Abstract: A light source includes a substrate; an array of un-packaged light emitting semiconductor devices (LESDs), each of the LESDs having at least one surface for emitting light and a substrate surface being attached to the substrate; and a plurality of electrical connections, each electrical connection coupled for providing electrical power to a respective LESD. The LESDs are arranged on the substrate with sufficient density and light generating capability to provide a predetermined irradiation from the light source.

Abstract: A flexible multiple electrode assembly includes at least one fixed electrode; at least one extendible electrode; and electrically conductive interconnections coupling the at least one fixed electrode and the at least one extendible electrode to a common connector. The at least one extendible electrode is adapted to be physically separable from the at least one fixed electrode while remaining electrically coupled to the common connector. In one embodiment, an array of fixed and extendible electrodes is configured for the acquisition of electrical pulses from a heart for transmission to an electrocardiograph (EKG or ECG) device.

Abstract: A current transformer for a ground fault circuit breaker used on a circuit having at least one line conductor and a neutral conductor includes a toroidal core having a circular opening defining a center point and a multi-turn winding wound on the core. A first guide member is disposed on one side of the core, and a second guide member is disposed on another side of the core. The first and second guide members each have a hole for receiving the line conductor and a hole for receiving the neutral conductor formed therein. The guide members thus position the conductors with respect to the core. Also included is a method of correcting asymmetries in the current transformer. The method includes measuring the magnitude and orientation of any asymmetries, and then altering the current transformer based on the measured magnitude and orientation of the asymmetries so as to eliminate the asymmetries.

Abstract: An analytical method for determining a cable occupancy volume includes obtaining a cable length and identifying a number and location of a plurality of cable supports for supporting the cable along its length. The cable occupancy volume that is generated is based on the cable length, the number of supports and the location of the supports. The instructions for practicing the method are encoded on a computer-readable storage medium.

Abstract: Public or private remote access infrastructures in a communication system are used to facilitate communications between a remote site and a centrally located diagnostic center using only local telephone calls. The diagnostic center as well as one or more remote sites at which monitored equipment is located are coupled to a wide area network (WAN). When data are to be transferred from a remote site to the central diagnostic center, the remote site initiates a local telephone call to a point-of-presence (POP) server on the WAN backbone. This could be an Internet Service Provider (ISP) if the Internet is used, or an intranet if a private network is used. Data are then transferred to the POP server. To complete the transfer, the diagnostic center retrieves the data from the POP server using the public or private wide-area network (the Internet or intranet). The data transfer can be performed either on a scheduled basis, or when an alarm condition is detected at the remote site.

Abstract: A self-oscillating switching power converter has a controllable reactance including an active device connected to a reactive element, wherein the effective reactance of the reactance and the active device is controlled such that the control waveform for the active device is binary digital and is not synchronized with the switching converter output frequency. The active device is turned completely on and off at a frequency that is substantially greater than the maximum frequency imposed on the output terminals of the active device. The effect is to vary the average resistance across the active device output terminals, and thus the effective output reactance, thereby providing converter output control, while maintaining the response speed of the converter.

Abstract: This invention provides an improved alert generation system and method for trend performance analysis. A multi-variate abnormal condition detector normalizes data obtained from a process and classifies the data in a multi-dimensional space defined for the variables in the process. The normalized data are classified into either a normal or abnormal class. An alert evaluator evaluates the data classified in the abnormal class and determines whether the data are a true alert or a false alert. In another embodiment, the multi-variate abnormal condition detector and alert evaluator are used in parallel with a trend performance analysis tool to validate alerts generated therefrom.

Abstract: A method for monitoring the health of power electronics includes: providing a switch command to a power electronic device (12) through a gate driver (14); measuring a switching time of the power electronic device; and using the switching time to determine a diagnostic condition of the power electronic device and/or the gate driver.

Abstract: A system and method for generating a time-to-break prediction for a paper web in a paper machine. This invention uses principal components analysis, neuro-fuzzy systems and trending analysis to form a model for predicting the time-to-break of the paper web from sensor measurements of paper machine process variables. The model is used to isolate the root cause of the predicted web break.

Abstract: A computed tomography system employs an optical communications link to reliably transmit high data rate data. The communications link comprises an optical emitter, an optical transmission line, a plurality of optical deflectors disposed randomly within the transmission line, and an optical receiver. The optical emitter is attached to the gantry of the computed tomography system and extends along the length of the gantry. The optical emitter generates a high data rate optical data signal, which travels along the optical transmission line in correspondence with data generated by detector array on the gantry. The plurality of optical deflectors causes portions the high data rate optical data signal to be internally reflected and subsequently refracted from the transmission line. The optical receiver disposed near the transmission line detects the portion of high data rate data refracted from the transmission line.

Abstract: A salient pole synchronous machine rotor includes a rotor shaft; a plurality of salient poles concentric to the rotor shaft; and end plates facing opposing ends of the salient poles, each end plate extending continuously around the rotor shaft.

Abstract: One method for packaging at least one circuit chip includes: providing an interconnect layer including insulative material having a first side and a second side, initial metallization patterned on second side metallized portions of the second side and not on second side non-metallized portions of the second side, at least one substrate via extending from the first side to one of the second side metallized portions, and at least one chip via extending from the first side to one of the second side non-metallized portions; positioning the at least one circuit chip on the second side with at least one chip pad of the at least one circuit chip being aligned with the at least one chip via; and patterning connection metallization on selected portions of the first side of the interconnect layer and in the vias so as to extend to the at least one second side metallized portion and to the at least one chip pad.

Abstract: A hot restrike protection circuit provides complete shut down protection for a self-oscillating high intensity discharge lamp ballast of the type comprising a pair of complementary switching devices in a bridge configuration with a gate drive inductor in series with a second inductor, i.e., a control inductor, at the junction between the switching devices. The hot restrike protection circuit effectively comprises a three-terminal device for coupling across the control inductor. In particular, the HRP circuit comprises a sensing network for sensing voltage across the control inductor, a breakdown network for providing a breakdown path upon reaching a predetermined restrike voltage threshold across the control inductor, and a shutdown network for shutting down operation of the ballast until the lamp is sufficiently cool for restarting, thereby protecting ballast components during hot restrike, or re-ignition, of the lamp.

Abstract: A drive system comprises a rotor position and velocity tracker adapted to decouple fundamental frequency effects of a zero sequence signal of an induction machine from the zero sequence signal and to use a resulting error signal to estimate a position and a velocity of a rotor of the induction machine.

Abstract: A propagation delay compensation device and method provide adaptive propagation delay compensation in a time division multiple access (TDMA) communications system. The device includes a range computation unit and a delay computation unit. The range unit receives data signals to identify respective positions of a base station and a transceiver and, in response, generates a signal indicating line-of-sight range between the base station and the transceiver. The delay unit receives the range signal and, in response, generates a required delay which provides for alignment of communications signals received at the base station to arrive in alignment with assigned time slots at the base station. In one embodiment, the invention enables communication from aircraft through TDMA cellular systems using standard TDMA waveform formats.

Abstract: A method of power electronic packaging includes a practicable and reliable method of fabricating power circuit modules and associated connections that are compatible with the standard top layer metalization of commercially available power devices. A planar single- or multi-layer membrane structure is attached to a carrier frame, and a via pattern is formed in the membrane. Power devices are aligned and attached to the planar membrane structure; a top layer interconnect structure is formed by metalizing the vias and the film; and a circuit is formed by patterning a deposited metal layer. The carrier frame is removed, and upper and lower thermal base plate sub-assemblies are attached to the power device-on-membrane structure. The planar device-on-membrane structure accommodates different types of power devices having variations in thickness. The thermal base plate sub-assemblies may include integral, high-performance heat exchangers for providing a low thermal resistance path to the ambient.

Abstract: In performing tissue-generated harmonic imaging using coded excitation, the transmit waveform for acquiring the N-th harmonic signal is biphase (1,−1) encoded using two code symbols of a code sequence, the portions (i.e., chips) of the transmit waveform encoded with the second code symbol each being phase-shifted by 180°/N relative to the chips encoded with the first code symbol. This is implemented by time shifting the portions (i.e., chips) of the transmit sequence which are encoded with the second code symbol by ½N fractional cycle at center frequency relative to the chips of the transmit sequence encoded with the first code symbol. During reception, the desired harmonic signal is isolated by a bandpass filter centered at twice the fundamental frequency and enhanced with decoding.

Abstract: An X-ray unit includes an X-ray tube including a rotating anode coupled to a rotor and a metal frame enclosing the rotating anode and the rotor. A motor, including the rotor of the X-ray tube, and a stator are situated outside the metal frame while an electromagnetic shield is situated between the stator and the rotor to minimize coupling to the stator of magnetic fields resulting from X-ray tube arcing. In one optional embodiment the electromagnetic shield includes an electrically conductive film situated on an outer diameter of the metal frame, and in another optional embodiment the electromagnetic shield includes an insulating film metallized on one surface with an electrically conductive film.

Abstract: An analysis system and method provide for quantitatively evaluating image quality characteristics of an ultrasound imaging machine that evaluates at least one image representation of a standard phantom acquired by the image machine. The machine under test by comparing acquired parameters with prestored values, and returning a determined set of image quality indices, along with a single index representing an arithmetic combination of all other image quality indices, which indicate the accuracy of the test image relative to a “gold standard” that has been pre-established for the model of imaging machine under investigation. The system, which includes a computer-programmed set of instructions and data, optionally includes at least one standard phantom.

Abstract: A system is provided for monitoring operating parameters relating to vehicle usage and using the operating parameter information to derive warranty statistical data. In one embodiment, an operating parameter monitoring unit includes a microprocessor and a sensor interface mounted within a housing. The sensor interface includes a number of leads for receiving sensor input signals from sensors that monitor various vehicle operating parameters. The microprocessor receives parameter information via the sensor interface that is indicative of various input sensor signals and stores corresponding parameter information in memory. The stored parameter information can be accessed via a data interface such as a data port or a RF interface.