A method and corresponding apparatus for searching for a signal is presented. The apparatus may be configured to select a first bin within a range of bins characterizing an uncertainty region. The bins may represent a phase within a bandwidth of interest. The apparatus may also be configured to compare a local signal, having a phase corresponding to the first bin, with a received signal, the received signal being received via a transmission medium. The apparatus may report whether the local signal matches the received signal. The apparatus may assign weightings to the bins if the local signal does not match the received signal. If a match is not found, the apparatus may select a next bin according to the weightings or according to characteristic of the transmission medium until a matching bin is obtained. One benefit of the search is reduced search time to allow, for example, a cell phone to synchronize the phase of a received signal more quickly than is currently done.

There has been considerable interest in the use of ultrawide bandwidth (UWB) systems for both commercial and military applications. UWB may be used to refer to any radio technology having bandwidth exceeding the lesser of 500 MHz or 20% of the arithmetic center frequency, according to Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The use of large transmission bandwidth translates to many advantages over the conventional narrowband systems. To realize these advantages, however, the receiver may need to perform signal acquisition.
Signal acquisition may involve detecting timing delay. To perform signal acquisition, the receiver quantizes signal as a function of uncertainty range into several small ranges, referred to as bins or cells. Signal acquisition is completed when a receiver detects an in-phase bin, which is defined as a bin that corresponds to a timing delay or phase of a propagation path. In general, the receiver performs best if it completes the signal acquisition as fast as possible. A few prior art methods of signal acquisition employ accelerators, whose cost of processing is proportional to time used to test a particular bin or location.

Method and apparatus for signal searching


Acoustic imaging tools and methods use refracted wave amplitudes to generate borehole images, thereby providing a method and tool that is highly sensitive to borehole discontinuities.

Well logging systems and methods may be used to inspect and evaluate many characteristics of the wellbore, wellbore casing, and the formations through which the wellbore traverses. For both open hole logging and logging-while-drilling ("LWD"), it is important to obtain high resolution images of the borehole to identify dips angles, fractures, washouts and breakouts. The pulse-echo technique employs a transducer which fires an ultrasonic pulse and receives the echo from the borehole. This technique offers high resolution borehole images in both oil-based mud ("OBM") and water-based mud ("WBM") and has been used in wireline tools for more than 40 years.
However, there are multiple challenges applying the pulse-echo technique to LWD, and one major challenge is eccentricity and motion compensation due to vibration. The challenges are presented because pulse-echo signals are sensitive to multiple parameters, such as beam divergence, reflection angle, attenuation along propagation path, etc. All the factors need to be taken into account to acquire a complete deterministic compensation, which requires accurate motion sensing and motion algorithms. Conventional approaches have been unable to solve these challenges, hence there is no acoustic tool commercially available for LWD borehole imaging. Moreover, conventional high resolution imaging tools for LWD are mainly based on micro-resistivity, which can only be used in water based mud.

Borehole imaging using amplitudes of refracted acoustic waves


A sealing member for a piston slidably disposed within the cylinder bore of a hydraulic system includes a seal body having an outer sealing surface arranged to contact the cylinder bore and a glide ring at least partially disposed within the outer sealing surface of the seal body. The glide ring includes an outer surface and the outer sealing surface of the seal body includes at least one seal lip projecting beyond the outer surface of the glide ring.

The present disclosure relates to hydraulic control systems, and especially to seal members and seal assemblies used in a master cylinder of a hydraulic braking system.
Conventionally, a master cylinder for developing fluid pressure according to pedal force applied by a brake or clutch pedal is used in a hydraulic brake or clutch system for the purpose of actuating a brake or a clutch. A typical master cylinder for a hydraulic braking system 10, as generally depicted in FIG. 1, comprises a master cylinder 12 fed by a brake fluid reservoir 14. The master cylinder includes a primary cylinder body 16 and a secondary cylinder body 18 in communication through a common cylinder bore 22. A primary piston 20 is slidably disposed within the cylinder bore 22.
The master cylinder includes sealing members between the cylinder bore 22 and the primary piston 20 (as well as the secondary piston disposed in the secondary cylinder body 18). In some master cylinders, the sealing members are mounted within the cylinder body, with the pistons traversing an inner surface of the sealing members. One such exemplary seal configuration is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,520,132, assigned to Bosch Corporation, which issued on Apr. 21, 2009, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
In another seal configuration, the primary piston 20 includes a number of sealing members 24, 25 received in corresponding grooves 26, 27 formed in the body of the piston, as depicted in FIG. 1. In this configuration, the sealing members 24, 25 move with the piston within the cylinder bore 22. The seal configuration includes a glide ring formed of TEFLON®.
In a hydraulic control system, and especially in a braking system, it is essential to maintain the pressures within the master cylinder and to avoid leakage around the piston(s) in the system. At the same time, the pistons must be capable of relatively free sliding within the cylinder bore to ensure suitable responsiveness of the hydraulic system and to maintain an appropriate activation pressure, particularly for an automotive braking system. There is always a need for a sealing arrangement that is capable of proper sealing at low and high pressures without introducing unnecessary drag to the sliding action of the pistons within the hydraulic cylinder.

Seal member for a hydraulic braking system


Laser apparatus (1) comprising a reference source (2), a reference fiber (3), and at least one laser diode (4), wherein the reference fiber (3) comprises a core (5) having a refractive index n1 and a first cladding (6) having a refractive index n2, the first cladding (6) is surrounded by a second cladding (7) having a refractive index n3, the refractive index n1 is greater than the refractive index n2, the refractive index n2 is greater than the refractive index n3, the laser diode (4) emits laser radiation (8) that is guided through the first cladding (6) of the reference fiber (3), the reference source (2) emits reference radiation (9) that has a predetermined wavelength λR (10), the reference radiation (9) is guided through the core (5) of the reference fiber (3) to the laser diode (4), and the reference radiation (9) that is guided through the core (5) of the reference fiber (3) to the laser diode (4) has a power (11) at the predetermined wavelength λR (10), which power is greater than an injection locking threshold of the laser diode.

Fibre lasers are finding wide commercial application in many industrial processes such as marking, cutting, welding and brazing. Diode-pumped fibre lasers have become commercially available that can emit 10 W to 2 kW of laser radiation in a near diffraction limited beam. These lasers are based on rare-earth doped optical fibres which emit in the fundamental mode. The optical fibres are typically based on large mode area fibres such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,614,975. The large mode area enables output power levels to be increased to levels which would cause optical damage to optics and optical fibres within the laser if conventional singlemode fibres were used, and which would result in non-linear effects such as stimulated Raman scattering and stimulated Brillouin scattering if a truly single-mode core were used.
Further increases in output power can be achieved by relaxing the requirement that the fibre laser emits a near diffraction limited beam. A few-moded fibre laser (beam quality M2 in the range 2 to approximately 20) can be designed by increasing the core diameter. This enables the output power to be increased, whilst maintaining beam qualities that are better than competing technologies. Further increase in power can be achieved by combining the single-mode or few-moded laser radiation from several rare-earth doped fibres together. Rare-earth doped fibre lasers are commercially available that can emit up to 1 kW to 50 kW of laser radiation with excellent beam quality.
Fibre lasers typically use cladding-pumping in which pump light is coupled into the inner cladding of an optical fibre that comprises a rare-earth doped core, an inner cladding, and an outer cladding. The pump radiation is guided along the inner cladding and is gradually absorbed by the core. Cladding pumping has a major advantage in that pump light can be supplied by low-cost, high-power, multi-mode laser diodes. A disadvantage is that the length of fibre required to absorb the pump radiation is longer than a core-pumped fibre laser by a factor approximately equal to the ratio of the area of the inner cladding to the area of the core. This increase in length is undesirable because it reduces the efficiency of a fibre laser or amplifier, and increases undesirable optical non-linear effects.
It is generally desirable for an amplified optical signal to have high beam quality and high peak powers for optimum materials processing capability. In an optical fibre, high beam quality places certain limitations on the dimensions of the core in order to maintain single-moded or few-moded propagation. These restrictions in core size lead to high optical intensities within the core during the amplification of high-power optical radiation. High optical intensities lead to undesirable optical non-linearities which need to be mitigated by short fibre lengths to minimise the interaction length. For example, pulsed fibre lasers having average powers of 10 W to 50 W typically have peak powers in excess of 5 kW. Reducing the fibre length is important to avoid stimulated Brillouin scattering and stimulated Raman scattering. The first can lead to undesirable pulsing and catastrophic failures owing to the associated acoustic phonon shattering the core of the fibre. The latter can lead to undesirable wavelength shifts. Similar non-linear effects are also seen in high-power continuous-wave lasers where power levels in excess of 100 W can lead to wavelength shifts induced by stimulated Raman scattering. The problem is clearly even more important between approximately 400 W to 2 kW in single mode lasers, and between approximately 4 kW to 50 kW in few-moded or multi-moded lasers.
In order to minimise the length of the optical fibre, and thereby minimize losses and non-linear effects, it is preferable to use a pump radiation wavelength that is well-matched to the strongest absorption peak of the active dopant in the core. A commonly-used rare-earth dopant is ytterbium, which has an absorption peak at 976±3 nm. This absorption peak has approximately two to three times the absorption per unit length than the absorption between 910 and 970 nm. However, multi-mode pump laser diodes have poor wavelength repeatability from device-to-device (typically ±10 nm), a strongly temperature-dependent wavelength (typically 0.3 nm/K), and a strong dependence of wavelength on output power (typically 1 nm/W). Over a typical operating temperature range for an industrial laser (0 to 60 C), the wavelength emitted by the pump diodes may vary by as much as 30 nm. Even if the laser diode is temperature stabilised, the power-dependence of wavelength (10 nm for a 10 W emitter) makes it difficult to directly-pump the strongest absorption peak of ytterbium, especially in pulsed applications in which the pump diodes are switched on and off repeatedly. Switching the pump diodes on and off repeatedly leads to pump wavelength variation while the pump diodes thermally stabilise each time they are turned on, and pump wavelength variation as the average temperature of the pump diodes thermally stabilises. Similar limitations occur with other rare earth dopants, and for fibres containing two or more rare-earth dopants, for example, erbium ytterbium fibres which are optimally pumped at 976 nm and which emit at around 1550 nm to 1560 nm. The difficulty in directly pumping the strongest absorption peak of rare earth dopants, cheaply and reliably, provides a limitation to the peak power capability of low-cost rare-earth-doped fibre lasers and amplifiers, and in particular pulsed rare-earth doped fibre lasers and amplifiers. It is for these reasons that the vast majority of high power ytterbium doped fibre lasers and amplifiers use multimode laser diodes emitting pump radiation within a wavelength range of 910 nm to 950 nm at which the absorption of ytterbium is approximately two to three times smaller than at 976 nm.
Recent approaches to stabilizing the pump wavelength include using volume Bragg gratings to provide feedback to the multi-mode laser diodes in order to provide some degree of wavelength-locking. Volume Bragg gratings are expensive, and are typically used on high-current laser diode bars as opposed to the single emitter laser diodes commonly used in fibre lasers. The wavelength locking performance over typical temperature and operating power ranges is also questionable.
There is therefore a need for a laser apparatus in which the laser radiation can be matched to the peak absorption of an active medium. An associated need which is important for environmental (ie green) considerations is to improve the efficiency of lasers and amplifiers. A further need is to allow the increase of optical power from fibre lasers and amplifiers without incurring undesirable non-linear effects.
An aim of the present invention is to provide laser apparatus which reduces the above aforementioned problems.
The Invention:
According to a non-limiting embodiment of the invention, there is provided laser apparatus comprising a reference source, a reference fibre, and at least one laser diode, wherein the reference fibre comprises a core having a refractive index n1 and a first cladding having a refractive index n2, the first cladding is surrounded by a second cladding having a refractive index n3, the refractive index n1 is greater than the refractive index n2, the refractive index n2 is greater than the refractive index n3, the laser diode emits laser radiation that is guided through the first cladding of the reference fibre, the reference source emits reference radiation that has a predetermined wavelength, the reference radiation is guided through the core of the reference fibre to the laser diode, and the reference radiation that is guided through the core of the reference fibre to the laser diode has a power at the predetermined wavelength, which power is greater than an injection locking threshold of the laser diode thereby to injection lock the laser diode.
Injection locking is a process whereby the output frequency of a first oscillator is controlled by coupling radiation from a second, usually more stable oscillator into the first oscillator. In general, laser diodes have poorly defined wavelengths, that are temperature dependent, and which vary as the laser diode is switched on. By coupling the reference radiation from the reference source into the laser diode, it is possible to injection lock the laser diode such that its output wavelength is forced to become substantially equal to the wavelength of the reference radiation. This enables the wavelength of the laser diode to be determined by selecting a reference source that emits at the predetermined wavelength. It also enables the wavelength of the laser diode to be stabilized as it establishes thermal equilibrium shortly after it is turned on.
The predetermined wavelength is a wavelength that is preselected by a user. The predetermined wavelength may be the wavelength at which an amplifier or a laser can be pumped by the laser diode at maximum efficiency, lowest noise, maximum power, shortest length, lowest non-linear phase, or another parameter that has importance to the user.
Advantageously, the invention provides a means to injection lock the laser diode, and in particular a multimode laser diode, rapidly, and simply, and to do this while providing high levels of output powers (greater than 60% of the power emitted by the laser diode, preferably greater than approximately 90%, and more preferably greater than 95%) at a laser output with a wide selection of injection locked wavelengths that are defined by the choice of the predetermined wavelength of the reference source. Suitable predetermined wavelengths include: the peak absorption wavelength of a rare-earth doped fibre laser, rod laser, or disk laser; a wavelength at which heat dissipation is reduced or preferably minimized in a fibre laser, rod laser, or disk laser; and a wavelength which optimizes efficiency within a fibre laser, rod laser, or disk laser. These features are consistent with achieving a fast modulation rate of wavelength-locked pump radiation in fibre lasers, rod lasers and disk lasers, which is necessary for rapid process control in marking, cutting, welding and brazing applications. Moreover, it allows such fast modulation rates to be achieved with increased efficiencies, reduced amplifier fibre lengths, which combination leads to lower non-linear effects (such as self phase modulation) and/or higher peak powers being available from amplifiers and lasers. The invention solves the problem of poor wavelength control and repeatability of multimode laser pump diodes, namely poor wavelength repeatability from device to device±10 nm, strong temperature dependent wavelength (0.3 nm/K), and strong power-dependence on wavelength (1 nm/W). The invention permits amplified optical signals to have high beam quality and high peak powers for optimum materials processing capability without necessitating the high optical intensities within the core during the amplification of high-power optical radiation. It permits shorter fibre lengths to be used to avoid undesirable optical non-linearities. It is particularly useful for reducing pulse distortion owing to self phase modulation and stimulated Brillouin scattering in pulsed fibre lasers having average powers of 10 W to 50 W and peak powers in excess of 5 kW. It is also useful for reducing non-linear effects such as stimulated Raman scattering in high-power single moded or few moded (beam quality M2 in the range 2 to approximately 20) continuous-wave lasers having power levels in excess of 100 W, 400 W, 1 kW or more preferably, in excess of 4 kW.
The reference source can be a semiconductor laser having an external cavity or which is stabilized by an etalon or grating. The reference source can also be a different type of laser such as a gas laser or a solid state laser.
The reference source may be such that the product of its power at the predetermined wavelength and a first loss experienced by the reference radiation in propagating from the reference source to the laser diode is at least 0.5% of the power of the laser radiation emitted by the laser diode. This is to ensure that there is sufficient of the reference radiation incident on the laser diode to injection lock it reliably and repeatedly. Preferably the laser apparatus is designed to minimize the first loss in order to maximise the reference radiation received by the laser diode.
The laser apparatus may be one in which a second loss experienced by the laser radiation in propagating from the laser diode to the reference source is such that the product of the second loss and the power emitted by the laser diode is less than 10% of the power emitted by the reference source. This is to ensure that the laser radiation does not damage the reference source. Preferably the laser apparatus is designed to increase or maximise the second loss in order to minimize the laser radiation received by the reference source.
The laser apparatus may include a coupler for coupling the reference radiation from the core to the first cladding of the reference fibre. The coupler may be a blazed fibre Bragg grating.
The laser apparatus may include a wavelength division multiplexer.
The laser apparatus may include an amplifying means. The amplifying means can be an amplifying fibre.
The reference fibre and the amplifying fibre may be in optical contact along a portion of their length such that the laser radiation guided by the first cladding of the reference fibre can couple into and pump the amplifying fibre.
The amplifying fibre may comprise a pedestal.
The amplifying fibre may comprise at least one rare-earth dopant.
The laser diode may be arranged to counterpump the amplifying fibre.
The reference fibre may be a single mode fibre.
The laser diode may be a multimode laser diode. The multimode laser diode may be a single emitter laser diode, a diode bar, or a diode stack.
The laser apparatus may comprise a plurality of the laser diodes, wherein the laser diodes are combined by a combiner.


Provided is a composition containing an admixture of xanthan gum and konjac mannan in a specific weight ratio that is useful for making a stable aqueous hydrocolloid. Also provided is a stabilized drink composition containing an admixture of a specific weight ratio of xanthan gum to konjac mannan, protein solids, water and optionally a salt. Also provided is a method for stabilizing aqueous colloid suspensions. Also provided is a method for stabilizing drink compositions.

Stabilization of aqueous suspensions or colloids containing water-insoluble particles is a problem that is encountered in many industries including agriculture, food and beverage, petroleum, and paint industries. Sedimentation and phase separation of aqueous suspensions or colloids containing water-insoluble particles during storage and transportation may require the additional process of re-homogenization at the point of use. Re-homogenization may be costly, difficult to perform, or impractical.
Carrageenan, an extract of red seaweed, is widely recognized as an effective stabilizer and texturizer and its use in the food and beverage industry has been increasing over many years. The stabilizing effects of carrageenan are well known in the art. Carrageenan forms a thixotropic system and when properly utilized can indefinitely stabilize aqueous suspensions or colloids containing water-insoluble particles. However, carrageenan does not possess its full stabilizing functionality unless completely dissolved and does not readily dissolve unless processed using the proper heating, stirring, and cooling procedures. Furthermore in drink applications, carrageenan must be present in a relatively narrow range of concentration in order to stabilize the suspension or colloid. Too much carrageenan results in a gelled, pudding-like solution that is not acceptable for drink applications. Too little and the water-insoluble particles settle to form sediment. Traditionally, beverage-stabilizing grades of carrageenans have been extracted from wild-harvested seaweeds. However, there is a limit to the supply of wild harvested seaweeds. As a result, there is a need for effective alternative stabilizer systems for beverages.
The polysaccharide xanthan gum is a hydrocolloid that is manufactured using a natural fermentation process involving the microorganism Xanthomonas campestris. Xanthan gum is commonly used as an additive in the food industry as a hydrophilic colloid to thicken and stabilize emulsions, foams, and suspensions. In processed foods, xanthan gum provides stability and improves or modifies textural qualities, pouring characteristics and cling. Xanthan gum is unique in its rheology in that while it does not form gels, it exhibits pseudo-plastic flow with very high viscosity at low shear rates and low viscosity at high shear rates. In general, the concentration of xanthan gum required for effective stabilization is related to the particle size and density of the water-insoluble particles. In many cases, the concentration required to effectively stabilize the solution may result in unwanted results including excessive viscosity. Therefore, it may not be possible to prevent sedimentation and phase separation while maintaining the desired flow characteristics of drink applications. Finally, even at high concentration, xanthan gum may not be able to eliminate all sedimentation. In the event that sedimentation does occur, the increased viscosity due to the presence of xanthan gum makes re-suspension of sediment particles significantly more difficult.
Konjac mannan is a glucomannan extracted from the root of the Konjac plant (Amorphophallal konjac). Konjac mannan has a high capacity for water absorption and can swell to about 200 times its original volume. Konjac mannan is unique in that it has the highest viscosity of any known dietary fiber. Due to its high viscosity and capacity for water absorption, konjac mannan has been proposed for use in emulsions to increase stability and as a thickening agent. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,582,714. Konjac mannan is commercially available in several different manufacturers. Konjac mannan has been added to juice drinks in a concentration of approximately 0.01% by weight of the mixture to increase the viscosity of the drink. See U.S. Pat. No. 7,037,539. Konjac mannan has also been suggested as an additive for providing a creamy mouth feel to drinks. See U.S. Pat. No. 6,180,159. However, konjac mannan solutions are difficult to prepare. Even at low concentration and relatively high temperatures, konjac mannan requires rigorous agitation to fully dissolve. Furthermore, the viscosity of konjac mannan gels are not shelf stable as the viscosity decreases by a significant amount within 5 to 10 hours at room temperature. See U.S. Pat. No. 8,003,152.
Xanthan gum and glucomannan, such as konjac mannan, synergistically interact to form strong, self-supporting, elastic, and thermally reversible gels. Several factors may affect gel strength of a gel resulting from the combination of xanthan gum and glucomannan. For example, gel strength may be enhanced by heating the mixture of xanthan gum and glucomannan above the coil-helix transition of xanthan gum. The ionic strength of the solvent in which xanthan gum and glucomannan are dissolved has an inverse relationship with gel strength. Therefore, increasing the salt concentration or lowering the pH results in weaker gels. The degree of acetyl substitution is also inversely related to gel strength (i.e. decreasing acetylation increases gel strength). See U.S. Patent Application Publication US 2012/0021112 A1. However, the previously described gels resulting from xanthan gum and glucomannan do not have the flow characteristics required for use in drink applications. Xanthan gum is also known to synergistically interact with galactomannans to provide greater viscosity than provided by the use of either element alone. Xanthan gum and other viscous soluble fibers also interact with certain proteins wherein the protein decreases the viscosity of the soluble fiber. For example, proteins include wheat protein, egg protein, collagen protein, whey protein, casein protein, gluten, pea protein, soy protein, silk protein, and combinations thereof, lower the viscosity of konjac mannan, xanthan gum, guar gum, beta glucan, and pectin compositions. See U.S. Patent Application Publication US 2006/0099324.
To conclude, there is still a need for a drink stabilizing composition that minimizes phase separation and sedimentation while also providing creamy mouth feel and smooth flow characteristics desired in drink applications.

Drink stabilizer composition and stabilized drink compositions


A communications method and apparatus, the method including receiving, by a policy control network element, from a first session management network element, a policy request message, sending, by the policy control network element, to the first session management network element, according to the policy request message, policy information, where the policy information comprises a data network access identifier (DNAI), and establishing, by the first session management network element, according to the DNAI, a first user plane network element for a first protocol data unit (PDU) session for a terminal device.

In a next-generation wireless communications system, for example, in a new radio (NR) system, a terminal device establishes a protocol data unit (PDU) session by using a user plane function (UPF) network element, and transmits data of the terminal device by using the PDU session.
In a PDU session establishment process, a session management function (SMF) network element may determine the UPF network element based on policy rule information sent from a policy control function (PCF) network element or location information of the terminal device. The UPF network element may be configured to be responsible for functions such as routing and forwarding of a data packet in the PDU session.
However, in the prior art, when a mode of the PDU session is a session and service continuity (SSC) mode 2, service continuity of the terminal device cannot be ensured in a PDU session re-establishment process.


A display device includes a display panel that includes a first pixel and a second pixel, the first pixel being associated with a positive pixel voltage relative to a data voltage and being associated with a first leakage current, the second pixel being associated with a negative pixel voltage relative to the data voltage and being associated with a second leakage current. The display device further includes a gate driver for providing a first gate-off voltage having a first value to at least one of the first pixel and the second pixel, the first value being in a range determined based on an equality-enabling value, wherein a value of the first leakage current is equal to a value of the second leakage current if the first gate-off voltage having the equality-enabling value is provided to the at least one of the first pixel and the second pixel.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to display devices. More particularly, the invention is related display devices capable of minimizing energy consumption and/or capable of preventing undesirable flicker.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Typically, display devices are required for computer monitors, televisions, and mobile phones. Display devices may include cathode ray tube display devices, liquid crystal displays, and plasma display devices.
A display device may include a graphic processing unit (GPU), a display panel, and a signal controller. The graphic processing unit may transmit image data to the signal controller. The signal controller may generate a control signal for driving the display panel and may transmit the control signal together with the image data to the display panel. The display panel may display an image according to the control signal and the image data.
Images displayed on the display panel may be classified into still images and motion pictures. In general, the display panel may display several frames per second. If the frames include the same image data from frame to frame, a still image may be displayed. On the other hand, if the frames include different image data from frame to frame, a motion picture may be displayed.
Conventionally, the graphic processing unit may be configured to transmit image data to the signal controller for every frame even when a still image, a substantial amount of power may be unnecessarily wasted because the same image data is repeatedly transmitted.
Methods for minimizing energy consumption of the display device have been implemented. For example, a method called the panel self-refresh (PSR) mode involves storing image data of a still image in a frame memory in the signal controller and providing the stored image data to the display panel while displaying the still image. In the PSR) mode, since the graphic processing unit does not need to repeatedly transmit the image data while a still image is to be displayed, the graphic processing unit may be inactivated for reducing the energy consumption of the display device.
Nevertheless, for implementing the PSR mode, the additional frame memory may increase the energy consumption of the display device.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention. This Background section may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.


A quartz light includes a lamp base having two grooves, and a light capsule located above the lamp base and having a projection disposed in a compartment of the light capsule, a metal electrode engaged in the compartment of the light capsule and engaged over the projection for forming two downwardly dependent limbs, two molybdenum foils engaged in the compartment of the light capsule and electrically connected to the limbs of the metal electrode, and two lead wires electrically coupled to the molybdenum foils and each having an external end portion extended out of the light capsule and engaged through the grooves of the lamp base and extended out of the lamp base, and secured to the lamp base by heat sealing the lamp base onto the lead wires.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a quartz or crystal light or lamp, and more particularly to a quartz or crystal light or lamp including a light capsule having an improved structure or configuration for preventing the light capsule from being made or manufactured with welding procedures and for decreasing or simplifying the making or manufacturing procedures for the light capsule.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various kinds of typical quartz or crystal lights or lamps have been developed and comprise a light bulb or vitreous envelope or hard glass envelope or light envelope or light capsule provided for generating a light, and including a number of electrodes or lead wires or conductors that are required to be welded or secured together with spot welds or the like.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,099,081 to Ainsworth, U.S. Pat. No. 4,305,015 to Honda et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,361,779 to van der Steen et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,385,257 to Fitzgerald, U.S. Pat. No. 4,533,851 to Block et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,091 to Langer et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 6,611,102 to Kimoto et al. disclose several of the typical quartz or crystal lights or lamps each also comprising a light bulb or vitreous envelope or hard glass envelope or light envelope or light capsule including a number of electrodes or lead wires or conductors provided or disposed or engaged in the light capsule for receiving an electric energy to generate a light.
However, normally, some of the electrodes or lead wires or conductors are required to be welded or secured together with spot welds or the like, and the spot welds or the like may be easily and quickly worn out or damaged due to high temperature such that the working life of the typical quartz or crystal lights or lamps is always short.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional quartz lights or lamps.


A multi-layer ceramic capacitor includes a ceramic body and external electrodes. The ceramic body includes ceramic layers laminated in a first direction, first and second internal electrodes between the ceramic layers, a facing portion in which the internal electrodes face in the first direction, and a cover that covers the facing portion in the first direction. The facing portion includes a first region including at least one element of manganese, a rare-earth element, or magnesium and having a flat distribution of a concentration of the element along the first direction, and a second region disposed between the cover and the first region and having an increasing concentration of the element from the first region toward the cover. The ceramic layers include a capacitance forming layer between the first and second internal electrodes, and a dummy layer between the first or second internal electrodes and across the first and second regions.

The present disclosure relates to a multi-layer ceramic capacitor.
A multi-layer ceramic capacitor is configured such that a voltage can be applied to each of many ceramic layers laminated in the multi-layer ceramic capacitor. Such a multi-layer ceramic capacitor causes mechanical deformation (electrostriction) due to a piezoelectric effect in each ceramic layer to which the voltage is applied. In such a multi-layer ceramic capacitor, cracks are generated due to the electrostriction in some cases.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2007-013132 discloses a multi-layer ceramic capacitor capable of suppressing generation of cracks due to electrostriction. This multi-layer ceramic capacitor includes a stress relaxation layer configured such that a voltage is not applied thereto. In such a multi-layer ceramic capacitor, internal stress is relaxed by the stress relaxation layer, which does not cause electrostriction, and thus cracks are less liable to be generated.


In a frequency synthesizer, a first, constant frequency divider is connected to a reference frequency oscillator, and a second, variable frequency divider is connected to a voltage-controlled oscillator. A phase difference is detected by a phase detector between the frequency dividers and a first output pulse or a second output pulse is produced when the second frequency divider is leading or lagging the first frequency divider. A charge pump integrates the first and second output pulses to supply a phase difference signal to a lowpass filter which drives rates the voltage-controlled oscillator. An initial phase difference which occurs between the frequency dividers immediately after they are energized is detected and one of the frequency dividers is reset with the detected phase difference to align their phase. As long as the initial phase difference is detected, the passages of the first and second output pulses to the charge pump are blocked.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to phase-locked loop frequency synthesizers and more specifically, the invention relates to implementation of a PLL frequency synthesizer capable of fast lock-in operation at the instant immediately after frequency dividers are energized to operate a voltage controlled oscillator in a closed-loop mode. The present invention is particularly suitable for power saving PLL frequency synthesizers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Fast lock-in capability is an important feature of a phase-locked loop regardless of its application in order to recover from an out-of-phase condition. Power saving is another important feature of the phase-locked loop if it is used in portable radio receivers. Since power consumption of a PLL frequency synthesizer of a radio receiver accounts for a substantial proportion of its total power, battery supply of its two frequency dividers is periodically interrupted to operate its voltage-controlled oscillator in an open-loop mode. As shown and described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Specification Sho-60-248022, energy stored in the lowpass (loop) filter during a closed-loop mode is utilized during the next open-loop mode to enable the VCO to produce its output. During the closed-loop mode, the input signals of the phase detector must be resynchronized, or locked in phase to each other even if they are synchronized in frequency. Since longer the time it takes for the closed-loop mode to resynchronize the shorter the time allowed for the open-loop mode to continue, it is desirable from the power savings view point that the two frequency dividers are locked in phase as quickly as possible.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Specification Sho-64-1330 discloses a fast lock-in power-saving PLL frequency synthesizer whose resynchronization process is controlled by the use of two gate circuits as illustrated in FIG. 1. One of the gate circuits, indicated at 2, is connected in the circuit between a quartz oscillator 1 and a divided-by-M frequency divider 3, the other gate circuit 8 being connected in the circuit between a voltage-controlled oscillator 7 and a divide-by-N frequency divider 9. The scaling factor M is constant, while the scaling factor N is variable in accordance with an externally supplied frequency (channel) control signal. The phase difference between the outputs of the frequency dividers 3 and 9 is detected by a phase detector 4 and supplied through a switch 5 and a lowpass filter 7 to the VCO 7. To the outputs of the frequency dividers is connected a control circuit 10 to which power saving pulses are supplied from an external source. Although not shown in FIG. 1, power supply to the frequency dividers 3 and 9 is cut off and the switch 5 is turned off to operate the VCO 7 in an open-loop mode. Immediately after the frequency dividers are activated again, but before the switch 5 is turned on to operate the VCO in a closed loop mode, the control circuit 10 determines whether the frequency divider 9 is lagging or leading with respect to the frequency divider 3. Control circuit 10 turns off the gate circuit 2 if the divider 9 is lagging and turns off the gate circuit 8 if it is advancing. The length of the turn-off time of these gate circuits is determined so that the inputs of the phase detector 4 are aligned in phase with each other.
However, when one of the gate circuits is turned off, there is a possibility of one of the frequency dividers producing at least one error count, and there is also a possibility of another error count when the gate circuit is turned on. In the prior art, there is a likelihood of the occurrence of a maximum initial phase difference of two cycles. Therefore, the prior art approach is still not sufficient for fast lock-in operation because of imprecision timing control of the gate circuits.

PLL frequency synthesizer using frequency dividers reset by initial phase difference


The present invention relates to a solution for handling deferred leg linking in policy and charging rules function in a telecommunications network in relation to handover between two different access technologies. The solution is provided as a nodes, system and a method for handling handover of a user equipment, i.e. UE, (101) in a telecommunications network (100) from one access technology to another access technology, comprising the steps of detecting (203) in a target access gateway, i.e. AGW, (102) that a handover state of the UE is unknown, sending (204) from the target access gateway a gateway control session, i.e. GCS, establishment message to a policy and charging rules function node (105), wherein the message comprise an indication that leg linking of a session is to be deferred until reception of corresponding control signalling from a packet data network gateway (104).

The 3GPP Evolved Packet System (EPS) architecture is defined in 3GPP TS 23.401 and 3GPP TS 23.402. The Policy and Charging Control (PCC) architecture is defined in 3GPP TS 23.203. There are multiple network architecture scenarios depending on what type of accesses are involved, protocol options, roaming or non-roaming use cases, etc. These architecture scenarios are described in TS 23.401, 23.402 and 23.203. FIG. 5 shows an architecture diagram of a non-roaming scenario including accesses in the 3GPP family of accesses (e.g. E-UTRAN) and non-3GPP access, e.g. WLAN. Additional architecture options may be found in TS 23.401 and 23.402.
There are two architecture options for Policy and Charging Control (FCC); the "on-path" and the "off-path" architecture alternatives. The "on-path" alternative is used when the mobility protocol also supports QoS and bearer signaling. This is the case when GTP is used. The "off-path" alternative is when the mobility protocol does not support QoS and bearer signaling. This applies to Proxy Mobile IP-PMIP and host based Mobile IP (MIP). With "on-path" PCC there is only one policy enforcement entity, policy and charging enforcement function (PCEF). The PCEF is located in the PDN GW.
With "off-path" PCC, there are however two policy enforcement entities, the policy and charging enforcement function (PCEF) and a Bearer Binding and Event Reporting Function (BBERF). The BBERF is located in the Serving GW as well as in a network node in the trusted non-3GPP IP Access (The network node in trusted non-3GPP IP Access as an Access GW in the figure above). From now on, we refer to this network entity where BBERF is located using the generic term Access GW, or AGW. For each IP-CAN session, the PCRF has interfaces both to the PCEF (Gx interface) and BBERF (Gxa/Gxc interface). From now on, the Gxa/Gxc interfaces are commonly referred to as Gxx.
Based on information received in the messages on Gxx and Gx, the PCRF performs a so called "leg linking" to determine which Gxx and Gx sessions belong together for the same IP-CAN session. The sessions over Gxx are also referred to as Gateway Control Sessions (GCS).
When a certain event takes place in the EPS, for example an initial attach or a handover, the GCS is always created before the corresponding event is reported on Gx. For example, at initial attach the GCS is created before the Gx session is created. At handover of an existing connection to a new access, the GCS in the new access is created before the handover is reported on Gx. The PCRF can thus assume that the GCS is supposed to exist at the time when the Gx session is created or modified. Having this temporal order, GCS related signaling occur before corresponding Gx related signaling, simplifies the logic in the PCRF and thus eases the implementation efforts.
When PMIP is used in the network, the Proxy Binding Update (PBU) in most cases contains information (Handoff Indicator, or HI) to the PDN GW whether the PBU corresponds to a new attachment, i.e. creation of a new IP-CAN session or a handover of an existing IP-CAN session. When HI indicates a new attachment, the PDN GW creates a new PDN connection for the relevant user equipment (UE) and also a new IP-CAN session with the PCRF. A new IP address is allocated to the UE. When the HI indicates handover, the PDN GW instead "re-uses" the existing PDN connection and IP-CAN session, assigns the same IP address to the UE in the new access and sends an IP-CAN session modification to the PCRF to report the handover.
In case of handover from a 3GPP access technology to a non-3GPP access technology, there is however a special case where the state, initial attach or handover, is unknown and this is indicated in the PBU by setting the HI to "unknown". This happens for example with UEs that have multiple network interfaces but cannot support IP level session continuity between those accesses. In this case, the PMIP RFC [RFC 5213] and 3GPP TS 23.402 allows for two alternative options:    1. The PDN GW can create a new PDN connection/IP-CAN session and assign a new IP address to the UE in the new access, or    2. Start a timer.    a. If the UE releases its IP address in the old access before the timer expires, the PDN GW can assume that it is a handover and in this case the PDN GW "re-uses" the PDN connection/IP-CAN session and assigns the same IP address to the UE in the new access.    b. If the UE has not released its IP address in old access when the timer expires, the PDN GW creates a new PDN connection/IP-CAN session and assigns a new IP address to the UE in the new access.
In case 2a, the current PCC procedures work fine. The GCS in the new access is created first and the PCRF can link the new GCS with the existing Gx/IP-CAN session. The problem occurs in case 1 and 2b. In this case the PCRF, upon creating of the new GCS, will link it to the existing Gx/IP-CAN session without knowing that a new IP-CAN session will be created later. The PCRF will thus link the new GCS to the wrong Gx/IP-CAN session.

Method and apparatus for deferred leg linking in PCRF in relation to handover


A contact carrying portion of a plunger assembly is adjusted linearly in the direction of switch operating movement by a rotatable cam in the plunger assembly to change an initial gap dimension between stationary and movable contacts. The cam is rotatable about an axis parallel to the direction of switch operating movement and comprises a plurality of angularly spaced diametrically oriented grooves, each of a different depth, in an end surface cooperating with a diametrically disposed rib on the contact carrying portion to vary the axial length of the plunger assembly and provide a detent for the cam adjustment. A housing is provided with a window through a lateral wall for accessing slots in the cam to rotate the cam. The pushbutton switch is resiliently disposed in a supplementary housing to accommodate significant overtravel of a switch operating element.

This invention relates to pushbutton switches. In particular, the invention relates to pushbutton switches wherein the pretravel, i.e. the distance a movable contact travels to engage the stationary contacts, is adjustable to compensate for tolerance accumulations in the parts.
Pushbutton switches generally comprise a housing, a plunger in the housing carrying a movable contact, stationary contacts in the housing aligned with the movable contact, and springs biasing the movable contact and the plunger away from the stationary contacts. Depression of the plunger moves the movable contact into engagement with the stationary contacts to complete an electrical circuit therethrough. The individual parts and significant features of the parts are dimensioned to establish a specific initial dimension between the movable and the stationary contacts in the extended position of the pushbutton, thereby defining a particular distance the plunger must be depressed before effecting engagement of the movable and stationary contacts. Each part and feature dimension has a manufacturing tolerance. When a plurality of parts are involved, the tolerances may "stack" adversely, thereby significantly changing the initial dimension between the movable and stationary contacts in the extended position and therefore changing the distance the plunger must travel to effect contact engagement. In certain end user applications, consistency of this initial dimension between the movable and stationary contacts is essential.

Pushbutton switch with adjustable pretravel


A method and apparatus for processing color values in the reproduction of color originals. Color values (R.sub.0, G.sub.0, B.sub.0) are acquired from original pixels (P.sub.0) arranged in an original raster network by pixel-by-pixel and line-by-line, optoelectronic scanning of color originals. For modifying the reproduction scale, an output raster network is generated for output pixels (P.sub.A) to be reproduced and the color values (R.sub.A, G.sub.A, B.sub.A) of the output pixels (P.sub.A) are respectively calculated from the color values (R.sub.0, G.sub.0, B.sub.0) of the original pixels (P.sub.0) within an interpolation window shiftable across the original raster network, being calculated by weighting the color values (R.sub.0, G.sub.0, B.sub.0) with previously calculated weighting coefficients (k.sub.M) for the scale modification and by addition of the weighted color values. In order to save calculating time, an image sharpness correction is implemented simultaneously with the modification of the reproduction scale in that surrounding field values (R.sub.AU, G.sub.AU or B.sub.AU) calculated previously for the surrounding field with an enlarged interpolation window are calculated and further processed. In addition, a color offset correction can also be implemented.

The invention is in the field of electronic reproduction technology and is directed to a method and to an apparatus for processing color values generated by point-by-point and line-by-line, optoelectronic scanning of color originals in view of a modification of the reproduction scale and in view of a correction of image sharpness.
A point-by-point and line-by-line scanning of a color original is implemented, for example, in a flat bed color image scanner means. Given such a flat bed color image scanner means, the color original to be scanned is arranged on a planar originals carrier that moves continuously relative to an optoelectronic transducer of a scanner unit. The color original to be scanned is illuminated line-by-line with red, green and blue light in alternating fashion, and the scan light that is reflected by the color original or which passes through the color original and is modulated with the color information of the scanned lines is converted into analog color values in the scanner unit.
The scanner unit is essentially composed of a source of scan light, of a rotating filter wheel for the line-by-line separation of the white light produced by the scanner light source into red, green and blue light, and of an optoelectronic transducer, for example of a photodiode line (CCD line), having a following signal editing unit for converting the color components "red", "green" and "blue" acquired line-by-line in the color original into the color values (R, G, B) of the individual pixels in the scan lines. The filter wheel comprises three color-selective segments that have different spectral transmission characteristics for "red", "green" and "blue". The scanner unit is followed by a color value processing unit wherein the analog color values (R, G, B) are converted, for example, into digital color values (R, G, B), are processed for the following processes and are then stored or output on-line.
In the reproduction of color originals, a modification of the reproduction scale in comparison to the scanned color original is often undertaken, for which purpose a multitude of time-consuming calculating operations on the basis of the color values are required in the color value processing.
At the same time, image sharpness corrections (contrast correction) must often be implemented on the basis of an electronic unsharp masking. The contrast, particularly in fine details, is already diminished by comparison to the original in the production of the color original due to unsharpness in film layers as well as due to enlargement and transfer copying. Added thereto is that the resolution of the optoelectronic scanner element of a color scanner is limited due to stray light and unsharpness of the scanner objective, as a result whereof an additional reduction in contrast occurs in the reduction, the observer's eye interpreting this as unsharpness. There is therefore the necessity of restoring the reduced contrast or, respectively, the reduced image sharpness in the processing of the color values, or to even enhance them in comparison to the original for editorial reasons.
In the image sharpness correction on the basis of electronic unsahrp masking, a surrounding field value is first calculated for every current pixel from the color values of a field surrounding the current pixel, the difference between surrounding field value and color value of the current pixel is formed, and the differential value is added to the color value of the current pixel to a selectable degree as a sharpness correction value. Further time consuming calculating operations are thus required for image sharpness correction.
Due to the substantial number of color values that are to be processed in a modification of scale, there is the problem that an additional image sharpness correction could previously not be implemented in a satisfactory way without considerably exceeding the time available for the scale calculation and, thus, without disadvantageously reducing the speed in the color value processing.
Given employment of a filter wheel in the optoelectronic scanner unit, the color components "red", "green" and "blue of the color original are successively scanned line-by-line due to the continuous relative motion between the optoelectronic transducer and the color original.
Disturbing color offsets arise due to this sequential color scanning in the individual scan lines of the color original, since respectively only one color component is directly acquired for the individual pixels of a current scan line.
For improving the reproduction quality, it is already known to implement a color offset correction in that the lacking color values of the pixels of a scan line are respectively calculated from the color values of the neighboring scan lines. Further time-consuming calculating operations are required for the correction of these color offsets.

Method for processing color values for reproduction scale modification and shapness correction in reproduction of color originals


An optical unit may include a fixed body, a movable module which holds an optical element, a swing support point which swingably supports the movable module, and a shake correction drive mechanism structured to swing the movable module with the swing support point as a swing center. The swing support point may be structured of an abutted portion of two members in an optical axis direction between a bottom part of the movable module and a bottom part of the fixed body. At least one of the two members may be made of elastic material.

In recent years, a cell phone is structured as an optical device on which an optical unit for photographing is mounted. In the optical unit, in order to restrain disturbance of a photographed image due to a shake in hand of a user, for example, as shown in FIG. 12(a), an elastic member 189a is fixed to both of a photographing unit 1 (movable module) and a fixed body 200 so that the photographing unit 1 is capable of being swung and, in this state, the photographing unit 1 is swung by a shake correction drive mechanism 500 to correct the shake (see Patent Literature 1). However, in the structure described in Patent Literature 1, when the photographing unit 1 is to be swung by the shake correction drive mechanism 500, since the elastic member 189a is required to be deformed, a large drive force is required and its responsiveness is low.
On the other hand, as a structure in which the photographing unit 1 is capable of swinging with respect to the fixed body 200, as shown in FIG. 12(b), a structure has been proposed in which a protruded part 189b is provided in the fixed body 200 and the protruded part 189b is abutted with a bottom part of the photographing unit 1 as a swing support point (see Patent Literature 2). According to this structure, only a small drive force is required and its responsiveness is enhanced. However, in the structure described in Patent Literature 2, when an impact is applied from the outside, the impact is concentrated on the swing support point and thus the photographing unit 1 or the fixed body 200 may be deformed.
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 12(c), a structure has been proposed in which a plate spring part 189c is provided in the fixed body 200 and a protruded part 189b is provided on the plate spring part 189c (see Patent Literature 3). According to this structure, even when an impact which is applied from the outside is concentrated on the swing support point, the impact is absorbed by deformation of the plate spring part 189c and thus deformation of the photographing unit 1 or the fixed body 200 is prevented.

Optical unit with shake correcting function


The disclosed systems and methods authenticate a user of a telecommunications network for a third-party service provider to seamlessly provision a third-party service. A The telecommunications network receives an indication that a user device on the telecommunications network received an input by a user to access the third-party service. In response, the telecommunications network obtains a network-based identifier (e.g., IP address) that uniquely identifies the user device and associated user, determine that the user is eligible for the third-party service based on the user's subscribed service plan, and communicates information to enable the third-party service provider to automatically provision the third-party service on the user device without needing additional input to activate the third-party service or authenticate the user with the third-party service on the user device.

A company may partner with another company to offer services for their mutual benefit. For example, a first company that has many customers (users of the first company's services) may work with a second company to provide discounted or free services or products from the second company to the first company's customers. In doing so, the first company provides a benefit to its customers while the second company expands its reach to new customers. There are various problems associated with such an arrangement. For example, the customers of the first company would need to subsequently re-authenticate themselves with the second company to access the discounted or free services or products.
For example, FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a sequence of displays on a user device to provision a third-party service over a telecommunications network. As shown, a web browser of a user device on a telecommunications network is utilized to access AMAZON PRIME, which is a paid subscription service offered by AMAZON. The user device displays a web or mobile application ("app") form for the customer to input authenticating information to access the third-party service on the user device. Once the authenticating information is complete, submitted, and processed, the customer can access the third-party service at the user device.
Moreover, when a first company offers a service of the second company as a bonus service, a customer is typically given a passcode to redeem the bonus service. The additional burden of remembering and entering a passcode leads the customer to forego redeeming the bonus service. Moreover, oftentimes there are delays between when a customer becomes eligible for a benefit and when the customer is apprised that the benefit is available. As a result, the customer is less likely to redeem the bonus service because the passcode was lost, misplaced, or the customer simply chooses to avoid the burdensome process of registering for the bonus service. These and other drawbacks obviate the benefits that should flow from the partnership when providing bonus services to customers.
The drawings have not necessarily been drawn to scale. Similarly, some components and/or operations may be separated into different blocks or combined into a single block for the purposes of discussion of some of the embodiments of the present technology. Moreover, while the technology is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are described in detail below. The intention, however, is not to limit the technology to the particular embodiments described herein. On the contrary, the technology is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the technology as defined by the appended claims.

Transparent provisioning of a third-party service for a user device on a telecommunications network


A method of making a supported foam circuit laminate comprises fitting a dielectric foam substrate having a shape defined by edges to a support frame having a thickness, an inner rim and an outer rim, wherein the edges of the dielectric foam substrate are flush with the inner rim of the support frame, and the dielectric foam substrate has a thickness that is greater than the thickness of the support frame; disposing an electrically conductive layer onto a side of the dielectric foam substrate and the support frame, wherein the edges of the electrically conductive layer overlap the inner rim of the support frame; and co-laminating the electrically conductive layer to the dielectric foam substrate and the overlapped support frame under heat and pressure to provide a supported foam circuit laminate.

This disclosure relates to methods for the manufacture of circuit laminates, and circuit boards containing such laminates.
Printed circuit boards having low dielectric constants and low dissipation factors are preferred for use with high frequency circuits. Printed circuit boards are typically manufactured from circuit laminates having a conductive layer, e.g., copper, fixedly attached to a dielectric substrate layer. Double clad circuit laminates have two conductive layers, one on each side of the dielectric substrate layer. Patterning a conductive layer of a laminate, for example by etching, provides a circuit. Multilayer circuits comprise a plurality of conductive layers, at least one of which contains a conductive wiring pattern.
For certain high frequency applications, foamed materials can be used as the dielectric substrate layer to provide the desirable dielectric and dissipation properties. Foamed circuit laminates are known, being described for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,937,585 to Shoemaker et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,541,366 to Moaz et al.
The cellular structure of foams provide unique properties to dielectric substrates, but also give rise to processing difficulties, particularly when processed using conventional circuit board procedures and equipment. Use of open-celled foams is particularly problematic. For example, the foamed material can be subject to too much compression during lamination to form multi-layer circuit assemblies, which adversely affects the desired electrical properties of the multi-layered circuits. The foams are easily damaged by tooling holes and racks. Another processing problem associated with foamed dielectric substrates is the occurrence of wrinkling during lamination, which occurs as the foam material shrinks during cool down. This currently creates the need for a cumbersome pre-lamination stress relief process. It has further been found that foamed dielectric substrates can be susceptible to absorption of processing chemicals at the surface, edges, and through-hole walls of the foamed material.
There accordingly remains a need in the art for processes and materials for the manufacture of circuit laminates containing foamed dielectric substrates that are compatible with standard processing procedures and equipment.

Method of making a supported foam circuit laminate


A livestock unloading system for unloading livestock from a storage unit of a transport vehicle to a processing plant or storage facility. The unloading system includes a conveyor system whereby livestock ride from the storage unit to their destination. The conveying system includes a telescoping end that extends into and retracts from a coop during the unloading process. A truck positioner positions the transport vehicle for the proper unloading process.

The present invention relates generally to a system for handling livestock and more particularly to a system, means, device or apparatus to effect the efficient handling of livestock in the unloading of same from a transport vehicle to a farm site or processing plant.
It will be understood and appreciated that as the foregoing description of the present invention may be explained as it pertains to the handling of poultry, this description in no way shall be indicative of the limiting of "livestock" thereto.
Commercial poultry, such as turkeys, chickens, guineas, peafowl, ostriches, ducks, geese, swans and pigeons, have been one of man's main staples of protein throughout history. For centuries poultry was raised and processed on the farm and locally delivered to those who desired such fresh poultry. But as the population migrated to towns and cities, delivery of fresh poultry became increasingly difficult while the demand for processed poultry increased dramatically. In response to this need, fresh processed poultry now had to be transported to the markets located in these cities.
The poultry was customarily gathered manually at poultry houses, boxed or crated with numerous birds per crate, manually loaded aboard an open truck or van, and transported. The problems created by such a procedure were both numerous and significant. The manual handling of the poultry not only created a materially high cost involved in raising the poultry and preparing them for market, but it also created certain physical dangers to both the poultry as well as the workmen.
For example, during hand catching and subsequent handling of poultry, some birds are bruised, injured, or even killed due to a violent reaction of the birds or the unintentional rough handling by the workmen. Additionally, fowl inevitably beat their wings in an effort to escape upon capture, this would frequently result in a bird striking the handler with sufficient force to cause physical injury.
As technology was developed for the processing and safe storage of poultry, small processing plants developed and the manual loading and unloading of crates or coops began to improve. One of the first significant improvements, particularly in the turkey industry, was to create coops or crates which were permanently attached to a trailer or truck bed. These trucks contain large numbers of individual coops attached on the truck body. The coops having doors opening outward and being arranged in horizontal rows and vertical tiers. These coops or compartments typically having a permanent middle portion partition, and as such require loading from both sides of the truck. Not only is this time consuming, but loading from both sides also requires the trailer to turn around with all of its weight on one side thus causing an unsafe situation to driver, livestock, machinery and trailer.
The usual method of loading the poultry was to catch the animals individually and then lift and carry them to the coops while using makeshift platforms to reach the higher coops or to hand the birds to other workmen who are clinging to or standing on supports attached to the sides of the truck. The adult male turkey may weigh in excess of forty pounds, thus, any mishandling thereof causes a high incident of injuries to workers and animals alike, not to mention the considerable time requirements needed to accomplish the loading/unloading of a complete truck. The past thirty years has seen various conveyor belt apparatus designs to convey the poultry to the different heights of the vertical tier of coops. However, at the exit end of the conveyor belt, personnel still manually stuffed turkeys into the compartments or coops. Thus, while such apparatus eliminated the laborious task of lifting animals to the different heights of coops in the vertical tier, the arduous task of stuffing the live poultry continued.
In light of the preceding problems, there has been an effort in the art to develop a method of loading poultry for transport with a minimal amount of manual labor. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,902,089, issued May 11, 1999 describes a poultry loading apparatus for transporting poultry from a confinement area such as a poultry house to a transport vehicle to allow transport of poultry from farm-to-farm or from farm-to-processing plant. This is accomplished through the use of a base and a sectional mainframe defining a transport conveyance system. A section of the mainframe is pivotably attached to another section which is pivotably attached to the base. The apparatus further utilizes a control system for its overall leveling and pivotal height adjustments, as well as the extending/retracting capabilities of its conveyance.
Such a conveyance system certainly provides for an apparatus and system for loading poultry for transport that minimizes labor and costs while maximizing efficiency. However, once the fully loaded vehicle stops at its desired location, it must be unloaded. Although this conveyance apparatus is certainly capable of such unloading, it may be difficult to maneuver this apparatus within the typically less spacious area of a processing plant. In any event, the unloading process during the past two generations has not changed. The animals are manually grabbed and pulled out of the crates or coops and inverted on a shackle. Consequently, the animals are under high stress and typically react violently, thereby causing possible injury to itself and/or the unloader. Thus, there exists a need for a poultry unloading apparatus and system that reduces labor costs and damaged product while increasing safety and efficiency.
Today, the poultry business is a multi-billion dollar industry. Large companies dominate the production, slaughter and marketing of products. Since poultry companies are now fewer in number, they therefore demand large quantities of animals daily for processing. In fact, enormous numbers of poultry are transferred daily from production facilities to the slaughter plant or to different production facilities en route to the slaughter plant.
With the advance of science and particularly the art of genetics the animals are becoming larger earlier in life. In fact, the average weight of a male turkey (for example) may exceed fifty pounds within the next five years. This requires a high demand for automation by the processors, and fundamental changes are now occurring as the production and processing consolidates. There will be more focus on creating supply chains from the farm to the retail shelf that can elevate quality, consistency and demand responsiveness to previously unforeseen levels. At the same time, there is growing evidence that retailers (and ultimately consumers) are becoming increasingly proactive about the processes that generate the meat they are purchasing. More specifically, some consumers have become increasingly proactive with respect to the welfare of the animals they are consuming.
In view of the aforementioned needs and the shortcomings of the prior art, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a system that overcomes the deficiencies of the current practices whereby an apparatus and system is provided for unloading livestock for transport with a minimum amount of labor and with maximum efficiency at a minimum cost.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a livestock unloading system which maximizes efficiency and decreases damage to the animals during processing. It is another object of the present invention to provide a livestock unloading system which minimizes labor costs by reducing the number of employees as well as the turnover rate of employees.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a livestock unloading system whereby the manual and perhaps rough handling of the livestock is eliminated thereby improving overall animal quality by reducing animal stress and minimizing any damages sustained to the livestock. This reduction of stress decreases fecal contamination which in turn increases food safety.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a user friendly livestock unloading apparatus that may be operated effectively by very few personnel.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an answer to the animal welfare conscious public regarding the handling of livestock.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be clearly understood through a consideration of the following detailed description.


A method for providing certified feedback information on a transaction entity (e.g., seller, purchaser, and/or object (e.g., good, service)) involved in a transaction between a seller and a purchaser.

It is known that each time a transaction takes place between a seller and a purchaser the reliability of the people/entities involved is very important and can determine the success of the transaction. In this respect, in countries like Italy, insurance companies provide their clients with a "risk certificate" which indicates the reliability of a driver, i.e. his tendency to make accidents. This risk certificate determines (among other parameters) the cost of the insurance policy.
Reliability certificates are also used in electronic markets, like Amazon® and eBay®, which provide ratings for sellers and purchasers' reliability. In such a system, once a transaction has succeeded, the purchaser receives an e-mail comprising a link to a webpage; by clicking on the link, the user is prompted to the webpage where he can leave feedback on the product and on the seller. On the other side, the seller is given the possibility of leaving feedback about the purchaser's conduct.
Ratings generated within a given electronic market (like eBay®) are not recognised as valid "reliability certificates" by other web sites or markets since they are generated by people not known (not registered users) in these other web sites or markets. Each electronic market, therefore acts as a "closed system" which generates its own reliability certificates (ratings) and recognises as valid certificates only its own certificates.
It is therefore to be noted that in both cases, in order to provide reliable certificates on people's reliability (in driving or in commercial transactions), these certificates are generated by a party involved in the transaction (the insurance company in one case, a web site manager managing the electronic transaction in the other case) and are released only to registered users (the clients in the case of insurance companies).
On the other hand, it is known to have rating services that are independent form the entities involved in the transaction (seller, purchaser and web site manager).
According to its Abstract, US patent application number US2009/0210444 discloses a rating system of this type, which automatically evaluates and determines authenticity of a rating. The computer system disclosed by US2009/0210444 receives rating information, that includes a rating of a company that (according to a declaration of the rater) is involved in a transaction with the rater, and rater profile information, which includes identification information and usage information associated with a user of the computer based service. Based on this information, the computer system determines a risk level and generates an evaluation outcome message that is communicated to the rater. The evaluation outcome message may include an acceptance message, an information request message, and a rejection message. With the acceptance message, the service accepts the rating for storage in a rating information database. With the information request message, the service implements a verification process. With the rejection message, the service rejects the rating.
Notwithstanding all the control measure and the evaluation steps taken by the computer system, the method for collecting feedback information on ratable object disclosed by US2009/0210444 cannot certificate that the feedback has been given by somebody that was really involved in a transaction with the rater.
It is therefore felt the need for a service that is independent from a party involved in the transaction (e.g. the seller or a web site like eBay®) and that allow to certify reliability of entities (people or objects) involved in transactions. In particular, it is felt the need for a system for distributing feedback (in particular relating to companies and people like sellers and purchasers) on several websites different from those collecting the feedback.

System and method for certifying information relating to transactions between a seller and a purchaser


In systems in which there is insufficient pressure difference between the intake and the exhaust to drive the EGR, an EGR pump is provided. In a dual-engine system, disclosed herein, the EGR system, i.e., the EGR cooler and EGR pump, is shared to obviate the need for two of each. Shutoff valves may be provided between the EGR system and a secondary of the two engines to isolate the secondary engine when it is not operating. When the engines are OPOC engines, exhaust aftertreatment devices, such as diesel oxidation catalysts and/or diesel particulate filters, may be placed upstream of where the EGR gases tee off from the engine's exhaust to thereby maintain a high pressure ratio across an exhaust turbine located downstream in the engine's exhaust.

An engine system that includes two internal combustion engines has the potential for providing superior fuel economy. When torque demand is low, only one of the two engines is operated. However, high torque demand can be satisfied by operating both engines. One challenge is to avoid complete duplication of all the engine accessories.

Shared EGR system and method for a dual-module engine


A dry toner having Zapon Yellow 141 as a charge control agent, dispersed moderately in the toner. Zapon Yellow 141 is about 95% by weight Solvent Yellow 81 and about 5% by weight Solvent Orange 56.

Chromium complex dyes are widely known as a class of materials useful as charge control agents in dry toner corresponding to this invention. U.S. Pat. No. 4,401,741 to Miyakawa is illustrative. Commercial suppliers offer various chromium complex dyes explicitly for use as such charge control agents, but none are known to be so offered which are closely similar to either of the dyes used together in accordance with this invention.
The Material Safety Data Sheet for the IBM 3812 and 3816 toners includes a dye as the apparent charge control agent as follows: Azoid dye, CAS No. 41741-86-0. BASF offers commercially a dye with this CAS No. 41741-86-0. It is called Zapon Yellow 156. (Zapon is a registered trademark.) The Material Safety Data Sheet for Zapon Yellow 156 states that both Solvent Yellow 21 and C.I. 18690 are synonyms to Zapon Yellow 156. The Colour Index gives the following description of C.I. 18690: A chromium complex of ##STR1## Anthranilic acid->3-methyl-1-phenyl-5-pyrazolone, (meaning the acid is first diazotized and then coupled with the pyrazolone).
Nevertheless, attempted use of Zapon Yellow 156 in toners formulated otherwise in accordance with this invention was not successful.
This invention employs a mixture of Solvent Yellow 81 dye and Solvent Orange 56 dye, sold as Zapon Yellow 141. The following two references are known only from database summaries in English. The first mentions Solvent Yellow 81 and the other mentions Solvent Orange 56 as dyes in toner, but not as general purpose charge control agents and not in combination: Japanese patent JP3094270-A issued Apr. 19, 1991, to Ricoh K. K. and Japanese patent J62024268-A issued Feb. 2, 1987, to Ricoh K. K.

Dry toner with mixed azo dye charge control agent


A robot control method includes a first step of selecting a holding form in which a robot holds an object and a second step of determining whether the object can continue to be stably held when a predetermined external force is applied to the object in the selected holding form. In the second step, it is determined that the object can continue to be stably held when a force which should be generated by a contact portion to generate resistance to the predetermined external force is included in a friction cone of a force generated by driving the contact portion and enlarged by a suction force from the suction mechanism.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a robot control method, a robot control device, a robot, and a robot system.
2. Related Art
In recent years, the following has been known as a method of controlling a suction type robot (see JP-A-2010-69542). A robot hand is first made to move forward to a workpiece holding target position and a holding state is checked. When the holding state is not good, the workpiece holding target position is changed and the robot hand is made to move forward up to the holding state. When the holding state is good, the robot hand is made to move backward so as to take out a workpiece and the holding state is checked again. When the holding state is not good, the workpiece holding target position is changed and the robot hand is made to move again to the changed workpiece holding target position.
However, in the above-mentioned control method, the holding state when a workpiece has been held is checked, but when an external force is applied such as when the workpiece collides with something during work, when an inertial force is applied to the workpiece due to acceleration or deceleration, when the weight of the workpiece increases by attaching another component thereto, or when the workpiece is pressed against another component to attach the component thereto, there is a problem in that slipping occurs on the contact surface of the robot hand and the workpiece and thus the workpiece does not continued to be stably held, such that the holding is not continued or the holding position is changed.

Robot control method, robot control device, robot, and robot system


A foldable frame includes first and second upper bars, first and second lower bars, and first and second pin joint pieces. The first and second pin joint pieces are respectively provided with first and second pin joint holes. The first and second lower bars are respectively fixed with the first and second pin joint pieces. The first pin joint piece is pin-jointed with the second pin joint piece through the first pin joint hole, and end surfaces of the first and second pin joint pieces respectively abut against end portions of the second and first lower bars. Two ends of the first upper bar are respectively pin-jointed with an upper end of a front wheel support and at the second pin joint hole of the second pin joint piece. Two ends of the second upper bar are respectively pin-jointed with a rear wheel support and at the second pin joint hole of the first pin joint piece.

With the improvement of the living standard, personalized, fashionable, healthy and environmental-friendly life concepts are becoming deeply rooted in the hearts of people. Fashion and green articles for daily use and vehicles are more and more popular. Bicycles and electric scooters are no longer merely a means of transport, but have become a symbol of a fashionable and healthy life style and a way of practicing environmental protection. A space-saving and portable foldable bicycle or electric scooter is small and light after being folded, and it is convenient to go up and down the stairs or escalators and take a bus or subway carrying the foldable bicycle or electric scooter.
A folding manner of current foldable bicycles or electric scooters (motorized vehicles) is simple. Usually, a folding mechanism is disposed between a front wheel steering bar and a body support. The front wheel steering bar and the body support are folded by means of the folding mechanism. Such a folding manner is simple, but the size after folding is still large. A folding mechanism for folding the body is also available. However, such a folding mechanism only performs simple pin joint on front and rear body supports, a foldable frame formed thereby is unstable, and this folding mechanism fails to ensure the driving safety. Moreover, the scooter requires complex operation procedures for folding the body, and it is especially difficult for those who have physical mobility problems to perform such a complex folding operation.
Therefore, it is necessary to design a foldable frame that is convenient to fold, has a stable structure, is space saving, and has desirable portability.

Foldable frame for foldable motorized vehicle

Dongguan Prestige Sporting Products Co. Ltd.


An optical sheet has an isotropic medium layer and an anisotropic medium layer. The isotropic medium layer is made of an optically isotropic medium and has a first surface and ridge-shaped projections. The projections are formed on the first surface, arranged in a first direction and extend in a second direction intersecting at right angles to the first direction. Each projection has a cross section shaped like a segment of a circle. The anisotropic medium layer is made of an optically uniaxial medium and has a second surface and groove-shaped recesses. The recesses are made in the second surface, arranged in the first direction and extend in the second direction. Each recesses has a cross section shaped like a segment of a circle. The isotropic and the anisotropic medium layers are laid one on the other, with the respective projections firmly fitted in the respective recesses.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical sheet, an electric-field-controlled panel having an optical sheet, a lighting apparatus having an electric-field-controlled panel, a liquid crystal display having a lighting apparatus, and a method of manufacturing an optical sheet.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, liquid crystal displays have come into use in various products such as notebook personal computers (PCs), monitors, car navigation systems, function calculators, small- and medium-size TV sets, large-size TV sets, cellular telephones, electronic pocket diaries, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and the like. Of these products, electronic pocket diaries, PDAs, cellular telephones, tablet PCs, and notebook PCs are frequently used, because the liquid crystal displays mounted on them are small, thin and light. Further, liquid crystal displays are widely used at points-of-purchases (POPs) apparatuses and automated teller machines (ATMs). Still further, liquid crystal displays are used in public-service apparatuses such as ticket machines.
In some cases, the information displayed on any product mentioned above should be concealed from people other than the user of the product. For example, a cellular telephone, a PDA or a tablet PC may display private information while used in public. In this case, the display on the apparatus should better have a small angle of visibility. However, two or more people need to observe the information in some cases. In view of this, the angle of visibility should be controlled and portable apparatuses and public-use information terminals should have a function of controlling the angle of visibility.
In recent years, a removable louver sheet has been used as means for controlling the angle of visibility of the liquid crystal display or the cathode-ray tube (CRT), as is disclosed in, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2003-58066. Further, a system has been put to practical use, in which the liquid crystal display used has no polarizing plates on the front. The user can observe the information only if he or she wears polarizing glasses.
The conventional louver sheet has a light-shielding layer that is several millimeters thick in the direction normal to the sheet, in order to reduce the angle of visibility as much as possible. Any liquid crystal display that uses the conventional louver sheet inevitably has low transmittance and, hence, low luminance. Further, the method of manufacturing the louver sheet is complicated, increasing the manufacturing cost of the louver sheet. Still further, it takes much time and labor to attach and removed the louver sheet to and from the liquid crystal display. With the system wherein the user wears the polarizing glasses, any person other than the user cannot see the information at all.

Optical sheet, electric-field-controlled panel, lighting apparatus, liquid crystal display, and method of manufacturing an optical sheet

Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology Co., Ltd.


A display device is provided. The display device includes an anti-reflection film. The anti-reflection film includes a base film, a retardation coating layer disposed on a first side of the base film so as to delay a phase of transmitted light, and a polarizer coating layer disposed on a second side of the base film so as to allow a polarization component of the transmitted light in a specific direction to pass through, wherein the retardation coating layer and the polarizer coating layer are formed by applying a liquid crystal on the base film.

(a) Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a display device, and more particularly, to a display device including an anti-reflection film having a thin structure.
(b) Description of the Related Art
When external light is reflected or scattered on a display surface of a display device, the image on the display device cannot be properly observed. The reflection or scattering of external light is particularly common on portable devices (such as mobile phones, PMPs (portable multimedia players), PDA (personal digital assistants), and laptop computers)) since these portable devices are often used outdoors.
Various methods have been proposed to overcome the problem of the reflection and scattering of external light on display devices. For example, an anti-reflection film may be attached to the display surface of the display device. The anti-reflection film absorbs externally reflected and scattered light, and allows only the image displayed on the display device to be transmitted, thereby producing a clearer display image.
Recently, foldable display devices having bending and folding characteristics have been developed. A foldable display device has numerous advantages over non-foldable display devices. For example, the foldable display device is highly portable and can be easily carried around. Also, a large display screen can be implemented on the foldable display device. Furthermore, the foldable display device may be used in various mobile equipment (such as mobile phones, PMPs, PDPs, navigation devices, UMPCs (ultra-mobile PCs)), may serve as a TV or a monitor, and may be used to read electronic books or electronic newspapers.
For an anti-reflection film to work properly, the anti-reflection film needs to have good adhesion to the foldable display device. However, presently developed anti-reflection films are limited to a thickness of about 100 um, which affects the bendability and curvature radius of the foldable display device. For example, at this thickness (of about 100 um), the anti-reflection film may delaminate from the foldable display device after repeated bendings/foldings.
Accordingly, to fold the foldable display device at a smaller curvature radius and to improve adhesion of the anti-reflection film to the foldable display device, an anti-reflection film having a thin structure may be required.


Methods and apparatus providing for receiving liquids and for applying liquids on sample carriers.

The present invention relates to a device for receiving liquids and also to a device for applying liquids on sample carriers and to a corresponding method for this purpose.
The trend in biotechnology leads to the processing of increasingly smaller quantities of liquid. The reasons for this are very varied. Often the substances to be examined are very expensive since usually in fact a large number of steps is required for the production thereof. In part they concern biologically dangerous materials, the handling of which in very small quantities can reduce the risk enormously. However frequently also only very small quantities of the sample volume are available but, at the same time, as many tests as possible are intended to be implemented. Also the speed of the reactions depends significantly upon the sample volume. The smaller this is, the faster the analysis. Modern diagnosis apparatus is able to analyse thousands of adjacently printed spots at the same time on one microarray.
Over the years, specific standards in tests have been established. Thus frequently disposable articles made of injection-moulded polypropylene or polystyrene are used since the very costly cleaning and disinfection of the sample containers is thus dispensed with. These microtitre plates can be found in various designs. They differ mainly in the number of sample volumes. Thus there are 96-, 384- but also 1536-well plates which in fact have the same outer dimensions but differ in the volume and number of wells.
The difficulty resides in placing the reagents from the wells on the microarray. Simple metering methods with pipettes and by hand are very time-consuming and imprecise. In order to avoid cross-contaminations, the pipette tip must be exchanged after each sampling. This is also the reason why piezo dispensers which firstly remove the liquid and then place it on the microarray are not possible.
Previous approaches to the solution are restricted either to a completely new configuration of the sample container (MTP) or the volume is placed on the sample carrier via an intermediate station, i.e. not directly.
In the case of the "TopSpot-Method", a print head made of silicon and glass is manufactured and a series of microchannels conducts the liquids then into the specially produced nozzles. A pressure pulse is produced via a plunger and places the drop at the outlet of the nozzle. The disadvantage of this method resides in the fact that, for each new printing process, the print head must firstly be disinfected and cleaned in order to preclude cross-contamination. In addition, the production of these print heads is relatively complex and expensive. A further disadvantage of the method resides in the fact that the printed grid always has a fixed spot spacing of for example 500 μm. The wells can only all be printed at the same time and in a fixed position. Before printing can take place with this method, the print head must firstly be filled since printing cannot take place directly from the reaction vessel. The dead volume is high due to the long channels.
The "Dispensing Wellplate (DWP) method" functions similarly. The metering volume here is however not controlled via the pulse duration or the stroke but the entire micronozzle which has a strictly defined volume is emptied.
A third variant is the removal of the desired quantity of liquid via "pipettes" which then "deposit" this on the sample carrier. The great disadvantage in this variant is contamination of the pipette. After each printing process, said pipette must be cleaned, which results inter alia in the fact that a part of the liquid is always lost. The danger of cross-contaminations with this method is very high.

Device for receiving a liquid and also device for applying liquids on sample carriers and method for this purpose

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.