Abstract: The invention allows more accurate localization of radiation volumes during radiation treatment of tumors. The equipment includes radiation detector elements placed behind the patient during radiation, for treatment of a tumor condition. Such a detector may be constructed of semiconductor or a scintillating material. The radiation treatment plan for the patient includes an additional calculation of the treatment beam energy required for to enable the treatment beam to transit the patient. The energy required for patient transit is then measured, using a treatment beam with a beam current below that which will induce significant tissue damage. The experimental transit flux is then compared to the calculated transit flux, and the difference is used to correct the beam transport parameters in the original radiation treatment plan. Hence lower radiation doses and smaller radiation volumes can be achieved, reducing deleterious radiation side effects.

Abstract: The invention provides a system for therapeutic treatment of an organ, tumor, or other internal structure of a living body with therapeutic radiation after implantation, at the organ, of a magnetic element to identify the location of the organ, the element being capable of emitting a magnetic signal in response to an applied magnetic field. The system comprises a magnetic field generator for irradiating the magnetic element with an applied magnetic field, a movable magnetic field sensor for detecting the magnetic signal from a plurality of selected mutually displaced positions to produce a corresponding plurality of element-locating signals, a computing apparatus for converting the signals to a location image of the internal structure, and a controlled source of therapeutic radiation for focussing a selected degree and duration of therapeutic radiation at a target determined from the location image of the magnetic element.

Abstract: A method and system for preventing counterfeiting of an item, include an interrogatable tag attached to the item. The item includes visible indicia for comparison with secret, non-duplicable information stored in the tag designating authenticity.

Abstract: When fabricating a liquid crystal panel from a pair of substrates using the “one-drop fill” method to deposit liquid crystal material in a central portion of one substrate and then sealing the substrates together with a fillet of epoxy between the outer peripheral portions of the substrates, the uncured epoxy tends to contaminate the liquid crystal material and impair its function. Here, a relatively thick barrier fillet, as of silicone elastomer, is deposited in the form of a continuous closed circuit upon one of the substrates and is fully cured before depositing the liquid crystal material within that closed circuit. To seal the substrates together, they are brought together to a spacing determined by a relatively thin spacer fillet provided on one of the substrates and an epoxy fillet is deposited along the outer periphery of the substrates. The barrier fillet, preferably compressed, serves to prevent contamination of the liquid crystal material by any regions of uncured epoxy.

Abstract: This invention helps achieve accurate focussing of therapeutic radiation at an internal structure (e.g. cancerous organ), which is often substantially movable within a living body. For this purpose, suitable sensors are laproscopically or surgically implanted at the location of the organ. These sensors may include semiconductor materials, scintillation materials, piezo-acoustic materials, x-ray emitters, or other materials which emit a signal when they are scanned by a beam of harmless investigative radiation, such as low intensity therapeutic radiation. The emitted signal is then monitored via implanted wires or light fibers or via external detectors during scanning to determine the targetted location at which a signal maximum occurs, whereupon the desired intensity of therapeutic radiation is focussed on this targetted location.

Abstract: A manufacturing tool and method for enhancing the speed with which display panels can be filled with the requisite liquid crystal is described. In essence, the panel walls are expanded by compression of opposite edges to provide a wider channel for the liquid to flow resulting in a substantial increase in the mass transfer of the liquid crystal per unit time thereby enhancing the panel throughput rate.

Abstract: A radio frequency identification transponder (RFID tag) includes an RFID antenna and one or more elements of nonlinear magnetic material tuned to resonate at substantially the same frequency as the resonant frequency of the tag antenna. This co-resonance amplifies signals that impinge upon the antenna, yielding both a higher level signal from the antenna to the tag electronics and wider operational bandwidth for the tag. With the addition of the nonlinear magnetic material, the tag may also be employed as a magnetic surveillance tag, with the attendant non-screening capabilities. With a plurality of nonlinear magnetic elements tuned to different resonant frequencies, the tag may provide more "non-screenable" information, that is, two bits, or four binary states, for example, when two such elements are employed.

Abstract: An apparatus for limiting the viewing angle of a display (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD)) of an electronic device including a housing for housing the LCD, includes a pivoting device coupled to the housing, and a plurality of retractable flaps movable between first and second positions and respectively coupled to the pivoting device. The plurality of retractable flaps are for limiting a viewing angle of the LCD when the flaps are moved from the first position to the second position.

Abstract: A detachable keyboard for a telephone set is provided in the form of a keyboard card clipped to the headset, which is completely detached from the body when unclipped. Wireless communication between the handset body and keyboard is used when the card is unclipped, while contacts are activated in the clipped position so that the wireless handset then functions as in the case of a non detachable keyboard.

Abstract: A management system for a vehicle having a commodity storage region and traveling along a path having a plurality of geographically-distributed commodity replenishing stations, includes a sensor for measuring a level of the commodity in the storage region and providing commodity level data. A global positioning system (GPS) determines a location of the vehicle along the path. A controller stores a record of current geographical locations of the commodity replenishing stations and current commodity prices thereat, and calculates commodity replenishing schedules of the vehicle at the replenishing stations based on an output from each of the GPS and the sensor, and a commodity price at at least some of the replenishing stations.

Abstract: A system, apparatus, and method for filling a display panel having first and second plates, with liquid crystal material, includes a nozzle for depositing a layer of liquid crystal material over a surface of a first plate of the panel, a scanning arm, coupled to the nozzle, for uniformly forming the layer of liquid crystal material over the surface of the first plate of the panel, and an attachment mechanism for placing the second plate over the first plate having the liquid crystal material thereover, thereby to form the display panel.

Abstract: A computer case shaped to provide cooling of the computer's electronic parts is described. The case is formed from metal or thin plastic which can be stamped or injection molded in the desired shape for cooling. The case has a plurality of sides and a bottom. In a first aspect, a plurality of ribs is formed on at least one of the sides, thereby increasing the surface area available for heat dissipation. The bottom may also be corrugated. In a second aspect, slots are provided in at least one of the sides, and the heat generating microprocessor is positioned adjacent to the slotted sides. In a third aspect, a plate is attached to the bottom by means of angled edges at the periphery of the plate so as to allow a gap between the attached plate and the case bottom for trapping a gas therebetween and providing insulation from heat at the case bottom. Optionally, openings are provided in the angled edges for additional convective cooling of the case bottom.

Abstract: A computer case shaped to provide cooling of the computer's electronic parts is described. The case is formed from metal or thin plastic which can be stamped or injection molded in the desired shape for cooling. The case has a plurality of sides and a bottom. In a first aspect, a plurality of ribs is formed on at least one of the sides, thereby increasing the surface area available for heat dissipation. The bottom may also be corrugated. In a second aspect, slots are provided in at least one of the sides, and the heat generating microprocessor is positioned adjacent to the slotted sides. In a third aspect, a plate is attached to the bottom by means of angled edges at the periphery of the plate so as to allow a gap between the attached plate and the case bottom for trapping a gas therebetween and providing insulation from heat at the case bottom. Optionally, openings are provided in the angled edges for additional convective cooling of the case bottom.

Abstract: The present apparatus is a mobile shopping cart that can automatically keep track of objects selected and carried in the cart and provide a customer using the cart information like the total price of the items carried. The cart has a radio frequency cart base station with a cart antenna connected to a radio frequency cart transceiver. Various novel embodiments of the invention produce a radio frequency field within the shopping cart that is used to communicate with radio frequency tags on objects carried in the cart. The tags contain information about the respective carried object to which the tags are attached. A program function executed by the cart circuit and/or computer controls the cart transceiver to interrogate radio frequency tags within the radio frequency field, i.e. inside the cart to gain information about the carried objects. Tags on objects external to the cart are not interrogated.

Abstract: A tag for concealing in an object for providing antitheft protection and identification, and a system for incorporating the tag, include in one embodiment a magnetic antitheft element, and an identification code including a pattern of first and second segments of wires of high thermal conductivity situated at right angles to the antitheft element and in intimate thermal contact with the antitheft element. The length of the first segments is longer than the length of the second segments.

Abstract: An inexpensive multibit magnetic tag is described which uses an array of amorphous wires in conjunction with a magnetic bias field. The tag is interrogated by the use of a ramped field or an ac field or a combination of the two. The magnetic bias is supplied either by coating each wire with a hard magnetic material which is magnetized or by using magnetized hard magnetic wires or foil strips in proximity to the amorphous wires. Each wire switches at a different value of the external interrogation field due to the difference in the magnetic bias field acting on each wire.

Abstract: The invention relates to a special type of magnetic tag that serves both as an identifier of the article to which it is attached and as an antitheft device. The former attribute is especially important should stolen property be recovered. Identification comes about through the use of an array of individual magnetic elements that are closely spaced, preferably along and perpendicular to an amorphous wire or strip. The magnetic elements can take the form of magnetic ink, high coercivity wire, thin foil, or amorphous wire. The array may be personalized (coded) by leaving out elements of the array or driving selected elements to saturation while others remain demagnetized. The elements can also be in the form of a double array to constitute `1`s and `0`s to form a code. Reading of the elements is accomplished with a special reading head consisting or one or more small magnetic circuits coupled to one or more pickup loops.

Abstract: A transponder has a resonant RLC circuit with one or more electromagnetic energy storage components that vary in response to an externally applied modulating energy field. In addition to the externally modulating energy field, a base station transmits a carrier signal with a frequency essentially the same as the quiescent resonant frequency of the RLC circuit. As the component(s) vary, the resonant frequency of the RLC circuit changes, modulating the carrier signal with the external modulating energy field. Effects of the modulation are detected by the base station. Information (e.g., the presence of a tag) is obtained by receiving and demodulating the modulated signal at the base station. One or more of the circuit elements (e.g., different preferred embodiments of one or more capacitors, inductors, and resistors) can be varied (e.g. mechanically) to modulate the carrier signal.

Abstract: One or more high-frequency ultrasonic transducers are used to measure the liquid level of tanks containing any type of fluid, but fuel in particular. The invention relates specifically to tanks that are subject to movement and vibration which generally makes the use of ultrasonic echoes unreliable for obtaining accurate level measurements. A special algorithm is used to obtain the temporal center of the distribution of echo arrival times over a preset time interval. From this temporal center of an echo distribution, the liquid level is readily obtained through the acoustic velocity, time and distance relationship. An annular piezoelectric plate, independently driven at low ultrasonic frequencies (kHz range), mounted on the tank bottom surrounds the high frequency ultrasonic transducer.

Abstract: The present invention is a magnetic sensor used with one or more frequency band pass filters and a logic circuit that produces a ("critical") signal that is used for enabling and disabling an external electronic circuit, e.g. a computer circuit. The magnetic sensor produces a signal when excited by an externally applied alternating current (ac) magnetic field. The external ac magnetic field can comprise one or more frequencies, each of which induces an electrical signal at the respective frequency in the sensor. Depending on the linearity of the sensor, one or more harmonic frequencies of the signal frequencies can also be induced in the sensor. One or more bandpass filters is connected to the magnetic sensor and each of the bandpass filters is tuned to filter the signal to select filtered signals, from the output of the sensor. A logic circuit is activated by one or more of the filtered signals or a combination of one or more of the signal frequencies.