Abstract: A method for determining a criterion of the severity of an accident by means of an acceleration signal and a solid-borne sound signal. The signal edge direction of the absolute value of the acceleration signal is detected. If the signal edge of the absolute value of the acceleration signal drops, the solid-borne sound signal which occurs in the process is evaluated. The solid-borne sound signal may be integrated and the criterion of the severity of the accident is derived therefrom. This criterion of the severity of the accident can be used directly, or as a function of criteria, to trigger the protection devices.

Abstract: A compound zone plate comprising a first zone plate frame including a first zone plate, a second zone plate frame including a second zone plate, and a base frame to which the first zone plate frame and the second zone plate frame are bonded. In examples, two more zone plates are added to make a four element optic. In the assembly process, the microbeads are used to ensure the parallelism, dial in the distance precisely between the zone plates by selecting the microbead size, possibly in response to the width of the frames, and ensure low friction lateral movement enabling nanometer precision alignment of the zone plates with respect to each other prior to being fixed by the adhesive. That is, when the frames are pressed together to ensure parallelism, it is still possible to align them to each other since the microbead layer facilitates the inplane movement of the alignment process.

Abstract: A compound x-ray lens and method of fabricating these lenses are disclosed. These compound lenses use multiple zone plate stacking to achieve a pitch frequency increase for the resulting combined zone plate. The compound equivalent zone plate includes a first zone plate having an initial pitch frequency stacked onto a second zone plate to form an equivalent compound zone plate. The equivalent zone plate has a pitch frequency that is at least twice the initial pitch frequency. Also, in one example, the equivalent zone plate has a mark-to-space ratio of 1:1.

Abstract: A method and system for three dimensional crystallographic grain orientation mapping illuminates a polycrystalline sample with a broadband x-ray beam derived from a laboratory x-ray source, detects, on one or more x-ray detectors, diffracted beams from the sample, and processes data from said diffracted beams with the sample in different rotation positions to generate three dimensional reconstructions of grain orientation, position, and/or 3-D volume. A specific, cone beam, geometry leverages the fact that for a point x-ray source with a divergent beam on reflection of an extended crystal grain diffracts x-rays such that they are focused in the diffraction plane direction.

Abstract: A correlative evaluation of a sample using an x-ray computed tomography (CT) x-ray fluorescence (XRF) system and the method for analyzing a sample using x-ray CT and XRF is disclosed. The CT/XRF system includes an x-ray CT subsystem for acquisition of volume information and a confocal XRF subsystem for acquisition of elemental composition information. The CT/XRF system also includes a controller for managing the acquisitions by the x-ray CT subsystem and confocal XRF subsystem. Combining sub-micrometer spatial resolution 3-D imaging with elemental composition analysis in 3-D with ppm level sensitivity is important to elemental identification of precious metal grains in crushed and ground ores and floatation tailings in the mining industry.

Abstract: A device for the detection of the characteristics of an impact into a motor vehicle includes at least one signal generating unit for generating a defined acoustic impulse sequence depending on the speed of the impact, particularly a structure-borne acoustic impulse sequence due to a deformation of a chassis component of the motor vehicle. The acoustic impulse sequence is generated by way of a mechanical activation of the signal generating device caused by the deformation. A sensor system is disposed to detect the defined acoustic impulse sequence. An analysis unit analyzes the signals supplied by the sensor system such that information can be supplied on the characteristics of the impact.

Abstract: A compound zone plate comprising a first zone plate frame including a first zone plate, a second zone plate frame including a second zone plate, and a base frame to which the first zone plate frame and the second zone plate frame are bonded. In examples, two more zone plates are added to make a four element optic. In the assembly process, the microbeads are used to ensure the parallelism, dial in the distance precisely between the zone plates by selecting the microbead size, possibly in response to the width of the frames, and ensure low friction lateral movement enabling nanometer precision alignment of the zone plates with respect to each other prior to being fixed by the adhesive. That is, when the frames are pressed together to ensure parallelism, it is still possible to align them to each other since the microbead layer facilitates the inplane movement of the alignment process.

Abstract: A method and a device for triggering an emergency call in a vehicle equipped with an airbag. The device can be retrofitted in a vehicle equipped with an airbag to provide an emergency system which, in the event of an airbag being triggered, sends an emergency call (Ecall) to a suitable emergency call center in order to initiate auxiliary measures as may be necessary.

Abstract: A process to determine the porosity and/or mineral content of mineral samples with an x-ray CT system is described. Based on the direct-projection techniques that use a spatially-resolved x-ray detector to record the x-ray radiation passing through the sample, 1 micrometer or better resolution is achievable. Furthermore, by using an x-ray objective lens to magnify the x-ray image in a microscope configuration, a higher resolution of up to 50 nanometers or more is achieved with state-of-the-art technology. These x-ray CT techniques directly obtain the 3D structure of the sample with no modifications to the sample being necessary. Furthermore, fluid or gas flow experiments can often be conducted during data acquisition so that one may perform live monitoring of the physical process in 3D.

Abstract: A method for determining a criterion of the severity of an accident by means of an acceleration signal and a solid-borne sound signal. The signal edge direction of the absolute value of the acceleration signal is detected. If the signal edge of the absolute value of the acceleration signal drops, the solid-borne sound signal which occurs in the process is evaluated. The solid-borne sound signal may be integrated and the criterion of the severity of the accident is derived therefrom. This criterion of the severity of the accident can be used directly, or as a function of criteria, to trigger the protection devices.

Abstract: A device for the detection of the characteristics of an impact into a motor vehicle includes at least one signal generating unit for generating a defined acoustic impulse sequence depending on the speed of the impact, particularly a structure-borne acoustic impulse sequence due to a deformation of a chassis component of the motor vehicle. The acoustic impulse sequence is generated by way of a mechanical activation of the signal generating device caused by the deformation. A sensor system is disposed to detect the defined acoustic impulse sequence. An analysis unit analyses the signals supplied by the sensor system such that information can be supplied on the characteristics of the impact.

Abstract: An x-ray imaging system uses a synchrotron radiation beam to acquire x-ray images and at least one integrated x-ray source. The system has an imaging system including sample stage controlled by linear translation stages, objective x-ray lens, and x-ray sensitive detector system, placed on a fixed optical table and a mechanical translation stage system to switch x-ray sources when synchrotron radiation beam is not available.

Abstract: An x-ray imaging system uses a synchrotron radiation beam to acquire x-ray images and at least one integrated x-ray source. The system has an imaging system including sample stage controlled by linear translation stages, objective x-ray lens, and x-ray sensitive detector system, placed on a fixed optical table and a mechanical translation stage system to switch x-ray sources when synchrotron radiation beam is not available.

Abstract: The principle of reciprocity states that full-field and scanning microscopes can produce equivalent images by interchanging the roles of condenser and detector. Thus, the contrast transfer function inversion previously used for images from scanning systems can be applied to Zernike phase contrast images. In more detail, a full-field x-ray imaging system for quantitatively reconstructing the phase shift through a specimen comprises a source that generates x-ray radiation, a condenser x-ray lens for projecting the x-ray radiation onto the specimen, an objective x-ray lens for imaging the x-ray radiation transmitted through the specimen, a phase-shifting device to shift the phase of portions of x-ray radiation by a determined amount, and an x-ray detector that detects the x-ray radiation transmitted through the specimen to generate a detected image.

Abstract: A device for controlling a passenger protection system of a motor vehicle includes at least one structure-borne noise sensor, used to receive body vibrations, and an evaluation device, used to evaluate the structure-borne noise signal. The evaluation provides information about an impact object and/or the characteristics of the impact. The evaluation device is configured to analyze the structure-borne noise signal in relation to the frequencies contained therein, wherein the frequency spectrum contained in a signal section is distributed into a plurality of frequency ranges. The current signal energy is determined for each frequency range, and the signal energy of the frequency range is a standardized. The device also comprises a passenger protection system, which can be actuated according to the information relating to the impact object and/or the characteristics of the impact.

Abstract: A method and device for triggering a personal protection device for a vehicle, in particular, an occupant protection device in a vehicle. An acceleration sensor provides a first impact parameter Formula, compared with a triggering threshold value. A chassis noise sensor provides a second impact parameter Formula. The triggering threshold value is altered depending on the second impact parameter Formula.

Abstract: A device for controlling a passenger protection system of a motor vehicle includes at least one structure-borne noise sensor, used to receive body vibrations, and an evaluation device, used to evaluate the structure-borne noise signal. The evaluation provides information about an impact object and/or the characteristics of the impact. The evaluation device is configured to analyze the structure-borne noise signal in relation to the frequencies contained therein, wherein the frequency spectrum contained in a signal section is distributed into a plurality of frequency ranges. The current signal energy is determined for each frequency range, and the signal energy of the frequency range is a standardized. The device also comprises a passenger protection system, which can be actuated according to the information relating to the impact object and/or the characteristics of the impact.

Abstract: A system determines an absolute tilt angle in relation to the horizontal, especially for use in a motor vehicle. The system includes at least one sensor element having a main axis of sensitivity and disposed such that its main axis of sensitivity lies in the plane of the tilt angle to be detected. The at least one sensor element produces a sensor signal depending on the tilt angle in relation to the horizontal. The sensor signal is a measured acceleration of the system. The system also includes a device for detecting an acceleration component of the measured acceleration and a processing unit to which the measured acceleration and the acceleration component are supplied in order to determine an acceleration component-corrected acceleration from which the absolute tilt angle of the system in relation to the horizontal can be determined.

Abstract: An x-ray source comprises a structured anode that has a thin top layer made of the desired target material and a thick bottom layer made of low atomic number and low density materials with good thermal properties. In one example, the anode comprises a layer of copper with an optimal thickness deposited on a layer of beryllium or diamond substrate. This structured target design allows for the use of efficient high energy electrons for generation of characteristic x-rays per unit energy deposited in the top layer and the use of the bottom layer as a thermal sink. This anode design can be applied to substantially increase the brightness of stationary, rotating anode or other electron bombardment-based sources where brightness is defined as number of x-rays per unit area and unit solid angle emitted by a source and is a key figure of merit parameter for a source.

Abstract: An x-ray microscope uses a microfocus x-ray source with a focus spot of less than 10 micrometers and a Wolter condenser having a magnification of about four or more for concentrating x-rays from the source onto a sample. A detector is provided for detecting the x-rays after interaction with the sample, and an x-ray objective is used to form an image of the sample on the detector. The use of the Wolter optic addresses a problem with microfocus sources that arise when the size of the focal spot that must then be imaged onto the sample with the condenser is smaller than the field of view.