Patents and Intellectual Property Rights

A method for obtaining a flexible circuit with an solid-state electric or electronic component, the method comprising: arranging an electric circuit with a conductive flexible polymer-based ink over a polymeric substrate in the solid state, wherein one or both polymers in the ink and the substrate are reversible solid-gel phase transition polymers; placing the component over the substrate and over the electric circuit; applying an external stimulus that results in a solid to gel transition of the polymeric substrate and ink, such that the component penetrates into the softened substrate, establishing an electrical contact of the component with the circuit. Also disclosed is a method for obtaining the flexible circuit itself, the flexible circuit obtained by the method, and an ink for the method for obtaining a flexible circuit.

The present invention is in the area of detection of forest fires, particularly detection of the approximation of forest fires, and including fire countermeasure means which actuate based on a detection. It is an object of the invention a device for the detection of a flame condition, in particular for the detection of a forest fire, based on flame condition data, which receives flame condition data from a plurality of flame detection nodes (110), such data being based on data obtained from at least one flame sensor (101) and, based on local environmental data (102), determine a value corresponding to a risk of forest fire and, based on such value, issue a command to alter at least one parameter of operation of the plurality of flame condition detection nodes (111). It provides for an optimal detection of a flame condition, by means of the configuration of an awareness of the device.

AUTONOMOUS PORTABTLE FIREFIGHTING SYSTEM AND RESPECTIVE METHOD OF OPERATION The present invention related to an autonomous portable firefighting system and respective method of operation, allowing a fully autonomous operation. The system comprises a control unit (3) for controlling an operation module and an orientation module (2) responsible for directing the water jet (12) coming out of the nozzle (1) to a fire front. For that purpose, the control unit executes a control algorithm that processes a virtual three-dimensional space record generated by a sensory unit (6), to detect and locate a specific target (13) such as a fire front or a heat source.

The present invention describes a system that allows determining the three components of the ground reaction force on the foot and the location of the pressure center in the shoes during the march. The system comprises a part of the front, which abuts the forefoot, consisting of a lower (1) and upper (3) and a rear part, which embraces the midfoot and the backfoot, consisting of a lower deck (2) and another top (4). The connection between the two parts is made with a hinge (5) and Elastic bands. Different fender strength sensors are used, in parts, in the horizontal and vertical, in the BASE corners. The corners are oriented with an angle of 45 °, allowing the calculation of the horizontal and vertical forces. The system adapts to various sizes due to the existence of a guide and a mobile shoulder (6) in the calcanhar area.

Suspension or colloid comprising liquid metal droplets bound with graphene-based particles, wherein the liquid metal is gallium or a gallium alloy, and the graphene-based particles are selected from a list of graphene, graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, graphene quantum dots, carbon nanotubes, or combinations thereof; respective ink, transparent stretchable conductor and obtention processes thereof; also a conductor obtainable by applying a coating of suspension, colloid, network, or ink according to any of the previous claims over a substrate, and laser sintering said coating, in particular the conductor being an electrode or a circuit trace or a circuit. Applications include optoelectronic devices, pressure or strain sensitive piezo resistive composited, pressure or strain sensors, temperature sensors, electroluminescent devices, photovoltaic devices, memory devices or electrodes for energy storage devices.

The invention comprises the materialization of an original object (1) with intensified security level based on the processing of an original image (3) and a digital marker with coded information from the original image (5). The invention comprises a method for validation of an object to validate (2) having an image to validate (4) and a digital marker to validate (6), which compares coded information calculated from at least ONE image to validate (4) with coded information corresponding to at least ONE original image (3), through the processing of coded information present in at least ONE digital marker to validate (6). The invention comprises computational devices, computer programs and adapted means of reading by a computational device. The invention aims to create mechanisms and instruments for controlling the authenticity of objects in the technical field of the security graphic.

The invention relates to computer-based methods for checking the existence of a variable diffractive optical element (VDOE) on a surface of a security element by means of processing captured images of said security element. The security element can include a two-dimensional graphic code, for example a QR Code or a logo (LOG). The methods of the invention preferably comprise steps of converting the RGB (Red, Green and Blue) colour model of the processed images to the HSV (Hue, Saturation and Value) colour model, and calculating structural similarity indices and colour transition indices for the classification of a VDOE or other element. The methods of the present invention simultaneously display great robustness with respect to the geometry and nature of the surfaces being analysed, provide reliable results in a wide range of uncontrolled lighting conditions, are simple to use, and generate repeatable results.

The present invention is enclosed in the area of unique marking of objects, for instance authenticity in assay or uniquely identifying and tracking an object. It is an object of the present invention a method for providing an object with a unique, comprising marking such object with a physical chaotic marking process on the surface of a portion of said object, such physical chaotic marking process consisting of i) random deposition of particles over the surface and further incrustation or ii) printing with a bondable fluid enriched with glitter particles, thereby providing a marking on such surface. The used processes, intrinsically chaotic, provide a unique character to the resulting object which is, thus, unique. An object obtained by such method and methods and devices for producing such object and reading it are also part of the present invention.

Systems and methods are provided for accomplishing fast and accurate 3D registration of curves and surfaces using local differential information, i.e., normals and tangents. In an embodiment, a method solves the curve-vs-surface alignment problem either by using a purely online search scheme, or by taking advantage of the availability of a pre-operative model, which often happens in medical procedures, to further speed-up the computational search by performing offline processing of the pre-operative bone model. The disclosed method is also extended to solve the curve-vs-curve and surface-vs-surface alignment problems, which also have important applications in medical procedures such as arthroscopy and arthroplasty.

Disclosed is a concept for computer-assisted procedures of surgery and diagnosis that target rigid, non-deformable anatomical parts such as bone, tissue, or teeth. The disclosure describes attaching small visual markers to instruments and anatomy of interest (e.g. bone surface), with each marker having a printed known pattern for detection and unique identification in images acquired by a free-moving camera, and a geometry that enables estimating its rotation and translation with respect to the camera using solely image processing techniques.

The present invention relates to a high precision method, model and apparatus for calibrating, determining the rotation of the lens scope around its symmetry axis, updating the projection model accordingly, and correcting the image radial distortion in real-time using parallel processing for best image quality. The solution provided herein relies on a complete geometric calibration of optical devices, such as cameras commonly used in medicine and in industry in general, and subsequent rendering of perspective correct image in real-time. The calibration consists on the determination of the parameters of a suitable mapping function that assigns each pixel to the 3D direction of the corresponding incident light. The practical implementation of such solution is very straightforward, requiring the camera to capture only a single view of a readily available calibration target, that may be assembled inside a specially designed calibration apparatus, and a computer implemented processing pipeline that runs in real time using the parallel execution capabilities of the computational platform.

The present invention relates to a method for matching point regions in images with radial distortion that, given two frames acquired by a camera with radial distortion, estimates the global image distortion and the local transformations undergone by the image regions between frames, with the objective of accurately tracking an aligning these image regions in a sequence of frames, calibrating the radial distortion using only moving image points, or estimating the relative change in focal length in cameras with radial distortion and variable zoom using only moving image points, and that comprises the following steps: extracting local image features; tracking local features; and determining the radial distortion calibration based on a computational efficient procedure that uses the information for all local features being tracked.

Methods and systems for describing a camera radiometrically, in terms of camera response function and vignetting, and in terms of color, suitable for non-uniform illumination set-ups. It estimates the camera response function and the camera color mapping from a single image of a generic scene with two albedos. With a second same-pose image with a different intensity of the near-light the vignetting is also estimated. The camera response function calibration involves the segmentation of the two albedos, the definition of the system of equations based on the assumption that can be made about the image formation process, and the actual estimation. For the modelling the vignetting there are three steps: computing the albedo-normalized irradiance, finding points of equal vignetting, when needed, and estimation.

The present invention belongs to the field of steganography, that is to say the encoding of (text) information in other information, for example an image. The object of the present invention is a computer method for generating at least one image containing encoded information, the method comprising the following steps: (i) associating information to be encoded with a plurality of graphic elements, each graphic element consisting in a symbol among a plurality of symbols, thus generating a pattern of graphic elements; and (ii) generating at least one image comprising at least one pattern as obtained in step (i). This method provides a robust and highly flexible way of encoding information in an image. In addition, the present invention also relates to a system associated with the claimed method, to the images obtained by the claimed method and to a method and system for reading these images.

This invention falls within the scope of steganography, i.e., encoding of information (such as a text) into other information, for example, an image. It is the object of this invention a computational method for generating at least one image with coded information comprising the steps of: i) associating an information to be coded to a plurality of graphic elements, each of the graphic elements consisting of a symbol out of a plurality of symbols, thus generating a pattern of graphic elements and ii) generating at least one image comprising at least one pattern obtained from step i). This method introduces a consistent and highly flexible way of encoding information into an image. Additionally, this invention has also as object a system associated to the said method, images obtained from the said method, as well as a reading method and system thereof.

Coating inkjet-printed traces of silver nanoparticles (AgNP) ink with a thin layer of eutectic gallium indium (EGaIn) increases the electrical conductivity and significantly improves tolerance to tensile strain. This enhancement is achieved through a room temperature “sintering” process in which the liquid-phase EGaIn alloy binds the AgNP particles to form a continuous conductive trace. These mechanically robust thin-film circuits are well suited for transfer to highly curved and non-developable 3D surfaces as well as skin and other soft deformable substrates.

The present disclosure relates to a method for obtaining a skin electrode patch and said skin electrode. One method according to the disclosure includes the steps of: applying conductive ink to a first polymeric layer; cutting one or more cutouts, on a second polymeric layer, for the conductive ink to contact with the skin-; arranging as consecutive layers: the first polymeric layer; the conductive ink; a flexible printed circuit board, PCB; the second polymeric layer; heat-pressing the arranged layers; wherein the conductive ink is configured to be exposed through said one or more cut-outs to the skin and to connect with the flexible PCB.

The present disclosure relates to a composite electrode comprising polymer with carbon particles percolated by gallium or a gallium-indium alloy, and a stretchable battery comprising: a cathode electrode comprising silver oxide and styrene-isoprene block copolymer (Ag2O-SIS) and a cathode current collector; an anode electrode comprising a gallium, carbon, and a polymer and an anode current collector; wherein each of the cathode current collector and the anode current collector comprise: a first current collector of a composite comprising liquid metal eutectic gallium-indium (EGaIn), silver (Ag), and styrene-isoprene block copolymer (SIS); and a second current collector a second layer of carbon black (CB) and styrene-isoprene block copolymer (SIS). The disclosure also discloses a method to obtain said composite electrode and said stretchable battery.

System for encoding a security document with an image encoded by print-resistant steeganography (1) comprising an encoding module for binary error correction and introduction of redundancy (9), which converts secret messages (8) into encoded binary messages (9) 10); a face detection, alignment, cropping and sizing module (12), which processes partial images to be coded (13) from full images to be coded (11); an encoding module (14), generating partial codified images (15); an images integrator module (16), generating full coded images (17); a physical transmission module (20) for security documents (21); an image pre-processing module (48); and a related decoding system, operating by neuron networks, trained based on simulated noise training images (19). The invention allows to hide secret messages in face images of security documents, in particular civil and travel identification documents.

The invention relates to a method for enhancing the level of security against adulteration and counterfeiting of an object comprising the preparation of an original deterministic design and its laser marking on the surface of an object, embodied as an original marked object; the picture taken of one or more original marked deterministic design images and the association of information with this image, storing them in a database; the picture taken of at least one marked deterministic design image to be validated on a marked object to be validated, and the calculation of the descriptors of this image; validation and decision on the authenticity of the marked object to be validated. The invention relates to the original marked object and its preparation method. The invention comprises computing devices, computer programs, means of reading and adapted preparation apparatus.The invention creates unique and non-clonable authentication marks that are applicable to objects.

Data processing method and computer equipment for the characterization of a parametric indicator for central nervous system health status based on data collected from non-invasive retina imaging by optical coherence tomography, OCT, said method comprising: processing data from the collected OCT data to compute a texture parameter or parameters from collected fundus imaging data; classifying the computed texture parameter or parameters into a central nervous system health status for characterizing said parametric indicator. The method is able to analysed optical coherence tomography data of one or more tissues of the human and animal central nervous system. The presented method overcomes the need for expensive and complex imaging facilities to assess the health status of the central nervous system in humans and animals in health and disease. It allows for the classification of healthy controls and patients into the correct group and to monitor changes over time in a fraction of the time and of the cost. Moreover, the technique may be spread because of the low cost and compact nature of the acquisition device as compared to currently used instrumentations, the magnetic resonance imaging and computer tomography devices.