perturbing the unit vectors. When the perturbation of the unit vectors results in an acceptable difference between the calculated times and the measured times, an accurate trajectory of the projectile can be generated from the perturbed unit pointing vectors.

Abstract: For a quantification of the electrostatic responsiveness and for the extraction of high-current parameters of integrated circuits and individual structures (DUT—“Device under Test”) a method and a device are proposed wherein a high current pulse can be injected via a terminal into the DUT under strictly defined marginal conditions. The substrate into which the circuit to be analysed is integrated, together with the reference electrode disposed at a defined spacing, forms a capacitor dependent on the actual circuit and determining the loading parameters, which capacitor has a dielectric consisting, as a rule, of air. The method is characterised by an intrinsic impedance which is almost constant throughout the entire system and defined by the mechanical and material properties. It is also possible to use a complete semiconductor wafer including a plurality of circuits as substrate.

Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device comprising a plurality of memory cells each having a transistor including a floating gate electrode as a constituent are arranged on a silicon substrate in a matrix, wherein bit lines have hierarchical structures and comprise at least a main bit line 1 and a sub-bit line 2, and a plurality of sub-bit line selection transistors 4 provided between the main bit line 1 and sub-bit line 2 which transistor 4 are respectively selectively activated depending on given row address lines, wherein a voltage applied to each gate electrode of the sub-bit line selection transistor 4 which is selected and activated when data is erased from or written on each memory cell is rendered the same as that applied to each gate electrode of the sub-bit line selection transistor 4 which becomes non-activated when not selected.

Abstract: K×K optical switch unit according to the present invention is comprised of input ports 1-1, . . . 1-36, 1×M optical matrix switches 5-1-1, . . . 5-4-9 connected with the input ports 1-1, . . . 1-36, N×N optical matrix switches 7-1-1, . . . 7-4-2, and 10-1-1, . . . 10-4-2 connected with the 1×M optical matrix switches 5-1-1, . . . 5-4-9, an M×1 optical matrix switches 13-1-1, . . . 13-4-9 connected with the N×N optical matrix switches 7-1-1, . . . 7-4-2, and 10-1-1, . . . 10-4-2, and output ports 2-1, . . . 2-36 connected with the M×1 optical matrix switches 13-1-1, . . . 13-4-9, where K=M×N, M and N are integers more than 1.

Abstract: In a system for switching high-capacity and variable length packets from m input ports to n output ports, k Banyan networks are connected into a ring by means of at least n parallel lines, said input ports are connected to inputs of said Banyan networks in a dispersed manner by means of m input modules, misroute tag check parts are connected to outputs of said Banyan networks as well as to inputs of n output modules whose outputs are connected to said output ports. Each of plural unit switches constituting a Banyan network is constructed such that when an input packet cannot be sent to a desired output, the relevant packet is outputted to a non-occupied output of the relevant Banyan network. When the misroute tag check part finds that the misroute tag is set, the relevant packet is sent to a next stage Banyan network, but when the misroute check tag is not set, the relevant packet is outputted to an output module connected to a desired output.

Abstract: A mobile aircraft launcher includes a towable, tiltable, wheeled trailer, a launch beam comprising a plurality of sections hinged to one another, an aircraft-engaging shuttle mounted on the launch beam, and a shuttle-moving drive arrangement mounted on the trailer. The launch beam is mounted on the trailer and is movable between a folded, transport condition, in which the beam sections are generally side-by-side, and a launch condition, in which the beam sections are colinear. In the colinear arrangement, a portion of the launch beam extends forward of the trailer, that portion being supportable entirely through the trailer.

Abstract: Described is a method of recognizing sequences of handwritten and/or joined-up numerals, in particular post codes, the method calling for the conversion of of feature vectors, thus enabling the sequence of numerals to be recognized using an HMM recognition device without the need for segmentation of the image. Also described are particularly relevant examples of feature extraction.

Abstract: An optical switch for switching a light path between two optical waveguides is provided. The switch has a slit formed diagonally cutting across the crossing point of crossing optical waveguides and a substance in the slit has a function of transmitting or reflecting an optical signal is selectively held in the slit. The slit is narrower than cores of the optical waveguides, and has a center line formed on a bisection of an interior angle between optical axes of the crossing optical waveguides. Thus, the substance in the slit serves to make optical intensity reflected to each of the optical waveguides uniform. Further, a crossing optical waveguide consists of a reflecting structure having its interior filled with air during reflection and the intersecting angle between the first group of optical waveguides is between 0 to 90 degrees and preferably substantially between 73 and 74 degrees.

Abstract: In a CCD imager, a charge is accumulated in pixels of an image area representative of the intensity of incident radiation and is subsequently transferred to a store section and then on a row by row basis to an output register by applying suitable drive pulses to drive electrodes. Signal charge in the output register is transferred to a multiplication register by drive pulses applied to drive electrodes to give charge transfer in the direction shown by the arrows. One or more drive pulses applied to the electrodes of the multiplication register are of sufficiently large amplitude to produce high field regions in the register element to cause signal multiplication by impact ionisation. This gives a low noise amplification of the signal charge, the multiplied signal charge being detected at charge detection circuit.