An electrophotographic imaging member comprising a substrate having an electrically conductive metal oxide surface, a hole blocking layer and at least one electrophotographic imaging layer, the hole blocking layer comprising a reaction product of. (a) a material selected from the group consisting of a hydrolyzed organozirconium compound, a hydrolyzed organotitanium compound and mixtures thereof, PA1 (b) a hydroxyalkylcellulose, PA1 (c) a hydrolyzed organoaminosilane, and PA1 (d) the metal oxide surface.

This invention relates in general to electrophotography and more specifically, to an electrophotographic imaging member with an improved charge blocking layer and process for using the imaging member.
In the art of electrophotography an electrophotographic plate comprising a photoconductive insulating layer on a conductive layer is imaged by first uniformly electrostatically charging the surface of the photoconductive insulating layer. The plate is then exposed to a pattern of activating electromagnetic radiation such as light, which selectively dissipates the charge in the illuminated areas of the photoconductive insulating layer while leaving behind an electrostatic latent image in the non-illuminated area. This electrostatic latent image may then be developed to form a visible image by depositing finely divided electroscopic toner particles on the surface of the photoconductive insulating layer. The resulting visible toner image can be transferred to a suitable receiving member such as paper. This imaging process may be repeated many times with reusable photoconductive insulating layers.
As more advanced, complex, highly sophisticated, electrophotographic copiers, duplicators and printers were developed, greater demands were placed on the photoreceptor to meet stringent requirements for the production of high quality images. For example, the numerous layers found in many modern photoconductive imaging members must be uniform, free of defects, adhere well to to adjacent layers, and exhibit predictable electrical characteristics within narrow operating limits to provide excellent toner images over many thousands of cycles. One type of multilayered photoreceptor that has been employed as a drum or belt in electrophotographic imaging systems comprises a substrate, a conductive layer, a hole blocking layer, an adhesive layer, a charge generating layer, and a charge transport layer. This photoreceptor may also comprise additional layers such as an overcoating layer. Although excellent toner images may be obtained with multilayered photoreceptors, it has been found that the numerous layers limit the versatility of the multilayered belt photoreceptor. For example, these drums often comprise a metal substrate having a roughed surface to avoid plywooding effects that can occur with laser exposure systems. It has been found that when the drums are dip coated, the hole blocking layer does not consistently form a thick uniform coating on the roughened surface and often leaves uncovered bares spots at the peaks of the roughened substrate surface. These bares spots directly impact copy print quality because they print out as white spot defects on negatively charged photoreceptors. Also, the hole blocking layer coating tends to spontaneously develop extensive layer cracking after drying at elevated temperature to facilitate curing. Thus, there is a great need for mass production dip coating of high quality long service life photoreceptor drums. Cracks developed in charge blocking layers during cycling were manifested as print-out defects which adversely affected copy quality. Moreover, alteration of materials in the various belt layers such as the hole blocking layer, can adversely affect overall electrical, mechanical and other electrophotographic imaging properties of the photoreceptor such as residual voltage, background, dark decay, adhesion and the like, particularly when cycled thousands of times in environments where conditions such as humidity and temperature can change daily.

Photoreceptor with improved charge blocking layer


Spinal distraction apparatus includes at least one plate member having upper and lower surfaces adapted for placement between opposing upper and lower spinous processes having outer lateral surfaces. A pair of scissoring elements are hingedly affixed to the plate member to engage with the lateral surfaces of the spinous processes. A device is provided for locking the scissoring elements in position once a desired degree of contact is made. In a preferred configuration, the scissoring elements are sandwiched between a pair of opposing plate members, each having upper and lower surfaces adapted for placement between opposing upper and lower spinous processes, and the inner surfaces of the scissoring elements are concave. The device for locking the scissoring elements in position is a fastener that extends through a central portion of both scissoring elements and the plate members. The apparatus may further include a retractor with upper and lower plates for spreading the upper and lower spinous processes apart to receive the plate with scissoring element(s), and wherein the upper and lower surfaces of the plate member have notches to accommodate the upper and lower plates.

Natural intervertebral discs serve multiple purposes. First, they preserve correct anatomical spacing between adjacent vertebral bodies, allowing branching nerve bundles to function normally, without pain. Discs also facilitate natural flexion, extension, and lateral bending in support of daily physical activities. Discs further serve as "shock absorbers" for spinal loading.
However, for many reasons, natural discs can loose functionality, often leading to back pain. These sources may include physical trauma, degenerative disc disease, and other maladies. Today there are many options to stabilize spinal segments which may exhibit a loss of functionality. One option is spinal fusion, wherein a complete or partial discectomy is performed, with one or more cages or other mechanical devices being inserted into the disc space. Another option gaining in popularity is the use of "artificial discs," which typically include either a resilient central portion or mechanical elements that facilitate a certain degree of articulation.
Various types of intervertebral spacers are also available as valuable tools to promote spinal stabilization. Such devices may be used in conjunction with fusion, for example, to relieve pressure from the central vertebral column. Spacers may also be valuable in relieving spinal stenosis and other conditions resulting in back pain.


A liquid crystal display (LCD) includes an array substrate having pixel regions, the pixel regions including thin film transistors and pixel electrodes, a color filter substrate above the array substrate, the color filter substrate including a plurality of color filters corresponding to respective pixel regions in the array substrate, a black matrix in spaces between the plurality of color filters, and a color frame layer surrounding the plurality of color filters and the black matrix, and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the array substrate and the color filter substrate.

1. Field
Example embodiments relate to a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a fabrication method thereof. More particularly, example embodiments relate to a LCD capable of enhancing its aesthetic effect by applying a color frame to a screen and a fabrication method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
A LCD is a kind of flat panel display including an array substrate with thin film transistors and pixel electrodes formed thereon, a color filter substrate with color filters and a black matrix formed thereon, and a liquid crystal layer with an anisotropic dielectric constant interposed between the array substrate and the color filter substrate. In such a LCD, a molecular arrangement of liquid crystals is changed by controlling the intensity of an electric field formed in the liquid crystal layer, and accordingly, an amount of light transmitted and emitted through the color filter substrate, i.e., a display surface, displays a desired image.

Liquid crystal display and fabricating method thereof


An object of the present disclosure is to make it possible to improve electrical inspection of an object to be inspected by making the conduction characteristics of the electrical signal flowing through an electrical contactor better. An electrical contactor according to the present disclosure includes: a pedestal portion having, at a lower end thereof, a contact portion that comes into contact with a first contact target of an object to be inspected; a base end portion extending continuously toward an installing portion that comes into contact with a second contact target of a substrate electrically connected to an inspection device side; and at least three or more arm portions provided between the base end portion and the pedestal portion, each of the at least three or more arm portions having one end supported by the base end portion and another end coupled to the pedestal portion to elastically support the contact portion.

The electrical inspection of each semiconductor integrated circuit (object to be inspected) formed on a semiconductor wafer uses an inspection device (a tester) in which an electrical connecting apparatus such as a probe card having a plurality of probes (hereinafter also referred to as "electrical contactors"), is installed onto a test header.
The probe card is equipped with a plurality of probes such that the tips of the respective probes protrude from a lower surface of the probe card. When an object to be inspected is pressed against the probe card, the tip of each probe and an electrode terminal corresponding to the object to be inspected come into electrical contact with each other. During the inspection, an electrical signal from the inspection device is supplied to each object to be inspected via each probe, and then a signal from each object to be inspected is taken in by the inspection device side via each probe, thereby conducting the electrical inspection of each object to be inspected.
In recent years, along with higher density, higher integration, and the like of a semiconductor integrated circuit, the diameter of the electrode terminal of the semiconductor integrated circuit has become smaller, and the pitch of the intervals between electrode terminals has become narrower. In this regard, a cantilever probe is used to ensure electrical contact with the electrode terminals with a smaller diameter and narrower pitch.
For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a cantilever probe that includes an installing portion, two arm portions extending in the left and right directions from the installing portion, and a pedestal portion coupling the two arm portions on the tip sides of the two arm portions, wherein the probe has, at a lower end of the pedestal portion, a contact portion that comes into electrical contact with an electrode terminal. The rear ends of the two arm portions are supported by the installing portion, and the two arm portions each function as a portion that elastically supports the contact portion when the contact portion of the probe and the electrode terminal of the object to be inspected come into electrical contact with each other.
Each arm portion elastically supports the contact portion of the probe when the contact portion of the probe and the electrode terminal of the object to be inspected are electrically connected with each other, thereby causing the position of the contact portion of the probe to move in an arc around the installing portion as the center. Therefore, the amount of movement of the contact portion needs to be adjusted. Further, to lessen damage or the like of the surface of the electrode terminal, it is also necessary to appropriately adjust the needle pressure (the pressure at the time of contact) of the contact portion against the electrode terminal.
Therefore, conventionally, the amount of movement of the contact portion of the probe or the needle pressure of the contact portion against the electrode terminal, as mentioned above, is adjusted to a target value by finely adjusting the thickness of each of the two arms of the probe (hereinafter also referred to as an "arm width") and the like.

Electrical contactor and electrical connecting apparatus


Technology for a pillar structure for a biochip is disclosed. The pillar structure for a biochip includes: a substrate portion having a plate structure; an insertion pillar portion formed in one piece with the substrate portion and protruding downward from a lower surface of the substrate portion so as to be inserted into a well; and a compensation pillar portion formed in one piece with the substrate portion, the compensation pillar portion corresponding to the insertion pillar portion and protruding upward from an upper surface of the substrate portion. Therefore, when the pillar structure is cooled during an injection molding process, the substrate portion is prevented from being partially recessed, and when samples are analyzed using microscopic images, accuracy and reliability may be improved.

In general, biochips refer to microchips used to analyze genetic defects, protein distribution, reaction behaviors, or the like by placing biological micro-object samples such as DNA, proteins, or cells on small substrates.
Such a biochip includes: a pillar structure having a plurality of pillars formed on a substrate; and a well structure having a plurality of wells formed in a substrate. In general, the pillar structure and the well structure are formed by an injection molding method using a resin composition material.
However, according to techniques of the related art, as disclosed in Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-2013-0084394, a pillar structure in which a plurality of pillars simply protrude from a surface of a substrate is used, and thus when the pillar structure is cooled after an injection molding process, the substrate undergoes non-uniform contraction, thereby having recessed portions.
In addition, as disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-1218986, according to techniques of the related art, a sample is directly placed on a substrate or pillars having a simple pillar structure and is then inserted into wells, and thus when external force or vibration is applied to a biochip, the sample is separated or damaged as the sample or the pillars collide with sidewalls of the wells.
In addition, if the diameter of the pillars is increased to reduce collision between the sidewalls of the wells and the pillars, when the pillars are inserted into the wells, air contained in the wells may not escape because of narrow gaps between the sidewalls of the wells and the pillars, and thus bubbles are formed in a culture solution filled in the wells. Such bubbles formed in the culture solution may wither or damage the sample.


A computer-assisted system comprises a manipulator configured to support a tool, a lockable joint, and a controller. The manipulator extends distally from a base and comprises a distal portion. The lockable joint is coupled to the base and located proximally relative to the base. The controller is operably coupled to a powered joint. The powered joint is located distally relative to the base. The controller is configured to perform operations. The operations comprise: driving the powered joint to move the distal portion while the lockable joint is locked, and driving the powered joint to move the base while the lockable joint is unlocked and a position of the distal portion is externally maintained. A method includes processes for operating a computer-assisted system. A method includes determining a desired motion envelope for a tool supported by a manipulator, and positioning a base of the manipulator based on the desired motion envelope.

Robotic systems can include robotic manipulators to manipulate tools for performing a task at a work site. The robotic manipulator can include two or more links coupled together by one or more joints. The joints can be active joints that are actively controlled. The joints can also be passive joints that may comply with movement of the active joints as the active joints are actively controlled. Such active and passive joints may be revolute or prismatic joints. The configuration of the robotic manipulator may then be determined by the positions of the joints, the structure of the robotic manipulator, and the coupling of the links.
Robotic systems include industrial and recreational robotic systems. Robotic systems also include medical robotic systems used in procedures for diagnosis, non-surgical treatment, surgical treatment, etc. As a specific example, robotic systems include minimally invasive, computer-assisted, robotic surgical systems in which a surgeon can operate on a patient from bedside or a remote location. Telesurgery refers generally to surgery performed using surgical systems where the surgeon uses some form of remote control, e.g., a servomechanism, to manipulate surgical tool movements rather than directly holding and moving the surgical tools by hand. A robotic surgical system usable for telesurgery can include a remotely controllable robotic manipulator. Operators can remotely control motion of the robotic manipulator. Operators can also manually move pieces of the robotic surgical system into positions within a surgical environment. For example, a surgeon, a surgical assistant, or other operator can push or pull the equipment by hand such that the equipment moves along a floor surface of the surgical environment.

Repositioning system for a remotely controllable manipulator and related methods


A folding wheelchair is disclosed having a frame with two side portions, a seat and a folding mechanism. The folding mechanism has coupling connections, pivoting connections and a cross-strut with two bars crossing at a pivot point. First ends of each of the cross-strut bars are mounted rotatably on the side portions of the frame via the pivoting connections. Second ends of each of the cross-strut bars are releasably mounted on the other of the two side portions of the frame via the coupling connections. A distance between the frame side portions may be modified if the cross-strut bars second ends are released from the frame side portions. The cross-strut bars are pivoted relative to each other about the pivot point. The cross-strut extends from the first ends to the second ends of the bars in a cross-strut direction which, in the operating position, extends substantially along the seat.

Wheelchairs nowadays, in addition to being used as a means of transport, often have to meet requirements for convenient and easy handling when they are not in use. Among other things, wheelchairs are known in foldable designs which, when folded, can be stowed away in a space-saving manner, for example in a car, or can also be carried relatively easily.
Practical and robust foldable wheelchairs often include a folding mechanism with a cross-strut. The cross-strut of such a wheelchair usually has two bars which intersect at a pivot point and are pivotable about it and which are oriented vertically. Typically, the bars are mounted rotatably on their lower longitudinal ends via a pivoting connection on one side portion of a frame of the wheelchair and on their upper longitudinal ends via a coupling connection on the other of the side portions. To fold up the chair, a distance between the side portions of the frame is reduced, the upper longitudinal ends of the two bars of the cross-strut being decoupled from the side portions of the frame. The bars of the cross-strut are pivoted relative to each other about the pivot point. Such or a wheelchair or a similar one is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,496,050 A.
A difficulty that frequently arises with foldable wheelchairs is that they are manufactured or assembled in a fixed size. Thus, for example, the size of the cross-strut or the length of its bars can determine how wide the wheelchair is when unfolded. The width of the seat is thus determined by the cross-strut. Accordingly, series of differently dimensioned cross-struts are often provided, a suitable cross-strut installed in the wheelchair depending on the seat width to be achieved. The logistical effort involved in providing folding wheelchairs can be relatively high, thereby having a disadvantageous effect on their economy.
Another difficulty that occurs with foldable wheelchairs of the type mentioned is that the wheelchairs are still relatively bulky even when folded. For example, the folded cross-struts typically prevent a backrest portion of the frame from being folded forward. The base height or the height dimension of the folded-up wheelchair of the known type is also relatively large.
The object of the present invention is therefore to propose a foldable wheelchair which is robust and can be folded up efficiently to a relatively small size. In addition, it is an object of the invention to achieve an efficient adjustment or design of the seat width of the folding wheelchair.


Dynamic fabric systems and methods are disclosed for providing connections between endpoints of a communication network. An exemplary dynamic fabric system can include backplane lanes, a dynamic fabric device, and a control device. The dynamic fabric device can include local fabric lanes and a network interface device configurable to communicatively connect the local fabric lanes to a network. The dynamic fabric device can also include a local switch configurable forward messages to backplane lanes and an interconnect configurable to statically connect local fabric lanes and corresponding backplane lanes. The dynamic fabric device can also include a controller configurable to create or break these static connections. The control device can provide instructions to the dynamic fabric device to create or break the static connections based on changes in the number of active dynamic fabric devices installed in the dynamic fabric system.

A communication network provides connections between endpoints of the communication network. These connections can be managed (e.g., made or broken) consistent with the requirements of users of the communication network. A Clos network architecture offers a particular way to manage connections between network endpoints. Such an architecture can include two types of devices: I/O devices and switching devices. Communications can enter and leave the network through an I/O device. Connections between I/O devices can be managed by switching devices. The I/O and switching devices can be arranged in three stages: an ingress stage, a switch stage, and an egress stage. The ingress and egress stages can each include I/O devices, while the switch stage can include switch devices. The ingress stage can include r I/O devices, each having n inputs and m outputs. The switch stage can include m switch devices that each accept r inputs and provide r outputs. The egress stage can include r I/O devices, each having m inputs and having n outputs. Thus, the overall architecture maps n inputs to n outputs using 2r I/O devices and m switch devices. Each switch device in the switch stage can be configured to connect any output of any I/O devices in the ingress stage to any input of any I/O device in the egress stage.


An adjustable platform assembly for supporting workers and supplies about an elevated work site, the platform assembly being movably supported on an articulable support, the platform comprising a stationary rear bridging panel arrangement having an elongated side platform member comprising a floor and railing assembly at each end thereof, wherein each elongated side platform member floor and railing assembly is independently movable on support members forwardly, rearwardly, transversely and angularly with respect to the bridging panel arrangement, to change the platform assembly back and forth between a generally “H” shape to a generally “U” shape, or any skewed combination thereof, as required.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to lift platforms to facilitate chimney construction, and more particularly to articulable lift platforms attachable to mechanical arm arrangements to be utilized for construction at above the ground locations.
2. Prior Art
The construction industry, particularly that which is involved in the home and building field have a difficult time reaching elevated structures, such as chimneys on roofs or the like, to rebuild them or to get around them. Often those structures are several stories high off of the ground. Movement and work space around them is too often very limited.
Those in the masonry business may readily attest to this. Getting bricks, mortar and personnel to an elevation several stories above the ground, and keeping them there in a safe and stable manner where they can productively work is something much to be desired.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an articulable platform which is adapted to the attached to the distal end of an articulable arm, for safe hoisting and lowering of personnel and equipment to a roof of a building.
It is a further object of the present invention, to provide an articulable platform which may be adapted to the particular construction irregularities of a particular work site.
It is still yet another object of the present invention, to provide a work space or platform which is maneuverable, safe and has the ability to be changed and controlled in its elevated most position.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an adaptable platform arrangement which may have side platform portions which may be pivoted about a rotary foundation on their support bases to be permitted to surround, apply transverse pressure or provide spaced-apart or close accommodation to a vertical or non-rectilinear structure more readily.

Mason's adjustable chimney-platform arrangement


A flotation separation apparatus for separating particles in suspensions, feeds slurry containing the particles through an inlet into a contactor where gas is fed through an inlet to mix with the slurry, for example in a downwardly plunging jet, to form a gas-liquid bubbly two-phase mixture under pressure from an outlet restriction in a throttling duct. The mixture is passed through a flow manipulator configured to induce a high energy dissipation rate, for example by way of a Shockwave formed in a diverging section of the throttling duct reducing the size of the bubbles and brining those bubbles into intimate contact with particles in the mixture which is released into a separation cell where a flow manipulating draft tube is provided to reduce turbulence in the mixture. Alternative apparatus and methods for inducing the high energy dissipation rate and for reducing turbulence in the mixture are also described and claimed.

The flotation process is used in the separation of particles from mixtures in a finely divided state, suspended in a liquid. For example, in the minerals industry, a suspension of solid particles in water is treated with chemical reagents or collectors which have the effect of making the particles which it is desired to remove, water repellent or hydrophobic, while leaving the remaining particles in a wetted or hydrophilic state. The liquid is fed into a flotation separation cell, which may be in the form of a tank or column, and air is injected in the form of fine bubbles. The hydrophobic particles attach to the air bubbles and rise to the surface of the cell, from which they can be removed by flowing over a lip under the action of gravity, into a launder or channel. The particles which are not collected by the bubbles remain in the suspension and flow out of the bottom of the cell, in the tailings. Frother reagents are often added to the feed liquid in order to assist in the formation of a stable froth on top of the liquid in the cell. Clean water may be applied to the froth layer in order to wash entrained particles downwards into the cell.
Flotation is also used generally for the recovery of fine particles from suspensions in liquids, as in the removal of printing ink from recycled paper; for the removal of particles especially fat and oil droplets from waste waters in the food industry; for removal of particulates in processes for the remediation of contaminated sites; for the treatment of produced water emanating from oil fields; and for the recovery of algae and other organisms from suspensions in fresh water or sea water. For purposes of description, the term 'air' may be used to represent the gas, 'water' may be used to represent the liquid and the floatable component may be referred to as 'particles' or in some cases as the 'values'. The non-floating component is referred to as 'gangue'. It is to be understood however that the same principles apply in other systems involving fine particles that are not minerals, dispersed in aqueous or non-aqueous media, being floated with gases other than air.
In earlier technology, flotation has been carried out in mechanical cells in which the liquid is agitated by a rotating impeller and air is introduced in the vicinity of the impeller. The bubble sizes produced in these devices are not necessarily small, being typically in the range 1 to 5 mm in diameter. More recently, flotation has come to be carried out in columns, which have operational advantages in being able to provide better control of the phenomena in the froth. Flotation columns in current use, vary in the aspect ratio. Some are tall relative to their diameter or breadth, with a height-to-diameter ratio of at least 2:1 and up to 10:1 or greater. In these devices the feed slurry is typically injected towards the top of the column, and a stream of bubbles is created by a suitable means such as a sparger, injector, aspirator, nozzle or bubble generator. The objective of these aeration devices is to distribute the bubbles essentially uniformly across the cross-section of the column. Thus as the stream of particle-laden liquid descends down the column, it meets a distributed cloud of small bubbles rising vertically. The individual bubbles collide with and capture the hydrophobic values, and carry them upwards into the froth.
Any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field.
In both mechanical cells and columns, the contact between bubbles and particles usually takes place in the liquid in the vessel itself. Thus the reason for the height of tall column cells, is to provide sufficient time for the bubbles to come into contact with particles as they rise in the column. Flotation column cells as described particularly by Finch and Dobby (Column Flotation, Pergamon Press, Oxford, England, 1990), consist of three zones: the froth zone at the very top of the column, typically 1 m in height; the collection zone, where bubble-particle contact occurs, typically 5 to 10 m in height; and the disengagement zone in the base of the column, where the liquid flows out of the column, typically 1 to 2 m in height. Thus the overall height of a column cell is in the range 7 to 13 m. The froth zone must be of sufficient height to allow the gangue particles to drain, and clean wash water is often distributed over the top of the froth or within the froth, to wash the gangue back into the liquid in the flotation cell. The disengagement zone is a quiescent location, where the downward velocity of the liquid is less than the rise velocity of the bubbles which have been introduced higher in the cell, so that the bubbles are able to escape from the exit stream from the column.
Internal bubble generators are known for flotation columns. Some consist of simple distributor pipes with small holes in the walls, or with porous walls. In others, such as the generator of Harach, U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,826, an array of fine nozzles is supported by distributor pipes across the whole cross-section of a tall column. Air and water streams are supplied through headers, and a mixture of air and water is discharged through each fine nozzle. In yet others, air under pressure is supplied to tubes made of an elastic material like rubber. The surface of the elastic tubes is pierced with an array of very fine holes which remain closed when the external pressure is greater than the pressure within the tube. As the internal pressure is increased, the elastic wall stretches and the fine holes enlarge sufficiently to allow the passage of air, which is discharged from the holes in the form of fine air bubbles.
External bubble generators are also known in the tall flotation column cells. Hollingsworth, U.S. Pat. No. 3,371,779, describes a venturi-type aspirator to produce air bubbles into a stream of fresh water which is then introduced into the bottom of a flotation column. Christopherson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,617,113, described how a multitude of venturi aerators can be distributed around a large column. Air is inspired into water flowing through the venturis. In the apparatus of McKay and Foot, U.S. Pat. No. 4,752,383, air and water are premixed at high pressures in a chamber containing beads. The aerated water is then injected into the base of a flotation column through a lance, which has a small orifice at the end. Bacon, U.S. Pat. No. 4,472,271, produced bubbles in slurry taken from the bottom of the flotation cell. The bubbles were made by passing air and slurry through a nozzle. The bubble-laden slurry stream was reintroduced through the wall of the flotation column. Yoon, U.S. Pat. No. 5,397,001, has described a flotation column in which the air is dispersed into slurry in external static mixers. Slurry is taken out of the bottom of the flotation cell and distributed equally among a number of static bubble generators where air is added. The aerated slurry stream is then injected into the flotation column above the external aerators. In the aforementioned devices, the external devices are essentially bubble generators and contact takes place within the column.
Short columns are known, in which the height and diameter are of the same order of magnitude, and the height-diameter ratio in industrial applications may be from 0.2 to 1, to 2 to 1. In these short columns, air is introduced into the feed liquid in an aeration system prior to injection into the column, and it is in this aeration system that contact between bubbles and particles is established. Relatively little contact is effected in the column proper. The aeration system may take the form of a plunging jet, a venturi, a static mixer, or a sparger or porous-walled pipe through which air is introduced in a turbulent fashion into the feed slurry. Examples of such devices are described by Jameson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,865; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,332,100; Bahr, Ger. Pat. No. 2,420,482; Imhof, Europ. Pat. No. 1,084,753, and Ludke, U.S. Pat. No. 4,448,681. Because of the high-efficiency contacting in the aeration device, the functions required in the flotation column or tank are much reduced. Thus in principle, there is no need for the collection zone as found in tall column cells, because bubbles and particles have already contacted each other. However, the froth and disengagement zones are required. For present purposes, short flotation column cells of the types described by Jameson and Bahr will be referred to as "intensive" cells. Because there is no need for the collection zone, the intensive cells have significant advantages over the tall column cells, emanating from the much reduced size.
All of the aforementioned inventions describe processes to disperse air bubbles into a liquid which may or not contain suspended particles. However, none of these bubble-generating devices place any form of flow restriction that can be used to control or influence the pressure in the air-liquid mixture after formation. It can be advantageous to control the pressure at which the bubbles are formed, both in absolute terms and also in terms relative to the pressure at which they are to be used in the flotation vessel. For example, when bubbles are generated by the breakup of a supply of air in a shear flow such as exists in the throat of a venturi, or in a static mixer, the size of the resulting bubbles is a function of the local void fraction, which is the ratio of the volume of gas under local pressure conditions, to the total volume of gas and liquid. It is generally desirable to minimize coalescence of bubbles after formation, because it is well known that the rate of capture of particles by bubbles diminishes as the bubble size increases, for a constant air/liquid ratio. Bubble swarms that are created in a gas-liquid mixture of low void fraction, are generally more stable, because the rate of coalescence of bubbles is related to the mean distance between the bubbles, which in turn is related to the void fraction. For the same mass ratio of gas to liquid, the volume ratio varies inversely as the absolute pressure. Thus if it is desired to supply a feed liquid with an equal volume of air at the absolute pressure in the flotation cell, it will be advantageous to create the bubbles at a higher pressure than exists in the cell. For example, if the absolute pressure at which bubbles are generated is twice the absolute pressure in the cell, the volume fraction will be one half that in the cell.
This effect was recognised by Amelunxen (CA Patent Specification 2106925), who described an external contactor, a throttle valve for controlling the process pressure within the contactor and a system for injecting air and liquid into the contactor under pressure.
All of the prior art contactors suffer from disadvantages, which can variously relate to: limitations in the amount of air that can be supplied relative to the amount of liquid flowing through the sparger or aeration device; the necessity for small orifices or tubes which readily corrode or become blocked by the particles present in the feed; the necessity for complex and expensive manufacturing processes to provide parts that can withstand the wear associated by high velocity flows; the difficulty of replacing crucial wearing parts in an operating plant; the need for relatively high concentrations of frother or other expensive surface active agent in order to produce small bubbles; high operating costs associated with excessive driving pressures in the liquid and/or the air streams.
There is a range of particle sizes in the feed suspension for which current flotation technologies are efficient. Thus in an intermediate particle size range, between 40 and 150 microns for minerals (and 75 and 350 microns for coal), conventional flotation cells can achieve high recoveries. However, when the size of the particles is less than or greater than the intermediate range, the flotation recovery tends to decrease as the particles become smaller (or larger). For present purposes, "fine" particles are those whose diameter is smaller than the appropriate intermediate size range, i.e. those between 0 and 40 microns for minerals, and 0 and 75 microns for coal; "ultrafine" particles are those at the lower end of the "fine" range; and "coarse" particles are those whose diameter is greater than 150 microns for minerals, and 350 microns for coal.
The inventor of the present invention has found that improved flotation of fine particles can be achieved by reducing the bubble size, increasing the gas supply rate relative to the flow rate of particles, and increasing the shear intensity or energy dissipation rate in or adjacent the contacting device. The rate of recovery is related to the rate at which the particles collide with the bubbles. Since the inertia of the particles varies inversely as the cube of the diameter, as the particles become smaller, so finer particles tend to follow the fluid streamlines around the bubbles and the probability of attachment is reduced as the size decreases. The recovery of fine particles can be improved by using smaller bubbles and by increasing the rate of shear in the contacting system (N Ahmed and G J Jameson, "The effect of bubble size on the rate of flotation of fine particles", Int. J. Mineral Processing, 14, (1985), 195-215.). A substantial improvement in the performance of a typical flotation machine can be expected if the bubble size is reduced. Accordingly, it has been recognised by the inventor that for high-efficiency flotation a source of fine bubbles, typically in the range 400 microns in diameter or smaller, be provided, in a high-energy dissipation rate environment.
For coarse particles, the reduction in recovery as the particle size increases is due to the inability of bubbles and hydrophobic particles to stay in contact with each other in a highly-turbulent environment. The bubbles tend to move to the centre of vortices or eddies in the flotation cell and the particles are flung away from the bubbles by centrifugal forces. High recoveries of coarse particles are favoured by a high gas fraction in the slurry suspension, by low levels of turbulence in the region below the froth layer. It is also favourable to provide a means to levitate the coarse particles so that their upwards passage towards the froth is assisted by an upwards motion of liquid in the region beneath the froth.
It is the purpose of the present invention to provide simple, efficient and economic means to overcome the difficulties and inefficiencies in known flotation technologies, by generating fine bubbles and bringing them into contact with the particles to be floated, and controlling the resulting gas-solid-liquid mixture so as to maximise the transfer of hydrophobic particles into the froth and hence into the flotation product.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and apparatus for contacting bubbles and particles in a flotation separation system

THE UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE RESEARCH ASSOCIATES LIMITED


A condiment container for mounting to a beverage cup is provided. The condiment cup includes a reservoir for storing a condiment and having at least one aperture capable of providing access to the reservoir for dipping a food item in the condiment. The condiment cup can include a mounting hook configured to extend from the reservoir.

Condiment packaging is widely used for storing various sauces. Condiment packaging makes combining food with sauces easy for those on-the-go. Typically, condiment packaging comes in a flexible pouch configured to tear open from one side. The pouches are commonly used to either spread across the top a food product or pour the condiment onto a surface for dipping food products. For example, the pouch may be opened and the sauce squeezed onto a paper bag. While pouring the sauce onto a flat surface may be adequate for dining in a restaurant, this method is extremely inconvenient for traveling.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a new condiment package that allows for dipping food products on-the-go.


A short-range wireless communication apparatus including a connection device and a control device is disclosed. The connection device is capable of connecting a communication protocol to a communication destination device. After transmitting a connection request signal of a first protocol to the communication destination device, the connection device waits for receipt of a response signal. When a request to connect a second protocol is generated while the connection device is waiting for receipt of a response signal, the control device causes the connection device to interrupt waiting for the receipt of the response signal and transmits the connection request signal of the second protocol to the communication destination device.

A short-range wireless communication module mounted in a short-range wireless communication apparatus having a short-range wireless communication function is capable of simultaneously connecting a plurality of communication protocols (so called multi-connection), which define data communication, to a short-range wireless communication module of a communication destination apparatus. See JP2008-273370A (US2008/0269961A), JP2009-253601A (US2009-0253466A), and JP-2009-253603A (US2009-0253466A).
In relation to the above, the inventor of the present application has found out the following. In response to a request to connect a communication protocol, the short-range wireless communication module transmits a connection request signal of the communication protocol to a short-range wireless communication module of a communication destination apparatus. Subsequently, if the short-range wireless communication module receives a connection permission response signal of the communication protocol from the short-range wireless communication module of the communication destination apparatus, the short-range wireless communication module initiates, a connection process of the communication protocol (acknowledges the connection request). If the short-range wireless communication module receives a connection rejection response signal of the communication protocol from the short-range wireless communication module of the communication destination apparatus, the short-range wireless communication module does not initiate the connection process of the communication protocol (rejects the connection request).
In some cases, depending on the specifications of the communication destination apparatus and the type of the communication protocol, the following situation may arise. When receiving a connection request signal of a communication protocol, the communication destination apparatus inquires a user about whether the user permits or rejects to connect the communication protocol. In such cases, after the user operation on the communication destination apparatus is performed, the communication destination apparatus can transmit a connection permission response signal or connection rejection response signal of the communication protocol. Therefore, if the user operation on the communication destination apparatus is not performed after the transmission of the connection request signal of the communication protocol, the short-range wireless communication module can receive neither the connection permission response signal of the communication protocol nor the connection rejection response signal of the communication protocol from the short-range wireless communication module of the communication destination apparatus, depending on the specifications for the communication destination apparatus and the type of the communication protocol. Hence, the short-range wireless communication module cannot determine whether or not to initiate the connection process of the communication protocol.
Meanwhile, when the short-range wireless communication module is waiting to receive a connection permission response signal or connection rejection response signal of a first communication protocol from the short-range wireless communication module of the communication destination apparatus after transmitting a connection request signal of a first communication protocol, a connection request of a second communication protocol may be generated. In such a case, since the short-range wireless communication module is waiting (in a state of waiting) to receive the connection permission response signal or connection rejection response signal of the first communication protocol from the short-range wireless communication module of the communication destination apparatus, the short-range wireless communication module cannot transmit a connection request signal of the requested second communication protocol to the short-range wireless communication module of the communication destination apparatus. As a result, the short-range wireless communication module cannot immediately initiate a connection process for the second communication protocol. Consequently, it becomes impossible to meet a user's request, to promptly use a function offered by the second communication protocol.

Short-range wireless communication apparatus


A repeater (9), system (1) and method (100) for facilitating data communication, over a power-line (7), between a first electronic communication device (3) and a second electronic communication device (5). The repeater (9) includes a first power-line communication (PLC) transceiver (11), a second PLC transceiver (13) and a repeater communication channel (15). The first PLC transceiver (11) communicates with the first electronic communication device (3) over the power-line (7). The second PLC transceiver (13) communicates with the second electronic communication device (5) over the power-line (7). The first PLC transceiver (11) communicates with the second PLC transceiver (13) over the repeater communication channel (15).

Power-line communications (PLC) involves transmitting data using power-line cables (power cables) as the data transmission medium. Power-line communications modems act as network bridges that convert data, for example, between an Ethernet network and the power-line.
In an underground coal mine, PLC may be used to transfer data between an enclosure on a mobile machine (e.g. longwall shearer, continuous miner) to an enclosure of a power centre (also known as a distribution and control box, DCB). Thus one power-line modem may be installed in each of these enclosures and the network data travels between them on a power cable connecting the power centre and mobile machine. In some alternatives, the PLC may be used to transfer data between an enclosure of stationary equipment (e.g. ventilation fans, pumps) and the power centre.
Power-line communications are an attractive option for data transmission in underground coal mines for the following reasons:                they use the existing, rugged power-line for data transmission;        no need to lay extra data transmission cables; and        modem equipment may be housed in existing protective enclosures so that they are not exposed to mining environment.
However, the characteristics of power-line cables used in mining mean that effective data transmission is limited to power-line cable lengths. In some practical examples, effective data transmission may be at a maximum of approximately 500 m of a power cable between power-line modems.


The embodiments provide systems and methods for efficiently and accurately differentiating requests directed to uncacheable content from requests directed to cacheable content based on identifiers from the requests. The differentiation occurs without analysis or retrieval of the content being requested. Some embodiments hash identifiers of prior requests that resulted in uncacheable content being served in order to set indices within a bloom filter. The bloom filter then tracks prior uncacheable requests without storing each of the identifiers so that subsequent requests for uncacheable requests can be easily identified based on a hash of the request identifier and set indices of the bloom filter. Some embodiments produce a predictive model identifying uncacheable content requests by tracking various characteristics found in identifiers of prior requests that resulted in uncacheable content being served. Subsequent requests with identifiers having similar characteristics to those of the predictive model can then be differentiated.

Distributed platforms, such as content delivery networks (CDNs), operate a distributed set of servers for delivering content and services to requesting users spread across the Internet. A primary objective of the distributed platform is to optimize and improve the content and service delivery performance of its servers so that the content and services are served to requesting users in less time.
Caching is one method by which the distributed platform improves content delivery performance. The distributed platform deploys different sets of caching servers to different geographic regions. Each set of caching servers deployed to a particular region is referred to as a point-of-presence (PoP). The location of each PoP is specifically selected to be geographically proximate to a large population of content requesting and consuming users. The caching servers cache content provider content by retrieving the content provider content from content provider origin servers and temporarily storing (i.e., caching) copies of the content in memory. The distributed platform routes user requests to the caching servers that are closest to the requesting users. The caching servers are then able to respond to the requests by serving the cached copies of the content from memory without having to retrieve the content again from the more distant origin servers.
To maximize the cache footprint and cache utilization of each PoP, the distributed platform places directors in each of the PoPs. The one or more directors of a particular PoP control the distribution of user requests across the caching servers of that particular PoP. In some cases, the directors maximize the cache footprint and cache utilization of the PoP caching servers by performing a persistent request distribution. In particular, a director operating in PoP with a particular set of caching servers routes requests for the same content to the same caching server of the particular set of caching servers. In doing so, each caching server of the set of caching servers is tasked with caching and delivering a unique subset of the overall content cached within the PoP. This reduces the number of distributed platform caching servers that retrieve content from a content provider's origin server, maximizes cache-hit ratios, and reduces redundant caching of the same content in different caching servers of the same PoP, thereby allowing the PoP to cache a greater total number of unique content than if multiple caching servers of the same PoP were to cache different copies of the same content. Directors typically perform the persistent request distribution by hashing a request Uniform Resource Locator (URL) and using the hash result to select from one of the caching servers of the PoP.
In real-world scenarios, persistent request distribution can suffer inefficiencies that degrade or otherwise lessen caching server performance and overall content delivery performance of the distributed platform. Inefficiencies arise when the content provider content delivered by the distributed platform caching server involves a mix of cacheable and uncacheable content.
Cacheable content is any static content that remains unchanged for some period of time and is not customized on an individual user basis. Consequently, the same copy of cacheable content can be served to different users. Cacheable content includes images and media streams as some examples.
Uncacheable content is dynamic content or content that is in some way customized on a per request or per user basis. Uncacheable content includes secure websites that are delivered after a user login or ecommerce sites that are customized based on prior search or purchase activity of the user. As the name implies, uncacheable content is content that, for the most part, cannot be cached by the distributed platform caching servers. Each uncacheable content request received by a caching server triggers a retrieval back to the content provider's origin server in order to obtain the content.
Uncacheable content mixed with cacheable content and persistent request distribution creates inefficiencies in distributed platform performance because caching servers that receive the uncacheable content requests spend more time and resources in responding to the uncacheable content requests than caching servers that receive and respond to cacheable content requests. Caching servers receiving uncacheable content requests retrieve the requested content from a content provider origin server or dynamically generate the content, whereas caching servers receiving cacheable content requests simply serve copies of the content from cache with no access back to the content provider origin server and with little to no processing of the content. For these reasons, persistent request distribution involving requests for cacheable and uncacheable content can lead to disproportionate loads on the caching servers.
There is therefore a need to better optimize request distribution across distributed platform caching servers in order to account for the different loads imposed on the caching servers by cacheable content requests and uncacheable content requests. To this end, there is need to differentiate the distribution of cacheable content requests from the distribution of uncacheable content requests.

Methods and systems for advanced content cacheability determination


Some embodiments of an apparatus and system are described for a crossflow blower motor. An apparatus may comprise one or more motors operative to control a crossflow blower. The one or more motors may comprise one or more stator assemblies having a stator coil and a bent stator. The one or more motors may be configured to control a crossflow blower arranged to generate a flow of air in a direction substantially perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the crossflow blower. Other embodiments are described.

Modern computing systems generate heat during operation. The heat may affect certain platform components of a system, and is therefore generally required to be dissipated or removed from the system. Heat generated by the computing system may be limited or reduced using various thermal management techniques and/or heat dissipation techniques. For example, heat generated by a processor may be dissipated by a heat exchanger. Heat transfer through a heat exchanger may be enhanced by creating a flow of air using a fan or blower. Further, various platform-level cooling devices may be implemented in conjunction with the fan or blower to enhance heat dissipation, such as heat pipes, heat spreaders, heat sinks, vents, phase change materials or liquid-based coolants.
Traditional blowers used in portable computing systems generate a flow of air from an inlet parallel to the axis of rotation (e.g. the axial direction) to an outlet substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation or from an inlet parallel to the axis of rotation to an outlet that is also parallel to the axis of rotation. Traditional fans, such as axial fans and centrifugal blowers, also include a large volume in the center of the impeller where a motor is located. These and other factors may be problematic in notebook computers, for example, because these traditional fans require inlet and/or outlet gaps above and/or below the fan housing and also require additional space to accommodate the motor. Because of the size constraints of notebook computers and other mobile computing devices, the cooling capacity of traditional systems is thermally limited by the size of fan and motor that can be accommodated inside a notebook computer enclosure while allowing sufficient space for inlet gaps and a motor above and/or below the fan housing. Furthermore, the form factor of notebook computers and other mobile computing devices continues to decrease in size, resulting in less available space for cooling components. Consequently, a need exists for improved cooling techniques mobile computing devices.

Integrated crossflow blower motor apparatus and system


Structures for a photodetector or terminator and methods of fabricating a structure for a photodetector or terminator. The structure includes a waveguide core, a light-absorbing layer having a sidewall, and a taper positioned adjacent to the sidewall of the light-absorbing layer. The taper extends laterally from the sidewall of the light-absorbing layer to overlap with the waveguide core, and the taper has a thickness that varies with position relative to the sidewall of the light-absorbing layer. For example, the thickness of the taper may decrease with increasing distance from the sidewall of the light-absorbing layer.

The present invention relates to photonics chips and, more specifically, to structures for a photodetector or terminator and methods of forming a structure for a photodetector or terminator.
Photonics chips are used in many high-speed applications and systems including, but not limited to, data communication systems and data computation systems. A photonics chip integrates optical components, such as waveguides, optical switches, and directional couplers, and electronic components, such as field-effect transistors, into a unified platform. Among other factors, layout area, cost, and operational overhead may be reduced by the integration of both types of components on a single chip.
Photonics chips may include photodetectors that convert optical signals in the form of modulated light pulses into an electrical signal. A photodetector may suffer from significant back reflection due to a refractive index mismatch between the material of the photodetector and the material of a waveguide supplying the light pulses to the photodetector. Back reflection contributes to optical return loss, and also contributes to reductions in both responsivity and quantum efficiency. Back reflection may be particularly severe for light pulses characterized by the transverse magnetic mode.
Improved structures for a photodetector or terminator and methods of fabricating a structure for a photodetector or terminator are needed.

Photodetectors and terminators including a tapered thickness


Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with a method for estimating a channel between a wireless transmitter and a wireless receiver are described. According to one embodiment, a method includes receiving a signal that includes non-pilot data that is not known to a receiver of the signal; determining an estimated channel for the signal based, at least in part, on the non-pilot data; processing the signal based, at least in part, on the estimated channel to produce an equalized signal; and decoding the equalized signal to produce output data.

The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventor(s), to the extent the work is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
In a wireless network, a transmitter communicates with a receiver by transmitting a signal to the receiver through a communication link or signal path, also commonly referred to as a "channel". The communication link or signal path between a transmitter and a receiver can be represented by an effective channel, H. The effective channel represents the combined effect of signal deflection due to obstacles (hills, walls, and so on), scattering, fading, and power decay due to the distance between a transmitter and a receiver. If either the transmitter or receiver is in motion, the effective channel will be constantly changing. Further, other obstacles in the signal path that affect the channel may be moving. A conventional receiver is typically configured with an equalizer that attempts to undo effects on a signal caused by the channel that carries the signal, therefore, the effective channel is continuously determined to allow effective communication even when one or both of the transmitter and receiver are moving. The quality of the output data produced by the receiver is dependent upon accurately determining the effective channel.
One way to estimate an instantaneous effective channel between a receiver and a transmitter is for the transmitter to transmit a known pilot sequence. The pilot sequence can be inserted in predetermined positions in frames of data-carrying signals from the transmitter. The receiver determines the effective channel H based on characteristics of the pilot sequence. Accordingly, an equalizer can utilize the effective channel H to compensate for the effects of the channel on a received signal. Channel estimation and equalization may be implemented in either the time domain (e.g., pre FFT) or the frequency domain (e.g., post FFT). In orthogonal frequency domain multiplexed (OFDM) communication systems, channel estimation and equalization are performed in the frequency domain.

Channel estimation with decision feedback


A storage device assembly includes a storage device (50) with a fastener (524) thereon, a bracket (10) for accommodating the storage device and an operating member (40) slidably attached to the bracket. The bracket defines a guiding hole (166) for the fastener of the storage device inserting therethrough. The operating member includes a latching portion (426) and a deflectable mounting portion (46). The operating member has a locked position in which the latching portion engages with the fastener, and a unlocked position in which the mounting portion is biased to disengage the latching portion from the fastener.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mounting apparatuses, and more particularly to a mounting apparatus for conveniently securing storage device into a computer enclosure.
2. Background of the Invention
Usually, a storage device, such as hard disk, is simply screwed to a bracket of a computer enclosure. This conventional mounting means substantially wastes the time, and adds complexity and difficulty of assembling the storage device to the computer enclosure and later disassembling therefrom.
An apparatus is disclosed for removing mass storage devices from an internal support frame in a computer system. The support frame defines a plurality of openings in side walls. The apparatus has resilient, side-mounted engagement members adapted for receipt in openings of the support frame to lock the storage device in position. To remove the storage device, a rotatable lever is connected to one side wall of the support frame. The lever includes one projection member positioned adjacent the opening through the side wall to which the lever is connected. To remove the storage device from the support frame, the lever is rotated so that the projection member contacts the engagement member. Continued rotation of the lever causes the engagement member to be urged inward and out of the opening in the side wall. As a result, the storage device is unlocked from the frame. This mounting means described above is convenient to secure the storage device. However, the side-mounted engagement members increase gaps between the storage device and the side wall of the support frame which increases the leakiness of EMI (electronic magnetic interference).
What is needed, therefore, is a mounting apparatus for conveniently securing a storage device to a bracket of a computer enclosure and reducing the gap between the storage device and the bracket.

Mounting apparatus for securing storage device

Bao-an District, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province

Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.


The present disclosure provides an airway device. The airway device includes: a main housing provided with a suction port and a blow port; an air passage having a cylindrical shape, and having an inner circumferential surface defining an air flow path from the suction port to the blow port; and a lighting unit for illuminating the inner circumferential surface. The airway device can be used alone or together with blower and the like to form a ceiling mounted ventilation fan. Compared with the prior art, the ventilating fan device has the advantages of small air pressure loss, high ventilation efficiency, high lighting efficiency and convenient maintenance.

In prior art, one form of an airway device is a ceiling mounted ventilation fan. The ceiling mounted ventilation fan of various structures generally has the following common structure: a main housing provided in the ceiling and a blower provided in the main housing, and the indoor air is drawn from the air inlet opened at the ceiling surface into the main housing, and the drawn air is discharged by a ventilation passage connected to the main housing under the action of the blower.
In addition, in the main housing of such ceiling mounted ventilation fan, in addition to the blower, sometimes devices having other functions such as a lighting fixture, a speaker, various notification devices, or an electric heater may be provided, such that it is possible to introduce light, sound, heat, etc. into indoors through an opening of the ceiling surface while ventilating the indoor air through the opening.
A well-known ceiling mounted ventilation fan has a structure, for example, known as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,175,309, incorporated herein by reference. This structure will be briefly described below with reference to FIG. 1. This structure includes a lamp 170, a lamp housing 106, an electrical socket 120, and a fan 104. A blower of the fan 104 is placed next to the lamp 170. And the lamp 170 is fixed on the main housing through the electrical socket 120. Since an air flow needs to pass through a long air passage before entering the blower in ventilating, and the lamp 170 is placed in the air passage, the pressure loss increases, the noise increases, and the ventilation performance is unstable.

Panasonic Ecology Systems Guangdong Co., Ltd.


A system and method uses multiple devices in concert as security for accessing an account. The system and method may use one or more security measures based on unique gestures, coordinated gestures between two devices, presence of multiple devices, sequence of actions, and other measures to prevent fraud. Additionally, these security measures may be rearranged or changed such that the devices may collaborate to provide access to multiple different accounts.

The present disclosure generally relates to authentication systems and more particularly to authentication systems that implements multiple electronic devices.
As electronic devices have gotten smaller and smaller, more and more everyday objects, such as cellphones and watches, have become computerized and are connected to the Internet. These devices are sometimes used to authenticate a user for certain functions. For example, these devices may sometimes store payment information which releases the payment information upon a user providing a security credential, such as entering in a username and password. These functions are in place to ensure that the user is truly authorized to transfer funds from an account.
Similarly, other types of accounts also use some form of security credentials for ensuring that access to the account is only provided to an authorized user. Some exemplary accounts may include e-mail accounts, social media accounts, e-commerce website accounts, computer accounts, and/or the like.
Most accounts use usernames and passwords to authenticate a user. In some cases, an account may accept a biometric signature, such as a fingerprint or facial image, for a security credential. However, a user may find that performing these forms of authentication may be difficult or cumbersome. Additionally, users often have different passwords for every account and they may find it difficult to remember all of the passwords, especially when passwords for different accounts have different requirements, such as length and number of special characters. Furthermore, entering passwords on smaller devices may be difficult due to limited display size and missing keypad capabilities. In some cases, entering in a password may be very difficult for some electronic devices, such as a single button wristband without a touch screen. This is especially true for extra secure passwords that often have over ten letters, numerals, and special characters.
Another issue with the current implemented methods of authentication is that these methods are not very accessible to users with disabilities. For example, individuals who have limited mobility or are missing limbs may find entering passwords or providing a fingerprint difficult. Therefore, an authentication system or method of providing security credentials that is more secure and less cumbersome would be desirable
Embodiments of the present disclosure and their advantages are best understood by referring to the detailed description that follows. It should be appreciated that like reference numerals are used to identify like elements illustrated in one or more of the figures, wherein showings therein are for purposes of illustrating embodiments of the present disclosure and not for purposes of limiting the same.


A signal processing apparatus for an electric tool is provided for generating a motor control signal for controlling a motor by performing a smoothing process on a torque value signal from a torque sensor of an electric tool by using a filter. The signal processing apparatus includes a half width detector circuit that detects a half width of the torque value signal; and a calculator circuit that controls a cut-off frequency of the filter to change the cut-off frequency according to a number of hits of the electric tool, based on the detected half width of the torque value signal.

There has been known an electric tool (hereinafter, also referred to as an "impact electric tool") including a rotating body that rotates by being hit by a driving apparatus, such as an impact driver and an impact wrench.
Patent Document 1 discloses an impact electric tool, in which a motor rotationally drives a hammer, and a hit torque generated by the hammer is applied to an object to be tightened to generate a tightening torque.

Signal processing apparatus and electric tool

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.


A slat angle adjusting device for a Venetian blind includes a first casing and a second casing coupled with each other. A pinion is rotatably mounted between the first and second casings. A worm is rotatably mounted between the first and second casings and meshes with the pinion. A driven gear is fixedly mounted on one end of the worm. A drive gear is rotatably mounted between the first and second casings and meshes with the driven gear. A drive axle is formed on one end of the drive gear and extends outward of the first and second casings. A bracket includes a fist end portion engaged with the first and second casings, and a second end portion having two side walls extending upwardly therefrom. A roller is fixedly mounted on the drive axle and is rotatably received between the two side walls of the bracket.

A conventional slat angle adjusting device for a Venetian blind is shown in FIG. 5, however, there still remain shortcomings therein. There will be a complete illustration in the detailed description of the preferred embodiments, concerning the conventional adjusting device.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the disadvantage of the conventional device.

Slat angle adjusting device for a venetian blind

No. 15, Alley 8, Lane 3, Kuochi St., Lungching Hsien


A removable vehicle entertainment system is provided. The system includes a video display screen for displaying entertainment to an occupant of the vehicle. The system can be removed from the docking bracket in the vehicle, and attached to an external docking station such that the system can be used independently of the power supply and speakers of the vehicle. Further, the system can be used as a self-contained personal entertainment system. The system includes mechanical and/or electrical componentry that determines audio mute and video display configuration based on a power signal and a docked signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to in-vehicle entertainment devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to removable entertainment devices that can be used as a stand alone device, and used in a vehicle docking bracket.
2. Description of Related Art
Recent advances have allowed for the incorporation of video entertainment systems into vehicles. Roof mounted video screens provide an example of such an entertainment system. Typically, the video screen is stored in a housing that is secured to the roof of the vehicle and can be flipped downward when an occupant of the vehicle desires to view the screen. The system displays images from an attached videocassette drive or other device onto the video screen, allowing vehicle occupants to view prerecorded video inside the vehicle.
The owners of such vehicles may have similar video equipment attached to a home entertainment system or may even have a portable entertainment system for use away from the home and outside of the vehicle. Consequently, the in-vehicle video entertainment system can be duplicative of other equipment possessed by the vehicle owner. This results in increased entertainment expenses for the vehicle owner.
If a typical portable entertainment system were configured to flip down from the roof similar to integrated entertainment systems, the video image would need to be inverted, such that, it would appear upright from the vantage point of the passenger. Further, it may be preferable to listen to the audio portion of the entertainment system through the integrated vehicle audio system. Accordingly, a method and interface must be provided to configure the audio and video parameters of the entertainment system.
In view of the above, it is apparent that there exists a need for an improved portable entertainment device.

Method of controlling portable media players speaker and video image


Phase-changing fuel compositions which can generate hydrogen are provided herein. The compositions can comprise a hydrogen carrier at least partially dissolved in a polar organic solvent. The hydrogen carrier includes ammonia borane and an alkylamine borane such as methylamine borane or methylenediamine bisborane. The hydrogen carrier act as the primary fuel source in the compositions and can be present in an amount of at least 60% by weight, based on the weight of the hydrogen generation composition. The hydrogen generation compositions are a liquid at temperatures of 5° C. or greater or 25° C. or greater. Methods for the production of hydrogen from the hydrogen generation compositions are further disclosed.

The desire to field air-breathing missiles capable of speeds greater than Mach 8 necessitates fuels that burn fast enough that combustion takes place inside the engine. Hydrogen is the ideal fuel for operation above Mach 8, but its density and storage requirements have limited its application. The air-breathing missile application is restricted by volumetric constraints, storage, and deployment requirements rendering the cryogenic option impractical. Ammonia borane is a solid source of hydrogen. The ability of ammonia borane and its derivatives to produce hydrogen has been studied in pyrolytic, thermal, ionic liquid, and metal-catalyzed systems. These studies, however, generally relate to the addition of ammonia borane and its derivatives to base fuels as a method to improve the base fuel's combustion. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,197,081 and 4,201,553 describe addition of between 0.5% and 15% by weight of borane-containing hydrogen carrier to base fuel to improve combustion.
Improved borane materials that can flow and pump are needed as fuels. The compositions, systems, and methods disclosed herein address these and other needs.

The Board of Trustees of The University of Alabama


An image display system is capable of generating a composite image that shows a surrounding area of a vehicle viewed from virtual viewpoints, by combining a plurality of shot images taken by a plurality of on-vehicle cameras that are disposed at different locations on the vehicle. The image display system changes data volumes of two shot images taken by two of the on-vehicle cameras based on a lighting mode of a lighting apparatus, the data volumes being used for an overlap area of the composite image that corresponds to the surrounding area of the vehicle where the two on-vehicle cameras can shoot in overlap. This reduces problems caused by lighting of the lighting apparatus in the overlap area of the composite image.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an image generation technology of an image for display on a display apparatus that is installed in a vehicle.
2. Description of the Background Art
Conventionally, an image display system that is installed in a vehicle and that displays, on an in-vehicle display, images of surrounding area taken by on-vehicle cameras is known. A driver can view a surrounding area of a vehicle in almost real time by using this image display system.
In an example, the area outside of the front fender on the opposite side of a driver's seat becomes a blind area for a driver, and the driver hardly recognizes clearances between own vehicle and obstacles in the area. On the other hand, using the image display system, images of the area outside of the front fender are taken by on-vehicle cameras and are displayed on a vehicle-cabin display. This system helps a driver to recognize easily clearances between a vehicle body and obstacles in the area on the opposite side of the driver's seat in a case like when approaching to a roadside.
These days, a new image display system is proposed. The new system generates composite images which show a surrounding area of a vehicle using plural images taken by plural on-vehicle cameras that are installed at different locations on the vehicle, and which are displayed in a manner viewed from virtual viewpoints e.g. from just above of the vehicle.
In an example of the image display system that generates composite images viewed from a virtual viewpoint, composite images are generated using four images taken by four on-vehicle cameras installed respectively on a vehicle, at the front, at the left side, at the right side, and at the rear of the vehicle. If composite images are generated by the method where the four shot images are connected simply at the prescribed boundaries, the generated object images lack continuity in the boundary areas between two adjacent shot images. Thus, it is difficult to recognize the objects existing in the boundary areas or passing through the areas.
To solve this problem, overlapped areas made by the areas shot by two adjacent on-vehicle cameras are provided. As a new proposed method, the images taken by two adjacent on-vehicle cameras are blended at a prescribed proportion for generating a composite image in a boundary area. This method reduces discontinuity of object images appeared on object images in the boundary area of two shot images and makes it easier to recognize the objects existing in the boundary area.
Generally, plural on-vehicle cameras that are used for generating composite images implement exposure control respectively.
In the case where headlights of a vehicle are on e.g. at night time because of darkness of surrounding area of the vehicle, an on-vehicle camera installed at the front of the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as a front on-vehicle camera) implements exposure control based on the relatively bright area that is lightened by headlights. On the other hand, an on-vehicle camera installed at the side of the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as a side on-vehicle camera) implements exposure control based on a very dark area with no lighting. Thus, the exposure controls quite different between the side on-vehicle camera and the front on-vehicle camera are implemented. The side on-vehicle camera implements exposure control to make images much brighter compared to the front on-vehicle camera. Thus, brightness of one object image existing in the overlap area becomes quite different between images taken by the front on-vehicle camera and by the side on-vehicle camera.
Therefore, two images of one object quite different in brightness are blended when two shot images in overlap area corresponding to the images taken by the front on-vehicle camera and by the side on-vehicle camera are blended to generate a composite image in overlap area (boundary area of two shot images). As a result, defects (such as whiteout and color migration) of the composite image in the overlap area occur, and visibility level of an object image in the overlap area is extremely deteriorated.


A resistance spot welding device for welding at least two overlapping steel sheets held between a pair of welding electrodes is provided. The resistance spot welding device includes the pair of electrodes, an electrode force gauge that measures an electrode force, and a controller that controls an electric current supply to the electrodes according to the electrode force measured by the electrode force gauge. The controller controls the electric current such that the electrode force F measured by the electrode force gauge after the start of the electric current supply is adjusted to a prescribed value.

To achieve an improvement in reliability of vehicle bodies and a reduction in weight of the vehicle bodies for the purpose of an improvement in fuel consumption, strengthening of steel sheets has been pursued in recent years. The use of high-strength steel sheets allows vehicle bodies to have stiffness comparable to that obtained using conventional steel even when the steel sheets are reduced in thickness and weight. However, some problems have been pointed out. One of them is a reduction in the strength of welded portions.
As shown in FIG. 1, in resistance spot welding, a sheet set 3 including at least two overlapping steel sheets (in this case, two steel sheets including a lower steel sheet 1 and an upper steel sheet 2) is held between a vertical pair of electrodes (a lower electrode 4 and an upper electrode 5), and an electric current is applied under pressure to melt a contact region between the steel sheets 1 and 2. A nugget 9 of the required size is thereby formed, and a weld joint is obtained.
The quality of the joint obtained in the manner described above is evaluated by, for example, the diameter of the nugget, tensile shear strength (the strength when a tensile test is performed in a shear direction of the joint), cross-tension strength (the strength when a tensile test is performed in a separation direction of the joint), or fatigue strength. In particular, as the strength of a steel sheet increases, the amount of C in the steel sheet tends to increase. It is known that, in a high-strength steel sheet containing a large amount of C, its cross-tension strength is low.
In terms of the welding method, to ensure the cross-tension strength when the high-strength steel sheet is used, it is contemplated to increase the diameter of the nugget. Generally, to increase the size of the nugget, an electric current must be increased. In this case, the possibility of the occurrence of expulsion becomes high. If expulsion occurs, the nugget is rather reduced in size, and this causes a reduction in the strength of the joint.
In particular, the surfaces of steel sheets for automobiles are subjected to galvanization treatment with zinc as a main component for the purpose of rust prevention. It is known that, when steel sheets having such galvanized layers are used for automobiles and subjected to resistance spot welding to assemble the automobiles, expulsion is likely to occur, and it is therefore difficult to ensure large nuggets.
A conventional technique disclosed in Patent Literature 1 is a method for forming nuggets in three stacked steel sheets. In this method, after a first welding step is performed, second and subsequent welding steps are performed such that the supply of electric current and the suspension of the supply are repeated in a pulsated manner. This allows nuggets with sufficient diameters to be formed even when the sheet set including three sheets is composed of a thin sheet, a thick sheet, and a thick sheet.
It is stated in Patent Literature 2 that, when steel sheets having on their surfaces alloyed aluminum coating layers containing Fe at an atomic percentage of from 50% to 80% inclusive are welded, a nugget can be formed stably by specifying, according to the thickness of the sheets, the period of time during which the current is held constant after upslope energization.
It is stated in Patent Literature 3 that, with zinc or zinc alloy coated steel sheets, a nugget having a certain size can be ensured by limiting the ratio of the period of preliminary energization to the period of the formation of the nugget.
It is stated in Patent Literature 4 that, with zinc or zinc alloy coated steel sheets, a nugget having a certain size can be ensured by, after preliminary energization, repeating cooling and energization using a current value higher than the current value for the preliminary energization.


There is disclosed a system and method for locking and branding a generic mobile communication device to a carrier network. In an embodiment, the method comprises: inserting in the device a subscriber or user identification module specifying a selection of a carrier network to which the mobile communication device is to be wirelessly connected; issuing from the device a request to lock and brand the device to the selected carrier network; in response to the request, receiving a customized configuration file for the selected network containing a device locking command, and one or more branding commands to brand the device to the selected carrier network; executing the device locking command to lock the device to the selected carrier network; and executing the one or more branding commands to brand the device to the selected carrier network with one or more customized features specific to the selected carrier network.

Currently, mobile communication devices are typically locked and branded to a particular carrier at the point of device manufacture or warehouse distribution. Locking and branding a device allows a degree of commercial assurance that the device will be activated on the network of the carrier to which the device is locked, and not on another carrier's network.

System and method for locking and branding a mobile communication device to a network


An apparatus, system, and method for mapping a conduit wall, of which the apparatus includes a shaft defining a central longitudinal axis, and a sensor module coupled to the shaft and including an emitter configured to emit a light beam directed at least partially radially with respect to the central longitudinal axis, and a sensor configured to detect a reflected portion of the light beam, such that the sensor module is configured to measure a distance between the conduit wall and sensor module. The apparatus also includes a centralizer coupled to the shaft and configured to position the sensor module at a center of the conduit.

Pipes and drill collars, among other types of generally tubular conduits, are used in the drilling of oil and gas wells. It may be useful to know the precise measurements of such pipes and drill collars, including the overall profiles and dimensions of conduits extending through the pipes and drill collars. However, it may be difficult to measure dimensions within such conduits, at least in part because they may be long and narrow, making it difficult for measuring equipment to obtain measurements, particularly near the center of the conduit.