Author: claimsbot

1. A system for acquiring measurement data, the system comprising:
a computer system; and
a measurement device coupled to the computer system;
wherein the computer system executes an operating system that includes functionality for automatically detecting and communicating with file storage devices;
wherein the measurement device implements file storage functionality in order to appear to the computer system as a file storage device;
wherein said measurement device appearing to the computer system as a file storage device enables the computer system to receive measurement data from the measurement device by using standard communication techniques for communicating with file storage devices and without installing a device driver specific to the measurement device.
2. The system of claim 1,
wherein the measurement device implements USB Mass Storage functionality in order to appear to the computer system as a USB Mass Storage device;
wherein the computer system executes an operating system that includes functionality for detecting and communicating with USB Mass Storage devices;
wherein said measurement device appearing to the computer system as a USB Mass Storage device enables the computer system to receive measurement data from the measurement device by using standard communication techniques for communicating with USB Mass Storage devices and without installing a device driver specific to the measurement device.
3. The system of claim 2,
wherein the measurement device is operable to:
generate measurement data based on a signal from a physical system; and
construct a file based on the measurement data;

wherein the computer system is operable to receive the file from the measurement device using standard communication techniques for communicating with USB Mass Storage devices, wherein said computer system receiving the file from the measurement device does not require a device driver specific to the measurement device.
4. The system of claim 1,
wherein the measurement device is operable to:
generate measurement data based on a signal from a physical system; and
construct a file based on the measurement data;

wherein the computer system is operable to receive the file from the measurement device using standard communication techniques for communicating with file storage devices, wherein said computer system receiving the file from the measurement device does not require a device driver specific to the measurement device.
5. The system of claim 4,
wherein the measurement device includes a memory;
wherein the measurement device is further operable to store the file in the memory;
wherein said computer system receiving the file from the measurement device comprises the computer system receiving the file from the memory.
6. The system of claim 5,
wherein the memory is detachable from the measurement device;
wherein detaching the memory enables a user to replace the memory with another memory.
7. The system of claim 6,
wherein the memory comprises a standard and commonly available memory component.
8. The system of claim 7, wherein the memory comprises one of:
a Compact Flash\u2122 component;
a Memory Stick\xae component;
a Smart Media\u2122 component;
a microdrive;
a USB flash memory key.
9. The system of claim 4,
wherein said measurement device constructing the file based on the measurement data comprises the measurement device dynamically constructing the file in response to a request from the computer system, without storing the file in a memory of the measurement device.
10. The system of claim 4,
wherein the computer system executes a measurement application program;
wherein said computer system receiving the file from the measurement device comprises the computer system receiving the file from the measurement device in response to a request generated by the measurement application program;
wherein the measurement application program is operable to obtain the measurement data from the file.
11. The system of claim 4,
wherein said measurement device constructing the file based on the measurement data comprises the measurement device constructing one of:
a spreadsheet file that includes the measurement data;
an HTML file that includes the measurement data;
an XML file that includes the measurement data;
a human-readable text file that includes the measurement data;
a graph that visually indicates the measurement data;
an executable program file that utilizes the measurement data.
12. The system of claim 4,
wherein said measurement device generating the measurement data from the physical system comprises generating live measurement data from the physical system;
wherein said measurement device constructing the file based on the measurement data comprises the measurement device constructing the file based on the live measurement data.
13. The system of claim 12,
wherein the live measurement data comprises streaming data.
14. The system of claim 1,
wherein the computer system is operable to store a file on the measurement device using standard communication techniques for communicating with file storage devices, wherein said storing the file on the measurement device does not require a device driver specific to the measurement device;
wherein the file includes configuration information for the measurement device;
wherein the measurement device is operable to configure itself based on the configuration information in the file.
15. The system of claim 1,
wherein the computer system is operable to store a file on the measurement device using standard communication techniques for communicating with file storage devices, wherein said storing the file on the measurement device does not require a device driver specific to the measurement device;
wherein the file specifies commands for the measurement device;
wherein the measurement device is operable to read the commands from the file and perform the commands.
16. A method for acquiring measurement data, the method comprising:
connecting a measurement device to a USB bus of a computer system,
wherein the computer system executes an operating system that includes functionality for detecting and communicating with USB Mass Storage devices, wherein the measurement device implements USB Mass Storage functionality in order to appear to the computer system as a USB Mass Storage device;
the measurement device generating measurement data based on a signal from a physical system;
the measurement device constructing a file based on the measurement data; and
the computer system receiving the file from the measurement device using standard communication techniques for communicating with USB Mass Storage devices.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein said measurement device appearing to the computer system as a USB Mass Storage device enables the computer system to receive measurement data from the measurement device by using standard communication techniques for communicating with USB Mass Storage devices and without installing a device driver specific to the measurement device.
18. A system for acquiring measurement data, the system comprising:
a computer system; and
a measurement device coupled to the computer system;
wherein the measurement device is operable to:
generate measurement data based on a signal from a physical system; and
construct a file based on the measurement data;

wherein the computer system is operable to receive the file from the measurement device to obtain the measurement data.
19. The system of claim 18,
wherein the measurement device includes a memory;
wherein the measurement device is further operable to store the file in the memory;
wherein said computer system receiving the file from the measurement device comprises the computer system receiving the file from the memory.
20. The system of claim 19,
wherein the memory is detachable from the measurement device;
wherein detaching the memory enables a user to replace the memory with another memory.
21. The system of claim 20,
wherein the memory comprises a standard and commonly available memory component.
22. The system of claim 18,
wherein said measurement device constructing the file based on the measurement data comprises the measurement device dynamically constructing the file in response to a request from the computer system, without storing the file in a memory of the measurement device.
23. The system of claim 18,
wherein the computer system executes a measurement application program;
wherein said computer system receiving the file from the measurement device comprises the computer system receiving the file from the measurement device in response to a request generated by the measurement application program;
wherein the measurement application program is operable to obtain the measurement data from the file.
24. The system of claim 18,
wherein said measurement device constructing the file based on the measurement data comprises the measurement device constructing one of:
a spreadsheet file that includes the measurement data;
an HTML file that includes the measurement data;
an XML file that includes the measurement data;
a human-readable text file that includes the measurement data;
a graph that visually indicates the measurement data;
an executable program file that utilizes the measurement data.
25. The system of claim 18,
wherein said measurement device generating the measurement data from the physical system comprises the measurement device generating live measurement data from the physical system;
wherein said measurement device constructing the file based on the measurement data comprises the measurement device constructing the file based on the live measurement data.
26. The system of claim 18,
wherein the computer system is operable to store a file on the measurement device, wherein the file includes configuration information for the measurement device;
wherein the measurement device is operable to configure itself based on the configuration information in the file.
27. The system of claim 18,
wherein the computer system is operable to store a file on the measurement device, wherein the file specifies commands for the measurement device;
wherein the measurement device is operable to read the commands from the file and perform the commands.
28. The system of claim 18,
wherein the measurement device constructs the file in order to appear to the computer system as a file storage device;
wherein the computer system is operable to receive measurement data from the measurement device by using standard communication techniques for communicating with file storage devices and without installing a device driver specific to the measurement device.
29. A measurement device, comprising:
a measurement acquisition unit operable to couple to a physical system to receive signals and generate measurement data based on the received signals;
a memory coupled to the measurement acquisition unit, wherein the memory is operable to store a file comprising the measurement data;
wherein the measurement device implements file storage functionality in order to appear as a file storage device;
wherein the measurement device is operable to provide the file using standard communication techniques for file storage device communication.
30. The measurement device of claim 29,
wherein the measurement device is operable to provide the file to a computer system in response to a request made by the computer system using standard communication techniques for communicating with file storage devices and without requiring the computer system to install a device driver specific to the measurement device.
31. The measurement device of claim 29,
wherein the measurement device implements USB Mass Storage functionality in order to appear as a USB Mass Storage device.
32. A method for acquiring measurement data, the method comprising:
connecting a measurement device to a USB bus of a computer system,
wherein the computer system executes an operating system that includes functionality for detecting and communicating with USB Mass Storage devices, wherein the measurement device implements USB Mass Storage functionality in order to appear to the computer system as a USB Mass Storage device;
the measurement device acquiring a signal from a physical system;
the measurement device generating measurement data based on the signal from the physical system;
the measurement device constructing a file based on the measurement data; and
the measurement device providing the file to the computer system using standard communication techniques for USB Mass Storage device communication.
33. The method of claim 32, wherein the measurement device providing the file to the computer system is performed without requiring installation of a device driver specific to the measurement device on the computer system.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

What is claimed is:

1. An optical element manufacturing method, comprising:
a preparation step of preparing a lower mold having a lower mold surface for forming an optical function surface of an optical element to be manufactured and an upper mold having an upper mold surface for forming another optical function surface of the optical element, said lower mold having an outer shape restricting surface for the optical element or being combined with a member having the outer shape restricting surface, said upper mold being opposed to the lower mold;
a reference surface formation step of forming a positioning reference surface on a rim of the optical element by heating the outer shape restricting surface of the lower mold or combined with the lower mold and the lower mold surface and dropping molten glass onto the lower mold surface so as to collide with the lower mold surface and spread to be in contact with the outer shape restricting surface;
a pressing step of forming the two opposed optical function surfaces of the optical element by, after the formation of the reference surface, opposing the lower mold and the upper mold that is heated and bringing them relatively close to each other while the glass is still at a temperature at which it is deformable by pressing, and pressing the glass; and
an element taking out step of, after the pressing step, releasing the glass from the pressing by the upper and the lower molds and taking out the molded optical element,
wherein a temperature of the outer shape restricting surface in the reference surface formation step and the pressing step is higher than a temperature which is a difference when 100 C. is subtracted from a glass transition temperature ( C.) of the glass.
2. An optical element manufacturing method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lower mold has a restricting surface forming a second positioning reference surface of the optical element is formed in a region of the lower mold surface which region is outside an effective diameter surface.
3. An optical element manufacturing method as claimed in claim 2, wherein in the reference surface formation step, the second positioning reference surface is formed simultaneously with the formation of the positioning reference surface on the rim of the optical element.
4. An optical element manufacturing method as claimed in claim 1, wherein all of the steps are performed while target set temperatures in temperature control for heating the outer shape restricting surface, the lower mold surface and the upper mold surface are maintained constant.
5. An optical element manufacturing method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method is a method of manufacturing an optical element in which a cross section, vertical to an optical axis of the optical element, of the positioning reference surface on the rim of the optical element is non-circular, and the outer shape reference surface is a surface where the positioning reference surface is formed.
6. An optical element manufacturing method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the reference surface formation step, in dropping the molten glass, a drop amount adjustment member having a thin through hole formed therein is disposed on a dropping path, and the glass is dropped so as to collide with the drop amount adjustment member so that at least part of the dropped glass is pushed out of the thin hole as a minute drop and drops onto the lower mold surface.

1. A method, instantiated in a non-transitory computer readable medium storing programming instructions, executable by a processor, the method comprising:
receiving a burst signal having a fundamental frequency;
producing digital samples of the received burst signal;
performing a Fourier transform on the digital samples of the received burst signal to produce frequency domain samples of the received burst signal, each frequency domain sample of the received burst signal having an associated phase value;
determining a slope of the phase values of the frequency domain samples of the received burst signal in a frequency band including the fundamental frequency; and
estimating a time-of-flight of the burst signal from the slope of the phase values of the frequency domain samples of the received burst signal in the frequency band including the fundamental frequency.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein estimating the time-of-flight of the burst signal further comprises:
defining a time window in which the received burst signal is received;
determining a delay of the received burst signal with respect to a specific point in the time window from the slope of the phase values of the frequency domain samples of the received burst signal; and
estimating the time-of-flight of the burst signal from the delay of the received burst signal with respect to the specific point in the time window.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the specific point is the center of the time window.
4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:
generating a transmit trigger; and
transmitting the burst signal in response to the transmit trigger.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein estimating the time-of-flight of the burst signal further comprises:
generating a receive trigger at a specific time with respect to the transmit trigger; and
employing the receive trigger to define a start of the time window.
6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:
generating a trigger;
transmitting the burst signal in response to the trigger; and
wherein estimating the time-of-flight of the burst signal further comprises employing the trigger to define a start of the time window.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
generating a trigger;
transmitting the burst signal in response to the trigger;
digitizing the transmit burst signal;
performing a Fourier transform on the digital samples of the transmit burst signal to produce frequency domain samples of the transmit burst signal, each frequency domain sample of the transmit burst signal having an associated phase value; and
determining a slope of the phase values of the frequency domain samples of the transmit burst signal in the frequency band including the fundamental frequency.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein estimating the time-of-flight of the burst signal further comprises determining a difference between the slope of the phase values of the frequency domain samples of the transmit burst signal and the slope of the phase values of the frequency domain samples of the received burst signal.
9. An apparatus, comprising:
a receive transducer configured to receive a burst signal having a fundamental frequency;
a first digitizer configured to produce digital samples of the received burst signal; and
a processor configured to execute an algorithm comprising:
performing a Fourier transform on the digital samples of the received burst signal to produce frequency domain samples of the received burst signal, each frequency domain sample of the received burst signal having an associated phase value;
determining a slope of the phase values of the frequency domain samples of the received burst signal in a frequency band including the fundamental frequency; and
estimating a time-of-flight of the burst signal from the slope of the phase values of the frequency domain samples of the received burst signal in the frequency band including the fundamental frequency.
10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the algorithm further comprises:
defining a time window in which the received burst signal is received;
determining a delay of the received burst signal with respect to a specific point in the time window from the slope of the phase values of the frequency domain samples of the received burst signal; and
estimating the time-of-flight of the burst signal from the delay of the received burst signal with respect to the specific point in the time window.
11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the specific point is the center of the time window.
12. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:
a transmit signal generator configured to generate the burst signal; and
a transmit transducer configured to transmit the burst signal in response to a transmit trigger generated by the processor.
13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to generate a receive trigger at a specific time with respect to the transmit trigger, and wherein the algorithm further comprises employing the receive trigger to define a start of the time window.
14. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:
a transmit signal generator configured to generate the burst signal; and
a transmit transducer configured to transmit the burst signal in response to a trigger generated by the processor,
wherein estimating the time-of-flight of the burst signal further comprises employing the trigger to define a start of the time window.
15. A method, instantiated in a non-transitory computer readable medium storing programming instructions, executable by a processor, for estimating the time of flight of a burst signal, the method comprising:
receiving the burst signal;
determining a slope of a phase characteristic of a Fourier transform of the received burst signal; and
estimating the time-of-flight of the burst signal from the slope of the phase characteristic of the Fourier transform of the received burst signal.
16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:
defining a time window in which the received burst signal is received;
determining a delay of the received burst signal with respect to a specific point in the time window from the slope of the phase characteristic of the Fourier transform of the received burst signal; and
estimating the time-of-flight of the burst signal from the delay of the received burst signal with respect to the specific point in the time window.
17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:
generating a trigger;
transmitting the burst signal in response to the trigger; and
determining a slope of the phase characteristic of the Fourier transform of the transmit burst signal.
18. The method of claim 17, further comprising determining a difference between the slope of the phase characteristic of the Fourier transform of the received burst signal and the slope of the phase characteristic of the Fourier transform of the transmit burst signal.
19. An apparatus, comprising:
a receive transducer configured to receive a burst signal having a fundamental frequency;
a first digitizer configured to produce digital samples of the received burst signal; and
a processor configured to execute an algorithm comprising:
performing a Fourier transform on the digital samples of the received burst signal to produce frequency domain samples of the received burst signal, each frequency domain sample of the received burst signal having an associated phase value;
determining a slope of the phase values of the frequency domain samples of the received burst signal in a frequency band including the fundamental frequency; and
estimating a time-of-flight of the burst signal from the slope of the phase values of the frequency domain samples of the received burst signal in the frequency band including the fundamental frequency;

a transmit transducer configured to transmit the burst signal in response to a trigger; and
a second digitizer configured to produce digital samples of the transmit burst signal in parallel with the first digitizer producing the digital samples of the received burst signal; and
the algorithm further comprising:
performing a Fourier transform on the digital samples of the transmit burst signal to produce frequency domain samples of the transmit burst signal, each frequency domain sample of the transmit burst signal having an associated phase value;
determining a slope of the phase values of the frequency domain samples of the transmit burst signal in the frequency band including the fundamental frequency, wherein the algorithm estimates the time-of-flight of the burst signal by determining a difference between the slope of the frequency domain phase samples of the transmit burst signal and the slope of the frequency domain phase samples of the received burst signal.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A plant or a plant part of soybean variety XB26E11, representative seed of said soybean variety XB26E11 having been deposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-11654.
2. A seed of soybean variety XB26E11, representative seed of said soybean variety XB26E11 having been deposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-11654.
3. A soybean seed obtained by introducing a transgene into soybean variety XB26E11, representative seed of said soybean variety XB26E11 having been deposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-11654.
4. The seed of claim 3, wherein the transgene confers a trait selected from the group consisting of male sterility, site-specific recombination, abiotic stress tolerance, altered phosphorus, altered antioxidants, altered fatty acids, altered essential amino acids, altered carbohydrates, herbicide resistance, insect resistance, and disease resistance.
5. A soybean plant, or a part thereof, produced by growing the seed of claim 2.
6. A soybean plant, or a part thereof, produced by growing the seed of claim 3.
7. A method for developing a second soybean plant comprising applying plant breeding techniques to a first soybean plant, or parts thereof, wherein said first soybean plant is the soybean plant of claim 1, and wherein application of said techniques results in development of said second soybean plant.
8. A method for producing soybean seed comprising crossing two soybean plants and harvesting the resultant soybean seed, wherein at least one soybean plant is the soybean plant of claim 1.
9. The soybean seed produced by the method of claim 8.
10. A soybean plant, or a part thereof, produced by growing said seed of claim 9.
11. A method for developing a second soybean plant in a soybean plant breeding program comprising applying plant breeding techniques to a first soybean plant, or parts thereof, wherein said first soybean plant is the soybean plant of claim 10, and wherein application of said techniques results in development of said second soybean plant.
12. A method of producing a soybean plant comprising a locus conversion, the method comprising introducing a locus conversion into the plant of claim 5, wherein said locus conversion provides a trait selected from the group consisting of male sterility, site-specific recombination, abiotic stress tolerance, altered phosphorus, altered antioxidants, altered fatty acids, altered essential amino acids, altered carbohydrates, herbicide resistance, insect resistance, and disease resistance.
13. An herbicide resistant soybean plant produced by the method of claim 12.
14. A disease resistant soybean plant produced by the method of claim 12.
15. An insect resistant soybean plant produced by the method of claim 12.
16. The soybean plant of claim 15, wherein the locus conversion comprises a transgene encoding a Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) endotoxin.
17. A soybean plant, or a part thereof, expressing all the physiological and morphological characteristics of soybean variety XB26E11, representative seed of said soybean variety XB26E11 having been deposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-11654.
18. A method comprising isolating nucleic acids from a plant, a plant part, or a seed of soybean variety XB26E11, analyzing said nucleic acids to produce data, and recording the data for XB26E11, representative seed of said soybean variety XB26E11 having been deposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-11654.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the data is recorded on a computer readable medium.
20. The method of claim 18, further comprising using the data for crossing, selection, or advancement decisions in a breeding program.