Abstract: An analog-to-digital converter includes a ring oscillator having an input for receiving an analog signal, a coarse counter including a maximum length sequence generator having an input coupled to the output of the ring oscillator, a fine counter including a Johnson counter having an input coupled to the output of the ring oscillator, and a difference generator having a first input coupled to the output of the coarse counter, a second input coupled to the output of the fine counter, and an output for providing a digital signal corresponding to the analog signal.

Abstract: A convolutional neural network may be trained to inspect subjects such as carbon fiber propellers for surface flaws or other damage. The convolutional neural network may be trained using images of damaged and undamaged subjects. The damaged subjects may be damaged authentically during operation or artificially by manual or automated means. Additionally, images of undamaged subjects may be synthetically altered to depict damages, and such images may be used to train the convolutional neural network. Images of damaged and undamaged subjects may be captured for training or inspection purposes by an imaging system having cameras aligned substantially perpendicular to subjects and planar light sources aligned to project light upon the subjects in a manner that minimizes shadows and specular reflections. Once the classifier is trained, patches of an image of a subject may be provided to the classifier, which may predict whether such patches depict damage to the subject.

Abstract: Autonomous control of a subject vehicle including a longitudinal motion control system includes determining states of parameters associated with a trajectory for the subject vehicle and parameters associated with a control reference determined for the subject vehicle. A range control routine is executed to determine a first parameter associated with a range control command based upon the states of the plurality of parameters, and a speed control routine is executed to determine a second parameter associated with a speed control command based upon the states of the plurality of parameters. An arbitration routine is executed to evaluate the range control command and the speed control command, and operation of the subject vehicle is controlled to achieve a desired longitudinal state, wherein the desired longitudinal state is associated with a minimum of the range control command and the speed control command.

Abstract: A method and apparatus that control lateral movement of the vehicle during backward motion are provided. The method includes loading a desired backward path of vehicle, the backward path comprising waypoints to be traveled along during a rearward motion of the vehicle, reflecting the waypoints along a reflection axis perpendicular to a longitudinal axis that runs from front to back of the vehicle such that the reflected waypoints define virtual forward path; and controlling lateral movement of the vehicle to follow the waypoints along the forward path while the vehicle is traveling in a backward direction.

Abstract: An automotive vehicle includes an actuator configured to control vehicle steering, acceleration, or shifting, a sensor configured to provide signals indicative of a lateral distance between a current vehicle location relative to a desired path, and a controller. The controller is configured to, in response to a determination that the lateral distance exceeds a threshold, automatically control the actuator according to an interstitial path. The interstitial path is automatically defined by the controller, and is based on a b-spline defined by a first position boundary condition at the current vehicle location, a second position boundary condition at a merge location relative to the desired vehicle path, a first curvature boundary condition based on a current vehicle yaw rate, and a second curvature boundary condition based on a curvature of the desired vehicle path at the merge location. The interstitial path is further optimized based on a cost function.

Abstract: A convolutional neural network may be trained to inspect subjects such as carbon fiber propellers for surface flaws or other damage. The convolutional neural network may be trained using images of damaged and undamaged subjects. The damaged subjects may be damaged authentically during operation or artificially by manual or automated means. Additionally, images of undamaged subjects may be synthetically altered to depict damages, and such images may be used to train the convolutional neural network. Images of damaged and undamaged subjects may be captured for training or inspection purposes by an imaging system having cameras aligned substantially perpendicular to subjects and planar light sources aligned to project light upon the subjects in a manner that minimizes shadows and specular reflections. Once the classifier is trained, patches of an image of a subject may be provided to the classifier, which may predict whether such patches depict damage to the subject.

Abstract: An analog-to-digital converter includes a ring oscillator having an input for receiving an analog signal, a coarse Gray code counter having a first input coupled to a first output of the ring oscillator and a second input for receiving a clock signal, a fine counter having first inputs coupled to secondary outputs of the ring oscillator and a second input for receiving the clock signal, a first difference generator having an input coupled to the output of the coarse counter, a second difference generator having an input coupled to the output of the fine counter, and an adder having a first input coupled to the output of the first difference generator, a second input coupled to the output of the second difference generator, and an output for providing a digital signal corresponding to the analog signal.

Abstract: A real time assay monitoring system and method can be used to monitor reagent volume in assays for fluid replenishment control, monitor assays in real-time to obtain quality control information, monitor assays in real-time during development to detect saturation levels that can be used to shorten assay time, and provide assay results before the assay is complete, enabling reflex testing to begin automatically. The monitoring system can include a real time imaging system with a camera and lights to capture images of the assay. The captured images can then be used to monitor and control the quality of the staining process in an assay, provide early assay results, and/or to measure the on-site reagent volume within the assay.

Abstract: A motor vehicle floor assembly includes an articulating floor body having a first panel and a second panel supported by a linkage. The linkage includes a first link connected to the first panel, a second link connected to the second panel and a first pivot connecting the first link to the second link and defining an articulation joint for the articulating floor body.

Abstract: A motor vehicle floor assembly includes an articulating floor body having a first panel and a second panel supported by a linkage. The linkage includes a first link connected to the first panel, a second link connected to the second panel and a first pivot connecting the first link to the second link and defining an articulation joint for the articulating floor body.

Abstract: A method for preparing a calcium carbonate gel, comprising a reaction between slaked lime in solid, dry from, and of alcohol so as to form an alcoholic suspension of calcium alcoholate, an injection of carbon dioxide into said suspension, and gelling of the suspension as a precipitated calcium carbonate alcogel, this alcogel then being able to be dried into an aerogel or xerogel of calcium carbonate.

Abstract: A method is described for determining eye location on a frontal face digital image in order to validate the frontal face as such and determine points of reference. The method consists of the following steps: obtain a frontal face digital image that is W pixels wide and H pixels high in grayscale, where the top left vertex of the digital image is considered to be the reference source; detect each eye, starting from a search subimage of the frontal face digital image, delivering approximate coordinates if both eyes have been detected, or an arbitrary predetermined value to indicate no eye detection; locate the iris of each eye, if both eyes have been detected, starting from the approximate coordinates, validating the frontal face digital image by delivering eye positions; or, validate the frontal face digital image if one or both eyes have not been detected by submitting a search subimage defined by an area resulting from centering a square of area L in the original image, where L=0.

Abstract: A method is described for determining eye location on a frontal face digital image in order to validate the frontal face as such and determine points of reference. The method consists of the following steps: obtain a frontal face digital image that is W pixels wide and H pixels high in grayscale, where the top left vertex of the digital image is considered to be the reference source; detect each eye, starting from a search subimage of the frontal face digital image, delivering approximate coordinates if both eyes have been detected, or an arbitrary predetermined value to indicate no eye detection; locate the iris of each eye, if both eyes have been detected, starting from the approximate coordinates, validating the frontal face digital image by delivering eye positions; or, validate the frontal face digital image if one or both eyes have not been detected by submitting a search subimage defined by an area resulting from centering a square of area L in the original image, where L=0.

Abstract: A bobbin spindle winder adapter having conical base, a tubular guide that attaches to the conical base, and conical cone stabilizer that is mounted on the tubular guide after a cone spool has been placed on conical base tubular guide assembly.

Abstract: A method for detecting the on and off states of a Parkinson patient, including obtaining inertial data from a patient and verifying if the patient is in an on or off state by using a transformation of the obtained inertial data which uses a model derived from a set of stored data referred to patients in on state and patients in off state.

Abstract: A thermal detector comprising a sensitive material having at least one electrical property of which varies with temperature; an electromagnetic radiation absorber which is in contact with the sensitive material; a substrate providing the function of support; and electrically conductive elements providing electrical continuity between sensitive material and substrate. The sensitive material is wholly or partly in the form of a sheet extending in a direction which is essentially perpendicular to the plane of the substrate. The sensitive material is suspended above the substrate by the absorber which is fixed to the sensitive material in the upper region of the sheet. The absorber is suspended by fixing means which is mechanically connected to the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a device with two positions for detecting radiant energy e.g. of improved bolometer or micro-bolometer type in terms of detection sensitivity and response time.

Abstract: A thermal detector comprising a sensitive material having at least one electrical property of which varies with temperature; an electromagnetic radiation absorber which is in contact with the sensitive material; a substrate providing the function of support; and electrically conductive elements providing electrical continuity between sensitive material and substrate. The sensitive material is wholly or partly in the form of a sheet extending in a direction which is essentially perpendicular to the plane of the substrate. The sensitive material is suspended above the substrate by the absorber which is fixed to the sensitive material in the upper region of the sheet. The absorber is suspended by fixing means which is mechanically connected to the substrate.