The present disclosure discloses a method for reusing an ink cartridge, a system thereof, a readable storage medium and a reused ink cartridge, which belong to ink cartridge in printing field. The method includes detecting each of a plurality of heating elements in the ink cartridge, wherein the plurality of heating elements are located on both sides of nozzles of the ink cartridge; determining one of the plurality of heating elements which is not matched with a printer as a target heating element according to detecting result; and burning out the target heating element. Therefore, the target heating element will not be detected, the ink cartridge will match with the printer in new version, resulting in the ink cartridge can be reused and applied in the printer in new version.

In recent years, inkjet printing technology has become more and more mature, and the number of inkjet printing products and printing consumables are increasing. An ink cartridge is usually used as a disposable product, so a large number of ink cartridges are discarded causing environmental pollution and a waste of resources. With increasing public awareness on conservation of resources and environmental protection, reusing ink cartridges has gradually become a trend in printer development.
When the ink cartridge is used in a printer, nozzles of an inkjet head is generally controlled to eject ink by a plurality of heating elements. Due to fast updating speed of printers and ink cartridges, matching ink cartridges to different versions of printers becomes difficult. In general, new versions of printers and ink cartridges have a reduced number of heating elements. When a previous ink cartridge is used on a new printer, the new printers may detect the previous ink cartridge is not compatible and give an error message. Thus, the previous ink cartridge cannot be used on the new printer. As a result, a large number of the previous ink cartridges cannot be used even with ink refilling technology.

Method for reusing ink cartridge, system of reusing ink cartridge, reused ink cartridge, and readable storage medium


An image capturing apparatus comprising an image sensor including image forming pixels each of which generates a signal for image generation, and focus detection pixels each of which generates a signal for phase difference detection, readout means for reading out the signal of each pixel of the image sensor, focus detection means for detecting a focus by a phase-difference detection method using the signals for phase difference detection from the focus detection pixels, and switching means for switching a combination of the focus detection pixels to be used for focus detection by the focus detection means between a case in which the readout means reads out the signals of the pixels of the image sensor after thinning-out and a case in which the readout means reads out the signals of the pixels of the image sensor without thinning-out.

Conventionally, for example, Japanese Patent No. 3592147 proposes an image capturing apparatus including focus detection pixels discretely arranged among image forming pixels in an image sensor. According to Japanese Patent No. 3592147, the image sensor partially includes a plurality of focus detection pixels of two types (phase-difference detection pixels). FIG. 5 is a view showing an example of the pixel arrangement of an image sensor including focus detection pixels arranged on specific lines. Referring to FIG. 5, R, G, and B represent pixels with red, green, and blue filters arranged on the light entrance planes, respectively. S1 and S2 indicate focus detection pixels that have fields of view symmetrical about the optical axis center so as to attain different optical characteristics. As shown in FIG. 5, the focus detection pixels are arranged on the image sensor among the pixels that have R, G, and B color filters to obtain a color image signal.
FIG. 6 shows the structure of the first focus detection pixel S1. Referring to FIG. 6, the first focus detection pixel has a microlens 501 arranged on the top. A smoothing layer 502 constitutes a plane to form the microlens. A light-shielding layer 503 has an opening portion shifted (decentered) from the center to one side of the photoelectric conversion area of the pixel. The light-shielding layer 503 has an effect of a stop for restricting incident light. Reference numeral 504 denotes a photoelectric conversion element.
FIG. 7 shows that the structure of the second focus detection pixel S2. FIG. 7 is different from FIG. 6 whereby the opening portion of a light-shielding layer 603 is provided to be symmetrical about the optical axis center with respect to the opening portion of the light-shielding layer 503 of the first focus detection pixel. Note that reference numeral 601 denotes a microlens; 602, a smoothing layer; and 604, a photoelectric conversion element, as in FIG. 6.
In FIG. 5, as the number of pixels increases, the line including the first focus detection pixels S1 and that including the second focus detection pixels S2 form approximate images. If object light is in focus on the pixels through the imaging optical system, the image signal of the line including the first focus detection pixels S1 coincides with that of the line including the second focus detection pixels S2. If object light is out of focus, a phase difference is generated between the image signal of the line including the first focus detection pixels S1 and that of the line including the second focus detection pixels S2. A phase shift generated when light goes out of focus toward the front of the camera is opposite in direction to a phase shift generated when light goes out of focus toward the rear of the camera. When viewed from the first focus detection pixel S1 and the second focus detection pixel S2, the imaging optical system looks as if the pupil were divided symmetrically about the optical center.
FIGS. 8A and 8B are schematic views for explaining the phase shift of an image caused by defocus. Referring to FIGS. 8A and 8B, the first focus detection pixels S1 and second focus detection pixels S2 are abstractly made closer and represented by points A and B, respectively. To help understanding, the R, G, and B pixels for image capturing are not illustrated so that only the focus detection pixels are arranged as it were. Light from a specific point of an object can be divided into a light beam ΦLa which enters the point A via a pupil corresponding to the point A and a light beam ΦLb which enters the point B via a pupil corresponding to the point B. The two light beams come from the same point. Hence, if the imaging optical system has a focus on the image sensor, the light beams reach one point of a single microlens, as shown in FIG. 8A. However, if the focal point moves to the near side by, for example, a distance x, the light beams shift from each other by the change amount of the light incident angle, as shown in FIG. 8B. If the focal point moves to the far side by the distance x, the light beams shift in opposite directions.
For these reasons, the image signal formed by the array of the points A and that formed by the array of the points B coincide with each other if the imaging optical system is in focus. Otherwise, the image signals shift. The image capturing apparatus described in Japanese Patent No. 3592147 detects a focus based on the above-described principle.
However, when capturing a still image, the image sensor including the focus detection pixels suffers a loss of pixel data corresponding to the positions of the focus detection pixels. If signals obtained by the focus detection pixels are used as image signals for a still image, the continuity to the peripheral pixel signals is lost because of the different fields of view, and the image looks flawed.
To solve this problem, the image capturing apparatus described in Japanese Patent No. 3592147 interpolates the image signals corresponding to the positions of the focus detection pixels based on the image signals of the peripheral pixels. In the pixel arrangement of the image sensor shown in FIG. 5, interpolation data from the peripheral pixels are inserted in the portions S1 and S2 included in the image signals of the image capturing. Referring to FIG. 5, the R, G, and B pixels for image capturing are arrayed in a Bayer matrix. Several G pixels are replaced with the focus detection pixels S1 and S2. In place of the data of each G pixel that is lost due to the presence of the focus detection pixel S1 or S2, synthetic G pixel data is generated from the data of four adjacent G pixels located in the oblique directions, and applied as the lost G pixel data.
A conventional digital camera or the like displays an image on a liquid crystal display device or the like in a live view display mode so that the user can determine the composition by looking not through an optical viewfinder but at the liquid crystal screen. In the live view display mode, instead of reading out the image signals of all pixels of an image sensor whose pixels are growing in number, the signals of all pixels are thinned out at a predetermined ratio and then read out. When the pixel signals are thinned out, image data read out after the thinning-out does not always include the focus detection pixels. This makes it impossible to detect a focus by the phase-difference detection method.


A method, device and system for accessing mobile device user information. A Personal Content Server (PCS) is used to store mobile device user information for one or more mobile device end users. The mobile device user information can be accessed and downloaded, via a communication network, to one or more mobile devices in an appropriate manner, e.g., wirelessly or via a wired connection between the mobile device and the communication network. The mobile device user information allows one or more end users to operate at least one mobile device according to their respective user preferences. The method can include authenticating an end user before allowing user information to be downloaded to the end user's mobile device, and updating user information between the mobile device and the PCS. Mobile device user information can include user identity information, personal preferences, subscription information and application profile information.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to mobile devices and mobile device systems, including wireless mobile devices and systems. More particularly, the invention relates to systems and methods for accessing user information by one or more mobile device end users for one or more mobile devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
The amount of information stored on end user communication devices, including mobile communication devices, continues to increase. Such devices include cellular telephones, smart telephones (smartphones), personal digital assistants (PDAs), and other wireless handheld and mobile communication devices. A large portion of the information stored on such devices is what generally is considered to be personal information. Such information can include contact information, such as names, telephone numbers and addresses. Other personal information can include calendars, electronic notepads, emails messages, and user subscription information, e.g., the user's cellular telephone plan (voice and data), music download subscription and/or other subscription information. Currently or in the future, as mobile devices are becoming more powerful and sophisticated, additional end user information also can include credit card authentication information, application access password information, medical records and other personal information.
Conventional methods and systems for storing such end user information generally tend to be relatively restrictive, localized and generally identified with or tied to an individual mobile device. If the particular mobile device is compromised, e.g., damaged, lost, stolen or misplaced, end user access to the information is temporarily or permanently lost. Systematically or periodically backing up such information on an external device, such as a laptop computer, often is relatively impractical unless the backup device is with the mobile device much of the time.
Moreover, the relatively localized structure of information storage on mobile devices does not lend itself well to a single mobile device supporting multiple users, each with a different end user profile. Typically, mobile devices are configured to have stored thereon a single set of end user information, which is accessible by the individual end user who owns or has immediate possession of the mobile device. Therefore, some individual end users maintain multiple mobile devices (e.g., one for work, one for family) and/or each member of a single family often has their own individual mobile device, with their own personal information stored thereon.
Various methods and systems exist for providing various information to mobile devices. For example, a method exists for automatically storing a telephone number, provided by a telephone assistance service, on the mobile device of the party requesting the telephone number from the telephone assistance service. Also, a method exists for downloading content stored on a set-top box to a mobile device in response to a content selection made by the mobile device user when the mobile device and the set-top box have an established connection therebetween. Other conventional methods, systems and devices for providing various information to mobile devices include the ability to share or transfer information, such as digital documents, between pocket digital wireless devices within a wireless personal area network (WPAN) using a short-range radio frequency technology, such as Bluetooth™. Also, network authentication systems exist that have a centralized, dedicated user profile server that allows mobile devices relatively easier login and authenticated access to networks and network applications.

Method, device and system for accessing mobile device user information


A capsule for the transfer of a target material in a conveying system between a target irradiation station and a collecting station comprising: a beamline channel for the passage of an energetic beam irradiating the target material, a target holder holding the target material or a substrate backing the target material at a glancing angle with respect to the beamline channel axis, a degrader foil positioned across the beamline channel for degrading an energy of the energetic beam upstream of the target material, a target cooling inlet and a target cooling outlet for passage of a cooling fluid in a target cooling duct in a vicinity of the target holder such that the target material can be cooled during an irradiation, and a degrader foil cooling inlet and a degrader foil cooling outlet for passage of a cooling gas in a vicinity of the degrader foil.

Irradiation of target materials by an energetic beam is used in many modern applications. For example, radionuclides have long been produced by cyclotron irradiation of target materials with a medium- or low-energy (5-30 MeV) beam for medical applications. Radionuclides have many important industrial and scientific uses, including tracers. By reactions with appropriate non-radioactive precursors, radiodrugs are synthesized and, when administered in the human body, permit diagnosis and therapy monitoring by Positron Emission Tomography (PET), especially in the treatment of tumors. Some radiodrugs can have therapeutic effect as well.
Document EP 1 717 819 discloses a system for automatically producing radionuclides. In the system disclosed, a cylindrical target carrier, or capsule, comprising a partition wall defining two open cylindrical cavities is disclosed. One of the cylindrical cavities is used to house the target material for irradiation. In the system disclosed, the capsule is used as a shuttle between an irradiation unit where the target material carried by the capsule is irradiated, and a hot cell wherein the electrodeposition and the electrodissolution of the target material can take place thanks to an electrolytic cell. A pneumatic transfer system is arranged to transfer the capsule between the hot cell and the irradiation unit. A purifying system is also present and is used in order to purify the acid solution comprising the radionuclide obtained from the electrodissolution step. In this system, the irradiation takes place in an irradiation unit which receives a particle beam from a cyclotron. In the case that different radionuclides need to be produced or when target materials with different thicknesses are used in this system, the energy of the particle beam irradiating the target material may be varied. This can be done by using a more complex accelerator which can deliver a beam with a variable energy. When the accelerator can only deliver the particle beam at a fixed energy, the energy of the beam irradiating the target material can still be varied by using a degrader foil positioned across the beamline in the irradiating unit. By switching between different degrader foils, the energy of the beam obtained from a fixed energy cyclotron can consequently be tuned so as to irradiate the target material with the appropriate energy level. Switching between different degrader foils is however an awkward procedure which involves a shutting down the system, with obvious adverse economic implications, and accessing the target irradiation station, causing a radiation exposure of the maintenance staff.

System for the irradiation of a target material


An apparatus includes a force sensor circuit and a controller. The force sensor circuit includes first, second, third, and fourth electrodes disposed on a substrate. The first and second electrodes extend through first and second cells of a row of cells. The third and fourth electrodes extend through third and fourth cells of a column of cells. The first electrode occupies more area in the first cell than in the second cell. The second electrode occupies more area in the second cell than in the first cell. The third electrode occupies more area in the third cell than in the fourth cell. The fourth electrode occupies more area in the fourth cell than in the third cell. The controller detects a force and a position of the force based on signals communicated by the force sensor circuit.

According to an example scenario, a force sensor detects the presence and position of a force applied within a force-sensitive area of a force sensor array integrated within a display stack. In a force-sensitive-display application, a force sensor array allows a user to interact directly with what is displayed on the screen, rather than indirectly with a mouse or touch pad. A force sensor is attached to or provided as part of a desktop computer, laptop computer, tablet computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), smartphone, satellite navigation device, portable media player, portable game console, kiosk computer, point-of-sale device, or other device. A control panel on a household or other appliance may include a force sensor.
In one example, when an object physically applies a force to a screen within a force sensitive area of a force sensor of the screen (e.g., by physically pressing a cover layer of the screen), a change in capacitance occurs within the screen at a position of the force sensor that corresponds to the position of the object within the force sensitive area of the force sensor. A force controller processes the change in capacitance to determine the position of the change of capacitance within the force sensor (e.g., within a force sensor array of the force sensor).


A die for a tool set includes at least one punch and a die which defines a cavity for effecting joining. The die comprises an anvil opposite the punch. Die segments adjoin the said anvil and define the cavity in the circumferential direction. When the punch is being fed in the direction of the anvil, the segments execute a yielding movement transversely to the punch feed direction.

The invention relates to a die for a tool set for mechanical joining.
EP 0 779 843 B1 discloses a tool set for producing joints on plate-shaped parts, this tool set having a first top tool part with a punch and a second bottom tool part with a round die. The die has an anvil with an anvil body, on which an annular element with a head-side sliding surface and a base-side connection surface are provided. Individual die segments which surround the anvil and are in the shape of ring sections have recesses for concentric flanging of the said die segments to the annular element, this flanging allowing a longitudinally directed movement of the die segments, each die segment being supported in a displaceable manner on the head-side sliding surface under spring preloading, for which purpose an elastic device brings the die segments to bear against the side surface of the anvil.
A disadvantage in this case is that the die segments, on account of their unfavourable ratio of overall height to radial extent, are more likely to tilt than to slide radially and in the process can become skewed and jammed as a result. The support of the die segments on the anvil body decreases during the longitudinally directed outwards movement, since the die segments at least partly run out of the guide. In addition, the die base body must be undercut in the anvil region in order to secure the die segments against axial displacement. This results in an increased risk of fracture of the die base body. The service life of such a die is therefore short. Furthermore, the annular element on the anvil body requires an increased overall height, as a result of which the accessibility of the joints in shaft-like components is greatly restricted.
WO 01/36124 A2 discloses a tool set of the generic type for producing joints on plate-shaped parts, this tool set comprising a round die. Individual die segments which surround the anvil and are in the shape of ring sections are arranged so as to be displaceable outwards on a supporting surface against spring preloading. In this case, the radial displaceability of the die segments outwards is limited by a stop which encases the supporting surface and is formed by a die sleeve. Furthermore, the stop serves to limit an axial movement of the die segments during their displacement outwards, for which purpose this stop has projecting guides which engage in undercuts of the die segments. A disadvantage in this case is again that the die segments can become skewed relative to the projecting guides and can become jammed as a result.
Furthermore, DE 694 08 080 T2 discloses a tool set of the generic type for producing joints on plate-shaped parts, this tool set comprising a round die. The die has four die segments which are surrounded by a housing. The housing is provided with elongated holes, pins extending into the interior of the housing in each case between two elongated holes. These pins engage in grooves which are formed on the die segments. During an outwards movement of the die segments against spring preloading, edges of the die segments can be moved into the elongated holes of the die housing, the pins which engage in the die segments counteracting a rotary movement of the die segments.
A disadvantage here is that the die segments can become skewed relative to the longitudinal holes, since the displacement is effected against a stop, the die segments being guided solely by supported pins.
An object of the invention is therefore to provide a die for a tool set for mechanical joining which die has a long service life and is at the same time of compact construction.

Die for a tool set for mechanical joining


A fuel supply system for an aircraft engine, comprises a gaseous fuel source and a fuel nozzle. The fuel nozzle includes a housing having a housing interior chamber and a fuel swirler disposed inside the housing interior chamber. The fuel swirler is fluidly connected to the gaseous fuel source for directing gaseous fuel to a combustor of the aircraft engine. The fuel swirler defines a gaseous fuel path extending from a fuel inlet to a fuel outlet. The gaseous fuel path includes a plurality of discrete apertures distributed around a circumference of the fuel swirler, each of the plurality of discrete apertures having a cross-sectional area selected to prevent a flame from propagating in an upstream direction through the gaseous fuel path towards the gaseous fuel source.

Fuel nozzles are used for injecting fuel and air mixtures into the combustors of aircraft engines. Compressed fuel is typically fed under pressure into a central fuel swirler and a surrounding array of pressurized air flow channels is provided to form an atomized air/fuel mixture.
The fuel swirler may be assembled from a swirler housing with an interior chamber and a swirler core that is typically brazed or press fit into the interior chamber of the swirler housing. The combined configuration of control surfaces between the swirler housing and swirler core define fuel flow channels and shaped surfaces that control the direction, pressure and kinetic energy of the pressurized fuel flow to achieve a desired set of parameters for the fuel spray exiting the fuel outlet orifice.
Typical fuel nozzles are designed to inject a single type of fuel, for instance kerosene, and must be replaced if a different fuel type is to be used. In cases where a gaseous fuel such as hydrogen or methane is selected as the fuel type, there is a risk that the gaseous fuel ignites as soon as it comes into contact with compressed air at or before a mixing site. This may lead to dangerous and/or damaging consequences if the flame were to propagate upstream through the fuel nozzle.

Fuel nozzle with integrated metering and flashback system


A weapon includes a firearm having a front sight and a rear sight. The front sight includes a front channel. The rear sight includes a rear channel. The front channel and the rear channel are aligned along a sight line. The front channel and the rear channel provide an unobstructed field of view toward a target along the sight line.

A firearm is a weapon from which a shot is discharged by gunpowder. Firearms typically include sight device for guiding the eye of a shooter along a sight line or axis for aiming the firearm toward a selected target. Of particular significance are two-piece sights composed of two separate components including front and rear aiming pieces or sights lined up along a sight line or axis. In such a two-piece sight, the firearm is aimed toward a selected target by aligning the front sight with the rear sight. In a conventional two-piece sight, the front sight includes a post or bead, which is aligned within a notch or aperture of the rear sight. Centering the front sight within the rear sight along the sight line or axis by eye enables the shooter to accurately target a selected target downrange along the sight line or axis.
The front and rear sights of a two-piece site are located on either end of the firearm barrel, and are aligned substantially parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the firearm barrel, whereby a bullet fired from the firearm will strike the selected target below the point of aim. A bullet fired from a firearm inherently drops during flight, producing a curved trajectory. Accordingly, two-piece sights are often aligned at a slight angle to the central longitudinal axis of the barrel, whereby the sight line of the aligned front and rear sights results in a slight upward angle of the central longitudinal axis of the barrel enabling a bullet fired from the firearm to pass through the sight line first when the bullet rises and then as it is falling. The term "substantially parallel" in relation to the alignment of the front and rear sights of a two-piece sight relative to the central longitudinal axis of the firearm barrel is a term of art that characterizes two-piece sights that are aligned at a pre-selected slight angle relative to the central longitudinal axis of the firearm barrel. The pre-selected slight angle referring to the alignment of the front and rear sights of a two-piece sight is well known and is chosen according to the skill attributed to the skilled artisan. The distances at which a bullet traverses the sight line can be adjusted by adjusting the position of the front and rear sights relative to each other, which is well known to the skilled artisan.
In a conventional two-piece sight, the post or bead of the front sight aligned within the notch or aperture of the rear sight inherently obstructs the user's field of view along the sight line toward a target. This obstruction of the shooters field of view along the sight line by the post or bead of the front sight is distracting, and inherently interferes with the shooter's ability to focus his eye on the intended target aligned along the sight line. Given these and other deficiencies in two-piece sights, the need for continued improvement in two-piece sights is evident.

Weapon sight and weapon formed therewith


A light detection and ranging (lidar) apparatus for a vehicle may include: a transmission unit configured to output transmission light; a reception unit configured to receive reflection light that results from the transmission light being reflected by an object; and at least one processor. The at least one processor may be configured to: based on a driving state of the vehicle, adjust an angle of beam steering of the transmission light.

A vehicle is an apparatus that transports people or materials in a direction that is desired by a user. A common example of a vehicle is an automobile.
Vehicles typically implement a variety of sensors and electronic devices designed to improve the convenience of users of the vehicles. As an example, some vehicles implement an Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) that utilizes data from sensors and other electronic devices to assist drivers. In addition, autonomous vehicles have been actively developed, which are designed to autonomously perform one or more driving operations of the vehicle.
Vehicles, such as those implementing ADAS and those that are autonomous vehicles, typically utilize various kinds of sensors, which include a radar, a light detection and ranging (lidar) apparatus, and/or a camera.
In particular, a lidar apparatus is a sensor that measures distances to objects by transmitting light towards an object and detecting properties of light reflected from the object.

Lidar apparatus for vehicles and vehicle having the same


The invention provides for a toileting module which can be used in a standard wheelchair and consists of straps and a tensioning mechanism therefor attached to a support structure. The straps run under the wheelchair-bound person and, when tightened, raise the person above the seat cushion permitting its removal and the insertion of a waste receptacle for toileting.

The invention relates to wheelchairs, and, more specifically, to a wheelchair insert that permits toileting from the wheelchair.
People confined to a wheelchair due to paralysis, injury, or age have significant problems associated with using toileting facilities. These problems primarily result from their inability to transfer themselves to a toilet or support their own weight while a bedpan is placed underneath them. Traditionally, an attendant uses a special, manual technique or equipment to lift the person from the chair and lower them onto a toilet with siderails for support.
Special carts/chairs have been developed (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,856,123 and 4,888,833) to permit a person to be placed over any toilet and not have to leave the cart/chair for toileting. However, these devices are not wheelchairs and, therefore, a person, if in a wheelchair, must still be transferred to the cart/chair prior to toileting.
To avoid having to lift a wheelchair-bound person, special wheelchairs have been designed to provide the person with the ability to remain in the chair for toileting. (See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 557,614; 1,691,620; 2,880,783; 3,245,090; 3,271,785; 4,007,959; 4,229,039; 4,296,506; 4,343,482; 4,593,929 and 4,713,848.) However, existing designs present a cleanliness problem. Also, due to the long periods spent in a wheelchair, special cushions, supported by a rigid seat attached to the chair frame, are used to prevent or reduce the incidence of sores and tissue damage. These cushions cannot be used with existing special wheelchair designs since a portion of the cushion and/or rigid seat must be removed for toileting.
A device for raising the person from the wheelchair seat to provide access for seat cushion and clothing removal, and to permit insertion of a specially designed bedpan would solve these problems. Such a device would not require the attendant to lift the person in the wheelchair, would prevent cleanliness problems, and would permit the use of special cushions.


A car power source apparatus has a battery block (2) including a plurality of connected batteries (1), a battery state detection section (3) connected to the battery block, a base-plate (4) having the battery state detection section and battery block mounted thereon, a cover-plate (5) that closes-off the top of the base-plate, and side-plates (6) that close-off open regions between the cover-plate and the base plate. The cover-plate is provided with a top cover (7) that establishes an interior battery holding region (12), and an electronic component cover (8) that establishes an interior electronic component compartment (13). The edges at ends of the cover-plate have end edge-covers (7X, 8X) that extend downward along the outer surfaces of the side-plate. The end edge-covers make the connection between the cover-plate and the side-plate water-tight.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a high-current power source apparatus primarily used as the power source for a motor that drives an automobile such as a hybrid car or electric vehicle (EV), and in particular to a power source apparatus that prevents the ingress of water into the case that houses the batteries.
2. Description of the Related Art
An automobile such as an electric vehicle driven by a motor or a hybrid car driven by both a electric motor and an engine has a power source apparatus with a case housing batteries installed on-board. Since the vehicle is driven by an electric motor, the power source apparatus has many batteries connected in series to increase the voltage for large output. For example, although the voltage for a standard automobile electric system battery (lead-acid storage battery) installed in most cars is almost without exception 12V, the output voltage of a power source apparatus that powers a driving motor is extremely high and typically 200V or more.
The batteries in this type of power source apparatus can be protected by making the case that houses the batteries a water-tight structure. This is necessary because water ingress into the case can corrode the batteries and internal metal components. In addition, water ingress into the case can also be the cause of leakage currents and electrical shocks.
A car power source apparatus with a case made as a water-tight structure has been developed to avoid these detrimental effects. (Refer to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication 2006-35915.)
As shown in FIG. 1, the power source apparatus cited in JP 2006-35915-A has base-plate 94 open regions closed-off by a top cover 97 and an electronic component cover 98, and the boundaries with the top cover 97 and the electronic component cover 98 are made water-tight with gaskets 95. However, it is difficult to reliably sandwich the gaskets 95 for this water-tight structure, and it has the drawback that long-term maintenance of a reliable water-tight configuration at the top cover 97 and electronic component cover 98 boundaries is problematic. Further, although the boundaries of the top cover and the electronic component cover of this power source apparatus can be made in a water-tight configuration, the structure has connecting regions between the base-plate and the perimeter of the top cover, and it has both ends of the base-plate closed-off by side-plates. Consequently, this configuration has the drawback that connecting regions at the side-plates, the top cover, and the electronic component cover cannot be sealed in a satisfactory water-tight configuration.
The present invention was developed with the object of correcting the drawbacks described above. Thus, it is an important object of the present invention to provide a car power source apparatus that can make the case housing the battery blocks and battery state detection section water-tight with an extremely simple structure, and can effectively prevent water ingress into the case to effectively prevent corrosion and electrical shock.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


An organic light emitting display device includes a substrate, a lower electrode, a light emitting layer, an upper electrode, and a light guide structure. The substrate includes a sub-pixel region and a transparent region. The lower electrode is disposed in the sub-pixel region on the substrate. The light emitting layer is disposed on the lower electrode, and includes an organic emission layer. The upper electrode is disposed on the light emitting layer. The light guide structure is disposed on the upper electrode, and partially overlaps the organic emission layer that is located at the sub-pixel region and the substrate that is located at the transparent region in a plan view.

1. Technical Field
Example embodiments relate generally to organic light emitting display devices. More particularly, embodiments of the present inventive concept relate to organic light emitting display devices including a transparent region.
2. Description of the Related Art
A flat panel display (FPD) device is widely used as a display device of an electronic device because the FPD device is lightweight and thin compared to a cathode-ray tube (CRT) display device. Typical examples of the FPD device are a liquid crystal display (LCD) device and an organic light emitting display (OLED) device. Compared to the LCD device, the OLED device has many advantages such as a higher luminance and a wider viewing angle. In addition, the OLED device can be made thinner because the OLED device does not require a backlight. In the OLED device, electrons and holes are injected into an organic thin layer through a cathode and an anode, and then recombined in the organic thin layer to generate excitons, thereby a light of a certain wavelength can be emitted.
Recently, a transparent OLED device capable of transmitting an image of an object (or a target) that is located at the back (e.g., in the rear) of the OLED device by including a sub-pixel region and a transparent region has been developed. Here, since a displaying image of the OLED device is displayed only in a first direction (e.g., in the front), a user that is located in the back of the OLED device may not watch the displaying image.

Organic light emitting display device including a transparent region


Provided are a method of configuring a protocol header in a wireless communication system, and a communication apparatus and method using the protocol header configuration method. The protocol header may include a fixed length physical layer (PHY) header containing information associated with the number of Media Access Control (MAC) service data units, a variable length PHY header containing information associated with a segment constituting a payload, a MAC header containing information associated with the MAC service data units, and a Header Check Sequence (HCS) checking an error regarding a combination of the fixed length PHY header, the variable length PHY header, and the MAC header.

In a wireless communication system, a data unit may be transmitted based on a frame unit. A single frame may include a preamble, a header, a payload, and other information.
For example, in the wireless communication system where data may be transmitted at a high speed through an ultra-wideband frequency band, a Physical Layer Convergence Protocol (PLCP) Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) frame may include a PLCP preamble, a PLCP header, a PPDU payload, and an Antenna Training Sequence (ATS).
Here, the PLCP header corresponds to a protocol header. Header information included in the PLCD header may include information required to accurately decode the PPDU payload in a reception apparatus.
Accordingly, there is a need for a method that may effectively protect protocol header information.
A length of the protocol header may be variable. Accordingly, there is a need for a protocol header configuration method that may effectively protect protocol header information when the protocol header has a variable length.

Method and apparatus for configuring protocol header in wireless communication system

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


In the class of electronic circuits known as current conveyors, limitations in the areas of frequency bandwidth, transient response, output impedance, distortion, accuracy, and suitability for integration are overcome by means of a current conveyor comprising a Wilson current mirror of one polarity type cross-coupled with a second Wilson current mirror of the opposite polarity type. The first Wilson current mirror is connected to an input port and a reference port. The second Wilson current mirror is supplied with current by a current-splitting circuit which also supplies an output port with a currrent that is proportional to, preferably half, the current supplied to the second current mirror. An emitter de-generation compensation scheme may optimize the transient response and stability of the mirrors. The current splitter may also comprise current mirrors. A voltage-to-current converter may be realised by connecting suitable resistors in series with the input and reference ports, respectively.

The circuit concept now known as the "current conveyor" was disclosed by K. C. Smith and A. Sedra in a paper entitled "The Current Conveyor: A New Circuit Building Block," proc. IEEE Vol. 56, pp. 1368-1369, Aug. 1968 and also in U.S. Pat. No. 3,582,689, issued June 1, 1971. Both of these documents are incorporated herein by reference.
The circuit building block embodying this concept was termed a first generation current conveyor or CCI. In the aforementioned documents, Smith and Sedra disclosed an elementary implementation which was not entirely satisfactory because of severe distortion and accuracy limitations due to base current errors and output impedance restrictions resulting from the "Early" voltage effect on the output transistor.
In 1969, Smith and Sedra disclosed a more accurate realization of the CCI in a paper entitled "A Few Simple Wide-band Current Measuring Device," IEEE Trans. Inst. and Meas., Vol. IM-18, pp. 125-128, June 1969, which is incorporated herein by reference. With the circuit in this disclosure, they attempted to compensate for the previously mentioned base current errors ant utilized a Wilson type of current mirror to improve the output impedance. In this specification, the term "Wilson current mirror" is used to donate a current mirror as disclosed by G. R. Wilson in a paper entitled "A Monolithic Junction FET-NPN Operational Amplifier," IEEE J. Solid State Cir. Vol. SC-3, pp. 380-387, December 1968, which is incorporated herein by reference. The Smith and Sedra circuit had a major practical limitation in that all transistors, including both NPN and PNP types, were required to match each other in current gain in order to realize the improved accuracy. This requirement cannot be met with any conventional type of integrated circuit processing where transistors of a like polarity match each other, but NPN and PNP current gains can differ widely. Additionally, although the Wilson mirror improved the output impedance, it was still only half that which could be realized with a pure cascode circuit.
In a paper entitled "A Second Generation Current Conveyor and its Applications," IEEE Trans. Circuit Theory, Vol. Ct-17, pp. 132-134, February 1970, which is incorporated herein by reference, K. C. Smith and A. Sedra disclosed another building block based upon the CCI concept but with different terminal characteristics. This was captioned the "second generation current conveyor" or CCII and was the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 3,619,798, issued Nov. 9, 1971, which is incorporated herein by reference. However, the accuracy of this implementation was limited by base current errors and output impedance in a manner similar to that previously described for the CCI.
In a current conveyor, current is conveyed between a low impedance input port and a high impedance output port. The current is ideally unaltered except for impedance level. A reference port is used to define the voltage level of the input port. In a first generation current conveyor or CCI, the reference port must support a current equal to the that which is conveyed between the input and output ports, whereas a second generation current conveyor or CCII is so configured that the reference port is high impedance. As such, the CCII reference port can perform its potential definition function while only supporting a very small (ideally zero) current.
In a paper entitled "Gyrator Implementation with Integrable Current Conveyors," IEEE J. Solid State Circuits, Vol. SC-6, pp. 396-399, December 1971, which is incorporated herein by reference, G. G. A. Black, R. T. Friedmann and A. S. Sedra disclosed a CCII using an operational amplifier and external transistors. They stressed the importance of using a cascode configuration to obtain high output impedance, but did not indicate how this could be done without introducing base current errors. In addition, their curcuit was subject to the frequency and transient response limitations of the operational amplifier.
In a paper entitled "A High Output Resistance Current Source," IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits, Vol. SC-9, pp. 192-194, August 1974, which is incorporated herein by reference, R. C. Jaeger discussed in detail the output impedance limitations of the Wilson and cascode current sources. As an improvement, he suggested an emitter referenced cascode current source, but the biasing of the bipolar realization of this idea was relatively complex, and the transient response was poor.
Between 1978 and 1980, a number of researchers disclosed implementations of current conveyors using operational amplifiers alone or in combination with operational transconductance amplifiers in an attempt to define a block that was suitable for integration. These disclosures included "A Current Conveyor Realization using Operational Amplifier, " Int. J. Electronics, Vol. 45, No. 3, 1978, by M. Sharif-Bakhtiar and P. Aronhime, "Novel Circuit IMplementation of Current Conveyors Using an O.A. and an O.T.A.," Electronics Letters, Vol. 16, No. 1, 1980, by R. Senani, and "Circuit Implementation of Current Conveyor," Electronics Letters, Vol. 16, 1980, by J. L. Huertas, and are incorporated herein by reference. However, these approaches were all limited by the performance of the operational amplifiers and required tight resistor matching to avoid seriously degraded performance.
In an effort to minimize the disadvantages of using operational amplifiers as building blocks for current conveyors, in a paper entitled "High-Performance Current Conveyor Implementation", Electronics Letters, Vol. 20, pp. 990-991, November 1984, which is incorporated herein by reference B. Wilson proposed to sense the output stage current in an operational amplifier and produce a current conveyor function with appropriately connected current mirrors. In particular, the positive and negative supply pins on a standard operational amplifier have been utilized to implement this idea. For a given operational amplifier, this approach improved the frequency response when compared with the operational amplifier circuits previously described, but transient response, accuracy, distortion, and output impedance remained problematic.
In a review of the state of the art of current conveyors in a paper entitled "Current Conveyors: A Review of the State of the Art," IEEE Circuit and Systems Mag., Vol. 3, No. 1, 1981, which is incorporated herein by reference, U. Kumar outlined the many applications of both the CCI and CCII circuits, but no new realizations of this circuit concept were presented. A number of other authors have similarly addressed only application related issued.
Several other papers in the literature in fact disclose variants on the current conveyor concept, although they are not identified as such. In a paper entitled "An Accurate Integrated Voltage to Current Converter, " IEEE J. Solid State Circuits, Vol. SC-10, December 1975, which is incorporated herein by reference, A. T. Van Zanten and J. H. Huijsing described a voltage-to-current converter. They made progress in the areas of accuracy and distortion, but the complexity of the feedback loop resulted in poor transient response. In a paper entitled "Report on the VCT," ETI Canada Magazine, February 1977, which is incorporated herein by reference, R. Harris outlined a similar concept called the "Voltage to Current Transactor" or VCT. As before, accuracy and distortion were improved, but output impedance was limited to that of the Wilson mirror. Another voltage-current converter was detailed by R. W. Barker and B. L. Hart in a paper entitled "A Novel Integrable Voltage-Current Converter", IEEE J. Solid State Cir., Vol SC-22, February 1987, which is incorporated herein by reference. Base current errors in this circuit, however, resulted in degraded accuracy, and the current mirror used had very poor transient response.
In a paper entitled "Wideband Translinear Current Converter", Electronics Letters, March 1984, which is incorporated herein by reference, A. Fabre disclosed a complementary configuration, using a Wilson current mirror and a six transistor output circuit. This arrangement, however, had first order base current errors, and although the configuration was apparently intended to give a higher output impedance, it would seem to give only one half of that of a pure cascode circuit.
Accordingly, although the current conveyor has attracted the interest of a considerable number of researchers over the last twenty years, it is evident that performance enhancements are still required to address the range of applications for this device.
An object of the present invention is to eliminate or at least amerliorate these various disadvantages outlined above.


An electronically controlled electric fan (10) cooled by pressurized ambient air, includes:                a motor (11) furnished with a cover (12), a mechanical assembly rotating a wheel (15) and a casing (13), the motor housing at least its electronic control circuit (14) and includes at least one inlet orifice (I) and one outlet orifice (S) for the pressurized ambient air,        a fan wheel (15) and a mechanical assembly rotating this wheel,        a motor support (16),the ambient air being suitable for passing through the motor, and its mechanical assembly and the support, the electric fan including:        a confinement element (20) placed inside the motor so as to confine the pressurized ambient air between:                    a heat sink (18) integral with the electronic control circuit (14),            and a portion of the motor including no sensitive electronic components.

Motor vehicles are increasingly fitted with electric fans providing their air conditioning. These electric fans comprise in particular a motor driving a wheel associated with a cooling means.
These electric fans are controlled by a control device supported by an electronic circuit board implemented on a printed circuit. When the motor is operating, the electronic circuit board is acted upon and the printed circuit gives off heat.
To discharge this heat, it is already known practice to use the air flow passing through the wheel (providing the ventilation) to cool the printed circuit board. So doing, this air flow enters into contact not only with the radiator (usually made of aluminum) of the control device but also with the various electronic components present on the printed circuit. Such cooling is usually satisfactory, but when the ambient air blown over the printed circuit is polluted, the electric connections of the various components, even the components themselves, risk being damaged by the polluted air.
Thus in a salty environment (a saline maritime atmosphere) and/or an environment polluted by particles of mud, dust, snow, ice, etc, these particles are found on the printed circuit board and damage the components and/or their connections.

Electronically controlled electric fan cooled by pressurized ambient air


A needle assisted jet injector and method for jet injecting medicament are disclosed. In one embodiment of the injector, the needle is retractably located within an injector nozzle assembly. Upon activation of the force generating source, a portion of the needle extends past the nozzle assembly and penetrates the outer layer of skin to deliver the medicament via jet injection to a deeper region. After activation, the needle retracts back into the nozzle assembly. In another embodiment, the needle is fixed to the end of the nozzle assembly. In both embodiments, the length of the portion of the needle that penetrates the skin is less than 5 mm.

The present invention is directed to a device for delivery of medicament, and in particular to a jet injector with a short needle to reduce the pressure at which the jet injector must eject the medicament for proper delivery.
A wide variety of needleless injectors are known in the art. Examples of such injectors include those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,599,302 issued to Lilley et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,830 to Dunlap, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,824 to Morrow et al. In general, these and similar injectors administer medication as a fine, high velocity jet delivered under sufficient pressure to enable the jet to pass through the skin.
As the skin is a tissue composed of several layers and the injector is applied to the external surface of the outermost layer, the delivery pressure must be high enough to penetrate all layers of the skin. The layers of skin include the epidermis, the outermost layer of skin, the dermis, and the subcutaneous region. The required delivery pressure is typically greater than approximately 4000 p.s.i. (27,579 kPa) (measured as the force of the fluid stream divided by the cross-sectional area of the fluid stream).
Although this pressure is readily achievable with most injectors, there are some circumstances in which delivery of medicament to the subcutaneous region under a reduced pressure is desirable. For example, drugs that require a specific molecular structural arrangement, such as a linear protein configuration, may be rendered ineffective due to shear forces caused by the delivery of the drug at high pressures that alter the structural arrangement of the drug. As it is more difficult to deliver a large volume of fluid at a high pressure compared to a small volume, using a lower pressure facilitates delivery of a larger volume of fluid. Furthermore, the lower pressure could make manufacturing an injector device less expensive. The lower pressure would also reduce adverse stresses on the device and result in a corresponding increased useable device lifetime. Moreover, the lower pressure would make jet injection compatible with medicament stored and delivered in glass ampules, which typically cannot withstand the pressure typically reached by jet injectors.
One of the advantages associated with jet injectors is the absence of a hypodermic needle. Given the aversion to needles possessed by some, the absence of a needle provides a psychological benefit. Even devices that utilize conventional hypodermic needles have attempted to capitalize on this psychological benefit. For example, self-injectors or auto-injectors like the ones disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,553,962, 4,378,015 and PCT International Publication No. WO 95/29720, WO 97/14455 have retractable needles which are hidden until activation. Upon activation, the needle extends from the bottom of the device and penetrates the user""s skin to deliver medicament. As none of these devices involves delivery of the medicament using jet injection, the medicament delivery location is limited by the length of the needle. For example, if delivery in the subcutaneous region is desired, the needle must be long enough to reach the subcutaneous region. Furthermore, as auto-injectors operate like syringes, the injection time is several seconds or longer. In contrast, jet injectors typically inject in fractions of a second.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,304,128 to Haber et al. describes a jet injecting syringe that uses a short needle to assist injection. The syringe uses a gas powered driven plunger to force medication through the syringe and out of the needle. The needle is retracted until the syringe is activated and then is extended to puncture the skin of the person injected. However, the needle remains extended after the syringe is used. The extended needle could lead to potential biohazards and safety concerns, such as accidental injections and spreading of diseases. Also, the gas powered plunger is both complicated and expensive to manufacture.
PCT Publication No. WO 99/03521 of Novo Nordisk discloses an undefined concept of xe2x80x9cjetxe2x80x9d injection. However, this publication does not teach one the details of the driving mechanism necessary to practice the concept.
PCT Publication No. WO 99/22790 of Elan Corporation teaches a needle assisted injector having a retractable shield that conceals the needle both before and after use of the injector. The disclosed injector has a driving mechanism that operates on pressure created by a chemical reaction. Because of this chemically operated driving mechanism, the injecting time for the injector is at least three seconds and more likely greater than five seconds. This relatively long injection time may create discomfort in the patient receiving the injection. Also, the needle may move during the lengthy injection and add to the patients discomfort.
Even with minimally invasive medical procedures, it is advantageous to maintain the time for the procedures at a minimum. Thus, there exists a need for a needle assisted jet injector that operates at relatively low pressure and that is capable of quickly delivering medicament. There also exists a need for such an injector having a retractable or concealed needle to prevent the medical hazards associated with exposed needles.
The present invention relates to a needle assisted jet injector. In one embodiment, the injection device includes a housing; a retractable injection-assisting needle at a distal end of the injector; a nozzle assembly defining a fluid chamber having an opening for slidingly receiving at least a portion of the needle and being removably associated with the housing; a plunger movable in the fluid chamber; a trigger assembly; and a force generating source operatively associated with the trigger assembly so that movement of the trigger assembly activates the energy source to move the plunger in a first direction to expel a fluid from the fluid chamber. The retractable injection-assisting needle has a needle tip located at a distal end of the needle with at least a portion configured and dimensioned to slide through the nozzle assembly opening; a discharge channel within the needle tip and terminating in an orifice through which the fluid is expelled; a body portion to direct fluid towards the discharge channel; a plunger receptor configured and dimensioned to receive at least a portion of the plunger; and a retraction element operatively associated with the needle and disposed substantially within the nozzle assembly. The needle is located within the nozzle assembly in a retracted position prior to activation of the force generating source. Movement of the plunger in the first direction upon activation of the energy source results in at least a portion of the needle tip extending beyond the nozzle assembly opening to a needle insertion point and expelling the fluid through the needle tip and past the needle insertion point to a needle injection site. The needle insertion point is located at the needle tip, and the needle injection site is distal to the needle tip. The retraction element returns the needle tip to the retracted position after activation of the energy source.
The retraction element may be a resilient O-ring, a spring, or a flexible membrane which moves to allow extension of the needle tip beyond the nozzle assembly opening and then returns to its original position to return the needle tip to its retracted position. The needle body can have an exterior surface which includes a ridge or recess for accommodating the retraction element. A shoulder can be disposed between the needle tip and the needle body for accommodating the retraction element. Preferably, the needle tip, when extended, has a length of approximately 1-5 mm.
In a preferred embodiment, the jet injector includes a housing having distal and proximal ends; a fluid chamber having a seal at one end and located within the housing for holding at least about 0.02 ml to 3 ml of a medicament; an injection-assisting needle having an injecting end and a piercing end and coupled to the distal end of the housing; a plunger movable within the fluid chamber; a force generating source capable of providing sufficient force on the plunger to eject an amount up to about 3 ml of the medicament from the fluid chamber in less than 2.75 seconds; a needle guard located at the distal end of the housing for concealing the needle, the needle guard being moveable between a protecting position and an injecting position; and an activation element operatively associated with the needle guard. The needle is moveable between a medicament storing position and a medicament delivering position. When the needle is in the medicament storing position, it is isolated from the fluid chamber. When the needle is in the medicament delivering position, the piercing end punctures the seal to provide a fluid pathway from the fluid chamber through the needle. Retraction of the needle guard exposes the injecting end of the needle to an insertion point and activation of the force generating source moves the plunger to expel medicament from the fluid chamber and thereby eject the amount of the medicament through the injecting end of the needle and past the needle insertion point to an injection site in less than 2.75 seconds. The needle insertion point is located at the injecting end of the needle, and the injection site is distal to the injecting end of the needle.
Retraction of the needle guard from the protecting position to the injecting position may activate the force generating source, which provides sufficient force to eject an amount of about 1 to 2 ml of the medicament in less than about 2.5 seconds. The jet injector can also include a locking element associated with the needle guard for locking the needle guard in the protecting position after activation of the injection device and after return of the needle guard to the protecting position, to prevent re-exposure of the needle.
The activation element can include an inner housing located inside the housing and having trigger projections for maintaining the plunger in an idle position; and a latch located inside the housing and circumferentially surrounding the inner housing, the latch being moveable between a firing position and an armed position. Retraction of the needle guard to the injecting position urges the latch toward the firing position, thereby releasing the trigger projections from the plunger and activating the injection device.
The jet injector can further include an elastomeric element, such as a spring element, that acts upon the needle guard and urges the needle guard toward the protecting position; wherein the elastomeric element returns the needle guard to the protecting position after the medicament has been ejected from the needle, thereby substantially re-enclosing the needle.
The needle is mounted on a needle holder operatively associated with the needle and the distal end of the housing, such that rotation of the needle holder places the needle in fluid communication with the fluid chamber. Preferably, the needle has a tip with a length of approximately 1-5 mm and the medicament is ejected at a pressure between around 100 to 1000 p.s.i. (689 to 6895 kPa) and at a rate of at least 0.40 ml/sec.
The jet injector may also include a removable safety cap operatively associated with the distal end of the injection device such that rotation of the safety cap imparts rotation on the needle. At least a portion of the housing is made of a transparent or translucent material for allowing viewing of the fluid chamber. The medicament is preferably ejected at a pressure between around 100 to 500 p.s.i. (689 to 3448 kPa) and at a rate of about 0.50 ml/sec so that about 1 ml of the medicament is ejected in about 2 seconds.
The fluid chamber may comprise an ampule having a distal end, a proximal end and an opening in each of the distal and proximal ends; a pierceable seal associated with the opening in the distal end; and a stopper located in the proximal end of the ampule for maintaining the medicament inside the ampule. An alternative fluid chamber may be used such that activation of the force generating source moves the pierceable seal towards the injection assisting needle to pierce the seal and moves the stopper to eject medicament from the injection assisting needle.
The present invention also relates to a method of delivering medicament to an injection site of a patient. The method includes the steps of extending a needle from a shield prior to inserting the needle into the needle insertion point, the shield initially concealing the needle; inserting the needle into the needle insertion point to a depth of less than 5 mm, with the needle being in fluid communication with a fluid chamber that contains at least about 0.02 to 2 ml of the medicament; and applying a force sufficient to eject the medicament from the fluid chamber and through the needle to deliver the medicament to the injection site in less than about 2.75 seconds. The needle insertion point is located more superficial than the injection site.
Preferably, the initial pressing of the shield against the injection site causes activation of the energy mechanism and may establish fluid communication between the needle and the fluid chamber. An additional step includes retracting the needle into the shield after the desired amount of medicament has been delivered to the injection site and wherein the applied force for injecting the medicament is sufficient to eject an amount of about 1 to 2 ml of the medicament in less than about 2.5 seconds. The needle has a length of approximately 1-5 mm and the medicament is ejected at a at a pressure between around 100 to 1000 p.s.i. (689 to 6895 kPa) and at a rate of at least 0.40 ml/sec. Preferably, the medicament is ejected at a pressure between around 100 to 500 p.s.i. (689 to 3448 kPa) and at a rate of about 0.50 ml/sec so that about 1 ml of the medicament is ejected in about 2 seconds.


In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, a method for estimating and correcting phase shift in a wireless communication device, may include converting a digital signal output by digital circuitry of the wireless communication device into a compensated digital signal based on a calculated phase error. The method may also include converting the compensated digital signal into a wireless communication signal. The method may additionally include calculating an estimated instantaneous reference phase of the digital signal output by the digital circuitry. The method may further include calculating an estimated transmit phase of the wireless communication signal. Moreover, the method may include calculating a phase error based on a difference between the estimated instantaneous reference phase and the estimated transmit phase of the wireless communication signal.

Wireless communications systems are used in a variety of telecommunications systems, television, radio and other media systems, data communication networks, and other systems to convey information between remote points using wireless transmitters and wireless receivers. A transmitter is an electronic device which, usually with the aid of an antenna, propagates an electromagnetic signal such as radio, television, or other telecommunications. Transmitters often include digital signal processing circuits which encode a data signal, upconverts it to a radio frequency signal, and passes it signal amplifiers which receive the radio-frequency, amplify the signal by a predetermined gain, and transmit the amplified signal through an antenna. On the other hand, a receiver is an electronic device which, also usually with the aid of an antenna, receives and processes a wireless electromagnetic signal. In certain instances, a transmitter and receiver may be combined into a single device called a transceiver.
Many wireless transceivers may suffer from phase shifts in a transmit path due to changes in radio frequency (RF) gain, bias, and/or load of the transmit path. Such phase shifts may cause numerous problems in a wireless communication device. For example, random signal phase shifts may cause magnitude measurement errors when a coherent receiver is used, and the magnitude error signal is generated from the difference between the coherent receiver output and a reference waveform. These signal phase distortions in RF gain stages of a transmit path may contribute to differential non-linear errors (DNLEs) in wireless transmitters. Such DNLEs may accumulate throughout the transmit path, leading to integral non-linear gain error (INLE). Such DNLEs and INLE may lead to degradation of power accuracy at the output of the transmit path. Such phase shifts may also result in degradation of adjacent channel leakage ratio (ACLR) and error vector magnitude (EVM) in a wireless communication device, and/or loss or carrier tracking synchronization between the wireless communication device and a base station, potentially leading to dropped calls and/or other performance degradation.

System and method for estimating and correcting phase shift in a wireless communication device


A method for plasma immersion ion processing including providing a hollow substrate having an interior surface defining an interior and a gas feed tube extending through the interior, wherein the gas feed tube is hollow and includes a wall having a plurality of holes defined therein and applying tension to said gas feed tube by affixing a spring to one end of said gas feed tube and said vacuum chamber. The method may also include heating the gas feed tube to a temperature in the range of 50° C. to 650° C.; supplying a precursor gas to the interior of the hollow substrate through the plurality of holes in the gas feed tube and generating a plasma; and applying a negative bias to the hollow substrate relative to the gas feed tube to draw ions from the plasma to the interior surface to form a coating on the interior surface.

The interior surface of long hollow substrates (30-40 ft in length) such as those used in the oil or gas industry may employ various coatings for corrosion, erosion, abrasion and sliding wear protection. In addition, other functionality such as good hydrophobicity (water contact angle, WCA>=90°, super hydrophobicity (WCA˜150°), or ice-phobicity may be useful. Using the current technology plasma immersion ion processing (PIIP) or plasma immersion ion deposition (PhD), hollow substrates up to 20 ft and 4 inches in diameter, or having up to a 60:1 length to diameter ratio, may be deposited with diamond like coating (DLC) or other Si-containing and F-containing hydrocarbon coatings.
However, in processing hollow substrates having a length to diameter ratio of greater than 60:1 for hollow substrate diameters 3 inches or greater, or length to diameter ratios of 48:1 for hollow substrate diameters under 3 inches, uneven plasma distribution occurs inside the hollow substrate as to cause the coating to be so uneven that the center regions typically remain uncoated. This may be because electrons generated inside a hollow substrate biased at a negative potential have to travel out to the vacuum chamber wall (ground) to complete the current flow loop while ions generated from the electron-neutral impact ionization have to go to the hollow substrate wall to complete the current flow loop. The electrons generated near the ends can make it out of the hollow substrate while the electrons generated in deeper regions near the center of the hollow substrate may not travel too far because the electric field is much weaker and the electrons lose the energy nearly completely due to the electron-neutral molecule collisions. As a result, the density of the plasma may be much stronger near the hollow substrate ends and approach zero near the center of the hollow substrate. The result may be that little to no film may be deposited approaching the center of the hollow substrate. Furthermore, coating uniformity may also be affected by the placement and number of pumping stations affixed to a hollow substrate, gas flow rate, pumping speed, etc.
In addition, center electrodes may be used in hollow substrates to increase plasma density uniformity, but not without reported problems. For example, the center electrodes currently sag. In addition, when depositing films including carbon, the center electrode reportedly are coated with a sooty carbon coating, which will typically have adverse effects, such as an increase in the resistivity of the electrode. Loose carbon particles may also randomly fall from the center electrode onto the hollow substrate, which will cause arcing inside the hollow substrate creating holes in the deposited coatings or blocking further deposition causing uneven coatings.

Method for plasma immersion ion processing and depositing coatings in hollow substrates using a heated center electrode


An anti computer virus program uses a library of virus drivers that includes an indication of whether a particular virus can cause irreparable damage and data indicating enhanced user warnings and actions that might be associated with such viruses. If a detected computer virus is one that can cause irreparable damage, then an enhanced user warning (16) is issued indicating this to the user and a notification (28) of the possibility of such corruption is added into the repaired computer file. The notification may take the form of an electronically signed (30) banner message or the like.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of data processing systems. More particularly, this invention relates to anti computer virus systems that generate a user warning upon detection of a computer virus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known to provide anti computer virus programs that apply tests for a large number of known virus types and characteristics. If a computer virus is detected, then a warning is issued to the user and the user is given the option to delete, quarantine or clean the infected file.
A computer file infected with a computer virus may contain valuable data and accordingly the ability to clean that file rather than delete it is often highly advantageous. The cleaning and repair of a computer file typically involves the removal of the computer virus code from that file and the reversal of any changes made by that computer virus to the file. However, there are known computer viruses that produce changes to a computer file that cannot be automatically repaired. An example of such a virus is Wazzu which will infect a Word document and insert the text Wazzu at random points within that document as well as swapping the position of some adjacent words within that document. Whilst it may be possible to remove the Wazzu insertions, detecting whether or not particular words within the document have had their positions altered is not something that can automatically be detected with certainty. There are also examples of computer viruses that infect Excel files and will modify data values within cells of that file in a manner that cannot be automatically detected. Depending upon how many times the computer virus has been activated within that file before it is removed, the degree of alteration that may have occurred can vary significantly.

User alerts in an anti computer virus system


This invention relates to a method of receiving a first potentially unreliable clock signal having a first frequency; receiving a second reliable clock signal having a second frequency; wherein the first frequency and the second frequency have an expected relationship; determining whether the first potentially unreliable clock signal has changed with respect to the second reliable clock signal by: determining an actual relationship between the first potentially unreliable frequency and the second reliable frequency; and generating an alarm signal if the actual relationship is different to the expected relationship.

System on chip designs are becoming common where a single chip houses a plurality of logically separate functional blocks. Examples of functional blocks include a clock control block, security block, Analogue to Digital converter and other functional blocks applicable to the system.
Often the clock control block will include functionality for generating a variety of clock signals of different frequencies that may be used by the other functional blocks on chip. These frequencies may be generated with a circuit such as a software programmable phase locked loop (PLL) clock divider.
Functional blocks that receive clock signals from the PLL clock divider have no direct control over the frequency of those clock signals and the functional block accepts that the frequency provided to it is correct and has not been tampered with.
Situations may arise where the frequency of a clock signal received by a functional block cannot be trusted. For example, if an extremely low frequency clock signal is provided the operation of a functional block may be impaired. For example, a security block designed to be clocked by a specific clock frequency should maintain its correct frequency to keep the integrity of its function.
The change in clock frequency may come about purposively, for example a PLL clock divider may be erroneously programmed by software to output a frequency much lower than the ideal operating clock frequency of the functional block. Alternatively the clock control functional block may malfunction. In either case the operation of the security block may be impaired.

STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited


A method of manufacturing workpieces (6) and a device for effecting the same are related to the field of plastic metal working and can be used in the machine building industry. In order to improve the precision and strength of the workpieces (6) and to extend their service life, the workpiece blank is subdivided into heating zones, loading zones and cooling zones. The number of deforming steps is determined, the workpiece (6) is deformed under creeping conditions with stresses below the limit of elasticity, and, to avoid irreversible deformations, the stresses are relaxed. For this purpose, the thermal chamber (1) is provided with a multisectional housing (7) which has its sections (8) connected pivotally with each other where each section (8) has its own heater (2) and cooler (9), and within each of the zones a portion of the workpiece blank (6) is to be positioned which has the same geometrical and thermal physical properties throughout it.

The present invention relates to plastic metal working and can be used in the machine building industry for the manufacture of workpieces from sheets, sections, and monolithic and welded panels forming a working surface of single or double curvature. A method is well known in prior art to be used for forming a workpiece under conditions when its material creeps (see, for instance, U.S. Pat. No. 3,739,617). A blank is placed on a heated die and pressed thereto over the entire surface thereof by means of a diaphragm. Then the die is heated uniformly so that it reaches a predetermined temperature. The blank is loaded by blowing air into the diaphragm (i.e., by differential pressure) so as to pressurize the diaphragm continuously over the entire surface of the blank until it fits completely the die.
However, when such forming is effected in accordance with this method of prior art knowledge by applying a uniform force (caused by the pressure built up in the diaphragm), a number of various deformations cannot be realized as necessary for producing the workpieces having complicated configurations. A continuous uniform force applied to the blank fails to ensure high precision of the finished workpiece when it is made from a blank having different rigidities within various portions thereof. Because of the uniform continuous heating of the die, some portions of the blank, if it has variable thickness and rigidity, can get heated up unevenly--a factor which is detrimental to the accuracy of the finished workpiece and which increases the additional stresses. For these reasons, it is impossible to obtain such strength characteristics of the workpiece material that are high enough, since the stresses emerging in the processes of straining may be higher than the limit of elasticity for this material so that plastic fractures may result which lead to a reduction in the strength properties of the workpiece material.
Also, another method is well known in prior art to be used in accordance with Inventor's Certificate Specification Serial No. 1147471, Int. Cl. B21D 11/20, wherein a blank is fixed in a plurality of points by means of movable rods arranged to be disposed coaxially with each other, then heated up to a predetermined temperature and deformed by moving the rods. This ensures the deformation of metal around the contour defined by the end faces of the stationary rods arranged to be disposed on the side of the workpiece bottom surface.
However, when such forming is effected in accordance with this method of prior art knowledge, the force applied to the fixed points of the workpiece throughout the entire process of deformation does not allow to realize a number of various deformations as necessary for producing the workpieces having complicated configurations. The deviation from the predetermined configuration seems to increase also due to the fact that it is actually impossible to make an exact allowance for the springing action since there are differences both in the geometrical parameters and in the thermal physical properties between various portions of the blank, i.e., the optimum conditions of deformation are not observed within some portions thereof--a factor which contributes to a reduction in the precision of forming as well as in the quality of the workpiece and its strength properties.
The method as taught by Inventor's Certificate Specification Serial No. 1147471 is essentially the nearest one to the method now claimed as far as the material features thereof and the useful results attainable are concerned so that it is, therefore, this particular method that has been selected by us to be the most representative one of the state of prior art.

Method and device for forming various workpieces


A hanger according to the invention includes a cross member with a centrally located hook. A web is formed between the hook and the cross member and is adapted to receive a conventional indicator. The web includes a rib, followed by a valley, followed by a plateau. According to the invention, the rib is beveled at the top and a notch is provided in the web adjacent the top of the rib. The indicator is easily attached and removed from the top of the rib. Removal can be effected by inserting a fingernail into the notch and leveraging the top of the indicator.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates broadly to garment hangers. More particularly, this invention relates to a garment hanger having a removable side size indicator.
2. State of the Art
For purposes of displaying garments suspended on hangers in an orderly manner to the retail customer, certain retail stores desire to affix an indicating means on the side of the hook of the hanger where the hook meets the hanger body. The indicating means identifies some attribute of the garment suspended from the hanger, such as size, quality, color, manufacturing data, or pattern.
To accommodate the various types of hangers available in the industry, numerous indicating means have been developed in a variety of shapes, sizes and materials. Similarly, hangers have been developed to accommodate a variety of different indicating means. Generally, the indicating means is attached to the hanger at the time that the clothing is attached to the hanger. In many cases, once the indicating means is attached to the hanger, it is difficult or impossible to remove without destroying it and damaging the hanger. This may or may not be a disadvantage. In situations where the purchaser takes the clothing with the hanger, e.g. where the hanger may be used by the purchaser to hang the clothes in the purchaser's wardrobe, this does not generally present a problem. Some clothing which is displayed on hangers at the store is not kept on hangers once purchased. These items of clothing include underwear and swimwear. Typically, the cashier will detach the clothing from the hanger and discard the hanger before packaging the clothing for the purchaser. In many instances, these items of clothing are attached to the hangers at their place of manufacture and then shipped to retailers in the U.S. In most cases, the cost of returning used hangers to the manufacturer outweighs the cost of new hangers. In cases where it is less expensive to recycle the hangers than to buy new hangers, the cost of sorting the hangers according to their indicator makes this practice uneconomical. If, however, the indicating means could be easily removed and replaced without damaging the hanger, then recycling of hangers would be economical.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,189,746 discloses a molded plastic garment hanger having a hook with a web adjacent the hook and a hanger body, wherein the web is received within a cavity of a molded plastic indicator having side walls. The web is formed with a detachment opening which extends under the indicator to allow the indicator to be removed when a detachment wedge is inserted in the opening. While this hanger arrangement is effective, it has the disadvantage of requiring a tool to remove the indicator. It is also dangerous in that when the tool is applied to remove the indicator, the indicator is allowed to fly off the hanger in an unpredictable direction. This projectile can strike someone in the face or eye and cause serious injury.

Garment hanger with removable side indicator


A data storage system is disclosed that utilizes a high performance caching architecture. In one embodiment, the caching architecture utilizes a cache table, such as a lookup table, for referencing or storing host data units that are cached or are candidates for being cached in the solid-state memory. Further, the caching architecture maintains a segment control list that specifies associations between particular cache table entries and particular data segments. Such separation of activities related to the implementation of a caching policy from activities related to storing cached data and candidate data provides robustness and scalability while improving performance.

1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates to data storage systems, such as disk drives, for computer systems. More particularly, the disclosure relates to high performance caching architectures for data storage systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Data storage systems, such as disk drives that comprise solid-state memory, generally utilize one or more levels of cache memory to improve performance. For example, cache memory can be used to store data that is frequently accessed by a host system. A caching architecture should provide high performance while maintaining data integrity. When host data is stored both in the cache memory and permanent storage of a data storage system, the architecture must monitor which copy of host data is valid and provide valid data to the host upon request. Thus, there exists a need for a reliable, efficient, and scalable caching architecture for data storage systems.

High performance caching architecture for data storage systems


An apparatus for securing and using hydrajetting tools within a borehole includes a housing that defines an inner bore. A flow limiting member may be disposed within the inner bore. The flow limiting member may include a first a first jet in fluid communication with the top of the housing, a first chamber positioned below and in fluid communication with the first jet, and a first cavity aligned with the first jet and in fluid communication with the chamber. A groove may be disposed on an outer surface of the housing, with an anchor assembly that is disposed around the housing and axially slidable and securable within the groove.

The present disclosure relates generally to subterranean drilling operations and, more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for securing and using hydrajetting tools.
Subterranean drilling operations typically include piercing a subterranean formation in order to release hydrocarbons (e.g., oil, gas, etc.) from the formation for retrieval at the surface. In some instances, after the borehole reaches the formation, or a pre-determined depth within the formation, the formation may be stimulated using well known procedures in the art. These procedures may be used to increase the production of hydrocarbons from the formation, and may include hydraulic fracturing, acidizing, and hydrajetting. Hydrajetting, for example, may use a focused or pinpointed stimulation operation, which stimulates narrow bands of the formation while limiting damage to surrounding areas. Unfortunately, hydrajetting tools may be difficult to secure when downhole, causing movement in the hydrajetting tool that may decrease the accuracy and effectiveness of the tool. After one zone of the formation has been stimulated with the hydrajetting tool, it may be necessary to plug that zone while the next zone is stimulated. Sand plugs may be used to isolate the stimulated zones, but placing the sand plugs can require a low flow rate that is difficult to maintain downhole. Existing approaches to restrict the flow are difficult to control and manufacture, and may become clogged as a result of setting the sand plug.

Method and apparatus for securing and using hyrdajetting tools


A robotic system implements a collision avoidance scheme and includes a first robotic manipulator and a first controller configured to control the first robotic manipulator for movement along a first pre-planned actual path. A second controller is configured to control movement of a second robotic manipulator for movement along a second pre-planned intended path and deviating therefrom to move in a dodging path away from the first pre-planned actual path based upon determining a potential collision with the first robotic manipulator without prior knowledge of the first pre-planned actual path.

Robotic systems are commonplace in fields such as manufacturing. Indeed, manufacturing plants typically employ robotic systems including numerous robotic manipulators to perform various tasks. To avoid damage to the robotic manipulators, it is helpful to control the robotic manipulators according to a collision avoidance scheme. As such, a variety of collision avoidance schemes for robotic systems have been developed.
Some collision avoidance schemes work by constraining each robotic manipulator to pre-planned collision free paths. For example, one such collision avoidance scheme is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,204,942 to Otera et al. Such a collision avoidance scheme typically requires reprogramming to accommodate each and every change made to the pre-planned paths of the robotic manipulators. In a manufacturing process that is routinely altered and updated, the collision avoidance system of Otera et al. may be disadvantageous due to the necessary repeated reprogramming thereof.
Other collision avoidance schemes may model a workspace and divide it into different zones. Certain robotic manipulators may be forbidden to enter certain zones, or only one robotic manipulator may be allowed into a given zone at a time. U.S. Pat. No. 5,150,452 to Pollack et al. discloses such a collision avoidance scheme for a robotic system. The robotic system includes a controller storing a model of the workspace that is divided into an occupancy grid. The controller controls the robotic manipulators of the robotic system such that only one robotic manipulator may occupy a cell of the occupancy grid at a given time. This collision avoidance system may reduce the efficiency of a manufacturing plant, particularly if there are a variety of differently sized robotic manipulators and the cell sizes of the occupancy grid are sized to accompany the largest robotic manipulators. Further, since this robotic system operates based upon a model of the workspace, any change to the workplace may require an update of the model, which may be time consuming.
Other attempts at collision avoidance schemes for robotic systems include a controller that actively looks for potential collisions between robotic manipulators. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,578,757 to Stark discloses a collision avoidance scheme for a robotic system that models each robotic manipulator of the system as a number of overlapping spheres. As the robotic manipulators move along pre-planned paths, the distance between each sphere of nearby robotic manipulators is calculated by a controller. These calculated distances indicate a risk of collision between two adjacent robotic manipulators. When the risk of collision exceeds a threshold amount, at least one of the robotic manipulators may be slowed down as it travels along its pre-planned path, or even stopped completely. Such a collision avoidance scheme, however, may reduce the efficiency of a manufacturing plant employing the robotic system due to the stopping of robotic manipulators and the associated delays in the manufacturing process.
As explained, these prior approaches may render a manufacturing process employing their respective robotic systems inefficient. Moreover, robotic systems employing these prior approaches may be difficult and/or costly to adapt to new applications or to the addition of additional robotic manipulators. As such, further advances in the field of collision avoidance schemes may be desirable.

Robotic apparatus implementing collision avoidance scheme and associated methods