Abstract: Nanocomposites of multi-phase metal oxide ceramics have been produced from water soluble salts of the resulting metal oxides by a foaming esterification sol-gel method. The evolution of volatile gases at elevated temperature during the esterification reaction causes the formation of a foam product. Nanocomposites of multi-phase metal oxide ceramics have also been produced by a cation polymer precursor method. In this second method, the metal cations are chelated by the polymer and the resulting product is gelled and foamed. Calcination of the resulting foams gives nanocomposite powders with extremely fine, uniform grains and phase domains. These microstructures are remarkably stable both under post-calcination heat treatment and during consolidation by hot-pressing.

Abstract: A near-optimal scheduling method for a group of elevators uses advance traffic information. More particularly, advance traffic information is used to define a snapshot problem (24) in which the objective is to improve performance for customers. To solve the snapshot problem (24), the objective function is transformed into a form to facilitate the decomposition of the problem into individual car subproblems (26). The subproblems (26) are independently solved using a two-level formulation, with passenger to car assignment (28) at the higher level, and the dispatching of individual cars (30) at the lower level. Near-optimal passenger selection and individual car routing (38) are obtained. The individual cars are then coordinated through an iterative process (40, 42) to arrive at a group control solution that achieves a near-optimal result for passengers.

Abstract: A system and a method for providing a secure wireless ad-hoc network in a wireless communication system having at least two transceivers coupled by a wireless transmission link are disclosed. The method includes receiving a data transmission at a first transceiver from a second transceiver, wherein the data transmission identifies a source of a signal in the data transmission and the signal is identified by a signal envelope; detecting a deep fade in the data transmission, wherein the first and second transceivers are configured to sample the source of the signal in the data transmission; determining whether the received signal exceeds a predetermined threshold for deep fades, wherein the predetermined threshold is preset by the first and second transceivers; generating a bit-string corresponding to each of the transceivers based on channel fading information relating to the wireless transmission link; and, using the bit-string, generating a key.

Abstract: A system for recognition of a target three-dimensional object is disclosed. The system may include a photon-counting detector and a three-dimensional integral imaging system. The three-dimensional integral imaging system may be positioned between the photon-counting detector and the target three-dimensional object.

Abstract: A system and a method for providing a secure wireless ad-hoc network in a wireless communication system having at least two transceivers coupled by a wireless transmission link are disclosed. The method includes receiving a data transmission at a first transceiver from a second transceiver, wherein the data transmission identifies a source of a signal in the data transmission and the signal is identified by a signal envelope; detecting a deep fade in the data transmission, wherein the first and second transceivers are configured to sample the source of the signal in the data transmission; determining whether the received signal exceeds a predetermined threshold for deep fades, wherein the predetermined threshold is preset by the first and second transceivers; generating a bit-string corresponding to each of the transceivers based on channel fading information relating to the wireless transmission link; and, using the bit-string, generating a key.