131454 results about "Classical mechanics" patented technology

A laser scanning module employs a scan mirror and magnet rotor subassembly supported by a stator structure using a pair of elastomeric wheel hinges. The scan mirror and magnet rotor subassembly includes: a scan mirror and magnet rotor subassembly having a rotor frame having a pair of rotor support posts aligned along a scan axis passing through the rotor frame; a scan mirror mounted on the rotor frame; and a permanent magnet mounted on the rotor frame. The elastomeric wheel hinge includes a central portion having an aperture for passage and fixed attachment of one rotor support post, a plurality of elastomeric spoke portions extending from the central portion and radially extending from the central aperture to a circumferential rim portion connected to the outer end portion of each spoke portion so as to form the elastomeric wheel hinge.

A radial transverse electric polarizer device is provided. The device includes a first layer of material having a first refractive index, a second layer of material having a second refractive index, and a plurality of elongated elements azimuthally and periodically spaced apart, and disposed between the first layer and the second layer. The plurality of elongated elements interact with electromagnetic waves of radiation to transmit transverse electric polarization of electromagnetic waves of radiation. One aspect of the invention is, for example, to use such polarizer device in a lithographic projection apparatus to increase imaging resolution. Another aspect is to provide a device manufacturing method including polarizing a beam of radiation in a transverse electric polarization.

A method for collision avoidance using automated braking and steering comprising: determining an actual distance to an obstacle in a path of a vehicle; determining a relative velocity between the obstacle and the vehicle; determining a first distance sufficient to avoid collision by braking only; determining a second distance sufficient to avoid collision by combined braking and steering around the obstacle. The method also includes: applying braking if at least one of, the first distance exceeds the actual distance and the first distance is within a selected threshold of the actual distance. If the actual distance exceeds the second distance and a lane change is permitted, steering control to affect a lane change is applied.

A non-invasive optical sensor which uses the motion signal to calculate the physiological characteristic being measured. For pulse oximetry, a least squares or a ratio-of-ratios technique can be applied to the motion signal itself. This is made possible by selecting a site on the patient where variations in motion produce signals of two wavelengths which are sufficiently correlated. In particular, it has been determined that a sensor placed on a nail, in particular a thumbnail, exhibits the characteristics of having the red and infrared signals correlated when used for pulse oximetry, and the resulting signals correlate to arterial oxygen saturation.

Methods and systems for drilling to a target location include a control system that receives an input comprising a planned drilling path to a target location and determines a projected location of a bottom hole assembly of a drilling system. The projected location of the bottom hole assembly is compared to the planned drilling path to determine a deviation amount. A modified drilling path is created to the target location as selected based on the amount of deviation from the planned drilling path, and drilling rig control signals that steer the bottom hole assembly of the drilling system to the target location along the modified drilling path are generated.

A locking screw assembly is provided which allows installation into a plate-like member using relatively little force, but which requires relatively great force for removal. The fastener has an annular locking ring provided within a groove in the head of the screw to allow the screw to sit within or flush with the anterior surface of the plate. The through-hole in the plate which receives the locking screw comprises an entrance, a collar section, an undercut, and an exit. The locking ring resides within the undercut. The locking ring has a leading surface that is chamfered or radiused and a trailing surface that is flat. The chamfer allows the locking ring to easily be inserted into the through-hole by interacting with a lead chamfer in the entrance. After installation, the flat trailing surface abuts a lip adjoining the collar section and the undercut and prevents the screw from being easily removed from the through-hole.

Spinal stabilization devices, systems and methods are provided that include a stabilization member including a first structural member that mounts to a pedicle screw, a second structural member adjacent the first structural member and that can move away therefrom, a resilient element mounted between the structural members and that elongates to accommodate relative movement therebetween, and a travel-limiting structure mounted between the structural members and that defines and imposes upon the stabilization member a maximum distance by which the first and second structural members may be separated. The travel-limiting structure can include an axially inextensible, laterally flexible elongate element, e.g., wire-rope cable, disposed between the structural members. The resilient element extends between respective first ends of the structural members, while the travel-limiting structure can include terminations at opposite ends of the elongate element and mounted to respective second ends of the structural members opposite the first ends thereof.

Floorboards (1, 1′) are shown, which are provided with a mechanical locking system consisting of a separately machined locking strip (6) which is mechanically joined with the floorboard (1), the locking strip (6) being designed for mechanical fixing to the floorboard (1) by means of a joint, which is operable by snapping-in and / or inward angling, and the locking strip (6) being designed to connect the floorboard (1) with the essentially identical floorboard (1′) by at least inward angling. Moreover, a locking strip, a strip blank, a set of parts for making a floorboard and methods for manufacturing a floorboard and a locking strip, respectively, are shown.

A game system includes a housing to be held by a player. The housing incorporates an XY-axis acceleration sensor to detect an acceleration in an X-axis and Y-axis direction and a Z-axis contact switch to detect an acceleration in a Z-axis direction. These sensor and switch detect at least one of an amount (e.g. tilt amount, movement amount, impact amount or the like) and a direction (e.g. tilt direction, movement direction, impact direction or the like) of a change applied to the housing. A simulation program provides simulation such that a state of a game space is changed related to at least one of the amount and direction of the change applied to the housing.

An article of footwear includes a woven region. A fit adjustment system includes a lace strap superimposed with strands of material forming the woven region. The lace strap is routed around the shoe and forms opposing pairs of lace holding elements such as lace loops. More specifically, the lace strap extends downwardly from a lace holding element on a first side of the upper, across and underneath the footbed, around the heel region, back across and underneath the footbed, and upwardly to form a lace holding element on the second side. By the routing of the lace strap, the lace strap is integrated with the heel and arch portions of the shoe. A shoe lace is routed through the lace holding elements and may be adjusted to affect the fit of the upper to a foot of a user.

An orthogonal electrical coupling relies on electromagnetic coupling for the inner connection, as opposed to direct contact between conductors. A conductor on one of the lines is connected to a ground plane which is adjacent to a resonant slot. Microwave energy is coupled to the slot, thereby exciting the slot. A second conductor is on the opposite side of the ground plane from the first conductor. Microwave energy from the excited resonant slot passes to the second conductor, thereby allowing contactless interconnection between the first conductor and the second conductor. The coupling may emphasize certain modes of propagation relative to other possible modes of propagation. Specifically, the ground plane and slot may be enclosed in a cavity of a size such that the cavity does not support any natural mode propagation inside the cavity. Instead, the coupling may have a cavity in which a transverse electromagnetic (TEM) mode is propagated.

A clamp has a handle assembly, a gripping assembly having a pair of jaws that can be opened and closed to grip an element, and a shaft assembly. The shaft assembly has a flexible shaft having a proximal end that is operatively coupled to the handle assembly and a distal end that is operatively coupled to the gripping assembly. The shaft assembly also has a rigid element that can be placed in a first position where the rigid element supports the shaft in a manner where the shaft cannot be bent, and in a second position where the shaft can be bent.

A dielectrophoretic display has a substrate having walls defining a cavity, the cavity having a viewing surface and a side wall inclined to the viewing surface. A fluid is contained within the cavity; and a plurality of particles are present in the fluid. There is applied to the substrate an electric field effective to cause dielectrophoretic movement of the particles so that the particles occupy only a minor proportion of the viewing surface.

A non-mechanical gimbal system is presented. The gimbal system includes a gimbal housing, including hemispherical and annular caps, rotatable sphere, and at least two curvilinear actuators. The hemispherical cap is attached to the annular cap in a removable fashion so as to surround the rotatable sphere. The curvilinear actuators are disposed between the rotatable sphere and gimbal housing. Curvilinear actuators rotate the rotatable sphere, via shear induced motion, with respect to the interior surface of the gimbal housing. The present invention has immediate applicability within security devices, games, toys, weapons (including guidance systems and aiming), and communication systems.

Spinal motion preservation assemblies adapted for use in a spinal motion segment are disclosed including the process for delivering and assembling the spinal motion preservation assemblies in the spinal motion segment via an axial channel created with a trans-sacral approach. The spinal motion preservation assemblies make use of a dual pivot. A number of different embodiments of spinal motion preservation assemblies are disclosed which include at least one component adapted for elastic deformation under compressive loads. The disclosed mobility preservation assemblies provide for dynamic stabilization (DS) of the spinal motion segment.

A dielectrophoretic display has a substrate having walls defining a cavity, the cavity having a viewing surface and a side wall inclined to the viewing surface. A fluid is contained within the cavity; and a plurality of particles are present in the fluid. There is applied to the substrate an electric field effective to cause dielectrophoretic movement of the particles so that the particles occupy only a minor proportion of the viewing surface.

One embodiment of an alignment apparatus for aligning an object, such as a tool or other implement, perpendicular with respect to a horizontal or a vertical target surface, comprises a three-axis accelerometer and at least two forward-facing distance sensors and a projection display comprising four addressable laser projectors. The accelerometer and distance sensor outputs are mapped to a predefined graphic symbol representing the orientation of the tool relative to the target surface, in particular when the tool is perpendicular to the target surface. The projection display projects the predefined symbol onto the target surface where it may be easily viewed by the tool operator allowing the operator to make any necessary corrections to the tool position.

A millimeter wave (MMW) antenna array includes a continuous transverse stub (CTS) radiating aperture comprising a set of spaced continuous transverse stubs, each having a longitudinal extent. A series feed system is coupled to an excitation source for exciting the stubs with MMW electromagnetic energy having a linear phase progression along the longitudinal extent of the stubs to produce an array beam which can be scanned over a beam scan range by changing the excitation frequency.

Apparatus and methods for a deployment valve used with an underbalanced drilling system to enhance the advantages of underbalanced drilling. The underbalanced drilling system may typically comprise elements such as a rotating blow out preventer and drilling recovery system. The deployment valve is positioned in a tubular string, such as casing, at a well bore depth at or preferably substantially below the string light point of the drilling string. When the drilling string is above the string light point then the upwardly acting forces on the drilling string become greater than downwardly acting forces such that the drilling string begins to accelerate upwardly. The deployment valve has a bore sufficiently large to allow passage of the drill bit therethrough in the open position. The deployment valve may be closed when the drill string is pulled within the casing as may be necessary to service the drill string after drilling into a reservoir having a reservoir pressure. To allow the drill string to be removed from the casing, the pressure produced by the formation can be bled off and the drill string removed for servicing. The drill string can then be reinserted, the pressure in the casing above the deployment valve applied to preferably equalize pressure above and below the valve and the drill string run into the hole for further drilling.

An electromagnetic wave propagation device includes multiple planar propagation media each formed by laminating at least one planar conductor and at least one planar dielectric, multiple transceivers for transmitting and receiving information among electronic apparatuses, and a first interface for transmitting and receiving the electromagnetic wave between the transceivers and the planar propagation media. Planar dielectric spacers are provided for isolating the multiple planar propagation media from one another. The planar propagation medium is disposed to have an overlapped part with at least the other of the planar propagation media so that an obverse face of the medium and a reverse face of the other medium are at least partially overlapped with each other. The planar conductor is provided with an electromagnetic wave linking unit at the overlapped part that transmits and receives the electromagnetic wave between the planar propagation media.

A universal joint comprising a pair of circular waveguide ball-joints and a slip-joint allows for simultaneous 3-axis rotation and 3-dimensional translation between an antenna and a stationary source. As such, the universal joint does not have to be physically aligned with the azimuth, and elevation, rotation axis of the antenna and mounted on the gimbal support, greatly simplifying the antenna steering mechanism. The universal joint allows the antenna to be mass-balanced in relation to the azimuth and elevation axis without adding any additional counter weights, thus reducing the size and power requirements of the azimuth and elevation rotation drive systems. Additional ball-joints may be provided to increase the allowed range of motion of the antenna.

A user-heading determining system (10) for pedestrian use includes a multiple-axis accelerometer (110) having acceleration sensors; a device-heading sensor circuit (115) physically situated in a fixed relationship to the accelerometer (110); an electronic circuit (100) operable to generate signals representing components of acceleration sensed by the accelerometer (110) sensors, and to electronically process at least some part of the signals to produce an estimation of attitude of a user motion with respect to the accelerometer, and further to combine the attitude estimation (750, α) with a device heading estimation (770, ψ) responsive to the device-heading sensor circuit, to produce a user heading estimation (780); and an electronic display (190) responsive to the electronic circuit (100) to display information at least in part based on the user heading estimation. Other systems, circuits and processes are also disclosed.

Embodiments include an eye cover adapted to be removeably mounted on a head-worn computer with a see-through computer display where the eye cover includes a flexible audio headset mounted to the eye cover. The flexibility of the audio headset provides the user of the head-worn computer with a mechanism to align the audio headset with an ear of the user.