Abstract: An apparatus for supporting a parachute flight controller from a parachute comprises a bearing member, for example a pulley, a load-bearing coupling, for example a harness, connected to the bearing member and including a connector for connecting the coupling to a parachute flight controller. The coupling includes a load-bearing connector for connecting a payload thereto, and the bearing member is adapted to enable relative movement, controlled by the flight controller, between the bearing member and a support member, for example a flexible coupling line or web for supporting the bearing member connected between first and second suspension lines of a parachute. The flight controller may include one or more control lines connected to the support member or suspension lines which can be wound in or out of the flight controller to effect relative movement between the bearing member and the support member and thereby control the direction of the parachute.

Abstract: Box constructions suitable for packaging, storing and transporting small objects including flat rectangular objects of any size such as books, CD's, DVD's, and the like. The box construction has an outer member which surrounds an inner member. An object is packaged by attaching an object onto a surface of the inner member; positioning the inner member on the outer member; folding panel of the outer member around the object on the inner member; and attaching the panels of the outer member thus enclosing the object within the box construction.

Abstract: A coffee filter qualification system receives user-specified filter criteria relating to acceptable attributes for a plurality of apertures included in a liquid brewing filter. A light source illuminates the apertures of the liquid brewing filter and a machine vision camera images the apertures of the filter. A filter qualification information handling system (IHS) determines if the liquid brewing filter meets the predefined user-specified filter criteria. The filter qualification IHS accepts the liquid brewing filter if the filter meets the filter criteria, and otherwise rejects the filter. The filter criteria may include the total cumulative area of the apertures, individual aperture area, aperture count and aperture acircularity information.

Abstract: An apparatus for use in a process to regulate power for a particle accelerator includes a first circulator, a second circulator, a tee coupled between the first and the second circulator, and a tuner coupled to the tee. An apparatus for use in a process to regulate power for a particle accelerator includes a first circulator, a second circulator, a 3-dB coupler coupled between the first and the second circulator, and a tuner coupled to the 3-dB coupler.

Abstract: A display device constructed out of one or more lumino-shells with an organic luminescent substance(s) located in and/or on each shell, the organic luminescent substance emitting light when excited by electric current. Inorganic luminescent substance(s) may be combined with the organic luminescent substance(s). The lumino-shell includes lumino-sphere, lumino-dome, and lumino-disk.

Abstract: A method is provided for producing a high flux, high salt rejection cellulose acetate desalination membrane. In this method, cellulose acetate polymer is dissolved in a first solvent such as methylene chloride or 2-methyltetrahydrofuran to produce a solution. Further steps involve stirring the solution, and thereafter permitting the solution to settle, for a time sufficient for a majority of the cellulose acetate to precipitate out of the solution to form a cellulose acetate precipitate. Next, the cellulose acetate precipitate is stirred into an excess methanol. Thereafter, the cellulose acetate is filtered out and used in making the desalination membrane.

Abstract: A controller for a power converter and method of operating the same. In one embodiment, the controller includes a peak detector, coupled to a circuit element of the power converter, configured to produce a signal corresponding to a peak current through a circuit element. The controller also includes an adjustable reference circuit responsive to a difference between the signal and a reference signal corresponding to a desired peak current to produce a corrected signal corresponding to the peak current.

Abstract: Plasma-shells filled with ionizable gas are positioned on or within a rigid, flexible, or semi-flexible substrate. Each plasma-shell is electrically connected to one or more electrical conductors such as electrodes with an electrically conductive bonding substance to form an electrical connection to each electrode. The electrically conductive bonding substance may comprise a pad connected to the plasma-shell and/or an electrode. The bonding substance is made of a light reflective material that reflects photons to enhance light output from a plasma-shell.

Abstract: A gas discharge (plasma) display comprising gas filled microshells positioned on a substrate in electrical contact with two or more electrodes. Each microshell may contain a luminescent material.

Abstract: An AC or DC PDP containing a fluorescent conversion material (FCM) that produces IR when excited by a gas discharge. In one embodiment, the fluorescent conversion material is rare earth doped chalcogenide. The PDP may comprise a multiplicity of plasma-sells or plasma-tubes on a substrate, each plasma-shell or plasma-tube containing FCM.

Abstract: An integrated photosensitive device with a metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) photodiode constructed with one or more substantially continuous layers of semiconductor material and with a substantially continuous layer of dielectric material.

Abstract: A distributed sensor network has a base station and clusters of sensor nodes. In a method of locating and classifying signal sources, at each node divides a received signal into blocks, performs Fourier-based transform on the blocks, selects peaks from the transformed blocks, selects subbands with features of interest based on the frequency of occurrence of the peaks across the blocks, collaborates with other nodes in the cluster to make a final selection of the subbands, encodes the subband features of the signal, and transmits the subband features to the base station. The base station processes the received subband features to locate and classify the signal sources.

Abstract: Systems and methods that process a plurality of surgical instruments for cleaning and/or packaging. A device identifies a robot-ready insert having a predetermined configuration for accepting at least one type of surgical instrument. The surgical instruments are identified and oriented according to type using an automated apparatus. Specialized tools are also provided for automatically opening and closing surgical instruments, flipping instruments and assisting in the processing and maintenance of surgical instruments. The automated apparatus then places each of the surgical instrument types in one or more predetermined areas of the insert, configured to accept a predetermined set of surgical instrument types.

Abstract: Systems, methods and structures for combining virtual reality and real-time environment by combining captured real-time video data and real-time 3D environment renderings to create a fused, that is, combined environment, including capturing video imagery in RGB or HSV/HSV color coordinate systems and processing it to determine which areas should be made transparent, or have other color modifications made, based on sensed cultural features, electromagnetic spectrum values, and/or sensor line-of-sight, wherein the sensed features can also include electromagnetic radiation characteristics such as color, infra-red, ultra-violet light values, cultural features can include patterns of these characteristics, such as object recognition using edge detection, and whereby the processed image is then overlaid on, and fused into a 3D environment to combine the two data sources into a single scene to thereby create an effect whereby a user can look through predesignated areas or “windows” in the video image to see into a 3

Abstract: A portable liquid design system includes a portable information handling system (IHS) that employs a liquid design application capable of operating in different modes to design different liquids such as corn syrup, espresso, coffee, soda pop and others. The portable liquid design system may include a refractometer to measure the refractive index and temperature of a liquid under test. The liquid design application may apply the measured refractive index and temperature to a 3 dimensional representation of the correlation of refractive index, temperature and concentration (% total dissolved solids) to determine a particular concentration corresponding to the measured refractive index and temperature. A single 3 dimensional scale may apply to virtually all values of interest of refractive index, temperature and concentration for a particular liquid under test.

Abstract: Systems and methods that process a plurality of surgical instruments for cleaning and/or packaging. A device identifies a robot-ready insert having a predetermined configuration for accepting at least one type of surgical instrument. The surgical instruments are identified and oriented according to type using an automated apparatus. Specialized tools are also provided for automatically opening and closing surgical instruments, flipping instruments and assisting in the processing and maintenance of surgical instruments. The automated apparatus then places each of the surgical instrument types in one or more predetermined areas of the insert, configured to accept a predetermined set of surgical instrument types.

Abstract: The invention discloses an interposer used for connecting a plurality of chips. The interposer includes a connective substrate and at least a through via disposed in the connective substrate. The connective substrate has a first surface and a second surface. The through via acts as a connector, and is electrically connected to the first surface and the second surface. The first surface and the second surface are electrically connected to at least a first chip and a second chip respectively. In addition, the first chip and the second chip are electrically connected by the through via.

Abstract: An AC or DC gas discharge plasma display panel (PDP) device having one or more substrates and a multiplicity of pixels or sub-pixels that are defined by a hollow plasma-shell filled with an ionizable gas. The plasma-shell is illustrated with reference to a plasma-dome, but other plasma-shell shapes may be used including plasma-disc and plasma-sphere. A plasma-dome has at least one domed or round side and one opposing flat side such as a dome top and flat bottom or vice versa. One or more other sides or edges may also be flat or non-flat. Two or more addressing electrodes are in electrical contact with each plasma-dome, at least one electrode being in electrical contact with a side or end of the plasma-dome that is not flat. The electrical contact may include a conductive pad in electrical contact with the electrode and/or the plasma-dome.

Abstract: The present invention provides computer implemented methodology that permits the safe landing and recovery of rotorcraft following engine failure. With this invention successful autorotations may be performed from well within the unsafe operating area of the height-velocity profile of a helicopter by employing the fast and robust real-time trajectory optimization algorithm that commands control motion through an intuitive pilot display, or directly in the case of autonomous rotorcraft. The algorithm generates optimal trajectories and control commands via the direct-collocation optimization method, solved using a nonlinear programming problem solver. The control inputs computed are collective pitch and aircraft pitch, which are easily tracked and manipulated by the pilot or converted to control actuator commands for automated operation during autorotation in the case of an autonomous rotorcraft.

Abstract: A single substrate AC and/or DC gas discharge (plasma) display device comprised of hollow microspheres containing ionizable gas at a predetermined pressure, each microsphere being positioned on the surface of the substrate or within a substrate cavity, well, or hollow. Each microsphere is in electrical contact with 2, 3, or more electrodes. The AC or DC gas discharge within each microsphere emits photons in the visible and/or invisible range. In one embodiment, photons from the gas discharge within a microsphere excite a luminescent substance or material such as a phosphor that emits photons in the visible and/or invisible spectrum. The microsphere may contain the luminescent substance or the substance may be located separately from, but in close proximity to, the microsphere.