Abstract: An imaging apparatus and method are provided for improving discrimination between parts of a scene enabling enhancement of an object in the scene. A camera unit is arranged to capture first and second images from the scene in first and second distinct and spectrally spaced apart wavebands. An image processing unit processes the images so captured and processes polarimetric information in the images to enable better discrimination between parts of the scene. An image of the scene, including a graphical display of the polarimetric information, may be displayed on a visual display unit thus enhancing an object in the scene for viewing by a user. Correlation parameters indicating, possibly on a pixel-by-pixel basis, the correlation between the actual image intensity at each angle of polarization and a modelled expected image intensity may be used to enhance the visibility of an object.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus and method are provided for improving discrimination between parts of a scene enabling enhancement of an object in the scene. A camera unit (12) is arranged to capture first and second images from the scene (8) in first and second distinct and spectrally spaced apart wavebands. An image processing unit (14) processes the images so captured and processes polarimetric information in the images to enable better discrimination between parts of the scene. An image of the scene, including a graphical display of the polarimetric information, may be displayed on a visual display unit (16) thus enhancing an object in the scene for viewing by a user. Correlation parameters indicating, possibly on a pixel-by-pixel basis, the correlation between the actual image intensity (30) at each angle of polarisation and a modelled expected image intensity may be used to enhance the visibility of an object.

Abstract: Objective lens (10) for focusing infrared images in a remote sensor platform and comprising an athermalised triplet (20) consisting of a doublet (30) and a rear lens (40), the doublet (30) consisting of a first lens (50) made of a chalcogenide and a second lens (60) made of germanium.

Abstract: Enhanced reception in a communication system is achieved by performing radio synchronization (SYNC) detection after multipath signal components are combined via a Rake combiner. In a communication system comprising a transmitter and a receiver, plural multipath signal components of a signal transmitted by the transmitter are received by the receiver. The plural multipath signal components are correlated with a known spreading code (e.g. a PN code). The correlated multipath signals are analyzed to identify plural correlation peaks and those correlation peaks that exceed a multipath threshold are selected. The selected correlation peaks are combined (i.e., coherently combined) to produce a combined signal. A synchronization event is declared when the combined signal exceeds an adjusted synchronization threshold and the combined signal is then decoded.

Abstract: Enhanced reception in a communication system is achieved by performing radio synchronization (SYNC) detection after multipath signal components are combined via a Rake combiner. In a communication system comprising a transmitter and a receiver, plural multipath signal components of a signal transmitted by the transmitter are received by the receiver. The plural multipath signal components are correlated with a known spreading code (e.g. a PN code). The correlated multipath signals are analyzed to identify plural correlation peaks and those correlation peaks that exceed a multipath threshold are selected. The selected correlation peaks are combined (i.e., coherently combined) to produce a combined signal. A synchronization event is declared when the combined signal exceeds an adjusted synchronization threshold and the combined signal is then decoded.

Abstract: Systems and methods for refining the determination of the time of arrival (TOA) of given data. A portion of packet data is designated to be used as a pseudo TOA sequence. The packet information is modulated using, e.g., BPSK, and thereafter spread with a chipping stream known at both source and destination radios. The resulting stream includes a TOA reference pattern. On the receive side (destination radio), receive samples are despread and demodulated. The despread data is then XOR'ed with the chipping stream to re-create the TOA reference pattern. The re-created TOA reference pattern and original receive samples (previously stored) are passed through a correlator to obtain a correlation profile, which is then used for curve fitting/interpolation to accurately determine the TOA of the given received sample. Embodiments may be used in conjunction with a radio ranging system.

Abstract: Systems and methods for refining the determination of the time of arrival (TOA) of given data. A portion of packet data is designated to be used as a pseudo TOA sequence. The packet information is modulated using, e.g., BPSK, and thereafter spread with a chipping stream known at both source and destination radios. The resulting stream includes a TOA reference pattern. On the receive side (destination radio), receive samples are despread and demodulated. The despread data is then XOR'ed with the chipping stream to re-create the TOA reference pattern. The re-created TOA reference pattern and original receive samples (previously stored) are passed through a correlator to obtain a correlation profile, which is then used for curve fitting/interpolation to accurately determine the TOA of the given received sample. Embodiments may be used in conjunction with a radio ranging system.

Abstract: A power savings technique is provided for a radio communication device. The technique involves reducing the amount of time that a receiver is powered-up during a time interval that the radio communication device may receive a transmission from another radio communication device. This time interval is referred to as a reception time interval, though it may also correspond to a time interval that the device may transmit to another device if the device is in a transmit mode. This method involves delaying enablement of the receiver for a relatively short first time interval that begins at the start of the reception time interval. When the first time interval expires, the receiver is enabled for at least a second time interval so that the device can detect whether a synchronization pattern is occurring, indicative of a radio transmission being sent for the device. The duration of the second time interval is such that it expires well before the end of the reception time interval.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a hose assembly including a corrugated metal hose having an inner surface defining a lumen and an outer surface and a polymeric layer surrounding the outer surface of the corrugated metal hose.

Abstract: A system for managing locks that give permission to access resources in a computer system is disclosed. The lock management system is distributed and provides deadlock protection. The lock management system is distributed in that information about which locks have been granted for a resource is stored at both a master node and at the nodes on which are located processes that desire to access to the resource. A master resource object located on the master node grants locks to shadow resource objects located on the nodes on which are located the processes that desire to access the resource. Each shadow resource object grants locks on the resource to the processes that are located on the same node as the shadow resource object. The master resource object includes a convert queue used to maintain a list of convert requests made by the shadow resource objects on the various other nodes. The convert request at the head of the global convert queue is the “head convert request”.

Abstract: A system for managing locks that give permission to access resources in a computer system are disclosed. The lock management system is distributed and provides deadlock protection. The lock management system is distributed in that information about which locks have been granted for a resource is stored at both a master node and at the nodes on which are located processes that desire to access to the resource. A master resource object located on the master node grants locks to shadow resource objects located on the nodes on which are located the processes that desire to access the resource. Each shadow resource object grants locks on the resource to the processes that are located on the same node as the shadow resource object. Each shadow lock holds lock information that is used to detect deadlocks. The information may be used to generate bipartite directed graphs that include nodes representing resources and nodes representing transactions.

Abstract: Runtime load balancing of work across a clustered computing system involves servers calculating, and clients utilizing, current service performance grades of each instance in the system. A performance grade for an instance is based on performance metrics for that instance, where the computation used may vary by policy. Examples of possible policies include: (a) using estimated bandwidth as a performance grade, (b) using spare capacity as a performance grade, or (c) using response time as a performance grade. Clients distribute work requests across servers in the system as the requests arrive. Work requests can be distributed according to performance grades, and/or flags associated with the performance grades. Automatically and intelligently directing work requests to the best server instances, based on real-time service performance metrics, minimizes the need to manually relocate work within the clustered system.

Abstract: Operational parameters for transmitting a signal over a communication channel of a network are selected by first determining RF conditions on the communication channel from a received signal transmitted over the communication channel. An initial set of parameter values is selected for transmitting the signal based on RF conditions determined from the received signal. The initial set of parameter values is used to identify other sets of parameter values as other potential candidates for transmitting the signal. The parameter values in the other sets of parameter values differ from parameter values in the initial set of parameter values by less than a predetermined amount. The expected performance of the candidate sets of parameter values is compared to determine which set of parameter values has the best expected performance among the candidate sets of parameter values. The signal is transmitted on the communication channel using the selected set of parameter values.

Abstract: A system for managing locks that give permission to access resources in a computer system is disclosed. The lock management system is distributed and provides deadlock protection. The lock management system is distributed in that information about which locks have been granted for a resource is stored at both a master node and at the nodes on which are located processes that desire to access to the resource. A master resource object located on the master node grants locks to shadow resource objects located on the nodes on which are located the processes that desire to access the resource. Each shadow resource object grants locks on the resource to the processes that are located on the same node as the shadow resource object. According to an aspect of the invention, the master resource object stores data indicating what is knows about a shadow resource object. The master node increments a sequence number when the master resource object changes what is knows about the shadow resource object.

Abstract: A system for managing locks that give permission to access resources in a computer system is disclosed. The lock management system is distributed and provides deadlock protection. The lock management system is distributed in that information about which locks have been granted for a resource is stored at both a master node and at the nodes on which are located processes that desire to access to the resource. A master resource object located on the master node grants locks to shadow resource objects located on the nodes on which are located the processes that desire to access the resource. Each shadow resource object grants locks on the resource to the processes that are located on the same node as the shadow resource object. The master resource object includes a convert queue used to maintain a list of convert requests made by various processes. The lock request for shadow resource objects are granted when the lock request is at the head of the convert queue.

Abstract: A system for managing locks that give permission to access resources in a computer system is disclosed. The lock management system is distributed and provides deadlock protection. The lock management system is distributed in that information about which locks have been granted for a resource is stored at both a master node and at the nodes on which are located processes that desire to access to the resource. A master resource object located on the master node grants locks to shadow resource objects located on the nodes on which are located the processes that desire to access the resource. Each shadow resource object grants locks on the resource to the processes that are located on the same node as the shadow resource object. The shadow resource object includes a convert queue used to maintain a list of convert requests made by various processes. The lock request for the process is granted when the lock request is at the head of the convert queue.

Abstract: The lock management system disclosed is distributed i.e. information about which locks have been granted for a resource is stored at both a master node and at the nodes on which are located processes that desire access to the resource. A master resource object grants locks to shadow resource objects located on the nodes. Each shadow resource object grants locks on the resource to processes that are located on the same node as the shadow resource object. Data stored in the same node of a shadow resource object indicates what information the shadow resource object has sent to the master object. The information includes what lock mode is held by a shadow resource object and what lock mode is currently desired by the shadow resource lock. The shadow resource object transmits both information and requests to the master resource object based on the data stored in the same node of a shadow resource object.

Abstract: A system for managing locks that give permission to access resources in a computer system are disclosed. The lock management system is distributed and provides deadlock protection. The lock management system is distributed in that information about which locks have been granted for a resource is stored at both a master node and at the nodes on which are located processes that desire to access to the resource. A master resource object located on the master node grants locks to shadow resource objects located on the nodes on which are located the processes that desire to access the resource. Each shadow resource object grants locks on the resource to the processes that are located on the same node as the shadow resource object. A shadow resource object may retain a lock on a resource even when no process on the same node requires the shadow resource to retain the lock.

Abstract: A method and system for managing locks that give permission to access resources in a computer system are disclosed. The lock management system is distributed and provides deadlock protection. The lock management system is distributed in that information about which locks have been granted for a resource is stored at both a master node and at the nodes on which are located the processes that desired to access the resource. A master resource object located on the master node grants locks to shadow resource objects located on the nodes on which are located the processes that desire to access the resource. Each shadow resource object grants locks on the resource to the processes that are located on the same node as the shadow resource object. The lock owned by the shadow resource object determines the types of locks the shadow resource object is allowed to grant to processes.