Abstract: A camshaft assembly 10 is disclosed which comprises an inner shaft 12, an outer tube 14 surrounding and rotatable relative to the inner shaft 12, and two groups of cam lobes 16 and 18 mounted on the outer tube 14. The first group of cam lobes 16 is fast in rotation with the outer tube 14 and the second group 18 is rotatably mounted on the outer tube 14 land connected for rotation with the inner shaft 12 by means of pins 20 that pass with clearance through slots in the outer tube 14. A spring 138 is incorporated in the camshaft assembly 10 to bias the inner shaft 12 relative to the outer tube 14 towards one extreme of its angular range.

Abstract: A camshaft assembly comprises an inner shaft 12 and an outer tube 14 surrounding and rotatable relative to the inner shaft. Two groups of cam lobes are mounted on the outer tube 14, the first group of cam lobes 16 being fast in rotation with the outer tube 14 and the second group of lobes 26 being rotatably mounted on the outer surface of the tube 14 and connected for rotation with the inner shaft by means of pins 22 that pass with clearance through slots in the outer tube 14. A sleeve 20 rotatably mounted on the outer tube 14 is connected to impart drive to the inner shaft 12 by means of a pin 24 passing with clearance through a circumferentially extending slot in the outer tube 14.

Abstract: A valve operating mechanism is described for an internal combustion engine in which at least one valve (14) of an engine cylinder is operated by two cams (10,12). The cams (10,12) have respective cam followers (38,36) which are resiliently biased to remain in contact with the cams (10,12) at all times and which act on the valve (14) by way of a summation linkage (20,24) in such a manner that the displacement of the valve (14) at any instant is determined by a combination of the displacements of the two cam followers (38,36). In the invention, movement of each of the two cam followers (38,36) is transmitted to the summation linkage (20,24) by way of a respective one of two pushrods (28,30).

Abstract: An engine is described having two camshafts 14, 16 each of which carries two groups of cams and comprises an inner shaft coupled for rotation with a first group of cams and an outer tube rotatably supported by the inner shaft and coupled for rotation with the second group of cams. A phaser 12 is provided to enable the phase of at least one of the two groups of cams on one of the SCP camshafts 14, 16 to be varied with reference to the phase of the engine crankshaft. Drive links in the form of meshing gearwheels, drive chains or belts, couple the two corresponding groups of cams on the respective camshafts for rotation in unison with one another.

Abstract: A vehicle communication system uses one or more components to process both narrow band signals and spread spectrum signals. A spread spectrum-like signal is generated from the narrow band signal. The spread spectrum-like signal is processed as a spread spectrum signal.

Abstract: Compounds are disclosed that are designed to mimic the activity of combretastatin A-4 based on chalcone, aurone, or indanone structures, or involving benzoquinone or quinone rings. The anti-cancer activity of exemplified compounds is demonstrated in a range of in vitro and in vivo assays.

Abstract: The invention provides liquid crystal switching devices, liquid crystal cells made from the switching devices, and electrooptical cells made from the switching devices. The invention further provides methods for methods for changing the orientation of a liquid crystal in a liquid crystal switching device. The liquid crystal switching devices are constructed from a redox-active material supported by a substrate and a liquid crystal having a salt dispersed therein disposed atop the redox-active material.

Abstract: A display device has a number of pixels to display an image. A first set of electrodes and a second set of electrodes are provided. To display an image in accordance with image data, the first and second sets of electrodes are addressed with a first set of drive signals and a second set of drive signals respectively in order to drive the pixels of the display device. The first set of drive signals is predefined. The image data is compressed. The second set of drive signals is obtained from the compressed image data.

Abstract: A method of forming a liquid crystal device, includes: contacting an aqueous solution comprising a surfactant and a receptor molecule with a top surface of a liquid crystal. The liquid crystal is in a holding compartment of a substrate, and the receptor molecule is adsorbed on the top surface of the liquid crystal forming an interface between the liquid crystal and the aqueous solution. The receptor molecule is different than the surfactant. A method of detecting a compound in a flowing stream includes passing an aqueous solution over a top surface of a liquid crystal in a holding compartment of a substrate. The method also includes determining whether a change in the orientation of the liquid crystal occurs as the aqueous solution is passed over the top surface of the liquid crystal. A change in the orientation of the liquid crystal indicates the presence of the compound in the flowing stream.

Abstract: A method of imaging phenomena that occurs on a surface of a substrate includes contacting a fluid with a top surface of the substrate, and imaging phenomena that occurs on the top surface of the substrate by observing the substrate through polarized light in the absence of a liquid crystal after the liquid has contacted the top surface of the substrate. The top surface of the substrate has an anisotropic topography, and the wavelength of the polarized light is larger than the anisotropic topography of the top surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A vehicle communication system uses one or more components to process both narrow band signals and spread spectrum signals. A spread spectrum-like signal is generated from the narrow band signal. The spread spectrum-like signal is processed as a spread spectrum signal.

Abstract: A flat-panel modulator includes a plurality of separately modulatable elements or pixels in which the modulating elements on the panel are arranged, notionally or physically, into patches or blocks (shown schematically as 53a, b, c) of individual modulating elements such that space between each patch exists which has no modulating elements. Addressing lines can be located in the space between the blocks, decreasing resistivity. Also the optical resolution of the magnifying optics is much better than if the entire panel were imaged as a whole. Furthermore a seamless image can be built up using suitable optics (51) between the modulator blocks and a screen (52), at least some of the blocks being magnified.

Abstract: The invention provides liquid crystal switching devices, liquid crystal cells made from the switching devices, and electrooptical cells made from the switching devices. The invention further provides methods for methods for changing the orientation of a liquid crystal in a liquid crystal switching device. The liquid crystal switching devices are constructed from a redox-active material supported by a substrate and a liquid crystal having a salt dispersed therein disposed atop the redox-active material.

Abstract: A digital signal processing architecture for an audio system combines multiple functions in programmable and reconfigurable blocks to achieve an efficient use of hardware and chip area. AM, FM, and audio functions can be performed using the same reconfigurable hardware while taking into account the different sample rates and processing functions required for each.

Abstract: A carrier-based signal is received from a tuner and is digitized to produce a digital intermediate frequency (IF) signal. Automatic gain control is applied to the carrier-based signal either prior to or after digitization. An adaptive intermediate frequency bandwidth control system detects IF signal level after channel filtering. The level is compared to a predetermined threshold having a value related to the known signal level of the AGC'ed signal which is being input to the channel filter in order to provide a measure of either 1) the presence of interfering adjacent channels, or 2) reception or a weak signal which can't be compensated for by AGC. The IF bandwidth is narrowed in either circumstance. Digital FIR or IIR filtering is used. The invention allows bandwidth switching to be done very quickly with minimal transient effects. A threshold value is selected depending upon the IF channel bandwidth being used at any given time.

Abstract: An adaptive bandwidth control system optimizes radio reception by controlling intermediate frequency bandwidth and baseband bandwidth to reduce both interference and noise while remaining compatible with AM broadcasts using the NRSC-1 standard. An adaptive IF filter detects the presence of interfering undesired sources. The IF bandwidth is narrowed if any interferers are detected. Simultaneously, the frequency content of the demodulated baseband signal is analyzed to control an optimal baseband bandwidth so that any frequencies containing substantially only noise are eliminated.

Abstract: An adaptive intermediate frequency bandwidth control system detects IF signal levels both before and after channel filtering. The two levels are compared to provide a measure of the presence of interfering adjacent channels. This measure is compared to a programmable threshold and the IF bandwidth is narrowed if any interferers are detected. Digital FIR or IIR filtering is used. The invention allows bandwidth switching to be done very quickly with minimal transient effects. A difference threshold is selected depending upon the IF channel bandwidth being used at any given time.