All The Claims

1. A method for testing a thermal battery that is configured to be activated by being ignited and is in a non-active state, the method comprising:
applying a sinusoidal voltage to the thermal battery before igniting the thermal battery;
determining at least one of an impedance, a reactance, and a capacitance across at least two terminals of the thermal battery before igniting the thermal battery; and
comparing the at least one of the impedance, the reactance, and the capacitance to at least one of a reference impedance, a reference reactance, and a reference capacitance before igniting the thermal battery.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the thermal battery is tested in a nondestructive manner.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the thermal battery is not ignited during the method for testing the thermal battery.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method facilitates a reduction in the number of thermal batteries that are destructively tested.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising indicating whether the thermal battery is \u201cin family\u201d or \u201cout of family\u201d.
6. The method of claim 5, further comprising identifying the cause of an \u201cout of family\u201d status of the thermal battery based on at least one of the impedance, the reactance, and the capacitance of the thermal battery.
7. The method of claim 5, wherein the indicating step identifies at least one of: out of specification thermal batteries, sub-standard thermal batteries, and specific thermal battery components that are out of specification.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the thermal battery is associated with one or more parameters, and wherein the at least one of the reference impedance, the reference reactance, and the reference capacitance is associated with similar parameters.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed in the field.
10. The method of claim 1, further comprising measuring at least one of the impedance, the reactance, and the capacitance of a control group of thermal batteries, and wherein at least one of the reference impedance, the reference reactance, and the reference capacitance is based in part on measurements from the control group.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein
the determining step includes determining a capacitance across at least two terminals of the thermal battery before igniting the thermal battery, and
the comparing step includes comparing the capacitance to the capacitance before igniting the thermal battery.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step includes determining at least one of an impedance, a reactance, and a capacitance across at least three terminals of the thermal battery before igniting the thermal battery.

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. An image forming method comprising the steps of:
(A) forming a first negative photosensitive resin layer on a substrate;
(B) forming a second negative photosensitive resin layer on the first negative photosensitive resin layer;
(C) exposing the substrate through a photo mask; and
(D) developing the first and second negative photosensitive resin layers after exposure,
wherein the steps A through D are performed at least twice, and
wherein, in the step C, the photo mask is a photo mask comprising at least two light transmittable patterns, and the photosensitivity ratio of the first negative photosensitive resin layer to the second negative photosensitive resin layer is more than 1.
2. An image forming method according to claim 1, wherein in the steps A and B, a transfer sheet comprising at least a negative photosensitive resin layer on a transparent support is used.
3. An image forming method according to claim 2, wherein a coloring agent is added to the first and second negative photosensitive resin layers.
4. An image forming method according to claim 1, wherein in the steps A and B, a transfer sheet comprising, on a transparent support, at least a thermoplastic resin layer, an intermediate layer, and a negative photosensitive resin layer is used.
5. An image forming method according to claim 4, wherein a coloring agent is added to the first and second negative photosensitive resin layers.
6. An image forming method according to claim 1, wherein in the step A, a transfer sheet comprising on a transparent support at least a negative photosensitive resin layer is used, and in the step B, a transfer sheet comprising, on a transparent support, at least a thermoplastic resin layer, an intermediate layer, and a photosensitive resin layer is used.
7. An image forming method according to claim 6, wherein a coloring agent is added to the first and second negative photosensitive resin layers.
8. An image forming method according to claim 1, wherein a coloring agent is added to the first and second negative photosensitive resin layers.
9. A color filter for a liquid crystal display device, which is formed by an image forming method comprising the steps of:
(A) forming a first negative photosensitive resin layer on a substrate;
(B) forming a second negative photosensitive resin layer on the first negative photosensitive resin layer;
(C) exposing the substrate through a photo mask; and
(D) developing the first and second negative photosensitive resin layers after exposure,
wherein the steps A through D are performed at least twice, and
wherein, in the step C, the photo mask is a photo mask comprising at least two light transmittable patterns; the photosensitivity ratio of the first negative photosensitive resin layer to the second negative photosensitive resin layer is more than 1; and wherein a coloring agent is added to the first and second negative photosensitive resin layers.
10. A spacer for a liquid crystal display device, which is formed by an image forming method comprising the steps of:
(A) forming a first negative photosensitive resin layer on a substrate;
(B) forming a second negative photosensitive resin layer on the first negative photosensitive resin layer;
(C) exposing the substrate through a photo mask; and
(D) developing the first and second negative photosensitive resin layers after exposure,
wherein, in the step C, the photo mask is a photo mask comprising at least two light transmittable patterns; the photosensitivity ratio of the first negative photosensitive resin layer to the second negative photosensitive resin layer is more than 1; and wherein a coloring agent is added to the first and second negative photosensitive resin layers.
11. A spacer for a liquid crystal display device according to claim 10, wherein the steps A through D are performed at least twice.
12. A projection for orientation control, which is formed by an image forming method comprising the steps of:
(A) forming a first negative photosensitive resin layer on a substrate;
(B) forming a second negative photosensitive resin layer on the first negative photosensitive resin layer;
(C) exposing the substrate through a photo mask; and
(D) developing the first and second negative photosensitive resin layers after exposure,
wherein the steps A through D are performed at least twice, and
wherein, in the step C, the photo mask is a photo mask comprising at least two light transmittable patterns; the photosensitivity ratio of the first negative photosensitive resin layer to the second negative photosensitive resin layer is more than 1; and wherein a coloring agent is added to the first and second negative photosensitive resin layers.

1. An image processing system, comprising:
a computer running image processing software to:
select a series of color-balanced images to use as reference images;
on an oblique image by image basis performing the following steps:
locate a portion(s) of a reference image(s) that overlaps the oblique image;
create multiple color-balancing transformations that approximately match a color distribution of the oblique image to a color distribution of overlapping portion(s) of the reference image(s);
transform pixels in the oblique image according to more than one of the multiple color-balancing transformations created for the oblique image; and

store the transformed pixel value in at least one of the oblique image or a copy of the oblique image.
2. An image processing system, comprising:
a computer running image processing software to:
select a series of color-balanced reference images;

on an oblique image by image basis performing the following steps:
locate a portion(s) of a reference image(s) that overlaps the oblique image;
create multiple color-balancing transformations that approximately match a color distribution of the oblique image to a color distribution of overlapping portion(s) of the reference image(s); and
transform pixels in the oblique image according to more than one of the color-balancing transformations created for that oblique image.
3. An image processing system, comprising:
a computer running image processing software to:
a. select a series of color-balanced images to use as reference images;
on an oblique image by oblique image basis, performing the steps of:
b. divide the oblique image into a plurality of oblique image sections;
on a section by section basis performing the steps of:
c. locate a portion(s) of a reference image(s) that overlaps the oblique image section; and
d. create a color-balancing transformation that approximately matches a color distribution of the oblique image section to a color distribution of the overlapping reference portion(s);

on a pixel by pixel basis for the oblique image, performing the steps of:
e. select the oblique image section(s) that apply to the pixel;
f. transform the pixel by the color balancing transformation for that selected oblique image section yielding a transformed pixel value for each selected oblique image section;
g. blend the transformed pixel values into a single resulting pixel value; and
h. store the resulting pixel value in at least one of the oblique image and a copy of the oblique image.
4. The image processing system of claim 3, wherein the computer performs steps d, e, f, g, and h independently for multiple different pixel color values.
5. The image processing system of claim 4, wherein the computer performs step g, which is further defined as blending the transformed pixel values into a single resulting pixel value using bi-linear interpolation.
6. The image processing system of claim 3, wherein, after the computer performs steps a-d, the computer performs the step of d1: storing the color balancing transformations for the sections so that they can be applied at a later time.
7. The image processing system of claim 6, wherein the computer performs steps a-d and d1 at one time, and performs steps e-h at a later time using the color balancing transformations stored in step d1.
8. The image processing system of claim 3, wherein the computer performs step g, which is defined as blending the transformed pixel values into a single resulting pixel value using bi-linear interpolation.
9. The image processing system of claim 3, wherein the oblique images are aerial oblique images and the reference images are aerial nadir images.
10. The image processing system of claim 9, wherein the computer performs steps d, e, f, g, and h independently for multiple different pixel color values.
11. The image processing system of claim 10, wherein the computer, after performing steps a-d,
d1. storing the color balancing transformations so that they can be applied at a later time.
12. The image processing system of claim 11, wherein the computer performs steps a-d and d1 at one time, and perform steps e-h at a later time using the color balancing transformations stored in step d1.
13. The image processing system of claim 3, wherein the computer performs step g, which is defined as blending the transformed pixel values into a single resulting pixel value using bi-linear interpolation.

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 microdevice, which microdevice comprises:
a) a magnetizable substance;
b) a photorecognizable coding pattern,
wherein said microdevice has a preferential axis of magnetization,and wherein an induced magnetization in its absolute magnitude along the preferential axis of the magnetization of said microdevice is at least 20% more than an induced magnetization of said microdevice along at least one other axis, wherein said microdevice has a thin rectangular shape with the preferential axis of the magnetization substantially in the direction of the length of the microdevice, and
i) wherein said microdevice comprises at least two rectangular structures of said magnetizable substance separated by a non-magnetizable metal layer, and said microdevice has unequal number of said magnetizable substance rectangular structures on each side of said non-magnetizable metal layer along major axis of said microdevice; or
ii) two rectangular structures of the magnetizable substance along the major axis of the microdevice and at least one of the rectangular structures has fingers on both ends, and

c) a binding partner that is capable of binding to a moiety on a surface of the microdevice.
2. The microdevice of claim 1, wherein the magnetizable substance is selected from the group consisting of a paramagnetic substance, a ferromagnetic substance and a ferrimagnetic substance.
3. The microdevice of claim 1, wherein an induced magnetization in its absolute magnitude along the preferential axis of the magnetization of the microdevice is at least 50%, 75%, or 100% more than an induced magnetization of the microdevice along at least one of any other axes.
4. The microdevice of claim 1, wherein an induced magnetization in its absolute magnitude along the preferential axis of the magnetization of the microdevice is at least one-, two-, five-, ten-, twenty-, or fifty-times more than an induced magnetization of the microdevice along at least one of any other axes.
5. The microdevice of claim 1, wherein the preferential axis of magnetization is substantially aligned with the major axis of the microdevice.
6. The microdevice of claim 1, wherein the magnetizable substance comprises a metal composition.
7. The microdevice of claim 6, wherein the metal composition is a transition metal composition or an alloy thereof.
8. The microdevice of claim 7, wherein the transition metal is selected from the group consisting of iron, nickel, copper, cobalt, manganese, tantalum, zirconium and cobalt-tantalum-zirconium (CoTaZr) alloy.
9. The microdevice of claim 6, wherein the metal composition is Fe3O4.
10. The microdevice of claim 1, further comprising a non-magnetizable substrate.
11. The microdevice of claim 10, wherein the substrate comprises a material that is selected from the group consisting of silicon, plastic, glass, ceramic, rubber, polymer, silicon dioxide, aluminum oxide, titanium, aluminum, gold and a combination thereof.
12. The microdevice of claim 11, wherein the silicon is silicon dioxide or silicon nitride.
13. The microdevice of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a surface that is hydrophobic or hydrophilic.
14. The microdevice of claim 1, wherein the photorecognizable coding pattern is the material composition of the microdevice itself, a structural configuration in the microdevice or an optical labeling substance.
15. The microdevice of claim 14, wherein the versatility of the photorecognizable coding pattern is caused by a shape, number, position distribution, optical refractive property, material composition, or a combination thereof, of or on the microdevice, the structural configuration(s), or the optical labeling substance(s).
16. The microdevice of claim 14, wherein the photorecognizable coding pattern comprises a plurality of the structural configurations andor a plurality of the optical labeling substances.
17. The microdevice of claim 1, wherein the photorecognizable coding pattern is fabricated or microfabricated on the microdevice.
18. The microdevice of claim 1, wherein the photorecognizable coding pattern is lithographically patterned.
19. The microdevice of claim 18, wherein the lithographical pattern is produced by a method selected from the group consisting of photolithography, electron beam lithography and X-ray lithography.
20. The microdevice of claim 14, wherein the optical labeling substance is deposited on the microdevice.
21. The microdevice of claim 14, wherein the optical labeling substance is located within the microdevice.
22. The microdevice of claim 14, wherein the optical labeling substance is deposited by evaporation or sputtering.
23. The microdevice of claim 14, wherein the optical labeling substance is selected from the group consisting of a fluorescent substance, a scattered-light detectable particle and a quantum dot.
24. The microdevice of claim 23, wherein the quantum dot comprises a Cd\u2014X core, X being Se, S or Te.
25. The microdevice of claim 24, wherein the quantum dot is passivated with an inorganic coating shell.
26. The microdevice of claim 25, wherein the coating shell comprises Y-Z, Y being Cd or Zn, and Z being S or Se.
27. The microdevice of claim 23, wherein the quantum dot comprises a Cd\u2014X core, X being Se, S or Te, or a Y-Z shell, Y being Cd or Zn, and Z being S or Se, and the microdevice is further overcoated with a trialkylphosphine oxide.
28. The microdevice of claim 14, wherein the photorecognizable coding pattern comprises an 1-D andor a 2-D bar coding pattern.
29. The microdevice of claim 1, wherein the binding partner is an antibody or a nucleotide sequence.
30. The microdevice of claim 1, which comprises a plurality of binding partners on the surface of the microdevice, each binding partner is capable of binding or specifically binding to a different moiety.
31. The microdevice of claim 1, further comprising an element that facilitates andor enables manipulation of the microdevice andor a moietymicrodevice complex.
32. The microdevice of claim 31, wherein the element is selected from the group consisting of a conductive material, insulating material, a material having high or low acoustic impedance and a charged material.
33. The microdevice of claim 31, wherein the element facilitates andor enables manipulation of the microdevice andor a moietymicrodevice complex by a physical force selected from the group consisting of a dielectrophoresis, a traveling-wave dielectrophoresis, an acoustic, an electrostatic, a mechanical, an optical radiation and a thermal convection force.
34. The microdevice of claim 31, which comprises a plurality of the elements, each of the elements facilitates andor enables manipulation of the microdevice andor the moietymicrodevice complex by a different physical force.
35. The microdevice of claim 1, which has a major axis to minor axis ratio of at least about 1.2.
36. The microdevice of claim 1, which comprises at least two rectangular structures of a paramagnetic substance.
37. The microdevice of claim 36, wherein the at least two rectangular structures of the paramagnetic substance are separated by the non-magnetizable metal layer.
38. The microdevice of claim 37, wherein the metal layer comprises aluminum.
39. The microdevice of claim 37, which has unequal number of the paramagnetic substance rectangular structure(s) on each side along the major axis of the microdevice.
40. The microdevice of claim 1, which comprises two rectangular structures of the magnetizable substance along the major axis of the microdevice.
41. The microdevice of claim 40, wherein the two rectangular structures of the paramagnetic substance have fingers on both ends.
42. The microdevice of claim 1, further comprising a functional group suitable for synthesis, conjugation, or binding.
43. The microdevice of claim 42, wherein the functional group is selected from the group consisting of a carboxyl, an amino, a hydroxyl, a sulfhydryl, an epoxy, an ester, an alkene, an alkyne, an alkyl, an aromatic, an aldehyde, a ketone, a sulfate, an amide, an urethane group and a derivative thereof.
44. The microdevice of claim 14, wherein the structural configuration is a hole.
45. The microdevice of claim 36, wherein the at least two rectangular structures of the paramagnetic substance are in the form of strips.