All The Claims

1. A method for processing high-speed digital images, comprising the steps of:
a. generating images with an image sensor within a high-speed digital camera;
b. downloading an image from the image sensor to a remote computer;
c. defining an imaged-cued window comprising an area of interest in the downloaded image, the area of interest comprising a plurality of adjacent pixels in the image in which an event of interest is expected to occur;
d. defining a threshold level for all pixels in the plurality, wherein the threshold level is at least one of: an upper threshold and a lower threshold;
e. uploading the defined threshold level to a processor within the camera.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the images generated by the image sensor are at least 3\xd7105 pixels at greater than 200 frames-per-second.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of defining an anticipated time-rate-of-change of pixel signal levels.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of retrieving pixel data in real time from the image sensor.
5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of comparing within the camera the pixel data retrieved in real time from the image sensor to the defined threshold level.
6. The method of claim 5, further comprising writing images retrieved from the image sensor in real time to large memory within the camera housing while the comparison is being performed.
7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of generating within the camera an image-cued trigger signal if pixel data retrieved in real time from the image sensor exceeds the threshold level.
8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of outputting the image-cued trigger signal to trigger external equipment.
9. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of recording real-time image data in the large memory and continuously overwriting it in circular buffer fashion until a trigger level is set.
10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of defining the portion of the available memory to be allocated to pre-trigger recording and post-trigger recording.
11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of outputting to a remote computer the defined portions of pre-trigger and post-trigger images.
12. The method of claim 9, wherein an address of memory in the circular buffer of large memory is decremented or incremented by one frame count when a trigger is received.
13. The method of claim 7, wherein multiple separate blocks of large memory are reserved for storage of multiple separate image sequences following detection of multiple separate out-of-threshold image-cued trigger events.
14. The method of claim 7, wherein multiple separate extended memory blocks are reserved for storage of multiple separate image sequences following detection of either out-of-threshold image-cued trigger events or a combination of external trigger events and image-cued trigger events.
15. The method of claim 6, wherein the processor is armed when pixel data retrieved in real time from the image sensor exceeds the threshold level.
16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of defining a second image-cued window and generating a trigger when data retrieved in real time from the image sensor for the second image-cued window exceeds the threshold level if the processor is armed.
17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of defining a maximum delay between image-cued window events and resetting the sequence when a first ICW is armed but a second ICW does not trigger before the expiration of the user-defined maximum delay.
18. The method of claim 15, in which multiple image-cued windows are armed in a specific sequence before a recording trigger can be generated.
19. A system for processing real-time digital images comprising:
an image sensor capable of generating images with at least 3\xd7105 pixels at greater than 200 frames-per-second;
processing means capable of providing control signals to the image sensor and processing retrieved imagery in a parallel pipelined fashion;
small memory for storing look-up tables or buffering data for external transmission;
extended memory with which to store retrieved images capable of being overwritten in a circular buffer fashion; and
a digital interface to connect to a host computer or network;
wherein the image sensor, processing means, small memory, extended memory, and digital interface are all housed within a single enclosure capable of extended communications with an external host computer or network.
20. A computer readable medium configured with control logic that causes a computer processor to execute the method comprising the steps of:
a. generating images with an image sensor within a high-speed digital camera;
b. downloading an image from the image sensor to a remote computer;
c. defining an imaged-cued window comprising an area of interest in the downloaded image, the area of interest comprising a plurality of adjacent pixels in the image in which an event of interest is expected to occur;
d. defining a threshold level for all pixels in the plurality, wherein the threshold level is at least one of: an upper threshold and a lower threshold;
e. uploading the defined threshold level to a processor within the camera.

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 server comprising:
a receiving unit configured to receive terminal identification information of a subject terminal, which is a terminal to be registered;
a terminal managing unit configured to manage the terminal identification information of the subject terminal and determining whether or not the terminal identification information of the subject terminal has already been registered; and
a transmitting unit configured to, in a case where the terminal managing unit determines that the terminal identification information of the subject terminal has not already been registered, transmit, to the subject terminal, the following pieces of information:
information for causing the subject terminal to display thereon a first use condition that should be consented to by a user at the registration; and
information for causing the subject terminal to display thereon an acceptance object for accepting a first input indicating a user’s consent to the first use condition,

in a case where the receiving unit receives, from the subject terminal, information indicating acceptance of the first input and the terminal identification information of the subject terminal, the terminal managing unit performing a first registration of the terminal identification information of the subject terminal.
2. The server according to claim 1, further comprising:
a group managing unit configured to, in a case where the receiving unit receives, from a manager’s terminal, not only the terminal identification information of the subject terminal, but also one of (i) group identification information of a group to which the manager’s terminal belongs and (ii) invitation information indicating an intention of the manager’s terminal to invite the subject terminal, manage the terminal identification information of the subject terminal and the group identification information of the group to which the manager’s terminal belongs in such a manner so as to associate the terminal identification information of the subject terminal with the group identification information of the group to which the manager’s terminal belongs,
in a case where the receiving unit receives, from the subject terminal, the information indicating acceptance of the first input and the terminal identification information of the subject terminal, the terminal managing unit performing the first registration of the terminal identification information of the subject terminal in such a manner so as to associate the terminal identification information of the subject terminal with the group identification information of the group to which the manager’s terminal belongs.
3. The server according to claim 1, wherein
after the terminal managing unit performs the first registration of the terminal identification information of the subject terminal,
the transmitting unit transmits, to the subject terminal, information for identifying the subject terminal,
the receiving unit receives, from the manager’s terminal, the following pieces of information:
terminal identification information of the manager’s terminal;
the terminal identification information of the subject terminal; and
a registration instruction to register the subject terminal with the group to which the manager’s terminal belongs,

the transmitting unit transmits, to the manager’s terminal, the following pieces of information:
information for causing the manager’s terminal to display thereon a second use condition that should be consented to by the user at the registration; and
information for causing the manager’s terminal to display thereon an acceptance object for accepting a second input indicating a user’s consent to the second use condition,

in a case where the receiving unit receives, from the manager’s terminal, information indicating acceptance of the second input, the terminal managing unit performs the second registration of the terminal identification information of the subject terminal in such a manner so as to associate the terminal identification information of the subject terminal with the group to which the manager’s terminal belongs.
4. The server according to claim 2, wherein
the transmitting unit transmits, to one or more other terminals belonging to the group to which the manager’s terminal belongs and being neither the manager’s terminal nor the subject terminal, the following pieces of information:
information for causing the other terminal(s) to display thereon a second use condition that should be consented to by the user at the registration; and
information for causing the other terminal(s) to display thereon an acceptance object for accepting a second input indicating a user’s consent to the second use condition, and

in a case where the receiving unit receives, from at least one of the other terminal(s), the following pieces of information:
information indicating acceptance of the second input; and
terminal identification information of the other terminal(s),

the transmitting unit transmits, to the manager’s terminal, the following pieces of information:
(a) information for causing the manager’s terminal to display thereon the second use condition that should be consented to by the user at the registration; and
(b) information for causing the manager’s terminal to display thereon an acceptance object for accepting a second input indicating a user’s consent to the second use condition.
5. The server according to claim 4, wherein
in a case where the receiving unit receives, from all of the other terminal(s), the information indicating acceptance of the second input and the terminal identification information of the other terminal(s), the transmitting unit transmits the pieces of information (a) and (b) to the manager’s terminal.
6. A terminal management method comprising:
a first reception step of receiving terminal identification information of a subject terminal, which is a terminal to be registered;
a terminal management step of managing the terminal identification information of the subject terminal and determining whether or not the terminal identification information of the subject terminal has already been registered;
a first transmission step of, in a case where it is determined in the terminal management step that the terminal identification information of the subject terminal has not already been registered, transmitting, to the subject terminal, the following pieces of information:
information for causing the subject terminal to display thereon a first use condition that should be consented to by a user at the registration; and
information for causing the subject terminal to display thereon an acceptance object for accepting a first input indicating a user’s consent to the first use condition; and

a first registration step of, upon receipt of information indicating acceptance of the first input and the terminal identification information of the subject terminal from the subject terminal, performing a first registration of the terminal identification information of the subject terminal.
7. The terminal management method according to claim 6, further comprising:
a group management step of, in a case where the first reception step receives, from a manager’s terminal, not only the terminal identification information of the subject terminal, but also one of (i) group identification information of a group to which the manager’s terminal belongs and (ii) invitation information indicating an intention of the manager’s terminal to invite the subject terminal, managing the terminal identification information of the subject terminal and the group identification information of the group to which the manager’s terminal belongs in such a manner so as to associate the terminal identification information of the subject terminal with the group identification information of the group to which the manager’s terminal belongs,
upon receipt of, from the subject terminal, the information indicating acceptance of the first input and the terminal identification information of the subject terminal, the first registration step performing the first registration of the terminal identification information of the subject terminal in such a manner so as to associate the terminal identification information of the subject terminal with the group identification information of the group to which the manager’s terminal belongs.
8. The terminal management method according to claim 6, further comprising:
a second transmission step of transmitting, to the subject terminal, information for identifying the subject terminal;
a second reception step of receiving, from the manager’s terminal, the following pieces of information:
terminal identification information of the manager’s terminal;
the terminal identification information of the subject terminal; and
a registration instruction to register the subject terminal with the group to which the manager’s terminal belongs,

a third transmission step of transmitting, to the manager’s terminal, the following pieces of information:
information for causing the manager’s terminal to display thereon a second use condition that should be consented to by the user at the registration; and
information for causing the manager’s terminal to display thereon an acceptance object for accepting a second input indicating a user’s consent to the second use condition; and

a second registration step of, upon receipt of, from the manager’s terminal, information indicating acceptance of the second input, performing the second registration of the terminal identification information of the subject terminal in such a manner so as to associate the terminal identification information of the subject terminal with the group to which the manager’s terminal belongs,
the second transmission step, the second reception step, the third transmission step, and the second registration step following the first registration step.
9. The terminal management method according to claim 7, further comprising:
a fourth transmission step of transmitting, to one or more other terminals belonging to the group to which the manager’s terminal belongs and being neither the manager’s terminal nor the subject terminal, the following pieces of information:
information for causing the other terminal(s) to display thereon a second use condition that should be consented to by the user at the registration; and
information for causing the other terminal(s) to display thereon an acceptance object for accepting a second input indicating a user’s consent to the second use condition; and

a fifth transmission step of, upon receipt of, from at least one of the other terminal(s), the following pieces of information:
information indicating acceptance of the second input; and
terminal identification information of the other terminal(s),

transmitting, to the manager’s terminal, the following pieces of information:
(a) information for causing the manager’s terminal to display thereon the second use condition that should be consented to by the user at the registration; and
(b) information for causing the manager’s terminal to display thereon an acceptance object for accepting a second input indicating a user’s consent to the second use condition.
10. A terminal adapted to obtain a service offered, in a system for determining whether or not the service is to be offered to the terminal by identifying the terminal before offering the service, the system including a server and at least one terminal,
the terminal comprising:
a sending unit configured to, in making access to the server, send terminal identification information to the server;
a receiving unit configured to, before obtaining the service offered, receive (i) a use condition that should be consented to by a user of the terminal and (ii) an acceptance object for accepting an input indicating a user’s consent to the use condition;
a displaying unit configured to display the use condition and the acceptance object, both of which are received by the receiving unit; and
an operating unit configured to make, on the acceptance object, the input indicating the consent,
the sending unit sending, to the server, information indicating that the input indicating the consent has been performed, and then transmitting, to the server, the terminal identification information in making access to the server.
11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing therein a program for causing a computer to function as the server according to claim 1, the program causing the computer to serve as each of the units of the server.

1. A method for delivering an implant to a patient, comprising:
inserting a sheath having a hollow center into an incision in the patient; inserting a shaft of a delivery device into the center of the sheath;
associating an end termination member of the implant with a slot in the shaft; advancing the shaft and the associated implant through the sheath; and
anchoring the implant in the soft tissue of the patient’s pelvic floor region through one or more tangs of the implant.
2. The method of claim 1, comprising pulling the end termination member through the sheath.
3. The method of claim 1, comprising pushing the end termination member through the sheath.
4. The method of claim 1, comprising inserting the shaft into the sheath prior to inserting the sheath into the incision.
5. The method of claim 1, comprising removing the sheath from the patient.
6. The method of claim 5, comprising anchoring the end termination member in the soft tissue of the patient’s pelvic floor region.
7. The method of claim 1, comprising removing the end termination member from the implant.
8. The method of claim 1, comprising inserting the sheath through the patient’s gluteus maximums.
9. The method of claim 1, comprising inserting the sheath through the sacrospinous.

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 fuel cell stack including two or more planar electrochemical fuel cells with metallic bipolar separators disposed between the anode face of one electrochemical fuel cell and the cathode face of an adjacent electrochemical fuel cell, each of the planar electrochemical fuel cells comprising:
a structural core formed of a first porous electrode material having at least one active power producing area and at least one inactive area;
a plurality of fuel gas flow grooves crossing the active power-producing areas on one side of the core;
a plurality of oxidant gas flow grooves arranged on the other side of the core;
a dense electrolyte layer covering the active power producing areas on one side of the core;
a layer formed of a second porous electrode material covering the dense electrolyte layer; and
a dense electronic insulator layer covering the structural core except in the active power-producing areas;

wherein each of the metallic bipolar separators comprises:
a metallic plate having a first fuel gas contacting surface and a second oxidant gas contacting surface;
an outer edge and inner edges surrounding interior openings through the metallic plate; and
at least a portion of each of the outer edge and inner edges curled to form a tubular bead with a lumen and a seam parallel to an axis of the tubular bead.
2. The fuel cell stack of claim 1, wherein the first porous electrode material forming the structural core of the electrochemical cell is anode material and the second porous electrode material covering the dense electrolyte layer is cathode material, and wherein fuel gas contacts the anode surface and oxidant gas contacts the cathode surface.
3. The fuel cell stack of claim 1, wherein the first porous electrode material forming the structural core of the electrochemical cell is cathode material and the second porous electrode material covering the dense electrolyte layer is anode material, and wherein fuel gas contacts the anode surface and oxidant gas contacts the cathode surface.
4. The fuel cell stack of claim 1, wherein the dense electronic insulator layer covering the structural core of the electrochemical cell is a continuous extension of the electrolyte layer in the active power-producing areas.
5. The fuel cell stack of claim 1, wherein the bipolar separators form electrically conductive paths between the anode of one electrochemical cell and the cathode of the next electrochemical cell, such that the cathode forming one end of the stack has a positive voltage relative to the anode forming the other end of the stack, and the voltage measured at the one end of the stack is equal to the sum of voltages of each electrochemical cell in the stack.
6. The fuel cell stack of claim 1, wherein smooth perimeter sealing surfaces are formed in the inactive area surrounding the active areas on the fuel side and the oxidant side of each electrochemical fuel cell.
7. The fuel cell stack of claim 6, wherein the metallic bipolar separators incorporate tubular beads that align with the perimeter sealing surfaces of the electrochemical fuel cells and are compressed between opposing perimeter sealing surfaces of the adjacent cells.
8. The fuel cell stack of claim 1, wherein at least one fuel gas manifold opening or oxidant gas manifold opening passes through the electrochemical cell inactive areas, and smooth manifold sealing surfaces surround each manifold opening on the fuel side and the oxidant side of the core.
9. The fuel cell stack of claim 8, wherein the metallic bipolar separators incorporate interior openings surrounded by tubular beads that register with the at least one fuel gas manifold opening or oxidant gas manifold opening;
the tubular beads align with the manifold sealing surfaces in the electrochemical fuel cells; and
the tubular beads are compressed between opposing sealing surfaces of adjacent cells.
10. The fuel cell stack of claim 9, wherein at least one fuel gas feed or exhaust groove crosses each smooth fuel gas manifold sealing surface on the fuel side of each electrochemical cell and connects with at least one fuel gas flow groove in the active power-producing area.
11. The fuel cell stack of claim 10, wherein the metallic bipolar separator tubular beads bridge fuel gas feed and exhaust grooves crossing fuel gas sealing surfaces in one cell, while maintaining compressive sealing pressure against the opposing oxidant gas sealing surfaces of the adjacent cell.
12. The fuel cell stack of claim 9, wherein at least one oxidant gas feed or exhaust groove crosses each smooth oxidant manifold sealing surface on the oxidant side of each electrochemical cell and connects with at least one oxidant gas flow groove in the active power-producing area.
13. The fuel cell stack of claim 12, wherein the metallic bipolar separator tubular beads bridge oxidant gas feed and exhaust grooves crossing oxidant gas sealing surfaces in one cell, while maintaining compressive sealing pressure against the opposing fuel gas sealing surfaces of the adjacent cell.
14. The fuel cell stack of claim 1, wherein the tubular bead lumens of the metallic bipolar separators are at least partially filled with material to modify the mechanical properties of the tubular beads, wherein the material is selected from one or more of wire, braze metal, refractory powder, and refractory fiber.
15. The fuel cell stack of claim 1, wherein the tubular bead seams of the metallic bipolar separators are closed by welding, brazing, or glass sealing.
16. The fuel cell stack of claim 1, wherein the metallic bipolar separator tubular beads are oriented such that the seams are contacted only by fuel gas.
17. The fuel cell stack of claim 1, wherein the metallic bipolar separator tubular beads are oriented such that the seams are contacted only by oxidant gas.
18. The fuel cell stack of claim 1, wherein positive and negative metallic endplates are assembled to the cathode and anode ends of the stack, respectively.
19. The fuel cell stack of claim 18, wherein:
the stack is terminated by a first metallic bipolar separator added between the positive metallic endplate and the cathode end of the stack, and a second metallic bipolar separator added between the negative metallic endplate and the negative end of the stack;
the added metallic bipolar separators form electrically conductive paths between the stack ends and the metallic endplates such that the endplates become fuel cell power connection terminals;
the metallic endplates incorporate smooth perimeter sealing surfaces that oppose the smooth perimeter seals on the adjacent electrochemical fuel cells;
at least one of the metallic endplates incorporates apertures that register with the bipolar separator and electrochemical fuel cell manifold openings, and include smooth manifold sealing surfaces that oppose the smooth manifold sealing surfaces on the adjacent electrochemical fuel cells; and
the tubular beads of the added metallic bipolar separators are compressed between opposing sealing surfaces of the adjacent electrochemical fuel cells and the end plates.
20. The fuel cell stack of claim 19, wherein at least one bleed passage supplies fuel gas to the interface between the first added metallic bipolar separator and the positive metallic endplate.
21. The fuel cell stack of claim 19, wherein at least one bleed passage supplies fuel gas to the interface between the second added metallic bipolar separator and the positive metallic endplate.
22. The fuel cell stack of claim 19, wherein a clamping force perpendicular to the plane of the cells is applied to the end plates, the clamping force being sufficient to compress the tubular beads of the metallic bipolar separators and provide electrical contact between the electrochemical cells, metallic bipolar separators, and metallic endplates.
23. A metallic bipolar separator, comprising
a metallic plate having a first fuel gas contacting surface and a second oxidant gas contacting surface;
the metallic plate having an outer edge and inner edges surrounding interior openings through the plate; and
at least a portion of each of the outer edge and inner edges curled to form a tubular bead with a lumen and a seam parallel to an axis of the tubular bead.
24. The metallic bipolar separator of claim 23, wherein the tubular beads are compressed between opposing sealing surfaces of adjacent electrochemical fuel cells or end plates such that the beads conform to the mating surfaces and effect a seal.
25. The metallic bipolar separator of claim 23, wherein the tubular bead lumens are at least partially filled with material to modify the mechanical properties of the tubular beads, wherein the material is selected from one or more of wire, braze metal, refractory powder, and refractory fiber.
26. The metallic bipolar separator of claim 23, wherein the tubular bead seams are closed by welding, brazing, or glass sealing.
27. The metallic bipolar separator of claim 23, wherein the tubular beads are oriented such that the seams are contacted only by fuel gas.
28. The metallic bipolar separator of claim 23, wherein the tubular beads are oriented such that the seams are contacted only by oxidant gas.