Abstract: An HOV enforcement system comprises roadside imaging units connected over a network to a central processing center. The roadside imaging units include Ethernet cameras with integrated vehicle detectors, night-time lighting, and image servers. The central processing center includes a central server with license plate reading and vehicle matching software, storage and databases, and review staff to issue bills and citations.

Abstract: A color-recognition camera comprises a red-green-blue CCD-imaging device that provides an analog RGB-video signal. A set of three analog-to-digital converters convert the analog RGB-video signal into a digital RGB-video signal. A digital comparator tests the digital RGB-video signal pixel-by-pixel for a match against a color setpoint. If a match occurs, a pixel with a particular color represented by the color setpoint has been recognized and a “hit” is output. A pixel address counter provides a pixel address output each time a “hit” is registered. The number of hits per video frame are accumulated, and a color-match area magnitude value is output for each frame. Alternatively, neural networks are used to indicate hits when a pixel in the video image comes close enough to the color setpoint value. Just how close can be “learned” by the neural network.

Abstract: A method for fabricating semiconductor microstructures with a combination of etching steps, i.e. local RIE, isotropic, etc. followed by deep anisotropic etching.

Abstract: In a vehicle time-of-entry and time-of-exit system, the passing of a vehicle through an entrance generates a “trigger-t0” signal. An entrance video camera provides realtime images of entering vehicles. The trigger-t0 signal causes one video frame of the image of vehicle to be stored or “frame-grabbed” in an entrance subsystem. A time-of-entry clock-time signal is used to time-stamp the image which is then forwarded on a connection to a matcher. The passing of a vehicle through an exit generates a “trigger-t1” signal. An exit video camera 116 provides realtime images of exiting vehicles. The trigger-t1 signal causes one video frame of the image of vehicle to be stored or “frame-grabbed” in an exit subsystem. A clock-time signal is used to time-stamp the image which is then forwarded on a connection to the matcher. A output automatically provides a length-of-stay for each exiting vehicle according to its time-of-entry.

Abstract: A radiated electric-field meter comprises high frequency and low frequency antennas connected to a pre-amplifier with manually adjustable gain. This feeds a linear-logarithmic amplifier/detector with a mode switch for logarithmic/linear operations. A standard panel meter provides an analog reading. Red and green LED panel lights are set close together and fed opposite signals proportional to the detected field strength. As the measurements change from zero to full-scale, the relative intensities of the green and red LED's change, providing a hue change proportional to field strength. A silent vibrator can also be switched in to provide a vibrator indication of field strength and changes of field strength.

Abstract: A chassis-rack system mounts two 19″ RETMA rack chassis back-to-back in the same vertical 1U-space. Each has an independent cooling system that draws-in cold air from respective front and rear panels. Such panels are provided with a series of slots that are blocked-off in different patterns according to empirical cooling tests, done with particular complements of internal constituent components. Such intakes are typically at a left side of the panel, and air drawn in is forced to flow to the back and around to the right by two floor-to-ceiling partition walls. Such walls can define bay for a CD-ROM, floppy disk, or PCI-bus. The drawn-in air is critically sequenced first over processors, memory, then hard disk drives, and finally over a power supply. The power supply is near the front on the right, typically, and-two 33-CFM fans exhaust the heated air out the respective panels.

Abstract: A combined satellite positioning and electro-optical total station system includes a reference oscillator that provides local oscillator signals for a satellite navigation receiver and a precision frequency source for use by an electronic distance meter. When the satellite navigation receiver is locked onto and tracking orbiting navigation satellites, the highly precise cesium-rubidium clocks in the navigation satellite system can be used as standards to control the reference oscillator in the combined satellite positioning and electro-optical total station system. Baseline measurements made by the electronic distance meter are therefore not subject to mis-calibrations and drift as long as the satellite navigation receiver is locked onto and tracking the orbiting navigation satellites.

Abstract: A vehicle video imaging system comprises a white-light LED array for illuminating retro-reflective painted parts of a vehicle's license plate, a powerful flash with a visual spectrum cutout filter and a polarizing filter for illuminating any non-retro-reflective license plate paint and the vehicle itself. A video camera with a polarizing filter turned 90° relative to the one in front of the flash receives the illuminated image of the vehicle and its license plate. The retro-reflective paint of a license plate will return polarized light as it is received, so the white-light LED array will provide all the illumination needed by the camera to get a good high-contrast picture of the license plate. The polarizing filters will combine to block out most of the light from the flash that was returned still-polarized by the retro-reflective-paint license plate.

Abstract: A fast frame-rate imaging device is produced by a attaching a fiberoptic block to an otherwise ordinary and inexpensive CCD. A part of the fiberoptic block is occluded so as to darken a majority of the active imaging photocells. The CCD imaging device is operated at near its maximum horizontal and vertical clock rates, but multiple image frames are defined within the one previous active photocell array field. The added dark areas in the optical field protect the recent frames still in transit within the active array area from being double exposed and thus corrupted. The serial output of the thus-modified CCD imaging device is reinterpreted to include more frames than originally at a multiple equal to the original array dimension divided by the new array dimension (m·n/m′·n′). Such a modified CCD array uses only one-fourth of the original active area, and is operable at a multiple of the original frame rate.

Abstract: A combined satellite positioning and electro-optical total station system includes a reference oscillator that provides local oscillator signals for a satellite navigation receiver and a precision frequency source for use by an electronic distance meter. When the satellite navigation receiver is locked onto and tracking orbiting navigation satellites, the highly precise cesium-rubidium clocks in the navigation satellite system can be used as standards to control the reference oscillator in the combined satellite positioning and electro-optical total station system. Baseline measurements made by the electronic distance meter are therefore not subject to mis-calibrations and drift as long as the satellite navigation receiver is locked onto and tracking the orbiting navigation satellites.

Abstract: A neural network integrated circuit comprises many neuron circuits each with a distance resister that is compared in a competition for the closest-hit with all the other neurons. Such closest-hit comparison is conducted bit-by-bit over the many bit positions of a distance measure in binary format each time after the neurons fire. A single-wire AND-bus interconnects every neuron in a whole system. Each neuron drives the single-wire AND-bus with an open-collector buffer. All neurons press the single-wire AND-bus with their respective distance measures in successive cycles, starting with the most significant bit. For example, a fourteen-bit binary distance word requires fourteen comparison cycles. Any neuron that sees a “0” on the single-wire AND-bus when its own corresponding bit in its distance measure is a “1”, automatically drops from the competition. By the time the least significant bit cycle is run, a single closest distance will have been determined.

Abstract: An arc lamp comprises nine component parts that are brought together in three brazes and one TIG-weld to result in a finished product. An anode assembly is brazed with the rest of a body sub-assembly in one step instead of two. A single-bar cathode-support strut is brazed together as one step. A window flange and a sapphire output window are brazed together with the product of the strut braze step in a mounted-cathode-braze step. A copper-tube fill tubulation, a kovar sleeve, a ceramic reflector body, an anode flange, and a tungsten anode are all brazed together in a “body-braze” step. The products of the mounted-cathode-braze step and body-braze step are tungsten-inert-gas (TIG) welded together in a final welding step. A lamp is finished by filling it with xenon gas and pinching off the tubulation.

Abstract: An arc lamp comprises a single edge-to-edge cathode support strut on which the cathode is mounted with an end slot. Such makes heat and thermal stress loading on the assembly symmetrical over operational time, and arc tip wander from the anode center is practically eliminated. Nine component parts that are brought together in only three brazes and one TIG-weld to result in a finished product. An anode assembly is brazed with the rest of a body sub-assembly in one step instead of two. A single-bar cathode-support strut is brazed together as one step. A window flange and a sapphire output window are brazed together with the product of the strut braze step in a mounted-cathode-braze step. A copper-tube fill tubulation, a kovar sleeve, a ceramic reflector body, an anode flange, and a tungsten anode are all brazed together in a “body-braze” step. The products of the mounted-cathode-braze step and body-braze step are tungsten-inert-gas (TIG) welded together in a final welding step.

Abstract: A high-intensity arc lamp comprises a glass envelope with a pressurized gas atmosphere. A cathode and an anode structure are disposed within. A pointed tip of the cathode is juxtaposed by a central hole in a face of the anode and a small gap between them. Such central hole is vented away from the arc down inside the anode structure. During operation, heat from the arc at the entrance to the central hole drives a wind of xenon gas down through such vents in the anode structure.

Abstract: A high pressure mercury lamp comprises a quartz envelope that contains an atmosphere and a pair of arc-discharge electrodes. These are coil-wound tungsten that has been doped to grain-stabilize the tungsten crystalline structure, e.g., with potassium or potassium and alumina. Preferred potassium doping levels of the tungsten material are in the range of 35-75 ppm. A suitable commercial product of alumina and potassium doped tungsten material is Type BSD-Sylvania. The atmosphere generally comprises a rare gas like xenon, to which is added no more than 0.2 mg/mm3 of mercury so as to keep operating pressure under 200 bar (197 atm). But the electrical power applied is sufficient to maintain arc power loadings of at least 150 watts/mm. The resultant wall loading is more than 0.8 watts/mm2, and lamp operating-power levels can be greater than 150 watts.

Abstract: A process for the extraction of alumina, iron oxide and titanium dioxide from bauxite ore and clays, and other ore bodies and feedstocks. The process starts by sulfuric acid leaching of the feedstocks in pressure autoclaves at about 200° C. and appropriate pressure. A leach liquor of sulfate salts of aluminum, iron and titanium is obtained. Any iron values are converted to a ferrous state. A recycled potassium sulfate helps produce double aluminum alkali sulfate crystals in the reduced leach liquor. The crystals are removed at about 20°-60° C. with the help of SO2 gases that reduce the ferric. Such double salt is hydrolyzed into a basic aluminum alkali precipitated sulfate salt. This is then dried and calcined at about 950° C. Any alkali sulfate is washed out and recycled. The remainder is alumina. The ferrous sulfate is crystallized out at about 10° C. It is dried and calcined at about 450° C. to produce an iron oxide mixed with other sulfate salts that can be washed out and recycled.

Abstract: An arc lamp system comprises a power supply coupled to a xenon arc lamp through an interface constructed on a heavy printed circuit board. Such plugs directly into an igniter printed circuit board. In turn, a xenon arc lamp module with heatsinks plugs directly onto banana plugs bolted on the interface printed circuit board. Copper traces buried on inner layers of the interface printed circuit board are very wide and heavy, and kept as short as possible.

Abstract: An integrated compound reflector ceramic arc lamp comprises three internal mirrors. Top and bottom concave mirrors encircle the inter-electrode gap. The third mirror is convex and is mounted coaxially on the stem of the cathode and faces a sapphire window. Its appearance is like that of a 360 ° apron. Light rays emitted from the inter-electrode gap below a critical elevation angle will be reflected off the bottom concave mirror. Such rays bounce only once before exiting through the window to an external focus. Light rays emitted from the inter-electrode gap above the critical elevation angle, will be reflected off the top concave mirror. Such rays will bounce twice before exiting through the window to the focus. The rays that do reflect from the top concave mirror are directed to the convex cathode apron reflector, and from there will be reflected out the window to the focus.

Abstract: An improved GPS navigation receiver for converting range and range-rate information from microwave radio transmissions from orbiting satellites and for determining a position of the receiver from a processing of the information and an output connected to provide the determined position on a display. The improvement comprises a database of maps stored in a portable document format (PDF) file independent of any hardware, software and operating system used to create it. The PDF file provides for a description of documents including any combination of text, graphics and images in a device-independent and resolution-independent format. The database is connected to output selected ones of the maps on the display with hypertext access on points-of-interest.