Abstract: A method of manufacturing an apparatus, comprising forming a light-emitting crystalline structure. Forming the light-emitting crystalline structure includes forming a first barrier region on a substrate, the first barrier region having one or more inclined surfaces relative to a planar surface of the substrate. Forming the light-emitting crystalline structure also includes forming a second barrier region over the first barrier region, to form a junction at the inclined surfaces, wherein the first barrier region comprises one of an n-type or p-type semiconductor crystal, and the second barrier region comprises the other of the n-type or p-type semiconductor crystal.

Abstract: The present invention provides a composition comprising a first polymer and a second polymer cross-linked by the association of functional groups attached as side chains to the polymers.

Abstract: A battery having an electrode with at least one nanostructured surface is disclosed wherein the nanostructured surface is divided into cells and is disposed in a way such that an electrolyte fluid of the battery is prevented from contacting the portion of electrode associated with each cell. When a voltage is passed over the nanostructured surface associated with a particular cell, the electrolyte fluid is caused to penetrate the nanostructured surface of that cell and to contact the electrode, thus activating the portion of the battery associated with that cell. The current/voltage generated by the battery is controlled by selectively activating only a portion of the cells. Multiple cells can be active simultaneously to produce the desired voltage. The more cells that are active, the higher the current/voltage and the lower the overall life of the battery. The life of the battery can be extended by activating fewer cells simultaneously.

Abstract: A battery having a nanostructured battery electrode is disclosed wherein it is possible to reverse the contact of the electrolyte with the battery electrode and, thus, to return a battery to a reserve state after it has been used to generate current. In order to achieve this reversibility, the nanostructures on the battery electrode comprise a plurality of closed cells and the pressure within the enclosed cells is varied. In a first embodiment, the pressure is varied by varying the temperature of a fluid within the cells by, for example, applying a voltage to electrodes disposed within said cells. In a second illustrative embodiment, once the battery has been fully discharged, the battery is recharged and then the electrolyte fluid is expelled from the cells in a way such that it is no longer in contact with the battery electrode.

Abstract: A representative embodiment of the invention provides a MEMS-based safety and arming (S&A) device having a shuttle movably connected to a frame by one or more bowed springs. The device has an electrical path adapted to electrically connect the frame and a contact pad. In the initial state, the electrical path has an electrical break. If the inertial force acting upon the shuttle (e.g., during launch) reaches or exceeds a first threshold value, then displacement of the shuttle with respect to the frame causes the electrical break to close. If the inertial force reaches or exceeds a second threshold value greater than the first threshold value, then a latching mechanism employed in the S&A device latches to keep the electrical break irreversibly closed thereafter.

Abstract: The present invention provides a bi-directional microelectromechanical element, a microelectromechanical switch including the bi-directional element, and a method to reduce mechanical creep in the bi-directional element. In one embodiment, the bi-directional microelectromechanical element includes a cold beam having a free end and a first end connected to a cold beam anchor. The cold beam anchor is attached to a substrate. A first beam pair is coupled to the cold beam by a free end tether and is configured to elongate when heated thereby to a greater temperature than a temperature of the cold beam. A second beam pair is located on an opposing side of the cold beam from the first beam pair and is coupled to the first beam pair and the cold beam by the free end tether. The second beam pair is configured to elongate when heated thereby to the greater temperature.

Abstract: A Healthy Weight Reminder (HWR) service that can be offered to a wireless phone subscriber via a wireless handset and network. With this service, a wireless handset upgraded with HWR software will be able to send a weight check reminder to the subscriber periodically and regularly. The subscriber can set up the reminders by specifying the frequency, such as every two weeks, every month, etc. In addition, the HWR service can also compare the subscriber's current weight with the recommended healthy weight and the weight of the last check.

Abstract: A method comprising reducing an acenequinone to form an acenepolyhydrodiol by exposing the acenequinone to a reducing environment comprising an alkoxyaluminate.

Abstract: A composition comprising a plurality of molecules. Each of the molecules has a core comprising at least one aromatic ring and at least three pendant arms chemically bonded to the core. The pendant arms comprise a phenylene-terminated thiophene oligomer.

Abstract: An apparatus, comprising a plurality of closed cells disposed on a surface of a substrate. Each of the closed cells has at least one dimension that is less than about 1 millimeter and are configured to hold a medium therein. The apparatus also comprises a foam that contacts the closed cells. The foam has fluid walls that include a surfactant, and bubbles of the foam layer are filled with the medium.

Abstract: A remotely controllable power switch of an appliance and a method of employing a remotely controllable power switch of an appliance to control the overall load that an electric power distribution network bears. The method may include a method of employing a remotely controllable power switch of an appliance to compute the rate that a particular customer pays for electric power. In one embodiment, the remotely controllable power switch of an appliance includes: (1) a switching device coupled between an input and an output of the remotely controllable power switch of an appliance and (2) communication circuitry coupled to the switching device, addressable only by class and configured to receive a turn-off signal and turn off the switching device in response thereto.

Abstract: A two-pump optical parametric device (OPD) having a nonlinear birefringent fiber, in which various four-wave mixing (FWM) processes can occur. The OPD applies, to the nonlinear birefringent fiber, two pump waves, each polarized at about 45 degrees with respect to a birefringence axis of the fiber, and a polarized input signal. A relevant FWM process couples the pump waves and the signal to cause the fiber to generate a desired output signal. In one configuration, the relevant FWM process is inverse modulational interaction, which causes the desired output signal to be generated through amplification or attenuation of the input signal. In another configuration, the relevant FWM process is phase conjugation, which causes the desired output signal to be generated through amplification of the input signal. In yet another configuration, the relevant FWM process is Bragg scattering, which causes the desired output signal to be generated as a corresponding idler signal.

Abstract: A method that allows subscribed content to be available to all users of an account on all devices that are capable of carrying the content. An administrator may tap into the features of the centralized data store to assign personalized usage guidelines and restrictions for all IPTV services available. This includes all devices and users within an administrator's account (including spouse, children, employees. etc.) Thus, an administrator may configure all devices under their control from a convenient centralized location without the need to locally configure each device or user profile. The administrator may enable access controls on the devices in their profiles (or subordinate profiles) from a Web-based system (that is also access controlled). The Web-based system allows the administrator to set content access controls that pertain to any or all devices (such as content blocking˜no “adult” material on any device at any time).

Abstract: A method and system for selecting traffic processors for processing and transmitting broadcast/multicast service flow in a cellular network includes evaluating processor occupancy of a plurality of traffic processors and selecting the traffic processors with the highest available processor occupancy. The cellular network has one or more base stations that are connected to a radio network controller, the radio network controller having a plurality of traffic processors to process the radio signals and data traffic to be transmitted to the base stations. A required processor occupancy for transmitting the broadcast/multicast service flow to the base stations is estimated and the traffic processors are selected such that their combined available processor occupancy is greater than the required processor occupancy for the broadcast/multicast service flow. The method and system optimizes resource utilization and distribution among the plurality of traffic processors.

Abstract: An apparatus 100, comprising an optical component 105 having a stack 180 of layers 182 of electrically conductive flexible polymers, the stack being a metamaterial.

Abstract: A method is provided for distributing multicast channels from a multicast/predictive multicast cache located in at least one selected network device of a multicast network. The network device upon receiving a channel request from an end-user transmits the requested channel from the multicast cache if the requested channel is available in the multicast cache. Else, the network device requests the multicast source for the requested channel along with a group of one or more multicast channels centered at the requested channel. The network device transmits only the requested channel and other channels are cached in the multicast cache on the network device. Upon receiving a request for removing a channel the network device caches the channel for a prescribed duration before evicting the channel.

Abstract: An architecture and procedures by which an NGN can provide the following capabilities to an NGCN user: basic terminating service in the peering model; enhanced terminating services in the peering model; enhanced originating services in the peering model; and roaming service in the subscription and peering models. All capabilities are provided in an easily scalable manner via provisioned subscriber data and small modifications to existing IMS procedures. In the first case, an NGN is configured among the external networks to receive all SIP requests intended for the NGCN users of an NGCN interconnected to the NGN via the peering model (this NGN is the trunking home NGN), and the NGN forwards these requests to the NGCN for handling using request retargeting.

Abstract: A geometrically-structured coaxial cable may prevent infiltration of water vapor and other contaminants by using a closed cell structure. The cable may be fabricated by wrapping bubble tape around its central conductor. Alternatively, plastic may be extruded through channels to create a plurality of layers. In either case, these layers are staggered in a zig-zag pattern to ensure that no radial spokes connect the inner and outer conductors of the coaxial cable without passing through a plurality of dielectric layers.

Abstract: A hearing aid and a method of enhancing sound. In one embodiment, the hearing aid includes: (1) a direction sensor configured to produce data for determining a direction in which attention of a user is directed, (2) microphones to provide output signals indicative of sound received at the user from a plurality of directions, (3) a speaker for converting an electrical signal into enhanced sound and (4) an acoustic processor configured to be coupled to the direction sensor, the microphones, and the speaker, the acoustic processor being configured to superpose the output signals based on the determined direction to yield an enhanced signal based on the received sound, the enhanced signal having a higher content of sound received from the direction than sound received at the user.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention is a dual-polarized antenna array constructed from first and second instances of a planar antenna that are co-located and orthogonal to one another. The planar antenna comprises three conducting elements and a transmission line. The first conducting element comprises a straight segment and two arms of equal length. The proximal ends of the two arms are attached to opposite ends of the straight segment. The arms extend away from the second and third conducting elements and towards one another. The second and third conducting elements are separated by a gap and together form a mirror image of the first conducting element. The transmission line has first and second conductors that are coupled to the second and third conducting elements, respectively. In another embodiment, the present invention is a tri-polarized antenna array constructed from three orthogonal co-located instances of the planar antenna.