Abstract: A combination flow control and reverse flow check valve provides a compact valve unit for controlling the flow of fluid in a downstream direction and limiting undesired backflow of liquid into a source such as a reservoir. The flow control and reverse flow check valve may be provided as a unitary member having a housing with an upstream end configured for mounting to the liquid source, a fluid conveying channel within the housing, and a check element positioned in the channel between the flow control valve, such as a ball valve, and a seat which is complementally configured with the check element to normally seal against backflow. A blocking element may be provided to prevent interference of the check element with the operation of the flow control valve while permitting liquid to flow in an intended downstream direction.

Abstract: A handheld drinking vessel with a compressible bladder, inlet and outlet members, an inlet valve to allow liquid to flow into the bladder, and an outlet valve to allow liquid to flow from the bladder whereby liquid can be exhausted by a compression of the bladder and liquid can be drawn into the bladder by a decompression of the bladder. The inlet and outlet valves can comprise one-way valves. First and second straps can enable an exertion of an expansion force on the bladder. A skeleton structure can bias the bladder to compressed or non-compressed configurations. First and second side walls of the bladder can pivot about an axis to allow the bladder to achieve a substantially flat configuration. The bladder, which can be formed from a thin film material, can be selectively retained adjacent to a wrist of a user by a strap and a wrist engaging member.

Abstract: A method for segmenting tubular structures in digital medical images includes extracting a subregion from a 3-dimensional (3D) digital image volume containing a vessel of interest, identifying potential vessel centerpoints for each voxel in the subregion by attaching to each voxel a tip of a 3D cone that is oriented in the direction of the voxel's image gradient and having each voxel within the cone vote for those voxels most likely to belong to a vessel centerline, selecting candidates for a second vote image that are both popular according to a first vote image, as well as being consistently voted upon by a radius image, reconfiguring the subregion as a graph where each voxel is represented by a node that is connected to 26 nearest neighbors by n-link edges, and applying a min-cut algorithm to segment the vessel within the subregion.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for monitoring a coolant conductivity of a fuel cell supplying power via positive and negative buses. The method includes measuring a first voltage of the positive bus, measuring a second voltage of the negative bus, applying a resistance between the positive bus and a reference potential, measuring a third voltage of the positive bus after a period of applying the resistance, and determining an isolation resistance based on the measured voltages. The isolation resistance is a function of the coolant conductivity.

Abstract: A food container configured as a decoratable figurine comprising a body configured to hold food having an opening positioned on said body to dispense food from said body. The container having a three dimensional head representation positioned on said body. The container has a cover to seal said opening and at least one item for decoration of said body that is removable and adhered onto said body. The decoratable figurine entices a child to play with the container instead of being immediately discarded leading to high brand recognition and desire to both initially purchase and repurchase product because of its secondary uses other than packaging.

Abstract: A bag is has an opening defined by a pair of walls and a pair of gussets. The walls are joined by the gussets. The bag has two slits. Each of the two slits is formed adjacent a wall and a gusset. Each of the two slits is adjacent the opening. A zipper comprises a pair of interlocking sections. The zipper is inserted through the slits. The interlocking sections are secured to at least a portion of each of the walls.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for monitoring a coolant conductivity of a fuel cell supplying power via positive and negative buses. The method includes measuring a first voltage of the positive bus, measuring a second voltage of the negative bus, applying a resistance between the positive bus and a reference potential, measuring a third voltage of the positive bus after a period of applying the resistance, and determining an isolation resistance based on the measured voltages. The isolation resistance is a function of the coolant conductivity.

Abstract: An apparatus for protecting and merging a head stack assembly with a disc stack of a data storage device. The head stack assembly comprises a cantilevered flexure which supports a transducer at a distal end thereof. A carrier includes a carrier support surface arranged to contactingly support the distal end of the flexure. A merge tool is adapted to merge the transducer with a recording surface of the disc stack. The merge tool includes a merge support surface arranged to contactingly support a medial portion of the flexure while the carrier support surface is disposed between the merge support surface and the transducer. The transducer is merged by aligning the merge support surface with the medial portion of the flexure, and using the merge support surface to displace the distal end of the flexure from the carrier support surface and advance the transducer to a final position.

Abstract: A method of starting a permanent magnet machine. A machine stator voltage in a stationary reference frame is sensed. An initial speed of a rotor of the machine is estimated based on the sensed voltage, and state variables of control algorithms are initialized based on the estimated initial speed. This method can provide smooth startup and/or restart at any speed.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method for managing processor execution time in a motor controller. The method includes receiving motor speed data, comparing the received motor speed data to predetermined motor speed ranges, determining a motor speed range based on the comparison, and modulating an inverter switching frequency of the motor controller processor based on the motor speed range. The step of receiving motor speed data may include receiving machine terminal information, processing the received machine terminal information utilizing a sensorless control algorithm, and determining motor speed data based on the processed information. The step of modulating the inverter switching frequency may include determining a modified inverter switching frequency value based on the determined motor speed range and providing the modified inverter switching frequency value to a processor control algorithm.

Abstract: A multi-dimensional bounding sphere is determined for a collection of points by determining a multi-dimensional bounding box that encompasses all of the points, determining the center of the bounding sphere from the center of the bounding box, and determining the radius of the bounding sphere as the distance from the center of the bounding sphere to a location not closer to the center of the bounding sphere than any of the points in the collection of points.

Abstract: A method of reducing loss in an interior permanent magnet drive system is provided. A current input DC link power value is calculated. The current input DC link power value is then compared with a previous input DC link power value. A change in input DC link power value is determined from this comparison. A flux decrement value is calculated. The flux decrement value is based on the change in input DC link power value. A stator current value is generated. The stator current value is based on the flux decrement value. Finally, the stator flux current is reduced, based on the stator current value.

Abstract: Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a method of reducing flicker in a video image sequence includes the following. Successive video images are temporally filtered. The filter length is adjusted so as to reduce the amount of filtering across temporal discontinuities in the video image sequence. Briefly, in accordance with another embodiment of the invention, a method of reducing flicker in a video image sequence includes the following. Successive video images are temporally filtered. The filter length is dynamically adjusted.

Abstract: A device for implementing a method for predicting rotational positions of a rotating shaft is disclosed. A motor shaft is rotated over a range of rotation. The device detects each incremental rotation position of the motor shaft from a set of incremental rotational positions being spaced by a fixed increment. Prior to a change in the rotational speed of the motor shaft, the device generates a prediction of each rotational position. When a detected incremental rotation indicates a change in rotational speed of the motor shaft, the device modifies the prediction of each motor shaft position in a continuous manner.

Abstract: Three-dimensional data that defines a bone in a three-dimensional model is coded by coding a quaternion defining an orientation of the bone, coding vectors defining a displacement of the bone and a scaling factor for the bone, and coding a value defining a time corresponding to the orientation, displacement and scaling of the bone.

Abstract: A method comprising decoding a video image such that the decoding generates a number of transform coefficients. Additionally, the number of transform coefficients are processed to determine whether to sharpen the video image.

Abstract: A device for implementing a method for predicting rotational positions of a rotating shaft is disclosed. A motor shaft is rotated over a range of rotation. The device detects each incremental rotation position of the motor shaft from a set of incremental rotational positions being spaced by a fixed increment. Prior to a change in the rotational speed of the motor shaft, the device generates a prediction of each rotational position. When a detected incremental rotation indicates a change in rotational speed of the motor shaft, the device modifies the prediction of each motor shaft position in a continuous manner.

Abstract: Methods for determining whether a feline is infected with feline immunodeficiency virus (“FIV”). The methods involve the use of an antibody-binding composition that includes two enhanced polypeptides, one containing an immunogenic fragment of the FIV gag precursor p55 and the other containing an immunogenic fragment of the FIV env precursor gp130. Also featured are devices for practicing these methods.