271673 results about "Environmental geology" patented technology

A location system is disclosed for commercial wireless telecommunication infrastructures. The system is an end-to-end solution having one or more location centers for outputting requested locations of commercially available handsets or mobile stations (MS) based on, e.g., CDMA, AMPS, NAMPS or TDMA communication standards, for processing both local MS location requests and more global MS location requests via, e.g., Internet communication between a distributed network of location centers. The system uses a plurality of MS locating technologies including those based on: (1) two-way TOA and TDOA; (2) pattern recognition; (3) distributed antenna provisioning; and (4) supplemental information from various types of very low cost non-infrastructure base stations for communicating via a typical commercial wireless base station infrastructure or a public telephone switching network. Accordingly, the traditional MS location difficulties, such as multipath, poor location accuracy and poor coverage are alleviated via such technologies in combination with strategies for: (a) automatically adapting and calibrating system performance according to environmental and geographical changes; (b) automatically capturing location signal data for continual enhancement of a self-maintaining historical data base retaining predictive location signal data; (c) evaluating MS locations according to both heuristics and constraints related to, e.g., terrain, MS velocity and MS path extrapolation from tracking and (d) adjusting likely MS locations adaptively and statistically so that the system becomes progressively more comprehensive and accurate. Further, the system can be modularly configured for use in location signaling environments ranging from urban, dense urban, suburban, rural, mountain to low traffic or isolated roadways. Accordingly, the system is useful for 911 emergency calls, tracking, routing, people and animal location including applications for confinement to and exclusion from certain areas.

A sensor, and methods of making, for determining the concentration of an analyte, such as glucose or lactate, in a biological fluid such as blood or serum, using techniques such as coulometry, amperometry, and potentiometry. The sensor includes a working electrode and a counter electrode, and can include an insertion monitoring trace to determine correct positioning of the sensor in a connector.

The present invention relates to cutting tools, in particular, to control systems for cutters such as vegetation cutters, especially hedge cutters or trimmers (10). Hedge cutters (10) frequently suffer in use from a problem of blocked cutting blades when they encounter a twig or branch whose size or density exceeds the capacity of the blades. We describe a vegetation cutting apparatus (10) having a plurality of cutting blades (11,12), at least one of which blades (11,12) is drivable by an electric motor. At least one driven blade (11,12) is movable between two predefined points of maximum travel. The apparatus (10) includes a control mechanism which causes a change of direction in the movement of the at least one movable blade at a point intermediate the points of maximum travel in response to an event sensed by the control mechanism.

Systems and methods for energy optimization may receive receiving energy provider data, near-real time individualized energy usage data for each of a plurality of end-uses or near-real time individualized whole premise energy usage data, customer preferences, and near-real time and forecasted weather information. The systems and methods may forecast, for a selected time period, individualized energy usage for each of the plurality of end-uses or individualized whole premise energy usage data for a customer location using: (1) the energy provider data, (2) the near-real time individualized energy usage data, (3) the customer preferences, and (4) the near-real time and forecasted weather information. The systems and methods may optimize, for the selected time period, energy usage at the customer location using (1) the individualized energy usage, (2) the energy provider data, and (3) the customer preferences.

In described embodiments, a system establishes a perimeter around an area, and mobile devices within the established perimeter communicate with a server that provides and collects personal and asset safety information. The provided information might enable users associated with the mobile devices to plan actions or take routes based on a given criteria, such as a safest route, through display on the mobile device. The collected information from the mobile device might be location, emergency event, environmental factors, sensor information and the like, which might then be communicated to users and/or administrators of the system. Location information, such as through global positioning system (GPS), might provide tracking of mobile devices and users or assets associated with each mobile device. GPS functionality associates latitude, longitude and elevation (X-Y-Z coordinate axis) data with the collected and provided information.

A method is provided for building improved calibration models or for improving modifications to these models or validation of the models used in the non-invasive spectroscopic measurement of an analyte or attribute of tissue. The method uses a matched reference sample and measurement of that sample to ensure that the correct relationship between the spectra and analyte is made during the model building, modification or calibration process. A matched reference sample is one in which the analyte of interest or attribute of interest in the reference sample is representative of the analyte or attribute at the site being non-invasively sampled or the agreement between the reference concentration and the non-invasively sampled concentration is clinically significant.

<heading lvl="0">Abstract of Disclosure</heading> A system and method for accurately locating and tracking the position of a target, such as a tumor or the like, within a body. In one embodiment, the system is a target locating and monitoring system usable with a radiation delivery source that delivers selected doses of radiation to a target in a body. The system includes one or more excitable markers positionable in or near the target, an external excitation source that remotely excites the markers to produce an identifiable signal, and a plurality of sensors spaced apart in a known geometry relative to each other. A computer is coupled to the sensors and configured to use the marker measurements to identify a target isocenter within the target. The computer compares the position of the target isocenter with the location of the machine isocenter. The computer also controls movement of the patient and a patient support device so the target isocenter is co-incident with the machine isocenter before and during radiation therapy.

Methods and apparatuses for determining an analyte value are disclosed.

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.

Activities, actions and events during user performance of physical activity may be detected using various algorithms and templates. Templates may include an arrangement of one or more states that may identify particular event types and timing between events. Templates may be specific to a particular type of activity (e.g., types of sports, drills, events, etc.), user, terrain, time of day and the like.

A method and apparatus for measuring the physical characteristics of livestock animals such as cattle and hogs. The apparatus of the invention includes a plurality of strategically positioned cameras that are used to obtain data concerning volumetric, curvilinear (surface) and linear measurements of livestock animals such as cattle and hogs and the full carcasses thereof. In accordance with the method of the invention, the data is analyzed to provide information that substantially assists the commercial producer of livestock animals in producing a high-quality end-product for the consumer while adding profitability to the enterprise.

There is provided a method for improving an allocation of resources, i.e., frequency and power, to terrestrial services and satellite services that use a same frequency band. The method includes determining a demand (DS) for a resource by users of a satellite system, determining a demand (DT) for the resource by users of a terrestrial system, and allocating the resource between the satellite system and the terrestrial system based on a ratio of DS to DT.

Portable locators are disclosed for finding and mapping buried objects such as utilities. A articulatable antenna node configuration and the use of Doppler radar and GPS navigation are also disclosed.

A method and system is described where a plurality of position reference devices use short-range wireless communication protocols to transmit positioning assistance data to nearby mobile devices, and the mobile devices use the assistance data to model errors and re-calibrate their positioning systems. The short-range communication methods include NFC, RFID, Bluetooth®, short-range 802.11, Wi-Fi Direct, and high frequency focused beams such as 60 GHz. The position reference devices are passive or active NFC tags, passive or active RFID tags, other devices that include such tags as their components, Bluetooth®-enabled devices, 60 GHz-enabled devices, and 802.11 access points that can lower their transmit power. The reference devices are located at various indoor and outdoor locations such as smart posters, kiosks, ATM machines, malls, store checkout counters, store security gates, wireless access points, cellular base-stations, tollbooths, traffic lights, and street lamp posts.

Disclosed herein is a system for rapidly resolving position with centimeter-level accuracy for a mobile or stationary receiver [4]. This is achieved by estimating a set of parameters that are related to the integer cycle ambiguities which arise in tracking the carrier phase of satellite downlinks [5,6]. In the preferred embodiment, the technique involves a navigation receiver [4] simultaneously tracking transmissions [6] from Low Earth Orbit Satellites (LEOS) [2] together with transmissions [5] from GPS navigation satellites [1]. The rapid change in the line-of-sight vectors from the receiver [4] to the LEO signal sources [2], due to the orbital motion of the LEOS, enables the resolution with integrity of the integer cycle ambiguities of the GPS signals [5] as well as parameters related to the integer cycle ambiguity on the LEOS signals [6]. These parameters, once identified, enable real-time centimeter-level positioning of the receiver [4]. In order to achieve high-precision position estimates without the use of specialized electronics such as atomic clocks, the technique accounts for instabilities in the crystal oscillators driving the satellite transmitters, as well as those in the reference [3] and user [4] receivers. In addition, the algorithm accommodates as well as to LEOS that receive signals from ground-based transmitters, then re-transmit frequency-converted signals to the ground.

At least one embodiment is directed to a system for measuring parameters of a skeletal system in positions of optimal alignment for implantation of an orthopedic device. The system comprises one or more position sensors (202, 204, 206, 208, 210, and 212), one or more measurement sensors (606), a processing unit (506), and a screen (502). The position and measurement sensors are in communication with the processing unit. Position and relational positioning information in conjunction with one or more parameter measurements is used to determine proper seating of an implant, device balance over a range of motion, and device stability. For example, measurement of loading over a range of motion can be used to determine the amount and type of adjustment required for an implant. The positional and measurement data is stored in a database and accessible to the processing unit (506) to aid the surgeon, hospital, and implant manufacturer.