Systems and methods for assessing weather in proximity to an airborne aircraft
US Patent 7,982,658
July 19, 2011
Dynamic weather model systems and methods are operable to assess weather in proximity to an airborne aircraft. An exemplary embodiment receives a radar return from the weather, determines reflectivity information from the received radar return, retrieves a weather model from a weather model data base, compares the weather with the retrieved weather model and the determined reflectivity information, predicts a characteristic of the weather based upon the comparison of the weather and the weather model, and determines if the predicted characteristic is potentially hazardous to the airborne aircraft. The weather model is defined by at least one weather modeling algorithm, and is defined by at least one of a parameter and a variable parameter range residing in a weather characteristics database.
Atlas reporting
US Patent 7,979,383
July 12, 2011
A method and database for generating a report of findings of at least one abnormality evident in a medical image, the medical image including at least a portion of at least one structure of the body, the method includes retrieving a figure of the at least one structure. The retrieved figure is amended to reflect an abnormality. The abnormality is sized with respect to the figure of the at least one structure. The abnormality is placed at a location on the figure of the at least one structure according to an orientation of that abnormality in the medical image to generate an amended figure representative of the medical image for inclusion in the report.
Distributed and cable reduced TCAS
US Patent 7,978,121
July 12, 2011
A direction finding antenna system for determining the relative bearing of a second aircraft from a first aircraft in conjunction with Distance Measuring Equipment (DME). The system includes a first antenna and a second antenna located on a top surface of the first aircraft, spaced apart along a first axis, as well as a third antenna and a fourth antenna located on a bottom surface of the first aircraft, spaced apart along a second axis orthogonal to the first axis. The system further includes a transmitting, receiving, and processing system coupled to the first, second, third, and fourth antennas, wherein the transmitting, receiving, and processing system is configured to transmit DME interrogations, receive DME replies, and process the DME replies to determine the relative bearing of the second aircraft from the first aircraft.
Phase plate, in particular for an electron microscope
US Patent 7,977,633
July 12, 2011
The invention concerns a phase plate, in particular for an electron microscope, which is disposed in an electron beam path (4), comprises at least one thin film (8, 8a-h), which thin film is at least partially permeable to electron beams, wherein the thin film (8, 8a-h) comprises electrically conductive material, is connected to a predeterminable electrical voltage (12, 12a-e) and is equipped with at least one through-hole (9, 9a-c).
Single SOI wafer accelerometer fabrication process
US Patent 7,976,714
July 12, 2011
Methods for producing a MEMS device from a single silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer. An SOI wafer includes a silicon (Si) handle layer, a Si mechanism layer and an insulator layer located between the Si handle and Si mechanism layers. An example method includes etching active components from the Si mechanism layer. Then, the exposed surfaces of the Si mechanism layer is doped with boron. Next, portions of the insulator layer proximate to the etched active components of the Si mechanism layer are removed and the Si handle layer is etched proximate to the etched active components.
Building structured material using cell geometry
US Patent 7,975,452
July 12, 2011
A cellular building block including a middle beam and two legs. The cellular building block having the first leg coupled to the middle beam such that the leg is perpendicular to the middle beam and a second leg coupled to the middle beam such that the leg is perpendicular to the middle beam and spaced apart from the first leg, the first leg and the second leg having an inside edge and an outside edge. Having at least one barb located on the inside edge of the first leg and on the inside edge of the second leg and further configured to lock into a recess. The cellular building blocks connect in a two dimensional or three dimensional pattern and a produce a structured material that holds itself together and exhibits beneficial characteristics.
Self tuning cylinder pressure based heat release computation
US Patent 7,974,762
July 5, 2011
A method for automatic, heat release computation in a piston engine, comprises the steps of: measuring a cylinder pressure as a function of crank angle (see FIGURE), based on said measurement; calculating a first polytropic exponent for a compression stroke (in M), based on said measurement, calculating a second polytropic exponent for an expansion stroke (in M’); for a crank angle interval between the compression stroke and the expansion stroke, performing an interpolation of the first and second polytropic exponents and performing a net heat release computation based on said interpolated polytropic exponent.
Multiple link, self-jacking work cart
US Patent 7,971,898
July 5, 2011
A multiple link, self-jacking mobile work cart includes the main body defining upper and lower portions supported by the plurality of rotating wheels. A multiple link, self-jacking mechanism is provided in connection with two laterally deployable work tables which can serve as infeed/outfeed tables for a power tool or the like supported by the main body of the cart. The multiple link mechanism includes an actuator arm, a linkage arm, a control arm and moveable support legs all pivotally connected to one another such that when the work tables are deployed, substantial weight placed on the tables is transferred to the support legs, rather than the wheels which support the main body.
Speaker authentication in digital communication networks
US Patent 7,970,611
June 28, 2011
Example embodiments provide a speaker authentication technology that compensates for mismatches between enrollment process conditions and test process conditions using correction parameters or correction models, which allow for correcting one of the test voice characterizing parameter set and the enrollment voice characterizing parameter set according to a mismatch between the test process conditions and the enrollment process conditions, thereby obtaining values for the test voice characterizing parameter set and the enrollment voice characterizing parameter set that are based on the same or at least similar process conditions. Alternatively, each of the enrollment and test voice characterizing parameter sets may be normalized to predetermined standard process conditions by using the correction parameters or correction models.
High definition lidar system
US Patent 7,969,558
June 28, 2011
A lidar-based 3-D point cloud measuring system and method. An example system includes a base, a housing, a plurality of photon transmitters and photon detectors contained within the housing, a rotary motor that rotates the housing about the base, and a communication component that allows transmission of signals generated by the photon detectors to external components. The rotary component includes a rotary power coupling configured to provide power from an external source to the rotary motor, the photon transmitters, and the photon detectors. In another embodiment, the photon transmitters and detectors of each pair are held in a fixed relationship with each other. In yet another embodiment, a single detector is “shared” among several lasers by focusing several detection regions onto a single detector, or by using a single, large detector.
