Abstract: In connection with a sales transaction, product information is directly collected from a product provided with a label or tag that can be electronically scanned using, for example, optical scanning technology or radio-frequency scanning technology. The product information is electronically provided to a third party for the purpose of a post sale activity such as recording of the sale of the product or product warranty registration.

Abstract: In connection with a sales transaction, a physical sales receipt is generated which includes a unique transaction identifier. The buyer can later access an electronic version of the sales receipt through a computing device by presenting the transaction identifier. The buyer can enjoy the benefits of a recorded sales history, for example a customer loyalty discount in future sales, without the need of providing customer or account information at each transaction.

Abstract: In connection with a sales transaction, product information is directly collected from the product provided with a label or tag that can be electronically scanned by, for example, optical scanning technology or radio-frequency scanning technology. The product information is electronically provided to the buyer in the form of an electronic receipt.

Abstract: A multiple sport practice apparatus which permits a person to engage in the repetitive striking of such objects at any position, even in a relatively confined location, so as to tone the required muscles, develop muscle memory of the proper motion, and develop the proper execution of the striking motion. The multiple sports practice apparatus includes, a secondary safety net section used as a back up for stray balls, and a impact net section used as the primary target so that projectile that has impinged upon falls to the base of apparatus. The apparatus is arranged to stop the flight of a ball that is incident thereon, and is suspended in Four Corners, to a structure such as rafters or walls in a garage or warehouse, but not limited to. The two nets making the apparatus gather as they rest on playing surface to form a seal at the bottom to catch balls directed toward apparatus. Balls are restrained and caught by the apparatus and laid to rest on playing surface.

Abstract: Sterol ester compositions having fatty acid moieties comprising greater than 50% monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), preferably from about 55% to about 80% MUFAs, and more preferably from about 60% to about 75% MUFAs. Preferably, the fatty acid moieties comprise less than about 6% saturated fatty acids (SFAs), more preferably from about 0.1% to about 4% SFAs, and most preferably from about 0.5% to about 2% SFAs. The fatty acid moieties of the sterol ester compositions comprise 50% or less polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Also disclosed are methods for preparing the sterol ester compositions and the products comprising them.

Abstract: Polyol polyesters useful as nondigestible fat substitutes are prepared by improved heterogeneous interesterification processes between fatty acid esters of easily removable alcohol and polyol wherein the particle size of the polyol is reduced to less than 100 microns, and when the degree esterification of the polyol is between about 15% and no more than 75% substantially all of the unreacted polyol is removed. In the initial or early stages of the reaction, reaction conditions are adjusted to maintain a sufficient level of lower partial fatty acids to act as an emulsifier. The initial catalyst level is from about 0.001 to about 0.5 catalyst per mole of catalyst.

Abstract: A method of repairing severed or damaged data transmission lines of an imager provides a shunt path around the electrical defect in the data transmission line by means of a diode common transmission line. The repair shunt includes a first scan line segment, a common electrode segment, and a second scan line segment, which segments are fused together and to the data line having the electrical defect to bypass the electrical defect. The respective conductive lines are fused together with spot welds formed with the application of a laser. A repaired imager has a data line having an open circuit defect, with respective first and second portions of said data line being coupled to a repair shunt comprising an associated pixel scan line segment and a common electrode segment. In one embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of spot welds are provided in the imager array, each in its unwelded state but capable of being welded by the application of heat.

Abstract: The present invention efficiently and quickly estimates signal (code value) dependant noise in an image and subsequently reduces that noise. The digital image is segmented both according to code value and into smooth vs. textured regions. Noise estimates taken from smooth regions are used to model noise as a function of code value. The predictions of the model are used to tone noise reduction in all areas of the image according to the appropriate code value.

Abstract: An automated method and system for determining the positional orientation of radiographic images, wherein digital image data is acquired and subjected to multiple phases of digital imaging processing. The image is processed to segment the object of interest, i.e., a body region, from the foreground and background of the image. Next, the center is determined for the body region. The body region center is then positioned so that it coincides with the center of the film or medium. The image is subsequently decomposed into one or more horizontal and vertical strips. Feature extraction is performed on these strips to preliminarily determine the orientation of the image. Finally, a set of rules is applied to the image information described above to determine the positional orientation of the image.

Abstract: An automated method and system for digital imaging processing of radiologic images, wherein digital image data is acquired and subjected to multiple phases of digital imaging processing. During the Pre-Processing stage, simultaneous box-rim filtering and k-nearest neighbor processing and subsequent global thresholding are performed on the image data to enhance object-to-background contrast, merge subclusters and determine gray scale thresholds for further processing. Next, during the Preliminary Selection phase, body part segmentation, morphological erosion processing, connected component analysis and image block segmentation occurs to subtract unwanted image data preliminarily identify potentials areas including abnormalities.

Abstract: A method of repairing an open circuit defect in a damaged address line in a thin film electronic imager array is provided that includes the steps of forming a repair area exposing the open circuit defect and portions of the damaged address line adjoining the defect, with a first protective layer disposed over the array surrounding the repair area; depositing a layer of conductive repair material over the array so that a portion of the conductive repair material is disposed in the repair area to form a repair shunt electrically connecting the portions of the address line adjoining the defect; forming a planarized second protective layer over the array; removing portions of the second protective layer to form a planarized surface on the array on which the conductive repair material is exposed except for the repair shunt underlying a plug portion of the second protective layer disposed over the repair area; removing the conductive repair material from the array surface except for the portion underlying the plug

Abstract: In accordance with the invention there is provided an internal line-up clamp for securing two adjacent pipe sections together in end-to-end relationship comprising a first clamping mechanism operable to extend a first set of circumferentially disposed clamping shoes radially into clamping engagement with the interior of a first pipe section; a second clamping mechanism operable to extend a second set of circumferentially disposed clamping shoes radially into clamping engagement with the interior of a second pipe section; and a back-up shoe mechanism comprising a plurality of circumferentially extending back-up shoes arranged to provide a radially outer cylindrical surface. The back-up shoes being located axially between the sets of clamping shoes and being extendible radially outwardly into engagement with the interior of the pipe sections when the sections are clamped by respective clamping mechanisms.

Abstract: A method of identifying tissue regions in a digital image representing a body part provides a digital image representing a body part having tissue regions. The digital image is scaled by subsampling or interpolation, and texture extraction is applied to the scaled image to produce a plurality of texture images each having a different measure of the image texture. The texture images are clustered, and the clustered image is labeled based on both pixel intensity values and geometric adjacency of pixels. A threshold is applied to the labeled image, which is then filtered using a largest component filter system to determine the largest geometrically connected region in the threshold image. The filtered image is subjected to edge detection to produce an edge image containing only edge pixels at high code value, and the edge image is operated on to produce a convex hull image which outlines the skin line of the tissue region of the body part provided in the digital image.

Abstract: A thin film electronic imager device has a repaired area between an upper conductive layer and an underlying component in the array in which portions of the upper conductive layer and a dielectric layer have been removed such that the upper conductive layer is electrically isolated from the underlying component. The repaired area has a bottom level having a surface comprising material of the underlying component and an intermediate step level having a surface comprising the dielectric layer material that extends around the periphery of the repaired area. The lateral dimension of the intermediate step level is greater than the lateral dimension of the bottom level such that the width of the intermediate level step surface is in the range between about 1 .mu.m and 3 .mu.m. Formation of the structure in the repair area is done by removing material by laser ablation to set back the upper conductive layer from the sidewall of the dielectric material in the region in which the defect was excised.

Abstract: A method of automatically segmenting the bone regions in a digital radiograph of a body extremity comprising the steps of: providing a digital radiographic image of a body extremity having one or more digits; estimating the upper and lower threshold values of the provided image; binarizing the provided image by a binarization system which uses the estimated upper and lower threshold values to produce a bi-tonal image; removing noise from the binarized image by a noise removal system; processing the noise removed binary image by a skeletonization technique in order to form an initial estimate of the central axis of each body extremity digit; approximating the locus of points generated by the processing step by a linear fit system; joining lines with near end points with a line linking system which results in a piece wise linear approximation of the central axis for each body extremity digit; for each point along the axes, generating perpendicular projections which extend a fixed pixel distance; for each perpen

Abstract: An apparatus for coating an optical fibre with a selected one of a plurality of different resins includes respective reservoirs for the resins, an applicator for applying a resin coating to the optical fibre and a distributor between the reservoirs and the applicator including a valve device which is operable for putting any selected one of the reservoirs in flow communication with the applicator. The valve device includes a first body defining a plurality of inlet passages each of which is interconnected to a respective reservoir by a respective inlet conduit and a second body defining an outlet passage which is interconnected to the applicator via an outlet conduit. A flow control device is disposed between the bodies and the bodies are relatively moveable for putting any selected one of the inlet passages in alignment with the outlet passage.

Abstract: A thin film electronic imager device has a repaired area between an upper conductive layer and an underlying component in the array in which portions of the upper conductive layer and a dielectric layer have been removed such that the upper conductive layer is electrically isolated from the underlying component. The repaired area has a bottom level having a surface comprising material of the underlying component and an intermediate step level having a surface comprising the dielectric layer material that extends around the periphery of the repaired area. The lateral dimension of the intermediate step level is greater than the lateral dimension of the bottom level such that the width of the intermediate level step surface is in the range between about 1 .mu.m and 3 .mu.m. Formation of the structure in the repair area is done by removing material by laser ablation to set back the upper conductive layer from the sidewall of the dielectric material in the region in which the defect was excised.