Abstract: Method for limiting the amount of radiation impinging on a radiation sensitive detector (RSD) responsive to signals having infrared wavelengths of approximately 3 to 14 microns. Method includes: directing radiation signal through prism toward RSD; permitting radiation signal to impinge upon RSD when radiation is below predetermined threshold; and directing radiation associated with radiation signal but of different wavelengths from signals of interest on path external to prism, to initiate limiting of radiation impinging upon RSD when predetermined threshold is exceeded. Also, Total Internal Reflection device including prism having thin film coated on back surface of prism. Material making up prism and thin film are selected so that, in presence of radiation having intensity less than certain threshold, refractive index of thin film is lower than that of prism, and when radiation has intensity higher than that certain threshold, refractive index of thin film is higher than that of prism.

Abstract: The present invention provides a configurable pricing system that allows users to define or modify data used to analyze, evaluate, improve, and design pricing changes according to the user's need. A Graphical user interface or some other type of user interface allows the user to access and review various data to be used during pricing optimization. The user may then modify this data as needed to improve the pricing evaluation, such as defining sales or pricing trends, or relationships between the product of interest and other competing items. The user interface may further display changes in pricing and the effects of the pricing changes, as caused by the user's changes. The interface may also allow the user to modify the mathematical model to be used during price optimization, as well as define variables, constraints, and boundaries to be considered during the price optimization.

Abstract: A method of making a holographic data storage medium is provided. The method comprises: (a) providing an optically transparent substrate comprising at least one photochemically active dye; and (b) irradiating the optically transparent substrate at at least one wavelength at which the optically transparent substrate has an absorbance in a range from about 0.1 to 1, to produce a modified optically transparent substrate comprising at least one optically readable datum and at least one photo-product of the photochemically active dye. The at least one wavelength is in a range from about 300 nanometers to about 800 nanometers. The optically transparent substrate is at least 100 micrometers thick, and comprises the photochemically active dye in an amount corresponding to from about 0.1 to about 10 weight percent based on a total weight of the optically transparent substrate.

Abstract: A lampshade may comprise an upper rim, a cross-member having two ends connected to the upper rim, a clip having a spring portion and two arms, and a shade material connected to said upper rim. The cross-member may include a loop portion between the two ends, the spring portion may be connected to the loop portion of the cross-member, and the arms may be configured to engage a light source.

Abstract: A method of making a holographic data storage medium is provided. The method comprises: (a) providing an optically transparent substrate comprising at least one photochemically active dye; and (b) irradiating the optically transparent substrate at least one wavelength at which the optically transparent substrate has an absorbance in a range from about 0.1 to 1, to produce a modified optically transparent substrate comprising at least one optically readable datum and at least one photo-product of the photochemically active dye. The at least one wavelength is in a range from about 300 nanometers to about 800 nanometers. The optically transparent substrate is at least 100 micrometers thick, and comprises the photochemically active dye in an amount corresponding to from about 0.1 to about 10 weight percent based on a total weight of the optically transparent substrate.

Abstract: An equipment housing is provided upon which heavy computing equipment, such as servers, routers, switches, and others may be mounted. A computing device is attached to the housing. The computing device is interfaced with the equipment on the housing, and also with a system that is external thereto. The disclosed housing, and others like it, may be used by an organization along with a centralized computing system such that that organization will know the exact location and status of all of its equipment at the same time and may accurately and readily monitor all of its equipment-related-assets at any given time.

Abstract: An IR limiting device for a detector that is based on a micro-optomechanical cantilever array is disclosed. In the normal state, each microcantilever device in the array behaves like a mirror that reflects the infrared signal to the detector. The microcantilever device absorbs radiation outside the desired infrared region. When the radiation is stronger than a predetermined threshold, the microcantilever device bends as a result of thermo-mechanical forces, and it reflects the signal away from the detector, thereby limiting the radiation. The advantage of such a system is that each pixel in the detector can be addressed individually, and the limiting is localized.

Abstract: An authentication system may comprise: a first light source, a second light source, and at least three optically filtered light sensing devices. The first light source can have a first light source spectral distribution and can be capable of providing sufficient excitation to produce a photoluminescent emission from a medium comprising a luminescent tag and a color. The second light source can have a visible multi-wavelength spectral distribution and can be capable of providing sufficient visible multi-wavelength illumination of the medium to generate a second analog response. Each light sensing device can have a different device spectral sensitivity range.

Abstract: The present invention provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising azelastine, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or ester thereof including azelastine hydrochloride, and optionally one or more additional active agents. Preferred such compositions further comprise one or more pharmaceutically acceptable carriers or excipients that reduce the amount of post-nasal drip, and/or that minimize or mask the unpleasant bitter taste associated with post-nasal drip, of the compositions into the oral cavity, upon intranasal or ocular administration of the compositions. Especially effective excipients used in the compositions of the present invention are hypromellose as a viscosity modifier and sucralose as a taste-masking agent. The invention also provides methods of treating or preventing certain disorders, or symptomatic relief therefrom, by administering the compositions of the invention to a patient, e.g.

Abstract: A data storage device including: a plastic substrate having a plurality of volumes arranged in tracks along a plurality of vertically stacked, laterally extending layers therein; and, a plurality of micro-holograms each contained in a corresponding one of the volumes; herein, the presence or absence of a micro-hologram in each of the volumes is indicative of a corresponding portion of data stored.

Abstract: A system for generating a tunable X-ray pulse comprises a first electron beam source configured to direct a first electron pulse of predetermined energy and pulse length towards a first interaction zone, a laser beam source configured to direct a first photon pulse of predetermined energy and pulse length towards the first interaction zone to interact with the first electron pulse. The first interaction produces a substantially monochromatic second photon pulse of higher photon energy directed towards a second interaction zone, and a second electron beam source configured to direct a second electron pulse of predetermined energy and pulse length towards the second interaction zone so that the second interaction produces an X-ray pulse of predetermined energy and pulse length in a cascaded inverse Compton scattering (ICS) configuration.

Abstract: A method of forming a patterned optical transmission device on a substrate includes forming a liquid phase pattern on the substrate. The liquid phase pattern comprises a fluid precursor having a suspension or a solution of a dopant in a solvent. Catalyzing the liquid phase pattern to convert the liquid phase pattern into a hardened pattern, and processing the hardened pattern to form a patterned optical transmission device.

Abstract: A promotion pricing system produces an evaluation so as to analyze, evaluate, improve, and design promotions. The promotion pricing system generates promotion price evaluations and recommendations for each promotion related to a target product, along with analyzing competing products from the same seller and its competitors. The computerized promotion pricing system includes modules for carrying out necessary analytical steps, where the modules cooperate to implement a statistical market response estimation that provide statistically stable information on customer response to promotions using either an attractive or a multiplicative model, where the model is selected dynamically.

Abstract: Method for limiting the amount of radiation impinging on a radiation sensitive detector that is responsive to signals of interest having infrared wavelengths of approximately 3 to 14 microns, such as an infrared camera. The method includes: directing a radiation signal through a prism and toward the radiation sensitive detector; permitting the radiation signal to impinge upon the radiation sensitive detector, e.g. upon an infrared focal plane array in the camera, when the radiation is below a predetermined threshold; and directing radiation associated with the radiation signal but having wavelengths different from said signals of interest—e.g., wavelengths in the visible and near-infrared range—on a path external to the prism, in order to initiate the limiting of the radiation impinging upon the radiation sensitive detector when the predetermined threshold is exceeded. Also, a Total Internal Reflection device that includes a prism having a thin film coated on the back surface of said prism.

Abstract: An IR limiting device for a detector that is based on a micro-optomechanical cantilever array is disclosed. In the normal state, each microcantilever device in the array behaves like a mirror that reflects the infrared signal to the detector. The microcantilever device absorbs radiation outside the desired infrared region. When the radiation is stronger than a predetermined threshold, the microcantilever device bends as a result of thermo-mechanical forces, and it reflects the signal away from the detector, thereby limiting the radiation. The advantage of such a system is that each pixel in the detector can be addressed individually, and the limiting is localized.

Abstract: Method for limiting amount of radiation impinging on a radiation-sensitive detector device by directing radiation toward the detector, permitting the radiation to impinge upon the detector device when the radiation is below a predetermined threshold, and utilizing radiation having wavelengths different from signals of interest to initiate limiting of the radiation impinging upon the detector when the predetermined threshold is exceeded. The optical limiter includes an IR limiting layer pair selected so that energy from visible and near infrared radiation activates the optical limiter. The limiting layer pair may includes a layer closer to the source of radiation of e.g. vanadium dioxide, vanadium sesquioxide, or germanium crystal and a layer further from the source of radiation of e.g. chalcogenide glass, germanium crystal, or sodium chloride crystal.

Abstract: Smokable rods of cigarettes are manufactured using wrapping materials that incorporate at least one fibrous material (e.g., flax fibers, hardwood pulp fibers and/or softwood pulp fibers) at least one filler material (e.g., calcium carbonate in particulate form). The wrapping materials possess multi-layer coatings. The wrapping materials include coatings in the form of series of spaced apart bands, each band having a series of layers. At least one of the coating layers can have a filler material dispersed or suspended within a film-forming material of that layer. Flavoring agent(s) are included in one or more of the wrapping material itself, a seam adhesive, and/or bands included on the wrapping material.

Abstract: The present invention provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising azelastine, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or ester thereof including azelastine hydrochloride, and optionally one or more additional active agents. Preferred such compositions further comprise one or more pharmaceutically acceptable carriers or excipients that reduce the amount of post-nasal drip, and/or that minimize or mask the unpleasant bitter taste associated with post-nasal drip, of the compositions into the oral cavity, upon intranasal or ocular administration of the compositions. Especially effective excipients used in the compositions of the present invention are hypromellose as a viscosity modifier and sucralose as a taste-masking agent. The invention also provides methods of treating or preventing certain disorders, or symptomatic relief therefrom, by administering the compositions of the invention to a patient, e.g.

Abstract: An active-constraint robot (4), particularly for surgical use, is controlled by means of a series of motorized joints to provide a surgeon with real-time tactile feedback of an operation in progress. The robot system holds, in memory, a series of constraint surfaces beyond which it would be dangerous for the surgeon to go, and a resistive force is applied to the cutting tool (14) as the surgeon approaches any such surface. To improve the overall quality of feedback experienced by the surgeon, the resistive force applied to the cutting tool (14) depends upon the point of intersection (I) between the force factor applied by the surgeon and the surface. Further improvements are achieved by adjusting the tangential resistive force, when the tool is adjacent to the surface, in dependence upon the surrounding shape of the surface.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of manufacturing a data storage media comprising mixing a photoactive material, a photosensitizer and an organic binder material to form a holographic composition, wherein the photoactive material undergoes a change in color upon reaction with the photosensitizer; and molding the holographic composition into holographic data storage media. Disclosed herein too is a method for recording information comprising irradiating an article that comprises a photoactive material; a photosensitizer and an organic polymer, wherein the irridation is conducted with electromagnetic energy having a wavelength of about 350 to about 1,100 nanometers, wherein the photoactive material can undergo a change in color upon reaction with the photosensitizer; and reacting the photoactive material to record data in holographic form.