Abstract: An Advanced Television Standards Committee (ATSC)-compliant pilot tone is generated within an 8-VSB (eight level vestigial sideband) transmission in order to enable Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) receiver designs to more efficiently process the transmitted/received 8-VSB signal. The method and apparatus also efficiently removes the pilot tone before using conventional QAM demodulator equipment for directly demodulating the 8-VSB signal.

Abstract: Reduction in the time required for an Advanced Television Standards Committee (ATSC) digital television tuner to equalize, converge, and acquire a digital television signal suitable for viewing, wherein early model ATSC tuners also include a National Television Standards Committee (NTSC) analog tuner, is achieved by using a microprocessor to control use of the NTSC tuner to scan television channels. A channel measurement module converts the scanned analog signal to a digital signal, and the equalization coefficients for the resultant digital signal are stored in memory. The equalization coefficients stored in memory are then accessed and utilized to tune in new channels on the ATSC tuner. The amount of time necessary for the ATSC tuner to tune in a new channel is thus reduced. When the ATSC tuner is in use, the equalization coefficient data stored in memory are periodically updated.

Abstract: A high power motor drive converter comprises: a three level neutral point clamped (NPC) output power conversion stage including switches for supplying power to an AC drive motor; a split series connected DC capacitor bank coupled in parallel with the NPC output power conversion stage; and a controller for selecting switch positions for controlling the NPC output power conversion stage and compensating for a neutral point voltage imbalance of the DC capacitor bank by adjusting amplitudes of carrier voltages according to an amount of voltage imbalance in the split series connected DC capacitor bank.

Abstract: A method for molding an optical disk comprises: applying a thermally insulative insert coating to at least one thermally insulative mold insert to provide at least one coated mold insert having a reduced surface roughness; positioning the coated mold insert between a thermally conductive mold form and a portion of a thermally conductive mold apparatus; injecting a molten thermoplastic material into the mold apparatus; retaining the material in the mold apparatus for a time sufficient for the molten thermoplastic material to cool below its glass transition temperature to form the optical disk; and ejecting the optical disk from the mold apparatus. In another embodiment, the mold insert is coated or laminated on the mold form with the mold insert having a coefficient of thermal expansion compatible with the coefficient of thermal expansion of the mold form. In another embodiment, the mold insert is fabricated by being applied, cured, and then removed from a release layer.

Abstract: An induction motor rotor comprises a rotor shaft, a rotor core, which may be solid or may include a plurality of rotor laminations, having rotor bar slots, a plurality of rotor bars extending through the rotor bar slots, and two rotor end rings brazed to the rotor bars and extending to the rotor shaft, the rotor bars and rotor end rings pre-stressing the rotor core.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing noise in a three dimensional rectilinear parallelepiped data point array includes both erosion and dilation processes for each array point value. The erosion process includes the steps of determining gradients along all three axis which pass through a data point and modifying the point value as a function of the gradients to generate an updated point value. The dilation process includes the steps of using point values from the updated array, determining gradients along all three axis which pass through the point, and modifying the updated point value as a function of the gradients to generate a final and revised point value.

Abstract: A method of lasing a filler wire to weld a first workpiece to a second workpiece comprising first and second materials, respectively, includes positioning a tip of the filler wire above an opening defined by the workpieces. The tip extends over a width of the opening and over a portion of each of the workpieces. The filler wire is preheated and melted by directing a laser beam at the tip. The laser beam is advanced along a length of the opening with the tip positioned under the laser beam to form a high aspect ratio weld between the workpieces. The high aspect ratio weld has an aspect ratio of at least about two. The energy and time required for the laser beam to melt the filler wire is reduced as the filler wire is preheated.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system for recording a viewer's television viewership habits. Sensors monitor the audio signal, synchronization signal, and video signal emanating from the television. A time coincidence channel tag is mixed with the transmitted television audio or video signal at a dwelling by a master unit. Then by matching the channel tag of the viewed channel with the channel tag, an accurate identification of the viewed channel can be made.

Abstract: A method of acquiring a three-dimensional surface image of an object using a range camera automatically calculates an optimal number of scans. The optimal number of scans is calculated in accordance with operator-defined and camera optical parameters. Scan data acquired for each scan is merged with a preference for higher resolution data over lower resolution data for any given scanned area, such that the merged scan data forms the three-dimensional surface image of the object.

Abstract: A method for characterizing the parameters of a normally occurring turbine exhaust gas temperature profile is provided. From that characterization the characteristics of a filter function to eliminate or significantly reduce the strength of aliased signals from that normally occurring pattern are established. Sensors to provide filtering functions for that purpose include a distributed gradient thermocouple system and a resistance thermometer system. Examples of such sensor systems are disclosed. The method and related sensors improve the detection limits associated with exhaust gas temperature profiles used to monitor, diagnose, and control gas turbines.

Abstract: Shape of a long reach device, e.g., a welding torch, suitable for use within a portion of an object along a joint curve, e.g., a weld joint, is determined by dissecting the long reach device into a discrete number of portions, identifying ranges of movement between each of the portions, and discretizing the ranges of movement into a predetermined number of intervals. A total number of possible shapes is determined based on the total portions of the long reach device having the first movement range discretized into a predetermined number of intervals. A representation of the long reach device having one of the possible shapes is compared with the representation of the portion of the object.

Abstract: A turbo decoder control comprises an address generator for addressing systematic data, parity data, and systematic likelihood ratios according to a pre-determined memory mapping. The systematic data samples are accessed in the order required by the MAP decoding algorithm such that interleaving and de-interleaving functions in the MAP decoding algorithm are performed in real-time, i.e., without delay. Such memory-mapping in combination with data handling functions (e.g., multiplexing and combinatorial logic) minimizes memory requirements for the turbo decoder and allows for use of programmable interleavers, variable block lengths, and multiple code rates.

Abstract: A method for fabricating an induction motor rotor lamination includes using an indexed notching die to punch a plurality of closed rotor slots at -different distances from a center point of rotation by punching a first rotor slot, changing the position of a center point of the rotor lamination with respect to the notching die, and punching a second rotor slot. In another embodiment, a plurality of rotor slit patterns are punched using a variable depth indexed notching die including at least two rotor slit punching portions, one being deeper than another, by punching a first rotor slit pattern, changing the depth of closure of the notching die, and punching a second rotor slit pattern with the second rotor slit pattern having a different number of rotor slits than the first.

Abstract: A hybrid synchronous machine includes a cylindrical element having slots; excitation windings situated in at least some of the slots; and permanent magnets situated in at least some of the slots, the permanent magnets comprising radially magnetized permanent magnets.

Abstract: A method for molding an optical disk includes applying a thermally insulative mold insert onto a thermally conductive mold form by coating the mold insert on the mold form. The mold insert has a coefficient of thermal expansion compatible with the coefficient of thermal expansion of the mold form and includes an adhesion promoting material. The method further includes positioning the coated mold form in a thermally conductive mold apparatus with the mold insert positioned between the mold form and the mold apparatus; injecting a molten thermoplastic material into the mold apparatus; retaining the molten thermoplastic material in the mold apparatus for a time sufficient for the molten thermoplastic material to cool below its glass transition temperature to form the optical disk; and ejecting the optical disk from the mold apparatus.

Abstract: A gear transmission monitoring method includes: forming a good operating condition baseline matrix by, for each of a plurality of different gear mesh frequencies, obtaining a good operating condition signal indicative of gear transmission conditions over a segment of time and transforming the obtained good operating condition signal into a good operating condition time-frequency spectrum; and then obtaining a gear mesh frequency and a test signal over a segment of time, transforming the obtained test signal into a test time-frequency spectrum, and using the gear mesh frequency and the good operating condition baseline matrix to examine the test time-frequency spectrum to monitor gear transmission conditions.

Abstract: A turbine blade having a cooled shroud comprises a blade attachment portion and a radially extended turbine airfoil integral with the blade attachment portion. The turbine airfoil has a plurality of cooling passages. A tip shroud is affixed to a top portion of the airfoil, the tip shroud having a plurality of circumferential cooling channels disposed substantially parallel to the rotation of the airfoil. Each circumferential cooling channel is in communication with a respective cooling passage and at least one exit port is in communication with at least one of the circumferential cooling channels.

Abstract: A direct current machine monitoring system includes a current sensor for monitoring load current of the machine; and a computer for obtaining a power spectrum in a range including a machine trait-passing frequency, determining a magnitude of a maximum peak in the power spectrum in a range including the trait-passing frequency plus or minus an uncertainty frequency, and evaluating the magnitude of the maximum peak to assess a condition of the machine. The computer may additionally or alternatively be used for obtaining a low frequency power spectrum of the load current, obtaining at least one magnitude of a component of the power spectrum at a respective predicted frequency, and evaluating the at least one magnitude of the component to assess the condition of the machine.

Abstract: A method of forming a turbine engine component, includes providing a mold having a textured region, pouring a molten alloy into the mold, and cooling the molten alloy to form a turbine engine component, wherein the turbine engine component has an enhanced surface area region corresponding to the textured region of the mold, the enhanced surface area region comprising randomly arranged bumps.

Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of the invention is directed to a method for defining a system hierarchy for a system including a plurality of variables. The method includes generating a first level system block corresponding to a first variable at a first level of the system hierarchy. The first level system block includes statistical information related to the first variable. A second level system block is generated corresponding to a second variable at a second level of the system hierarchy. The second variable has an effect on a value of the first variable. The second level system block includes statistical information related to the second variable.