摘要:
An apparatus and method for providing map information of varying resolution to a navigation device. In one embodiment, a position determining system is attached to a navigation device. The position determining system generates position information, such as location, of the navigation device. The position information is transmitted to a base station containing map information. Map information related to, for example, the location of the navigation device is then transmitted from the base station to the navigation device. The map information is displayed on a display of the navigation device. Therefore, the base station only transmits map information related to the position information of the navigation device.
摘要:
A method for controlling density or tower height of carbon nanotube (CNT) arrays grown in spaced apart first and second regions on a substrate. CNTs having a first density range (or first tower height range) are grown in the first region using a first source temperature range for growth. Subsequently or simultaneously, CNTs having a second density range (or second tower height range), having an average density (or average tower height) in the second region different from the average density (or average tower height) for the first region, are grown in the second region, using supplemental localized heating for the second region. Applications for thermal dissipation and/or dissipation of electrical charge or voltage in an electronic device are discussed.
摘要:
A mobile pill transmitter system that moves through or adjacent to one or more organs in an animal's body and that provides signals from which the pill's present location and/or present angular orientation can be determined. The system also provides signals from which the present roll angle of the pill, about a selected axis, can be determined. When the location coordinates and the roll angle of the pill are within selected ranges, an aperture on the pill container releases a selected chemical into or onto the body. Optionally, the pill as it moves also provides a sequence of visually perceptible images; the times for image formation may correspond to times at which the pill transmitter system location or image satisfies one or at least four different criteria.
摘要:
A system for monitoring operation and location of a first moving vehicle relative to a second moving vehicle. A minimum separation distance between the first and second vehicles is estimated, based on the first vehicle velocity, and optionally on the second vehicle velocity, using location determination (LD) signals received from satellite-based transmitters from GPS, GLONASS and LEO satellites, or from ground-based signal sources such as LORAN signal towers, and using ranging signals from SONAR, RADAR or a similar system. The minimum separation distance is compared with the actual separation distance at selected times, and a vehicle driver is advised if the actual separation distance is too small, if the separation distance is decreasing too quickly, or if the second vehicle velocity is decreasing too quickly. The second vehicle may travel in the same traffic lane, in an adjacent lane, or on a road that intersects the road used by the first vehicle. Where the first and second vehicles travel on separate roads that will intersect, the system estimates whether the second vehicle will stop, or will be able to stop, at the intersection. The second vehicle may be a railroad car, such as a locomotive, or a road vehicle. A maximum vehicle clear-view velocity, consistent with vehicle stopping within a selected distance, is estimated. Road conditions are estimated and compensated for in estimating the minimum separation distance and/or the maximum vehicle clear-view velocity.
摘要:
Method and apparatus for determining the location of a point on a rotating body, using location determination (LD) signals received from as few as one satellite, preferably non-geosynchronous. Where signals from two or more satellites are received, one may be geosynchronous. Pseudoranges are measured from one or more satellites at two or more selected, spaced apart observation times, and the simultaneous rotations of the body and the satellite(s) relative to each other result in different body-satellite constellations for which the initial location coordinates (and, optionally, signal receiver time offset) of the selected point are determined exactly, without approximation or iteration. The selected point may be motionless or may be allowed to move with known coordinate differences between the initial unknown location and the present location at each observation time. Pseudoranges from different satellites, or even from different satellite systems (GPS, GLONASS, LEO, etc.) can be measured and used in this procedure.
摘要:
Method and apparatus for drying and/or cleaning a workpiece, such as an electronic part, semiconductor wafer, printed circuit board or the like. As the workpiece is withdrawn from a processing liquid, a selected drying liquid, such as hydrofluoroether (HFE) or an HFE azeotrope, that has a very small surface tension, is volatile, and has a density that is greater than the processing liquid density, is sprayed on, dribbled on or otherwise transferred to an exposed surface of the workpiece. The workpiece can be dried in 7-45 seconds, or less, in most situations and can be cleaned using the invention. Drying and/or cleaning can be performed in a single workpiece process, a single workpiece continuous process or a batch process.
摘要:
Method and apparatus for monitoring present location of a person ("confinee") who is to be confined to a designated site, which site can have a diameter as small as a few meters or as large as several kilometers. The present location of the confinee is checked at selected time intervals with time periods ranging from one second to thousands of seconds, as desired. The confinee wears a location-determining ("LD") unit that receives electromagnetic signals that contain information allowing determination of the present location of the LD unit, and thus of the confinee, from three or more non-collinear outdoor LD signal sources and from three or more non-collinear indoor LD signal sources. The indoor LD signal sources may be radiowave transmitters. The outdoor LD signal sources may be transmitters for a Loran, Omega, Decca, Tacan, JTIDS Relnav or PLRS or similar ground-based system, or transmitters for a satellite positioning system, such as GPS or GLONASS. The relative phases or transmission times for the signals from each indoor LD signal source are determined and provided for the LD unit. The present location or change location of the LD unit is determined and compared with the permitted site location coordinates at a sequence of selected times to determine if the confinee is present at the site at such times. The LD unit issues an alarm signal if the confinee is not on the site and has not arranged beforehand to leave the permitted site for a selected time interval. �The permitted site can be redefined, for a selected time interval, to include the first permitted site, a second permitted site and a corridor extending between the first and second permitted sites for a selected time interval, after which the permitted site can be changed again to include only the first or the second permitted site or a portion thereof. �This allows the confinee to temporarily leave the original permitted site to seek medical attention or to attend to other needs, or to be moved permanently to the second site.! The permitted site can be redefined at any time and for any subsequent time interval. One or more exclusion sites can be designated where the confinee is not permitted to go at any time.!
摘要:
Apparatus for producing a self-authenticating visual image of a selected view, using a digital image forming means, such as a digital camera, together with a position determining system that provides position information, including location and/or angular orientation and/or time of observation at the time a digital image is formed. The digital image of the selected view is presented as an array of pixels with associated pixel values. The position information is incorporated in the digital image by altering selected pixel bit values for a selected authentication pattern P of pixels in a chosen subset CS of the pixel array; and this selected pattern may be determined using the position information. The position information may be encrypted, using an encryption key based on position information, and may be stored separate from, or as part of, the digital image. The authentication pattern is represented by an authentication key or indicium, a single number or an ordered sequence of numbers, that is transmitted with the modified digital image and incorporated position information. The authentication pattern P is preferably chosen so that any circle or other connected pixel region of diameter at least equal to a selected number D contains at least one pixel from the subset CS. The pixel array may be overlaid by a set of polygons, such as triangles, rectangles, parallelograms or hexagons, with at least one pixel from the subset CS in each polygon.
摘要:
Methods for secure communication of location and other information by two spaced apart receivers in a location determination (LD) system, such as GPS, GLONASS and LORAN-C, that use pseudorange corrections to enhance the accuracy of the computed present location of an LD receiver. A pseudorange correction signal PRC(t;i;j), presenting a correction of a pseudorange measurement made at time t at an LD receiver number i from an LD signal issued by an LD signal source number j, is transmitted at a consecutive sequence of times t=t.sub.0, t.sub.1, t.sub.2, . . . , t.sub.n. The pseudorange correction signal PRC(t.sub.n ;i;j), or a message sent in a time interval t.sub.n-1
摘要:
Method and apparatus for monitoring present location of a site arrestee confined to a permitted site of arbitrary size. Present location of the arrestee can be checked at selected time intervals of several hundred milliseconds to thousands of seconds, as desired. The arrestee wears a location-determining ("LD") unit that receives electromagnetic signals that contain information allowing determination of the present location of the LD unit and arrestee, from three or more non-collinear signal sources. These sources may be radiowave subcarrier transmitters, or may be a combination of radiowave subcarrier transmitters and (1) transmitters for a Loran, Omega, Decca, Tacan, JTIDS Relnav or PLRS or similar ground-based system, or (2) transmitters for a satellite-based positioning system, such as GPS or GLONASS. Present location or change in present location of the LD unit is determined and compared with the permitted site boundary at selected times to determine if the arrestee is present at the site. The LD unit issues an alarm signal if the arrestee is not on the presently defined site. The permitted site can be redefined, for a selected time interval, to include the first designated site, a second designated site and a corridor extending between the first and second designated sites. This allows the arrestee to temporarily leave the original designated site to seek service for medical or other needs, or to be transferred to another site. The arrestee can be excluded from one or more designated exclusion sites.