Abstract: A process for the production of a bituminous composition, includes (i) producing a mix of aggregates with a maximum diameter less than or equal to 30 mm and of an amount less than or equal to 0.8 g per square meter of specific surface developed by the aggregates of at least one cationic polymer in the liquid form having a density of cationic charges greater than or equal to 0.5 meq/g and an intrinsic viscosity of from 0.01 to 0.8 dl/g; and (ii) putting the mix obtained in stage (i) into contact with at least one bituminous binder. A bituminous composition includes at least one specific cationic polymer and the use of at least one specific cationic polymer in the surface treatment of aggregates intended for the preparation of a bituminous composition are the other two subject-matters of the present invention.

Abstract: A ductile ultra-high performance concrete which includes in relative parts by weight: 100 of Portland cement; 50 to 200 of a sand having a single grading with a D1O to D90 between 0.063 and 5 mm, or a mixture of sands, the finest sand having a D1O to D90 between 0.063 and 1 mm and the coarsest sand having a D1O to D90 between 1 and 5 mm; 0 to 70 of a particulate pozzolanic or non-pozzolanic material or a mixture thereof having a mean particle size less than 15 ?m; 0.1 to 10 of a water-reducing superplasticizer; 10 to 30 of water; and 0.5 to 5% by volume relative to the volume of the hardened composition of glass fibers having an aspect ratio of 6 to 120.

Abstract: A method for processing image data includes using advantages of both a three-layer MRC model and an N-layer MRC model to create a new 3+N layer MRC model and to generate a 3+N layer MRC image. The method includes providing input image data; segmenting the input image data to generate: (i) a background layer representing the background and the pictorial attributes of the image data, (ii) one or more binary foreground layers, (iii) a selector layer, and (iv) a contone foreground layer representing the foreground attributes of the image data on the background layer; and integrating the background layer, the selector layer, the contone foreground layer, and the one or more binary foreground layers into a data structure having machine-readable information for storage in a memory device. Each binary foreground layer includes one or more pixel clusters representing text pixels of a particular color in the input image data.

Abstract: A printing system includes a printer configured to render items based on customer requirements; a sorting and packaging system configured to automatically sort and package printed items; and a processor configured to print, sort and package items based on predetermined physical locations within a customer's business establishment where the printed items are to be displayed. A method of printing is also provided.

Abstract: A method and system of relaxing the ordering of a read completion by setting an ordering attribute in the read completion. The relaxed ordering allows the read completion to bypass pending writes.

Abstract: Systems and methods for intelligent service assurance testing provided herein include receiving network infrastructure information relating to a network, receiving one or more service assurance testing parameters, determining a test schedule of one or more service assurance tests for service assurance testing of the network, the test schedule being based at least in part on the network infrastructure information and the one or more service assurance testing parameters, and deploying the one or more service assurance tests on one or more devices of the network according to the test schedule.

Abstract: The invention provides an optical printed circuit board connector, comprising: a housing having a major plane; an optical interface for connection in use to another optical interface on a device to which in use the optical printed circuit board connector is arranged to be connected, in which the optical interface on the connector is mounted such that it is twistable about a vertical axis in the major plane to vary the launch angle of light from the interface with respect to the housing.

Abstract: A case for use with an electronic device having a screen has a base and a support mechanism. The support mechanism has a flexible body that is movable relative to the base between a first (substantially flat) position and a second position. The flexible body is configured to bend into a convex configuration and extend in a direction away from the outer surface of the base in the second position. The body in the second position can be used to engage a flat surface and to support the electronic device in an at least partially vertical viewing position to display the screen on the electronic device. The support mechanism may include a single piece or two arms configured to move relative to each other. The support mechanism may move in a longitudinal or a lateral direction relative to the base.

Abstract: Methods and systems that enhance interference cancellation are described. Samples are obtained from stacked carriers in a received signal and a data vector is created from the samples. Stacked carriers are selected using a steering vector received during synchronization of the receiver. The steering vector is calculated to obtain cancellation of interference from another receiver and is calculated based on time domain channel estimation. Specialized time domain training sequences and simple cross correlation are used to obtain a channel estimate for use in stacked carrier beamforming and/or for use in OFDM based spatial beamforming. State space or filter based modeled interpolators in the frequency domain or time domain to interpolation of the channels, or whitening matrix-filters over time or frequency are used for maintaining linear beamforming weights as a function of time or frequency. Space time adaptive processing facilitates beamforming of communications signals OFDM and 802.16 (WiMax) systems.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for granulating and crystallizing thermoplastic polymers, the granules being contained in a liquid after granulation of a polymer melt and the granules being nucleated in the liquid once the pressure of the liquid is increased and the temperature of the liquid is increased, and the granules being crystallized in the liquid once the pressure of the liquid is again increased and the temperature of the liquid is again increased. According to the invention, the granules are removed from the liquid once the pressure and the temperature of the liquid containing the granules have been reduced.

Abstract: A control system for a remotely operated vehicle is disclosed. The control system includes a sensor tracking system configured to sense the remotely operated vehicle. The control system is coupled to the sensor tracking system and is configured to remotely control the remotely operated vehicle. The control system includes a synthetic view generator configured to construct a virtual model of the remotely operated vehicle and its surrounding environment based upon an input from the sensor tracking system. The control system also includes a graphical user interface configured to display a synthetic view of the virtual model. In addition, the control system includes a synthetic viewer control configured to manipulate an orientation of the synthetic view.

Abstract: A secure communication module is provided for securing communication between a client application and a network service. The secure communication module comprises an authentication identifier provider for providing the client application a pool of authentication identifiers for use in subsequent communication with the network service, and an authentication identifier validator for checking the validity of an authentication identifiers from the pool of authentication identifiers sent with the subsequent communication.

Abstract: Provided is a method and system for the management of inventory and/or promotional campaigns associated with electronic distribution of secure money saving or discount incentives, including coupons and other marketing incentives and, in particular, to modifying a promotional campaign and/or modifying inventory levels and product ordering based on transaction data relating to coupons distributed as part of an online computer system for interactively distributing such incentives to remotely connected consumer computers.

Abstract: An epitaxial reactor enabling simultaneous deposition of thin films on a multiplicity of wafers is disclosed. During deposition, a number of wafers are contained within a wafer sleeve comprising a number of wafer carrier plates spaced closely apart to minimize the process volume. Process gases flow preferentially into the interior volume of the wafer sleeve, which is heated by one or more lamp modules. Purge gases flow outside the wafer sleeve within a reactor chamber to minimize wall deposition. In addition, sequencing of the illumination of the individual lamps in the lamp module may further improve the linearity of variation in deposition rates within the wafer sleeve. To improve uniformity, the direction of process gas flow may be varied in a cross-flow configuration. Combining lamp sequencing with cross-flow processing in a multiple reactor system enables high throughput deposition with good film uniformities and efficient use of process gases.

Abstract: A class D amplifier includes an amplifier that generates a digital signal for driving a load based on an input signal, an attenuator that attenuates the input signal according to an attenuation command signal, and a clip prevention controller that outputs the attenuation command signal to intermittently attenuate the input signal when the digital signal is brought into a clip state or a near-clip state.

Abstract: Included are embodiments for reducing alien crosstalk. At least one embodiment of a method includes receiving noise data associated with a first user signal on a first tone, receiving noise data associated with a second user signal on the first tone, and receiving at least one alien crosstalk canceller coefficient for the first user on the first tone. Some embodiments include applying the at least one alien crosstalk canceller coefficient to the second user signal to reduce alien crosstalk for the first user signal.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for determining a state of loop termination. One embodiment comprises receiving an un-calibrated echo signal for the loop under test using frequency domain reflectometry single-ended line testing (FDR-SELT) and determining the state of loop termination based on phase of the un-calibrated echo signal. The step of determining the state of loop termination comprises determining whether the loop is terminated by an open termination or a short termination by correlating the phase of the echo signal with an expected phase of the echo signal derived from measurements taken at the same loop length for open and short terminations. For other embodiments, the amplitude of the un-calibrated echo signal is analyzed to determine whether the loop is terminated by a matched-impedance termination.

Abstract: A delivery apparatus for selectively delivering one or more liquid reagents into a reaction or test chamber (2), especially of an assay apparatus, the apparatus comprising: one or more respective storage chambers (5,6) for containing the one or more liquid reagents and arranged generally above the reaction or test chamber (2); and a plunger element (4) arranged and operable for insertion into the mouth of a selected storage chamber so as to displace a selected reagent from therewithin into the reaction or test chamber (2) generally therebelow by gravitational liquid overflow from the mouth of the chamber. The apparatus may conveniently be provided as a discrete delivery unit, with the storage chambers (5,6) prefilled with the selected reagents.

Abstract: Efficiency of computation of logarithmic and exponential functions may be improved using multiplication by pre-computed coefficients to obtain intermediate products.

Abstract: A mask can be used to print a pattern. Due to mask pattern surface topography, an image error may occur, such as an intensity imbalance between adjacent bright lines in the projected pattern. To help alleviate or eliminate the problem of intensity imbalance, the projection system may include an optical phase adjuster constructed and arranged to adjust a phase of an electric field of optical beams of radiation beam traversing the adjuster. A reduction of intensity imbalance is achieved by suitably adjusting the phases of the zeroth, plus first and minus first-order diffracted radiation emanating from the mask pattern. By adjusting the phase differently for different portions of the illumination, the method can be applied such that no decrease of depth of focus due, for example, the 0th order is occurring.