Abstract: A method of printing a 3D part with an additive manufacturing system includes printing a first portion of the part and pre-heating the first portion of the part along an upcoming tool path to a temperature at or above a material-specific bonding temperature and below a degradation temperature of the material. Material is extruding material onto the first portion along the pre-heated tool path while the temperature along the part surface remains at or above a material-specific bonding temperature and below the degradation temperature of the material thereby forming a newly extruded road. The method includes cooling the newly extruded road along the pre-heated tool path to remove heat imparted by the preheating step such that a thermally stable temperature is reached, wherein the preheating, extruding and cooling is performed in less than ten seconds.

Abstract: A method of additive manufacturing comprises operating an additive manufacturing system for fabricating a multiplicity of objects, while acquiring a set of images during fabrication of each of the objects. For each object, a respective set of images is analyzed to identify fabrication irregularities, and a fabrication score is generated based on the irregularities. The multiplicity of objects is clustered according to the fabrication scores into at least two clusters.

Abstract: A method for 3D printing a part with an additive manufacturing system includes printing a first portion of a part in a layerwise manner and analyzing a topology of the first portion of the part. The method includes determining a tool path for printing a second portion of the part on a surface of the first portion of the part, and pre-heating the first portion of the part along the tool path as a function of the topological analysis of the first portion of the part. The method includes printing the second portion of the part along the tool path.

Abstract: A method for additive manufacturing a part using fused deposition modeling 3D printing technology includes projecting a laser image from one or more laser emitters onto a previously printed bead or beads of thermoplastic material forming a portion of the part, along a tool path for a next bead in a subsequent part layer. The laser image has a width of between about 50% to 75% of a commanded beadwidth of the next bead, and is moved along a tool path that is generally transverse to the width thereof, to thereby selectively irradiate and heat the previously printed thermoplastic material to at least a bonding temperature thereof but below a degradation temperature. A bead of thermoplastic material is extruded from an extrusion head and deposited along the tool path while at least a top surface portion of the irradiated material remains at or above its bonding temperature, so that strong adhesion occurs between part layers.

Abstract: A method for additive manufacturing a part using fused deposition modeling 3D printing technology includes projecting a laser image from one or more laser emitters onto a previously printed bead or beads of thermoplastic material forming a portion of the part, along a tool path for a next bead in a subsequent part layer. The laser image has a width of between about 50% to 75% of a commanded beadwidth of the next bead, and is moved along a tool path that is generally transverse to the width thereof, to thereby selectively irradiate and heat the previously printed thermoplastic material to at least a bonding temperature thereof but below a degradation temperature. A bead of thermoplastic material is extruded from an extrusion head and deposited along the tool path while at least a top surface portion of the irradiated material remains at or above its bonding temperature, so that strong adhesion occurs between part layers.

Abstract: A method of printing a 3D part with an additive manufacturing system includes printing a first portion of the part and pre-heating the first portion of the part along an upcoming tool path to a temperature at or above a material-specific bonding temperature and below a degradation temperature of the material. Material is extruding material onto the first portion along the pre-heated tool path while the temperature along the part surface remains at or above a material-specific bonding temperature and below the degradation temperature of the material thereby forming a newly extruded road. The method includes cooling the newly extruded road along the pre-heated tool path to remove heat imparted by the preheating step such that a thermally stable temperature is reached, wherein the preheating, extruding and cooling is performed in less than ten seconds.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for notifying an emergency responder of a vehicle emergency. Communication is established with a cellular telephone located within the vehicle. The communication link is monitored and the vehicle occupant is notified of link loss. The apparatus monitors vehicle safety systems for detection of an emergency condition. Upon detection, the occupant is notified that an emergency call will be made. If no cancellation is received, vehicle location information is obtained from a global position system, synthesized into voice signals, and communicated to an emergency responder using the cellular telephone. A plurality of occupant and vehicle emergency information may also be provided. Emergency responders may be provided with a touch tone menu to select among the available information. Vehicle and occupant information may be communicated to the apparatus from external sources, such as a web server database via cellular telephone connection, or removable memory.

Abstract: An endoscope captures images of a surgical site for display in a viewing area of a monitor. When a tool is outside the viewing area, a GUI indicates the position of the tool by positioning a symbol in a boundary area around the viewing area so as to indicate the tool position. The distance of the out-of-view tool from the viewing area may be indicated by the size, color, brightness, or blinking or oscillation frequency of the symbol. A distance number may also be displayed on the symbol. The orientation of the shaft or end effector of the tool may be indicated by an orientation indicator superimposed over the symbol, or by the orientation of the symbol itself. When the tool is inside the viewing area, but occluded by an object, the GUI superimposes a ghost tool at its current position and orientation over the occluding object.

Abstract: A vehicle communication system includes a computer processor in communication with persistent and non-persistent memory. The system also includes a local wireless transceiver in communication with the computer processor and configured to communicate wirelessly with a cellular telephone located at the vehicle. The system further includes a backup power circuit comprising a charge storage device such as a local battery or capacitor having enough charge to power the computer processor and local wireless transceiver long enough to send an emergency call signal to the cellular telephone, and an emergency call command signal is sent from the local wireless transceiver to the cellular telephone in the event a vehicle emergency is detected at the computer processor and vehicle power is lost. The signal causes the cellular telephone to place or continue an emergency call to an emergency responder or agency over the cellular telephone network.

Abstract: An apparatus for use within a vehicle to notify an emergency responder of a vehicle emergency, comprising an electrical interface configured to receive vehicle information from a vehicle data bus in communication with one or more vehicle modules. The apparatus also includes a wireless transceiver capable of establishing a wireless communication link with a mobile phone and capable of sending vehicle information to the mobile phone. The apparatus also includes an accelerometer capable of determining acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle. The apparatus also includes a processor configured to detect a vehicle emergency occurring at or near the vehicle based on the accelerometer, output a wireless signal to the mobile phone to instruct the mobile phone to dial an emergency responder and establish communication with the emergency responder upon detection of the vehicle emergency; and to communicate with a pre-defined emergency contact other than the emergency responder.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for notifying an emergency responder of a vehicle emergency. Communication is established with a cellular telephone located within the vehicle. The communication link is monitored and the vehicle occupant is notified of link loss. The apparatus monitors vehicle safety systems for detection of an emergency condition. Upon detection, the occupant is notified that an emergency call will be made. If no cancellation is received, vehicle location information is obtained from a global position system, synthesized into voice signals, and communicated to an emergency responder using the cellular telephone. A plurality of occupant and vehicle emergency information may also be provided. Emergency responders may be provided with a touch tone menu to select among the available information. Vehicle and occupant information may be communicated to the apparatus from external sources, such as a web server database via cellular telephone connection, or removable memory.

Abstract: A vehicle communication system includes a computer processor in communication with persistent and non-persistent memory. The system also includes a local wireless transceiver in communication with the computer processor and configured to communicate wirelessly with a cellular telephone located at the vehicle. The system further includes a backup power circuit comprising a charge storage device such as a local battery or capacitor having enough charge to power the computer processor and local wireless transceiver long enough to send an emergency call signal to the cellular telephone, and an emergency call command signal is sent from the local wireless transceiver to the cellular telephone in the event a vehicle emergency is detected at the computer processor and vehicle power is lost. The signal causes the cellular telephone to place or continue an emergency call to an emergency responder or agency over the cellular telephone network.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for constructing and evaluating a story of interest. The system includes a plurality of decision algorithms. Each decision algorithm is operative to quantify at least one category of uncertainty associated with the story of interest as a set of at least one uncertainty parameter. An uncertainty management component is operative to reconcile the sets of uncertainty parameters from the plurality of decision algorithms as to produce a global uncertainty parameter for each of the plurality of uncertainty categories for the story of interest.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for notifying an emergency responder of a vehicle emergency. Communication is established with a cellular telephone located within the vehicle. The communication link is monitored and the vehicle occupant is notified of link loss. The apparatus monitors vehicle safety systems for detection of an emergency condition. Upon detection, the occupant is notified that an emergency call will be made. If no cancellation is received, vehicle location information is obtained from a global position system, synthesized into voice signals, and communicated to an emergency responder using the cellular telephone. A plurality of occupant and vehicle emergency information may also be provided. Emergency responders may be provided with a touch tone menu to select among the available information. Vehicle and occupant information may be communicated to the apparatus from external sources, such as a web server database via cellular telephone connection, or removable memory.

Abstract: Aspects of the present invention relate to path determination for transport system infrastructure paths. In embodiments, methods and systems are provided for identifying alternative paths and determining optimized transport system paths for projects. The methods and systems may involve providing a client-based application having a GUI that presents a plurality of constraints that relate to a project, a server-based application for calculating the costs of a plurality of potential paths for presenting a subset of paths with associated cost data, and determining optimized paths for at least one of a pipeline, a conveyor, a canal, a multipurpose utility pipe, and a telecommunication line.

Abstract: Single substrate device is formed to have an image acquisition device and a controller. The controller on the substrate controls the system operation.

Abstract: An endoscope captures images of a surgical site for display in a viewing area of a monitor. When a tool is outside the viewing area, a GUI indicates the position of the tool by positioning a symbol in a boundary area around the viewing area so as to indicate the tool position. The distance of the out-of-view tool from the viewing area may be indicated by the size, color, brightness, or blinking or oscillation frequency of the symbol. A distance number may also be displayed on the symbol. The orientation of the shaft or end effector of the tool may be indicated by an orientation indicator superimposed over the symbol, or by the orientation of the symbol itself. When the tool is inside the viewing area, but occluded by an object, the GUI superimposes a ghost tool at its current position and orientation over the occluding object.

Abstract: Light sensors having a wide dynamic range are used in a variety of applications. A wide dynamic range light sensor includes an exposed photodiode light transducer accumulating charge in proportion to light incident over an integration period. Sensor logic determines a light integration period prior to the beginning of integration and the charge is reset. Charge accumulated by the exposed light transducer over the light integration period is measured and a pulse having a width based on the accumulated charge is determined.

Abstract: Single substrate device is formed to have an image acquisition device and a controller. The controller on the substrate controls the system operation.

Abstract: A single chip camera which includes an intergrated integrated image acquisition portion and control portion and which has double sampling/noise reduction capabilities thereon. Part of the intergrated integrated structure reduces the noise that is picked up during imaging.