Abstract: An LED light source for LCD backlighting is described that recalibrates itself over time so that color and brightness uniformity across the backlight is maintained over the life of the backlight. The backlight contains clusters of red, green, and blue LEDs, each cluster generating a white point. In one embodiment, each color in a cluster has its own controllable driver so that the brightness of each color is a cluster is separately controllable. One or more optical sensors are arranged in the backlight, and the sensor signals are detected by processing circuitry to sense the light output of any LEDs that are energized in a single cluster. The measured white point and flux are compared to a stored target white point value and flux for that cluster. The currents to the RGB LEDs are then automatically adjusted to achieve the target level for each cluster. This process is applied to each cluster in sequence until the recalibration is complete.

Abstract: An improved moving particle display device having a plurality of pixels (12, 14; 21, 22, 23, 24) is disclosed. The pixels are formed between first (1) and second (2) substrates that are spaced apart by a plurality of partition walls (10; 20). Each pixel comprises charged particles (115) that are movable under the influence of primary electric field lines of force (16) to set the optical appearance of the pixel. The pixels further comprise blocking material (210) for physically blocking the charged particles from entering predetermined regions (200) of the pixels that are likely to have secondary electric field lines of force (18) that extend through the partition walls. Hence, the charged particles are blocked from entering regions of the pixels having secondary electric field lines of force that could attract the particles to move into any gaps (9) that exist between the partition walls and the substrates.

Abstract: The invention pertains to a photo-sensitive composition which comprises a photochemical initiator, a polyacid or a salt thereof, and a poly(3,4-alkylenedioxythiophene) wherein the alkylene moiety is —(CH2)n-, n being an integer from 1 to 3, or 1,2-cyclo-hexylene, which may optionally be substituted, characterized in that the photochemical initiator is a water-soluble polymer comprising at least two azide or diazonium groups. Preferably, the water-soluble polymer is chemically stable at pH 6 or less, more preferably at pH 2 or less.

Abstract: Channel numbers are provided for a digital television receiver (200) that receives multiple transmissions (100, 110, 120), such as from different regions of a country or from different countries. The channel numbers for the home country transmission are assigned based on logical channel number (LCN) data in the transmission. The channel numbers for the transmissions of the other countries are provided so that they are in a higher range than the channel numbers for the home country transmission. For different regional transmissions, the channel numbers for the transmission with the strongest service, e.g., based on quality/bit error rate, signal strength, and/or frequency, may be arranged before the channel numbers for the lower strength transmissions.

Abstract: In a user-interface application, a computing apparatus has a user-interface to assist the user in searching for information from a data array. In an example embodiment according to the present invention, the data array is an ordered list of addresses. In a UI so equipped, the user experiences a particular sequence of events. The user begins at a point on a list of addresses. After the user presses the scroll key, the list rolls down a low rate. As the user continues to hold down the scroll button the scroll accelerates. After a predetermined time, a helper character is displayed. This character may represent a first letter of a name or a first digit of a telephone number. The UI displays the helper character to the user. The user continues to hold the scroll button until a help character, corresponding to his/her desired selection, appears. The user releases the scroll button and may slowly browse among a smaller group of data to locate the particular selection.

Abstract: A low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp (1) has a discharge vessel (3) enclosing, in a gastight manner, a discharge space provided with a filling of mercury and a rare gas. The discharge vessel (3) comprises means for maintaining an electric discharge in the discharge space. A portion of the surface (15) of the discharge vessel (3) facing the discharge space is provided with a protective layer (16) comprising yttrium oxide or aluminum oxide and further comprises a borate and/or a phosphate of an alkaline earth metal and/or of scandium, yttrium, or a further rare earth metal. Preferably, the alkaline earth metal is calcium, strontium, and/or barium. Preferably, the further rare earth metal is lanthanum, cerium, and/or gadolinium. The lamp according to the invention has a comparatively low mercury consumption.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and apparatus for laminating a sheet to a substrate in a stress free and distortion-less manner. The method comprises providing the sheet and substrate such that an attractive force between them exists that is capable of bringing the sheet and surface together at least when their distance is shorter than a critical distance. The method creates these conditions by locally making an initial contact between the sheet and substrate such that at a contact front, being the boundary between areas where the substrate and sheet are in contact and those where they are not in contact, these conditions exist. In a further step the sheet and substrate are allowed to gradually make contact such that the contact front advances along either of the substrate or sheet surface therewith increasing the contacting area between the substrate and the sheet.

Abstract: An apparatus for optical body analysis is built with an illumination and detection head, and an optical coupler. The illumination and detection head comprises a light source for illuminating a body portion to analyze through the optical coupler and a detector for receiving light diffusely reflected by the body portion. The optical coupler is mechanically decoupled from the illumination and detection head and is adapted to be in contact with an outer surface of the body portion while the contact between the optical coupler and the body portion minimally affects physical properties of the body portion. The apparatus may further comprise a position unit adapted to adjust the position of the illumination and detection head relative to the optical coupler so that the detector receives through the optical coupler light generated by the light source and diffusely reflected by the body portion.

Abstract: The invention is directed at an apparatus (10), an imaging device and a method for detecting X-ray photons, in particular photons (32, 34) in a computer tomograph. Photons (32, 34) are converted into an electrical pulse and compared against a threshold using a discriminator (20). The electrical network (12) performing these functions comprises a switching element (28), that can modify the electrical path (22) along which the process signals travel. The trigger signal (VT) for actuating the switching element (28) is derived from an electrical state of the electrical path (22). If a pulse associated to a photon (32, 34) is detected, the switching element (28) is actuated in order to avoid that the processing of the charge pulse stemming from a first photon (32) is affected by a subsequent second photon (34).

Abstract: The present application is directed to the idea of using sampling techniques to propagate segmentation uncertainty in order to evaluate variability in radiation planning. A radiotherapy planning apparatus (10) creates diagnostic image data of a region of interest of a subject. Image data from other sources can also be used. The image data is segmented (44) and combined with previously imaged model data. Target measures such as dose volume histograms are produced for each of the segmentations of the image data. These measures are later combined into a statistical quantification of the target measure (FIG. 3). This information is presented (52) to the user to give the user possible outcomes of the radiotherapy plan, and, e.g., confidence levels in those outcomes.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an optical drive and a method for preprocessing a disc readout signal rk of an optical drive on the basis of a set of low-pass filters. The cutoff frequency fC of the filters wk, more particularly, can be set within the optical bandwidth, which improves the Viterbi detection performance in the case of high speed drive operations. Three types of filters are described, in which a Type I shaping filter performs best given a limited hardware cost for the bit detector. Compared to other more advanced noise-whitening techniques, it is only speed dependent and requires little prior knowledge of the channel and noise, thus cheap and easy to design. The invention can be applied in connection with optical disc drives, in particular when high frequency noises are dominant, for example, in the case of high speed operations.

Abstract: A control circuit for controlling operation of a device is provided. The control circuit is configured to be comprised in a group of control circuits. The group is identified by a group identifier which is stored in the control circuit. An identifier communication interface is configured to receive a group identifier. A control communication interface circuit is provided for communicating with at least one other control circuit comprised in said group. Thus, the control circuit may easily be programmed to be comprised in a group. Further, a system for controlling operation of a device is provided. The system comprises a master control circuit for transmitting a control command; and a slave control circuit for receiving the control command. The slave control circuit is coupled to the device for controlling the device in accordance with the control command.

Abstract: The invention provides an electro-therapeutic device for application on a human or animal body part, comprising electrodes (3), a measuring means connected thereto and arranged to measure a value of an electrical quantity, and a control unit (10) to process the measured values, wherein the control unit (10) further comprises pattern recognition means to determine a pattern in the measured values, for example by comparing with patterns stored in a memory unit (15). By means of the determined pattern, the device is able to know its position on the body, and to determine whether this position is suitable for a treatment, and to which electrodes a treatment signal must be supplied. The device is much easier to use since it does not require any user's knowledge about patterns, as this may be stored in the device itself.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a feeding tube in particular for total parental nutrition and/or medicine dosing. The feeding tube functionality is combined with internal monitoring of vital functions, such as ECG, PH, etc. The position of the electrodes is essential for measuring the optimal signal. In this invention the optimal position is determined by measuring the inversion point of the ECG signal. During insertion of the catheter or modified feeding tube the ECG signal is continuously monitored. Via an acoustic signal the strength of the signal is notable. This enables the nursing staff a simple control of the insertion process.

Abstract: Self-learning process for automatically adjusting a dosage of a substance administered to a person by a drug delivery device, a drug delivery device, wherein a dosage of a substance is adjusted by such a self-learning process and a drug delivery system comprising such a drug delivery device. Pain is experienced differently at certain times of day due to the origin causing the symptoms. Therefore, the medication providing pain relief should also be adjusted accordingly. The invention is to anticipate the pain experience and to deliver pain relief medication in such a way that Quality of Life is improved by appropriate timing of the right amount of medication and by appropriate timing of turning off the medication to reduce side effects.

Abstract: A lens system includes a lens (18) and a non-periodic phase structure (16). A temperature-dependence of the spherical aberration of the lens is compensated by a temperature dependence of the spherical aberration of the non-periodic phase structure. A wavelength-dependence of the defocus of the lens is compensated by a wavelength-dependence of the defocus of the non-periodic phase structure. A wavelength-dependence of the spherical aberration of the non-periodic phase structure is compensated by a wavelength-dependence of the spherical aberration of the lens.

Abstract: An Espresso making device comprises a brew chamber (10) for enclosing a quantity of coffee grind (30), and a tube (20) for supplying pressurized hot water to the brew chamber (10). Espresso is obtained by conducting the hot water through the coffee grind (30), wherein the water and the coffee grind (30) are forced to interact. During an Espresso making process, a pressure of the water in the water supplying tube (20) is monitored and compared to a predetermined pressure. In case the measured pressure appears to deviate from the predetermined pressure, a size of an internal volume (12) of the brewing chamber (10) is adjusted, so that an extent to which the coffee grind (30) is compressed and a flow through resistance of the coffee grind (30) are adjusted. Due to this, it is possible to adjust the pressure in such a way that the predetermined pressure is reached.

Abstract: An acoustic probe (100, 300) includes an acoustic transducer (15, 444), and a plurality of variably-refracting acoustic lens elements (10, 210a, 210b, 442) coupled to the acoustic transducer. Each variably-refracting acoustic lens element has at least a pair of electrodes (150, 160) adapted to adjust at least one characteristic of the variably-refracting acoustic lens element in response to a selected voltage applied across the electrodes. In one embodiment, each variably-refracting acoustic lens element includes a cavity, first and second fluid media (141, 142) disposed within the cavity, and the pair of electrodes. The speed of sound of an acoustic wave in the first fluid medium is different than the speed of sound of the acoustic wave in the second fluid medium. The first and second fluid media are immiscible with respect to each other, and the first fluid medium has a substantially different electrical conductivity than the second fluid medium.

Abstract: An integrated microfluidic device having a number of chambers (11-MN) for heating a fluid, a number of electrical heating elements (R) for heating different ones of the chambers, a controller for controlling the heating elements to vary a temperature of the fluid in the chambers repeatedly through a cycle of different temperatures, the controller being arranged to time the temperature cycle for a given one of the chambers to be out of phase with temperature cycles of others of the chambers. This can help reduce peak power consumption, and thus reduce unwanted voltage drops on supply lines. These can cause loss of precision in heating and sensing circuits. The device can comprise a low temperature polysilicon on a glass substrate. The controller can be coupled to the heating elements using an active matrix of control lines and switches (T2).

Abstract: A mutual capacitance measurement is acquired for two thermally and electrically conductive bodies separated by an intervening dielectric material. At least one of (i) a thermal conductance and (ii) a heat transfer rate between the two thermally and electrically conductive bodies is determined based at least on the mutual capacitance measurement. For example, a thermal conductance between the two thermally and electrically conductive bodies may be determined as the mutual capacitance measurement scaled by a ratio of the thermal conductivity of the intervening dielectric material and the dielectric constant of the intervening dielectric material.