Abstract: A method of driving a plurality of visible and invisible laser diodes so as to produce an illumination beam having a dynamically managed ratio of visible to invisible (IR) spectral energy/power during object illumination and imaging operations. The method involves supplying a plurality of visible laser and invisible laser diodes with a predetermined/default values of diode drive currents so as to illuminate the object with a spectral mixture of illumination during object illumination and imaging operations. One or more digital images of the illuminated object are captured and the image contrast quality thereof is measured, in real-time, so as to generate feedback or control data.

Abstract: A multi-mode parallel graphics rendering and display system supporting real-time graphics rendering and display operations using a graphics hub device. The system includes a CPU memory space, one or more CPUs for executing graphics-based applications, and a multi-mode parallel graphics rendering system (MPGRS) supporting multiple modes of parallel operation including object division, image division, and time division. The MMPGRS includes a plurality of graphic processing pipelines (GPPLs) that support a parallel graphics rendering process employing one or more modes of parallel operation.

Abstract: Method of and an Internet-based network for shipping, tracking and delivering a shipment of packages from a point of shipment pickup to point of destination. At the point of shipment pickup, digital images of the shipping documents are captured and processed to extract the original shipment tracking number and optionally shipping information. This information is automatically encoded into digital image files prior to transmission to an application server, and stored in a shipping information DBMS. While the shipment of packages is in transit, from the point of shipment pickup to the first scanning point in the Internet-based network, early customs clearance of the shipment is initiated and facilitated to speed up delivery of the package shipment to the point of destination.

Abstract: A laser beam despeckling device including a laser diode for producing a laser beam having a central characteristic wavelength. The device includes diode current drive circuitry for producing a diode drive current to drive said laser diode and produce said laser beam. High frequency modulation (HFM) circuitry modulates the diode drive current at a sufficiently high frequency to cause said laser diode to produce spectral side-band components about the central characteristic wavelength, and reducing the coherence as well as coherence length of the laser beam. An optical beam multiplexing (OMUX) module is provided for receiving the laser beam as input beam, a generating as output, a plurality of laser beam components that are recombined to produce a composite laser beam having substantially reduced coherence for use in illumination applications where a substantial reduction in speckle pattern noise is achieved.

Abstract: An automatic digital video-imaging based code symbol reading system for use in point of sale (POS) environments, employing automatic illumination control, multi-tier modular software architecture and digital video-imaging based code symbol reading techniques, which ensures the reliable reading of code symbols graphically represented in digital images, in high-throughput point-of-sale and other environments, while providing the versatility required to accommodate the different ways in which operators present objects for code symbol reading at POS environments.

Abstract: An Internet-based shipping, tracking and delivery network is deployed, wherein at the point of shipment pickup, digital images of shipping documents are captured and processed, shipping information graphically represented the digital images is extracted and encoded into digital image files, and these digital image files are transmitted to an application server and for storage in an information DBMS and subsequent recognition and processing, while the shipment is in transit, from the point of shipment pickup to the first scanning point. At the first scanning point, and subsequent sorting and routing hubs in the network, the original shipment number assigned to the package shipment and graphically represented in said shipping document images, is used to access the DBMS and retrieve recognized shipping information for use in sorting and routing each package in the shipment to its point of destination.

Abstract: An electronic shipping container labeling system for labeling a plurality of shipping containers transported through a shipping system. The system includes a plurality of electronic-ink shipping labels affixed to a plurality of shipping containers. Each electronic-ink shipping label displays graphical indicia representative of information relating to the status of the shipping container within the shipping system. One or more activation modules are provided throughout the shipping system for transmitting electromagnetic data signals to electronic-ink shipping labels and providing instructions to updateable electronic-ink shipping labels employed in the determination of graphic indicia to be displayed on electronic-ink shipping labels. Each electronic-ink shipping label employs an addressable display assembly including a layer of electronic ink including a bi-stable non-volatile imaging material.

Abstract: A remotely-alterable electronic-ink based display device employing an addressable display assembly including a layer of electronic ink including a bi-stable non-volatile imaging material. The device includes an integrated circuit layer having a storage element for storing instructions, programs and data, and a programmed processor in electrical communication with the addressable display assembly and an antenna structure. A signal transmitting layer transmits signals from the antenna structure to the remote activator module. A signal receiving layer receives electromagnetic signals from the remote activator module, using the antenna structure. An on-board battery power layer, operably connected to the integrated circuit layer, supplies electrical power the integrated circuit layer, which is responsive to electromagnetic signals received from the remote activator module by the antenna layer and the signal receiving layer.

Abstract: An electronic information display system for installation across wholesale/distribution channels. The system includes a plurality of electronic-ink display labels, associated with a plurality of manufactured items. One or more activation modules are provided across the wholesale/retail distribution channels, for transmitting electromagnetic data signals to the electronic-ink display labels and providing instructions to the updateable electronic-ink display labels. Each electronic-ink display label employs an addressable display assembly including a layer of electronic ink including a bi-stable non-volatile imaging material. The electronic-ink display label includes an integrated circuit structure having a storage element for storing instructions, programs and data, and a programmed processor in communication with storage element. A signal receiving structure receives electromagnetic signals from the activation module, using the antenna structure.

Abstract: A device for optically multiplexing a laser beam, having a glass plate construction with an input surface and an output surface, and bearing reflective and semi-reflective coatings arranged so as to optically multiplex an input laser beam entering the input surface, into multiple spatial-coherence reduced output laser beams exiting from the output surface. Through such optical multiplexing, and recombination, the coherence of the resulting laser beam is substantially reduced, as is the power of speckle pattern noise observed at an image detection array detecting an image of an object illuminated by said laser beam.

Abstract: A remotely-alterable flexible electronic-ink based display device employing a flexible addressable display assembly including a layer of electronic ink including a bi-stable non-volatile imaging material. The device includes a flexible integrated circuit layer having a storage element for storing instructions, programs and data, and a programmed processor in electrical communication with the addressable display assembly and a flexible antenna structure. A flexible signal transmitting layer transmits signals from the flexible antenna structure to a remote activator module. A flexible signal receiving layer receives electromagnetic signals from the remote activator module, using the antenna structure. A flexible on-board battery power layer, operably connected to the flexible integrated circuit layer, supplies electrical power the integrated circuit layer, which is responsive to electromagnetic signals received from the remote activator module by the antenna layer and the signal receiving layer.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for an Internet-based network configured for facilitating rapid re-labeling of a shipment of packages at the first scanning point in the Internet-based network. The network employs the capture of shipping document images and recognition-processing thereof initiated from the point of shipment pickup and completed while the shipment is being transported to the first scanning point. Shipping information extracted from the original shipping document is extracted from the shipping document images and stored in a DBMS. At the first scanning point, the shipping tracking number encoded within the original shipping document or original shipping label on the package in the shipment is used to access shipping information stored in the DBMS, and this shipping information is used to generate a new shipping label for each package in the shipment.

Abstract: A diverter for arrangement in a pipe, a barrel or a tower, and including an even number (?4) of conical cavities arranged annularly, all of the conical cavities converging at the center of the diverter. The intersection point of the axial lines of the odd numbered conical cavities and the intersection point of the axial lines of the even numbered conical cavities are located at both sides of and symmetrical about the center of the diverter. As fluid flows through the diverter, the fluid material in the central fluid and edge zones interchange position and produce three-dimensionally intersecting flow. The diverter can efficiently improve the effects of heat and mass transfer, and can be widely used in static mixers, heat exchangers for fluid with high viscosity, temperature homogenizers of the exit of the screw extruder, high efficiency pipe reactors, and in the occasions of fluid-fluid extraction, solid-fluid extraction, etc.

Abstract: An electronic-ink based multi-purpose board game includes a game board having a first electronic-ink display structure for displaying an graphical appearance associated with a particular game to be programmed and played using a plurality of game pieces. Each game piece has a second electronic-ink display structure for displaying a graphical appearance associated with the particular game programmed and to be played using the board game. The first and second electronic-ink display structures each include an addressable display assembly including a layer of electronic ink including a bi-stable non-volatile imaging material. The electronic monetary instrument includes an integrated circuit structure having a storage element for storing instructions, programs and data. The integrated circuit structure also includes a programmed processor in communication with storage element. A signal receiving structure receives electromagnetic signals from an activation module, using the antenna structure.

Abstract: A user-operable actuation device for use in a system. The user-operable actuation device includes a user-operable component supported within a support structure, and operated by the user, and also has an electronic-ink display label. An activation module is provided for transmitting electromagnetic data signals to the electronic-ink display label so as to provide instructions for use in the determinating of graphic indicia to be displayed on the electronic-ink display label. Each electronic-ink display label employs an addressable display assembly including a layer of electronic ink including a bi-stable non-volatile imaging material. The electronic-ink display label includes an integrated circuit structure having a storage element for storing instructions, programs and data, and a programmed processor in communication with storage element. A signal receiving structure receives electromagnetic signals from the activation module, using the antenna structure.

Abstract: Novel POS-based bar code symbol reading systems are disclosed having an integrated customer-kiosk terminal. Also disclosed are novel POS-Based Bar Code Reading Cash Register Systems having Integrated Internet-Enabled Customer-Kiosk Terminals.

Abstract: A card-sized electronic data storage device including an addressable display assembly including a layer of electronic ink including a bi-stable non-volatile imaging material. The card-sized electronic data storage device includes an integrated circuit structure having a storage element for storing instructions, programs and data. The integrated circuit structure also includes a programmed processor in communication with the storage element. A signal receiving structure receives electromagnetic signals from an activation module, using the antenna structure. The card-sized electronic data storage device displays the determined graphical indicia on the addressable display assembly.

Abstract: An electronic menu display system for use in a restaurant, including a plurality of portable menus. Each portable menu includes an electronic-ink display label for displaying graphical indicia on the electronic-ink display label. One or more activation modules are located within the restaurant, for providing instructions employed in the determination of graphic indicia to be displayed on the electronic-ink display labels of said portable menus. The electronic-ink display label employs an addressable display assembly including a layer of electronic ink including a bi-stable non-volatile imaging material. The electronic-ink display label includes an integrated circuit structure having a storage element for storing instructions, programs and data, and a programmed processor in communication with storage element. A signal receiving structure receives electromagnetic signals from the activation module, using the antenna structure.

Abstract: An electronic-ink labeling system for displaying graphical indicia within the space of a physical environment. The system includes a plurality of remote activator modules installed within the space of the physical environment, and a plurality of remotely-updateable electronic-ink labels installed within the space of the physical environment. Each remote activator module sends and transmits electromagnetic signals within the space of the physical environment. Each electronic-ink label employs an addressable display assembly including a layer of electronic ink including a bi-stable non-volatile imaging material. The device includes an integrated circuit structure having a storage element for storing instructions, programs and data, and a programmed processor in electrical communication with the addressable display assembly and an antenna structure. A signal transmitting structure transmits signals from the antenna structure to the remote activator module.

Abstract: An imaging engine includes a plurality of linear imaging arrays, image formation optics, at least one illumination module and supporting circuitry that are embodied within a modular engine housing. The plurality of linear imaging arrays and image formation optics are mounted on an optical bench (which is integral to the engine housing) and provide field of views corresponding to the plurality of linear image arrays. The at least one illumination module produces planar light illumination that substantially overlaps the field of views corresponding to the plurality of linear imaging arrays. The supporting circuitry includes: timing signal generation circuitry that supplies timing signals to the linear imaging arrays in order to read out the row image data produced by such arrays and converts the row image data supplied thereto into digital form.