Abstract: This disclosure relates to awards. In some embodiments, an award can include a base having a front surface and a display assembly comprising a display apparatus, a non-transitory computer-readable medium with instructions encoded thereon, and one or more processors configured to execute the instructions to cause the display assembly to display, to a recipient of the award, information relating to an event for which the recipient received the award. In some embodiments, an award can include a communications interface to enable content to be provided to the award.

Abstract: A digital system for managing and tracking knockout poker or progressive knock poker tournament in a live gaming setting. Each tournament entrant has a player device at the table seat. The dealer manages table activity, including bounty and bank roll activity, through a dealer device. A tournament director uses a director device to manage the dealer devices and the player devices. The director devices and dealer devices have higher levels of administrative access as compared to the player devices. The player devices are designed to be visible by all players seated at the gaming table so that each player can be appraised of every other player's current bounty and bank roll status. The dealer can use the dealer device to manage and track the knockout and other aspects of the game by inputting and modifying bounty, bankroll, and other information in response to events occurring the real-time poker game.

Abstract: A digital system for managing and tracking knockout poker or progressive knock poker tournament in a live gaming setting. Each tournament entrant has a player device at the table seat. The dealer manages table activity, including bounty and bank roll activity, through a dealer device. A tournament director uses a director device to manage the dealer devices and the player devices. The director devices and dealer devices have higher levels of administrative access as compared to the player devices. The player devices are designed to be visible by all players seated at the gaming table so that each player can be appraised of every other player's current bounty and bank roll status. The dealer can use the dealer device to manage and track the knockout and other aspects of the game by inputting and modifying bounty, bankroll, and other information in response to events occurring the real-time poker game.

Abstract: A system and method for generating, presenting, transferring, and tracking personal, product, organizational information or the like as a microsite that mimics the look and feel of a business card in a manner that is adaptive to the platform on which the microsite displays. A microsite may be associated with a product, person, organization or other entity, and may be grouped together with other microsites in various associations. Share activity of the microsites between users may be tracked to generated share analytics on the shared microsites.

Abstract: A system and method for generating, presenting, transferring, and tracking personal, product, organizational information or the like as a microsite that mimics the look and feel of a business card in a manner that is adaptive to the platform on which the microsite displays. A microsite may be associated with a product, person, organization or other entity, and may be grouped together with other microsites in various associations. Share activity of the microsites between users may be tracked to generated share analytics on the shared microsites.

Abstract: An ultrasonic welding machine and method are provided. The machine includes an ultrasonic welding horn operably coupled to a housing. The machine further includes an anvil operably coupled to the housing. The machine further includes a removable collar assembly that is coupled around a portion of an outer surface of the ultrasonic welding horn. The removable collar assembly has at least first and second set screws that contact the housing such that when at least one of the first and second set screws are moved inwardly toward the housing, the removable collar assembly rotates the ultrasonic welding horn to align the ultrasonic welding horn relative to the anvil.

Abstract: An ultrasonic welding machine and method are provided. The machine includes an ultrasonic welding horn operably coupled to a housing. The machine further includes an anvil operably coupled to the housing. The machine further includes a removable collar assembly that is coupled around a portion of an outer surface of the ultrasonic welding horn. The removable collar assembly has at least first and second set screws that contact the housing such that when at least one of the first and second set screws are moved inwardly toward the housing, the removable collar assembly rotates the ultrasonic welding horn to align the ultrasonic welding horn relative to the anvil.

Abstract: An improved integrated optical device (5a-5g) is disclosed containing first and second devices (10a-10g; 15a, 15e), optically coupled to each other and formed in first and second different material systems. One of the first or second devices (10a-10g, 15a, 15e) has a Quantum Well Intermixed (QWI) region (20a, 20g) at or adjacent a coupling region between the first and second devices (10a-10g; 15a, 15e). The first material system may be a III-V semiconductor based on Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) or Indium Phosphide (InP), while the second material may be Silica (SiO2), Silicon (Si), Lithium Niobate (LiNbO3), a polymer, or glass.

Abstract: A plurality of differential encoders encodes a plurality of parallel data bit streams. XOR gates interleave the outputs of the differential encoders forming a single high speed differentially encoded bit stream with a data rate unachievable using only a differential encoder. The high speed data stream provides a single differentially encoded input to a differential phase shift keying modulator that generates symbols for a high speed optical communication system.

Abstract: An improved integrated optical device (5a-5g) is disclosed containing first and second devices (10a-10g; 15a, 15e), optically coupled to each other and formed in first and second different material systems. One of the first or second devices (10a-10g, 15a, 15e) has a Quantum Well Intermixed (QWI) region (20a, 20g) at or adjacent a coupling region between the first and second devices (10a-10g; 15a, 15e). The first material system may be a Ill-V semiconductor based on Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) or Indium Phosphide (InP), while the second material may be Silica (SiO2), Silicon (Si), Lithium Niobate (LiNbO3), a polymer, or glass.

Abstract: The thickness of a thin layer structure is monitored during deposition or etching. The structure is illuminated with a predetermined energy (visible or near visible light or x-ray) and a modified parameter of the illumination is measured, which may be reflection intensity, transmission intensity or polarisation. The detected signal is examined by shape recognition techniques using adaptive digital filters.