Abstract: A turret mounted gun on a shooter tank with a laser scanner transmitter in its barrel emits a laser beam upon a trigger pull. The laser beam is directed toward a target tank based upon a shooter's ranging and tracking using a standard fire control computer to provide conventional ranging and tracking. The target tank is scanned with the laser beam to measure target azimuth and target elevation with respect to a boresight of the gun of shooter tank. Optical receivers mounted on the turret of the target tank detect the laser beam and a system control unit determines the trigger pull time, target azimuth and target super elevation. The system control unit also determines a range to the target tank by comparing a set of GPS coordinates of the two tanks.

Abstract: An interface, used in association with an electrode structure deployed in contact with heart tissue, generates a display comprising an image of the electrode structure at least partially while performing a therapeutic or diagnostic procedure. The interface annotates the image in response to procedure events.

Abstract: A vehicle pick-up bed with fenders is disclosed that can be folded into shape by hand. The component includes a generally flat sheet of colored material and a generally flat sheet of reinforced polymeric material. Preferably, the sheet of colored material is placed in the mold and the reinforced polymeric material is injected into the mold, onto the back of the sheet of colored material. During the molding process, the reinforced polymeric material and the colored material are molded into a single, generally flat, solid component. The sheet of colored material adheres to the reinforced polymeric material. Once molded, the sides of the pick-up bed and fenders are folded into shape along hinge edges. The side walls are connected to stay in place. Hinge edges could be formed by locating few or no reinforcing fibers in the reinforced polymeric material in the desired location of the hinge edges. The colored material is preferably a paintless polymer film.

Abstract: A stent includes a main body of a generally tubular shape for insertion into a lumen of a vessel of a living being. The tubular main body includes a substantially biodegradable matrix having collagen IV and laminin that enclose voids within the matrix. The tubular main body also includes a biodegradable strengthening material in contact with the matrix to strengthen the matrix. The tubular main body is essentially saturated with drugs.

Abstract: A system and method for performing signal acceleration on data packets communicated across an AC-link bus directly interconnecting a codec to a codec controller. The system positions an accelerator directly in the communication path between the codec and its respective codec controller, so that the accelerator is arranged to receive signals traveling through the AC-link bus. This arrangement allows data manipulation to be performed by the accelerator on the data packets communicated across the AC-link bus, where the processed data packets are output by the accelerator back onto the AC-link bus. The accelerator is arranged to have real-time access to the input and output data streams traveling through the AC-link bus, so that data manipulation can be performed without multiple communications to the codec controller or host computer CPU.

Abstract: The invention is surgical instruments which facilitate substantially linear incisions, especially through the wall of vessels, such as arteries, which have been specifically designed for coronary artery bypass graft procedures (CABG) on the beating heart. The instruments of the invention are particularly useful to create the incision in the artery to which the bypass graft is sewed, typically the left anterior descending artery (LAD). The instruments of the invention allow incisions to be rapidly made, precisely measured, and cleanly formed so that a bypass graft can be rapidly sewn in place. In one embodiment, the invention is comprised of a hand-held instrument with a curved cutting edge formed on the interior edge of a curved or arcuitous segment located near the end of the instrument. The tip of the instrument has a point of penetrating the vessel wall. The point may have several alternate shapes to facilitate penetration of the vessel wall while maximizing the trauma to the surrounding tissue.

Abstract: A stent configuration wherein a radiopaque material is completely encapsulated in a skin of biocompatible material to prevent the exposure of radiopaque materials to living tissue and to prevent galvanic corrosion between disparate metals. The stent is initially formed and rendered radiopaque after which all surfaces are coated with the biocompatible material.

Abstract: A dual-drive coupling for an output stage of class AB amplifier is disclosed. A class AB amplifier comprises a PMOS output device and an NMOS output device coupled together. Two signal sources are used; one to drive the PMOS output device and one to drive the NMOS output device. The signal source driving the PMOS output device has a transconductance that is three times greater than the signal source driving the NMOS output device because the PMOS device is about three times bigger than the NMOS output device. A floating resistor network, comprised of an NMOS transistor and a PMOS transistor is coupled between the coupling of the signal sources with the output devices. A replica device can be added between the PMOS output device and its corresponding signal source to replicate the drain voltage of the signal source for the NMOS output device.

Abstract: An integrated circuit comprising a relatively simple high voltage tolerant output circuit that may be placed in a high impedance state (i.e., tri-stated) when the voltage at a corresponding signal connection point reaches a predetermined voltage reflecting a logic high level. In one embodiment of the invention, the output circuit is responsive to assertion of a control signal to selectively enter a high impedance state. The control signal is asserted by a control circuit following the detection of a logic high signal of a predetermined duration at the external signal connection point. The predetermined duration may correspond to transmission line delays of a signal line driven by the output circuit. For example, the delay in placing the output circuit in a high impedance state may correspond to the length of time needed to allow transmission line reflections to dissipate to an acceptable level.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer program products for annotating documents are described herein, wherein in some embodiments the documents are immutable. The method operates by enabling a user to place an application in an annotation mode. An annotation is created, and then linked to a portion of an immutable data object. Location information is displayed proximate to the annotation mode location information indicates a location of the linked portion in the data object.

Abstract: Medical devices and methods used to cause hemostasis of blood vessels located along the gastrointestinal tract. The medical devices include a clip having a stem, an anchor at a first end of the stem and a bolster at or near a second end of the stem. Methods of deploying the medical devices are disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image/video enhancement system and method for transmission of the image/video. The system processes an image before transmission using a pre-processor and then de-processes it after transmission using a post-processor. The pre-processor increases the compression ratio of the compression scheme used by the transmission system without losing image quality. The post-processor restores the transmitted image to a high-quality image.

Abstract: In the copying apparatus, recording paper with an image on one side thereof formed in an image forming section is inserted into an auto document unit. In the auto document unit the recording paper is inverted upside down, while intervals of a plurality of sheets of recording paper are adjusted at predetermined positions, on an inverting path bent to form upper and lower stages.

Abstract: A traffic sensor system for detecting and tracking vehicles is described. The disclosed system may be employed as a traffic light violation prediction system for a traffic signal, and as a collision avoidance system. A video camera is employed to obtain a video image of a section of a roadway. Motion is detected through changes in luminance and edges in frames of the video image. Predetermined sets of pixels (“tiles”) in the frames are designated to be in either an “active” state or an “inactive” state. A tile becomes active when the luminance or edge values of the pixels of the tile differ from the respective luminance or edge values of a corresponding tile in a reference frame in accordance with predetermined criteria. The tile becomes inactive when the luminance or edge values of the pixels of the tile do not differ from the corresponding reference frame tile in accordance with the predetermined criteria.

Abstract: A system and method for end-to-end transaction processing and statusing is disclosed. In one embodiment, an application server computer is used to house a variety of applications. An application accessed by a user converts a user request into an eXtensible Markup Language (XML) document. The application server computer uses a high level protocol to pass the XML document to a back office server which has access to a business' enterprise resource planning (ERP) database. The back office server performs the functions requested in the XML document, which may include complex database manipulations. Once the requested function has been performed, the back office server generates a response XML document which is passed to the application server computer using a high level protocol. The information within the response XML document is then presented to the user.

Abstract: Systems and methods for applying ultrasound energy to a body region. The systems and methods provide an ultrasound applicator including a housing, an ultrasound transducer carried by the housing, and a chamber sized to hold an acoustic coupling media subject to a pressure in acoustic communication with the ultrasound transducer. The systems and methods generate electrical signals to operate the ultrasound transducer to output acoustic energy at a selected intensity level. The systems and methods sense at least one system parameter and compare the sensed system parameter to a desired level. The systems and methods vary the pressure in the chamber based, at least in part, upon the comparison.

Abstract: A stent having at least one smooth end is disclosed. The stent may include a coating or coatings on one or both end portions to provide a smooth finish to reduce possible damage to body passages when the stent is deployed and delivered. The stent may also contain drugs or surgical adhesives or a combination thereof in or on the coated portion of the stent. The stent may also be of the type where the materials of the stent may be treated to have a smooth flexible end or ends. The stent may also be of a configuration such that at least one end is more flexible than the middle portion of the stent.

Abstract: The device contemplated provides a method for positioning the drill bit in a drilling operation to achieve small changes in hole angle or azimuth as drilling proceeds. Two different positions are available to the operator. The first is a straight ahead position where the tool essentially becomes a packed hole stabilizer assembly. The second position tilts the bit across a rotating fulcrum to give a calculated offset at the bit-formation interface. The direction that the bit offset is applied in relation to current hole direction is controlled by positioning the orienting pistons prior to each drilling cycle, through the use of current measurement-while-drilling (MWD) technology. Components of the tool comprise a MWD housing, upper steering and drive mandrel, non-rotating position housing, lower drive mandrel splined with the upper mandrel, rotating fulcrum stabilizer and drill bit.

Abstract: When a multicast instruction is input, a facsimile apparatus transmits an input plurality of sub-addresses together with image data to a repeater in a single communication transaction. Thus, effective communication can be performed.