Abstract: An inspection system positions a balancing shim to asymmetrically balance a magnetic field generated by an inductive sensor, which forms part of the inspection system. Additionally, relays and capacitors used to tune the inductive sensor to a desired resonance frequency are geometrically arranged to minimize electrical interference generated by operation of the relays and capacitors. A shielding device, which may be formed on a printed circuit board, protects a magnetic field generated by the inductive sensor from external electromagnetic interference. A slot positioned in the inductive sensor may be used to tune a resonant mode of the inductive sensor to accurately and particularly detect metallic shanks and/or other metallic objects in shoes, socks, and/or clothing.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method and apparatus for providing radiation shielding for non-invasive inspection systems. An embodiment of the apparatus may include a radiation shield having a plurality of slats, where each of the plurality of slats comprises a radiation attenuating material. The radiation shield may further include a support structure configured to hold the slats in a non-planar shape. An embodiment of the method may include gathering a plurality of slats, each slat comprising a radiation attenuating material. The method may further include disposing the slats to form a shielding curtain having a non-planar shape. The method may also include positioning the shielding curtain to cover an opening of a scanner.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for generating ammonia gas. In one aspect, a method for generating ammonia gas for use in an ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) system is provided. The method includes inserting a device into a space defined within the IMS system, the device including an ammonia compound. The method also includes activating to decompose and to produce the ammonia gas without producing water vapor. The method also includes emitting the ammonia gas into the IMS system.

Abstract: An imaging system includes a platform having mounted thereon a coded-aperture imaging device and positioned to receive radiation over a baseline. The imaging system includes a computer configured to acquire a plurality of far-field datasets over the baseline, the plurality of far-field datasets comprising data received via the coded-aperture imaging device. The computer is also configured to form a preliminary image based on the acquired plurality of far-field datasets, and apply an expectation maximization (EM) algorithm to the preliminary image; wherein the EM algorithm includes an ordered subset algorithm.

Abstract: A method for determining a change in position of an item of luggage, examined by a first examination system, in order to thereafter examine only a suspect region of the item of luggage in a secondary examination system.

Abstract: A method and arrangement for reducing power consumption in an M row×N column array of processing cells. A row mask register masks individual cells in each row for being enabled. A column mask register masks individual cells in each column for being enabled. The combination of the row mask register signal and column mask register signal enables or disables each cell of the array. Enabled cells are activated to execute an operation or function, while disabled cells a prevented from consuming dynamic power. Depending on the application and enabled cells thereby, power consumption is reduced.

Abstract: A hardware unit within a DSP includes various circuits and components that allow spreading, complex scrambling, and complex correlation to be performed at the software level in a programmable processor at the speed levels required by third generation wireless communication systems.

Abstract: A circuit employing an array of reconfigurable processing elements for wireless baseband processing. The circuit includes a first linear array of reconfigurable processing elements for processing signals from a first channel, and a second linear array of reconfigurable processing elements, coupled in parallel with the first linear array of reconfigurable processing elements, for processing signals from a second channel that is concurrent with the first channel. The circuit also includes a frame buffer array having a number of frame buffers that corresponds to a number of reconfigurable processing elements in the first and second linear arrays of processing elements. A point-to-point data bus is connected between each reconfigurable processor and an associated frame buffer. A shared data bus is connected between the first and second linear arrays of reconfigurable processing elements and the frame buffer array.

Abstract: A motor coach is provided as well as a method of manufacturing a luxury motor coach conversion from a semi tractor, for example, a class 8 sleeper. The motor coach utilizes the sleeper portion of the original truck body and includes a rear body portion that is mounted to a frame of the tractor rearwardly of the sleeper portion. In an embodiment, the motor coach is manufactured by removing a significant portion of a rear panel of the sleeper portion, mounting the rear body against the sleeper, and securing a flange over a seam between the rear body and the sleeper. In an embodiment, the motor coach has multiple occupiable levels including an elevated level and a lower level which has a sunken floor that is vertically lower than the truck frame. Optionally, the motor coach includes a garage having a tiltable floor that supports an auxiliary vehicle during travel and pivots to slope downwardly for loading and unloading the auxiliary vehicle.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for decoding a bit stream of variable-length and fixed-length codewords representing encoded digital content. A decoder includes a memory for storing microinstructions that control the decoder. The decoder further includes a first barrel shifter for extracting a first bit field from the bit stream, a position of the first bit field being specified by the microinstruction, and a second barrel shifter for extracting a second bit field from the bit stream, a position of the second bit field being specified by the microinstructions. A microprogram counter keeps an address of a currently-executing microinstruction of the microinstructions, where a next state of the microprogram counter is determined by the microinstructions and the first bit field. A data converter modifies a value of the second bit field according to the microinstructions. A data storage stores either data in the microinstructions or an output of the data converter as decoded data values.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for convolution encoding and Viterbi decoding utilizes a flexible, digital signal processing architecture that comprises a core processor and a plurality of re-configurable processing elements arranged in a two-dimensional array. The core processor is operable to configure the re-configurable processing elements to perform data encoding and data decoding functions. A received data input is encoded by configuring one of the re-configurable processing elements to emulate a convolution encoding algorithm and applying the received data input to the convolution encoding algorithm. A received encoded data input is decoded by configuring the plurality of re-configurable processing elements to emulate a Viterbi decoding algorithm wherein the plurality of re-configurable processing elements is configured to accommodate every data state of the convolution encoding algorithm.

Abstract: The invention is an automatic method and related apparatus for identifying fingerprints by means of comparing the minutiae of each fingerprint in a data base of fingerprints with selected ones of precomputed vector images of search minutiae in a search print to be identified, in order to determine the existence or not of a fit between the minutiae of a file print and the preselected search minutiae images, in position and angle, a result of such comparison being a matching score indicating the probability of a match between the search print and one or more file prints, the basis for selection of such precomputed vector images being the identity between the angle of a file print minutiae and the angle of a precomputed vector images of the search minutiae.