An optical time-domain reflectometry (OTDR) system comprises an oscillator, a phase shifter, an amplifier, an optical pulse generator, an integrated electro-optical circuit, a detector, a timer, a converter, and an output device. The OTDR system can be used to determine which surface of a photographic lens is impairing transmissivity the most. When the amplifier is enabled, a signal from the oscillator starts the timer and triggers the pulse generator. The timer is a time-to-digital circuit with...

An asynchronous temporal neural processing element. The processing element is useful in solving problems from the class of temporal signal processing problems and is modeled closely on the sub-cellular biology and electrophysiology of neurons having chemical synapses.

Methods for the treatment of allergic reactions are provided, wherein a pharmaceutically effective dose of gamma interferon is administered to a patient within a predetermined temporal period prior to or following exposure to an allergen.

A matched filtering method for X-ray image subtraction procedures in which an X-ray contrast medium is injected intravenously. A sequence of pre-contrast X-ray images are made during a period before the medium arrives in a blood vessel that is to be imaged and the sequence is continued through the post-contrast period and in some cases, an after-contrast period. A curve or plot of how projected intensity of the contrast medium varies as a function, h, at times (t) is determined at some prior tim...

The present invention provides methods and means for lid sterilization and temporal sealing. With the lid sterilization means, a lid's whole surface is completely sterilized, while it is held and revolved, and the lid then is put on the opening of a container which is hung by a flange on a pair of rails and carried by a pushing plate. With the temporal sealing means, the lid is partially pushed on the flange by a heater and is briefly and temporarily sealed.

A system and method for enabling the behavior of temporal expressions to be analyzed for the evaluation of such expressions. The process of evaluating such expressions ultimately results in the construction of a finite state machine, such that the set of non-deterministic functions for describing the behavior of dynamic and relativistic systems is reduced to such a system. The behavior of the finite state machine can then be examined and analyzed. The present invention is useful for such applica...

A space-time signal processing system with advantageously reduced complexity. The system may take advantage of multiple transmitter antenna elements and/or multiple receiver antenna elements, or multiple polarizations of a single transmitter antenna element and/or single receiver antenna element. The system is not restricted to wireless contexts and may exploit any channel having multiple inputs or multiple outputs and certain other characteristics. Multi-path effects in a transmission medium ca...

A method includes providing pulse width modulated signals. Each pulse width modulated signal is associated with a different bit, and the bits are arranged in an order to indicate an intensity of a pixel cell. Different frequencies are established for at least two of the pulse width modulated signals. Based on the logical states of the bits, the pulse width modulated signals are combined to form another signal, and the pixel cell is driven with this other signal.

A method and apparatus for image compression which demonstrably achieves better than 1000-line resolution image compression at high frame rates with high quality. Image material is preferably captured at an initial or primary framing rate of 72 fps. An MPEG-2 data stream is then generated, comprising: (1) a base layer, preferably encoded using only MPEG-2 P frames, comprising a low resolution (e.g., 1024.times.512 pixels), low frame rate (24 or 36 Hz) bitstream; (2) an optional base resolution t...

An improved process and method of wavefront reconstruction is disclosed in which one of the reference and object illuminating beams is shifted in phase relative to the other for a subsequent illumination. When applied to acoustical holography, the phase shift is .lambda./4 at a time relative to the acoustical frequency that is 1/2 cycle later. In other applications, the phase shift may be limited to 0.1.lambda. and can modulate a one of the beams at the acoustical frequency. Temporal reference h...