Abstract: The present disclosure provides alloys having an ultra-low coefficient of thermal expansion in the range of 60° F. to 80° F. The alloys have coefficient of thermal expansion no greater than 0.35×10?6° F.?1 in the range of 60° F. to 80° F. Methods of making such alloys also are provided, as well articles of manufacture including such alloys and methods of making such articles.

Abstract: The present invention provides for programmable interleaved graphics processing. The invention provides an execution pipeline and a number of registers. Each register holds instructions from a separate program. Instructions from the registers are interleaved in the execution pipeline such that the average latency is one instruction per cycle. This is accomplished even when there is conditional branching and execution latency. When one instruction has a dependency based on execution of a previous instruction, that second instruction is not provided to the execution pipeline until completion of the first instruction. However, in the meantime interleaved instructions from other programs are still being executed while the first instruction of the first program is executing. Thus the pipeline is always full and the processor is always working at peak capacity. The automatic interleaving of instructions permits simplified graphics software routines to be written.

Abstract: Various embodiments relate to interconnects for solid oxide fuel cells (“SOFCs”) comprising ferritic stainless steel and having at least one via that when subjected to an oxidizing atmosphere at an elevated temperature develops a scale comprising a manganese-chromate spinel on at least a portion of a surface thereof, and at least one gas flow channel that when subjected to an oxidizing atmosphere at an elevated temperature develops an aluminum-rich oxide scale on at least a portion of a surface thereof. Other embodiments relate to interconnects comprising a ferritic stainless steel and having a fuel side comprising metallic material that resists oxidation during operation of the SOFCs, and optionally include a nickel-base superalloy on the oxidant side thereof. Still other embodiments relate to ferritic stainless steels adapted for use as interconnects comprising ?0.1 weight percent aluminum and/or silicon, and >1 up to 2 weight percent manganese. Methods of making interconnects are also disclosed.

Abstract: Metastable beta titanium alloys and methods of processing metastable ?-titanium alloys are disclosed. For example, certain non-limiting embodiments relate to metastable ?-titanium alloys, such as binary ?-titanium alloys comprising greater than 10 weight percent molybdenum, having tensile strengths of at least 150 ksi and elongations of at least 12 percent. Other non-limiting embodiments relate to methods of processing metastable ?-titanium alloys, and more specifically, methods of processing binary ?-titanium alloys comprising greater than 10 weight percent molybdenum, wherein the method comprises hot working and direct aging the metastable ?-titanium alloy at a temperature below the ?-transus temperature of the metastable ?-titanium alloy for a time sufficient to form ?-phase precipitates in the metastable ?-titanium alloy. Articles of manufacture comprising binary ?-titanium alloys according to various non-limiting embodiments disclosed herein are also disclosed.

Abstract: Many computing device may now include two or more graphics subsystems. The multiple graphics subsystems may have different abilities, and may, for example, consume differing amount of electrical power, with one subsystem consuming more average power than the others. The higher power consuming graphics subsystem may be coupled to the device and used instead of, or in addition to, the lower power consuming graphics subsystem, resulting in higher performance or additional capabilities, but increased overall power consumption. By transitioning from the use of the higher power consuming graphics subsystem to the lower power consuming graphics subsystem, while placing the higher power consuming graphics subsystem in a lower power consumption mode, overall power consumption is reduced.

Abstract: A video receiver for SCART input includes an input configured to receive a composite video signal, RGB signals, and a switch-indicating signal, a first digitizer module coupled to the input and including a one-bit slicer configured to receive and convert the switch-indicating signal to a one-bit digital signal, the first digitizer further including a downconverter configured to convert the one-bit signal to a multi-bit digital signal with non-abrupt transitions between a logical zero and a logical one, and a combiner module configured to receive and combine indicia of the composite video signal and the RGB signals to produce a total video output signal as a function of the indicia of the multi-bit digital signal.

Abstract: A candle cutter may include a case having an outer surface and in inner surface, which may form an inner cavity. The outer surface may have one or more outer surface slots and the inner surface may have one or more inner surface slots. The candle cutter may further include a cutting assembly that meshes with the case and moves through the inner cavity for the purpose of cutting the object therein, such as a candle. The movement may be pivotal if the cutting assembly is attached to a pivot point. The movement of the cutting assembly may not be pivotal. For example, it may be controlled by guide means, such as guide rods. Some embodiments may include features such a clamping mechanism, a case handle, a locking mechanism, a bottom container, handles or knobs, and/or a detachable blade.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a part for an article of equipment includes a fluid conducting first region including a corrosion resistant first material, and a fluid conducting second region including a second material. The first region and the second region are either directly or indirectly joined by solid state welding to form a unitary fluid conducting part. According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for replacing at least one fluid conducting part of an article of equipment is disclosed wherein a replacement part is provided that includes a fluid conducting first region including a corrosion resistant first material, and a fluid conducting second region including a second material. The second material is substantially identical to the material of a region of the equipment on which the replacement part is mounted. The first and second regions are either directly or indirectly joined by solid state welding to form a unitary fluid conducting replacement part.

Abstract: One non-limiting embodiment of an apparatus for forming an alloy powder or preform includes a melting assembly, an atomizing assembly, and a collector. The melting assembly produces at least one of a stream of a molten alloy and a series of droplets of a molten alloy, and may be substantially free from ceramic in regions contacted by the molten alloy. The atomizing assembly generates electrons and impinges the electrons on molten alloy from the melting assembly, thereby producing molten alloy particles.

Abstract: A variable clock control information generator receives vertical blank interval information corresponding to a vertical blank interval (VBI) during display rasterization. The vertical blank interval is a period of time in a video display signal that temporarily suspends transmission of video data as is known during display rasterization, to allow a display to return back up to (retrace) the first line of the display after scanning the end of the display. In response to the received vertical blank interval information, the variable clock control information generator produces memory clock control information to change the frequency of a memory clock divider signal during the detected vertical blank interval.

Abstract: A method includes determining white balance calibration color ratios for a plurality of illumination sources by using a representative camera of a given type to establish a set of ratios. Because the ratios are fixed for the given camera type, a plurality of cameras of the type may store the fixed ratios, and calibrate by measuring only the reference illumination source. Later white balancing is achieved by using the measured reference illumination source color ratios and the stored fixed ratios as scaling factors to map from the reference illumination source to any other illumination source. The method includes an off-line advance calibration procedure to obtain the fixed ratios, an on-line per camera calibration procedure to obtain color ratios for the reference source, and subsequent white balancing which uses the fixed ratios/scaling factors and the reference source color ratios.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for communicating compressed video information includes storing video information compressed based on a first compression method, such as a method with a high compression ratio, and transcoding the compressed video information to produce corresponding recompressed video information that is based on a second compression method, with a lower compression ratio such as standard JPEG compression or other suitable compression. The method and apparatus, if desired, may include sending the recompressed video information for a destination apparatus which may then suitably decompress the video information using a standard decompression technique. For example, storing the compressed image in a high compressed format, for example, in a piecewise basis may be done online while the camera, for example, is in use so that the image is properly captured and then, transcoding the compressed image to a different level of compression while the camera is offline.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for producing large diameter superalloy ingots are disclosed. A material comprising at least one of a metal and a metallic alloy is introduced into a pressure-regulated chamber in a melting assembly. The material is subjected to a wide-area electron field within the pressure-regulated chamber to heat the material to a temperature above the melting temperature of the material to form a molten alloy. At least one stream of molten alloy from the pressure-regulated chamber is provided from the melting assembly and is fed into an atomizing assembly, where particles of the molten alloy are generated by impinging electrons on the molten alloy to atomize the molten alloy. At least one of an electrostatic field and an electromagnetic field are produced to influence the particles of the molten alloy. The particles of the molten alloy are deposited onto a collector in a spray forming operation to form an alloy ingot.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatus for detecting text information in a video signal that includes subtitles, captions, credits, or other text, and also for applying enhancements to the display of text areas in video. The sharpness and/or contrast ratio of subtitles of detected text areas may be improved. Text areas may be displayed in a magnified form in a separate window on a display, or on a secondary display. Further disclosed are methods and apparatus for extending the duration for which subtitles appear on the display, for organizing subtitles to be displayed in a scrolling format, for allowing the user to control when a subtitle advances to the next subtitle using a remote control, and for allowing a user to scroll back to a past subtitle in cases where the user has not finished reading a subtitle.

Abstract: An integrated circuit also referred to as an integrated computing system has a single substrate that has either deposited thereon or etched thereon, a central processing unit, a north bridge, a south bridge, and a graphics controller. An internal bus is coupled between the north bridge and the central processing unit. The central processing unit and north bridge do not require interfaces to perform bus protocol conversions.

Abstract: Systems and methods for synchronizing a source and sink device are disclosed. A sink device can efficiently determine the source data rate even in cases where the sink device is not directly coupled to the source device. A method for transmitting a source data stream from a source device to a sink device includes, forming a logical channel from a source device to a sink device, where the logical channel is configured to carry the source data stream, and one or more rate parameters. The rate parameters relate a data rate of the source data stream to a data rate of the logical channel.

Abstract: Control symbols taking the form {k1-k2-k2-k1} are inserted in a serial stream including m bit data words. k1 and k2 are each predefined m bit control words differing from the m bit data words. The Hamming distance between k1 and k2 is at least 2. Such control symbols may be robustly detected in the presence of a one bit error in the symbol, or a data word immediately preceding or following the symbol. The m bit words may be 8B/10B encoded data, or defined control words. The control symbols may be used for data delineation, stream synchronizaiton, transmitter/receiver synchronization or for other control signalling.

Abstract: A de-interlacer includes recursive motion history map generating circuitry operative to determine a motion value associated with one or more pixels in interlaced fields based on pixel intensity information from at least two neighboring same polarity fields. The recursive motion history map generating circuitry generates a motion history map containing recursively generated motion history values for use in de-interlacing interlaced fields wherein the recursively generated motion history values are based, at least in part, on a decay function.

Abstract: A process and reactor for chemical conversion is taught. The process allows the selective breaking of chemical bonds in a molecule by use of fast rise alternating current or fast rise pulsed direct current, each fast rise portion being selected to have a suitable voltage and frequency to break a selected chemical bond in a molecule. The reactor for carrying out such a process includes a chamber for containing the molecule and a generator for generating and applying the selected fast rise current.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for detecting moving text in video comprising receiving consecutive frames from a video stream, extracting a sequence of pixels from the consecutive frames, categorizing the pixels, thinning the pixels, correlating corresponding thinned pixels in the frames, identifying the peaks that are equal to or exceed a threshold, and performing further processing on the peaks to determine if the peaks contain moving text.