Abstract: A method and apparatus for accurately computing parallax information as captured by imagery of a scene. The method computes the parallax information of each point in an image by computing the parallax within windows that are offset with respect to the point for which the parallax is being computed. Additionally, parallax computations are performed over multiple frames of imagery to ensure accuracy of the parallax computation and to facilitate correction of occluded imagery.

Abstract: A phase detector that uses symbol sign information to aid the phase error detection process to determine a phase error of a complex signal such as a vestigial side band (VSB) signal. The phase detector comprises a subtractor having one input coupled to the I signal (i.e., an unquantized digital value that is sometimes referred to as a quasi-analog signal) and a second input coupled to the data output of a slicer (quantizer) representing the magnitude of a sample point within a symbol (i.e., a digital value representing one of M levels of the VSB signal). The unquantized signal is subtracted from the quantized I signal to produce a &Dgr;I signal. The I signal is also processed to determine the sign of the present symbol. A before-after symbol processor determines the sign values of a previous (before) symbol and a later (after) symbol and compares those signs to the sign of the present symbol.

Abstract: Long persistence phosphors based on strontium sulfide and activated with a divalent rare earth such as europium and a trivalent rare earth that does not change valence in a strontium sulfide host, and including oxygen and a halide, have long persistence and emit in the red-to-orange colors of the spectrum.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting the presence of a co-channel interference signal and, in response to detecting such an interference signal, utilizing a co-channel interference rejection filter. Specifically, the present invention monitors the status information generated by the error detecting/correcting circuitry of a signal receiver such as a high definition television (HDTV) receiver. A counter is used to determine an error rate. While this first error rate is being determined, the filter is not used within the signal path of the receiver. The filter is then switched into the signal path of the receiver and a second error rate is determined. The first and second error rates are then compared and if the first error rate is the same or lower than the second error rate, the co-channel interference rejection filter is not utilized.

Abstract: An infrared radiation detector includes a bolometer or micro-cantilever detector device which functions as a null detector in conjunction with electronic circuitry. The electronic circuitry senses a change in an output signal of the detector as the detector responds to infrared radiation incident upon the detector and provides a signal to a control element which provides a stimulus to the detector device to maintain the detector output signal at the same level. The element may be a piezoelectric element, a heater or a pair of electrodes and the corresponding stimulus may be stress, heat, or electrostatic change. The stimulus compensates for the effect of the infrared radiation and maintains the chosen detector output level at the same level. The nulling circuitry improves the linearity and dynamic range of the detector device.

Abstract: An emissive display device such as an active matrix electroluminescent display (AMEL display) has an improved method of operation. The AMEL display produces gray scale operation comprising an array of pixels, each pixel including a first transistor having its gate connected to a select line, its source connected to a data line, and its drain connected to the gate of a second transistor. The second transistor has its source adapted to receive a ramped voltage level, and its drain connected to a first electrode of an electroluminescent cell. The electroluminescent cell has a second electrode connected to an alternating current high voltage power source, wherein the electroluminescent cell is illuminated, when the ramp voltage level is less than a voltage level on the gate of the second transistor. The ramp voltage level is increased linearly during a frame duration, and the alternating current high voltage power source is on continuously during the same frame duration.

Abstract: A method and associated system that compensates for long-term variations in the light-emitting efficiency of individual organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) in an OLED display device, calculates and predicts the decay in light output efficiency of each pixel based on the accumulated drive current applied to the pixel and derives a correction coefficient that is applied to the next drive current for each pixel. In one exemplary embodiment of the invention, the calculation is based the accumulated current that has been passed through the device. In another exemplary embodiment, the calculation is based on a difference in voltage across the pixel at two instants. The compensation system is best used after the display device has been calibrated to provide uniform light output.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods relating to a motion adaptive median filter. In an embodiment of the present invention, a motion adaptive median filter includes a motion detect circuit, a soft switch, and a median filter. The motion detect circuit can have an output. The soft switch can have a first input and an output, and the first input of the soft switch can be coupled to the output of the motion detect circuit. The median filter can have a first input, and the first input of the median filter can be coupled to the output of the soft switch.

Abstract: A method of adjusting the position of a micro-mechanical bi-material cantilever is provided. The bi-material includes a first and a second material and each material has a corresponding thermal expansion coefficient. The method includes implanting ions predominantly into one material of the bi-material to modify internal stress in one of the first and second materials relative to the other material. The deformation of the bi-material is then detected to modulate the implantation of ions thereto.

Abstract: An apparatus and a concomitant method for using M-ary pyramid decomposition to reduce the computational complexity in determining motion vectors for block-based motion estimation is disclosed.

Abstract: A rear projection imaging system includes a light collimator, a curved turning mirror and a projector source. The projector source is operable to anamorphically project an image along a projection path that includes optics, such as a cylindrical lens. The optics imposes a first Scheimpflug condition on the system. The projection path proceeds onto the light collimator, but first reflects from the curved turning mirror. The curved turning mirror imposes a second Scheimpflug condition on the system.

Abstract: Provided are, among other things, devices for and methods for performing thermal signature assays on a two or more samples in an array, using active/control base thermopiles, the method comprising: [a] performing a heat transfer to the two or more samples in each of a two or more containers, using at least one base thermopile in thermal communication with the two or more containers; and [b] determining a total heat transferred to the samples by the base thermopile in step [a]; and [c] sensing in real time a temperature difference between a first sample and a second sample of the two or more samples resulting from performing step [a].

Abstract: An apparatus comprises an active region, a phosphor layer and a substrate. The active region is configured to emit light having a first band of wavelengths selected from a first group of wavelengths. The phosphor layer has a first refractive index. The phosphor layer includes a plurality of wavelength-converting phosphors. The phosphor layer is configured to convert the first band of wavelengths of light emitted from the active region to a second band of wavelengths. A center wavelength of the second band of wavelengths is greater than a center wavelength of the first band of wavelengths. The substrate is disposed between and in contact with the active region and the phosphor layer. The substrate has a second refractive index. The first refractive index substantially equals the second refractive index.

Abstract: Resistors can be screen printed onto a green tape stack from a resistor ink comprising ruthenium oxide and a sufficient amount of a low melting temperature glass so that the resultant mixture fires at a temperature of 850-900° C. A conductive layer, as of silver, terminates the screen printed resistor layer and one or two green tapes are applied over the resistor layer to embed the resistors during firing. A final conductive layer is applied after firing.

Abstract: An apparatus and concomitant method for creating and applying an encoded bitstream to evaluate the performance of a black box video decoder. The encoded bitstreams are designed such that the results from the DUT can be evaluated without the need of a human observer. The method applies the encoded bitstream to both a DUT and a compliant reference decoder and compares the results from both decoders to determine compliance of the DUT. Additional embodiments address postprocessing and the selection of a subset of test frames for evaluation.

Abstract: A method for fixating a camera, mounted on a motorized mount, on a target point. The method includes receiving a plurality of images representative of a scene; selecting, within the plurality of images, a first display reference image containing the target point at a first coordinate location; estimating, in a current image within the plurality of images, a transformation that maps the current image to the first display reference image; estimating a second coordinate location of the target point in the current image using the transformation; computing an image slip between the target point in the current image and the target point in the first display reference image; converting the image slip into an angular correction for fixating the camera; modifying the angular correction by using closed-loop control with the motorized mount; and warping the current image using the transformation to align the current image with the first display reference image.

Abstract: A MicroOptoElectroMechanical (MOEM) IR detector utilizes a novel combination of integrated MEMS and photonics to achieve high responsivity with low noise. Increasing incident radiant energy bends a bimaterial arm that moves a coupling waveguide into the evanescent field of a principal optical waveguide. This, in turn, modulates the light in the principal waveguide. This device has high detection sensitivity to incident radiation due to the combination of the length of the lever arm and the sensitivity of the evanescent field. The device exhibits low noise because photons are being modulated instead of electrons.

Abstract: A system for automatically generating a mosaic from a plurality of input images. The system sequentially executes an image alignment process, an editing process, and a combining process such that, from a sequence of images, the system automatically produces a seamless mosaic for various applications. Illustrative applications for the mosaic include: (1) a mosaic based display system including an image printing system, (2) a surveillance system and (3) a mosaic based compression system. The mosaic based display system permits a system user to display, manipulate and alter a mosaic. The mosaic based compression system exploits the temporal and spatial redundancy in image sequences and efficiently compresses the image information. The compression system can be used for compressing image information for storage in a storage device or can be used for compressing image information for transmission through a band-limited transmission channel.

Abstract: Provided is a liquid handling device comprising: a cylindrical actuator cavity in a substrate, the actuator cavity intersected by two or more actuator channels; one or more chambers with an access channel adapted to connect to a separate one of actuator channels; and a actuator comprising (a) a cylindrical body having a cylinder axis and having therein a liquid-handling compartment with, arrayed along the cylinder axis, a first end and a second end, the liquid-handling compartment being closed at the second end, (b) a dispensing channel located at the second end and traversing the cylindrical body, the dispensing channel adapted to be separately aligned with the actuator channels, wherein the actuator is adapted to receive in a seal-tight manner a plunger that operates to confine an effective chamber defined by the plunger and the second end by moving toward the second end or to expand the effective chamber by moving toward the first end.

Abstract: A wavelength division multiplex optical crossconnect system and add/drop multiplexer including a dense wavelength division multiplexed (DWDM) source which preferably includes a multiwavelength mode-locked (MWML) external cavity laser as a fundamental sub-circuit for optically crossconnecting several multi-wavelength data channels onto similar data channels having an interchanged set of optical wavelengths. The optical crossconnect architecture allows the rearrangement of multiple logical channels in a timely manner to support protection switching, traffic grooming, and other telecommunications network functions. The crossconnect architecture further supports multiple physical fibers into and out of the crossconnect, where each fiber carries multiple logical channels on multiple wavelengths of light which are assigned particular wavelength carriers, crossconnected onto any other physical fiber, and assigned another wavelength carrier.