Abstract: Short range communication systems and techniques are described. In an implementation an interrogator held near a person interrogates multiple transponders and receives information separately from the transponders. The interrogator and/or the transponders may be held in an article of clothing or in a personal effect of the person. The transponders may transmit identifying information and/or information associated with the states of the articles of clothing or personal effects of the person. Such a system enables the clothes worn by a person to communicate with a plurality of items and obtain useful information. In addition, a network system may be configured so that any particular transponder may communicate with another transponder or group of transponders of other locales to activate functions, cause actions or otherwise share data and/or information.

Abstract: Metal halide lamps have a discharge vessel operable at a high coldest spot temperature. The discharge vessel encloses a discharge space comprising an ionizable gas filling and, in addition to Hg, also an alkali iodide of Na of Li or a combination of both. According to the invention, the filling also comprises TbI3 or GdI3 or a combination thereof.

Abstract: A method for generating and coding animated graphic images for transmission to hand-held or mobile devices uses an object-component technique wherein images are composed from a limited set of component types, particularly points and polygons. An initial frame is defined as a list of objects to be displayed. Subsequent frames are encoded as a list of changes to the objects to the previous frame.

Abstract: A back lighting system for illuminating a display device comprises a light-emitting panel (1) and a light source (6) for coupling light into the light-emitting panel. The light source comprises a low-pressure discharge lamp (6; 7). The light source additionally comprises a plurality of LEDs (8, 8?, . . . ; 9, 9?, . . . ) for selectively setting the color temperature of the light emitted by the light source. Preferably, the LEDs increase the color temperature of the light emitted by the light source. Preferably, the light emitted by the back lighting system ranges from 6,000 to 10,500 K. Preferably, the LEDs are blue light emitting LEDs, each preferably having a luminous flux of at least 5 lm. The color point of an image to be displayed on a display screen of the display device is set by the back lighting system, thus enabling an optimum contrast to be achieved for the image to be displayed by the display device.

Abstract: A media dispenser module includes: a casing mounted in a mounting unit of a media dispenser apparatus and having an opening accessible from outside and a door for opening and closing the opening; a media mounting unit installed inside the casing so that media is dropped from a first position where the media is maintained in a mounting state and rotated to a second position where the media is retrieved into a media retrieval box coupled to the casing; a driving unit installed at a side wall of the casing and moving the media mounting unit; a media sensing unit for sensing whether there is media on the media mounting unit; and a controller for controlling opening and closing of the door and the driving unit according to a signal of the media sensing unit.

Abstract: A circuit generates an output signal whose frequency is lower than the frequency of an input signal. In an example embodiment, there is a chain of frequency dividing cells. Each of the frequency dividing cells has a pre-defined division ratio and a clock input for receiving an input clock, a divided clock output for providing an output clock to a subsequent frequency dividing cell, a mode control input for receiving a mode control input signal from the subsequent frequency dividing cell, and a mode control output for providing a mode control output signal to a preceding frequency dividing cell. Further included are a latch for altering the division ratio of each of the frequency dividing cells and D-Flip-Flop circuitry having two latches. A first signal clocks the first latch and a second signal clocks the second latch, whereby the frequency of the first signal is lower than the frequency of the second signal.

Abstract: The invention provides for a back-end metallisation process in which a recess is filled with copper and which includes the step of forming a plating base on the surfaces of the recess for the subsequent galvanic deposition of the said copper, and wherein subsequent to the formation of the plating base, but prior to the galvanic deposition of the copper, a modifying agent is introduced to the recess and which serves to absorb in the surface regions not covered by the plating base and to thereby modify the surface to promote copper growth thereon so as to effectively repair the initial plating base before the copper plating fill commences.

Abstract: The invention relates to a bicyclic heteroaromatic derivative compound according to general formula (II), or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The compounds of the invention have LH receptor activating activity and can be used in fertility regulating therapies.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of modifying data in an encoded data signal 125 corresponding to successive pictures divided into sub-pictures, for providing an output modified data signal 126. In particular, this invention can be used for the insertion of an additional data signal 127 into a compressed video signal 125. The proposed schemes according to the invention are based on a transcoder arrangement including at least partial decoding means and partial re-encoding means. This method leads to a cost-effective solution compared to the prior art comprising a minimum number of functional sub-steps, in particular including a unique motion compensation sub-step 205, taking advantage of simplifications and combinations between different sub-steps.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method intended to automatically create a description of a video sequence—i.e. its table of contents—by analyzing the video sequence. First is a temporal segmentation of the video shots of the sequence, using camera motion parameters. This segmentation uses a similarity criterion involving, for sub-entities of each shot, the level of homogeneity of these sub-entities on the motion parameters of the camera used to acquire the original images and generate the bitstream constituting the processed sequence.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the calibration of a radiation sensor, in which method a first calibration takes place with external radiation x and an internal signal s of the radiation sensor, and in which later calibrations are carried out exclusively with the internal signal. This enables the calculation of an approximate value x*(t) for the quantity of radiation x(t) absorbed in a radiation sensor (10) while taking into account a behavior of the radiation sensor that changes in time. First the primary characteristic ft1(x) is measured at a first instant t1; this characteristic describes the dependency of an output signal o on the absorbed quantity of radiation x. At the same time the secondary characteristic gt2(s) is measured, which characteristic describes the dependency of the output signal o on an internal signal s. The signals s and x should together form an intermediate signal w that is further processed with a function D(w,t) that varies in time in order to form the output signal o.

Abstract: A weaving machine, in particular an airjet loom, which is fitted with a system (16) for cutting a filling thread (12?), which is being held ready for filling insertion, from a filling (12) already beaten into a fabric (10), wherein the system (16) includes a laser.

Abstract: In an information processing system (300), a first sequence (202) of icons are displayed one after the other in a field (204) on the display (312). The icon (204) being displayed is made selectable to the user of the system. Upon selection of a particular icon (204) of the first sequence, a second sequence (208) of icons associated with the selected icon of the first sequence are displayed one after the other in another field (214) on the display. The sequences of icons, displayed in the different fields, constitute a hierarchical two-level menu structure which can now be realized with only two fields on the display.

Abstract: An electronic circuit comprising an amplifier (AMP) for amplifying a binary input signal (Ui) including an input stage coupled to receive the binary input signal (Ui) comprising means for supplying a DC current to the input stage. The means supplies a current having a first (I1) current value to the input stage during a period of time that is approximately equal to the period of time corresponding to a transition phase from a first binary signal value to a second binary signal value. During the remaining time, the means supplies a current having a second (I2) current value which is smaller than the first (I1) current value. By virtue thereof, the electronic circuit only consumes a significant amount of power during a transition phase from the first binary signal value to the second binary signal value. The amplifier (AMP) can be implemented in all kinds of digital circuits, of which the digital voltage range (the difference between the second and the first binary values) must be increased.

Abstract: A two-dimensional slice formed of pixels (376) is extracted from the angiographic image (76) after enhancing the vessel edges by second order spatial differentiation (78). Imaged vascular structures in the slice are located (388) and flood-filled (384). The edges of the filled regions are iteratively eroded to identify vessel centers (402). The extracting, locating, flood-filling, and eroding is repeated (408) for a plurality of slices to generate a plurality of vessel centers (84) that are representative of the vascular system. A vessel center (88) is selected, and a corresponding vessel direction (92) and orthogonal plane (94) are found. The vessel boundaries (710) in the orthogonal plane (94) are identified by iteratively propagating (704) a closed geometric contour arranged about the vessel center (88). The selecting, finding, and estimating are repeated for the plurality of vessel centers (84). The estimated vessel boundaries (710) are interpolated (770) to form a vascular tree (780).

Abstract: This invention relates a to a series of heterocyclic substituted piperazines of Formula I pharmaceutical compositions containing them and intermediates used in their manufacture. The compounds of the invention selectively inhibit binding to the ?-1a adrenergic receptor, a receptor which has been implicated in benign prostatic hyperplasia. As such the compounds are potentially useful in the treatment of this disease.

Abstract: The invention pertains to transgenic cotton plants, plant material and seeds, characterized by harboring a specific transformation event, particularly by the presence of a gene encoding a protein that confers herbicide tolerance, at a specific location in the cotton genome. The cotton plants of the invention combine the herbicide tolerant phenotype with optimal agronomic performance.

Abstract: A high frequency power amplifier circuit comprises an input circuit receiving an input signal; a first cascode stage connected to the input circuit and a DC voltage source and comprising at least one FET having a source, a drain, and a gate; an second cascode stage comprising: at least one bipolar transistor having an emitter, a collector and a base and being supplied by the first cascode stage and receiving the input signal from the first cascode stage, and a delimiting means, preferably a diode, connected to the bipolar transistor and adapted to reduce the voltage level at the drain of the FET or the emitter of the bipolar transistor respectively; and an output circuit connected to the second cascode stage and outputting an output signal.

Abstract: A micro-machined ultrasonic transducer (MUT) substrate that reduces or eliminates the lateral propagation of acoustic energy includes holes, commonly referred to as vias, formed in the substrate and proximate to a MUT element. The vias in the MUT substrate reduce or eliminate the propagation of acoustic energy traveling laterally in the MUT substrate. The vias can be doped to provide an electrical connection between the MUT element and circuitry present on the surface of an integrated circuit substrate over which the MUT substrate is attached.

Abstract: The invention relates to an arrangement of sensor elements in which the sensor elements are arranged to detect electromagnetic radiation, such as X-rays or light, and to generate in response thereto a charge signal which corresponds to the radiation intensity. Furthermore, a sensor element includes means which enable determination of the incident radiation dose. The sensor elements in the arrangement form groups so that the outputs of all sensor elements of a group are coupled and the sensor elements of a group are preferably arranged so as to neighbor one another. This on the one hand enables determination of the dose in these zones while on the other hand images of lower resolution can be formed simply by combining output signals of a plurality of sensor elements. An arrangement of this kind can be used, for example, in an X-ray diagnostic device or in an optical image acquisition system.