Author: claimsbot

1. A system for detecting a biological molecule or a biological reaction associated with said biological molecule, comprising:
a bead in a solution and having attached thereto a biological molecule;
a pair of electrodes in contact with said solution and positioned within the Debye layer of said bead; and
a bead capture feature that immobilizes said bead, in proximity to said pair of electrodes,
wherein, during use, said pair of electrodes and said bead provide an electrical current flow path for the generation of a signal useful for detecting said biological molecule or said biological reaction in said solution.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein one electrode of said pair of electrodes is adjacent to a substrate, wherein a dielectric layer is adjacent to said one electrode, and wherein the other electrode of said pair of electrodes is adjacent to said dielectric layer.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein said pair of electrodes are part of an array of electrodes.
4. The system of claim 3, wherein said array comprises a 2D array of electrodes.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein said solution is an aqueous solution.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein said aqueous solution has an ionic concentration of less than 10\u22128 molar.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein said solution is a miscible mixture of an aqueous solution and an organic solution.
8. The system of claim 7, wherein said miscible solution has an ionic concentration less than 10\u22127 molar.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said pair of electrodes is shaped to conform to the shape of said bead.
10. The system of claim 9, wherein at least one of said electrode pair of electrodes is shaped at least in part as an arc.
11. The system of claim 1, wherein one electrode of said pair of electrodes is angularly separated relative to the center of said bead from the other electrode of said pair of electrodes by greater than 30 degrees.
12. The system of claim 1, wherein one electrode of said pair of electrodes is angularly separated relative to the center of said bead from the other electrode of said pair of electrodes by an angle between 10 and 90 degrees.
13. The system of claim 1, wherein one electrode of said pair of electrodes is angularly separated relative to the center of said bead from the other electrode of said pair of electrodes by an angle between 30 and 85 degrees.
14. The system of claim 1, wherein one electrode of said pair of electrodes is angularly separated relative to the center of said bead from the other electrode of said pair of electrodes by an angle between 45 and 80 degrees.
15. The system of claim 1, wherein one electrode of said pair of electrodes is angularly separated relative to the center of said bead from the other electrode of said pair of electrodes by an angle between 60 and 75 degrees.
16. The system of claim 1, further comprising a computing system that (i) receives electrical signals from said pair of electrodes during detection of said biological molecule or said biological reaction, and (ii) using said electrical signals, determines a change in impedance resulting from said biological molecule or said biological reaction.
17. The system of claim 16, wherein said computing system uses said signals to determine a change of impedance of said bead.
18. The system of claim 1, wherein, during use, the electrodes of said pair of electrodes are electrically isolated from one another in the absence of said bead.
19. The system of claim 1, wherein an individual electrode of said pair electrodes has a Debye layer.
20. The system of claim 1, wherein said bead capture feature immobilizes said bead in proximity to said pair of electrodes by an immobilizing force.
21. The system of claim 20, wherein said immobilizing force is selected from the group consisting of a magnetic force and an electrical force.
22. The system of claim 20, wherein said bead capture feature comprises a magnet, and wherein said immobilizing force includes a magnetic force.
23. The system of claim 1, wherein said bead capture feature is selected from the group consisting of a magnetic structure and a depression.
24. The system of claim 1, wherein said bead capture feature is part of a magnetic array.

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 method of maintaining accuracy in a channel line-up of a content player, comprising:
persistently retesting previously available channels for unavailability, on the content player;
self-modifying the channel line-up on the content player to exclude unavailable channels that were previously available channels;
persistently retesting previously unavailable channels for availability, on the content player;
self-modifying the channel line-up on the content player to include available channels that were previously unavailable channels;
wherein testing frequency is increased for one or both of: previously available channels that have become unavailable and previously unavailable channels that have become available.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing notification of modifications to the channel line-up.
3. The method of claim 2, where providing notification includes displaying a list that includes available channels that were previously unavailable.
4. The method of claim 2, where providing notification includes displaying a list that includes unavailable channels that were previously available.
5. The method of claim 2, where providing notification includes displaying a program guide that depicts unavailable channels that were previously available differently than unavailable channels that were previously unavailable.
6. The method of claim 2, where providing notification includes displaying a program guide that depicts available channels that were previously unavailable differently than available channels that were previously available.
7. The method of claim 1, where the channel line-up is persistently tested for accuracy according to a fixed schedule.
8. The method of claim 1, where the channel line-up is persistently tested for accuracy according to an adaptable schedule.
9. The method of claim 1, where a channel is only excluded from the channel line-up after a confirmation test confirming unavailability.
10. The method of claim 1, where a channel is included in the channel line-up on a probationary basis until that channel remains available for a qualifying period.
11. The method of claim 1, including persistently retesting channels from a plurality of heterogeneous content sources.
12. The method of claim 1, where the channel line-up is a comprehensive line-up including channels from a plurality of heterogeneous content sources, and where the comprehensive line-up is maintained with persistent retesting and modification.
13. A method of facilitating channel selection on a content player, comprising:
detecting a change in channel availability on the content player;
updating a channel line-up on the content player responsive to detecting the change;
presenting changes to the channel line-up via the content player;
increasing frequency at which channel availability is tested responsive to detection of a previously available channel that has become unavailable or a previously unavailable channel that has become available.
14. The method of claim 13, where detecting a change in channel availability includes detecting availability of a previously unavailable channel.
15. The method of claim 13, where presenting changes to the channel line-up includes displaying a program guide that depicts available channels that were previously unavailable differently than available channels that were previously available.
16. The method of claim 13, where presenting changes to the channel line-up includes displaying a program guide that depicts unavailable channels that were previously available differently than unavailable channels that were previously unavailable.
17. A content player memory comprising machine executable instructions for self-maintaining accuracy in a channel line-up on a content player, where, upon execution, the instructions provide for:
persistently retesting previously available channels for unavailability;
self-modifying the channel line-up to exclude unavailable channels that were previously available channels;
persistently retesting previously unavailable channels for availability;
self-modifying the channel line-up to include available channels that were previously unavailable channels;
wherein testing frequency is increased for one or both of: previously available channels that have become unavailable and previously unavailable channels that have become available.

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:
an extraction unit configured to extract one or more character area images from an image;
a determination unit configured to determine a pair of character area images to be a combination target based on a degree of similarity of an image feature in each character area image extracted by the extraction unit from different images; and
a combination unit configured to combine the determined pair of character area images to form a combined character area image, wherein the combination unit is configured to compare a dynamic range of each overlapping area image and combine using the overlapping area image having the larger dynamic range.
2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit is configured to determine a pair of character area images to be a combination target based on a degree of similarity between a character area image extracted by the extraction unit and a character area image that has already been combined.
3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit configured to display the combined character area image.
4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a character recognition unit configured to perform character recognition on the combined character area image.
5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the character recognition unit is configured to perform character recognition on the character area having the larger dynamic range.
6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the combination unit is configured to, in a case where a dynamic range of a character area image that has already been combined is lower than a predetermined threshold, compare a dynamic range of each overlapping area image, and combine using the overlapping area image having the larger dynamic range.
7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the degree of similarity is obtained using a feature point obtained by applying a Harris operator and a feature amount corresponding to the feature point.
8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the extraction unit is configured to extract a character area based on a black pixel density in an area in which black pixels of a binarized image of the image are continuous.
9. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image is a frame image of a moving image.
10. The image processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the different image is a different frame image.
11. The image processing apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a setting unit configured to set an interval that the extraction unit extracts the different frame image to an interval in which an overlapping area image is present in each character area image extracted by the extraction unit from a different image.
12. The image processing apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a setting unit configured to set an interval that the extraction unit extracts the different frame image so that an overlapping ratio calculated from an area of an overlapping area image is a predetermined overlapping ratio.
13. The image processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the setting unit is configured to set an interval for extracting the different frame image according to a change in the overlapping ratio.
14. An image processing apparatus comprising:
an extraction unit configured to extract one or more character area images from an image;
a determination unit configured to determine a pair of character area images to be a combination target based on a position of each character area image extracted by the extraction unit from different images; and
a combination unit configured to connect and combine overlapping area images, that are the determined pair of character area images and that have a similar image feature amount, to form a combined character area image, wherein the combination unit is configured to compare a dynamic range of each overlapping area image and combine using the overlapping area image having the larger dynamic range.
15. A method for processing an image, the method comprising:
extracting one or more character area images from an image;
determining a pair of character area images to be a combination target based on a degree of similarity of an image feature in each character area image extracted from different images; and
combining the determined pair of character area images to form a combined character area image, wherein the combining compares a dynamic range of each overlapping area image and combines using the overlapping area image having the larger dynamic range.
16. A method for processing an image, the method comprising:
extracting one or more character area images from an image;
determining a pair of character area images to be a combination target based on a position of each character area image extracted from different images; and
connecting and combining overlapping area images, that are the determined pair of character area images and that have a similar image feature amount, to form a combined character area image, wherein the connecting and combining compares a dynamic range of each overlapping area image and combines using the overlapping area image having the larger dynamic range.
17. A computer-readable non-transitory medium that stores a program executable by a computer, the program for causing the computer to function as:
an extraction unit configured to extract one or more character area images from an image;
a determination unit configured to determine a pair of character area images to be a combination target based on a degree of similarity of an image feature in each character area image extracted by the extraction unit from different images; and
a combination unit configured to combine the determined pair of character area images to form a combined character area image, wherein the combination unit is configured to compare a dynamic range of each overlapping area image and combine using the overlapping area image having the larger dynamic range.
18. A computer-readable non-transitory medium that stores a program executable by a computer, the program for causing the computer to function as:
an extraction unit configured to extract one or more character area images from an image;
a determination unit configured to determine a pair of character area images to be a combination target based on a position of each character area image extracted by the extraction unit from different images; and
a combination unit configured to connect and combine overlapping area images, that are the determined pair of character area images and that have a similar image feature amount, to form a combined character area image, wherein the combination unit is configured to compare a dynamic range of each overlapping area image and combine using the overlapping area image having the larger dynamic range.
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. A golf ball comprising:
a core;
an inner cover having at least one layer comprising a material having a first Shore D hardness formed over the core and comprising a thermoplastic material; and
an outer cover layer comprising a material having a second Shore D hardness disposed about the inner cover, formed from a polymer blend comprising at least one grafted metallocene-catalyzed polymer and an ionomer component,
wherein the first Shore D hardness is greater than the second Shore D hardness.
2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the polymer blend comprises about 30 percent by weight or greater of the at least one grafted metallocene-catalyzed polymer.
3. The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the polymer blend comprises about 35 percent by weight or greater of the at least one grafted metallocene-catalyzed polymer.
4. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the at least one grafted metallocene-catalyzed polymer has been functionalized by grafting an ethylenically-unsaturated monomer onto the at least one metallocene-catalyzed polymer using a post-polymerization reaction.
5. The golf ball of claim 4, wherein the ethylenically-unsaturated monomer is an olefinic monomer having a functional group selec ted from the group consisting of sulfonic acid, sulfonic acid derivatives, chlorosulfonic acid, vinyl ethers, vinyl esters, primary amines, secondary amines, tertiary amines, mono-carboxylic acids, dicarboxylic acids, partially or fully ester derivatized mono-carboxylic acids, partially or fully ester derivatized dicarboxylic acids, anhydrides of dicarboxylic acids, cyclic imides of dicarboxylic acids, ionomeric derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof.
6. The golf ball of claim 5, wherein the ethylenically-unsaturated monomer comprises maleic anhydride.
7. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the at least one grafted metallocene-catalyzed polymer is formed by grafting an ethylenically-unsaturated monomer onto a metallocene-catalyzed polymer selected from the group consisting of polyethylene and copolymers of ethylene with propylene, butene, pentene, hexene, heptene, octene, and norbornene.
8. The golf ball of claim 7, wherein the at least one grafted metallocene-catalyzed polymer is formed by grafting an ethylenically-unsaturated monomer onto a metallocene-catalyzed polymer selected from the group consisting of polyethylene and copolymers of ethylene with butene.
9. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the at least one grafted metallocene-catalyzed polymer is formed by grafting an ethylenically-unsaturated monomer onto a metallocene-catalyzed polymer of the formula:
19
wherein R1 is hydrogen;
R2 is hydrogen or lower alkyl selected from the group consisting of CH3, C2H5, C3H7, C4H9, and C5H11;
R3 is hydrogen or lower alkyl selected from the group consisting of CH3, C2H5, C3H7, C4H9, and C5H11;
R4 is selected from the group consisting of H, CH3, C2H5, C3H7, C4H9, C5H11, C6H13, C7H15, C8H17, C9H19, CloH21, and phenyl, in which from 1 to 5H and R4 can be replaced by substituents selected from the group consisting of COOH, SO3H, NH2, F, Cl, Br, I, OH, SH, silicone, lower alkyl esters and lower alkyl ethers, with the proviso that R3 and R4 can be combined to form a bicyclic ring;
R5 is hydrogen, lower alkyl including C1-C5, carbocyclic, aromatic or heterocyclic;
R6 is hydrogen, lower alkyl including C1-C5, carbocyclic, aromatic or heterocyclic; and
wherein x ranges from 99 to 50 weight percent of the polymer, y ranges from 1 to 50 weight percent of the polymer and z ranges from 0 to 49 weight percent of the polymer.
10. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic material comprises at least one ionomer resin.
11. The golf ball of claim 10, wherein the at least one ionomer resin is neutralized with a metal cation comprising at least one of Na, Li, Ca, K, or Mg.
12. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the ionomer component comprises at least two ionomer resins, each neutralized with a different metal cation selected from the group consisting of Zn, Na, Li, Ca, K, and Mg.
13. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the inner cover layer has a thickness of about 0.039 inches or less.
14. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the inner cover layer has a thickness from about 0.02 inches to 0.038 inches.
15. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the first Shore D hardness is about 60 or greater and the second Shore D hardness is about 60 or less.
16. The golf ball of claim 15, wherein the first Shore D hardness is from about 65 to 80, and the second Shore D hardness is from about 45 to 60.
17. The golf ball of claim 15, wherein the first Shore D hardness is from about 65 to 80, and the second Shore D hardness is from about 51 to 60.
18. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the outer cover layer material has a flexural modulus of about 10,000 psi or greater.
19. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the outer cover layer has a thickness from about 0.01 inches to 0.1 inches.
20. The golf ball of claim 19, wherein the outer cover layer has a thickness from about 0.02 inches to 0.06 inches.
21. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the golf ball has at least one of a compression of about 80 or less and a coefficient of restitution of about 0.8 or greater, or both.
22. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core comprises polybutadiene having an uncross-linked Mooney viscosity of about 40 or greater.
23. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core is substantially free of organic sulfides.
24. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core further comprises at least one inorganic sulfide.
25. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core has an outer diameter of about 1.51 inches or greater.
26. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core has a compression of about 90 or less.
27. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core has a compression from about 65 to 90.
28. A golf ball comprising:
a core comprising polybutadiene and substantially free of organic sulfide;
an inner cover having at least one layer comprising a material having a first Shore D hardness formed over the core and comprising at least two thermoplastic materials, each neutralized with a different metal cation, and wherein the inner cover layer is substantially free of metallocene-catalyzed polymer; and
an outer cover having at least one layer comprising a polymer blend having a second Shore D hardness less than the first Shore D hardness, disposed about the inner cover, wherein the polymer blend comprises at least one grafted metallocene-catalyzed polymer and at least two ionomer resins, each neutralized with a different metal cation.
29. The golf ball of claim 28, wherein the polymer blend comprises about 30 percent by weight or greater of the at least one grafted metallocene-catalyzed polymer.
30. The golf ball of claim 28, wherein the at least one grafted metallocene-catalyzed polymer has been functionalized by grafting an ethylenically-unsaturated monomer onto the at least one metallocene-catalyzed polymer using a post-polymerization reaction.
31. The golf ball of claim 28, wherein the core is fluid-filled.
32. The golf ball of claim 28, wherein the golf ball further comprises at least one intermediate layer between the core and the inner cover layer.
33. The golf ball of claim 32, wherein the intermediate layer is a tensioned elastomeric layer.
34. A method of making a golf ball, comprising the steps of:
providing a golf ball;
forming an inner cover having at least one layer, comprising a material having a Shore D hardness of about 60 or greater, and wherein the inner cover comprises at least one ionomer resin and is substantially free of metallocene-catalyzed polymer; and
forming an outer cover having at least one layer, comprising a polymer blend having a Shore D hardness of about 60 or less disposed about the inner cover, wherein the polymer blend comprises at least one grafted metallocene-catalyzed polymer and at least one ionomer resin.