Abstract: An energy management system comprises: an energy storage system comprising flywheels and batteries; and an energy storage system controller adapted to cause the flywheels and batteries to store energy during load-supplying periods and to supply energy during load-receiving periods. The flywheels may be situated in respective ones of a plurality of compartments in a vehicle platform, and the batteries may be situated above the flywheels.

Abstract: A resonant gate driver circuit suitable for driving MOS-gated power switches in high-frequency applications recovers gate drive energy stored in the gate capacitance of the power switches, resulting in substantially lossless operation. The resonant gate driver circuit provides bi-polar gate control signals that are compatible with PWM operation.

Abstract: A quadrature coil suitable for use with an open frame MRI system provides crossing pairs of arrays of parallel conductor elements, respectively. Compact configuration is provided through use of an isolating circuit for incorporating parasitic capacitances at the resonance frequency of the coil into a blocking parallel resonance. Termination of the parallel conductor elements may be accomplished by equal impedance node connectors formed from branching pairs of conductors or a triangular least resistance connection form. RF shields are provided by pairs of conductive sheets containing eddy current reducing slots aligned with the parallel conductors elements of the coil.

Abstract: A throttler method for rapid start-up for use with broadcast automation systems. A throttler loads an initial playlist while also accepting editing commands. The throttler interleaves these events and commands and generates and modifies the playlist of scheduled events. The throttler sends the events to a broadcast automation system for execution which drives audio and video devices based on the scheduled events, allowing the editing commands to be interleaved with non-editing commands. For unprocessed editing command, a command pair of up to two pieces of information are maintained: one deletion command and one insertion command. Each command, or event, has a unique “event identifier” and is hashed into a rapidly accessible priority queue table, according to urgency.

Abstract: A low noise imaging apparatus for producing Magnetic Resonance (MR) images of a subject and for substantially minimizing acoustic noise generated during imaging is provided. The imaging apparatus comprises a magnet assembly, a gradient coil assembly, and a rf coil assembly, wherein at least one of the magnet assembly, the gradient coil assembly and the rf coil assembly are configured to reduce the generation and transmission of acoustic noise.

Abstract: An imaging system enables cardiac functioning within a particular cardiac chamber to be imaged. The system acquires imaging data that includes intensity values for four-dimensional voxels within a region of interest (ROI). A seed voxel is identified, and neighbor voxels to the seed voxel are also identified. The intensity values for each neighbor voxel are compared to a threshold to determine whether the voxel corresponds to blood or muscle tissue. For each neighbor voxel corresponding to blood, its neighbor voxels are identified and compared to the threshold, and this process is repeated until a pre-established spatial boundary is encountered or the number of new neighbor voxels indicates that processing is migrating into an adjacent cardiac chamber. At that point, the identified blood voxels are counted into bins of cardiac phases, cardiac images for each phase are reconstructed, and parameters such as ejection fraction are calculated.

Abstract: DTV broadcast transmission is provided with a ultra wideband overlay signal which is used by suitably equipped DTV receivers to dynamically estimate the channel and allow expeditious and effective mitigation of changing multipath conditions. Periodic correlation peaks are detected in the received overlay signal, and the timing and magnitude of other peaks in the received overlay signal are used to mitigate multipath in the received signal. A DTV receiver that is not equipped to process the overlay transmission will not be significantly affected by the overlay signal.

Abstract: A computer-based method and processor for determining the equivalence of the respective mean values of physical processes used in the production of goods is provided. The method allows for inputting respective values of various parameters. A storing step allows for storing each inputted value into a memory unit, and a computing step allows for computing, based on the stored values, respective sample sizes required by the processes to determine whether the respective means of the processes are equivalent to one another within a selected equivalence range and within sufficiently acceptable probabilities. The magnitude of the respective sample sizes is sufficiently small to allow a user to experimentally demonstrate the equivalence of the respective means of the processes.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for determining at least one boil phase of a liquid is provided. The boil phase is determined from an acoustic signal generated by the liquid during heating, the acoustic signal is measured by an acoustic sensor. The apparatus comprises at least one filter connected to the acoustic sensor. The at least one filter receives and filters the acoustic signal to eliminate excess variation and to eliminate high frequency noise from the acoustic signal producing a filtered acoustic signal. At least one derivative estimation filter is also provided and is connected to the at least one filter. The at least one derivative estimation filter estimates at least one derivative of the filtered acoustic signal. A processor is provided and is connected to the at least one filter and the at least one derivative estimation filter. The processor identifies the at least one boil phase of the liquid using at least the filtered acoustic signal and at least one derivative of the filtered acoustic signal.

Abstract: An antenna comprising two essentially identical electrically conducting rectangular plates lying in parallel planes and separated so that a gap is formed between the plates also includes a dielectric situated within the gap and exhibiting a relative permittivity that changes with frequency. Electrical connectors connect the plates to corresponding conductors that carry the signal to be radiated by the antenna.

Abstract: A system and method for managing the currentness of files of a product at the time of release to manufacturing. A data extractor and populator extracts attributes of features in a master model and populates the extracted information in drawing files and NC machining data files. A version control system manages versions of the master model and the files. A release unit releases a version of the files that is current with the latest version of the master model.

Abstract: The present invention provides a apparatus and method for controlling the force and velocity of a piston within the clamp assembly of a injection molding machine. The control unit comprises the following elements: a PI based cascade compensator; an estimator coupled to the clamp assembly and the cascade compensator, wherein the estimator is utilized to estimate the position of the clamp assembly piston; a velocity position controller coupled to the clamp assembly and the estimator, wherein the velocity position controller is adapted to generate a velocity error signal based on the piston velocity signal; and an auto selector coupled to the cascade compensator, wherein the auto selector is adapted to select between the velocity error signal and the force error signal to generate a valve command signal. The present invention additionally employs a method for determining the velocity profile of the piston of a clamp assembly.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a substrate package for a high density interconnect multichip module stack comprises: providing a substrate having holes extending therethrough and having a bottom surface with metallization situated thereon; providing a metal sheet having grooves extending therethrough; attaching the metal sheet to the bottom surface of the substrate; attaching metal plugs through the holes to the metal sheet; and removing portions of the substrate to expose the metal plugs and separate the metal sheet into a plurality of segments defined by the grooves.

Abstract: A receiver for enabling one-way communications in a GHM network which does not interfere with or reduce the capability of the GHM network. The receiver detects a small modulation factor signal present on the GHM signal normally transmitted by the GHM transmitter. If the frequency of the modulated signal corresponds to a pre-defined frequency, then the receiver generates a command signal to, for example, a relay, annunciator, or other external device. More particularly, and in one embodiment, the receiver includes a filter which partially isolates the GHM energy from the lower 60 Hz harmonics. The receiver also includes a envelope detector coupled to filter. The envelope detector is coupled to a frequency detector. The frequency detector is coupled to a command decoder. The command decoder determines whether a plurality of AM modulation frequencies are present on the received signal.

Abstract: A system for directing a receiving lobe of an adaptive antenna array toward an aircraft in flight includes an aircraft position vector calculator and an antenna weight vector generator. The aircraft position vector calculator receives aircraft position information from an aircraft tracking service and calculates, based upon the aircraft position information it receives, an aircraft position vector g. An antenna weight vector generator receives the aircraft position vector g from the aircraft position vector calculator and generates, based upon the aircraft position vector g, an antenna element weight vector w. The antenna weight vector w is applied to the elements of an adaptive antenna array to direct a receiving lobe of the array towards an aircraft in flight.

Abstract: A communication system for communicating a modified geometric harmonic modulated (GHM) signal on a power line is described. The system includes a transmitter for transmitting a GHM signal having a plurality of carriers, a highest frequency carrier being about 630 Hz, and a receiver for receiving the transmitted GHM signal.

Abstract: A cryogenic cooling system for use with a superconductive electric machine includes a first set of components arranged in a first circuit and adapted to force flow of a cryogen in the first circuit to and from a superconductive electric machine and being operable in a cooldown mode for cooling the cryogen and thereby the superconductive electric machine to a normal operating temperature, and a second set of components arranged in a second circuit and adapted to force flow of a cryogen in the second circuit to and from the superconductive electric machine and being operable in a normal mode for maintaining the cryogen and thereby the superconductive electric machine at the normal operating temperature.

Abstract: An ultrasonic probe and method for noninvasively monitoring materials processing in screw driven extruders. The noninvasive probe includes at least one ultrasonic transducer operable to transmit an ultrasonic signal on a signal path intersecting an inner sidewall of a barrel of the extruder and material between the inner sidewall of the barrel and an outer surface of a screw within the barrel. Information about the state of the material intersected by the ultrasonic signal is ascertainable from an elapsed time between reception of a first reflection of the ultrasonic signal and reception of a second reflection of the ultrasonic signal. The first reflection results when the ultrasonic signal exits the inner sidewall of the barrel and the second reflection results when the ultrasonic signal reaches one of the outer surface of the screw and partially solid material.

Abstract: An apparatus detects changes in water vapor above a cooktop surface and includes a radiation source that is positioned below the cooktop surface. The radiation source emits radiation having a predetermined water vapor absorption wavelength. A beam splitter splits the emitted radiation into a first radiation beam and a second radiation beam. The first radiation beam is directed through and above the cooktop surface. A reflective surface positioned above the cooktop surface reflects the first radiation beam. A radiation sensor detects the reflected first radiation beam and generates a sensor output. A reference radiation sensor receives the second radiation beam from the beam splitter and generates a reference output. A processor is connected to the radiation sensor and the reference radiation sensor and receives the sensor output and the reference output. Changes in water vapor above the cooktop surface are determined by analyzing the sensor output and the reference output.

Abstract: The existing ATSC broadcast standard is modified to improve both the speed at which the periodically transmitted training sequence is found after channel selection by a viewer and the speed at which synchronization is achieved to a continuous wideband overlay signal used for equalization of the decoded signal. The modification involves slight amplitude modulation of the pilot signal in a manner synchronized with the transmission of the training sequences. The modulation of the pilot signal is sufficiently small to be ignored by existing ATSC receivers; that is, it is backwards compatible. Properly equipped receivers can detect, more quickly than receivers not so equipped, transmission of the training sequence by decoding this pilot signal modulation, thereby being capable of providing a decoded image to a viewer more quickly after a channel change than a receiver not so equipped.