A method for monitoring a spin imparted on an optical fiber in order to reduce Polarization Mode Dispersion (PMD) includes the steps of imparting a spin on a high-temperature optical fiber which is drawn from a preform, photographing a dispersion pattern peculiar to the spun optical fiber with a camera from scattered light naturally generated by the spin imparted on the optical fiber, and displaying the photographed dispersion pattern. The method enables monitoring of rate and period of the spin imparted on the optical fiber on the basis of the displayed dispersion pattern.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for making an optical fiber, and more particularly to a method for monitoring a spin imparted on an optical fiber to reduce Polarization Mode Dispersion(PMD) and ensuring bidirectional symmetry of the spin.
2. Description of the Related Art
A single mode optical fiber with a circular symmetric structure theoretically has two orthogonal polarization modes which are compensated each other. Generally, an electric field of the light propagating through an optical fiber can be considered as linear overlap of such two peculiar polarization modes. In the single mode optical fiber in fact, compensation of the two polarization modes is generated due to defective factors such as symmetric lateral stress or eccentricity of a circular core.
These two modes are propagated at different phase rates, hence two modes have different propagation constants (β1 and β2). This difference of propagation constants is called double refraction (Δβ), and the increase of double refraction means the increase of rate difference between two polarization modes.
Differential time delay between two polarization modes is called Polarization Mode Dispersion (hereinafter, referred to as "PMD"). The presence of PMD is one of factors causing difficulty in high-speed transmission or analog data transmission.
To improve PMD characteristics of the optical fiber, there are significantly handled an optical fiber preform making technique and an optical fiber drawing technique.
The optical fiber preform making technique is directed to lowering PMD of the optical fiber drawn from the preform by increasing the non-circularity of preform.
In addition, the optical fiber drawing technique is directed to lowering PMD by making the optical fiber be twisted with a pitch far less than its beat length so that the polarization modes can be gradually compensated due to relative delay between the modes.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,298,047 and 5,418,881 by Hart et al. disclose a method for applying a torque to an optical fiber so that a spin imparted on the optical fiber has non-constant spatial frequency (spins/m) by oscillating a guide roller contacted with the coated optical fiber at a certain angle with respective to a drawing axis or linearly reciprocating the guide roller to a direction perpendicular to the drawing axis. Particularly, Hart el al. report that a spin function applying a torque to the optical fiber is desirably a sine function which imparts alternating spins clockwise and counterclockwise to the optical fiber.
At this point, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,943,466 and 6,240,748 by Henderson et al. report that the spin function generating a torque to an optical fiber strand is substantially not a sine function, and a time-varying complex function having at least two peak values such as frequency-modulated sine function or amplitude-modulated sine function is more effective to achieve reduction of PMD.
In addition, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,897,680 and 6,148,131 by Geertman disclose a method for arranging a pair of rotating rollers to be faced each other on the basis of a drawing axis, contacting an optical fiber to the rollers respectively so that the rollers press optical fiber strands, and then rotating the rotating rollers on the center of the optical fiber in order to apply alternating torques clockwise and counterclockwise to the optical fiber.
The conventional spin imparting methods described above are reported to be effective for reduction of PMD in an optical fiber drawing process.
However, even in the above conventional techniques, it is also impossible to measure whether the spin imparted on the optical fiber in the actual process satisfies predetermined spin rates (spins/m) and spin period or not.
But, reliability of the spin imparting function is indirectly determined by measuring PMD of the optical fiber wound around a spool after the drawing process.
The reason that determining whether the spin is reliably imparted during an actual process in the conventional art is impossible is closely related to a spin generating principle of a spin imparting device. In other words, the conventional spin imparting device installs rollers on a path of the optical fiber drawn at a high speed, and then moves the rollers independently of the movement of optical fiber to generate a spin. Thus, the factors affecting on spin generation tend to be easily varied according to process conditions. Therefore, in the conventional art, it is substantially impossible to monitor and measure whether the spin function set at an initial stage of the process is properly operated through an actual process.
Thus, there is still required a method for monitoring a pattern of a spin imparted on the optical fiber during the process execution, determining whether spin period and spin rate based on the spin function are suitably practiced, and controlling the spin period and the spin rate.

Method for monitoring spin imparted on optical fiber and method for making optical fiber by using the same


A speaker enclosure including a compact quarter wavelength transmission path in the shape of a closed spiral that expands radially outward from a centrally located loudspeaker mounting location. The height of the transmission path has a minimum height that is equal to the height of the basket of the desired speaker. The quarter wavelength transmission path spiral of the provides an aerodynamic path for air flow therein which reduces the turbulence of air flow to a minimum that in turn provides even resistance to the air flow within the transmission line (Exhale vs. Inhale).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to speaker systems that employ a quarter wavelength acoustic standing wave transmission line in combination with a speaker. More particularly, loudspeakers with a compact quarter wavelength transmission line and design methods associated with them.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Enclosures have been used with loudspeakers not simply to improve the appearance and decorative appearance of the speaker. Without a speaker enclosure any sound waves emanating from the rear of the speaker that are out of phase with the desired sound waves from the front of the speaker can create interference patterns and can cause cancellation of some frequencies in the desired sound waves. This can be a major problem at lower frequencies where the wavelengths are longest. It has been noted that at the lower frequencies the interference from sound waves from the back of the speaker can affect an entire listening area.
One technique to reduce the interference from the rear of the speaker is providing a transmission line of a selected length coupled to the back of speaker to shift the phase of the output from the rear of the speaker by 90° to 270° to reinforce the output from the front of the speaker. In this technology the speaker is often referred to as a driver as the speaker is said to drive the transmission line. The transmission line is a hollow enclosed path with a length that is a multiple of the quarter wavelength of the primary frequency that interferes with the desired sound frequencies produced by the front of the loudspeaker. Since lower frequencies have the longest wavelengths, low frequency speaker systems that incorporate such a transmission line tend to be larger than other types of woofer and sub-woofer designs. The size of the transmission line and speaker configuration is dictated by the wavelength of the frequency to be compensated. Given the long wavelength of the sound frequencies, the length of the transmission line is generally one-quarter the wavelength of a frequency in the output range of the specific woofer or sub-woofer speaker, thus speaker systems with these transmission lines are typically referred to as quarter wavelength speakers.
Prior art quarter wavelength speakers used a conventional enclosure that was generally a cube or rectangular in shape with the transmission line, in this technology also referred to as a port, internal to such an enclosure requiring the transmission line or port to take the shape of an "elephant's trunk" to provide the necessary length of the port. For those designs the enclosure volume relative to the port volume compromised the performance as the necessary shape of the port contributed to the non-linearity developed since the air resistance of the port (inhale vs exhale) are different. That difference was related to the turbulent flow developed when the speeding air particles collided with sharp corners (enclosure walls and the speaker-port mating area within the enclosure). Another problem of the prior art is the inconvenience of creating the "elephant's trunk" design in a traditional speaker enclosure. Such speakers put the aesthetics of the enclosure having a particular ratio of height, width and depth ahead of the port shape needed to maximize performance of the speaker system thus forcing the port into an "elephant's trunk" shape, or worse. In an effort to control harmonic distortions with the use of an aesthetic enclosure, the port was designed to have a variable cross-section throughout its length to control the level of harmonic distortions that resulted in the requirement to use such enclosures. This only introduced detrimental side effects, such as driver offset that worsened harmonics.
For 56 Hz, given the speed of sound in air being approximately 1130 ft./sec, a single 56 HZ wave has a wavelength of 240 inches, i.e. 20 feet long, thus a quarter wavelength of 56 HZ has a length of 60 inches, i.e. 5 feet. Thus, considering only wavelength, the port would have to be 60 inches long. However, do to other factors than just the wavelength of the selected frequency, a prior art example of a tubular port with a port length of 60 inches the tuning frequency was measured at 39 Hz. Thus, considering only wavelength, the resonance tuning frequency was about 30% lower than expected. It was then determined that the cross sectional area of the port perpendicular to the moving air mass in the port is another factor needed to be considered in the determination of the necessary length of the port for a particular frequency. It was determined that as the diameter of the tubular port is increased there is a larger moving mass of air which lowers the resonance frequency of the tubular port. Another issue with the quarter wavelength designs of the prior art is extremely high harmonic distortions. It was determined that harmonic distortion was related to the cross sectional area of the port and the peak pressure in the port. In addition these harmonics were noted to also be related to the wind velocity in the port, typically wind velocities that exceed the speed of sound by as little as 2% (i.e., 22.5 feet/second).
Two prior art examples of quarter wavelength speakers are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,425,456 by Jacob George entitled "Hollow Semicircular Curved Loudspeaker Enclosure" issued Jul. 30, 2002 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,634,455 by Yi-Fu Yang entitled "Thin-Wall Multi-Concentric Sleeve Speaker" issued Oct. 21, 2003.
The George patent ('456) illustrates the port in the "elephant's trunk" shape that curls in on itself. In George's design the proximate end of the port has a diameter that is as large as, or larger than, the diameter of the driver with that diameter remaining unchanged for some distance from the driver before turning a corner into a smaller diameter section and then yet smaller diameters in each of the next three turns in the path of the port before opening into a bifurcated output end of the port.
The Yang patent ('455) illustrates in FIGS. 1 and 4 the port as what can be seen to be a cylinder within a cylinder within a cylinder. In his FIG. 1 the output of speaker 12 opens directly into the listening area, while the back of the speaker opens into a first portion of the port that is a large enclosed area that is much larger than the diameter of the speaker and then into a second portion of the port that has a diameter that is considerably larger than the diameter of the speaker with the third and forth portions of the port each having a smaller cross-sectional area than the preceding portion of the port. Each of the transitions from the second to the third, and the third to the fourth portions of the port requires a 180° reversal of the air mass in the port as the air mass transitions from a lower pressure portion of the port to a higher pressure portion of the port each time the path of the port transitions to the next cylinder as the path of the port progresses outward with each of those transitions creating turbulence in the air mass. Additionally, the bottom of the second cylinder is separated from the bottom of the enclosure thus permitting some of the air mass from the fourth portion of the port to collect beneath the second cylinder thus causing yet additional turbulence in the air mass just before exiting the bottom of the enclosure.
Yang, in his FIG. 4, shows an alternative design which is substantially the design of FIG. 1 turned upside-down with the front of the speaker facing the floor with the back of the speaker driving the air mass into the outermost cylinder port and then progressing inward through additional cylinder with a 180° transition between each of them and terminating a large diameter center cylinder that opens to the top into the surrounding atmosphere. This design has similar turbulence problems to those of his FIG. 1 design, plus an added problem. With the top end of the speaker facing the floor and opening to the surrounding atmosphere through the small space below the speaker enclosure, there is a back pressure on the front of the cone of the speaker that is emitting what should be the desired audio signal that is being compensated for by the transmission line. That back pressure is caused by two factors: one is the reflected sound waves from the floor, and the second in the restrictive small space beneath the speaker enclosure that acts as a second transmission line. That second transmission line can change the frequency that is desired to another frequency before being delivered to outer atmosphere in the listening area. Additionally, that back pressure on front of the speaker changes the movement pattern of the speaker cone and thus modifies the air flow through the cylinders of the transmission line which changes the frequency response of the transmission line from the desired response to an unknown response.
The present invention neither looks like the example designs, or any other design that the applicant has seen. Additionally, the present invention was not designed to fit some preselected enclosure, but rather the design of the transmission line defines the enclosure. Thus, as will be realized in the discussion below of the present invention and from the figures, that the present invention is hot a "make fit" design as is the prior art.

Loudspeaker low profile quarter wavelength transmission line and enclosure and method


The present invention relates to a touch-sensor-provided liquid crystal display device (10), the touch-sensor-provided liquid crystal display device (10) including a liquid crystal display panel (20) which includes a plurality of photo sensors (40) for detecting a touched position, and a backlight unit (90) provided on a backside of the liquid crystal display panel (20). The backlight unit (90) emits light at least part of which serves as light (L10) dedicated to sensing which is used for position detection by the plurality of photo sensors (40), and the light (L10) dedicated to sensing travels in a direction (D2) which is different from a direction (D1) toward a main viewer (V) of the liquid crystal display panel (20).

Conventionally, liquid crystal display devices with built-in touch sensors, i.e., liquid crystal display devices each of which contains a touch sensor have been widely used.
According to the liquid crystal display device with the touch sensor, for example, photo sensors for detecting light is contained in a pixel of a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) liquid crystal display panel included in the liquid crystal display device. When a viewer V of the touch-sensor-provided liquid crystal display device touches the liquid crystal display panel of the touch-sensor-provided liquid crystal display device, an amount of light received by the photo sensors is changed, and the change in the amount of light is used for detecting a position of the touch. The light received by the photo sensors can be, for example, ambient light of the touch-sensor-provided liquid crystal display device or light emitted from a backlight unit provided on a backside of the liquid crystal display panel.
Various configurations have proposed for such a touch-sensor-provided liquid crystal display device.
(Patent Literature 1)
For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a display device integrated with a touch panel which detects a shadow generated when external light (corresponding to the ambient light) is obstructed by a touch. Patent Literature 1 further discloses a technique for improving accuracy of the detection in which technique the backlight is being turned off during the detection by sensors so that an effect of light emitted from the backlight can be reduced in detecting the shadow.
(Patent Literature 2)
Patent Literature 2 discloses a technique to detect a shadow of an object by photo sensor pixels and then obtain a center position of the shadow, etc., thereby detecting a coordinate position of the object.
Patent Literature 1    Japanese Patent Application Publication, Tokukai, No. 2006-317682 A (Publication Date: Nov. 24, 2006)
Patent Literature 2    Japanese Patent Application Publication, Tokukai, No. 2007-226045 A (Publication Date: Sep. 6, 2007)

Touch-sensor-provided liquid crystal display device


Devices, systems and methods are described which control blood pressure and nervous system activity by stimulating baroreceptors. By selectively and controllably activating baroreceptors and/or nerves, the present invention reduces blood pressure and alters the sympathetic nervous system; thereby minimizing deleterious effects on the heart, vasculature and other organs and tissues. A baroreceptor activation device or other sensory activation device is positioned near a dermal bone to provide the treatment.

This invention relates generally to methods and devices for the treatment of hypertension. More specifically, methods and devices which treat hypertension using devices disposed extra corporally.
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, affects millions of people every day and is a serious health hazard. Hypertension is associated with an elevated risk for heart attack, heart failure, arterial aneurysms, kidney failure and stroke. There are many factors that may affect blood pressure, such as: salt intake, obesity, occupation, alcohol intake, smoking, pregnancy, stimulant intake, sleep apnea, genetic susceptibility, decreased kidney perfusion, arterial hardening and medication(s). Many times people are unaware that they suffer from hypertension until it is discovered during a medical check-up with their health care practitioner (HCP), or worse, it is discovered when they are hospitalized for a hypertension related condition such as a heart attack or stroke.
Blood pressure is controlled by a complex system within the body, one component of this system is known as the arterial baroreflex (ABR). The baroreflex is the fastest autonomic reflex responding to changes in blood pressure. The baroreceptor nerve endings are embedded in vessels throughout the circulatory system and encode both mean pressure and rate of change of pressure as a frequency. Centers in the brainstem process spikes in the frequency information, integrating it with other information and providing a signal to the sinoatrial (SA) pacemaking node of the heart via efferent fibers in the vagus nerve. When blood pressure becomes too high, the resulting vagal nerve signal triggers the release of acetylecholine at the SA node of the heart, slowing the heart rate and thus lowering the blood pressure.
Baroreceptors are located in the transverse aortic arch and the carotid sinuses of the left and right internal carotid arteries. The baroreceptors found within the aortic arch monitor the pressure of blood delivered to the systemic circuit, and the baroreceptors within the carotid arteries monitor the pressure of the blood being delivered to the brain.
As described above, the arterial baroreceptors are stretch receptors that are stimulated by distortion of the arterial wall when pressure changes. The baroreceptors can identify the changes in the average blood pressure or the rate of change in pressure with each arterial pulse. Action potentials triggered in the baroreceptor endings are then conducted to the brainstem where central terminations (synapses) transmit this information to neurons within the solitary nucleus. Reflex responses from such baroreceptor activity can trigger increases or decreases in the heart rate. Arterial baroreceptor (ABR) sensory endings are simple, sprayed nerve endings that lie in the tunica adventitia of the artery. An increase in the mean arterial pressure increases depolarization of these sensory endings, which results in action potentials. These action potentials are conducted to the solitary nucleus in the central nervous system by axons and have a reflex effect on the cardiovascular system through autonomic neurons.
At normal resting blood pressures, baroreceptors discharge at approximately 1 out of every 3 heart beats. If blood pressure falls, the arteries retract in diameter and the baroreceptor firing rate decreases with the drop in blood pressure the brain send a signal to the heart to increase blood pressure by increasing heart rate. Signals from the carotid baroreceptors are sent via the glossopharyngeal nerve (cranial nerve IX). Signals from the aortic baroreceptors travel through the vagus nerve (cranial nerve X). Arterial baroreceptors inform reflexes about arterial blood pressure.
The arterial baroreflex system is a dynamic system that is capable of adapting to ever changing situations. The ABR is the reason why we do not pass out when moving from a seated to standing position. In this instance the ABR senses a change in blood pressure and accommodates the change by sending the appropriate signal to regulate blood pressure. The ABR system also performs an essential function to regulate blood pressure during exercise, wherein during exercise your heart rate increases as well as your blood pressure, however, at a certain point during exercise the ABR will intervene, allowing the heart rate to further increase but not allowing the blood pressure to further increase.
As stated above, hypertension currently affects a large and growing population. Currently treatments for hypertension range from prescribed lifestyle changes and the use of pharmaceutical products. Within the past couple of years, new surgical therapies are emerging. These surgical therapies either lead to the implantation of a device for stimulating a patient's carotid baroreceptor or to the disconnection of the nerves of the renal arteries.
If prescribed lifestyle changes do not address a patient's hypertension, their HCP will typically prescribe drug therapy to treat their hypertension. There are multiple classes of pharmaceutical products that can be utilized to treat hypertension. These include vasodilators to reduce the blood pressure and ease the workload of the heart, diuretics to reduce fluid overload, inhibitors and blocking agents of the body's neurohormonal responses, and other medicaments. Many times, a HCP will prescribe one or more of these products to a patient to be taken in combination in order to lower their blood pressure. However, the use of pharmaceutical products is not without their risks. Many of these products carry severe warnings of potential side effects. Additionally, each patient may respond differently to the products, therefore multiple office visits may be required before the right dosage and type of pharmaceutical products are selected, which leads to greater health care costs. Further still there are a number of patients who either do not respond to medication, refuse to take medication, or over time the medication no longer provides a therapeutic effect. Recently, new clinical trial data has drawn correlations between the use of diuretic pharmaceutical products to treat high blood pressure and the formation of diabetes within the patient.
For patients who do not respond to drug therapy, there are medical devices and treatments that can be utilized to treat high blood pressure. Some of these devices involve invasive surgical procedures including the implantation of a permanent medical device within a patient's artery to impart a force at a specific location within the artery which then may cause a lowering of blood pressure. However, these devices are relatively new or are still under development and have not been proven over a long period of time. Also, since the device is a permanent implant, there is always the possibility of complications during the implantation process or infections related to the implantation.
As described above, another type of invasive medical device is an electrical signal generating implant, where electrodes are placed adjacent to the carotid artery. With this process, the surgeon must be careful not to sever any of the nerves while implanting the device. If the nerves are severed, then the device will not function properly and may lead to long term health complications for the patient. However, even more troubling is that the patient has now permanently lost a baroreceptor for controlling blood pressure naturally, which may lead to complications later, which are currently unknown. Additionally, the implant device requires regular battery replacement, which to do so requires another invasive surgical procedure.
Another type of invasive medical device and procedure being developed is the use of ablation catheter to denervate the carotid body, specifically the chemoreceptors of the carotid body. Similar to the device and procedure described above, this device permanently causes a disconnection between the chemoreceptors and the nervous system/brain. The long term effects are unknown, additionally, other nerves maybe destroyed or disconnected during the procedure which may lead to other side effects.
Another type of invasive medical procedure to treat hypertension being developed is to use an ablation catheter placed within the renal artery, where a series of energy pulses are performed to ablate (sever) the nerves surrounding the artery, thereby effectively disconnecting the nerves of the kidney from the body. This procedure results in a permanent and non-reversible change to the patient's nervous system, this procedure is being referred to as renal nerve ablation or renal denervation. The long term effects of such a permanent treatment are unknown at this time as this approach is relatively new on the market. Recently published data has shown that not all patients respond to this surgical procedure, that is after the procedure, some of the patients show little to no changes in their blood pressure. This may be concerning as now these patients have had their renal arteries permanently disconnected from their kidneys, which may lead to long term effects which are unknown at this time. Additionally, the costs associated with an invasive medical procedure are not insignificant, only to prove that the procedure had no effect, thus, instead of potentially lowering the cost of treatment for these patients, the cost of treating their hypertension was significantly added to.
Additionally, the recently published data also shows that patients who respond to renal denervation may still remain hypertensive. Thus, the renal denervation procedure may not be a "cure," instead it may be seen as an adjunctive therapy, as such these patients may remain on drug therapies or are recommended to remain on drug therapy after having undergone renal denervation.
Yet another invasive surgical approach to address hypertension is a combination of a device and a pharmaceutical product, wherein a catheter with a needle disposed near its distal end are placed within the renal artery. Once in position, a liquid pharmaceutical product is injected into the wall of the artery, whereby the pharmaceutical product is designed to chemically ablate the renal nerves. Here again, this treatment procedure is considered to be a permanent solution, whereby the nerves are permanently severed. Long term efficacy of the severing of the renal nerves is unknown. Additionally, long term effects of the procedure are also unknown.
Human skin acts as the protective barrier between our internal body systems and the outside world. Our skin in combination with our bodies nerves provides for the ability to perceive touch sensations and gives our brains a wealth of information about the environment around us, such as temperature, pain, and pressure. Without such a nervous system, we wouldn't be able to feel our feet hitting the floor when we walked, we wouldn't sense when something sharp cut us, and we wouldn't feel the warmth of the sun on our skin.
Human skin is composed of several layers. The very top layer is the epidermis and is the layer of skin you can see. In Latin, the prefix "epi-" means "upon" or "over," thus the epidermis is the layer upon which the dermis is disposed (the dermis is the second layer of skin). The epidermis, made of dead skin cells, is waterproof and serves as a protective wrap for the underlying skin layers and the rest of the body. It contains melanin, which protects against the sun's harmful rays and also gives skin its color. When you are in the sun, the melanin builds up to increase its protective properties, which also causes the skin to darken. The epidermis also contains very sensitive cells called touch receptors that give the brain a variety of information about the environment the body is in.
The second layer of skin is the dermis. The dermis contains hair follicles, sweat glands, sebaceous (oil) glands, blood vessels, nerve endings, and a variety of touch receptors. The dermis' primary function is to sustain and support the epidermis by diffusing nutrients to it and replacing the skin cells that are shed off the upper layer of the epidermis. New cells are formed at the junction between the dermis and epidermis, and they slowly push their way towards the surface of the skin so that they can replace the dead skin cells that are shed. Oil and sweat glands eliminate waste produced at the dermis level of the skin by opening their pores at the surface of the epidermis and releasing the waste.
The bottom skin layer is the subcutaneous tissue which is composed of fat and connective tissue. The layer of fat acts as an insulator and helps regulate body temperature. It also acts as a cushion to protect underlying tissue from damage when you bump into things. The connective tissue keeps the skin attached to the muscles and tendons underneath.
Our sense of touch is controlled by a huge network of nerve endings and touch receptors disposed within the skin which is known as the somatosensory system. This system is responsible for all the sensations we feel: cold, hot, smooth, rough, pressure, tickle, itch, pain, vibrations, and more. Within the somatosensory system, there are four main types of receptors; mechanoreceptors, thermoreceptors, nociceptors, and proprioceptors.
It is important to understand how specialized receptors adapt to a change in stimulus (anything that touches the skin and causes sensations such as hot, cold, pressure, tickle, etc.). A touch receptor is considered rapidly adapting if it responds to a change in stimulus very quickly. This means that it can sense right away when the skin is touching an object and when it stops touching that object. However, rapidly adapting receptors can't sense the continuation and duration of a stimulus touching the skin (how long the skin is touching an object). These receptors best sense vibrations occurring on or within the skin. A touch receptor is considered slowly adapting if it does not respond to a change in stimulus very quickly. These receptors are very good at sensing the continuous pressure of an object touching or indenting the skin but are not very good at sensing when the stimulus started or ended.
Mechanoreceptors are receptors which perceive sensations such as pressure, vibrations, and texture. There are four known types of mechanoreceptors whose only function is to perceive indentions and vibrations of the skin: Merkel's disks, Meissner's corpuscles, Ruffini's corpuscles, and Pacinian corpuscles.
The most sensitive mechanoreceptors, Merkel's disks and Meissner's corpuscles, are found in the very top layers of the dermis and epidermis and are generally found in non-hairy skin such as the palms, lips, tongue, soles of feet, fingertips, eyelids, and the face. Merkel's disks are slowly adapting receptors and Meissner's corpuscles are rapidly adapting receptors so your skin can perceive both when you are touching something and how long the object is touching the skin.
Located deeper in the dermis and along joints, tendons, and muscles are Ruffini's corpuscles and Pacinian corpuscles. These mechanoreceptors can feel sensations such as vibrations traveling down bones and tendons, rotational movement of limbs, and the stretching of skin.
Another type of receptors are thermoreceptors, as their name suggests, these receptors perceive sensations related to the temperature of objects the skin feels. They are found in the dermis layer of the skin. There are two basic categories of thermoreceptors: hot and cold receptors.
Cold receptors start to perceive cold sensations when the surface of the skin drops below 95° F. They are most stimulated when the surface of the skin is at 77° F. and are no longer stimulated when the surface of the skin drops below 41° F. This is why your feet or hands start to go numb when they are submerged in icy water for a long period of time.
Hot receptors start to perceive hot sensations when the surface of the skin rises above 86° F. and are most stimulated at 113° F. But beyond 113° F., pain receptors take over to avoid damage being done to the skin and underlying tissues.
Thermoreceptors are found all over the body, but cold receptors are found in greater density than heat receptors. The highest concentration of thermoreceptors can be found in the face and ears.
Another type of receptor are pain receptors, commonly known as nociceptors, "Noci-" in Latin means "injurious" or "hurt." These receptors detect pain or stimuli that can or does cause damage to the skin and other tissues of the body. There are over three million pain receptors throughout the body, found in skin, muscles, bones, blood vessels, and some organs. They can detect pain that is caused by mechanical stimuli (cut or scrape), thermal stimuli (burn), or chemical stimuli (poison from an insect sting).
These receptors cause a feeling of sharp pain to encourage you to quickly move away from a harmful stimulus such as a broken piece of glass or a hot stove stop. They also have receptors that cause a dull pain in an area that has been injured to encourage you not to use or touch that limb or body part until the damaged area has healed. While it is never fun to activate these receptors that cause pain, these receptors play an important part in keeping the body safe from serious injury or damage by sending these early warning signals to the brain.
Another receptor type are proprioceptors, the word "proprius" means "one's own" and is used in the name of these receptors because they sense the position of the different parts of the body in relation to each other and the surrounding environment. Proprioceptors are found in tendons, muscles, and joint capsules. This location in the body allows these special cells to detect changes in muscle length and muscle tension. Without proprioceptors, we would not be able to do fundamental things such as feeding or clothing ourselves.
While many receptors have specific functions to help us perceive different touch sensations, almost never is just one type active at any one time. When drinking from a freshly opened can of soda, your hand can perceive many different sensations just by holding it. Thermoreceptors are sensing that the can is much colder than the surrounding air, while the mechanoreceptors in your fingers are feeling the smoothness of the can and the small fluttering sensations inside the can caused by the carbon dioxide bubbles rising to the surface of the soda. Mechanoreceptors located deeper in your hand can sense that your hand is stretching around the can, that pressure is being exerted to hold the can, and that your hand is grasping the can. Proprioceptors are also sensing the hand stretching as well as how the hand and fingers are holding the can in relation to each other and the rest of the body.
None of the sensations described above and felt by the somatosensory system would make any difference if these sensations could not reach the brain. The nervous system of the body takes up this important task. Neurons, which are specialized nerve cells that are the smallest unit of the nervous system, receive and transmit messages with other neurons so that messages can be sent to and from the brain. This allows the brain to communicate with the body. When your hand touches an object, the mechanoreceptors in the skin are activated, and they start a chain of events by signaling to the nearest neuron that they touched something. This neuron then transmits this message to the next neuron which gets passed on to the next neuron and on it goes until the message is sent to the brain. Now the brain can process what your hand touched and send messages back to your hand via this same pathway to let the hand know if the brain wants more information about the object it is touching or if the hand should stop touching it.
Vibration experiments have been conducted to test the effects of vibration, the results of such an experiment were published in 1961 in the Journal of Physiol. (1961), 159 pp. 391-409, entitled "Response of Pacinian Corpuscles to Sinousoidal Vibration, by M. Sato. In this experiment it was proven that vibrations can excite the nervous system similar to utilization of electrical stimulation.
Other experiments have shown that the 1st Node of Ranvier gaps can be excited by either mechanical transduction or acoustic stimulation. The 1st Node of Ranvier gaps are gaps formed between myelin sheaths between different cells.
In a 1967 publication entitled "The Relative Sensitivity to Vibration of Muscle Receptors of the Cat," M. C. Brown, I. Engberger and P. B. C. Matthews, Journal Physiol. (1967), 192 PP 773-800, the authors tested vibrations and concluded that vibratory effects persist as long as the vibration continues. Additionally, the authors cited another publication, 1966 Matthews, "Reflex excitation of the soleus muscle of the decerebrate cat caused by vibration applied to tendon" where vibration, was applied to a non-contracting muscle, provides a way of selectively activating nearly all of the nerve fibers from the primary endings to discharge repetitively. In contrast to electrical stimulation, vibration provides for a more selective activation.
Electrical stimulation will stimulate those nerves which are located in the close proximity to the electrical source, however, electrical stimulation will seek the lowest resistance pathway and is typically localized to the area of application. In contrast, vibrational stimulation carries the benefit of exciting afferent fibers at a distance from the location of the application of the vibration.
In 2000 a publication by Alfrey entitled "Characterizing the Afferent Limb of the Baroreflex" Rice University, Houston Tex., April 2000, UMI Microform 99-69-223. The author concluded that the baroreflex is the fastest autonomic reflex responding to changes in blood pressure. Baroreceptor nerve endings embedded in vessels throughout the circulatory system encode both mean pressure and rate of change of pressure as a frequency-modulated train of action potentials (spikes). Centers in the brainstem process the spike train information, integrating it with information from higher centers and providing a signal to the sinoatrial (SA) pacemaking node of the heart via efferent fibers in the vagus nerve. When blood pressure becomes too high, the resulting vagal signal triggers the release of acetylcholine at the SA node of the heart slowing heart rate and thus lowering blood pressure.
In another paper, published in 2004 by Syntichaki et al., entitled "Genetic Models of Mechanotransduction: The Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans" Physol Rev. 84: 1097-1153, 2004 10.1152/physrev.0043.2003, it was found that all vertebrates respond to similar mechanosensory stimuli, therefore it's likely that two humans would have similar response to the same wavelengths or frequencies.
Lastly, while there are number of different therapies available on the market and new therapies emerging, there are patient populations that cannot be treated through the use of the existing drugs or devices.
One such population is patients who develop high blood pressure during pregnancy. Health care practitioners are generally hesitant to prescribed pharmaceutical products in these situations as there may be unknown side effects to the mother and unborn child. Furthermore, many hypertensive pharmaceutical products have not been properly tested for use during pregnancy; therefore, there is much hesitancy on behalf of the prescribing physician to use such drug products due to potential untested side-effects as well as potential litigation arising from a side-effect. Pregnancy induced hypertension, gestational hypertension or preeclampsia may not be a permanent condition and may be resolve after delivery. Therefore, the use of permanent therapies, such as renal denervation, may not be warranted in this situation. Additionally, surgical procedures are not generally recommended during pregnancy.
There is yet another hypertensive population emerging in today's world is the hypertensive adolescent. Over the past 30 years, the number of adolescent hypertensives has risen to a rate of over 3.7% diagnosed hypertensive and 3.4% diagnosed pre-hypertensive. Only 1 in 4 adolescents are currently diagnosed. Many of the currently available pharmaceutical products have not been tested on an adolescent population, therefore, as described above, many physicians are hesitant to prescribe drug therapies due to unknown side effects or long term effects they may have. Furthermore, the adolescent population poses yet another difficulty in that they are still developing and undergoing puberty and bone growth. Therefore, there is a need for a non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical solution to address this growing patient population.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide improved methods, devices and systems for artificial and selective activation of a patient's baroreflex or nervous system in order to achieve a variety of therapeutic objectives, including the control of hypertension, renal function, heart failure, and the treatment of other cardiovascular disorders. It would be particularly desirable if such methods and systems were non-invasive, reversible, safe and/or external to the patient.

Methods and devices for treating hypertension


Disclosed is an apparatus for operating dispenser in a refrigerator, comprising a base member having a switch by which a dispenser of a refrigerator is operated: a pushing member for transferring a pushing force to the switch; a plurality of connection units connecting the pushing member and the base member to each other so that the switch may be pushed even if any position of the pushing member is pushed. According to the dispenser operating apparatus for a refrigerator, since the pushing member for transferring the pushing force to the switch is respectively supported at right and left side ends of the upper portion and the lower portion thereof by the plurality of connection units, the pushing force can be transferred to the switch even if any position of the pushing member is pushed, which may be convenient to users.

Generally, a refrigerator, an appliance for storing food at a low temperature, stores foods in a freezing manner or a cooling manner depending upon foods to be stored.
Currently, the refrigerators have been large and multifunctional according to various demands of users and changes of dietary life of them. Such refrigerator generally has a dispenser for discharging out purified water or ice cubes without opening a door thereof.
The dispenser is generally formed at the door of the refrigerator and is manipulatable in various manners. An exemplary dispenser in the related art is shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 is a side section view schematically showing an operation state of a dispenser for a refrigerator in the related art. Referring to FIG. 1, a dispenser 10 includes a dispenser casing 11 and a deco cover 12.
The dispenser casing 11 forms a shape of an inner side of the dispenser 10. The dispenser casing 11 is concaved toward the inside of the refrigerator door by a specific depth so that a space for receiving a cup (C) or a container similar to the cup for receiving water or ice cubes therein may be formed.
The deco cover 12 is disposed at a front side of the dispenser casing 11 so as to form an external appearance of the dispenser 10 by partially shielding a front surface of the dispenser casing 11.
The deco cover 12 is provided with an opening corresponding to the space of the dispenser casing 11. Through the opening, the cup (C) for discharging out water and ice cubes is taken in and out.
The dispenser casing 11 has an upper middle portion provided with a discharge outlet 13 for downwardly supplying purified water or ice cubes.
And, a manipulation lever 14 is formed at a middle portion of an inner side surface of the dispenser casing 11. The manipulation lever 14 serves to manipulate an operation of the dispenser 10 and is configured to determine whether the discharge outlet 13 is to be opened or closed depending on user's manipulation.
The manipulation lever 14 has an upper end coupled to one side of the dispenser casing 11 or the dispenser 10 by a hinge.
Thus, if the user pushes the manipulation lever 14 with using the cup (C), a lower portion of the manipulation lever 14 may be rotated in a clockwise direction by a specific angle. According to the rotation of the manipulation lever 14, a switch (not shown) that is separately provided is selectively operated. Hence, purified water and/or ice cubes are contained in the cup (C).
However, the related art has the following problems.
First, the upper end of the manipulation lever 14 is coupled to an upper end of the dispenser casing 11 or one side of an upper portion of the dispenser 10 by a hinge. Thus, if the upper end of the manipulation lever is pushed by the cup (C), the manipulation lever 14 may not be rotated. Accordingly, water or ice cubes may not be discharged out.
Second, a torsion spring is fitted at a hinge coupling shaft of the manipulation lever 14 so as to restore the manipulation lever 14 after completing discharging of water or ice cubes. However, the manipulation lever 14 may not be restricted to rotate in a counterclockwise direction after completion of the restoration, accordingly a position where the manipulation lever 14 is restored may not be constant.

Apparatus for operating dispenser in refrigerator


A vehicle system is provided with a battery and a controller. The battery includes a first module having a first capacity and a second module. The controller programmed to responsive to indication that the second module has been replaced by a new module with a second capacity that is greater than the first capacity for a corresponding state of charge (SOC), adjust a second SOC of the new module such that a maximum SOC value of the new module aligns with a maximum SOC value of the first module. The controller is further programmed to balance the first module and the new module separately.

Electrified vehicles, including pure electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles, include a high-voltage battery pack that is used for propulsion or "traction" of the vehicle, and may be referred to as a traction battery. The traction battery includes a plurality of cells. When one or more cells experience diminished performance, the entire traction battery may be replaced. However, it may be more cost efficient to replace certain cells, rather than the entire traction battery.


A ripper assembly includes a ripper frame, which has at least one slot disposed in each of two opposing sidewalls. The ripper frame accommodates a ripper shank in a channel within the ripper frame. A pin is provided to pass through the at least one slot and through a through-way in the ripper shank to constrain the ripper shank within the ripper frame. At least one pressure source supplies pressure to the ripper shank to engage the ripper shank in a position.

Various forms of earth moving equipment include apparatus for tilling or "ripping" the terrain, thus enabling a variety of benefits. While initially developed for agriculture, ripping is often used today as an alternative to drilling and blasting with explosives.
Modern tractors of the 1950s and 1960s advanced ripping capabilities by mounting the ripper to the rear of the machine. This design, coupled with advanced hydraulic systems, more machine weight, and greater horsepower, greatly improved ripping performance and efficiency. These advances in performance were welcomed as environmental factors began to limit or restrict conventional blasting techniques. Urban encroachment, safety, and pollution concerns all have placed much greater demands on customers' ability to use drill and blasting as a way to remove material. In the mining world, concern for mixing materials, process improvements (leach pads), and similar safety and environmental considerations likewise increased interest in ripping. As the interest in ripping has grown, so has the need for ripping equipment that meets the needs of a user.
One example of recent developments in ripping equipment is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,535, entitled "Mounting arrangement for a ripper shank." This patent discloses a ripper shank that is mounted in a channel defined in a ripper frame. A pair of piston members is mounted in the frame on opposite sides of the ripper shank. The piston members are urged into engagement with the ripper shank by a biasing mechanism that is positioned between the frame and the piston members. While an equipment operator is provided with an ability to perform remote adjustments, adjusting the ripper requires resting the ripper on the ground and adjusting the frame relative to the ripper. Thus, this assembly is generally complicated and uses a considerable number of parts.
Thus, there is a need for an improved ripping apparatus.

Remote variable adjustment of ripper shank depth


A cam assembly and method for providing a substantially constant load to a motor that drives the cam assembly. A torque compensated cam assembly (142,300) includes a plurality of tracks (140,150,152/310,312,314) that are profiled with a surface that varies radially as the cam rotates, thereby actuating cam followers, each of which rolls along a different track. A tangential force developed by the cam followers as they move over rapid radial changes in the surfaces of the tracks produces a total net torque that at times tends to aid the rotation of the cam and at times tends to impede its rotation. The cam is used in a volumetric pump (30) that accurately delivers a desired volume of fluid at a desire rate. To assist in maintaining the accuracy of these parameters, the torque compensated cam assembly presents a substantially constant load to a motor (146,304) that drives the cam. In one embodiment, the cam assembly includes a torque compensation track (170/316) disposed at one end of the cam, and in another embodiment, the torque compensation track is disposed circumferentially around the cam. A torque compensation roller (172,320) is biased against the torque compensation track by a flexure (174), providing a force that develops the required compensating torque. The profile of the torque compensation track is defined so as to produce a torque that is substantially equal in magnitude, but opposite in the direction, that it tends to rotate the cam assembly, compared to the net torque developed by the cam followers.

A peristaltic pump displaces liquid by repetitively compressing a section of the flexible tube comprising an IV line. This line is threaded through a channel formed in the pump and extends unbroken, from a drug container to a patient. One type of peristaltic pump has a linear channel in which the IV line is threaded and is thus referred to as a linear (or traveling wave) peristaltic pump. The linear peristaltic pump includes a plurality of finger-like plungers that are sequentially actuated by cams mounted along a motor driven shaft. Liquid within the section of tubing that extends along the linear channel is advanced along the tubing's longitudinal axis by the advancing wave-like compression of the fingers. An example of such a pump is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,479,797.
Inlet and outlet valves and a single liquid displacement plunger are used in another type of peristaltic pump. Each pumping cycle in this type of pump begins with the outlet valve closed and the inlet valve open. Fluid flows from the source container into a short section of tubing that is disposed between the inlet and outlet valve. After this section of tubing has filled with liquid, the inlet valve closes and the outlet valve opens. The plunger then compresses the short section of tubing between the valves, displacing the liquid contained therein, and forcing it from the pump. U.S. Pat. No. 4,559,038 discloses a peristaltic pump of this type.
The rate at which fluid is delivered by each type of positive displacement pump discussed above is normally controlled by the rate at which the pump operates, e.g., the rotational rate of the rotating arm in that type of peristaltic pump. Furthermore, the accuracy with which a given rate or volume of fluid flow can be achieved by these pumps is dependent upon the pressure of the fluid at the input of the pump and the back pressure at its output. Since the flexible tubing in a peristaltic pump defines a compliant pumping chamber, the volume of fluid that fills the pumping chamber is affected by the head pressure of the fluid from the drug container. Similarly, the volume of fluid delivered at the output of the pump depends on the back pressure of the fluid downstream of the outlet. The single plunger type of peristaltic pump has positive closure inlet and outlet valves and is particularly sensitive to head and back pressures because the volume of the pumping chamber disposed between the valves and the amount of fluid that fills the chamber generally must be constant to provide an accurate and consistent rate of flow from the pump. A superior single plunger peristaltic pump that is capable of supplying fluid at a desired flow rate and pressure, generally independent of head pressure and back pressure downstream of the pump is disclosed in the above referenced commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 494,210, filed Mar. 15, 1990.
In the single plunger type of peristaltic pump, the plunger should compress the tubing uniformly and consistently with each pumping stroke to provide an accurate and consistent rate of fluid flow from the pump. Since the plunger is typically driven by a rotating cam, it is essential that the cam rotate smoothly at a constant speed. The plunger and valves in the peristaltic pump are actuated by cam followers that ride along radially varying profiles defining different circumferential tracks on the cam. As the cam followers roll along the tracks, the slope of each track's profile causes a tangential force to be developed that produces a rotational torque tending either to aid or to impede the rotation of the cam. The net torque thus developed from the forces exerted by all of the cam followers can cause the rotational speed of the cam to increase or decrease at various points in its rotation, due to changes in the load presented to a motor that rotatably drives the cam. Such rotational speed changes affect the accuracy with which the pump delivers fluid, assuming that servo-speed control is not provided, and adversely impacts audible noise and power consumption.
In consideration of these problems that exist with the cam assemblies in prior art peristaltic pumps and other devices using cam drives, it is an object of the present invention to provide a torque compensated cam assembly that maintains a substantially constant load on a prime mover used to rotate a cam in the cam assembly. Another object of this invention is to provide a cam assembly in which the cam rotates at a rate substantially independently of loading developed due to interaction between one or more cam followers and tracks formed on the cam. Yet a further object is to provide a cam assembly that can be used in a positive displacement fluid pump to deliver fluid to an output port of the pump at a predefined pressure. These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the attached drawings and the Description of the Preferred Embodiments that follows.

Torque compensated cam assembly and method


In a multimedia communication session with multiple media components, one or more media components can be transferred from one access network to another access network and yet maintain the continuity of the overall communication session. Each session is first identified and thereafter the media component intended to be transferred is also identified. The identities of the identified session and component are sent to one or more entities within the communication network for executing the media component transfer.

I. Field
This invention generally concerns with communications, more particularly, it relates to exchanging and processing of information in a communication session with a plurality of session components.
II. Background
Advances in telecommunications allow multimedia sessions to be carried over the Internet via different network accesses. It is not unusual, for example, within one communication session, a plurality of session components are conducted through a single network access. For instance, in a communication session, a number of video and audio session components can be carried out simultaneously through a single network access. These multimedia session components are quite often data intensive. Occasionally, some session components need to be transferred to another network for various reasons. The reason can be due to, for instance, costs, availability of support, and network loading, etc.
Heretofore, transfers of session components among different networks have be problematic, if at all possible.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide an efficient scheme for the transfer of communication session components reliably so as to maintain continuity of communication sessions.

Conveying session continuity information in a multi-component communication session


A technique for providing inter-nodal communications in a photonics network is disclosed. In one exemplary embodiment, the technique may be realized by as a method for providing inter-nodal communications in a photonics network having a plurality of network nodes each having a unique network address. Such a method may comprise receiving a dedicated inter-nodal communications optical signal at a first of the plurality of network nodes, wherein the received dedicated inter-nodal communications optical signal includes a destination network address. The method may also comprise forwarding the received dedicated inter-nodal communications optical signal to a second of the plurality of network nodes if the destination network address does not match the unique network address of the first network node. The method may further comprise processing the received dedicated inter-nodal communications optical signal at the first network node if the destination network address matches the unique network address of the first network node, wherein the received dedicated inter-nodal communications optical signal is processed by extracting any one of audio, video, and data information from the received dedicated inter-nodal communications optical signal for use at the first network node.

In the traditional Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), network elements are typically equipped with order wire (OW) electronics for supporting voice communications between such network elements. For example, referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a portion of the PSTN 10 comprising a plurality of network elements 12 interconnected by an electrical OW 14. Each network element 12 maintains OW interface electronics 16 for supporting voice communications with other network elements 12 over the electrical OW 14.
The above-described OW system is typically used by PSTN installation and maintenance personnel. For example, PSTN maintenance personnel may use the above-described OW system to communicate between network elements within a same network site or at different network sites for localizing and repairing failures in the PSTN, or during coordinated maintenance activities such as, for example, provisioning and testing of new services.
Since the traditional PSTN is an electrical-based system, it is relatively straightforward to implement the above-described electrical-based OW system therein. It is also relatively straightforward to implement an OW system in a next generation synchronous optical network (SONET), despite the fact that a SONET system is a combined optical- and electrical-based system. That is, each network element in a SONET network supports optical-to-electrical (O/E) and electrical-to-optical (E/O) conversion functions. Thus, voice communications may be carried between network elements via an OW system in a SONET network using these O/E and E/O conversion functions. In fact, the benefits of an OW system in a SONET network are so great that the standards governing SONET networks mandate the use of an OW system. Specifically, the SONET standards requirements for such an OW system in a SONET network are to embed a narrow band channel (64 kilobits per second (kbps)) in a SONET overhead for carrying voice communications between network elements. These requirements were drafted to insure support for legacy systems, which only contemplated voice communications for the OW system. Indeed, because of its relatively slow transmission rate, the narrow band channel defined in the SONET standards only permits voice communications. However, to more efficiently perform installation and maintenance activities at network sites, it would be desirable to transmit data and video communications in addition to voice communications.
In a latest generation photonics network, there are no O/E and E/O conversion functions in network elements. An optical signal is generated from a first node outside the photonics network and, after passing through the photonics network, the optical signal is terminated at a second node outside the photonics network. Network elements in the photonics network optically route the optical signal through the photonics network without any O/E or E/O conversions. As there is no electrical connectivity between network elements, there is also no means of supporting voice communications. Thus, installation and maintenance personnel performing installation and maintenance activities at network sites in a photonics network must rely on cell phones and/or the traditional PSTN for voice communications in order to coordinate their tasks.
In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to provide a technique for providing inter-nodal communications in a photonics network to overcome the above-described inadequacies and shortcomings. Indeed, as telecommunications technology has evolved into the photonic domain, there is a need to provide inter-nodal communications capabilities in this photonic domain. Furthermore, as discussed above, to more efficiently perform installation and maintenance activities at network sites, it would also be desirable to introduce new functions in photonics network elements so as to enable them to support data and video communications in addition to voice communications.

Technique for providing inter-nodal communications in a photonics network


An apparatus for providing improved security to an outward-swing door of a vehicle. The outward-swing door is on a sidewall of a main housing of the vehicle and has a pivotal end and a distal end opposite to the pivotal end. The outward-swing door is outwardly pivotable about the pivotal end thereof. The apparatus comprises a connecting structure for coupling to a bottom wall of the main housing, a base structure for coupling to the connecting structure so as to locate adjacent the outward-swing door and outside a swing path of the outward-swing door, and a blocking structure demountably coupled to the base structure, at least a portion thereof extendable into the swing path of the outward-swing door for restricting the outward-swing door to open to a predefined maximum extent.

Recreational Vehicles (RVs) have been widely used. For example, according to Kampgrounds of America, Inc., there are about 5.8 million RVs in Canada with 68% in Western Canada and 60% in Eastern Canada, and there has been an increase in sales of 22$ to 28% annually since 2016.
A RV generally comprises a main housing on a chassis and comprises wheels for moving. Some RVs may be vehicles without an engine and may need to be towed for moving (similar to a trailer). Some RVs may be self-propelled vehicles with engines. Some self-propelled RVs may have separate cabs for drivers to sit therein. In some other self-propelled RVs, the cab may be accessible from the main housing or may be an integrated part thereof.
Typically, RVs may be categorized into different types such as Class A motorhomes (including bus conversions), Class B motorhomes (e.g., camper vans), Class C motorhomes, truck campers, popup campers (e.g., tent trailers), toy haulers (which may have an opening door or lift door), travel trailers (towed behind a vehicle), teardrop trailers, caravan, hybrid trailers (a mix of travel and tent trailer), fifth wheel trailers, parked trailers (used as a vacation or resort cottage), and the like.
RVs may be used for travel or for permanent or temporary living quarters. Usually, RVs experience extended storage time stored in various places such as storage lots, campgrounds, households, driveways or lots, and/or the like with minimal or even without attendance, and consequently face increased risks of thefts such as stealing, break-in, battery theft, and other content theft.
Efforts have been made in prior art for preventing RVs being stolen. For example, various types of locks with improved security features such as trailer coupler locks, coupler latch pin locks, universal receiver locks, cable locks, and the like, may be used for connecting and locking the RV to the vehicle or locking the RV hitch while it is parked.
Another issue leading to the increased risks of thefts is that RV doors and locks are usually less secure compared to other door/lock systems. RVs and in particular the housing thereof are usually made of aluminum or fiberglass over a wood frame. RV doors typically comprise a screen door that hooks to a full door by a hook-and-keeper or a full door with a screen, with a door lock installed on the screen door or full door. Most RV locks are coded- or keyed-entry locks having flimsy single bolts that only shallowly extend into the receiving recess on the aluminum or fiberglass door-frame (less than 2.5 cm or 1 inch). Such a lock may be easily broken by an intruder and may not provide sufficient protection against content theft breaking through the door.
In prior art, safety chains, cables, cable locks, and the like have been used for improving the security of RV doors and locks. However, the security improvement of these devices is limited.
Retro-fitted door-locks and hasps have also been used for improving the security of RV doors and locks. However, retro-fitted door-locks and hasps require holes to be drilled into the RV frame for installation. As RVs and in particular the housing thereof are usually made of aluminum or fiberglass over a wood frame, drilling holes on the housing may cause risks of water ingress therethrough to the wood frame behind the aluminum or fiberglass lamination and cause the wood frame to rot.
Other types of vehicles such as some trailers for goods storage and transportation may also have issues similar to those described above (e.g., long-term storage without sufficient attendance, doors easy to break-in, and the like).
Therefore, there is a desire for an apparatus and method for improving the security of vehicle doors.

Security barrier for outward-swing doors of vehicles and method thereof


Techniques are described for utilizing Protocol Independent Multicast Sparse Mode (PIM-SM) to transport BUM (broadcast, unknown unicast, and multicast) traffic in a Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN) underlay of a data center, where the BUM traffic is received on active-active, multi-homed Ethernet virtual private network (EVPN) interconnects between multiple physical data centers. For example, the techniques may readily be applied to support usage of PIM-SM where provider edge (PE) routers of the EVPN operate as gateways between the EVPN and the VXLAN spanning the data center interconnect.

A data center is a specialized facility that provides data serving and backup as well as other network-based services for subscribers and other entities. A data center in its most simple form may consist of a single facility that hosts all of the infrastructure equipment, such as networking and storage systems, servers, redundant power supplies, and environmental controls.
More sophisticated data centers may be provisioned for geographically dispersed organizations using subscriber support equipment located in various physical hosting facilities (sites). As a result, techniques have been developed to interconnect two more physical data centers to form a single, logical data center. One example layer two (L2) interconnect is an Ethernet virtual private network (EVPN) interconnect through an intermediate network coupling multiple physical data centers.

Protocol independent multicast sparse mode (PIM-SM) support for data center interconnect


Systems and methods for a financial institution to compile information regarding customer loans and items/assets securing the loans to create an environment in which troubled debtors may place an asset into a pool of assets for resale/exchange and to be released of obligations to repay the loan associated with the asset. In some implementations, a customer may replace the asset with another asset in the pool, where the replacement asset imposes a reduced (or no) obligation on the debtor. The pool of assets may include real estate, automobiles, major electronics, major appliances, artwork, etc. In some implementations, the financial services provider may be able to place an asset into the pool of goods before it becomes damaged, destroyed or goes missing by modeling customer behavior and anticipating a pending default on a loan.

Many people face financial crisis situations caused by personal or family illness, the loss of a job, or overspending, it can seem overwhelming. Often, the crisis can be overcome, but many people do not consider available options such as redefining a budget, contact creditors, managing secured loans, or credit counseling. Thus, people are faced with more difficult decisions, such as walk away from their financial obligations or have their equity repossessed. These drastic solutions are devastating to a person's credit rating, as well as personal lives.
In addition, deeper financial difficulties may involve specialists to unwind the damage. Bankruptcy attorneys, accountants and other trained experts may need to be retained at substantial cost to individuals having difficulty, which further exacerbates the problems that individuals incur during a crisis.

Systems and methods for providing a marketplace of goods subject to distressed financial obligations

United Services Automobile Association (USAA)


A shift register circuit comprises a series circuit comprising a plurality of first clocked gate inverters and inverters which are alternately connected in series, where a first one of the first clocked gate inverters is adapted to receive an input pulse signal, an output line connected to an output of each of the inverters for outputting an output pulse signal, and a second clocked gate inverter connected to the output of each of the inverters for outputting an output pulse signal. The first clocked gate inverters operate responsive to a first clock signal, and the second clocked gate inverters operate responsive to a second clock signal which is different from the first clock signal.

The present invention generally relates to shift register circuits, and more particularly to a shift register circuit which uses a clocked inverter and is applicable to a driving circuit of a contact type image sensor and also to shift registers in general.
Recently, helped by the size reduction and improved functions of image input devices, there is active development of full-size contact type image sensors which integrally have driving circuits. In such full-size contact type image sensors, a shift register is used for the driving circuit to control the entire circuit operation responsive to a clock signal.
FIG. 1 shows an example of the shift register. In FIG. 1, a shift register 3 comprises a flip-flop 1 which receives an input pulse signal IP and an inverter 2 which receives the clock signal .phi..
FIG. 2A shows another example of the shift register. In FIG. 2A, a static type shift register 6A comprises clocked gate inverters 4 which receive the clock signal .phi. or .phi. and normal inverters 5 which are alternately connected as shown.
FIG. 2B shows another example of the shift register. In FIG. 2B, a dynamic type shift register 6B comprises clocked gate inverters 4 which receive the clock signal .phi. or .phi. and normal inverters 5 which are alternately connected as shown.
The clocked gate inverter 4 has a circuit construction shown in FIG. 3. Four transistors Q1 through Q4 are connected in series between a power source V.sub.DD and ground. The p-channel transistor Q1 and the n-channel transistor Q2 are provided for receiving an input signal. The p-channel transistor Q3 is provided for receiving the clock signal .phi.. The n-channel transistor Q4 is provided for receiving the clock signal .phi.. This circuit construction enables separation of the output signal and the input signal in synchronism with the clock signal .phi..
Because the inverted clock signal .phi. has a low level when the clock signal .phi. has a high level, a low resistance state occurs between the source and drain of the transistors Q3 and Q4. In other words, the transistors Q3 and Q4 turn ON and output voltages thereof change depending on the input voltage. On the other hand, because the inverted clock signal .phi. has a high level when the clock signal .phi. has a low level, a high resistance state occurs between the source and drain of the transistors Q3 and Q4. In other words, the transistors Q3 and Q4 turn OFF and output voltages thereof become constant even when the input voltage changes assuming that a leak current is within a negligible range. The above description applies to the clocked gate inverter which is synchronized to the clock signal .phi., but when the clock signal .phi. is applied to the transistor Q3 and the inverted clock signal .phi. is applied to the transistor Q4, the circuit becomes a clocked gate inverter which is synchronized to the inverted clock signal .phi..
When the shift register employing the flip-flop as shown in FIG. 1 is compared with the shift register employing the clocked gate inverter as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the shift register employing the clocked gate inverter is more advantageous in that the number of required transistors per output is smaller compared to that required in the shift register employing the flip-flop. For this reason, when integrating a circuit which has a large number of bits over a relatively large area as in the case of the full-size contact type image sensor, it is more advantageous to use the shift register shown in FIG. 2A or 2B.
However, according to the conventional shift register employing the clocked gate inverter, the output pulse signal OP is obtained only from the normal inverter 5 as may be see from FIGS. 2A and 2B. Even in the case of the dynamic type shift register shown in FIG. 2B, one clocked gate inverter 4 and one normal inverter 5, that is, a total of two inverters, are required per bit in the shift register portion alone.
In order to drive a full-size image sensor for reading a size A4 paper with 8 bits per 1 mm, it is necessary to use a shift register having a total of 1728 bits. When the dynamic type shift register shown in FIG. 2B is used in this case, a total of approximately 10,000 transistors must be formed without a defect. As a result, the yield per transistor must be in the order of 99.999%. But such a yield of 99.999% per transistor is an extremely high value when considering the yield of a patterning which is carried out to form circuits on a relatively large substrate surface. Therefore, there is a demand to realize a shift register which can operate using a smaller number of transistors.
FIGS. 4(A) through 4(G) show timing charts for explaining the operation timing of the shift registers 6A and 6B shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. In FIGS. 4(A) through 4(G), it is assumed that the shift registers 6A and 6B respectively have four stages for outputting the output pulse signals OP1 through OP4. As may be seen from FIGS. 4(A) through 4(G), the shift registers 6A and 6B which employ the clocked gate inverter suffer a problem in that there are two timings which could cause an erroneous operation for each output pulse signal OP. In other words, at a time t1, the clocked gate inverter which is synchronized to the clock signal .phi. prevents the inversion of the output pulse signal OP when the input pulse signal IP rises with the rising edge of the inverted clock signal .phi., and the inversion of the output pulse signal is delayed for 1/2 the period of the clock signal .phi., that is, until a time t2. At a time t3, the falling edge of the clock signal .phi.0 is used to prevent the inversion of the output pulse signal OP when the input pulse signal IP falls with the rising edge of the inverted clock signal .phi.. Hence, the pulse width of the output pulse signal OP becomes the same as the pulse width of the input pulse signal IP.
In this case, the transition of the input pulse signal IP and the falling edge of the clock signal .phi. which is used for delaying the transfer of the transition to the next stage of the shift register occur simultaneously. For this reason, it is unavoidable that the circuit operation becomes unstable due to a noise, rounding and the like which is generated at the rising and falling edges of these pulse signals. Especially in the case of the driving circuit of the full-size contact type image sensor having a large number of bits, an erroneous operation is easily generated by a distorted (or rounded) clock signal and the in-plane distribution of the transistor characteristics.

Ricoh Research Institute of General Electronics Co., Ltd.


A mouthpiece assembly includes a tubular member with two longitudinal portions, and a ligature for attaching a reed to the tubular member. The ligature and the mouthpiece are structured to define several discrete positions that can be selected by a musician.

A. Field of Invention
This invention pertains to musical instruments with removable mouthpiece assemblies, and more particularly to a novel assembly wherein the ligature has several positions spaced along a longitudinal axis of a mouthpiece.
B. Description of the Prior Art
Woodwind instruments are instruments consisting of a tubular body used to define a column of air. As is well known in the art, sound waves are produced within the column of air and the musical characteristics of the sounds, including pitch, volume and other characteristics are modulated by changing the acoustic characteristics of the column. More specifically, a mouthpiece is attached by a friction fit to an end of the tubular body. The mouthpiece has a cavity in communication with the interior of the tubular body. A reed covers the cavity and is arranged so that when a musician blows through the mouthpiece, the reed oscillates and produces vibrations which are then propagated through the cavity in the mouthpiece to the tubular body. The reed is secured to the mouthpiece by an adjustable metal band known as the ligature.
The ligature normally extends circumferentially around the entire outer body of the mouthpiece. The ligature is provided with an integral tightening mechanism that is used to secure the reed to the mouthpiece. Because of the mechanical coupling between the ligature, the mouthpiece and the reed, the structure of the ligature plays a roll in the sound produced by the instruments, and various types of ligatures are available from different companies, each having its own sound characteristics. FIGS. 3 and 4 show some known prior art mouthpieces and ligatures for saxophones.

Mouthpiece assembly for saxophone and other similar instruments


The present invention concerns a method for producing a controlled atmosphere having an oxygen partial pressure of below 10.sup.-13 Pa and an operating temperature above 1000.degree. C. According to the invention a furnace is vented by a gas mixture having an oxygen partial pressure lower than 10.sup.-8 Pa but higher than that of said controlled atmosphere, and that a partial volume of said furnace is submitted to a static electric field having a strength of at least 6V/cm and reducing the oxygen partial pressure in this partial volume by orders of magnitude. The invention also relates to a device for implementing this method.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a method for producing a controlled atmosphere having an oxygen partial pressure of below 10.sup.-13 Pa and an operating temperature above 1000.degree. C. The invention also refers to a device for implementing this method.
2. Description of Related Art
An atmosphere having a low oxygen partial pressure and high temperature is often requested for studies relating to the corrosion behaviour of advanced materials. Thus, in the frame of coal gasification, which takes place at temperatures between 1200.degree.C. and 1400.degree. C., the refractory lining of the coal gasifier is in contact with gases such as CO, CO.sub.2, H.sub.2 S, H.sub.2, COS, ammonia at very low oxygen partial pressure. In most of today's industrial coal gasifiers the oxygen partial pressure lies below 10.sup.-10 Pa. The evaluation of the corrosion behaviour of such materials in a laboratory requires gas mixtures in which the partial pressures of the most important components such as oxygen (p.sub.o2) and sulphur (p.sub.s2) should be adapted to the real conditions of an industrial coal gasifier. It is particularly difficult to ensure in the laboratory an oxygen partial pressure which corresponds to that in a coal gasifier particularly if the oxygen partial pressure lies below 10.sup.-13 Pa. This is due to the fact that the other components of the gas mixture are seldom available free of oxygen impurities and that neither the admission duct for the mixture to the furnace nor the furnace itself is free of oxygen. In fact, there exist components in the furnace made for example of aluminium oxide which release oxygen at high temperature.
A possible solution to this problem for obtaining a defined atmosphere having a very low oxygen partial pressure is to conceive special furnaces with a graphite lining. However, this solution has certain drawbacks:
1. A special furnace is required for tests under a very low oxygen partial pressure (high investment).
2. Such graphite furnaces must exclusively be used for tests under extremely low oxygen partial pressures, as otherwise the graphite lining will oxidise.
From U.S. Pat. No. 3,732,056 an apparatus is known for hot pressing of oxide ceramics in a controlled oxygen atmosphere. This apparatus intends to increase the oxygen content in the furnace for oxidizing the ceramic material and not to reduce the oxygen content in a gas mixture to values which could not be achieved according to the state of the art.
The state of the art may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,553 since the method disclosed in this document concerns the removal of oxygen from a controlled atmosphere. This is achieved by a silicon material which is heated in a furnace up to about 1000.degree. C. and acts as a getter which absorbs oxygen. However, no final partial oxygen pressure values are disclosed in this document.

Method and device for producing a controlled atmosphere with low oxygen partial pressure


A plane is segmented into a plurality of regions whose vertexes are points which include the terminals, and a route search graph is generated. The route search graph expresses a connection relationship between the plurality of regions. A line connecting two objects in a shortest distance is recorded as a critical cut together with a width of wires that can go through the critical cut, the two objects including the terminals. A corresponding relationship relative to the critical cut and, when necessary, position information relative to the critical cut are recorded in edges of one of the plurality of regions related to the critical cut and in a necessary terminal. In deciding the wiring route in the route search graph and when it is detected, by using the position information recorded in a terminal or an edge on the wiring route being decided, that the wiring route has come into a certain region of the plurality of regions, the incoming direction in the critical cut related to the certain region is recorded by referring to the position information used in the detection. Also, when it is detected, from the position information recorded in a terminal or an edge which will be on the wiring route being decided, that the wiring route goes out of the region, it is judged whether the wiring route crosses the related critical cut, from the position information used when detecting the outgoing wiring route by referring to the incoming direction recorded in the related critical cut. Furthermore, when it is judged that the wiring route crosses the critical cut, it is judged whether the wiring route can be wired by referring to the width of wires that can go through the critical cut.

The present invention relates to a method of automatically deciding wiring routes between terminals on a printed-circuit board or the like. The present invention ensures the requisite thicknesses of the wires and the minimum spacing between wires and confirms that a limitation on the capacity of a wiring route is not exceeded.
The capacity of a wiring route between terminals on a printed-circuit board is based on the required width of the wires, the minimum separation distance between wires, the number of wires required and the space available. Some of the wiring routes are predetermined and viewed as "obstacles" during the subsequent process of laying out the remaining wires. Previously known automatic wiring systems can re-position, by a "push-away" operation, a predetermined wiring route to make room for another wire. When the predetermined wire route is 90.degree. or 45.degree. relative to the new wire, it is possible with conventional routing systems to dynamically re-position the predetermined wire route in a reasonable amount of time. However, it-is not practical using conventional routing systems to re-position a predetermined wire route which lies at other, "free" angles relative to the new wire due to complexity of the calculations required.
A "rubber band" model has also been used to determine wire routing where there are previously wired lines. The rubber band model is representative of routes topologically equivalent and is expressed by a series of "critical cuts". Each critical cut connects two objects in the shortest distance and is considered a line tightly extended between two terminals. If each critical cut does not exceed the wiring capacity, physical positioning of all the wires can be accomplished while meeting the wiring capacity as a whole. See E. Leiserson and F. M. Maley, "Algorithms for Routing and Testing Routability of Planar VLSI layouts," Proc. STOC, pp. 69-78 (1985). Consequently, in the rubber band model the physical position of a previously wired line is not determined during route search for wiring, but it is determined by checking the physical wiring possibility with detailed wiring process after the position of all other wiring routes has been determined.
It is possible and common to convert another type of route expression to a rubber band model in real time. Then an accurate route capacity can be verified by a visibility graph or mesh structure obtained by region segmentation. However, only an approximate route capacity can be estimated automatically with conventional computer systems in a reasonable amount of time because of the complexity of calculating the capacities of all critical cuts. When there is excess room in a wiring region, the approximate determinations of capacity can obtain viable wiring routes. However, many printed circuit boards today have high density, and wiring is required to the very limit of the capacity. Therefore, for typical high-density wiring requirements, conventional routing systems require too much time to make free-angle adjustments between new wires and previously determined wire routes.

Method and apparatus for deciding a wiring route and for detecting a critical cut

International Business Machines Corporation