Abstract: A programmable encoder is provided that includes at least one optical input for receiving a modulated broadband optical signal and at least one optical output. A dispersion element receives the optical signal from the optical input and spatially separates the optical signal into a plurality of wavelength components. A collimating element is provided for collimating the plurality of wavelength components. An actuatable optical arrangement receives the collimated plurality of wavelength components from the collimating element. The actuatable optical arrangement includes a digital micromirror device (DMD) from which a programmably selected subset of wavelength components are reflected at least twice before being directed to a selected one of optical outputs to thereby encode the CDMA signal.

Abstract: A media processing comparison system (“MPCS”) and techniques facilitate concurrent, subjective quality comparisons between media presentations produced by different instances of media processing components performing the same functions (for example, instances of media processing components in the form of hardware, software, and/or firmware, such as parsers, codecs, decryptors, and/or demultiplexers, supplied by the same or different entities) in a particular media content player. The MPCS receives an ordered stream of encoded media samples from a media source, and decodes a particular encoded media sample using two or more different instances of media processing components. A single renderer renders and/or coordinates the synchronous presentation of decoded media samples from each instance of media processing component(s) as separate media presentations. The media presentations may be subjectively compared and/or selected for storage by a user in a sample-by-sample manner.

Abstract: A method of storing digital video is provided where an original video clip is selected, according to selection criteria, from video clips stored on a digital storage medium. The frame rate associated with the selected video clip is lowered and a downgraded version of the original video clip is written to a digital storage medium at the lowered frame rate. The original video clip may then be overwritten or erased to thereby reduce the storage space requirements for the downgraded video clip by approximately the percentage reduction in downgraded frame rate.

Abstract: Line segmentation in an OCR process is performed to detect the positions of words within an input textual line image by extracting features from the input to locate breaks and then classifying the breaks into one of two break classes which include inter-word breaks and inter-character breaks. An output including the bounding boxes of the detected words and a probability that a given break belongs to the identified class can then be provided to downstream OCR or other components for post-processing. Advantageously, by reducing line segmentation to the extraction of features, including the position of each break and the number of break features, and break classification, the task of line segmentation is made less complex but with no loss of generality.

Abstract: A method is provided for producing a hybrid multi junction photovoltaic device. The method begins by providing a plurality of planar photovoltaic semi-transparent modules. Each of the modules is a fully functional, thin-film, photovoltaic device and includes first and second conductive layers and at least first and second semiconductor layers disposed between the conductive layers. The first and second semiconductor layers define a junction at an interface therebetween. The method continues by disposing the modules one on top of another and hybridly adhering them to each other. At least one of the modules is configured to convert a first spectral portion of optical energy into an electrical voltage and transmit a second spectral portion of optical energy to another of the junctions that is configured to convert at least part of the second spectral portion of optical energy into an electrical voltage.

Abstract: In accordance with various aspects of the invention, implantable and insertable medical devices are provided, which contain one or more polymeric regions. In one aspect, the polymeric regions comprise (a) a block copolymer that comprises a polyaromatic block and a polyalkene block admixed with (b) a sulfonated high Tg polymer. In another aspect, the polymeric regions comprise a block copolymer that comprises (a) a sulfonated polymer block and (b) fluorinated polymer block.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the invention, implantable and insertable medical devices are provided that include (a) a substrate, (b) a porous layer comprising interconnected pores disposed over the substrate, (c) at least one first therapeutic agent disposed within and/or beneath the porous layer, (d) a composite layer disposed over the porous layer that includes (i) at least one therapeutic agent eluting region containing at least one second therapeutic agent and at least one matrix material and (ii) at least one bioerodible region containing at least one bioerodible material that extends from the surface of the composite layer to the porous layer.

Abstract: Discovery of intermediate network devices is performed using a technique that piggybacks upon the existing standard TCP (Transport Control Protocol) “SACK” (Selective Acknowledgment) option in a SYN/ACK packet so that discovery information may be shared between pair-wise-deployed peer intermediate devices when a TCP/IP connection (Transport Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) is first established between network endpoints using a conventional three-way handshake. Use of the SACK option is combined with another technique which comprises modifying the original 16-bit value of the TCP receive window size to a special arbitrary value to mark a SYN packet as being generated by a first peer device. The marked SYN when received by the second peer device triggers that device's discovery information to be piggybacked in the SACK option of the SYN/ACK packet. The first device then piggybacks its discovery information in the SACK option of the ACK packet which completes the three-way handshake.

Abstract: An endoscope is provided which comprises an elongated body adapted for insertion into a body lumen, and a plurality of electrically controlled actuators associated with the body which are controllable to impart an orientation to the body that is complimentary to the natural orientation of the lumen into which the endoscope is inserted.

Abstract: An arrangement is provided for automatically correcting a digital image by first examining the image to determine the class or type of correction that is needed to produce a more accurate rendition. The classes or types of corrections may include such items as exposure, color, depth of field, sharpness, distortion, and combinations thereof. The type of correction that is needed by any particular digital image is determined from an analysis of the image itself. Instead of presenting the user with a single corrected image, the user is typically presented with different renditions of the image. Each rendition corrects for the particular type of correction that has been identified, but in different ways from one another.

Abstract: The invention relates to a measuring gauge and a method for determining the diameter or cross-sectional area of an object whose cross-sectional shape is adjustable such as, for example, a litz conductor. A first measuring disc comprising a helical slot running around the center of the measurement disc and tapering down is connected in a rotatable fashion by a central axial connection to a second measurement disc comprising a slot running steadily from the vicinity of the center to the edge, the slot tapering in the same direction as the slot of the first measuring disc. A material measure for reading the detected measurement is provided on one of the two measurement discs. When the measurement discs are counter-rotated to one another, the overlapping sections of the slots form an opening into which the object to be measured is inserted, and the size of the opening is altered by counter-rotating the measurement discs to one another.

Abstract: The resorption of a medical implant can be controlled with the use of particles embedded in a resorbable bulk material forming the implant or portion thereof. The implant can be removed from a body of a mammal by natural biological mechanisms after use. The resorption of the implant can involve swelling and/or hydrolyzing of the particles within the implant upon contact with a body fluid such that porosity and flow of fluid within the bulk material of the implant is increased. Resorption of the implant may also involve the use of particles with magnetic properties embedded within the implant such that an applied magnetic field causes the particles to vibrate within the bulk material thereby increasing the porosity and thus the flow of fluid, hence facilitating resorption of the implant. The resorption rate of the implant can be controlled by modulating swelling, hydrolysis, or movement of the embedded particles.

Abstract: This invention is related to efficient anorganic phosphors, which are based on an oxysulfide host lattice of the general formula ABOS:M. Furthermore, this invention is related to the use of these phosphors in various technical applications such as fluorescent lamps, colored light or white light emitting LEDs, scanning beam displays working with UV or purple laser as exciting source and other devices in order to convert especially UV or NUV radiation or short-wave visible light into an useful longer-wave visible radiation. This invention is also related to light sources and/or display applications that contain the inventive phosphor.

Abstract: A security model is provided in a transactional logging infrastructure that is arranged as a protected subsystem built on an underlying secure file system. Files in the underlying file system used by virtual log streams are protected from direct user writes, and are written-to only through the protected subsystem that is brokered by a machine-wide principal so that virtual log files sharing the same multiplexed physical log are kept secure from each other. Log file handles and user- and kernel-mode objects are exposed to log clients through interfaces using consistent security semantics for both dedicated and virtual logs. Log clients are agnostic of the underlying secure file system and can only manipulate file system containers—abstract objects that implement the physical log and used to virtualize the file system by normalizing input/output operations—by using the interfaces brokered by the principal in the protected subsystem.

Abstract: A FET includes a substrate, a buffer layer disposed on the substrate, a channel layer disposed over the buffer layer and a barrier layer disposed over the channel layer. Source, gate and drain electrodes are located over the barrier layer and extend in a longitudinal direction thereon. A portion of the channel and barrier layers define a mesa extending in the longitudinal direction and the source and drain electrodes extend beyond an edge of the mesa. The gate electrodes extend along an edge sidewall of the mesa. A conductive source interconnect is disposed over the buffer layer and have a first end electrically connected to the source electrode. A first dielectric layer is disposed over the buffer layer and over the source interconnect. A gate via is formed in the first dielectric layer. A conductive gate node extends along the buffer layer and electrically connects the portion of the gate electrode extending along the sidewall of the mesa.

Abstract: A therapeutic-agent release region is described, which comprises: (i) a first phase comprising a plurality of miscible polymers that are miscible with one another and (ii) a second phase comprising an additional polymer, which can be immiscible with any or all of the plurality of miscible polymers or a blend of the miscible polymers. Also described is a therapeutic-agent-releasing medical device, which comprises: (a) an implantable or insertable medical device substrate; (b) the above release region, disposed over at least a portion of the implantable or insertable medical device substrate, and (c) a therapeutic agent. The release region regulates the rate of release of the therapeutic agent from the medical device upon implantation or insertion of the device into a patient. Also described are methods for making an implantable or insertable medical device, for administering a therapeutic agent to a patient, and for modulating the release rate of a therapeutic agent.

Abstract: Secure data is prevented from leaving the perimeter of a network such as an enterprise network or corporate network (“corpnet”) by an arrangement in which a hash of the secure data is periodically computed, and the hashes are pushed out to an edge device on the network such as a firewall where they are stored for later access. The edge device is configured so that it has access to all traffic that flows between the enterprise network and an external network, such as the Internet, that is located outside the enterprise network perimeter. Whenever a user attempts to send data to the external network, a process running on the edge device computes a hash for the outbound data and compares it against the stored hashes associated with the secure data. If a match is made between the hash for the outbound data and a stored hash for secure data, then the edge device blocks the outbound data from leaving the network perimeter.

Abstract: Teamwork in a multiplayer video game is encouraged by rewarding game characters who resurrect killed teammates with spendable cash that may be used to purchase additional capabilities or tools to enhance the players' ability to progress through the game. Resurrected teammates are tied to the game character who performed the resurrections by splitting their future earnings accumulated during gameplay with that game character. If a resurrected game character goes on to resurrect other teammates then he will be entitled to a portion of the future earnings of those other resurrected teammates. But the resurrected teammate will also give a portion of those earnings to the original game character who resurrected him in the first place. A resurrection chain is thus created in which game characters can be resurrected and go on to resurrect other teammates while sharing earnings with other game characters that are above them in the chain using a pyramid payment system.

Abstract: An optical character recognition process characterizes text lines in a textual image by their base-line, mean-line and x-height. The base-line for at least one text line in the image is determined by finding a parametric curve that maximizes a first fitness function that depends on the values of pixels through which the parametric curve passes and pixels below the parametric curve. The base-line corresponds to the parametric curve for which the first fitness function is maximized. The first fitness function is designed so that it increases with increasing lightless or brightness of pixels immediately below the parametric curve while also increasing with decreasing lightness of pixels through which the parametric curve passes. The mean-line is determined by incrementally shifting the base-line upward by predetermined amounts (e.g., a single pixel) until a second fitness function for the shifted base-line is maximized. The second fitness function is essentially the inverse of the first fitness function.

Abstract: In an interactive media environment, a model is provided where applications, each comprising zero or more script components and zero or more markup components, are themselves handled as visual elements having a Z order. A resource-efficient rendering order is provided where the application that has focus in an interactive media environment (by virtue of its receipt of user events) is rendered first. The remaining applications are rendered in top down order, i.e., in reverse Z order. Rendering is performed by drawing into one or more graphics buffers associated with respective applications. Frames for applications are composited from the graphics buffers bottoms up, in Z order, to provide the display with the correct appearance.