Abstract: A method of forming a liquid coating on a substrate that reduces the amount of consumption of the coating liquid and achieves a more even distribution of the thickness of the liquid coating film. The method may include supplying a solvent to a surface of a substrate, starting a supply of a coating liquid to the surface of the substrate while rotating the substrate at a first rotation speed, stopping a rotation of the substrate by decelerating the rotation of the substrate at a deceleration larger than 30000 rpm/sec at a point of time when the supply of the coating liquid is stopped, and then rotating the substrate at a second rotation speed. Accordingly, the dispense amount of the coating liquid is reduced and the film thickness of the coating liquid is flatten.

Abstract: A CDMA radio system uses an adaptive filter in a receiver to mitigate multipath radio propagation and to filter out interfering signals. Characteristics of an initial stage of the filter preferably are determined by cross correlation of a generated pilot signal and the input signal with the integration of the correlation performed over a time period selected to be an integral number of symbol periods. The integration causes the portions of the cross correlation corresponding to the user subchannels to average substantially to zero, so that the pilot channel signal correlation is the primary contribution to the signal used to characterize the channel to establish the coefficients of the adaptive filter for the receiver.

Abstract: This invention relates to a packaging device (1) for packaging a stack of sheet objects that have an attributable monetary value in a container (4), the device (1) comprising means (34, 35) for determining value data relating to the monetary value attributed to a sheet object to be stacked in the container (4), and an RF reader/writer (52) for writing said value data to an RFID device (21) associated with the container (4).

Abstract: Prosthetic valves and their component parts are described, as are prosthetic valve delivery devices and methods for their use. The prosthetic valves are particularly adapted for use in percutaneous aortic valve replacement procedures. The delivery devices are particularly adapted for use in minimally invasive surgical procedures. The preferred delivery device includes a catheter having a deployment mechanism attached to its distal end, and a handle mechanism attached to its proximal end. A plurality of tethers are provided to selectively restrain the valve during deployment. A number of mechanisms for active deployment of partially expanded prosthetic valves are also described.

Abstract: An active implantable medical device having an RF telemetry circuit. The device is in particular a stimulation, resynchronization, defibrillation and/or cardioversion device. It includes a principal circuit, an RF telemetry auxiliary circuit and a supply battery for the principal and auxiliary circuits. It is envisaged to have between the supply battery and the auxiliary circuit a regulating circuit including an accumulator of electric power coupled with the auxiliary circuit to deliver a current ready to feed the auxiliary circuit, and a load circuit coupled with the supply battery to maintain the accumulator on a predetermined level of load.

Abstract: Systems and methods for constructing a series of interactions with a user to collect multiple pieces of related information for the purpose of accomplishing a specific goal or topic (a multi-slot dialog) using a component-based approach are disclosed. The method generally includes outputting a primary header prompt to elicit values for slots in a segment from the user, receiving a primary user response containing a value for each slot in at least a subset of the slots in the segment, processing the primary user response to determine at least one possible recognition value for each slot contained in the primary user response, filling each slot contained in the primary user response with a matched value selected from the corresponding possible recognition values, and repeating the outputting, receiving, processing and filling for any unfilled slots in the segment until all slots in the segment of slots are filled.

Abstract: A device for closing a septal defect, such as a patent foramen ovale, includes a clip formed from a superelastic material that is inserted into a septum wall of a heart. The clip is advanced through a patient's vasculature, e.g., within a delivery apparatus, until the clip is disposed within a first chamber adjacent the septal defect. Tines of the clip are directed through a flap of tissue of the septal defect until the tines of the clip are disposed within a second opposing chamber. The clip then transforms into its relaxed state, wherein the tines of the clip engage with a surface of the second chamber, thereby substantially closing the septal opening.

Abstract: An identification system for identifying and validating selected components of a communication system and methods for manufacturing and using same. The communication system includes a host system that is configured to couple with one or more target systems. When the host system is coupled with a selected target system, the communication system can enter an identification mode wherein the selected target system can provide identification data to the host system. The identification data includes information regarding at least one target system characteristic associated with the selected target system such that the host system can attempt to identify the selected target system based at least in part upon the target system characteristics. Once the selected target system has been identified, the communication system likewise can at least partially reconfigure the host system, as necessary, such that the host system can be compatible with the selected target system.

Abstract: An identification system for identifying and validating selected components of a communication system and methods for manufacturing and using same. The communication system includes a host system that is configured to couple with one or more target systems. When the host system is coupled with a selected target system, the communication system can enter an identification mode wherein the selected target system can provide identification data to the host system. The identification data includes information regarding at least one target system characteristic associated with the selected target system such that the host system can attempt to identify the selected target system based at least in part upon the target system characteristics. Once the selected target system has been identified, the communication system likewise can at least partially reconfigure the host system, as necessary, such that the host system can be compatible with the selected target system.

Abstract: A hardware emulation system is disclosed which reduces hardware cost by time multiplexing multiple design signals onto physical logic chip pins and printed circuit board. The hardware emulation system comprises a plurality of reprogrammable logic devices, and a plurality of reprogrammable interconnect devices. The logic devices and interconnect devices are interconnected together such that multiple design signals share common I/O pins and circuit board traces through the use of multiplexing.

Abstract: A processor-based emulation system for emulating an integrated circuit design, the processor-based emulation system including emulation circuitry and capture circuitry. The capture circuitry is operable to capture processing results from the emulation circuitry. The captured processing results can be used to identify functional errors in the integrated circuit design. Because the processor-based emulation system includes capture circuitry, emulation circuitry is not used for capturing the processing results.

Abstract: Prosthetic intervertebral discs, systems including such prosthetic intervertebral discs, and methods for using the same are described. The subject prosthetic discs include upper and lower endplates separated by a compressible core member. The subject prosthetic discs exhibit stiffness in the vertical direction, torsional stiffness, bending stiffness in the saggital plane, and bending stiffness in the front plane, where the degree of these features can be controlled independently by adjusting the components, construction, and other features of the discs.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided that facilitate automatic convergence and geometry alignment in projection systems. Preferably, an optical element such as a lens array is coupled to all areas of the projection system's screen and to a detector element such as a photocell array. In operation, each lens of the lens array is adapted to map an individual portion or region of the screen onto the photocell array. A microprocessor, controller or the like uses the data output from the photocells to instruct an alignment controller to center or steer the beams to compensate for convergence error at a particular location. In a center alignment mode, four (4) or more beacon dots located about the periphery of the screen are detected to determine screen size and position, which is used to center the video image and the centers of the mapped regions on the screen.

Abstract: A charging device that may perform charging with larger current is provided. The charging device comprises a switching element for increasing or decreasing charging power, a PWM controlling circuit for intermittently turning the switching element on and off, a current detecting circuit for detecting current flowing through the switching element, and a correcting circuit for correcting output voltage of the current detecting circuit depending on the temperature of the switching element. The PWM controlling circuit has a limiter terminal for turning off the switching element when voltage equal to or above a predetermined value is input, and corrected voltage from the correcting circuit is input to the limiter terminal.

Abstract: A tightening tool for tightening a fastener is disclosed which comprises a motor and a main shaft that engages with the fastener. A clutch is disposed between the motor and the main shaft so that the clutch rotates the main shaft by transmitting torque from the motor to the main shaft when a load acting on the main shaft is less than a predetermined value. The clutch shuts off torque transmission from the motor to the main shaft when the load acting on the main shaft reaches or exceeds the predetermined value. When in use, the current flowing to the motor and rotation angle of the main shaft of the motor are detected. The detected current and rotation angle are used to determine whether the tightening torque of the fastener is normal.

Abstract: An integrated motor and position sensor achieves motion between a moving portion and a stationary portion by electrically energizing poles to interact with magnetics respectively on the moving and stationary portions. The position sensor includes a plurality of sensing coils placed to intercept the magnetic flux between a plurality of the poles and the magnetics. The outputs from these coils are fed to a microprocessor DSP through an internal or external A/D converter. The microprocessor or DSP decodes the measured voltages using resolver strategies to produce a position, velocity or acceleration measurement.

Abstract: The present invention provides an internal shape of a rotor for a two-bore rotary carburetor used in a stratified scavenging engine whereby an engine for a power saw, lawn mower, or the like can be stabilized in the course of a complete change in orientation during idling. A groove pocket (10) in communication with a fuel supply-side bore (8) is formed at the aperture edge of each of the upstream end and the downstream end of a carburetor rotor valve (6) toward an accelerated rotation direction in the fuel supply-side bore (8) of the rotor valve (6). The groove pocket (10) is shaped so as to gradually rise and decrease in cross-sectional surface area toward the accelerated rotation direction along a peripheral surface of the rotor valve (6).

Abstract: A system and apparatus for controlled fusion in a field reversed configuration (FRC) magnetic topology and conversion of fusion product energies directly to electric power. Preferably, plasma ions are magnetically confined in the FRC while plasma electrons are electrostatically confined in a deep energy well, created by tuning an externally applied magnetic field. In this configuration, ions and electrons may have adequate density and temperature so that upon collisions they are fused together by the nuclear force, thus forming fusion products that emerge in the form of an annular beam. Energy is removed from the fusion product ions as they spiral past electrodes of an inverse cyclotron converter. Advantageously, the fusion fuel plasmas that can be used with the present confinement and energy conversion system include advanced (aneutronic) fuels.

Abstract: A target interface system for flexibly routing and timing communication signals exchanged between selected components of a communication system and methods for manufacturing and using same. Under the control of a host system, the target interface system samples an output data signal provided by the host system and includes a reconfigurable datapath for flexibly routing the sampled data signal to a selected target I/O pin of the target interface system. The selected target I/O pin provides the sampled data signal as an outgoing target data signal to a target system and likewise receives an incoming target data signal from the target system. Upon sampling the incoming target data signal, the target interface system flexibly routes the sampled data signal to the host system as an input data signal. The target interface system thereby facilitates exchanges of communication signals between the host system and the target system.

Abstract: Adjusting the maximum ventricular stimulation frequency according to the hemodynamic state of the patient in an active implantable medical device. This device provides for limiting ventricular stimulation to a maximum frequency (Fmax), the rate of delivery of the stimulation pulses, measuring an intracardiac bio-impedance (Zn, Zn+1), and adjusting the maximum frequency according to the measured intracardiac bio-impedance. The adjusting process can include evaluating a parameter representative of the cardiac flow (dn, dn+1) utilizing the intracardiac signal of bio-impedance; controlling a predetermined variation (X %) of the frequency (f) of delivery of the stimulation pulses; evaluating the correlative variation (y %) of the cardiac flow; and adjusting the value of the maximum frequency (Fmax) according to the variation of the cardiac flow thus evaluated.