Abstract: A chair support shell has an integral back portion, seat portion, and joining portion between the back portion and the seat portion. At least a major portion of the support shell comprises a compliant structure, the compliant structure having a plurality of cells interconnected by a plurality of resilient members. The compliant structure provides compliance in the seat portion, compliance in the back portion, and compliance in the joining portion. The compliant structure enables recline of the back portion relative to the seat portion.

Abstract: A method of preparing a robotic surgery apparatus for a medical procedure can include covering a manipulator unit of the robotic surgery apparatus with a first sterile barrier by coupling a drape coupler of the first sterile barrier to a bottom surface of the manipulator unit and wrapping a drape of the first sterile barrier around side and top surfaces of the manipulator unit. The drape can be coupled to the drape coupler. The drape can be made of material that is more flexible than material of the drape coupler. The method can include covering an arm of the robotic surgery apparatus supporting the manipulator unit with a second sterile barrier that is distinct from the first sterile barrier by coupling the second sterile barrier to the arm and wrapping the second sterile barrier around the arm.

Abstract: A parallax-based 3D display that comprises a light-field component, making it possible for multiple viewers to view the 3D display.

Abstract: The present invention is a personal flotation device comprising an inflatable bladder, a harness configured to be worn on the body of the user comprising a body belt and at least two vertical straps on the front of the harness configured to extend upward over the user's shoulders and connect to the back of the harness, the inflatable bladder attached to the front of the harness and slidably attached to the body belt and the at least two vertical straps, an inflation mechanism configured to inflate the inflatable bladder, and the inflatable bladder configured to expand vertically and horizontally across the user's chest when it is inflated.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing multi-channel audio using a reduced amount of resources for the decoding process. A 5.1 channel audio stream is divided into three stereo streams. The packets from each of three stereo streams are multiplexed to create a pseudo-5.1 channel audio stream. The pseudo 5.1 channel audio stream is then decoded and demultiplexed at the output to create the output 5.1 channel audio sound. As such, the decoder resources only have decode a single pseudo 5.1 stream. This technique is equally applicable to 7.1 or other multi-channel formats.

Abstract: Designed for use with widescreen TVs or high-end TVs with a mode for accommodating anamorphic programs, an EPG client is equipped with an electronic program guide (EPG) and a letterbox-to-anamorphic converter. The EPG client evaluates EPG data to determine whether programs are in the letterbox format. When a letterboxed program is selected for viewing, the EPG client vertically stretches the program by a ratio of M/N, where M>N (e.g., 4/3), to convert the program from the letterbox format to an anamorphic format prior to delivery to the television. The converted anamorphic program is output to the television, where it is horizontally expanded to fit the screen.

Abstract: Designed for use with widescreen TVs or high-end TVs with a mode for accommodating anamorphic programs, an EPG client is equipped with an electronic program guide (EPG) and a letterbox-to-anamorphic converter. The EPG client evaluates EPG data to determine whether programs are in the letterbox format. When a letterboxed program is selected for viewing, the EPG client vertically stretches the program by a ratio of M/N, where M>N (e.g., 4/3), to convert the program from the letterbox format to an anamorphic format prior to delivery to the television. The converted anamorphic program is output to the television, where it is horizontally expanded to fit the screen.

Abstract: A piezo-electric actuated valve having an inlet chamber, an outlet chamber, and an end chamber is disclosed. The valve also includes a main poppet disposed within the valve body. The main poppet is configured to be selectively movable between a flow blocking position substantially blocking a flow of pressurized fluid and a plurality of flow passing positions allowing fluid communication between the inlet and the outlet chambers. The valve also includes a pilot valve configured to be selectively movable between a first position substantially blocking a flow of pressurized fluid and a plurality of second positions allowing fluid communication between the end chamber and the one of the inlet and outlet chamber exposed to a pressurized fluid having a lower pressure. The valve further includes a piezo-electric actuator configured to be selectively movable between a de-energized position and an energized position to affect the pilot valve to selectively move to at least one the plurality of second positions.

Abstract: An aeration measurement system for a fluid actuation system is disclosed. The aeration measurement system has a container configured to receive fluid, and a light source configured to emit light into the container. The aeration measurement system also has a light receiver that is configured to receive light from the light source while the light is passing through the fluid. The aeration measurement system further has a controller in communication with the light source and light receiver. The controller is configured to determine an amount of aeration in the fluid based on the received light.

Abstract: An expansion joint system which is provided to accommodate forces applied to highway construction during normal changes in ambient conditions, and which is also designed to withstand seismic forces and vehicular forces, which may be applied in transverse and longitudinal directions. The system includes spaced-apart transverse vehicle load bearing members which are placed in a gap defined between adjacent sections of highway construction, longitudinally extending support members positioned beneath the load bearing members, means embedded within the adjacent roadway sections that control longitudinal, transverse and vertical movement, and a mechanism for controlling the spacing between the transverse load bearing beams. Preferably, this mechanism maintains a substantially equal distance between the transverse load bearing beam members.

Abstract: The arrangements and procedures of this invention adaptively process video data. Specifically, at least first and second fields of an interlaced frame are deinterlaced to form intermediate progressive first and second frames. The first intermediate progressive frame includes scanlines of a first temporal instant. The second intermediate progressive frame includes scanlines of a second temporal instant. The first and second temporal instants are different from one another. The first and second intermediate progressive frames are independently resampled to form respective first and second resampled frames. Scanlines from the first and second resampled frames are interleaved to generate a resampled interlaced frame.

Abstract: An expansion joint system which is provided to accommodate forces applied to highway construction during normal changes in ambient conditions, and which is also designed to withstand seismic forces and vehicular forces, which may be applied in transverse and longitudinal directions. The system includes spaced-apart transverse vehicle load bearing members which are placed in a gap defined between adjacent sections of highway construction, longitudinally extending support members positioned beneath the load bearing members, means embedded within the adjacent roadway sections that control longitudinal, transverse and vertical movement, and a mechanism for controlling the spacing between the transverse load bearing beams. Preferably, this mechanism maintains a substantially equal distance between the transverse load bearing beam members.

Abstract: An expansion joint system which is provided to accommodate forces applied to highway construction during normal changes in ambient conditions, and which is also designed to withstand seismic forces and vehicular forces, which may be applied in transverse and longitudinal directions. The system includes spaced-apart transverse vehicle load bearing members which are placed in a gap defined between adjacent sections of highway construction, longitudinally extending support members positioned beneath the load bearing members, means embedded within the adjacent roadway sections that control longitudinal, transverse and vertical movement, and a mechanism for controlling the spacing between the transverse load bearing beams. Preferably, this mechanism maintains a substantially equal distance between the transverse load bearing beam members.

Abstract: An electronic lighting apparatus with at least one multiple position adjustable lighting pod. Each lighting pod includes at least one variable intensity light source and a proximity sensor for detecting objects interposed between the lighting pod and a work field. Each variable intensity light source is powered by a controllable pulse width modulated power supply or other suitable power supply which can be utilized to vary the intensity of the light source. In response to detection of an object interposed between a particular lighting pod and the work surface, the power to that lighting pod is increased, increasing the illumination of the work field. Alternatively, power to that lighting pod may be decreased and power to alternate lighting pods is increased, thereby minimizing shadows within the work field.

Abstract: An expansion joint system which is provided to accommodate forces applied to highway construction during normal changes in ambient conditions, and which is also designed to withstand seismic forces and vehicular forces, which may be applied in transverse and longitudinal directions. The system includes spaced-apart transverse vehicle load bearing members which are placed in a gap defined between adjacent sections of highway construction, longitudinally extending support members positioned beneath the load bearing members, means embedded within the adjacent roadway sections that control longitudinal, transverse and vertical movement, and a mechanism for controlling the spacing between the transverse load bearing beams. Preferably, this mechanism maintains a substantially equal distance between the transverse load bearing beam members.

Abstract: An electronic lighting apparatus with at least one multiple position adjustable lighting pod. Each lighting pod includes at least one variable intensity light source and a proximity sensor for detecting objects interposed between the lighting pod and a work field. Each variable intensity light source is powered by a controllable pulse width modulated power supply or other suitable power supply which can be utilized to vary the intensity of the light source. In response to detection of an object interposed between a particular lighting pod and the work surface, the power to that lighting pod is increased, increasing the illumination of the work field. Alternatively, power to that lighting pod may be decreased and power to alternate lighting pods is increased, thereby minimizing shadows within the work field.

Abstract: This invention relates to an apparatus for comminuting rock and other material and, in particular, to a rotary driven blade apparatus which comminutes rock, drilling materials and other material by impact rather than by grinding or crushing. More particularly, the invention creates a comminution environment which maximizes the establishment of a clear trajectory for the material between the orbit of each spinning blade and a single breaker bar.

Abstract: A modularly tiered clear-trajectory impact commuter apparatus that comminutes rock, drilling materials and other comminutable by impact rather than by grinding or crushing. The invention creates a comminution environment which maximizes the establishment of a clear essentially tangential trajectory for the material between the orbit of each spinning blade and a single rectangular breaker bar. The modular vertical series coupling of the modularly tiered clear-trajectory impact comminuter apparatus may be adjusted to accommodate the material throughput for any environment whereby, for any given size of comminution chamber and rotary blade configuration, any number of tierable, modular comminution chambers may be vertically tiered for achieving the desired material throughput in relation to the load of comminutable material.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the detection and diagonosis of ATL (adult T cell leukemia/lypmphoma) condition by the use of chemically synthesized peptide composition. The peptide composition comprises peptides having amino acid sequences corresponding to segments of the envelope protein, p21, of HTLV-I and mixtures thereof. The peptide composition is highly immunoreactive with antibodies in sera of patients with ATL.The detection method includes an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assey (ELISA), an immunoradiometric assay (IRMA), and other forms of immunoassay procedures such as enzyme immuno blotting assay on nitrocellulose paper and hemagglutination assay using the peptide composition as the antigen. The preferred detection method is ELISA.